Chapter 22: The Royal Banquet (Part 2)
Qin Hua crouched on the ground and wailed. In that instant, a memory from his mental sea flooded into his consciousness cloud.
The Siberian wolf lying in his mental sea slowly opened its eyes and began sharing perception with Qin Hua.
The scene of the burial-ground valley gradually appeared before his eyes.
Inside that not particularly spacious cave, Qin Hua held a particle sword and cut off the tendrils 003 sent attacking toward him.
His infinitely magnified five senses captured every single attack from the other party, and his limbs immediately reacted in counterattack.
In no time at all, he had dismantled all of 003’s attacks.
As that nauseating giant head fell to the ground, Qin Hua finally lowered his guard and slowly withdrew the perception-based mental power he had released outward.
However, a somewhat sluggish presence suddenly entered his mind.
Before he could react, one of the severed tendrils came back to life and pierced through his abdomen from behind.
The scene before his eyes blurred right after that. Qin Hua gripped the still-twisting tendril and collapsed to the ground in pain.
Just before he was about to lose strength and close his eyes, a Siberian wolf with an equally large hole through its abdomen ran out.
Whimpering, it tried to pull the tendril out of his abdomen.
But the Siberian wolf, also injured, had almost no strength left. It was completely helpless against that wriggling tendril blade.
After several failed attempts, the Siberian wolf licked its front paw, which had been cut by the tendril, and weakly let out a broken wolf howl.
“Qin Hua!”
At the cave entrance where natural light streamed in, Xi Lian transformed from a harpy eagle into human form. His face was full of shock as he looked at the tendrils scattered all over the ground and the Siberian wolf with a hole in its abdomen.
After that wolf howl, Xi Lian pulled out the energy gun at his waist and aimed it at the Siberian wolf standing beside Qin Hua.
“Don’t touch him.”
“Awoo~”
Seeing someone familiar, the Siberian wolf immediately perked up. Ignoring the highly threatening energy gun in the other party’s hand, it limped toward Xi Lian and rubbed against his calf under Xi Lian’s incredulous gaze.
Xi Lian frowned, put away the energy gun in his hand, and sensed the scent coming from the Siberian wolf.
“Qin Hua’s scent?”
“Awoo~”
The Siberian wolf bit Xi Lian’s pant leg and tugged him toward Qin Hua. During this, it let out pitiful whimpers from time to time.
“All right, stop moving.”
Xi Lian looked at the Siberian wolf, whose abdomen also had a hole in it, with some reluctance. He carefully picked it up and examined the wound that was identical to the one on Qin Hua’s body.
After confirming the thought in his mind, Xi Lian carried it and ran toward Qin Hua, who was lying against the cave wall. He placed a medical detector on Qin Hua’s chest.
The moment the detector touched Qin Hua’s skin, a beeping alarm immediately rang out.
Accompanied by the continuous mechanical sounds, Xi Lian frantically performed emergency treatment on his wound, until the alarm became even more urgent.
“Tsk.”
Xi Lian impatiently tore off the detector stuck to Qin Hua’s chest, bit his own lip until it bled, and sealed Qin Hua’s mouth with his.
At that moment, the two people’s mental powers instantly intertwined, gradually forming a branded totem on both of their bodies.
Sensing that the mental power that had been constantly draining away just now was gradually recovering, the originally wilted Siberian wolf immediately perked up and spun around in place nonstop, trying to see the totem on the back of its neck that was gradually emitting a faint red light.
“It’s over.”
After completing the memory sharing with his mental body, Qin Hua murmured in a low voice, “No wonder Brother Lian would agree to let Little Gray ride his beast form. No wonder he cut apples into little sculptures for me. So it was because…”
Jin Chi’an looked unmoved as Qin Hua wailed and pounded the ground. Coldly, he asked, “Because what?”
“He forcefully kissed me.”
Not getting the answer he wanted, Jin Chi’an speechlessly smacked the back of his head and rolled his eyes.
“Let your wolf out.”
Inside the mental sea, hearing Jin Chi’an’s call, Little Gray immediately ran out and excitedly circled around him.
Immediately afterward, a Maine Coon appeared out of thin air on Jin Chi’an’s shoulder, arrogantly looking at the Siberian wolf that resembled a husky far too much.
Seeing that silly wolf stand up on its hind legs and try to paw at it, the Maine Coon immediately jumped down from Jin Chi’an’s shoulder and delivered two solid punches to the Siberian wolf’s head.
Then it released mental power to communicate with this stupid wolf.
Jin Chi’an, who was sharing perception with his mental body, also understood the meaning behind the Siberian wolf’s dramatic performance at the same time.
“You mean that after you and that harpy eagle formed the mental brand, not only did your mental power recover as normal, even your injuries gradually healed?”
“Awoo, awoo, awoo…”
“All right, stop howling.”
Jin Chi’an held his forehead with some difficulty. The scene described by the wolf gradually appeared in his mind. He said in disbelief, “Logically speaking, forming a one-way brand when you were on the verge of death is no different from suicide. But your injuries recovered abnormally. Could this also be the effect of a beastman brand?”
Before Jin Chi’an could think carefully, Qin Hua hugged his arm in grievance and began crying to him.
“I knew it. No wonder I kept dreaming about him these past few days. How is this any different from being bewitched? How could he bond with me without my permission?”
“Why are you crying? You’re the one who benefited. If it weren’t for Xi Lian, you’d already be dead. By the time rescue arrived, you might have already fused with that disgusting tendril.”
“But, but…”
Before Qin Hua could say what was on the tip of his tongue, a familiar voice interrupted their conversation.
“Mr. Jin, long time no see.”
Following the voice, Jin Chi’an slowly turned around. A man dressed in a butler’s uniform was gradually approaching them.
“Long time no see, Butler Puslin.”
“When I saw the guest list for this banquet, I arranged the room you used to stay in. I hope you will find it comfortable.”
Puslin pushed open the door to Jin Chi’an’s room and gestured.
“Tonight’s dinner banquet will be held in the eastern dining hall. Gentlemen, please prepare as soon as possible.”
Sensing that the other party had another purpose, Jin Chi’an gestured to Qin Hua beside him.
“You go back first. We’ll contact each other at the dinner banquet later.”
“Then call me if anything happens.”
Qin Hua turned and returned to another room nearby, leaving the two people, each carrying their own thoughts.
“Please come in, Mr. Jin.”
Under his respectful invitation, Jin Chi’an walked into the room.
Immediately afterward, the door was quietly closed. Puslin mysteriously took a small device from his pocket and handed it to Jin Chi’an.
Jin Chi’an, not understanding why, looked at the device in his hand and considered its use.
“May I ask what this is, Butler Puslin?”
“This is something Mr. Talir asked me to give you. It is a miniature device capable of briefly shielding against optical-computer signal interference. However, because its development is incomplete, once activated, it can only last ten minutes.”
Jin Chi’an’s expression grew solemn. He did not understand the meaning of the other party handing this to him.
“Did Mr. Talir say anything else?”
“Mr. Talir hopes that after the Allied Forces enter the palace, you can hand over the experimental instrument in the room at the far corner of the third floor of the western district to Iskan’s royal family.”
“All right. I understand.”
“There is one final sentence Mr. Talir asked me to pass on to you.”
Jin Chi’an looked at the kindly smiling butler before him with some surprise, until the other party spoke the words he was meant to convey.
“The royal family’s commission has already ended. Mr. Jin no longer needs to send information related to beastman mental power to the royal family.”
“He is…”
“Mr. Jin, I wish you a pleasant trip.”
A crisp locking sound rang out, pulling Jin Chi’an back from his daze. At this moment, he was the only one left in the room.
Looking at the spot where someone had just stood, Jin Chi’an looked at the shielding device in his hand, and the instruction from earlier automatically surfaced in his mind.
The experimental instrument on the third floor of the western district.
That was the instrument. The instrument that had successfully treated the royal family’s mental deterioration.
Jin Chi’an could not understand it. Talir, who usually mocked and ridiculed him for being unable to perform mental guidance, had actually handed over the research achievement of his lifetime to him.
Just as he was puzzled, Felix’s voice came through the miniature communicator.
“Temporary Operation Team One, respond if you copy.”
“Copy.”
Jin Chi’an rubbed his slightly tingling ear and replied through the communicator.
At this moment, that serious tone still lingered beside his ear, making his face flush. He could not help thinking of those lovers hiding under their superior’s desk and secretly watching the other person hold a meeting.
“Operation Team One copies.”
Before he could think further, the replies from the other team members followed one after another, cutting off the fantasy in his mind.
Jin Chi’an rubbed his hair somewhat irritably. He felt that his palm was starting to itch again, his mind filled entirely with the soft feel of the white tiger.
“Abnormal mental energy has been detected above District One at south latitude 78 degrees, west longitude 160 degrees. Please report the current movements at the palace banquet.”
“Everything inside the palace is normal. I have not discovered any signs of the Zerg race on my end for now.”
Jin Chi’an slowly walked to the window and looked at the nobles and powerful figures currently conversing in the palace garden.
“Command copies.”
After the remaining members reported their situations one after another, the miniature communicator in his ear let out a beep and disconnected.
Not long after, the communicator was connected again. A voice different from the earlier serious notification rang out. Felix’s voice was lowered, carrying a gentleness that even surprised the people around him.
“Stay safe.”
Thinking that this was said to him, the corners of Jin Chi’an’s mouth unconsciously curved slightly. With a somewhat helpless laugh, he replied, “Mm. All right.”
A long time after the Allied Forces’ work report ended, Jin Chi’an finally sorted out his thoughts and left the room.
Just as he looked toward the room beside him, several women dressed in elegant white gowns appeared in front of Qin Hua’s door.
Qin Hua, surrounded by them, looked caught between a rock and a hard place. His hands were held in front of his chest as he refused the invitations of several noble ladies.
“Young Master Qin, you needn’t rush to reject us. I’m sure everyone attending this banquet is doing so for their family’s bloodline. I hope you can carefully consider it before giving us an answer.”
“Thank you very much for your understanding, ladies. I will consider it carefully.”
“In that case, we will take our leave first.”
After receiving his response, the women left together. Before leaving, they glanced at Jin Chi’an, who had just stepped out of his room, and said with some regret, “A male guide…”
After being openly sized up by their gazes, Jin Chi’an walked somewhat uncomfortably toward Qin Hua. Just as he was about to ask about the situation, Qin Hua spoke first.
“Chi’an, have you ever thought about having children?”
