Chapter 130 - 129: Jianghuai’s Night
On the road outside the school gate, Yang Shen held Xu Bamboo’s delicate hand, her thoughts in a jumble.
The touch of his large palm was warm, but her mind was a mess. "The hospital? No, no, no, I need to go to the gym..."
But Yang Shen was unmoved. "You need to get your priorities straight. Missing the gym for one night is no big deal. Remember that ’dream’ I told you about? This might be a sign that it’s coming true."
It was sudden. It was strange.
’But if there’s even a one-in-ten-thousand chance, am I supposed to gamble with Zhuzi’s life?’
With that, Yang Shen was already at the roadside, hailing a taxi.
A taxi ride to the center of Jianghuai City from here would cost at least 300 yuan, but Yang Shen didn’t hesitate, unwilling to delay even for a second.
’We’re going to the emergency room tonight. She needs a full check-up, even if it means staying over in Jianghuai.’
Xu Bamboo was still hesitant. It was all too sudden—anyone would be stunned if they were suddenly dragged off to a hospital. And so, the two of them tugged back and forth.
To be honest, if two Marrow Refining practitioners—and two of the best at that—were to really scuffle, they would cause a huge commotion, enough to shatter the paving stones under their feet.
But Xu Bamboo was just being difficult, and Yang Shen was just being persistent. Neither was using their full strength.
Yang Shen flagged down a taxi. Xu Bamboo was still pulling back, her little white sneakers scraping a mark on the ground, but in the end, she got into the car.
"Driver, Jianghuai Central Hospital."
The taxi driver glanced back at the reluctant Xu Bamboo and asked warily, "Miss, are you doing this willingly?"
Yang Shen immediately shot Xu Bamboo a stern look. "Quick, say you’re willing."
Xu Bamboo bit her lip. "I... I’m willing."
The taxi driver: ...
’How does that look willing at all?’
’Ah, forget it. A middle-aged man like me can’t figure out the complexities of you young people...’
’Besides, a trip to Jianghuai City is a big fare. One trip and I can call it a day...’
"Fifty for the return trip surcharge, and you’re paying the tolls. Of course, we don’t have to take the highway."
Yang Shen said, "Take the fastest route!"
The driver slammed on the gas, and the taxi slowly pulled away from the school gate.
They were heading for the Jianghuai City District.
Yang Shen sighed. He knew his actions must seem erratic to Xu Bamboo, but it was already May... and her birthday was in August...
Any day now, her Life Chart could be fulfilled.
Unless it was supposed to be a freak accident, the changes might have already started, only just now becoming apparent.
He hoped they would find something this time.
Xu Bamboo sat curled up, falling into self-doubt as well.
"Yang Shen... do I really have amnesia?"
Yang Shen took a deep breath. "I’m sure of it..."
"But... can the hospital even treat this?"
"I don’t know... but this is the safest way."
Xu Bamboo was silent for a long time before finally lowering her head and whispering, "Thank you."
"For what..."
"Thank you for caring about me so much."
Yang Shen rolled down the window, feeling the strong wind ruffle his bangs.
"Thank you, too."
"For what?"
"Thank you for being willing to trust me, for not thinking I’m just messing around."
Perhaps it was because of nerves, or perhaps because of the confusion.
The hands of the young man and woman...
...had never actually let go.
They remained clasped together, feeling the warm dampness of each other’s palms.
——————
A full two hours later, after navigating traffic jams and rush hour, Yang Shen and Xu Bamboo finally arrived in the Jianghuai City District.
The bustling city was compressed into the size of a car window.
The neon lights were too dazzling to see clearly, the window a blur of fleeting lights and shadows. Occasionally, they could even see people scaling walls and leaping across rooftops...
Jianghuai had a population of over 20 million, with numerous Martial Arts Practitioners and densely packed buildings. Although scaling walls and leaping across rooftops was legally prohibited, the law clearly didn’t have much reach in places without cameras.
Even the skyscrapers were like level ground to a High Realm Martial Artist.
The car moved so fast that everything they saw of the city was just a fleeting glance. Yang Shen had been here before, but his memories were hazy.
Perhaps it was because, back then, he knew deep down that he didn’t belong here.
Jianghuai had never taken him seriously, and he had never taken Jianghuai seriously in return.
Yang Shen looked at Xu Bamboo. "You probably come here often, right? Which district is the central hospital in?"
To his surprise... the look in Xu Bamboo’s eyes as she gazed out the window was even more complicated than his own.
"I don’t know... I rarely come here..."
Yang Shen was a little stunned.
The taxi stopped at the entrance of Jianghuai Central Hospital. Yang Shen paid a grand total of 390 for the fare, tolls, and return trip surcharge.
As Yanhua’s largest metropolis and one of the top three in the world, Jianghuai City boasted the best medical resources.
It had countless top-tier hospitals, a gathering place for divine doctors and famous specialists.
In this Martial Arts Society, the medical Professional System was also highly correlated with the Martial Arts Realms.
Experts at the Jade Viscera Realm possessed a Biological Force Field that allowed them to conveniently examine patients with microscopic precision, leading breakthroughs in medical technology.
Meanwhile, experts at the True Gang Realm could use their Gang Qi to assist in surgery. Medical Martial Artists who specialized in fine motor control were said to have multiple arms, capable of performing sterile, multi-threaded operations with formidable surgical skills.
Their disciples and apprentices might not be at such a High Realm, but they were all dedicated to their Cultivation, not daring to slack off for a single day.
The medical system had always been full of hidden masters. A seemingly ordinary hospital could be packed with top-tier experts.
There was a saying that the safest place in Yanhua was the military, the second safest was the government, and the third was the hospital.
Even the police stations couldn’t compare to these three places in terms of combat power.
When Yang Shen and Xu Bamboo arrived, the sky had already turned completely dark. The true appearance of the massive hospital was indistinct, with only the red word "EMERGENCY" standing out conspicuously.
This was Jianghuai’s foremost central hospital, its full name being: The Affiliated Central Hospital of Jianghuai Sports Academy.
As the best university in the country, its name only seemed to contain "Sports" due to its historical evolution.
But in reality, Jiangti had long since become a super-colossus encompassing Martial Arts Education, biological research, medicine, and even technology transfer.
Yang Shen took Xu Bamboo to register for emergency services. Armed with a handwritten new patient booklet and a magnetic card, they rushed through the hospital.
The emergency department didn’t have a neurology specialist on duty, but the attending doctor could still order various tests. At Yang Shen’s strong insistence, they went through an MRI, a CT scan, a brain mapping scan, and all sorts of lab tests.
It wasn’t until ten o’clock at night that all the tests were finally completed, but they still had to wait for the results.
Yang Shen and Xu Bamboo sat side-by-side on a long bench in the hallway.
Xu Bamboo rested her chin in her hands, elbows on her knees, curled up into a small ball. "What if they don’t find anything?"
"If they don’t find anything, we’ll switch to the outpatient clinic and get an appointment with a specialist... Zhuzi, getting amnesia at seventeen is not normal."
Xu Bamboo also found her own amnesia strange, but the thought that all of this would take time—and that it would be even more troublesome if they actually found something—was daunting.
And right now, the college entrance exams were just over ten days away...
She had a rigorous, airtight plan for the final sprint.
’But... these past few hours have been a total mess. I missed the gym, ran off to Jianghuai City, and I don’t dare contact my mom...’
But for some reason, Xu Bamboo actually felt a little happy.
Because she had been pulled away by the hand, escaping for a moment.
From the castle she called home.
The two of them just sat there. People occasionally hurried past in the hospital corridors, and the sound of crying could be heard from far away.
A peculiar, unpleasant smell lingered in the air, never dissipating. Occasionally, a hospital bed would be hastily wheeled past them.
An unknown amount of time passed... before Yang Shen felt a weight on his shoulder.
He turned his head to see that Zhuzi had, at some point, fallen asleep on his shoulder.
Xu Bamboo’s smooth forehead was partially hidden beneath her stray bangs, and the fine, downy hair at her temples gave her a childish look.
She was, after all, just a seventeen-year-old girl.
That was why Yang Shen would never let her life end at this age.
It was a rare chance for her to rest, so Yang Shen didn’t want to disturb her. The hospital was full of hidden masters, so it wasn’t a good place for Yang Shen to practice his Cultivation.
So, he took out his phone and started searching for various conditions that could cause amnesia.
He would occasionally adjust his hold on Xu Bamboo to let her sleep more comfortably. Whenever he did, she would nuzzle against him like a kitten before quickly falling silent again.
The two of them fell completely quiet.
A long while later, a series of footsteps grew closer....
Yang Shen stopped his Cultivation and opened his eyes, looking quizzically at the stranger standing before him.
He was a gentle and refined man, looking to be in his forties, though he could have been in his thirties, wearing scholarly-looking black-framed glasses.
Because he was wearing a white coat, Yang Shen assumed he was a doctor. Just as he was about to speak, the man smiled.
"I guessed who Xu Bamboo was, but I didn’t expect to find you here too. You’re Yang Shen, right?"
Yang Shen asked, confused, "Yes... Are you a doctor, sir?"
The man shook his head. "No, not strictly speaking. My name is Xu Mo..."
"In a way, I’m Xu Bamboo’s uncle."