Chapter 73: A Late-Night “Signal”

Chapter 73: A Late-Night “Signal”

East Chester County in January was still very cold. Accumulated snow could often be seen. Within the woods, branches were withered, leaves had fallen, wild beasts hid away, and there was not the slightest hint of vitality.

Audrey led Susie, surrounded by attendants and maids, around the collapsed ancient tower several times, but discovered nothing.

All that existed there were piles of gray bricks and stones, along with rotting timber. In the gaps between them, weeds and the corpses of small animals could be seen.

Audrey had originally thought she might find some murals on the remains of the walls, decipher the origin of the ancient tower, and quietly practice the Psychiatrist Beyonder techniques of Awe, Frenzy, Placate, and the like on wild beasts that appeared nearby. In the end, she was left very disappointed.

This is not a little adventure… This is purely a horseback stroll… She pressed her lips together, gripped her riding crop, and walked toward her mount.

Halfway there, still unwilling to give up, she asked the surrounding attendants and maids, “Are there any legends of monsters nearby?”

Among this group of servants, half had followed her from Backlund to the family castle and then to this manor, while the other half were locals who normally worked on the estate. Audrey’s question was undoubtedly aimed at the latter.

And the reason she had come to this manor was because the surrounding region had historically possessed folk customs related to dragon worship.

A young attendant stole a glance at the noble and beautiful lady of the estate. Summoning his courage, he took two steps forward, bowed, and said, “There are many terrifying wild beasts deep in this forest. Every year, hunters die there, but no one has ever encountered a monster.

“This is just like what an old ballad passed down in our area describes…”

He roughly recited the ballad. Its meaning was:

“Monsters are in your dreams;

“Dragons are in your dreams;

“The great palace imagined into being, floating in midair, is also in your dreams;

“There, you shall possess everything, until you awaken.”

O curious children, O brave adventurers, go, go search for the dragons in your dreams… The attendant concealed the final line and did not say it aloud, because it would make people suspect that he was mocking Miss Audrey.

Dragons are in dreams… The great palace imagined into being, floating in midair, is also in dreams… Audrey pondered carefully for a few seconds, then suddenly felt that this old ballad might not be entirely meaningless.

The information on dragons she had bought from Little Sun showed that the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt, had truly imagined a city floating in the sky into existence. Upon it stood huge temple pillars, supporting one lofty, magnificent palace after another. Its name was Liveseyd, meaning City of Miracles.

In dreams… The Spectator pathway belongs to the mind dragons and involves consciousness, the subconscious, the sea of collective subconscious, and the sky of spirituality. No matter how one looks at it, it must involve the domain of dreams… Perhaps this old ballad truly indicates something… Could Liveseyd really exist within the sea of collective subconscious, within dreams? But dreams are purely spiritual… Many thoughts flashed through Audrey’s mind. Even after she returned to the manor, she had not organized them into a clear line.

After entering her room, she glanced at the golden retriever Susie and suddenly felt an urge to show off a little.

Susie does not know the information about dragons. She definitely cannot sense what is strange about that ballad… No, I must not be proud. That is too shallow… And Susie might easily discover that I am hiding a secret… Audrey straightened her back and paced back and forth a few steps, then asked as if unintentionally, “Susie, what do you think that ballad was truly talking about? I keep feeling that it is not as simple as it appears.”

Susie…