ABRIWMTHM Chapter 45

Chi Yao moved, affirming, “You are a good mother.”

He received an appropriate smile in return from Mrs. Campbell.

The purchase qualification for the Red Ore was settled.

Chi Yao lowered his gaze for a moment and requested, “I have something else to discuss, would you allow me to speak with General Tan privately?”

Bringing Mrs. Campbell into the discussion undoubtedly involved imperial internal affairs, but she nodded. Since her desired outcome was achieved, after instructing a servant to prepare tea, she curtsied and left with satisfaction.

Mrs. Campbell agreed decisively, yet General Tan Bai Shan felt somewhat uncomfortable. After she left, he couldn’t help but say, “Your Majesty, your request is somewhat difficult for her.”

Chi Yao dismissed it with indifference, asking back, “You don’t think I originally planned to come to the Northern Territory, do you?”

General Tan Bai Shan choked up, gradually becoming aware of his bias.

If Chi Yao didn’t need the Red Ore, then given his status, he wouldn’t need to put Shi Xing at risk by making him attend an appointment.

Indeed, considering Chi Yao’s meticulous nature, he would have refused this invitation from the start.

General Tan Bai Shan pressed his forehead, sighing, “I misunderstood; please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

Chi Yao understood, “Your relationship with your wife has always been good.”

A good relationship means not wanting the other party to suffer, even in front of the Emperor of their own country.

General Tan Bai Shan chuckled, “Your Majesty, please don’t tease me.”

Chi Yao smiled without speaking; it was both teasing and the truth, known by both men.

After a moment’s pause, as General Tan Bai Shan’s emotions calmed, Chi Yao spoke methodically about the Elders Council wanting to strip Shi Xing of his rightful entitlements.

At first, General Tan Bai Shan was confused, and upon hearing the latter part, he couldn’t understand why Chi Yao was saying this to him.

General Tan Bai Shan’s expression darkened slightly, “Your Majesty, do you want me to support Shi Xing?”

Facing his subordinate, Chi Yao stated calmly, “No, I want the Seventh Army to support Shi Xing.”

If Mrs. Campbell arranging the purchase qualification for the Red Ore had already made General Tan Bai Shan feel the burden was heavy, Chi Yao’s statement exerted even greater pressure on him.

General Tan Bai Shan’s tone turned rigid, “Is this also part of the treatment costs?”

Unexpectedly to him, Chi Yao shook his head, “Not at all.”

“The qualification for purchasing the Red Ore is sufficient. If more is lacking, that will simply be a reward from the Empire to Tan Chi.”

General Tan Bai Shan’s tense expression relaxed.

Chi Yao continued slowly, “The situation isn’t settled yet, and I don’t intend to pressure you, General. Even if support is needed, what I want is the willingness of the Seventh Army’s higher-ups, rather than an exchange of benefits.”

General Tan Bai Shan candidly stated, “Actually, what the Elders Council said does have some reason.”

Chi Yao firmly responded, “But that is not the outcome I desire.”

His ash-gray eyes turned cold, and once they locked onto General Tan Bai Shan’s, he could sense Chi Yao’s resolute heart.

Having served under two Emperors, in that moment, General Tan Bai Shan felt a fleeting glimpse of the previous Emperor from Chi Yao.

A ruler must balance firmness and softness, with decisive killing intent.

Chi Yao changed his pronoun, “What the Elders Council adheres to may have merit, but it is not suitable for the direct royal lineage’s way of handling affairs.”

“Shi Xing, as your partner, may be like that.”

“But as the partner of the Emperor, as another leader of the Empire, he cannot be like that.”

After a pause, Chi Yao spoke more bluntly, “If something unexpected occurs midway, you wouldn’t genuinely think that as my partner, he could just keep a low profile and manage to escape unscathed, would you?”

This statement was loaded with information, and numerous scenarios jumped in General Tan Bai Shan’s mind, causing his pupils to constrict.

“Your Majesty, you…”

Chi Yao waved his hand, interrupting, “It’s just a hypothesis.”

Chi Yao: “I also don’t intend to recover all powers as you think. Internal affairs have always been controlled by the Senate and the Elders Council. If we can’t obtain mutual support from both, forcing it will only lead to more problems; I understand that.”

Moreover, given Shi Xing’s current political aptitude, he wouldn’t grasp administrative matters in the short term; therefore, whether he has that authority is the same for him.

“Setting everything else aside, the command authority of the First Legion is a must.”

“My private army should have the right to lead and deploy.”

Shi Xing’s growth during his maturity period also takes place within the military; this is complementary. Chi Yao believed that he would soon be able to handle this well.

Besides, with his abilities, as long as he gains leadership, treating some officers in the First Legion will quickly earn him genuine recognition from everyone.

General Tan Bai Shan understood and believed; Chi Yao indeed only wanted to provide Shi Xing with means of self-protection.

However, this was still not a small matter.

General Tan Bai Shan hesitated.

Fortunately, Chi Yao did not require an immediate answer from him.

After a moment, he returned to a casual tone.

“I think the issue with Tan Chi won’t be resolved in a day or two. We should stay in the Northern Territory for a while, and during that time, I will personally teach Shi Xing about his rightful legal entitlements, and what they all signify. When he has made a decision, I will ask for your opinion again, General.”

Chi Yao: “Personally, I believe Shi Xing is qualified for this.”

“During this time, you can also observe his temperament in dealing with matters, facilitating the final decision.”

After taking a sip of tea, Chi Yao concluded the discussion, “Thank you for the tea from Campbell Star; it’s much appreciated.”

While Chi Yao had not yet returned, Yun Wu approached Shi Xing.

The therapist was also feeling somewhat down but still politely asked, “May I ask about the specific situation of Tan Chi’s mental sea, Your Highness?”

Shi Xing was startled, quickly waving his hand, “Doctor Yun, just call me Shi Xing; no need to be so formal.”

Seeing Shi Xing’s earnestness, Yun Wu adjusted his address accordingly.

The two moved to another side to have a private conversation.

Shi Xing curiously asked, “What do you sense regarding Tan Chi’s mental sea?”

Yun Wu sighed ruefully, “My mental power is only at grade S. Initially, I could only enter the outer layers of my brother’s mental sea, but after passing the maturity period, my mental power managed to reach the middle of Tan Chi’s mental sea. Beyond that, I couldn’t go.”

Yun Wu added, “This was after we devised many methods. Also, I absorbed some of my brother’s mental power to temper my own, allowing my mental power to be gentler when directed at him.”

Shi Xing nodded in understanding.

No wonder Yun Wu had never noticed that Tan Chi’s mental sea was drying up.

First, the rate of drying was quite slow.

Secondly, and most importantly, Tan Chi’s injury was at the most vital center of his mental sea, a place Yun Wu’s level was bound to be unable to perceive.

Shi Xing stated, “General Tan was injured at the center of his mental sea back then.”

Yun Wu was aware; this was something known to everyone in the Tan family.

Shi Xing gestured, describing, “What I see is like this: the power at the center of his mental sea is not pure and doesn’t entirely belong to General Tan. The surrounding mental sea is influenced by the scar at the center, with mental threads degrading radially from the point of injury.”

Yun Wu’s eyes widened in surprise, “So you mean that after all these years, the star beast’s destructive mental power…”

Shi Xing nodded, “Should still be lingering inside.”

“And due to the star beast’s high rank, along with it being a critical strike, plus the absence of suitable therapists—these three factors mean that destructive mental power has not entirely dissipated.”

Yun Wu covered his mouth, incredulous, “Tan Chi has never mentioned this.”

Shi Xing lowered his gaze but understood, “Because it wouldn’t have made much difference if he did.”

“The imperial people’s mental power cannot deeply penetrate another’s mental sea. Therapists can, but at that time, there was no therapist with a corresponding level who could extract the residual energy from his mental sea. If he had told you, it would have only added to your pressure for treatment.”

Yun Wu’s eyes turned red.

Shi Xing couldn’t help but feel emotional, realizing Tan Chi had taken care of everyone’s feelings in the Tan family.

But he had never considered his own.

Or perhaps, he knew he was powerless, deep down already having given up somewhat.

Shaking his head to dismiss those depressing thoughts, Shi Xing said to Yun Wu, “Even if there is residual mental power, after all these years, its intensity must have weakened significantly. The difficulty of guiding it out won’t be too great. The real challenge in healing lies in the secondary trauma caused by the lack of timely guidance for this residual mental power, which continuously accumulates pressure. The inner and mid-layers of General Tan’s mental sea may already be penetrated by it, existing in coexistence.”

Facing Yun Wu’s hesitant expression, Shi Xing affirmed, “Yes, it’s possible that there exists a tiny bit of violent mental power at the bottom of the mental sea; it will require guiding and treating simultaneously.”

Shi Xing: “The mental threads I can regenerate at the bottom of the mental sea, while General Tan’s mental threads…”

He paused; even after seeing numerous serious injuries to mental seas, Shi Xing couldn’t help but lower his voice, “The outer layer still has some remaining, but the inner layers, especially the core, due to the residual mental power, have all withered away.”

“This is also a significant challenge in treatment.”

Shi Xing’s mental power strength was only at grade SS, and with the threads in Tan Chi’s mental sea having withered, treatment would require his mental power to fully penetrate Tan Chi’s mental sea.

At the beginning of treatment, when Tan Chi’s mental sea was weak, it might still be manageable. However, as treatment progresses, the mental threads in Tan Chi’s mental sea would continue to grow, and the strength of Shi Xing’s mental power might become insufficient in the later stages.

However…

“The self-healing capability of the mental sea and the regeneration of mental threads generally work from the inside out.”

“If the center of General Tan’s mental sea—the injured area—cannot be thoroughly healed, then utilizing his mental power in the future will also become problematic.”

Without self-healing ability, it would be like a patient suffering from an immunodeficiency disease, appearing fine normally but needing treatment as soon as any bleeding occurs. This is not a long-term solution if Tan Chi’s mental sea sustains any injury during usage.

Yun Wu felt a brief sense of desolation but quickly perked up.

“It couldn’t possibly be worse than it is now; as long as there’s treatment, it must be better than the current situation.”

“Let’s tackle the final issue later; let’s first resolve the initial problems.”

Seeing her like this, Shi Xing smiled, “I think so too.”

A little treatment is better than none, and what level of recovery can be achieved or whether it can be fully regained are matters for later discussion.

Yun Wu earnestly said, “Even if in the end, Tan Chi can’t lead again, at least his mental sea won’t be dried up, and he won’t be ridiculed as useless, and his health will improve significantly.”

Shi Xing: “It’s great that you can think this way.”

Feeling encouraged by Shi Xing, Yun Wu revealed a faint smile, correcting, “Not just me; our entire family should feel this way.”

A little better, even if only a little, the Tan family will all be happy.

With Chi Yao’s return, Shi Xing finalized the discussion regarding Tan Chi’s treatment.

In the evening, they were warmly hosted by the Tan family.

Shi Xing found himself not only receiving food from Chi Yao but also being served by the Tan family members next to him. Soon his bowl was piled high.

Gratefully, the child thanked everyone, leading to the food he liked being quickly served.

By the time they left, Shi Xing was stuffed, returning to his quarters while burping.

Seeing Shi Xing’s red eyes from discomfort, Chi Yao couldn’t help but laugh, proactively bringing a cup of water and handing it to him, “A home remedy, take a big sip and swallow it seven times.”

In such a situation, Shi Xing didn’t care about politeness anymore; he quickly took it and gulped down several mouthfuls, finally settling down.

Shi Xing’s eyes were red from the burping; after calming down, he rubbed his stomach, complaining, “I can’t eat so much next time.”

Chi Yao imitated the Tan family’s urging to eat, teasing, “Star, you’re still growing, eat more~”

Shi Xing’s expression was one of suffering, “Your Highness, please don’t joke with me.”

“I really feel nauseous.”

Chi Yao’s smile slightly faded, trying to appear less gloating, “Should I have Xu Jin get you some digestion medicine?”

Shi Xing turned pale at the mention of medicine, “No!” After realizing his reaction was a bit exaggerated, he added, “As long as it’s healthy, no medicine.”

In the last life, he had to take tons of medicine daily, with infusions and injections; Shi Xing was afraid.

Noticing something, Chi Yao’s expression softened, “But enduring like this isn’t a solution; don’t overdo it.”

Shi Xing touched his belly, despairing, “It’s bloated.”

Chi Yao looked at Shi Xing for a moment before suddenly reaching out, precisely pressing on his stomach.

Shi Xing: “Your Highness, if you push harder, I might throw up.”

“Rubbing?”

Shi Xing was taken aback, not fully understanding initially, until Chi Yao patiently started to rub his stomach. He then realized the two words Chi Yao meant.

Uh, indeed, it felt somewhat better, but…

Looking at the long, elegant fingers on his clothes, Shi Xing felt a sense of wasting something precious. Was it appropriate for His Highness to do this kind of thing for him?

Lost in thought, Shi Xing only came back to himself after a moment.

Chi Yao patiently asked him, “Feeling better?”

Meeting those ash-gray eyes, Shi Xing jolted, like a startled octopus, quickly retreating several inches back on the sofa, eyes wide open, “Y-Your Highness!”

“Hmm? What happened?”

Shi Xing stammered, “Y-You…what are you doing, how can you…you…”

Shi Xing spoke incoherently.

After listening for a while, Chi Yao understood and completed the sentence for him, “How can I help you rub your stomach?”

With Shi Xing’s affirming response, he countered, “Why can’t I?”

Shi Xing was stunned.

Chi Yao pulled him back by the wrist, but Shi Xing quickly covered his stomach with both hands, ears flushed, refusing to comply.

Chi Yao didn’t insist, observing him, “Didn’t you say you were bloated? If you’re unwilling to take the medicine, aren’t you feeling better now?”

Shi Xing was overwhelmed with embarrassment, the flush on his ears deepening, standing his ground, “Yes, but I can do it myself, you don’t need to.”

But what were Chi Yao’s hands for? In Shi Xing’s impression, they were used for grading documents with markers, signing various documents and orders within the Empire, and perhaps even wielding weapons against star beasts… In short, they were certainly not meant to rub his stomach.

Not to mention rubbing; even just the thought made Shi Xing feel guilty!

Chi Yao observed him with an amused expression, watching Shi Xing’s ears turn red to the point it was impossible to hide, letting out a soft chuckle.

“Alright, no need for me to.”

Chi Yao said leisurely, with the tone lifting slightly at the end, scratching at Shi Xing’s heart like a small hook.

Shi Xing felt like he might be fully cooked from the inner turmoil, closing his eyes, struggling to retain his composure, affirming, “No, I really don’t need you to do that.”

After a moment of silence, as Shi Xing was anxious, he suddenly heard a light laugh.

Opening his eyes, he found Chi Yao thoroughly amused.

Chi Yao laughed, “You’re not very big, but you carry quite the heavy burden of pride.”

Shi Xing: “…”

It’s not that I’m afraid of losing face!

It’s just that it’s inappropriate for the precious His Highness to do this kind of thing!

Watching Chi Yao’s cheerful demeanor, Shi Xing: “……….”

He grabbed a nearby pillow and placed it on his face.

Not knowing how to explain, he gave up attempting to do so.

Let His Highness say whatever he wants; just don’t disturb him; he’s handling it!

Facing Tan Chi’s first treatment, they commenced as scheduled a week later. During this time, Shi Xing absorbed half of his beast cores, doing his best to prepare for the treatment in the best state possible.

The treatment location was once again the Tan family’s energy sealing room.

At Shi Xing’s request, Yun Wu was also there to assist him.

Feeling somewhat anxious before entering, Shi Xing glanced at Chi Yao, as if knowing what he was thinking. Chi Yao lifted his chin slightly, telling him, “Go ahead, just do your best and don’t think of anything else.”

“If…”

Chi Yao interrupted, “There’s no if, the Tan family has no demands. You should not feel burdened; do things as you see fit. Whatever level you can treat it to is what it will be, understood?”

Shi Xing nodded.

Before entering, as if searching for some support, he suddenly grabbed Chi Yao’s wrist.

Chi Yao thought Shi Xing wanted to shake hands, but as his arm lifted, Shi Xing retracted his motion and turned into the sealed room.

The first day of treatment was long, continuing from morning until evening.

They had lunch in between, resting briefly. Shi Xing communicated a few words with Yun Wu, each taking a nap before resuming in the afternoon.

The doctors were exhausted.

The patient’s condition wasn’t great either; having accumulated the root of the problem for too long, starting sudden treatment was akin to slicing through flesh that had grown into the bone.

The violent mental power that had fused with the mental sea was extracted, feeling like splinters embedded in flesh, belonging neither to oneself nor to adapt to it; after adapting, cutting through and extracting it was destined to be uncomfortable.

By evening, when Chi Yao came to pick up Shi Xing, he was drenched in sweat, tugging at Chi Yao’s sleeve, and explained to the Tan family tiredly, “My mental power seems to have a peculiar effect in guiding the violent mental power from the star beast.”

“All the residual parts trapped in the mental sea have now been guided out.”

“But the mental power that has permeated into the bottom of the mental sea, which has already integrated with the seabed, will still require significant time to gradually detach and separate.”

“I discussed it with Yun Wu; fearing the growth of the mental threads, removing the mental power from the seabed will be even more challenging. We’ll first focus on extracting the residual mental power completely without concerning the mental threads.”

After a short pause, Shi Xing closed his eyes.

“Probably around a week or two.”

“In one to two weeks, we can begin the treatment of the mental sea.”

“At that time, we will see whether the mental threads that have been so severely injured can regrow or not.”

The Tan family members nodded in acknowledgment, thanking Shi Xing.

Shi Xing smiled, not taking all the credit, “Doctor Yun has also contributed significantly.”

Previously, Yun Wu’s mental power level had mainly been inadequate to enter Tan Chi’s mental sea, but with Shi Xing present, that issue was resolved quite smoothly; as long as Shi Xing’s mental power led the way, even if the effect wasn’t as good as Shi Xing’s, Yun Wu’s mental power could still access places typically unreachable under Shi Xing’s coverage.

Shi Xing’s mental power had limited endurance, but since Yun Wu was already a therapist with more ample mental power.

It could be said that during the treatment, the two complemented each other.

Shi Xing’s estimation was accurate; after a week and a half, Tan Chi’s mental sea was thoroughly organized and only contained his own mental power.

On the day they completed the organization, Tan Chi sighed with relief, and the Tan family noticed his complexion had improved somewhat compared to usual.

Next would be the treatment work.

After discussing with Yun Wu, they proceeded as usual, starting treatment from the outer regions.

Shi Xing chose an area of his mental sea that had no mental threads left, preparing with Yun Wu to first try this area; if this segment could return to a normal state with the mental threads regrowing, then Tan Chi would have the possibility of complete recovery.

Otherwise, if the mental threads could not regrow, then the treatment so far would reach its endpoint.

Subsequent treatments would likely be in vain.

Shi Xing and Yun Wu knew the significance of this period, and the Tan family was also aware.

Whenever they had the chance, everyone would gather outside the energy room to observe, even if they didn’t speak a word, helping them by passing water and fruits was something they could do.

Among them, Tan Yan came most frequently.

Another week passed, with the good news being that the bottom of Tan Chi’s mental sea was returning to normal, but the bad news was that they still did not know if they could fully restore it to its original state.

One day, when Tan Yan came again to serve tea and water, Shi Xing communicated, “I used my talent to observe; this part of General Tan’s mental sea is beginning to recover to normal.”

Tan Yan trembled, “So?”

Shi Xing replied earnestly, “So, whether new mental threads can emerge will depend on the upcoming period.”

This news quickly spread through Tan Yan and Yun Wu, and that night, the entire Tan family learned of it.

Knowing this, while waiting, everyone held their breath and silently prayed, hoping for more good news.

But for the next consecutive week, Shi Xing and Yun Wu’s treatment continued, and Tan Chi’s mental sea continued absorbing their healing mental power, yet the mental threads still showed no signs of sprouting.

Tan Yan became anxious one day, sensing something and asking Shi Xing, “Is it ending today? Can’t we continue a while longer?”

Tan Yan sensed that Shi Xing still had plenty of mental power remaining.

Shi Xing refused, “No.”

He understood what Tan Yan was thinking and earnestly replied, “I need to help His Highness clear the mental sea tonight; this mental power needs to be reserved for him!”

Tan Yan: “…”

No wonder he wondered why Shi Xing had so much mental power left after every treatment!

It was because he hadn’t been considerate!

Once again, confronted with Shi Xing’s clear eyes, Tan Yan unexpectedly felt like “barking” back in response.

The Tan family was anxious, and Chi Yao also asked a few questions.

Soon after, they came to check in.

Tan Chi seemed somewhat disheartened, but Shi Xing remained optimistic, “As long as your mental sea can absorb healing mental power, it indicates some remaining issue. As long as it’s not completely healed with no mental threads sprouting, I still believe we can continue to see if treatment yields results.”

The results of further observation returned the same after another week—still the same situation.

Even Yun Wu felt uneasy. The Tan family’s words of encouragement shifted from urging Tan Chi not to give up to assuring him it was alright, that things were already good as they were. Even without more mental threads, though his mental sea had degraded, at least it wasn’t entirely dried up.

After another week, Tan Chi’s mental sea began to absorb healing mental power slower.

It wasn’t completely devoid of absorption, but rather, the speed had slowed.

Shi Xing felt as if something had slipped past in his mind but couldn’t grasp it.

Up until now, there still weren’t any signs of mental thread growth.

Tan Chi seemed to have resigned himself to this fate, while Shi Xing, on the other hand, continued visiting the Tan family, clocking in daily. He was willing to go, and the Tan family wouldn’t rush him. Tan Chi knew well what Mrs. Campbell had promised, naturally cooperating.

A day later, Shi Xing came to a realization.

“It seems your mental sea is only absorbing my mental power now and no longer Yun Wu’s.”

Yun Wu tried it, and indeed, it was the case.

Shi Xing was certain, “Since it’s absorbing, there must still be issues. From now on, I will handle the treatment here, and Yun Wu will assist me.”

Yun Wu had no objections.

Tan Chi chuckled bitterly, “Isn’t this too troublesome? If…”

Shi Xing replied, “It’s not troublesome.”

Thus, the treatment continued.

One evening, nearing its end, Shi Xing sensed something and, before leaving, gasped.

He dialed Chi Yao’s communication, asking for a day off that evening, then immediately pushed Tan Chi to sit back down, applying the excess mental power he was supposed to reserve for Chi Yao directly onto Tan Chi.

Shi Xing was too eager to know if his feelings were correct and couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

As it turned out, he was right.

After pouring most of his mental power, a thin strand of mental thread, after many years, slowly emerged from the withered bottom of Tan Chi’s mental sea.

At that very moment of realization, disbelief caused Tan Chi’s eyes to redden.

After sitting all day, Shi Xing stood up and stretched, “Congratulations, General Tan.”

Tan Yan, unsure of what had happened, looked nervously at both Yun Wu and Shi Xing, saying anxiously, “Don’t keep me in the dark; what happened? Is it…?”

“It is!” Shi Xing confirmed.

He gave a smile to Tan Yan, “Thanks to His Highness’s generosity, General Tan’s mental threads have begun to grow again.”

Unaware of the situation before, Tan Yan was as anxious as fire. Upon hearing it confirmed, he stood there blankly for a moment.

When he spoke again, for some reason, his eyes were also red, “Really? You’re not deceiving me?”

The joy was overwhelming, so much so that he couldn’t believe it.

Yun Wu covered her mouth, also excited, nodding repeatedly, “It’s real; I can sense it; it’s true.”

Tan Yan wanted to laugh but was inexplicably brought to tears, filled with joy.

Wiping his face, Tan Yan cleared his throat, barely disguising his voice, “That’s wonderful! I need to tell Mom and Dad, right away, immediately!!”

Yun Wu quickly advised, “Wipe your face; don’t scare your parents.”

When he spoke, he realized his voice was also hoarse and not much better.

Shi Xing knew they needed time together, so he made an excuse to get some water and slipped out of the energy room.

After drinking some water, he saw Tan Yan hugging both Yun Wu and Tan Chi in the screening room.

Finding the scene heartwarming, Shi Xing took a photo and sent it to Chi Yao.

Shi Xing: [Your Highness, thanks to your generosity, General Tan’s mental threads have grown.]

Chi Yao took a while to reply, likely digesting the fact.

Chi Yao responded with two words: [Wonderful.]

Then he sent a thumbs-up emoji, affirming, [Doctor Shi’s contribution is immense.]

Shi Xing thought he should say something humble, but upon seeing this line, he couldn’t help but smile out loud.

Looking back at the Tan siblings talking in the energy screening room, Shi Xing ultimately couldn’t resist receiving the praise, responding playfully: [All thanks to His Highness’s proper guidance.]

He too thought, it’s truly wonderful~