Chapter 20: Resolved??
Outside the private recovery room in the rear building of the Xun family’s estate, Old Master Xun's hair, in just two days, had turned from gray to almost completely white.
Old Master An stood beside him, wanting to offer comforting words, but all that came out was a sigh.
Inside the recovery pod, Xun Xun's condition had worsened compared to yesterday. The completely transparent, explosion-proof glass prevented any sound from escaping.
But from time to time, spiritual tremors, like sound waves, would ripple out and strike the surroundings, emitting faint noises before dissipating.
This cycle repeated itself, and the warning light outside the recovery pod had escalated from yesterday’s level 5 to level 6.
The severity of spiritual outbursts was measured in seven levels.
Level 7 was the most severe, indicating someone was on the verge of self-destruction, with no chance of recovery.
Once it reached level 7, it was akin to a death sentence being issued.
Among these levels, level 4 was the critical point. Anything below level 4 indicated relative safety and could be treated by healers below the S-rank.
Once past level 4, the chances of healing became increasingly slim. Reaching level 7 meant either immediate abandonment of treatment or imminent self-destruction.
At that point, control would be impossible, resulting in harm to both self and others, leaving nothing behind but devastation.
Old Master Xun's face was lined with deep wrinkles. Leaning on his cane, he gazed at his grandson in the recovery pod, having aged at least ten years in just a few days.
He had lost his only son years ago and had devoted himself to raising his only grandson to adulthood. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, he would face the same fate—an old man burying the young.
The healer, too, felt a heavy heart. Second Lieutenant Xun was a very talented individual, with a double-S spiritual rating. Back in the day, he was known as one of the "Twin Stars of the Academy" alongside that member of the Ning family.
But who could have predicted that, just a few years later, the member of the Ning family would be accused of betraying the Federation and go missing, and now Second Lieutenant Xun would end up like this?
Because it was classified, even the healer didn't know how Second Lieutenant Xun had suffered such a severe spiritual attack. By the time he saw him, Xun’s spiritual outburst had already reached level 5.
His spiritual sea was in utter chaos, and even if healed, it was unlikely he would ever return to his former self.
Although extremely regretful, the healer kindly reminded, "Old Master Xun, once the level 6 warning light begins to flash, you'll have only ten minutes to make a decision. If it jumps to level 7, there will be no way to control it. At that point, Second Lieutenant Xun’s spirit will attack indiscriminately. Best case, he self-destructs, leaving no remains. Worst case…"
Whether this explosion-proof room could contain it was uncertain, and it might harm innocent people.
He left that part unsaid, knowing Old Master Xun would understand.
Old Master Xun's stiff neck moved slightly, and he waved his hand, his voice hoarse and aged: "You all leave first."
The healer could no longer provide any assistance, and his presence was futile. Moreover, S-rank healers were rare and couldn’t be risked lightly.
In no time, only Old Master An and Old Master Xun remained in the recovery room.
Old Master Xun glanced at his old friend, forcing a smile: "You should leave too. Go check on the front courtyard. At least give Xun a proper funeral."
The death of the most outstanding heir of the Xun family marked the beginning of the family's decline.
Old Master An shook his head. "I'll stay with you. A little more time won’t make a difference."
He feared Old Master Xun might lose hope and follow his grandson in despair.
Moreover, forcing Old Master Xun to press the death button on his grandson before his level 7 outburst was an unspeakable cruelty.
Old Master Xun's eyes reddened, and just as he was about to say something, the warning light on the recovery pod blinked, and in the next moment, it began flashing rapidly.
Their faces changed instantly.
The countdown had begun. Only ten minutes remained to make a decision.
Old Master Xun could no longer hold back his tears. If he had known it would come to this, he would have preferred his grandson to be more ordinary—at least then, he would still be alive.
The grief spread, and Old Master An, with trembling lips, supported Old Master Xun and tried to lighten the mood, "There's still ten minutes. Who knows if that rascal An Dong will make it in time?"
Sure enough, Old Master Xun looked over.
Old Master An continued, "Do you remember a few days ago when I told you that kid found a very special delicacy? Even the people at the Ancient Research Institute were scrambling for it. Supposedly, it's made from extinct species of the ancient Blue Planet, and it's absolutely top-notch. I got a whiff of it the other day, and let me tell you, it was unforgettable—nothing like those nutrient packs. An Dong went back yesterday, insisting that his brother Xun should experience it too, and he took people to snatch some. At least let Xun smell it before he leaves, just as a farewell.”
Old Master Xun, his eyes moist, both touched and sorrowful, wiped his face. "Little An Dong is the most thoughtful. He always remembers his brother Xun when there's something good. Alright, we'll wait. Let Xun not have come for nothing."
An Dong had been rushing all the way in his spaceship.
He hadn’t mentioned it earlier, fearing he wouldn’t get any. But luck was on his side—he got not only everything he wanted, but an extra two portions.
He carried six wristbands with him as he urgently rushed into the secluded building containing the recovery room.
The guards at the entrance didn’t stop him, and he sped up to the top floor, where the most isolated recovery room was located.
When he arrived and saw only two people there, his heart sank, and his steps faltered.
Looking up, he saw the flashing level 6 warning light.
He fought back tears, forcing a smile as he raised the wristbands. "Look at what I got! Old Master Xun, you wouldn't believe the effort it took to get these. I had to fight thirty thousand people! It wasn't easy, but when Brother Xun smells this, he’ll definitely love it..."
He wanted to say that if Brother Xun could smell these top-tier delicacies before passing on, his next life would surely be peaceful and joyful.
But he didn’t dare say that, for fear of breaking Old Master Xun’s heart even more.
Forcing a grin, he walked toward the control room, where there was a small window near the recovery pod. The healer had used this window to treat Xun Xun.
Knowing time was running out, he didn’t delay. He quickly set the timers on the six wristbands, positioning them around Xun Xun’s head inside the pod.
They connected to various instruments, monitoring his spiritual state.
Once done, An Dong quickly returned to the room outside.
None of the three spoke. The recovery room was silent, and outside, they all stared at the flashing warning light, as if they could hear the beeping sound.
It was like the sound of death, counting down Xun Xun’s life.
Old Master Xun held the controller tightly. With it, he could induce brain death before Xun Xun self-destructed, preserving his body.
But how could he bring himself to press it before the very last second?
When only one minute remained, the first and second wristbands activated. A transparent screen appeared in front of the recovery pod, displaying an image of a pre-set delicacy: black-bone chicken and cordyceps soup.
As the vibrant image appeared, the entire pod filled with the rich aroma of the soup, interwoven with the unique scents of various exquisite ingredients. The scent seemed tangible, seeping into Xun Xun’s exposed skin.
Simultaneously, the spiritual energy lingering in the soup was also absorbed by his body.
Threads of this energy, like tendrils, entered his spiritual sea through the connectors attached to his brain.
The countdown continued to flash steadily.
[45, 44…]
The third wristband activated, displaying an image of braised pork, and the entire recovery pod filled with the tantalizing scent of meat.
Even though Old Master Xun had expected something extraordinary, hearing about it was one thing—witnessing it was another.
He couldn’t smell the aroma, but the images alone were breathtaking.
Then came the third dish, and the fourth.
[10, 9…]
Old Master Xun gripped his cane tightly. Inside the pod, Xun Xun, who had been lying motionless, was starting to show signs of abnormality.
The healing force that had been suppressing his outburst was clearly losing control, signaling that Old Master Xun would have to press the brain death button in the final second, or Xun Xun would self-destruct.
Xun Xun’s condition was visibly deteriorating. Though no sound could be heard from inside the pod, the warning light outside began flashing erratically. Old Master Xun and the others had never seen anything like it, and their hearts sank.
[2, 1…]
Just as the countdown reached one second, Old Master Xun, tears streaming down his face, closed his eyes and prepared to press the button.
But at that moment, his hand was suddenly grabbed tightly, and at the same time, An Dong’s voice, trembling with excitement, rang in his ears: "He moved! He moved!!"
Old Master Xun’s face went pale. Not having pressed the button in the final second, he feared opening his eyes would reveal nothing but his grandson’s shattered remains. But when he opened his eyes, he saw the recovery pod was just as it had been—no explosion.
But he had clearly heard movement, hadn’t he?
An Dong, barely managing to contain his excitement, finally regained his composure. His hand still gripped Old Master Xun’s tightly, afraid that his older brother Xun would be sent to his death with the press of a button.
"The indicator moved! It dropped to level 5!"
Old Master Xun’s head snapped toward the warning light. When he saw the level 5 indicator—close to the safe zone—he thought his eyes were deceiving him.
How could this be? The healer had said there was no hope. How could the crisis have been resolved?
Spiritual outbursts always worsened; they were never suppressed on their own. How could this possibly happen?
But that wasn’t all. As the warning light continued to flicker, in the next instant, it dropped another level, to level 4—the safe zone!
The three of them witnessed this with their own eyes, completely stunned.
What the hell!
Even An Dong was dumbfounded. He finally realized something was off. Even a 3S-ranked healer couldn’t reduce a level 6 outburst to level 4 in less than a minute.
What was going on?
Fortunately, after reaching level 4, the warning light stopped flashing and became solid, no longer indicating danger.
Inside the recovery pod, apart from the rotating images of food, everything was still. Xun Xun, who had been in spiritual turmoil moments ago, was now calm, still lying there.
There had been no explosion, no brain death, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
Outside the recovery room, it took An Dong ten minutes to find his voice again. He glanced at Old Master Xun: "What… what just happened? Weren’t we told Brother Xun was…"
Ten minutes had passed, and nothing had happened.
Old Master Xun had been in a daze, but now his eyes lit up with a sudden sharpness. He shook as he grasped An Dong’s hand, tears streaming down his face before he could speak.
An Dong panicked. "Old Master Xun?"
Old Master Xun’s voice trembled. "These… these delicacies… who made them?"
It was only then that An Dong and Old Master An realized the implication. "Are you saying Brother Xun’s spiritual outburst was suppressed because of these scents?"
Thinking back, it did seem like the situation had been escalating until An Dong brought those delicacies. Then the danger suddenly subsided.
Old Master Xun’s expression grew serious, and he took a deep breath. "This matter stays between the three of us for now. Don’t tell anyone else."
If word got out, who knew whether it would be a blessing or a curse.
A 3S-ranked healer couldn’t have done this, yet a few delicacies had solved the problem…
An Dong’s head was buzzing. "But what about Brother Xun…"
Old Master Xun made the final decision: "The funeral will continue. Xun is temporarily in the safe zone. We’ll hide him for now."
Elsewhere, Ning Yunyi had no idea what was happening with the Xun family. He and the cat were thoroughly satisfied after their meal.
In a good mood, Ning Yunyi decided to test the effects of today’s grand feast.
He walked over to the cage, his gaze falling on the large, lazy cat, who was digesting its meal contentedly.
Comments
Post a Comment