Suddenly, I shot awake.
I was in a hospital.
The moment my eyes opened, everything from last night came rushing back—fragmented, sharp, suffocating. After I left Lu Huang's house, blood had been dripping from my body. I remember walking, feeling dizzy, my vision spinning… and then collapsing.
After that, nothing.
The door creaked open. A man walked in, wearing a white coat.
"Oh, good. You're awake," the doctor said as he looked at me. "You were found covered in blood in a forest by a passerby. What happened?"
I stayed silent.
He continued, calm but probing. "Not far from that forest, the biggest gang leader of the district was wiped out along with his entire gang. Only his son survived. At first, the authorities suspected you—but after seeing that you have no cultivation, they dismissed you."
He looked straight at me. "Do you know anything about this?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I asked quietly, "Where am I?"
The doctor paused. "Zhang Qian Magical Hospital. I am James, a fourth-level healer."
I nodded slowly. "I'm feeling… a little unwell."
He looked slightly caught off guard. "Ah—of course. My apologies. I shouldn't be asking questions in your condition. When you feel better, we'll talk. Until then, I'll have a nurse bring you some food."
Then he left.
I looked out through the hospital window.
Inside my heart, conflict churned violently.
On one hand, I felt relief. Revenge had been done.
On the other, fear gripped me—fear of the monster inside me. The thing that gave me the power to slaughter so many people… to kill Sho Huang.
Then—a demonic laughter echoed from deep within my chest.
"What, kid? Afraid?"
My eyes widened. Who are you?! I demanded inwardly.
The laughter grew louder. "Me? I'm not that important. But tell me—how did it feel to kill so many for the first time?"
Before I could respond, footsteps approached.
"Rest for now, kid," the voice said, amused. "We'll talk again."
The door opened.
"Your food is here," the nurse said gently.
She placed the tray in front of me.
Chicken. Soup. Sweet potatoes.
Nothing caught my eye.
Except the sweet potatoes.
My hands trembled.
They were Ming's favorite.
I slowly picked one up. As I took a bite, a single tear slipped from my eye without me realizing it.
The nurse noticed immediately. "Is something wrong with the food? Are you okay?"
I shook my head, forcing a small smile. "No… I just really like sweet potatoes."
She hesitated, still worried, then quietly left the room.
Just then, a voice called from the other side of the room.
"Yo! What's up, dude?"
I turned. There was another patient—yellow hair, golden eyes, looking about my age. He wore a wide, confident grin.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you. Bro, you look injured as hell. That must have hurt like crazy. I'm Tang Mu—from the famous Mu Clan. You've heard of us, right?"
I blinked. "No…"
His smile dropped. His mouth opened wide in disbelief.
"Dude… how do you not know the Mu family?! We're one of the top five Qi cultivation clans! My father—the legendary warrior—is a Nascent Soul cultivator. You must have been living under a rock!"
I scratched the back of my head. "Okay… so?"
Internally, I was confused. I knew how powerful a Nascent Soul cultivator could be—but the Mu Clan? I had never heard of them. Still, I decided I should build a connection. He seemed… well, like the idiot type.
Tang Mu tilted his head, studying me. What's up with this guy? He doesn't even know our clan? My father? Really living under a rock…
I looked at him. "Uh… if you're that powerful, what are you doing in a hospital?"
He scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Well… I accidentally ran into a 3,000-year-old legendary beast. I was fighting for my life, but in the end, my father came and saved me. At present, I'm at the peak of the Qi Refinement stage. Soon, I'll reach Foundation Establishment. What about you?"
I nodded slowly, taking it all in. Interesting… this guy could be useful—or dangerous