Chapter 209: Illness
To be honest, Nan Yu noticed that item at first glance. He hadn't expected it to be so easy to obtain?
Though it wasn't really that simple.
After all, he still had to examine the old man's grandson. It would be great if he succeeded, but if he failed, he could probably obtain the items listed above, while the final item would be out of the question.
Nan Yu pointed at the items. "The ones above are one thing, but this spatial device at the very bottom is supposed to be auctioned later, right? Can you really guarantee that you'll be able to win the bid?"
The old man nodded confidently. "Of course. I can guarantee it one hundred percent."
Nan Yu looked at the old man with some confusion. He really did seem completely confident that he could produce it.
Since that was the case, Nan Yu had nothing else to ask.
Their entire purpose in coming here was to obtain this spatial device. If they could get their hands on it, that would naturally be ideal.
"What if I go examine him and find that there's nothing I can do? Would this trip have been for nothing?"
The old man said, "If there's nothing you can do, then naturally I can't give you this item. But you can choose half of the other items and take them with you. Consider it my apology to the two of you."
Nan Yu nodded. "You certainly know how things work. In that case, I'll go take a look. But I'll say it again—I can't guarantee that I'll be able to cure [N O V E L I G H T] him."
The old man visibly grew excited. "Of course, of course! Since neither of you is interested in the items currently being auctioned, please come with me. My grandson is upstairs..."
Good.
He had already brought the patient here.
It seemed he'd planned everything in advance and had simply been waiting for them.
Nan Yu didn't think too much about it. Yu Lanfeng was right beside him, so there was no way anyone could hurt him.
They followed the old man forward. When they reached the end of the corridor, Nan Yu discovered that the wall there could actually open.
Once it opened, they continued forward, and the wall behind them quickly closed again.
Even if someone examined it carefully, they probably wouldn't be able to tell that the wall could move.
Nan Yu discreetly observed their surroundings and discovered that the layout and decor here were very different from those of the auction venue next door.
It didn't matter, though.
He could still remember the route.
They continued forward until they entered an elevator, only for the elevator to unexpectedly start descending.
The old man had just said his grandson was upstairs, yet now they were going underground.
They descended to approximately the tenth underground level before the elevator finally stopped.
When the doors opened, Nan Yu looked outside.
The place resembled an ordinary hospital, except the security here was extremely tight.
The old man said, "Please follow me. My grandson is in the innermost ward ahead. He's been kept here all this time, but we still haven't found any way to help him."
Nan Yu asked, "Is it because all kinds of people gather here, so you thought there might be more and better options?"
The old man's eyes dimmed somewhat.
"Yes. Over the years, I've tried countless methods and sought out countless people. From the Empire's finest hospitals to doctors of the lowest status on this planet. Of course, I only invited the latter if they possessed some unusual skill or special method.
"But... all these years, not a single person has been able to cure whatever is wrong with my grandson's Mental Power. That's why it's dragged on until now. Even now, I don't know whether allowing all those people to try their treatments on him actually helped him or only made his condition worse..."
Nan Yu said, "I'll know once I examine him."
"Yes, we'll know once you examine him. I'll have to rely on you, Mr. Nan."
"Don't get your hopes too high. I need to examine him first."
The old man actually thought more highly of Nan Yu because of this attitude.
He seemed much more reliable than certain people the old man had encountered before, who immediately declared that there would definitely be no problem and that they could absolutely cure his grandson the moment they heard what the reward was.
They reached the door of the innermost ward.
The old man opened it, and Nan Yu discovered that the room was actually the same size as all the other wards.
Although the medical equipment inside was the most advanced available, the equipment in the other wards was equally advanced.
In other words, anyone who was sent here for treatment received the best possible care.
Nan Yu slowly walked inside and looked at the unconscious man lying on the bed.
He appeared to be somewhere between his late teens and early twenties.
He was frighteningly thin, practically nothing but skin and bones. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, Nan Yu might have mistaken him for a skeleton wrapped in human skin.
Nan Yu slowly approached him.
"Let me examine him first. All of you should leave."
Yu Lanfeng watched the others walk outside, then remained at the doorway, keeping an eye on them.
The door was closed, leaving Nan Yu alone inside.
Of course, before Yu Lanfeng left, Nan Yu had deliberately checked the entire ward. Only after confirming there was no one else inside did he feel comfortable letting him leave.
Nan Yu placed both hands on either side of the man's head before sending his Mental Power inside.
He wanted to see exactly what kind of condition this was if it wasn't Mental Contamination.
The moment his Mental Power came into contact with the man's Mental Sea, Nan Yu finally understood what was happening.
This person's Mental Sea was rather strange.
Its condition was extremely peculiar.
The Mental Power inside was relatively calm and gentle, soft and completely devoid of aggression.
The exterior—the Mental Sea barrier—was equally soft and possessed absolutely no defensive ability.
In other words, if just any Mental Power User came along, even someone who hadn't yet reached the threshold of Low-Tier, they could use their Mental Power to pierce straight through this person's Mental Sea barrier in a single strike.
That alone demonstrated just how fragile this person's Mental Sea had become.
Not only was his Mental Sea soft and completely defenseless, but it would continue growing weaker and thinner as time passed.
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
This was the first time he'd encountered such a condition in this life.
But he had encountered it in his previous life.
This condition was classified as a Mental Power illness known as Mental Sea Degeneration Syndrome.
As the name suggested, the Mental Sea of someone suffering from this disease would gradually weaken over time until it eventually disappeared altogether.
The moment the Mental Sea completely vanished would also be the moment the patient lost all thought and consciousness—their very soul.
Of course, the body could still remain alive.
It was somewhat similar to brain death. The body might eventually die, or the patient might become a complete vegetable.
Until the day Nan Yu died in his previous life, no one had ever discovered a way to cure this disease.
Nan Yu had actually found that rather strange.
Such a difficult and unusual disease would have been perfect for him to research as a way to pass the time.
Unfortunately, in his previous life, he'd never truly devoted himself to it. As a result, his research hadn't progressed very smoothly.
He'd spent too little time on it and never studied it thoroughly enough.
Even by the time he died, he'd only completed less than half of his research.
What he hadn't expected was that an illness he wasn't supposed to encounter until several years later would appear before him so many years earlier after his rebirth.
Was this deliberately creating trouble for him?
Nan Yu examined everything several times from the inside out.
He could think of a way to restore the patient somewhat, but that method would only treat the symptoms rather than the root cause.
If he wanted to cure the disease completely, he would still need to properly research a method capable of eradicating it.
Nan Yu remained inside the ward for an hour before opening the door and walking out.
Yu Lanfeng immediately stepped in front of Nan Yu, blocking him from everyone else's view.
Everyone knew that once a Mental Power User truly began treatment, it usually lasted five, six, seven, or even eight hours.
Nan Yu had come out after only one hour.
Obviously, it looked as though there was nothing he could do.
The old man's previously straight posture seemed to slump considerably.
Nan Yu watched him with interest for a moment before saying, "I examined his condition just now. It should be a disease affecting the Mental Sea caused by a genetic mutation."
"It has nothing to do with Mental Contamination, nor does it have anything to do with any other random causes. I do have a method that can help him recover somewhat, but..."
The old man hurriedly raised his head and stared at Nan Yu.
"You... You really... You really have a way?!"
Nan Yu's expression didn't change.
"Let me finish. I only said that I have a way to delay the progression of the disease and perhaps even wake him up. But... that doesn't mean his illness will be cured."
The old man understood.
But he didn't care at all.
Right now, all he wanted was for his grandson to wake up.
As for the fact that he wouldn't be completely cured?
As long as they could delay the disease, they could wait until someone developed a cure!
There would be no problem at all!
"Mr. Nan, how long can a single treatment maintain his condition?"
Nan Yu lowered his head and thought for a moment.
In truth, how much time a single treatment could buy the patient was entirely up to Nan Yu.
But he didn't want to waste too much Mental Power here.
"I'll have to try it first before I can make that judgment, so..."
The old man instantly understood what he meant.
He beckoned to someone behind him, and that person quickly brought over a spatial button and offered it to Nan Yu.
Nan Yu didn't take it.
Instead, Yu Lanfeng accepted it and examined the contents.
"They're exactly the items they promised earlier. Not a single thing is missing."
Nan Yu asked, "The spatial device is in there too? You actually brought it over in advance? But the auction... Wait. Don't tell me there are two?"
The old man nodded.
"That's right. There are two. I purchased one myself, while the other was put up for auction. So I can absolutely provide this item. Please rest assured."
Nan Yu said, "Since that's the case, I'll start preparing. None of you are allowed to come inside and disturb me midway through the treatment. If I'm interrupted and make a mistake that results in some unfortunate consequence, don't blame me. Blame yourselves for failing to protect the treatment area."
The old man said, "Don't worry. There absolutely won't be any problems."
"Good. Brother, help keep watch outside the door too."
Yu Lanfeng nodded. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"
Nan Yu blinked at him casually.
"No problem!"
The tacit understanding Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng had developed told Yu Lanfeng that this treatment was actually child's play for Nan Yu.
But that blink just now seemed to mean something else.
So once Nan Yu finished the treatment and came back out, it would be time for Yu Lanfeng to play his part.
Nan Yu closed the door and returned to the bedside.
He had never seen this person before, nor had he ever heard of him.
In fact, he didn't even know who had organized this auction, much less what faction stood behind it.
In his previous life, he hadn't even known that this planet existed within the Empire.
Naturally, he knew even less about everything else here.
But as for how much time he should buy this person with this treatment...
After thinking it over, Nan Yu decided that approximately ten years should be enough.
Ten years from now, he should surely have figured out how to cure this disease, right?
Even if he hadn't, it didn't matter.
In a place like this, with this man's identity, whether he could even survive another ten years was a serious question.
Once he'd made his decision, Nan Yu began the treatment.
The principle behind the treatment was actually extremely simple.
He would use his own pure Mental Power to cover and repair the patient's Mental Sea barrier, then integrate it into the patient's own Mental Sea.
For ordinary people and Ability Users, as long as the barrier surrounding the Mental Sea still existed, it didn't matter even if it was badly damaged.
As long as it remained intact to some degree, it could still hold.
But this person's Mental Sea barrier was gradually weakening over time, and the process was uniform.
That meant every part of his Mental Sea barrier was equally fragile.
In other words, if a hole or rupture appeared anywhere, it would mean the entire Mental Sea barrier would shatter at the same time.
If that happened, there really would be no way to save him.
What Nan Yu needed to do now was use his own Mental Power to add another layer to the patient's Mental Sea barrier, thickening it.
Afterward, he would completely sever his connection with that Mental Power, turning it into ownerless Mental Power.
This would allow that Mental Power to gradually merge and assimilate with the patient's Mental Sea until it became entirely his own.
Earlier, Nan Yu had carefully observed the rate and degree at which the man's Mental Sea was weakening.
Using that information, he could determine approximately how thick the additional Mental Power barrier needed to be in order to last ten years.
Once that was done, his treatment would be finished.
The procedure was simply too easy.
Nan Yu completed the treatment in less than two hours.
Although the person lying on the bed still hadn't awakened, the vital signs displayed on the medical equipment beside him had improved considerably.
Nan Yu thought it over and decided that leaving now would make the treatment seem far too quick.
So he decided it would be best to wait another two hours before going outside.
He simply sat in a chair for two hours.
Once enough time had passed, he slowly stood up and went to open the door.
The instant the door opened, Yu Lanfeng stepped in front of him.
"Are you all right?"
Nan Yu shook his head.
"Of course I'm fine. I just used a little too much Mental Power. I'm really sleepy now."
Yu Lanfeng said, "Wait a little longer. I'll take you back to sleep."
Nan Yu nodded before looking at the old man.
"You can go inside and check on him. He should be fine now. If nothing unexpected happens, he should wake up after a while."
The old man was extremely excited.
He led the team of doctors who had been waiting outside into the ward.
After approximately ten minutes of examinations, one of the doctors said with complete certainty, "The young master's condition is now almost the same as an ordinary person's. His body is still somewhat weak, but as long as he recuperates properly, there shouldn't be any major problems."
"Of course, until he's completely cured, there are still certain things that require attention. For example, there are restrictions regarding what he can eat and drink, and certain types of seafood and meat must be avoided. Most importantly, he must keep his emotions under control. After all, we don't know exactly how difficult this repair process was..."
The old man nodded and gradually calmed himself down.
He was already old and couldn't afford to become overly emotional.
Otherwise, what would happen to his grandson?
Nan Yu took a deep breath and leaned against Yu Lanfeng.
"We've already gotten everything. Can we just leave now?"
After all, there were still infiltrators at several military bases waiting for Nan Yu and the military to deal with them.
Especially Border Region Thirty-Two.
Right.
Speaking of that, they still hadn't seen Zhang An.
He wondered when these people intended to return him.
If possible, they might as well take Zhang An back with them and save themselves the trouble.
Zhang An's identity had already been exposed anyway. There was no point in keeping him here, and he wouldn't be able to return here in the future.
Even if the legion needed to send someone here again, they would definitely send someone else.
When the old man finally came out of the ward, Nan Yu brought up Zhang An.
But the old man looked somewhat hesitant.
It almost seemed as though he didn't want to hand Zhang An over.
What was going on?
Was he planning to turn against them now that the treatment was finished?
Seeing the unfriendly looks on their faces, the old man hurriedly explained.
"Of course there's no problem with you taking him away. The problem isn't on our side. It's Zhang An himself. He's currently seriously injured. The incident where he killed that person wasn't fabricated. When I found him, he was already in that condition. Of course, you can take him away if you want. The legion's medical facilities are certainly better than ours."
Nan Yu asked, "Is he in one of the wards on this floor? Take us to see him."
The old man didn't refuse.
He led them in that direction.
After walking for approximately two minutes, they reached the area near the entrance they'd used earlier.
It seemed Zhang An's ward was located close to the entrance.
When they'd first arrived, they'd actually passed right by him without realizing it.
The old man opened the outermost door to one of the wards.
"He's inside. Don't worry, he's fine. He's only sleeping right now. But perhaps because his injuries are rather severe, once he falls asleep, no one can wake him unless he wakes up on his own. Even if you manage to rouse him, he'll only respond vaguely once or twice."
Nan Yu found this a little strange.
"People sent here by the legion or the Empire should be your enemies, shouldn't they? Why did you save him, treat his injuries, and keep him alive until we arrived?"
"Oh, right. I remember now. You already explained the reason earlier. It was because of me, wasn't it? You wanted to use him to attract the legion's attention. Once their attention was focused here, you intended to ask for a meeting with Marshal Yu to discuss this matter, right?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I was planning. I simply didn't expect to encounter the two of you here personally. I suppose that means my luck really is exceptionally good."
Yu Lanfeng soon took Nan Yu inside to examine Zhang An's condition.
His injuries were indeed serious, but most of them had already stabilized.
Moving him now wouldn't be a problem.
Nan Yu said, "In that case, move him to our aircraft. Once we reach the spaceport, we'll board the starship and leave. That should let us get away smoothly."
They immediately put the plan into action.
Their purpose in coming here had been to obtain the spatial device.
Now, not only had they obtained it, but they'd also acquired many other things.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, they needed to leave immediately.
As for everything else happening here, they couldn't care less.
With the old man's assistance, they quickly found an ordinary-looking aircraft for transporting Zhang An.
It made a detour around the outskirts of the city before finally leaving.
Nan Yu watched the city recede into the distance.
"I'll definitely come back here someday."
Yu Lanfeng said, "We'll come together."
Once they reached the spaceport, other people helped transfer Zhang An onto their own starship.
After their starship departed the spaceport, Yu Lanfeng flew at maximum speed toward the jump point.
Only after entering the jump and transitioning into jump travel did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Yu Lanfeng then began thoroughly inspecting every corner of the starship.
Only after confirming there was nothing unusual inside did he relax.
As for the outside of the starship?
What a joke.
The starship had a streamlined hull. It was impossible to attach something to its exterior without leaving traces.
Even if someone somehow managed to place a surveillance device outside, the extreme speed during the jump would ensure that anything unnecessary attached to the exterior—anything other than the starship's hull made from special materials—would be reduced to ash under those extreme conditions and disappear completely.
Nan Yu took a deep breath and glanced at Zhang An, who was lying on the sofa behind them.
"Why hasn't Zhang An woken up yet? I checked him earlier. There's nothing seriously wrong with him aside from his injuries and the fact that his head suffered a fairly heavy impact. But that shouldn't be enough to keep him unconscious."
Yu Lanfeng said, "You can examine his Mental Sea now. There probably won't be any major problems."
Nan Yu said, "I know. I'll take a look now. That old man also mentioned Mental Contamination."
Nan Yu was now a High-Tier Mental Power User, and the amount of Mental Power he could release externally was far greater than before.
He could sit in a chair some distance away and perform a completely contactless examination.
After examining Zhang An, Nan Yu blinked.
"It really is somewhat serious, but it's not a major problem. His Mental Contamination has exceeded the threshold of S-rank, but it's still not difficult for me to handle."
Yu Lanfeng suddenly said, "Wait. How exactly did you treat that person earlier? You consumed some of your own Mental Power? You severed your connection with it and sacrificed it permanently?"
Nan Yu said, "That's right. But I'm already a High-Tier Mental Power User now. Such a small amount of Mental Power is completely insignificant to me. Brother, don't overthink it. Before treating him, I definitely considered everything carefully. I wouldn't do something that would disappoint you or anything like that..."
Yu Lanfeng said, "Since you're fine, I'll let it go. But if something like this happens again, I'll have to supervise you every moment."
Nan Yu nodded aggrievedly.
Then, dutifully, he helped Zhang An completely purify all of his Mental Contamination.
Very soon, Zhang An fell into a genuine sleep.
Although he'd previously appeared to be sleeping as well, the Mental Contamination had prevented him from truly falling asleep and getting complete rest.
So after Nan Yu finished purifying his Mental Contamination, Zhang An's first reaction wasn't to wake up.
Instead, exhaustion immediately overwhelmed him and he fell deeply asleep.
It seemed the Mental Contamination had truly tormented him badly during this period.
But when Yu Lanfeng saw this, he was dissatisfied.
"He's really grown lax. At a time like this, shouldn't his first reaction be to force himself awake and check his surroundings?"
Nan Yu thought Yu Lanfeng had a point, but...
"Brother, we're heading to Border Region Thirty-Two Military Base now, right? The military base where Zhang An is stationed?"
Yu Lanfeng said, "That's right. First, we need to find out exactly what delayed Liu Hanjiang so long that he couldn't respond to my message. That's very important."
Nan Yu blinked.
He had never experienced anything like this himself, so he wasn't entirely sure.
But judging from Yu Lanfeng's expression, it seemed to be quite serious.