Chapter 114: Give an Inch and Take a Mile

If Xuan Xuan were here, she would only tell Kuang Shao that "she" simply does not exist, so he should look elsewhere.

Zhan Yu looked at Kuang Shao, and in an instant, the corners of his mouth curled upward, his eyes shimmering with infinite brilliance.

Yes! He had the determination, the time, and the clues; as long as he kept searching, how could he fail to find her?

He discarded the small fragment of the plate he had been holding and had someone attend to the cut on his hand.

"Where is Wanqi Xuanxuan?" Kuang Shao asked.

Zhan Yu walked in front, gesturing for Kuang Shao to follow. "She is researching downstairs."

As Kuang Shao and his companion walked down, they stood at the doorway, dumbfounded. Kuang Shao could only suppress the urge to curse—this was not a mech.

Before them, Xuan Xuan had already dismantled a Zerg creature into pieces.

Who taught her such a grotesque habit? Even her teacher didn't have such morbid tastes, did he?

Zhan Yu had never seen Xuan Xuan study Zerg before, but the way she did it now was identical to how she studied mechs.

Except, this was a Zerg, not a mech.

Was it a machine pieced together from parts?

Xuan Xuan didn't care what it was, whether it was alive or dead; how could she study it without taking it apart?

Seeing the two men come down, Xuan Xuan’s expression remained unchanged, though her eyes paused slightly when she saw Zhan Yu’s hand.

"I have basically determined the principle," Xuan Xuan said, setting down her tools and tidying up the area meticulously.

"So fast? Can it be dealt with then?" Kuang Shao asked in surprise.

Xuan Xuan nodded. It wasn't particularly difficult; she just hadn't seen it before.

"This is likely a semi-evolved specimen, still imperfect, so it’s relatively easy. Overall, those small red Zerg are their larvae, or perhaps a branch. As I speculated earlier, they communicate via psychic links, and the queen controls the behavior of the larvae through psychic power."

"As for the solution," Xuan Xuan continued, "dealing with those larvae is simple."

She tossed a vial of potion to Zhan Yu. "'Mental Stabilization Potion.' This potion can stabilize psychic energy and prevent external intrusion."

Zhan Yu looked at Xuan Xuan. "There are so many people; how should we investigate?"

"Let Lou Yitong find them; she can identify them all," Xuan Xuan said, choosing to be lazy whenever possible. This task was well within Lou Yitong's capabilities.

"Is this one bottle enough?" Zhan Yu asked, looking at the tiny vial in his hand. Was such a small amount really enough?

Xuan Xuan glared at him. If not for the sake of Zhan Yu and Kuang Shao, she would never have parted with it. They couldn't even resist the psychic attacks of these small Zerg and yet had the nerve to ask for her help.

"Dilute it and divide it equally. Also, take this bottle of 'Advanced Antidote,' dilute it the same way, and give everyone a portion." Xuan Xuan handed over the second bottle quite reluctantly. With no suitable place to grow herbs now, these potions, crafted back on the Mata Continent, were becoming fewer with every use.

"Once they drink both potions, you can have someone extract the larvae from their heads," Xuan Xuan said.

These smaller larvae were relatively easy to handle; their abilities were low, and since their host was already incapacitated, the "Mental Stabilization Potion" and "Advanced Antidote" were more than sufficient.

However, "The ones like Xiao Daopeng are a bit more troublesome."

"Why? Are they different?" Zhan Yu asked.

Xuan Xuan nodded. "Indeed, they are different. That one must be fully evolved; we don't even know what it looks like yet. Its abilities are quite formidable. I'm afraid ordinary methods won't work."

Zhan Yu thought back to Xiao Daopeng’s condition at the time. As the sole heir of the Xiao family, how could he lack any self-defense capabilities? He had been controlled so easily, even if only for an instant. It was clear that this was no simple Zerg.

"Is there no way?"

"I can try," Xuan Xuan said hesitantly.

She had a method, though it was a bit risky. If this method didn't work, things would become complicated.

If they were all like Xiao Daopeng—with high psychic resistance and only recently parasitized—it would be manageable. The real danger was if the Zerg hadn't left, but remained nearby, controlling them while hiding its presence. The psychic defenses of these students were simply no match for such a Zerg.

Xuan Xuan possessed a domain: Absolute Order.

Within her domain, everything was under her control. If she placed the group within her domain, the Zerg would be unable to control anything inside, and even the Zerg’s psychic powers would be nullified.

The only problem was that her domain had been shattered by the "Heavenly Punishment" back on the Mata Continent, and she hadn't tested it since. She didn't know if it would work. Moreover, her current strength was too weak.

After pondering, Xuan Xuan decided to give it a try.

"During morning exercises tomorrow, have Lou Yitong sing to identify who has been parasitized, then handle them accordingly. Leave the advanced cases for me to deal with," Xuan Xuan said.

Zhan Yu looked at her; she seemed troubled.

"If it’s too much of a burden, we can consider other options."

Xuan Xuan yawned. "If you want to thank me, you can treat me to a meal."

Zhan Yu’s face darkened. Was he to be her permanent personal chef?

Kuang Shao quickly chimed in, "Cooking for two is the same as cooking for three, why not just add an extra set of chopsticks?"

Zhan Yu’s cooking was far better than the cafeteria's.

Zhan Yu glared at Kuang Shao for his audacity. Kuang Shao’s thick skin had been well-honed in front of Zhan Yu, so he didn't mind at all.

"No time," Zhan Yu said irritably.

"Don't be like that. Tell me what you're busy with, and I'll do it," Kuang Shao said before Xuan Xuan could even ask. He had already accepted the military training schedule; he couldn't think of anything else Zhan Yu had to do.

Zhan Yu gave Kuang Shao a cold stare. Why did it feel like Kuang Shao had been courting death lately? If he wanted to die, he could just say so, and Zhan Yu would be happy to oblige.

"The weather is bad tomorrow, and my mood is poor. Let's treat them the day after tomorrow, shall we?" Xuan Xuan suddenly said.

Without good food, her mood wasn't beautiful, and no matter how good the weather was, it wouldn't be good enough. Xuan Xuan felt that if she treated them tomorrow, the effect wouldn't be ideal.

Kuang Shao glanced at Zhan Yu, whose face had instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Pfft."

Why did he suddenly find his junior sister so much more adorable? Even Zhan Yu had times when he was helpless? Indeed, like teacher, like student.

Seeing Kuang Shao laugh, the veins on Zhan Yu’s temples throbbed. This student of his was truly not easy to deal with.

Seeing that the two men were silent, Xuan Xuan nodded to herself. "I'll come the day after tomorrow. Be prepared."

Seeing Xuan Xuan about to leave, Zhan Yu hurriedly blocked her path. How could they drag this out? These were like ticking time bombs; what if they exploded? He couldn't afford that responsibility.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "Come over for dinner tomorrow."

"Just tomorrow?"

Xuan Xuan asked, "What about the afternoon?"

"Come over in the afternoon too," Zhan Yu felt he had truly fallen, and to such a little brat, no less.

"And the day after?" Xuan Xuan pressed.

Zhan Yu looked at Kuang Shao, then thought of that group of students. If something went wrong, he doubted even his grandfather could cover for him. It would also jeopardize his future at the Federal First Military Academy.

He hardened his heart. It was just three days of meals, wasn't it?

He endured it. "Come over the day after, too."

Xuan Xuan’s eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth curled into a smile. Her palm-sized face radiated such brilliance that even Zhan Yu was momentarily stunned. This crafty look was so like her teacher.

"Then what about these three months?" Xuan Xuan asked shamelessly.

Enough was enough. "Wanqi Xuanxuan!"

Wasn't she just pushing her luck? Kuang Shao must have corrupted her.

Xuan Xuan pursed her lips. She glanced at the smirking Kuang Shao, huffed, and said, "I'm coming over for dinner this afternoon. There had better be braised pork."

There was plenty of time; no need to rush.

Having said her piece, Xuan Xuan returned to her dormitory to prepare for her nap.

Watching her leave, Zhan Yu gritted his teeth at Kuang Shao, "Is there no training this afternoon? Why aren't you going yet?"

Kuang Shao pursed his lips as well. He couldn't win an argument with her, so he was taking it out on him. But for the sake of such a good show, he decided to forgive him. He picked up his military cap from the side, ruffled his slightly messy hair, and put it on.

After Xuan Xuan finished her afternoon nap, she joined Kuang Shao for a meal, despite Zhan Yu’s black expression.

It was truly a dish worthy of his grandmother’s legacy; this braised pork was absolutely divine.

When she returned to the dormitory, Lou Yitong had already come back. Xuan Xuan hadn't participated in the military training, but Lou Yitong had to. With Lou Yitong present, everyone’s recovery speed increased and training results improved, so Zhan Yu and Kuang Shao naturally wouldn't let her leave.

When Lou Yitong saw Xuan Xuan, her eyes brightened. "You're back?"

She had brought lunch back for Xuan Xuan, but Xuan Xuan hadn't been there.

Xuan Xuan nodded at her.

After a moment of hesitation, Lou Yitong said, "There are still many people with worms in their heads."

Xuan Xuan looked at her in surprise. She had thought she would need to teach her, but to think she could spot them so easily—some innate talents truly could not be compared.

Xuan Xuan nodded. "Yes, there are still many. What about them?"

"Are we not going to treat them?" Lou Yitong asked anxiously. What if something happened?

Xuan Xuan patted her shoulder. Why the rush? "We'll treat them tomorrow."

Lou Yitong then stammered, "I also feel..."

"What is it?" Xuan Xuan asked. Lou Yitong’s psychic power was more sensitive than others, and she could indeed discover things that others would overlook. Xuan Xuan was willing to listen to her.

"Xuan Guo and the others were secretly badmouthing you," Lou Yitong said.

"Oh?" Xuan Xuan raised an eyebrow. "What did they say?"

Lou Yitong’s ability was unique, so many people tried to curry favor with her. Thus, the fact that Xuan Xuan and the others weren't in the dormitory at night had been reported to the instructors and Zhan Yu’s group, and someone had quickly told her, "They went to tell the chief instructor that you weren't in the dormitory."

Thinking it was some major matter, Xuan Xuan laughed and shook her head.

"Don't worry about them," Xuan Xuan said. They were just a bunch of clowns.

Lou Yitong continued, "But, today, Xuan Guo was acting a bit strange."

Xuan Xuan hadn't noticed. Was there ever a day Xuan Guo wasn't acting strange?

If Xuan Guo were ever to act normal, that would be the day she would find it strange.