[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-40":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2298009,4496,"Chapter 40: On the Carriage","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>Compared to “time loop” or “a person turning into a sheep,” the scene before him was no less shocking—and it made Lu Mi feel his eyes, mind, and spirit had been severely polluted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he known he would witness this, he would have absolutely abandoned the mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell is going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Louis Lund was clearly still a man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whose child is he carrying? The Administrator? Or Mrs. Pualis?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this the world of mysticism?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aurora keeping me away was truly for my own good...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Lu Mi’s thoughts scattered, his spirit in chaos—he longed to gouge out his own eyes and forcibly forget what he had seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wah! Wah! Wah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The infant born to Louis Lund cried out, instantly infusing the filthy “delivery room” with a faint air of sanctity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the beauty of new life arriving—Lu Mi, hidden outside the window, directly felt the primal joy stemming from humanity’s origin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the sense of strangeness, absurdity, filth, and dissonance grew even more pronounced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi finally snapped back to his senses and instinctively glanced again into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The infant had been placed by the woman in the gray-white long dress onto a white silk sheet beside Louis Lund—he was a boy, his skin covered more in blood than milky fat, yet otherwise unremarkable, like an ordinary newborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi observed for two more seconds and noticed the boy’s fingers were curled, his nails long, like bird talons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, those very hands had torn open Louis Lund’s abdomen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis Lund lay there, half-comatose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gash on his belly remained unsewn; blood seeped steadily out, revealing Yinyue  the intestines pressed aside and a strange, bird’s-nest-like object covered in a fleshy membrane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After wrapping the infant in silk, the woman took the nest-like object, picked up a needle and catgut thread, and began treating Louis Lund’s wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid Louis Lund’s pained moans, she muttered as she stitched:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is still mild—I gave birth to quadruplets last time, now that was agony...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi’s facial muscles twitched slightly—he felt his ears had now been polluted, after his eyes, brain, heart, and spirit had already been tainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He withdrew his gaze and decided to leave immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a light leap, Lu Mi jumped back to the window he’d entered through and slipped into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed the window, stepped out, and headed straight for the staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dodging a male servant coming up, Lu Mi slipped quietly and swiftly back into the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where did you go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a soft, slightly resonant voice sounded beside his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Lu Mi’s “Hunter” senses had failed to detect anyone standing beside the staircase entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spun around sharply and saw Mrs. Pualis, dressed in a blue corseted long dress, her hair half-up, half-down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face bore no smile; her bright brown eyes clearly reflected Lu Mi’s image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi’s spirit instantly tensed—he prepared for combat, fear surging within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Aurora stepped out from the side room and looked at him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where did you go? The carriage is waiting at the door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such situations, Lu Mi was experienced—he answered half-truthfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t Mrs. Pualis just say Mr. Lund was ill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve had a few drinks with him—I wanted to check on him, but this castle is enormous, and I didn’t know where he lived. I searched for a long time and couldn’t find him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora nodded and warned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could have simply asked Mrs. Pualis directly—no need to hide it from us. It’s not a bad thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s my fault. I’m sorry,” Lu Mi said sincerely, looking at Mrs. Pualis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After witnessing what happened upstairs, his fear of this lady outweighed his revulsion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Pualis finally smiled, her sternness easing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thank you for your concern on Lund’s behalf, but his condition this time is poor—he refuses to appear before others in an undignified state.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, undignified... Lu Mi silently agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora then turned to Mrs. Pualis:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shall we take our leave? Thank you so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi quietly watched Mrs. Pualis, fearing she might invent an excuse to make him and his sister stay longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would mean she suspected something—she might need to confirm whether Louis Lund was still alright!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though reunited with his sister, Lu Mi knew they weren’t powerless against Mrs. Pualis—but this was her castle, surrounded by her servants; for a “Hunter,” it was the worst possible hunting ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Pualis gave a slight nod and smiled at Aurora:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I look forward to the gifts you bring back from Trier—its trends always fascinate me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope to surprise you,” Aurora replied, though she didn’t know if she’d ever return to Keldu Village, she still had to say the right thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Pualis, accompanied by her maid Cassie, escorted the siblings to the door and watched them step into the four-seater carriage with enclosed cabin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver, a burly man with a dark brown beard, wore a deep red coat and yellow trousers, topped with a waxed hat—except for the lack of a tie, he looked identical to professional carriage drivers in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a mandatory requirement by Administrator Beoest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for your trouble,” Aurora said politely before closing the carriage door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver was Sevel, with the most common blue eyes in the Republic of Intis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was delighted by Aurora’s respectful tone and eager for the tip he’d surely receive after reaching Dariel—he replied warmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ladies and gentlemen, please sit comfortably.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cracked the whip, and the horses began moving from a slow walk to a steady trot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the carriage passed through Keldu Village, it suddenly stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he knew their departure wouldn’t be smooth or easy, Lu Mi still felt a jolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?” he called out through the carriage wall to the driver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sevel replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The lady promised yesterday to take Naroca to Junak Village—I worried returning after reaching Dariel would be too late, so I thought I’d pick her up along the way. Don’t worry, it won’t delay you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Junak Village was closer to Dariel than Keldu Village—going there first wouldn’t significantly affect Aurora and Lu Mi’s arrival time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was someone else’s carriage and he had no authority to object, Aurora raised no protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi, however, was more concerned about Naroca—during the last loop, Naroca had died suddenly, suspected murdered by her kin, and linked to the parish priest’s group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sevel got off the carriage, entered Naroca’s home, then led her out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naroca, unlike usual, wore a black long dress with intricate patterns, a dark soft hat favored by elderly women, and her thin, pale hair had clearly been carefully combed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, my little cabbage, where are you off to?” Naroca boarded the carriage, saw Aurora, and beamed with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face, marked by patches and wrinkles, radiated uncontainable joy; her previously dull eyes now gleamed with clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to Trier for a writer’s salon, and I’ll take Lu Mi to tour the university there,” Aurora said, speaking pure truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Naroca, are you visiting someone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though as a widow, Naroca wearing black was normal, this dress was one she only wore for festivals, banquets, or her husband’s death anniversary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naroca’s face lit up with anticipation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I’m going to meet some people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi said nothing, quietly observing Naroca, searching for any clue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage resumed its journey, heading out of Keldu Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora and Naroca chatted intermittently, their attention mostly fixed outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still worried their hasty departure might arouse suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the carriage rolled on, Lu Mi suddenly sensed a change in Naroca’s condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to earlier, her complexion had turned pale and bluish, her gaze no longer lively—she fell completely silent, answering only briefly when Aurora asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was exactly like the Naroca he’d seen in the middle of the night during the last loop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi quietly tugged Aurora’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora instantly turned her head toward him, her eyes asking silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi subtly pointed at Naroca, then drew a “cross” in her palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “cross” was the symbol Aurora used when grading his papers—meaning “wrong”—and now Lu Mi used it to indicate Naroca’s condition was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora froze for a second, then immediately understood Lu Mi’s meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She refocused her attention on Naroca and clearly sensed something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her right hand and pressed her temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pale blue eyes instantly deepened, tinged with a faint darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After one glance, her beautiful golden eyebrows furrowed; she leaned back slightly, as if struck by some force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed her eyes, rubbed her temples with visible discomfort, as if exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she reopened her eyes, Aurora turned to Lu Mi:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once we reach Dariel, you must stay close to me—under any circumstances, never let go of me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone was grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi understood immediately—she meant that if anything happened next, he must cling to her, and she would handle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded solemnly, deciding he would confess to his sister that he had become an Exalted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora withdrew her gaze and looked at Luo Ka, deliberately asking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luo Ka, are you really going to Zhu Nake Village, or somewhere else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She feared that if the carriage stopped on its own, the situation would become even harder to resolve; if so, better to provoke it early, fighting outside the opponent’s expected environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Ka’s gaze was hollow, her voice low as she replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I’m not going to Zhu Nake Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to the Other Shore World.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had she spoken than Lu Mi felt the carriage window outside grow unnaturally dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1608,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3ba7e23374a324c671f42f86a0c1f5d68dac0390addfa4e8d47a72f850d6c547","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-41","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-39",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]