Chapter 20: Step Forward
In order to meet the third Master of Fate, Ji Zhibai and I arrived at Chunyu Hospital.
After entering the hospital, I suddenly remembered an important question.
“Why are we meeting her at the hospital? Is she sick, or injured?”
“What I heard was that not long ago, she found her first F. Then, well, Jun-ge, you should understand. When an F awakens, they become capable of using Destiny Power, and the phenomena that result from that.”
“Oh, I get it now. I can empathize with that completely. Up until now, I’ve experienced it three times already, each one worse than the last. While the first few times I just needed to go to the hospital, later on, I didn’t even have the chance to be admitted for treatment. But if Lou Ling had to go to the hospital due to an F awakening, it means her destiny is also a very dangerous one, right?”
“Do you know what her destiny is?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but it’s definitely either the ‘Five Abuses’ or the ‘Three Deficiencies.’ One of those two.”
“The Five Abuses and Three Deficiencies? Uh, what are those two types of destiny?” I’ve never heard of them.
“The Five Abuses refer to being a widower, a widow, an orphan, or disabled. I don’t think I need to explain the meaning of each word, right? The Three Deficiencies refer to money, fate, and power. This typically refers to fortune tellers who are afflicted by one of the Five Abuses or Three Deficiencies, but as a Master of Fate…”
“That’s quite tragic… Especially the Three Deficiencies. If you lack power, that’s one thing, but lacking money, or even life itself…” “That would be too miserable.”
“But it shouldn’t be as bad as yours, Jun-ge. You have the ‘Four Calamities.’ Any one of them awakening could wreak havoc upon the world. Honestly, I think it’s a miracle you’re even alive right now, and an even bigger miracle that you haven’t lost any limbs.”
Ji Zhibai observed my complicated expression and said, “Is it not a miracle? You’re quite something to be able to survive all that and still crack jokes. I’m quite amused you used the word ‘miracle’.”
I shrugged, not saying anything further. The world has completely changed, and there’s no way to explain that. Even if I said it, no one would believe me. Moreover, I’m not making things up. The world becoming what it is now is indeed the result of a calculated plan by Zi’ai and Zihua from the future.
Walking into the hospital, even though it was already five or six o’clock after school, the place was still packed with people. As we approached the front desk to inquire about the patient rooms, we happened to run into an acquaintance.
“Huh? Isn’t this Juncheng? It’s been a while.”
“Sister Wang… It really has been a while.” Sister Wang works as a nurse at this hospital. When I was in elementary school, she was just a newly graduated intern. After a few years, she seems to have become much more mature.
“How long has it been since you last visited a hospital? I haven’t seen you since you graduated from middle school, have I?” Actually, I had been to the hospital a few times after that, but I hadn’t seen Sister Wang.
“…But, there’s no need to come to the hospital unless something’s wrong…”
“Can’t you just come visit me? You ungrateful brat, who used to take care of you?”
“…It’s my fault.”
“Alright, alright, it’s like I’m forcing you. So, what brings you here today?”
“We’re here to visit someone, Sister Wang. Do you know which room a girl named Lou Ling is in?”
“Lou Ling? Wasn’t she the severely injured patient who was brought in a few days ago…? She even had an amputation. She just woke up this morning.”
Ji Zhibai and I exchanged a look, both seeing surprise in each other’s eyes. A severely injured patient? Amputation? My goodness, this is beyond ordinary injuries…
“Is she your friend?”
“Yes, can you tell us her room number? We’d like to see her.”
“She’s probably refusing visitors… but, well, it should be alright if it’s you. Her room is 304 in the inpatient building.”
“Okay, we’ll head over there now.”
After saying goodbye to Sister Wang, Ji Zhibai and I walked directly towards the inpatient building. We didn’t say anything to each other along the way. Because we both understood that things had taken an unexpected turn.
Hurrying up to the third floor, I instantly sensed that the atmosphere around us had changed. If it were the old me, I wouldn’t have noticed, but now I can distinguish the subtle differences in aura between ‘them’ and ordinary people. Everyone on this entire floor, whether patients or staff, are Extras from the Organization. Are they here to monitor Lou Ling? It’s annoying.
I frowned. Although Ji Zhibai didn’t detect the Extras, he could infer from my expression that the people around us were surveillance. We arrived at room 304 and, without knocking, I pushed the door open and barged in.
What I saw was a girl wrapped in bandages, wearing a patient gown. Her hair had been cut short, her forehead was bandaged, her left eye was covered with gauze, and her neck was also bandaged. I could see that her lower body was covered by the blanket, and her legs were reduced to just her thighs. Her face was pale, and her eyes were very red. This is Lou Ling…
Facing the two uninvited guests, the girl didn’t get angry. She didn’t even shift her gaze. Her expression was blank, her eyes already dead.
“…She doesn’t look like she’s in a state to talk. Maybe we should come back later, Jun-… Jun-ge?”
I walked straight to the bedside and said to the despairing girl, “I am Juncheng An, and like you, I am a Master of Fate. There’s no need for pleasantries. She probably doesn’t have the mood to listen to nonsense, so let’s get straight to the point.”
Upon stating my identity, the girl slowly looked up at me.
“…Are you also… trying to snatch an F?”
“No.”
“It doesn’t matter if you are or not… It’s already gone.”
“Gone…? You mean your F has already been snatched away?”
“…It was snatched away the moment it awakened, and I… just happened to lose it at that time…”
“Although I can’t help you stand up, I can restore your legs. Using Bai’s ability, her legs can be restored, but they would probably be as insensible as my little finger, so standing and walking would be impossible.”
“It’s useless… What awakened in me was the ‘disability’ from the Five Abuses. Even if my legs are restored, other disabilities will appear…”
“Did your F do this to you?”
“…This is my destiny as an F.”
“What?” Lou Ling isn’t a Master of Fate? Could it be… she’s both an F and a Master of Fate! “I didn’t expect this before awakening. I’m not only a Master of Fate, but also an F… I am the ‘disability’ from the Five Abuses, and she is the ‘fate deficiency’ from the Three Deficiencies… We awakened simultaneously…”
“To think something like this could happen… But since I have multiple destinies, it’s not strange for others to have multiple destinies as well. The only difference is that for females, there’s also the possibility of being an F.”
“It doesn’t matter what happens to me… But… If I use Destiny Power again, I’ll really die.” Lou Ling covered her cheeks and sobbed as she spoke to me. “Please… save her… Don’t let her die.”
Seeing the girl crying and begging me for help, what other choice do I have but to agree? My rationality tells me this is none of my business, but in the end, I can’t pretend not to know. I can’t stand by and do nothing, and if I don’t step forward now, I’ll feel guilty for the rest of my life. So, I took her hand and readily agreed. “No problem! Leave it to me!”
