Chapter 235
L-Lu Fa?
Tang Yu’an glanced at the young man’s long green hair. While it was certainly fitting, wasn’t the name a little too casual?
He opened his mouth, about to say something, when a small sound came from the abandoned house.
Lu Yan had finally stepped out of the shadows, cautiously approaching the entrance of the hole.
The young man standing at the entrance finally got a clear look at him and couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.
Lu Yan was staring at him intently.
When he noticed the confusion in the young man’s eyes, Lu Yan panicked and instinctively tried to retreat into the darkness again—only to have his arm suddenly grabbed.
At the same time, plants sprouted from the ground, firmly wrapping around his legs.
Startled, he stiffened, too afraid to move.
“S-Sorry!”
The green-haired young man quickly let go of his arm, and the vines that had bound Lu Yan’ legs also loosened.
“I thought you were going to run… so I reacted instinctively… I-I didn’t mean to…”
He hurriedly explained, and when he saw that Lu Yan hadn’t run away again, he finally quieted down.
His gaze fell upon the sores on Lu Yan’ face.
Overnight, thanks to the mid-grade healing potion, the festering wounds had stopped bleeding and had mostly scabbed over.
But now, with the scabs, his face looked even more terrifying than before.
The young man reached out, hesitating just before touching Lu Yan’ cheek.
“Does it hurt?” he asked softly.
Suddenly, Lu Yan’ tears started falling.
He didn’t understand the young man’s words, but he understood the emotions in his eyes, the tenderness and concern in his voice.
And in that moment, an overwhelming sense of grievance welled up in his heart. The tears wouldn’t stop.
“Ah… ah… ah…”
He desperately wanted to say something, but all that came out were meaningless sounds.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
Seeing him cry, the young man panicked.
Tang Yu’an, standing nearby, handed over a handkerchief.
The young man glanced at him, murmured a quick thanks, then gently wiped away Lu Yan’ tears.
“D-Don’t cry… If your tears touch your wounds, it’ll hurt even more…”
But the more he spoke, the harder Lu Yan cried. In the end, the young man had to stop talking, and only then did Lu Yan slowly calm down.
At that moment, the green-haired young man’s strength finally gave out, and he fell backward.
Startled, Lu Yan leaned out of the hole, trying to catch him. But when he saw that he had simply slumped into a wheelchair, he sighed in relief.
“Can you come out of there first?” the green-haired young man asked weakly. “Let me check your wounds and treat them…”
Lu Yan looked at him in confusion.
Tang Yu’an gestured and repeated the word, “Come out.”
“Come… out?”
When Lu Yan finally crawled out of the hole, Tang Yu’an gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s it! Just like that!”
Lu Yan couldn’t help but smile.
But as he climbed out, his arms and legs scraped against the edge of the hole, reopening the scabs on his wounds, and fresh blood began to flow again.
Seeing this, the green-haired young man felt a pang of guilt.
He took Lu Yan’ hand and said, “You’re hurt again… It’s all my fault…”
Lu Yan stared at him in confusion. It wasn’t until the young man pointed it out that he realized his hand was bleeding.
To him, this level of pain was nothing. In fact, now that the poison in his body had been cleansed, he felt much lighter—almost uncomfortably so.
Still, an injury was an injury. It had to be treated.
Tang Yu’an took out some hemostatic powder and bandages, preparing to help, but the green-haired young man took them instead.
Even though he was still weak, he insisted on tending to Lu Yan himself. His concern was evident, showing just how deep their bond ran.
Feeling their care, Lu Yan slowly relaxed.
His bright green eyes shimmered, and as he gazed at the green-haired young man, trust and reliance gradually filled his expression.
Tang Yu’an watched them with a smile, but then, remembering something, he frowned in hesitation.
Was he really going to call him “Green Hair”?
Just as the young man finished bandaging the wounds, Lu Yan reached into his pocket and hesitantly pulled out a nameplate, reluctantly handing it over.
The young man blinked in surprise and took the nameplate. The moment it touched his hand, something stirred in his memory.
“Ah… this is mine?”
As soon as he held it, faint images flashed through his mind.
But the rest of his memories remained elusive.
Lu Yan nodded, gazing longingly at the nameplate, his eyes full of reluctance.
When the tree had been washed up by the water, this nameplate had been with him. Later, when he turned into a tree, his clothes had been torn apart, leaving only this piece behind.
He had carried it with him ever since—for a very, very long time.
Originally, he had planned to keep it secretly, thinking that now that the tree had regained human form, he would leave.
But now, he had still taken it out and returned it.
“… Mo Yu.”
The green-haired young man traced the words engraved on the nameplate and suddenly froze.
“I remember now. This… this should be my name!”
“Wow, that’s a great name!” Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but exclaim.
Much better than ‘Green Hair’!
Tang Yu’an quickly marked the young man’s name on the map.
“Na… Name…” Lu Yan looked at Mo Yu, curiosity flickering in his gaze.
“Yes, this is my name.”
Mo Yu held Lu Yan’ hand, his face brightening with joy as he gently said, “My name is Mo Yu.”
“Mo… Mo… Green?”
Tang Yu’an: … Why is it green again?
Mo Yu chuckled, not correcting Lu Yan’ pronunciation. Instead, he said, “Just call me Mo Mo. It’s easier to say.”
Lu Yan tilted his head. “Mo Mo?”
“Yes, I—” Mo Yu pointed at himself. “Mo Mo.”
“Mo Mo!” This time, Lu Yan called out decisively.
Mo Yu’s eyes curved into a smile as he reached out a hand toward him.
Unlike how he reacted to Tang Yu’an, Lu Yan didn’t flinch away. He let Mo Yu’s hand rest gently on his head.
Mo Yu softly placed his palm atop Lu Yan’ head and said with a smile, “Mm, just call me that from now on.”
A shy smile appeared on Lu Yan’ face, but his bright Lu Yan sparkled with joy as he looked at Mo Yu.
Tang Yu’an, watching from the side, thought for a moment before asking, “Should we give Lu Yan a new name too?”
Mo Yu considered it but then shook his head. “This is his name. It might have a special meaning. We can’t just change it on a whim.”
Tang Yu’an hesitated before voicing his suspicion. “But… have you ever considered that maybe you were the one who gave him this name?”
Mo Yu froze.
Tang Yu’an continued, “Lu Yan has always lived in this toxic mist. The only person he’s likely ever interacted with… is probably you.”
Lu Yan had never told Tang Yu’an much about his past, but ever since they first met in a dream, his movements on the map had never extended beyond this region.
At most, he had traveled as far as a three-way intersection, but he had never left the green mist’s range.
Considering this, the chances of Lu Yan meeting someone else were very low.
Moreover, Mo Yu’s nameplate resembled Chi Hao’s. Even if he wasn’t from the Fortress, he was likely connected to it.
He probably ended up in this abandoned chemical plant by accident.
If that were true, then Mo Yu was probably the only friend Lu Yan had ever known—and that friendship had formed after they met.
Back when they first encountered each other in dreams, Lu Yan couldn’t even speak. So it was highly likely that Mo Yu had been the one to give him his name.
But Mo Yu clearly didn’t remember any of this.
“Wasn’t there… a merchant?” Mo Yu recalled, referring to the only other person Lu Yan had mentioned after regaining his awareness. However, he hadn’t caught the name properly.
Tang Yu’an, unable to reveal that he was the mysterious merchant, quickly shifted the conversation. He turned to Lu Yan and asked, “By the way, how did you meet the merchant?”
“M-Met…?” Lu Yan struggled to understand, then finally said, “In… a dream… Merchant…”
“Oh!” Tang Yu’an suddenly understood. “You met us in a dream? No wonder he sent us here to rescue you!”
Lu Yan blinked at Tang Yu’an in confusion. He was speaking too quickly again—Lu Yan couldn’t keep up.
But Tang Yu’an hadn’t really been speaking for him.
Mo Yu, however, was stunned by his words. “You met in a dream?”
“Yes, that’s one of our Lord’s abilities,” Tang Yu’an nodded. “He’s an incredibly powerful existence.”
Mo Yu nodded as well—he still remembered what an ability was.
He looked at Lu Yan again, his voice softening as he asked, “So… I really was the one who gave you your name?”
“N-Name… gave…”
Lu Yan mimicked his words, just like how he had learned from Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi in their shared dream.
Seeing this, Mo Yu’s gaze grew even more tender.
“I don’t remember…” he murmured. “Then… how about I give you a better name?”
‘Lu Yan’ didn’t really sound like a proper name.
“Okay…” Lu Yan agreed.
Mo Yu gently patted his head and fell into thought.
Tang Yu’an, watching from the side, let out a quiet sigh of relief. But he couldn’t help feeling a little worried about Mo Yu’s naming abilities. Just as he was about to offer a suggestion, Mo Yu spoke up again.
“Then… I’ll call you Ai Lu. Do you like it?”
Tang Yu’an blinked. “Ai Lu? … ‘Love Green’?”
“It’s the ‘Ai’ from ‘youthful elegance,’” Mo Yu explained with a gentle smile as he looked at Lu Yan.
Tang Yu’an’s eyes widened. If he remembered correctly, this ‘Ai’ meant beauty, grace.
Beautiful green?
His gaze fell on Lu Yan’ clear, innocent emerald eyes, and he couldn’t help but nod in agreement. It really was a fitting name.
“Ai Lu—what a beautiful name!” Tang Yu’an affirmed.
Way better than ‘Lu Yan’ or ‘Green Hair’!
“Beautiful!” Lu Yan echoed with a nod.
Mo Yu smiled and pointed at him. “Ai Lu.”
Then he pointed at himself. “Mo Mo.”
He repeated the motion two or three times until Lu Yan finally understood.
His eyes widened slightly, and he pointed at himself hesitantly. “Name… Ai… Ai Lu?”
“Yes, your new name,” Mo Yu said, a little nervous. “Do you like it?”
“Like…” Lu Yan murmured.
Then he broke into a bright smile and suddenly leaped forward, wrapping his arms around Mo Yu and burying his face in his chest—just like he used to do when hugging the big tree.
Of course, the difference was that the tree’s body had become so warm and soft—it made him want to keep hugging it forever…
But Mo Yu panicked.
“Your wounds haven’t healed yet… Don’t rub against me. Wait until you’re better… then you can hug me again…”
Watching Mo Yu gently coaxing Green—no, he should call him Ai Lu now—Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but turn to look at Zhou Qi. And then he saw…
The branches that had grown from Zhou Qi’s head, once covered in lush green leaves, had all withered and fallen away!
Tang Yu’an jumped to his feet, no longer paying attention to Ai Lu and Mo Yu. He rushed toward Zhou Qi in alarm.
But before he could get close, a surge of heat rolled toward him.
He was forced to stop, crossing his arms in front of him for protection. In the next moment, the massive form of the Four-Eyed Hound appeared in front of him, blocking the scorching waves.
Black Pearl also emerged at his side.
They both stared at Zhou Qi with sharp vigilance, as dazzling flames erupted where Zhou Qi stood.
His entire body was engulfed in fire—just like when the fire spirit parasite had consumed him before.
“Brother Qi!”
Tang Yu’an wanted to rush forward but was stopped by the Four-Eyed Hound, forced to watch from afar as Zhou Qi burned.
But soon, he recalled something and began to calm down.
After absorbing the fire spirit parasite, Zhou Qi was no longer afraid of flames. The fire seemed to only be burning away the branches on his body—his actual body hadn’t undergone any drastic changes.
The raging flames incinerated his protective suit into ashes, and the branches and leaves growing from him turned to charred remnants.
Under Tang Yu’an’s watchful gaze, Zhou Qi, who had remained motionless until now, slowly clenched his fists.
As he moved, the layers of scorched debris crumbled away, revealing the flames still flickering beneath.
His clothes had been reduced to nothing but ash, leaving only his inner garments, which were made of temperature-resistant fabric.
Only then did the flames gradually subside, retracting into his body. At that moment, he opened his eyes.
His crimson irises glowed coldly, forming a stark contrast to the searing heat radiating from his body.
However, when Tang Yu’an ran toward him, the coldness in Zhou Qi’s gaze slowly faded, and his eyes returned to their deep black color.
“An An…” He called out softly.
“Brother Qi! Are you okay?”
Tang Yu’an rushed to his side, grabbing his hands to examine him carefully. Then he checked his status panel and was surprised to find that the “Spirit Parasite Infestation” label was gone.
“You’re cured?!”
That was fast!
Zhou Qi could tell what Tang Yu’an was thinking and smiled. “Mm, the fire suppressed the wood spirit parasite, helping me subdue it more quickly.”
Of course, it would still take some time to fully digest and absorb its energy.
“Sorry for worrying you.”
Tang Yu’an hugged his arm with a grin. “I wasn’t that worried—I knew you’d be fine!”
If he had managed to withstand the fire spirit parasite before, there was no way he’d fail now, especially after becoming so much stronger.
“You were amazing this time, breaking free so quickly!”
When he had suppressed the earth spirit parasite before, it had taken two to three months. Tang Yu’an had mentally prepared for another long battle, but Zhou Qi had recovered in just two days.
Even Zhou Qi himself was a little surprised. He looked at Tang Yu’an and smiled. “It was thanks to you.”
Tang Yu’an blinked. “You mean the fire crystal and flame stone?”
Zhou Qi nodded.
Tang Yu’an immediately grinned smugly. “Heh, I knew I’d be useful at a critical moment!”
Then, Zhou Qi pulled out the lucky marble he always carried with him.
Seeing it intact, he finally let out a breath of relief. Meanwhile, Tang Yu’an tugged at his inner garments in fascination. “Wow, clothes made from temperature-resistant metal fabric really have an insane burn resistance!”
Their inner garments were made from a combination of mutated metal, Lan Hu leaves, and cotton fabric.
Originally, the material had been designed to protect vital areas, like a bulletproof vest. Who would’ve thought it would also have such incredible fire resistance?
Zhou Qi nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Mo Yu, who was sitting in his wheelchair, was pushed over by Ai Lu.
He had only come to check on his rescuers out of concern. But as he got closer to Zhou Qi—especially when Zhou Qi’s gaze fell upon him—his face turned pale.
Fear surged within him, sudden and uncontrollable.
“Mo… Mo Mo?” Ai Lu noticed something was wrong and called out to him.
Mo Yu shook his head, forcing himself to stay calm in front of Ai Lu. But when he looked at Zhou Qi again, he instinctively averted his gaze.
Tang Yu’an noticed and said to Zhou Qi, “Brother Qi, go change your clothes first. I’ll explain things to him.”
Zhou Qi didn’t fully understand what was going on, but he could sense that Mo Yu had once been the original host of the wood spirit parasite.
As for Ai Lu—he was probably the same “Lu Yan” from before.
“Alright.” He nodded, then turned and headed back to the RV.
Only after Zhou Qi left did Mo Yu feel better, his breathing gradually returning to normal.
“You saw it just now.”
Tang Yu’an spoke. “Yesterday, you turned from a tree back into a person. And in your place, my companion became the ‘wooden’ one.”
Mo Yu nodded. He had heard the conversation between the two boys earlier.
“This is his ability, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely risk-free,” Tang Yu’an continued. “Now that he’s escaped danger, your fear of him… you can think of it as the price you had to pay for being saved.”
“…I see.”
Mo Yu had been a tree for many years. In his fragmented memories, when he first met Ai Lu, the boy had still been just a child.
And now, he had already grown into an adult.
All these years, he had never been able to turn back into a human. Even when Ai Lu treated him with potions that revitalized his tree form, he still couldn’t change back…
But yesterday, he suddenly returned to human form. It was undoubtedly related to these two young men.
He didn’t mind this so-called “price” at all.
Turning from a human into a tree—being rooted in place, unable to move, unable to speak—was a kind of unbearable torment.
If not for Ai Lu’s companionship, his consciousness might have already faded away.
Now that he was human again, he felt nothing but endless gratitude.
“I haven’t had a chance to thank you,” Mo Yu said. “I owe you both my life.”
Tang Yu’an shook his head. “No, don’t say that—”
Before he could finish, Zhou Qi, who had changed into new clothes and returned, cut in, “That’s right, we don’t want your life. You just need to repay us in points.”
“Points?” Mo Yu asked in surprise. “What’s that?”
“We’re members of the Peace Trading Association,” Zhou Qi explained. “Points are our internal currency. You can think of it as… money. You do know what money is, right?”
“I think I understand,” Mo Yu nodded. “How much do I need to repay?”
“One million.” Zhou Qi stated.
That was the same price they had set for Xie Chaori—there was no reason to give Mo Yu a discount. Of course, he hadn’t increased the price either.
“That doesn’t sound like a small amount…” Mo Yu murmured. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to repay it in the short term.”
“That’s fine. You can come back with us and pay it off slowly,” Zhou Qi said calmly.
Mo Yu: “….”
It wasn’t that he was unwilling to repay it, but Zhou Qi’s sheer presence was so overwhelming that he felt like he couldn’t refuse.
However, when he glanced at Ai Lu beside him, he forced himself to steady his nerves.
“Alright, I’ll go with you,” he said in a low voice. “But please, don’t make things difficult for Ai Lu. He doesn’t know anything.”
“I think it’s best if he comes with us, too,” Zhou Qi replied.
From his perspective, this abandoned chemical plant was no place for people to live. Bringing them both back to the settlement would be in their best interest.
“Yeah, are you really comfortable leaving Ai Lu here alone?” Tang Yu’an chimed in.
“Don’t worry, we won’t restrict his freedom. He can leave whenever he wants. As for you… you might have to wait until you pay off your debt first.”
Brother Qi had taken a huge risk and paid a steep price for saving him. One million points wasn’t unreasonable.
Besides, Mo Yu had wood-based abilities. Earning a million points wouldn’t actually take that long.
Mo Yu hesitated, looking at the still-dazed Ai Lu. “I’m afraid he’ll be frightened.”
Ai Lu’s initial fear of him had left a deep impression. If he took Ai Lu into the outside world, would he be able to handle it?
“We can take things slow,” Tang Yu’an reassured him. “We’ll stay here for now and heal his injuries first.”
Once Ai Lu’s wounds were treated, people wouldn’t see him as a monster anymore, and he’d be less likely to suffer any emotional distress.
“How many points does that cost?” Mo Yu asked. “I’ll cover it for him.”
Tang Yu’an was momentarily stunned. He had considered Ai Lu a friend, so he hadn’t even thought about charging him.
But Mo Yu clearly didn’t see it that way.
“Would 500,000 points be enough?” Mo Yu continued.
Tang Yu’an: “….”
He really wanted to say, Boss, you’re so generous!
Zhou Qi answered instead, “No need for that much—200,000 will do.”
“Deal!” Mo Yu agreed without hesitation.
To him, Ai Lu’s injuries seemed severe, and he had no idea how to heal him. If these two young men had a way, he was willing to take on any debt for it.
Tang Yu’an glanced between Mo Yu and Zhou Qi, thoroughly impressed.
Zhou Qi quickly wrote up an IOU and had Mo Yu sign it.
After putting the document away, he turned to Tang Yu’an and asked, “An An, you haven’t used today’s healing charges yet, right?”
“Yep, still available!”
Without further ado, Tang Yu’an walked over to Ai Lu and cast his healing spell.
A brilliant light rose up, enveloping both Ai Lu and Mo Yu, who was still sitting in his wheelchair. While the focus of the spell was Ai Lu, Mo Yu also benefited from its effects.
As the radiant, sacred glow illuminated the space, Mo Yu stared blankly at Tang Yu’an.
He could feel the healing energy contained within the light. His body was rapidly repairing itself, his energy and stamina returning.
He couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Zhou Qi, then back at Tang Yu’an.
At first, he had thought he was making a deal with the devil.
But now, he realized—standing beside the devil was an actual angel.
