Chapter 18: Golden Hairpin

At night, Chang Yu once again suffered the same nightmare.

He dreamt of the female ghost with disheveled hair, dressed in a bright crimson ancient gown, lunging at him with clawed hands. As always, Chang Yu, spineless and fearful, fled for his life, terrified of being caught by her.

The female ghost was terrifying; she didn’t walk on the ground but floated through the air, drifting back and forth. It was just like how two legs could never outrun four, and four legs couldn’t outpace wings—Chang Yu and this ghost were separated by two entire realms of ability.

Soon enough, the dreadful ghost caught up to him. Cornered, with no way to escape, Chang Yu suddenly recalled his master’s warning:

“You are a cultivator in the Qi Condensation stage, not a helpless mortal. If you do meet a female ghost, just face her head-on and unleash your power.”

Perhaps it was because Chang Yu truly felt ashamed of his cowardice, or maybe desperation finally pushed him to his limit. Suddenly, he summoned his courage, eyes burning red, and shouted fiercely at the ghost:

"Do you know, I’ve put up with you long enough! It’s time you learned what real cruelty means!"

Sometimes, when a rabbit is driven to the edge, it really will bite.

Now, Chang Yu was that rabbit at the end of his rope.

Without another word, he channeled his true energy—a reflexive act that unexpectedly yielded astonishing results. He felt a gentle, warm current surge through his body, circulating ceaselessly, bringing him an unending stream of strength.

He realized, to his surprise, that he could use his true energy even in dreams—a revelation!

"You! Monster, take this!" Chang Yu swung his fist, as big as a casserole, aiming straight for the ghost’s navel.

With a single punch, he sent her flying several meters through the air, unable to even stand.

Watching the ghost howl in pain, Chang Yu clenched his unscathed fist, joy flooding his heart:

"Am I really this strong? This ghost only looks fierce, but she’s actually just a weakling!"

Fear vanished. Chang Yu laughed arrogantly, swaggering toward the ghost with flamboyant steps, utterly confident.

The ghost regained her ability to move and let out a shrill cry, launching herself at him again.

Chang Yu tilted his broad forehead upward and delivered a headbutt straight to her crown, leaving her dizzy and seeing stars.

"You little thing! Still want to chase me? Do you?"

"Look at you!"

He grabbed the ghost’s collar tightly, unleashing a frenzy of headbutts, his head pounding like a pile driver.

The ghost, writhing in pain, refused to be bested. She suddenly lunged with both hands, grabbing Chang Yu’s collar and yanking with all her strength, throwing him off balance.

Unprepared, Chang Yu toppled to the ground, soon tangled in a scuffle with the ghost.

In the struggle, a lock of her hair brushed against his face, releasing a delicate, faint fragrance.

Having never been so close to a woman before, Chang Yu suddenly felt a ticklish yearning.

"So this is the unique scent of girls? It’s my first time smelling it," he thought, moved to tears, feeling as if the clouds had finally parted to reveal the sun.

He—Chang Yu—was about to become a man tonight?

By some strange impulse, he rolled over, pinning the ghost beneath him, turning his nightmare into a dream of spring.

At dawn, Chang Yu awoke refreshed, his face filled with reminiscence.

Looking closely, one could see a hint of intoxication in his eyes. Thinking back to every detail of last night’s dream, he sighed deeply:

"How shameful—my first time was given to a ghost. Why was I so reckless?"

"I, Chang Yu, have kept myself pure for so many years, never so much as flirting with a woman. She really got cheap luck!"

"In the end, it’s all because I’ve been single for too long—even a ghost starts to look pretty to me."

"After last night, I suddenly realize… these female ghosts aren’t so scary after all. Maybe I was too prejudiced against them."

Watching horror movies did make Chang Yu dream easily, but it had its drawbacks—his sleep was plagued by nightmares, always haunted by ghosts from films.

Chang Yu used to be timid, most afraid of ghosts.

But now...

He could proudly thump his chest and declare that he, Chang Yu, would never again fear female ghosts!

Instinctively, he raised his arm, and a hard object suddenly dropped from his hand, landing on the soft bedding.

"Huh? What’s this?"

He picked up the object and examined it closely.

It was a beautifully carved phoenix-shaped golden hairpin, ancient yet exquisite, radiating both elegance and luxury—clearly not an ordinary thing.

"This isn’t mine. I don’t own any such ancient women’s jewelry."

Trying hard to recall the origin of the hairpin, the more he thought, the more familiar it seemed, as if he’d seen it somewhere before.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. In an instant, he remembered where it came from.

"Isn't this the hairpin worn by that female ghost in last night’s dream? I remember it was always on her head—how did it end up here?"

Chang Yu was stunned, already forming a guess in his heart, but still hesitant to believe it.

"Could it be that I accidentally pulled off her hairpin in the dream and brought it back to the real world?"

"If that’s true, it’s almost unbelievable. After all, it happened in a dream!"

"No one can bring things from dreams into reality—that’s basic common sense!"

"But then again, common sense never seems to apply to me…"

"If it were anyone else, who could dream of an immortal?"

"Who could wake up and become the last disciple of an immortal, mastering peerless arts?"

"What can I do? I’m just so outstanding! In fact, it’s not the first time I’ve brought something out of a dream."

"The storage pouch and spirit stones my master gave me—I brought those into the real world too!"

"Could it be that bringing dream objects into reality is my superpower? Or maybe it’s a talent?"

"Or... maybe this ability comes from practicing the Poria Heart Sutra?"

"Though I don’t know why I have this power, I just want to say—I’m amazing!"

"From now on... this hairpin is mine, right? Maybe it once belonged to that nameless female ghost, but now it belongs to me!"

"After all, I earned it with my own skill—no way I’m giving it back."

Chang Yu’s eyes glowed green as he gazed at the hairpin, as fondly as if it were his own flesh and blood.

"This thing is gold, isn’t it? Must be worth a lot. And I happen to be short on cash!"

"Maybe I should try selling it? The money could cover my rent for this month, maybe even leave me a little extra!"

Unlike the spirit stones given by Master Hao Er, gold was a real-world commodity, valuable and easily traded—definitely worth a good price.

He dressed at lightning speed, didn’t bother brushing his teeth or washing his face, grabbed the hairpin, and rushed out excitedly.

His destination: a gold recycling stall not far from his home.

Arriving at the spot, Chang Yu found a yawning middle-aged man sitting by the roadside, a sign reading "Gold Recycling" in bold script standing before him.

Seeing Chang Yu heading straight for him, the stall owner perked up and greeted him enthusiastically, "Hey there, young man! Here to sell? Our gold recycling prices are absolutely fair."

Without hesitation, Chang Yu pulled the hairpin from his pocket and handed it over, saying, "I have a gold accessory to sell—how much will you offer?"

The stall owner’s eyes lit up as he examined it. He could tell at a glance that the hairpin was something special.

He knew a bit about antiques, enough to recognize a fine piece. This hairpin was old, exquisitely crafted, surely once belonging to a wealthy lady in ancient times.

Such antiques shouldn’t really be sold here.

Selling it at the gold recycling price would mean a huge loss for the seller.

If Chang Yu found the right buyer and sold it as an antique, he’d make far more than just the gold value.

The stall owner weighed the hairpin on an electronic scale, then used several professional devices to test it.

After the measurements, he was sure: the hairpin was pure gold, not just gold-plated.

"Jackpot! Heaven has smiled on me today—I’ve met a real spendthrift!"

"He didn’t sell the hairpin to collectors, but brought it to me. How foolish!" the stall owner thought gleefully.

"If I buy it cheap, then quietly sell it to antique collectors, I’ll make a fortune!"

With a warm smile, the stall owner tried to suppress his excitement:

"Young man, your gold weighs thirty grams, purity is about eighty-five percent. I can offer you ten thousand yuan."

"Ten... ten thousand? That much?" Chang Yu blushed with excitement, sweat breaking out on his forehead, barely able to speak.

He’d expected five thousand at most and would have been satisfied.

He hadn’t imagined the stall owner would be so generous—ten thousand right off the bat!

Chang Yu had always struggled, never seen what ten thousand yuan looked like. "Boss, you’re truly a good man!"

"I’ll sell!" Chang Yu quickly agreed, afraid the stall owner might change his mind.

The hairpin was a free gift from his dream—anything over a hundred was pure profit, let alone ten thousand!

"Thank you for your business! I’ll transfer the money right away," the stall owner sang with joy, his happiness obvious.

Just as he reached for his phone to pay Chang Yu and claim the hairpin, a sudden voice rang out from behind:

"Wait! Young man, you can’t just sell that hairpin like this!"