Purple currents of energy coiled around my body. I knew clearly this was Mona Ouyang’s power. She must have sensed Basil Bertram’s presence at the edge of this Prophetic Dream, so she pulled me instantly to a place beyond their perception. Entering a Prophetic Dream felt like returning to the past or traveling to the future, yet it was fundamentally different from time travel—a point Mona Ouyang had warned me about repeatedly.
I continued to observe closely—the style of the houses, the car Basil Bertram and his companion drove, their clothing. It all seemed to be from more than thirty years ago.
At that moment, several children who had been playing in the muddy yard came running out, their curiosity and suspicion piqued. Lynn Yuan also looked at the two newcomers with curiosity and suspicion. Not only did they arrive by car, but they were well-dressed. Her face quickly broke into a smile, as if she thought they were here to adopt a child.
"Sir, Miss, are you here to..."
Before Lynn Yuan could finish, she saw the baby in Basil Bertram’s arms, sound asleep—about six months old by the look of it. Lynn’s expression darkened as she stared coldly at Basil.
"I don’t have extra money for freeloaders. Go elsewhere—this place is full."
Lynn Yuan spoke without the slightest courtesy. I glanced around—the orphanage yard held nearly thirty children, all cared for by Lynn alone. Basil Bertram smiled and replied.
"Miss Lynn, I’m willing to donate a sum of money to this orphanage. I hope you can take in this child."
After Basil Bertram spoke, Lynn Yuan’s attitude softened. At that moment, Serena Jing lifted a suitcase and opened it, revealing a pile of cash. Lynn was stunned, swallowing nervously.
"We’ll take responsibility for rebuilding this orphanage, fixing up the gardens in the back. From now on, every child will receive a living allowance each year. What do you think?"
Lynn Yuan agreed without another word and asked for the baby girl’s name. Basil Bertram replied.
"Leah King."
For a moment, Serena Jing beside Basil Bertram looked uncomfortable. I couldn’t understand why Basil would send Leah King to this orphanage, instead of one in the city with better conditions. It made no sense to me.
I looked around—nothing seemed special about this place. Just like that, Basil Bertram and Serena Jing settled in and began contacting construction crews from the city. They planned to build a row of two-story cottages for the orphanage and provide the children with necessities.
But then I understood: the young Leah King was enveloped in a shroud of black mist, looking frail and weak. Basil Bertram could never raise her himself—he was a ghost, and if things continued, Leah King would die.
Late at night, I saw Basil Bertram and Serena Jing drift out from a nearby farmer’s house, heading toward the edge of the rice fields. Basil seemed to be investigating something.
"Uncle, are you really going to do this? You’re keeping this from Aunt, but she’s already suspicious."
Basil Bertram smiled and sighed, giving a soft hum of agreement.
"Exactly. That’s why I sent the child here—no one can reach her. I’ve decided to transplant my embodied self to this place."
The moment Basil finished speaking, Serena Jing immediately objected.
"Uncle, if you do this, you might..."
"I can’t worry about that anymore. In my past life, I couldn’t save this child, but this time I have to make amends—as a father, for everything."
Serena Jing said nothing more, crouching beside Basil Bertram as green Specter Webs extended outward.
"Uncle, this place really is suitable. The child’s innate aura is weak—she was abandoned at birth, and if you hadn’t found her, she’d already be dead. Children lacking innate vitality almost always die young, and her birth chart is fragile. I’ve cared for her for half a year, always careful not to let ghostly energy harm her, but as you can see, it’s too difficult for her to survive. She may not live past her first birthday."
A complicated smile appeared on Basil Bertram’s face, tinged with sorrow, and he shook his head.
"Human effort matters. I’ve already thought of a solution. The child’s body is weak because she lacks innate vitality—her Sunfire Body is nearly extinguished. Only this place, facing due south, with rice fields behind and a small hill further back, and people living in front—this layout is a dead end. But sometimes, desperate situations breed hope. I’ll gather complementary herbs and transplant them here, using my own power to help her, little by little. It’ll take time, and I’ll need your help, Serena. I’ll arrange for the old tree to be moved here."
Serena Jing nodded.
"Uncle, I honestly think life and death are fate. We ghosts are forcing the fate of a baby girl who’s destined to die young—it’s against the natural order, the way of heaven..."
Basil Bertram raised a hand; Serena Jing said no more, her face full of helplessness.
"Who’s spying on us over there?"
I jumped in fright. Suddenly, I felt something wrap around my ankles. Looking down, I realized it was a tangle of bright green vine. In an instant, Basil Bertram appeared before me, staring with suspicion.
"Why would the Underworld Denizens know about this?"
I shook the Wailing Spirit Bell, and a purple aura appeared. Instantly, I snapped awake, returning to the dream realm crafted by Mona Ouyang.
"What did you see?"
"Basil Bertram caught me."
As I spoke, Mona Ouyang’s eyes widened, her expression turning grave.
"Things just got complicated. I hope this doesn’t cause any trouble."
Suddenly, I felt a chill, and Mona Ouyang’s eyes widened again.
"You’re about to wake up. You can’t hold on any longer."
I hummed in response. When I opened my eyes again, everything in the dream felt incredibly real. Most importantly, it was already past ten o’clock; Leah King had been up for a while. I heard laughter from the yard. When I went outside, I saw Leah King playing happily with the other children. Yvonne May sat nearby, and Mona Ouyang was there too.
After lunch, we went to the back hill. I told the two Ghost Sovereigns everything I saw in the dream—this was the beginning of the Prophetic Dream.
For a moment, Mona Ouyang was puzzled. He couldn’t understand why Basil Bertram would suddenly do something so drastic.
"If someone is born missing something vital, there are plenty of ways to make up for it. The simplest is to use food—find specific foods that match the baby’s elemental attributes, and feed her accordingly. Over time, this helps the child grow healthy. I’ve checked Basil Bertram’s daughter’s health; she’s perfectly healthy and could live to ninety."
I glanced sideways at Mona Ouyang, who immediately looked at me in confusion.
"What are you thinking, Rachel Lan? I think you need to go back in one more time. It seems Basil Bertram’s power was strong then, but why did it decline so much in just thirty years? There must be something in this Prophetic Dream. Get some exercise later so you’ll sleep well tonight."
I hummed in response. The whole day, Leah King and I helped take care of the younger children at the orphanage. Looking after kids was exhausting, but also joyful.
As dusk approached, I was already feeling sleepy, but I forced myself to stay awake, planning to go to bed at nine. Mona Ouyang had said he could only pull me into his dream realm after midnight.
Later, we gathered in Yvonne May’s single room. Leah King was already lying down—she’d gotten up early and planned to nap for a bit.
Just then, both Yvonne May and Mona Ouyang turned toward the door. When I looked over, a flash of green darted into the room. I jumped in surprise, but on closer inspection, it was Serena Jing.
So the Underworld Denizen who disappeared thirty years ago was you, Rachel Lan? Was it really a Prophetic Dream, Nightmare Lord?
Serena Jing spoke respectfully, bowing to Yvonne May. Mona Ouyang nodded with a smile.
"What happened next?"
I asked awkwardly, and after Serena Jing sat down, she sighed.
"After that, my uncle searched everywhere but couldn't find you. He always suspected the Underworld Denizens had discovered something and wanted to harm him, so he stayed vigilant for a year before finally transplanting his embodied self."
"Can you tell us, Miss Serena, what really happened before? Why did Basil Bertram suddenly disappear?"
Serena Jing was silent for a moment, seemingly unsure where to begin.
"Start from thirty years ago, after you met me," Serena Jing said.
I smiled, and Serena Jing nodded, inviting us to follow her outside. We arrived at the back hill, beside a withered tree. Serena Jing gazed at the tree with a heavy look, placed her hand on it, her whole body radiating an indescribable pain. She removed her eye and leaned against the trunk.
"Uncle may truly never return. All of us have been searching for him, but no matter how hard we try, we can't find him. Perhaps this ending was destined more than thirty years ago—no one can change it."
Mona Ouyang and Yvonne May's faces changed abruptly as they looked at Serena Jing.
"Did Basil Bertram trade his life for his daughter's?"
Serena Jing nodded. I stared in shock, my eyes wide. No wonder Basil Bertram had always had that calm air about him—he must have known long ago that he was a dying man, never demanding anything from fate.