Chapter 14: A Mirage?

Pathological fractures are a common symptom among bone cancer patients.

The destruction of bone tissue by cancer cells makes the bones soft and brittle, prone to breaking.

It was only a matter of time before this happened to Chen Huai’an.

Pain had become so constant for him that it felt almost numb now. The physical torment was still bearable; the emotional pain hardly registered anymore.

Nothing could compare to the grief of watching his parents perish in a fire years ago.

So, amidst the concerned glances and murmured questions of nearby tourists, Chen Huai’an calmly adjusted his camera and said to Zhang Rui, who was helping him up, “Bro, do me a favor—open my backpack.”

“Dude, forget the backpack! Call an ambulance already! Your leg’s broken!” Zhang Rui was dumbfounded by how detached Chen Huai’an seemed, as though the twisted leg weren’t even his.

“Call all you want; the ambulance can’t drive up here. Just open my bag—I’ve got my own plan.”

From it, Chen Huai’an pulled out a folded crutch.

Zhang Rui: “...”

The tourists: “???”

Wait a minute, bro—is this your big plan? They’d expected at least some painkillers, maybe something miraculous, not... this.

“Alright, let’s keep going!” Chen Huai’an expertly unfolded the crutch and supported himself.

Bone cancer patients were prone to fractures, so he’d gotten used to walking with a crutch beforehand to avoid being caught off guard when it finally happened.

And now it had.

In a way, it felt like kissing fate on the lips.

In the livestream, viewers were silently liking and sending gifts. Some begged him to head back down, while others, having abandoned their doubts about his illness, focused only on whether this relentless man could complete his journey.

That bent leg symbolized the oppression of fate and the mockery of death, while the crutch in his hand was a bold middle finger to both.

He wasn’t just climbing to the top; he was defying fate, even with his broken leg.

The tourists watched in awe as he struggled upward. In their hearts, they believed this young man must have an extraordinary purpose.

“Let’s go! Just a few more steps to the 90,000 yuan sponsorship! I’m gonna draw 1,000 spins from the Fortune Carp Pool!” Chen Huai’an gritted his teeth, his face contorted with pain as he eyed the diminishing steps. “Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill! Hahaha! A mere Heaven-Mending Pill!!”

To the tourists, his grimace only deepened their respect.

Finally, atop Mount Tais, Chen Huai’an’s trembling leg landed on the last step.

A faint beam of light pierced through the thick clouds and stretched across the dim horizon, brushing against his head.

Flocks of birds flew through the golden rays, and distant bells echoed among the mountains.

In the next moment, the sun burst forth from the horizon, its light spilling across the sky and illuminating the world.

Chen Huai’an stared, his heart trembling, and the tourists around him fell silent, captivated by the sight of the golden-lit peaks.

Suddenly—

“Bow—!!”

A resonant cry rang out from nowhere.

The sunlight began to ripple as if the sky itself were water disturbed by a stone.

In the shimmering waves of light, a procession of ancient ceremonial figures appeared.

At the forefront stood a majestic figure dressed in a black dragon robe, with a jade crown and a sword at his side. Behind him followed civil officials holding jade tablets, military officers in dark armor, and attendants carrying ceremonial items. Ṟ?Ꞑ?฿Ès

They walked on clouds, the ground beneath them appearing as paved tiles, as they ascended toward the peak of Mount Tais.

“What the hell is that?”

“A mirage?”

“Is this a movie set?”

The tourists were dumbstruck, their curiosity allowing for brief discussion. But in the next moment, the procession leaped across miles and appeared directly before them.

Silence fell. The oppressive atmosphere rendered everyone motionless, their voices stilled by an invisible force.

Chen Huai’an stood frozen, watching as the emperor strode toward him.

He couldn’t see the man’s face clearly; his eyes felt veiled by an inexplicable blur.

The procession passed through the crowd like smoke and mist, untouchable and ethereal, as if it belonged to another realm.

Chen Huai’an assumed it was a vision from another time, a scene untouched by the present.

Until the emperor paused before him.

Just as the figure was about to pass through him, the emperor slightly inclined his head, lowering his gaze to meet Chen Huai’an’s.

Golden vertical pupils locked onto his, piercing and full of scrutiny.

Chen Huai’an’s scalp tingled. He swore the emperor was looking directly at him—not a coincidence, but a deliberate gaze.

In that moment, he could feel the weight of judgment in the emperor’s eyes.

And then, as quickly as it began, the moment ended.

The emperor passed through him, and the entire procession faded into the mist at the mountain’s peak.

The “mirage” atop Mount Tais became an internet sensation, shooting to the top of trending topics.

Experts speculated that it was the ceremonial procession of the First Emperor of Qin during his ritual ascension at Mount Tais.

Why such a distant historical event would manifest in the present was unclear. While experts insisted on a scientific explanation, they hadn’t yet concocted one.

Chen Huai’an wasn’t bothered by the online frenzy, nor was he concerned about the emperor’s gaze. As a steadfast materialist, if someone told him his house had a ghost, his response would be to head to the store and buy a box of Okamoto 001 condoms—not for anything else, just to support biodiversity.

Meanwhile, the Level 57 viewer kept his word. Sixty-six "Drum and Gong City" gifts arrived, totaling nearly 95,000 yuan after platform cuts. The viewer even thanked Chen Huai’an for the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, promising to support his future endeavors.

Chen Huai’an couldn’t be happier. He loved this kind of genuine fan.

The livestream ended as his phone battery died. After a quick goodbye, he prepared to descend the mountain.

“Bro, how are you planning to get down? Cable car or sedan chair?” Zhang Rui asked, utterly impressed by Chen Huai’an.

“Cable car, of course,” Chen Huai’an replied. It was faster and cheaper, leaving him more time to recharge and check in on his virtual girlfriend.

With 120,000 yuan in the bank, Chen Huai’an considered his options. Was it worth throwing money at treatments like chemotherapy, with a low survival rate even after amputation? Or should he simply enjoy the time he had left?

As he pondered, Zhang Rui and the others helped him to the crowded cable car station.

Just as Chen Huai’an was about to board, his talisman’s string inexplicably snapped, and it fell to the ground.

Bending down to pick it up, he moved slowly, prompting irritated, insulting remarks from the tattooed men already in the cable car.

Suddenly—

Boom!

The ground beneath Mount Tais shook violently.

Chen Huai’an lost his balance, tumbling down to the ticket hall as chaos erupted.

“Look out!”

Screams echoed as debris rained down, accompanied by the shattering of glass and the earth-shaking sound of falling rocks.

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