Free Web NovelChapter 434: Chapter 436: Wandering the World with a Sword
The Heavenly Dao was supremely confident. She was sure Su Nian wouldn’t dare to touch her. After all, she was the Heavenly Dao of a minor world, in control of the rules that governed the lives within it.
But to her utter surprise, Su Nian attacked without a moment’s hesitation, and her first move was a lethal one. The faint cracking sound from her own neck struck her with a bit of fear, and her expression changed.
She knew Su Nian genuinely wanted to kill her. And while this move couldn’t kill her, it could still cause a certain amount of damage.
The two were locked in a stalemate. Su Nian remained expressionless, but it was the Heavenly Dao who was now on the losing end.
In truth, there was an unusual story behind her status as a Heavenly Dao, so her power was not as great as that of a proper one. She had no intention of admitting defeat, but she was at a clear disadvantage regardless.
Her face was cold as she glared at Su Nian, wanting to counterattack, but Su Nian’s grip only tightened.
The Heavenly Dao finally couldn’t breathe and was unable to hold on. At that exact moment, Su Nian’s vision went black. The scene changed completely; she was no longer in the houses of the bizarre people she had been visiting.
Nothing was out of place. This time, she seemed to have returned to the very beginning, sitting in her own home. Su Nian glanced at the time—it seemed to be just before she was supposed to get on that bus.
Su Nian looked at her screen. The live comments were scrolling by just as they always did, as if everyone’s memories had been erased, or perhaps, under the Heavenly Dao’s control, time itself had been turned back.
Everything had returned to normal. The comments section was still a lively stream of chatter.
[Streamer, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up with the raffle!]
[I can’t wait any longer!]
[Yeah, yeah, me too! I’m definitely going to win a lucky bag this time!]
[I’m all ready! If I win, you have to do a reading for my son’s future!]
[What a great dad!]
[You bet! What happens to me doesn’t matter, but my son’s future is the most important thing!]
The viewers’ comments, one after another, brought Su Nian back to her senses. ’There’s no faking the time,’ she thought. ’The Heavenly Dao must have expended a great deal of power to turn time back to this moment.’
Su Nian glanced at the live comments. Following her usual routine, her hands expertly navigated the interface, and she said with a smile, "Alright, for those of you who want a lucky bag, first hit the follow button. You have to be a fan to enter the raffle.
"To the friend who wins the lucky bag, please note that the divination fee is one Magic Castle. Once you send it, we can begin the reading."
Su Nian smiled as her fingers deftly tapped the ’send’ button.
Soon, a throbbing, red silk pouch appeared on the screen.
It had a large character for "Fortune" on it, which wiggled about cutely. At the same time, countless viewers began furiously tapping on their screens.
’So it really did turn back time. Did the Heavenly Dao send me back here because it knew it couldn’t defeat me that way?’
’Or does she have something else in mind?’ Su Nian was puzzled. Just then, the raffle result was announced.
[Congratulations to Sword Wandering the World for winning the streamer’s lucky bag!]
After confirming he was available for a video call, Su Nian initiated the connection.
The person who won the lucky bag this time was a young man who looked to be about twenty-five.
His background suggested he lived in the countryside, in a simple brick house. The room itself was sparse, dominated by an enormous wooden bed and surrounded by numerous plastic bags.
The bags seemed to be filled with crops, with kernels of corn occasionally spilling out. A few strips of cured meat hung on the wall.
He looked at Su Nian with an excited expression, but there was a hint of sorrow in his eyes.
"This is great! I happen to need help with something just like this, and I can’t believe I actually won."
Seeing him say this, someone in the comments explained.
[The streamer has said it before. The people who win the lucky bags are always the ones who genuinely need them. You can’t win by random chance.]
[Yeah, yeah, I know! That’s why everyone says the person who wins the lucky bag is actually an unlucky soul!]
Seeing these comments, Sword Wandering the World’s expression turned a bit grim, but he tried to act like he didn’t care.
"You guys are just jealous!"
The young man named Sword Wandering the World looked back at Su Nian, who offered him a small smile.
His features were honest; her initial judgment was that he was a good person. Su Nian reminded him, "Please pay the divination fee first. One Magic Castle."
The young man grinned at her words. "I’m all ready!"
As he spoke, he sent the gift. A beautiful animation bloomed across the screen—after a shower of fireworks faded, the image of a beautiful castle appeared.
Su Nian replied, "Received."
She then began the reading for the young man, whose expression was troubled.
"Streamer, here’s the thing. My father passed away a few days ago, but I keep dreaming about him. He always seems really unhappy. In the most terrifying dream, he was holding a torch, like he wanted to burn me to death!"
The young man’s face was filled with fear as he rubbed his head.
Su Nian noticed that the skin between his index and middle fingers was stained a waxy yellow, as if from holding cigarettes.
The young man’s words sent the viewers into a frenzy of speculation.
[Maybe your dad’s spirit was possessed?]
[Could it be that someone dug up your dad’s ancestral grave?]
[That’s not impossible!]
[Maybe he’s just mad at you, wants you to give him a grandchild or something!]
Seeing this, the young man looked helpless.
"I thought the same thing at first. The problem is, I’m already in a long-term relationship. My girlfriend and I have been together for years, and we’ve always been great. To fulfill my dad’s wish, we even worked out all the wedding arrangements and got engaged. When my dad passed away, he had a smile on his face."
[Hearing that, it doesn’t sound like there’s any problem!]
[So what’s really going on then?]
[I think it’s hard to say, but it’s definitely not a good thing, that’s for sure!]
[I think this sounds a little fake. If your dad, if he was really so satisfied, why would he come back to haunt you after he died?]
The comments were all over the place, but most of them were suspicious of him.
Sword Wandering the World was getting annoyed. He snorted, "You don’t know anything about my family, so stop talking nonsense! If you don’t believe me, ask the streamer whether I’m a filial son or not!"
The topic shifted back to Su Nian. Seeing the discussion on screen come to a sudden halt, she decided to clarify for him.
"He is indeed a filial son and treated his father very well when he was alive."
"See? Did you hear that!?"
Hearing Su Nian say that, the young man puffed up with pride. He’d just been certified as a filial son by the master diviner herself! There was no way he would have mistreated his own dad!
"But then why does my dad keep visiting me in my dreams?"
As he spoke, his expression turned sorrowful again. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from under his pillow and lit one up.
Wreathed in smoke, he yawned. He seemed sleepy, but the thought of his father made him afraid to fall asleep.
"SIGH!"
He let out a sorrowful sigh.
"I’m so exhausted right now. All I want to do is sleep every day, but as soon as I do, I dream of my dad. I’m too scared to sleep, I don’t dare to! The only way I can keep my energy up is with cigarettes!"
