Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 586 Punching the Ancient Emperor, Listening to the Holy Words
Xiao Ran lay motionless on the ground, lifeless, her entire body exploding with death. The two caregivers standing outside were horrified, while the nurse clapped and cheered excitedly, staring at Xiao Ran's corpse with a distorted expression, seemingly lost in thought.

Ma Youfu squatted beside Xiao Ran's body, his two pairs of eyes, which had been gleaming like crescent moons, staring intently at Xiao Ran for a long while. It seemed that he was really sure that Xiao Ran was dead before the crescent moons in his eyes slowly faded, and the double pupils in his eyes gradually calmed down.

Whether it was the effects of the medicine in the meat taking hold or Ma Youfu was simply exhausted, he swayed a few times before lying down and falling fast asleep.

"Oh no, oh no, the Qilin is probably going to get angry now."

The caregiver who had previously stopped Xiao Ran looked grim and glared at her companion: "I already said that this matter needs to be reported. Look, now that things have gotten out of hand, we're both probably going to get scolded."

The caregiver who was being complained about looked even uglier. He knew all too well how important this Fifth Brother was. His perfect surgical skills were exactly the kind of surgical expert that Master Gui desperately needed. Now that he was dying here, the two of them would probably face more than just being scolded.

Just as the two stood outside the door, anxiously pondering how to explain this to Qilin, they heard a series of knocking sounds coming from the glass behind them.

The two turned around and were immediately startled.

Behind the glass door, Xiao Ran stared at the two of them expressionlessly, then knocked on the glass, signaling them to open the door.

The two were immediately stunned, but fortunately they weren't stupid. They quickly came to their senses and hurriedly opened the door for Xiao Ran.

"Fifth Brother, you're still alive? But just now... you..."

They saw it clearly just now; Xiao Ran's fall to the ground didn't seem faked.

"Dying together is a simple matter."

Xiao Ran said calmly.

Yes, dying once is as simple as eating a meal for Xiao Ran.

With his current mental strength, he can maximize the effect of the half-Yin-Yang technique, making his body completely indistinguishable from that of the dead.

Seeing Xiao Ran come out again, the nurse next to her couldn't stop smiling and said to Xiao Ran, "Dr. Wu, are you going to the next ward?"

"go with!"

Xiao Ran nodded and said casually.

This made the two caregivers turn pale, and the other caregiver quickly took out a walkie-talkie and quietly reported to Qilin.

Qilin was also furious. No one knew the dangers of the intensive care unit better than him, and he immediately ordered Xiao Ran to leave the intensive care unit.

However, Xiao Ran refused Qilin's request, citing the needs of the mission, leaving Qilin unsure of what to do.

Fortunately, the next two wards were much easier.

"I am an ancient emperor, who once single-handedly fought my way to immortality and once single-handedly suppressed an entire era!!"

Pushing open the ward door, one sees a thin young man sitting cross-legged in the room.

"What illness does this guy have?"

Xiao Ran picked up the medical record and glanced at the information on it: Wang Bo, 23 years old, 5-year history of mental illness. He became so engrossed in reading novels that he believed he was the reincarnation of an ancient emperor and killed his entire family as a blood sacrifice.

This also included his 4-year-old sister and his 76-year-old grandmother.

Looking at the information above, Xiao Ran felt that this guy was insane and should not be locked up in a mental hospital, but should be sent directly to the execution ground and shot.

Upon seeing Xiao Ran enter, Wang Bo raised his head, his clear black and white eyes dull and lifeless, and arrogantly cursed, "Mortal, why don't you kneel before me?"

Xiao Ran sighed. She had come into contact with some mental patients in the past few days. In fact, Xiao Ran felt that these mental patients were quite pitiful. Some of them knew that they were sick and were very afraid of hurting others, but they couldn't control themselves at all when they had an episode.

But Xiao Ran couldn't feel sorry for Wang Bo at all. For the sake of the mission, she could only suppress her anger and start chatting with Wang Bo.

Then, this guy rolled his eyes and said with a wicked smile, "A great calamity is coming, and I have not yet recovered my cultivation, so I cannot protect all living beings. You can offer all your relatives as sacrifices to me, and once I recover my cultivation, I will take you as my pet, how about that?"

Xiao Ran's lips twitched a few times, and his anger surged up instantly. He raised his fist and rushed up to beat Wang Bo, making the ancient emperor lie on the ground and howl in pain.

"Back when I was the Heavenly Emperor, I was tasked with slaying all enemies and exterminating the dark races. I shed blood and tears for humanity. How dare you treat me like this?!"

Faced with the ancient emperor's wailing, Xiao Ran could only cooperate with his performance, staging a scene of trampling on the "prodigy" and humiliating the emperor.

After holding out for five minutes, Xiao Ran completely lost her patience, slapped the ancient emperor away, and turned to walk out.

As he walked out the door, Xiao Ran could still hear his defiant shout: "Never underestimate a young man's potential, fortunes change every three hundred years... Who will reign supreme at the end of the immortal path? Upon seeing the Beginningless One, all worldly paths vanish! Hahahaha... I am invincible!!"

After beating up this emperor, Xiao Ran couldn't help but let out a long breath, feeling refreshed. Regardless of whether this was a real emperor or not, beating him up was quite satisfying.

In the next room, there was another madman, without a name; his medical record referred to him as a saint.

I thought it would be another Wang Bo.

But this one is really different from Wang Bo.

This man was a madman with his own thoughts. Xiao Ran sat to the side and listened to him talk for five minutes about the mysteries of the universe and the ultimate truths.

This made Xiao Ran realize again the pain of being in school while the teacher tirelessly explained the great principles of mathematics on the blackboard, and she herself was lost in her own thoughts in her seat.

Before leaving, the sage said to Xiao Ran earnestly, "I know you may not believe what I'm saying, but that's okay. I'm used to it. In your eyes, I'm a madman, but it's precisely because I'm a madman that I can see things that you can't. Come back a few more times in the future, and I'll tell you about the miniature history of the universe, okay?"

Xiao Ran walked out without even turning her head, and closed the door behind her.

Compared to this saint, Xiao Ran would much rather beat up the ancient emperor next door.

He's still quite energetic even after being beaten up. Listening to this saint preach makes Xiao Ran really sleepy. He's also cursed and can't sleep. If he listens to him for a few more minutes, he might fall asleep in a daze, which would be dangerous.

Side Quest 3: Visiting the Patient, Completed!

After receiving the notification that the side quest was completed, Xiao Ran did not enter the next room, which relieved the two caregivers who were with her.

After exploring the first and second floors, Xiao Ran stood in front of the door on the third floor and looked at it curiously.

"What's on this?" Xiao Ran turned to the two caregivers behind her and asked.

"Fifth Brother, this is Ghost Master's laboratory. No one can get in unless they have the highest level of authority."

The caregiver explained to Xiao Ran.

"So that's it."

Xiao Ran certainly knew what the above meant, but she still had to put on a show.

When the group returned, they found that Qilin was already waiting at the entrance of the intensive care unit. When he saw Xiao Ran come out, his expression immediately relaxed, and he stepped forward to complain, "Fifth Brother, you are my own brother. You should avoid going to this place in the future if you can avoid it. If you really have to do a mission, I can give you some tips. They are all simple and easy to do."

Qilin pulled Xiao Ran aside as he spoke: "This intensive care unit is very strange. Every month, unlucky people die in there. I'm not trying to scare you, but I don't usually go near this place."

"That dangerous? Then why did I hear them say that Ghost Master and the others' rooms are above the intensive care unit?"

Xiao Ran pretended not to believe it.

"I don't know the specifics either. Not to mention you, I've never been up there. Apart from Master Gui, only the leader of our Changchun Association has the authority to go up there."

As Qilin spoke, he pulled Xiao Ran outside. When they returned to the duty room, Qilin took out a strategy guide from his spatial storage and handed it to Xiao Ran.

"These are all the hospital's tasks and precautions. If you need them, you can find some that are of moderate difficulty to do."

Xiao Ran flipped through it and found that there were indeed all sorts of tasks inside.

This is not surprising. Changchun has controlled some of the hospital's authority and has been entrenched in the hospital for so long that it has basically figured out the hospital's operating rules.

Xiao Ran took the notebook and thanked Qilin.

Why not take advantage of this opportunity?

"Fifth Brother, I'm sorry to trouble you for the next few days. With your abilities, as long as you follow the rules during your night shifts, there shouldn't be any major problems. But if you really run into big trouble..."

After looking around and making sure no one was around, Qilin whispered a few words in Xiao Ran's ear.

"Is this okay?"

Upon hearing Qilin's words, Xiao Ran's face showed surprise.

"Of course, my uncle told me this himself, just in case." It turns out that what Qilin was talking about was a secret safe house hidden in the hospital. Even Beast Master didn't have any information about this safe house. As long as you hide in this safe house, no matter what kind of strange tales or rules there are, they can't do anything to you.

"You just tell me this kind of thing so simply?"

What truly surprised Xiao Ran was not the safe house, but that Qilin would tell her this news.

Qilin scratched his head: "Fifth Brother, although I was following Ghost Master's orders when I tested you before, I actually admire you quite a bit. Could you give me some pointers when you have time? If not, I'd like to become your apprentice."

Although Qilin is a spoiled rich kid, he is actually under a lot of pressure. His uncle is the head of the Changchun Association, which is why he is where he is today.

If it weren't for his uncle, with his abilities, he wouldn't even be considered a third-rate player outside.

This is also why his uncle has always been worried about him. Logically speaking, with resources like the Changchun Association, even a hopeless case could be helped to rise up.

But Qilin really can't be helped.

He's only a 1D-level beginner now, and it was only with Beast Master's help that he became a D-level professional beastmaster.

As for the remaining two professions, they are both currently at the E-rank: Monk and Onomatopoeia Assistant.

“Before, I had Grandpa Beast at the company to take care of me, but he…”

When the name of Beast Lord was mentioned, Qilin's face fell.

The Beast Master had no children, so he cared for him like a grandson. Although he was a bit strict, he would always include him in any good things that happened.

His doting on him was so excessive that even his own uncle felt it was a bit too much.

This is why Qilin is so familiar with Taurus and the others.

Who could have imagined that during Mengchi's trip, Beast Master would actually die?

Qilin was truly heartbroken. He had lost an elder who had protected him, and now his only remaining support was his uncle.

"I've thought about avenging Grandpa Beast, and I've tried to train hard. I've used all the necessary potions, but I don't know why, I just can't do it."

Qilin sat in the chair, his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling, and told Xiao Ran about all the attempts he had made during this time.

He is a beast tamer, and theoretically he can strengthen himself by taming wild beasts and absorbing their abilities.

According to Beast Master, he can use the [Sound Assistant] profession to imitate the power of wild beasts, and then learn beast-style boxing techniques. The three professions complement each other, and his strength will definitely improve by leaps and bounds.

As a result, the onomatopoeia assistant could only imitate the surface, and the strength of a wild beast was like that of a wildcat. He learned the beast-style boxing, but when he practiced, he could punch himself in the face.

The Changchun guild has no shortage of experienced masters of boxing. Seeing his utterly terrible performance, they all said that this kid was hopeless and not cut out for this.

Finally, even the authorities seemed to have given up hope and could only transfer him to logistics.

Xiao Ran, listening from the side, was also quite speechless.

If I had the resources of the Changchun Association, I would have taken off long ago. Even if I were an ordinary person, I would at least be able to do 3D animation.

Unfortunately, this spoiled brat couldn't even meet this minimum standard.

"How dare you call yourself a Qilin??"

Hearing Xiao Ran's teasing, Qilin said, "This is the title that Master Beast gave me, hoping that I could be the Qilin among the second generation of Changchun Society. Now... hehe, this is a joke."

"So, you want me to teach you?"

"You don't need to teach me anything, just tell me what to do. Fifth Brother, as long as you can make me stronger, I will go through fire and water for you without hesitation in the Changchun Society."

Qilin stared intently at Xiao Ran.

Faced with Qilin's request for guidance, Xiao Ran felt a deep sense of unease.

In fact, if Beast Master hadn't broken ties with his grandfather and the others, Qilin might have been a close friend of Xiao Ran's generation.

"Um, could you demonstrate a basic set of boxing techniques for me?"

Xiao Ran pointed to the empty space next to her and said.

"no problem."

Upon hearing this, Qilin immediately jumped up and demonstrated the Five Elements Fist he had learned to Xiao Ran, which naturally impressed Xiao Ran, who exclaimed how awesome it was.

"Stop it. Your boxing skills are really amazing. Tiger and Crane Double Movement will turn you into a cat and dog crawling together, and Snake Fist and Carving Hand will turn you into an earthworm with messy claws."

Xiao Ran rubbed his forehead and had to admit that some people in this world can learn anything they see and learn in no time, their genius is hard to understand. But there are also some people who are just as stupid as others. Even though they have been taught five or six times, with the master teaching them step by step, they still can't learn a certain movement no matter what.

"You should go back first. Your situation is rather special. Give me some time, and I'll think it over carefully for you."

Encountering such an oddball as Qilin, Xiao Ran suddenly understood why Po Jin, the dignified leader of the association, would put his own nephew in such an insignificant position, whose status was even lower than that of the Ghost Doctor.

"Okay, then Fifth Brother, you should get some rest. I won't bother you anymore."

After Qilin left with a wide grin, Xiao Ran could even hear him excitedly imitating Bruce Lee's shouts in the corridor, along with the sounds of punches and kicks.

To Qilin's disappointment, Xiao Ran really had no intention of teaching him anything. If he really did... well... then he could just be taught a lesson!
……

"I'm going back to my dorm. Here, take this. Good luck tonight."

As night fell, Jin Chanzi stretched and casually handed a black talisman to Xiao Ran.

"what is this?"

"The substitute death talisman I told you about before, I spent an afternoon making it for you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran took the talisman and remembered that she had shaved the head of Wu Man's friend in Bone Spirit Street and received a moldy coin in return.

Then the golden toad took that thing. If he hadn't brought it up, Xiao Ran would probably have forgotten about it.

Xiao Ran took the talisman in her hand, but received no prompting. She looked at Jin Chanzi suspiciously.

"Why are you looking at me like that? This is something I made for you. It's a Taoist ritual, not a curse."

Jin Chanzi rolled his eyes at Xiao Ran, indicating that his talisman was extremely effective. As long as Xiao Ran wore it, the paper figure would quickly burn up when encountering special rules or strange tales that meant certain death, helping him to withstand the calamity.

Despite having some doubts after hearing Jin Chanzi's mysterious words, Xiao Ran still kept the talisman on her person.

Sometimes, he really doubted the guy's identity.

However, now was not the time to worry about such things. Xiao Ran sat in her office until around 10 p.m. when the head nurse came in and handed her a bottle.

"Dr. Wu, it's time to start rounds."

Xiao Ran nodded and reached out to take the notebook. The instant he took the notebook, blood-red words suddenly appeared on the page.

"You have triggered a ghost story!! Night Watch Rules!"

"When you do your room check tonight, please check the bathrooms in the hallway. If you see anyone inside, knock on the door and ask if they have any cigarettes."

"The patient in bed number 38 will appear in the corridor at night. If he asks you to take a walk with him, you must not refuse."

"If you hear singing in the middle of the night, please be sure to write down every lyric and tell the head nurse."

"Completing all of the above constitutes the completion of this ward round!"

Xiao Ran frowned as she looked at the contents, especially the first point. She remembered that Li Xuyin had specifically told her not to enter the toilet in the corridor unless necessary.

Li Xuyin's words were not entirely a reminder to himself, but merely a way to distract himself.

But whatever the purpose, the bathroom is not a good place.

As for the remaining two items, they are even stranger.

"Dr. Wu!" The head nurse stared intently at Xiao Ran. "Can we begin rounds now...?"

(End of this chapter)