Chapter 98.3
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
AAAAAAAA sorry for the sudden hiatus TT_TT. I’ll upload DITF Wednesday update + Sick villain Thursday update today, then DITF Saturday update + DPPM Friday update tomorrow! Next week is the usual update schedule, don’t worry.
After eating, Gu Yan’an, who was eating in the dining room, smiled. She exchanged a look with the old butler, and went to the lounge upstairs with interest.
Chu Rong talked about his vacation during lunch. Qiao Zhiya was so happy that he ate an extra bowl.
After the meal, the two went for a walk in the yard to aid digestion. Then they went back to the living room to watch a movie with Gu Yan’an, and finally returned to the yard to play with the rabbits while chatting.
Chu Rong, feeling unusually relaxed, noticed Qiao Zhiya’s curiosity and briefly mentioned the current situation in the Federation, explaining what he and Chu Huai had been busy with these days.
After listening for a moment, Qiao Zhiya asked in wonder, “Long Ruifeng and the others hadn’t woken up?”
“No.” Chu Rong said with a slight frown, then continued, “Zhuang Yu’s previous treatment plan failed, and now she is working on the second treatment plan.”
Qiao Zhiya had an inkling on what Zhuang Yu’s first treatment could be. She probably used the Yellow Leaf Tree’s potions he made earlier.
It’s a potion made from the leaves of the Elder Tree-xiansheng. It contains a large amount of wood-elemental magical particles, even better than those special-grade potions for spiritual purification. If this potion doesn’t work, then it’s likely that other treatment options won’t be effective either.
He glanced at the vine pattern on his wrist, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Chu Rong’s side and tentatively said, “How about… let me give it a try? If the investigation ends sooner, the trial can start earlier, and you and Dage can finish your work sooner. Although Dasao doesn’t say it, she surely hopes that Dage can spend more time with her.”
Chu Rong frowned, reaching out to grasp his wrist and gently rubbing the vine pattern on it, remaining silent.
“Actually, I think this pattern is harmless. Although none of my clansmen have it, my parents… Well, my situation is a bit special, and my physique is somewhat different from theirs. The appearance of this pattern should be due to the increase in my power, and it’s okay to use magic.”
Qiao Zhiya comforted him, holding his hand, and added in a slightly appeasing tone, “And I’ll just give it a try. If it works, yo-you… Actually, I also want you to finish your work earlier and spend more time with me…” His voice trailed off, becoming softer, and his face turned red.
Chu Rong’s expression softened as he reached up to touch Qiao Zhiya’s face. After a moment, he nodded reluctantly and said, “You can try, but don’t force it. If it doesn’t work, stop immediately. Rest well tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, I’ll take you to the military headquarters.”
With a bright smile on his face, Qiao Zhiya nodded vigorously and threw himself into Chu Rong’s arms.
Chu Rong couldn’t help but feel the urge to sigh. He had wanted to keep these matters separate from Qiao Zhiya, but as a result… He felt Qiao Zhiya’s soft ears rubbing against his neck and bent down to kiss the top of his head.
The two of them rested well on the second day, and on the third day in the morning, after breakfast, Chu Rong took Qiao Zhiya to the military base. They walked through the secure passage and entered the most strictly guarded area of the military base, where the most dangerous criminals were held.
“No pushing yourself. If there’s any problem, stop immediately. Understand?”
Before entering Long Ruifeng’s ward, Chu Rong couldn’t help but remind Qiao Zhiya again. After Qiao Zhiya nodded to assure him once more, Chu Rong used his own authorization to open the door and led him in.
Having received advance notice, Zhuang Yu had already cleared the ward. Although Long Ruifeng lay unconscious on the bed, his body was wrapped in safety harnesses and his eyes were covered, ensuring the safety and confidentiality of the treatment giver.
After ensuring that all surveillance within the room had been turned off, Chu Rong used his spiritual power to seal the room and gestured for Qiao Zhiya to approach closer.
Qiao Zhiya first glanced at the unconscious Long Ruifeng on the bed, then exhaled as he slowly condensed his wood-elemental magic, directing it towards Long Ruifeng on the bed.
He immediately sensed a chaotic spiritual force feedback, accompanied by some strange sensations. Frowning, he swiftly sealed off the magic, then followed the scattered spiritual power, infiltrating into Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea.
After his power got upgraded again, he has already reached the level equivalent to SSS-level spiritual power. Dealing with someone with only S-level spiritual power like Long Ruifeng was as easy as flipping his hand. Soon, he penetrated the blockade and entered Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea.
Different from the vast and magnificent spiritual sea of Chu Rong, Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea, although also extensive, was chaotic and disorderly, constantly undulating and turbulent.
This was indeed a symptom of a spiritual power being stimulated. With a clear understanding, he hurriedly tried to calm Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea step by step, following the procedure he used when helping Chu Rong treat his spiritual power.
Long Ruifeng’s aura quickly stabilized, and the data on the testing equipment began to rise steadily.
Chu Rong noticed that Qiao Zhiya’s expression was relatively relaxed, so he eased up slightly.
Then, soon after, there was a change in the situation. The previously stable aura around Long Ruifeng became restless again, and the instruments started alarming frantically. Qiao Zhiya frowned slightly, his face showing a troubled expression.
Chu Rong’s expression changed immediately. He swiftly mobilized his spiritual power to surround Long Ruifeng’s body, while his gaze turned hostile as he looked towards Long Ruifeng lying on the bed.
With Chu Rong’s protection, Qiao Zhiya felt much better. He quickly condensed his magic power and chased after the strange force trying to delve into Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea. By surrounding, chasing, and intercepting, Qiao Zhiya forcibly pushed that force into a corner. Then, he wrapped it with magic power and removed it from Long Ruifeng’s brain.
The alarm from the instruments abruptly ceased, and the violent aura around Long Ruifeng quickly dispersed after a moment of solidification. Qiao Zhiya also opened his eyes, then retrieved a transparent radiation isolation sphere from the storage bag. He locked the foreign power trapped by magic inside it.
“How are you?”
Chu Rong stepped forward and hugged him, his expression turned into a frown.
Qiao Zhiya shook his head to indicate that he was fine. Then, he looked puzzled as he turned the isolation sphere in his hand, and looked up at him, saying, “The first treatment plan actually succeeded, but something hidden in Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea immediately disrupted his power again, preventing him from regaining consciousness. This thing is a bit strange, it seems like spiritual power, yet not quite the same…”
After the removal of the source of the stimulation, Long Ruifeng showed signs of awakening. Chu Rong, fearing that Long Ruifeng might recognize Qiao Zhiya’s voice, quickly signaled Qiao Zhiya to remain silent and reached out to press the bedside call button. He then escorted Qiao Zhiya out of the ward.
Unable to figure out what was inside the isolation sphere, Qiao Zhiya decided to stop dwelling on it for the time being. He let Chu Rong take him to the next ward.
Chu Rong frowned, still remembering what happened just now. While he was reluctant, he was unable to resist Qiao Zhiya’s insistence and assurance, so he still took him to Patriarch You’s ward.
Patriarch You’s spiritual power level was higher, reaching SS grade. This time, Qiao Zhiya, who had extra experience, stabilized Patriarch You’s condition and then delved deep into his spiritual sea. As expected, he found a strange power there as well.
Qiao Zhiya kept one of them, trapped inside the radiation isolation spheres, for his own research. He handed the other one to Chu Rong to be investigated.
With the issue of the important witnesses being unconscious resolved, and after discussing the situation with the other members of the You family through Zhuang Yu, Qiao Zhiya immediately immersed himself in the large-scale production of a potion using the Yellow Leaf Tree for use.
Long Xuyang and the other members of the You family were merely affected by the medication from the Ning family, which influenced their consciousness. There was no strange power meddling their brains. The reason Zhuang Yu couldn’t cure them before was because the medication used by the Ning family contained the Zerg’s secretion. She had been unable to find an effective ingredient to counteract this secretion’s effects.
She also considered using the Yellow Leaf Tree potion, but most of the supply provided by Chu Rong had been used on Long Ruifeng and others. A small portion was used on soldiers who were severely injured on the battlefield. This left her with very limited resources for research, and the scarcity of raw materials hindered her progress. As a result, she hadn’t been able to make any breakthroughs.
Qiao Zhiya was completely unaware of these investigative difficulties. The supply of that potion taken by Chu Rong was their reserve stock made on the primitive planet. After the appearance of the vine pattern, Chu Rong instructed Qiao Zhiya to use magic as sparingly as possible and observe his physical condition for a while, so he obediently refrained from making another potion afterwards.
If he had known that the situation had deteriorated here, he would definitely have come to help early.
After rushing to produce a batch of the potion, Chu Rong forcibly took him to the rest area. Along the way, Qiao Zhiya carefully expressed his willingness to help with research and his eagerness to assist Chu Rong.
Chu Rong frowned, touching Qiao Zhiya’s head gently before replying, “It’s not that I don’t want you to help, but without a military position, your involvement in the investigation regarding the Ning family and others isn’t just a matter for the Chu family anymore. It’s now part of the formal procedures of the Federation. If you participate in the research, it will surely leave traces. Besides, I don’t want Zhuang Yu and the others to become too reliant on you. From researching manually-piloted mechas to making special potions, you’ve already done enough. I’ve already arranged for another team to research the Yellow Leaf Tree project separately. We should have results in a while. This time was an urgent thing – so, that’s why I didn’t want you to take on unnecessary risks.”
Understanding the situation, Qiao Zhiya felt warmth in his heart. He leaned his head and gently rubbed Chu Rong’s palm with his own.
Chu Rong’s expression eased and he kissed the top of his head, full of gratitude.
The next day, Long Ruifeng and Patriarch You began to awaken one after another. The locks on their spiritual power in their minds disappeared, and their thoughts and consciousness returned to normal. However, Patriarch You’s memory was completely chaotic; he couldn’t remember anything at all.
Although Long Ruifeng remembered many details, he firmly closed his mouth and said nothing, exactly the same reaction as Ning Tianya and Ning Tianxing.
With his patience worn thin, Chu Rong no longer wished to delay matters. He directly submitted an application for allowing using mental search for these traitors. Upon receiving the application, Chu Huai immediately convened a public press conference, explaining the situation where the traitors refused to cooperate with the investigation. He opened the floor to the public for their opinions on whether mental searches should be conducted on these criminals.
Mental searches are a highly invasive and detrimental means of investigation, violating personal health and privacy. Federal law stipulates that even for criminals, this investigative method cannot be easily employed unless under exceptional circumstances.
What Chu Rong is currently doing was seeking to apply for such a legal exception under special circumstances.
After watching the press conference, the public was almost outraged. They couldn’t believe that even after the war had ended for so long and the Zergs threat was nearly eradicated, these traitorous criminals still stubbornly resisted and refused to confess. In light of this, the sentiment was clear: conduct the mental searches! Search until concrete evidence of their crimes is found! It would be best to uncover all the dirty secrets of their collusion with the Empire!
With a large proportion of support from the public in the opinion poll, the search application was approved. Three days later, Chu Rong stepped into Long Ruifeng’s ward once again. This time, he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he gestured for the staff behind him to approach and help Long Ruifeng put on special protective clothing, while also setting up video recording equipment.
As soon as Long Ruifeng saw the situation, he knew something was amiss. He immediately attempted to self-destruct his spiritual power to evade the search, but it was too late. The helmet designed to suppress his spiritual power had already been placed on his head.
The search process was supervised by two representatives each from the political, military, and judicial sectors. The actual search was conducted by a retired elder with SSS-level spiritual power, known for his neutrality, integrity, and reputation.
After the search began, Long Ruifeng’s memory was played out as a mental screen projection.
Several hours later, after roughly examining Long Ruifeng’s memories, officials from various sectors were all outraged. They couldn’t believe what a terrible president he was — completely self-centered, caring only about his own interests, and disregarding the lives of the people. He was utter trash! Those who voted for him as president must have been blind!
Next was Patriarch You’s turn. However, this time, they didn’t find anything, because Patriarch You’s memory stopped at the scene where Long Xuyang entered and brought him a fresh cup of tea after dinner one evening. After that, everything became a blur.
The investigation team members immediately found the investigation data related to the You family, stating that the can of tea used indeed showed abnormalities during previous tests.
With Long Ruifeng and Patriarch You dealt with, the mental search finally reached its most crucial phase: Ning Tianya and Ning Tianxing. Whether this search could completely expose Prince An Xei of the Empire and uncover more clues about the fake Zergs depended on what was inside their minds.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
AAAAAAAA sorry for the sudden hiatus TT_TT. I’ll upload DITF Wednesday update + Sick villain Thursday update today, then DITF Saturday update + DPPM Friday update tomorrow! Next week is the usual update schedule, don’t worry.
After eating, Gu Yan’an, who was eating in the dining room, smiled. She exchanged a look with the old butler, and went to the lounge upstairs with interest.
Chu Rong talked about his vacation during lunch. Qiao Zhiya was so happy that he ate an extra bowl.
After the meal, the two went for a walk in the yard to aid digestion. Then they went back to the living room to watch a movie with Gu Yan’an, and finally returned to the yard to play with the rabbits while chatting.
Chu Rong, feeling unusually relaxed, noticed Qiao Zhiya’s curiosity and briefly mentioned the current situation in the Federation, explaining what he and Chu Huai had been busy with these days.
After listening for a moment, Qiao Zhiya asked in wonder, “Long Ruifeng and the others hadn’t woken up?”
“No.” Chu Rong said with a slight frown, then continued, “Zhuang Yu’s previous treatment plan failed, and now she is working on the second treatment plan.”
Qiao Zhiya had an inkling on what Zhuang Yu’s first treatment could be. She probably used the Yellow Leaf Tree’s potions he made earlier.
It’s a potion made from the leaves of the Elder Tree-xiansheng. It contains a large amount of wood-elemental magical particles, even better than those special-grade potions for spiritual purification. If this potion doesn’t work, then it’s likely that other treatment options won’t be effective either.
He glanced at the vine pattern on his wrist, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Chu Rong’s side and tentatively said, “How about… let me give it a try? If the investigation ends sooner, the trial can start earlier, and you and Dage can finish your work sooner. Although Dasao doesn’t say it, she surely hopes that Dage can spend more time with her.”
Chu Rong frowned, reaching out to grasp his wrist and gently rubbing the vine pattern on it, remaining silent.
“Actually, I think this pattern is harmless. Although none of my clansmen have it, my parents… Well, my situation is a bit special, and my physique is somewhat different from theirs. The appearance of this pattern should be due to the increase in my power, and it’s okay to use magic.”
Qiao Zhiya comforted him, holding his hand, and added in a slightly appeasing tone, “And I’ll just give it a try. If it works, yo-you… Actually, I also want you to finish your work earlier and spend more time with me…” His voice trailed off, becoming softer, and his face turned red.
Chu Rong’s expression softened as he reached up to touch Qiao Zhiya’s face. After a moment, he nodded reluctantly and said, “You can try, but don’t force it. If it doesn’t work, stop immediately. Rest well tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, I’ll take you to the military headquarters.”
With a bright smile on his face, Qiao Zhiya nodded vigorously and threw himself into Chu Rong’s arms.
Chu Rong couldn’t help but feel the urge to sigh. He had wanted to keep these matters separate from Qiao Zhiya, but as a result… He felt Qiao Zhiya’s soft ears rubbing against his neck and bent down to kiss the top of his head.
The two of them rested well on the second day, and on the third day in the morning, after breakfast, Chu Rong took Qiao Zhiya to the military base. They walked through the secure passage and entered the most strictly guarded area of the military base, where the most dangerous criminals were held.
“No pushing yourself. If there’s any problem, stop immediately. Understand?”
Before entering Long Ruifeng’s ward, Chu Rong couldn’t help but remind Qiao Zhiya again. After Qiao Zhiya nodded to assure him once more, Chu Rong used his own authorization to open the door and led him in.
Having received advance notice, Zhuang Yu had already cleared the ward. Although Long Ruifeng lay unconscious on the bed, his body was wrapped in safety harnesses and his eyes were covered, ensuring the safety and confidentiality of the treatment giver.
After ensuring that all surveillance within the room had been turned off, Chu Rong used his spiritual power to seal the room and gestured for Qiao Zhiya to approach closer.
Qiao Zhiya first glanced at the unconscious Long Ruifeng on the bed, then exhaled as he slowly condensed his wood-elemental magic, directing it towards Long Ruifeng on the bed.
He immediately sensed a chaotic spiritual force feedback, accompanied by some strange sensations. Frowning, he swiftly sealed off the magic, then followed the scattered spiritual power, infiltrating into Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea.
After his power got upgraded again, he has already reached the level equivalent to SSS-level spiritual power. Dealing with someone with only S-level spiritual power like Long Ruifeng was as easy as flipping his hand. Soon, he penetrated the blockade and entered Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea.
Different from the vast and magnificent spiritual sea of Chu Rong, Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea, although also extensive, was chaotic and disorderly, constantly undulating and turbulent.
This was indeed a symptom of a spiritual power being stimulated. With a clear understanding, he hurriedly tried to calm Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea step by step, following the procedure he used when helping Chu Rong treat his spiritual power.
Long Ruifeng’s aura quickly stabilized, and the data on the testing equipment began to rise steadily.
Chu Rong noticed that Qiao Zhiya’s expression was relatively relaxed, so he eased up slightly.
Then, soon after, there was a change in the situation. The previously stable aura around Long Ruifeng became restless again, and the instruments started alarming frantically. Qiao Zhiya frowned slightly, his face showing a troubled expression.
Chu Rong’s expression changed immediately. He swiftly mobilized his spiritual power to surround Long Ruifeng’s body, while his gaze turned hostile as he looked towards Long Ruifeng lying on the bed.
With Chu Rong’s protection, Qiao Zhiya felt much better. He quickly condensed his magic power and chased after the strange force trying to delve into Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea. By surrounding, chasing, and intercepting, Qiao Zhiya forcibly pushed that force into a corner. Then, he wrapped it with magic power and removed it from Long Ruifeng’s brain.
The alarm from the instruments abruptly ceased, and the violent aura around Long Ruifeng quickly dispersed after a moment of solidification. Qiao Zhiya also opened his eyes, then retrieved a transparent radiation isolation sphere from the storage bag. He locked the foreign power trapped by magic inside it.
“How are you?”
Chu Rong stepped forward and hugged him, his expression turned into a frown.
Qiao Zhiya shook his head to indicate that he was fine. Then, he looked puzzled as he turned the isolation sphere in his hand, and looked up at him, saying, “The first treatment plan actually succeeded, but something hidden in Long Ruifeng’s spiritual sea immediately disrupted his power again, preventing him from regaining consciousness. This thing is a bit strange, it seems like spiritual power, yet not quite the same…”
After the removal of the source of the stimulation, Long Ruifeng showed signs of awakening. Chu Rong, fearing that Long Ruifeng might recognize Qiao Zhiya’s voice, quickly signaled Qiao Zhiya to remain silent and reached out to press the bedside call button. He then escorted Qiao Zhiya out of the ward.
Unable to figure out what was inside the isolation sphere, Qiao Zhiya decided to stop dwelling on it for the time being. He let Chu Rong take him to the next ward.
Chu Rong frowned, still remembering what happened just now. While he was reluctant, he was unable to resist Qiao Zhiya’s insistence and assurance, so he still took him to Patriarch You’s ward.
Patriarch You’s spiritual power level was higher, reaching SS grade. This time, Qiao Zhiya, who had extra experience, stabilized Patriarch You’s condition and then delved deep into his spiritual sea. As expected, he found a strange power there as well.
Qiao Zhiya kept one of them, trapped inside the radiation isolation spheres, for his own research. He handed the other one to Chu Rong to be investigated.
With the issue of the important witnesses being unconscious resolved, and after discussing the situation with the other members of the You family through Zhuang Yu, Qiao Zhiya immediately immersed himself in the large-scale production of a potion using the Yellow Leaf Tree for use.
Long Xuyang and the other members of the You family were merely affected by the medication from the Ning family, which influenced their consciousness. There was no strange power meddling their brains. The reason Zhuang Yu couldn’t cure them before was because the medication used by the Ning family contained the Zerg’s secretion. She had been unable to find an effective ingredient to counteract this secretion’s effects.
She also considered using the Yellow Leaf Tree potion, but most of the supply provided by Chu Rong had been used on Long Ruifeng and others. A small portion was used on soldiers who were severely injured on the battlefield. This left her with very limited resources for research, and the scarcity of raw materials hindered her progress. As a result, she hadn’t been able to make any breakthroughs.
Qiao Zhiya was completely unaware of these investigative difficulties. The supply of that potion taken by Chu Rong was their reserve stock made on the primitive planet. After the appearance of the vine pattern, Chu Rong instructed Qiao Zhiya to use magic as sparingly as possible and observe his physical condition for a while, so he obediently refrained from making another potion afterwards.
If he had known that the situation had deteriorated here, he would definitely have come to help early.
After rushing to produce a batch of the potion, Chu Rong forcibly took him to the rest area. Along the way, Qiao Zhiya carefully expressed his willingness to help with research and his eagerness to assist Chu Rong.
Chu Rong frowned, touching Qiao Zhiya’s head gently before replying, “It’s not that I don’t want you to help, but without a military position, your involvement in the investigation regarding the Ning family and others isn’t just a matter for the Chu family anymore. It’s now part of the formal procedures of the Federation. If you participate in the research, it will surely leave traces. Besides, I don’t want Zhuang Yu and the others to become too reliant on you. From researching manually-piloted mechas to making special potions, you’ve already done enough. I’ve already arranged for another team to research the Yellow Leaf Tree project separately. We should have results in a while. This time was an urgent thing – so, that’s why I didn’t want you to take on unnecessary risks.”
Understanding the situation, Qiao Zhiya felt warmth in his heart. He leaned his head and gently rubbed Chu Rong’s palm with his own.
Chu Rong’s expression eased and he kissed the top of his head, full of gratitude.
The next day, Long Ruifeng and Patriarch You began to awaken one after another. The locks on their spiritual power in their minds disappeared, and their thoughts and consciousness returned to normal. However, Patriarch You’s memory was completely chaotic; he couldn’t remember anything at all.
Although Long Ruifeng remembered many details, he firmly closed his mouth and said nothing, exactly the same reaction as Ning Tianya and Ning Tianxing.
With his patience worn thin, Chu Rong no longer wished to delay matters. He directly submitted an application for allowing using mental search for these traitors. Upon receiving the application, Chu Huai immediately convened a public press conference, explaining the situation where the traitors refused to cooperate with the investigation. He opened the floor to the public for their opinions on whether mental searches should be conducted on these criminals.
Mental searches are a highly invasive and detrimental means of investigation, violating personal health and privacy. Federal law stipulates that even for criminals, this investigative method cannot be easily employed unless under exceptional circumstances.
What Chu Rong is currently doing was seeking to apply for such a legal exception under special circumstances.
After watching the press conference, the public was almost outraged. They couldn’t believe that even after the war had ended for so long and the Zergs threat was nearly eradicated, these traitorous criminals still stubbornly resisted and refused to confess. In light of this, the sentiment was clear: conduct the mental searches! Search until concrete evidence of their crimes is found! It would be best to uncover all the dirty secrets of their collusion with the Empire!
With a large proportion of support from the public in the opinion poll, the search application was approved. Three days later, Chu Rong stepped into Long Ruifeng’s ward once again. This time, he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he gestured for the staff behind him to approach and help Long Ruifeng put on special protective clothing, while also setting up video recording equipment.
As soon as Long Ruifeng saw the situation, he knew something was amiss. He immediately attempted to self-destruct his spiritual power to evade the search, but it was too late. The helmet designed to suppress his spiritual power had already been placed on his head.
The search process was supervised by two representatives each from the political, military, and judicial sectors. The actual search was conducted by a retired elder with SSS-level spiritual power, known for his neutrality, integrity, and reputation.
After the search began, Long Ruifeng’s memory was played out as a mental screen projection.
Several hours later, after roughly examining Long Ruifeng’s memories, officials from various sectors were all outraged. They couldn’t believe what a terrible president he was — completely self-centered, caring only about his own interests, and disregarding the lives of the people. He was utter trash! Those who voted for him as president must have been blind!
Next was Patriarch You’s turn. However, this time, they didn’t find anything, because Patriarch You’s memory stopped at the scene where Long Xuyang entered and brought him a fresh cup of tea after dinner one evening. After that, everything became a blur.
The investigation team members immediately found the investigation data related to the You family, stating that the can of tea used indeed showed abnormalities during previous tests.
With Long Ruifeng and Patriarch You dealt with, the mental search finally reached its most crucial phase: Ning Tianya and Ning Tianxing. Whether this search could completely expose Prince An Xei of the Empire and uncover more clues about the fake Zergs depended on what was inside their minds.
AAAAAAAA sorry for the sudden hiatus TT_TT. I'll upload DITF Wednesday update + Sick villain Thursday update today, then DITF Saturday update + DPPM Friday update tomorrow! Next week is the usual update schedule, don't worry.After eating, Gu Yan'an, who was eating in the dining room, smiled. She exchanged a look with the old butler, and went to the lounge upstairs with interest.Chu Rong talked about his vacation during lunch. Qiao Zhiya was so happy that he ate an extra bowl.After the meal, the two went for a walk in the yard to aid digestion. Then they went back to the living room to watch a movie with Gu Yan'an, and finally returned to the yard to play with the rabbits while chatting.Chu Rong, feeling unusually relaxed, noticed Qiao Zhiya's curiosity and briefly mentioned the current situation in the Federation, explaining what he and Chu Huai had been busy with these days.After listening for a moment, Qiao Zhiya asked in wonder, Long Ruifeng and the others hadn't woken up?No. Chu Rong said with a slight frown, then continued, Zhuang Yu's previous treatment plan failed, and now she is working on the second treatment plan.Qiao Zhiya had an inkling on what Zhuang Yu's first treatment could be. She probably used the Yellow Leaf Tree's potions he made earlier.It's a potion made from the leaves of the Elder Tree-xiansheng. It contains a large amount of wood-elemental magical particles, even better than those special-grade potions for spiritual purification. If this potion doesn't work, then it's likely that other treatment options won't be effective either.He glanced at the vine pattern on his wrist, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Chu Rong's side and tentatively said, How about let me give it a try? If the investigation ends sooner, the trial can start earlier, and you and Dage can finish your work sooner. Although Dasao doesn't say it, she surely hopes that Dage can spend more time with her.Chu Rong frowned, reaching out to grasp his wrist and gently rubbing the vine pattern on it, remaining silent.Actually, I think this pattern is harmless. Although none of my clansmen have it, my parents Well, my situation is a bit special, and my physique is somewhat different from theirs. The appearance of this pattern should be due to the increase in my power, and it's okay to use magic.Qiao Zhiya comforted him, holding his hand, and added in a slightly appeasing tone, And I'll just give it a try. If it works, yo-you Actually, I also want you to finish your work earlier and spend more time with me His voice trailed off, becoming softer, and his face turned red.Chu Rong's expression softened as he reached up to touch Qiao Zhiya's face. After a moment, he nodded reluctantly and said, You can try, but don't force it. If it doesn't work, stop immediately. Rest well tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, I'll take you to the military headquarters.With a bright smile on his face, Qiao Zhiya nodded vigorously and threw himself into Chu Rong's arms.Chu Rong couldn't help but feel the urge to sigh. He had wanted to keep these matters separate from Qiao Zhiya, but as a result He felt Qiao Zhiya's soft ears rubbing against his neck and bent down to kiss the top of his head.The two of them rested well on the second day, and on the third day in the morning, after breakfast, Chu Rong took Qiao Zhiya to the military base. They walked through the secure passage and entered the most strictly guarded area of the military base, where the most dangerous criminals were held.No pushing yourself. If there's any problem, stop immediately. Understand?Before entering Long Ruifeng's ward, Chu Rong couldn't help but remind Qiao Zhiya again. After Qiao Zhiya nodded to assure him once more, Chu Rong used his own authorization to open the door and led him in.Having received advance notice, Zhuang Yu had already cleared the ward. Although Long Ruifeng lay unconscious on the bed, his body was wrapped in safety harnesses and his eyes were covered, ensuring the safety and confidentiality of the treatment giver.After ensuring that all surveillance within the room had been turned off, Chu Rong used his spiritual power to seal the room and gestured for Qiao Zhiya to approach closer.Qiao Zhiya first glanced at the unconscious Long Ruifeng on the bed, then exhaled as he slowly condensed his wood-elemental magic, directing it towards Long Ruifeng on the bed.He immediately sensed a chaotic spiritual force feedback, accompanied by some strange sensations. Frowning, he swiftly sealed off the magic, then followed the scattered spiritual power, infiltrating into Long Ruifeng's spiritual sea.After his power got upgraded again, he has already reached the level equivalent to SSS-level spiritual power. Dealing with someone with only S-level spiritual power like Long Ruifeng was as easy as flipping his hand. Soon, he penetrated the blockade and entered Long Ruifeng's spiritual sea.Different from the vast and magnificent spiritual sea of Chu Rong, Long Ruifeng's spiritual sea, although also extensive, was chaotic and disorderly, constantly undulating and turbulent.This was indeed a symptom of a spiritual power being stimulated. With a clear understanding, he hurriedly tried to calm Long Ruifeng's spiritual sea step by step, following the procedure he used when helping Chu Rong treat his spiritual power.Long Ruifeng's aura quickly stabilized, and the data on the testing equipment began to rise steadily.Chu Rong noticed that Qiao Zhiya's expression was relatively relaxed, so he eased up slightly.Then, soon after, there was a change in the situation. The previously stable aura around Long Ruifeng became restless again, and the instruments started alarming frantically. Qiao Zhiya frowned slightly, his face showing a troubled expression.Chu Rong's expression changed immediately. He swiftly mobilized his spiritual power to surround Long Ruifeng's body, while his gaze turned hostile as he looked towards Long Ruifeng lying on the bed.With Chu Rong's protection, Qiao Zhiya felt much better. He quickly condensed his magic power and chased after the strange force trying to delve into Long Ruifeng's spiritual sea. By surrounding, chasing, and intercepting, Qiao Zhiya forcibly pushed that force into a corner. Then, he wrapped it with magic power and removed it from Long Ruifeng's brain.The alarm from the instruments abruptly ceased, and the violent aura around Long Ruifeng quickly dispersed after a moment of solidification. Qiao Zhiya also opened his eyes, then retrieved a transparent radiation isolation sphere from the storage bag. He locked the foreign power trapped by magic inside it.How are you?Chu Rong stepped forward and hugged him, his expression turned into a frown.Qiao Zhiya shook his head to indicate that he was fine. Then, he looked puzzled as he turned the isolation sphere in his hand, and looked up at him, saying, The first treatment plan actually succeeded, but something hidden in Long Ruifeng's spiritual sea immediately disrupted his power again, preventing him from regaining consciousness. This thing is a bit strange, it seems like spiritual power, yet not quite the sameAfter the removal of the source of the stimulation, Long Ruifeng showed signs of awakening. Chu Rong, fearing that Long Ruifeng might recognize Qiao Zhiya's voice, quickly signaled Qiao Zhiya to remain silent and reached out to press the bedside call button. He then escorted Qiao Zhiya out of the ward.Unable to figure out what was inside the isolation sphere, Qiao Zhiya decided to stop dwelling on it for the time being. He let Chu Rong take him to the next ward.Chu Rong frowned, still remembering what happened just now. While he was reluctant, he was unable to resist Qiao Zhiya's insistence and assurance, so he still took him to Patriarch You's ward.Patriarch You's spiritual power level was higher, reaching SS grade. This time, Qiao Zhiya, who had extra experience, stabilized Patriarch You's condition and then delved deep into his spiritual sea. As expected, he found a strange power there as well.Qiao Zhiya kept one of them, trapped inside the radiation isolation spheres, for his own research. He handed the other one to Chu Rong to be investigated.With the issue of the important witnesses being unconscious resolved, and after discussing the situation with the other members of the You family through Zhuang Yu, Qiao Zhiya immediately immersed himself in the large-scale production of a potion using the Yellow Leaf Tree for use.Long Xuyang and the other members of the You family were merely affected by the medication from the Ning family, which influenced their consciousness. There was no strange power meddling their brains. The reason Zhuang Yu couldn't cure them before was because the medication used by the Ning family contained the Zerg's secretion. She had been unable to find an effective ingredient to counteract this secretion's effects.She also considered using the Yellow Leaf Tree potion, but most of the supply provided by Chu Rong had been used on Long Ruifeng and others. A small portion was used on soldiers who were severely injured on the battlefield. This left her with very limited resources for research, and the scarcity of raw materials hindered her progress. As a result, she hadn't been able to make any breakthroughs.Qiao Zhiya was completely unaware of these investigative difficulties. The supply of that potion taken by Chu Rong was their reserve stock made on the primitive planet. After the appearance of the vine pattern, Chu Rong instructed Qiao Zhiya to use magic as sparingly as possible and observe his physical condition for a while, so he obediently refrained from making another potion afterwards.If he had known that the situation had deteriorated here, he would definitely have come to help early.After rushing to produce a batch of the potion, Chu Rong forcibly took him to the rest area. Along the way, Qiao Zhiya carefully expressed his willingness to help with research and his eagerness to assist Chu Rong.Chu Rong frowned, touching Qiao Zhiya's head gently before replying, It's not that I don't want you to help, but without a military position, your involvement in the investigation regarding the Ning family and others isn't just a matter for the Chu family anymore. It's now part of the formal procedures of the Federation. If you participate in the research, it will surely leave traces. Besides, I don't want Zhuang Yu and the others to become too reliant on you. From researching manually-piloted mechas to making special potions, you've already done enough. I've already arranged for another team to research the Yellow Leaf Tree project separately. We should have results in a while. This time was an urgent thing so, that's why I didn't want you to take on unnecessary risks.Understanding the situation, Qiao Zhiya felt warmth in his heart. He leaned his head and gently rubbed Chu Rong's palm with his own.Chu Rong's expression eased and he kissed the top of his head, full of gratitude.The next day, Long Ruifeng and Patriarch You began to awaken one after another. The locks on their spiritual power in their minds disappeared, and their thoughts and consciousness returned to normal. However, Patriarch You's memory was completely chaotic; he couldn't remember anything at all.Although Long Ruifeng remembered many details, he firmly closed his mouth and said nothing, exactly the same reaction as Ning Tianya and Ning Tianxing.With his patience worn thin, Chu Rong no longer wished to delay matters. He directly submitted an application for allowing using mental search for these traitors. Upon receiving the application, Chu Huai immediately convened a public press conference, explaining the situation where the traitors refused to cooperate with the investigation. He opened the floor to the public for their opinions on whether mental searches should be conducted on these criminals.Mental searches are a highly invasive and detrimental means of investigation, violating personal health and privacy. Federal law stipulates that even for criminals, this investigative method cannot be easily employed unless under exceptional circumstances.What Chu Rong is currently doing was seeking to apply for such a legal exception under special circumstances.After watching the press conference, the public was almost outraged. They couldn't believe that even after the war had ended for so long and the Zergs threat was nearly eradicated, these traitorous criminals still stubbornly resisted and refused to confess. In light of this, the sentiment was clear: conduct the mental searches! Search until concrete evidence of their crimes is found! It would be best to uncover all the dirty secrets of their collusion with the Empire!With a large proportion of support from the public in the opinion poll, the search application was approved. Three days later, Chu Rong stepped into Long Ruifeng's ward once again. This time, he didn't ask any questions. Instead, he gestured for the staff behind him to approach and help Long Ruifeng put on special protective clothing, while also setting up video recording equipment.As soon as Long Ruifeng saw the situation, he knew something was amiss. He immediately attempted to self-destruct his spiritual power to evade the search, but it was too late. The helmet designed to suppress his spiritual power had already been placed on his head.The search process was supervised by two representatives each from the political, military, and judicial sectors. The actual search was conducted by a retired elder with SSS-level spiritual power, known for his neutrality, integrity, and reputation.After the search began, Long Ruifeng's memory was played out as a mental screen projection.Several hours later, after roughly examining Long Ruifeng's memories, officials from various sectors were all outraged. They couldn't believe what a terrible president he was completely self-centered, caring only about his own interests, and disregarding the lives of the people. He was utter trash! Those who voted for him as president must have been blind!Next was Patriarch You's turn. However, this time, they didn't find anything, because Patriarch You's memory stopped at the scene where Long Xuyang entered and brought him a fresh cup of tea after dinner one evening. After that, everything became a blur.The investigation team members immediately found the investigation data related to the You family, stating that the can of tea used indeed showed abnormalities during previous tests.With Long Ruifeng and Patriarch You dealt with, the mental search finally reached its most crucial phase: Ning Tianya and Ning Tianxing. Whether this search could completely expose Prince An Xei of the Empire and uncover more clues about the fake Zergs depended on what was inside their minds.
