Chapter 246

No matter where you are, it seems that the ceilings of every hospital ward are the same, without exception.

It's as if the suspended ceilings were all made by the same company; there's no change or aesthetic to speak of, monotonous and boring enough to make one helpless.

The smell of disinfectant floated in the air, and the sour bitterness of residual medicine lingered in his mouth.

An indwelling needle still remained on his wrist, the instruments in the corner beeped, and his whole body ached like hell; he couldn't move at all.

More importantly, the afternoon sun hit his face directly, dazzling and intense.

Too sunny!

Nurse? Where's the nurse! Can you pull the curtains?

Unfortunately, there was no nurse.

No gentle, kind big sister and meticulous care.

On the chair next to the hospital bed, there was only a familiar figure, with a familiar thermos and a ghost-work ball by his side, calmly looking down at the newspaper.

"Teacher?" Ji Jue was stunned.

"Hmm?"

Ye Xian looked back, just nodding knowingly: "Awake?"

"Hmm." Ji Jue's voice was hoarse: "Is there water? I'm so thirsty."

"On the table, pour it yourself. If you can't, press the bell."

There was no warmth to speak of, cold as always, which actually made Ji Jue feel relieved. If Professor Ye had suddenly been gentle and caring, he would have thought he had fallen into some kind of illusion.

However, just moving his fingers slightly felt like a piercing pain.

Not just his body, but his soul.

Holding the cup of water, trembling, he spilled half of it.

He couldn't even drink it!

"Matrix overload, normal phenomenon, rest for a while and you'll be fine."

Ye Xian glanced at his disheveled appearance, flicked his finger, and an air straw fell into the cup, so he wouldn't continue to wash his face with the cup.

When he finally drank a mouthful of water after a long time, he noticed the rich floral fragrance lingering in the air.

Looking around, he finally saw the mountain of visiting flower bouquets and fruit baskets piled up in the temporary ward.

The gold-stamped ribbons were diverse.

There were ones written by Tong Shan, Tong Ting, Ji Liu, Ji Xue, Xu Guan, and some written by the Yacheng Security Bureau and the Chaocheng Security Bureau, and some written by Lou Feng—the handwriting looked reluctant no matter how you looked at it. Some were written by Lou Yanyue, the fruit basket was especially large, almost big enough to fit Ji Jue inside. Others had no signature, the fruit basket was the smallest and cheapest, and there were two rotten ones, only written "pay back the money soon"—it should be Old Tang's. Fine, you kid want the final payment? Wait until I beg my grandfather and grandmother!

There was another one, with "All colleagues of the Recycling and Processing Department" written on it...

The brothers still remember me?

More were names Ji Jue had never heard of, or had only met once—too many, scary enough.

"Uh, is this a bit exaggerated?"

"This is still after cleaning up more than half. In these few days, the fruit shops in the outpost are about to be bought out, and the shop owner is kowtowing to you in his dreams."

Ye Xian said: "The Tong family and the Lou family both owe you a huge favor, and the Security Bureaus of Yacheng and Chaocheng have awarded you commendations. Even the association's commissioners are full of praise for you. If you weren't still an apprentice, they would have awarded you a Golden Ribbon."

This is the only benefit of showing off. From now on, when you go out, no one will think of you as whose apprentice anymore, but will remember your name."

"..."

Ji Jue was silent. After a long time, he laughed at himself and looked back at Ye Xian. Ye Xian was looking down at the newspaper, still indifferent, with no reaction. Until he finally gathered the courage to ask:

"Does the teacher have no questions to ask me?"

And so, the pair of eyes behind the newspaper looked up and glanced over, eyebrows raised.

Just like looking at a fool.

"Students always ask teachers questions; where is the logic of a teacher asking a student for advice?"

Professor Ye told him coldly: "A student is a student, and a teacher is a teacher. Once you sign the contract, just be a beast of burden honestly, don't think about so many useless things."

"Ah?" Ji Jue was sluggish.

"Also, if I were you, I'd be careful when walking at night in the future."

Ye Xian withdrew his gaze and mocked: "Old Jian Yuan is very petty. No matter how carefree he was when he left, I'm afraid he's still thinking about the good material that escaped from his hands.

Of course, if you really have a heart for the Profound Path, I won't force you; I'll just expel you tomorrow."

"Don't, absolutely don't!"

Ji Jue waved his hands in horror, his voice hoarse with pain: "Teacher, I'm scared, I'm really scared!"

"I hope so."

Ye Xian sneered, indifferent as before.

In the ward, silence returned.

Ji Jue closed his eyes, feeling his decaying soul and the dim matrix—his condition was weaker than ever, as if he were dying.

But from within the weakness, the brilliance of the matrix seemed to become more resilient, its structure more complex, as if growing, having already spread along his hands to his upper arms, almost crawling onto his shoulders.

And right within his soul, next to the original blessings of "Masterful Hands" and "Mental Primacy," a brand-new silhouette had appeared, shrouded in a halo, and connected to the matrix as one.

And so, all spiritual quality became orderly, all fine changes became clear, the beating of his heart, the rhythm of his pulse, the circulation of his blood, and the reflection of his nerves seemed to be completely under his control.

He had become his own master...

—Tian Yuan Blessing: Governing Axis!

I don't know when, but the generous gift from Tian Yuan had already appeared in Ji Jue's soul.

It came when it wanted, without even saying hello.

It didn't even ask if he agreed; it just stuffed it in, just gave it.

Brother Yuan is really a bit unconventional!

At this moment, the three blessings were connected to each other, as if forming a brand-new structure under the guidance of the matrix, making Ji Jue's soul and body seem to have stepped onto a brand-new stage, and everything became completely different.

After four and a half months, having passed the not-so-long period of invocation, Ji Jue entered the realm of the metamorphosis period at a terrifying speed like a rocket.

It's a pity that he didn't have the energy to feel the changes of the mechanical god and the effects of the new blessing for a while.

Recalling the turmoil in Quancheng, and even the infinite mechanical monsters he had created with his own hands, Ji Jue couldn't help but sigh, and Jian Yuan's words from the past surfaced in his mind once again.

In the end, what he was best at was actually creating hell...

What does this count as?

"Teacher..."

Ji Jue laughed at himself, "Maybe, I might be a bad thing."

"I don't believe it."

The newspaper in Ye Xian's hand turned a page, and he looked up carelessly, glanced at him, still like looking at a fool: "How could a craftsman get his materials wrong?"

And so, Ji Jue laughed.

He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

No more worries.

By the time Ji Jue recovered enough to move and returned to Yacheng, it had already been more than a week. During this time, many things happened, and the praise and commendations were enough to make a pig swell up and fly to the sky.

The promises made were endless, and if the free pretty words were converted into money, they would be enough to make him recklessly challenge the Tong family's position as the richest man in Yacheng.

And after experiencing long busyness, he finally returned to his life, down-to-earth.

However, occasionally looking down at the silent watch in his hand, he would always be worried.

Since the last operation of the Heavenly Track, his favorite watch-brother had fallen into silence, with no response, and even the reserve spiritual quality library was completely locked, along with the President who had disappeared again.

Everything made Ji Jue suspect... whether he had messed up too much last time, and after ruining the last bit of surplus food of the bankrupt company, he had blown up the company.

Oh no, he wouldn't have become the legal representative without knowing it, right?!

But this matter was too troublesome and too sensitive; even Professor Ye was too lazy to listen, and he had even less of a bottom line, and it was even more impossible to catch people everywhere and ask: Do you know what happened to the Heavenly Track? Yes, the one that went bankrupt more than two hundred years ago...

He could only wait in vain.

Every night, facing the silent watch-brother, he couldn't help but shed small pearls: Once there was a sincere part-time job in front of me, but I didn't cherish it. If I had another chance, I... might have to consider it again.

But what about the President?

The President wouldn't have had an accident, right?

Until one day, when he woke up from his bed without warning, he saw a familiar face giggling on top of him, drool dripping onto his face.

"President?"

Ji Jue stared in surprise, picked it up with both hands, and examined it carefully: "Are you okay? Hmm, why does it feel like you've lost so much fur? Where have you been for so long?"

The President jumped off the bed, squatted on the ground, whimpering, and looked at him.

Noticing Ji Jue's confused face, it lowered its head, opened its mouth, pulled a large bag out of the void, loosened the opening, and a pile of sound buttons fell out.

"President, leaving."

It raised its paw, hurriedly pressed among the messy buttons: "Before, violation, mistake, President, bad. Heavenly Track, out of control, not good, President, work, hard!"

"..."

Ji Jue's smile stiffened on his face, blankly.

He felt he understood a little, but couldn't understand most of it. But when he heard that the dog he had already raised was suddenly going to run away from home, he couldn't help but stand there in a daze.

"Leaving? Why!"

He couldn't laugh anymore, staring in anger: "I've been through life and death for the company, how did you optimize me? Are you human? No, even if you aren't... you..."

"Gift, give, good, employee."

"Employee, happy, no, sad."

The President came over, opened its mouth, put a box into his arms, and grinned again, ears perked up: "President, like, you!"

"..."

Ji Jue was sluggish, subconsciously pinching the box, watching the President lower its head, pull the bag, put away the buttons, and turn to leave.

He had clearly been looking forward to the day when he and the Heavenly Track would "have dreams in life and be brilliant in their own ways," even though he was already scared to death that it would suddenly stuff him with work, and the huge trouble hidden behind it. But at this moment, watching the lonely President leave with its tail drooping, he couldn't control himself and called it back.

"Hey, President!"

The President turned back and looked at him.

"That, work is work, I know you have many troubles, and the Heavenly Track and so on... I mean, I... I'm actually quite free."

Ji Jue hesitated for a long time, and finally made up his mind, "Will you come to find me again?"

He lowered his head, dug out the box he had prepared long ago from under the bed, and showed the gift he hadn't sent: "I even bought you a new bell, it's not good to waste it, right?"

"..."

In the silence, the President stared at him blankly.

Gradually, its eyes widened.

It couldn't speak, but countless flashes brighter than any words lit up in its eyes, starry and brilliant.

Suddenly, it jumped up.

Pounced into his arms.

Licking his face enthusiastically with its tongue, arching back and forth, its tail knocking the ornaments, paper, and pens on the table to the side, leaving a mess on the floor.

I just like you that much!

The President left after all.

Holding its head high with the brand-new bell on its neck, wagging its tail, it disappeared.

It didn't say when it would come again.

Just like any leader who disappears after drawing a big picture.

Leaving Ji Jue to look at the room where the President had frantically messed everything up, sighing helplessly, with drool still on his face, lowering his head to look at the small box in his hand.

The bow was tied crookedly, one side big and one side small.

Gift.

"Meow?"

After Ji Jue opened it, he leaned in, looked at the strangely shaped key inside, and couldn't help scratching his head: "What is this... car key? What do I need a car for?!"

If Little Niu Ma found out about this, wouldn't it go on a hunger strike for a month or two to sulk with him?

He had already left it to wander for so long before, and it was already very hard to coax!

Forget it?

He smiled bitterly and tossed it twice, but the key in his hand suddenly turned into a stream of light and fell into the silent watch.

In an instant, a crisp sound rang out.

On the dial of the watch, complex patterns and emblems appeared out of thin air, and the panel that had disappeared for a long time unfolded again, but this time, all the error pop-ups disappeared.

At the very front of the panel, there was a brand-new button, empty and unmarked.

Purely out of subconsciousness, curiosity, or itchy hands.

Ji Jue pressed it.

And then, literally, everything went black before his eyes...

It was as if an invisible door had opened before him, and his consciousness, guided by the spiritual quality circuit in the watch, rushed upward, instantly crossing an unknown, long distance.

Breaking through the blockade and shroud of the present world, arriving in an unexpected void.

Beyond the brilliant light of the present world, in the infinite darkness like the universe, countless large and small Rift Realms orbited the present world, and flickering silver brilliance like a net covered everything, manifesting for only an instant.

And right within Ji Jue's perception, a familiar silhouette emerged from a tiny corner of the vast darkness.

From the eternal dead silence, the magnificent whale song rang out once again!

"Damn..."

In the instant change, everything before his eyes became different again.

Ji Jue turned back sluggishly, looking at the driver's seat in front of him, the broken dashboard, the familiar display, the vast space and display inside, and the engine running loudly as if in warm welcome.

This was clearly the doomsday train from before!

How did it suddenly give this thing to him so casually?!

In the wave of blacking out again and again, Ji Jue's legs went soft, and he sat on the broken cushion, unable to climb up.

Oh no!

Now, even if he said he wasn't the legal representative, no one would believe him...