Chapter 67: Meeting
Qiao Yu stood with his head lowered in front of the hospital director, silently listening to his lecture. It wasn't simply a matter of losing face. He knew that his mistake this time could very well leave the soldier inside unable to wake up for the rest of his life.
Still, it was undeniable that things had truly been overwhelming recently. That was why he had simplified both the inspection procedures and their frequency. He just hadn't expected something to actually go wrong.
The director sighed. "No matter what, this was indeed your responsibility. So have you figured out how you're going to deal with it?"
Qiao Yu shook his head.
"Director, I don't know what to do. A small portion of the Mental Contamination inside his Mental Sea has already begun to fuse with it. His entire Mental Sea is abnormally calm..."
The director let out a long sigh before shifting his gaze to Nan Yu, who had been standing quietly in the back.
"Nan Yu, you've already examined him, haven't you? He's a soldier everyone trusts deeply. If things continue like this..."
Nan Yu nodded.
"I've already examined him. Strictly speaking, the fusion has only just begun. I thought about it for a while just now, and I think I might be able to try something. Of course, I can't guarantee success since I've never attempted this before."
"And even if my attempt fails, it won't harm him. His Mental Sea is extremely stable right now, so removing a portion of the Mental Contamination won't cause significant fluctuations."
"I think that if we proceed slowly, it may work. As for the final result, we'll have to wait and see."
The director stared at him in shock.
"Nan Yu... you really have a way?"
Even Qiao Yu looked at him in disbelief.
"Really?"
Nan Yu looked at Qiao Yu, whose eyes were glistening with tears. He had probably realized by now just how serious the consequences of his negligence had been. Although the director had scolded him thoroughly, he hadn't offered a single excuse despite feeling wronged.
Nan Yu could clearly see the regret in his eyes.
"I only have an idea. It's worth trying. His Mental Sea is extremely calm right now. Even if my method fails, it won't damage him."
It was calm now.
But once the Mental Contamination completely fused with his Mental Sea, everything would erupt.
When that happened, his Mental Sea would explode into complete chaos, and the changes reflected in his body would turn him into a beast ruled solely by instinct.
At that point...
He would truly be beyond saving.
Nan Yu looked at the director.
"Director, are you willing to let me try?"
The director had already personally examined the patient earlier and knew Nan Yu wasn't exaggerating. Even if the attempt failed, it wouldn't cause any substantial harm.
"...Then I'll leave him in your hands."
Nan Yu nodded without another word. He turned toward the ward.
Just as he turned around, someone suddenly spoke.
"Wait!"
Everyone looked toward the speaker.
Most merely watched in silence.
Qiao Yu, however, gritted his teeth so hard he looked ready to punch the man twice. So they knew each other?
Nan Yu looked at him.
"Do you have a problem?"
"Of course I do. This isn't a trivial matter. I'm only thinking of the worst-case scenario."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Qiao Yu, though he continued addressing Nan Yu.
"Of course, I'm not questioning your ability. We've already heard plenty about you, Nan Yu, so I trust you."
"And since even the director has approved it, naturally I won't object."
"I only want to ask one thing."
"When you say there won't be any problems... are you one hundred percent certain? What if something goes wrong?"
"To be blunt, if we leave him alone now, he might still be able to hold on for a while. But what if your treatment actually makes things worse? Who's going to take responsibility then?"
Nan Yu, who actually was one hundred percent confident he could remove the Mental Contamination from the soldier, found the question rather speechless.
"You're being rather aggressive."
"It almost sounds like you're trying to pressure me into not treating him at all."
"Oh, right."
"Who are you, anyway? You haven't even introduced yourself. I don't know you."
The man had just opened his mouth to refute Nan Yu when he heard that question. His expression stiffened.
"You're asking me?"
"I'm Wu Qin, a Mid-Tier Mental Power User who works at this hospital, just like Qiao Yu."
"Please take care of me."
Nan Yu nodded.
"Likewise."
"Then let me ask you something."
"If you think my approach is inappropriate, what exactly is your solution?"
"Are you suggesting that we simply stand by and ignore his suffering because of the risks involved? That we should leave him here without doing anything?"
That had been exactly what Wu Qin wanted to suggest.
He immediately choked on his own words.
If he had said it himself, he could have framed it as exercising caution.
But after Nan Yu put it that way...
If he still insisted on doing nothing, wouldn't he become someone who stood by and watched a man die without lifting a finger?
"That's not what I meant."
"I'm just worried."
"If you're confident, Nan Yu, then go ahead and try."
"I support you as well."
Anyone with eyes could see what he was trying to accomplish.
The conflict between Wu Qin and Qiao Yu had existed for a long time.
Normally neither could find any leverage against the other, so they maintained a fragile peace.
But now...
Wu Qin had finally caught Qiao Yu making a mistake.
His plan had been to persuade Nan Yu to abandon the treatment.
If that happened, Qiao Yu's negligence would become an undeniable fact.
Unfortunately for him, his scheme failed before it had even begun.
Worse still...
He had noticed the director giving him a meaningful look from the side.
Only then did he realize that this time he had probably been too clever for his own good.
Still, since he had already come, he could only stay and wait for the outcome.
Even the director remained here.
How could they possibly leave?
Not long afterward, however, the director prioritized the bigger picture and instructed everyone with important duties to return to work.
Things were somewhat less hectic than before, but there was still plenty to do.
The director himself stayed behind.
Qiao Yu happened to be responsible for this section of the hospital, so while waiting he could continue checking on the patients under his care nearby.
Wu Qin, however, worked in an entirely different building.
The director looked at him several times, making him increasingly uneasy.
Finally he spoke.
"Wu Qin, if I remember correctly, you have quite a lot of work to do. Is it really alright for you to stay here?"
Wu Qin immediately stood up.
He had been waiting for those words.
"Yes, Director. I still have a lot to do, so I'll head back first."
"I'm truly sorry."
"I also wanted to know the results as soon as possible."
"I hope everything succeeds."
"After all, they're soldiers who have made tremendous contributions to the Empire."
The director nodded.
"You're right."
"If even the civilians protected by our Empire's soldiers begin harboring hostility toward them or using them to satisfy their own selfish ambitions..."
"...then that would truly be pitiful."
Wu Qin's face instantly turned red.
"Director... um..."
"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."
Wu Qin wasn't an irredeemably evil person.
After realizing what he had actually been trying to do, he genuinely felt ashamed.
Soldiers occupied an extremely respected position throughout the Empire.
Not only did they defend against foreign enemies, they also fought endless waves of Ability Beasts approaching from the border regions every single day.
Without them...
How could the Empire possibly enjoy such a peaceful life?
Because of that, Wu Qin did feel some regret over what he had done.
After returning to his office, he muttered quietly to himself,
"...At worst, I'll just stop saying those things in the future..."
Watching Wu Qin leave, the director sighed inwardly before nodding.
Fortunately, Wu Qin wasn't malicious by nature.
This time, it had probably just been his competitive spirit getting the better of him.
After entering the room, Nan Yu closed every possible means of observing what happened inside.
No matter what, being cautious was never a mistake.
In truth, he had already finished preparing.
Now was the perfect time to begin.
He had only been thinking earlier about hiding his true strength.
Yet this was only his first visit to the hospital, and he already couldn't hold himself back.
Perhaps it was simply because he was a Mental Power User.
The responsibility entrusted to every Mental Power User by the Empire—and indeed by every nation—was to help Ability Users dispel Mental Contamination.
Besides...
Nan Yu was fundamentally a kind-hearted person.
Seeing these people who had devoted their lives to serving the Empire...
People who had worked diligently their entire lives...
Only to spend the rest of their lives lying helplessly in bed, ruled entirely by violent instinct...
It was simply too pitiful.
Nan Yu placed both hands beside the man's head and slowly guided his own mental power into the patient's Mental Sea.
He had made it sound simple earlier.
Success meant hope.
Failure wouldn't cause additional harm.
But carrying it out in practice was still rather difficult.
Fortunately...
For Nan Yu, that difficulty wasn't particularly great.
His mental power gradually spread across one section of the patient's Mental Sea.
Just like the surrounding contamination, it slowly seeped inward before carefully beginning to strip away the contaminated portions that had already started fusing with the Mental Sea.
The process was incredibly tedious.
It also consumed a tremendous amount of mental power.
Fortunately, Nan Yu's mental power was abundant now.
It was also far stronger than before.
More than two hours later, Nan Yu withdrew his hands and lightly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
If he forced himself, he could continue for another two hours.
But...
If he recovered too quickly, it would attract far too much attention.
And with it...
Far too much unnecessary trouble.
Someone had already tried to kidnap him once.
Even now, despite Yu Lanfeng personally leading soldiers from his legion to investigate, they still hadn't found the culprit.
If he became even stronger...
Who knew what kind of people he would attract?
After resting inside for another two hours, Nan Yu finally walked over and opened the door.
The director had been sitting outside the entire time.
The moment he saw Nan Yu emerge, he immediately stood up.
"How did it go?"
Because the patient's condition had been so severe, even if Nan Yu succeeded, the medical instruments wouldn't detect dramatic changes immediately.
The real condition would only become clear over time.
Nan Yu smiled faintly.
"Director, why don't you examine him yourself?"
"I believe my method has worked."
Of course...
His method was unique to him.
Even if another Mental Power User tried to imitate it, they wouldn't achieve the same result.
They might even make things worse.
The director hurried inside to perform another examination.
Soon afterward, he discovered that the patient's Mental Sea had indeed improved considerably.
"Nan Yu, you're incredible!"
"You actually managed to do it!"
"If the other legions learned what you're really capable of, they'd probably start fighting over you before you've even graduated."
Nan Yu blinked.
"I've already agreed to join Marshal Yu's legion after graduation."
The director laughed.
"That doesn't necessarily mean anything."
"A reservation is still just a reservation."
"To put it simply—even after someone officially joins a legion, they can still be poached."
"Someone like you, who hasn't even joined yet, is an even easier target."
"Of course, under normal circumstances it's very difficult for other legions to steal people from Marshal Yu's legion."
"Truly outstanding talents don't lack anything, so unless another legion can offer something genuinely attractive, they won't leave."
"As for the more average people, even if another legion spends a fortune recruiting them, the results usually aren't worth the cost."
"So in the end..."
"...they set their sights on people who have been reserved by Marshal Yu's legion but haven't officially joined yet."
Nan Yu nodded.
"Because those people have enormous potential, and since they haven't officially entered the legion yet, they still don't know what Marshal Yu's legion is really like."
"Especially since they're young and their minds aren't fully settled?"
The director smiled.
"You understand quickly."
"But Marshal Yu's legion truly is the finest legion in the entire Empire."
"You won't find a better one."
"Everyone who left after being poached eventually regretted it."
Nan Yu smiled.
"Because Marshal Yu's legion is the richest legion in the Empire?"
The director laughed.
"That's only one reason."
"There are many others."
"For example..."
After confirming that the patient's condition had truly improved and that recovery was now possible, the director relaxed considerably.
He happily chatted with Nan Yu about various stories from inside the legion.
Naturally, everything he mentioned was harmless information that could be shared publicly.
It was simply entertaining to hear.
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
"So that's how it is."
"I thought life inside a legion was extremely serious."
"They can really joke around like that?"
The director had just told him several amusing stories about soldiers teasing each other inside the legion.
After hearing them, Nan Yu couldn't help finding it rather strange.
"Of course not during normal operations."
"But after a successful mission, everyone gathers for a celebration banquet."
"There's nothing wrong with having some fun then."
Nan Yu smiled.
"They're certainly generous."
"As expected of Marshal Yu's legion."
"Oh, right."
"I've heard Marshal Yu owns a great many businesses, but nobody seems to know exactly what they are."
"Director, do you know?"
He looked at the director curiously.
The director shook his head.
"I don't know much either."
"I only know that many hospitals were built with Marshal Yu's financial support."
"He also owns considerable shares in quite a few of them."
"As for his other businesses, I have no idea."
Nan Yu continued asking one question after another, pestering the director about everything related to the legion.
Only after satisfying his curiosity did he finally stop.
Half a day quickly passed.
It was time for Nan Yu to head home.
Before leaving the hospital, he said,
"Director, that patient's condition can't be rushed."
"I'll come back in a couple of days to examine him again."
"So there's no need to worry too much."
"If anything changes, contact me immediately."
"I'll come over right away."
The director nodded.
"Alright. No problem."
After saying goodbye, Nan Yu left the hospital.
The one picking him up today was his eldest brother, Nan Yun.
As soon as he climbed into the hovercraft, he looked at Nan Yun's bruised and swollen face.
"Big Brother..."
"Are you alright?"
"Does it hurt?"
Nan Yun touched one of the swollen spots on his face, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"I'm fine."
"I've never been better."
"I actually think I've become much stronger than before."
Nan Yu smiled.
"I know both of you will become even stronger."
"When that time comes, I'll be relying on all of my brothers to keep me safe."
Nan Yun grinned.
"Of course."
"Don't worry."
"I'll protect you properly."
Never again...
Would something like what happened before be allowed to happen.
After returning home, Nan Yu found his second brother looking much the same.
Only Fu Yu'ang appeared to be in considerably better condition.
Of course, that wasn't because Fu Yu'ang was stronger than Nan Yun or Nan Zhen.
It was because combat wasn't his specialty at all.
Once the instructors responsible for Nan Yu's future bodyguards learned which department Fu Yu'ang would be entering after joining the legion, they had given him special treatment.
He only needed to train three hours each day.
The rest of his time was spent on what he loved most and excelled at—
Hacking technology and intelligence gathering.
That evening, after everyone finished dinner, Fu Yu'ang finally spoke.
"Bai Zhouyun has been released."
Nan Yun's mouth twitched.
"We just finished eating."
"Can we not discuss something so disgusting?"
Nan Zhen looked thoughtful.
"I'd actually like to know."
"Didn't Old Master Bai announce that he'd keep him confined until school started?"
There wasn't much time left before school reopened.
Still...
Strictly speaking, classes hadn't begun yet.
Weren't they afraid he'd go out causing trouble again?
Nan Yu looked at Fu Yu'ang expectantly.
"Brother Fu, is there a reason?"
"Of course."
"And the reason is you, Xiao Yu."
"Bai Zhouyun will definitely come looking for you."
"What are you planning to do?"
"Have you really let him go completely?"
"Or have you only been ignoring him because you're angry?"
"What if he really knows he was wrong?"
"After all, although those rumors were ugly, we all know they were only rumors."
"They weren't true."
As soon as Fu Yu'ang finished speaking, Nan Yu noticed all three of them staring directly at him.
He suddenly felt the urge to cover his face.
Seriously?
Did they still think he would forgive Bai Zhouyun?
Hadn't he already made himself perfectly clear?
"Brother Fu... Big Brother... Second Brother..."
"Do you really still think I like Bai Zhouyun?"
Nan Yun answered immediately.
"Don't you?"
Nan Yu fell silent.
"..."
"I don't think I've mentioned Bai Zhouyun recently."
"And I certainly haven't done anything that would make you misunderstand."
"So why do all of you think that?"
Fu Yu'ang sighed.
"This has happened several times before."
"The only difference is that this time you've kept it up longer."
Nan Yu looked toward Nan Yun and Nan Zhen.
He could understand Fu Yu'ang not believing him.
But he had already spoken seriously with these two before.
Did they still not trust him?
Nan Yun and Nan Zhen looked at him somewhat awkwardly.
"Well..."
"We're only half convinced."
"We're afraid everything you said before was just something you said in the heat of the moment."
After all...
Everyone had seen how deeply Nan Yu had loved Bai Zhouyun.
There had also been several occasions when he became furious and declared he would never like Bai Zhouyun again or stay with him anymore.
Yet after holding out for several days...
He would end up following behind Bai Zhouyun once more.
They had almost become accustomed to that pattern.
So when Nan Yu got angry again this time, they naturally assumed it was only temporary.
They hadn't expected...
Nan Yu quietly listened to their hesitant explanation and finally understood.
The reason they had so little confidence in his words...
Was because of his own past behavior.
Rather than blaming his brothers for not trusting him...
It would be better to examine the reason within himself.
Just as Nan Yu opened his mouth to speak, the butler walked in.
"Young Master."
"The young master of the Bai family has arrived."
Before Nan Yu could react, Nan Yun and Nan Zhen slammed their hands onto the table and stood up.
Even Fu Yu'ang rose to his feet and followed behind them.
By the time Nan Yu closed his mouth...
The three of them had already walked out the front door.
Nan Yu hurried after them.
This was bad.
They could beat Bai Zhouyun any other time...
Just not now.
Fortunately, when Nan Yu reached the entrance, his brothers still seemed relatively calm.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief.
What Nan Yu didn't know...
Was that the three of them saw this scene completely differently.
Nan Yun and the others became even more convinced that their earlier suspicions had been correct.
Their little brother still hadn't let go of that Bai trash.
Otherwise...
Seeing them storm outside like that...
Why would he rush after them so anxiously?
Surely he was trying to stop them from beating Bai Zhouyun.
Meanwhile...
Bai Zhouyun himself had also been startled by the aggressive trio.
But then he saw Nan Yu running out, slightly out of breath.
The uneasiness that had been lingering in Bai Zhouyun's heart finally disappeared.
Nan Yu still liked him.
Otherwise...
Why would he come rushing out so eagerly to protect him from these three?
So everything Nan Yu had said before—
That he didn't like him anymore...
That he would never contact him again...
That he didn't want to be together anymore...
Had all been nothing more than angry words.
Now look.
Hadn't they just been proven false?
Nan Yu finally caught his breath before looking at them.
For a moment...
He honestly didn't know what to say.
Silence filled the scene.
The atmosphere was unbearably awkward.
In the end, Bai Zhouyun was the first to speak.
"Xiao Yu..."
"I came to see you."
Nan Yu glanced at him without saying anything.
Bai Zhouyun continued,
"It's been a long time since we've met."
"Won't you talk with me alone?"
Nan Yu still remained silent.
A trace of dissatisfaction flashed through Bai Zhouyun's heart, but his expression remained gentle.
He even looked slightly hurt.
"Xiao Yu..."
"Are you really still angry with me?"
"It was all a misunderstanding."
"I've explained it so many times already."
"And I promise you..."
"You're my fiancé."
"From now on, I'll always put you first."
Nan Yu blinked as he looked at Bai Zhouyun, as though questioning whether those words were actually true.
In Bai Zhouyun's eyes...
That meant Nan Yu was already beginning to waver.
In Nan Yun's and the others' eyes...
It meant their little brother was about to have his feelings trampled by that piece of trash once again.
What they didn't know...
Was that Nan Yu was simply wondering...
What kind of idiotic thing Bai Zhouyun was planning to do—or say—this time.