Somehow, Ling Yu managed to find the bathroom—though it had been a near-death experience getting there in time. After finishing her business and regaining a shred of dignity, she wiped her brow and sighed. Crisis averted. Straightening her maid uniform, she headed back toward her assigned room.
"ARGH!! ARGH!! ARGH!!!!"
A string of tortured screams tore through the stillness of the night. Ling Yu jumped, her shoulder smacking against the wall. "Ow!" she hissed, immediately rubbing the sore spot. Why is he screaming like that? Her brows knit together. Does it really hurt that much? She glanced down at her abdomen. Why is nothing happening to me?
The corridor stretched ahead, bathed in moonlight seeping through high windows. Ling Yu continued to rub her shoulder as she walked, her footsteps slowing with each echoing scream that followed. Curiosity, as always, got the better of her.
Reaching her corridor, she paused beside the nearest door. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, she tiptoed to the door and gently pushed against it. It didn't budge. Locked. Her eyes narrowed. Means someone's inside.
Not one to give up easily, she shifted to the adjacent window. The thin paper stretched across the frame was weathered and slightly yellowed. With a quick glance down the hall—still empty—she pressed her finger against the paper and carefully poked a small hole through it. Pressing her eye to the opening, she peered inside.
Let's see what's really going on in there...
It was difficult to see clearly in the dim room, with only the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the window, but Ling Yu managed to make out the figure of a teenager about her age, sitting cross-legged on the bed. His posture suggested he was cultivating. Bitterness surged in her chest. I want to cultivate too, she pouted. Her eyes remained fixed on him, curiosity outweighing her earlier frustration.
As she continued observing, her gaze caught a small detail—something glinting in the moonlight. Her eyes widened as she noticed a thin trickle of blood sliding down from the corner of the teenager's mouth.
Oh no! He's injured! Alarm flared in her chest. Instinctively, she glanced around the empty hallway. No footsteps echoed nearby, no voices called out. There's no one here... No one to help.
Her jaw tightened. Without hesitation, Ling Yu crouched beside the door. She pressed her fingers along the edge, feeling for any weaknesses. With practiced efficiency, she began working on the lock, her movements quick and precise.
The lock clicked open. Ling Yu slipped inside, her footsteps light. She went directly to the teenager and gently shook his shoulder. "Hey, hey, wake up. You're injured."
A faint pulse of energy emanated from him, barely perceptible. His body slackened unexpectedly, tipping forward. Ling Yu's eyes widened as she quickly caught him. "Hey! Hey—are you okay?" she urged, steadying him. His skin felt clammy under her hands.
He didn't respond. Ling Yu continued shaking him gently, trying to rouse him. After what felt like an eternity, he finally stirred. "Urgh…"
Ling Yu immediately stopped her movements, watching him closely. "Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"
His eyelids fluttered as he tried to open his eyes, heavy with exhaustion. Sweat beaded across his forehead. Disoriented, his gaze struggled to focus on her. "What... what's going on?" he asked weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You're injured," Ling Yu answered.
"Injured?" The teenager struggled to sit up, and Ling Yu quickly helped him.
"Yes, there's blood coming out of your mouth. You're injured," she said confidently.
"Why am I injured?" he asked, confusion clouding his face.
"It must be because you cultivated wrong," Ling Yu explained, nodding as if she were a seasoned expert. "You need to concentrate and not let any intrusive thoughts disturb you. Also—very important—you can't have malicious intents while cultivating."
The teenager blinked, looking even more disoriented. "Cultivate? I... I can't cultivate. I don't have innate talent," he mumbled, shaking his head.
Before Ling Yu could respond, he suddenly coughed and vomited blood.
"See? I told you!" Ling Yu said, her confidence unwavering. "You're injured because you miscultivated!"
"And I told you I can't cultivate!" the teenager snapped, visibly irritated. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, only to freeze when he saw the bloodstain. His eyes widened. "Blood! I really am injured!" He turned to Ling Yu, panic creeping into his expression.
Ling Yu looked at him with a face that clearly said, See? I told you so.
"What should I do?" The teenager's voice trembled—equal parts distressed and exhausted.
"Well," Ling Yu said, slipping into her self-declared expert mode, "you can go back to cultivating. This time, do it slowly. Like I told you—no malicious intent, no intrusive thoughts. Concentrate." Her tone was confident, as if she'd been cultivating for years and not... well, faking it earlier.
The teenager stared at her like she'd grown a second head. Taking a long, shaky breath, he muttered, "I can't cultivate. I don't know how."
Ling Yu blinked. "Just do it like what they've told you," she said, giving him a look that screamed Are you stupid or something?
"They?" His brow furrowed. "Who's they? And—who are you?"
"I'm Ling Yu," she said confidently. "And you?"
"I'm Chen Wei," he answered weakly. His gaze drifted around the room, confusion deepening. "And... where is this? What is this place?"
"This is Zhang Clinic," Ling Yu replied matter-of-factly. "Don't you remember coming here, taking a pill, developing a core, and cultivating?"
Chen Wei's brows drew together. "Zhang Clinic… I work there, but I've never seen this room before." He paused, trying to piece together fragmented memories. "And no one gave me a pill. They— they forced one on me... then... blank. I don't remember anything after that." His face paled further. "I certainly don't remember developing a core or cultivating."
Chen Wei's eyes grew round as realization dawned amid his confusion. "Wait—developed a core?! You mean—I have a core right now?"
Ling Yu looked at him enviously. "I saw you cultivating, so you must have a core."
Chen Wei stared at her, speechless. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again—no words forming. It was like she had claimed the sky was green.
"H–How?!" Chen Wei's voice pitched up, confusion giving way to near hysteria.
Ling Yu pouted. "Don't ask me! I haven't got a core! You should tell me how! I want one too!"
Chen Wei shook his head, frustration and panic swirling together. "Miss Ling Yu, I really don't know! I told you—they forced a pill down my throat! I didn't want to! They dragged me, held me down, and forced me!"
Ling Yu gave him a skeptical look. "You really were forced?"
"Yes!" Chen Wei nodded furiously.
Ling Yu frowned. "Why? You don't want to be an Immortal?"
Chen Wei sighed, exhaustion settling in his features. "I wanted to... but my mother had me checked when I was five years old. They said I didn't have innate talent. I didn't believe her at first, so I got checked again less than a year ago. Same result."
Ling Yu's frown deepened. "Hmm… what's their goal in forcing you to form a core?"
"I don't know," Chen Wei admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I do know Zhang Clinic isn't a good place. There's a restricted area... people go in and never come out. When I found out, I wanted to quit—but they caught me."
Ling Yu's brows furrowed further. What is going on? Cultivators were supposed to guide and protect humans, not... this. One person's story wasn't enough to jump to conclusions. Maybe he misunderstood... but what if he didn't?
Chen Wei's shoulders sagged. "You don't believe me."
"It's not that I don't believe you," Ling Yu said, arms crossed. "I just don't believe your story."
Chen Wei blinked, confusion flashing across his face. Isn't that the same thing? He wisely kept that thought to himself.
Ling Yu sighed. "How about this? It's late, I'll go back to my room and see what tomorrow brings. It's not too late to figure things out then."
"No!" Chen Wei's hand shot out, grabbing her sleeve. His grip trembled. "I'm scared. Don't leave me."
Ling Yu frowned, gently tugging her arm. "Come on, you'll be fine—just stay put."
Chen Wei shook his head stubbornly. "No! Please, don't go!"
The back-and-forth continued, Ling Yu trying to persuade him and Chen Wei flat-out refusing, clinging to her like his life depended on it.
And then—
"ARGH!" Another scream ripped through the air.
Ling Yu flinched. Chen Wei's grip tightened. The room plunged into thick tension, the echoes of the scream lingering like a chilling breeze.