Chapter 286

Page Ninety-Six

A Sudden Turn for the Worse

[21:40]

Thanks to the Spatial Jewel, we managed to reach the hospital before 10 PM—just before visiting hours ended.

We didn’t go to the VIP ward; instead, we went straight to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) guided by Cherry Sauce… This was the third time Grandma had entered this place, and in some sense, it already seemed ominous.

But no one had the courage to say that out loud.

My mother and the Old Lady came with me. When we arrived at the ICU door, Brother Zhú was already sitting face-to-face with Aunt Zhēn outside the room. Fēi Jiě was there too; she nodded silently at me.

Flower Knot Lady, Little Sister Jīng, and Lǐn Huā should all be inside with Grandma.

“Aunt Zhēn, Principal… How is Grandma doing now?”

Aunt Zhēn shook her head without answering.

She only said, “Little Kǎi, hurry inside. Your mom is still conscious.”

My heart sank. Those words sounded so grim.

The hospital lights were bright, but the atmosphere in the corridor remained heavy, as if shrouded in a gray cloud.

Principal’s physical condition must have reached its final moments.

“Is it really come to this?”

Even though she was my blood-related grandmother, I felt guilty for not visiting her during this time.

This elderly lady, whom I had met only a few times, was no longer the authoritarian figure I once perceived.

“Follow me…”

The nurse who led us into the ICU was the same stern-looking nurse we had seen twice before. Her face looked even worse than before; her hair was tied up on top of her head, and dark circles under her glasses suggested exhaustion. A cooling patch was stuck on her forehead.

They brought us to Grandma’s bed.

“You have ten minutes… at most fifteen. Everyone must leave then. Generally, it’s not allowed for so many people to visit at once… And if Grandma shows any negative reaction, call me immediately… Lastly, keep quiet; there are other critical patients here.”

With those instructions, the nurse rubbed her temples and left.

I looked at the bed.

Several intravenous tubes were inserted into her arm, electrodes covered her chest to monitor her vital signs, and a catheter was inserted into her lower body. An oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth. The most painful part was that despite kidney failure, her mind remained clear.

There was nothing more terrifying than facing death while fully conscious.

“Kǎi-Chan, come closer.”

Lǐn Huā beckoned to me. My mother pushed me gently, and I stood beside her and the Old Lady, waiting a bit further away.

I stood behind Lǐn Huā and Little Sister Jīng. The little girl with a broad forehead removed her cap and quietly held Grandma’s aged hand.

“Jīng’ér, it’s time to leave. Say goodbye to Grandma.”

Flower Knot Lady patted Little Sister Jīng’s back.

“Grandma, goodbye…”

Though urged by her mother, Little Sister Jīng was reluctant to leave. At thirteen or fourteen years old, even though she hadn’t experienced life and death before, she understood what needed to be done.

She realized that this might be their last meeting.

“…Little Jīng, give others some time.”

Only when Flower Knot Lady urged her again did Little Sister Jīng reluctantly leave.

I squatted down next to the bed and held the elderly woman’s hand, feeling the rough creases left by time.

Her vision was impaired by illness, and she couldn’t recognize anyone. Her milky eyes focused on no particular direction.

“Grandma… um… I’m Cháng Kǎi.”

“Child, I’m sorry.”

Seeing the elderly woman struggle to speak, I couldn’t hold back my emotions. Tears blurred my vision, and my nose burned. I shook my head and said, “Grandma, you don’t need to apologize.”

Perhaps I should be the one apologizing, because I could change the situation. If I just wrote Grandma’s name in the notebook…

—”No such thoughts! The fallen gods serve as a warning. Death is humanity’s fate.”—

Cherry Sauce stopped me naturally.

Deities were granted power within the rules of Heaven’s Path, even if those rules were unclear. Changing the fate of someone on the brink of death was absolutely forbidden… It was such a helpless feeling.

To mortals, the gods who seemed untouchable were merely underlings of Heaven’s Path.

Shaking my throat, I felt self-pity. Lǐn Huā patted my back.

She whispered softly, “Kǎi-Chan, hold it together. Now isn’t the time to cry. Grandma can still recover.”

Wiping my lower eyelid, I nodded.

“Grandma, let’s talk about something happy… Actually, my mother has returned recently.”

I glanced at the Old Lady standing by the bed and continued, “She also wants to see you, but her condition isn’t optimistic. She’s still struggling with her own disappearance, and there’s no way for her to recognize you.”

I spoke slowly until Grandma nodded. Only then did I continue.

“Also, although we don’t know what Master intends to do, she hasn’t given up on you.”

Grandma shook her head this time.

“There’s no need to mention her… I have no expectations of her.”

Lǐn Huā also tried to persuade her, “Although Grandpa is irresponsible, he holds significant weight in her heart. Perhaps she still has a way…”

“You don’t need to say anymore, cough, cough.”

Grandma had completely lost hope in Master. No matter what her reasons were, she wouldn’t be forgiven.

Heavy footsteps approached.

Senior Sister Bìfāng, looking grave, walked briskly from the ICU entrance towards us.

“Lǐn Huā, how is Yuèhuá’s condition?”

Lǐn Huā took two steps back and replied softly, “She had dialysis this afternoon, which stabilized her somewhat. But it only delayed the progression of her condition. Mom is considering whether to perform a transplant surgery on Grandma. Uncle said he’s willing to donate a kidney.”

Brother Zhú was Grandma’s blood relative, and his kidney would likely have a low risk of rejection. If a transplant was necessary, he was the ideal candidate.

Senior Sister asked, “If Běihǎi’s kidney is used, what’s the success rate of the surgery?”

“The doctor says Grandma’s body isn’t suitable for major surgery. Not only does the procedure itself carry risks, but even if the transplant succeeds, her other organs are already aging, and she won’t have much time left.”

Performing this surgery would be a huge test for the doctors.

“Then let my team take over.”

Senior Sister’s decision surprised me.

She explained, “Our Research Institute has been studying medical techniques. My team includes specialized surgeons. Even without absolute certainty, our success rate is higher than that of doctors without magical knowledge… And this is also a commission from Cāng’ěr.”

“A commission from Master?”

“Yes, she hopes I find a way to save Yuèhuá.”

I thought back to the conversation between Senior Sister and Miss Kē Màn in the office earlier.

I looked at Grandma, who had closed her eyes. Senior Sister waited for a response.

“I know you’re listening, Yuèhuá. I hope you’ll entrust yourself to me. I’ll use every means possible to keep you alive.”

“Bìfāng, can I trust you?”

“Of course, I’ve been preparing for this moment.”

“Can I trust her?”

“Cāng’ěr… she has her own reasons.”

“Enough, I don’t want to hear her name.”

Senior Sister frowned slightly, her voice tinged with pain and sorrow. “Yuèhuá, our relationship shouldn’t have come to this.”

“Let me think about it.”

“…I’ll wait for your answer. Please respond soon. I’ll be ready for surgery at any moment.”

——————

[10:03]

After leaving the ICU, we didn’t leave directly.

At the door, Senior Sister was persuading Aunt Zhēn to let her handle Grandma’s surgery. Lǐn Huā and I sat side by side on the rest chairs.

A long silence.

“Kǎi-Chan, is there no technique to directly heal the kidneys?”

Lǐn Huā spoke up.

Knowing about Heavenly Punishment, she couldn’t bring herself to suggest turning Grandma back into a young girl.

But in the face of modern medicine’s limitations, she turned to mysterious magic… However, such convenient magic didn’t exist in this world.

—”Of course there is such a technique.”—

Really?

—”But it’s a technique used by the Healing God, so it has long been lost. Even if the technique exists, we wouldn’t be able to use it.”—

It’s pointless to talk about it!

But the inability to use it… was it because of divine authority?

—”Exactly, the power of the Goddess of Beautiful Girls doesn’t include healing. It only involves changing gender and bringing good luck.”—

As expected, after all, she’s a low-tier deity.

What’s the point of such a position existing anyway?

I conveyed Cherry Sauce’s explanation to Lǐn Huā, who lowered her eyebrows and leaned against me.

“It’s so cruel. Watching news makes you feel like you’re used to death, but seeing it up close is still hard to accept.”

I put my arm around her shoulders, comforting her. “It’s different when it’s family compared to strangers. But things aren’t at an impasse yet. Trust Senior Sister and her team. She will find a way to extend Grandma’s life.”

My words were overly confident, but given the circumstances, we could only believe in combining modern medicine with magic.

Seemingly having persuaded Aunt Zhēn, Senior Sister moved towards the Old Lady.

“Qiǎnxià, I need your help.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“I want you to help improve the medical technique. This concerns Yuèhuá’s life. I want to prepare thoroughly.”

“I’m willing, but I want to know what that coward hiding in the hole has been doing.”

Harsh words directed at Master Hālìlùyà, who wasn’t present.

Senior Sister took a deep breath and slowly revealed the hidden secret.

“We’ve been working hard for today’s situation for a long time. That’s one reason she taught me magical knowledge. Even the experiments conducted on Qiǎnxià were aimed at finding a way to keep Yuèhuá alive.”

…Becoming a deity extends life. Was the experiment to create a deity also meant to keep Grandma alive?

“After she taught you magic, did she just abandon everything?”

Senior Sister pinched the Old Lady’s slightly angry face.

“Of course not. Putting all your chips on one bet is too risky. While I prepared a treatment plan for Yuèhuá, Cāng’ěr was preparing her own trump card. If my plan failed…”

“…She planned to use her deity status again to defy the heavens?”