He lay casually on the bed, gazing through the window at the moon in the distance.
Beside him were three people staring fixedly at him without letting up, and a sense of helplessness welled up. A Xuan had already started snoring softly.
Yan Yu’an glanced at them, feeling even more helpless inside—but to keep from waking A Xuan, he said quietly to the three of them: “If you three keep staring at me like this, I might not be able to turn back into my true form.” He thought for a moment and explained, “Because I’ll be very nervous.”
The three fell silent for a second. Then Xie Ji shot to his feet, grabbed Shen Yuanzhou’s and Ning Bingque’s arms, and signaled with his eyes for Yan Yu’an to rest assured.
Then he wanted to push them outside—but how could Shen Yuanzhou and Ning Bingque be people so easily pushed away by Xie Ji? They both glanced at him at once, then forcefully shook off Xie Ji’s hands and walked out without looking back.
Xie Ji wasn’t the least bit annoyed. He irritably wiped his hands, as if dealing with something dirty.
Then he bent down, and while those two fellows weren’t around, planted a smacking kiss on Yan Yu’an’s face. He made eyes at him for a long while, then hurriedly left.
Finally gone… Yan Yu’an lay on the bed, thinking expressionlessly.
In the few memories he’d managed to recall, the place they lived wasn’t this one, but a place like a wonderland.
There, they all wore magnificent clothes, and all they ate was immortal grass—where would there be things like meat?
In that place, the three of them had had a bad relationship too, but back then he himself also hadn’t been liked by them—he was always being pushed back and forth between them.
Yan Yu’an thought of something, and his pretty brows couldn’t help knitting.
Hmph. So they’d never eaten meat before, which was why they went crazy for meat in this world. They hadn’t liked him before, which was why they were so eager to please him here.
For a moment, Yan Yu’an felt somewhat unhappy inside.
The power inside him grew stronger and stronger. Yan Yu’an couldn’t help tugging at the animal hide on his body, wanting to burst that power out and successfully turn back into his true form.
God-Slaying Grass was, after all, a divine grass. Now, in a mortal’s body, wanting to turn back into its true form was naturally very difficult.
Large beads of sweat slid down Yan Yu’an’s forehead. He irritably wiped his forehead, wanting to wipe the sweat away—but the moment he moved, his whole body felt like it was about to fall apart.
“Grass…” Perhaps it was too unbearable, because he couldn’t help cursing aloud. He didn’t notice that his body was actually giving off a faint blue glow.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before, when he came back to his senses, he felt as if he’d been soaked through in water—that black hair plastered wet against his head, his body covered in sweat too.
He blearily opened his eyes and found the other three looking at him anxiously. Seeing him awake, Xie Ji rushed right up and kissed him twice—and was just about to go in for a third when Shen Yuanzhou pulled him back.
“How long was I asleep?” Through the window, Yan Yu’an saw the sun hanging high in the sky.
He moved his body, and Ning Bingque immediately helped him up. Shen Yuanzhou said from the side: “You’ve been unconscious for two days.” As he spoke, he rubbed his brow tiredly.
Yan Yu’an was shocked. He looked at Xie Ji beside him, who hadn’t spoken, in disbelief—and only after seeing him nod did he gradually believe the fact that he’d been unconscious for two days.
A Xuan hopped and skipped onto Yan Yu’an’s body and chuckled twice. “Master, try your ability quick—see if you’ve recovered.”
“When we came in and saw you, you’d already turned into a stalk of grass.” Ning Bingque scratched his head. Thinking of the scene when he’d walked in, he still found it a little unbelievable. “A stalk of grass white enough to glow.”
Shen Yuanzhou nodded and gently rubbed Yan Yu’an’s leg. “Right. Though I’ve never seen God-Slaying Grass, that appearance of yours was exactly the same as the legendary God-Slaying Grass.”
The moment his words fell, Xie Ji was gazing at him eagerly like a little dog. Yan Yu’an couldn’t help curving his lips, then began trying to use his ability.
As for being a stalk of grass himself, Yan Yu’an accepted it well—after all, he’d transmigrated here from the apocalypse. What could possibly be impossible?
But when he saw a cluster of pale blue light appear in his hand, Yan Yu’an still couldn’t help being startled.
He tried to use that cluster of pale blue light—and the next second, that light actually went straight past Shen Yuanzhou and Xie Ji and entered Ning Bingque’s body.
Ning Bingque’s mouth fell open, and the next second he actually collapsed straight down.
“Ning Bingque!” Yan Yu’an cried out in alarm. At a loss, he wanted to get up and steady him, but Shen Yuanzhou pressed him down, and Xie Ji grabbed his shoulders and tossed him back onto the bed.
Ning Bingque had his eyes closed serenely, and the corners of his mouth even carried a faint smile.
“Why did he faint?” Yan Yu’an said anxiously. He didn’t know why that cluster of light had gone straight into Ning Bingque’s body just now—he hadn’t even had a chance to react. “What do we do?”
Yan Yu’an was a little frantic. He looked at A Xuan, urgently wanting to know the answer.
But A Xuan held out a finger and waved it at him, signaling him to calm down. “Don’t worry, master, he’s fine!” As it spoke, it chuckled twice. “When he wakes up, that weird thing inside his body will be gone.”
Yan Yu’an nodded slowly. Unconsciously he rubbed the animal hide, his little face pale and written all over with unease.
Xie Ji and Shen Yuanzhou didn’t care whether Ning Bingque lived or died—they kept comforting Yan Yu’an, and A Xuan even began explaining his ability to him.
“Master’s ability is amazing. The first ability can heal anything—whether it’s qi deviation or bringing the dead back to life, it’s simple. As long as there’s enough lifespan, no matter how badly hurt, it can be restored.” A Xuan counted on its fingers.
“The second ability, well…” It smiled smugly again. “You can use others’ abilities, and without limit.” It chattered on. “Back in the day, there were so many mutants in these forests. But ever since master disappeared, there have been fewer and fewer mutants—now there are only a scant few left.”
Yan Yu’an froze and couldn’t help looking at his own hands, secretly thinking this ability was simply heaven-defying.
“You know, mutants have always been warlike. When you were here, they could restore their bodies at will—but after you were gone…” A Xuan stopped there, but everyone present understood what it hadn’t finished saying.
Xie Ji clapped his hands. “No wonder. Before I met my brother, I thought there were only a few mutants here—just us.”
Hearing this, A Xuan shook its head. “Actually there are more. Some mutants have hidden themselves away—but once they learn master has returned, they should come here too.”
As they spoke, Ning Bingque actually came to. He first looked around, then touched his own head. “What happened?”
The next second, his eyes flew wide open. He clutched his chest in disbelief and looked toward Yan Yu’an. “I—I—the thing inside me is gone!”
He was full of astonishment. He patted his own chest, wanting to confirm whether that thing had really disappeared—but no matter what he did, the monster wouldn’t appear before his eyes.
He pounced on Yan Yu’an at once. Usually he carried himself like a young noble—this was the first time he’d ever lost his composure like this. “I—I…”
In an instant, Yan Yu’an felt his shoulder grow wet. He was greatly startled, and hurriedly hugged Ning Bingque back, fussing to comfort him.
Xie Ji pursed his lips and turned his head away in extreme displeasure.
Shen Yuanzhou, meanwhile, watched blandly, no joy or anger visible on his face.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before Ning Bingque got up from Yan Yu’an. By now he’d returned to his usual self—where could you still see the crying figure from just now?
Seeing him finally get up from Yan Yu’an’s embrace, Xie Ji gave a discontented “tsk.” “Then we should about be leaving this place, right?”
What he said was exactly what Shen Yuanzhou and Ning Bingque were thinking too—but hearing it, A Xuan grew so anxious that sweat nearly broke out. It shook its head ceaselessly. “No, no, master has to stay here at least half a year.”
It muttered, then jumped down from the bed at once. Standing on the table, hands on its hips, it said seriously: “Master’s ability isn’t stable yet. If you leave now, there’s a very good chance he’ll just recover before being unable to use his ability again.” It turned in a circle. “Besides, apart from you three, there are no other mutants in that place of yours—you can imagine how low the spiritual energy is!”
Xie Ji lowered his eyes and silently shut his mouth.
Shen Yuanzhou and Ning Bingque weren’t flustered. Though they wanted to return to their original places too, if Yan Yu’an was going to stay here, naturally they’d stay here with him.
Yan Yu’an knew Xie Ji was worried about the lion tribe. He thought for a moment and patted the back of Xie Ji’s hand. “How about you move the tribe over here?”
But the moment the words left his mouth, he denied the idea himself. “That probably won’t work. The journey is long and treacherous—too dangerous…” He looked at Xie Ji anxiously.
It wasn’t that Xie Ji hadn’t thought of this method, but their clan had lived there for many years—they couldn’t move the whole tribe here all at once.
His tail, which had been lifted high because of Yan Yu’an’s recovery, now drooped. The two furry ears atop his head drooped glumly too.
The whole lion was written all over with the word “sad.”
“How about this—you go back to the lion tribe first, and then half a year later I’ll come back?” Yan Yu’an pressed his lips together and said a little conflictedly.
Though he couldn’t bear to part with Xie Ji, Xie Ji still had such a big tribe to manage. No matter what, he had to go back first.
Xie Ji stared glumly at the ground. He didn’t know how much time had passed before his ears suddenly perked up and the tail behind him gradually lifted again.
“I can go back to the lion tribe first, then come back!” He said happily.
Yan Yu’an froze, then immediately understood his idea.
“That works too, but the journey…” Yan Yu’an was a little conflicted.
The next second, Xie Ji threw his arm over Ning Bingque’s shoulder. “He just agreed to go back with me!”
Ning Bingque: “???”
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