Chapter 265: Strange Illness
June 3rd, Wednesday, at the foothills of the Alps.
Between steep peaks and dense forests, the verdant pastures undulate; streams babble everywhere, flowers bloom abundantly, and the ancient castle greets a new day.
In a spacious and exquisite study, Elvin strolled leisurely in front of the bookshelf, occasionally pulling out a book to inspect it before returning it to its place. If he found it unsatisfactory, he handed it to a maid by his side.
He was sorting through his great-grandfather’s collection of books, or rather, transferring the valuable ones elsewhere, which was what Elvin was currently engaged in.
Duke Otto of the Engel family, Elvin’s great-grandfather, had “checked into” the Eden base. Despite life support at any cost, he was merely maintaining a heartbeat and respiration. The brainwaves that were almost indistinguishable from brain death coldly indicated that the Engel family had essentially lost their duke.
The door to the study opened, and Frank entered with a tense expression, walking briskly.
As Elvin pulled out another book, his fingers resting on the spine, he turned his head a few seconds later.
“Lord Elvin, we have some information from Huaguo…”
Under the sharp gaze of Elvin’s lake-blue eyes, Frank took a deep breath and lowered his voice: “It can be confirmed that Chu Dali and his team have failed. Kong Ming has passed away, the identity of the new heir has been exposed, and Zang Jian is initiating an internal reckoning.”
“Is everyone dead? What about Luca?”
Elvin seemed to have anticipated this outcome, remaining calm while a barely perceptible anger simmered in his eyes.
Currently, Mr. Luca’s fate was unproven, but given the explosive power of the thermobaric weapon at the time, it was likely…
After hesitating for a moment, Frank lowered his head, unable to meet Elvin’s gaze: “For now, we can only rely on high-level connections in Menggu to continue searching for Mr. Luca’s whereabouts. However, it seems that the Fujiwara family successfully escaped this time.”
Elvin swept his arm, tearing a section from the solid wood bookshelf, causing a pile of books to scatter on the floor. For a moment, both the maid beside him and Frank were too frightened to breathe.
A scheme that had been in the making for forty years had nearly eliminated all obstacles, but it ultimately failed, leaving Elvin’s serene expression resembling that of a volcano about to erupt.
“Master Elvin, there’s a remote communication from Miss Emma.”
At that moment, the voice of the head maid echoed from above.
“Bring it in!”
Elvin moved to the nearby desk and sat down as the large screen opposite him lit up, revealing a half-figure of Emma.
“Lord Elvin, the confidentiality screening in the Fourth Research Room has been completed. We discovered the data on the Scout project that Dr. Maddy had hidden before his passing; he presumably didn’t have time to take it out.”
“Additionally, the base also monitored recent encrypted signals being sent out, and the security department suspects that there may be spies from the James family infiltrating the base. It seems the news of the old duke’s serious illness might have leaked.”
Emma spoke in a cold tone, her expression betraying not a hint of emotion.
“Ha, spies…”
After a minute of silence, Elvin finally chuckled lightly. Although the James family had not interfered with the specifics of the Progenitor project, the Eagle King’s eyes had always been on them.
“Miss Emma, Dr. Maddy served the North American government. In a sense, the spies from the James family are also monitoring against Dr. Maddy’s research to prevent any outcomes that would contradict everyone’s wishes.”
“Well then, tell me what data Dr. Maddy actually hid.”
As Elvin raised his hand, a maid promptly offered him a glass of red wine.
As Emma explained, a few minutes later, Elvin’s hand began to tremble, the coldness in his eyes becoming almost visible.
The Scout project, under the guidance of the genius Dr. Maddy, had already made astonishing progress. A preparation process for Scout version 10, which could temporarily provide four hours of effects akin to blood servants’ physical qualities, had been concealed by Dr. Maddy.
Previously, Huaguo could still be used as a buffer or a fallback, but now, with Kong Ming’s fall, all risks were pressed onto Engel.
“Continue to strengthen security checks and identify the true identity of the spies. As for Dr. Maddy’s secret data, it must be destroyed immediately… no, wait, transfer and seal it onto an independent server with the highest access permissions!”
As the communication ended, the screen dimmed, and with a chime from his phone, Elvin lifted his wine glass.
Licking the wine from his fingertips, Elvin’s expression grew increasingly grim—this outcome was extremely dangerous for the Engel family. If this secret were to leak, the fate of the Engel family would be no better than that of the Goebbels family years ago, especially now that there was another Eastern duke family in this world that remained hostile to the Progenitor project.
“Frank, have all the family’s hired security personnel stationed at Eden! From now on, without my approval, no one is to enter or exit; you go supervise personally!”
“Yes, Lord Elvin!”
Without any delay, Frank left with quick strides.
…
In Hua country, seven time zones away, in a small border town adjacent to the Laos country, it was already bathed in golden dusk.
In a bedroom on the second floor of a countryside villa, Liang Wei and Jiang Yao sat by the bed, watching Doctor Lu conduct a physical examination on the unconscious Jiang Yan.
A full week had passed since that bloody battle, yet Jiang Yan remained in a state of confusion and sleep.
The black-haired girl wore a thin nightgown that clung tightly to her frail form, her eyes shut tight, occasionally contorting her face in convulsive twitches, as if trapped in a nightmare.
Jiang Yao rested her chin on her hands, elbows propped on the edge of the bed, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Jiang Yan’s exposed arm beneath the thin blanket. There, enveloping her delicate left wrist, was a thick layer of white gauze.
As Doctor Lu unwrapped the gauze layer by layer, a rotting scar roughly the size of a one-yuan coin was revealed; it seemed infected with an incurable disease, emitting an unpleasant odor.
“Doctor Lu, why hasn’t my sister’s scar healed yet?!”
Once Doctor Lu finished his examination, Jiang Yao hurriedly wrapped Jiang Yan’s left wrist with white gauze and spritzed a bit of perfume to mask the foul smell from the wound.
“She’s currently suffering from acute blood plasma protein exhaustion complications. The specific cause is still being analyzed, but I’ve already informed Old Jiu. In the future, she should try to control the boiling blood intensity during battles, especially not to exceed the boiling blood threshold.”
“As for other aspects, there are no major issues. Her body is in self-repair and shouldn’t remain in a state of stupor too long.”
Doctor Lu feigned calm as he sat to the side.
Some things he left unsaid, afraid to voice them; he suspected Jiang Yan had contracted a certain illness.
Outside, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway, and soon, the plainclothes guards—Han Jieli and Meng Huai—entered one after another.
Politely nodding at the people in the room, Meng Huai sat down first on the edge of the bed and, in front of Jiang Yao, grasped Jiang Yan’s wrist to feel for any signs.
“Xiao Meng, your abdominal injuries are also in a crucial healing phase; you need to rest more, or recovery will be slow. Come, sit here, take off your clothes, and let me check.”
Doctor Lu gestured with a smile towards Meng Huai, while also giving Jiang Yao a glance. She coldly cast a glance at Meng Huai and slowly got up to leave.
Watching Jiang Yao exit, once the door closed, Han Jieli pulled his gaze back, inadvertently locking eyes with Tu Yuanhong, his gaze totally fixated on the sleeping Jiang Yan.
“Have you found those from Fujiwara Jushan? Old Fourth Uncle has been asking.”
As Doctor Lu lifted Meng Huai’s shirt, he asked in a soft voice.
“Fortunately, with the help of Tu’s sixth brother, along with Instructor Tu, we caught the fox tail of the old ghost of Jushan. They are currently hiding near the southern border exit.”
Han Jieli smiled, his expression mysterious: “Currently, the Blood Dragon Fire Team has secured all the surrounding traffic routes; they can’t escape once they move. Additionally, the higher-ups have issued a stern warning to the Fujiwara family. They claim to be unaware of everything, attributing it solely to Fujiwara Jushan’s personal actions, making him a discarded piece.”
Saying this, Han Jieli displayed a proud smile.
In a north-south battle spaced several hours apart, both sides had nearly eradicated the restless elements annoying the dark arrows for years and left the hidden hands’ schemes to advance the Progenitor project in vain.
The exposure of Fujiwara Jushan also provided “reasonable discipline” against the investments of the Japanese blood family in China. What followed was merely some mopping-up work. For Han Jieli, a stable situation for the next few decades or even a hundred years had already been laid.
“By the way, Mr. Han, that matter with Tsurukosan is from our side, so don’t get it wrong when the time comes.”
Suddenly, Liang Wei, who had seemed invisible, muttered.
Meng Huai turned his head back, exchanging a glance with Han Jieli, and gently released Jiang Yan’s hand, but hesitated to speak.
At that moment, the girl on the bed let out a faint murmur, and everyone in the room held their breath, exchanging glances.
“Ha ha, Xiao Meng, your presence feels very familiar; since she can sense you, perhaps she will wake up soon. How about this: let Xiao Meng stay with her while we go outside and talk.”
Doctor Lu understood the situation and chuckled, being the first to rise and leave.
The room soon remained with just Meng Huai and the sleeping girl.
Gently touching the gauze on Jiang Yan’s wrist and staring at her delicate, lovely face, Meng Huai fell into a moment of daze.
Her exquisite face, slightly dull red lips, and slightly trembling beautiful eyelashes—every detail felt both familiar and strange to Meng Huai.
“Meng Huai… don’t die…”
The black-haired girl continued to murmur, likely still lingering in a nightmare, even turning her wrist to grasp Meng Huai’s hand tightly as if attempting to flee.
Meng Huai leaned down, bringing his face closer to Jiang Yan’s head, quietly gazing at her,
He glanced towards the door, sensing that the presence of others outside had long since left the second floor. So, Meng Huai gently swallowed, slowly leaning towards the girl’s forehead.
Meng Huai’s lips were less than a centimeter from Jiang Yan’s, yet he discovered no matter how much strength he used, he could not command his lips to bridge that final gap.
“Elder Brother!”
The door slammed open, and Zhong Jing rushed in, drenched in sweat, after half a month of absence.
“Um… should I come back later…?”
The sight before Zhong Jing caused his body to freeze, and he unconsciously took a half step back, embarrassment etched on his face.
“What are you doing here?”
Meng Huai quickly straightened up, his expression blank, as if nothing had happened at all, feigning to arrange the thin blanket he was wearing without turning back.
“I’m fine over there; I just wanted to check if there’s anything insignificant I could help with.”
Zhong Jing forced a smile, yet his heart was in turmoil.
His elder brother was actually about to kiss Jiang Yan? When did he awaken this skill?
Zhong Jing pulled over a chair and sat down at the side, gazing at his elder brother’s feigned calm profile, filled with deep feelings.
“Is it because of Tsurukiyo Haruka?”
Meng Huai cast a sidelong glance at Zhong Jing’s expression before turning back away. “When did she become one of us?”
“Ah, a child without a mother, it’s a long story… Ah, no, that’s not what I meant!”
Zhong Jing spoke thoughtlessly and then suddenly realized something was amiss, hastily shaking his head. “Miss Tsurukiyo and I have some special code communication. If I’m around, I can assist everyone.”
With that, Zhong Jing’s expression calmed, and he sighed lightly. “That Fujiwara Jishan is just a pervert; it’s not just Aunty Tsurukiyo but ever since she was little, she had psychological shadows about that old demon…”
A few moments later, Meng Huai turned and looked at his younger brother, displaying a serious expression. “With so many reasons, running around like this, aren’t you afraid that Sister Wan has something happen and can’t find anyone?”
“My master…”
Zhong Jing lowered his head, after a long time pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his expression revealing a touch of melancholy. “She probably has some issues; I heard she was forced into somnolent promotion, and it will be a year or two before she can wake up.”
“Once I hold the position as the president for a while, Hyacinth will have to rely on Jiang Yan, Jiang Yao, and Zhao Peng. They are currently surrounding Fujiwara Jishan, and I’m worried, so I came to check.”
“At least, Aunty Mengxiang’s revenge is both my brother’s business and the Zhong family’s. Our dad can act like a duck, but I cannot.”
After saying this, Zhong Jing raised his head, displaying a bright smile.
“Hmph, do you think the battle between blood clans is child’s play? Just take care of yourself… Moreover, have you figured out how to resolve your deal with Jiang Yao?”
Meng Huai snorted softly, no longer engaging.
Zhong Jing’s cigarette fell to the ground, left speechless.
…
Outside the small villa, by the vegetable garden, Liang Tai anxiously caught up with Doctor Lu.
“Brother Lu, you must tell me the truth. I feel something is off about the scar on Xiao Yan’s wrist.”
Liang Tai glanced back at the small building, lowering his voice.
Faced with Liang Tai’s private inquiries, Doctor Lu hesitated but still slightly nodded. “Well… it is somewhat similar.”
Seeing the hesitance in Doctor Lu’s evasive eyes, Liang Tai’s eyes widened as he grabbed the other’s arm, terror written on his face: Xiao Yan’s qualifications are so high, and she has been receiving Sister Wan’s teachings; her blood boiling control and stable blood essence aren’t much less than Zhao Peng’s!
“Doctor Lu, why don’t you take another look!”
Blood clans possess extremely strong immunity, appearing almost invulnerable to ordinary doctors, making them ideal subjects for certain secret medical research. However, this does not mean that blood clans cannot fall ill.
Abnormal boiling blood control leads to irreversible reductions in body stability, a classic symptom being the spontaneous emergence of necrotic alterations in the epidermal tissues during boiling blood, termed “unstable deformation.”
This is one of the malignant diseases that leave blood clan healers at a loss, occurring with a certain probability in lower-class blood clans when boiling blood control collapses, deemed an irreversible terminal illness.
This disease begins from an unremarkable necrotic area and gradually worsens with increasing instances of boiled blood, even in times without boiling blood ability, the condition still progressively deteriorates over time, merely in varying speeds.
In the end, the patient will succumb to a total collapse of bodily stability, without any cure—a fate faced by many low-qualification blood servants or retainers.
Whether from the past experiences of the slow-acting treatment received or the now just under twenty-year history of Hyacinth, Jiang Yan had witnessed it first-hand more than once, leaving a profound impression.
Yet, for someone whose true level now exceeds that of an ordinary baron or even viscount like Jiang Yan, to contract such a disease is truly incomprehensible. This is why Doctor Lu had been cautious in reaching conclusions earlier.
But with Xiao Yan, she’s not like us; why…
Amidst the tension, Liang Tai’s voice started to tremble. He truly could not imagine someone like Jiang Yan could suffer from such a disease.
Currently, only the symptoms seemed somewhat similar, but it’s too early to draw conclusions; don’t scare yourself. Vice President Jin and Old Jiu might have more case files to reference. I’ve had her tissue and blood samples sent back yesterday; we’ll wait for the results.
Doctor Lu laughed gently, brushing Liang Tai’s arm away, his tone calm, also a form of comfort. However, he didn’t feel any more at ease than Liang Tai.
With in-depth observation and secret research into the new generation’s queen, Jiang Yan was exhibiting increasingly overt “deficiency” phenomena.
Especially the intellectual lapses she often experienced during high-intensity boiling blood had already drawn significant attention from Kuan Yue, Old Jin, and even Old Jiu of the Wang family, all concluding it was due to the queen’s inherent instability.
On the other hand, however, Jiang Yan exhibited the opposite effect; due to pregnancy, not only had her body stabilized significantly, but several typically forbidden reactions during pregnancy were barely noticeable, far exceeding Old Jiu’s expectations.
As one of the few medical professionals among the blood clan, Doctor Lu had already reached the baron level, yet he was not skilled in execution; but Old Jiu personally appointed him to safeguard Jiang Yan, perhaps reflecting some intentions from the upper echelons of the Wang family.
“How about this: increase the stabilizing Five Astringent Pill consumption. Miss Jiang Yan has been taking it, let her continue. It can also be paired with Jade Balance Pill from the Hidden Sage League.”
After a brief contemplation, Doctor Lu suggested a compromise treatment plan.
“Oh, then, that would trouble you, Doctor Lu…”
Glancing back, Liang Tai noticed Han Jieli and the others had exited the small villa, quickly halting his talk.
…
As the golden glow faded and the sky darkened further, Jiang Yao sat on a large stone by the countryside fish pond, hugging her knees, lost in thought.
Jiang Yan woke up; she should be fine with her elder brother accompanying her for dinner.
Zhong Jing sat down beside Jiang Yao, casually snagging a stone and tossing it into the pond.
Jiang Yao turned her head, lifted Zhong Jing’s somewhat intrusive arm, and leaned back against his thigh.
Zhong Jing smiled faintly, reaching out to stroke Jiang Yao’s hair, playing gently with it.
“Zhong Jing, am I a jinx?”
Jiang Yao suddenly murmured, flipping over to gaze up at the young man’s face.
Zhong Jing paused for a second before reacting; he sighed: “Do you feel that Hyacinth has lost too many people over the past year?”
Jiang Yao shielded her face with one arm, her voice shaking with tears: “Isn’t it? Although Sister Wan forbids us from openly discussing these matters, I know it’s all because of the secrets we carry with Sister Wan… This time it’s not just Hyacinth, so many blood clan members in Huaguo have perished…”
“Do you think that if you weren’t in the world of Hyacinth, there wouldn’t be any deaths?” Zhong Jing shook his head. “I’ve faced challenges before.”
His master once said: Groups like Hyacinth, can they really continue to exist indefinitely amidst the world’s crevices?
His master replied: From the moment one becomes a blood clan, no one can escape the arrival of fate; it’s just a matter of timing. So, since fate is equal, any bad outcome isn’t due to a single person.
Jiang Yao blinked a few times, still somewhat puzzled. This explanation, to her, felt more like an empty consolation born from wordplay.
“Xiao Yao, times have changed; our world has progressed too rapidly. Many thoughts are nearly like a generation apart, but the blood clan has never stepped out of a fixed circle.”
As the secrets of the blood clan are continuously exposed, they transform from the nightmares of ordinary people into profitable treasures. Even the so-called orthodox blood clan, like the Wang family, should not merely be seen as maintaining a proud appearance with their powerful capabilities but rather as enduring the downward trend in silence.
“The more they seek to bind themselves closely to the world of ordinary people, the more it reveals their inner panic. Look, a simple inquiry from Dark Arrow caused all the old demons of the Fujiwara family to panic and quickly distance themselves from Fujiwara Jushan…”
Because of this, the blood clan particularly needs people like me and my father to build a point of shared interest between the blood clan and ordinary people within the world of ordinary people to carve out a space for survival. In Europe and America, due to capital, some blood clans even blend seamlessly with ordinary people…
At this point, Zhong Jing paused, suddenly halting mid-sentence, and an image of Tsurukiyo Haruka popped into his mind.
“So, before that balance is broken, Tsurukiyo Haruka being with you aligns with the fundamental interests of all blood clans, right? I knew it; even the Wang family tacitly endorses your family’s relationship with the Fujiwara family, everyone has unspoken agreements and are doing the same things.”
Perhaps finally grasping something, Jiang Yao abruptly interjected, even chuckling.
Zhong Jing felt somewhat awkward, turning his face towards the southern border, lost in thought.
“Zhong Jing, you being with Tsurukiyo Haruka would be the best outcome. But you must promise me that you will protect this child!”
This ring, I’ll return it to you—I don’t need it!
Jiang Yao took hold of one of Zhong Jing’s hands and gently placed it on her lower abdomen, then produced a small box from her pocket and returned it to Zhong Jing.
Zhong Jing’s expression twitched slightly, feeling quite helpless: “Once we deal with Fujiwara Jushan, I won’t need to maintain a specific relationship to uphold the connection between the nation and the Fujiwara family. She will still be me, my most trusted partner in Hyacinth.”
“You underestimate Tsurukiyo Haruka’s feelings for you this way? Ha, I’m not like Tsurukiyo Haruka; I never intended to spend a lifetime with a man. My sister is right; Zhong Jing, you fundamentally don’t understand me.”
Jiang Yao’s gaze gradually fell on the ring box in Zhong Jing’s hand, her lips pressed tightly together: “Zhong Jing, I have a big secret. Do you want to know?”
“Not interested!” Zhong Jing instantly replied without hesitation, “Hey, men and women appear to care about whether they understand each other or whether they’re sincere. However, when the day comes with no secrets left, that’s the most terrifying thing…”
Saying this, Zhong Jing shoved the ring box back into Jiang Yao’s palm: “Keep it; at least it represents a sentiment and position, but I won’t force anyone to accept it.”
Feeling the warmth of the young man’s hand gently stroking her lower abdomen, Jiang Yao closed her eyes, no longer speaking, her face displaying sheer contentment.
Suddenly, a ringtone from Zhong Jing’s pocket shattered the brief warm moment.
The phone number was unfamiliar, but after a moment of thought, Zhong Jing pressed the call button and held it to his ear.
No one spoke; only the sound of his fingernails rhythmically tapping the microphone made Zhong Jing’s expression turn serious, instinctively glancing down at the light-haired girl still resting on his thigh, gazing up at him.
“Tsurukiyo Haruka’s call?”
Jiang Yao’s expression altered slightly.
“Xiao Yao, I need to discuss something with Advisor Han; you should rest early.”
Without any explanation, Zhong Jing hung up the call directly.
Holding the ring box, gazing at the retreating figure of the young man, Jiang Yao fell into a strange state of distraction. After a few seconds, she softly muttered:
“Zhong Jing, Mond must be coming for me and my sister… If one day, I find myself opposing your elder brother, who would you help?”
