Chapter 88: The Traitor
Yu Lanfeng turned around to look at Nan Yu. "You're here?"
The moment Wu Qin saw Yu Lanfeng, he stopped walking, bowed respectfully, then turned around and left. If Nan Yu still couldn't figure out why at this point, he'd be an idiot.
"You asked me to come? Is there something you need?" Nan Yu asked.
Yu Lanfeng nodded. "Yes. It's something very serious."
Nan Yu replied, "Go ahead. As long as I can help, I definitely won't refuse."
"It's my adjutant. While he was taking my place on duty at the border, he was ambushed by a traitor. He became separated from the military base and was stranded outside alone, where he was attacked by numerous Ability Beasts."
Nan Yu's expression grew solemn. The fact that Yu Lanfeng had personally come here to ask him to take a look meant the situation had to be extremely serious. It might even be like Lan Feng's condition before—perhaps even worse.
"I'll go examine him first."
Yu Lanfeng nodded. "Go ahead. I'll wait outside."
It was a rare sight for Nan Yu to see such an expression on Yu Lanfeng's face. His brows were tightly furrowed, as though he had encountered an impossible problem. Before this, Nan Yu had never seen the Marshal look like this.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. As long as I'm here, no matter how bad the situation is, I can turn it around."
Yu Lanfeng looked at him in slight surprise. He hadn't expected Nan Yu to notice the unease hidden in his heart.
"...Mm. I believe you."
The corners of Nan Yu's lips curved upward. He pushed open the door and walked inside.
The person lying on the bed was indeed Yu Lanfeng's adjutant. Nan Yu had seen him before, though he didn't know his name.
Fortunately, it was written on the information card beside the bed.
Qin Wenxing.
...Never heard of him.
He hadn't heard the name in his previous life either. But if Qin Wenxing had encountered this incident at exactly this point back then, and Nan Yu never heard anything about him afterward, that was actually perfectly normal.
Without wasting any time, Nan Yu glanced through the basic information before standing beside the bed and beginning to inspect Qin Wenxing's Mental Sea.
However, the moment he carefully guided his Mental Power toward Qin Wenxing's Mental Sea, he discovered that the outer barrier surrounding it possessed an astonishingly powerful repulsive force.
In other words, it was rejecting the entry of his Mental Power.
But that shouldn't have been possible...
Normally, Ability Users weren't this strongly resistant to a Mental Power User's Mental Power. After all, they depended on Mental Power Users for treatment.
Even Nan Yu himself was encountering such overwhelming resistance.
That meant when Qin Wenxing had previously received treatment within the Legion, not a single Mental Power User had likely succeeded in getting their Mental Power into his Mental Sea.
If that was the case, there was simply no way to determine his actual condition.
Fortunately, despite the tremendous resistance, Nan Yu still had some room to maneuver.
It would simply require much more time.
He focused harder.
It took him ten times longer than usual before he finally managed to force a tiny strand of his Mental Power inside.
Yet even with that tiny amount, he was able to perceive a small area within Qin Wenxing's Mental Sea.
Nan Yu carefully examined that limited area.
He sensed nothing abnormal.
Everything seemed like the completely ordinary Mental Sea of an Ability User.
Nan Yu guessed that the amount of Mental Power he had managed to send inside was simply too little.
He spent another two or three hours continuing his attempts.
Only after he finally gained a clear view of the entire Mental Sea did Nan Yu's face become unusually grim.
He had encountered this exact condition not long ago.
That's right.
Lan Feng.
The similarity between Qin Wenxing's condition and Lan Feng's was at least ninety percent.
If Lan Feng had already reached the final stage before complete collapse...
Then Qin Wenxing was only at the very beginning.
And at this stage...
How should he put it?
If a Mental Power User forcefully broke through the outer barrier, then as more time passed, and as one Mental Power User after another conducted examinations, Qin Wenxing's Mental Sea would gradually become exactly like Lan Feng's.
Until eventually...
He slowly died.
He should consider himself fortunate.
Fortunately, none of the Mental Power Users within the Legion had attempted to forcibly break through the Mental Sea's protective barrier.
In truth, there was a reason that barrier possessed such terrifying rejection.
It was the body's own self-protection mechanism.
Its sole purpose was to prevent a Mental Power User's Mental Power from entering.
That was because a special substance existed inside the Mental Sea.
Once that substance came into contact with the immense Mental Power of a Mental Power User, it would inflict catastrophic damage upon the Mental Sea itself.
Qin Wenxing's body's instinct was protecting him.
It couldn't eliminate the toxins inside, so the only thing it could do was prevent anything else from entering.
Fortunately, the one examining him this time was Nan Yu.
Otherwise...
If Qin Wenxing hadn't been this lucky and had encountered Mental Power Users like the ones who had treated Lan Feng...
He probably wouldn't have survived in the end.
After completing a rough examination, Nan Yu withdrew his Mental Power.
At present, Qin Wenxing's Mental Sea itself wasn't seriously damaged.
The biggest problem was finding a way to eliminate those special substances while dealing with such an overwhelmingly repulsive barrier.
Those substances were obviously dangerous.
Yet Nan Yu couldn't help thinking...
It would be nice if he could preserve a sample for research.
Perhaps they could become an excellent weapon for Mental Power Users.
Against an enemy Ability User, one could wrap those special substances in Mental Power and throw them out.
Maybe...
The results would be remarkably effective.
Nan Yu shook away that line of thought and walked out.
Yu Lanfeng had remained standing outside the entire time.
Even his posture hadn't changed.
"How is he?"
Nan Yu shook his head.
"There's no immediate danger. The biggest problem is that treating him may take a very long time."
Yu Lanfeng finally let out a breath of relief.
"As long as he's fine. The length of treatment doesn't matter."
Nan Yu opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated, unsure whether he should say it here.
Yu Lanfeng immediately took his hand and led him back into the hospital room before closing the door.
"You can say it now."
Nan Yu blinked.
So the room was safer?
He explained everything he had discovered in detail.
"I think this substance may be completely new. No one has ever discovered it before, and I've never heard of it either. By the way, Marshal, you've led troops at the border for many years. Have you ever encountered anything similar?"
Yu Lanfeng frowned slightly.
"Qin Wenxing is the only one in my Legion who's encountered this. But judging from Lan Feng's timeline, this substance has probably existed for several years... perhaps even longer."
Nan Yu nodded.
"And I can't be completely certain. I only know the conditions are extremely similar, but I still can't confirm whether they're caused by the exact same substance. As for more detailed information, I'll need to obtain a sample and study it before reaching any conclusions."
Now that he knew Qin Wenxing wasn't in immediate danger, Yu Lanfeng visibly relaxed.
His face remained as expressionless and cold as ever, yet Nan Yu could still sense the difference.
"Oh, right. Lan Feng has already been completely cured. If you're interested, you can read his medical records. I kept records after every treatment. Originally, I planned to show them to you after Lan Feng left. After all, this condition is completely new. I just didn't expect..."
Lan Feng hadn't even left yet.
And another victim had already appeared.
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"I'll go read them later."
Nan Yu was just about to continue speaking when he realized Yu Lanfeng had taken hold of his hand.
Those eyes, deep as the star-filled sky, gazed at him with absolute seriousness.
This...
Seriously...
Yu Lanfeng slowly wrapped his arms around him.
Nan Yu's eyes widened.
Leaning stiffly against Yu Lanfeng's chest, he didn't dare move even a little.
What was happening?
After only two or three seconds, Yu Lanfeng released him.
Nan Yu blinked repeatedly, staring at him in complete disbelief.
Then Yu Lanfeng quietly said,
"Thank you, Xiao Yu."
Nan Yu froze slightly.
Xiao Yu...
Why did he call him so intimately?
Yet he still had to address him as "Marshal."
He wondered when that form of address could finally change.
Nan Yu gave a quiet snort and muttered under his breath,
"My brothers will beat you up if you're not careful..."
He had only said it casually.
Who would have thought Yu Lanfeng would answer immediately,
"Even all three of them together can't beat me. It's fine."
Now Nan Yu truly forgot everything else.
He stared at him in shock.
"Marshal... you... you actually..."
Yu Lanfeng replied calmly,
"Mm. Exactly what you're thinking."
Nan Yu looked utterly bewildered.
Seriously?
Then what exactly had he been thinking just now?
Even he didn't know.
But after giving it some thought, it wasn't hard to guess.
There had been heartfelt thanks...
A hug...
There was no way none of that carried any other meaning.
"So... what exactly do you mean? Is it really what I think? But... Marshal, have you forgotten? I still have..."
"I know," Yu Lanfeng interrupted. "I'll take care of it."
This time Nan Yu was genuinely stunned.
"You... you'll take care of it?"
Yu Lanfeng was going to handle his engagement with Bai Zhouyun?
If that was a joke, it would be the biggest joke in history.
Everyone knew how meticulous Marshal Yu Lanfeng was.
Everyone knew how upright and principled he was.
How could someone like him possibly violate his own principles for the sake of one person?
"You... really?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn't interfere."
"But..."
"You're simply too outstanding."
"I can only say..."
"Someone like him isn't worthy of you."
The warmth in Nan Yu's heart instantly disappeared.
Well then.
So it wasn't because Yu Lanfeng had suddenly realized he liked him.
The hug had simply been an expression of gratitude.
And his promise to interfere only came from believing Bai Zhouyun wasn't worthy of him.
Not because Yu Lanfeng wanted to be with him himself.
Nan Yu had gotten excited for nothing.
Hmph.
He'd better not let Nan Yu find an opportunity later.
Otherwise...
He definitely wouldn't let him off easily.
Yu Lanfeng, meanwhile, couldn't understand why Nan Yu, who had been talking perfectly normally a moment ago, had suddenly lost all enthusiasm for continuing the conversation.
He even looked somewhat dispirited.
...Hm?
"What's wrong?" Yu Lanfeng asked.
Nan Yu glanced at him.
"Nothing."
"Today's examination is finished. I'll wait a few days before officially beginning treatment. I want to completely confirm Lan Feng's condition first. Of course, I'll still come every day to check on Qin Wenxing. If anything changes, I'll deal with it immediately."
"And the rejection from his Mental Sea's barrier is simply too strong right now. Waiting a few days is the safer choice."
Having finished speaking, Nan Yu turned to leave.
He had originally intended to go rest before Wu Qin called him over here.
Without another word, Yu Lanfeng reached out and grabbed his wrist.
Nan Yu turned back.
"What is it?"
Why wasn't he letting him leave?
Yu Lanfeng remained silent.
Nan Yu rolled his eyes inwardly.
So what exactly did he want?
"Is there something else?"
Yu Lanfeng shook his head.
He still didn't speak.
But he also didn't let go.
Nan Yu's dissatisfaction grew.
"If there's something you want to say, just say it."
Yu Lanfeng asked, "You don't seem happy. What's wrong?"
Nan Yu replied, "I'm not unhappy. You're imagining things."
Yu Lanfeng continued as though speaking to himself, "Because I hugged you just now?"
"No."
"So you really are unhappy?"
Nan Yu fell silent.
Well...
Now that he'd been found out, there was no point denying it anymore.
"Yeah, I'm a little unhappy. I want to go back and rest now. Can you let go of me first?"
A puzzled expression appeared on Yu Lanfeng's face.
"Can you tell me why?"
The corner of Nan Yu's mouth twitched.
How was he supposed to explain it?
He had thought Yu Lanfeng liked him...
But instead, Yu Lanfeng had only said that anyone could have been his fiancé, except Bai Zhouyun simply wasn't worthy of him.
Actually, there would've been nothing wrong with those words if anyone else had said them.
The problem was that the person who had just said them had hugged him first.
That hug had made him misunderstand everything.
Which only made him feel even worse.
Because feelings had arisen in his heart...
Yet he had no way to voice them.
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
"It's nothing. Can I leave now?"
Yu Lanfeng still looked confused, but he released Nan Yu's wrist.
"Get some good rest."
He had a feeling that if he kept him here any longer, Nan Yu would only become even angrier.
As it turned out...
He had guessed correctly.
The moment Nan Yu's hand was free, his expression immediately improved quite a bit.
"Then, Marshal, I'll be leaving now. I'll come check on him every day from now on. Don't worry. As long as I'm here, everything will be fine."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"I know. I'll leave him in your care. Qin Wenxing has been with me ever since I first graduated. He's my most important companion."
Nan Yu looked deeply at him before nodding solemnly.
"I understand."
Afterward, he turned and left.
Yu Lanfeng simply stood there, watching his departing figure until it disappeared from sight.
He remained standing there for a while before finally leaving as well.
Naturally, he secretly left several people behind to guard the ward, ensuring that no unrelated person could enter or leave.
...
Nan Yu returned to his lounge.
Over the next several days, he came to the hospital every single day.
Four or five days later, he finally confirmed that Lan Feng had completely recovered and approved his discharge.
"Go home first and have a proper talk with your younger brother. Comfort each other. Your brother has looked exhausted all these years. In another couple of days, I have something to discuss with both of you, so don't leave the Capital Star for the time being."
Lan Feng already had a vague idea of what Nan Yu wanted to discuss.
"I understand. Thank you."
Nan Yu nodded before getting up to leave.
Now that Lan Feng had completely recovered, all that remained was to send him back to Zhou Huayin.
As for what all those people who had been secretly paying attention to Lan Feng would think upon seeing him completely healed...
That had nothing to do with Nan Yu.
He only needed to do his own job well.
Even if they became suspicious of him...
So what?
Nan Yu had absolutely no interest in finding out.
After sending Lan Feng away, he planned to visit Qin Wenxing.
Over the past few days, he had examined him every day and discovered that the Mental Sea's rejection of his Mental Power had weakened by about one-third.
That was already an excellent improvement.
With the resistance reduced by so much, he could begin treatment much sooner.
When Nan Yu arrived outside Qin Wenxing's ward, however, he noticed something strange.
The ward door was open.
What was going on?
Normally, even when hospital staff entered to replace the nutrient solution, the door would automatically close behind them.
The fact that it remained open could only mean one thing.
Either the door had been damaged...
Or someone inside was deliberately holding it open.
Nan Yu was still about ten meters away.
He immediately stopped where he was and didn't move another step.
He gestured toward the side.
Very quickly, someone appeared not far away.
Without saying a word, Nan Yu carefully pointed at the door.
The other person immediately understood.
He nodded, then silently approached the ward.
When he reached the doorway, he held his breath and waited for a brief moment.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
One instant he was standing at the entrance.
The next...
He had disappeared.
Nan Yu was momentarily bewildered.
Had his eyes just malfunctioned?
He quickly realized what had happened.
The man had already entered the ward.
About half a minute later, he came back out.
"There's no problem."
Only then did Nan Yu walk inside.
After taking a careful look around, he found that everything was exactly the same as during his previous visits.
Besides, Yu Lanfeng had definitely stationed people here to guard the room.
Nothing should have happened.
Nan Yu waved toward an empty corner of the room.
This time, the hidden guard hesitated for a few seconds before revealing himself.
"Is there a problem, sir?"
Nan Yu asked, "What's wrong with the door? It was open just now."
"A doctor came by a little while ago to replace his nutrient solution before leaving. He opened the door from inside when he left. The door itself wasn't damaged. But after he left... it just wouldn't close."
They had originally intended to come over and shut the door.
Unexpectedly, Nan Yu had arrived first.
Since Nan Yu hadn't shown any reaction, they assumed there probably wasn't a problem.
"I see. But these doors normally close automatically, don't they? Who was that doctor? Can you still find him?"
The guard nodded.
"We'll go find him immediately."
Nan Yu told them to leave first.
Meanwhile, he walked to Qin Wenxing's bedside and began today's examination.
He had already prepared himself to face that overwhelming Mental Sea barrier again.
However...
The instant his Mental Power touched Qin Wenxing's Mental Sea—
He discovered it had already been damaged.
And judging by its current appearance, the entire Mental Sea had become riddled with pits and craters.
Fortunately...
One thing could still be considered lucky.
At a glance, it was obvious the damage had only just begun.
Which meant...
That doctor from earlier was extremely suspicious.
The more Nan Yu thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
This hospital belonged exclusively to Yu Lanfeng's Legion.
Whether doctors or patients, nearly everyone here was a member of the Legion.
If there really were traitors or spies inside...
That would be disastrous.
Nan Yu slowly compressed his Mental Power into an extremely thin thread, minimizing its contact with those special substances as much as possible.
Starting from one tiny corner, he carefully began removing the Mental Contamination fused together with those strange substances.
That's right.
Those substances apparently couldn't exist independently inside an Ability User's Mental Sea.
They had to attach themselves to something else.
For example...
Mental Contamination.
So all Nan Yu needed to do was quickly eliminate every trace of contaminated Mental Power.
Once that was gone, Qin Wenxing's Mental Sea would stop being eroded by those substances.
Of course...
Repairing the existing damage would still require time.
After all, the injuries had already been inflicted.
Because the damage had already begun, the protective Mental Sea barrier had completely lost its function.
Now...
Anyone's Mental Power could enter freely.
As Nan Yu painstakingly removed the contaminated Mental Power bit by bit, Yu Lanfeng arrived.
However, he remained standing outside the door instead of entering and interrupting Nan Yu.
His face was extremely grim.
Looking at the guards stationed outside, he asked,
"Tell me exactly what happened."
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet it carried an overwhelming pressure that prevented anyone from responding carelessly.
Especially those whom he had personally assigned to guard the ward.
"Marshal, this doctor was originally assigned by the hospital to Vice Adjutant Qin. He's always been responsible for him. We've already confirmed his identity. He is the real person, and there are no signs that he was being controlled."
Yu Lanfeng's icy gaze settled on the doctor.
The doctor trembled violently from head to toe, looking like a pitiful little rabbit being bullied by a freezing wind.
Unfortunately...
Yu Lanfeng wasn't swayed by that act.
"Take him away first. Interrogate him thoroughly."
At this moment, Yu Lanfeng had no desire to do anything else.
Although he had spent the entire previous night handling official business without any sleep and showed no sign of exhaustion today...
Mentally, he still felt weary.
He hadn't expected something to go wrong after only a few days.
How could the timing be this coincidental?
He had only learned from Nan Yu last night that Lan Feng would probably be discharged today.
Even then, Nan Yu had only said "probably"—provided everything remained normal.
In other words...
Up until today, besides himself and Nan Yu...
There truly hadn't been a third person who knew Lan Feng would be leaving today.
Which meant...
The person operating in the shadows had struck at precisely this moment.
Perhaps they wanted Nan Yu to witness the scene with his own eyes.
To deal him a devastating blow.
To make him desperately want to save someone...
Only to discover he couldn't save Qin Wenxing.
Yu Lanfeng suddenly recalled everything Nan Yu had previously told him.
He also reviewed every Mental Power User and every major family connected to Lan Feng's case.
He quickly compiled a list and handed it to the Intelligence Department, ordering them to investigate what those families had been doing over the years, along with all of their recent activities.
While the Legion launched a full-scale investigation...
Nan Yu concentrated entirely on removing Qin Wenxing's Mental Contamination as quickly as possible.
This wasn't like his ordinary treatments.
The slower he worked...
The larger the area of Qin Wenxing's Mental Sea that would be destroyed.
So he had to be as fast as possible.
As a result...
He had no idea what was happening outside.