Chapter 00247: The Gift
# The Gift
Chapter 247
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 247: The Gift
No matter if it was the north or the south, it seemed that every hospital room’s ceiling was exactly the same, without exception.
It was as if all these ceilings were made by the same company, with no variation or aesthetic care—monotonous and hopelessly dull.
The air hung heavy with the smell of disinfectant, while the bitter, lingering taste of medicine coated his mouth.
A catheter remained lodged in his wrist; the machines in the corner beeped steadily; his entire body throbbed with unbearable pain, rendering him completely immobile.
And worst of all, the afternoon sun shone straight onto his face, blinding and scorching.
Too bright! Too hot!
“Nurse? Nurse! Can someone please pull the curtain?” he thought desperately.
But there was no nurse.
No kind, gentle older sister offering care and concern.
On the chair beside his bed sat a familiar figure.
Near him lay a familiar thermos and a ghoul ball, quietly reading a newspaper with calm detachment.
“Teacher?” Ji Jue blinked in surprise.
“Hmm?”
Ye Xian looked back over his shoulder, nodding knowingly. “Awake now?”
“Yeah.” Ji Jue’s voice was hoarse. “Is there water? I’m so thirsty.”
“It’s on the table. Pour it yourself. If you can’t, press the bell.”
Cold as ever, utterly devoid of warmth, yet somehow that made Ji Jue feel relieved.
If Professor Ye were suddenly sweet and attentive, he’d think he’d fallen under some kind of illusion.
He tried to move a finger and was met with a stabbing pain that pierced to the bone—not just in his body but in his very soul.
Trembling, he clumsily tried to hold the cup, spilling half the water before he even got it to his lips.
He couldn’t even drink it!
“Matrix overload, a normal reaction. Rest for a while and you’ll be fine,” Ye Xian remarked, casting a glance at Ji Jue’s sorry state.
With a snap of his finger, a straw appeared in the cup, sparing him from using his hands to drink.
After much effort, Ji Jue finally managed to take a sip.
Then he noticed something—an intense floral fragrance filling the air.
Looking around, he finally saw the towering piles of bouquets and fruit baskets cluttering the makeshift ward.
The ribbons gleamed with gold lettering, each one different.
Some said Tongshan, some Tongting, others bore the names Ji Liu, Ji Xue, Xu Guan.
There were those from the Ya City Security Bureau, the Chao City Security Bureau.
Some had Lou Feng’s name—his handwriting looked reluctant.
Others bore the name Lou Yanyue; those fruit baskets were huge, almost big enough to fit Ji Jue inside.
Some were unsigned, smaller and cheaper, including a couple shabby ones marked “Repay soon,” probably from Old Tang. “Fine, you want the balance? Get ready to beg and plead!”
There was even one labeled, ‘From all colleagues at the Recycling and Disposal Department’...
The brothers still remembered him?
Even more were names Ji Jue had never heard before, or just met once.
There were so many, it was almost frightening.
“Uh, isn’t this a bit much?”
“This is after clearing out most of it. These past few days, the fruit shops in the forward outpost have been completely emptied. The shop owners are probably dreaming about kowtowing to you,” Ye Xian said. “The Tong family and Lou family both owe you huge favors. The Security Bureaus of Ya City and Chao City have all issued commendations. Even the Association’s commissioners speak highly of you. If you weren’t still an apprentice, they’d be awarding you a golden sash.“The best part about showing off is this: from now on, when you walk around, no one will think you’re just someone’s apprentice; they’ll remember your name.”“...”Ji Jue remained silent for a long time. Then, with a wry smile, he turned to look at Ye Xian. The professor continued to read, unfazed. Summoning courage, Ji Jue finally asked,“Teacher, don’t you have any questions for me?”Eyes lifted over the newspaper, eyebrows raised as if looking at a fool.“It’s always the student asking the teacher, where does a teacher ask the student?”came Ye Xian’s cold reply.“Student is student.
Teacher is teacher.
You signed the contract, so behave and work like a beast of burden.
Stop thinking about nonsense.”“Huh?”Ji Jue was dumbfounded.“Also, if I were you, I’d be careful walking at night.”Ye Xian’s eyes returned to the paper, mocking.“Jianyuan Old Thing has a petty heart.
No matter how carefree he acts when leaving, he’s probably still missing the fine jade that slipped from his hands.
“Of course, if you really want some darkness, I won’t stop you. I’ll just fire you tomorrow.”
“No, please don’t!” Ji Jue shook his head in horror, his voice hoarse with pain. “Teacher, I’m scared, I really am!”
“Hopefully.”
Ye Xian sneered, indifferent as ever.
Silence returned to the ward.
Ji Jue closed his eyes, aware of his fading soul and the dimly glowing matrix.
His condition was worse than ever, as if barely clinging to life.
Yet from the weakness, the matrix’s flickering glow grew stronger, its structure increasingly intricate, almost as if it was growing.
It had spread from his hands to his upper arms, nearly reaching his shoulders.
And inside his soul, beside the blessings of wondrous skill and the primary spiritual force, a brand-new silhouette had appeared, shrouded in radiance and seamlessly linked with the matrix.
Everything in his spirit became orderly; every subtle change was crystal clear—the beating of his heart, the rhythm of his pulse, the circulation of his blood, and the reflex of his nerves—all seemingly under control.
He had become his own master...
—The Primordial Blessing: Command Axis!
At some point, this generous boon from the Primordial Origin had appeared in Ji Jue’s soul without so much as a warning.
No asking for permission—just a sudden delivery.
Brother Yuanzi truly had zero regard for rules!
Now, the three blessings connected as if drawn by the matrix into a completely new structure, elevating Ji Jue’s soul and body to a whole new level.
Everything felt utterly transformed.
After enduring four and a half months—not an especially long summoning period—Ji Jue now broke into the stage of transformation at terrifying speed, like a rocket taking off.
Sadly, at the moment, he had no strength to focus on the changes wrought by the mechanical theurgy or the effects of his new blessing.
Recalling the chaos in Spring City and the countless mechanical monsters he’d personally built, Ji Jue sighed.
Jianyuan’s words once again echoed in his mind:
In the end, what he was best at was creating hell...
What did that even mean?
“Teacher...”
Ji Jue bitterly smiled. “Maybe I really am a bad guy.”
“I don’t believe it.”
Ye Xian turned a page of the newspaper, doing a casual glance at him, still looking like he was staring at a fool. “How could a craftsman make a mistake on his own materials?”
Ji Jue chuckled and then closed his eyes, sinking into a deep sleep.
No more worries.
When Ji Jue was finally able to move again and returned to Ya City, it was over a week later.
During that time, many things had happened, to say the least—so many praises and commendations that they could inflate even a pig’s ego and send it flying to the sky.
They laid out so many promises he couldn’t possibly finish eating them all.
If those kind words were paid in cash, he might even dare to challenge the Tong family for Ya City’s richest seat.
After a long, busy stretch, Ji Jue finally returned to a grounded, normal life.
Yet occasionally, when he glanced at the silent watch on his wrist, worry crept back.
Since the last orbit of the celestial track, his beloved “Watch Brother” had gone mute, no longer responding.
Even its spiritual essence reserve sealed shut, along with the disappearance of the CEO.
All this led Ji Jue to doubt—had he messed things up badly last time, blowing through the last resources of the bankrupt company and collapsing it completely?
Worse still, had he unwittingly become the legal representative without realizing it?
But the matter was too sensitive and complicated.
Not even Professor Ye cared to listen.
Ji Jue had no confidence and couldn’t just quiz everyone he met: “Hey, do you know what happened to the celestial track? Yes, the one from over two centuries ago that went bankrupt...”
All he could do was wait in vain.
Every night, staring at the silent watch, he found himself quietly crying little tears: “Once upon a time, there was a sincere part-time job right before me, but I didn’t cherish it. If I had another chance, maybe... maybe I’d reconsider.”
But where was the CEO?
Had something happened to him?
Then one day, without warning, Ji Jue jolted awake and found a familiar face grinning goofily, drool dripping onto his cheek.
“CEO?”
Ji Jue blinked in surprise, carefully holding it up and inspecting it. “You okay? Hmm, you seem to have lost a lot of fur. Where have you been all this time?”
The CEO jumped off the bed, crouching on the floor and making soft whimpering sounds while looking at him.
When it saw Ji Jue’s dumbfounded expression, it lowered its head, opened its mouth, and pulled a large sack from thin air.
Opening it, a bunch of voice buttons spilled out.
“CEO has to leave.”
It raised a paw and hurriedly pressed buttons in the mess: “Before, violation, mistake, CEO, bad. Celestial track, out of control, not good, CEO, work, effort!”
“...”
Ji Jue’s smile froze awkwardly; he was lost, understanding a bit but missing most of the meaning.
But when he heard the “well-trained dog” was about to run away from home, he stood there stunned.
“Leaving? Why?”
He couldn’t laugh anymore and glared angrily: “I fought for the company’s life and death—how could you optimize me out? Are you even human? No, even if you’re not... You...”
“Gift. For. Good. Employee.”
“Employee. Happy. No. Sad.”
The CEO leaned closer, opened its mouth, and placed a box into his arms.
It grinned again, ears perked. “CEO likes you!”
“...”
Ji Jue was stunned, clutching the box instinctively as the CEO bent down to gather up the buttons into its sack and turned to leave.
He had long awaited the day when the celestial track would “live out dreams and find their own brilliance,” even though he feared the sudden workload and the enormous troubles behind it.
Now, watching the lonely CEO’s tail droop as it left, he couldn’t help but call out,
“Hey, CEO!”
The CEO turned around and looked at him.
“Well, then, work all you want. I know you’ve got a lot of troubles and celestial track stuff... I mean, I’m... actually pretty free.”
Ji Jue hesitated, then finally made up his mind. “Will you come find me again?”
He bent down, pulled out a box he had prepared long ago, showing the gifts he hadn’t given away yet. “I even bought you a new bell. Can’t just waste it, right?”
“...”
In the silence, the CEO stared at him blankly.
Gradually its eyes widened.
Though it couldn’t speak, its eyes sparkled with countless shining lights that spoke louder than words, twinkling brilliantly.
Suddenly, it leapt up.
It threw itself into Ji Jue’s arms, eagerly licking his face, wriggling and causing the decorations and papers on the desk to scatter everywhere—chaos all over the floor.
I just really like you!
The CEO eventually left.
Proudly wearing the shiny new bell on its neck and wagging its tail, it disappeared without a word.
Just like any boss who vanishes after painting a tempting picture.
Ji Jue looked at the utterly ransacked room, sighed helplessly, drool still on his face, and lowered his eyes to the small box in his hands.
A crooked, uneven bow tied around it—one side big, the other small.
A gift.
“Meh?”
Ji Jue opened it and peered inside at a strangely shaped key.
He scratched his head. “What’s this... a car key? Why would I need a car?!”
If the Little Steed found out, it would probably starve itself for a month or two out of spite.
After being abandoned for so long, it was already hard enough to console!
Forget it, then.
Ji Jue smiled bitterly and tossed the key in his hands.
Suddenly, it shimmered into a streak of light and slipped inside the silent watch.
At that instant, a clear sound rang out.
Complex patterns and emblems materialized on the watch’s dial, and the long-lost panel expanded again.
This time, all the error pop-ups were gone.
At the very front of the panel was a new button—blank, unmarked.
Out of pure instinct, curiosity, or maybe just a twitch of the fingers, Ji Jue pressed it.
Then, quite literally, his vision went black...
It was as if an invisible door opened before him.
Guided by the spiritual essence pathways in the watch, his consciousness surged upward, instantly crossing unimaginable distances.
Breaking through the blockade and shroud of the mortal realm, he arrived in an unanticipated void.
Beyond the brilliance of the mortal world, in a boundless darkness like the universe, countless fractured realms orbited the mortal realm’s movement—silver glimmers flashing like a net, covering everything but only visible for a moment.
And within Ji Jue’s perception, a familiar silhouette emerged from a tiny corner of that vast darkness.
From eternal silence, the magnificent whale song sounded once more!
“Damn...”
In that instant of transformation, everything before his eyes changed again.
Ji Jue looked back dazedly at the driver’s seat, the broken dashboard, familiar arrangements, the huge interior and displays, and the roaring engine, as if welcoming him warmly.
This was clearly the same doomsday train he had seen before!
How did it just casually become his?
Over waves of blackness washing over him, his legs gave way and he slumped onto a worn cushion, unable to get up.
This was bad!
Even if he said he wasn’t the legal representative this time, no one would believe him...
(The End of This Chapter)