Chapter 158: Recovery
Only after hearing Yu Lanfeng say that did Nan Yu suddenly feel that something wasn't quite right.
The way Yu Lanfeng had spoken made it sound as though he were saying, I've finally raised this piece of meat long enough to eat it.
Nan Yu felt a little embarrassed, a little nervous, and a little conflicted.
In the end, however, he surrendered beneath Yu Lanfeng's gaze.
Awkwardly scratching his cheek, he muttered, "Really? I guess that's true. I'd almost forgotten... but this isn't the right time to talk about things like that."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"It really isn't."
"We'll wait until you're truly an adult."
"At that point..."
"I can get straight to work."
Nan Yu's lips twitched.
"Alright, alright! Let's not talk about that anymore!"
"Let's go check on the soldier I treated."
"If he still likes Zhou Ziyu..."
...then that would mean the mental power Zhou Ziyu had left inside his Mental Sea had completely changed his personality and preferences.
Hopefully they could still reverse it afterward.
When they arrived at the ward, Lin Changyu opened the door for them.
Nan Yu saw the soldier he had treated sitting blankly on the bed.
His heart skipped a beat.
Don't tell me I turned him into an idiot...
Fortunately, the soldier quickly came back to himself.
He immediately saluted Yu Lanfeng and Lin Changyu.
"Marshal! General!"
Nan Yu blinked.
Apparently the soldier hadn't become stupid at all.
On the contrary, he looked perfectly normal.
Could it be that there hadn't been any side effects?
That didn't seem likely...
Walking over to the bedside, Nan Yu asked,
"Do you still like Zhou Ziyu?"
The soldier looked at him in surprise.
Removing the foreign mental power hadn't erased his memories.
He clearly remembered everything that had happened.
He also remembered that Nan Yu was the one who had restored him to normal.
"Hello, Doctor."
"I..."
"I think I hate him now."
"If he were standing in front of me right now, I'd punch him in the face and smash his skull in!"
Nan Yu imagined the scene for a moment before nodding approvingly.
"You seem a lot more manly now."
The soldier looked embarrassed but didn't argue.
Even he felt that his previous self had been ridiculously soft.
Every day he'd bought rice and vegetables, returned to his quarters, tied on an apron, cooked elaborate meals, and even arranged vegetables into heart shapes.
Worst of all...
He still couldn't forget sewing clothes for Zhou Ziyu with needle and thread.
That was undoubtedly the greatest stain on his entire life.
He had been raised and trained as a soldier since childhood.
Never once had he imagined he'd be doing things like that.
"That damned Zhou Ziyu!"
"If I ever see him again, I'll definitely—"
Nan Yu raised a hand to stop him.
"Alright."
"I know you've recovered."
"But I still need to examine your Mental Sea to make sure there aren't any lingering problems."
The soldier immediately nodded.
"Thank you!"
"I understand how serious this is."
"Please check carefully."
"There absolutely can't be any problems."
"I still want to remain a soldier!"
If Zhou Ziyu's mental power was still inside his Mental Sea, he'd continue being influenced.
At that point, not only would this legion refuse to keep him...
No other legion would want him either.
After all...
He'd be nothing more than a walking time bomb.
He truly wasn't lying.
If possible, he really wanted to smash Zhou Ziyu's head open with one punch.
To be honest...
This was the first time in his entire life he'd ever wanted to hurt a Mental Power User.
Ever since childhood, every Ability User had been taught to protect Mental Power Users.
Even if they couldn't protect them, they were never supposed to harm them.
So wherever they went, they instinctively treated Mental Power Users kindly.
Before returning to normal...
He had never imagined something like this could happen to him.
Nan Yu continued asking,
"Once Zhou Ziyu gained enough influence over your thoughts and emotions, did he ever ask you for any classified information?"
The soldier paused.
"...Does my communicator count?"
Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng exchanged a glance.
"Why did he want your communicator?"
"Even if you voluntarily handed it over, it's a military-issued communicator."
"It only works while you're serving in the legion."
"It also has multiple layers of security."
"Only you can use it."
"Even if someone stole it, it'd be useless."
"Do you know why he wanted it?"
The soldier shook his head.
"I'm not sure."
"He asked for it..."
"And somehow... I just handed it over."
"He played with it for a while before giving it back."
"As for anything else confidential..."
"No."
Nan Yu frowned.
"That's all?"
Or perhaps...
Zhou Ziyu intended to remain with them for years.
Perhaps he wanted to cultivate these five men into long-term puppets.
Gradually controlling them.
Allowing them to rise higher within the legion.
Then continuously stealing military secrets.
If that was his plan...
It made sense that he wouldn't dare make any major moves during the early stages.
Any mistake before his control became complete could ruin everything.
And for someone like him...
That mistake would be fatal.
Nan Yu stood beside the bed.
The soldier obediently lay down and allowed him to examine his Mental Sea.
After finishing the examination, Nan Yu nodded.
"Everything's fine."
"You've completely recovered."
"Now you just need to get used to how you feel and slowly return to your old self."
"I hope you don't carry any psychological burden."
The soldier immediately smiled.
"Thank you, Doctor."
"I won't."
"I know there are four others just like me."
"When they're cured, the five of us should form a team."
"We'll definitely have plenty to talk about."
Nan Yu fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"...That's true."
"You certainly will."
"But they haven't recovered yet."
Unexpectedly, the soldier leaped off the bed.
"Even better!"
"I'll record videos of them while they're still like this."
"Then after they're cured, I'll play the videos for them!"
"Hahaha..."
Nan Yu stared at him.
Black lines practically appeared across his forehead.
There was actually someone who thought like that?
It was the first time he'd ever encountered such an idea.
What surprised him even more...
Was that the soldier actually dared to behave like this in front of both Yu Lanfeng and Lin Changyu.
Sure enough...
Lin Changyu cleared his throat.
The soldier instantly climbed back into bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and obediently lay there like the world's best-behaved child.
He had probably gotten so excited that he'd forgotten two terrifying bosses were still standing there.
Poor guy.
Nan Yu smiled.
"Let's go, Brother."
"Time to see the next one."
When they entered the next lounge and spoke with the second soldier, they discovered that the remaining four all behaved exactly the same as before.
The only difference...
Their obsession with Zhou Ziyu had become even worse.
Originally they mentioned Zhou Ziyu once every twenty or thirty sentences.
Now...
They mentioned him once every ten sentences.
Sometimes...
Every five.
It was as though they had become completely obsessed with him.
Nan Yu asked them the same question.
"Why do you like Zhou Ziyu?"
All four answered identically.
"Because Ziyu is my greatest love!"
Not a single word differed.
Nan Yu couldn't understand such twisted feelings.
Could this really be normal?
Of course not.
Otherwise they wouldn't all be locked up here.
"General..."
"When can we leave?"
"Ziyu has been waiting for me."
"I have to see him."
"If I don't, he'll become anxious."
Lin Changyu stared coldly at the man's humble posture and pleading tone.
His own soldier...
Had turned into a spineless coward.
That Zhou Ziyu absolutely couldn't be allowed to live freely.
His thoughts also drifted to Han Lu.
If Nan Yu hadn't arrived in time...
Han Lu probably would have become exactly the same.
Although...
Considering the severity of his previous injuries...
He probably wouldn't even have lived long enough for that to happen.
Nan Yu had saved Han Lu.
Lin Changyu was genuinely grateful.
He simply wasn't someone who expressed gratitude with words.
Instead...
He showed it through his actions.
For quite some time now, he'd treated Nan Yu exactly the same way he treated Yu Lanfeng.
That alone proved everything.
Back when Qin Wenxing had accompanied Yu Lanfeng here...
Lin Changyu had never treated him this well.
Unfortunately...
Nan Yu hadn't realized any of that.
He'd always assumed Lin Changyu treated him kindly simply because of his relationship with Yu Lanfeng.
It wasn't until Yu Lanfeng later explained the real reason that Nan Yu finally understood.
Still...
That also confirmed something else.
The two of them really did share at least a small connection.
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
It was time to help the second patient.
After observing all four soldiers...
He chose the one in the worst condition.
Whenever Nan Yu recalled what happened next...
He couldn't help finding it hilarious.
Standing directly in front of the soldier, Yu Lanfeng asked,
"You want to know where Zhou Ziyu is?"
"You want to see him?"
The soldier was already sweating profusely.
He desperately wanted to see Zhou Ziyu.
The reaction resembled someone suffering from drug withdrawal.
He needed him.
Desperately needed him.
Only by seeing Zhou Ziyu or staying beside him could he feel better.
Nan Yu actually felt this reaction was even more severe than drug addiction.
Yu Lanfeng continued calmly,
"You'll probably never see him again."
The soldier's eyes immediately widened.
"What did you say?"
The challenging tone startled both Lin Changyu and Nan Yu.
Even the previous three hadn't reacted this intensely.
At most, they'd looked shocked before anxiously asking questions.
No one expected this man to be even worse.
Yu Lanfeng continued,
"Why?"
"Because he committed treason."
"As a member of the legion, you should know what treason means."
Nan Yu had just opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly noticed something.
The soldier's eyes had turned bloodshot.
The way he looked at Yu Lanfeng...
It was as though he wanted to devour him alive.
That intense?
Nan Yu had known Yu Lanfeng for quite some time.
He had never once seen anyone dare look at him like that.
This was a first.
The soldier suddenly jumped to his feet and pointed directly at Yu Lanfeng's nose.
"What the hell are you to talk about Ziyu like that?"
"Do you know how hard Ziyu worked to improve himself?"
"Do you know how seriously he takes his duties?"
"Do you know how deeply he loves this country?"
"If someone like him is a traitor..."
"Then nobody in this country truly cares about it!"
"You can't treat him this way!"
"Ziyu's innocent!"
"He's innocent!"
"This isn't true!"
"You've all been deceived by evil people!"
He continued shouting nonstop.
Nan Yu gradually stopped listening.
Instead, he turned toward Yu Lanfeng.
Yu Lanfeng suddenly stood.
His movements were unbelievably fast.
Before the soldier even realized what had happened...
He collapsed unconscious.
Yu Lanfeng had simply knocked him out.
Turning back toward Nan Yu, he said,
"You can begin."
Nan Yu blinked.
"Got it."
Honestly...
The first soldier's suggestion had been surprisingly reasonable.
Recording videos of them while they were acting completely insane...
Then showing those videos after they recovered...
That would undoubtedly become the greatest blackmail material of their entire lives.
Nan Yu played the recording he'd just made for Yu Lanfeng and Lin Changyu.
The video only showed the soldier pointing furiously toward the camera while yelling nonstop.
None of the three of them appeared in the recording.
Even if it somehow leaked...
No one would know who had filmed it.
Of course...
They had no intention of leaking it.
This was classified information belonging to the military base.
Nan Yu happily saved the recording.
"Alright."
"Let's begin."
As Nan Yu examined the second soldier's Mental Sea, he discovered that the situation inside was only slightly worse than the first soldier's.
Yet just that slight difference...
Had been enough to make him curse the Marshal to his face.
Mental power really was a terrifying field.
There was still enormous room for research.
Moreover...
Nan Yu secretly felt delighted.
This experience had given him a great deal of valuable practice.
Later...
He could use exactly the same method against members of that organization.
An eye for an eye.
He wondered whether that organization also had someone like him who could restore people to normal.
Probably not.
If they did...
They wouldn't be so obsessed with him or with his Nianshen Grass.
Nan Yu carefully extracted the foreign mental power from the soldier's Mental Sea and sealed it inside another specialized container.
Every one of these samples would become evidence.
When Zhou Ziyu finally stood before the military court...
That trial would certainly be interesting.
After finishing the treatment...
Yu Lanfeng once again pinned Nan Yu onto the bed and kissed him for quite a while before finally allowing him to sleep.
This time...
Nan Yu was genuinely exhausted.
The treatment had been completely different from the first.
He'd never expected a case that appeared only slightly more severe to consume so much additional mental power.
Had they delayed much longer...
His current strength might not have been enough to treat them at all.
When Nan Yu woke again, it was already morning.
This time he hadn't awakened because his mental power had recovered.
He had simply slept until he naturally woke up.
After eating breakfast and changing clothes, he saw Yu Lanfeng returning.
Casually, he asked,
"You're back so early?"
"Where did you go?"
Yu Lanfeng's next sentence nearly gave him a heart attack.
"Zhou Ziyu escaped."
Nan Yu stared blankly at him.
"...What?!"
Then Yu Lanfeng calmly added,
"I caught him again."
Nan Yu continued staring.
"...Huh?"
Yu Lanfeng looked puzzled.
"What?"
Nan Yu sighed helplessly.
"Can't you finish everything in one sentence?"
Yu Lanfeng replied calmly,
"You got surprised too quickly."
"Don't worry."
"Everything's fine."
Nan Yu asked,
"How did Zhou Ziyu escape?"
"Did he use his mental power?"
Yu Lanfeng shook his head.
"We investigated."
"It turned out there was someone who genuinely loved Zhou Ziyu of his own free will."
"He works in logistics."
"His duties happen to be near Zhou Ziyu's cell."
"He knows many people there, and everyone knows him."
"So although they lowered their voices while discussing things nearby, no one deliberately avoided him."
Nan Yu was speechless.
"So he found out Zhou Ziyu had been imprisoned..."
"And went to rescue him?"
"How did someone like him succeed?"
Yu Lanfeng answered,
"He didn't."
"As soon as he approached the cell, our people noticed."
"So we decided to play along."
"We let him rescue Zhou Ziyu first..."
"Then arrested both of them."
Nan Yu immediately understood.
"I see."
"That makes sense."
Being stopped before the rescue...
And being arrested after successfully rescuing a prisoner...
Those were two completely different crimes.
This way...
They could charge the rescuer with a much more serious offense.
At the very least...
He would never again have the chance to help evil flourish.
After all...
Zhou Ziyu's identity as a spy and traitor was already beyond dispute.
Otherwise...
Why would he have tried to escape?
And the condition of those five soldiers wasn't fabricated.
It was undeniable evidence.
Zhou Ziyu couldn't clear his name anymore.
However...
He shouldn't have known that the five soldiers were already under their control.
Had someone leaked the information?
Nan Yu thought for a moment before speaking.
"I think it's more likely that he could vaguely sense the mental power he'd left inside their Mental Seas."
"I've already cured two people."
"He should've sensed something."
Otherwise...
There was no reasonable explanation.
From Zhou Ziyu's perspective...
The only interaction he'd had with Nan Yu was brushing shoulders with Han Lu on the day Han Lu left.
There shouldn't have been any concrete evidence connecting him to anything.
But once something went wrong with the mental power controlling those five soldiers...
Everything changed.
Of course he'd immediately realize his identity had been exposed.
Naturally...
His first instinct would be to flee.
After all...
He knew very well how the Empire dealt with traitors and spies.
Death.
Or life imprisonment.
And not ordinary life imprisonment either.
Prisons so secret...
No one even knew where they were.
The organization had once tried searching for a captured member sentenced to life imprisonment.
They wanted to discover where the Empire had sent him for forced labor.
Yet despite every effort...
They never found him.
Eventually they concluded that the Empire had secretly turned him into a human test subject.
Otherwise...
With their intelligence network...
How could they fail to locate him?
They could even quietly rescue prisoners from royal prisons.
Nan Yu relaxed slightly.
"If that's the case..."
"Shouldn't we go talk to him?"
"Or have you already questioned him?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"I have."
"His mouth is tightly shut."
"He hasn't said a single word."
Nan Yu blinked.
"Does he really think we won't do anything to him?"
"That doesn't make sense."
"He should know how the Empire handles spies."
"If he cooperates..."
"The more secrets he reveals, the more leniency he can receive."
"He might even end up living under protection and surveillance instead of dying."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"That's true."
"But he's probably more afraid of being hunted down by his organization."
Nan Yu sighed.
"That makes sense."
"As one of their members..."
"Even if he never personally participated, he definitely knows how they deal with traitors."
Precisely because he knew...
He was afraid.
It wasn't that he didn't want to talk.
He simply didn't dare.
Even he probably had no idea exactly what awaited him if he betrayed them.
But one thing was certain.
They would never let him go.
Nan Yu suddenly asked,
"Brother..."
"Once the organization learns we've captured Zhou Ziyu and exposed his identity..."
"Do you think they'll come to rescue him..."
"Or kill him?"
Yu Lanfeng answered without hesitation.
"They'll rescue him."
Nan Yu's eyes widened slightly.
"Exactly."
"I think so too."
As for the reason...
Wasn't it obvious?
Zhou Ziyu possessed mental power that rivaled Nan Yu's.
The only difference was that he couldn't project it outward.
More importantly...
He'd probably never become any stronger.
As for why...
Nan Yu believed the answer was simple.
Zhou Ziyu simply didn't possess that level of natural talent.
Yet he'd somehow reached it anyway.
"I think Zhou Ziyu is probably the organization's greatest experimental success."
"That special drug transformed him into one of the strongest Mid-Tier Mental Power Users."
"But it also froze his growth forever."
"He'll never become stronger."
"And if I'm right..."
"Without that drug..."
"He probably wouldn't even have reached his current level in this lifetime."
"So when he realized how powerful his mental power had become..."
"He was probably thrilled."
Yu Lanfeng considered this.
"So..."
"Zhou Ziyu may actually have been one of the organization's experimental subjects."
"The experiment succeeded beyond expectations."
"He became grateful."
"And willingly remained with the organization to work for them."
Nan Yu shrugged.
"I don't know."
"I'm only guessing."
"I just think it's very possible."
"But I don't know the actual truth."
"The next time you question Zhou Ziyu..."
"Try telling him what I just said."
"Maybe you'll get an unexpected reaction."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"I'll try."
Nan Yu blinked.
"So you also think my guess makes sense?"
"It does."
Yu Lanfeng smiled faintly.
"It's a highly plausible theory."
"We'll discuss it later."
"For now..."
"You should finish your breakfast."
"Come here."
He patted the seat beside him.
Nan Yu naturally walked over and sat down, allowing Yu Lanfeng to feed him.
Honestly...
Yu Lanfeng's cooking had improved more and more.
For some reason...
Watching Yu Lanfeng cook for him reminded Nan Yu of those five soldiers.
Perhaps...
Cooking for the person you loved wasn't actually that difficult for a soldier to accept.
But then another thought crossed his mind.
His man...
Was completely different from everyone else's.