Chapter 32 - 31 - Nightmare

"Wende... Wende..." In the hotel room, Wende lay on the bed, his brow tightly furrowed as if caught in a terrible dream. "Wende... you must remember, falling to the Mara... is the fate of all long-life species..." Gazing at his "Master" on the bed, who had already begun his transformation, "Wende's" eyes filled with tears. "Silly boy... you must train your body well. You're as skinny as a beanpole now, how will you get by in this star system? Cough, cough..." The Master, already showing signs of transformation, suddenly broke into a fit of coughing. The still-young "Wende" wanted to step forward to apply his needles, but the old man stopped him with a wave of his hand. "It's useless... your half-baked skills can't stop this cancer from the Pharmacist. Besides, if acupuncture truly worked on one who is Mara-Struck, this old man wouldn't have reached... this state..." "Master... Master!" Seeing yellow motes of light suddenly appear on his "Master's" body, drifting from him like pollen, "Wende" panicked and cried out to the old man before him. "Boy! Remember! Do not believe in the Pharmacist! Do not believe in long life! It will only bring you eternal torment! AHHHHHH!!!" The transformation on his "Master's" body suddenly worsened. Branches, teeming with the power of "Abundance," sprouted relentlessly from his body. The Master's voice grew more and more pained, until finally, he lost his voice in a great roar. "Master..." "Wende, boy! Quickly! I'm losing control!! Use what I taught you... AHHHHH!!!" The rampant branches grew wildly over his "Master's" body. The immense physical and spiritual agony sent the "Master" into convulsions on the floor. When he lifted his head to look at Wende again, his eyes held nothing but frenzy and killing intent. "AHHHHHHHHH!!!" The monster that resembled his "Master" roared and charged at "Wende." "Master... may you... rest in peace..." A flash of lightning sparked in "Wende's" hand, and in the next instant, a lightning needle appeared between his "Master's" brows. Thud... A final moment of clarity flashed in his "Master's" eyes. In them, "Wende" saw release... "We treat the sick, we save people. If any damn fool comes asking you how to extend their years, how to live forever, you knock them out with electricity. Got it?" The white-haired "Master" earnestly instructed a much younger "Wende." "Master, why not let them live forever? Isn't living a long life a good thing?" the young "Wende" asked, a look of bewilderment on his face. "Aiya, you really are a silly child!" The Master gave him a look of exasperation, rapping "Wende" on the head. "Sigh, forget it. You're still young. Some things can't be judged by their surface. Some things are good, but there is bad within the good. And bad things are not necessarily all bad; there can be good within the bad." Seeing Wende's utterly confused expression, the Master shook his head. "Forget it. What damn good is it telling a little brat like you all this? Get back to memorizing your medical texts. If you do well, Master will reward you with some food from our homeland. If you do poorly, I'll treat you to some bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork!" Watching "Wende" run back to his little hut, clutching his head, a trace of loneliness flashed in the "Master's" eyes. "Silly boy... you'll understand about long life one day. As for me..." The "Master" gave a bitter smile as he looked at the wooden sprout in his palm. He didn't have many years left... "Wende..." "Master! I'm here..." "Wende" knelt on the ground, listening to his Master's final "admonition." "Boy... long life is a punishment, even for you... Remember, don't let... don't..." "Master... Master!!" Wende knelt on the ground, watching as the last glint of light faded from those cloudy eyes... which for a long, long time, would not close... "Master... Master... MASTER!!" Wende's eyes flew open. He slowly sat up in bed, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath. The sheets beneath him were soaked with sweat. "Was that... a dream?" "Am I... Wende?" Wende jabbed lightning needles into the Jing-well points on his five fingers. Dark red blood trickled from his fingertips, the sharp pain instantly clearing his chaotic mind. BANG! Dan Heng, spear in hand, immediately burst through the door. Seeing Wende sitting on the bed with his hands covered in blood, he hurried to his side. "What happened? Did that person attack you?" Wende waved a weak hand. "I... I'm fine. It was just a nightmare." Wende explained, his face pale. But that nightmare... why did it feel so real? "I see..." Hearing Wende's explanation, Dan Heng was visibly relieved. He had heard Wende's cry from the next room and had then sensed a familiar aura. Except... the moment he entered, that familiar aura had vanished without a trace. "As long as you're alright. I'll head back then." "Mm, good night." Watching Dan Heng leave, Wende once again sank into deep thought. The dream was so real that, for a moment, he couldn't distinguish his own identity... Was he "Wende," the transmigrator, or was he "Wende," the direct disciple of the Xianzhou physician? The feeling was as if he had experienced it all himself—watching the person closest to him fall to the Mara, while he could only choose to grant him "release"... This sense of powerlessness made it hard for Wende to breathe. What was even more suffocating for Wende were his chaotic "memories"... His mind was now filled with many new fragments of living and studying with his "Master." He knew his "Master" loved soup the most, that his favorite dish was White Cut Chicken... Heh, that old man also used to hit his bottom with a bamboo stick... "Could this be... the influence of the Light Cone, or is it..." Wende didn't dare to think any further. If it was just the influence of the Light Cone, he could still blame it on the system. But if it wasn't... "Forget it. I won't think about it. There's a lot to do tomorrow. I'll just treat it as a nightmare..." Getting up, he went to the owner to ask for a new set of sheets. Under the owner's somewhat peculiar expression, Wende carried the bedding back to his room. The door to March 7th and Stelle's room was shut tight. They were probably sleeping soundly. Dan Heng's door was also closed, but a faint light could still be seen through the crack at the bottom. After glancing at March and Stelle's room, Wende turned and went back to his own. Spreading the clean sheets on the bed, Wende lay awake for the rest of the night...