Chapter 16: North Star And Scabbard
“Anyway, you have to get the operation right away,” Feng Rao stammered twice and quickly regained his dignity as a doctor, “The mutated tissue must be removed immediately to prevent it from spreading.”
In short, surgery would have to be done to remove his wings. Compared with waiting for it to shrink naturally, surgery is a safer and more stable way, Ye Zhan has no objection, anyway, after being discovered by Qi Yuan, flying away will not work.
“Don’t be so nervous, my constitution is not easy to corrupt, this kind of infection is nothing.” Ye Zhan slowly changed into a surgical gown, “It’s you who I am curious about, doctor, why do you care so much about me?”
Feng Rao, who was cleaning his smaller wounds, frowned, “Now is not the time for small talk.”
“Let’s have a casual chat now when we have time. Doctor, you’ve been so busy that I can’t even find time to talk to you.”
Feng Rao glanced up at him, “You were the kid always playing downstairs.”
“Huh?”
“I told you that you didn’t know me, but I’ve been keeping an eye on you. At that time, I would wake up at 6 a.m. and rest at 1 a.m., I was always so busy with my studies and work, and I was tired to death every day. You were the kid playing downstairs while I was doing my homework.”
Ye Zhan recalled his unscrupulous student days, and he played around crazily so he was a little embarrassed. However, when he thought about it, he realized, “No, that’s not right, when I was in school, you should have graduated long ago.”
“It’s just an analogy. At that time, I was doing a PhD in graduate school, didn’t you often come to the graduate school to play? I noticed you when you first came.” Feng Rao pushed his glasses up as if remembering something, his green eyes flashed with a gentle light, “How to say, you and we are not the same. Those of us who grew up in the city have been taught from a young age to work hard, dedicate our youth to the construction of the city, burn our lives for the continuation of civilization, and everyone is under too much pressure to relax for a moment.”
“Alpha soldiers train desperately, and the hospital receives patients who die suddenly from overtraining every day, and muscle dissolution and joint wear and tear are all trivial. To achieve fertility goals, Omegas begin to conceive before they are considered adults. As for us Betas, we study hard and learn our craft, or we will be evicted from the city if we can’t find a job in the future. Everyone walks on an arranged trajectory, working, getting married, having children, a sudden death, and we can see the end of life at a glance…”
“But you’re different- it was as if you were always a tourist who came to play, no one can restrain you, and you can’t do anything with you, except for the old city lord, you didn’t listen to anyone. You didn’t have to fight for a great goal, and you never fit in, and one day when you get impatient, you leave everything behind and fly to another world……”
“Haha, isn’t that what they call ‘selfishness’,” Ye Zhan recalled those ridiculous years, and couldn’t help but hook the corners of his mouth, “What else is it except for the statement that ‘I just want to enjoy the benefits that Xuancheng gives you, and I don’t want to take on the obligation of building Xuancheng’,”
A little brute who doesn’t know how to be grateful, who has no conscience- even he had grown tired of hearing these words.
“Even if it’s selfish, to be honest, before I met you, I was surrounded by the same desperate people, and although I was tired, I never felt that there was anything wrong with this kind of life. But then every time I see you, those thoughts come to me: when can I live for myself? When I can let go and do what I want to do, do what makes me happy, not care about other people’s opinions, not have to live a life that has been arranged.”
Ye Zhan seemed to have realized, “So you left Xuancheng and came here?”
He gave up a safe and prosperous life in the city and ran over to join the bandits.
Feng Rao smiled and nodded, “That’s why I’m here.”
“So are you living the life you want?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“You’re welcome, how many times have you thanked me already?” Feng Rao put on his protective suit and patted his wings, “Although it may not be useful, I will help you persuade Qi Yuan.”
The surgery was over, and very successful. Feng Rao took off his mask and pinched his sore shoulder. Ye Zhan was lying on the operating table, still under anesthesia, and he did not wake up. His quiet and slumbering appearance is very deceptive, with a gentle and docile appearance, no wonder so many Alphas are fooled.
However, if one looks at the surgical report, one will conclude that he is completely opposite of his current appearance. Ye Zhan’s body is very strong, far exceeding the average of Alpha. He doesn’t have a special bloodline, so he’s not an anomaly, but he has a strange ability to heal himself, and he won’t be eroded by any other’s bloodline.
With such a talent, it is no wonder that he was confident enough to take the initiative to infect himself.
Feng Rao watched silently for a while, told the nurse to take care of the patient, and then turned to leave.
He carried two cans of beer and found Qi Yuan, who was braving the night breeze alone, “One can?”
This is the stern of the ship, with a huge balcony with a view, and the overhead and walls are transparent for a vast view of the surroundings.
Standing on this isolated island high in the sky, the ground becomes dark and distant, and the ship has become a part of the dark night that enveloped the country. The sky was as clear as water, soaked in countless shining stars. Since the industrial age, until the end of the Common Era, mankind has probably never seen such brilliant stars in the sky above the city.
Qi Yuan took the beer, “Such a good thing, where did you get it?”
Beer is a rationed treasure, especially on ships.
“Qin Hang’s inventory. I helped him with his wounds and he gave me two cans.” Feng Rao said.
“He was hurt?”
“His main injury was a punch to the nose.”
Qi Yuan chuckled lightly and didn’t say anything.
Feng Rao pushed his glasses, “I have tested the armor you brought back, it is a legendary treasure, and it can withstand the attacks of most foreign beasts after wearing it. It’s a bit useless for you, though, and your dragon scales are hard enough. Why take the risk of finding that monster?”
“Well, my father’s birthday is approaching,” Qi Yuan said, “I want to give it to him as a gift.”
“So you broke off your two dragon scales?” Feng Rao said.
“It’s not a precious thing.” Qi Yuan said.
Such armor is very practical for Qi Zhen who is in a coma, and can prevent the sneak attack of most assassins. Out of such considerations, Qi Yuan felt that his contribution was nothing.
This madman…… Feng Rao was speechless, he took a sip of beer to moisten his throat, and then said, “Ye Zhan’s wings have been removed, and the awakening degree has been reduced to 22%, so the possibility of mutation can be preliminarily ruled out. His right hand has been bandaged and needs to be cast for a while. Except for his unstable pheromones, all other indicators are stable.”
“Well done.”
“Actually, I didn’t do anything, he has a strong ability to heal himself…… It was ridiculously strong, and without my medication, the risks dropped from 55% to 22% in a short period of time, and he was able to quickly return to his pre-infection state. It’s as if he’s not going to be polluted by any other blood.”
There is also a high-level suppression between the bloodlines, for example, because of the dragon blood in his body, Qi Yuan is not easily infected by a low-level mutant beast. When it comes to Yingzhao Blood, his body will not mutate except for the stress response.
But Ye Zhan’s situation is different, he will mutate, but the mutation will quickly purify itself, this characteristic is the first time even Feng Rao has seen it.
“Is he a supernatural being?” Qi Yuan asked.
“No, at least I didn’t find out what special bloodline he had, except for the pheromone instability, he was completely ordinary.” Feng Rao said, “However, the testing equipment on the spacecraft is limited, and further diagnosis can only be made after returning to the base.”
“Then, please do so.” Qi Yuan took out a small notebook and solemnly wrote down this matter. Although he and Ye Zhan have known each other for many years, Ye Zhan has never mentioned his past to him. He is always shrouded in mysteries that he can’t see, such as his origins, his past, and the source of his great power.
“What are you going to do with him in the future?” Feng Rao leaned against the railing, staring ahead, “Is he always gonna be locked up like this?”
“What I do depends on what he does.” Qi Yuan said.
“It’s not your way to be flexible.” Feng Rao said.
“You noticed,” Qi Yuan admitted, “I do have some trouble with him and I don’t know what to do.”
“He’s going to run away, no matter how hard you lock him up, break his wings, break his legs, it’s useless.” Feng Rao said, “It may not end as easily as it is today.”
“I know.” Qi Yuan said, “But I can’t let him go.”
“Why?” Feng Rao couldn’t help it, “I know, you used to have a good relationship, but now the situation is different, and yet you ……”
“He is my only chance to be rescued.” Qi Yuan leaned on the railing with his hands folded, gently shook the beer can and said nonchalantly.
The words he wanted to say suddenly got jammed in Feng Rao’s throat.
“Or rather, he used to be my ‘North Star’.
“North Star?” Feng Rao couldn’t help but look up at the northern sky, and among the stars, there was one that was exceptionally bright. The Earth never stops turning, and the star’s trajectory shifts with it, but Polaris is facing the Earth’s axis and is therefore constantly pointing north. In the ancient days before the invention of the compass and maps people used it to find their way in the dark.
“That’s what my mom told me. On the first day I received the dragon’s blood injection, she told me that humanity can only fight the Fall with strong faith. The awakening of the bloodline of the desolation will not only transform the human body but also return the spirit to primitive ignorance, just like returning to the long dark night before the dawn of civilization. Human beings need to find a strong belief to sustain their hearts, just as they find a constant North Star so that they do not lose their way in the night. Before—when I was still in Xuancheng—Ye Zhan was my belief, and I tried to maintain my sanity to be able to live with him normally. He was the whole meaning of my life.”
If it weren’t for him personally admitting it, Feng Rao wouldn’t dare to imagine that he was so affectionate. In his impression, Qi Yuan has always been indifferent, quite restrained in his desires, and has never shown excessive affection for anyone.
“I’m constantly being corrupted by dragon blood, and sooner or later I’m going to fall and become a real monster.” Qi Yuan’s expression was as usual, as if he was telling someone else’s story, “Now, I fight against the erosion of dragon blood by drinking the potion, but you know, that medicine is not a good thing either, it will destroy my humanity, make my character more and more cold-blooded and cruel, and slowly be distorted into those mythical creatures who rule death.”
“Whatever I become, it’s very dangerous for you, I have the ability to execute all of you, and if you find me showing signs of losing control, kill me immediately, preferably with fire.”
Feng Rao subconsciously shook his head, “No, I will closely monitor your status, there will be no…… that day won’t…”
Qi Yuan hummed, “Now, my ‘North Star’ is back – no, maybe it would be more appropriate to call him my ‘Scabbard’.”
“In reality, I can’t like him as purely as I did back then but he is still effective, and when I hugged him, I was able to regain my composure quickly for the first time without taking medicine. So I want to treat myself through him, can you accept such a reason?”
Feng Rao opened his mouth, speechless for a while, Qi Yuan explained too much to him beyond his obligation, making him simply unable to refute. If he stood in Qi Yuan’s position, he would also be desperate to seize this glimmer of hope.
“Hmm…… What if this scabbard doesn’t want to be one?” asked Feng Rao cautiously. Although he followed Qi Yuan’s analogy, he suddenly felt strange again.
Qi Yuan sneered, “Maybe I can be gentle so that he doesn’t hurt so much?”
Feng Rao coughed twice, ” I think you should talk about it and let him know what you think, uh, maybe you can pay him some money and hire him or something……”
He himself felt that his suggestion was outrageous and fell silent.
“There’s no need, I won’t be alive in a few years. When I die, he will be free.” Qi Yuan said.
“Don’t talk nonsense every time,” Feng Rao didn’t like to hear him talk like this, “Everyone is trying to find a way to help you survive.”
“I know my physical condition.” Qi Yuan took the unopened can and clinked a glass with him, “Thank you for your beer, and thank you for everything you did for him.”
i’m wondering if MCs condition can also purify dragon blood…
Thanks for the chapter!