Starfall Nine Heavens

The corridor of the inpatient department of the Third Municipal Hospital.

The smell of disinfectant was particularly pungent in the early morning air. Outside the private ward, Lu Xiuyuan looked through the glass window in the door at the sleeping young man inside.

Lin Fan's face appeared pale under the light, and his brows were slightly furrowed even in his sleep, as if he were anxious about something. His bandaged shoulders rose and fell gently with his breathing.

Ordinary, utterly ordinary. That was Lu Xiuyuan's first impression of Lin Fan. He didn't have any energy fluctuations, or even the lean and sharp temperament of someone who had trained for a long time—only a weariness that came from the pressures of life and was inconsistent with his age.

Lu Xiuyuan extended a wisp of his divine sense, slowly scanning Lin Fan's body. From his limbs and bones to his dormant sea of ​​consciousness, everything returned to him as calm as a stone sinking into the ocean. All that was reflected back was a weak physique and the most ordinary qi and blood. An ordinary young man, his back bent by the weight of life, inside and out, showed no trace of awakened energy or unusual bloodline. The anomaly Su Wan had mentioned earlier seemed nonexistent in the face of this examination.

"The investigation results are in." Su Wan handed over a thin document.

Lu Xiuyuan took it and examined it carefully.

Lin Fan, 20 years old, is a local of Jiangzhou. His father, Lin Jianguo, was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident three years ago; his mother, Chen Xiuzhi, suffers from a chronic illness and takes medication regularly; his younger sister, Lin Xiao, is 12 years old and in the sixth grade of elementary school. After graduating from high school, Lin Fan gave up further education and supported his family by doing odd jobs and delivering food. He has a good reputation and no criminal record.

Clean and tidy. As clean as millions of ordinary families struggling to survive.

Lu Xiuyuan's gaze shifted from the documents back to Lin Fan's face. Could it be this child? The "possibility" we've waited for for thousands of years—can our future hopes really be placed on a child who's still worrying about tomorrow's meals and medical expenses for his loved ones?

After the sense of absurdity, a more complex emotion surged forth. If it really is him... then this "ordinariness" itself might be the greatest disguise, and also the cruelest price to pay.

"Xiao Su," Lu Xiuyuan said, his voice steady, "Isn't the shop short of a janitor? Once this child wakes up, ask him if he'd like to come."

Su Wan was visibly taken aback. "Uncle Lu, is it because he resisted the Tranquilizing Spirit Technique and was immune to demonic energy? These two points are unusual, but perhaps it's just due to his unique constitution..."

Lu Xiuyuan gently interrupted her: "Some things take time to become clear. As for the reason," he paused, his gaze deep, "you will naturally know when the time comes."

He did not explain the strange behavior of the starstone. This secret was too important; the fewer people who knew about it before the time was right, the better.

"Okay, I understand." Su Wan didn't ask any further questions. This was a trust and respect she had cultivated over a long period of time.

She looked at Lin Fan in the ward, then recalled Lu Xiuyuan's unusually solemn expression earlier. She had followed Lu Xiuyuan for so many years and had never seen him treat a stranger like this. What was this young man named Lin Fan hiding?

"Let's go." Lu Xiuyuan took one last look at the ward and turned to leave.

The footsteps faded into the distance, disappearing in the direction of the elevator.

It was just past seven in the morning.

Lin Fan woke up when the first ray of sunlight streamed through the hospital room window.

A dull pain shot through his left shoulder. He gasped, and memories flooded back—the rainy night, the monster, the silver sword, the little girl's cries, and the burning sensation of the jade pendant on his chest.

He sat up abruptly, aggravating his wound and wincing in pain. He immediately touched his chest.

The jade pendant is still there, warm to the touch, as if nothing had happened.

But the real pain from the wound on his shoulder reminded him that it was all real.

Lin Fan's phone vibrated on the bedside table. He picked it up and saw more than a dozen missed calls and several text messages.

"Fanfan, why aren't you answering the phone? Mom is so worried." — 1:08 AM

"Brother, what's wrong? When are you coming back? Mom didn't sleep all night." — This message was sent by the younger sister using their mother's phone at 3:22 a.m.

"Son, call back as soon as you see this message." — 4:15 a.m., the father's voice.

Lin Fan's heart tightened, and he quickly dialed his mother's number. The phone rang once and was answered.

"Fanfan! Where are you? How are you?" Chen Xiuzhi's voice was choked with sobs.

"Mom, I'm fine, really." Lin Fan tried to sound relaxed. "I was delivering food last night, and the tires slipped because of the rain, so I fell. My phone was on silent, so I didn't hear it. I'm getting bandaged up at the hospital now; it's just a minor injury, and I'll be home soon."

"Where are you hurt? How serious is it? Should Mom come over...?"

"Mom, no need, no need, it's really nothing. You take good care of Dad and Xiaoxiao at home, I'll definitely be back before noon." Lin Fan reassured his mother for several minutes before she felt a little more at ease.

After hanging up the phone, he leaned against the headboard and let out a long sigh.

Outside the window, the city is waking up. The horn of the early morning bus drifts in from afar; everything is as usual.

He tried moving his arm. Apart from the pain in his wound, he felt lighter than usual, and his mind was unusually clear.

"You're awake."

A cool, clear female voice came from the doorway.

The ward door was gently pushed open. Su Wan walked in. She had changed into a light gray casual outfit, her long hair neatly tied back, and her face showed no signs of fatigue, only her eyes remained clear and sharp.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you." Lin Fan looked at her, his eyes wary. "Last night... what exactly happened? What was that monster? And the sword you were using..."

Su Wan didn't answer immediately. She looked into Lin Fan's eyes, which held doubt and lingering fear, but not the chaos one would expect from someone who had experienced something like that. This young man was indeed extraordinary.

She seemed to have anticipated his question, and handed Lin Fan a copy of the Jiangzhou Morning Post. The headline read: "Poor management of nighttime construction in the old city leads to falling construction waste that injures a food delivery worker."

"Official report." Her tone was calm. "Last night, a small-scale landslide occurred in Lane 7 of the old city due to illegally dumped construction waste, and you were unfortunately caught in the blast and injured. This is what happened last night. All relevant surveillance footage and on-site evidence will point to this fact."

Lin Fan's heart sank slightly. He glanced at the newspaper, then at Su Wan's expressionless face. He knew she was using an undeniable "reality" to cover up the bizarre "truth" of last night.

"The purpose of this report is to allow most people to live in peace." Su Wan turned around and looked directly at Lin Fan. "Beneath the surface of how this world operates, there are some unusual rules and... things. What you encountered last night was one of them."

She didn't deny it. This surprised Lin Fan.

"What exactly is that?"

"You don't need to know the specifics right now, and it won't help even if you did," Su Wan said calmly and firmly. "You can think of it as a rare and dangerous anomaly. One of our jobs is to deal with them and ensure that the world of ordinary people remains undisturbed."

"Us?" Lin Fan seized on this word.

"The organization I belong to." Su Wan didn't hide this fact, but she didn't elaborate either.

She then changed the subject: "You have two choices now. First, treat everything from last night as a bizarre nightmare, sign a confidentiality agreement, and return to your normal life. We will ensure your safety."

"Secondly," she paused, "I'll open another door. On behalf of our organization, I'd like to invite you to join us. We happen to be short of a warehouse organizer, whose main job is to assist with inventory, registration, and basic maintenance. This job is enough to provide you and your family with a stable and respectable livelihood. Here, if you are perceptive enough and special enough, you might find the answer for yourself."

Lin Fan was stunned.

He almost died last night, and this morning someone invited him to work. This turn of events is too absurd.

"Why me?"

"Because you chose to protect the weaker party in the face of danger. That's more important than courage," Su Wan replied succinctly. "And the special qualities you displayed afterward led us to believe that you possess the fundamental qualities of remaining calm and cooperative after learning the truth."

"Speciality?" Lin Fan immediately grasped this word.

Su Wan met his gaze and said calmly, "First, you were attacked and injured by that thing, yet your wound didn't get infected. That's abnormal. Second, we have some standard treatments that are very effective on ordinary people, but for you... they don't seem to have much effect."

Her words were like a pebble thrown into Lin Fan's heart.

That cool breeze that appeared at the crucial moment last night...

Could it be this jade pendant?

The thought flashed through his mind like lightning, making his heart leap. He could almost feel the jade pendant against his chest, sending a warm sensation through his skin.

But his face showed no sign of anything amiss. Years of struggling to make a living had long since taught him how to hide his deepest doubts beneath his expression. He merely curled his fingers almost imperceptibly.

"This job," Lin Fan looked up, "besides what you've mentioned, is there any danger? Like last night?"

Su Wan didn't hesitate: "The job of organizing the warehouse is safe in itself. But the organization you're dealing with has a complicated background. You might see, hear, or even indirectly come into contact with more related things. We can't guarantee that you're 100% safe, but we can assure you that if you just do your job and don't actively inquire about or touch on secrets outside your authority, we will prioritize your safety."

She didn't say "absolutely safe," but instead delineated a risk zone. This, in turn, made Lin Fan feel more credible.

"So, for you, this is a high-paying job that requires you to take on certain risks. You can choose to stay in your safe but precarious life, or you can choose to step through this door, gain the resources and opportunities to change your current situation, and at the same time accept the accompanying right to know about the other side of the world and the corresponding minor risks. Of course, the choice is yours."

"I need to think about it," Lin Fan said, his voice a little hoarse.

"Of course." Su Wan handed over a business card and an envelope. The black card had only one name on it: Su Wan, along with an address and phone number. "I've already paid your hospital bill. There's two thousand yuan in the envelope; consider it a reward for your act of bravery. Get some rest, and contact me anytime you've decided."

Before Lin Fan could reply, Su Wan turned and left, her steps crisp and decisive.

Lin Fan leaned against the headboard, clutching the business card and the envelope in his hand, his gaze fixed on the rising sun outside the window.

The morning light was bright, but his heart was filled with the impenetrable darkness of the previous night.

The phone rang again.

Lin Fan's thoughts were pulled back as a name popped up on the screen—Chen Hao.

"Holy crap! Linzi, what happened to you? I just heard from Auntie that you fell and ended up in the hospital?" Chen Hao's loud voice came from the other end of the line, with the background noise of the university campus and bicycle bells audible. "How serious is it? Which hospital are you in? I don't have class this afternoon, so I came to see you!"

"It's nothing, just a scrape. I'm already heading home." Lin Fan felt a warmth in his heart, and his tone softened. Chen Hao was his high school deskmate, and the two had maintained contact. Chen Hao was one of the few friends who knew about his family situation and genuinely helped him.

"You scared me to death! You can't believe you ended up in the hospital just from delivering takeout... Okay, okay, it's good that you're alright. Just be careful riding your bike next time. I'll treat you to barbecue later to calm your nerves!"

We chatted for a few more minutes, then I hung up.