Chapter 46: Pervert (Psychologically Twisted) — Suicide? / The Whole Person Has Fallen…
Lode’s pupils surged with a crazed blood-red light. His breathing was heavy and hot. He had long since fallen into madness, and a fine, sinister laugh escaped his throat. His mind was filled with the vision of Jiang Chenyan lying in a pool of blood, his breath extinguished.
He admitted that he was quite perverted at times, especially enjoying the sensation of vibrant lives losing their breath bit by bit in his hands. That feeling of control was intoxicating.
Jiang Chenyan’s brow furrowed, and his fingertips involuntarily turned cold. He didn’t have the so-called “protagonist’s halo.” If he actually took this shot, he would likely die on the spot.
Shen Shiyue suddenly took a step forward, shielding him firmly behind his back. His voice was as cold as ice: “Don’t touch him.”
The stray hairs on his forehead fell forward with the movement, slightly obscuring his vision. Jiang Chenyan froze in place, staring at the figure in front of him. His heart felt like it was being pricked by something fine and dense, and a sour numbness quietly spread through his veins.
Lode sneered, a mocking arc curling at the corner of his mouth. “What kind of scene is this? Then I’ll send you off first.” He raised the gun to Shen Shiyue’s chest, his finger tightening on the trigger.
He grinned, the arc of his smile widening and turning into a somewhat eerie, twisted expression. His fingertips trembled slightly. The racing heartbeat that came with killing was still echoing in his mind, and combined with the distortion in his bones, it constantly stimulated his brain.
In the next second, a massive bang made the walls vibrate as the heavy iron door was violently kicked open.
Lode instinctively turned his head, only to find a cold gun barrel already pressed against his brow. A frigid voice rang out: “Don’t move.”
No one saw how Ariel had entered. His speed was like a blur, and his gun was already against Lode’s head.
Jiang Chenyan was also stunned. Just now, he had been staring fixedly at the entrance, yet he hadn’t even seen the hem of Ariel’s coat before the man appeared behind Lode.
It was hard to describe his current feelings. Professor Ariel’s appearance was far too timely—it was as if he had been watching a stopwatch, arriving precisely at the most critical moment.
Behind Ariel, Admiral Celeus, Ji Xuan, and the others followed closely.
Celeus’s face was terrifyingly grim, surrounded by a thick, gloomy aura. He was deeply enraged. He looked at Lode. “I didn’t expect everyone to encounter such a thing. My sincere apologies.” His tone shifted abruptly, the chill in his voice almost overflowing. “Lode, aren’t you supposed to be in prison?”
Lode opened his mouth, his expression looking a bit ugly. However, his throat felt as if a giant rock were blocking it; he couldn’t utter a single word.
He truly didn’t understand!
Where had he gone wrong? He had done everything flawlessly! He hadn’t left a single trace!
“I imagine he either broke out of prison or someone helped him escape,” Ariel said, his voice devoid of emotion. “After all, based on his own abilities, he doesn’t have the skill.”
Celeus’s brow furrowed as he said in a deep voice, “Indeed. It’s truly a shame that these two students were subjected to such a fright for no reason.” He paused and rubbed his forehead, seeming somewhat helpless. “I just can’t guess what kind of madness he’s fallen into, targeting these two children specifically…”
The expressions of the others changed. Their gazes instinctively fell on Jiang Chenyan and Shen Shiyue below; some even leaned over to peek down.
This scene abruptly reminded Jiang Chenyan of a zoo. Tourists were scrambling to lean over the railings, tiptoeing and craning their necks to stare at the animals in the cages. The description was a bit absurd, but the eerie feeling of being publicly scrutinized fit perfectly.
If he had to use another animal to describe them, it would be monkeys…
He wasn’t just referring to himself as a monkey; all of them were.
Lode suddenly burst into a fit of maniacal laughter, shouting at the top of his lungs: “I’m crazy? Admiral, look closely! Those two are the masterminds who were secretly gathering evidence of the auction! Especially this Jiang Chenyan—his true identity isn’t simple at all! You’re all being kept in the dark, played for fools by him—”
Thud. Before he could finish, Ariel raised his hand and delivered a knife-hand strike to the back of his neck. Lode’s laughter stopped abruptly, his body went limp, and he collapsed straight down.
“Since he’s crazy, there’s no need to listen to his mad ramblings,” Ariel said indifferently. He glanced at the unconscious Lode on the ground and added, “Besides, prison break is a major crime. Now, his sentence will only increase.”
Hearing this, Celeus actually let out a low laugh. “True. There’s no point in saying more. The priority now is to get the two students out. They’ve suffered quite a bit.”
Ji Xuan and the others nodded. Looking at the beasts lingering below, they were about to step down to help Jiang Chenyan and Shen Shiyue when the sight of the bared fangs made them halt.
Ariel saw this and was about to raise his gun, but Celeus reached out to stop him. He summoned a nearby beast tamer. The tamer skillfully guided the beasts into special iron cages before quickly heading down to help Jiang Chenyan and Shen Shiyue up.
Both were injured; their clothes were torn, and their wounds were seeping blood. Their once-rosy lips were now pale. Cold sweat slid down from their temples, making the dark circles under their eyes even more prominent.
Jiang Chenyan and Shen Shiyue leaned against each other. They didn’t even have the strength to lift their hands. Physical pain mingled with mental exhaustion, and they felt as if all their energy had been drained. A hard-to-describe weariness permeated them from body to soul.
Shen Shiyue even asked him, “Sleepy?”
“A bit.”
Seeing this, Ariel’s brow tightened instantly.
“Professor…” Someone was about to ask a question when they were interrupted by the urgent voice of the beast tamer.
“It seems the claws of this Flame Beast are poisonous.” The tamer knelt beside the two, carefully inspecting their wounds. “We need to send them for treatment immediately.”
Both Jiang Chenyan and Shen Shiyue were stunned. After exchanging a look, Jiang Chenyan let out a low sigh: “No wonder…”
His vision seemed to be covered by a thick mist. The figures and voices around him began to distort and blur. Their strength was drained in an instant; they couldn’t even stand steadily. Their bodies swayed uncontrollably. Ultimately, because Jiang Chenyan was more seriously injured, he collapsed before Shen Shiyue did.
In his grogginess, it seemed another person pushed the door and entered. That person was very tall, with a crisp black uniform outlining sharp lines. His expression was cold, yet a certain unreadable meaning lingered in his eyes—something like scrutiny, or perhaps something else.
Just as his consciousness was about to collapse, a pair of strong arms caught him firmly. He didn’t need to open his eyes to know it was Shen Shiyue. But immediately after, a heavy force pressed down, trapping him firmly in place until even breathing became difficult. His consciousness completely vanished.
Jiang Chenyan felt like he had fallen into an isolated vacuum. The entire world consisted only of him, alone.
Thick darkness enveloped him, pressing down until he couldn’t breathe. In this silence, he clearly caught the sound of footsteps nearby—steady and rhythmic. There were also two low, cold voices conversing through the darkness: “Why hasn’t he woken up yet?” “What can we do? Didn’t you see how badly he was injured?”
“You couldn’t possibly be worried about him, could you?”
“How is that possible?”
…
Jiang Chenyan’s throat felt tight. He wanted to respond, but he couldn’t make a sound. He tried his best to open his eyes, but his heavy eyelids felt like they were glued shut.
His consciousness was like being sucked into a whirlpool, and finally, he sank completely into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt a warm sensation on his cheek. Someone was gently stroking his face. His groggy brain hadn’t reacted yet. With his vision blurred, he couldn’t tell who the person in front of him was.
The unfamiliar touch kept him tense, unable to guess who would approach him at a time like this. It wasn’t until his consciousness fully returned that he snapped his eyes open. His gaze instantly locked onto the face of the person before him—it was Shen Shiyue.
The wound on his forehead had been properly treated. His eyes were deep. Seeing him wake up, he stood and walked to the table, naturally pouring a glass of warm water.
Jiang Chenyan’s throat was dry. He asked raspy, “When did you wake up?”
“A day earlier than you.” Shen Shiyue walked back with the cup and handed it to him.
Jiang Chenyan’s fingertips trembled. His brain was completely clear now. He propped himself up. “A day? Then how long have I been asleep?”
“Counting it up, quite a few days.” Shen Shiyue gave him a hand and added, “Don’t worry, we’re already back at the academy.”
Jiang Chenyan was stunned, his eyes full of shock.
How did they suddenly end up back at the academy?
He frowned and couldn’t help but ask, “Then what happened with Lode in the end?”
“You’re asking about Lode?” The abrupt sound of a door opening interrupted them. Ariel walked in, the faint scent of disinfectant still lingering on his white lab coat. He had just come from the lab and hadn’t had time to change.
He looked at Jiang Chenyan, his voice devoid of any ripples. “He’s already dead.”
Jiang Chenyan was completely stunned. It took a long while for him to react. “What? He’s dead? How did that happen?”
The entire room fell into a deathly silence. Only Ariel’s words echoed in Jiang Chenyan’s mind.
“Committed suicide out of guilt.”
“Suicide?” Jiang Chenyan frowned. “How is that possible?”
He lowered his gaze in thought, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing together. There must be someone operating behind the scenes, arranging everything.
“It’s not up to you to believe it or not.” There was no expression on Ariel’s face. He tapped his light-brain, and the screen was filled with related reports. “Whether you believe it or not doesn’t change the facts. The media and the Star-net have exploded. The news can no longer be suppressed. Now the whole galaxy knows.”
“But there’s clearly something wrong behind this…” Jiang Chenyan wanted to say more, but he was cut off by Ariel’s cold voice.
“Stop with the ‘buts.’ This isn’t something you should get involved in.” Ariel’s gaze grew colder. “Of course, this isn’t something you can manage either. Focus your mind quickly. Don’t forget you have a competition to participate in a week from now. That’s the most important thing.”
With the other man putting it that way, Jiang Chenyan knew in his heart that as someone without power or influence, he had no ability to investigate deeply. There was no need to keep risking himself for unknown dangers; it would only cost him for nothing.
Lode was dead…
Jiang Chenyan leaned against the headboard. He never imagined that behind the end of the chaos would be such a conclusion.
But… it was full of doubts.
The door was pushed open again. A figure stood in the doorway, backlit. The first thing that caught the eye was those long legs. Only when the person fully entered did he see it was Qi Bai.
His face was cold, and his gaze was indifferent. He emitted an aura that told others to stay away. He just stood there, expressionlessly watching Jiang Chenyan.
After a moment of silence, Qi Bai finally spoke. His voice was as cold as shattered jade, breaking the silence of the room.
These were the first words between the two after many days: “You’re awake?”
The moment Qi Bai spoke, Shen Shiyue’s brow furrowed instantly. His gaze lingered on Qi Bai for a moment, and the aura around him darkened slightly.
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