Chapter 982: I Can Still Save It (Part 1)

## Chapter 1: Dead or Not?

Late at night, the room was still brightly lit.

"Hoh... huh..."

Ning Feng stretched and yawned, the tears welling up with the yawn briefly relieving the dryness and fatigue in his eyes.

‘Finally done!’

Looking at the project proposal on the computer screen, Ning Feng twisted his neck and shoulders, easing the physical fatigue from sitting in one position for so long.

He stood on his tiptoes, pushed his computer chair back slightly, and as he rose from his seat, something slipped out of his jeans pocket.

"Plink..."

The sound made Ning Feng look down, where he saw a small white object shaped like a flat, miniature steamed bun.

‘What’s this? This thing’s still here!’

Ning Feng bent down and picked up the object from the floor. It was a white Go piece, smooth, flat, and translucent, much more beautiful than ordinary Go pieces.

He remembered two years ago, right after graduation, when he went hiking with a few friends. They were preparing to build a campfire near some dead trees in the mountain forest.

While clearing leaves and branches, they found a broken Go board underneath, along with some Go pieces scattered in the dirt.

Most of the pieces were dirty, dull, or even broken, but Ning Feng noticed this particularly beautiful one. Thinking it was pretty, he picked it up and played with it for a bit, then casually put it in his pocket. He figured he must have been wearing these same pants back then.

It was just a small interlude in his life, long forgotten amidst the increasingly heavy work and life pressures since he entered society. He hadn't expected to see the piece again today.

"Sigh... those were good times... even though I've only been working for three years..."

Ning Feng looked at the white Go piece in his hand and gave a self-deprecating smile. Then he quickly rubbed his eyes, as he suddenly noticed there seemed to be words on the piece.

"Wandering Dream?"

Ning Feng's whisper was tinged with doubt.

"Sizzle... sizzle sizzle..."

Amidst a faint electrical buzzing, the light in the room flickered on and off before stabilizing.

Ning Feng instinctively looked up at the ceiling light; it appeared completely normal.

‘What’s going on? Voltage instability?’

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle... sizzle..."

The light flickered frequently again before stabilizing, but while Ning Feng was still wondering about the voltage, the light grew brighter and brighter, quickly becoming as brilliant as a small sun.

Sparks began to fly from the laptop next to him, accompanied by crackling sounds.

"Holy crap!!! The proposal!!!"

As Ning Feng, his eyes squinted against the bright light, was about to unplug the laptop...

"Bang!" "Bang!"

The ceiling light and the computer in front of him both exploded. Ning Feng felt as if he had crashed into a wall, and then everything went black as he lost consciousness.

...

After an unknown period of dazed unconsciousness, Ning Feng's awareness slowly returned.

His body felt weak, his head was muddled, his eyes stung so much he couldn't open them, and his left wrist was agonizingly painful, as if it had been cut by a knife. Apart from that, the rest of his body felt strangely numb.

Ning Feng tried to clear his head, but a "splashing" sound erupted as he moved.

‘Water?’

With that questioning thought, his bodily sensations gradually began to return.

Ning Feng realized he was actually submerged in water, his entire body semi-reclined.

"Splashing"

As a large amount of liquid slid off him, Ning Feng suddenly opened his eyes and sat upright. The movement caused the water to slosh, making him briefly lose balance and almost tip back into the water. His right hand instinctively braced itself against an edge, while his left hand felt powerless.

Though his eyes were open, they were completely unaccustomed to the light. It felt as if he had slept for a very long time in pitch darkness and was then suddenly woken by a flashlight, his eyes squinting and tearing from the intense light.

After about ten seconds, Ning Feng adjusted, and his body sensations became more normal. Temperature, smell, and sight slowly began to return to his conscious awareness.

The water was warm, and he was sitting in a full bathtub?

What had felt like intensely bright light was actually just a sliver of light coming through the drawn curtains of a window.

He reached out with his right hand to wipe his face, but instead, Ning Feng smelled a strong, coppery scent of blood.

"Gah—"

Looking down again, Ning Feng couldn't help but cry out in alarm.

No matter how weak his body felt or what pain he was in, he mustered all his strength and frantically stood up and climbed out of the bathtub.

"Splashing..." The water splashed red, and crimson drops constantly dripped from his soaked clothes.

Ning Feng's mind went blank for a moment, followed by a deep sense of fear.

What was happening? Why was there so much blood? How did I end up in this blood-filled bathtub?

"Hiss... ah... how... holy crap!"

When the pain in his left hand once again drew Ning Feng's attention to himself, it successfully terrified him.

Ning Feng, seeing his left hand, was at a loss for words to describe his current feelings, then instinctively glanced into the bathtub.

The source of the pain in his left hand was a terrible cut mark. Combining that with the memory of lying in the bathtub just now... after all this, was all this blood his own?

Naturally, a person couldn't bleed out an entire bathtub of blood. If anyone else walked in and saw this scene, it would be an undeniably obvious suicide attempt by wrist-slitting, and he, Ning Feng, would be the one attempting it.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Ning Feng dared not just stand there in a daze. No matter who had done this to him, the most important thing now was to bandage his left wrist and get to the emergency room!

‘First-aid kit! First-aid kit! Right! This is the bathroom, it should be in the cabinet!’

Ning Feng frantically searched for his home first-aid kit, but then abruptly realized he didn't know this bathroom at all.

Then, when he first saw his reflection in the bathroom mirror above the sink, Ning Feng froze as if under a spell.

In the mirror was a pale, gloomy young man with messy, dry hair, half-damp and covering his eyebrows. His eyes were sunken, cheekbones prominent, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was extremely thin, his face contorted in an expression of panic, as drops of bloody water continuously dripped from his body...

‘This isn't me at all!’

Just moments ago, he had been at home rushing to finish his proposal, and now he was looking in the mirror at someone who looked like a ghost. Ning Feng's mind was in chaos; this feeling was more terrifying than any nightmare.

He raised his left hand, his right hand releasing his left wrist, to get a clearer view of the cut.

The cut was deep, severing an artery. No more blood was gushing from the wound. Had he bled out already?

He looked at the bathtub beside him; the warm water inside now looked almost like blood.

‘Then why haven't I collapsed yet? And where is this place?’

Ning Feng suddenly walked to the bathroom window and pulled the curtains open, revealing a residential area filled with old-style buildings, none of which he recognized.

...

"Creak..."

The bathroom door, which had been ajar, was opened from the inside, and a stumbling Ning Feng carefully emerged.

Outside was a large, bright room. The wall leading to the balcony had big floor-to-ceiling windows, providing excellent natural light.

The room's furnishings were simple: a bed with bedding bundled up, a half-open wardrobe, a desk, and two chairs were all the furniture there was.

On the wall above the bed and on the wall next to the desk, several white papers with brush calligraphy were posted, each bearing the large characters "Stay Awake" in various styles.

This was clearly not Ning Feng's home!

## Chapter 2: I Can Still Be Saved!

A laptop and some scattered items lay on the desk. Eager to understand the situation, Ning Feng walked over to it.

Due to his body's weakness, his legs gave out, and he sank onto a chair.

On the desk were some books and miscellaneous items: a laptop, a wallet, an old-fashioned phone that was clearly not a smartphone, and surprisingly, a set of traditional Chinese writing implements in the corner.

What most caught Ning Feng's eye was the wallet on the desk.

Like an impatient thief, Ning Feng, using his currently not-so-dexterous left and right hands, pulled open the wallet and took out all the identification inside.

The most prominent item in the inner compartment was an ID card. The photo showed a somewhat handsome young man who looked quite different from his current appearance, yet Ning Feng recognized him instantly as the person in the mirror – himself, now!

This was clearly an ID card. Although its style was very different from his previous one, its size and format confirmed its identity.

The text on it was in a language Ning Feng understood, but the content left him bewildered.

The ID card detailed basic information about its owner, such as name, gender, and place of origin, but it was all unfamiliar to Ning Feng.

"Ning Feng... Tangchang Huaxia Divine Continent, Central Prefecture..."

Ning Feng muttered to himself, lost in thought.

The original owner of the ID card was also a man named Ning Feng, born in 1996. His place of origin was listed as Qingfeng Village, No. 56, Qiantang Town, Jianyang County, Zhongning Prefecture, Jizhou. The most prominent large characters at the top of the document read "Tangchang Huaxia Divine Continent, Central Prefecture," though he wasn't sure if that indicated a national entity.

Other cards included things like social security, medical, social credit, and bank cards. They seemed similar to what he was familiar with, but were actually different; at least some of the institutional names were distinct.

By now, although it was hard to believe, Ning Feng's absurd hypothesis was growing ever closer to the truth.

If identity documents could be faked, what about the body? And despite having cut his wrist, he wasn't exactly bouncing around, but he could at least move freely.

Was it a spirit possessing a corpse, a transmigration, a joke by gods or demons, or something else entirely?

Ning Feng was well aware he wasn't dreaming; the pain constantly reminded him of that fact.

Then Ning Feng focused on the computer. If there was internet, he should be able to find out more!

He didn't recognize the brand of the computer. While the keyboard had familiar Arabic numerals, it lacked English letters; each key had strokes drawn on it.

Fortunately, other things like the power button and USB mouse were the same.

Ning Feng knew how to type with Wubi input method and was incredibly grateful he had learned it. After turning on the computer and trying it, he found he could indeed type normally using Wubi. Some minor differences didn't affect overall use, as the input method would smartly recognize and assist him.

Although the internet speed was slow, the computer was connected to the network, likely using a wireless network similar to Wi-Fi, as Ning Feng saw no network cable.

Though Ning Feng's hands were weak, he continued typing "pat pat pat" on the keyboard with mental excitement, occasionally clicking the mouse to select information.

The more he searched, the more astonished he became, until he gradually felt numb.

This was a modernized world with many things that seemed familiar to Ning Feng yet were different.

Life, consumption, work schedules, various entertainment methods, and people's habits here were largely similar to those in China on Earth. There were movies, animations, traditional literature, fantasy works, selfie videos, and funny clips...

But this was no longer Earth. There were no familiar global powers like the UK, US, Germany, or France. Huaxia Divine Continent held the leading position, while others were considered minor border states or foreign countries in the eyes of the Huaxia people. Over eighty percent of the world's population likely had yellow skin and black hair, and culturally, Huaxia reigned supreme.

Ning Feng had to accept the undeniable truth: regardless of how it happened, he had genuinely transmigrated, into the body of a suicide victim.

Perhaps it was related to that beautiful Go piece, or simply a matter of luck. Maybe he had been electrocuted to death by high voltage, leading to the transmigration, or perhaps it was truly the whim of some magical entity...

Thinking of this, Ning Feng instinctively looked at his left wrist, suddenly noticing that besides the fresh cut, there were several already healed cuts beside it. Clearly, the original owner of this body had attempted suicide more than once.

"Heh... this time, you finally succeeded..."

Ning Feng curled his lips in a somewhat sarcastic smile.

‘But... what am I now? A human or a ghost?’

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than his heart suddenly gave a "thump~" in his chest. About two seconds later, another "thump~," and then he distinctly felt his heart begin to beat strongly.

Had his heart been stopped just now?

"Hiss..."

The pain in his left hand seemed to magnify, making Ning Feng gasp. Then he noticed blood steadily seeping from his wrist.

Holy crap! Hasn't all the blood drained yet?

Ning Feng suddenly felt dizzy, and a sensation of shortness of breath and oxygen deprivation was also intensifying.

Furthermore, even though he was covering the wound on his left wrist tightly with his right hand, fresh blood continued to seep out. This sensation terrified Ning Feng; he felt that if he didn't do something, he would die again.

‘If I die this time, I probably won't come back to life!’

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Ning Feng began ransacking the house, from the room to the bathroom and then to the living room. He needed to find some emergency medical supplies before seeking medical attention, or at least a piece of rope.

Bottles and jars clattered and crashed as they were knocked over, but he only found many items that, by their packaging, appeared to be stimulants, along with numerous coffees and even more functional beverages aimed at boosting spirits.

"Are you a damn pervert?! Can't you give me something to stay alive with!"

Suddenly remembering something, Ning Feng stumbled agitatedly to the wardrobe, pulling down clothes one by one and frantically rummaging through them. In his panic, he finally found a necktie. Then, using his right hand and teeth, he used all his strength to tie it tightly around his left arm.

By this point, due to intense anxiety and a feeling of suffocation, Ning Feng's breathing had become extremely rapid.

Regardless, this life was now his own. Ning Feng felt he could still be saved, provided he could get to a hospital in time!

He stumbled back to the desk. After searching online for emergency numbers, he held his left arm high and grabbed the phone from the desk with his right hand.

Ignoring his surprise that the number was also 120, Ning Feng dialed it directly.

The phone connected after two rings, and a clear-voiced woman spoke rapidly.

"Hello, this is the 120 Emergency Services Center. Is this an emergency?"

Ning Feng wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm, his voice hurried but weak.

"I... I've lost too much blood... I might be going into shock. Please, come save me!"

"Sir, please remain calm and continue to take deep breaths. Please tell me what caused the blood loss, the location and general condition of the wound, and if you know your blood type?"

The operator's questions momentarily stunned Ning Feng. Even at this critical juncture, he felt a flicker of embarrassment.

"I... cut my wrist... I don't know my blood type."

"..."

Ning Feng felt there was about a 1.5-second silence on the other end before the operator asked again.

"Sir, please tell us your exact address. We will dispatch an ambulance immediately. Before it arrives, please use a strong rope or scarf to tie your left arm tightly to prevent rapid blood loss!"

"Okay, I'm at... uh..."

Ning Feng froze again. The ID card did have a detailed address, but that was his place of origin. He remembered looking out the window just now; it was an old residential complex, which looked nothing like "No. 56, Some Village."

This meant the original owner of the body wasn't in his hometown, which further meant Ning Feng now had no idea where he was!

"Sir! Sir! Please keep taking deep breaths, try not to fall asleep! Keep breathing, move to an area with good air circulation. Is there anyone else with you who can help, sir!!! Please tell me your address!"

The emergency center operator on the other end was getting frantic, likely believing Ning Feng, the caller, was about to lose consciousness.

Ning Feng indeed took deep breaths. He realized this was a residential complex, so there should be other residents.

"Um... thank you, but I'll find my own way to the hospital..."

"Ah!? Sir, you... *beep*~~~"

Ning Feng had already hung up. He pocketed the wallet and the stack of cards, grabbed his phone, and, dizzy, left the room, opened the main door, and stepped into the hallway.

From the apartment across the hall, he could faintly hear the sound of a television, but he didn't see a doorbell.

Ning Feng swallowed, shaking off some dark, joke-like associations in his mind, and directly knocked on the door with his bloody right hand.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

"Help me~~~~~~~~~!"

## Chapter 3: The Time Has Come

Ning Feng was saved!

Although his ghost-like appearance terrified the neighbor's child into bawling and their pet dog into frantic snarling and barking, and even truly startled the adults next door, they ultimately still saved him.

The couple helped the half-dead Ning Feng downstairs. With the assistance of the community security guard, they helped him into their private car and then sped him to the hospital.

In a daze, Ning Feng heard the couple shouting loudly in the hospital, heard the calls of medical staff and many hurried footsteps, and then intermittently heard the medical staff working to save him.

"Quick, quick! Emergency room! Patient has a severe left wrist artery laceration and significant blood loss!"

"Make way, make way, let us through!"

"Immediately cross-match blood type, prepare for transfusion!"

"Suture the wound!"

"Patient's pupils are dilated in both eyes, bad!! Pulse stopped!"

"Prepare to defibrillate!"

...

When Ning Feng woke up again, it was already evening. The lingering glow of the setting sun illuminated the hospital room's windowsill with a golden hue.

Just like his previous awakening, Ning Feng found it very difficult to open his eyes.

"You're awake? Nurse! Miss Nurse! He's awake!"

A man's voice came from beside the bed, followed by nurses and doctors quickly rushing in from outside to begin examining Ning Feng.

The doctor was an old man with white hair. After completing his examination, he smiled at Ning Feng, who lay anxiously on the bed.

"Besides the wound hurting, do you have any other discomfort?"

Ning Feng felt himself over.

"I feel weak, and I'm very tired..."

"Mm-hmm, relax. All of this is normal. The wound has been stitched, and you've received a blood transfusion. You'll need to stay in the hospital for a few days for observation, and you'll recover quickly. If possible, it would be best to have your family come over."

"Okay, alright, doctor..."

"Right, aside from blood loss, your main issues are malnutrition and lack of rest. There's nothing seriously wrong. Get some rest. If you need anything, just press the call button for the nurse!"

"Thank you, doctor, thank you, thank you!"

After checking Ning Feng's body, the doctor advised him to rest well and then turned and left.

Only then did Ning Feng finally let out a huge sigh of relief. It seemed he wouldn't die after all!

Only by dying once and then facing death again can one truly understand the preciousness of life, at least that was how it was for Ning Feng.

Then Ning Feng realized there was still someone accompanying him beside the bed, likely the neighbor who had saved him. He turned his head on the pillow to face the middle-aged man.

"Thank you, thank you very much. If you hadn't saved me, I definitely would have died at home!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome... Although we rarely see you go out, we're neighbors after all..."

It was more than just rarely seeing Ning Feng go out; they might not see him once in half a year. It seemed the original Ning Feng rarely interacted with outsiders.

The man was wearing a khaki jacket over a T-shirt. He had a square face, looking to be in his thirties or forties.

"Um... Xiao Ning... the medical expenses were paid for with cash from your wallet. Also, while you were unconscious, I looked through your phone's contact list, and there are no notes for your family members. Why don't you give them a call?"

Ning Feng understood what he meant; the man wanted to go home.

After all, they were not relatives, and they had already gone above and beyond. Ning Feng felt no resentment whatsoever; instead, he was filled with gratitude. If it weren't for them, he would have died long ago.

This was a hospital with on-duty nurses, and he wasn't completely helpless; he didn't actually need someone to stay with him.

Ning Feng quickly replied to the man.

"Okay, okay. I'll call my friends to come over. You should head home first. By the way, what's your name..."

"My name is Lu Rongsheng."

"Alright, thank you, Brother Lu. Thank your whole family for saving me. Without you, I would have been in danger today. I also dirtied your car, and you must be tired. Please go home first. I'll definitely repay your kindness another day!"

The middle-aged man looked a little embarrassed.

"Xiao Ning, you make the call first. I'll leave after your friends arrive!"

"No, no, it's fine! Brother Lu, you should head back first. This is a hospital; there are nurses and doctors. Besides, this isn't a major illness, just... uh..."

Ning Feng immediately felt awkward, unable to utter the words "cut wrist."

The man seemed to realize something too. He wanted to say something but didn't, then his lips twitched, and he spoke.

"Xiao Ning, you're still young. Your ID says you're only 23. No matter how many hardships you face... take my advice, it's not worth taking your own life..."

This topic made Ning Feng very uncomfortable.

"Yes, yes, Brother Lu, you're right. I got scared later, and then I regretted it, which is why I called for your help. By the way, you've been out for so long, your family must be worried. You should go home first, Brother Lu!"

"It's fine, it's the weekend today. I'll wait until your friends arrive before I go!"

"Really, no need, Brother Lu... you just go on home. This is a hospital, nothing will happen!"

The middle-aged man genuinely wanted to go home. In truth, even with the blood wiped away, Ning Feng's appearance was still somewhat unsettling. So, after a few polite exchanges, he finally stood up and left.

Finally, Ning Feng was left alone in the ward. The bed next to him remained unoccupied.

"Sigh..."

At this point, Ning Feng could finally truly relax.

He casually picked up the phone from the bedside table, opened the contacts, and scrolled through. Indeed, there were no family members labeled, only a few numbers with names attached—not many, just five. Ning Feng didn't even know who they were or where they were now, so he naturally wouldn't call them.

Then he found the wallet on the bedside table and began anxiously contemplating a major issue.

‘These medical bills... can I pay for them? By the way, what's the bank card PIN?’

A menu for ordering meals was on the hospital bedside table; it seemed nurses could help bring food during meal times. But Ning Feng felt no hunger at all, only overwhelming tiredness.

Waves of intense fatigue washed over him, and his eyelids drooped. The original owner of this body was either a pervert or definitely a night owl; he hadn't had proper sleep in who knew how long.

Even though he had only recently woken up, Ning Feng still felt incredibly tired.

Carrying his anxiety about the medical bills, Ning Feng finally succumbed to his overwhelming drowsiness and fell into a deep sleep.

...

The wall clock in the ward already pointed to deep night.

Ning Feng felt a very peculiar sensation. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming, but he found his vision drifting around the hospital room.

He knew he had his eyes closed, knew he was sound asleep, and could even hear the faint snores his body emitted from fatigue, yet he could see the dimly lit ward.

Ning Feng wasn't sure if this was due to his soul not being properly seated in the body, causing a slight separation of soul and body. In any case, this state had persisted for a while without any discomfort.

Sometimes, he would experience a trance-like feeling, as if he were dreaming. Whenever this happened, Ning Feng would find his vision becoming strange; it was as if his consciousness had detached, allowing him to see his own body lying sound asleep on the hospital bed with closed eyes. It was an absurd sensation, like looking into a holographic mirror.

During these same trance-like moments, although Ning Feng could still clearly see his surroundings, there seemed to be an indescribable turbidity hidden within, accompanied by irregular swirling, like watching fish through murky water.

Interestingly, after experiencing it multiple times, Ning Feng discovered that the fewer distracting thoughts he had, the less frequently these trance-like moments occurred. The more distracting thoughts he had, the more frequent and intense the invisible murky fluctuations became, leading him to wonder if this was somehow his "thoughts."

During this time, a nurse came to check the ward once, and otherwise, there was only the silence of the hospital ward at night.

The ticking of the wall clock became especially prominent. Ning Feng watched everything in the ward and surprisingly didn't feel bored at all.

"Ding-a-ling..."

"Ding-a-ling..."

"Ding-a-ling..."

At some unknown point, he began to hear a faint bell sound intermittently.

Ning Feng found it strange. Would someone be ringing a bell in a hospital at night?

"Ding-a-ling..."

"Ding-a-ling..."

As the bell sounds gradually approached from a distance, making the temperature seem to slowly drop, Ning Feng felt... something was wrong!

"Ding-a-ling..."

Each ring felt like a strike to his heart. The atmosphere and his emotions subtly shifted, giving Ning Feng the distinct feeling of being in a horror movie...

Ning Feng's body, sleeping soundly under the thin blanket, also curled up in response to his uneasy consciousness.

Finally, as Ning Feng's panic intensified, the bell sound stopped just outside his ward.

Something terrifying was definitely about to happen. Ning Feng desperately wanted to wake up and call a nurse, but he couldn't.

In this peculiar dream-like state, he watched in horror as two figures in ancient official black robes slowly "passed through" the door and entered the room.

A faint, eerie glow emanated a chilling aura as they stopped before Ning Feng's bed.

"Ning Feng! Your time has come!"

## Chapter 4: Something Big Has Happened!

Despite his fear, Ning Feng managed to discern the general details.

Two "people" dressed in black stood side-by-side. They wore tall, square hats and black robes, with swords at their left waists. One held a chain, and the other a brass bell. They somewhat resembled ancient constables from Ning Feng's imagination, yet were also distinct.

As they stepped into the ward, an intense, chilling sensation swept over him.

Were these soul reapers?

Were there really ghosts in this world? Was there truly an underworld?

Even after experiencing transmigration, Ning Feng couldn't remain calm now, especially since these two soul reapers seemed to be here for him!

"Ding-a-ling..."

The soul reaper on the left rang the brass bell, causing Ning Feng to feel a slight dizziness.

"Ning Feng, your time has come. Come with us to report to the Underworld!"

The soul reaper's voice was flat, utterly devoid of warmth.

"Ding-a-ling..."

The reaper rang the bell again, and Ning Feng still only felt a slight dizziness.

"Hmm?"

The other soul reaper looked at his colleague, then back at the emaciated man on the hospital bed, who was emitting faint snores. His grim voice carried a hint of confusion.

"Strange, this person's soul isn't responding to the soul-summoning bell?"

This sound reached Ning Feng's ears, and he suddenly realized that these two soul reapers seemed unaware of his current peculiar "dreaming state."

Initially, seeing the soul reapers, Ning Feng had thought his recent strange state was entirely due to them, but now it seemed there was another reason.

‘The soul-summoning bell can't pull out my soul? That's for the best!’

The soul-summoning bell was repeatedly shaken several times towards Ning Feng's body, but it yielded no reaction.

The two soul reapers exchanged glances. The one on the right unfastened the chain he held.

"Clank-clank..."

Part of the dark chain dragged on the floor, revealing sharp, chilling iron hooks.

"Let me use the soul-snatching rope to pull his soul out directly!"

As he spoke, the soul reaper swung it fiercely, and the dark chain flew out, embedding directly into Ning Feng's body.

"Ah!"

Ning Feng cried out in agony, but it was a cry from his soul. His body on the bed reacted by painfully curling up.

"Still not coming out?"

The soul reaper pulled back with force, immediately intensifying Ning Feng's pain severalfold.

‘I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to go to the Underworld!! I won't go!’

This feeling of fear was even more intense than when he was bleeding out from his self-inflicted wound. Ning Feng desperately tried to resist the pulling. The doctor had clearly said he was past the critical period, that his body was relatively healthy apart from lack of rest and malnutrition!

‘Impossible!! I'm still young!! I can't die now!’

Ning Feng tried to shout at the soul reapers, but the two reapers heard nothing.

"Ning Feng, what methods have you used to dare resist the laws of the Underworld?! Do you wish for your soul to be scattered?"

The soul reaper on the left, enraged, already had one hand on his blade, while the one on the right increased his force, further intensifying Ning Feng's pain.

‘This time I'm really going to die... going to die... I'm still so young!!! How I wish this were a dream... a nightmare would be so much better!’

Amidst intense fear and profound unwillingness, Ning Feng suddenly found himself in a trance-like state, and the sensation of being stirred in murky water reappeared around his body.

‘Is my soul about to be pulled out?’

At this moment, various scenes of hell flashed through Ning Feng's mind, even images of infernal demons like the Black Mountain Demon tearing his soul apart...

Black and white qi permeated Ning Feng's body, even constantly overflowing from strange openings...

He saw them... as the trance intensified, Ning Feng realized he truly saw them—the hell before his eyes, the evil spirits of the underworld!

Ning Feng didn't notice that at this very moment, the two soul reapers' bodies trembled as they looked around in horror.

"Such powerful sinister qi and malice!"

"Something's wrong!"

The two soul reapers cried out in alarm. They found that the hospital room had suddenly changed, becoming dilapidated as if weathered for a thousand years. It was filled with blurry black mist, faintly glowing with green light, and a chilling wind blew that even the soul reapers found bone-piercing.

The reaper on the left roared:

"What demon dares obstruct the Underworld's envoys!"

The reaper on the right immediately shouted:

"Retreat quickly!"

The Underworld envoys had released the soul-snatching rope and, with their colleague, gripped their sword hilts, ready for battle. This demonic entity's presence was immense, its interference so strong that even the soul reapers couldn't discern it clearly.

Furthermore, anyone daring to obstruct the Underworld would not be benevolent; good entities would not come here!

"We are soul reapers under the jurisdiction of the City God of Lihua Prefecture. What evil spirit dares to quickly..."

Before the soul reaper could finish speaking, a hoarse, malicious voice echoed from all directions.

"Come... to the City of the Wrongfully Dead... stay with me..."

"Woo-woo... woo-woo-woo-woo..."

Countless mournful cries filled with malevolence resounded, and countless transparent, struggling soul-shadows emerged.

"City of the Wrongfully Dead? Oh no, quick, hide!"

With cries of alarm, the soul reapers flashed left and right to evade. At the same instant, two bony claws, imbued with black qi, suddenly shot out from the surrounding black mist...

As the two reapers leaped, they simultaneously drew their blades and silently struck at the bony claws.

"Clang..." "Clang..."

Two cracks appeared on the bony claws from the strike, but their momentum did not diminish. Before the Underworld envoys could retract their blades, the claws seized them both as they dodged, then dragged them into the horrifying environment vaguely visible behind the mist.

"Ah!" "Ah!"

The two soul reapers' cries of agony jolted Ning Feng awake. His body twitched on the bed, and his eyes snapped open, all the ghostly visions vanishing instantly.

"Hah... hah... hah... hah..."

Ning Feng gasped for air, his hospital gown and thin blanket soaked. He turned his head to look at the dark ward, the terror still lingering in his eyes.

‘A dream? No! Not a dream!’

"Ugh... cough cough..."

He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, but before it could land on his chest or the bed, it turned into black ash and disintegrated.

After coughing up the blood, Ning Feng felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he collapsed weakly onto the bed.

After a while, he recovered enough to look around.

He saw that the adjacent hospital bed had collapsed, its metal frame somewhat twisted. He noticed cracks had appeared on the walls, and the wall clock had fallen to the floor.

Furthermore, all his previous memories were vividly clear, and he could even recall every word the soul reapers had said. The horrifying events that followed were even stranger.

The phrase "Come... to the City of the Wrongfully Dead... stay with me..." filled Ning Feng with inexplicable horror, as it seemed to be part of the nightmare he had experienced during his trance.

At this moment, several earlier sights flashed through his mind: the suicidal "Ning Feng," the brush-written "Stay Awake" on the walls, the large quantities of stimulants, coffee, and energy drinks at home, and combined with this body's severe sleep deprivation...

This guy, also named "Ning Feng," had always been terrified of sleeping!

‘Could something terrible happen if I fall asleep?’

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than an intense, piercing pain shot through his head, as if countless steel needles were pricking his skull. Fragmented memories brutally flooded into his mind.

Ning Feng was in too much pain to utter a sound, convulsing on the hospital bed.

It was half a minute later before the pain finally subsided. Ning Feng lay sprawled on the bed like a dead dog, breathing weakly.

Those fragmented memories were all about the former owner of the body's pain and struggles. He possessed a peculiar ability: sometimes, things he dreamed of would appear in his real surroundings.

This was originally something to be excited about, but when "Ning Feng" caused the death of both his parents due to a nightmare on one occasion, it dealt a tremendous blow to "Ning Feng," who was then just a teenager.

"Ning Feng" was afraid of sleeping, afraid of having nightmares, afraid of turning into a monster...

It's difficult for people to control their dreams. If, by chance, you are a monster in your dream, you might also appear as a monster in reality. And thoughts in dreams are extremely chaotic and complex, leading to actions that seem inconceivable or even terrifying when awake.

This was also why "Ning Feng" had attempted suicide several times, and why his home was stocked with so many stimulants and coffees. Until this time, "Ning Feng" had finally succeeded in taking his own life!

"I misunderstood you..."

Ning Feng muttered to himself, calming his breathing.

‘Wait! I think I've overlooked something important!’

Ning Feng turned his head, bewildered, looking at the mess in the ward. Finally, something clicked, and his body gave a violent jolt.

‘Holy crap! Something major has happened! I killed two soul reapers!’