Chapter 26: Middle 2, Can I Eat You

Chapter 26 Part 2: Can I Eat You?

3:17 AM, Supernatural Company Medical Room.

Ling's wounds had just been bandaged, blood still seeping through the bandages. The door to the medical room clicked shut softly, and Alice's footsteps faded away. He opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the nightstand—the Tianxiao Stone lay there quietly, the bloodstains on its surface already wiped clean, but the cracks remained clear.

He reached out and grasped the stone, the icy sensation piercing his palm.

Xiaoyao couldn't be dead.

This thought carved into his mind like a blade, more painful than any wound.

Ling swung out of bed, yanked the IV needle from his arm, and pulled spare equipment from the bottom of the storage locker—light armor, a Tactical Dagger, three flashbangs, and the pack of instant coffee Xiaoyao had shoved into his hands last time.

He stared at the coffee for two seconds, then tucked it into his chest pocket.

On his room's table was a note with sharp script:

"Back in 24 hours"

---

The abandoned factory lay in the moonlight like a crouching beast. Ling didn't drive; he trekked across the wilderness on foot, avoiding all surveillance routes.

The signs of Pseudohuman activity were more abundant than during the day. Mucus residue stained the ground, claw marks covered the walls, and the air was thick with the stench of decay. Ling kept to the shadows, the dagger flipping between his fingers, each breath suppressed to the faintest whisper.

"Xiaoyao..." he called softly, his voice almost swallowed by the wind.

No response.

Only the rustling of Pseudohumans crawling, surrounding him from all directions.

Ling's "Celestial Breath" activated silently, a faint golden glow enveloping his body. He moved like a shadow, darting between abandoned pipes and workshops, each swing of the dagger sending up black blood.

He's alive.

He has to be alive.

This thought carried him forward, until—

---

Third underground level, drainage system hub.

Ling's stamina was nearly at its limit. His armor was damaged, and a bone-deep gash had been torn into his right leg by a Pseudohuman's claw, blood dripping down his pant leg. His vision blurred, and his breathing was as heavy as lead.

Just search for ten more minutes.

Just ten—

Suddenly, a faint scent of coffee drifted to his nose.

Ling froze.

This smell... it was the Black Coffee he often drank, mixed with a hint of Xiaoyao's usual citrus shampoo.

He followed the scent around the corner, and at the end of the drainage pipe, he saw a curled-up figure.

The person was facing away from him, the tips of his messy hair stained with blood and mucus, tactical suit torn to shreds, but on the collar—

It was the coffee Ling had handed to Xiaoyao when they arrived—he remembered its color.

Ling's throat tightened, his dagger trembling slightly: "...Xiaoyao?"

The figure slowly turned.

Moonlight slipped in through the cracks, illuminating that familiar face. Xiaoyao's pupils had dilated into an abnormal black, but the corners of his mouth curled into a familiar arc:

"Senior... it's me, Xiaoyao~"

---

Ling didn't lower his dagger.

"Prove it." His voice was cold as ice, but the hand gripping the dagger was white-knuckled.

Xiaoyao tilted his head, then suddenly smiled:

"Last month in Scotland, you kissed me in my sleep."

"..."

"The coffee stain on my collar, it splattered when we came here."

"..."

"The Tianxiao Stone you gave me—I found it while we were watching the stars..." His voice suddenly caught, his pupils contracting violently, black mucus seeping from the corners of his mouth, "...I found it..."

Ling's heart sank.

He knew.

Only the real Xiaoyao would know these things.

But the next second, Xiaoyao's expression twisted, an inhuman gurgling sound coming from his throat: "Senior... you smell so good..."

His fingers reached convulsively for Ling's neck: "Can I… eat… you…?"

Ling's pupils contracted.

No hesitation, no delay—

He stepped forward, his chop landing heavily on Xiaoyao's nape.

Xiaoyao's body went limp. Ling caught him in one motion and hoisted him onto his back. The Tianxiao Stone slipped out of Ling's collar, glinting with a faint blue light in the moonlight.

Ling glanced down, tucked the stone back inside his collar, and said in a voice barely audible:

"Go home."