Trouble Came One After Another

The woman's desperate, helpless sobs on the other end of the phone were like a freezing needle, instantly piercing the relatively relaxed atmosphere in the rental apartment after they had "fended off" the authorities' inquiries. Lin Fan froze, phone in hand.

A master? Truly powerful? Save her daughter?

Those words together made him realize at once—trouble wasn't over. Instead, it had come knocking in another, more direct and more difficult form!

Zhou Wenyuan's arrival had been like a stone thrown into a still pond, sending ripples to corners he couldn't begin to imagine. Clearly, somehow—most likely through the rumors circulating in Zhou Wenyuan's circle—someone had "deified" Goddess Nüwa and begun treating her like a "living immortal" capable of bringing the dead back to life!

"Please... don't panic. Take your time and tell me what happened." Lin Fan collected himself, trying to keep his voice steady. He glanced at Nüwa and Tong Tian. Nüwa's brows were slightly furrowed, as if she were sensing something, while Tong Tian remained expressionless, as though none of the turmoil outside had anything to do with him.

The woman on the other end choked back sobs and began to explain, her words tumbling over one another. Her surname was Wang, and her daughter was only six years old. The child had a rare congenital genetic disorder that had nearly destroyed her immune system and caused multiple organ failure. Even the top hospitals at home and abroad were helpless, and they had issued several critical-condition notices. She had heard in a private chat group from a friend who knew Zhou Wenyuan that a mysterious "female master" had created works imbued with a miraculous life force. They could calm the mind and might even... have healing effects. Desperate, she had clung to that last sliver of hope and gone to extraordinary lengths to find Lin Fan's number.

"Mr. Lin, please! Even if there's only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I have to try! I'll pay any amount! If the master is willing to help, I'd give up everything I own!" Ms. Wang's voice was frantic with desperation.

Lin Fan felt a weight settle in his chest. Another poor person driven to the edge. He understood how she felt, but... Goddess Nüwa wasn't a doctor, let alone an immortal—though in a way, she was more immortal than any immortal. Could she cure a terminal illness that had stumped modern medicine? And once they opened this door, how many more cases like this would come knocking? Wouldn't their "shelter" turn into a hospital?

"Ms. Wang, I understand how you feel, but..." Lin Fan tried to refuse as gently as he could. "Ms. Nüwa isn't a doctor. She's just an... artist. Her works may have a calming effect, but as for treating illness and saving lives, I'm afraid..."

"No! There has to be a way!" Ms. Wang interrupted him, agitated. "I heard that the master's works are divine objects! They let people feel the power of life! Please, let me meet her! Even if she only looks at my daughter and gives her a blessing, that would be enough! Please!" By the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Lin Fan stood there with his phone, torn. He couldn't bear to turn away a desperate mother, but if he agreed, he had no idea what the consequences would be.

Just then, Nüwa, who had been silently sensing the situation, spoke softly. Her voice entered Lin Fan's mind directly—not through the air, but by way of a mental transmission. "Her words are full of sorrow, and her feelings are sincere. She is not pretending. The child's breath... is as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, yet her will to live, and her mother's fierce love for her, are pure and powerful."

Lin Fan looked at Nüwa in surprise.

Nüwa's gaze seemed to pierce through the walls and reach a distant place. A trace of genuine compassion appeared in her eyes. "Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things like straw dogs. Yet life itself struggles against death. Its struggle and its yearning are also part of creation. The girl's illness stems from an innate deficiency in her origin and an inability of her acquired vitality to endure. No ordinary medicine can cure it."

"Then... do you have a way, my lady?" Lin Fan couldn't help asking in his mind, attempting to reply mentally.

Nüwa was silent for a moment before answering. "I am not a deity devoted to healing, and the laws of this world suppress my power. My divine abilities cannot manifest. Still... perhaps I can try. With the Dao rhythm of my way of creation, I could nurture her remaining vitality and awaken her own potential. That might prolong her life and improve her condition. But whether she can be cured will depend on her own fate—and on whether she can withstand the baptism of my Dao rhythm."

Her words were cautious. Even a Sage, with her powers severely suppressed, wouldn't dare claim certainty when faced with an illness that touched the very origin of life. And forcing the matter could put too great a strain on such a frail child.

Lin Fan understood. There was hope, but no certainty, and there were risks.

He took a deep breath and spoke to Ms. Wang over the phone. "Ms. Wang, please don't panic. How about this: send me your daughter's full medical details and the hospital's address. I need to... ask Ms. Nüwa what she thinks. I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to pass your request along."

Hearing this, Ms. Wang clung to his words like a drowning woman grabbing a lifeline. She thanked him repeatedly, choking back sobs as she promised to send the information right away.

After hanging up, Lin Fan explained the situation in detail to Nüwa and Tong Tian.

Tong Tian merely replied coldly, "Entangled in karma, seeking trouble for yourself." Then he said no more, returning to his great "surfing" endeavor, seemingly indifferent to the life and death of mortals. In his view, since Lin Fan had chosen to follow them, these troubles were trials he had to face.

Nüwa mused, "Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-tier pagoda. It is a good deed, and it accords with my way of creation. However, as Senior Brother said, once this begins, further troubles will come one after another. Lin Fan, you must be prepared."

Lin Fan nodded firmly. "I understand. But since we've encountered her, we can't just stand by and let the child die. My lady, if you're willing to help, is there anything we need to prepare?"

"Nothing in particular." Nüwa shook her head. "When the time comes, I'll go with you and take a look."

Just then, Lin Fan received a message from Ms. Wang. It detailed the little girl's condition in a jumble of obscure medical terms and gave the address of the hospital: the best children's hospital in the city, in the intensive care unit.

As Lin Fan read the message and considered how to arrange a visit to the hospital, another knock sounded at the door.

This time, the knocking was impatient, even a little rough.

Lin Fan frowned and went to look through the peephole. Three disreputable-looking young men stood outside. They wore flashy clothes, had hair dyed in every color, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, and arrogant looks in their eyes. The leader, a blond with a lip piercing, was idly kicking the doorframe.

"Damn it, open up! We're here to read your water meter!" the blond shouted impatiently, his voice hoarse.

Read the water meter? Lin Fan sneered inwardly. That excuse was ancient. Besides, the water meters in his old Residential Complex were in a shared area in the hallway; nobody needed to come inside to check them. These guys had clearly come looking for trouble.

Were they accomplices of the thugs from before, here for revenge? Had some other trouble been stirred up by Zhou Wenyuan? Or had the enemy of the amnesiac old man found them?

Lin Fan's thoughts raced, and his scalp began to tingle. Trouble was like a gourd pushed under water: once one was pressed down, another bobbed up. It really was coming one thing after another!

He glanced back into the apartment. Tong Tian still had his back to the door, but Lin Fan sensed that the aura around him had stilled for an instant. Nüwa had also raised her head, her gaze resting calmly on the door.

"Who is it?" Lin Fan asked through the door without opening it.

"Cut the crap! Open up! We've got business with you!" The blond's tone grew nastier. He slapped the door hard, making it thud.

Lin Fan knew he couldn't avoid them forever. He took a deep breath, opened the door a crack, and watched the three men warily. "Who are you looking for? What do you want?"

As soon as the door opened, the blond wedged his foot into the gap to stop Lin Fan from closing it. He looked Lin Fan up and down, then craned his neck to peer into the apartment. With a cigarette in his mouth, he spoke indistinctly. "We're looking for you! Hey, we heard you've got two pretty impressive 'masters' at home. They can even do magic tricks? Your buddies here are a little short on cash, so we thought we'd ask the 'masters' to tell us where to find a windfall!"

The two thugs behind him laughed along, their leering eyes roaming over Lin Fan and the apartment.

Lin Fan's heart sank. They weren't accomplices of the earlier thugs, nor enemies of Zhou Wenyuan or the old man. From the sound of it, they'd picked up a few rumors somewhere and mistaken his place for an easy target to extort. Perhaps they were local layabouts who'd heard a few snippets through some channel—maybe from a Residential Complex security guard, or someone who'd seen the authorities visit—and decided to try their luck.

Sometimes, these low-level thugs were even more troublesome than organized groups, because they had no rules and acted without restraint.

"You've got the wrong place. There are no masters here." Lin Fan's expression darkened as he tried to close the door. "Leave, or I'll call the police."

"The police?" The blond scoffed and shoved against the door. "Go ahead! Let's see if they arrest us or those two undocumented 'black citizens' in your house!" He had clearly come prepared, and might even have known that Tong Tian and Nüwa had no identification.

Lin Fan's expression changed. These men were more difficult than he'd expected.

"Listen, kid. Be smart." Seeing Lin Fan's reaction, the blond grew even more pleased with himself. He lowered his voice and threatened him. "We don't want much. Give us fifty thousand yuan as our 'consultation fee,' and we'll leave right away. We guarantee we won't bother you again. Otherwise... heh, we'll sing outside your place every day and have a nice chat with the neighbors about where your two 'masters' came from!"

It was blatant extortion! And they had latched onto the one thing Lin Fan was most concerned about right now: he didn't want the Sages' existence attracting wider attention and causing more trouble.

Lin Fan trembled with anger, his fists clenched. Fifty thousand yuan? He might not have been able to afford that before, but he did have the money in his stock account now. Still, why should he give it to these scumbags?

Just as his anger flared and he could barely hold himself back, a flat, icy voice rang through the room, as if it had come from the depths of the underworld. Everyone at the door heard it clearly.

"Obnoxious."

The single word seemed to carry the crushing weight of a thousand tons! The sneers on the three men's faces froze instantly, replaced by sheer terror. They felt as if a freezing sword had been suspended over their heads. A bone-deep chill rose from their souls, and it seemed as though all the blood in their bodies was about to freeze! They opened their mouths but couldn't make a sound. All they could do was stare wide-eyed, their bodies rigid, unable to move even a finger!

It was Tong Tian!

He hadn't even turned around. Yet those two words, infused with a trace of his supreme sword intent and spiritual pressure, were enough to scare these weak-willed mortals out of their wits!

Standing in the doorway, Lin Fan could feel that frightening, icy sharpness too. It wasn't directed at him, but it still sent a chill down his spine.

The three men remained frozen in place, their faces deathly pale and their eyes unfocused. A few seconds later, they all rolled their eyes back and collapsed to the floor without a sound. Foam even appeared at the corners of their mouths. They had clearly suffered a tremendous mental shock.

The hallway fell silent at once, save for the dull thuds as the three men hit the ground.

Lin Fan stared at the scene and sucked in a sharp breath. He knew Tong Tian was powerful, but he hadn't realized he was this powerful! Was this a case of words becoming law? No, it was only the mildest form of mental intimidation!

He hurriedly peered into the hallway. Thankfully, no one else was around. He hesitated. Should he drag the three men away, or...?

"Leave them be." Tong Tian's voice came again, edged with annoyance. "They'll wake up in a moment. If they dare come back, their next punishment won't end with fainting."

Hearing this, Lin Fan didn't hesitate. He quickly shut and locked the door, then leaned against it, his heart still pounding. What was going on today? The desperate, the extortionists—everything had happened at once!

He looked toward Tong Tian and said sincerely, "Thank you for stepping in, senior."

Tong Tian didn't reply, as if he'd merely swatted a few flies.

Nüwa sighed softly. "The mortal world is full of endless turmoil. Lin Fan, since you have entered this world, you must be prepared and capable of facing it all. Your own strength is the foundation."

Lin Fan nodded solemnly. He had gained an even deeper understanding of how important it was to possess power—not just to deal with these troubles, but also to avoid becoming a burden on the path of following the Sages.

He went to the window, lifted one corner of the curtain, and looked down. After a while, he saw the three thugs stagger out of the Residential Complex, stumbling and scrambling as they went. Their faces still showed traces of terror. They didn't dare look back as they disappeared around the street corner.

It seemed Tong Tian's "warning" had worked.

But Lin Fan couldn't relax. The trouble with the thugs had been dealt with for now, but at the hospital, a little girl was still near death, and a desperate mother was waiting.

He turned to Nüwa. "My lady, about the hospital..."

Nüwa stood up and smoothed her dress. Her voice was calm but firm. "Let's go. Take me there. Life is precious and must not be cast aside lightly."

Her eyes were filled with respect for life and compassion.

Lin Fan felt his resolve settle. He nodded. "All right. Let's go now."

He knew that once they took this step, they would truly begin intervening in the course of this world. The consequences would far exceed the turmoil caused by a few works of art.

What they didn't know was that outside the hospital's intensive care unit, besides Ms. Wang, who was waiting in despair, another pair of eyes watched from the shadows, filled with curiosity and calculation. The ripples caused by Zhou Wenyuan were spreading into more dangerous territory.

Trouble really was coming one thing after another. And an even greater storm was gathering in the clouds above.