Chapter 3

"Since you haven't lied, that's good." The old man nodded in satisfaction and withdrew his gaze from Lin Yang's eyes.

Lin Yang felt both puzzled and curious about how the old man could determine whether he was lying: Could he really tell if I was lying just by staring at my eyes for a while? That seems a bit too simplistic, doesn't it?

"I don't like owing people favors. Since you've helped me get through this crisis, I should give you something in return."

As he spoke, the old man raised his right hand, and a small porcelain bottle, no bigger than a thumb but as clear and lustrous as white jade, appeared before Lin Yang.

"I haven't been in good shape lately and don't have much to offer. But this bottle of Yuan Tai Dan is still decent. I'll give it to you to settle this favor. Although there are only two pills in the bottle, it's enough for an ordinary person. Taking one can strengthen the body, and taking both can extend life. Whether you use it yourself or give it as a gift, it's excellent..."

Lin Yang almost burst out laughing, thinking to himself: "Has this old man been watching too many TV shopping ads? Why does he sound like he's reciting an advertisement? Strengthen the body, extend life, and why not add 'just 998, take it home for 998'?"

Seeing the old man hand him the small bottle, Lin Yang hurriedly waved his hands to decline: "Sir, I appreciate your kindness, but I have no interest in this medicine. Besides, I never thought about repaying you. You should quickly give me the contact information of your family and friends so I can inform them."

"Family and friends?" A hint of sorrow flashed in the old man's eyes, but his tone remained calm: "They're all dead. And they've been completely obliterated from this world..."

"This..." Lin Yang was stunned, not knowing what to say, and finally managed to utter the unhelpful "Please take care."

The old man clearly didn't want to continue this topic, sighed lightly, and said: "These things are in the past, let's not talk about them anymore. Let's discuss how you can repay me."

One party insisted on giving a reward, while the other refused to accept it.

Both were stubborn, and they ended up in a standoff in the ICU...

Seeing the deadlock, the old man frowned.

At that moment, his peripheral vision caught the book "Clinical and Basic Research on Coma Patients" on the bedside cabinet. Out of curiosity or to make conversation, he suddenly asked: "Why are you reading such a dry professional book? Are you interested in coma patients?"

Lin Yang hadn't expected such a question and was taken aback before answering: "My girlfriend became a coma patient in an accident. Despite seeking medical help from various sources, we couldn't wake her up. I came to Huaxi University Medical School in Jin Guan Cheng to find a way to wake her up..."

After listening to Lin Yang's story, the old man sighed: "I didn't expect you to be such a loyal and righteous person. Good, very good. Unfortunately, my cultivation is severely damaged, and I can't perform high-level techniques like the Soul Awakening Spell. Otherwise, I could help wake up your girlfriend..."

Soul Awakening Spell?

High-level technique?

What is this all about?

Lin Yang, who was initially a bit sad, suddenly felt a mix of laughter and tears, and couldn't help but wonder: "Is this old man superstitious, or has his brain been damaged by his injuries?"

The old man didn't pay attention to what Lin Yang was thinking. After a brief silence and hesitation, he made a decision.

"The path I cultivate emphasizes 'destiny.' Our meeting is a matter of destiny, and helping me avoid this crisis is even more so. Since that's the case, I'll help you once to settle this destiny. I have a cultivation technique called 'Leisure Cloud Technique.' Although it's not top-notch, it's balanced and unlikely to cause problems. If you're willing to put in the effort, you can reach the Qi Listening Stage and then learn the Soul Awakening Spell. Once you master it, you can wake up your girlfriend."

Lin Yang was speechless.

It's over, this old man's brain must have been affected by his injuries. Otherwise, how could he say such nonsense? Does he really think he's a character from a mythological novel? No, I need to call the attending doctor to check his brain.

Lin Yang couldn't sit still anymore and got up to walk out of the ICU.

"What, don't you believe what I said?" Seeing Lin Yang's reaction, the old man immediately guessed what he was thinking. Without explaining, he removed the bandages wrapped around his body and asked: "Haven't you noticed any differences between me today and last night?"

Differences?

Lin Yang was initially stunned, then his gaze fell on the skin exposed after the old man removed the bandages, and his expression changed: "The wounds... your wounds are gone! How... how is that possible?"

Last night, the old man was covered in wounds and on the brink of death. But after just one night, all his wounds had disappeared, and even the scars left by the emergency room doctors' stitches were gone.

Seeing this bizarre and abnormal scene, Lin Yang couldn't help but doubt whether what he saw last night was real.

If it was real, how could the old man's wounds, which were deep to the bone, heal completely without leaving a single scar in just one night?

But if it was fake, it couldn't be that he and the doctors and nurses in the hospital all had hallucinations last night, could it?

Seeing the shock on Lin Yang's face, the old man smiled.

After removing all the bandages, he said: "As you can see, my wounds have healed. Would this happen to an ordinary person?"

"No," Lin Yang shook his head.

If an ordinary person had been as severely injured as the old man last night, they would still be unconscious and in critical condition.

Some of the old man's wounds last night were deep to the bone. Such severe injuries would take months to heal, let alone heal completely without a single scar in just one night.

This was truly unbelievable and hard to accept.

Lin Yang looked at the old man with astonishment, though he didn't speak, his eyes revealed his doubts.

"Actually, I am not an ordinary person."

As he spoke, the old man slowly raised his right hand.

Lin Yang immediately felt an overwhelming force surge toward him, making him lose his balance and step back several times, eventually sitting back down on the chair.

At the same time, a pale blue flame appeared above the old man's right hand.

The pale blue flame floated and rotated, emitting a faint glow, beautiful beyond this world.

Surprisingly, the flame didn't emit any heat but instead made the surrounding temperature drop sharply.

The bone-chilling cold made Lin Yang shiver.

"I am a cultivator... a soul cultivator!" The old man's voice echoed softly.

The atmosphere in the ICU became eerie...

The sudden change completely stunned Lin Yang.

It took him about four or five minutes to recover. His first reaction was to pinch his thigh hard.

It hurt, really hurt.

It seemed that everything he was seeing was real, not an illusion or a dream.

But this was too bizarre, too fantastical.

Although the old man clearly saw Lin Yang's reactions, his expression didn't change much. He said calmly: "Now, do you believe what I said?"

"Believe, believe." Lin Yang nodded vigorously.

Although the events of today were far beyond the realm of common sense and not at all scientific, they were all real, and Lin Yang couldn't deny it.

"Very good." The old man nodded in satisfaction and then closed his right hand.

The pale blue flame floating above his palm immediately disappeared.

The temperature in the ICU returned to normal.

Lin Yang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he was brave, he felt a bit tense in that atmosphere.

The old man asked again: "Now, are you willing to learn the Leisure Cloud Technique and the Soul Awakening Spell?"

"Willing!"

This time, Lin Yang answered without hesitation.

He was afraid that if he hesitated, the mysterious old man would change his mind.

Since last night, everything that had happened to the old man could be described as bizarre and fantastical. Now, Lin Yang believed about 70-80% that the old man was a cultivator. Given this, he couldn't miss the opportunity to wake up his girlfriend, Sun Xiaoyun.

For Lin Yang, who had been searching for a way to wake up Sun Xiaoyun without success, any possible method was worth trying, even if it sounded unscientific and unreliable...

"There are some things I need to make clear to you. My cultivation path is that of a soul cultivator. The Leisure Cloud Technique is also a soul cultivation technique. Therefore, it will bring you some unprecedented troubles..." The old man deliberately paused, observed Lin Yang's expression, and then smiled: "For example, seeing ghosts..."

"Seeing ghosts?" Lin Yang was very surprised: "Are there really ghosts in this world?"

The old man laughed: "Of course, but under normal circumstances, ordinary people can't see them."

After a brief moment of surprise, Lin Yang made his decision: "Even if I really see ghosts, I still want to learn. Please teach me, sir!"