Everyone has secrets.

Small people, big people, it's the same... except the former's secrets are worthless.

…

…

Gu Shen stood quietly in Madam's dreamscape.

There was nothing here, no pain, no joy, no fantasy, no memories. There was only a long, deep corridor, and row upon row of iron doors.

Gu Shen suddenly understood why Lu Nanzhi could disarm her defenses and remove her earrings so readily... because even if someone truly entered her dream, they would see nothing.

Every door was locked.

The secrets of important people were always locked away.

The fine thread that drilled deep into the dream tried to smash into the iron doors, but it was ruthlessly bounced back. After repeated attempts, it was always the same. When it had burrowed into Madam's dream, it never expected such a dead end.

"Madam's dream is as solid as metal and stone."

Gu Shen didn't know what means were being used... but he was certain that with these "mental locks" in place, no one could hypnotize Lu Nanzhi to extract information from her dreams.

"Let's end this here."

He slowly walked towards the depths of the corridor. The fine thread, with nowhere else to run, fled all the way to the end.

The last iron door in Madam's dream was different from the others... This door didn't seem to be locked, but it was blood-red, and even the surrounding walls were stained red.

A strange thing happened.

Having fled all the way here, the fine thread suddenly stopped. One could see that this wisp of residual mental imprint was struggling. The only way to survive was to jump into that blood-red door, but it frantically resisted moving forward... preferring to be caught by Gu Shen than to touch that blood-red door.

So Gu Shen... very easily grasped it.

Blazing Fire instantly surged out, giving the opponent no chance to maneuver.

With a "chi" sound.

In an instant, the fine thread was burned to ashes!

Having done this, Gu Shen breathed a sigh of relief. This mission could be considered a complete success... but he did not immediately withdraw his mental power. Instead, he frowned and carefully observed Lu Nanzhi's dream.

Not with the intention of prying.

In fact, there was nothing to pry into.

It was just that this "blood-red door" so close at hand aroused some curiosity in Gu Shen's heart. He didn't understand what could be more terrifying than being incinerated by him that would cause the desperately fleeing fine thread to be so afraid.

Why was it so afraid?

Standing at a very close distance, carefully observing, it seemed that ancient characters were floating in the blood-red color of the iron door. He couldn't understand what era these characters were from, nor what they meant, but he vaguely felt a sense of being drawn in.

"Should I... touch it?"

This thought surfaced in Gu Shen's mind.

Absolutely not!

Gu Shen was startled by this thought. When he came back to his senses, a palm was already extended in mid-air. He quickly took two steps back, moving far away from this blood-red ancient text door...

What was wrong with him?

"This door... is a little demonic."

Gu Shen looked at the red door with some apprehension, suppressing the urge to touch it again.

Fortunately, his willpower was strong enough. He had almost been lured in. If he had really touched it, who knew what would have happened.

He quickly dissipated his mental power.

…

…

Song Ci quietly stood guard in front of the door.

He stared at the wall clock, feeling every second drag on like a year.

Perhaps it was because he had just met him, but Gu Shen's image in his mind was still stuck on the two of them burying their heads and running like ostriches in the old city.

However, this impression was really unreliable... Song Ci had made a lot of effort, but he still couldn't overlap "Gu Shen" with the genius teenager that Cui Zhongcheng had described.

This kid, wouldn't he mess things up?

Madam must not have any mishaps!

Anxiously waiting and waiting and waiting...

Finally, with a "creak."

The door opened.

Song Ci looked at Gu Shen's calm and composed face, held his breath, and didn't dare to exhale.

"It's been resolved."

Gu Shen looked at Crow's hesitant face and couldn't help but smile, "What, you don't believe me?"

"Madam is asleep inside... see for yourself."

This kid had done what the mental-type transcendents of Deep Sea Floor Ten couldn't do?

Song Ci looked suspicious, poked his head through the crack in the door, and cautiously looked in. After seeing Madam's tranquil profile as she slept soundly, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Crow gently closed the door, grabbed Gu Shen and led him downstairs, lit a cigarette, and respectfully offered it to him.

Gu Shen smiled dumbly. He shook his head and refused.

Of course, Crow was just making a gesture. He took a deep drag, this mouthful containing complex emotions, and finally vaguely uttered, "You kid... are something else."

He didn't know whether to admire Gu Shen or admire Cui Zhongcheng.

In any case, this kid really had some tricks up his sleeve.

He was a genius.

"It's not that I'm amazing, it's just that my source quality is special." Gu Shen didn't take credit, he said lightly, "It can also be said that Madam was lucky to find the right person."

This time, removing the mental imprint... Gu Shen felt the power of his Blazing Fire.

Unbelievably subtle perception.

That fine thread could deceive the mental transcendents of Deep Sea Floor Ten, but it didn't deceive him!

He was now very confident that if he went to Deep Sea for the transcendent trial again, he would definitely pass the first level.

…

…

"I'm sorry about what happened at noon."

Crow leaned against the wall of the alley, one hand in his pocket, his chiseled face shrouded in the curling smoke. His tone was low, "I owe you a meal... and a favor. I'm serious this time."

"Healing Madam, what does it have to do with you? You don't owe me a favor for this." Gu Shen shrugged and said, "The Dream Weaver is here to solve people's problems... even if it wasn't Madam who came today, I would still heal her. Besides, she paid."

Crow narrowed his eyes, somewhat surprised.

"But you do owe me a meal."

Gu Shen laughed, "Running away halfway through the meal, that's too unethical, right? I heard later that Crow's name is infamous in the old city."

Song Ci was a little embarrassed.

"Next time, for sure!" He patted his chest and guaranteed, "The one you know now is the Crow of the Chengxin Society. My reputation in the underworld is well known, a word is worth a thousand gold! I owe you a meal, I'll repay you ten or a hundred times over!"

"Alright, alright..."

Gu Shen waved his hand and smiled, "You're making me sound like your life-saving benefactor."

But Song Ci's face didn't have the slightest hint of jest. He said seriously, "Madam is very important to me... saving her is more important than saving me."

"..."

Gu Shen sighed. He shook his head, "There's another important thing, I think I should tell you."

Song Ci narrowed his eyes.

"A wisp of mental imprint has been planted between Madam's eyebrows."

Gu Shen said bluntly, "You can pay more attention in the future to who usually approaches Madam... This wisp of mental imprint can only be planted when she removes her earrings."

"The mental imprint can only be planted when she removes her earrings..." Crow frowned coldly, "Who else could do this?"

Almost instantly, a person appeared in his mind.

Zhao Qi.

This nominal "heir" of the vast Zhao family was actually just a good-for-nothing playboy with no talent. All he knew was eating, drinking, and having fun, ruining the family business. But it was this second-generation ancestor who was ridiculed by the capital who was fortunate enough to marry Lu Nanzhi, the woman who was considered perfect by everyone... Some people in the capital joked that it was a marriage of wealth and beauty. In reality, Crow knew that Madam possessed more than just beauty.

A certain Zhao councilor, who was past his prime, had little time left, and even using the most precious redemption sacred objects could only keep him alive... The Zhao family, which possessed a vast industry, was like the setting sun, and everyone could foresee its fall from its peak. But it could still hold on now, half because of Mr. Cui, who called himself the "key keeper of the gold mountain."

The other half relied on Lu Nanzhi, who was said to be "climbing the Zhao family ladder."

This woman possessed perfect beauty, a calm mind, iron-blooded methods, and the courage and spirit that surpassed most men... In Crow's heart, this benefactor who had pulled him out of the mud of fate was an existence that could not be desecrated.

If he didn't know that this marriage was just a nominal union, a superficial show, he probably couldn't help but shoot Zhao Qi on the spot at the wedding.

After the marriage, Lu Nanzhi and Zhao Qi, except for making joint appearances in public, almost never met. The two lived in completely different worlds... One was living a life of drunken debauchery, turning day and night upside down, while the other was walking on thin ice among a pack of wolves, treading through thorns and mud.

But if one were to find someone who had the opportunity to plant a mental imprint when Madam removed her earrings.

The easiest person would definitely be Zhao Qi.

Learning that Madam's insomnia was caused by someone "close to her"... Crow's forehead veins were already bulging, but when he recalled Madam's instructions to him on the rooftop, the bulging veins disappeared again.

He silently clenched his fists and asked in a low voice, "Do you know who that guy is?"

"I don't know."

Gu Shen shook his head and said calmly, "I can't see any other information from that mental imprint... It's only from a friend's perspective that I'm reminding you that this was just a test. The next time, it won't be so easy."

"Understood... I'll keep an eye out."

Song Ci sighed softly.

In the end, it was just suspicion, there was no evidence.

Acting impulsively would only bring trouble to Madam.

However... with Madam's wisdom, she must already have a suspect in mind. Suddenly, he paused, and Gu Shen's sentence flashed through his mind.

There were two words in that sentence that struck him.

Friend.

Perhaps it was just an inadvertent remark from Gu Shen, but this unfamiliar word... gave Crow a feeling as if he were in another world.

"Hey..."

The man's face was shrouded in smoke. Song Ci, Song Yingji, Crow, slowly dropped his cigarette holder, stomped it out, and said softly, "If we're friends, then if you need any help in the future, just ask."

When the young man heard these words, his departing figure in the alley waved his hand.

His thumb and forefinger hooked together, forming a circle.