Chapter 1234: Passing By
Chapter 1234: Passing By
Lin Sanjiu had never witnessed a living person struggle so much just to eat until she placed the roasted potato in front of Puppeteer.
The patient room, apart from the sound of breathing, descended into an eerie silence. With the exception of the still-unconscious Ya Jiang, the other three individuals sat on the floor, their eyes cast downward towards the floor below the horizon. Puppeteer's shadow occasionally passed their field of vision, but none dared to meet his gaze directly. After what felt like an eternity, Lin Sanjiu could no longer contain her curiosity and opened her eyelids slightly.
Puppeteer methodically dug his spoon into a halved potato, his countenance devoid of any emotion. Animals, including humans, often exhibit subtle differences in their demeanor, posture, and body language just before they begin to eat. However, observing him now, it was impossible to discern whether he had baked potatoes or stones before him.
'Eat!' Lin Sanjiu urged silently in her mind. With the tasks of cleaning the patient room and conducting four trades now completed, they could leave once Puppeteer finished this bite of baked potato. As for her own mission, she could complete it on the way.
Surprisingly, that silent word appeared to reach Puppeteer's ears. He suddenly turned his head away from the sickbed, and a hint of pale, lifeless color emerged from the depths of his darkness. Just as Lin Sanjiu anticipated another round of sarcasm, he simply paused and turned his head without uttering a word.
He might not have been aware of his appearance when lifting the spoon, which was possibly why he didn't expel everyone.
Eating evidently proved an unfamiliar activity for him. Lin Sanjiu stole a glance, pursed her lips, and then lowered her eyelids to avoid watching. Even without looking, she sensed that Puppeteer was employing sheer willpower to command his body. Slowly, he raised his hand, lowered his head, advanced the spoon through the air, and froze it at his lips. She wouldn't have been surprised if he experienced muscle tremors and broke out in a cold sweat while taking this bite.
When she eventually heard the sound of the spoon being returned to the plate and lifted her head once more, it felt as if several minutes had elapsed. Puppeteer took a slight breath and then coldly said, "Aren't you getting ready to leave?"
Lin Sanjiu silently rose to her feet and glanced at the unconscious Ya Jiang on the floor. "Um, we will soon. Just wait for me a moment."
After placing Ya Jiang on the vacant sickbed, as she checked the small pile of medical supplies beside him, Bohemia also approached.
"You've done everything you could. If he wakes up and changes everything, it should be enough for him even with a hospital discount, right?" she said softly. "After all, you don't know how that old man was restored, do you?"
Though her acquaintance with Ya Jiang had been brief, and for half of that time, his body was possessed by Gong Daoyi, Lin Sanjiu couldn't bear to leave him alone in the hospital. She couldn't help but wonder when Ya Jiang might regain consciousness, or if he would ever wake up at all. Ya Jiang was unlike Puppeteer; even though Puppeteer had lost his head, Magus's consciousness still remained. If Ya Jiang didn't awaken and regain consciousness, there would be no way for him to exchange points and depart from the hospital. Although, Gong Daoyi did indeed "resurrect" the comatose Wushi Ming.
"No, I have a rough idea of what he did... but even if I've guessed it, there's nothing I can do about it," Lin Sanjiu said, sighing. "He probably took away the soul projection. If he projected someone's consciousness into Wushi Ming's body, Wushi Ming would be able to act as a patient, essentially swapping places with the other person."
Bohemia froze, contemplating the implications. "Right," she exclaimed, clapping her hands. "I completely forgot about that. The man who possessed the woman's body disappeared afterward, didn't he?"
Taking that line of thought further, she inhaled sharply. "So, if we hadn't given the man possessing the woman's body to... Ya Jiang, then the old man, Wushi Ming, wouldn't have been resurrected, and he wouldn't be like this now?"
"Don't dwell on it too much," Lin Sanjiu interrupted, guessing where Bohemia's thoughts were leading. "He probably had everything planned out when he killed Wushi Fan. Even without our involvement, he likely had a contingency in place."
As she uttered those words, she couldn't help but feel that Gong Daoyi utilized the method she provided him. There was no other explanation; perhaps he relished the irony of causality and the emotions that would arise in Lin Sanjiu when she uncovered the truth later on.
"If you want to stay here forever, I can grant that wish," Puppeteer said as he exited the room.
"I'll be right there," Lin Sanjiu replied.
Reality snapped back into focus, and she discreetly placed the note she had written beneath a tube of repair ointment. Most of it remained visible to ensure Ya Jiang would see it as soon as he awakened. Quickly, she pulled Bohemia along and followed Puppeteer out of the room, locking it securely. The former guard, once obedient and honest, now resembled a shadow as he trailed closely behind them.
If Puppeteer was a Special Item, it was undoubtedly one of the most effective in the world. Lin Sanjiu didn't even need to request his assistance; as long as he stood behind her, she could effortlessly subdue unfortunate posthumans. The mere sight of his thin and frail shadow made the fourth posthuman she encountered feel as though they had been pricked by countless needles, prompting them to divulge information about the new patient. "It's a woman! She wears her hair in a tight ponytail, and she's quite thin, maybe 1.65 meters tall, with the face of a squad leader. She's missing half a leg."
This description sounded oddly familiar to Lin Sanjiu.
Following the trail, when she discovered the new patient, she nearly burst into laughter. It turned out to be someone she knew well—the girl who had trapped her and Ya Jiang in the black hole ability, rendering them immobile.
"If it weren't for you," Lin Sanjiu greeted the alert, thin girl with a sense of familiarity, "Ya Jiang and I wouldn't have been sent to the hospital by Bonnie Bunny. Is this your first time here? I didn't expect you to last this long. How did you end up here?"
Perhaps sensing that Lin Sanjiu had no intention of attacking, the thin girl finally spoke, her voice stiff, "Bonnie Bunny got to me eventually. She's gone insane, getting crazier by the day. She sends anyone she encounters into this place."
Unexpectedly, she had yet to complete her mission. Lin Sanjiu couldn't help but think of Gardenia, who would go to great lengths to accomplish her objectives.
After handling her business, Lin Sanjiu noticed the skepticism in the thin girl's expression. Before turning away, Lin Sanjiu paused for a moment. "I know you won't believe me," she said softly. "I've been deceived and suffered losses many times because I trusted others. But you know what? If I had relied on no one and believed in nothing all the way, I probably would have died long ago... It's just a few words from me, and whether you listen or not doesn't matter."
Lin Sanjiu remembered the time the thin girl had confronted Bonnie Bunny. Despite the significant power imbalance, the girl had remained resolute, earning Lin Sanjiu's admiration.
The thin girl remained silent.
"I'm leaving now. Good luck," Lin Sanjiu said, waving her hand without looking back and heading toward Puppeteer, Bohemia, and the former guard, who awaited her in the distance. For the first time, she felt that the hospital's light had brightened considerably.
Several hours later, the door to Ya Jiang's room was gently pushed open.
A figure silently closed the door behind them and approached the hospital bed. Bending down, they placed slender fingers on Ya Jiang's forehead, brushing aside a few stray strands of hair. The person's gaze shifted toward the small pile of medical supplies, and they retrieved the note, reading it for a while. Eventually, the note was crumpled into a ball, its crinkling sound echoing loudly in the room. As the person sighed, their voice carried a hint of amusement and was soft and hoarse, akin to moonlight shrouded in thick fog.
"Apologies for using your body without permission and reducing you to this state," they said, chuckling softly. "So, I shall restore balance to your life now."