Chapter 565: Death

Chapter 565: Death

Li Huowang picked up the golden fries in front of him and examined them closely, their surface dusted with fine salt shimmering under the morning light.

He stared at them for quite some time before dipping the fry into the ketchup, then shoved it into his mouth. Instantly, sourness, saltiness, crispness, and aroma filled his oral cavity.

Following that, Li Huowang cupped his hands around the ice-cold cola and took several large gulps. Then he grabbed the burger and bit down hard. The milk-white cheese squeezed out from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto his blue-and-white striped hospital gown.

"Son, eat slowly, there's more. Mom will buy you more," Sun Xiaoqin said, wiping the cheese off his clothes with her finger and stuffing it into her own mouth.

She gently patted her son’s head before stepping back a few steps to approach Yi Donglai, who was recording notes in a notebook. "Um, doctor, my son suddenly has such an appetite now and hasn't been talking nonsense anymore. Is his illness almost cured?"

Yi Donglai looked at Li Huowang, who was devouring his meal like a wild beast, his brows furrowed slightly as he shook his head. "Sister Sun, please step outside first. I still need to observe."

"Hey hey hey! I'm leaving then. Please take good care of him. If you can cure my son's illness, even if I have to kneel and bring you a banner, I’ll do it!"

After hearing the door close, Yi Donglai walked slowly toward Li Huowang’s bed, pulled over a chair, and sat down as though having a casual conversation. “What happened to you? What kind of shock did you receive there?”

Li Huowang ignored him. After finishing his fast food tray, he picked up the handheld gaming console beside him that had been paused mid-game, his fingers flying across the buttons. His expression was completely focused, as if his entire being was immersed in the game world.

"Zhu Ge Yuan is dead?"

"Bang!" The handheld console emitting its background music crashed against the wall, shattering into pieces instantly.

At this moment, Li Huowang’s body had completely collapsed onto Yi Donglai’s lap, his hands gripping tightly at the doctor’s sleeve, screaming hysterically, "Are you trying to die?! I can bite through your neck vein with just my teeth!!"

Yi Donglai raised his right hand behind him, stopping two guards rushing in from the doorway. "Li Huowang, you're a good boy. You wouldn’t do something like this."

"Bastard!" Li Huowang slammed his head into Yi Donglai’s face, knocking his head backward.

With blood trickling from his nose, Yi Donglai, unyielding, reached into his white coat pocket and wiped his face with a tissue.

The rage-filled voice of Li Huowang echoed throughout the ward. "Do you know what? I’ve had enough. I really can’t take it anymore! Why me? Why am I the only one suffering so much!"

"I’m human too! I’m not made of steel! There hasn’t been a single good thing happening to me there! Again and again, again and again, I’m exhausted! I’ve had enough!"

Li Huowang staggered, leaning against the wall and walking toward the window. "I won’t return to that chaotic and hopeless world ever again! It was all fake! That madness was all a hallucination caused by my illness! Let me die!"

"Yi Donglai! Give me a certificate! My illness is cured! I want to go back to school! I want to find Yang Na!!"

But Yi Donglai pushed his glasses up his nose and shook his head gently. "No, Li Huowang, running away isn’t going to solve anything. You must go back. The dragon vein of Daliang hasn’t been reconnected yet. It concerns the lives of countless people in Great Qi."

Li Huowang slowly turned around, staring intently at his attending physician. "Are you insane?!"

Yi Donglai moved beside him and looked out the window at other patients enjoying fresh air. "Huowang, do you know? Some psychological disorders are also closely related to the inability to face things head-on. No matter what you’re escaping from, escape is useless. You must be brave enough to confront it."

"Heh... Confront it? Easy to say!"

Li Huowang’s eyes reddened, his right hand clutching his chest tightly, his voice trembling as he said, "You have no idea what I've gone through. Put yourself in my shoes and see if you can say that so easily!"

"What about Bai Lingmiao? Her fate is uncertain now. Do you not care? And Li Sui? You said she was your daughter. Look at how your mother treated you, then look at how you treat Li Sui."

Hearing these words, Li Huowang’s features twisted gradually. He gripped the railing tightly and slammed his head against it with all his strength.

"Li Huowang! Calm down! Just calm down!" Yi Donglai, along with the guards, struggled to put the bleeding Li Huowang back into restraints and tie him back into bed, injecting him with a sedative.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Yi Donglai continued speaking to Li Huowang, "Don’t lose heart. Life is mostly full of disappointments, but we must find ways to get through them."

"If you encounter any difficulties there again, don’t know what to do, I can help you. If I don’t know, I can search online for you."

Dazed from the headache, Li Huowang looked blankly at Yi Donglai, speaking slowly and clearly, "Is this the solution you promised earlier? To consider things from my perspective? Do you really think it helps?"

Yi Donglai didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up another syringe and injected a certain drug into Li Huowang’s vein. "Your mental stress is too great. You haven’t slept for two days. Rest well now."

As the cold liquid entered his bloodstream, Li Huowang felt his vision darken and gradually lost consciousness.

When Li Huowang woke up again, he found himself lying on his back in a well, his mouth bitter, unsure of what he had eaten.

In modern society, wells were impossible. Li Huowang knew he had returned—but instead of standing up immediately, he stared blankly at the round white ceiling above.

He was back again. Everything he didn’t want to face had come back.

Looking around at the other illusions—Peng Longteng, the monk, Hong Zhong sitting in meditation, Qiu Baochi, Jinshan Zhao—he saw them all present, except for Zhu Ge Yuan.

"You're Er Jiu, right? Odd name indeed. Your five elements—fire and metal remain, but why have the other three vanished?"

"Farewell, Er Jiu. I am Zhu Ge Yuan. Should you run into troubles you cannot resolve, remember to come to Xihai’s Apricot Island to find me. Though limited in ability, I will try my best to assist you."

"True friendship lies in understanding each other’s hearts! Why must life always ask 'why'? I simply did what I wanted to do! The Fates shall be revealed!"

"Because I must save Great Qi!"

After a long silence, Li Huowang shook his head forcefully, wiping away tears, then reached for the rope and painfully climbed out of the well.

He wanted to curse Zhu Ge Yuan, even beat him senseless, vent all his frustration onto him.

But now, he couldn’t. Because he was dead. Dead meant dead.

———

Next chapter update: 00:02

(End of Chapter)