For instance, Shuhang was curious about the future of the seniors in the Nine Provinces Number One Group. Other than that, he was also curious about the future of his roommates, and also his parents, relatives, and friends. These were all things that Song Shuhang was relatively curious about.

However, there was something that Song Shuhang wished to know more than anything else… how was his first ghost spirit currently doing?

He had lent his first ghost spirit to the lustrous scholar of the scholarly faction, who rushed to the Netherworld Realm and engaged in a fierce battle with a Tribulation Transcender there. In the end, an accident occurred during the battle, and the lustrous scholar was unable to return the ghost spirit to Shuhang. The ghost spirit ended up getting drawn into the maelstrom that the ‘will’ of the Netherworld and the two Tribulation Transcenders had created. After that, all its traces were lost.

However, the ghost spirit shouldn’t have died, as its ‘contract’ with Song Shuhang continued to exist. Although the contract appeared to be in a ‘damaged and incomplete’ state, it didn’t disappear.

The ghost spirit should still be alive… it was just that its current state was somewhat strange, which caused the ‘ghost spirit contract’ between it and Song Shuhang to appear in the said incomplete state.

Now that I have entered the dreamland, can I see the future of the ghost spirit through the ancient bronze mirror? Song Shuhang himself wasn’t sure.

Regardless of whether it would work or not, it was better to try it out!

After all, trying things out would allow one to know whether something was possible. If one didn’t even give it a try… then, it would be impossible by default~

At this moment, the ancient bronze mirror said, [Are you ready?]

“Mm-hm, this time I’ve thought well of the future that I want to see,” the ugly crocodile answered.

[Then I’ll begin counting. When I reach three, you carefully picture what you desire to see. This will be your final chance,] the ancient bronze mirror said.

“You can start!” the ugly crocodile said firmly.

[One, two, three, begin!] The ancient bronze mirror counted.

The ugly crocodile stared at the ancient bronze mirror, and no one knew what was on its mind.

Song Shuhang, who had entered the dreamland state, shouted inwardly, “Ghost spirit, ghost spirit, ghost spirit! My first ghost spirit! My first ghost spirit!”

Would he be able to see the future of the ghost spirit through the ugly crocodile? It was time to find out!

Song Shuhang felt that what he was doing right now was like robbing other people of their chance to get a commodity on the internet.

Now, for Song Shuhang and the ugly crocodile, it all depended on whose hand spee— brain waves were faster!

“Whoosh~”

There was a ripple on the surface of the ancient bronze mirror. Then, the eyes of the ugly crocodile blurred as it was taken to some dreamland to see the future it wanted to see.

At that same moment, Song Shuhang’s consciousness had also entered the dreamland along with the ugly crocodile’s consciousness.

Hmm, what should I call this? A dreamland within the dreamland? Or a dream inside a dream? Song Shuhang thought to himself.

❄️❄️❄️

The dreamland of the ugly crocodile unfolded.

A resplendent and enormous building complex that covered the whole sky appeared in the dream of the ugly crocodile. At this moment, the crocodile was looking at the resplendent structure from the perspective of a third party.

Its eyes stopped on a building that seemed to be called… [Palace of Winter].

The ugly crocodile murmured, “Palace of Winter?” It then thought, Where is this place? I don’t seem to have ever heard of it.

The ugly crocodile said questioningly, “Could it be that I have fate with this Palace of Winter? But where is this Palace of Winter?”

At this moment, at another corner of the complex beside the Palace of Winter, an angry woman was shouting, “Slow-Witted Song, are you f*cking with me? Why did the ‘Profound Sage Speech’ script you sold me, which was supposed to be about the path of sword, turned out to be a script about the path of hammer?! Now, all the practitioners in the universe believe that I used a hammer! Come out, you f*cking piece of shiet! I promise I won’t beat you to death today! If you have the balls, come out!”

After that angry roar, the dreamland suddenly collapsed and disappeared.

The ugly crocodile returned to reality once again, its eyes still staring at the ancient bronze mirror.

[How was it? Did you see the future you desired to know about this time?] the ancient bronze mirror said.

The ugly crocodile responded, “I’m not sure. I’m still confused. However, I saw a resplendent building complex that was simply enormous. I’ve never seen such magnificent buildings in my life. After taking a glance at one of the buildings, which was called ‘Palace of Winter’, I felt that I had some fate with it.”

[That should be it, then. That’s the future that you desired to see!] The ancient bronze mirror subconsciously began blabbering, but halfway through its own words, it suddenly froze. [Wait, you saw a resplendent building complex? Moreover, one of the buildings was called ‘Palace of Winter’?]

“Yes.” The ugly crocodile nodded.

[How big was it?] the ancient bronze mirror asked.

“It covered the sky,” the ugly crocodile said.

[WTF, how could that be? Isn’t that the ancient Heavenly City? The ancient Heavenly City had long been destroyed, why did you see it in the future?] the ancient bronze mirror said loudly.

“Huh?” The ugly crocodile froze. “Ancient Heavenly City? Are you saying that I didn’t see the future, but rather the past? How could that be?”

The ancient bronze mirror: […]

Song Shuhang: “…”

The scene had become quite awkward.

After a long silence, the ancient bronze mirror suddenly asked, “By the way, I’ll ask you an important question. Which academic degree do you have?”

“Academic degree? I don’t have one. Due to the curse of my race, even after reaching the Fifth Stage, we aren’t able to transform into humans, which is why I wasn’t able to go to the human world and take the imperial examination,” the ugly crocodile responded. Then, it added, “However, I’m very confident in my learning ability. Although I can’t be like other monsters, who can transform into humans and go to the human world to study, I’ve still learned a great deal over the years I self-studied. I’m especially well-versed in scholarly self-cultivation, which I’ve studied the longest. It’s not that I’m boasting here, but if I were to transform into a human and take the imperial examination of the human world, while I don’t dare to guarantee that I would be the top scorer, I would get the third place at the very least!”

Surprisingly, the ugly crocodile was a well-learned crocodile, a self-studying crocodile.

Song Shuhang suddenly felt a sense of guild in his heart––this crocodile was actually quite cute. Perhaps its nature wasn’t bad, either.

Unfortunately, it was now too late to learn of its nature. If he had known its studious nature earlier, he would have definitely advised Senior White Two to preserve its life.

This self-cultivating and self-studying crocodile monster, who was versed in the scholarly way, wasn’t able to put what it had learned to use. In the end, its crocodile life had ended with an artillery blast.

The ancient bronze mirror stayed silent for a long while. It seemed to have been stunned by the studious nature of the crocodile.

[I see. No wonder I divined your future inaccurately several times. This was where the problem lay!] the ancient bronze mirror said in a deep voice after a while.

The ugly crocodile said doubtfully, “What problem?”

[The problem that is your profound knowledge!] the ancient bronze mirror responded. [You have a lot of knowledge, possessing the talent of a top scorer! Have you heard of the phrase ‘knowledge can change one’s fate’? Having a great amount of knowledge on top of you being so talented, your future is simply too unpredictable. Your destiny is in your own hands. You can use your rich knowledge to change your fate. Those that have a life like yours and are great monster like you have an unpredictable future!]

“Really?” The ugly crocodile had a confused face… but it was inexplicably happy. The words of the ancient bronze mirror struck the crocodile right into its heart. Every sentence pricked its heart and gave it great pleasure! Wait, the heart getting pricked didn’t seem to be something to be happy about… But it was what it was, and every sentence of the ancient bronze mirror was like an arrow that struck the most pleasurable point in its heart. It was refreshing.

[Knowledge can change one’s fate! Knowledge can change one’s future! Knowledge is everything!] the ancient bronze mirror said.

“Knowledge can change one’s fate!” The ugly crocodile’s eyes brightened.

“With knowledge, my fate is up to me!” The ugly crocodile appeared like it had been hypnotized, with its entire being filled with excitement.

[Very good. Then, we’ll meet again if destiny wills it. One day, you will become a great scholar of the monster race, admired by all monsters!] the ancient bronze mirror said.

During their conversation, the ancient bronze mirror had been becoming dimmer and dimmer, and more and more illusory. The mirror was going to disappear very soon.

“My destiny is in my own hands! I will become a great scholar of the monster race, admired by all monsters!” The ugly crocodile became more and more excited. “But before that, I need to find a place. The Palace of Winter. I need to find a way to find it first. This place and I… have fate!”

This idiot… this stupid crocodile has been fooled. Song Shuhang thought.

Knowledge can change one’s fate my ass! The future that was shown by the ancient bronze mirror was clearly due to his influence.

However, Song Shuhang also fell into silence.

“Slow-Witted Song?” he mused.

Whether it was Pavilion Master Chu, the virtuous lamia, or the Immortal from the ancient Heavenly City with jet-black arms covered in eyes, they all mistook him for ‘Slow-Witted Song’ at first.

This ‘Slow-Witted Song’ was definitely related to him.

But Song Shuhang had too little information. He had no way of properly guessing the origin or the identity of that ‘Slow-Witted Song’ or guess what role he played in the ancient Heavenly City.

But just now, when he’d desired to see the future of the ‘ghost spirit’ through the ancient bronze mirror, what appeared was the resplendent ancient Heavenly City and the Palace of Winter where Great Northern Emperor lived.

Additionally, there was an angry fairy maiden shouting that she wanted to beat Slow-Witted Song to death.

The future of the ghost spirit… the ancient Heavenly City of the past… the angry fairy maiden shouting at Slow-Witted Song. All these clues were connected.

[Could Slow-Witted Song be my ghost spirit?] This thought suddenly appeared in Song Shuhang’s mind.