"Third Master, don't..."
Before Duan Chen could finish speaking, he suddenly found his body unable to move, and even his tongue wasn't obeying him.
"You kid, you've been unlucky with women lately. They paid so much, so I'll give you an anesthetic this time."
With a swift movement, blade light and sword shadows flashed.
Duan Chen fearfully felt the blade descend, roaming his body, slicing through his skin, muscle... like cutting tofu. He felt no pain, but his heart was in his mouth.
"Damn it, I'm not sick!"
Fortunately, Duan Chen knew that Master Ge San was a senior agent of the Spirit Hunter Guild, and they were old acquaintances. It wasn't like an insider would harm an insider, but the feeling of lying there at someone else's mercy was terrible.
Master Ge San paid him no mind, his scalpel enveloped in pale blue spiritual energy, his movements fluid, creating a bizarre scene.
"You've gotten much stronger since I last saw you. It seems you haven't been slacking off and have been cultivating properly."
"The last time I saw you was during the guild assessment, right? I was your examiner."
"I remember you were just a young kid starting university back then. With your drive and rare S-class pupil technique, you left a deep impression on several of us examiners."
"Especially Old Zhang. Haha, his fondness for you was evident to everyone. He practically treated you like his own son."
"By the way, how is Old Zhang doing recently? It's been a while since we went for tea and listened to music."
Master Ge San spoke to himself. Duan Chen wanted to speak now, but his tongue was completely numb. He could only stare at Master Ge San, expressing his protest with his eyes.
"Oh, haha, I forgot you were fully anesthetized."
The three cuts finished, Master Ge San put away his instruments. He seemed quite exhausted and let out a heavy sigh.
"Impurities settle in the kidneys, which store the essence of marrow. All meridians lead to the eyes... Your ability is a pupil technique; you must protect your eyes even more."
"I've unblocked your meridians and reorganized your muscle tissue, directing spiritual energy to your five viscera. Your self-healing ability will now increase by at least twofold."
Joy flickered in Duan Chen's eyes.
After being wheeled back to the ward, Duan Chen slept for a long time under the effect of the anesthesia, his tired body and mind finally finding temporary relief.
The school incident had escalated, and new directives were issued from above.
The order was to implement a "Mirror Ban" throughout Sucheng. All mirrors, whether private or public, with a diameter greater than 10cm were to be destroyed.
For mirrors smaller than 10cm, there must be more than two people present when they are used. If any abnormality is detected in the mirror surface, the Spirit Hunter Guild must be notified immediately.
Furthermore, anyone who has lost their memory, regardless of the reason, is to be taken away and placed under centralized management.
The rate of amnesia in Sucheng was finally under control, and Duan Chen could finally rest for a few days with peace of mind.
These past few days, he couldn't stop recalling the words the Nightmares had spoken to him that day.
Perhaps it was due to his contact with the Nightmares, but whenever he fell asleep these days, Duan Chen would dream of a dark, eerie door.
The door was always shut tight, and Duan Chen couldn't get close to it, nor could he see it clearly.
Accepting the power of the Nightmare could reveal the truth about his parents he'd been searching for for over a decade and help him recover his lost memories.
This was incredibly tempting for him.
But accepting the Nightmare's power would most likely turn him into a monster like Teacher Liu, slaughtering civilians and bringing chaos to the world.
This was something he would never do.
In contrast, Wu Suowei's white chess piece, he and the Nightmare were likely at absolute odds.
What benefits would becoming a divine envoy bring? It was a pity that Wu Suowei only spoke half of what he meant.
Knock, knock, knock—
A crisp knocking sound echoed.
Duan Chen looked at the door. A beautiful nurse smiled and pushed it open, "Someone's here to see you~"
Whoosh!
A large group of students poked their heads out from behind the nurse and excitedly rushed into the ward.
They had come specifically to visit Duan Chen and had brought him many good things.
"Agent, this is a special grade cigarette my dad brought back from Yuncheng, very rare!"
"Agent, this is the top-grade bird's nest my mom asked me to bring you, she said it's great for recovery!"
"Agent, this is my sister's WeChat. She's 20 years old, 166cm tall, weighs 46kg, and her measurements are 85, 58, 86. She's very pretty. Look at the photo, it's unedited. She wants to go on a date with you!"
"Agent..."
The students enthusiastically piled the gifts onto the entire hospital bed.
You are all too kind (thoughtful).
Duan Chen waved his hands with a smile, "Take it all back. Public officials accepting bribes are subject to prosecution."
"It's not bribery, it's all gifts for brother." Mi Xue'er smiled sweetly. Today, she was wearing that pearl necklace, looking youthful and beautiful.
"Then take it back immediately." Duan Chen waved his hand.
Mi Xue'er said earnestly, "The classmates are here to thank you for saving their lives, and second, they all want to apprentice under you and learn the art of spirit hunting. Brother Duan Chen, please accept it."
"Yes, Agent Brother, our teacher is missing, and the school can't resume classes for now. Let us cultivate with you! I also want to take the Spirit Hunter Guild exam!"
"That's right, that's right! We can endure hardship!" The students chattered.
Duan Chen noticed that only Qin Ze stood on the periphery, saying nothing.
"Classmates, I appreciate your sentiments, but please take your gifts back."
"Spirit Hunters are not for everyone. You need to be someone who can awaken spiritual power. Moreover, the country needs talent in all aspects. You don't need to tread this thorny path."
"Wuwu..."
The students lowered their heads in disappointment, seemingly unwilling to give up.
Mi Xue'er, sensing Duan Chen's thoughts, her eyes rolled. "Okay, everyone's good intentions have been received by Brother Duan Chen, but he's such a capable agent, how could he easily accept disciples? Besides, he's still sick. Don't worry everyone, we'll think of another way."
"Xue'er is right. Then Agent Brother, please rest well. We'll visit again another day."
Led by Mi Xue'er, the students understandingly took their leave.
"Hey! Take your things!" Duan Chen shouted from behind.
"Run!"
Someone shouted, and everyone giggled and bolted, disappearing in an instant.
"..."
Duan Chen looked at the bed full of 'comfort items' and felt his head start to ache.
In the ward, only the boy who had stood on the periphery without a word remained standing in place.
"Aren't you leaving?" Duan Chen sized up the boy.
He was the only awakened one among this group of classmates.
Qin Ze's eyes were clear, his appearance outstanding, possessing a clean youthful aura. A black stud in his right ear, however, hinted at a touch of rebellion.
He hesitated for a moment and then showed a bronze coin in his hand.
This was an unusual coin. The front was engraved with a single character, "Yes," and the back with a single character, "No," written in ancient runes.
Duan Chen keenly noticed that faint spiritual energy enveloped the coin, though it was very weak. It was clear that Qin Ze's ability was related to this coin.
Then, he tossed the coin high into the air—
Clink!
The coin landed on the back of Qin Ze's hand, which was covered by his other hand.
"Great God, with your power, can you tell which side is facing up?" Qin Ze's eyes held a hint of provocation and a test.