Hearing someone calling him, David Thompson hurried over, sensing from the tone that something was about to be given to him.

Daniel Thompson poured out five pitch-black pills from the gourd at his waist and placed them in David Thompson's palm.

“Hold these carefully. These five are immortal pills refined by yours truly. Not only can they extend your life by ten years, but they can also grant you temporary superhuman strength to save your life.”

David Thompson frowned slightly as he placed the pills in front of himself. “These things aren’t made from people, are they?”

Just as he was thinking this, David Thompson suddenly saw one of the pills in his hand roll slightly, changing from round to oval, as if something inside was trying to get out.

When he looked again, he found the pill hadn’t changed at all.

“Damn, am I losing it? Why do I care about things in a hallucination? None of this is real. I absolutely can’t get caught up in it again.”

David Thompson slapped his own head in frustration.

Daniel Thompson ignored David Thompson's odd behavior and turned to look at the rest of the people. “See that? Going against me is a dead end, but anyone who helps me will be rewarded—heavily rewarded!!”

Everyone’s gaze flickered between Daniel Thompson and the pills, each person lost in their own thoughts, though only they knew what those thoughts were.

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Daniel Thompson waved his filthy long sleeves, signaling everyone to disperse and get back to work.

David Thompson no longer needed to go to the kitchen. His Daoist name was Xuanyang, so everything that belonged to Xuanyang before was now his: status, robe, even that private little cave.

But at this moment, he didn’t care about anything happening in this hallucination. What he cared about was what he had gained.

He crossed his arms, looking at the two items on the white hospital bed sheet: the jade pendant and the pills.

“My god, I actually brought all this out.”

But now David Thompson was troubled. An old problem was once again in front of him, forcing him to face it.

“If I take these pills out and they really work after I eat them, then is this place really a hallucination? What’s actually going on with me?”

He had previously followed the doctor’s advice very seriously, firmly treating everything over there as a hallucination. But now these things had undeniably appeared before David Thompson, and he began to waver inside.

If this really is a hallucination, then how did these things become real, and could they be harmful to me?

If that place is another world, then...

The image of his mad senior sister being refined into a pill by their master, Xuanyang being devoured by the black cauldron, and all sorts of terrifying scenes flashed through his mind, making his breathing quicken.

“Ah!! So annoying, I don’t even have anyone to talk to.” Agitated, David Thompson reached up and scratched his head with both hands.

After venting for a while, David Thompson still had to face reality. After thinking for a long time, he finally settled on a plan.

Over there in the hallucination, whether it’s real or not, he would just keep cooperating as before, treating it as if it were real.

If by any chance it was real, he could survive.

If it was fake, he wouldn’t lose anything.

For now, he would first verify the authenticity and value of the things he’d brought over, and then make further plans.

Having decided on a plan, David Thompson took a deep breath, pinched a pill between his thumb and forefinger, and held it up to his eyes.

“No, it’s too dangerous to take it myself.” His gaze shifted to the patients sunbathing in the garden outside.

After only a second of inner struggle, he dejectedly put the pill down. They were just as pitiful as he was—how could he use them as test subjects? He’d have to find a lab rat some other time.

Next, David Thompson turned his attention to the round jade pendant. Compared to the pills, dealing with this was much easier.

“Alright, what is it? I had to climb over the wall to get here. If this is a prank, hmph!” Anna Harris clenched her fair little fist, threatening David Thompson.

“Miss, I only asked you to help because I had no other choice. You know I can’t get out at all.”

As David Thompson spoke, he walked to the door, closed it, and drew the curtains.

Chapter 6 Value

Anna Harris saw David Thompson's actions and nervously took half a step back. “What are you doing? If we talk here, the nurses at the station can hear us.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the speaker at the head of the bed crackled with the nurses’ stifled laughter. “Hehehe, it’s fine, we can’t hear you. Little Li, do your best~”

“Ladies, can you stop gossiping? Focus your extra attention on the ICU, please.”

After shouting toward the head of the bed, David Thompson pulled Anna Harris to the other corner of the room.

He took the jade pendant from his pocket and pressed it into her palm, then leaned in to whisper in her ear. As he spoke, Anna Harris's eyes grew wider and wider.

“How is this possible, this—” Before she could finish, David Thompson reached out and covered her mouth.

Their eyes met, and David Thompson gazed at Anna Harris with intense longing.