Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Meanwhile, Shi Cangfeng, upon receiving the news, immediately rushed to the palace overnight to inform the emperor.

Abis Norman pondered for a moment. In a situation concerning the Federation's survival, he bypassed the usual political maneuvering with rivals and stated directly, "Although there is no concrete evidence yet, the matter is too grave to be easily dismissed. If even the commander of the First Military Region is suspected of colluding with Mutants, then the region itself has likely become their private reserve. Such a district can only be revitalized by shattering and rebuilding it with the most forceful measures."

Shi Cangfeng had also been contemplating whether to intervene during his journey.

"However, a rash large-scale military operation might cause unnecessary public panic. To minimize losses, it's best to first dispatch elite scout teams to assess the situation and gather more intelligence. We also need more time to plan our strategy."

Shi Cangfeng agreed: "A portion of the Ninth Military Region's forces is still stationed in the central district. We can form a special ops unit from their elite troops. If more forces are needed, students from the First Military Academy are also highly experienced and can be mobilized if necessary. Command of the unit can be entrusted to Wen Yuan; his serpent spirit's natural talent for camouflage and stealth will make the operation twice as effective."

Abis Norman nodded in approval. "General Shi truly lives up to his reputation as a hero of the Federation. If all regional commanders were as utterly dedicated to the Federation as you, Yu Wei would never have lasted this long."

Shi Cangfeng was surprised by the compliment. He was a staunch anti-royalist; if all commanders shared his stance, the emperor wouldn't be able to converse with him so calmly and directly.

What puzzled Shi Cangfeng most was the emperor’s sudden shift in attitude. In the past, his relationship with the Norman royal family, if not outright hostile, was at least politically opposed, and he rarely received a pleasant look—though he never extended one either.

Why had Abis Norman, the very emperor he intended to overthrow, made such a complete 180-degree turn?

Was it because he still had value in the fight against Mutants?

Or was this an act until the Cuckoo Project failed and Yu Wei and the First Military Region were dealt with, after which he would be discarded like a worn-out tool?

Shi Cangfeng had no answer. But in these extraordinary circumstances, no matter how perplexed, he could only ally with the emperor to eliminate Yu Wei, the most immediate threat to the Federation's security.

After further discussion, Shi Cangfeng, not wishing to linger, rose to take his leave.

However, Abis Norman suddenly mentioned Shi Jian: "Speaking of which, why haven't I seen the young master today?"

Shi Cangfeng's internal alarm bells rang loudly, his gaze on the emperor's face far more wary than before. "He's just a child; it's naturally inappropriate for him to be deeply involved in these matters. Besides, frequent visits to the palace might invite rumors, which would be unfavorable for both the royal family and the Shi family."

Shi Cangfeng's meaning was clear: he did not want other factions to use Shi Jian as leverage to accuse the Shi family of colluding with the royal family. If that happened, Shi Jian would be the first to suffer, which would be detrimental to his future growth. The Shi family had ample resources to pave his way and did not need to involve royal machinations.

Yet, to Abis Norman, the word "rumors" held a far more intimate interpretation: "Young people, when there's mutual affection and passion, how can a few rumors extinguish the flames?"

Shi Cangfeng's heart sank, his dark, piercing gaze sweeping over the emperor. "I don't understand—what 'mutual affection' are you referring to?"

Abis Norman already felt the oppressive aura radiating from the man—an S+ Alpha releasing warning signals like a territorial lion.

But as a high-ranking Alpha himself and the ruler of the entire royal family, Abis Norman was not Yu Wei, to be easily crushed by Shi Cangfeng. He smiled faintly, unfazed. "Shiyun and the young master have feelings for each other. Was General Shi unaware of this? Oh… that's not surprising. You are a busy man, and at that age, children's emotional worlds are very active. Some oversight is inevitable. Besides, they've only just confirmed their feelings—it's normal they haven't had time to tell you yet."

Haven't had time to tell him—

How long would it be before he was informed? When Shi Jian was fully marked, or even pregnant with a child?!

As Shi Jian's father, to have no knowledge of his son's romantic life and to learn of it from a political rival—Shi Cangfeng felt both immense anger and a sense of absurdity and ridicule.

How preposterous.

Suppressing the tumultuous emotions within him, Shi Cangfeng sneered, "It's far too early to speak of something so uncertain. I trust Xiao Jian won't act recklessly."

Abis Norman's smile held an odd, unsettling certainty that Shi Cangfeng found peculiar, as he adopted a strategic retreat: "I'm sure Shiyun will not only satisfy the young master but also satisfy the General. Let's wait and see what the future holds."

Shi Cangfeng scoffed. "Goodbye."

Abis Norman offered a few polite words of farewell, but it was clear the other man was thoroughly provoked. That he didn't outright explode was likely only due to the unresolved external threat forcing him to suppress his anger.

Watching Shi Cangfeng so visibly rattled, the emperor's long-standing frustration from baseless impeachments vanished. Abis Norman was in an excellent mood, his pleasure comparable to gaining a significant achievement.

"Your father is quite the thorny problem," the emperor complained with a chuckle, though his tone was more playful, intending to tease the young man.

But Shi Jian, with a serious expression, told him, "If you reveal your intentions in front of my father, he might just die of anger on the spot."

Abis Norman was tempted by the idea, but he still had some sense of propriety. Even knowing the fractured relationship between Shi Jian and his father had not yet healed, he reined himself in, not directly revealing his relationship with Shi Jian. He didn't want to accidentally infuriate his future father-in-law to death before the wedding.

—After all, any normal person would find it hard to accept their cherished child, whom they had doted on, being with an old man who was ostensibly the same age as themselves.

In comparison, simply informing the other party that his precious darling was dating his political rival's son seemed much easier to accept.

Warning the restless entity within his consciousness, Abis Norman, only when alone, finally revealed his true self, warning expressionlessly: "I won't live much longer in this body. This time belongs entirely to me and him. You had better behave; you will have plenty of time later."

For him to reawaken, Gu Shiyun needed to mature into his complete form, capable of incubating a new spiritual body for him to use. This could take anywhere from a few months to several years.

And for him to grow old enough to claim Shi Jian, the time required would need to be calculated in much longer units.

Upon hearing this, the turbulent, ocean-like waves within his consciousness finally began to calm.

Abis Norman sneered, resting a hand on the windowsill. In the distance, a sliver of light was breaking through the deep blue horizon. That serene color reminded him of Shi Jian's eyes, and his expression imperceptibly softened.

Once the Cuckoo Project was handled, he could gradually plan his 'death' and, as Gu Shiyun, openly and legitimately be with Shi Jian.

They would wake in each other's arms at countless sunrises and declare their love to the fullest at sunset.

*

The night passed.

Shi Jian was exhausted, his glands aching with an indescribable soreness. The pheromones he had used to soothe and suppress Yu Wei were nearly depleted, but at least the man had finally quieted down for now.

Yu Wei's condition was ten times more miserable than his. He lay collapsed on the cold metal floor, deathly pale as if he had died multiple times, his eyelids weakly drooping. His forehead and eyes were smeared with blood, tormented by the surging desire.

Both his hands were bitten raw, the deepest wounds exposing white bone. His knees and elbows also had large areas of friction burns.

But the most severe injury was to his glands, which had already been badly damaged by Shi Jian and Shi Cangfeng and had not yet fully recovered. Now, they were further injured, lacerated and bleeding by unsatisfied pheromones, a truly horrifying sight.

Yet, Yu Wei never once stepped outside the boundary Shi Jian had set for him. Even though instinct drove him to frantically mark the only Omega in this space, his remaining rationality kept him rooted to the spot, muttering "No" repeatedly.

Yu Wei's brain, like his glands, was scorched by the heat of his rut, leaving only primal, violent urges to mate. How desperately he wanted to satisfy his inner desires, to sow the ugly seed within the most suitable vessel. But at the peak of this intense, overwhelming urge, when he was most about to lose control, other clearer images painfully and soberly tugged at his chaotic consciousness—

He clearly saw how he had used pheromones to oppress and humiliate Shi Jian in the public bathroom;

He also heard his own unbearable insults.

One could even say he had single-handedly driven Shi Jian to the brink. If Shi Jian hadn't nearly died during a mission, making him realize that this person could truly die, he might never have awakened even to this day!

And he hadn't even had a chance to make amends. He owed Shi Jian too much; how could he continue to hurt him—

No…

No!

Yu Wei suddenly slammed his head against the wall. The intense impact almost knocked him unconscious instantly. However, the rut, accelerated by the Mutant gene, was fierce and would not easily release him.

Soon, Yu Wei woke up again, repeating the same futile action. But under the intense pain, the effect lasted for shorter and shorter periods. An A+ Alpha wouldn't kill himself this way; he would only gain meaningless suffering.

But what could he do… what on earth could he do?!

Yu Wei painfully kept hitting his head against the wall, his forehead quickly becoming bloody. The warm liquid flowed down, feeling like a few caterpillars crawling on his face, slightly itchy.

But Yu Wei could no longer perceive it as his own blood. He was completely immersed in an extreme, suppressed frenzy. Just as he thought he would die the next moment, a sweet, deep, delicate freesia scent enveloped him like perfume, gently washing over his wounded glands and guiding his unvented pain.

Yu Wei collapsed on the ground, struggling to open his eyes. Through his blurry vision, a beautiful, cold figure watched him from afar, indifferently.

Yet, that pheromone was so gentle that the moment he felt it, tears of happiness streamed down his face.