Chapter 59

While Xia You didn’t know where the aircraft's isolation room was, he did know the location of the psychic tendril he had left with the Highness.

Glancing at Yuan Yuan on the sofa, he saw the giant panther curled into a ball, its entire demeanor screaming withdrawal.

Uh.

Remembering his own deeds, Xia You's gaze shifted uneasily.

Ahem...better check on the Highness first.

With a swift pivot, Xia You moved in the direction where his psychic tendril was located.

The sound of footsteps made the panther’s ears twitch. The black panther, already in a state of expecting comfort and hoping Xia You would retract his tendril, turned its head in disbelief. Within its mouth was a psychic tendril that looked anything but innocent.

However, the initiator had already vanished around the corner.

The man who stood behind the guards ever since boarding the flying machine with Xia You, stepped forward, stopping by the sofa. His eyes met with the golden gaze of the black panther.

"See? I told you, being too tsundere means missing out on some things."

The emperor began to speak softly.

The black panther ignored him, looking down at the small tendrils of psychic energy wrapped around itself.

The color of these tendrils, initially a faint blue hue, began to fade. Within just a few minutes of the aircraft's journey, they started to merge and diminish in number.

This indicated that Xia You's mental strength was currently in a weakened state, unable to sustain itself.

Lu Yinghuai's awakening seemed to calm the panther down. The fluffy, dark creature gently gathered the last of the tendrils with its paw and tucked them under its warm, soft belly.

The emperor, already accustomed to being disregarded by the panther, didn't mind at all. Instead, he reached out to poke the large black mass sprawled on the couch.

Annoyed, the black panther growled in the direction of the white tiger.

The regal man froze instantly.

Upon hearing the panther's growl, the white tiger momentarily paused its action of licking its paw and glancing at its cub, looking up at the man.

Taking a deep breath, the emperor walked up to the two tigers—one big, one small—and slowly crouched down.

The guards that followed all twitched simultaneously. The head of the guards stepped forward, as if to speak but hesitated.

With a look, the emperor signaled the chief guard to step back, then took out a meat pie from his spatial node.

The white tiger sniffed, seemingly interested, and leaned in, ready to take a bite.

The snack protected under the white tiger's paw suddenly widened its eyes, swiftly snatching the meat pie from the emperor's hand and feeding it to the tiger, while simultaneously clamping the tiger's mouth shut with both paws.

Thankfully, the white tiger wasn't interested in the seemingly odorless biped in front of her. She bundled the spicy strip back into her embrace, swallowing the recent snack in a few quick bites.

Today, she had consumed quite a few catnip balls. Tigers, once full, are prone to rest. Although the surroundings here are far from ideal and her cub is a handful, it doesn't deter the white tiger from taking a moment to rejuvenate.

The emperor squatted in front of his wife and child, observing for what felt like ages. Overwhelmed by affection, he couldn't resist reaching out to pet the white tiger.

Unexpectedly, the white tiger's eyes snapped open. Her tail, with alternating black and white rings, lashed out.

A mark was left on the emperor's hand, but instead of wincing, he clutched it and broke into an amused chuckle.

Just then, Meng Wenxuan rounded the corner of the hallway, witnessing the usually majestic emperor crouched in front of the tiger, laughing tenderly.

Meng Wenxuan: "..."

With everything he learned today, he wouldn't be silenced... right?

Probably not.

At least, not until the marshal recovers... right?

The emperor gracefully stood up and nonchalantly inquired, "How's Yinghuai's situation? Any signs of improvement?"

Meng Wenxuan shook his head, stating, "He briefly regained consciousness before slipping back. We're not sure yet if the marshal's current state is just another short slumber, or if it's..."

He left his sentence hanging.

The emperor looked downward, then suddenly asked, "He left Xiayou alone in the isolation room?"

Meng Wenxuan hesitated briefly before answering solemnly, "Yes."

Perhaps in an attempt to divert the emperor's attention, Meng Wenxuan adjusted his glasses, retrieving a bite inhibitor from his dimensional pouch. He took two steps forward, presenting it to the emperor.

The emperor paused momentarily.

His gaze swiftly moved from the black leopard to rest on the white tiger.

Could it be...?

With a calm and composed tone, Meng Wen

The emperor paused for a moment, picking up Meng Wenxuan's bite stopper, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Meng Wenxuan smoothly took out several more bite stoppers of different colors from his spatial node, placing them on the nearby coffee table.

It's okay if it fails; it's alright if it gets bitten through.

There are plenty of replacements.

The Emperor: "..."

The Emperor, who usually remains impassive, asked Meng Wenxuan gently, "Doctor Meng, do you think I can fit the Empress with the inhibitor?"

Meng Wenxuan spoke matter-of-factly, "Of course, Your Majesty. Marshal's inhibitor has always been put on by Sir Xia You. We can't even get close to him."

"The Marshal and Sir Xia You are newly-weds, while you and the Empress have been married for so many years, even having an adult Crown Prince. How can it be impossible?"

Touching on a deeply sensitive point, the Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to the white tiger, inhibitor in hand, and began negotiating.

The young tiger covered its eyes with its paws, not daring to witness the Emperor's predicament.

*

The medical chamber, located inside the aircraft's isolation room, was fully enclosed, preventing outsiders from seeing within, let alone viewing the medical chamber.

Only carefully selected medical practitioners could enter the isolation room. After all, if Lu Yinghuai's psychic energy were to suddenly erupt en route, they'd bear the brunt.

Amidst flickering blue lights, Meng Wenxuan led the medical team into the isolation room. Xia You stood outside, fingertips pressed against the cold metallic wall, applying pressure, then slowly releasing.

After a while, Meng Wenxuan and the team emerged. He first instructed the medical practitioners to leave, then whispered to Xia You with a complex expression, "Sir Xia You, the Marshal requests your presence alone."

Since their reunion, Xia You hadn't heard "Young Sir" from Meng Wenxuan's lips. Instead, he heard "Sir Xia You" more frequently, a title previously overheard during video calls with research team members.

Xia You pondered for a moment and glanced at Meng Wenxuan, revealing a smile as radiant as ever.

It seems... events in the protected area weren't a secret at the Blue Star base, and his reputation and status as the sole psychic disorder healer had greatly evolved.

With this understanding, Xia You's tone grew slightly more assertive towards Meng Wenxuan.

"Doctor Meng, what is the current condition of the Prince? Will my psychic energy cause him further harm?" Xia You inquired gravely.

Meng Wenxuan hesitated. At that moment, Xia You adjusted his collar slightly.

Upon seeing the Lu family emblem ring on Xia You's pinky, Meng Wenxuan's pupils sharply contracted.

Xia You's eyes met Meng Wenxuan's directly as he declared, "I believe I have a right to be fully informed regarding the Prince's condition."

Meng Wenxuan paused, quickly organizing his thoughts, and concisely summarized, "The Marshal is in the early stages of a psychic energy eruption. Typically, he wouldn't directly enter a state of disorder."

"Given the exceptional circumstances this time, the Marshal may enter a full-blown state of disorder within a day, or even in a few hours. Therefore, before that happens, we'll induce him into a deep sleep to reduce his internal psychic energy activity."

Xiayu furrowed his brows, "With the reduction in His Highness's spiritual activity, wouldn't his consciousness attach to his companion beast?"

If it latched onto Yuanyuan, as long as he treated him by Yuanyuan's side, there would be an opportunity for reawakening, just like the other furry beings he'd encountered before.

Meng Wenxuan met Xiayu's gaze and began, "Your spiritual energy is indeed very, very unique, but..."

"The Marshal's spiritual power level has already broken through to SSS. Yet, when the Queen's Spiritual Force Disorder erupted in full, forcing her berserk companion beast into a protected zone, her spiritual power level only momentarily reached SS."

Beyond the S rank, advancing even one level is exceedingly challenging. In the past, someone as prodigiously talented as Lu Jiuzhu only managed to stabilize at S+.

Only through a fortuitous convergence of circumstances, combined with a unique talent for spiritual power mutation that allowed him to devour the Bug Queen, did Lu Yinghui achieve a spiritual power level of SSS—a tier almost unattainable for humans.

Xiayu's current spiritual power can scarcely awaken even the consciousness of Lu Jiuzhu, merely serving to maintain the gentle state of the White Tiger through spiritual therapy.

Not to mention treating Lu Yinghui.

In other words, while Lu Yinghui's consciousness may indeed reside within his companion beast, the odds of awakening are minuscule.

"However, the Marshal's physical condition is currently optimal. Even if... even if he were to fall into a deep slumber, it might be for an extended duration," Meng Wenxuan said, trying to comfort a visibly distressed Xiayu.

Xiayu pressed on, "Has His Highness's spiritual power monitoring analysis been completed?"

Meng Wenxuan paused, "The Marshal didn't ask me to submit the analysis to the mainframe... was it you?"

Xiayu responded, "Yes, I have some hypotheses that need validation after mainframe data analysis. I need to know if His Highness enters a dormant phase, will he be taken to the hibernation base or remain in the Marshal's Mansion?"

Meng Wenxuan hesitated, "In terms of medical facilities, both places are fairly equivalent—"

After all, Lu Yinghui's previous cycles of dormancy and awakening occurred at the Marshal's Mansion, which is fully equipped with all necessary devices and stasis chambers.

In fact, when it comes to experience, the hibernation center might not even match the Marshal's Mansion.

"Alright, I understand," Xia You said decisively. "How much time does His Highness have before he loses consciousness?"

Meng Wenxuan glanced at the digital clock. "The drug was administered five minutes ago. It'll take effect in thirty minutes."

No one knew if Lu Yinghuai would ever wake up once he fell asleep this time.

Xia You nodded, turned, and brushed past Meng Wenxuan, who stood in front of the isolation chamber, stepping inside.

*

The isolation chamber was eerily empty. The only sign of life was the medical pod in the center, its lights blinking intermittently. Beneath the sleek, mirror-like walls, the pod cast a solitary reflection.

The silence was unsettling.

As soon as she entered the isolation chamber, Xia You realized why Meng Wenxuan had decided to intervene early and put Lu Yinghuai to sleep.

Inside the chamber, the psychic pressure emanating from Lu Yinghuai was overwhelming.

The psychic energy leaking from the medical pod was aggressive, reminiscent of a caged beast growling and roaring in defiance, subtly revealing its desire to break free.

Such chaotic psychic energy would not only attack those nearby but also torment Lu Yinghuai's body and psyche.

— Especially considering there remains undigested psychic energy of the insectoid queen within Lu Yinghuai's psychic core.

If Lu Yinghuai's psychic energy pierces the outer defenses of his own psychic realm, he won't have a simple dormancy period. Instead, he'll face a fate similar to the original insectoid queen, where both body and consciousness are obliterated into dust.

Only Lu Yinghuai and Xia You knew about the insectoid queen's ordeal.

The empire's citizens have long harbored animosity towards the insectoids. If this information leaked, and if manipulated by those with ulterior motives, Lu Yinghuai could easily shift from being a hero of the empire to a ticking time bomb, signaling the return of the insectoid queen.

Hence, Lu Yinghuai's actual situation is far worse than what Meng Wenxuan anticipated.

Xia You reached out and pressed the release button on the medical pod. A white mist evacuated, revealing a man's handsome face, and the transparent lid slid open accordingly.

Lu Yinghuai had been awake for a while now, but perhaps due to extreme discomfort, he had a furrowed brow. When he opened his eyes, they were filled with exhaustion.

Xia You sat on the steps beside the medical pod, extending her hand to grasp Lu Yinghuai's fingers.

There was no psychic probing or energy transfer. Just a simple, comforting touch.

Their fingers intertwined.

"What's wrong?" Lu Yinghuai asked.

His voice was soft, a far cry from his usual composed and indifferent tone that always suggested he had everything under control. Now, there was a hint of vulnerability.

Xia You had held Lu Yinghuai's hand many times but never really studied it.

Lu Yinghuai used to always wear gloves. After entering the forest and due to the psychic-sealing drug, he had taken them off. But every time Xia You held his hand, it was for some other reason.

Perhaps for healing, or maybe when Lu Yinghuai was comforting him.

Lu Yinghuai's hand wasn't as delicate and smooth as a typical noble's. Not only did it bear the calluses from operating mechs or handling weapons, but there was also a barely noticeable scar on the edge where his left thumb met the palm.

To have a scar remain even after treatment in a medical pod, the injury must have been severe and not treated promptly.

Noticing Xia You's attention on the scar, the corner of Lu Yinghuai's mouth twitched upward. "I got this when I sneaked off to the front lines for the first time at eleven and accidentally got injured."

Lu Yinghuai's fingers were cold. Grasping his hand firmly, Xia You asked with concern, "Were you injured by the insectoids?"

If he was hurt by the insectoid's scythe, the toxins would indeed have delayed treatment.

To her surprise, Lu Yinghuai replied, "No, it was a mercenary, a human mercenary."

Instead of asking immediately, Xia You pondered and speculated, "Was it over the rewards for insectoid corpses or some other prize?"

In a post-apocalyptic world, such incidents were not uncommon.

However, Xia You had never joined a team to kill zombies. Such high-risk, high-reward missions also exposed her to danger, so she had no firsthand experience.

Lu Yinghuai softly acknowledged her guess.

He turned his face, looking at Xia You who sat beside the medical pod, and whispered, "I intentionally kept this scar."

Xia You's thumb caressed the scar, barely visible but distinctly tangible. She smiled back, "Your Highness, I understand."

In a lifetime, who doesn't have their personal biases and desires?

Everyone has their biases, but once you identify them, a person's vulnerabilities become crystal clear.

With downcast eyes and a playful smirk, Lu Yinghuai commented, "It seems I've truly found a student worth my teachings."

Instead of responding directly, Xia You rested her chin on the smooth edge of the medical pod and quietly inquired, "Your Highness, by now, everyone probably suspects that Yuan Yuan is your companion beast."

Lu Yinghuai replied, "It's fine. I never... intentionally kept it a secret."

After a brief silence, Lu Yinghuai continued, "There's a significant age difference between my sister and me. By the time I was truly born, my parents had been gone for years."

Xia You was genuinely taken aback by this revelation.

The world had only noticed Lu Yinghuai's meteoric rise, his legendary feats as the Grand Marshal of the Empire, but nobody delved into the hero's childhood — or rather, no one could uncover it.

"A fetus born with genetic decay, there was initially no need for it to come into existence."

Lu Yinghuai spoke slowly, pausing frequently as if recalling memories or choosing his words carefully.

"But its parents and sister never gave up, even though it lingered day after day in the incubation center with only the faintest signs of life, they never lost hope."

"Later on, its sister, who became the Grand Marshal, dragged the head of the Empire's research department, insisting that if they didn't help, they wouldn't be allowed to leave. Only then was the fetus's condition fully understood."

"The fetus required vast amounts of energy stones to develop properly. Still, even so, it would later show defects in its psychic abilities."

"Ironically, the planet with the most energy stones in the entire empire was Blue Star, where their parents had carried out their last research mission and tragically lost their lives."

Often, Lu Yinghuai believed he couldn't remember the past, but now he realizes he still recalls clearly his childhood days playing with his sister and Uncle Zhou at the Marshal's residence.

Eventually, the problem child of the incubation center matured under the nurture of vast energy stones and became the young master of the Lu family.

Moreover, without any medicinal intervention, he naturally manifested a physical psychic entity.

Initially, the reason Lu Jiuzhu concealed Lu Yinghuai's companion beast was simply to protect him from those who might exploit his uniqueness.

Later on, due to the strained relationship with his companion beast, Lu Yinghuai seldom explained and never trained in sync with the panther.

"Yuan Yuan was a name given by my sister. At first, I resisted, but I grew accustomed to it over time."

Thinking of Xia You's naming tendencies, Lu Yinghuai playfully teased, "Otherwise, we might have ended up with yet another nickname."

With an innocent blink, Xia You asked, "Don't you want to know what name I'd have chosen for Yuan Yuan, Your Highness?"

Lu Yinghuai's response was straightforward: "No."

Xia You gazed at Lu Yinghuai.

The man pursed his lips, a rare moment of sincerity and frankness, "Actually... I wouldn't mind listening."

Xia You raised an eyebrow smugly, "Too late! Your Highness wants to hear now, but I don't feel like sharing anymore."

"When will you feel like sharing?"

"Hmm..." Xia You pretended to ponder for a moment before replying, "The next time I wake up, I'll tell Your Highness."

With that, Xia You extended her pinky, locking it with Lu Yinghuai's, sealing their pact.

Lu Yinghuai remained silent for a long while before the corners of his mouth turned upwards in a soft chuckle, replying, "Alright."

Xia You's gaze briefly flitted to the countdown on the medical pod's panel, whispering, "By the way, Your Highness, I've lured both my sister and the spicy sticks onto the spacecraft."

She also tied up Yuan Yuan in passing.

Lu Yinghuai paused momentarily, a hint of amusement glinting in his eyes, "Yes, I'm aware."

Upon waking, whatever the panther witnessed or experienced would be relayed to Lu Yinghuai.

Naturally, Lu Yinghuai was informed of the mischief his little mister had been up to.

With abduction and persuasion in place of willing participation, two went out – a person and a cat; three returned, loaded with gains.

Without the anesthetic gas from the medical pod, Lu Yinghuai's forehead was beaded with cold sweat due to the pain.

Xia You took a handkerchief from the space button, gently wiping it away, commenting, "I also used the birthday gift Your Highness gave me."

This was news to Lu Yinghuai. His eyes widened in surprise, his expression serious.

No wonder there was such a drastic change in Xia You's psychic power.

"How do you feel? You should consult Wen Xuan to inspect your psychic energy and physical wellbeing. This is serious. If treatment is required, you must immediately return to the medical pod."

"Mm-hmm, I'll definitely get checked. My head is killing me right now; it's as if tiny men are drilling into it." Xia You pouted and grumbled, "But..."

"Yes?"

"I really liked that energy stone," Xia You mumbled gloomily, "It was the first birthday gift Your Highness gave me, and its color was especially lovely."

A chuckle escaped from Lu Yinghuai.

He looked towards Xia You, yet the blond youth suddenly seemed obscured, as if viewed through frosted glass, becoming indistinct.

Lu Yinghuai was all too familiar with this sensation. Instead of trying harder, he gently closed his eyes and whispered, "Better days will come."

"A gift from Your Highness?"

"...Yes."

"One with more vibrant colors, perhaps?"

"Alright."

"By the way, Your Highness, do you like catnip balls? My sister seems to like them, but she's never shown interest in spicy strips..."

"No catnip." Lu Yinghuai's tone grew suddenly firm. Even though he spoke softly, there was an emphasized seriousness to it, "Xia You, no catnip."

"Alright, no catnip," Xia You nodded, yet secretly amused by Lu Yinghuai's reaction, she pondered the idea of planting an entire balcony of catnip.

Would His Highness be so upset he'd sit up?

Ah, the idea is really tempting. I should ask Uncle Zhou if he has any catnip seeds left.

As if sensing the mischief bubbling inside the young boy, Lu Yinghuai called out:

"Xia You?"

"I'm here."

"...Don't try feeding tentacles to the leopard."

"But Yuan Yuan just tried to bite me."

“……”

"Your Highness, Yuan Yuan bit me."

"You can use a muzzle..."

"Your Highness, there are canine teeth marks on the back of my hand."

Xia You's tone was tender, tinged with affectionate complaint.

There was a long pause before Lu Yinghuai responded, his voice growing fainter.

"At the very least, don't use psychic tentacles... it's too..."

"Your Highness, Yuan Yuan bit me!"

Xia You's fingers tightly gripped Lu Yinghuai's hand.

A prolonged silence filled the isolation room before a reluctant agreement slipped from Lu Yinghuai's lips.

"...Go ahead."

His voice carried a sense of resignation but was laced with a hint of amusement.

Xia You laughed too, a laugh filled with triumphant scheming.

Lu Yinghuai's fingers lightly, very lightly, gripped Xia You's in return, then slowly let go.

The isolation room suddenly went quiet.

The countdown on the medical pod's display reset to zero, beginning a new cycle.

With eyes closed, Lu Yinghuai drifted into a deep sleep.

Xia You gently released Lu Yinghuai's hand. As she stood, a sharp pain from overexerting her psychic abilities caused her to falter. She steadied herself against the medical pod and pressed the shutdown button.

As the pod's lid sealed, the previously turbulent psychic energy within the isolation room began to stabilize.

Xia You's fingers caressed the closed pod lid, whispering, "Goodnight, Your Highness."

Throughout it all, in his extreme weakness, Lu Yinghuai remained unaware. A small psychic tentacle belonging to Xia You had detached from its connection with her. It lay quietly on the front of his shirt, and as the medical pod sealed shut, it attached itself subtly to the side of his neck.