Chapter 164: Evil Spirits and Monsters

Chapter 164: Evil Spirits and Monsters

The romantic date was interrupted by Su Jiaoning, leaving Zhou Yun quite displeased and somewhat unenthusiastic on the way back.

Guan Yuanfeng was also visibly unhappy, and his demeanor became stern when he questioned Jiang Rongqian upon their return.

Jiang Rongqian cautiously explained, "A psychic squad called Shan Xiao escorted him here. They rescued him from the city of Nu Long in the north. Su Jiaoning had previously provided charity medical services, so they recognized him. He pleaded with them to escort him to Guixu, and since we had just opened a dedicated tourist air route, they brought him over."

Guan Yuanfeng asked, "Why was he held at the Nu Long base? Isn't that a private base?"

Jiang Rongqian replied, "The Psychic Research Institute had previously organized a guild of light healers, with Su Jiaoning as the president. He often traveled to various bases to provide charity medical services. When the incident with the Ye family occurred, he happened to be in the north with several members of the light healers' guild, offering charity medical services."

"The head of the Psychic Research Institute and some researchers involved in illegal research activities were arrested. They learned of this and were afraid to return, fearing they would be implicated. The Nu Long base invited them to stay, offering lucrative offers, so they decided to stay there for the time being to see how things would unfold in Zhongzhou."

Guan Yuanfeng sneered, "Had he lost his judgment? He spent years in the special forces. If he wasn't involved in illegal research, the military wouldn't unjustly accuse him. Even if there was some involvement, as long as he explained clearly, the punishment wouldn't be severe. Given his light abilities, both the military and the alliance would treat him favorably. Even if he didn't dare return to Zhongzhou, he could have stayed at an official base, at least the Zhenbei base was safe. Without the backing of the Psychic Research Institute, a light psychic with a few other light psychics out there is no different from a sitting duck."

Jiang Rongqian sighed, clearly agreeing that Su Jiaoning's decision was unwise, "Yes, he was probably used to being treated with respect wherever he went, and it went to his head. The Psychic Research Institute had been allocating resources to him, and he had just advanced to the fourth tier last month, so he felt he deserved the respect. But now is not the time... people can't be trusted too much."

Guan Yuanfeng asked, "Was it the people from the Nu Long base who did it? Did you inform General Peng at the Zhenbei base?"

Jiang Rongqian replied, "It was the base commander who did it, apparently wanting to transplant a light crystal core for his wife. But now the Nu Long base has collapsed, overwhelmed by a zombie horde. The base commander fled. We contacted the Zhenbei base, and they said they are still searching for the base commander of the Nu Long base, but his whereabouts are unknown. The Shan Xiao psychic squad was reportedly hiding from zombies at the base commander's mansion when they found several light psychics in the dungeon, recognized them from their charity medical services, and rescued them."

Guan Yuanfeng frowned, "The base commander of Nu Long stole their crystal cores but didn't kill them to silence them?" Leaving survivors was suspicious.

Dong Kexin chimed in, "He didn't fail to silence them; he had already contacted a black-market hospital to sell their organs. Organs of psychics are very valuable. Due to blizzard conditions and the city being surrounded by zombies, the buyers hadn't arrived yet."

Guan Yuanfeng: "..."

Dong Kexin added, "Xiao Su was terrified and has been crying since he saw us, saying he wanted to see you."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "I'm not a doctor; what good would seeing me do? Arrange for military doctors to treat him. If there are no issues, send him back to Zhongzhou."

Jiang Rongqian hesitated, and Dong Kexin nudged him, "The military doctors have examined him. Aside from the loss of his crystal core, there are no immediate major health issues. However, his meridians will wither, and his body will gradually weaken as it returns to a state without psychics. He will need to consume psychic food and exercise regularly to slowly recover."

Guan Yuanfeng nodded slightly and checked his watch, "Anything else?"

Jiang Rongqian said, "Governor Zhu mentioned that it might rain soon, so we need to prepare for flood prevention. He hopes the garrison can assist with flood control measures. We were planning to conduct an emergency response drill; should we have a sudden training session tonight to test our readiness?"

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "Not tonight, arrange it for tomorrow." As soon as he finished speaking, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and glanced at it. Zhou Yun had left him a message: "There's a critical patient at the hospital. I'm going there and won't be back tonight. You manage on your own; there's chicken soup in the fridge. Keep Comet at the barracks for training."

Guan Yuanfeng put his phone down expressionlessly, "Arrange the emergency response drill for tonight. Let's see how their usual training holds up."

Jiang Rongqian acknowledged and left with Dong Kexin, murmuring, "I think Xiao Su doesn't want to return to Zhongzhou. He has no relatives or friends there, and with the Psychic Research Institute being discredited, and him having lost his psychics, it seems he wants to stay in Guixu."

Dong Kexin said, "Whether he stays or not is his own business. He's an adult; we can't control where he goes. The captain isn't his mother."

Jiang Rongqian hesitated, "The main issue is that he's had his crystal core removed and needs to recover. It's going to be tough for him."

Dong Kexin sneered, "We've been ordinary people for so many years, and we've managed just fine. If he wants to return, let him. If not, follow the existing management system for residents seeking refuge in Guixu. Provide him with housing and recommend a job."

"With his current health state, he certainly can't handle rigorous training, so we won't keep him in the army. He also has a history with the Psychic Research Institute; who knows what his background is or if there are ulterior motives behind him. We can't place him in key positions in the city hall. So, he'll have to take up whatever job an ordinary person can do. At least he's a qualified medical graduate; it shouldn't be hard for him to survive in Guixu. If you sympathize with him, you can personally support him with some crystal cores, as long as your wife doesn't object."

She teased Jiang Rongqian, "Your monthly salary is in your wife's hands, right? You've just had a crystal core transplant, and your need for crystal cores is significant. Each one used is one less, and the family burden is heavy. Although we have the captain and the city lord looking after us, ensuring we have food and clothing, we train every day. We don't have the time to go out on missions and hunt beasts for a steady supply of crystal cores like Shen Lan and the others."

She continued enviously, "Even the Taoist priest and the monk have their temples and monasteries, earning a substantial income daily. We're really poor; who would have thought the demand for psychic crystal cores would be so high..."

Jiang Rongqian, distracted by Dong Kexin, forgot what he was going to say, "Yes, have you made any progress in your psychic training? Team Guan said not to rely too much on crystal cores and to use our psychics more. But I feel really hungry; without crystal cores, eating doesn't make me feel full."

Dong Kexin said, "I asked Dr. Zhou about it. He said it's normal for our appetite to increase, and only eating food specifically for psychics will help. You know, when the captain was physically disabled, Dr. Zhou took care of him alone during the apocalypse, along with Comet, who has a huge appetite. It must have been really tough."

Jiang Rongqian sighed, "Yes, seeing Xiao Su reminds me of the time when we came to pick up the captain. The captain was living a comfortable life. But in the end, the captain still left Dr. Zhou and us and went to Zhongzhou. Thinking about it now, I feel really bad for Dr. Zhou. At that time, we really couldn’t tell that Team Guan and Dr. Zhou were a couple. When Team Guan left, who knows how heartbroken Dr. Zhou must have been."

Dong Kexin suddenly laughed, and Jiang Rongqian looked at her puzzled, "What’s wrong?"

"Dr. Zhou might not have been the one who was heartbroken," Dong Kexin shook her head with a smile, "I’m laughing at you, the overly kind person. I’ll go talk to Xiao Su. I’ll have Zhu Zhuan arrange a residential unit for him, equipped with some living furniture and supplies. I’ll also mention it to the special forces team, and whoever is willing can offer some support. Personally, I’ll give him five crystal cores, to honor our past comradeship."

Zhou Yun arrived at the emergency room of Guixu Medical Emergency Center. The patients were a group of farm workers who, disliking the heat and inconvenience, had not worn protective gear and were accidentally attacked by a swarm of mutated fire ants. Their bodies were swollen, and ordinary wood psychic ability users had been called in to detoxify them, but to no avail. They had tried every possible method. Seeing the patients in critical condition and on the verge of death, Qi Shuhong called Zhou Yun for help.

Zhou Yun came to urgently detoxify and treat these patients. By the time he finished, it was already late at night, so he sorted through some data at the hospital and slept in the hospital’s office suite.

The next day, he got up and checked on the patients’ conditions. Seeing that they were mostly out of danger, he arranged some other tasks and then returned to Yunding Mountain Villa.

The weather was nice, so he rode his bicycle out, planning to visit the market to see what fresh ingredients were available.

Guixu City was bustling with tourists everywhere. Near the market, adjacent to the tourist attraction Lotus Mountain, the streets were crowded with pedestrians, making it the liveliest time.

Fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and seafood were displayed, and the air was filled with the mixed aromas of various foods. The scents of breakfast porridge shops, noodle shops, baked bread, and steamed buns intertwined. Many stalls also hung signs advertising "Mutated Vegetables" and "Mutated Fruits" to attract customers.

Most of the pedestrians were older folk pulling shopping carts, and the sounds of bargaining were everywhere, filling the air with the essence of life.

Zhou Yun loved this atmosphere and felt right at home. He picked out fresh pig brains, pig livers, and oxtails that could only be bought at the morning market, and also selected fresh reservoir fish. He put them in his bike basket and took a shortcut through a narrow alley. The walls on both sides were covered with hanging jasmine, blooming profusely with white flowers hanging down, creating a beautiful scene. He especially liked taking this route.

As his bicycle wobbled through the flower-filled alley, he caught the fresh scent of the flowers and was in a cheerful mood. However, at the alley’s entrance, a group of people suddenly turned in from the adjacent street. Judging by their accents, they were northern tourists. One of the men suddenly collapsed, howling in pain, and his companions anxiously gathered around him.

One of the women extended her hand and summoned several vines to restrain the man, preventing him from struggling further.

Zhou Yun rode his bicycle past and, curious, stopped with one foot down, watching the man on the ground. The man was tall, his face twisted in agony, veins bulging at his temples. His entire face and body alternated between turning metallic and returning to normal, as he howled in pain.

One of the group, a young man, looked up coldly at Zhou Yun and snapped, "What are you staring at? Scram!"

The woman pushed him, "Don’t cause trouble." She then turned and smiled at Zhou Yun, "Sorry, the child is impolite. Our companion is having an episode, we’ll handle it ourselves."

Zhou Yun looked at the writhing, howling man and said, "He’s having a psychic overload. That metal manipulator crystal core, it’s not his, right?"

The whole group of psychics turned to look at him, their expressions shifting, their eyes turning cold and menacing. The young man from earlier placed his hand on the long knife at his waist, "I suggest you stay out of this!"

The man on the ground struggled to sit up, "It’s my crystal core! It’s my own crystal core!" He shouted hysterically at Zhou Yun, "It’s mine!"

Zhou Yun smiled slightly, "You can’t handle this crystal core now. If you continue to overload, you’ll self-destruct."