"Let me tell you. There are plenty of people who would pay to come here. I am a Dark Ability User. In the terms of Puluo Province, I am a cultivator.

"In Chunsheng City, we Dark Ability Users have quite a few circles. I joined several before I finally found the right connections to get into Dreambinding Tower."

The man's name was Zhao Dajun, and he was extremely talkative. Before Li Banfeng could even ask a question, he had already introduced himself.

"I am a Numerical Adept. In Puluo Province terms, that means I am a Calculation Cultivator. I worked as a programmer in Chunsheng City for ten years."

A Calculation Cultivator? Sounds like a path for people who are good with numbers.

Li Banfeng said, "Then being a programmer must have suited you perfectly."

"It really was!" Zhao Dajun nodded. "When I first graduated and started working, I felt programming suited me perfectly. I was convinced I would become one of the industry's top figures someday.

"And honestly, I really was cut out for it. I'm not bragging, but at my peak, I was easily earning fifty or sixty thousand a month.

"I worked in Chunsheng City for ten years. Even after covering my living expenses and sending money home, I still managed to save over two million. In Chunsheng City, that's enough to buy a house. Even in a better district, I would have easily paid for the down payment."

Li Banfeng nodded. "That's impressive!"

Zhao Dajun let out a sigh. "I thought I was pretty impressive too, but I couldn't keep going."

"I am a level-one Dark Ability User, so my body's much stronger than an ordinary person's. Even so, I was leaving home at seven in the morning and getting back at eleven at night. I barely had any days off all year. In the end, my body just couldn't handle it anymore.

"And that wasn't even the worst part. The moment I sat down at my workstation and saw the blocks of code, I felt like puking. Whenever the phone rang and I heard my department manager's voice, I wanted to puke even more.

"I didn't want to do it anymore, but if I bought a house in Chunsheng City, I would burn through all my savings. And if I picked a decent location, I would still end up buried under mortgage payments. How was I supposed to live like that?

"I didn't want to buy a house, so my girlfriend dumped me. Fine, whatever. I could live alone. But I couldn't stand my family nagging me every single day, calling me useless, unfilial, saying I had no future."

"I got tired of working hard. I was sick of all of it. I wanted to live for myself for once. Later, through connections from friends in the circles, I spent every last cent of my savings and went through countless detours before finally arriving at Dreambinding Tower, the greatest place in the world. I'm going to spend the rest of my life here properly!"

Li Banfeng still didn't quite understand. "What's so great about this place?"

Zhao Dajun looked surprised. "Do I even need to explain? This place has everything you could want. Meals are free. As long as you are not being unreasonable, the chefs in the dining hall will cook whatever you ask for at any time. Housing is free too. It's warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There isn't even a single mosquito."

Li Banfeng said, "You spent over two million just for food and lodging?"

"Not just that! We have got dreams too. In your dreams, you can have anything. Snowy mountains, countryside fields, islands, beaches. All those girls you have saved in your hard drive... They can talk to you and you can understand them."

"Really?" Li Banfeng sounded very intrigued.

"Of course it's real!" Zhao Dajun nodded vigorously. "It's my dream. Everything's under my control. If I think those girls are real, then they are real."

What Zhao Dajun said made sense. Real girls might not be as perfect as the ones in his dreams.

"But what if you have a nightmare?"

Zhao Dajun shook his head. "You don't get nightmares in Dreambinding Tower, and you will never suffer from insomnia either, as long as you don't offend the Tower Master."

"Who's the Tower Master?"

"I don't know. I have never seen the Tower Master. Unless I really have to, I would rather never see her at all. As long as the rules here don't change, I am perfectly happy staying."

Li Banfeng said, "What if I don't want to stay here?"

"I would advise you to think it through carefully," Zhao Dajun said, looking at Li Banfeng with sincere eyes. "No one who comes here ever wants to leave. Get some rest, have a few more dreams, and decide after that."

Li Banfeng said nothing.

After finishing the meal, Zhao Dajun told Li Banfeng that the cafeteria was on the second floor and the exit was on the first. If he didn't want to leave, he could return to his room and decide for himself.

However, Li Banfeng had already made his decision. He went down to the first floor and pushed open the stairwell door. By the weak flicker of a match, he could faintly see the direction to the exit.

There were two glass doors ahead. Li Banfeng quickly walked toward them, but a gust of cold wind swept past him and snuffed out the match in his hand.

He struck another match and the flame jumped to life. Suddenly, a tall woman dressed in white appeared before him.

The intruder from the dream!

The woman looked at Li Banfeng. Her face was almost blank, with only the faintest hint of laziness in her eyes.

This time, Li Banfeng finally saw her appearance clearly.

She had an oval face and a straight, well-defined nose. Her eyes curved slightly at the corners, soft and captivating, the kind that held your gaze without trying.

Her lips were small and rosy, the corners lifting just a little, like she was quietly amused by something.

There was something about her that felt hard to grasp, like she didn't quite belong here. It was like the aura of an ethereal goddess.

Even with such a beauty standing right in front of him, Li Banfeng only watched her for a moment. Then he raised the match and set her clothes on fire.

The moment her clothes caught fire, that strange, unreal aura around her only grew stronger.

The beauty continued looking at Li Banfeng lazily and asked in a calm tone, "Why are you burning my clothes?"

Li Banfeng replied with complete sincerity, "Why are you trying to scare me?"

The beauty didn't seem bothered at all. Using the flames on her clothes, she lit the candle in her hand, then set it into the holder on the wall.

With a soft breath, she blew out the fire on herself. Then she looked back at him and spoke in this hollow and distant voice, "Leaving already?

Li Banfeng said, "Do I need to go through any checkout procedures?"

The beauty gave a faint smile. "If you were in such a hurry to leave, why come here in the first place?"

Li Banfeng answered honestly, "I didn't want to come at all. An old man brought me here. He thinks he's a train."

"He is Grandpa Train."

"You know that crazy old man?"

"Why do you think he's crazy?"

Li Banfeng shrugged. "As a train, he doesn't even burn coal? If that's not crazy, what is?"

The beauty gave a slight nod, seemingly agreeing with him. She slipped lightly to the side, quietly making way.

Li Banfeng stepped forward and left without the slightest reluctance.

As he reached the door, the beauty asked, "What's your name?"

Li Banfeng paused. He thought back to what had happened in the dream. Some had called him Master Qi. Others had called him Boss Ye.

This woman already knew all of that.

After a brief moment of thought, Li Banfeng said, "My name is Ye Qi."

The beauty didn't seem to doubt him. She answered seriously, "My name is Meng[1] Qian. Once you step outside, keep walking forward. Walk until you reach where you want to go. Whatever you do, don't look back."

"Thank you, Miss Meng."

Meng Qian gave a small nod. "May our paths cross again someday."

***

Li Banfeng stepped out through the main doors. It was pitch-black outside. There was just a whole stretch of mountain forest, thick with overgrown plants. Somewhere in all that was a narrow little path, so faint you could easily miss it.

Whether Meng Qian was telling the truth or not, Li Banfeng didn't care. Getting out of here, fast, was definitely the right choice.

He sprinted along the narrow mountain path, and as he ran, everything that had just happened came rushing back to him.

I got lost near the edge of the New Land and ended up at a train station. There, I met a crazy old man who brought me here.

If the train station really exists and the old man is real, then after paying the fare, I must have somehow fallen into a dream, wandered into that building in a daze, and been assigned a room to sleep.

In the dream, I felt an urgent need to pee and even went looking for a toilet. If my guess is correct, then in reality, I was probably sleepwalking and actually went to the bathroom.

But do I actually know where the bathroom is?

The people in that building could find the bathroom without even opening their eyes. And not just the bathroom. In the dream, I went down the mountain and back up again. I even ate at a restaurant.

In reality, that was probably just me going downstairs and back upstairs. And that 'restaurant'... it was actually the cafeteria.

How did I even find it? There must have been some kind of suggestion buried in the dream, guiding me there.

The owner of that building is most likely the woman named Meng Qian. She can invade the dreams of everyone inside and even control what they do through those dreams.

If I jumped off a cliff in the dream, then in reality, I might have climbed up to the rooftop and jumped down. Would that kill me?

That would depend on how tall the building is... and how I react. As a Wanderlust Cultivator, I probably wouldn't die from a fall like that. But that's just one example I can think of.

If Meng Qian wanted me dead, she'd have countless ways to do it.

The thought sent a chill down Li Banfeng's spine, and he ran even faster.

She didn't try to kill me. She even let me leave. So why bring me here? Could it be that she doesn't know either? That this whole thing was just an accident... caused by that crazy old man? That crazy old man... they call him Train Grandpa. Why did he bring me here?

After running nonstop for over an hour, Li Banfeng finally slowed to a stop. By his rough estimate, he had run more than one hundred and fifty kilometers. He had definitely left the building's range of control.

He could see faint light ahead. He was probably about to reach the Proper Land.

His stamina was still holding up. Running a few hundred more kilometers wouldn't be a problem. However, he was thirsty. He had already been thirsty when he first woke up, and he hadn't had a single drop of water since.

He planned to go back to the Pocket Dwelling for a drink of water. While he was at it, he also wanted to tell his wifey what had happened and ask whether she knew anyone named Meng Qian.

Just as Li Banfeng reached for the key, a spine-chilling sound came from behind him.

"Huff, huff! Toot-toooooooooot! Toot-toooooooooot!"

Without a second thought, Li Banfeng bolted.

Grandpa Train! Why did I run into him again? He's not going to force me to take the train again, is it?

He's a high-level Wanderlust Cultivator. It won't be easy shaking him off. I have to think carefully, plan ahead, and choose my route wisely.

I am only a level-five Wanderlust Cultivator. What about him? Level seven? Level eight? Or even higher?

Grandpa Train suddenly turned his head and said, "All aboard."

WAIT. A. MINUTE. WHEN WAS HE IN FRONT OF ME?

"Get on!" Train Grandpa moved with incredible speed. Before Li Banfeng could even see him clearly, he was already on the old man's back.

"Toot-toooooooot!" Grandpa Train swung his arms and charged forward.

Li Banfeng was speechless. "Old man, where exactly are you taking me?"

"Huff, huff," Grandpa Train turned his head and asked, "Have you ever taken a train?"

"Of course I have!"

"Then why are you asking?"

"Why can't I ask?"

"Anyone who's taken a train knows this, wherever the train goes, you go with it!"

"Well, that..."

He... actually makes sense, Li Banfeng thought.

"But the problem is that I never wanted to get on your train!"

"You must board my train."

"Why?"

"Because you haven't woken up yet."

What does this mean? Is this old man really crazy or is he just pretending?

Li Banfeng frowned. "How do you know I haven't woken up?"

Grandpa Train blew out a loud train whistle through his teeth and said, "Because I haven't woken up either."

Most people would have had their minds scrambled by the old man's bizarre logic on the spot. Li Banfeng, however, took it very seriously and asked seriously, "How do you know you haven't woken up?"

The old man looked at him, utterly puzzled. "Isn't that obvious? If I were awake, would I think of myself as a train?"

What he said... actually made sense again.

However, if what he said is true, does this mean I have entered his dream? How could I have possibly entered his dream?

Li Banfeng still remained logical as he continued asking, "Why would you dream that you have become a train?"

Grandpa Train fell silent for a moment before answering, "Because I miss my own train."

"You used to have a train?"

"Yes."

"Where did your train go?"

"I sold it."

"To whom?"

"The Peddler."

Li Banfeng pressed a hand against his forehead and mocked the old man silently in his heart.

Even in his dreams, this crazy man makes no sense. How could the Peddler possibly buy a train?

Author's Note:

PS: Then again, maybe it really is possible.

1. This means dream ☜