Daishan Turns The Wind Chapter 17

The illusion that could be seen consisted of a room filled with musical instruments, a winding corridor, and a forest, but the boundary of the illusion was very wide. Gan Youyou might have created a small illusion very far away.

Moreover, an illusion does not take up space like a real room. If it were hidden inside a cup, entering it would still reveal a vast illusion.

This meant that any single point, even under a leaf, could be Gan Youyou’s hiding place.

Feng Yuluo and Shan Wuzhou walked back simultaneously without consulting each other, discussing Kang Xiaole’s situation.

He was being deliberately mysterious and trying every means to conceal things, but some things cannot be hidden.

The Wandering Thought Illusion is a secret realm that can only be conjured by those with painful emotional knots. Unable to bear the trauma internally, they create a safe house for themselves, temporarily dissociating their soul to rest and recuperate.

However, the demonic entity Yuanbao granted the original host extraordinary power, allowing Zhao Zisheng and Kang Xiaole to realize their wishes through the Wandering Thought Illusion. The former captured murderers, and the latter captured those who bullied the weak, resolving their trauma through concrete actions.

What Kang Xiaole did not know was that it is extremely difficult for others to enter a person’s most secret Wandering Thought Illusion, let alone create a safe house within his safe house.

Unless, he had the original host’s permission.

In other words, it would be as easy as turning his hand for Kang Xiaole to find Gan Youyou, or even kick him out. The fact that he hadn’t done so, and had intentionally made Feng Yuluo and Shan Wuzhou search for the person, meant he simply had something he needed them to do.

As for Gan Youyou, Gan Daqiang was dead, and he was the killer. Since he could face Gan Daqiang, his pain should have been resolved.

Generally, after accepting or resolving the pain, the illusion dissipates.

The fact that he could still create an illusion suggests Gan Youyou still has other emotional knots.

And this emotional knot is the matter Kang Xiaole wants the two of them to resolve.

They certainly hadn’t anticipated that even after killing Gan Daqiang, a chain would remain on Gan Youyou’s heart.

After they took revenge, what would they want most?

As they spoke, they had returned to the room where various musical instruments were first placed.

The four windows were still open, and the wind chimes on the corridor made sparse, heavy sounds, indicating great unease.

Shan Wuzhou and Feng Yuluo separated to search.

The large illusion belonged to Kang Xiaole. Creating an illusion to capture people was not merely retaliation against those who troubled him.

Gan Daqiang bullied the weak and feared the strong; Kang Zhiwei bullied the weak and feared the strong, causing his younger brother to lose heart and throw himself into the river; that fifty-year-old man specialized in oppressing his wife and daughter-in-law… These people caused severe negative consequences.

As for the others, although they only used verbal abuse and threats, that was an external test.

If no one dealt with them, they would become increasingly accustomed to bullying the weak, and sooner or later, someone would be driven to desperation.

Take the former Gan Youyou, for example.

A peerless genius, reliving hardship day after day.

The two searched around but found nothing. Feng Yuluo said, “There is no guqin here.”

The Wandering Thought Illusion is the place a person feels safest. Gan Youyou could not hear, yet he persisted in playing the zither and composing music. His residence by the lake also contained many instruments; these were his solace.

He was hiding right here.

But his favorite guqin was missing, hidden more secretly. There was no entry point yet.

Feng Yuluo’s fingertips moved slightly, but he retracted his hand just as he was about to start.

Shan Wuzhou pretended not to notice and asked, “Grandmaster, do you have any ideas?”

Feng Yuluo thought for a moment and asked which of these instruments Gan Youyou would use.

He planned to re-enact the last piece in the story Gan Youyou played—the one where the boy kills the monster and returns to normal life.

“Make him feel safe, ignite his expectation, and after he relaxes his guard, a crack might appear. We’ll seize the opportunity to enter. Do you remember that tune?”

After all, they had listened to four pieces.

Shan Wuzhou nodded and said he remembered. He took out the flute his Ancestral Master had bought at a roadside stall, pondered for a moment, and slowly began to play.

Listening to it, Feng Yuluo felt the flute sound was softer, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

This was Gan Youyou’s wish: to live such a long, flowing life after escaping the threat.

Without wind, the gong, drum, bo, fou, chime bells, flute, pipa, and zheng all chimed in harmony with the flute. The wind chimes on the corridor also became light, tinkling softly.

Feng Yuluo pointed at the flute.

Shan Wuzhou nodded, slowly walked towards it, and when he got close, he cast a spell to connect, grabbed Feng Yuluo, and drilled into the flute.

It was the same falling sensation, but the difference was the boundless golden light here. After landing, they immediately saw Gan Youyou playing a jade flute.

Many tables were set up around him, holding even more instruments, easily a hundred of them.

He was still wearing red clothes and a mask.

Standing right in the center, any path toward him was heavily obstructed.

Shan Wuzhou put down the flute and looked at him from afar.

His eyes were unclear.

Was he using musical instruments for defense? Feng Yuluo tentatively took a step closer, and a cut appeared on the chest of his clothes.

Shan Wuzhou was horrified and pulled Feng Yuluo back.

Feng Yuluo said he was fine. He looked back at the empty ground, then simply squatted down to think.

The outer layer belonged to Kang Xiaole. Even after Gan Daqiang’s death and after he had captured so many people, it remained unusually stable. Kang Xiaole’s greatest wish had not yet been fulfilled.

“What do you think Kang Xiaole is doing outside right now?”

When Feng Yuluo was thinking, he was sometimes silent, but most of the time he was chattering and multitasking.

Shan Wuzhou confirmed there was no injury on his chest and sighed, “He’s looking for witnesses, I suppose.”

The inner layer, created by Gan Youyou, was full of killing intent.

He was not born unable to speak. People said it was due to illness, severe illness that damaged his body. But Gan Youyou couldn’t hear, so the illness story must be false.

The deafness and muteness must be related to Gan Daqiang.

The story told by the seven pieces he played:

A boy is captured by a monster. The monster has strange giant hands and threatens to throw him off a cliff unless he cleans the cave dwelling. In the end, the boy leads the monster into a trap, severs its hands, and then burns the monster to death.

Most of the metaphors were now clear. The giant hands, emphasized twice, likely represented the first layer: the power to overshadow the heavens.

Indeed, no matter what he was like outside, at home, he could be the king of power, his word absolute.

The other meaning was violence, threats, and intimidation.

The adult Gan Youyou would start trembling just by seeing Gan Daqiang.

The slight sound of Gan Daqiang placing a cup on the table would cause Gan Youyou to tremble uncontrollably, getting up to offer money in exchange for safety.

Shan Wuzhou’s face was clouded with gloom, and his breathing was deep.

So Gan Youyou’s ears were deafened by slaps? Gradually, he also lost the ability to speak.

And the reason… Feng Yuluo picked up the dead leaf to examine it. Kang Xiaole had specifically given it to them. The reason might be related to this.

What did this dead leaf represent?

If they couldn’t figure it out, they would skip it for now.

His wish was easy enough to guess: to allow Gan Youyou to hear and speak again.

The killing intent here was heavy. The more fully the defenses were deployed, the more insecure he felt inside.

He managed to deal with Gan Daqiang by borrowing Yuanbao’s magic power, but that fear had not been completely eliminated. They could try again on a spiritual level.

Feng Yuluo stood up, then squatted down again, asking Shan Wuzhou to disguise him as Gan Daqiang. He would walk over and let Gan Youyou kill him one more time.

If that didn’t work, they would try a third time.

Practice makes perfect. If he could defeat him every time, he would no longer be afraid. Once the psychological illness was gone, the person would naturally recover.

Shan Wuzhou opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. He erected a barrier in front of them, created a puppet in the likeness of Gan Daqiang, and sent it out.

It was stabbed fifteen times within two steps of approaching.

Feng Yuluo touched his arm, feeling fortunate.

The moment he saw the person, Gan Youyou was startled and frantically counterattacked with instruments.

The puppet Gan Daqiang fiercely overturned a table, closing in step by step, and sneered, “Are you still afraid of me? Did I hit you so hard that you can never stand up again? Then I will hit you for the rest of your life!”

Gan Youyou’s lips turned pale. He swayed, clenching his fists.

Halfway there, the puppet extended its hand as instructed, and Gan Youyou, terrified to the extreme, struck it down to the ground, where it vanished.

Gan Youyou gasped for breath, clutching the flute tightly, his eyes wide, staring ahead.

The second puppet went out, shouting, “Come on!” and rushed towards Gan Youyou. This time, it was killed before reaching halfway.

After six consecutive attempts, Feng Yuluo observed Gan Youyou’s expression. He was still panicked, but his breathing was less chaotic.

So, he allowed the seventh puppet to last a little longer. It was cut in several places by Gan Youyou’s silk strings, and its face showed timely fear.

The eighth one rushed over and was hit, starting to retreat in panic: “You scoundrel, this is unfilial.” It was then struck on the head with a table.

The ninth one even prompted Gan Youyou to leave the safest center, taking two steps forward to chase and strike.

The tenth Gan Daqiang had no power to fight back.

Gan Youyou’s eyes showed light, and he fought with increasing courage.

The eleventh Gan Daqiang, while fighting, clasped his hands together and begged for mercy, tears streaming down: “Please, stop hitting me!”

The twelfth Gan Daqiang was beaten to his knees, kowtowing, “I was wrong, I’m sorry.” The sound was loud, and his forehead was bruised.

The fifteenth Gan Daqiang, upon going out, howled and wailed, “I deserve to die, I’m a scoundrel, I’m worthless, I’m a sinner!” He ran around the tables, looking utterly miserable.

After nineteen times, a hint of confusion appeared on Gan Youyou’s face. He looked down at the Gan Daqiang crawling on the ground.

When the twentieth puppet Gan Daqiang went out, Gan Youyou took off his mask and did not move.

Feng Yuluo signaled Shan Wuzhou to withdraw the puppet and walked out.

Unexpectedly, Gan Youyou suddenly covered his ears, as if an ear-piercing sound was stimulating him, causing him to scream silently.

Why was he still afraid?

Feng Yuluo rushed over, helped cover his head, and whispered, “It’s alright, it’s alright, you can’t hear it.”

Gan Youyou’s hair was messy, and the fear resurfaced. He trembled all over.

Feng Yuluo looked at him with distress. He should no longer be afraid of Gan Daqiang, but a crucial issue had not yet surfaced.

Unable to hear or speak, he must have seen a doctor, but it wasn’t cured. That meant he was psychologically afraid to be cured.

Even though he couldn’t hear, he still covered his ears. Was he sensitive to sound? Was he afraid of hearing something? Insults?

He had withstood the insults just now.

It must be another sound.

Feng Yuluo suddenly looked at the dead leaf in Shan Wuzhou’s hand.

The sound of the dead leaf?

Shan Wuzhou held it up, hesitated, and gently crushed it.

Gan Youyou’s body suddenly stiffened, his eyes widened, filling with tears.

He opened his mouth silently. Feng Yuluo understood the lip reading. He was saying, “I hear it.”

“What did you hear?”

Tears rolled down Gan Youyou’s face.

“Clatter.”

Feng Yuluo looked back.

On the empty ground lay a teacup, broken into two halves.

The yamen was frantically searching for the murderer, who then voluntarily turned himself in.

However, this murderer was very strange. He claimed that Gan Daqiang had bullied dozens of people over time, and he was one of the wronged souls who returned for revenge after death.

The yamen endured the headache of interrogating the process and locked him in the prison, but the next day, the person was gone.

Rumors immediately spread everywhere, saying that the victim had his due, and Gan Daqiang had suffered retribution, punished by heaven.

Kang Xiaole was still coordinating with people when he heard the news. He was stunned and vaguely told the coachman and attendant to go back first.

Suddenly, he realized the illusion had broken. Something in his heart felt like it was about to explode. He nervously ran to the lakeside, next to Gan Youyou’s residence.

The thirty-four people who had also been punished came out. They probably wouldn’t dare to bully people again in the future.

Feng Yuluo had specifically taken Kang Zhiwei into the woods and only came out after a long time, clapping his hands.

Seeing Kang Xiaole arrive, he raised his chin in greeting.

Considering his painstaking efforts and concern for others, he would not be angry.

But Kang Xiaole didn’t notice any of that. He just stared blankly at the back of the red-robed figure. His heart surged, and as if he hadn’t spoken for a long time, he called out hoarsely, “Gan Youyou?”

Gan Youyou’s shadow flickered. He turned around, his red lips moved, and after opening his mouth several times, he finally squeezed out a sound: “Xiaole.”