Chapter 113: Reality: Blindness

Ming Yiyang had an incredibly long dream.

In the dream, he seemed to have passed away, placed on a small boat with a lantern at its prow, illuminating a person.

That person had a thin braid, resembling a centipede, with hair as black as the surrounding darkness, blending seamlessly together.

Yet, a silver-gray ribbon was tied around their head, its length reflecting a hint of silver bamboo embroidery in the faint glow of the lantern.

The person held a slender bamboo pole, and the boat drifted gently along the water.

It felt like he had returned to the very beginning of life, curled up warmly within a womb, free from worries, and content with the tranquility of that moment.

Then, like a silver vase shattering.

The boat suddenly flipped upside down, plunging him and the boat into the depths beneath a waterfall.

And the person holding the pole looked down at him from above, their face breaking into a gentle smile in an instant.

Ming Yiyang awakened.

The fragments of his dream dissipated swiftly into indistinct patches of color. Outside, the sky had already turned dark, just like in his dream, pitch-black as if one's hand could not discern five fingers in front of their face.

...That wasn't right.

Reaching out, Ming Yiyang found the air conditioner remote control by his pillow and, relying on memory, pressed the power button straight ahead.

The air conditioner hummed softly as it turned on.

Yet, he couldn't see any trace of indicator lights.

In the whistling cold wind, he realized the truth.

It wasn't that the sky had darkened; he was blind.

In his twenty-three years of life, Ming Yiyang had believed he would no longer fall into the sweet traps woven by others. But reality delivered a harsh punch to his gut.

At this point, the heat within his body seemed to have been poured onto the icy plateau of Mount Everest. His mind slowly cleared, frozen amidst a crimson frost.

Ming Yiyang fumbled for the cellphone tucked in his embrace, the familiar touch sending a chilling sensation throughout his body that was difficult to describe.

He knew he was trembling, yet there was nothing else he could do but cling to his last semblance of safety. He unlocked the phone's flip keyboard and, guided by touch alone, pressed and held down the number 1 key.

The automated dialing began.

A prolonged beeping sound echoed through the spacious room, yet despite being nestled in soft bedding, Ming Yiyang felt as if he were exposed to the elements, with holes piercing him from all directions, leaving no place for him to find solace or repair.

However, the anticipated panic and fear did not materialize.

He felt like a paralytic, sinking slowly into an abyss of black water, his remaining calm now ashes burning within him.

With a beep, the call connected.

Through the speaker, Chi Zihao's casual laughter reverberated, infused with an amplified radiance that reached the young man's ears:

"Hey, you're out, huh? So, how's it going?"

After a brief silence, Ming Yiyang wasted no time:

"Blind, take me to the hospital."

Chi Zhe's jovial tone suddenly ceased.

When it resumed, it was filled with panic:

"Don't scare me, Ming Yiyang. What do you mean by blind?! Have you overused your eyes??? Where's Yan Qiling? Didn't he—"

Before the question could fully form, Ming Yiyang hung up the call.

He sat alone in the overly spacious room, lifting his lifeless, black eyes in silence.

His heart, which he thought had long been calm, still stirred at Chi Zhe's words, creating ripples that shouldn't have existed.

That cold tenderness seemed to linger on his lips and teeth, reminding him once more of frozen fish flesh.

And the venomous snake slithering through the water in summer.

It must have been a snake.

There was no excessive strain on his eyes.

It was simply a case of someone taking something away from him.

-

Chi Zhe had considered the possibility of unexpected circumstances, and he had also pondered what Yan Qiling could possibly desire in Ming Yiyang.

But he never would have guessed that the other party had their sights set on the Qingdu Ziwu Yin-Yang Pupils!

...But how could the Lord of the Realm of No Return make use of such an item?

The Qingdu Ziwu Yin-Yang Pupils were incompatible with Yin energy and were the bane of all evil spirits. The Lord of the Realm of No Return couldn't even touch it without trouble—how could they possibly use it? !

Unless... Yan Qiling intended to give it to someone else to use.

Damn, that hurt even more.

Swallowing down his jumbled suspicions, Chi Zhe entered the doctor's office with trepidation, holding the medical report.

Ming Yiyang was lying on a bed outside. As the "family member" of the patient, he had to handle some of those miscellaneous matters.

The doctor didn't exaggerate the situation and spoke in a gentle tone:

"Your child's condition seems to be caused by sudden retinal ischemia. Overall, there's a chance for full recovery. As long as he cooperates with the treatment, he should return to normal within two weeks."

"I'll prescribe some medication to start with. If there are any other issues, we'll find a solution then."

Chi Zhehe felt a slight relief but remained anxious.

After Ming Yiyang called him, he quickly took a flight to Guang City.

By the time he arrived, it was already late afternoon. Fortunately, with the help of a friend, he managed to secure an appointment with a specialist despite the difficulties.

Although Ming Yiyang had barely mentioned anything about Yan Qiling throughout their conversation, Chi Zhehe had prepared for the worst—Yan Qiling was in big trouble!

Initially, he had assumed that given Yan Qiling's ruthless nature, Ming Yiyang would have lost his eyes. However, it seemed that the latter had only taken away the ability of the Yin-Yang Eyes.

While Yan Qiling was undeniably in the wrong, the severity of the act didn't change the nature of the situation. Still, there was an indescribable subtlety to the whole affair.

Chi Zihao felt that if Yan Qiling had held back this card, he must have had more tricks up his sleeve.

Ming Yiyang was too inexperienced. How could he possibly compete with someone who had lived for hundreds of years?

...But for now, these were merely his speculations.

With Ming Yiyang refusing to speak, there was nothing Chi Zihao could do.

Sighing, he took the medical report back to the temporary ward where Ming Yiyang was eating behind the blue curtains.

Although he couldn't see, the man seemed to be moving about without difficulty; there was no sign of him accidentally feeding himself with the spoon. However, his actions were much slower than usual.

The expressionless way he stuffed food into his mouth was somewhat heartbreaking to witness.

He looked like a little dog drenched by rain, shivering in the cold with a broken leg, yet stubbornly trying not to make a sound as it sought shelter on its own.

Vulnerable, pitiful, and miserable.

Chi Zihao put on a cheerful facade, but remembering that Ming Yiyang couldn't see, his smile turned grim.

However, he tried to keep his voice steady:

"I asked the doctor just now. They said that with proper care, your eye will recover in about two weeks. I'll have someone prepare some nutritious food for you these days. Eat more to regain your strength, and don't worry too much. Try to maintain a positive mood."

Ming Yiyang had already set down his utensils when he entered and tilted his head to listen patiently to what he had to say.

Perhaps it was because he couldn't see anything.

In the past, the young man would have added a playful remark after such a statement. But now, he only listened silently, without any sign of joy on his face; just pure indifference.

Chi Zihao felt a bit anxious as he watched this. He sat nervously by the bedside, hesitantly considering how to ask:

"Um... Was there something difficult that happened in the instance? Why did your eyes... suddenly lose sight?"

The young man finally spoke, uttering his first words since arriving at the hospital:

"Have you been to his house?"

At first, Chi Zihao didn't understand why Ming Yiyang would ask this question.

Rationally speaking, they entered together, and Yan Qiling had promised to bring Ming Yiyang back alive. So, they should have returned together. But now...

Suddenly, Chi Zhe felt that all his worst assumptions seemed to have come true!

His voice trembled as he didn't answer Ming Yiyang's question but instead confirmed again:

"Was it Yan Qiling... right?"

When he first arrived at Ming Yiyang's house, Chi Zhe had also inquired about the condition of his eyes.

Ming Yiyang had simply replied with two words: Accident.

Concerned about Ming Yiyang's eyes, Chi Zhe hastily drove the Maserati to send him to the hospital, leaving no time to delve deeper into the matter.

But now, he realized that the word "accident" couldn't fully explain the situation Ming Yiyang was currently facing.

"As you can see, he didn't take my eyes," Ming Yiyang said, his tone as cold as snow on an icy day.

"He merely took the power of the Yin-Yang Pupil."

With that said, he buried his head back into his food, eating much faster than before.

Too many questions flooded his mind, leaving Chi Zhehao momentarily overwhelmed and unsure which shock to address first.

But now that his suspicions had been confirmed as truth, he felt compelled to take action.

Fumbling with the tassels by his ear in anxious circles around the room, Chi Zhehao blurted out, "I'll call your sister-in-law!"

Turning to leave the ward, Ming Yiyang's detached voice echoed from behind, "Call Pan Hu first."

Chi Zhehao understood the reasoning behind this request and, without hesitation, immediately dialed Pan Hu's number.

Pan Hu responded promptly – it was still within his working hours.

Amidst the faint clinking of pots and pans being rinsed, Pan Hu's deep voice resonated with authority:

"Good day, Mr. Chi. Do you have a message to convey to the Master?"

"... Isn't Yan Qiling at home?"

"No, the Master is still in a deep sleep. For some reason, this time in the Unbounded Realm seems longer. Is there an issue?"

Chi Zihao glanced back at Ming Yiyang.

Though the young man's gaze lacked focus, he precisely turned his head towards him and lowered his voice:

"Tell him that I've already come out."

Chi Zihao turned to relay the message:

"There seems to be a problem. Ming Yiyang is out, but why hasn't he woken up?"

Pan Hu was unaware of what had transpired on the other end of the phone.

Upon hearing the discrepancy, concern involuntarily tinged his voice, "I'm not sure about that. I'll go upstairs and check on Mr. Ming later. How is Mr. Ming doing? Could you describe in detail if anything unusual happened before he left?"

Chi Zihao felt a pang in his chest upon hearing this. He looked at Ming Yiyang once more.

The young man's silver hair complemented his icy demeanor beautifully, "Tell him that we will pay a visit in a few days to assess the situation."

Chi Zihao's aching heart skipped a beat.

But the patient's well-being came first, so he steeled himself and said, "Keep an eye on him. If he doesn't wake up, I'll come with Ming Yiyang to check on him in a few days."

Pan Hu agreed and politely ended the call.

Chi Zihao held the phone and asked,

"Are you going to see him?"

Surprisingly, Ming Yiyang coaxed a smile from the corners of his lips.

It was a cold smile, with an unfathomable sharpness that seemed distant from human emotions:

"Isn't it precisely because of my current state that I should go see him?"