Chapter 110: Parasitism

Xuan Xuan swept her gaze over the people around her, her brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

She hadn't noticed it initially, but once Lou Yitong began to sing, she discerned a difference. If she was not mistaken, there was something parasitic living inside Xiao Daopeng’s body. Furthermore, this creature, when parasitizing a human, could perfectly synchronize its mental energy and blood circulation with the host, making it indistinguishable from a human.

However, Lou Yitong’s singing was different. Her voice traveled through mental energy and influenced people by evoking emotions, causing physiological changes in the body. The parasite, however, appeared to be of a primitive type; it lacked emotions and was therefore immune to the effects of Lou Yitong’s singing. This created a massive vulnerability in those harboring the parasite.

When a human body undergoes emotional shifts, it experiences fluctuations in mental energy and heart rate. The parasite, conversely, remains unchanged. Thus, the moment Lou Yitong started singing, Xuan Xuan spotted the parasite in Xiao Daopeng. If her guess was correct, this creature was likely the same red insect she had discovered on Lou Yitong’s bed the previous day. Moreover, she realized that Xiao Daopeng was not the only one; a cursory glance and a brief sensing revealed that several people nearby were already infected.

Xuan Xuan decided she needed to study this thing thoroughly. Judging by Xiao Daopeng’s reaction, it was clear that this Zerg species could parasitize a host without the person ever noticing. A flicker of doubt crossed her eyes, but now was not the time to dwell on it.

Due to the morning’s unexpected events, Zhan Yu had shown mercy and allowed his subordinates to reduce the intensity of their training. Though few had managed to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner had gone smoothly, and with the training load lightened, everyone was deeply grateful to Zhan Yu. It was strange how people worked; despite Zhan Yu having tortured them so relentlessly, they remained incredibly thankful. As the ancients said, when managing people, one must offer a stick followed by a carrot. Zhan Yu clearly had mastered this technique.

After resting that evening, Xuan Xuan took out the Zerg specimen she had found the day before.

"Is this really a Zerg?" Lou Yitong asked.

Xuan Xuan nodded. She dared not probe it with her mental energy, only sensing it slightly to guess the direction it was connected to. Just as she planned to go out and investigate, Lou Yitong whispered from behind, "I want to go, too."

Xuan Xuan looked at her in surprise; she had grown much bolder. Previously, she had been terrified of everything. "It’s dangerous outside."

"I'm not afraid," Lou Yitong said, her voice soft but firm.

"Alright then," Xuan Xuan thought, figuring another person wouldn't hurt, and given Lou Yitong's special abilities, she might even be of help.

She teleported with Lou Yitong directly to the dormitory building where Wanqi Weihao and the others stayed. With a quick mental sweep, she led Lou Yitong into their room. Xuan Xuan immediately covered Lou Yitong’s mouth to suppress a scream. Lou Yitong didn't scream, but Xiao Daopeng, who had just walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing after a shower, let out a startled yell instead.

Seeing Xuan Xuan arrive, Wanqi Weihao stepped forward to block her view. He shot a look at Wanqi Weihan, who nodded in understanding and, in the blink of an eye, kicked Xiao Daopeng back into the bathroom.

"What's going on in there?" a patrol guard asked from outside.

Wanqi Weihao quickly replied, "There was a bug."

"Are you men or what? Afraid of a bug? Pfft," the guard scoffed, muttering to himself as he walked away, "Though there really have been a lot more bugs lately."

Wanqi Weihao then stepped aside and asked Xuan Xuan, "Why are you here?"

"Didn't I tell you guys to come watch the show?" Xuan Xuan asked, puzzled. She had already mentioned it; why was no one prepared to leave?

"Go for real?" Wanqi Weihan asked. "What kind of show is there to watch over there?" The dormitory had been quiet all day, and with Zhan Yu cracking down, no one dared to go near that area anymore—not even those who had gone hungry for two days. There was nothing to see.

"Call the one inside out," Xuan Xuan said to Wanqi Weihan; the focus was still on the one inside. Seeing that Xuan Xuan wasn't joking, Wanqi Weihao had Zuo Chen, who was standing by, bring clothes into the bathroom. Xiao Daopeng walked out looking like a shy, aggrieved young bride.

Xuan Xuan scanned him up and down. Zuo Chen stepped back two paces; his senior sister-in-law was simply too unrestrained, and he couldn't quite handle it. Xiao Daopeng clutched his clothes tightly.

Xuan Xuan stepped forward, and when Xiao Daopeng retreated, she used spatial locking to pin him in place so she could conduct a careful examination.

"Xuan Xuan," Wanqi Weihao grabbed her, "what are you doing?" If his third uncle knew Xuan Xuan was teasing other boys right in front of them, he would probably kill them.

Xuan Xuan raised an eyebrow, noting Wanqi Weihao’s embarrassment, but she said nothing. She pointed to Xiao Daopeng’s temple. "Look here, at this red part."

Wanqi Weihao, Wanqi Weihan, and Lou Yitong leaned in to look. Seeing the three of them focused, Zuo Chen and Zheng Chao, who was still clutching his clothes, stepped forward to examine it as well. After a while, Zheng Chao said uncertainly, "There's nothing here, right? Maybe the blood vessels are just a bit prominent?"

"No," Zuo Chen interjected before Xuan Xuan could answer. He was a pharmacy student; while he might not claim expertise in other areas, his memory for human anatomy and potential physiological reactions was impeccable. These were the foundations of his field. He was certain this was not how Xiao Daopeng’s body should look; blood vessels could not possibly appear this way. Still, he couldn't identify what it was. He looked at Xuan Xuan and asked, "What is this?"

"I suspect it’s this," Xuan Xuan said, taking out the crystal bottle containing the insect.

Wanqi Weihao and the others were already accustomed to Xuan Xuan producing strange items at any time. They crowded around to examine it closely. "What is this?"

Xuan Xuan pointed to Xiao Daopeng's head. "It should be this."

Xiao Daopeng stared at the bottle in Xuan Xuan’s hand, then thought about the fact that one was supposedly on his own head. His eyes widened in disbelief, but he remained pinned in place by Xuan Xuan, unable to move.

Wanqi Weihao and the others felt a chill run down their spines, goosebumps breaking out all over. Wanqi Weihan, who had been standing closest, quickly retreated two steps, looking at Xiao Daopeng with pity. Xiao Daopeng felt utterly disgusted.

Only then did Xuan Xuan release the lock. Xiao Daopeng ran back to the bathroom to check for himself and finally noticed that his temple was indeed different. Pressing his hand against it, he could feel a pulse like an artery. He felt completely unsettled.

"What on earth is this thing?" Xiao Daopeng asked.

Xuan Xuan thought for a moment and said, "I currently believe it to be a mutated Zerg species."

"Zerg?" everyone said in unison, their eyes filled with shock.

Xiao Daopeng immediately denied it. "Impossible."

Xuan Xuan raised an eyebrow at him.

"According to our current investigations, the Federation has no such Zerg. Besides, Zerg generally don't take this form. Zerg possess a certain level of intelligence, and the higher the rank, the higher the intelligence. The ones we know that can parasitize humans can only control the already dead. Furthermore, even a larva of the size you have in your hand shouldn't be that small," Xiao Daopeng asserted. Seeing everyone looking at him, he continued, "Zerg eggs can hatch inside a human, but they cannot parasitize the brain. And to my knowledge, the process of Zerg parasitism is quite cumbersome, and it causes the human host great pain. Yet, despite having this on my head, I never felt when it happened. It can't be a Zerg."

Xuan Xuan looked at him, acknowledging his analysis. "You're talking about ten years ago."

"How much could they have mutated in ten years?" Xiao Daopeng retorted. His family specialized in Zerg research; they were the undisputed leaders in the field.

Xuan Xuan curled her lips and called toward the door, "Kuang Shao, how much have the Zerg changed now?"

Kuang Shao? The people in the room were stunned. They looked at Xuan Xuan, then at the door, where two people were pushing their way in. Dressed in military uniforms, it was none other than Zhan Yu and Kuang Shao.

Lou Yitong rushed to Xuan Xuan’s side, whispering, "What should we do?"

Xuan Xuan said nothing, keeping her eyes on Kuang Shao. Kuang Shao raised an eyebrow, wondering how she knew so much about the Zerg—though it was possible her teacher had told her. He glanced at the people in the room, weighed his options, and smiled. "That's right, the changes in the last ten years have indeed been massive."

"I don't believe it," Xiao Daopeng shook his head. He had studied this since he was a child, and there was no evidence that Zerg were evolving in this direction. He added with a touch of arrogance, "My grandfather has dedicated his life to Zerg research, and up to this day, he has never discovered such a possibility." This was his family’s pride.

Kuang Shao’s peach-blossom eyes narrowed. These families were stubborn old fools who thought they were always right, and they were poisoning the minds of the younger generation. He asked with a hint of sarcasm, "Then do you know that energy stones can cause Zerg to mutate?"

Xiao Daopeng’s eyes widened, and he shook his head violently. "Impossible."

"Hmph, the facts have already proven it is possible," Kuang Shao said dismissively. They had once brought this information to the Xiao family, hoping to involve them in the research, as the Xiao family had deeper insights into the Zerg and their participation would have made things much easier. But the Xiao family had been arrogant, believing their own research was superior and refusing to believe such a possibility existed. He smiled mockingly; now, they were sending their own grandson to the Imperial Capital. It seemed they had finally started investigating on their own.

Seeing the mockery in Kuang Shao’s expression, Xiao Daopeng suddenly recalled the final sigh his grandfather had let out when he left home. He swallowed the words that were about to spill out. Could it really be true?