Chapter 88

When Xia You returned to live streaming after a long hiatus, despite being prepared, the rapidly increasing viewer count in such a short span of time took her by surprise.

Considering the strict viewing permissions of her stream and accounting for the soldiers on the border and those on missions, the number shouldn’t be this high... right?

Pondering for a moment, Xia You opened a chat window and messaged Lu Yinghuai.

The reply came swiftly: [Since Xia You wishes to make a splash, there's no need to limit it to just the First Legion. I've adjusted the permissions, allowing the entire army to view. We can gradually expand further based on the situation.]

[The initial batch of advanced energy stones was awarded by the previous Emperor to several generals, not all of whom are of noble birth.]

Xia You nodded in understanding.

The live stream's comment section started buzzing—

[Front row check-in! I've been waiting every day for this live stream. I've been hoping for that special notification alert!]

[Me too. I've even considered picking a fight with my roommate to get assigned to guard duty at the Marshal's mansion.]

[Speaking of which, does everyone know about that forest serpent? Somehow, it was found and left hanging on a tree outside the Marshal's mansion for a whole night...]

[Hahaha, who wouldn't know about it!]

[Just between us, everyone noticed, but there was an order from above not to untie him... tsk, he got windswept all night and his skin's probably all wrinkled now.]

[Getting windswept is one thing, the real issue is the embarrassment, hahaha!]

[Absolutely.]

The barrage of comments was overwhelming. After reading for a while, Xia You recalled an incident from a few days ago.

A minor incident.

There was this exceptionally headstrong yet talented soldier at the Lanxing Training Base. Rumor had it that he wanted to meet Xia You and often loitered near the Marshal's mansion hoping for a chance encounter. However, whenever Xia You stepped out, this soldier was either on a mission or training. They never actually met.

A few days ago, he tried to scale the wall with his companion beast but was caught red-handed by Lu Yinghuai who had just returned. That wasn't the end of it. Later that night, after overindulging in spicy snacks and taking a stroll to digest, Lu Yinghuai bumped into him again.

As a result, Lu Yinghuai used the snake, which is irresistible to all feline creatures, to teach his eager nephew a practical lesson on attacking with companion beasts.

This serpent, a dominant creature of the marshes, was bullied successively by two big cats and eventually tied up in a bow on a tree, fluttering helplessly in the wind.

"Alright, let's not dilly-dally. Let's get started."

Today's live stream camera was fixed, showing only Xia You and a circle around him.

Xia You pulled over a squishy cushion. A plump red panda, looking rather stiff, was dragged into the camera frame.

Tanggao was camera-shy.

During his time on the dark web, he had to conceal his identity, starting with his appearance. Being undercover, the fewer people who recognized him, the safer he was.

After completing his mission and returning to the limelight, he lost the courage to see himself in mirrors and on camera.

Yet, originally, Zhuo Xi was a young man who took photos wherever he went, with as many selfies in his computer as experimental logs and life records.

[Ah! It's Instructor Zhuo Xi!]

[Hello, Instructor!]

A string of greetings for the instructor flooded the live stream chat.

Tanggao's body began to gradually relax.

Xiayu casually cut a piece of apple and placed it into Tanggao's paw.

Holding the apple, Tanggao gave a resigned look.

Xiayu suddenly realized that today's treatment might be intense, and eating at this moment might make Tanggao feel uneasy.

So, he reached out and effortlessly snatched the apple from the red panda's paw, taking a bite himself.

A twitch appeared at the corner of Tanggao's mouth.

[Hahaha, honestly, I've wanted to do that for a long time!]

[Me too!]

[Red pandas are so adorable, how can one resist teasing them a bit?]

[Caution, training intensity ahead!]

Xiayu quickly finished the apple, then took out a large basin from his spatial ring, pouring in a mountain peak-like pile of energy stones.

【？】

[Ah, so the rumors are true?]

[There were indeed whispers earlier that Lord Xiayu, during his psychic calming treatments, requires a vast amount of energy stones.]

Most people in the legion have absorbed energy stones. They don’t usually do it unless necessary, as the aftermath leaves a sticky, uncomfortable feeling in one's psychic sea. Hence, many didn’t initially believe the rumors.

It was because of this unprecedented display of Xiayu's uniqueness that many watching the live broadcast were taken aback.

Especially those of higher authority, who were familiar with Zhuo Xi's past achievements, knew that Zhuo Xi's injury wasn't just a simple psychic disturbance.

Xiayu gently stroked Tanggao's spine, repeatedly, with a soft touch.

Both he and Tanggao were well aware that today's treatment would be different from the previous ones.

Unlike other companion beasts, Tanggao didn't enter hibernation due to severe psychic disturbances. Instead, he applied for early hibernation shortly after his psychic form materialized.

Thus, his psychic disturbance was the mildest, making him the easiest subject for Xiayu when it came to clearing the gray matter in the brain.

The challenge of Tanggao's treatment lies in the amputation of his arms, which had previously been maliciously injected with a serum containing insectoid DNA.

The devastating power of the insectoid genes prevented his arms from regenerating in medical pods and also caused a massive build-up of gray matter at the injury sites.

In past treatments, Xiayu intentionally avoided the area of Tanggao's amputated arms. But today, after simulating several treatment procedures, Xiayu was finally ready to address it head-on.

Tanggao curled up beside Xiayu, resting his tail against Xiayu's leg and reaching out with his paw to touch the back of Xiayu's hand.

"Let's do this."

He looked up at Xiayu, his eyes shining brightly.

Xiayu took a deep breath, reversed his grip on the red panda's paw, and closed his eyes.

Psychic tendrils reached into Tanggao's body, with their tips finally resting on the right shoulder area.

In Xiayu's vision, this intertwining of black and gray seemed overwhelmingly prominent.

It resembled the outer wall of a mountain.

The chubby tendrils swiftly transformed into sturdy, thin filaments. These spread out through the tough, gray-black areas, infiltrating any cracks or crevices. Every filament awaited the moment it would converge with others.

Xiayu was inspired by the way Uncle Zhou had used a dinner knife to pry out fruit seeds.

This mix of black and gray was incredibly tough. Xiayu had tried several times without success to absorb it directly, much like consuming gray matter. Their presence resembled the tough shell and toxic flesh of a fruit.

A reckless attempt to shatter it might result in irreversible harm to Tanggao.

What Xiayu aimed to do was to delicately separate this foreign substance, intertwined with Tanggao's psychic energy, just like Uncle Zhou had done, then find a way to dissolve or expel it.

As Xiayu's psychic filaments delved deeper, Tanggao's body began to twitch and shudder, and sweat appeared on Xiayu's brow.

Latiao, who had been shyly staying out of the frame, stepped forward, gently pressing down on the instinctively struggling red panda.

Xuebing and Quqi, who had chosen to stay at the Marshal's Mansion today, were also present.

Xuebing, holding a handkerchief in his mouth, gracefully approached and stood upright, gently dabbing the perspiration from Xiayu's forehead.

Quqi closely monitored the live broadcast, while his computer continuously received messages from various families and circles.

Meng Wenxuan, whose face had finally regained some color, anxiously monitored the psychic energy readings of Xiayu and the red panda. On another screen, data from Zhuo Xi's hibernation pod was displayed.

As time ticked by, the large bowl beside Xiayu, filled with energy stones, began to sag under the watchful eyes of the livestream audience. Eventually, only a bowl full of energy stone dust remained.

Uncle Zhou waved away a servant inquiring about food orders and quietly instructed the kitchen to prepare easily digestible meals. He then personally fetched energy stones for a space node from the storeroom.

……

Suddenly, Xiayu retracted his psychic energy. His chest heaved rapidly, and both his hands and body trembled.

Turning his hand over, a pale gold energy stone appeared in his palm. In just a few moments, it crumbled into dust, spilling through his fingers.

[That color... Isn't that a top-grade primary energy stone?!]

[Such an energy stone could power my aircraft for years... Did Lord Xiayu just absorb it in an instant??]

For a moment, the live chat exploded with comments. Many who couldn't afford high-tier energy stones, or were on the fence about purchasing, began to reconsider their options.

At some point, the white tiger had come over and braced Xiayu to prevent him from collapsing backward.

Xiayu raised his hand to pat the white tiger and whispered his thanks before turning to look at Quqi.

Quqi, after some contemplation, walked over. The large cat with thick fur lay down in front of Xiayu, presenting a seemingly innocent face directly to the camera.

Yet, the eyes were sharp and astute.

"If you want to collaborate, come to me. Got it?"

*

After ending the livestream, Xiayu carried the unconscious Tanggao to the sofa, covering him with a small blanket.

He then approached Meng Wenxuan, glancing over the colorful graphs of psychic energy readings.

"How did it go?"

Meng Wenxuan adjusted his glasses: "In terms of psychic energy, there's definitely improvement. However, we won't see such immediate effects from the hibernation pod. We'll need to wait longer."

"So, at what stage is your treatment?"

At that question, Xiayu paused, seemingly uncertain how to define it.

"I've managed to separate some of the foreign impurities and did my best to break them down, but they still remain inside Tanggao's body. I'm a bit concerned..."

The physical state of a companion beast reflects the condition of its master's psychic sea. Such lingering contaminants pose a latent threat.

Meng Wenxuan had heard from Xiayu about his ability to devour the gray substance inside companion beasts. However, he never fully grasped it, especially since the instruments couldn't detect this gray matter Xiayu mentioned.

Just as he was about to speak, the little panda on the sofa suddenly sprang to life. With remarkable agility, it dragged its tail, clutched its hind legs, and dashed frantically towards the bathroom.

After a moment, observing the significant improvement in the panda's psychic energy readings, Meng Wenxuan quipped, "Seems like it can be expelled after all."

Though it might be a bit taxing.

Xiayu: "..."

Clearing his throat, Xiayu turned to Uncle Zhou and said, "Uncle Zhou, perhaps we should monitor Tanggao's diet and late-night habits for the time being."

Overeating sweets, staying up late, and an upset stomach... Hmm...

That won't do.

***

On the eve of their departure, Xiayu spotted carefully chosen roses on the bedside table, yet there was no sign of Lu Yinghuai, who, despite his recent hectic schedule, always returned at night.

As Xiayu waited and waited, drowsiness took over, and he snuggled into his blankets and drifted off to sleep.

Instinctively, he nestled into the spot where Lu Yinghuai usually lay.

The next morning.

Half-awake, Xiayu felt a heaviness on his chest. Struggling to consciousness, he met a pair of round, leopard-like eyes staring back.

A little creature, resembling the tiger cub from before and looking like a lump of coal, nestled its front paws and lay warmly on Xiayu's chest.

As Xiayu opened his eyes, the little coal-black creature averted its gaze momentarily.

Pretending to be unfazed.

Xiayu: "!!!"

Little Coal, visibly uncomfortable, was about to type something when suddenly everything went blurry. In the next moment, the cat found itself pinned beneath a pillow, feeling a warmth on its belly.

Xia You couldn't resist burying her face into Little Coal's fluffy belly, taking a deep inhale. Her expression was that of utter adoration, as if she was completely enchanted by the cat.

Little Coal was stiff on the pillow, its paws awkwardly tucked in, not knowing what to do.

Seeing Xia You coming for another snuggle, Little Coal's eyes widened in alarm. Its paws pressed against her face, all four limbs resisting her approach.

"Meoww!"