"Push hard!"
"Take a deep breath, and push again! The head is almost out, put in some more effort..."
Minutes later, a loud cry echoed, and a wet, chubby baby was born.
Lin Zhi cradled the child in her hands, her pale face covered in sweat and exhaustion.
Yet in her bright eyes, there was a hint of excitement.
With every successful delivery, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Only in these moments did she feel alive and valuable.
"Lin Zhi, you've been working non-stop for a month, and you haven't rested for two consecutive days. Go and rest now," a doctor took the newborn, kindly urging her.
Hospitals are always the busiest of places, and recently there had been a particularly high number of women going into labor. Lin Zhi was very skilled at helping with childbirths, and her reputation had grown so much that many people specifically sought her out for assistance.
Despite declining many requests, her workload remained heavy; she hadn't really rested in two days.
"Alright, I'll leave this to you all..." After speaking with a few doctors and nurses, Lin Zhi left the delivery room.
But no one noticed her unsteady steps. With every step she took, Lin Zhi felt a wave of dizziness.
Bearing with her physical discomfort, she just wanted to rest as soon as possible.
However... darkness began enveloping her vision...
Eventually, her frail body crashed to the ground.
...
All around was nothingness, devoid of everything, even darkness.
Lin Zhi drifted in this place for a long time, unsure of where she was or what had happened.
She tried to find a way out, but there was nothing; what place was this?
"Lin Zhi, you are dead." After an indeterminate amount of time, a deep and authoritative voice suddenly came from the void, as if from a distant horizon or from hell.
Hearing this voice, Lin Zhi inexplicably felt an urge to submit.
The voice continued, "In light of your having committed no evil deeds and diligently working for over a decade, successfully delivering 3,000 newborns, I, King Yan, bestow upon you another life and gift you with Holy Hands, so you may continue to benefit mankind... I also hope that you will cultivate earnestly to break free from the curse of fate sooner."
Lin Zhi listened in shock to these words, feeling overwhelmed by the information.
"Excuse me, are you King Yan?" she asked, voicing her uncertainty.
"Yes, it is I," came the reply.
"...So I really am dead..." And she had descended to hell?
"Lin Zhi, it is time for you to turn back. Do not delay; go now," King Yan urged in his deep voice.
Lin Zhi turned and finally saw a beam of light behind her.
Having drifted here for so long, it was the first time she had seen any light. She intuitively wanted to rush towards it but couldn't help looking back, gathering her courage to ask in one breath.
"King Yan, there is something I don't understand. What is this curse of fate you mentioned?" For some reason, she felt it was very important to her.
Her own fate had indeed been full of hardships...
King Yan did not hide it from her, "You are cursed as the Lone Star of Tiansha, destined to experience a life of hardship and solitude for ten lifetimes, and to undergo numerous trials of love. Only when your Merit is complete will you be able to break the curse."
Lin Zhi was stunned, so that was it!
"What counts as complete Merit?" she asked eagerly.
"Do more good deeds and cultivate earnestly. For example, this lifetime, you've accumulated enough Merit to be granted another lifetime. The gift of Holy Hands is also a reward for you."
Holy Hands? True, she had been nicknamed the Holy Hand in her line of work.