Chapter 96: Permanent Bond

Chapter 96: Permanent Bond

The horde of colossal creatures finally dissipated.

The land revealed its original appearance—a desolate, Mars-like expanse of sand and gravel.

However, the gravel was darker in color, making it rather dull. The resources beneath were scarce, at least mostly useless to humans. If it hadn’t been a suitable location for a base, it might not have been favored by outsiders.

Xu Qingran's burst of extraordinary power this time far surpassed what he had shown against Mu Ziyue's lackeys at Tower 1.

The internal injuries it caused forced him to spend a longer time recovering. The white dog, sensing his injuries, circled him uneasily, clearly confused by the change.

Xu Qingran reassured it, "It's just a scratch. I'm okay."

"I'll be fine in no time."

The system had now become an irritable sidekick.

Every time Xu Qingran spoke, it would snap back: "Oh, machines bounce back quicker than you."

Xu Qingran ignored it.

After some rest, the annoying buzz in his head finally faded. But his heart was still racing, and his insides ached from overexertion.

A few deep breaths later, the pain eased a bit.

Xu Qingran tried to take a step.

It was a little rough, but way better than before.

As he prepared to head toward the base entrance, the white dog circled in front of him again.

Its sharp eyes flicked back, silently telling him to hop on.

Xu Qingran didn’t argue.

He was about to meet that "dog man." An E-type stuck here for days couldn’t be doing too well. For now, he had to keep Shen Tingyu from noticing his condition. Conserving energy might help him recover faster.

To keep Xu Qingran safe, the white dog slowed down.

Soon, they reached the dark gray base.

Behind them, thunderclouds still loomed, lightning crackling within.

Like a beast roused by accident, its rage wasn’t fading.

Xu Qingran felt a bit better.

Playing it cool, he slid off the white dog, his tone calm and steady: "Thank you."

The white dog gave a wag of its tail.

A silent "no problem."

The entrance to the base was upstairs.

The stairs were iron-plated. Xu Qingran climbed step by step, eyes darting around.

Everything was quiet.

Alongside some alien corpses, human remains were also visible. However, judging from the state of these bodies, it was clear that they had been killed by aliens, and they had been dead for some time.

It likely had nothing to do with Shen Tingyu.

As for the aliens,

In addition to the original ones, the newly added ones were the devils he had just slain. They were very persistent about this location, surrounding it in large numbers, mostly of the I-class.

Xu Qingran arrived at the entrance, grabbed the door handle, and pushed it down.

As expected, it was locked from the inside and couldn't be opened.

The identity information scanner by the door had malfunctioned following the power outage.

He wanted to call out, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a metallic taste surged in his throat.

Frowning, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The system screamed once more.

Xu Qingran, however, was in good spirits, even finding it quite normal.

After spitting, he rubbed his uncomfortable chest, wiped the blood from his mouth, and then took out a bottle of mineral water he was carrying to rinse his mouth.

Destroying the evidence.

"Xu Qingran! I warn you, I can give you your abilities back, and I can take them away too!"

Although this was against the rules of the Management Bureau, the system thought.

But it continued to threaten, "If you mess around like this again, I will take your abilities away!"

To be honest, it was beyond the system's expectations that Xu Qingran had caused such a big commotion and hadn't died yet. Who knows, the moment he used his abilities on a large scale again, it had already prepared for the mission to fail and to collect its host's body!

Xu Qingran twisted the water bottle again, not caring much about the warning, "Fine, take it away, I probably won't live much longer anyway."

The system was silent for a while.

Rarely assertive, "Mutual destruction it is then!"

"Anyway, even if I leave the abilities with you, you'll eventually play yourself to death, and then I won't be able to complete the mission, still a dead end!"

"Destroyed or not! You better remember, it's all your fault!"

Xu Qingran paused in his action of preparing to kick the door.

It was the first time the system had spoken so boldly, not even afraid of being destroyed if the mission failed, it seemed really angry.

He softened his tone and said, "Got it."

"Isn't it just urgent to save someone? I promise you, I won't misuse it next time."

The system grumbled.

Starting to blame Shen Tingyu, "How could the target of the conquest be so powerful and yet almost get himself killed?"

If it could successfully become official, it would definitely go back and talk to the Management Bureau.

What era is this, still playing the emotional conquest game, look at how its cool, handsome, and domineering host is almost turning into a love fool!

Xu Qingran didn’t chime in with its complaints.

Taking a deep breath, he coolly lifted his foot, channeling his psychic energy and special abilities to kick open the metal door.

The door to the defensive base was incredibly sturdy.

Even though Xu Qingran kicked it hard enough to loosen the lock, the door stayed intact, still firmly attached to the latch.

Xu Qingran stepped inside with the white dog, casually shutting the door behind him.

He flicked on his flashlight and started looking for someone.

Shen Tingyu’s aura was faint.

So faint that, after entering, Xu Qingran could only confirm traces of Shen Tingyu’s presence but had no idea how far away he might be. Wary of potential ambushes, shouting wasn’t an option, so he decided to scout the area alone first.

Normally, an E-type’s presence is overwhelming.

Even alone, their psychic energy radiates so intensely that it’s impossible to ignore, warning other psychics to keep their distance. If Shen Tingyu was really here, the only explanation for such a faint presence would be a complete depletion of psychic energy.

E-types have a deeper psychic pool than any other class of psychics.

But no matter how deep, it can run dry. Especially since E-types recover psychic energy slower than others, and MT agents barely work on them. In a high-risk environment where constant combat is key to survival, going solo would put them at a serious disadvantage.

The base had one ground floor and three underground levels.

After scouring the first floor with no luck, Xu Qingran headed downstairs. Inside, he found devil corpses and spotted the yellow-and-black X-class, its fragments scattered everywhere. The wreckage around him made it clear a fierce battle had gone down here.

The base didn’t have many floors, but it covered a lot of ground.

Xu Qingran had expected a long search, but to his surprise, just one floor down, he found Shen Tingyu in a machine room.

The room was pitch black.

Only the flashlight’s beam revealed the scene inside.

Shen Tingyu sat on the floor, propped against an iron cabinet.

His head hung slightly, his usually bright eyes now dull, his face pale but his expression calm. He was badly injured, clutching a writhing IV devil in his hand, clearly too drained of psychic energy to finish it off.

Xu Qingran stood frozen, flashlight in hand, watching him.

Shen Tingyu’s eyelids drooped slightly as he stared at the blue-black creature in his hand, lost in thought.

Only when he noticed the movement did he slightly raise his head to look in the direction of the footsteps. By the light of the other’s flashlight shining in the space, he could see the appearance of the newcomer.

The next second, he curved his eyes.

He did not speak, nor did he show surprise or shock at the other’s appearance, just quietly met his gaze.

As if silently saying—

You’re here.

Xu Qingran’s other hand, hanging by his side, clenched tightly.

He hated that look—like someone ready to deliver their last words.

The last time I saw him, the owner of those eyes transferred his power to me.

He said, "Let it protect you in my stead from now on."

Xu Qingran mused, taking a few more steps forward.

He stepped over Shen Tingyu's long legs that were enough to obstruct the entire passageway, bent down, and grabbed the small IV that Shen Tingyu was holding. His fingers gently rubbed it a few times, and lightning energy surged through the spiritual aura into the creature's body, obliterating its source energy.

The lifeless blue lump fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Xu Qingran's gaze at the pile of fragments was cold.

In the silence, the sound of repeated thuds could be heard from a nearby manhole cover.

Beneath the cover was a red Class I, the matriarch. It had compressed its body into a fist-like form, relentlessly slamming against the cover in a desperate bid to enter the space.

The screws around the cover were beginning to loosen from the impacts. Xu Qingran cast a few downward glances, then slowly drew his gun.

Aiming at the gap between the manhole covers, without even scanning for the source crystal, he fired a shot.

The spiritual energy beam struck the Class I devil as it tried to breach the engine room.

Without needing precise aim, the lightning energy wrapped around the beam zeroed in on the source crystal within its body, shattering it instantly.

This is why demon hordes fear electricity.

The source crystals in their bodies are incredibly resilient, requiring multiple strikes from ordinary spiritual energy users to break them. Yet they are also fragile, so fragile that even a weak electric current can home in on the source crystals on their bodies, causing massive damage.

Xu Qingran quietly neutralized all the surrounding threats.

The darkness returned to silence. The white dog, finding the engine room too confining, took up a guard post outside once it confirmed the area was secure.

Xu Qingran made his way back to Shen Tingyu.

Perhaps seeing him appear, Shen Tingyu's tense body finally relaxed a little, and he closed his eyes as he turned away.

But as Xu Qingran crouched and seized his wrist, Shen Tingyu's eyes slowly fluttered open.

Xu Qingran said coldly, "You look utterly pitiful."

His voice was frosty.

After a pause, Shen Tingyu finally found his voice.

His voice sounded remarkably lively as he joked, "Yeah, lucky it's you who saw me, or it would ruin my image."

As Xu Qingran grabbed Shen Tingyu's wrist, he conducted a thorough scan of Shen Tingyu's spiritual energy.

He concluded that Shen Tingyu's current frailty stemmed from the overuse of his spiritual reserves. The spiritual energy within his pool was almost depleted. Every breath and heartbeat of a spiritual energy user steadily drains spiritual energy, and as an E-type, his recovery rate is several times slower than others. Overdrawing his spiritual pool could easily lead to a life-threatening crisis.

The most severe wound on Shen Tingyu's body was still bleeding.

It had pooled on the ground.

Without spiritual energy, not only does survival become difficult, but even wound healing slows down.

To put it more seriously.

If Xu Qingran had been a few hours later, he might have really been retrieving Shen Tingyu's lifeless body.

Xu Qingran's expression darkened.

He grabbed Shen Tingyu's wrist and started transferring spiritual energy, his tone icy as he demanded, "How old are you?"

"Don’t you even know your own limits? Don’t you have any sense of when to rest and conserve your strength?"

For most spiritual energy users, the threshold is generally around 10%.

When their spiritual energy drops to about 10%, they must stop any energy-draining tasks and let their spiritual pool recover. Type E users should stop at around 20%, unless they have someone like Xu Qingran to replenish them.

Once consumption exceeds the threshold, the recovery rate might not keep up with the body's daily needs.

This can deplete the spiritual pool, and once it’s empty, it starts draining the user’s life force. They’ll die once their life force runs out.

Shen Tingyu looked helpless. "I wanted to."

"But these devils won’t let me rest. I have no choice."

Xu Qingran pressed, "What about your team?"

"They’re all dead," Shen Tingyu said. "I killed them."

Shen Tingyu had been with the army here for over ten days.

A lot had gone down.

First, Mu Ziyue had tricked him again.

Shortly after boarding the starship, his command was taken over by more senior officers. It wasn’t a big deal—he never cared much for power, and with his skills, he wasn’t afraid of fighting on the front lines.

His original goal was to find a way to take out that super high-level devil.

If that failed, delaying them would still help.

When the army first arrived, the 60th defense station wasn’t in such bad shape.

The main devil force was still at the recently captured 70 light-year station. Thanks to the empire’s early planning, the army had taken the base before the devils arrived. Only a few devils were sent to scout and mark the area, along with some electricity-resistant aliens.

So, the army used their numbers to start fixing the damaged power stations.

Shen Tingyu and his team were mainly responsible for the shaded area. As expected, the devils were still after him, but their numbers were small, so even if most headed his way, it wasn’t a big deal.

The repairs were going smoothly.

Other bases were also reporting good news regularly.

Perhaps because of this, some of the military guards became lax, and their attitudes grew too relaxed.

—They developed a mindset of causing trouble.

Although Shen Tingyu had decided on most of the expedition list for the Golden Wing Battalion, most of these people were Mu Ziyue's. It would be more accurate to say that he deliberately chose them, given the enmity from his past life.

What was more surprising was that a small group from the Silver Dragon was also targeting him.

Assigned under him, they deliberately ignored the orders of this Golden Wing general and even made foolish decisions—to sabotage his performance, so the Silver Dragon could smear his reputation as a celebrated general. They chose to cause trouble in the area he was responsible for.

Taking advantage of his busyness leading the cleanup operation near the power station, they actively damaged the base.

They even deliberately lured in foreign forces to destroy several power stations that were almost repaired, wasting all previous efforts and forcing a restart. They underestimated how tough the mission would be and assumed the surroundings of the stations were too peaceful.

They thought that on such a massive planet, destroying a few bases and small stations under Shen Tingyu's responsibility wouldn't affect the overall situation.

Little did they know that the damage to several defense stations in the backlit area became the breakthrough point for the devil swarm.

They were naturally good at hiding in the vastness of space, seeming calm but having watched the 60th main station for a while. Especially in the backlit area, where they had a 'target' they were seeking, it became a focal point of observation.

And so, things spiraled out of control.

High-level devils invaded in droves, especially the X-class, in numbers never before seen in the empire's territory. The military quickly couldn't handle the devil swarm's assault, even clearing the path for their 'king' to arrive.

Its destructive power was several times that of high-level devils.

The starships lingering in the planet's space were caught off guard, directly turned into fireworks by its mental energy bombs. All fighters and mechs stood no chance of getting close. Even with bombs, they faced endless new devils emerging from it.

In moments, the main station started to collapse.

Communications systems in the bases were disrupted and destroyed one after another.

Originally, Shen Tingyu had a well-hidden station beneath a rocky mountain.

It was a great base, with a direct line to the empire. Holding that spot meant they could stay in touch with the empire and call for backup.

However, when Shen Tingyu arrived, he found that the communication equipment there had been deliberately sabotaged.

It was the doing of the Silver Dragon faction, who had secretly sent soldiers to mess with him. They just wanted to wreck a few bases and give him a hard time, but they accidentally took out the crucial comms linking them to the empire.

It was at this moment that Shen Tingyu's temper flared.

He knew exactly who was out to get him. For those without military sense, who only got in the way, he killed them on the spot.

Hearing this, Xu Qingran got the gist.

He asked, "Do you know who instigated those Silver Dragon guards?"

Shen Tingyu replied, "Mu Ningluo, most likely."

"She's with the Silver Dragon faction and sees me as their biggest roadblock. Every joint mission, she finds ways to mess with me."

Xu Qingran fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Shen Tingyu raised an eyebrow, "I haven't been on missions with the Silver Dragon people for a long time, so I didn't think of it at the time."

Xu Qingran said, "It's fine, it's not too late to know now."

He didn't continue the topic and instead asked, "On my way here, I met a few guards who had served under you and weren't killed by you."

"They said you've gone mad, even killing your own Golden Wing soldiers?"

Hearing this, Shen Tingyu laughed a few times.

It really is quite a long story.

"Just Mu Ziyue's people," Shen Tingyu said coldly, even though some of them might have worked with him for years. "They were a group who, upon realizing that the main target of the devil swarm was me, wanted to push me out."

"I've been wanting to kill them for a long time."

Back then, if it weren't for Mu Ziyue and these people—

"What do you mean by 'the target is you'?"

Xu Qingran's calm, questioning tone interrupted Shen Tingyu's train of thought.

Before Shen Tingyu could reply, Xu Qingran continued, "You know, after you left Nanzhou, I found out some interesting things."

"Remember when we drove through West City's residential area at night, and those Class IV devils went berserk, losing control and slamming into our car?"

"Back then, we were talking about how bold the Class IV devils in West City were."

Shen Tingyu stayed quiet.

Xu Qingran continued, "But here's the weird part. When I went back alone later, they weren't acting crazy anymore. They were just like in other districts, dodging cars like they always do, as timid as ever."

"Don't you find that interesting?"

Shen Tingyu looked up into Xu Qingran's beautiful, smiling eyes.

He nodded calmly, "Yeah, pretty interesting."

As soon as he finished speaking, the grip on his wrist tightened sharply.

It hurt quite a bit.

Shen Tingyu smiled as he looked at Xu Qingran, who seemed pretty annoyed.

It's not like he didn't want to talk.

There was just too much to say.

At least not right now, otherwise, he was afraid he might pass out before he could finish explaining.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingran, who was transferring spiritual energy to Shen Tingyu, noticed something was off.

He had been transferring energy to Shen Tingyu, but when he checked again, why wasn't his spiritual pool replenished at all? In fact, the original reserve of spiritual energy was even lower than when he arrived.

Shen Tingyu took a moment to enjoy the sight of Xu Qingran worrying about him.

Just before he completely lost consciousness, he struggled to say, "It's no use, Xu Qingran."

Xu Qingran gave him a cold look.

It seemed like if he said one more unlucky word, Xu Qingran would kill him before his spiritual pool could consume itself.

Shen Tingyu smiled, "Don't worry, that's not what I meant."

"What I mean is, at your current transfer speed, you can't replenish my spiritual pool in time."

Type E always has it worse in different situations.

For example, when the spiritual pool is severely depleted, even after crossing that line, the rate of continuous consumption increases significantly, almost double the usual amount.

So, unlike regular spiritual energy users, who can fix the problem with MT supplements or Type D supplies.

For Shen Tingyu, who's critically ill, Xu Qingran's natural transfer just isn't enough. He needs more.

Xu Qingran asked him, "Then how can I give you more?"

Shen Tingyu looked calmly into his eyes and replied, "Enter into a permanent soul bond with me."

"A once-in-a-lifetime commitment."

Xu Qingran was slightly stunned.

He couldn't help but feel that this request, akin to a marriage proposal, came out of the blue.

Transitioning from a temporary to a permanent soul bond is akin to moving from dating to marriage.

For E-types, this is an even more significant decision.

Unlike D-types or regular psychics.

An E-type's spiritual soul permits them only one lifelong soulmate. Even if the relationship falls apart and the other party opts to dissolve the soul bond, their soul will remain unilaterally tethered to the other.

They can only stand by as the other moves on to a new love.

Seeing the other form new attachments, the bond persists. Even in death, the bond remains unbroken, forcing them to endure the agony of loss, living out their days in perpetual grief.

Thus, E-types must exercise utmost caution in selecting a lifelong partner.

One wrong move could spell eternal ruin.

Shen Tingyu offered a convincing rationale: "If a temporary bond doesn't enable you to supply sufficient psychic energy to offset my current depletion, then only a permanent bond will suffice."

For a brief moment.

Xu Qingran couldn't shake the suspicion that Shen Tingyu had orchestrated it all, maneuvering himself into a corner to justify this request.

—What else could he do?

Even if Shen Tingyu were truly that underhanded, Xu Qingran wouldn't stand idly by.

"Fine," Xu Qingran replied bluntly.

"How do we finalize the permanent bond?" he asked, recalling the last time they formed a temporary contract, "Do we need to have sex?"

After all, in the ABO universe, bonding often involves physical intimacy, right?

Xu Qingran was being overly blunt.

He was already in the process of removing his coat.

Shen Tingyu, torn between laughter and exasperation, managed to stop him after a brief struggle: "What are you thinking?"

"That won't be necessary."

Gently, he took the hand that had just grabbed him, his fingers brushing over the back of it in a familiar gesture before saying, "A spiritual mark will suffice."

Shen Tingyu caught the brief flicker of disappointment in Xu Qingran's eyes at his response.

He couldn't help but laugh, a gentle laugh.

Xu Qingran took off his glove and handed him his left hand with the spiritual mark: "Hurry up."

"If you die, I'll tear through the underworld to bring you back."

Shen Tingyu gave a faint smile.

The mental energy sustaining him was dwindling, and his thoughts were gradually slowing down. He was only worried that he might instinctively demand too much from the person before him.

He cautiously reached out to touch the mark.

After a few gentle strokes, he observed as Xu Qingran's initial aloofness gradually softened, with seductive red hues quickly coloring the corners of his eyes, and a mist of emotion gradually clouding his eyes.

Yet, his consciousness remained relatively clear.

Shen Tingyu heard his own calm voice inquire politely, "It might hurt a little; can you handle it?"

An invasive aura had already started to influence the spiritual mark on Xu Qingran's hand.

Xu Qingran felt a tingling sensation ripple through his scalp from Shen Tingyu's touch, and his body began to melt from the tailbone.

His voice was as cool as ever: "Enough with the nonsense; just do it."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than his hand was pulled forward.

In the next instant, the spiritual mark on his hand met the cool lips of the other.

He watched, transfixed, as Shen Tingyu kissed his spiritual mark.

In Shen Tingyu's deep blue eyes, the light faded, and reason gave way to instinct.

Xu Qingran had never imagined that a mere touch of the spiritual mark could evoke such a bizarre, head-exploding sensation.

He wondered how long it had been since Shen Tingyu had directly touched his spiritual mark in this way.

Shen Tingyu had always been the epitome of a gentleman.

Even in their most passionate embraces, he would only touch the mark through gloves. Never removing his gloves to invade further without consent.

As a transmigrator, Xu Qingran had always been somewhat oblivious to the existence of the spiritual mark.

Shen Tingyu never brought it up, and Xu Qingran rarely gave it much thought, seldom considering whether to remove his gloves. It wasn't until today, with this direct touch, that he suddenly realized the spiritual mark had grown even more sensitive to Shen Tingyu's contact.

It had reached the point where a mere kiss from him could unravel his composure.

The system quietly explained, "As affection deepens, this is the result."

"It's the same as losing control when seeing someone you like."

In his daze, a sudden pain came from the back of his hand.

Looking forward, Shen Tingyu had actually bitten through his mark while kissing and nibbling.

He watched as the man, who always adhered to propriety, rarely showed his disheveled and fierce side.

It was as if he wanted to deeply imprint his own mark on the most private part of the person he loved, marking his beloved as his exclusive partner, no longer to be coveted by others. Exchanging their blood, they established a sacred covenant, finally leaving a bright red mark on the back of his hand.

It is said that the spiritual mark that has formed a covenant with another soul will change.

The color will become deeper, and there will be a bit more red on it. So that's how it came about.

Xu Qingran thought that since the temporary covenant process was so intense before, this time he would have to endure the same 'torture' again.

But Shen Tingyu's covenant process was just that.

He did not continue to release his soul aura to seep into his body.

Nor was there any pleasurable sensation of his soul being invaded by some strange force; it was just that their previously shaky relationship had now become solid.

After the contract was perfectly sealed, Shen Tingyu instinctively began to draw the spiritual energy he desperately needed from the soul mark. The soul mark linked to his soul responded to his need, and spiritual energy poured into his body like a spring, replenishing his spiritual reservoir.

Xu Qingran sat before him, his eyes slightly reddened, watching as those beautiful blue eyes slowly regained their sparkle, filled with the faint glow of spiritual energy.

He felt a bit of relief in his heart.

Until Shen Tingyu momentarily released his hand.

Xu Qingran, seeing his gaze regain clarity and restraint, asked him, "Is this it?"

Shen Tingyu looked down at the new mark he had just made, his voice slightly hoarse, "You could say that."

If you asked whether the permanent soul contract was successfully established, the answer would be yes.

Although only Shen Tingyu had acted, his own soul mark should have also changed in the exchange of power, making them officially partners. However, according to the actual process, a certain intimate act needed to be completed to fully calm the sensitive and easily anxious Type E.

Otherwise, he would always feel very uncomfortable in his heart.

This was something Shen Tingyu had actively refused.

So he decided not to tell Xu Qingran the truth.

After all, aside from that, everything else was perfect.

Shen Tingyu held Xu Qingran's hand, carefully inspecting his soul mark a few more times.

—From that moment on, Xu Qingran was completely his.

The atmosphere was perfect.

Xu Qingran suddenly asked him, "So Shen Tingyu, did you just kiss and bite my mark?"

The room suddenly fell silent.

It was as if they had returned to that night years ago when he had used a simpler and rougher method to educate Xu Qingran about the mark.

Shen Tingyu tried to maintain his composure, "You can see it that way if you want."

The more explosive topic content was yet to come.

Xu Qingran asked him again, with an exceptionally serious look, "Then when can I bite yours?"

Shen Tingyu: "..."

He couldn't stay calm anymore.

Mainly because, regardless of whether Xu Qingran was talking about the mark or another—

Shen Tingyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Stop, he couldn't think about it anymore.

Xu Qingran had this time drained nearly half of Shen Tingyu's spiritual reservoir.

Only managing to replenish a quarter of it.

Combat use is still prohibited, but sustaining life and the normal recovery of spiritual energy are no longer issues.

This includes the healing of internal and external injuries.

Xu Qingran had brought a small medical kit, just in case.

So after replenishing Shen Tingyu's spiritual energy, he began cleaning his wounds, applying medicine, and bandaging them.

The first wound he treated was the most severe one on his abdomen.

It was several centimeters deep, likely caused by something sharp.

Shen Tingyu regained his composure and was able to chat normally.

He looked down and inquired, "Why did you come? Were you bullied at the Tower of Evil?"

Xu Qingran, without looking up, carefully applied the medicine: "What are you thinking? Do I look like someone the Tower of Evil can bully?"

Shen Tingyu chuckled, his eyes crinkling: "Hmm, definitely not."

"You're far stronger than I am."

Xu Qingran paused in his actions.

Gazing at the gruesome wounds on his body, he responded, "No."

"I can't endure pain like you can, so I went to great lengths to escape."

This was the honest truth.

Xu Qingran was actually quite afraid of pain, but due to various real-life circumstances, he had to force himself to become someone with endurance, not even crying out when wounded by knives or guns.

But if he had to endure the pain Shen Tingyu had suffered, he wasn't sure he could remain as composed as Shen Tingyu.

Moreover, for two lifetimes.

Shen Tingyu's gaze flickered slightly.

He chuckled softly, "Don't dwell on it; it's all in the past, and I've long since forgotten."

Xu Qingran, upon hearing his habitual laughter, paused and looked up.

Suddenly he asked, "Shen Tingyu, isn't it tiring to always force yourself to smile?"

The blue eyes, on the verge of laughter, suddenly stilled.

E-types are naturally emotionally reserved.

Like those seen in prisons, their most comfortable state is being cold and expressionless.

Xu Qingran said, "If you don't want to smile, then don't. It's not a crime."

He stared intently at the person before him, adding, "At least in front of me, do whatever makes you feel most comfortable."

"I hope to see a smile on your face only when you're truly happy."

Shen Tingyu remained silent.

The laughter in his eyes receded like the tide, his eyes cold, yet with an indescribable sadness.

Tired?

Exhausted.

Learning how to act like a normal person is exhausting. But everyone fears the coldness of Type E individuals, so to survive and maintain his social standing, he has to put on this exhausting act.

He asked, "Aren't you scared or repulsed?"

Xu Qingran dipped a cotton swab in the medicine and said to him, "I like your brand of coldness - the kind that'd kill without hesitation."

"You look like you could fuck me to death in bed too."

"Let's hope you don't disappoint me too much."

Shen Tingyu: "..."

He couldn't help but laugh.

It was genuine - he was genuinely amused despite his irritation.

Xu Qingran stayed with Shen Tingyu at the base for a few days while he recovered from his injuries.

He informed Shen Tingyu that the rescue team had already left and that they'd be sending him back to the empire.

Shen Tingyu: "That won't be necessary."

"Where you go, I go."

Perfect response.

Xu Qingran was pleased.

Thanks to Xu Qingran's attentive care and regular infusions of spiritual energy over the past few days, Shen Tingyu's color had returned.

His wounds were healing well enough that he could get up and move around the base with Xu Qingran.

Hmm, he's recovered enough to handle some excitement.

Xu Qingran thought.

Shen Tingyu was examining the signal transmitter he'd found in the cabinet.

Arms crossed, Xu Qingran leaned against the cabinet behind him and said abruptly, "General Shen, you're looking much better. Shall we discuss serious matters now?"

Shen Tingyu froze, the signal device still in his hands.

When Xu Qingran used formal titles like that, it usually meant trouble.

He turned, but before he could say anything, he saw Xu Qingran laugh again, slowly saying, "Ah, or should I address you as... Your Highness?"