Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

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Chapter 75

Ling Xiao was rendered speechless by his words, unable to find a rebuttal for a moment.

“Why didn’t you develop? Where is your Qizi?”

“Who knows,” Fei Jing answered indifferently, as if discussing an unrelated person. “My coming-of-age ceremony wasn’t voluntary. Why would I live with someone I don’t like?”

“My coming-of-age ceremony was also not voluntary, but my Qizhu still stayed.”

“Really, how noble of him,” Fei Jing said dismissively, with no trace of flattery in his tone.

“Although we didn’t get along at first, after the initial adaptation, I am grateful he stayed. After hearing what you said, I feel even luckier that he didn’t leave. If he had, he might be trapped like you, and I might think he’s living well; learning the truth later would be even more upsetting.”

Fei Jing sneered, “You keep talking about adaptation, but it seems to me that you, as a Qizi, lost your personality in repeated conflicts and have been brainwashed to become an attachment to another person. Can you honestly say you are the same as when you were in your fledgling state?”

“Of course not. I was arrogant and unclear about my own feelings in my fledgling state, hurting others unknowingly. As a Qizi, I sacrificed some dignity but also got rid of the bad parts of my personality. Like cutting off a tumor will inevitably bleed, but I don’t regret the change. And do you think this change is only about the Qizi? My Qizhu used to have no friends and had to look up even the meaning of a kiss, but now he is starting to understand others’ feelings. Whenever two people are together, they will change due to each other. It’s not compromise; it’s growth.”

“You probably can’t understand the difficulties of a Qizi living alone. My former principal lived in the disease control center for six years, witnessing the deaths of countless Qizis like him. Such a scene is unforgettable once experienced. He still can’t sleep without medication; even if his Qizhu returns, his severe mental damage prevents him from being apart from him for even a day.”

“I don’t know what deep hatred you have for your Qizi, but I’ve heard that Qizhus also suffer from soul loss when leaving their Qizi, yet you’d rather endure this pain, preferring to stay in this hidden place rather than turn back. You haven’t even tried the first step with him; how do you know it definitely won’t work?”

“What do you know?” Fei Jing said harshly. “You only see the difficulties of a Qizi’s existence. You don’t know what I sacrificed for this relationship.”

“I really don’t understand. I didn’t understand why some people willingly become Qizi for love and why some end their lives after becoming a Qizi. But when I became a Qizi, I didn’t understand how some can still live on… Every time I solve an old problem, a new one arises. I’m always in a state of not understanding, but I’m not muddling through; my questions are being answered with my experiences. Like the first problem I mentioned, I still don’t understand, but I believe that as long as I live, I will find the answer one day.”

“I am in a cage, but the gaps in the cage are always wider than the bars, and when the sun shines in, the area of sunlight is always greater than the shadow. You long for freedom outside the cage but stubbornly stand in the shadow. What right do you have to mock me standing in the sunlight?”

Fei Jing fell silent for a moment. “Do you want to know how irreconcilable our conflict is?”

He approached Ling Xiao. As soon as he embraced the universe, Ling Xiao noticed the conspicuous black glove on his left hand, and now he not only took off the glove but also rolled up his sleeve.

Ling Xiao couldn’t believe what he saw.

“…A prosthetic limb? How… Isn’t it said that even vital organs can regenerate as long as the treatment is timely?”

“Yes, that’s true for normal injuries. When I had nowhere to go, Tai Yin’s companions found me, provided me shelter, and even promised that if the experiment succeeded, I could regain my freedom. The price was to be their guinea pig.”

“I don’t know how many times I have undergone such experiments or how many strange drugs have been injected into my body. Some can make people wish for death due to pain, and some eat away at the body of the test subject like this. In a failed experiment, my left hand began to melt like wax from the fingertips. Although Tai Yin cut off this arm in time, it never regrew.”

Ling Xiao was horrified; if he had accepted Zhen He’s invitation back then, he might have ended up like Fei Jing—a mutilated experimental subject. He had once brazenly said in front of Zhen He that he wouldn’t care even if he lost an arm, but seeing Fei Jing today, he’d rather he had never said such words.

“There used to be many people here, just like me, all wanting to break the Blood Pact, willingly becoming test subjects for Tai Yin. But more and more people die due to failed experiments—some even die in a tragic state. I, standing before you, am the one with the strongest constitution and least damage among them. But when I permanently lost this hand, I knew that the Blood Pact was unchangeable for the Tianxiu people, and this is the price I paid for trying to change it.”

“Now you should understand how much I long to break this relationship. Initially, it was just a wish of mine, but now it has become the whole meaning of my existence. If I don’t do this, I don’t know where else I can go or what else I can do.”

“You can still go back to your Qizi and start over,” Ling Xiao said urgently. His hatred for Tai Yin increased after listening to Fei Jing’s words, as well as disliking Fei Jing’s self-abandonment. If he were free at this moment, he would definitely force Fei Jing to return to the surface to search for his Qizi, whose whereabouts were unknown.

“Do you think I look like a fledgling, so my age must also be very young? Let me tell you, it’s been over a hundred years since my coming-of-age ceremony. Even if that person survived the critical period, they have long since reincarnated.”

“That’s not necessarily true!” Ling Xiao retorted. “Have you cried for your Qizi?”

“Cry? Why should I cry?”

“I’ve seen a Qizi leave; his Qizhu cried heartbreakingly even without knowing. There is a soul connection between a Qizhu and a Qizi. If one leaves, the other will definitely feel sad.”

Fei Jing quietly reflected for a moment. “No, I’m sure I have not shed a tear for him.”

“That means he’s still alive. Our principal said that as long as you are alive, there is a chance to meet again. Maybe he’s also persistently waiting for you to come back. You’re now like a defeated gambler who, having lost too much, is reluctant to leave the casino. But if you continue to stay here, you will lose more and more, perhaps even the remaining hand and your life.”

“Do you think you can persuade me? How old are you? Have you even been an adult for a year?”

“Although my adulthood is short-lived, the time I’ve spent with my Qizhu is definitely longer than the time you’ve spent with your Qizi. In this regard, I have much more experience than you. Think about it, if you’re together, you can realize your dreams again and travel to even farther planets. Although seven is not that many, it’s always better than three, isn’t it? Traveling with someone is always better than being alone, isn’t it?”

Fei Jing silently confronted him for a moment, then turned around and put on his gloves again. “Forget it, discussing this with you is a waste of time.”

“Don’t go.” Ling Xiao forcefully banged on the glass in front of him. “Are you avoiding the topic because you think I make sense? What’s the name of your Qizi? Maybe I’ve seen them.”

“Hey! Don’t touch that!” Fei Jing issued a stern warning but couldn’t stop Ling Xiao’s action in time. A massive electric current struck. Ling Xiao convulsed under its effect; snapping sounds filled the air. Fei Jing rushed to the control panel to enter the password. “123456…no, 888888, also no…”

After trying several times, the electric current finally stopped. Ling Xiao propped himself up against the glass with his head drooping. Occasional blue sparks still circled one arm.

It took a while for him to recover from the pain of the electric shock while gritting his teeth. “How can you forget such an important password?”

Fei Jing boldly replied, “Who told you to hit it so hard? This device is specially used to confine Tianxiu people. Not only does it have a mental barrier, but if someone tries to violently destroy it, it will automatically release a 3600-volt electric shock, which even a fully developed adult cannot withstand.”

“Yes, I felt it.” Ling Xiao, with little strength, raised his right hand, sparking, and gradually formed a high-speed rotating ball of electricity. But when the fist-sized ball of electric light was thrown at the transparent material, it disappeared with a pop, not even leaving a crack.

“Are you willing to behave now?” Fei Jing raised an eyebrow.

Ling Xiao backed a few steps, leaning against the rear wall to support his weary body. “Although you sound fierce, judging by how you hurriedly tried to save me just now, you’re actually a good person, so why become an accomplice to evil?”

Fei Jing scoffed at him. “You’re still trying to persuade me in this state? I advise you not to think too much. I saved you because your life is useful to someone. I am responsible for delivering you safely to the rendezvous point, so you better not cause me trouble.”

“Really?” Ling Xiao flipped over. The soul crystal on his body was indeed gone, but since mental powers were shielded here, even if the soul crystal was still here it wouldn’t be of any use.

His dagger was still there. It seemed they were very confident in their confinement equipment. With a flick of his forearm, the dagger slid into Ling Xiao’s hand.

“What are you doing?” Fei Jing kept a close eye on his every move.

Ling Xiao held the dagger to his heart. “Let me out, or I’ll commit suicide.”

“Huh?”

“Isn’t your mission to protect me? If I die, you’ll have a hard time explaining, won’t you?”

“I was going to let you go, but I want to find a safe place. Do you want me to throw you somewhere random in space?”

“Oh, I see.” Ling Xiao’s eyes shifted. “I changed my mind. I’m not going. If you force me to leave, I’ll die right in front of you.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Unless you come with me, I’m going to take you and Shang Yang back to the surface. That’s where you guys belong.”

Fei Jing was infuriated. “Don’t treat me like a fledgling. I don’t want to play such childish games with you.”

“I’m serious. You look a lot like my Qizhu. I feel a kinship when I see you. Thinking of your abandoned Qizi, it feels like another possible version of me. I can’t bear it…”

Fei Jing, unable to tolerate it any longer, pressed a certain operation key. The octagonal space quickly filled with a hypnotic gas that was effective only against the Tianxiu people. Ling Xiao couldn’t finish his sentence and fell to the ground with the dagger.

I shouldn’t have listened to his nonsense. Fei Jing glared at the man on the ground in annoyance. “So talkative.”

The Eagle was gradually approaching the stargate as planned. A small escort ship had been tirelessly harassing them. Fei Jing, feeling annoyed, decloaked and launched a torpedo, splitting it in two.

On another ship heading in the same direction, Tai Yin looked down at the gun pressed against his chest with displeasure. “This is the second time today that someone has pointed a gun at me. You and your Qizi are really impolite.”

“Reveal your true form.” Ying Feng ignored his comment.

Tai Yin gently touched his temple. Ying Feng’s vision warped, and in a matter of seconds, Tai Yin transformed into the tall man Ying Feng had previously seen through mental vision. His narrow eyes exuded an air of authority and disdain.

“Who are you?” Ying Feng asked.

“Tai Yin,” he replied succinctly, without any prefix.

As Ying Feng suspected, the fledgling lying behind them was Shang Yang. It made sense that they were hiding in space; no wonder the military couldn’t find them.

“A question for a question is only fair,” Tai Yin said calmly. “When did you realize I wasn’t your Qizi?”

“At the space station, when you said ‘my Qizhu’.”

Tai Yin recalled. Indeed he had said that, but he hadn’t thought it would give him away.

“What’s wrong with those words?” he asked.

“Ling Xiao never addresses me that way in person.”

Tai Yin feigned realization. “But he does call you that behind your back quite frequently. I must have overestimated your relationship. No wonder you hesitated. You tried to use the Qizhu’s power on me, didn’t you?”

He glanced inside the cabin. “But I don’t understand. If you knew my identity, then why go along with the plan and bring him out? You had the chance to exchange him for a hostage, yet you abandoned your Qizi in such a dangerous place. Having second thoughts now?”

“I never said I’d exchange the fledgling for a hostage. Ling Xiao would never agree to that. I brought him out because it wasn’t safe for him to stay there. And now I have the perfect hostage to exchange.”

“You mean me? Do you think once I’m reunited with my comrades, you’ll still have control?” Tai Yin laughed, as if calling him naïve. “Regardless, thank you for personally delivering Shang Yang.”

“You’re the naive one. Haven’t you noticed this is a dual-engine ship?”

Tai Yin’s eyes widened, but Ying Feng was quicker, pressing the separation button on the control panel. The doors between the cockpit and the cabin quickly closed, and with a jolt, the rear of the ship detached from the main cabin.

Tai Yin’s eyes darted around, trying to come up with a plan as the current situation was unexpected.

“No need to think. They will jump to the next galaxy. While you weren’t paying attention, I contacted the military there. They will escort them randomly to a space station. Even if something happens to me, you won’t find out where they are from me.”

Tai Yin stared at him for a moment, then started to laugh sarcastically. “You’re not even an adult yet, right? I can’t believe I was outwitted by a kid. You and your Qizi are a perfect match, coming one after another to die for a stranger.”

“You’re wrong. I’m not here to die. I want to go back alive with my Qizi. You’ve had a gun pointed at you twice today, but do you know the main difference between him and me?”

Tai Yin scoffed. “What?”

“He talks too much and misses opportunities. When it’s time to shoot, I won’t hesitate.”

With that, he aimed at Tai Yin’s heart and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

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