Trust the Doctor's Orders

Chen Guan put the documents away. “Who approved it?”

“The academy hasn’t officially replied yet, but Grandpa said the Security Department has already signed the coordination letter.” Yin Chen shrugged. “If everything goes through the usual procedures, the formal notice should be issued within three days.”

“Three days.” Chen Guan lowered his eyes to his left arm.

Su Yuehe noticed the movement and frowned. “What exactly happened to your hand? And don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

Without hesitation, Chen Guan pulled his left arm partway out of its sleeve, revealing a forearm wrapped in bandages. Along the edges, the skin beneath showed an unnatural blackness.

Su Yuehe’s breath caught.

Yin Chen narrowed his eyes and leaned closer. “Demonic corruption?”

“Yes.”

“How did it happen?”

“I touched something I shouldn’t have.”

Yin Chen’s expression turned strange. “Why does that sound so weird?”

“That’s what happened.” Chen Guan tucked his arm back into his sleeve. “The doctor said the ointment will hold it off for five to seven days. After that, I’ll need purification from a high-level life-element esper.”

Su Yuehe’s expression grew serious. “There’s a tenth-tier life-element esper in the Northern Frontier. She’s a member of the Council, surnamed Zhou. I saw her treat similar cases when I was stationed there.”

“You’re suggesting I go to the Northern Frontier and have my arm treated while I’m there.”

“Kill two birds with one stone.” Su Yuehe nodded.

Yin Chen cut in. “Provided that arm of yours can hold out until you reach the Northern Frontier.”

“It can.”

“How are you so sure?”

“I trust the doctor’s instructions.”

Yin Chen suddenly laughed. “Fine. You’re the boss.”

Heavy footsteps came from the other end of the corridor. Long Ao appeared around the corner, his left shoulder wrapped in bandages and a large bag of bread in his right hand, with one piece clenched between his teeth.

When he saw Su Yuehe and Yin Chen, he paused, then bit off a large chunk of bread and swallowed it.

Clearly, Chen Guan’s guess had been wrong. Long Ao had gone looking for food as well.

“When did you two get back?”

“Just now.” Su Yuehe waved at him. “How’s your injury?”

“Just a flesh wound.” Long Ao walked over and shoved a piece of bread from the bag into Chen Guan’s arms. “Here. Eat.”

Chen Guan caught it with his right hand.

Long Ao’s gaze swept over the left arm hidden beneath Chen Guan’s sleeve. His chewing slowed for half a beat, but he said nothing. He simply pulled two more pieces from the bag and tossed one each to Su Yuehe and Yin Chen.

Yin Chen caught his one-handed, glanced at the packaging, and looked disgusted. “Strawberry flavor?”

“Be grateful there’s food at all,” Long Ao said indifferently. “Why are you being picky?”

Su Yuehe slipped the bread into her pocket and turned to Chen Guan. “We’ll discuss the Northern Frontier together once An Changqing has finished treating his injury.”

Chen Guan took a bite of bread and nodded.

At that moment, Baal’s voice drifted back to them, lazy with sleep.

“Oh? The Northern Frontier? A rift? Sounds interesting.”

Chen Guan replied inwardly, “Weren’t you asleep?”

“Lord Bael has excellent sleep quality. Five minutes for me is equivalent to five hours for you humans.”

Chen Guan ignored the nonsense. As part of his usual cold-shoulder routine, he finished the bread in a few quick bites, his gaze settling on the tightly closed door at the end of the corridor.

An Changqing was still inside.

Baal’s voice sounded again. This time, there was an inexplicable undertone to it, as though he were hinting at something.

“The timing of the Northern Frontier rifts’ expansion is rather interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

“Astaroth’s ritual in the mortal world was just disrupted by you, and then the rifts began acting up. Do you really think that’s a coincidence?”

Chen Guan stopped chewing.

Baal yawned. “Never mind. It could be a coincidence. Lord Bael doesn’t know everything, you know.”

The door at the end of the corridor opened. An Changqing stepped out with his right arm in a sling, his face pale. When he saw Su Yuehe and Yin Chen, he gave them a weary smile.

“You’re back?”

“We’re back.” Su Yuehe replied, “There’s something we need to tell you.”

An Changqing leaned against the doorframe. His gaze moved from Su Yuehe’s face to Yin Chen, then finally settled on Chen Guan’s left arm, hidden beneath his sleeve.

“Your hand.”

“We’ll talk about that later.”

Chen Guan cut him off, tipping his chin toward Su Yuehe. “Listen to her first.”

Su Yuehe repeated what she had just told Chen Guan: the expanding rifts in the Northern Frontier, the request for assistance, and the list of named personnel.

After listening, An Changqing answered without hesitation. “When do we leave?”

“The formal notice hasn’t arrived yet. They expect it within three days,” Yin Chen replied.

“Three days.” An Changqing glanced down at his right arm in the sling. “That’s enough. I’ll be back in peak condition within three days.”

Long Ao shoved the last bite of bread into his mouth and spoke indistinctly. “I’m on the list too?”

“You are.”

“Great.”

Su Yuehe looked around. Seeing that no one objected, she turned to Chen Guan. “About your arm—the Doctor Zhou I mentioned earlier. Once we arrive, I’ll introduce you to her.”

She had a general idea of what had happened. Since Chen Guan had not sought treatment immediately, the injury was likely something he could not let others see.

If that was the case, they would need someone they could trust completely.

Her mother’s associate was naturally a good choice.

Chen Guan gave a slight nod. “Thank you.”

An Changqing’s gaze lingered on Chen Guan’s left arm for another moment. His lips moved, but in the end, he only said, “The corridor isn’t a place to talk. Let’s find a room and sit down.”

The five of them moved to an empty lounge at the end of the corridor. Long Ao closed the door, and Su Yuehe took a folded map from her storage ring and spread it across the table. The markings on the Northern Frontier defensive line were dense and intricate.

Rather than go looking for Hong Yuan, who was still out hunting for food, the five of them held a small meeting first.

“Rift Four is here.”

Su Yuehe placed a finger on a point in the northern part of the map. “Its diameter used to remain stable at around twelve meters. Three days ago, it began expanding. It has now exceeded twenty-five meters and is still growing.”

Yin Chen added, “Rifts Seven and Eleven are in slightly better condition. Their diameters haven’t changed significantly, but the readings from the detection equipment keep fluctuating.”

An Changqing stared at the red markers on the map. His finger traced a line along the direction of the defensive front.

“Rift Four has forced the line back twelve kilometers. Is the depth of the new defensive line sufficient?”

“Barely.”

Yin Chen shook his head. “But if the expansion continues, the second defensive line will have to be moved as well.”

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Long Ao fixed his gaze on the largest red mark on the map.

“How long has it been since the second exploration team sent back a report?”

“Forty-six hours.”

Su Yuehe’s voice was very quiet.

The room fell silent for several seconds.

Chen Guan spoke. “What exactly was the exploration team supposed to do? Enter the rift?”

“Yes.”

Su Yuehe enlarged a marked section of the map for him. “The Great Wall Command wants to form a new exploration team to enter the vicinity of Rift Four, identify the source of the abnormal energy, and search for the second group of personnel who went missing.”