Chapter 192: Complex Body and Mind
March 13, Friday, two o’clock in the morning.
Under the night sky, Wildman Mountain was both peaceful and lively.
Peaceful was the tranquility visible within the range of light and sound. Lively was the unseen spectra and the restlessness beyond the auditory range.
Traveling through Wildman Mountain was not an easy task even for blood kin with their physical prowess and environmental sensitivity, let alone needing to respond to emergencies at any moment. As a result, everyone along the way remained highly tense and increasingly fatigued.
After three days of detouring south for over four hundred kilometers, Jiang Yan and the others had barely completed half of their journey, averaging only seventy to eighty kilometers a day.
The closer they got to Suibei Old Street, the more unfamiliar blood kin and armed personnel appeared, prompting Jiang Yan and her companions to constantly avoid and navigate around.
In the small campsite, there was no firelight; five single-person tents stood quietly, while a tall shadow was on guard in the camp.
The portable compressed rations were the main food for Jiang Yan and the others during this trip. Even if they occasionally managed to catch edible game, they could only dare to start a fire under absolutely safe conditions.
Meng Huai swallowed a few sips of water and finally managed to digest the dry compressed biscuits. Glancing at a nearby tent, he silently smiled.
Checking the tactical wristwatch on his arm, it was already past two in the morning. Meng Huai grabbed his weapon and slowly walked towards a nearby creek with a rocky shore.
After moving stealthily for about a hundred meters, he pulled out a secure phone from his pocket at a bend where the sound of rushing water was loud.
Sliding open the protective cover, he revealed a keyboard glowing green in the dark. Meng Huai took a deep breath and began to input a series of secure communication codes from memory, finally connecting a pair of earphones.
“Hello, this is the Special Operations Group, Strategic Mission Support Center, now verifying identity code…”
A female voice without any emotion came through the earphones.
Meng Huai moved the secure phone in front of his eyes, looked for a few seconds, and without providing any information, pressed the off button, then disconnected the power and tucked it back into his pocket.
Minutes later, a familiar and faint scent entered Meng Huai’s sensing range, carried by a unique controlling rhythm, akin to a silent communicative breath.
Meng Huai smiled, tightened his grip on his weapon, and walked toward the direction of the scent.
“Meng Huai, what are you doing here? Why didn’t you call me to switch shifts?”
On the distant rocky shore of the creek stood Jiang Yan, fully armed and looking perplexed.
“I was going to get some water back to the camp when I spotted some fish here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t catch any.”
Meng Huai raised the two large water containers in his hand, smiling, appearing relaxed.
“I remember you don’t like fish; you find the bones too bothersome… Go get some rest; it’s my turn to keep watch now.”
Jiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Meng Huai’s outfit, which was wet for the most part, almost laughing out loud.
Meng Huai said nothing and walked over, naturally taking Jiang Yan’s hand and leading her back to the camp as if they were strolling.
Meng Huai crawled into his small tent, and the campsite once again returned to tranquility. Jiang Yan sat on a piece of dry wood, feeling the gradually stabilizing and slowing breath of Meng Huai, knowing he had fallen asleep.
Looking at the two large jugs of creek water Meng Huai had brought back, Jiang Yan paused to carefully sense her surroundings before pulling out a magnesium stick and igniting a bonfire.
Although blood kin had few dietary restrictions, being able to drink a sip of hot water was still a source of happiness. Especially since she felt her physiological period was approaching.
No one expected that since their departure at the beginning of the month, various reasons had delayed their journey to the present, dragging it into an awkward bodily cycle.
It would take two or three more days to reach Old Street; she only hoped there wouldn’t be worse developments over at Guo Hao’s side.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Yan gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and began to utilize the endocrine control methods that Lang Yue had previously taught her, attempting to disrupt her physiological cycle through this approach.
Half an hour later, an extremely uncomfortable sensation spread from deep within her body, and she could even feel her forehead heat up slightly. Jiang Yan realized her unskilled endocrine control had resulted in a hormonal imbalance.
Stability of body and mind was crucial for the growth of blood kin, especially for female blood kin, but Jiang Yan could no longer afford to care about that. Whether this attempt would be successful remained uncertain, but she had to try.
After all, this was an extremely sensitive and high-risk period, and she absolutely could not afford to be in a state where she couldn’t fight.
In a small tent, Meng Huai hadn’t truly fallen asleep. Perhaps it was the state Jiang Yan was in that made him sense her subtle pheromone fluctuations, slowly stirring him awake. It was that familiar, awkward scent, filled with mysterious temptation, faint yet memorable, igniting impulses and desires. Especially for Meng Huai, who carried the Apennine phenotype, his sensitivity to scents far exceeded that of others like Xiao Hai. Even though Jiang Yan was trying to suppress her pheromone scent, within a ten-meter range, it was as visible as a bright fire in Meng Huai’s perceptual world. Meng Huai quickly bit his lip, then tightly closed his eyes, desperately suppressing the flames of desire rising within him…
“Are you feeling unwell?” As Jiang Yan stood a hundred meters away in the dense forest, drinking cold water to disperse her body’s heat, a familiar voice appeared behind her. “It’s you…” Jiang Yan’s hand shook, almost dropping her water jug, her face turning red with embarrassment. She knew that her control over her body’s hormones had ultimately gone awry; though she had achieved a certain purpose, she was now in an incredibly awkward and shameful state, having also woken up Meng Huai. “What were you doing? Was this what Wan Jie taught you?” Meng Huai frowned slightly, walking closer to Jiang Yan, instinctively rubbing his nose. “Don’t come over… I’m just practicing…” Perhaps due to her heightened physical sensations, certain desires sparked by physiological instincts emerged uncontrollably. Jiang Yan seemed to catch a whiff of the strong scent of male hormones emanating from Meng Huai, an unprecedented sensitivity and impulse rising within her, dispelling the rationality in her mind. “I… I can’t sleep either, let’s just keep each other company for the night…” Meng Huai swallowed hard, turned his head slightly, and forced himself to take two steps back, sitting on a large rock. “Please don’t come over… You should guard the camp!” Jiang Yan bit her lip to dispel the increasingly chaotic thoughts in her mind and directly ran deep into the forest, wishing to disappear completely. Countless moths and insects exhibited a peculiar pattern, chasing after the figure of a girl in the dark forest, restless and tenacious, like moths to a flame. Meng Huai didn’t chase after her, and Jiang Yan fled far away. Only when she could no longer sense Meng Huai’s presence did she stop. Turning to look back at the empty, dark forest, breathing heavily, Jiang Yan suddenly felt a pang of loss in her heart. Perhaps from the moment she exited that dim and bloody basement, her essence had already imprinted itself onto Meng Huai’s body and mind. After all those times of fluctuating proximity and unintended contact, it seemed hard to describe their relationship in terms of who was attracting whom anymore. Could it be that I am subconsciously attracting him as well? But he is such an oddball… Looking up at the crescent moon half-hidden by the clouds, Jiang Yan felt a shiver run through her, and the heat surging through her body seemed to lessen. For the next half hour, Jiang Yan dared not approach the campsite, instead hiding deep in the forest, trying to readjust her hormonal suppression. But the more she tried to calm down, the more mistakes she made in her haste. Gritting her teeth, she decided to use both internal and external hormone suppressants along with the full set of Golden Pills, even though her supply was dwindling. She had to get through this absurd night.
About a kilometer away from Jiang Yan’s camp, a middle-aged man lying fully dressed against a large tree slowly opened his eyes. The man directed his gaze towards a particular direction in the dark forest, glanced at his watch, and pulled out a faintly vibrating satellite phone. Seconds later, the call connected. “…Hmm, in about three days, Jiang Yan will reach Old Street, currently quite safe, everything is going smoothly… According to my estimates, as long as no half-step level figures appear, she should be fine at her current level of power.” “…What? Fifth Brother escaped? What happened? Why am I only being notified now!? Alright, I’ll keep an eye on it, we’ll keep the ancestors at ease!” After finishing the call, the middle-aged man contemplated for over ten minutes before adjusting his body into a more comfortable position and falling asleep against the tree…
Due to Jiang Yan’s serious and stubborn practice, she narrowly avoided inducing acute hypertrophy, and after urgently consuming a large amount of medication and some of Jiang Yan’s blood, she barely managed to retract her hyperactive state of blood, sparing Su Xiaomeng a scare. She didn’t care at all about Su Xiaomeng’s nearly hysterical tirade; instead, she solemnly recorded her experiences in her notebook—if she could control herself, even for just a second, the rest would be much easier. However, her hypertension inevitably recurred. After being beat by the stick, Jiang Yan had to stop all training and return to a state of recovery.
Fortunately, Jiang Yan’s control over her essence had been restored; that strange, black hole-like feeling of devouring had reverted back to the familiar impression of a half-step baron, letting Liu Shaolin and Xiao Ling breathe a sigh of relief.
News of this had reached Kuan Yue, including Jiang Yan’s latest high-risk attempt to use her skill.
But this time, Kuan Yue showed no surprise or scorn, instead maintaining a neutral demeanor as she urged Liu Shaolin to enhance Jiang Yan’s nutritional intake, demonstrating a willingness to see how far the other side could go on their path of self-destruction.
In the morning, among the three who were promoted to dormancy at Hyacinth Villa, over eighty percent exhibited signs of breath contraction, indicating they were about to awaken.
The little blood servants of Hyacinth Villa buzzed with excitement, crowding in the hallway of the dormitory, eager to witness the birth of a Hyacinth Knight.
To most of the little blood servants, serving was the first mountain they faced, while becoming a knight was the peak of their lives. As for the baron level, it was merely a roll of the dice cast by the upper echelons at birth—random qualification determined that day, unrelated to effort, a distant aspiration.
At dusk, the former steward of Hyacinth, Zhao Peng, personally arrived. The presence of the second Hyacinth baron, besides Kuan Yue, sparked another wave of excitement among the little blood servants.
Zhao Peng’s purpose in coming to Hyacinth Villa was simple—primarily to see Jiang Yan, or rather, his baron level was essentially a gift for her. No matter what, he had to express his gratitude to Jiang Yan after succeeding in his promotion.
Unlike the bustling atmosphere in Xiao Ying’s room, when Zhao Peng entered Jiang Yan’s room, he found it quite desolate. Jiang Yan’s monstrous reputation had become deeply ingrained; for the little blood servants who had never seen the world, she was still an entity to be avoided.
“Miss Jiang, I heard you managed to control Earl Aleitai’s hand briefly? Haha, it seems like your surprises for Sister Kuan have been never-ending these past seven or eight months.”
Zhao Peng placed a bag on the table, gently patting it: “Xiao Yao, this is a secret medicine gift I received when I was promoted to baron. It means little to me, so I’m giving it to you. You can give it to whomever you want.”
“I’m sorry, Brother Zhao, about Xiao Pingjie, I acted impulsively…”
Normally compliant rather than confrontational, Jiang Yan was quite docile in front of Zhao Peng, her head lowered and tone low.
“Let’s not bring up the past. Your primary focus now is to stabilize your realm and solidify your foundation.” Zhao Peng smiled, gently patting Jiang Yan on the shoulder. “The stronger you are, the more at ease Sister Kuan, I, and Xiao Yan will feel.”
At this point, Zhao Peng’s expression darkened slightly. He had learned some confidential conclusions about Jiang Yan and her thorough medical examination from Wang’s side through Kuan Yue and Lao Jin.
In Zhao Peng’s eyes, the protection Hyacinth offered to the Jiang sisters increasingly resembled a symbolic gesture with more superficial significance than actual substance, or more like a wonderful fate and mutual endeavor.
Hyacinth not only repeatedly relied on the Jiang sisters to pull through dangerous situations, but also enjoyed opportunities for growth brought by them.
However, every blessing of fate must come at a price. Zhao Peng had begun to understand what Hyacinth would have to give in return.
Perhaps, Zhou Ping’s death was just another form of that cost?
Looking at Jiang Yan’s clear eyes, Zhao Peng felt a complex sense of contradiction— the objective reality of innate growth potential led to a deeper and more obsessed realization of the concept of blood kin fate than for ordinary people.
It wasn’t that Xiao Yao had done anything wrong needing reflection; rather, all those who had benefitted from her should do their utmost to rectify any wrongs. That was the value Kuan Yue subtly hinted at—the essence of Hyacinth as a collective.
In most social interactions, or rather, in a blood kin world already lacking faith and human connection, only by adhering to so-called principles and standing on a moral high ground could one have the qualifications to criticize, and only in the absence of mutual debts.
Kuan Yue’s handling of Xiao Yao had been swift yet attentive, even taking the risk of offending the Wang family, managing to have them foot the bill for Xiao Yao’s mistakes, embodying this very philosophy.
At least for now, Xiao Yao hasn’t yet plunged into the abyss where strength dictates respect and worth among blood kin. That alone was a precious outcome.
“Brother Zhao, you seem to be in a daze; your expression looks strange… Are you all hiding something from me?”
Jiang Yan suddenly raised her head, seriously examining Zhao Peng’s face.
Last time, she had asked Zhong Jing, but Zhong Jing’s attitude seemed to mirror Kuan Yue’s, keeping her mouth tightly shut about matters concerning her.
Snapping back to reality, Zhao Peng was momentarily stunned before smiling and shaking his head: “Xiao Yao, you just need to know that the unseen puppeteers must have you, and your only option is to grow strong enough to instill fear in them. As for everything else, there’s Sister Kuan, me, and Jiang Yan to support you.”
“Actually, the entire Hyacinth is under your and Jiang Yan’s wishes right now… Alright, you are still in the state of full blood disbursement, focus on resting, and replenish your nutrients, I’ll go check on Xiao Ying and the others.”
With a more relaxed expression, Zhao Peng chatted for a bit before leaving the room.
Staring blankly at the closed door, reflecting on Zhao Peng’s understated comfort, Jiang Yan felt not a sense of relief but rather a heavier sense of suppression in her heart.
Sigh, do they all see me as a child? I’ve long known that neither sister is much; I am the true monster, and the kind that’s increasingly hard to show myself around.
After muttering a few statements to herself, Jiang Yan got out of bed, ran over to the wardrobe in front of the dressing mirror, and turned her back, straining to inspect the condition of her back.
“Whatever, if they don’t want to tell me, then I’ll just master my skill completely and consider my further genealogical capabilities. From now on, anyone trying to cause trouble will get what they deserve, whether it’s one or a pair!”
Facing the mirror and glancing at the area on her back, she saw no signs of any previous use of her ability. Jiang Yan couldn’t help but burst into a proud smile.
Embracing her hands behind her, feeling her smooth and delicate skin on her back, Jiang Yan felt an inexplicable thrill in her heart, and her face began to flush again.
She quickly ran back to lie down on the bed, grabbed her phone, and started dialing Zhong Jing’s social media video call feature.
Hehe, Su Xiaomeng snapped a picture of my hand technique; I’ll send it to him and blind his titanium-alloy eyes!
While waiting for the video call to connect, she scrolled through the photos Su Xiaomeng sent her, reveling in the image of herself as a blood-soaked-winged angel, feeling very proud. She even searched her mind for the anime character that resembled her the closest.
Someday, I should cosplay… No, I’m the real deal!
When the video connected, Jiang Yan immediately beamed with a radiant smile, eagerly sharing her current feelings.
……
In the Zhong family villa, Zhong Jing’s study.
“Jing-kun, soup time… Were you just video calling Miss Jiang Yan?”
He Qian Qingya had begun to resemble a Chinese girl who aligned with Zhong Jing more and more. Now wearing a semi-transparent silk nightgown, she entered the study with a bowl of chicken soup.
She had heard Zhong Jing chatting with someone outside and saw him placing his phone down just as she walked in.
Hmm, she was curious about the renovation progress of her house and felt she could no longer hold back… Haha, your cooking skills are becoming more like my mother’s.
Taking the soup bowl, Zhong Jing seemed to recall something, smiled slightly, drank several sips in front of He Qian Qingya, then casually set the empty bowl aside and began working on his computer.
Staring at the empty soup bowl, He Qian Qingya’s anxious heart finally settled, realizing that Zhong Jing didn’t mind anything from the past and trusted her completely.
“Jing-kun, since the Engel family has agreed to provide you with special medicine treatment, you might as well start taking it, right?”
He Qian Qingya reached for the little medicine bottle that had been sitting on the table as a decor item, carefully saying, “The Wang family has verified the safety of this medicine. If not taken, I fear your condition may worsen.”
That Emma is a dog sign, with a very keen sense of smell, she can easily detect any changes in my condition… I must maintain my facade until the deed is done; otherwise, if she finds out I’ve already started taking medication before the negotiation, it’s hard to say whether I’ll end up exposed.
Zhong Jing shook his head, took the small medicine bottle, playing with it casually.
“Jing-kun, why are you doing this?” He Qian Qingya was taken aback, pondering, “Are you really going to cooperate with the Engel family?”
“Why not?”
Zhong Jing smiled and shook his head repeatedly: “Actually, I value the EVN Group more. Even though it’s a subsidiary of the Engel family, like Zhong Pharmaceutical and Jian Yue Pharmaceutical, no matter how the underlying capital collapses, it doesn’t affect EVN Group’s status as a top-tier pharmaceutical company; it’s just a matter of who continues to take over.”
“As long as we can establish cooperation, that opens a long-term line of profits… Plus, I must use this opportunity to let them position my mindset and logical behavior, laying a solid foundation for my master’s next plan.”
As he spoke, Zhong Jing turned his head, revealing a mysterious smile to He Qian Qingya: “Last time I mentioned that I plan to invite the He Qian Consortium along with Jian Yue Pharmaceutical to establish a new multinational pharmaceutical company with EVN Group.”
“You’re only inviting the He Qian Consortium? Are you trying to avoid the Wang family?” He Qian Qingya asked curiously.
As long as we’re within the country, we can avoid the Wang family.
But at least I want the Engel family to see my ambition. I believe they’ll be even more satisfied if we can develop the market with EVN Group in Huaguo.
Zhong Jing stretched lazily and pointed to his computer: “I just received an email from EVN Group, hoping to discuss business cooperation in-depth. Miss He Qian, could you step in as my partner and talk to them?”
“Me?” He Qian Qingya was startled but quickly grasped his intent a few seconds later.
If we’re talking about significant occasions, as the de facto sole heir of the He Qian Consortium with her real age supporting her, He Qian Qingya would naturally have an inherent aura. In this regard, Zhong Jing still lacked a touch.
Moreover, during the ten years she spent in the He Qian family as a养孙女 (foster granddaughter), she had mastered quite a bit about corporate operations, especially financial techniques related to the pharmaceutical industry.
“Once negotiations go well, you can take credit with the Fujiwara family. These top-tier drug production patents would probably make Jian Yue Pharmaceutical envious; with this achievement, I suspect you won’t have to supply them with blood every month.”
“The more important you are to the Fujiwara family, the lower their vigilance toward you will be. Later on, if you seek revenge, it’ll be easier.”
Zhong Jing deliberately emphasized certain words, and He Qian Qingya’s eyes gradually lit up as she listened.
“It was Fujiwara Kitayama who ordered the assassination of Sister Mi Xiang! He has repeatedly used this as an example to educate and intimidate other sisters… No matter what I do, he considers it a given. It’s nearly impossible for him to give up my blood compensation!”
As soon as Fujiwara Kitayama was mentioned, He Qian Qingya ground her teeth, a cold glint filling her eyes.
“Just treat him as if he’s dead. As long as he still has expectations of you, you can set traps to ensnare him.”
Zhong Jing chuckled carelessly, extended a hand to open his computer, intending to busy himself once more.
“Jing-kun…”
He Qian Qingya’s face flushed slightly. She slowly sat on Zhong Jing’s lap, nudging the mouse from his hands, wrapping her arms around his neck, her eyes glinting with mysterious water-like waves: “Your birthday is next month; according to our prior arrangements, after you turn thirty-four, we’ll get engaged…”
Gazing quietly into He Qian Qingya’s eyes, Zhong Jing’s vision slowly blurred, as if the girl straddling his lap was a different golden-haired maiden.
“Jing-kun, are you feeling unwell?”
Noticing a peculiar expression on Zhong Jing’s face, He Qian Qingya promptly stood up.
“No, I was just thinking about when the Engel family would give me the special medicine.”
Zhong Jing shook his head, shaking off the strange thoughts that had suddenly sprung to mind and forcing a smile. “Let’s wait a bit more on the engagement. There’s still too much going on right now… At least until after your revenge is successful.”
“Is it because of Miss Jiang Yan?”
A wave of inexplicable irritability surged within He Qian Qingya, her lips tightening.
“Her? In her current state, nobody would dare provoke her…”
Zhong Jing recalled some secrets Wan Yue had confided in him and couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“Alright, you should think more about how to negotiate with EVN Group… By the way, this is something Master asked me to pass on to you.”
Saying this, Zhong Jing opened the drawer and took out a small spherical flask.
Inside the flask, there was over a hundred milliliters of bright red liquid, gently sloshing about, layers of crimson hues staining the bottle wall, glowing radiantly under the white light.
Pulling out the stopper, a silky scent that only blood kin could appreciate wafted out, strikingly different from other rare blood types, momentarily rendering He Qian Qingya spellbound.
“It’s the Queen… Jiang Yan’s blood?”
He Qian Qingya’s voice trembled as she carefully accepted it, fearful of any mishaps.
“Not sure, perhaps it’s Jiang Yan’s, but Zhao Ge succeeded in ascending to Baron largely due to them; I just don’t know if it has any use for barons.”
Zhong Jing shrugged, speaking casually.
As she gazed quietly at Zhong Jing’s face, He Qian Qingya had many thoughts swirling in that moment.
After ten seconds, she slowly placed the invaluable vial back on the table and gently kissed Zhong Jing’s forehead.
“Thank you for the kindness from Master Wan Yue and Jing-kun, but I don’t need it for now. I think I’ve already discovered my true pursuit of life; I want to try to break free from the constraints of blood.”
With that, He Qian Qingya turned and walked toward the balcony, where the plush toy cat named Hei Jiang was busy tearing into a small bird it had caught from who knows where, feasting eagerly on the blood and flesh.
