Chapter 477: Meng Chun’s Whereabouts
“Commander Liu, what are your thoughts?”
As a competent commander, Commander Liu only reported to Jiang Li after having a well-considered plan.
“I recommend finding a cultivator highly accomplished in the Dao of Dreams to examine all dreams and monitor those throughout the Nine Provinces who dream about you, Hall Master.”
Jiang Li volunteered: “Actually, I know the Dao of Dreams and can enter others’ dreams.”
When Jiang Li was learning the Dao of Dreams from Meng Chun, he had traveled through others’ dreams and eventually met the First Emperor.
Commander Liu: “…”
“Hall Master, I’m delighted you have this hands-on approach. If you’re willing to check all female cultivators’ dreams every night, I’d be quite pleased.”
Jiang Li felt this matter should be left to capable professionals.
Bai Hongtu snickered nearby: “The female cultivators are dreaming about you. If you enter their dreams, it’s hard to say whether that would be good or bad for them.”
“Fine, you two considered this more thoroughly than I did.” Jiang Li admitted showing off his dream cultivation skills was reckless.
He thought about Commander Liu’s method and found some issues.
“Dreams belong to privacy. Having the Human Sovereign Hall monitor all dreams across the Nine Provinces would inevitably make those having other dreams resistant, feeling the Hall doesn’t respect them.”
“Then according to the Hall Master’s meaning…” Commander Liu acknowledged his oversight.
“Find a method to filter dreams, specifically screening out those about me. Well, the ones without clothes—the ones with clothes can be disregarded.” Jiang Li wanted to give cultivators as much freedom as possible.
“Don’t worry about that. According to the Zhou Emperor, about ninety percent of dreams about you involve no clothing.”
“…”
Jiang Li suddenly wondered if there were illicit books featuring him as the protagonist circulating on the market?
Don’t think about it, don’t think about it. Just assume they don’t exist.
“This requires extremely high attainment in the Dao of Dreams. Currently, Meng Chun should be the most skilled in dream cultivation. I’ll go find her.” Jiang Li remembered parting ways with Meng Chun in Great Zhou. Considering how entertaining Great Zhou was and Meng Chun’s playful nature, she could probably keep playing there for several more decades.
“I’m coming too.” Bai Hongtu volunteered enthusiastically.
Jiang Li glanced sideways at Bai Hongtu, suspecting he found his earlier tree-hanging incident too embarrassing and wanted to go out and play for a while.
His psychological resilience really isn’t great.
…
When Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu found Ji Zhi, they discovered he was writing answers about the Dao of Time.
“What are you writing this for?” Jiang Li curiously flipped through the pages.
“Recently, I’ve gained several nephews and nieces. Their talent in the Dao of Time is average, far inferior to me and Kongkong. They encountered some problems with time cultivation and sought my help.”
Ji Zhi wasn’t just the emperor of Great Zhou, managing the kingdom—he was also the head of the Ji family, overseeing the royal relatives and nobility.
Jiang Li saw the first question was: Someone has no talent in the Dao of Time whatsoever, yet can move freely through the River of Time. May I ask, Father, why is this?
Ji Zhi had replied: This is the behavior of a reckless brute, not worth deep consideration. Good children shouldn’t learn from such people.
Jiang Li smiled as he returned the question booklet to Ji Zhi.
Only then did Ji Zhi remember the booklet contained some rather improper responses.
Bai Hongtu also smiled while looking at Ji Zhi, rubbing his hands together.
“I wonder if little Ji can still remember what he said earlier in the communication talisman?”
Ji Zhi had once been a Human Sovereign candidate and could be considered brotherly with Bai Hongtu—otherwise he wouldn’t have immediately told Bai Hongto about Jiang Li impersonating a Dao Sect Envoy.
Ji Zhi regretted not using his Double Pupils to see the future before these two killing gods showed up at his door.
He quickly changed the subject: “You’re looking for me because of the dream matter, right? Whatever help you need, just ask.”
Jiang Li then explained their purpose.
“So you want to find this Unity Stage cultivator named Meng Chun?”
“That name sounds familiar. Local officials reported her situation several months ago, registering her as a subject of our Great Zhou. The officials responsible for this received corresponding rewards—some got promotions, others pay raises.”
A Unity Stage cultivator joining Great Zhou counted as a significant matter, requiring reports through multiple levels until it reached Ji Zhi.
“I’ll have the Ministry of Revenue officials check her whereabouts.”
The Ministry of Revenue officials worked with extreme efficiency, quickly providing an answer.
“Meng Chun registered her information in a city at the border of Great Zhou, then traveled throughout various places in Great Zhou. You know, the places she visited are quite similar to where you traveled during your time in Great Zhou.” Ji Zhi chuckled. Jiang Li was from Great Zhou, having started from his hometown Qingcheng, traveled and studied throughout Great Zhou, before finally leaving.
The place Jiang Li stayed longest in Great Zhou was the Great Zhou Imperial Academy.
“She’s currently in Xian’an City. Hasn’t left yet.”
Xian’an City—just as the city’s name suggested, this was a place suitable for leisure and relaxation. Jiang Li had passed through here over five hundred years ago.
Back then, Jiang Li was wholly dedicated to cultivation without any intention of relaxing, so he left in a hurry.
Now that he had become Human Sovereign, he wanted to relax, but the cultivators of the Nine Provinces kept creating one bizarre situation after another, leaving him no time for relaxation.
“Perhaps Meng Chun fell in love with this place and settled here.”
In Meng Chun’s travel route, her stay in Xian’an City was the longest.
“Never thought I’d come back here again.”
Xian’an City’s overall atmosphere gave people a lazy, relaxed feeling. Jiang Li stretched lazily as he entered the city.
Finding Meng Chun wasn’t particularly urgent, so Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu strolled leisurely through the city, finding a century-old noodle shop to eat noodles with garlic.
A century-old establishment meant little to two people who had lived over five hundred years—it might as well have been a newly opened noodle shop.
In the Nine Provinces, one frequently encountered century-old and even millennium-old establishments, often with the original owners still running them.
The noodle shop was quite popular. Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu shared a table with other diners, eating noodles while chatting with them.
“Does our Xian’an City have any particularly skilled Dao of Dreams cultivators?” Bai Hongtu asked naturally.
“Young master must have come here because of the reputation.” The diner, seeing Bai Hongtu had ordered the most delicious noodles, felt he was a connoisseur and became more friendly.
“Our Xian’an City has a sect called the Food and Beauty Dream Sect, specializing in dream cultivation.”
“On the surface, the Food and Beauty Dream Sect avoids worldly affairs and focuses on cultivation, but actually they offer special services.”
“What services?”
“Young master, since you ask about dream cultivation, you should know Great Zhou’s attitude toward dream cultivators is rather ambiguous—not exactly forbidding them from using dream cultivation to make money, but not exactly permitting it either.”
“The Food and Beauty Dream Sect offers customized dream services, but they don’t have business permits and don’t pay taxes.”
“How powerful is this sect?”
“I heard a Unity Stage cultivator is temporarily staying at the Food and Beauty Dream Sect. Many cultivators are coming here because of this rumor to experience dreams.”
Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu exchanged glances—they had probably found the right place.
Following the diner’s directions, the two found the Food and Beauty Dream Sect.
At the sect’s entrance, Jiang Li spotted a familiar figure and approached to pat their shoulder.
“Jingxin, what are you doing here?”
Holy Maiden Jingxin jumped like a startled kitten, trembling slightly.