ABRIWMTHM Chapter 46

On this day, Shi Xing left the Tan family before dinner, disregarding the pleading of Tan Chi, Tan Yan, and Yun Wu.

He thought the Tan family must have a lot to talk about among themselves, so he wouldn’t disturb them.

It was rare for him to return home for a meal, and Xu Jin’s meal schedule was set to be a quarter-hour later than the Tan family’s dinner. When Shi Xing returned, he waited in the living room for dinner. By the time Chi Yao finished his official duties and walked into the living room, he found not the obedient little friend waiting patiently for dinner, but Shi Xing, who had exhausted most of his mental power and fallen asleep.

Chi Yao leaned in closer and stroked Shi Xing’s cheek. Without deliberately sensing it, the mental power fluctuations radiating from Shi Xing told him that the other’s mental sea was still quite stable.

It seemed he had indeed learned to control the usage of his mental energy, practicing this every day.

Chi Yao’s brows relaxed, and he rubbed Shi Xing’s head.

After withdrawing his hand, several messages surged in at once, bombarding his communicator.

There were messages from the Tan family expressing their gratitude.

There were also thanks from high-ranking officers of the Seventh Army.

Many people had expressed their gratitude, and since Shi Xing’s contact signal wasn’t available, they all sent their thanks through him.

As Chi Yao read, a smile—one he hadn’t even realized was there—bloomed on his lips, thinking that he would show it to Shi Xing once he woke up.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Shi Xing, who hadn’t truly fallen asleep, rubbed his eyes and sat up.

“Um, Your Highness?”

“What time is it now?”

Shi Xing, still feeling groggy, asked, “Did I sleep for a long time?”

Seeing that Shi Xing was looking for something, Chi Yao reached out and handed him a pillow. Sure enough, Shi Xing naturally took it, hugged it close, and rested his heavy head on the pillow, as if he lacked the strength to hold up his neck anymore.

“You haven’t slept long. It’s only been a little over ten minutes since you got back.”

Chi Yao said gently, “You’re too tired.”

Shi Xing recalled his promise and instinctively clarified, “I didn’t exhaust my mental power…”

Chi Yao pressed his large hand on his head, allowing Shi Xing to lean back comfortably against the sofa, nodding, “I know.”

“The fluctuations of your mental power are about the same as after your treatments every night.”

Not being misunderstood, Shi Xing felt relieved.

But Chi Yao, realizing something, asked, “Are you afraid that I’ll hold you responsible for exhausting your mental power?”

Shi Xing mumbled, “Not at all.”

The Blue Star human, who only told the truth when sleepy, said, “I’m afraid you’d be angry.”

“I don’t want you to be upset.”

Chi Yao felt a tug at his heart, not realizing his own boredom, and pressed further, “Why?”

Shi Xing, still a bit dazed, answered whatever Chi Yao asked.

“Because I don’t want to.”

“I’m already so busy, and I’m so hard to take care of. If I make you angry…” Shi Xing hesitated for a moment, shaking his head with genuine feeling, “No way, that’s not good.”

“Please, not at all!”

His tone was firm enough that it might seem to outsiders he was discussing his own matters.

Chi Yao’s lips curled upward, inexplicably feeling in a good mood. He reached out to stroke Shi Xing’s head again, casually brushing his fingers against the small friend’s cheek after the pat.

The smooth nails grazed his skin, giving a strange sensation. Shi Xing shivered slightly, too caught up in the moment to think about it, as Chi Yao’s next words caught his attention, “Many high-ranking officers from the Seventh Army are thanking you, but they couldn’t contact you directly, so they sent their thanks to me. Do you want to see them?”

Upon hearing praise, Shi Xing perked up, “Can I see them?”

Chi Yao opened his communicator and brought up a holographic projection for Shi Xing to see.

Shi Xing widened his eyes and scanned through them, eager not to miss a single word.

Chi Yao didn’t wake him, as Shi Xing looked energized while reading the praises.

He even replied to Chi Yao as he read, “Your Highness, your subordinates know how to talk!”

“Wow, this one really knows how to flatter.”

“I remember this one; he’s one of the vice marshals of the Seventh Army, a really nice officer.”

“Hey, they’re praising me so much that I feel embarrassed.”

Chi Yao chuckled, “I see you’re quite enjoying this.”

Shi Xing twisted his body, smiled, and candidly admitted, “Well, a little.”

“Who doesn’t like to hear good things about themselves, right?”

“Hehe~”

Still quite self-pleased.

Chi Yao shook his head just as Xu Jin and Yan Changyue arrived to announce that dinner was ready.

Shi Xing ate quite a lot that night. Before the meal, he clung to the projection screen a bit reluctantly until Chi Yao promised he could continue watching it after dinner, at which point Shi Xing focused on the dining table.

It had been a long time since they dined together. To avoid startling everyone, Shi Xing explained, “I get really tired after using my mental power, so I’ll be eating more.”

Chi Yao shot a glance at Shi Xing but didn’t say much.

Xu Jin, being considerate, worried Shi Xing might feel embarrassed and teased Fu Qing, “Look at how little you’re eating. Back when General Fei was with His Highness, Fu Qing had just arrived then, right? He must’ve been in his early twenties then, right~” Xu Jin made a round shape with his hands. “His bowl was this big back then; he couldn’t get enough to eat since he was still growing.”

Shi Xing was stunned, “Such a big bowl, did he eat just one bowl?”

Fu Qing, completely unfazed, replied, “No, three bowls.”

Shi Xing almost choked.

Once he regained his composure, Chi Yao picked up some northern delicacy stardust fish with his chopsticks and gestured at Shi Xing’s bowl, indicating, “Eat up; didn’t you say you were hungry?”

“You’ve barely eaten anything; Bi Zhou is eating more than you now. What do you want to compare with the people of the Empire? The physiques of the Empire citizens are much stronger than yours.”

Shi Xing understood, meaning he should eat to his heart’s content.

After filling himself up, he curled up on the edge of the sofa to check the messages, reading every single one carefully before informing Chi Yao that he could turn off the holographic projection.

“Your Highness, I’m so happy.”

Sitting on the sofa, after the excitement wore off, Shi Xing said softly to Chi Yao.

Chi Yao was going through documents, and Shi Xing did not expect a reply from him and mumbled to himself.

“I helped General Tan Chi, you know. I thought I couldn’t do it.”

“There were moments when I felt a little guilty, but I always persisted; there are always different situations.”

“Sure enough, this time was no different.”

“Your Highness…”

His tone softened and elongated.

Shi Xing’s voice became barely audible, “You said, will I one day be able to heal you?”

“That kind, completely.”

“Your Highness, your mental power level is too high…”

It sounded like a complaint, or perhaps it was a murmured wish.

“The Empire should definitely develop a specialized mental power ranking system for the royal family…”

“How can anyone start off at SSS level?”

“That would be too hard on the therapists…”

“Well, I still hope to be able to heal you. Can I? I should be able to, right?”

“I’ll try my best…”

Just then, Chi Yao had finished signing the documents and turned to look, only to find Shi Xing had somehow collapsed onto his sofa and was sound asleep.

He leaned in to check, confirming that Shi Xing was indeed asleep.

Chi Yao smiled, but as if remembering something, his smile faded a little, and he spoke softly, “Some things require more than just effort.”

What can be changed through hard work is luck, but what cannot be changed is fate.

Long ago, Chi Yao had already understood this truth.

Recalling some past events, Chi Yao was momentarily lost in thought. He didn’t expect Shi Xing, who hadn’t fully fallen asleep, to speak again in a muffled voice, “How would we know if we don’t try?”

Each word was uttered with great effort, as if it were an unconscious response.

Chi Yao was momentarily dazed, but looking at Shi Xing again, he didn’t disturb him with any further questions, allowing Shi Xing to breathe evenly and drift off to sleep again.

This time, Chi Yao complied with his own wishes and gently brushed Shi Xing’s cheek with two fingers.

The soft skin beneath his fingers reflected the same feelings that Shi Xing brought him at the moment.

The next day, Shi Xing awoke in his own room, forgetting how he got back.

He vaguely sensed forgetting something, but his morning memory wasn’t great, and as he got out of bed to wash up, he cast the doubt aside.

Since Tan Chi’s withered mental threads could still sprout again, the subsequent treatment tasks were clear.

After the initial period, Shi Xing had to catch up with his own lessons, so he adjusted accordingly. In the morning, Chi Yao taught Shi Xing some analysis of the Empire’s situation and a simple internal governance structure, while in the afternoon, Shi Xing would go next door to the Tan family for treatment, and in the evening, Shi Xing would treat Chi Yao.

Through the first experiment, the treatments for Shi Xing and Yun Wu had distinct priorities.

Shi Xing’s mental energy endurance was insufficient, while Yun Wu’s mental power level was inadequate.

Therefore, for Tan Chi’s problematic mental sea, it was Yun Wu’s mental power that acted first in the treatment. Once Tan Chi’s mental sea stopped absorbing Yun Wu’s mental energy, Shi Xing would take over.

In this manner, two months flew by, and Shi Xing’s life in the Northern Territory settled into a routine.

Having stayed long enough, sometimes Shi Xing even felt like he might permanently reside in the Northern Territory.

Of course, there were times to rest. The Tan siblings took Chi Yao and Shi Xing to see the auroras and snow-covered forests. Every place they visited was scenery he hadn’t seen before. Although the studies and treatment tasks were not easy, every night before bed, Shi Xing felt happy, living a fulfilling life filled with hope.

Tan Chi was steadily improving.

His personality had shifted from silent and withdrawn to gradually becoming more cheerful.

As they became familiar, Shi Xing found that Tan Chi was quite knowledgeable, excelling in many areas.

Sometimes when Chi Yao assigned work that Tan Chi didn’t understand, the Tan siblings would explain it to him. With time, Tan Chi proved to have the most solid grasp of economic and political understanding and was the one most familiar with the Empire’s situation. Over time, Shi Xing became quite attached to this amateur teacher and would ask him whenever needed.

In fact, Yun Wu’s partner, Tan Wen, was also well-versed in these matters.

However, Tan Wen was a real officer in the Seventh Army, managing numerous military affairs for Marshal Tan Bai Shan, and aside from mealtimes, he was rarely seen.

Oh yes, Shi Xing actually had more than just Tan Chi as a patient.

Two officers had also been added midway; their mental seas had been damaged by star beasts and suffered lingering effects. While not severe in nature, they were of high rank, and since Yun Wu couldn’t treat them, after consulting with Chi Yao and with Chi Yao’s approval, Tan Bai Shan arranged for Shi Xing to heal them, which was not particularly difficult.

These two officers were especially grateful to Shi Xing.

Shi Xing also discovered that the overall atmosphere of the Seventh Army was fantastic.

It was harmonious and friendly, with equal mutual aid; it wasn’t just the Tan family—there was a sense of cohesion among the Seventh Army soldiers that Shi Xing had never seen before.

He really liked this harmonious atmosphere.

As days passed, the time finally arrived when the mental threads in Tan Chi’s mental sea were fully restored.

And Shi Xing’s initial guess had not been wrong; Tan Chi’s mental power level was indeed higher than that of Xiang Fei.

As he recovered, Shi Xing’s entry into his mental sea’s inner level gradually became more strenuous.

He didn’t know how much longer the treatment could continue, but it was highly likely that it depended on how far Shi Xing’s mental power strength had grown.

As treatment grew more difficult by the day, Chi Yao also noticed this situation and began to ask Shi Xing daily, preparing to call a halt whenever Shi Xing felt overwhelmed.

But that day did not come.

Before that day arrived, Yun Wu inquired one day, “Has treatment become much more difficult lately?”

Yun Wu had a rough idea, and Shi Xing nodded.

“Are you close to your limit?”

Shi Xing didn’t want to disappoint them, “I can still hold on for now.”

Yun Wu lowered his gaze, which indicated it was indeed getting close.

Suddenly, Yun Wu asked, “Do you still have any beast cores?”

Shi Xing shook his head; the treatment consumed too much, and as he rapidly grew, he used up his beast cores much more intensely than before. Two weeks ago, he absorbed the last beast core he had.

That night, Chi Yao came to pick Shi Xing up to go home and stopped by the Tan family for dinner.

During the meal, Yun Wu asked Shi Xing, “Have you ever absorbed fresh beast cores?”

Shi Xing froze for a moment, finally shaking his head.

Actually, he had absorbed them in his previous life, but he couldn’t remember what it felt like anymore.

Perhaps that feeling, bundled with the bad memories from his past, was discarded together.

Yun Wu said, “I remember it was very different.”

“The beast cores from the black market and the ones from freshly killed star beasts are quite different. Even if they are both grade S, the higher-level energy in the latter’s beast cores is incredibly… active,” Yun Wu described.

“That kind of easily dissipated energy is the most nourishing for our mental seas.”

Yun Wu turned to Chi Yao, “Your Highness, Shi Xing will eventually need fresh beast cores. Do you have any plans for that?”

Chi Yao indeed had plans, but not right now; they would discuss it only after returning to the Imperial Capital.

Because the First Army was all stationed in the Imperial Capital, getting a fresh beast core for Shi Xing would need military deployment.

But Yun Wu then stated, “Aren’t there some available right now?”

Shi Xing was taken aback.

Yun Wu boldly proposed, “Since he will eventually need beast cores to grow his abilities, and his last one has been used up, Your Highness, the Seventh Army can provide fresh beast cores for Shi Xing.”

“We’re right here in the Northern Territory; let’s draw them in from the Boundary Line and deploy to capture them, just like how the Seventh Army supported me back in the day.”

“Let’s kill a star beast for Shi Xing to absorb?”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Chi Yao understood the underlying significance of this proposal.

This wasn’t something Yun Wu could decide, yet for Yun Wu to mention it at the table with no one opposing him was because this was the consensus of the Tan family’s collective discussion.

It was simply a matter of having Yun Wu voice it.

The goal was quite simple.

Since Shi Xing was finding it somewhat arduous to treat Tan Chi, they wanted to use fresh beast cores to nourish Shi Xing, to see if his abilities could grow enough to completely heal Tan Chi before they left.

Once that thought crossed his mind, Chi Yao turned to look at Tan Bai Shan and Madame Campbell, who nodded respectfully in acknowledgment.

Their attitude explicitly confirmed his suspicions.

Chi Yao asked, “Do you all have a plan?”

Yun Wu didn’t hide anything, “Outside the border line where the Seventh Army is stationed, there are currently two star beasts, both close to S-class and not mutated. We can first lure one in, and if necessary, we have another as backup.”

The plan was already quite thorough.

And they should have prepared well before daring to mention it in front of him.

Having available star beasts was certainly not something that could be thought of one day and implemented the next.

Chi Yao glanced at Shi Xing, who looked somewhat confused and didn’t quite understand the implications of their words.

This time, Chi Yao didn’t ask Shi Xing for his opinion and made a decisive call.

“Alright, get ready and let’s first test by killing one.”