Chapter 95: The Multitude of Living Beings

"Lifespan! Such a heavy price to pay?"

The bearded man opened his mouth, and the half-burnt cigarette fell to the ground.

He suddenly felt a pang of guilt. After all, the talisman was something Chen Huaian had exchanged with his life, and he had just bought it for a mere hundred thousand?

At that time, Chen Huaian probably didn't know the true value of the talisman.

It seemed like he had been deliberately deceived.

"How did you know the price was lifespan? I remember you didn't know the talisman could be used before, did you?"

Chen Huaian had already prepared his words, flawlessly saying, "I didn't know before. As for how I confirmed the price was lifespan..." He rolled up his pant leg, revealing densely packed osteosarcomas for the bearded man to see.

"To be honest, I'm a terminal cancer patient, but just a week ago, I was only at the mid-stage."

The bearded man looked at the osteosarcomas on Chen Huaian's leg, dumbfounded, "So, because you exchanged for the talisman, your cancer worsened?"

"Yes, the doctor said the speed of my cancer cell spread is unprecedented, and the worsening of my cancer happened right after I exchanged for the talisman."

"Then, how long do you have left?"

"Who knows?" Chen Huaian smiled, "If I die slowly, maybe six months. If I die quickly, maybe a month."

The bearded man's mind went blank, unable to imagine that the handsome, sunny guy in front of him was already a dying man.

But the osteosarcomas on his leg told him it was true.

This young man was indeed in the terminal stage of cancer, with not much time left.

'I'm such a scoundrel!'

He mentally slapped himself hard.

As the head of the Tianfu District's Demon-Slaying Division, he had actually deceived a terminal cancer patient, swindling such a precious talisman for just a hundred thousand! Not to mention his own conscience, if other districts' Demon-Slaying Divisions found out, wouldn't they ridicule him to death?!

"Brother Huaian, I'm sorry."

To ease his conscience, the bearded man quickly apologized to Chen Huaian.

"I shouldn't have tricked you out of a talisman before."

"Ah, it's fine~" Chen Huaian waved his hand, "I still have extra talismans here. I'm already terminally ill, a dead man walking. Losing a bit more lifespan doesn't make much difference."

The bearded man silently looked at Chen Huaian, feeling even worse.

"I'll transfer you another hundred thousand!"

"Alright." Chen Huaian swiftly opened his phone and showed the payment QR code.

The bearded man: "..."

After the transfer, the atmosphere between the two became noticeably more sincere.

"Brother Huaian, what are your plans for the future?"

"Plans..." Chen Huaian and the bearded man watched the passing traffic together. His plan was actually to keep earning money to spend on games. Before he knew that the 'electronic girlfriend' was a companion spirit, he was willing to spend on it. Now that he knew, he was even more willing. What if one day the game gave him an item that could cure his cancer?

Also, was the world inside the game real?

If the game was fake, why was his electronic girlfriend so lifelike?

But if the game was a real world, wouldn't that world's civilization already surpass Earth by a mile? After all, even a common-grade Thunderfire Talisman was so terrifying. What about an immortal-grade talisman? And other higher-grade talismans—wouldn't their power rival missiles or even nuclear bombs?!

This made even less sense.

A three-dimensional world dominating a two-dimensional world—that was clearly illogical.

Secondly, this world had so-called main quests, storylines, and dialogue choices.

How could he, of all people, control the direction of a real world?

If he were that powerful, he would have already become an immortal.

From any angle, the Cangyun Realm seemed more like a game world.

So, Chen Huaian was certain that the electronic girlfriend game on his phone was what the bearded man called a 'companion spirit.'

As for whether the cultivation world inside the electronic girlfriend was real, he remained skeptical.

As the saying goes, seeing is believing.

Of course, he hoped Li Qingran was real.

But sometimes, holding onto too much hope wasn't a good thing.

It meant that once reality contradicted expectations, one would have to pay a heavy psychological price.

Seeing Chen Huaian silent, the bearded man thought he was lost about his future. He completely understood this. Many awakeners felt the same way when faced with this question, so he patted Chen Huaian's shoulder:

"The world will become increasingly chaotic. Everything we protect could shatter at any moment."

On the sidewalk, elementary school students, just out of school, held hands and sang nursery rhymes.

On a park bench, a couple embraced and kissed passionately.

The sunlight followed an old man carrying a grocery basket, while a delivery guy, watching the slow-moving old man, stopped his bike helplessly.

Chen Huaian watched all this, as the bearded man's voice echoed in his ears:

"Brother Huaian, why not join the Demon-Slaying Division? I can help you contact some awakeners with healing abilities to see if they can solve your cancer problem. The Demon-Slaying Division is different now. Have you heard of the Breathing Technique? It's like the cultivation methods in novels, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for personal use. Currently, only our Demon-Slaying Division has it."

"Of course, from my perspective, I don't want you to join for these benefits. I hope you join for the mission!"

"The mission to protect our homeland, humanity, and peaceful lives!"

After finishing, the bearded man glanced at Chen Huaian from the corner of his eye.

This speech was part of the Demon-Slaying Division's training.

Usually, when awakeners heard this, they would show some emotion on their faces.

Especially young people like Chen Huaian, who loved hearing such passionate words.

However...

The bearded man noticed that Chen Huaian remained expressionless!!!

"Thank you for telling me all this, and for the invitation."

Chen Huaian scratched his head, still smiling, though his words weren't very funny.

"How should I put it? You know, my parents died in a forest fire. The compensation was supposed to be two hundred thousand, but due to various strange reasons, only twenty thousand reached me.

These years have been tough. Just when I thought graduating from university would be my way out, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The hospital only asked if I had insurance or money. If not, I had to raise funds first, or they wouldn't treat me.

My girlfriend cheated on me, and when she found out about my cancer, she dumped me..."

The bearded man looked at the young man bathed in sunlight, struggling to say, "So you think the world is unfair? That's why..."

"No, I think the world is fair." Chen Huaian shook his head, "If you can't afford treatment, you wait to die—that's reasonable. Compensation not being paid due to various reasons is also normal. A boyfriend with cancer, and the girlfriend leaving—isn't that understandable?"

"Then you?"

"I just feel that in my most desperate moments, the world didn't embrace me.

If I were to turn around and embrace the world now, I would feel sick."

Chen Huaian looked at the bearded man, the light in his eyes flickering.

The bearded man also felt that the young man sitting in the sunlight seemed to exude an aura of death.

"Uncle, what you protect is your world. But my world, it's not worth protecting yet."

...

At the end of the street, Chen Huaian's figure dragging a suitcase gradually faded into the distance.

He turned back, smiling and waving goodbye, then turned again, blending into the crowd like the multitude of living beings.

The bearded man silently sat on the steps, smoking one cigarette after another, as if Chen Huaian's parting words still echoed in his ears.

"I won't join the Demon-Slaying Division. At least for now, I can't find a reason to join, nor do I see the mission you speak of. But if you need help, you can call me, though I'm not sure if I can be of any use."

The red light turned green.

The bearded man stubbed out his cigarette and blended into the crowd.

He didn't return to the Demon-Slaying Division; he just wanted to walk around.

To see the people living under the same sky but existing in different worlds.

...

...