The capital, Si Tianjian. The cold wind was piercing, snow as large as mats.

When Di Yiqiu returned with Huang Rang and Miao Yunzhi, there was already a pile of messy affairs waiting for him to clean up.

In the council hall of Qinglong Si, over a dozen officials were already waiting.

Letters requesting assistance from the prefectures piled up like mountains, one after another.

Even the palace had sent people to summon him.

When Jianzheng brought Huang Rang and Miao Yunzhi rushing back to Si Tianjian, the gazes of over a dozen officials unanimously first glanced at his waist.

Di Yiqiu’s face turned livid. Fortunately, Li Lu hurriedly said, “Jianzheng, now everyone up and down the court has fallen into strange dreams, and moreover, the strange matter of the dead returning to life has occurred. The officials are all very anxious.”

Sure enough, Minister of Personnel Qi said, “Jianzheng, my ministry has a clerk who died at his post five years ago. He choked to death on fruit. Who knew that in the strange dream, he was rescued by colleagues. Now that the dream has ended, he has unexpectedly come to report for duty in perfect health. This… the dead returning to life is unprecedented in all history. I fear it’s not an auspicious omen!”

Once he opened his mouth, the other officials all began speaking of strange matters that had occurred in their own domains.

Di Yiqiu first pushed Huang Rang to the window, then placed a warming brazier by her feet.

Huang Rang warmed herself by the fire, listening warmly to their discussion. A green tussock moth landed before her. She examined it for a long while and suddenly reacted—it was Yanglaozi!

Joy at their reunion surged in her heart, but unfortunately she was like wood and stone, unable to move.

The green tussock moth circled around her in flight, seemingly also only now realizing—its mother, that woman who in the dream realm could kill until Xie Lingbi’s reputation was swept away, was in reality a living corpse.

It landed delicately on Huang Rang’s folded hands, vibrating its wings to kiss her hand.

—Alright, I forgive you for not coming to find me.

The dozen-plus officials described the strange matters in grave tones. Sure enough, they were all people who had already died previously but had avoided calamity in the strange dream, and thus mysteriously revived in reality.

Miao Yunzhi’s expression was grave. He turned to ask Di Yiqiu, “What do you think?”

Di Yiqiu said, “I have a conjecture, but I don’t dare confirm it yet.”

Minister of Personnel Qi was quite impatient. “What time is it? Jianzheng is still keeping us in suspense?”

Di Yiqiu said, “If they come into contact with their own corpses from reality, it seems they will disappear.”

“Disappear?” Minister Qi asked. “You mean if they touch their own corpses, they’ll die?”

Beside him, Miao Yunzhi said, “They melt. Like ice, they dissolve.”

The dozen-plus officials were skeptical, but this wasn’t difficult to verify. Di Yiqiu turned to Bao Wu and said, “Go to Baihu Si and bring a few prisoners who returned from death. Also bring their corpses along.”

Bao Wu acknowledged and immediately went to handle it.

The officials could only wait together.

Di Yiqiu walked slowly to Huang Rang’s side. Always worried she was cold, he couldn’t help but touch her hand.

With this touch, he saw Yanglaozi—Huang Yang—resting on the back of Huang Rang’s hand.

At least there was one happy matter.

Jianzheng took out a bit of spiritual elixir, put it in a cup, dissolved it in water, and tossed Huang Yang into it.

Huang Yang had grown up by his side and was long accustomed to his feeding methods. What did it matter now whether it was inside or outside the dream?

It dove headfirst into the cup and began absorbing the spiritual elixir.

Only then did Di Yiqiu clasp Huang Rang’s hand. Huang Rang had bitterly cultivated the martial path in the dream, and her cultivation outside the dream had also increased considerably. But unfortunately, the surge in cultivation couldn’t resist the Soul-Binding Bone-Setting Needle.

Di Yiqiu fetched a rabbit fur blanket for her and covered her legs with it. Then he tucked her hands inside as well.

The dozen-plus officials silently watched him so attentively care for a fake doll. Suddenly, Minister Qi reacted and said, “Speaking of which, in the dream Jianzheng claimed that because his childhood sweetheart died of illness, he became enamored with Miss Huang Rang. This Miss Huang Rang seems to be Sect Master Xie of Yuhu Xuanzong’s wife, correct?”

These words opened the floodgates.

The other officials all said, “Tsk, Jianzheng even went to her door to propose marriage, ah, and was even willing to offer Super Class A combat puppets for this, truly spent a fortune.”

Everyone spoke animatedly. To the side, Vice Monitor Li’s face flushed with embarrassment—our own Jianzheng had only this tiny bit of reputation, and in this dream it was all completely lost.

Only Jianzheng snorted coldly, treating it as dogs barking.

Before long, Bao Wu brought over four prisoners.

“Jianzheng, they’re all here.” As he spoke, he ordered the four to kneel in a row. Behind the four, four corpses were carried. The corpses were placed in the snow outside the door, all covered with white cloth.

The officials immediately stopped gossiping. Everyone looked at these four people together.

Baihu Si’s Deputy Monitor Tan Qi came over and said, “Jianzheng, these four were already severely injured and died of illness in prison. But in the strange dream they were lucky, just happening to encounter Medical Administrator Miao looking for people to test medicine. They survived by chance.”

Di Yiqiu stared at these four people and waved his hand. Miao Yunzhi sat to one side, also holding his breath.

Bao Wu lifted the white cloth. Everyone immediately examined them curiously. They saw the slightly decayed corpses looked exactly the same as these four living people.

Di Yiqiu said, “You four, turn around.”

The four prisoners had long been confused. What dream inside and outside? What survived by chance?

They turned around simultaneously and naturally saw the four corpses at the door.

The four were stunned. After a long while, they hesitantly stepped forward.

“This, this…” Someone pointed at their own corpse, unable to believe it for a long time.

“Are we, we already dead?” another prisoner asked quietly.

Minister Qi frowned and said, “Exactly so.”

“How is that possible?” someone shouted. “You dog officials, what kind of tricks are you playing?!”

With this statement, the other three prisoners immediately looked equally suspicious.

Li Lu recorded from the side, saying, “Upon hearing news of death, no abnormalities.”

Miao Yunzhi could no longer restrain himself and said, “Just now at White Bone Cliff, when they touched their own corpses, they melted and disappeared.”

Hearing this, Bao Wu grabbed a prisoner and hauled him to his own corpse. By this time, the prisoner also began to suspect it was a court trick.

He struggled while cursing angrily.

Bao Wu directly pressed him onto the corpse. The moment he contacted his own corpse, his entire person suddenly twisted bizarrely. Then his facial features, limbs, and even his entire body instantly twisted and melted, finally disappearing without a trace.

Seeing this bizarre scene, the remaining three couldn’t curse anymore.

A light breeze passed through the surroundings. The three seemed like wisps of smoke, folding and twisting several times before also disappearing into the air. Not to mention clothing—not even a single hair remained.

The officials contemplated in silence. After a long while, Minister Qi said, “Unheard of!”

Beside them, Miao Yunzhi asked, “Do these revived people show symptoms of bloodthirstiness or mania?”

Everyone pondered for a while and shook their heads. Minister Qi said, “No different from when they were alive. No symptoms are visible.”

So someone said quietly, “Perhaps this is also good. Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. If they just live well, it’s harmless.”

As soon as he said this, someone immediately sneered, “Minister Zhou’s mother is one of the revived. Naturally he would say this.”

That person immediately fell silent.

The imperial palace, Yuanrong Tower.

The revived imperial princes and princesses numbered as many as eighty.

Qiu Shengbai was naturally also terrified, but seeing that these people’s speech and behavior were no different from within the dream, with no other strange phenomena, he slowly relaxed.

While arranging everyone on the lower floor of Yuanrong Tower, he reported to Shi Wenyu.

However, Shi Wenyu didn’t see him, only saying lightly, “Since Heaven shows mercy, then settle them well.”

Receiving these words, and seeing that these imperial princes and princesses didn’t seem terrifyingly demonic, Qiu Shengbai could only rearrange lodgings for them.

Among them, the Fifth Prince’s original name was Shi Yanzhi. Later he was forced to change his surname to Zhao, called Zhao Yanzhi.

Outside the dream, he had already been “missing” for many days. Now he reappeared.

Even someone like Qiu Shengbai felt his heart jump with alarm.

The matter of the dead returning to life soon caused a great uproar.

According to Di Yiqiu’s intention, these people should be given a separate village to live in isolation to avoid calamity.

But that very afternoon, Shi Wenyu issued an edict.

The edict stated that heaven and earth embrace benevolence, clothing and nourishing all things. From life comes death, from death comes life. Having obtained new life, treat it as new life.

This decree was promulgated that very day. Thus those revived in the dream were allowed to live like ordinary people.

The common people mostly felt grateful for the Emperor’s benevolence, but some were terrified, some worried. For a time, disputes arose everywhere.

At this time, Yuhu Xuanzong.

Huang Shu was still making a great fuss, demanding to see Huang Rang.

Xie Shaochong knew he was just a clownish nobody and only sent people to block him outside the gate. But the other three absolutely couldn’t be blocked no matter what.

He Xijin, Wu Zichou, and Zhang Shujiu came together, similarly demanding to see Xie Hongchen and Huang Rang.

They naturally knew Huang Rang wasn’t at Yuhu Xuanzong, but they also knew that the current Huang Rang couldn’t speak and couldn’t move. From her mouth, they actually couldn’t get anything out.

They could only pressure Yuhu Xuanzong, pressure Xie Hongchen, and even Xie Lingbi!

In the dream’s hundred years, Huang Rang had continuously cultivated superior crop varieties, saving countless common people.

Even outside the dream, as a crop breeding master, Huang Rang could be called a renowned expert.

He, Zhang, and Wu were now naturally filled with righteous indignation, insisting on finding out what had happened to her.

Two dreams passed, the spearhead pointing directly at Xie Lingbi. Could it possibly be some accident?

—Among the common people there were even rumors claiming that Xie Lingbi had developed lustful intentions toward Huang Rang and harmed her. And Huang Rang became a vengeful ghost.

The two dream entries were both because her resentment didn’t dissipate, solely to find Xie Lingbi for revenge.

Hearing such words, the three were naturally even more enraged. But they couldn’t see Xie Hongchen.

Now Xie Lingbi was gravely ill and fundamentally couldn’t see guests. And Xie Hongchen wasn’t at Yuhu Xuanzong.

The capital, Si Tianjian.

White snow covered the long street. Ice had formed on the collars of the guards before the estate.

Just at this moment, everyone felt clear light shimmering before their eyes, as if heaven and earth suddenly brightened. The two guards looked in the direction of the light and saw a person approaching with an umbrella.

His eyes were wrapped with plain silk. He wore white robes without dust or stain, silk shoes on his feet untouched by the slightest speck.

On such a snowy day, everyone’s feet were covered in mud, yet he seemed to come from the clouds. His bearing captivated the world.

He came to the gate, closed his oiled paper umbrella, presented his calling card, and said, “Xie Hongchen of Yuhu Xuanzong requests to see Jianzheng Di Yiqiu.”

Xie. Hong. Chen!

The guard’s Adam’s apple bobbed. After a long while he said, “Sect Master Xie, please wait a moment.”

He didn’t doubt the identity of the person before him at all.

—Only someone with such bearing could match the title of the immortal sects’ number one sword immortal.

Xuanwu Si, study.

Di Yiqiu was flipping through official documents submitted from various places, trying to find some clues about “the dead returning to life” from them. But turning them over and over, there didn’t seem to be any pattern.

Huang Rang’s wheelchair had been dragged beside his desk, so she could also see the contents of the documents. This kept her from being so bored.

Suddenly, Li Lu personally came to the door to report, “Jianzheng, Sect Master Xie Hongchen requests an audience.”

Xie Hongchen.

Hearing this name, Di Yiqiu felt instinctive disgust. Inexplicably, he also recalled matters from within the strange dream, and his expression immediately became odd—how could it not be odd? He had almost treated this fellow as his father-in-law.

“Sect Master Xie is advanced in years, and his eyes don’t work too well. Coming all this way groping around, it must have been extremely arduous. Having him wait in the snow would truly be discourteous.” Jianzheng’s tone was sarcastic and strange. “Why haven’t you invited him to the hall for tea?”

“…” Li Lu wanted to open the window for Huang Rang to dissipate the vinegar smell in this study.