[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-997":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},2298966,4496,"Chapter 997: Dream?","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-997",997,"\u003Cp>“Mama…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mama…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi heard cries echoing from the surrounding darkness—harrowing and pitiful, as if scraping at his heart and soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, black flames erupted on Lu Mi’s body, suppressing madness and destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames spread outward, burning the darkness, burning everything hidden within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cries turned piercing, then vanished swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi sneered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you called me ‘Dad,’ I might feel a flicker of reluctance or pity—but ‘Mama’? Who are you trying to fool?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he finished speaking, the darkness around him shattered inch by inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi woke instantly, opened his eyes, and saw the ceiling hanging with a chandelier, buried in deep night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was I just dreaming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The fetus inside Li Keji died by the ‘mother’s’ hand, its resentment unyielding, clinging to me—then I burned it clean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your ‘mother’ is Oumibela. What does that have to do with me, Lu Mi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi muttered a few words, reached for his phone beside him, selected “Industries Group Green,” and used voice input:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard my child crying—he suffered a disaster leading to death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone must have helped Li Keji abort the fetus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending this WeChat message, Lu Mi copied the content and sent it to Lü Yong’an as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within ten to twenty seconds, Lü Yong’an replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should we head to Red Moon Hospital now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi brought the phone to his mouth and shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too late—the matter is already over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rushing over risks walking straight into the enemy’s trap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since it’s irreversible, we wait—tomorrow, the day after—until we confirm no ambushes surround Li Keji, then investigate, find the saboteur, and figure out how to fix it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Divine Son is wise,” Lü Yong’an replied in formal tones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Green also replied, expressing the same sentiment as Lü Yong’an; Lu Mi copied and pasted his own words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calming Green, Lu Mi was about to fall asleep again when he suddenly saw a new message from Lü Yong’an:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Divine Son, I just saw a person standing outside the hospital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who?” Lu Mi knew Lü Yong’an would mention this only if the person was someone he recognized—or critically important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds, Lü Yong’an replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s Zhou Mingrui.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Mingrui? So proactive—he only learned yesterday that the Divine Messenger’s corpse appeared in the underground morgue of Mushi Hospital, and tonight he’s already planning to sneak in? Isn’t that reckless? Or is he just doing preliminary observation? Lu Mi snapped alert, sleep gone entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brought the phone to his mouth again and used voice input:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ignore him for now—notify me if Zhou Mingrui enters the hospital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Mushi Hospital, Zhou Mingrui, still wearing his sky-blue T-shirt, pretended to be on the phone while casually scanning the surroundings, focusing on the emergency center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning of Danizi’s death and confirming details through public reports, Zhou Mingrui suspected Mushi Hospital held serious issues—especially its underground morgue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, as night deepened, he took a taxi here, planning to pretend he needed emergency care while secretly touring the hospital to see if he could find anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no intention of investigating the underground morgue tonight; before gathering enough information, he wouldn’t risk potentially grave danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he murmured “okay,” “no problem,” “fine,” “all right,” “that’s it,” his gaze swept the emergency center, the patients and families coming and going—nothing seemed amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t new to Mushi Hospital—he’d come here twice before for treatment, because it was one of the few hospitals nearest to Industries Group and his residence, newly opened with few patients in either emergency or outpatient departments, no long queues, no worry about online appointment shortages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The district hospital closer to his home seemed unreliable; the other established hospitals were always packed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The only difference from last time is that Mushi Hospital’s reputation has grown, and more people come here to be treated… I almost made the mistake of thinking, after listening to heavy metal and falling ill, that this place was quiet enough for me to get care—thankfully I recovered halfway through…” Zhou Mingrui recalled his emergency visit half a year ago, and the incident weeks prior when he took sick leave for Mushi Hospital—only to find himself healed before the taxi even arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, a sudden realization struck him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That sick leave made me miss my formal meeting with Zarathustra…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I never actually entered Mushi Hospital…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was hearing ‘Impact’ that time no coincidence? Does the melody and sound of that song carry esoteric power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does this mean Zarathustra and Mushi Hospital are truly connected?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But nothing strange happened when I came here half a year ago…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Mushi Hospital’s problem gradually worsening?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhou Mingrui muttered, his gaze rose from the emergency center to the entire building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he heard his own heartbeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thump!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thump!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Mingrui felt inexplicable fear—his heart seemed gripped by an invisible hand, accelerating uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thump!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thump!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the building concealed the very thing he feared most—the source of his terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There really is something wrong…” Zhou Mingrui’s pupils dilated rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a year ago, he’d come here at night for emergency care, staring at the main building—then he felt nothing like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Mingrui steadied himself, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his heartbeat calmed, he looked again at Mushi Hospital’s main building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thump!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thump!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt fear erupt again—instinctively believing something deep within Mushi Hospital was what he dared not face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Mingrui instinctively wanted to turn and flee—but held himself back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Preliminary observation first… preliminary observation first…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Running away won’t solve anything… running away won’t solve anything…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he muttered to himself, his right hand—free of the phone—hung naturally, clenching and unclenching, unclenching and clenching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds, he pretended to hang up, then stepped forward toward the emergency center’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Room 2303, Dechuang Garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Franca and Jianna fell asleep, they quickly became conscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was inevitable for adepts entering Rosan’s “Shaman” world—neither was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next instant, instead of frozen storms, drifting astral bodies, and translucent barriers, they saw a dimly lit corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor’s walls were painted white, faintly green under the dim light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is this?” Franca blurted in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was Rosan’s “Shaman” world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprised, Jianna considered a possibility:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did something happen to Rosan? Because she confirmed Huang Jiajia and the others were more false?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That forced Rosan to confront more directly that this was a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Anthony said Rosan’s emotions had stabilized?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What triggered her after she got home?” Franca replied, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Regardless, find Rosan first—this might be the altered ‘Shaman’ world,” Jianna scanned the surroundings, focusing her senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing this unusual situation, Franca instinctively reached into “The Traveler’s Satchel,” preparing to retrieve her arcane items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, she froze:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—something’s wrong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jianna’s gaze, Franca said seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘The Traveler’s Satchel’ is still here. The items inside are still there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna’s eyes hardened instantly—she understood Franca’s implication:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only astral bodies could enter Rosan’s “Shaman” world to fight monsters—and astral bodies never carry “The Traveler’s Satchel” or its contents. Even if they did, those would be dream illusions, devoid of real power!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t Rosan’s ‘Shaman’ world? What have we encountered?” Jianna frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tried meditating to detach, to return her astral body to her physical form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had no effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We didn’t leave our bodies to enter Rosan’s dream or ‘Shaman’ world—we were directly transported here,” Franca concluded. “Why? We felt nothing…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had she finished than a voice came from a room ahead:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, don’t! I refuse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seconds later, the door opened and Rosan burst out, wearing her nightgown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rosan saw Franca and Jianna, stopped, and asked in surprise:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re here too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Franca and Jianna first looked down at their clothes—both wore nightgowns—then Franca spoke to Rosan:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where are we? Why can’t we be there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is my dream… I dreamed of you?” Rosanne looked utterly bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Franca and Jianna exchanged a glance, then asked cautiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you dream?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I dreamed someone was whispering strange words in my ear, and I saw fragmented scenes: a pregnant woman with her facial flesh and one eyeball torn away, bulging tumors like heads growing on both shoulders, a man with his heart ripped out, and the crying of an infant…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally, I dreamed of a long corridor, and myself inside a room, where a voice said to me…” Rosanne suddenly fell silent, recalling the dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did it say?” Jianna pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds of hesitation, Rosanne said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It said it could help me pass as the real me, replace the one outside—so even if the dream shattered, I could still live as a true being…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—I can’t accept it. How could I possibly harm an innocent person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Rosanne’s words, Franca and Jianna’s pupils dilated simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former swallowed hard and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you still remember the strange words at the start of the dream?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rosanne strained to recall:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was… something like ‘The real can become false, the false can become real, Fu Sheng Xuan Huang Tian Zun…’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, Jianna and Franca seemed to turn to statues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Franca suddenly “awoke,” speaking in a low, grave tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quickly confirm where we are!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t this my dream…?” Rosanne whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you usually be this alert in your dreams?” Jianna countered, scanning for recognizable markers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes…,” Rosanne murmured to herself, when both Franca and Jianna spotted a notice board ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They rushed forward, and under the dim light, they immediately saw four large characters on the board:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mushu Hospital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1588,"2026-06-20T06:22:37.987Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a2c14d228ab4c19027b9710ec72407c08e000341f1ca531fa0bb37eba119c4c1","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-998","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-996",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]