Chapter 74: Night Investigation at the Hospital Ward
The moment the young man spoke these words, he could clearly feel the shift in the space around him. Then, a beam of golden sunlight pierced through, and all the storm in the dream instantly vanished.
Mu Lichuan didn't get an answer from the dream eater. Perhaps it had been provoked, or perhaps his own power had hurt it. Whatever the reason, waking from the dream was a very good thing.
So when he opened his eyes, he was met with an enlarged, handsome face right in front of him.
"You—" Mu Lichuan tried to sit up but immediately bumped into the young man’s face, causing his head to fall back. He was relieved he hadn’t accidentally kissed him, that would have been awkward.
Mi Shen straightened up calmly. "You’ve been asleep for three days." His tone carried a faint trace of concern.
"You should be glad I didn’t die in my sleep," Mu Lichuan said as he sat up, stretching his stiff limbs, likely from lying down for too long.
Hearing this, Mi Shen frowned, his voice tinged with surprise. "What happened?"
Only elderly people nearing the end of their lives pass away quietly in their sleep. The boy before him was clearly not old, and he was a cultivator.
"I was trapped by the dream eater," Mu Lichuan replied, not wanting to elaborate. Maybe his mind had been foggy earlier, making him confide in the young man.
Sure enough, Mi Shen’s brows knitted so tightly they could crush a fly. "Then—" He didn’t finish the question, but the implication was clear.
"It’s fine now. Thanks for your concern." Mu Lichuan still wanted to keep his distance. Ever since leaving the hospital, he’d been targeted. With the enemy hidden and himself exposed, he was at a disadvantage.
He didn’t understand feng shui well enough to decipher certain signs, but he could tell the hospital ward was thick with yin energy. Glancing at Mi Shen, he knew their entanglement ran deep, and his rejection wouldn’t make the man back off. "Do you believe in ghosts and spirits?"
What he really wanted to ask was: Do you believe someone is using dark arts against you? After all, he’d noticed the weakening of the man’s national fortune aura, a sign that someone was plotting against him.
"I believe you," Mi Shen replied flatly. Clearly, he remained skeptical of the supernatural, but he trusted Mu Lichuan completely.
"In that case, investigate who’s staying in the inpatient ward of Ren’ai Hospital." His phone was charged, but He Chen hadn’t sent any updates, meaning things were more complicated than expected.
"Ren’ai Hospital is my second uncle’s private hospital," Mi Shen answered directly.
"Your second uncle? The one who gave you that painting?" Mu Lichuan’s face showed surprise. So, this second young master of the Mi family had likely hired dark arts practitioners to drain Mi Shen and his father’s fortunes.
"Mn." Mi Shen’s reply was cold. His second uncle was cautious, showing no usual signs of wrongdoing. "He’s the director of Ren’ai Hospital, known for his charity work. Patients speak highly of him."
Mu Lichuan laughed, though no mirth reached his eyes. He looked up at Mi Shen. "Feel like going on an adventure with me?" Since this involved him now, he couldn’t just stand by.
"Naturally," Mi Shen agreed. "But only after you’ve recovered."
After freshening up, Mu Lichuan went downstairs with Mi Shen for a meal before heading back to the capital.
The capital was vast, and Leshan lay on its outskirts, a two-hour drive to the city center. Leshan’s tourism thrived, especially around the famous Immortal’s Bridge, where morning mist created an ethereal scene that captivated visitors.
When Mu Lichuan returned to the villa, he found his great-grandfather anxiously waiting. "He—" Mu Xiaoran’s expression darkened at the sight of the man behind his great-grandson.
"Wait outside. I’ll be out in a few minutes," Mu Lichuan said. Some things were better resolved sooner rather than later.
Without protest, Mi Shen got into the car. It was past noon now, if they were to investigate the hospital ward, nighttime would be best.
"Lichuan, you and he—" Mu Xiaoran knew Mi Shen was no ordinary man. He worried his great-grandson would suffer, given their lack of power and influence.
"Grandfather, I know what I’m doing. Since I owe him a debt, I have to repay it. Otherwise, it’ll haunt me during my tribulations." Mu Lichuan’s eyes were firm. "As long as you’re safe, I’ll be fine."
A cultivator couldn’t hide forever, and stagnation led to regression. Only through trials could one grow stronger.
Mu Xiaoran understood. "Be careful." That was all he could say.
As a fellow cultivator, he knew danger and opportunity went hand in hand. Besides, his great-grandson was young, the more he experienced, the greater his future growth.
"Thank you, Grandfather." Mu Lichuan smiled brightly before gathering his tools and leaving.
He stored everything in his spatial ring but kept up appearances, even around his grandfather. Some secrets were best kept, especially from someone like Mi Shen.
The special forces assigned to protect Mi Shen had been dismissed. In Mu Lichuan’s view, they’d only be a liability. As for the man himself, his dragon aura and a spiritually dense jade pendant would suffice for protection.
Night fell. Apart from scattered lights, most of the hospital was dark - especially the inpatient ward, where only faint white lights illuminated the corridors.
"This—" Mu Lichuan noticed the yin energy here was far denser than during the day, sending chills down his spine.
Mi Shen narrowed his eyes. While the ward housed mostly living patients, prolonged exposure to yin energy could accelerate bodily decline, increasing mortality rates.
"Shh—" Sensing the killing intent radiating from the man beside him, Mu Lichuan handed him a talisman. "This is a protection charm. If you see anything strange, throw it."
"Your yang energy is too strong, it’ll repel spirits. This talisman masks your aura," Mu Lichuan explained quietly.
[阳氣 (yáng qì): lit. yang energy; fig. the bright, active, and life-sustaining spiritual force opposing yin energy.]
Mi Shen’s eyes gleamed in the dark. Together, they infiltrated the ward.
The place was eerily silent. Even the patrolling guards were dozing off, and the surveillance cameras showed nothing but static.
"Heh—" Mu Lichuan had planned to disable the cameras, but they were already useless.
"Let’s check the top floor first, then work our way down. Think you can handle the stairs, Young Master?" He eyed the flickering elevator lights - proof that the ward housed more than just patients.
Though skeptical of the supernatural, Mi Shen couldn’t deny the unease creeping in. Still, his will was steel. "I can. I underwent special forces training."
Mu Lichuan blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected the seemingly frail young man to have such a background.
"Discharged due to heart issues," Mi Shen added coolly.
Had it not been for his condition, he would’ve remained an elite soldier.
Mu Lichuan nodded in understanding before they began ascending.
"Giggle… giggle… More live ones?" A disembodied head suddenly rolled out from a stairwell, dripping crimson blood.
Mu Lichuan startled before punching the head away.
Mi Shen’s face darkened at the sight of the bloodstained floor, his worldview crumbling at the grotesque, supernatural display. When another head appeared, he kicked it down the hallway without hesitation.
"We’re not balls! How dare you treat us like this?" The two heads wobbled to a stop before propping themselves up indignantly.
"Brother, let’s kill them!" One snarled, its tangled hair swaying.
"Yes! Let’s add their heads to our collection!" the other cackled.
Despite their ghostly nature, the heads were solid - their wrinkled faces and bloodied eye sockets revolting.
"Dark arts? Who’s controlling you?" Mu Lichuan’s mood darkened further. The blood-soaked hallway would terrify anyone weaker-willed.
"Controlling us? We’re not things, we’re heads!" they giggled. "Once we absorb enough yang energy, we’ll grow bodies!"
"Enough talk." Mu Lichuan had no patience for them. The ward was clearly a breeding ground for dark entities, and whether the owner knew or turned a blind eye, it didn’t matter.
Boom!
Flames erupted in the stairwell as the heads shrieked in agony…
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