Have always envied supernatural humans. Some possess the ability to live for thousands of years, others can be reborn if they choose, and some are immune to diseases, remaining untouched by viruses until their death.
Hong Zhou gently turned the page of the book he was reading, but his mind was lost in thought.
The doctors can't even tell me what my disease is, because it's a mixture of cancer and other unknown diseases; it's been twenty-three years, and nothing has changed. I'm still sitting in a wheelchair, waiting for some kind of miracle to happen. I wish I were as strong as the main characters in stories.
Hong Zhou was in a large bookstore just a few minutes away from his home. He loved reading and felt a deep affinity for the books he found there.
Seven years ago, after his grandmother passed away, he began to realize the harsh truths about the world. Many people started to ignore him. His lover used him for money, and his life turned into a living hell.
The only thing that excited Hong Zhou was the books in the bookstore.
The bookstore owner approached Hong Zhou and said, "Hey, I'm closing for the day; why don't you come back tomorrow?"
"You're closing already? I just finished this book. Can you recommend something for me to read at home?"
It was only 3 PM, and he didn't want to leave the bookstore empty-handed.
"Sure! But you have to return it tomorrow." The bookstore owner strolled to the left corner of the bookshelf and retrieved a book from the top titled "Sage of the Astral Archive."
"What kind of book is it? It doesn't look very new to me," Hong Zhou said as he reached for the book.
Unlike the people outside, the bookstore owner was Hong Zhou's best friend. He treated him like a human being and not as a cripple in a wheelchair.
"This book has been with me for seven years—I couldn't read it because the language was weird to me. Why don't you give it a try?"
"No problem—I do love a challenge. I'll see you tomorrow, sir."
Hong Zhou manoeuvred his wheelchair slowly, but the bookstore owner didn't mind at all.
Poor fellow, I wish I could help him a little more, but giving him books is the only thing I can do right now. I'm sorry, Hong Zhou.
The bookstore owner was deep in thought, and a look of frustration crossed his face. He snapped out of it moments later.
Hong Zhou paddled his wheelchair through the bustling streets of Qianmen.
"Hey, it's Hong Zhou! People say he killed his entire family for wealth."
"There's no way that's true."
"His girlfriend left him too; he had a beautiful girlfriend even as a cripple. Can you believe that?"
"But how could a cripple kill anyone? How did he manage that while sitting in a wheelchair?"
"Haven't you heard of food poisoning?"
...…
Hong Zhou glared at the individuals in the streets as if he could kill them with his eyes; his pitch-black eyes slowly turned reddish with anger.
Thank God I'm unable to walk because if I could, you all would be dead on the spot.
He pushed his wheelchair as fast as he could.
"Hardships strengthen resolve; the strong-minded will not be lured by worldly affairs. Today, I'm in a wheelchair. Tomorrow, I might walk the mountains."
"Nobody knows what tomorrow holds—whether we live or die is up to fate and the heavens."
"I refuse to be controlled by fate and the heavens if it means sacrificing myself and following the path of solitude. I will gain strength one day, and I will control my fate with my own hands."
He let out a deep sigh after his motivational speech.
A few minutes later, Hong Zhou reached his house.
He opened the door; the house was empty; unfazed by the loneliness, he entered the house and went straight ahead to the reading table.
"Now let's see what this book is actually all about".
Cough. Cough. Ugh.
"Blood? The doctor did say I didn't have long to leave, but he didn't say when. I hope it's not my time yet, I still want to survive".
Hong Zhou opened the book and started reading it; strangely enough, he understood the language the book was written in.
The bookstore owner said this was an actual storybook, but this was a ritual of how to get infinite knowledge.
" To those who will perform this ritual, do note that it can only be performed once, if the ritual was already performed by another entity, this ritual will not be activated".
Shrivers ran down Hong Zhou's spine as he continued reading the book.
" To perform this ritual, you will have to give up your most precious possession, you will only have this infinite knowledge for 3 hours after the ritual".
What sort of nonsense is this, only three hours? Well, it's infinite knowledge we're talking about, right? What if somebody has already performed the ritual?
Nah, I shouldn't worry about that, I have nothing to lose for trying it out
As Hong Zhou's gaze fell upon the runes in the book, a strange resonance filled the air, a silent hum that vibrated in his bones. The symbols pulsed with an unseen energy, each curve and line thrumming with a latent power that both fascinated and unsettled him. It was as if the very air around them thickened, charged with anticipation.
"Am I supposed to draw these lines on the ground and say the words below? This is simply exciting".
"Let's try this out; I'm so excited; I can't wait to see if this is actually true".
He carried the book and padded his wheelchair to the drawer removing a white chalk. He went down and crawled on the floor to draw.
He started drawing the diagrams he found. Within forty minutes of drawing and cleaning, he was finally done with the diagram.
Am I supposed to say the enchanted words out loud? Okay, let's try it out!
"Perfection and imperfect knowledge. within the universe lies the knowledge of all it is and all that will be". I call on to the heavens for knowledge".
...
What am I supposed to sacrifice? I don't have anything with me, I know; why don't I sacrifice my body instead?
" I Hong Zhou, give my body in exchange for all knowledge and understanding".
Hmmm, that was wrong; it says for infinite knowledge of the universe instead; will it still work?
Immediately he finished the incantations. The light on the ground glowed blue.
"It's blue light and not red; maybe the author was wrong, let's see who wrote this book- I can't seem to find a name on it".
Hong Zhou fell to the ground and started losing consciousness.
What's happening? Is it finally my time? I can't die yet, please.