Chapter One, A Dream of a Thousand Years

In that bizarre and fantastical dream, the word "auction" is nothing but an ordinary term, so familiar and endearing. Yet, having awakened, how can one still think about everything before them with the mindset of the dream?

Inside a palm-sized metal box, there are many little figures dressed in peculiar and bizarre costumes performing a play

Han Qian opened his eyes; his vision was initially blurred, and his consciousness had not fully awakened. He vaguely saw two figures, moving in a manner reminiscent of geckos, darting one after the other towards the window.

Are you acting as if nothing is wrong right now?

Last night, as night fell, Yao Xishui, who entered the house to drink, was dressed in a purple robe. After drinking, her beautiful face was flushed as if dyed. Under the light of the lantern and the moon, her stunning beauty was intoxicating. However, at this moment, the Yao Xishui before me was dressed in a black outfit, resembling a female thief of the night, looking at herself with a face full of astonishment as she opened her eyes

At this moment, Han Qian recalled the events that took place yesterday

This bronze lamp is to be taken out for auction, and it is uncertain whether it will attract the attention of collectors who may come rushing in.

A sheet of rice paper is spread out on the writing desk, with both ends pressed down by bronze dragon-shaped paperweights. A few lines of text are written in clerical script, the ink still wet, penetrating through the paper; several thread-bound books are haphazardly piled in one corner of the desk, and a fine wolf hair brush rests on the inkstone.

Accompanied by this, it feels as if a sharp metal object is violently stirring within the heart

The black fitted outfit envelops the petite figure flawlessly, yet this small, palm-sized fair face resembles a hibiscus flower blooming under the moonlight, evoking a sense of stunning beauty

Yesterday marked the forty-seventh day since he was confined by his father, Han Daoxun, to the Qiu Lake Mountain villa for self-cultivation. He felt extremely irritable and frustrated, venting his anger on the maid, Qingyun, by kicking her out. However, the courtyard door was locked from the outside by the family guards, preventing any escape.

Someone outside the yard is calling him in a hushed voice, seemingly aware of the unusual situation in this room, yet afraid of causing a disturbance here, thus refraining from shouting loudly

Qilong

Someone is coming, we should leave

There are sounds of rummaging in the room, resembling the sound of the wind; perhaps the window is indeed open, allowing the wind to blow in and rustle the pages of the books

Two people in the room were discussing in low voices, and then they heard the window being pushed open

What on earth is this thing

Han Qian struggled to open his eyes

It is merely half a pot of wine, how could it be so distressing

What kind of chaotic dream is this

A magical iron egg, when dropped from a flying iron bird, can level a giant city to the ground

Once regarded as a marginal craft, the practical skills have now become mainstream in the study of applied knowledge, experiencing a development that is difficult for Han Qian to imagine; meanwhile, the study of moral principles that has flourished since the Han Dynasty has long been relegated to the dustbin of history

The deep purple night outside the window truly evokes a sense of eeriness, so much so that Han Qian begins to doubt whether he has truly awakened from a dream

Why does this dream feel so vivid, so vivid that it makes him doubt whether everything before him is just a dream

Noble families have not completely disappeared; their power seems less prominent than in the past. Although they can no longer exercise life and death control over their servants, they still manage to control the world through "money"—a more subtle term being "capital"—which remains the most central factor in the composition of power in the world a thousand years later

A bronze ancient lamp stands beside the writing desk, its beast-foot lamp post vividly lifelike, as if an ancient mythical beast has reached out from the void with a slender, elongated scaled foot, resting on the smoothly polished stone floor beside the desk. In the lotus-shaped lamp bowl, the oil is shallow, and a wick, the thickness of a little finger, is burning, emitting a bright red light that illuminates the desk.

Bizarre and fantastical dreams

Han Qian struggled to awaken, but an indescribable numbness controlled his body. As his eyelids moved, the bizarre dream seemed to be struck violently by a hammer, instantly shattering into fragments

Is it that little wretch Yao Xishui, along with that lover whose blurry silhouette can only be seen, who conspired to poison him

The constricting pain in his chest gave him an overwhelming sense of suffocation, preventing him from struggling out of the dream, as if that bizarre and fantastical dreamscape was the true water and rivers upon which his existence depended

Recalling the conversation he had just heard, Han Qian felt a chill rising from his tailbone.

However, he had only drunk a few cups of wine, and as he was feeling tipsy, just as he was about to boldly reach into Yao Xishui's collar, he fell into a drowsy sleep...

The petite figure in the back glanced back as she leaped over the window, her gaze colliding with Han Qian's. She did not expect that Han Qian was truly alive, and a look of astonishment appeared on her stunningly beautiful face

Human understanding of the world is far more vast than what he can imagine, even the sun, moon, and stars that he can see day and night, just like the ground he stands on, are referred to as planets by people a thousand years later

A man and a woman are whispering in the room, searching for something; the woman's voice sounds familiar

Why is she dressed this way

The intense pain felt as if it were about to tear the three souls and seven spirits from his body and then shatter them into pieces, causing Han Qian to want to scream, yet the breath was stuck in his throat, unable to escape no matter what

What happened

Qingyun reported that there were unusual noises coming from the residence of the Seventh Young Master, and the old servant was concerned that thieves might have intruded into the villa. As long as the Seventh Young Master is fine, the old servant will not disturb him during his night study and will leave first

Oh? A suppressed exclamation came from not far away.

In the dream world a thousand years later, he is an orphan named Zhai Xinping, who grew up in a welfare institution. He studied at a school established by the government and only entered a private equity investment fund to work in his youth

Dream

The intense pain in his chest made it difficult for him to think, and he could not understand what these two people were saying. However, from their tone, he could discern not a trace of goodwill towards him

He was sitting in his study, brooding, and did not expect Yao Xishui to suddenly visit. Upon entering the study, he even had someone prepare wine for them to drink and enjoy together

Han Qian was shocked by the word that intruded into his mind

A four-wheeled iron box runs faster than a purple-maned horse, while a gigantic iron bird filled with people soars through the sky

How could this possibly feel like being drunk

Auction

Hearing footsteps approaching from outside the courtyard, Yao Xishui hesitated for a moment while half-squatting on the windowsill, and then her body, like a fragile feather, vanished into the night that resembled deep purple velvet

The intense cramping pain seemed to ebb slightly, like the receding tide.

The door was pushed open from the outside, and an elderly man in a gray robe, with a short beard and graying hair, stood at the entrance. He peered into the room with a look of confusion, his sharp gaze lingering on Han Qian's face for a moment. After seemingly finding nothing unusual, he spoke as if to explain.

Han Qian gasped for breath violently, as if he were a fish pulled out of the water

The towering skyscrapers rise into the clouds, filling the earth

The numbness in his limbs was still very strong, preventing him from standing up. Although the constricting pain in his chest was not as intense, it was still far from comfortable

It hurts

Have I poisoned myself

The war continues unabated, and the efficiency of the bloody slaughter has reached a level that makes Han Qian tremble with fear, with firearms resembling crossbows that can crazily reap lives as if harvesting wheat

Isn't it just that Qingyun is dozing off and dreaming? How could there possibly be a woman in the young master's room at this time? We should not go in; with the young master's temper, if we wake him up, it will surely lead to another round of scolding, which is truly unbearable for anyone.

Han Qian's hazy consciousness gradually awakened, and he saw his body sprawled on a desk with a dark luster and delicate texture, placed against the window. A wave of intense pain from his numb limbs surged through him.

Han Jia Qilang just moved a little

What a strange word

Twenty years of accumulating vast wealth also allows him to enjoy the riches and honors that the world should possess a thousand years later, as well as to discern the deceptions and intrigues of that future world

Han Qian endured a severe headache, striving to piece together the fragmented and chaotic remnants of his dreams

One night, he emerged from a vibrant bar, embracing two beautiful girls he had just met, ready to indulge in the ultimate pleasure at a hotel. Suddenly, a black sedan roared out from the alley behind the bar, striking him and sending him flying into the air

The wine contains the hallucinogenic poison given by the lady; this fellow just now clearly appeared to have died from a violent illness, his breath already ceased, how could he possibly still move? Do not be overly suspicious...

Seeing that his father Han Daoxun had been accompanied for many years by his old family soldier Fan Xicheng, who managed him at the villa, Han Qian, with a furious temper, wanted to call out to him. However, as he opened his mouth, he felt a tingling sensation in his oral cavity and at the root of his tongue, rendering him unable to make a sound.

Dreams are a world a thousand years after the passage of time, where the emperors and generals he once knew have long since vanished. The lowly courtesans and entertainers have become the focus of public attention as performing stars or artists, yet they remain unable to escape the fate of being toyed with by the powerful.

The bizarre and fantastical dream came to an abrupt end at that moment, signifying the conclusion of his dreamlike existence

With a beautiful companion by my side, the soft and sweet tones of Wu dialect in my ears, although the rouge from the evening red building has a slightly sour and bitter taste, Han Qian paid it no mind

Han Qian, who fell asleep at his desk after drinking, seems to be experiencing a life completely different from this world in a bizarre dream.

pain

It hurts so much

The hot-tempered Han Qian could not understand how he could have such a strange dream, as if he were trapped in a bizarre world completely different from the present one

Yao Xishui

Fan Xicheng's old mixed-breed dog took a glance and then went out. Did it not know that the little wretch Yao Xishui came to visit at night? Did it not realize that it was poisoned?

Having said this, the old man closed the door and withdrew.

Qilong

What kind of dream is this, after all

A series of hurried and light footsteps could be heard from outside the room