Chapter 74 – Directions
Xia Lu Nong’s ability had been developed for some time now. His power was focused on cultivating plants, and he usually used it quite effectively, never thinking there was anything wrong with his method.
Curious, he cautiously asked, “Which aspect are you referring to?”
“The application of it,” Yan Ming Qing said, scratching his head. “I want to know, when you use your ability, what are you usually thinking? Do you focus on making the plants grow better and produce more fruit?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, his clear black-and-white eyes watching Yan Ming Qing with an expression of obviousness.
Using his ability wasn’t easy. It made him very hungry, and if he used it too much, it would give him headaches, leaving him feeling drained. He couldn’t afford to waste it.
Seeing Xia Lu Nong nod, Yan Ming Qing asked, “Have you ever considered that your ability might act according to your wishes? Like if you want a plant to bear more fruit, it will, or if you want it to grow faster, it will grow faster?”
Xia Lu Nong was taken aback. He hadn’t really thought of it that way before. “Professor Yan, are you suggesting that my ability might be more powerful than I thought? That I can control its effects based on what I want?”
“Exactly. You might be underestimating it.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “The output of my ability is actually quite small. I usually can only use it on one plant at a time, and if I use it too much, it gives me headaches.”
“Maybe it used to cause headaches when you used it a lot, but things might have changed now,” Yan Ming Qing said. “Your ability is very useful and has a lot of potential. You should think more about how to apply it. Of course, this is just my suggestion.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded.
Yan Ming Qing smiled, “Why don’t you try using your ability again now? See if you can make the peanuts grow a bit bigger and plumper.”
“That’s no problem,” Xia Lu Nong said. “But using my ability over a wide area might have a weak effect.”
“Just give it a try.”
Xia Lu Nong gave it a shot.
His ability didn’t have an immediate effect. The peanuts would still need time to grow on their own.
Yan Ming Qing recorded the growth of the peanut plants in this area and agreed to come back the next day to observe the effects of the ability again.
Though Xia Lu Nong found it exhausting to conduct experiments with Yan Ming Qing, he could see the benefits of persisting.
In just a few days, he noticed that his ability could indeed guide the plants to develop in different directions.
For example, the strawberries at the entrance: when he used his ability on them, he wished for one strawberry plant to grow very sweet and another to grow very large.
Sure enough, by the next day, the two strawberry plants had grown according to his wishes.
One plant bore small strawberries that were bright red, fragrant, and burst with sweet juice. The scent even lingered on his clothes for half the day.
The other plant produced strawberries that were almost as large as bowls, but they tasted bland and a bit sour.
Before using his ability, both strawberry plants had grown similarly, producing strawberries of about the same size and sweetness. But after the ability was applied, the changes were significant, proving that it could guide the plants in different directions.
Xia Lu Nong also noticed that the effect of his ability would gradually wear off after a few harvests. By the third or fourth crop, the strawberries would return to their original state.
It seemed the effect of his ability would slowly fade over time.
Yan Ming Qing, highly intrigued by Xia Lu Nong’s ability, followed him around almost every day, helping with weeding, fertilizing, and watering, even staying for several meals at Xia Lu Nong’s home.
Their research yielded noticeable results. The peanuts in Xia Lu Nong’s field were growing larger and fatter.
Kong Zhi and Xia Huo Qu weren’t too fond of Yan Ming Qing’s constant presence, though they didn’t say anything, just treating him a bit coldly.
It was rare for someone to share Xia Lu Nong’s enthusiasm for experimenting with his ability, so Xia Lu Nong had been excited, using it quite extensively for several days.
Kong Zhi had warned him about overusing his ability and the risk of headaches, but Xia Lu Nong hadn’t listened. He soon faced the consequences.
That evening, when Xia Lu Nong returned home, his face was pale, and his lips were bright red, clearly not in good shape.
As soon as Xia Huo Qu saw Xia Lu Nong, he immediately said, “Let’s go, we’re going to see Dr. Ou.”
Xia Lu Nong, feeling sick and holding his head, responded, “No need, I just overused my ability. I’ll be fine after some rest.”
“What if it’s not just that?” Xia Huo Qu grabbed his arm and said coldly, “We’re going to see Dr. Ou first, and then we’ll talk.”
“…Okay.”
Feeling guilty, Xia Lu Nong didn’t resist anymore and let his brother drag him out of the house. As they reached the steps, he nearly tripped and fell.
Luckily, his brother had a firm grip on his arm and quickly pulled him up.
Suddenly, Xia Lu Nong lowered his head and felt something flowing from his nose. The evening wind was cool, and he thought maybe he had caught a cold, assuming it was just a runny nose. Embarrassed, he was about to ask for a tissue.
Before he could say anything, his brother’s expression changed, showing a hint of alarm.
Kong Zhi, who was nearby, quickly offered, “I’ll carry him.”
Xia Huo Qu shook his head, took a step back, and with a low growl, transformed into a white wolf right before their eyes.
As he shifted, his clothes tore apart, leaving scraps of fabric scattered around.
Xia Lu Nong, his head aching and feeling dazed, caught a glimpse of his brother turning into a white wolf. He mumbled, “I know my limits. It’s no big deal. I just need some rest…”
The white wolf growled softly, cutting him off, and then, with a swift motion, scooped him up sideways into its mouth. The wolf then leapt five or six meters ahead, racing toward Dr. Ou’s clinic.
A wolf’s mouth wasn’t as large as a tiger’s, so the white wolf struggled to hold Xia Lu Nong securely, some saliva dripping from its jaw.
Despite the difficulty, the wolf managed to carry him steadily. Xia Lu Nong, in his brother’s mouth, felt surprisingly comfortable and safe, like he was floating on a cloud in a dream.
His consciousness blurred as his nose continued to bleed, drops of blood trailing from the wolf’s mouth along the way.
Dr. Ou, seeing them through the window, was startled. She rushed out to meet them, and without asking any questions, immediately channeled some healing energy into Xia Lu Nong.
Xia Lu Nong’s complexion improved slightly.
After a quick check-up, Dr. Ou found no serious internal or external injuries, so she breathed a small sigh of relief and asked the large white wolf beside her, “What happened to Xiao Nong?”
The wolf growled softly.
Dr. Ou looked at him and said, “Wait a moment, I’ll get you some clothes.”
She returned to the house, searching for some patient clothes for Xia Huo Qu. She found a few shirts but no extra pants, so she handed him a clean bedsheet, saying with a bit of resignation, “You’ll have to make do with this for now.”
By then, Kong Zhi had hurried over, out of breath.
Dr. Ou gestured for Xia Huo Qu to shift back to human form, then turned to Kong Zhi and asked, “What’s going on with Xiao Nong?”
Kong Zhi explained, “He’s been using his ability a lot lately. I think he’s overexerted himself.”
“That’s what I thought as well,” Dr. Ou nodded, relieved. “He’s overworked and in a suboptimal state. His intracranial pressure seems a bit high, but he should be fine.”
Before the great disaster, Dr. Ou wasn’t a full-time doctor; she learned later and became a general practitioner. Many of her diagnoses were based on intuition rather than precise expertise.
Fortunately, her treatments relied mostly on her ability.
Xia Huo Qu, now back in human form, had the sheet wrapped around his waist, his upper body bare and looking almost godlike in appearance. “So, Xiao Nong is out of danger now?”
Dr. Ou, a little embarrassed to look at him directly, replied, “Based on my judgment, yes. But to be safe, it would be best to keep him here for observation overnight.”
Xia Huo Qu nodded. “Thank you. We’ll bring the consultation fee later.”
“No rush. For now, can you help carry Xiao Nong into the ward?” Dr. Ou, seeing that Xia Lu Nong’s nosebleed had stopped, also relaxed a bit. “What’s he been doing lately to overuse his ability?”
“He’s been experimenting with his power.”
Kong Zhi moved to help Xia Lu Nong, but Xia Huo Qu waved him off, bent down, and scooped his brother up in his arms. He chatted with Dr. Ou as he carried him, “The kid doesn’t know his limits and ended up overdoing it.”
“That’s normal,” Dr. Ou commented. “When I first discovered my own ability, I experimented day and night and fainted a few times too.” She looked at Xia Lu Nong, pale-faced, and sighed, “He’ll definitely have a headache later.”
Xia Huo Qu’s expression darkened slightly, but he said calmly, “Let him learn his lesson.”
After Xia Lu Nong was settled in the ward, Dr. Ou checked him again and gave him another dose of healing energy. “Overusing one’s ability is fairly common, but there’s not much I can do. He’ll have to rest and recover on his own.”
Xia Huo Qu nodded. “I’ll stay here with him tonight.”
Kong Zhi chimed in, “Brother Huo Qu, I’ll stay instead. I’ll bring my flute later to see if it helps ease his headache.”
Xia Huo Qu patted his shoulder and didn’t argue.
Yan Xi Nian arrived with a set of clothes for Xia Huo Qu and immediately asked, “Is Xiao Nong okay?”
“He hasn’t sustained any irreversible damage,” Xia Huo Qu replied.
Yan Xi Nian let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Professor Yan was too careless.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “Xiao Nong is ultimately responsible for his own use of his ability. He’s old enough to know better.”
Yan Xi Nian, frustrated, said, “We’re partly responsible too, for not reminding him sooner. And Professor Yan—he should’ve been more considerate of his research partner’s health.”
Xia Huo Qu replied, “We’ll discuss this once Xiao Nong wakes up. I don’t think they should continue working together.”
Though Xia Huo Qu’s anger wasn’t obvious, it was clear.
Yan Xi Nian and Kong Zhi exchanged glances, understanding that Yan Ming Qing wouldn’t be allowed near Xia Lu Nong again.
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Thanks for the chapter! They went to far!