Techniques and Dao

Chapter 95 Reality
The two people outside turned around when they heard the shout. The little boy saw Hua Sheng's appearance and hid behind Brother Xu and Sister-in-law Xu, peeking out with one eye.

Dr. Yu Ran glanced outside the door and said, "Oh! They are mother and son. The mother has a recessive gene for congenital mental illness in her family, and the probability of her developing the disease is very high. The previous generation did not develop the disease, but unfortunately, it started in the mother's generation. She dug up centipedes from somewhere at home and kept them there, saying she was raising 'gu' (a type of poisonous insect). She said that if she were hospitalized, she would use these poisonous insects to poison everyone in the hospital. So she was sent here for conservative treatment. She stays in the hospital for a period of time, and when she doesn't have an attack, she goes home and controls it with medication."

At this moment, Hua Sheng saw Officer Zhang Yongren, who then went over and started talking to the mother and child. Dr. Yu Ran said, "That's the child's father."

Hua Sheng remained silent.

“What a pitiful family,” the nurse said. “They used to have a daughter who was very beautiful.”

"daughter?"

"Yes, that little boy's name is Zhang Daoling, and he has an older sister named Zhang Weiyu. Weiyu, I didn't expect her to fall ill so early; she was sent here when she was only sixteen."

Upon hearing Zhang Weiyu's name, Hua Sheng quickly asked, "Do I know that Weiyu?"

"We know each other. You two are very close. You always say you're the reincarnation of Sun Wukong, while she says she's traveled back from the future. Although your topics are all very whimsical, her mental state is very stable whenever you're around. She might not even have an attack for a month, just quietly listening to your stories."

At this point, the nurse wiped her eyes and said, "The sight of you two sitting on the grass chatting filled us with hope, and we always believed that you would recover."

"Wei Yu, where is she now? I want to see her..."

The doctors and nurses remained silent.

"How is she now?" Hua Sheng pressed.

The nurse said, "At that time, Wei Yu's condition had stabilized and the tests showed no problems, so her family wanted to take her home to stay for a while. As a result, they were a little careless at home, and the child jumped off the balcony."

"We all cried when we heard the news. He was just a child. The night he jumped was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and his family was cooking glutinous rice balls," the nurse said regretfully.

The nurse opened the desk drawer and took out a photograph.

Hua Sheng's eyes stung with tears.

The photo shows Wei Yu, wearing a pure white wedding dress, her young face filled with a shy, innocent smile. Wei Yu stands under the night sky, with several sky lanterns rising behind her, and holds a cake covered with birthday candles in her hands.

She was a shy and beautiful girl, beyond compare. It was also a moment that made the young man's heart flutter and become intoxicated.

"A few days before leaving the hospital, it was your birthday. That day, Weiyu pestered her family to borrow a wedding dress. She had heard that the most beautiful moment in a girl's life is when she wears a wedding dress. Although she didn't understand the meaning of marriage, she wanted to show you her most beautiful side. The dress she chose was a design that was expected to carry the weight of eternity and time. The designer gave this wedding dress a poetic name, 'Year Star Dress'."

"In preparation for that day, Weiyu secretly made many paper lanterns in the hospital room, hiding each one under the bed and covering them with a sheet so no one would find them. On your birthday, she asked us to move these lanterns to the rooftop and then called you up to surprise you. That night, the two of you released the lanterns together on the rooftop. This photo was taken for Weiyu that night before you came. She said that truly living doesn't require too much time. The meaning of a lifetime can sometimes be worthwhile with just a short moment."

Hanamoto clutched the photo tightly; on the back of the photo were a few neatly written characters:

"Remember it, for it has never come. Forget it, for it has never gone."

There is no such thing as forever in this world; only by turning a moment into eternity can one possess true eternity.

Dr. Yu Ran stepped forward and patted Hua Sheng's shoulder: "You're a good child, you just sometimes can't distinguish between fantasy and reality. You'll get used to it slowly, and all of this will pass."

Hua Sheng suddenly remembered something and looked up, saying, "Oh right, Mie Ying, she..."

"You mean Miss Mie?"

"She's here too?"

"Yes, she is also a patient and lives here."

"Like me, someone who is born with a vivid imagination?"

“Mieying is different from you. She has been through some things…”

"what's up?"

"Let's talk about it when you're feeling better," Dr. Yu Ran said, clearly not wanting to continue the discussion.

Hua Sheng's expression was blank as she asked, "Immortal Master... no, Doctor Yu Ran, when did I start getting sick? I'm afraid I'll never be able to distinguish between what's real and what's fake."

Dr. Yu Ran said, "We visited the orphanage where you grew up. The counselor said that you have a rather withdrawn and introverted personality, so you often talk to yourself. Sometimes you lock yourself in your room and talk to yourself all day long."

"And then you were sent here?"

"At first, everyone thought it was nothing, and it's only natural for children to like immersing themselves in their own world. But as they got older, they still couldn't distinguish between fantasy and reality. They would often run to Starbucks and say they wanted to concoct some kind of magic pill, only to be brought back by the police. Another time, they even sneaked onto the subway tracks, but luckily they were spotted by a security camera and rescued from the subway by staff in time, which caused the subway line to be shut down for more than two hours. Another time, they even stood on the edge of the rooftop of a building, but were later rescued by security guards, and that's how they ended up here."

Hanamori vaguely remembered what was said; he remembered these places clearly, and the ideas in his mind weren't entirely without merit. Once the brain deceives you, you have no way to resist. "I see. Can I see what else is in my drawer?"

“Of course.” Master Yu Ran opened the writing desk next to Hua Sheng’s sickbed. Inside, besides the manuscript paper he had seen before, there were some other items placed underneath.

I have a pair of Sony noise-canceling headphones and a music player.

The nurse said, "This is a gift we gave you for your birthday. It's because you really like listening to pop songs, and you especially like two idol groups. One is a boy group called 'BRAVE,' and the other is a girl group called 'HOPE.'"

Hua Sheng put on his headphones and browsed the music player. The first track displayed on the screen was called "Universal War Song." He clicked on the song, and a familiar melody came through his headphones. It sounded like he was hearing it for the first time, yet it also seemed like he had heard it hundreds of times.

Hua Sheng continued to rummage through the other drawers, which contained books on Taoism, Buddhism, and quantum mechanics. Looking at these things, he gradually began to understand.

All of the present is a continuation of the past.

Everything in his dream was a reflection of the real world. Those familiar faces were simply people and events he had encountered before. Just as in a multi-dimensional space, others' feelings about the same things are completely different from his.

He turned the real world into a peaceful paradise.

"I understand." Hua Sheng was completely exhausted, without the slightest bit of strength.

The anesthetic injected into the shattered femur gradually wore off, and intense pain surged through him. The pain was so real; Hanako suddenly realized she hadn't felt such real pain in a long time. Perhaps it was because everything before had been an illusion.

Hanamori took off her headphones and said, "I want to rest for a while."

"It's good that you're awake." Dr. Yu Ran gently squeezed Hua Sheng's hand. "We believe you will get better. Remember, don't believe in magic or fairylands anymore. Remember this is a hospital, and the doctors and nurses care about your health and hope you recover soon. Never give up on yourself."

"Ah."

When the three doctors left the ward, they left Hanamoto a few pills and made a note on his medication record sheet. The note read: "Name: Hanamoto. Gender: Male. Age: 17. Bed number: 991248."

After taking a few pills, Hua Sheng felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. He was too weak to think about anything anymore. He grabbed a pen from the table and fiercely wrote a few words on his arm:

Never believe in gods!

The sharp pen tip cut his skin deeply, and blood stained his sleeves.

Time passed day by day. Under the meticulous care of the doctors and nurses, Hua Sheng's health slowly recovered. He insisted on getting up at five o'clock every morning and going to bed at eight-thirty at night. During the day, the nurses would push him downstairs for a walk. After his foot injury healed, Dr. Yu Ran brought him a pair of crutches, which he often used to help him get out of bed and walk a few steps.

He discovered that while the real world is imperfect, it also has its charms.

All of this was becoming more and more satisfying and perfect for him.

However, he hadn't forgotten Mie Ying. Since Mie Ying had called out his name before, they must know each other.

During one of his walks, as he passed a hospital room with his cane, he saw Mieying sitting alone on the bed, lost in thought. Mieying's hair had changed, turning a dark red. She held two glass marbles in her hand, and sunlight streamed in from the window, making the marbles sparkle, as if she were holding two beams of light in her hand.

The sharp look in Mieying's eyes was gone, replaced by blankness. She stared blankly at the sky outside the window, her eyes unblinking. It was as if she were soaring in that blue sky, like a carefree little bird.

"Shadowbreaker? Are you Shadowbreaker?" Hua Sheng slowly walked in.

When Mieying saw him, he called out, "Hua Sheng? Hua Sheng! Where have you been?"

“I’ve always been here.”

"I haven't seen you in a long time. I thought you had left." Mieying's eyes revealed joy.

"I think I won't be leaving for a very long time."

"That's great." Mieying smiled, his face blooming like a breathtaking flower. "My seventh sister misses you very much."

"Seventh Sister?"

“You don’t recognize her? She’s got a temper, she’ll get angry. I’ll talk to her later, let’s see what you do then,” said Mie Ying, the man with dark red hair.

“You are sisters, what I mean is…” Hua Sheng was somewhat cautious.

Mieying said, "You forgot, there are nine of us sisters in total."

(End of this chapter)