ABRIWMTHM Chapter 113

Shi Xing steadied himself.

The people around him wanted to step forward, but Chi Yao used his mental power to create a barrier. He then waved his hand, and Fei Chu understood, instructing everyone nearby to retreat a few steps.

Shi Xing looked calm on the surface, but internally, he was struggling with himself.

Holding Chi Yao’s hand, Chi Yao’s fingers were relaxed while Shi Xing’s knuckles were white from tension.

Upon closer inspection of the back of his hand and wrist, blue veins bulged out.

Shi Xing’s mental sea was turbulent.

Chi Yao could feel it, and so could Er Ya.

But since they had to use such an ability, only Shi Xing could grasp it himself, overcoming the problem of retracting his mental power.

After a while, Chi Yao felt the force in his hand lessen as he gripped Shi Xing’s hand in return.

Exhaling deeply, Shi Xing’s expression was a bit dazed.

After another two minutes, he finally lifted his head from Chi Yao’s shoulder. Meeting Chi Yao’s concerned gaze, Shi Xing merely squeezed his hand again and turned to ask about business, “Are the low-ranked star beasts that were originally planned still outside?”

His voice was hoarse and weak, but the third army unit no longer dared to ignore him.

Lu Li said, “Yes, they are still outside, being towed by the unmanned warship.”

Thinking of something, Shi Xing looked at Chi Yao and received his support, “Just do it.”

Knowing that Shi Xing had made his considerations, Chi Yao did not insist on keeping him to rest at that moment.

Originally, today’s beast-hunting assignment was also entrusted to Shi Xing’s command.

Closing his eyes momentarily, Shi Xing tried to speak steadily, “Keeping them outside isn’t a solution; we should bring them in and handle them ourselves.”

Shi Xing glanced at Er Ya, who did not hesitate, “Do you need my help? Capture them alive?”

Considering the need for control, Shi Xing said, “At most, keep three; we don’t need the others.”

Er Ya replied, “Okay.”

Among the several teams under his command, they ultimately sent out Ying Geng’s squad.

Due to training Shi Xing, Er Ya would personally test many methods first, so her squad’s cooperation with Shi Xing was flawless.

For the relatively low-ranked star beasts, adhering to the principle of gradual progression, the third army unit only brought in three.

Er Ya kept two S-ranked beasts and eliminated one slightly lower-ranked beast.

As it happened, there were mature Blue Star humans in the third army, so after the first army finished dealing with the star beasts, they handed over the remaining beast to Lu Li for him to manage and distribute.

Shi Xing’s squad was well-trained, and with Er Ya’s assistance, the hunting of low-level star beasts took less than twenty minutes.

When Shi Xing finished giving the final instructions, Chi Yao led the others away.

During the first few steps, Chi Yao still considered the gazes of the officers, and as they approached the aircraft, in Lu Lu’s searching gaze, Chi Yao directly carried Shi Xing, letting him sit on his forearm as they boarded the ship.

Throughout the entire process, Lu Lu couldn’t see the face beneath the hood, and even the silhouette was blurred.

What was once certain now became hesitant.

After the hunt, the first army’s team was still clearing the star beasts and the battlefield ahead. The support team from the third army stood by in place to prevent any unexpected situations.

With blank thoughts, Lu Lu didn’t know what he was thinking as he looked up at the sky.

The energy fluctuations that could still be clearly sensed in the air were residual effects of Shi Xing’s mental power influence.

He couldn’t help but start to doubt the validity of his judgment.

The level of His Majesty’s partner must be beyond SSS, right?

Could this really be Shi Xing?

Lu Lu asked himself but found no answer.

The balance he thought was settled began to tilt again.

He had learned and grown alongside Shi Xing, who consistently excelled among the same batch of Blue Star humans. But had there ever been any signs of a rank surpassing all Blue Star humans, or even reaching such high levels? Lu Lu felt the answer was negative.

All the information in his mind couldn’t be effectively integrated, leading Lu Lu into self-doubt.

Two white figures, one tall and one short, ran across the cosmos.

After a day’s rest, the two star beasts had recovered their strength.

When they reached the six piles of star beast remains, the two star beasts halted in unison.

The shorter star beast stepped forward and sniffed in sequence, growing increasingly excited, then bared its teeth at the taller star beast, letting out thrilling sounds and licking its lips, drooling with bright mucus.

In response, the taller star beast also sniffed, “Awo!”

“Woo woo!”

The shorter star beast licked its lips again, bared its teeth, and was swatted away by the taller beast.

When the shorter star beast flew back, looking dispirited, the taller star beast called out, “Awo awo.”

The shorter star beast shook off its fur, regrouped, and followed the taller star beast toward the direction of the residual energy.

“Brother!”

After the hunt, back at the camp, Lu Lu still called out to Lu Li.

Lu Li turned back, casually took off his gloves, and handed them to a subordinate, stained with the blood of the fallen star beasts, ready to dispose of them.

His Majesty’s group had already returned to the mothership, and after arrangements, the mature Blue Star humans in the third army had just come to absorb the core of that star beast.

Lu Li had nearly completed his work.

Lu Lu saw his opportunity and called out.

“What is it?”

Lu Lu glanced at Lu Li’s subordinate, who understood and waved his hand. Before long, only the two brothers remained in this area.

Lu Lu asked, “Is His Majesty’s partner a Blue Star human raised according to the normal procedures of the Tree Nest?”

Lu Li was momentarily taken aback, then calmly replied, “What makes you say that?”

Lu Lu said, “The Tree Nest belongs to the royal family.”

“Correct.”

This was known by officers throughout the nation, with no dissent.

Lu Lu continued, “So would the Tree Nest specifically cultivate His Majesty’s partner?”

Lu Li furrowed his brow and asked again, “Why do you say that? Is there something that makes you feel something isn’t right?”

“Brother, you saw that Blue Star human’s ability today; it must be over 3S, right?”

Lu Li moved closer, sensing Shi Xing’s released mental power more distinctly and profoundly.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Li did not lie, “Yes, the Little Prince’s mental power level has crossed 3S. I don’t know how it compares to Prince Bi Zhou, but compared to His Majesty, it should still be below his level.”

Faced with such a high evaluation from Lu Li, Lu Lu was left speechless.

After a long pause, Lu Lu said, “I’ve never seen a Blue Star human with such a high level of mental power.”

Lu Li remained noncommittal.

Until he witnessed it with his own eyes, he too couldn’t believe Shi Xing had grown to such an extent.

Rather than saying he was a healer, it was more apt to say he had become a powerful and frightening entity beyond just a healer.

In the end, what did it mean for Fei Chu to ask them not to approach?

It meant that Shi Xing’s method of extracting mental power was effective not only on star beasts but also on people.

The citizens of the Empire had robust physical capabilities, and even when their mental power was drained, they could still engage in close combat.

But if they faced Shi Xing… they might not even have the chance to exert that advantage.

Thinking a lot, yet coming to a single conclusion, Lu Li said lightly, “Since he can win His Majesty’s decision to match, he naturally has his remarkable qualities. It’s not surprising that his rank is high.”

“So, could it be that from the start, the Tree Nest has secretly nurtured him for His Majesty?”

Lu Lu lowered his voice, “After all, the Tree Nest is directly governed by the royal family. It wouldn’t be impossible for them to provide special education due to his unique situation.”

After being stunned for several seconds, and realizing what Lu Lu meant, Lu Li was confused.

Lu Li asked, “So are you suggesting that you never saw him at the Tree Nest?”

Lu Lu replied, “I have never seen any Blue Star human with this kind of potential.”

Well, that was somewhat true.

However, such speculation, coupled with Shi Xing’s face, only made Lu Li feel it’s laughable.

He wanted to laugh but held it in.

Realizing he should counter his younger brother’s absurd speculation, but considering Lu Lu’s stubbornness and unpredictability, Lu Li thought it might be better to let Lu Lu guess wrong. This way, at least he and the mothership could enjoy some peace.

With several changes of expression on his face, Lu Li merely replied ambiguously, “Perhaps.”

“The royal family has its own reasoning for doing things; what you mentioned might indeed exist.”

Afterward, Lu Li relayed this conversation to Wen Xi, feeling both amused and exasperated.

“I thought witnessing the disparity would make him give up, but it turns out that’s what’s on his mind—conspiracy theories about the royal family?”

Lu Li shook his head while laughing, stopping Wen Xi from further commentary. “Alright, you don’t need to speak up for him.”

“I know he’s still young, just twenty-one.”

Pausing for a moment, he added pointedly, “But Shi Xing is also twenty-one.”

The gap between people could likely be greater than the difference between star beasts and star pigs.

In just a year and a half, one had already led three teams in the first army and had developed a presence of independence, while the other, his brother, still hadn’t learned to look for problems within himself, which was simply… too ironic.

After laughing, Lu Li’s expression turned serious, and he said, “Thinking like this is actually a good thing. Don’t raise it with him; let him mull it over himself.”

“After we deal with this batch of star beasts outside, I’ll send him back to the Imperial Capital and have Mom throw him into school.”

“Then I’ll have a good talk with his teacher, ensuring that this unrealistic mindset gets corrected.”

As for the Lu family’s matters, Wen Xi didn’t comment anymore, listening silently without speaking further.

After returning to the mothership, Shi Xing finally released a breath and allowed himself to go limp.

Er Ya immediately stepped forward to examine him. After a look, she burst into laughter, “I’m still getting used to you being in good condition.”

Er Ya turned to everyone and said, “It’s nothing—just that I’m mentally exhausted. Perhaps there’s also some psychological pressure from controlling power; however, his mental sea… I think it’s much more stable than this morning.”

To support her statement, she had the medical staff put him on the instruments.

After checking twice, the frequency of the mental sea’s fluctuations and all data corroborated Er Ya’s observations.

Knowing that Shi Xing needed rest, Er Ya was curious and asked, “Did you make any changes when you used your abilities last?”

This was the first time Er Ya had seen that kind of energy turbulence in Shi Xing.

Shi Xing, still oblivious to his own oddity, answered honestly, “I felt that the last one was quite taxing on my mental sea, so I absorbed it from the outer layer.”

Er Ya was astonished, her eyes widening as she received Shi Xing’s affirmative glance.

Er Ya asked, “So now… how do you feel?”

Shi Xing replied honestly, “I feel nothing.”

Er Ya said, “…”

Er Ya: “Consider yourself lucky.”

After speaking, she opened her communicator to record this data.

Just a second ago, she had wanted to scold him, but in the next moment, she shifted back to her composed teacher demeanor. “Next time, let’s start with two star beasts directly and see how you feel after absorbing a few from the outer layer.”

Shi Xing agreed.

Er Ya decided against scolding him or complaining. After a tiring day, she left after giving her instructions.

Fei Chu and Fu Qing remained at the hunting site. After Bi Zhou and the medical team departed, Chi Yao finally reached out to Shi Xing.

Shi Xing was puzzled.

Chi Yao said, “Your cloak—do you feel unwell? Take it off.”

“Oh.”

Chi Yao helped Shi Xing take off the cloak; during the process, he felt Shi Xing’s neck, clammy with sweat.

Noticing something, Chi Yao reached to feel Shi Xing’s nape, confirming his hypothesis as beads of sweat trickled down his back.

Shi Xing spoke softly, “When I last used my power, it was probably due to excessive consumption—I wasn’t quite adapting.”

“After a few more times, you should be fine.”

In his wide heart.

Chi Yao didn’t express any opinions about this but asked Shi Xing if he needed to wash up. Receiving an affirmative response, he instructed Yan Changyue to prepare a robot to watch over the weak Shi Xing.

In fact, Chi Yao could have substituted for the robot, but since it wasn’t dark yet, Shi Xing wouldn’t necessarily be willing.

After washing up, Shi Xing struggled to keep his eyes open but still had things on his mind, tugging at Chi Yao, wanting to say something.

Chi Yao originally wanted to wait until Shi Xing finished speaking. After listening to a few ambiguous syllables, he guessed that Shi Xing’s mind had already muddled. He simply said, “I won’t leave the mothership again today. If there’s anything, it can wait until you wake up, okay?”

Shi Xing was indeed feeling dazed, but recalling the tense moment, he still felt a lingering fear from when Chi Yao held his hand.

After making several efforts, he couldn’t resist the fatigue of his body and murmured, “Are you sure?”

Chi Yao’s long fingers rested over the hand that Shi Xing had on his clothing. He helplessly replied, “What’s the need for me to deceive you?”

It was nothing significant.

Shi Xing blinked and grasped Chi Yao’s finger as he closed his eyes, instantly falling into a steady breath.

Finally willing to sleep.

Chi Yao chuckled, stroked Shi Xing’s forehead with care, reassured that he looked much better now, covered him with a blanket, and went to the study to handle official matters.

Shi Xing was awoken during dinner.

He was pushed to undergo another check regarding his mental sea.

The results were good.

Still groggy from sleep, Shi Xing was guided to the dining table.

During the meal, noticing Shi Xing’s still clueless demeanor, Chi Yao served him his favorite dishes. Shi Xing ate them. For the ones he didn’t like, Shi Xing still ate them as well. Chi Yao doubted he could taste each flavor.

Fei Chu found it amusing and gave Shi Xing a chopstick of something he didn’t like. The second one was replaced with another dish Shi Xing rarely ate. The third chopstick… there was no third one left. As he lifted it, before he could put it into Shi Xing’s bowl, Chi Yao deftly snatched the chopsticks away, forcing the food into Fei Chu’s mouth.

Fei Chu: “…”

“Cough cough cough cough cough!” Totally caught off guard, Fei Chu choked.

Er Ya evaluated, “Serves you right!”

Afterward, she served Shi Xing some of his favorite dishes, tapping his bowl, “Wake up; be careful of choking.”

Right after she spoke, Shi Xing actually choked.

Er Ya: “…”

After a moment of silence, everyone at the table burst out laughing.

The atmosphere was pleasant.

After dinner, they stayed in the living room for a while, and gradually, the sparkle in Shi Xing’s eyes returned.

His temperature had dropped significantly, remaining within an abnormal yet minimally significant range.

Er Ya said, “We’re probably going to remain near the border for a while.”

Chi Yao brought a fruit platter to Shi Xing, filled with the crystal fruits peeled by Chang Yue.

“Yeah, since there are plenty of star beasts outside, and with the protective shield activated, we can just catch a few more instead of looking elsewhere.”

Chi Yao and Er Ya had the same thought, believing that the amount of energy Shi Xing required this time would certainly exceed what he had absorbed thus far.

Fei Chu remarked, “Wow, this is the first time I’ve heard of hunting sounding like preparing ingredients.”

Meanwhile, Shi Xing yawned, immersed, and focused solely on demolishing the crystal fruits.

After returning to his room, Shi Xing finally felt his mind clear up.

Chi Yao sat on the sofa, handling paperwork from the forestry bureau that Shi Xing detested. He had just read the beginning when a hand brushed the projection away.

As his gaze passed through the projection screen and landed on Shi Xing, Chi Yao was slightly surprised.

Principally, Shi Xing wouldn’t interrupt his work; he’d always ask first, but now…

Chi Yao found it hard to gauge Shi Xing’s intentions.

Shi Xing’s next move surpassed Chi Yao’s expectations as he scooted closer, sitting on his lap, looking down at him, his light blue eyes unusually filled with a sense of justified grievance.

Chi Yao: “? ”

Shi Xing reached out and grabbed Chi Yao’s collar in a challenging motion.

Chi Yao followed Shi Xing’s pull, leaning back against the sofa, raising his eyebrows in intrigue.

Shi Xing’s inquiry soon relieved Chi Yao of his confusion as he asked frustratedly, “Why do you keep grabbing me?”

“Do you know how dangerous I was back then?!”

“What if your mental power got drained along with mine?!”

Not calling him “Your Highness” or “You,” it was evident he was a bit annoyed.

Under Shi Xing’s interrogation, Chi Yao maintained a calm demeanor, examining Shi Xing for a moment. He neither struggled nor resisted, leaving Shi Xing somewhat perplexed.

“Is this what you wanted to tell me this afternoon?”

Shi Xing nodded.

Chi Yao stretched out his hand, gently brushing Shi Xing’s wrist where he held his collar, saying calmly, “So, is this settling the score?”

Shi Xing felt a bit uncomfortable with Chi Yao’s leisurely attitude and tried to adopt a serious expression as he said, “Let’s discuss serious matters; be a little more earnest.”

Chi Yao nodded understandingly, explicitly moving away his wandering hand in front of Shi Xing.

But with the faint smile on his face, he looked anything but serious.

Shi Xing: “…”

Shi Xing puffed his cheeks, bluntly declaring, “I’m a bit angry.”

Chi Yao replied, “I can see that.”

Chi Yao added, “I’m a little happy.”

Shi Xing: “?”

Shi Xing: “You…”

Chi Yao seemed to penetrate his thoughts, answering, “Yes, you didn’t mishear me; I said I’m a little happy.”

Chi Yao grinned, “Come on, let me see how the Little Prince gets angry.”

Shi Xing: “…………”

It was impossible to continue this conversation.

After holding in for a long while, the tension culminated in Shi Xing’s frustration, and he managed to rescue the situation by saying, “You shouldn’t have come to grab me.”

Remembering something, he emphasized, “This is the second time.”

Last time, he wasn’t in good shape and couldn’t say much; once they boarded the ship, he felt even guiltier, making it hard to bring it up again.

Now, it was probably time to settle the account.

Chi Yao pondered for a moment, nodding apologetically, and it was easy for him to invoke disbelief in Shi Xing, “Yes, it was my fault.”

“But next time, I think I will still grab you.”

Shi Xing was taken aback.

Chi Yao finally said seriously, “I don’t mind being drained of my mental power; for people in the Empire, having their mental power drained merely means feeling unwell for a couple of days. Compared to your state, I think that’s a risk within the tolerable range.”

Chi Yao added, “But I’m still sorry for making you worry.”

Shi Xing: “…”

Chi Yao abruptly asked, “Do you feel it?”

“That feeling of being both angry and helpless?”

“It’s uncomfortable, right?”

Shi Xing had previously made Chi Yao feel this way.

Shi Xing: “…………”

Chi Yao laughed, observing Shi Xing’s expression closely, recounting, “If we count occurrences, there was one at the Tree Nest, one on the warship to the Northern Territory, and the most recent one. I’ve done it twice, and you’ve done it three times, meaning you owe me one.”

Shi Xing wanted to get angry, but Chi Yao’s laughter left him unable to maintain a serious face.

Deep down, he also knew Chi Yao was correct; he was usually the one in the wrong regarding such things.

“Your Highness, I’m interrogating you.”

Chi Yao replied, “I just apologized.”

Shi Xing: “.”

Unable to hold on any longer, Shi Xing gave in, realizing he hadn’t been that angry anyway, but Chi Yao’s responses left no point for him to latch onto. Ultimately, he reluctantly declared, “I’ll punish you too.”

Chi Yao’s actions were vexing, and Shi Xing spread his hands in a “please” gesture.

Without holding back, Shi Xing tugged on Chi Yao’s collar and bit down on his lower lip.

Eventually, all subsequent touches changed meaning, but Chi Yao continually allowed Shi Xing to have his way, as if genuinely guilty of something, letting him act out. Initially, Shi Xing was reckless, but later… warmed by this leniency, the feeling of helplessness faded as he tightly embraced Chi Yao, enjoying this so-called “service.”

Afterward, Chi Yao suddenly remarked, “You remind me of a woman’s famous saying.”

“She said that partners are meant to torment each other.”

“Previously, I thought she was joking, but today I find some truth in it.”

Shi Xing’s helplessness about him, and Chi Yao’s helplessness about Shi Xing—they fundamentally couldn’t reconcile or be entirely resolved. As long as they remained in their current positions, there would always be moments where they felt powerless.

Shi Xing asked curiously, “Who is that?”

Chi Yao turned to meet Shi Xing’s gaze, uttering three words, “My mother.”

Shi Xing was stunned, finally realizing that Chi Yao’s expression contained warmth. Though the words were dismissive, they weren’t bad memories.

Chi Yao rarely mentioned his parents; everyone felt he preferred not to.

Shi Xing cautiously asked, “Then, can you tell me about her?”

“Do you want to hear?”

Shi Xing nodded.

Blue Star humans lack the concept of family, and he had always been very… curious about it.

There was once a time when he even harbored some longing.

Chi Yao turned to wrap his arm around Shi Xing, resting his chin on his forehead, chuckling, “Then let’s start from her background…”

His voice was low, the words casual and free-flowing. Wherever his thoughts led him, Shi Xing felt as if Chi Yao was especially close to him tonight. He could see directly through Chi Yao’s heart, understood the joys and sorrows in every sentence, and he didn’t have to work hard to distinguish.

Because Chi Yao had opened himself up, allowing him to examine.

Strangely enough, after that sudden attack by the mutated star beasts, the follow-ups to the third army’s stationed star had all been normal star beasts.

The satellite surveillance indicated that the mutated star beasts were still on their original planet for unknown reasons.

This phenomenon was abnormal; everyone was aware of it.

But without understanding the key behind it, there was no alternative but to watch and see.

As Shi Xing predicted, as Er Ya and Chi Yao had surmised, his demand for star beast cores increased significantly later on. In about two or three days, a batch of star beasts would be brought in to supply Shi Xing.

There was no need to fear overloading; any surplus star beasts could simply be dealt with by having Shi Xing absorb their mental powers.

In the countless training sessions, Shi Xing’s outer layer of the mental sea could absorb up to fifty-six star beasts.

Beyond that number, Shi Xing would always feel a different sensation, something he couldn’t articulate. He hadn’t found any side effects during checks, but to be prudent, once he sensed a change, Er Ya wouldn’t allow him to absorb any more star beasts. Five or six was a reference figure obtained under such circumstances.

After finishing that day’s training, Shi Xing inspected the stationed point of his squad.

Just finishing the handover, sitting on a warship to rest after a meeting, suddenly, he encountered a rippling wave before him.

Shi Xing felt on guard, but before he could unfurl his mental power towards the ripples, another wave appeared behind him. A tall white star beast burst forth, colliding him into the wave in front just as he managed to activate the shield, then disappeared into the ripples.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

In the next moment, the door swung open, and Fei Chu’s voice echoed, “Hey, Xingxing, by the way, your…”

Before he finished speaking, Fei Chu stared at the empty command center, dumbfounded.

Shi Xing… wasn’t he just here?

He retraced his steps but didn’t see anyone leaving!

So, where was he?!