Chapter 674: Entering the Dream?

“What do you mean?” Chen Junnan sensed the implication in Xiao Cheng’s words. “What’s the big deal about where he slept?”

“Ah, nothing…” Xiao Cheng glanced nervously at Qi Xia before shaking his head. “It’s nothing.”

“Do you know what’s going on…?” Tian Tian asked, puzzled.

“I…” Xiao Cheng hesitated, seemingly wrestling with unspoken questions.

“Honestly… I think I’ve seen Brother Qi in this state before, but I’m not entirely sure,” Xiao Cheng said solemnly. “To be blunt, I once… caused someone to end up like this too.”

“‘Caused’… what do you mean?” Chen Junnan frowned. “Damn it, kid, were you dealing drugs?”

“No, no, no!” Xiao Cheng quickly waved his hands. “Brother Chen, that’s way too extreme—it’s nothing like that. Actually, it’s kind of related to my ‘Echo’…”

“I haven’t asked yet,” Chen Junnan said. “That bell sound earlier—was that your ‘Echo’?”

“Yes. My ability is called ‘Dreamwalking,’ though it’s pretty much useless most of the time…” Xiao Cheng shook his head regretfully. “Usually, I can manipulate someone’s dreams in advance, making them dream about whatever they want…”

“‘Most of the time’?” Chen Junnan narrowed his eyes. “What about the rest?”

“I…” Xiao Cheng seemed reluctant to speak. After avoiding their gazes for a moment, he finally said, “There was once an older guy sharing my room who kept targeting me. I had a feeling he wanted to kill me, so while he was asleep… I ‘invaded’ his dream.”

“‘Invaded’…?”

The word intrigued everyone. A person’s “dream” could actually be “invaded”?

“Damn…” Chen Junnan muttered in disbelief. “Like a dream-eating tapir?”

Tian Tian nodded beside him. “It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie…”

“It’s nothing like what you’re imagining,” Xiao Cheng shook his head. “I don’t know if it’s a limitation of my ability or just how it’s designed, but even if I ‘invade’ someone’s dream, I can barely influence anything inside it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone has ‘psychological defenses,'” Xiao Cheng explained. “And in everyone’s dream world, I’m an outsider. Everything in the dream rejects my presence, and my ability to affect the dream is extremely limited—I can’t even pluck a single blade of grass.”

“This is really something new…” Chen Junnan scratched his head. “Then what’s the point of ‘invading’?”

“That day… in that man’s dream, I exhausted all my strength, grinding my hands until they bled, just to make a tiny crack in a single blade of grass…”

Xiao Cheng’s expression darkened as he spoke, as if he were hiding something.

“You went into his dream to weed?” Chen Junnan asked.

“It wasn’t that simple,” Xiao Cheng said. “After he woke up, he ended up in a state similar to Brother Qi’s—though he didn’t lose consciousness, he was completely disoriented and eventually died in one of the games. It was like some kind of ‘rejection reaction’ inside his body.”

The group fell silent at Xiao Cheng’s words.

After a long pause, Tian Tian finally asked, “So… you did this to Qi Xia…?”

“No, no, no!” Xiao Cheng frantically waved his hands. “Don’t misunderstand, everyone. I didn’t even know Brother Qi before today. I just meant his condition resembles what I once caused… but I’m not saying I’m responsible for his state!”

“Definitely not him,” Qiao Jiajin nodded in agreement. “If this guy really messed with our swindler, why would he admit it?”

“Exactly.”

“So then…?” Chen Junnan frowned. “Kid, can you confirm whether Old Qi’s current state is because his ‘dream’ was invaded?”

“I can’t say for sure,” Xiao Cheng replied earnestly. “I just think it feels similar, but I can’t be certain. After all, *I’m* the ‘Dreamwalker’—no one else should be able to cause this state…”

The group exchanged uneasy glances. After some thought, Chen Junnan spoke again.

“Xiao Chen, why don’t you go check?”

“Uh… my surname is Cheng…” Xiao Cheng said awkwardly.

“Ah, thought we were related,” Chen Junnan chuckled, patting Xiao Cheng’s shoulder. “Xiao Cheng, since you’ve got this ability, why not take a peek into Old Qi’s dream while he’s asleep? If you find any uprooted grass, just replant it.”

“This…” Xiao Cheng hesitated.

Meanwhile, Qiao Jiajin seemed uneasy with the idea.

“Handsome guy…” He pulled Chen Junnan aside and whispered, “Honestly, we don’t know this kid well. Plus, he said ‘invading’ a dream could damage someone’s mind. Should we really let him into our swindler’s head?”

“What’s there to fear?” Chen Junnan smirked, glancing at Xiao Cheng. “You and I are right here. You think he’d dare kill Old Qi in front of us?”

His tone was playful, but laced with a threat.

“Everyone… you might think I’m heartless,” Xiao Cheng said quietly, “but I’m exhausted today. I really don’t have the strength to enter Brother Qi’s dream… Maybe we should try another approach…?”

Just then, Zheng Yingxiong—who had finally stopped his nosebleed—removed the rag stuffed in his nostril. His pale face twitched slightly as he spoke softly, “But big brother… you’re scared.”

Xiao Cheng froze, then turned to Zheng Yingxiong.

“Big brother, I can smell ‘fear’ on you,” Zheng Yingxiong said.

The group shifted their attention back to Xiao Cheng. If what he said was true, why was he so afraid?

“I…” Xiao Cheng sighed. “Fine. At this point, I might as well come clean. Ever since I realized my ability could destroy someone’s mind, I’ve tried to ‘kill’ a few times… but my ‘Dreamwalking’ has a fatal flaw…”

“What flaw?” Chen Junnan asked.

“If something happens to me in the dream, I die in real life,” Xiao Cheng replied. “If Brother Qi is having a nightmare right now, I might get dragged into it. That’s why I rarely use this ability anymore.”

Seeing their confusion, he elaborated, “His psychological defenses are like ‘white blood cells’—they’ll attack any ‘virus’ that invades. There’s a chance I’ll be ‘consumed,’ and if that happens, I’ll drop dead instantly in the real world.”

Now they understood—Xiao Cheng’s fear was pure and simple: he was afraid of dying.

If he entered Qi Xia’s dream, he could be killed by it.

“I see…” Chen Junnan lowered his head in thought before finally saying, “In that case, forget it. I suspect Old Qi’s mental defenses are insanely strong. Even if all five of us teamed up, we might not make it out. Since this wasn’t your fault to begin with, there’s no need to risk your life.”

Tian Tian and Qiao Jiajin sighed in agreement. Everyone knew Qi Xia’s capabilities—in all their time in the “Endgame,” he had never truly lost to any “Zodiac.” His mental fortitude far surpassed ordinary people’s. For someone like Xiao Cheng, entering his dream would be suicide.

As they hesitated, Di Hou, who had been observing from a distance, seemed to notice something. He slowly stood up and began walking toward them.