Chapter Forty-Nine: Special Training

“No matter what, we’ll need your help with some specialized training, mainly focused on how to fight against the creatures from the Spirit Realm. Oh, by the way, we call those invaders from the Spirit Realm ‘Aberrant Beasts.’ I know each of you Dream Guardians has your own unique spells and techniques for dealing with them!” The old man smiled warmly as he spoke. Wu Ming thought his words made perfect sense, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss, as though he were about to fall into the old man’s trap.

“Alright, since we’ve all agreed to cooperate, that’s no problem for us! All you want is for us to train your people, right?” Director Baolong chuckled as he patted his stomach. He was truly starving, and his belly kept rumbling noisily.

“Hee hee, great! I want to join the combat training too. I even know some fighting techniques! Hiyah!” Music beamed with delight, breaking into a horse stance on the spot and throwing a few playful punches.

“Not bad!” The old man smiled, patting Music on the head.

Music shot him a glare over her shoulder. “I hate it when people touch my head! Mom says only bad people do that to kids!”

“Uh—” The old man was caught completely off guard, his hand awkwardly suspended in midair, unsure whether to withdraw it or leave it, utterly embarrassed.

“Amitabha. Since matters here are settled, this humble monk and his companions shall take our leave.” Monk Lokong bowed respectfully to the old man.

“Very well. But in a week, I’ll send someone to fetch you all. If you have any business to attend to, take care of it before then.”

Escorted by military vehicles, everyone returned to the entrance of Wu Ming’s apartment complex. Wu Ming and the others wanted to treat the soldiers who had brought them to a meal, but the soldiers politely declined and drove off.

The group was famished, so they stopped by a noodle shop near the complex and each ordered a couple of steaming bowls. Most remarkable was Director Baolong, who devoured five bowls single-handedly, leaving nearby diners gaping in astonishment.

“By the way, Wu Ming, your mirror must have absorbed that dream realm, right?” For once, Monk Lokong spoke without beginning with ‘Amitabha.’

“That’s right, Wu Ming! The spiritual power from the dream realm should be shared equally! We all worked hard together to defeat it—you can’t keep it all to yourself!” Director Baolong was halfway through his sixth bowl, belching as he spoke, still shoveling noodles into his mouth. Clearly, he was ravenous, and in his haste, he choked and started coughing, a noodle even poking out of his nose, which sent everyone into fits of laughter.

“Hee hee, Mom says you shouldn’t talk while eating! That’s what you get—serves you right!” Music giggled, scraping her cheek and covering her mouth as she laughed, but quickly rushed over to pat Director Baolong on the back.

“I wasn’t planning to keep it for myself. I just used the Mountain and Sea Mirror to get us out. Afterward, I don’t know where the dream realm went. Hang on, I’ll check the mirror now.” Wu Ming pulled out the Mountain and Sea Mirror and began to channel his spiritual energy into it.

“You two idiots! There are so many people in this noodle shop, and you’re performing magic out in the open!” Lingmei smacked both of them on the back of the head and lowered her voice, though her action drew even more attention from the other customers.

“Amitabha, it was my oversight. My error. Let’s discuss this back at home,” Monk Lokong whispered.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Old Dog since we left the dream realm,” Wu Ming mused, remembering the absence.

“No need to worry about him. Old Dog is the best escape artist in our sect—unless a Heavenly Emperor himself comes after him, no one can catch him!” Music laughed, taking out a lollipop, unwrapping it, and crunching it down in a few bites before tossing the stick into the trash.

“Here’s some money—no more lollipops left. Go buy me some, same as before, lychee flavor.” Music handed Wu Ming a large bill.

When Wu Ming returned with a bag full of lollipops, everyone was waiting for him in the living room. The four of them had been renting together, and now Director Baolong and Xiaomei had moved in too. They’d rented a small villa on the outskirts, each with their own room and shared living space. Split six ways, the rent was quite reasonable, not much different from what they paid before.

As soon as Wu Ming entered, Music called out, “Thank you, brother!” Before he could even take off his shoes, she had already crunched through two lollipops.

“Don’t eat so many sweets, or you’ll get cavities!” Wu Ming chided gently.

“Where’s your friend Fatty? Aside from Old Dog, he also disappeared when we reached the underground base. I remember he didn’t enter the dream realm, but he was with us when the soldiers caught us,” Lingmei said.

“Probably ran off halfway,” Director Baolong replied, gulping down a mouthful of tea.

“I told you, you never use your brain! With all those soldiers and handcuffs, let’s see you pull off an escape!” Lingmei retorted, fierce as ever.

“Then where do you think he went?” Director Baolong, annoyed at being scolded, shot back.

“I think there’s something fishy about this,” Xiaomei chimed in for once. “Maybe Wu Ming’s friend has some connection with the military at the base, and they let him go on the way.”

“Amitabha, Wu Ming, quickly check if your Mountain and Sea Mirror took in that dream realm,” Monk Lokong urged, a hint of impatience in his tone.

“Oh, right! Let me check.” Wu Ming poured what little spiritual energy he had left into the mirror.

The bronze surface of the Mountain and Sea Mirror began to glow, its engravings swirling, and the mirror slowly levitated into the air.

Wu Ming felt his spiritual energy stretch out like a tendril, reaching into the depths of the mirror, and his vision followed along. He’d never experienced anything like this before; the darkness ahead was gradually illuminated. Wu Ming faintly heard a familiar voice.

“Damn it, is anyone there? Music? Wu Ming? Baldy Lokong? Ugly Baolong? Xiaomei... where have you all gone? Don’t leave me here alone!” It was unmistakably Old Dog shouting, his voice tinged with exhaustion, suggesting he’d been stuck there for quite some time.

“Old Dog, where are you? Come to me, I’ll get you out!” As soon as Wu Ming called out, a consciousness seemed to understand his intent, instantly pulling both him and Old Dog out of the Mountain and Sea Mirror. Wu Ming sensed it was the mirror’s spirit at work.

“Old Dog!” Everyone hurried over in curiosity.

“So you were trapped in Wu Ming’s mirror all along! We worried for nothing!”

“No wonder it was just an endless white void inside, with nothing but the dream realm—so I was in the mirror this whole time!”