Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 101

Ying Feng hurriedly walked through the campus. As he turned a corner, the dormitory building came into view. Instinctively, he looked up at his dormitory window.

When he saw that it was empty, Ying Feng felt his action was a bit unnecessary. How could Ling Xiao just be idly waiting by the window for him? Today was his hyperactive day; if he wasn’t online, he must be playing games with Red Head. However, they would meet soon, so with that thought, Ying Feng quickened his pace.

“Ying Feng.”

An unfamiliar voice sounded from behind him. Ying Feng stopped and turned to see who was calling him. A man stepped out from behind a tree, standing tall and looking elegant. His peach blossom eyes were lively. Ying Feng felt he had seen the face somewhere, but it was both familiar and unfamiliar.

“Can’t remember me?” The man smirked, his smile mysterious and unreadable.

If it weren’t for the rare pale yellow hair, Ying Feng really couldn’t recall who he was. But the question triggered a memory, though Ying Feng was still unsure.

“…Zhu Yue?”

Zhu Yue’s smile deepened. “I’m honored you still remember me.”

Ying Feng skeptically sized him up. The once timid and submissive Zhu Yue had transformed into a tall, handsome young man. But more than his appearance, it was his demeanor that had changed most. This confident person in front of him was hard to associate with the timid and weak person of the past. What was even more surprising were his black eyes, filled with mockery for the Tianxiu coming-of-age ceremony.

“Why are you here?” Ying Feng noticed Zhu Yue’s uniform was clearly not from Royal Sky and wondered how he got in.

“Our school has a partnership with Royal Sky. I can come anytime.”

Ying Feng wasn’t interested in which school he was from. An unexpected reunion with an old schoolmate was common, but he had other things on his mind now and didn’t want to spend time catching up.

“You’re free to roam,” Ying Feng said, turning to leave.

But he heard Zhu Yue say from behind him, “You’re still as indifferent as ever. I came specifically to find you.”

Ying Feng glanced back. “What do you want?”

“There’s something important I want to tell you. About you.”

Ying Feng responded curtly, “I’m in a hurry. Talk later.”

He started walking again. Zhu Yue didn’t try to stop him but murmured, “You’ll regret it.”

Ying Feng hesitated for a moment, uncertain if he had heard, but continued to walk away swiftly, leaving Zhu Yue far behind. Zhu Yue wasn’t upset; after all this time without seeing Ying Feng, he was just as he had expected him to be. As he watched Ying Feng’s retreating figure disappear, Zhu Yue turned around. Another person, wearing the same uniform as Zhu Yue, stepped out from behind the tree.

Although Zhu Yue had grown taller than Zhen He, considering their initial heights, a fully grown Zhu Yue was still half a head shorter than him. Zhen He also turned out to be quite impressive in stature, no longer the lazy and carefree twenty-two-year-old he once was.

With a teasing smile, Zhu Yue approached and affectionately wrapped his arm around Zhen He’s neck. “Why? Are you jealous?”

Zhen He didn’t lower his head but looked at him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

“Don’t worry, I no longer have feelings for him,” Zhu Yue said, rubbing his nose against Zhen He’s. “After all, the so-called Tianxiu are born with loyalty as their primary principle. No matter how much you’ve tried to change this over the years, it’s only shifted the object of their loyalty. You can’t eliminate this trait.”

After making a comment that outsiders wouldn’t understand, Zhu Yue turned back to the main topic. “Now, you are the only one in my heart. But the humiliation they both brought upon me, I will never forget even for a day.”

He lowered his head, a cold glint in his eyes. “I will definitely get back at them for that.”

Zhen He’s ring glittered, and he raised his hand to glance at it. “We have the person. Let’s go.”

The two vanished into the thick darkness. After the brief interlude, tranquility returned to the campus—just as it appeared on the surface.

Ying Feng could hear the calls of Xiao Hui from afar in the corridor, and the tone was alarming.

Frowning, Ying Feng used a teleportation crystal instead of walking the final distance, arriving at his door. When he barely opened it, a small gray figure darted out, rushing frantically towards the end of the corridor.

“Xiao Hui!” Ying Feng called, but Xiao Hui just ran further away. Inside the room was deathly silent, filling Ying Feng with a sense of foreboding.

Instead of entering the room, he quickly chased after Xiao Hui. The small wolf dashed down the stairs and out of the dormitory building. Its front paw was injured, leaving sporadic blood spots on the ground. Ying Feng was horrified seeing the blood, but Xiao Hui ran on, ignoring its pain. Following it to the landing pad, he saw Xiao Hui circling around a black object on the ground, sniffing desperately and whimpering continuously, as if a clue was lost.

Ying Feng picked up the object; it was Ling Xiao’s personal terminal. The terminal was here, but the owner was nowhere to be found.

Xiao Hui, in desperation, raised its head and cried out to Ying Feng. Ying Feng closed his eyes, his consciousness rapidly spreading in all directions, meticulously searching every nook and cranny. Finally, at the edge of a light source, he detected Ling Xiao’s trace.

Judging from the internal environment, it was a civilian aircraft. However, it was fully sealed, with the cockpit and the passenger cabin separated. Ling Xiao was lying unconscious in the back cabin, with another person sitting beside him.

Unlike Zhu Yue, who had undergone significant changes due to growth, Ying Feng immediately recognized the person. It was Lan Sheng, Ling Xiao’s friend from their days in Bikong. Ying Feng recalled how he had grabbed Lan Sheng when he had once jumped off a rooftop, witnessing him cut off a corner of his sleeve before plummeting from the sky.

However, he later heard that Lan Sheng was sent to a Disease Control Center. Why had he suddenly appeared, and why had he taken Ling Xiao?

Ling Xiao’s location was now beyond the range of teleportation and summoning. Ying Feng’s mental vision’s greatest limitation wasn’t being able to transcend the space in which the Qizi resided. So, Ying Feng couldn’t see the external environment of the aircraft or determine Ling Xiao’s location.

He tried to mentally call out to him.

Ling Xiao, Ling Xiao…!

His calls echoed into nothingness.

However, Lan Sheng suddenly moved. Ying Feng watched him access an electronic screen and slowly type on a virtual keyboard. One by one, the words formed a complete message.

[I’ve heard you can see this. I can tell you my intentions.]

[I’ve heard about everything you’ve done to him. The mental trauma he’s suffered is because of you.]

[I know the pain of being a pact-maker better than anyone. Ling Xiao is my best friend. I can’t let him follow in my footsteps and continue to lose his personality this way.]

[Ling Xiao shouldn’t be your or anyone’s Qizi. He deserves a better life, to become a Qizhu, or to enjoy freedom.]

[His feelings for you aren’t love. It’s just the typical loyalty and obedience of the Tianxiu people. Once the blood pact is removed, he’ll find himself again, free from your shackles.]

[I won’t let you find him. You’d better give up now. If possible, I wish all the suffering he’s experienced could happen to you. Then you’d know the unforgivable mistake you’ve made. Sadly, it’s already too late.]

The vision abruptly cut off, and the aircraft had escaped the range that Ying Feng’s mental vision could track, and even the last clue to Ling Xiao was lost.

Without a word, Ying Feng contacted Fu Yao, briefly explaining the situation. Without hesitation, Fu Yao immediately led his fleet to the scene, picking up Ying Feng onto his flagship.

“Do you have any other clues?” Fu Yao asked as soon as he saw him.

“None. The mental vision had already been cut off before, and the soul communication has just become ineffective.” Ying Feng presented a soul crystal. “Our trust value had reached one hundred percent, but now this is also useless.”

“That’s because the Five Senses Sharing soul crystal can only be used when the other party is conscious. An unconscious person has no five senses, so naturally, it cannot function. Try this.”

Fu Yao tossed over another soul crystal. Ying Feng caught it, activated it, and a white light emanated from the palm of his hand.

Fu Yao pointed at the radar, signaling him to press his palm onto it. After doing so, a continuously fluctuating light ring appeared on the radar.

“Aim in this direction and move forward. Notify the other fleets to search the vicinity as well. Seal off this area. Don’t let any ship leave.”

Several subordinates responded in unison, “Yes, Commander!”

Once everyone was in position, Fu Yao looked at Ying Feng with concern. He knew of Ying Feng’s powerful mental strength, but this kind of tracking soul crystal consumed a lot of power. If they couldn’t find the person before the mental power was exhausted, and if the target had fled to outer space, the search would become much more complicated.

Turning his gaze forward, Fu Yao frowned deeply. Why did these things always happen to Ling Xiao? Who had he offended?

……

The researchers at the Tianxiu Gene Research Center were also experiencing a tense and crucial moment. After a year-long experiment, the moment to unveil the results finally arrived. When the last drop of blood was transfused into Yue Ying, his pulse, blood pressure, and breathing rate all reached standard values. According to the research report, this was the moment of his awakening.

Heng He held his breath, staring intently at the man on the bed. If glares could be tangible, Yue Ying’s face would have been pierced by his gaze. Under such unwavering scrutiny, the eyelashes of the man, who had been in a deep slumber for a thousand years, fluttered and he slowly opened his eyes.

“He’s awake! He’s really awake!” Heng He was overjoyed. The other researchers were also astounded. For the scientists, the purpose of the experiment wasn’t as important as the monumental achievement of reviving an ancient Tianxiu being who had been frozen for over four thousand years.

While those standing expressed their joy, the man lying down contrasted sharply with them, showing no emotion regardless of what was happening around him.

Heng He soon realized something was amiss. He checked Yue Ying’s pupils and retested his brainwaves.

“Why… Why is it like this?”

Everyone stopped and waited for him to explain.

“He’s awake, but that’s all. His brain waves show no reflexes; he can’t perceive any external stimuli. Described in the terms of other races, he’s like a human without consciousness, commonly referred to as a ‘vegetative state’.”

The scientists exchanged worried glances. They had considered the possibility of experiment failure, but they had never considered this outcome.

Long Yin, hearing the news, rushed over and was furious upon seeing the situation. “So much time, manpower, and funds were invested, and you present me with a vegetative state? What can a ‘vegetative person’ do? Can they grant access to the central system’s modification rights?”

“I didn’t expect this,” Heng He quickly replied. “Give me some time. I will figure out a solution.”

Long Yin stormed out. The scientists, who had worked tirelessly on this experiment, were devastated and demoralized. Without a solution in sight, keeping them at the base seemed pointless, so Heng He took the initiative and sent them to rest.

Only Heng He and Yue Ying remained in the laboratory. He racked his brain—the man had awakened, but without consciousness. How could he restore his awareness?

He adjusted the bed slightly, and the man on it remained calm and passive. If it weren’t for the occasional blink, he would seem almost identical to his deep-sleeping state.

Heng He gazed into his deep blue eyes, a refreshing sight amidst the usual black hues of the Tianxiu people.

“Yue Ying, Yue Ying, how can I truly awaken you?”

The computer screen nearby suddenly flickered a few times. The change in lighting caught Heng He’s attention, and he quickly turned his head. To his astonishment, he found that all the data on the electronic instruments began to fluctuate wildly, as if out of control or perhaps infected by some sort of computer virus. The flickering rate of the screens increased rapidly until they were eventually engulfed in a blinding white light.

“What’s happening?”

Electricity zapped along the wires, moving from the computer to the bed. Blue electric sparks began to surround Yue Ying’s body.

“This is bad!”

Heng He hastily lunged forward, trying to disconnect the power. However, the moment he touched the wires, a massive force repelled him, sending him flying across the room.

“Yue Ying!” He called out while scrambling back on his feet. He touched the wires once more, but this time there was no reaction. The electricity had vanished.

Staring blankly, he lifted his head and found that the man on the bed had changed positions. Those deep blue eyes were intently fixed on him.

“Was it you calling me?” Yue Ying’s voice was as melodious as a clear stream in winter.

“You’re awake?” Heng He gazed up at him, almost in a daze, forgetting even to stand up.

Yue Ying looked around.

“I don’t like it here,” he continued, locking eyes with Heng He. “Take me out.”

Heng He’s eyes grew more vacant, and finally, he obediently lowered his head, responding, “Yes.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>