Pathological fractures are a common symptom among bone cancer patients.
Due to the destructive effect of cancer cells on bone tissue, the bones become soft and brittle, making them extremely susceptible to breaking.
And now, it had finally happened to Chen Huaian.
The pain… well, he was almost numb to it.
The physical pain was still within tolerance.
The emotional pain? That didn't even register.
To Chen Huaian, nothing could possibly hurt more than the memory of his parents burning to death in that fire all those years ago.
So, surrounded by concerned tourists and worried murmurs, he calmly adjusted his livestream camera and said to Zhang Rui, who was helping him stay upright:
"Bro, do me a favor. Open my backpack."
"What? Are you serious?! Call an ambulance! Why the hell are you worried about your backpack?"
Zhang Rui had never met anyone like Chen Huaian. It was as if that broken, deformed leg didn't even belong to him.
"Even if you call one, the ambulance can't come up here. Just open the bag—I have my own way."
Still half in disbelief, Zhang Rui took the backpack, unzipped it, and handed it over.
Chen Huaian reached in, pulled out a small pouch, and from it, unfolded a collapsible cane.
Zhang Rui: "…"
Other tourists: "???"
Wait, this was his grand solution?
They were expecting, at the very least, some kind of painkiller miracle drug…
"Alright, let's keep going."
Chen Huaian propped himself up with the cane like he'd done it a thousand times.
Bone fractures were so common for someone in his condition that he had practiced walking with a cane long before it was needed—just in case.
And now, fate had finally dealt him that hand.
Perhaps this was just… fate's twisted little kiss.
The livestream audience began flooding the chat with gifts and silent thumbs-ups.
No one was questioning his diagnosis anymore.
In fact, no one cared what disease he had at all.
They only cared about one thing—
Would this man, this beast of a man, make it to the summit?
His broken leg was like the weight of destiny itself—
a mockery from Death.
But that cane?
That cane was a middle finger raised to both death and fate.
They tried to break him.
Even shattered his leg.
And yet—he climbed.
One agonizing step at a time.
The tourists watching him were struck with awe and reverence.
Surely, someone this determined must have grand aspirations…
But then Chen Huaian gritted his teeth and growled:
"LET'S GOOOO! We're almost at ¥90,000 in donations! Time to burn 1000 pulls in the Koi Pool banner!!!"
His face twisted in agony as he climbed, his voice cracked:
"Hunyuan Replenishment Pill!! Heh heh heh! Just a lowly Hunyuan Pill!!"
The tourists looked on with admiration.
He was in so much pain his face was literally twisting—
And he was still joking?
---
Mount Tai's summit.
Chen Huaian's trembling leg finally landed on the last step.
A soft beam of premature dawn pierced through the clouds—
gently brushing his head.
Flocks of birds soared past the golden light.
A bell echoed faintly from the distant mountains.
And then—
A brilliant sun erupted from the horizon,
pouring molten gold across the entire world.
Chen Huaian's eyes widened, his heart trembling.
Around him, all the tourists fell silent.
They watched, breathless,
as the silhouettes of the mountains were kissed by golden light.
Then suddenly—
"KNEEL—!!!"
A thunderous chant split the sky, origin unknown.
Ripples surged through the sunlight like waves on a stirred lake.
And from those ripples, a regal procession emerged:
a full imperial retinue, shimmering in overlapping shadows and light.
At the front walked a tall figure—
wearing a dark dragon robe, a crown of jade beads, and a sword at his side.
Behind him: ministers of civil and military ranks,
officials with ivory tablets,
soldiers in black armor,
attendants carrying ritual vessels—
All walking on clouds,
blue tiles forming beneath their feet with every step toward the summit.
"What the hell…?"
"Is this some kind of mirage?"
"Or are they filming a movie here?"
The tourists murmured, confused, still assuming this was distant.
But the next moment, the entire procession blinked into existence just meters away.
Silence.
The mountain top fell utterly still.
No one moved.
No one dared speak.
Some unknown force pressed down on their hearts—
making them freeze, breathless.
Chen Huaian stood rooted in place,
staring at the approaching emperor.
He couldn't make out the emperor's face.
His eyes were blurred, like something was gently caressing his retinas.
The imperial procession passed through the crowd—
like mist, like smoke—
intangible, untouchable.
They didn't look left or right.
They walked their own path,
as if from another timeline altogether.
An ancient vision leaking into the present,
seen through the cracks of history.
That's what Chen Huaian thought—
until the emperor reached him.
Just as he was about to pass through—
The emperor paused.
Lowered his eyes.
And those golden slitted pupils locked eyes with Chen Huaian.
For just a second.
But that second was enough.
Chen Huaian's scalp went numb.
He swore the emperor had looked directly at him.
Not a coincidence.
Not a random glance.
He felt seen.
Judged.
Then, the emperor moved on.
His figure, along with his grand entourage,
slowly faded into the mist at Mount Tai's peak.
---
This mirage at the summit triggered a firestorm online—
immediately topping search charts across the internet.
Experts speculated that it was the First Emperor's imperial procession.
A projection of his Fengshan ceremony on Mount Tai.
As to why such an ancient event would appear in the modern world…
Well, the experts hadn't come up with a convincing "scientific" explanation yet.
But of course—
as always—
"there must be a logical reason."
Chen Huaian ignored the online frenzy.
He even brushed off the fact that the emperor might've looked him in the eye.
As a firm materialist, his attitude was simple:
If someone told him a female ghost was haunting his house,
he'd go straight to the convenience store and buy a pack of condoms.
Not for pleasure—
But to contribute to the diversity of the gene pool.
As for the level-57 fan?
True to his word—he sent 66 "Drum & Dragon Castle" gifts.
He even thanked Chen Huaian for letting him witness a once-in-several-lifetimes miracle.
That experience alone, he said, was worth all the money.
He promised to support every one of Chen Huaian's future streams.
Chen Huaian was thrilled.
He loved real fans like this.
Mission complete.
His phone was nearly dead.
He wrapped up the stream with a quick farewell and signed off.
"Bro, how are you getting down? Cable car or sedan chair?"
Zhang Rui was now completely in awe of him.
He used to think calling someone "a dragon among men" was just talk.
Now he believed it.
To him, Chen Huaian was practically a superhuman.
"Cable car, of course." Chen Huaian said.
There were college students offering assistance down the mountain, even sedan-chair services.
But the cable car was cheap and fast—
And he was dying to get back to his electronic girlfriend.
With ¥120,000 now in his pocket,
he finally saw a potential income path, even though livestreaming was grueling.
But his condition… was terminal.
Amputation was certain.
Survival after that? Very unlikely.
His doctor hadn't said it outright,
but Chen Huaian could read between the lines—
The cancer had probably spread.
So now the question was:
Was it worth burning money for chemo and survival?
Or should he simply live joyfully and squeeze everything out of his remaining time?
As he pondered, Zhang Rui and the others helped him toward the cable car station.
It was crowded—
locals, tourists, even foreign travelers.
"FUCK!"
A loud curse rang out from the crowd.
Some jerk trying to cut in line had just been nailed in the shoulder by a falling rock.
"Serves you right!"
Zhang Rui and the others snickered.
Finally, it was their turn to board.
Each cable car held eight people.
Just as Zhang Rui was helping Chen Huaian up—
he noticed a few tattoo-covered thugs already sitting inside.
Clearly not the friendly type.
"Uh… bro, you still want to get in?"
"Of course."
Chen Huaian said without a care.
They looked shady, sure—
But who knew? Maybe they just liked drawing birds and dragons on their bodies.
Can't judge a book by its cover.
Just then—
Snap!
The string holding his protective charm broke.
The charm dropped to the ground.
Chen Huaian blinked, crouched slowly to pick it up—
The thugs started cursing, impatient.
Then—
BOOOOM—!!
The entire mountain trembled.
A violent earthquake rocked Mount Tai.
Chen Huaian fell to the ground, tumbling toward the ticket booth.
"SHIT!!"
"TAKE COVER!!"
He winced as he rolled,
while debris clattered down from above.
"AHHH! ROCKSLIDE!"
Someone shouted.
Screams echoed from every direction.
Then came a deafening crash—
and the sound of shattering glass from the cable car behind him.