Concurrent fractures are a common occurrence in patients with bone cancer.
Due to the destruction of bone tissue by cancer cells, patients experience a weakening and brittleness of their bones, making fractures a frequent event.
This eventually happened to Chen Pingan as well.
After enduring so much pain, one becomes somewhat numb to it.
The physical pain was still within his tolerance range; the psychological pain was insignificant in comparison.
Chen Pingan felt that nothing could be more heart-wrenching than the tragedy of his parents perishing in a fire all those years ago.
Thus, amid the concerned gazes and inquiries of fellow tourists, Chen Pingan calmly adjusted the camera and said to Zhang Rui, who was supporting him: "Buddy, do me a favor and open my backpack."
"No, man, you should call an ambulance right now! Why worry about a backpack?" Zhang Rui had never encountered someone like Chen Pingan, who seemed indifferent to his fractured and deformed leg as if it weren't his own.
"You can shout for an ambulance, but it won't make it up here. Open my backpack and I'll handle the rest."
Zhang Rui reluctantly took down the backpack, unzipped it, and handed it to Chen Pingan.
Chen Pingan pulled out a bag and extracted a folding cane from it.
Zhang Rui: "..."
Other tourists: "???"
No way, dude, this is your solution? We were expecting some kind of pain-relieving wonder drug...
"Alright, let's continue!" Chen Pingan skillfully used the cane to support himself.
The probability of fractures in bone cancer patients is quite high, so he often walked with a cane even before any fractures occurred, fearing he might not get used to it if a fracture happened.
Now that a fracture had occurred, it was perfect—a defiant nod to fate.
Viewers in the live stream quietly liked and gifted items, or urged the streamer to descend the mountain. No one questioned the authenticity of Chen Pingan's condition anymore, or rather, they no longer cared what specific illness he had.
All they cared about was whether this extraordinary individual would make his journey worthwhile.
That bent right leg seemed like the oppression of fate and the mockery of the Grim Reaper.
And the cane in Chen Pingan's hand—wasn't it the middle finger raised to both the Reaper and fate?
You wouldn't let him reach the summit, you even crippled his leg, yet he would still make it to the top.
Tourists, watching the figure slowly ascending step by step, were filled with admiration.
Such a determined young man must have grand aspirations, they thought.
"Charge! I'm about to earn the 90,000 sponsorship fee! 1,000 draws in the lucky draw pool!!!" Chen Pingan, watching the steps decrease one by one, gritted his teeth, his expression becoming increasingly fierce: "Mixing Yuan to mend the sky! Heh heh heh! A mere Mixing Yuan to mend the sky!!"
The tourists around him felt even more respect.
Look at how much pain this guy's enduring? His facial features are all twisted!
At the summit of Mount Yuangang.
As Chen Pingan's trembling leg finally landed on the last step.
A faint, immature ray of light pierced through countless cloud layers, spreading from the dim horizon, gently caressing the top of his head.
Flocks of birds flew through the light.
The sound of bells echoed in the distant mountains.
The next second.
A rising sun burst from the horizon, its flames spreading out, illuminating the entire world.
Chen Pingan's eyes widened, his heart trembled, and the tourists around him fell silent.
Everyone quietly witnessed the moment as the hazy outlines of the mountains were gilded with a golden hue.
Suddenly.
"Kneel——!!!"
A cry rang out from somewhere unknown.
Strange fluctuations appeared in the sunlight.
The halo was like a disturbed lake, rippling with waves.
Within the ripples, an ancient ceremonial procession emerged from the interplay of light and shadow.
At the forefront stood a figure with a majestic and upright posture, clad in a black dragon robe, wearing a ceremonial headdress, a sword hanging at his waist, followed by civil and military officials. The civil officers held ivory tablets, the military officers donned dark armor, and attendants carried ceremonial vessels. They trod on cloud layers, upon which brick and tile patterns appeared beneath their feet, advancing step by step toward the summit of Mount Yuangang.
"What the heck is this?"
"Is it a mirage?"
"No, someone's filming a movie here?"
The tourists stared agape at the scene. At that moment, the procession was still far away, and they had the leisure to discuss it. But in the next instant, the procession spanned several miles and suddenly materialized right before them. Mount Yuangang fell silent, utterly still, as everyone closed their mouths.
Something was pressing down on them, immobilizing them, silencing them.
Chen Pingan stood there, gazing at the imperial figure approaching.
He couldn't discern the emperor's features, only sensing a blur that seemed to dance before his eyes.
The procession moved through the crowd of tourists, ethereal and misty, intangible and untouchable.
They marched with unwavering focus, as if a scene from another timeline had manifested before them, gazing through the river of history at one another without interference.
Initially, Chen Pingan thought this was the case.
Until the emperor approached him.
In the split second before the emperor was about to pass through his body.
The emperor inclined his head slightly, lowered his gaze, and his golden slit pupils locked eyes with Chen Pingan.
Chen Pingan's scalp tingled. He swore that the emperor was looking at him on purpose, not by chance!
He could even feel the scrutiny in the emperor's gaze!
However, this eye contact lasted but a moment.
The emperor passed through Chen Pingan's body, and along with his procession, gradually vanished into the mist at the summit of Mount Yuangang.
...
...
The mirage at the summit of Mount Yuangang sparked heated discussions across the web, swiftly climbing to the top of trending topics.
Experts analyzed that it was the ceremonial procession of the First Emperor of Qin.
The mirage depicted the scene of Emperor Qin's ritual at Mount Yuangang in ancient times.
As for why ancient historical events would manifest in modern times, experts have yet to devise a more plausible explanation.
But as the saying goes, "Do not speak of strange forces and spirits," so the final explanation must be scientific.
Chen Pingan paid no mind to the online commotion, nor did he dwell on the mirage that had glanced at him. As a staunch materialist, if someone told him there was a ghost in his home, he would immediately head downstairs to buy a box of冈本001 condoms.
For no other reason than to contribute to biodiversity.
The level 57 big brother kept his word; the 66 'Guang Gulong Cheng' gifts had arrived, along with a message thanking Chen Pingan for showing him a super rare mirage that he might not witness in several lifetimes. This experience alone was worth all the gifts.
He also stated that he would support all of Chen Pingan's future activities.
Chen Pingan was thrilled. He loved this kind of loyal and generous sponsor.
The live stream concluded, and with his phone battery drained, he bid farewell to his audience.
"Bro, how do you plan to get down the mountain? By cable car or sedan chair?"
After this incident, Zhang Rui was in utter admiration of Chen Pingan.
He used to not believe that there were people who could be called the cream of humanity.
Now he does. Chen Pingan, in his eyes, is already at a superhuman level.
"Of course, I'm taking the cable car," Chen Pingan replied.
Nowadays, numerous college students work as climbing companions at Mount Yuangang, and there are also porters available to carry people down the mountain. He opted for the cable car primarily due to its affordability and speed; he wanted to quickly descend the mountain to recharge his phone and check on his electronic girlfriend. Speaking of which, he had already earned 120,000 yuan. Although live streaming is exhausting, it has shown him a path to making money. However, his condition is severe—amputation is inevitable, and even then, the survival rate post-surgery is low. The attending physician who issued his critical notice didn't explicitly state it, but from between the lines, it's likely the cancer has already spread. Is it worth investing money in treating this illness? Should he strive to earn money for chemotherapy to fight for a chance, or should he just enjoy the present moment?
While contemplating this, Chen Pingan, supported by Zhang Rui and several fellow viewers, made his way to the cable car station. The cable car ticket office was bustling with crowds, including local tourists and many foreigners.
"Damn it!"
A curse erupted from the crowd. It turned out that a foreigner who had cut in line was struck on the shoulder by a flying pebble from an unknown source.
"Serves him right for not queuing properly!" Zhang Rui and others nearby smirked with a hint of schadenfreude.
Soon, it was Chen Pingan's turn to board the cable car. This particular cable car could accommodate eight people at once. As Zhang Rui helped Chen Pingan aboard, they noticed several individuals with dragon and tiger tattoos on their bodies—clearly not the most savory characters.
"Bro, are you still getting on?" Zhang Rui hesitated, looking at Chen Pingan.
"Let's go," Chen Pingan said nonchalantly.
Although these individuals appeared dubious, they were just that—dubious. For all they knew, the tattoos might simply be a personal preference for body art. One shouldn't judge a book by its cover~
However, at that very moment.
Snap—, the rope holding the amulet suddenly broke, and the amulet fell to the ground.
Chen Pingan froze, bending down to pick it up.
His movements were slow, and the men in the cable car immediately began to urge him on with derogatory remarks.
Suddenly,
Rumble—!!!
The entire Mount Yuangang shook violently, as if the earth itself was trembling.
The moment Chen Pingan grasped the amulet, he was knocked to the ground by the jolt and tumbled all the way to the ticket office.
"Whoa!!!"
"Quick, take cover!"
He rolled on the ground, wincing in pain, as debris from the ceiling above rained down.
"Ah—! Falling rocks!"
In his daze, he heard someone shouting and the screams of the crowd.
A deafening roar erupted,
and the sound of shattering cable car glass followed.