Chapter 4 : Chapter 4
Chapter 4 - The Reason Behind the Incident
"My Heaven-Gazing Profound Bird clan bears the heavy responsibility of overseeing ten thousand worlds. For generations, we have guarded the River of Time, which nurtures all living things in the world."
"Hundreds of years ago, a genius was born in the Demon Realm. This individual possessed extraordinary talent but was also ruthless and cold-blooded."
"In just a hundred years, he swept through the Demon Realm like a gale, ruling over it and becoming its undisputed overlord."
Lin Hua’s face was filled with lingering fear, as if she had just experienced a soul-stirring nightmare.
She paused for a moment to compose herself before continuing. "However, this individual was like a gluttonous Taotie; his appetite was immense, and he was completely unsatisfied with his own little patch of land."
"A few years ago, he led a host of demons to launch a sneak attack on my Heaven-Gazing Profound Bird clan. His goal was to seize the River of Time for himself and erase ten thousand worlds to strengthen the demon race."
"The elders of my clan fought to the death, but in the end, they were powerless to change the outcome. In their final moments, they entrusted the jade plaque that opens the River of Time to me."
"More than ten elders joined forces, using the power of their very lives to tear a hole in the River of Time and send me out."
"Unexpectedly, one person from the demon race pursued me like a specter. I spent several years fleeing until I finally arrived here."
At this moment, the sorrow in Lin Hua’s heart flooded out like a bursting dam. By the time she finished speaking, her face was covered in tears.
Her cold expression had vanished, melting away like ice and snow.
Looking at the grieving "self" before him, Lin Zhi was shocked, but he couldn't help but feel pity for the soul currently occupying his body.
This was a real immortal... demons, the River of Time...
Hearing all of this felt like a revelation to Lin Zhi; his eyes were truly opened to a new world.
"Take a deep breath and settle yourself."
Lin Zhi comforted her softly before slowly asking, "Is the owner of that giant finger the demon who was hunting you? And what exactly is the deal with this soul swap?"
"That was indeed a technique of the demon race. As for the soul swap, I have racked my brain but still cannot figure out exactly why it happened. It likely has something to do with the jade plaque of the River of Time."
"Then we won't be like this forever, right? I've been a man for eighteen years, and suddenly I've become a woman. How am I supposed to live?!"
Lin Zhi muttered to himself, looking as miserable as if he were mourning his own parents.
Noticing the gradually darkening gaze of the person beside him, Lin Zhi quickly shut his mouth. He didn't dare provoke this immortal lady!
With a sheepish smile, Lin Zhi continued, "Since that's the case, we're grasshoppers on the same string now. The primary issue is: where did that jade plaque go?"
"Also, will that demon immortal attack again? My little life can't handle that kind of ordeal."
Upon hearing this, Lin Hua, lying on the hospital bed, did not say much. In fact, the moment she woke up, she had tried to circulate her energy to check her status, but her entire cultivation was gone.
The jade plaque was also nowhere to be found. Lin Hua understood the situation perfectly.
It was likely that she had died once on Lin Zhi’s behalf. Under those circumstances, if the soul swap hadn't occurred, Lin Zhi would definitely not have survived.
She thought back to the window ledge amidst the lightning, thunder, and violent rain—how he had looked so trembling yet determined to save her.
Lin Hua even felt somewhat fortunate that this young, seemingly unreliable human was still alive.
Even though the current state of the soul swap was absolutely terrible.
Lin Zhi was at a loss, completely unaware of what Lin Hua was thinking. He was still deep in thought about how to handle the aftermath.
Just then, the ward door was pushed open gently, and Mother Lin entered carrying some changes of clothes.
Father Lin followed behind her, holding an insulated lunch box with one hand and closing the door behind him with the other. The couple walked toward the bed.
Seeing this, Lin Zhi quickly grabbed his own clothes and fished out his phone, ID card, and other items. He leaned close to Lin Hua's ear and spoke urgently.
"Listen, please just pretend to be me for now and rest here. If my parents ask you anything, just say your head hurts terribly and you can't remember anything for the moment. I'm taking off now. I'll come back to see you tomorrow."
After saying that, despite Lin Hua’s shocked expression and her look of hesitation as if she wanted him to stay, Lin Zhi resolutely turned to face Father and Mother Lin.
"Uncle, Auntie... Lin Zhi isn't in a very good state after the fall. Try not to let him talk too much. Just let him rest well for a few days."
Lin Zhi gave his parents a heads-up so that when they questioned Lin Hua later and she couldn't answer, it wouldn't cause them unnecessary worry.
"Alright, thank you so much, classmate. We still don't know your name?"
Mother Lin stared at the girl before her, liking her more the more she looked at her.
Although her son was only eighteen and still young, and she didn't know the exact relationship between her son and this female classmate, Mother Lin’s experience told her that anyone who would return to look after Lin Zhi likely shared a deep connection with him.
Thinking of this, the smile on Mother Lin’s face became even more gentle and warm.
"Auntie, my name is Lin Hua."
Lin Zhi had no choice but to use the name he had just come up with.
After all, in his parents' eyes, he was just Lin Zhi’s classmate. He couldn't exactly call himself Lin Zhi.
"Lin Hua, that’s a beautiful name."
As she spoke, Mother Lin glanced at "Lin Zhi" lying on the hospital bed.
Father Lin stood to the side, lifted his hand, and shook the insulated lunch box. He said loudly, "Classmate Lin Hua, you've worked hard today. Your auntie brought some food. If you don't mind, why don't you sit down and eat with us?"
Lin Zhi hurried to refuse, a brilliant smile on his face. He waved his hand as he walked toward the door.
"Uncle, thank you for the kind offer, but it’s getting late and I need to rush home, otherwise my family will worry."
He used a random excuse to decline his parents' kindness and then turned to look at Lin Hua on the bed.
"Student 'Lin Zhi,' I'm leaving now. I'll see you tomorrow."
While speaking, he didn't forget to wink at Lin Hua again with a pleading look, hoping this immortal lady would cooperate.
In the hospital corridor, watching the ward door slowly close, Lin Zhi curled his lips. He was getting better and better at calling them "Uncle" and "Auntie."
He turned on his phone, opened his contacts, and without hesitation, dialed the number labeled "Fatso."
"In the Six-Star Street, is the sound of the bayan still heard..."
Listening to the ringtone, Lin Zhi lost count of how many times he had complained about it.
"Moshi moshi?"
On the other end of the line, Fatso answered the call using a clumsy Japanese greeting.
"Where are you, Fatso? The moment to dedicate yourself to the party and the people has arrived. Hurry to the city hospital entrance to pick me up."
"Huh? Who are you?"
Hearing the voice on the phone, Fatso hesitated...
Wasn't this Lin Zhi’s number? Why was it a woman's voice on the line?
"Holy crap!"
Lin Zhi was about to start cursing when he suddenly remembered his current identity. He cleared his throat and said sweetly, "Is this Brother Yang Guozhu?"
"I am Lin Zhi’s younger sister. My brother and I are currently at the city hospital entrance. I wonder if you have time to come pick us up?"
That’s right. Lin Zhi’s best friend since childhood was named Yang Guozhu. In this era of the 2020s, this name was frequently mocked by classmates.
Perhaps because he was mocked too much, Fatso once went home crying and screaming, specifically asking his parents why they gave him such a "mature" name. He even wanted to drag them to change it.
Father Yang simply waved his hand and gave Fatso’s backside a good thrashing. After hearing his mother explain that the name meant he was to become a pillar of the nation, Yang Guozhu settled down.
Fatso was also a fan of Wuxia novels, so after much thought, he gave himself a nickname: the One-Armed Hero, Yang Guo!
On the other end of the line, Fatso listened to the sweet voice and thought with a face full of confusion.
"Since when did this grandson have a sister with such a beautiful voice?"
He immediately agreed and grabbed the keys from the table, heading toward the garage with an excited expression.
He couldn't wait to see this "sister" of his good brother.