Chapter 233: Chapter 133: Awakening
Behind me, a few ghost messengers followed. Since ordinary people couldn't see them, I instructed them to guard the door of Shi Yu's hospital room after the nurse left, not allowing anyone to enter.
As most people know, ghost walling is when ghosts interfere with your energy field, causing you to walk in circles without being able to leave. My six ghost messengers used this method to guard the door for me.
Looking at the slowly pulsing heart rate on the monitor, I finally relaxed, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her face. If I lost control of my emotions, the excruciating pain of skin being peeled away could drive anyone mad.
After the ghost messengers found the red candles, I began to set up the room. Since Shi Yu's soul had undergone many trials, I was worried about her suffering another injury, so I used seventy-two red candles to set up a "Soul-Calming Formation". During the Three Kingdoms period, Kongming used seventy-two lamps to borrow life from the afterlife, but while oil lamps ask for longevity, red candles calm souls. Lighting these red candles would stabilize a fragile soul.
I placed the jade bottle containing Shi Yu's soul and her jade pendant at the center of the formation. Then, I performed hand seals and chanted:"Sky, clear. Earth, spiritual. Jiang Shi Yu's soul, return swiftly to its place!"With a stomp of my right foot, I bit my middle finger, drawing a "soul-summoning" symbol and shouted:"Return now, or never again!"A crisp cracking sound echoed, and both the jade pendant and bottle cracked open. Colorful light poured out from the jade objects, and the room's temperature immediately dropped. As the candle flames flickered, the cold was gradually dispelled, replaced with warmth that nourished Shi Yu's soul. I watched as the light hovered above her body, circling a few times before entering through her crown.
Suddenly, the heart monitor began to beep frantically. Despite the constraints of my Daoist robe, I restrained my emotions, keeping the pain of skin being peeled away at bay. Fortunately, after about a minute, her heartbeat returned to normal. If it hadn't, I don't know if I could have held on any longer.
Her heart rate dropped from 150 to 80, and I smiled with relief. The sun slowly rose, casting golden rays through the window. The sunlight illuminated my hand, which held a rolling pin. As I watched it slowly dissolve into golden sparks, it vanished before my eyes.
Looking at the rising sun, I knew my time was up. I turned to the ghost messengers and said, "Return to the Forbidden Palace. Remember, never harm anyone, and never step out of Qingning Palace. If you do, your souls will scatter."
"Obey, Immortal Lord's orders." All the ghost messengers kneeled before me, then slowly faded away.
The ghost wall was gone, and I gently pushed the door open, careful not to wake her. I closed it softly behind me, unwilling to look back or think about it, afraid that any momentary emotional tug would bring back the unbearable pain.
As I walked toward the ICU, my hand reached for the doorknob when the world began to spin. My legs gave way, and I collapsed to the floor, losing consciousness.
Everything spun around, and I found myself once again in the same dream-like void, alone in an empty world. I looked up and shouted, "I thank the Master for saving my life!"
A deep voice came from above, "You have finished your worldly matters. In the future, remember to do good deeds. You are the one destined to face the tribulation of three thousand years, and when the time comes, you will find the legendary Dragon Gate and ascend to the Dao."
"I don't care about this tribulation. I just want to know when I can take off this Daoist robe. I want to find her!" I shouted. The moment the words left my mouth, the excruciating pain of skin being peeled away struck me again.
"Master... Master, please show mercy!" I knelt, gritting my teeth, enduring the sharp pain.
"To shed the mortal body, the Daoist robe will be removed," the voice replied.
"I understand, Master." I bowed deeply, realizing from the Master's words that my fate was tied to the tribulation of three thousand years. I must cast off all earthly attachments. In the ancient legends, there were others like me—perhaps Sun Wukong, and Jiang Long Luohan, who was reincarnated as Ji Gong, helping others while bearing his own vast karmic debt.
According to the "Investiture of the Gods," a tribulation occurs every 1,500 years, while a killing tribulation happens every 3,000 years. Wu Wang's rebellion against King Zhou was one such tribulation. But while he was a king, I am just a suffering Yin-Yang master.
The world shifted from pure white to pitch black, and I lost consciousness again. I didn't know how long it had been, but I vaguely heard someone calling my name.
I slowly opened my eyes. The person before me was someone I knew all too well. As soon as she saw me awake, she leaned over excitedly, crying, "Da Bao, Da Bao, you're finally awake!"
"You... who are you?" I looked at the beautiful girl before me, a strange feeling surging in my heart.
"I'm Shi Yu!" she cried.
Shi Yu? The name felt so familiar, but I couldn't immediately place where I had heard it before. Then I remembered the Daoist robe, sacrificing myself, letting go of earthly attachments... Everything that had happened was real.
"Maybe Da Bao's injury was more serious, and it affected his memory. He'll be fine after a while," said Zhou Han, waving his hand in front of my eyes. "Zhang Da Bao, do you know who I am?"
"Zhou Han," I said, rubbing my forehead. My head hurt terribly.
"Not bad, you're not completely stupid. This is my girlfriend. We're getting married next week. I've been visiting you often while you've been unconscious. You've been out for nearly half a month!"
"Half a month?!" I was shocked.
Shi Yu interrupted, "Da Bao, don't you remember me? I'm Shi Yu!"
In the confusion, I recovered some memories. I knew perfectly well who she was, but the feeling I once had for her was gone. Every time I looked into her big eyes, my chest ached, and the invisible chains tightened around my heart, suffocating me.
So, I thought pretending not to recognize her was the best course of action.
"I'm sorry, may I ask who you are...?" I pretended to be confused.
Shi Yu immediately broke down, crying uncontrollably. Zhou Han's girlfriend comforted her, saying, "Don't cry. Da Bao probably has amnesia. He'll get better in a bit."
"My parents are dead... He doesn't remember me... What should I do..." Shi Yu cried. "I have no family left except for him."
Her swollen, red eyes made my heart ache. The suffocating pressure in my chest almost made me suffocate. As soon as I saw her tears, a rush of emotions surged within me, followed by the excruciating pain of being skinned alive.
Zhou Han and his girlfriend panicked and rushed to call the doctor. After receiving a sedative, I was finally calmed down.
The middle-aged doctor wearing a mask said, "The patient just woke up. He can't be too strongly stimulated."
But just then, a nurse examining me cried out, "Oh my god!" She ran to the doctor, pointing at my wounds. "Director, it's all healed! There aren't even any scars! How is this possible?"
Within minutes, I caused a stir in the hospital. Zhou Han and Shi Yu were asked to leave. I didn't dare look at her because the pain from the Daoist robe was indescribable. While I wasn't sure how the pain of the tightening of the Buddha's curse felt, I was certain that the pain from my Daoist robe was just as unbearable.
Various specialists conducted blood tests and consulted on my condition, and the final diagnosis was: 'Spontaneous cell regeneration and accelerated muscle fiber growth.'
To put it simply, they had no idea what was happening.
After three days of isolation, I felt better and was able to walk again. I was even questioned by the police a few times about what happened at the park and the murder scene, especially about the supernatural talismans and why the dead were revived.
Of course, I couldn't tell them I met Yuanshi Tianzun and prayed to an old tree to summon and send back souls. So, I simply told the officials, "My head was severely injured, and I've lost my memory."
They pressed further, but I pretended to faint again. The doctors, wanting to show off their medical expertise, helped me avoid further questioning by explaining to the police, "The patient's condition is very unstable. He shouldn't be asked too many questions that might harm his brain."
In this way, I avoided much trouble. But life must go on, and the two years I lost will need to be regained. And of course... the 'locked thing' in my heart.
On the fifth day, I secretly left the hospital, withdrew some money for travel, and planned to leave Shenyang.
Before I left, I wanted to see Shi Yu one last time, from afar. Because even though my emotions were