Chapter Thirteen: A Grand Dream

Endless hatred churned within Jiang Xu’s heart, cycling over and over—he vowed to drag down every child who had ever harmed him!

Wasn’t it enough that his life had been mired in filth?

Why did Heaven show such special favor to that family? Why did they live in boundless splendor, as if they were the greatest saints in the world?

Why were they untouched by the dust of the world, pure and spotless, standing amid storms yet untouched by fire and water?

He would watch them build their lofty towers—and then watch those towers crumble. He would become a demon to drag their entire family down into the endless black abyss of the ninefold heavens.

Let them build high, then fall low. He would make them endure every ounce of the suffering he had known, instilling fear and regret in their hearts.

He would make them as wicked as he was.

…

Outside, the sunlight rose higher and higher, so powerful that even the dark clouds fled in shame, leaving the Buddha’s light to bathe the earth.

The spirit tree in the small courtyard basked in the sunlight, budding anew, while the little lion-tabby spirit leapt and clawed playfully among the branches.

“Cough… cough…”

The coughing inside shattered the peaceful morning.

Jiang Xu expelled years of pent-up blood from his chest, while Jiang Lin, leaning against the bed, also spat out a mouthful of dark blood.

The once-stifling atmosphere suddenly came alive.

Jiang Haohai caught the foul stench of his elder brother’s blood as if all his suffering were being purged—and he almost felt like vomiting.

Their parents’ faces, etched with years of hardship, seemed to awaken as they wiped and poured water for the eldest son.

Second sister Jiang Yunyun held Haohai at a distance—after all, the eldest brother was still coughing violently.

The black-green vomit didn’t cease until even the stomach’s acidic bile was expelled.

Haohai noticed the eldest brother’s clothes covered in dark excrement, but after their parents carefully cleaned him, they saw his face had paled considerably, his features somehow more striking.

Could the immortal water have washed away his marrow, remaking him entirely?

Yet Song Liyao and Jiang Xu paid no mind to these oddities; what mattered was that their child had returned. That was enough.

Life’s three great blessings: reunion after long separation, false alarm, and recovery of the lost.

This regained eldest son strengthened their hearts beyond measure.

Jiang Lin, just waking, was confused—why did his room smell so overwhelmingly foul? His little sister hadn’t slept with him…

“Father, Mother, I’m so hungry, so hungry! I want bear meat, and pig’s trotters—I feel like I could eat an entire pig right now!”

At home, red-breasted spirit pig meat was a rare treat only for the New Year. Usually, if he asked for it, Mother would have scolded him outright. He had been craving it for a long time.

Unexpectedly, Mother Song Liyao smiled brightly and agreed:

“All right, rest well. I’ll make it for you tomorrow.”

Jiang Lin felt a moment of warmth, then smiled.

Father sat exhausted beside his son’s bed until he finally fell asleep, while Mother went to prepare spirit nourishment.

Second sister Jiang Yunyun fought her body’s reactions, fearing their eldest brother might slip away again, but eventually, she succumbed and fell asleep with her eyes open.

Jiang Lin glanced at his sister, then at their father snoring peacefully, feeling tears prick the corners of his eyes.

That night of illness felt like a long dream…

Since finishing the meat yesterday, he’d felt nauseous, but how could he vomit after finally tasting it?

He had tried to meditate, attempting to transform his spirit beast, but his body grew unbearably uncomfortable.

Not wanting to trouble his busy parents, he tried to endure it.

His back wound ached and itched, but he knew he couldn’t scratch it. He hoped the herbs would heal it and stopped paying attention.

With no time to cultivate during the day, he could only meditate hurriedly at night, but tonight his discomfort was too much; he fell asleep wrapped in his blanket.

Even in his sleep, he felt miserable and dreamed of hearing his parents’ sobs. He tried to wake but couldn’t.

Later, his clothes changed—he was dressed in a rare, unpatched robe.

Then he was placed inside a small, sturdy spirit coffin. As earth was shoveled atop it, he realized with horror that he had died…

But how could he be dead?

His little sister was still too young—not even a year old. Second sister had been deceived away just because of her stutter. Father was frail. Who would help Mother?

His family had yet to enjoy his blessings. He couldn’t die.

He wanted to rise and crawl out. He wanted to be with his family in the Jiang courtyard, not to live alone in this darkness.

But he couldn’t escape; his body was slowly devoured by worms, decaying bit by bit.

One day, a tiny pit appeared beside him.

Little sister was in a coffin too, sleeping beside him, so small.

He heard his parents’ voices but never second sister’s.

He saw his father’s black hair streaked with white and his mother aged suddenly.

He longed to rise and embrace them but couldn’t leave little sister lying alone in the cold earth—how lonely she must be.

Over time, they were reduced to mere skeletons, but those bones were blackened as if poisoned.

After an unknown span, he saw his father again—but this time mother was gone.

She too was placed in a spirit coffin, staying by his side for a long time.

He never saw second sister. It was strange.

Though reunited with mother, pain still lingered in his heart.

His father seemed utterly alone now.

He wanted to crawl out to be with father and find out where second sister had gone.

With mother here, little sister shouldn’t be lonely—he felt some peace.

But he never escaped that confined space. When mother’s bones crumbled too, he was surprised to see they were clean, though shattered.

He often heard crying carried on the wind—a sorrowful sound that stretched far and wide.

Eventually, he turned to ash but still heard his father’s desolate weeping.

Unable to bear it, he tried to rise and crawl out again, this time spotting a glimmer of light.

He crawled toward the light, hearing his father’s cries in the darkness.

This time, he also heard mother’s and second sister’s sobs.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and spat a mouthful of dark blood, then more and more of the green-black vomit.

He saw his parents, second sister, and little sister.

He was alive again; this time, father, mother, little sister, and second sister smiled beside him.

Yes, he had climbed out alive.

He spoke with mother, who smiled back.

He was sure he had crawled out—before, when he had spoken to mother and little sister, they hadn’t responded.

Now, they all promised to make him pig’s trotters to eat. It had been so long since he tasted mother’s cooking.

Though a touch of sadness lingered, his smile was dazzling.

He had truly clawed his way out of hell, alive.