Chapter 36: Dr. Li (Part I)
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No—that was not the Kingbone!
Li Guanqi soon noticed the ghastly hole in the monster’s chest, right where its heart should have been.
“Death Servant!”
Qin Dongzhu wrenched the steering wheel from side to side, trying to ram the vehicles alongside them, but the creature clung to the roof like a stubborn growth, impossible to shake off.
Grinding his teeth, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a magic card. A flash of pain crossed his eyes. After hesitating again and again, he finally hardened his heart and crushed it.
“Clang—”
The night sky split open, revealing a radiant blue summoning array. A dark figure burst from within.
It was the [Elemental Spirit Swordsman: Duskmourn]!
Duskmourn swung its longsword, driving the blade straight through the Kingbone Death Servant and pinning it to the car.
The Kingbone Death Servant let out a hoarse, rasping howl. Its sharp bone claws slashed wildly at the windshield before it twisted around and lunged at Duskmourn, leaping from the roof.
“Ho—”
On the motorcycles pursuing from behind, Ma Lie sneered, contempt gleaming in his eyes.
“Cornered like a stray dog.”
He spoke softly.
Reaching the point of crushing a card meant they had no other tricks left.
The corners of Ma Lie’s mouth lifted. He suddenly waved his hand, his voice ringing out.
“Our turn. Go!”
At his command, the motorcycle convoy accelerated as one, unleashing a deafening roar.
Three shadows flew from the riders’ bodies like arrows loosed from bows, swiftly surging ahead of the car.
The shadows twisted and transformed in midair, finally taking the shapes of three mounted warriors and blocking the road ahead.
[Hundred-Ghost Rakshasa: Coldblood Miander]
[Hundred-Ghost Rakshasa: Swift Boone]
[Hundred-Ghost Rakshasa: Sonic Krat]
Qin Dongzhu’s expression turned resolute. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands and stamped down hard on the accelerator.
Rain hammered against the windshield, blurring the road ahead, but Qin Dongzhu did not slow down. Instead, he pressed the accelerator even farther, while the wind howled past on both sides.
Yet his voice remained remarkably steady, reassuring both himself and the others.
“Don’t be afraid...”
“It’s nothing serious...”
“Sanity can’t fall any further.”
Qin Dongzhu had suffered an episode once before. Recovering from it had been no different from overcoming an addiction.
He had been sent to the Spirit Custody Bureau’s rehabilitation facility, where he endured excruciating, inhuman pain every day, while spending enormous sums on surgery and suppressants.
It consumed money, strength, and spirit. The torment was so severe that death seemed preferable.
Even under such circumstances, the recovery rate was no more than fifteen percent.
Confronted with eight thousand points of damage at Level Eight, Muningning had to force herself to remain calm and preserve the last few points of her sanity.
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Severe injury was far better than suffering another episode.
“Hold on tight!” Qin Dongzhu shouted, a steely light shining in his eyes.
Li Guanqi came back to himself, closed his eyes, and crouched down into a protective position.
The little car roared like an enraged beast and charged straight at Coldblood Miander.
“Boom!”
Qin Dongzhu’s forehead slammed into the steering wheel, instantly running with blood. But he clenched his teeth and held on to the wheel with all his strength.
Swift Boone and Sonic Krat immediately moved to flank the car from both sides. Each carried a club and spear, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
Li Guanqi’s pupils contracted sharply.
“Watch both sides!”
Qin Dongzhu reacted with astonishing speed and wrenched the wheel. The car made a sharp turn, barely avoiding the two mounted warriors as they closed in from either side.
“Bang! Bang!”
Two tremendous impacts struck the car again.
Li Guanqi looked back and saw that the two riders had caught up. They were repeatedly stabbing the vehicle with their long spears.
A bullet whistled through the rain and struck the rear tire with pinpoint accuracy.
Rubber scraped against metal with a piercing shriek. The car jolted violently, like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, and spun out of control.
Blood kept pouring from Qin Dongzhu’s forehead, dripping into his eyes and blurring his vision until all he could see was an endless red haze.
“Damn it!”
He let out a low growl and used the last of his strength to wrench the steering wheel.
The little car spun madly through the rain and slammed into the motorcycle convoy on the right.
“Bang—”
The dull impact, the clash of metal, and the shattering of glass crashed into Li Guanqi’s ears like blows from a heavy hammer.
The car went completely out of control, rolled onto its side, and skidded dozens of yards across the slick road. Its body scraped against the pavement with a shrill scream before finally slamming into the guardrail and coming to a stop.
Li Guanqi felt the world spin around him. He squeezed his eyes shut, covered his head with both hands, and curled into a ball.
He did not know how much time had passed before the dizziness brought on by the crash slowly began to fade.
“Captain...”
Li Guanqi’s consciousness gradually returned. He slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the driver’s seat.
Everything around him was blurred. His ears rang loudly, and all he could hear was the heavy pounding of his own heart.
“Clang—”
A sharp spear tore through the car window like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
The spear plunged deep into Qin Dongzhu’s body. Blood erupted at once, staining the seat and turning Li Guanqi’s vision scarlet.
His eyes widened. His pupils contracted, and his heartbeat seemed to stop.
Sanity: 65% → 60%
“Don’t... be afraid...” Qin Dongzhu coughed up blood. His voice trembled as consciousness slowly slipped away.
“A... doctor...” Li Guanqi stood frozen, his breathing growing increasingly ragged. He had even forgotten that he himself was a medical student.
...
“From respiratory arrest to loss of consciousness, there is one minute.”
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“After consciousness is lost, the heart can continue beating for up to three minutes.”
“Once the heart stops, the brain can survive for another five minutes before death becomes irreversible.”
“As long as he is rescued within that time, there is still hope.”
“Humans are extraordinarily tenacious.”
...
“Don’t give up. He can still be saved...”
Li Guanqi struggled to move inside the car, trying to crawl over and staunch Qin Dongzhu’s bleeding.
Suddenly, a hand seized his arm and, without giving him a chance to resist, began dragging him out of the vehicle.
Li Guanqi fought back and tried to open the black case he carried against his chest. He wanted to crush the cards inside and take them down with him.
But something strange happened.
His hand was pressed down by an invisible force. It was as though a ghost were pinning him beneath its weight; his arm could not muster the slightest strength.
“Crack—”
The crowd outside brutally hauled Li Guanqi from the car.
Rain poured down in torrents. Vehicles surrounded him on every side, their headlights shining on him and casting two shadows beneath his feet.
“Well, look at that. He’s got a second shadow.”
One of the riders laughed mockingly.
People with dual shadows appeared no different from ordinary people under normal circumstances. Only when their sanity fell below sixty percent did the second shadow reveal itself.
At the same time, they would begin to hear the voice of their symbiotic card.
Soaked by the rain, Li Guanqi said in a low voice, “He needs emergency treatment.”
The golden rescue window lasted only a few minutes. Not a single second could be wasted.
“You only want the cards, right? I can give them to you. Let us go...”
As he spoke, one of the bikers suddenly stepped forward, punched him in the abdomen, and slammed him hard against the side of the car.
Sanity: 60% → 58%
The simplest and most brutal way to lower one’s sanity was physical pain.
Ma Lie emerged from the crowd and slowly approached Li Guanqi. He bent slightly, as though examining a pet, and said coldly, “You’re trying to bargain with me?”
“I don’t want the cards.”
He drew a pistol and slowly raised the muzzle, aiming it at Li Guanqi’s eye.
“What I want is—”
“Your life.”
Ma Lie gave a cold laugh. As Li Guanqi’s pupils tightened, he gently pulled the trigger.
“Crack—”
Sanity: 58% → 56%
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