Chapter 110: A Last Testament?

Chapter 110

The treatment for Mei, after all, began as originally envisioned.

The first course of treatment lasted half a month and was quite effective. At the very least, Mei’s osteomalacia showed improvement. Although her bones would no longer deform easily, they had become brittle, losing their resilience; any significant force would cause a fracture. Even so, Mei was relatively satisfied; at least the load-bearing capacity of her bones had increased, and she no longer had to worry about her neck snapping just from turning her head.

However, this improvement did not last long before Mei’s body suddenly began to swell. Her entire frame seemed to inflate like a balloon, expanding noticeably in just a few days. Soon after, dense, rice-grain-sized blisters began to cover her body. These blisters did not even need to be touched; the mere friction of her clothing caused them to burst, releasing a clear fluid followed by blood.

Unable to wait for the experts to find a solution, Mei had to soak herself in water infused with medicinal salves. The medicine developed by Cyril could heal her wounds very quickly, but within half a day of healing, new blisters would emerge. Covered in wounds, her body ached and itched incessantly. Mei had to repeatedly submerge herself in the medicinal water; even though the agony of doing so was excruciating, it bought her at least half a day of peace.

Watching her in this state, the other members of the "Against the Flow" squad were filled with anxiety and heartache. Every time they saw her exhausted, frail expression after soaking in the medicine, they knew the extent of the pain she endured, yet she never uttered a single word of complaint. Even when she was suffering, her eyes remained calm, as if she had long since grown accustomed to this agony.

Furthermore, her periods of unconsciousness grew longer. She almost always woke up only because of the pain, and no sooner had her wounds healed than she would lapse back into a coma. Her appetite also dwindled; besides sipping a little water and consuming a few spoonfuls of liquid food, she could keep nothing else down. Once, when Mo Chen saw how little she had eaten, he couldn't help but urge her to have a bit more, managing to get her to drink half a bowl of porridge. Not long after, she began to vomit, purging all the undigested food in her stomach, followed by bouts of coughing up blood. Though no one knew exactly how much blood she had lost, seeing the bloodstains covering the bed and the floor, no one ever dared to feed her even a half-spoonful again.

Her condition left not only Mo Chen and the others anxious but also the experts and professors treating her, who were so stressed they were losing their hair. They had tried every method, yet they could not halt the deterioration of her condition. Every day, bearing the silent pressure from Mo Chen and his team, they pored over Mei’s medical reports, discussing and analyzing incessantly. In the end, even if Mei had offered to let them use her for experiments, they wouldn't have known what else to try.

After repeated disappointments, Mo Chen and his team stopped pinning their hopes solely on the researchers. After many discussions with Ling Feng, they began to go out on missions, taking the opportunity to search for the whereabouts of "Number Three." Of course, every time they went out, they left one person behind to look after Mei.

In the spacious ward, Mei lay on the bed, still unconscious. Sitting in a chair by the bed, Ye Jingxuan looked utterly exhausted. Just yesterday, they had returned to the base after completing a mission, and he had immediately come to the research institute to relieve An Ziyou and continue caring for Mei. To finish the mission quickly and free up time for the search, the four of them had gone without sleep for an entire day and night. They had spent two more days driving around searching, only to return empty-handed.

Damn it! Where on earth was Number Three hiding? What would it take to make him show himself? Ye Jingxuan cursed inwardly. It had been nearly three months since they last saw him, and Number Three seemed to have evaporated into thin air; no matter how they searched, they could find no trace of him. What was he thinking? Was he not afraid that the experimental subject he so desperately wanted would die? Where did he get the confidence that Mei could hold on for so long?

Ye Jingxuan was utterly baffled. Logically, if Number Three had personally come to test her, he must be determined to possess Mei, which meant he shouldn't be too far away, lest something go wrong and he couldn't reach her in time. Yet, they had searched every possible corner near Longsheng—they had practically combed the ground—and still found no clues. Could their judgment have been wrong? Was his goal to kill Mei, not to use her for experiments?

Ye Jingxuan pondered, his brows tightly locked, yet he never forgot to keep a watch on the person on the bed. He saw Mei’s eyelids flutter, and within a few minutes, she opened her eyes, looking blankly into space before letting out a subconscious whimper.

"Mei'er, you're awake? Is something uncomfortable?" Ye Jingxuan leaned in, asking with concern.

"A-Ye?" Having been unconscious for too long, Mei’s thoughts seemed sluggish. It took her a while to look at Ye Jingxuan and say, "I'm fine, I don't feel uncomfortable; I just woke up suddenly. A-Ye, have you not slept for several days again? Why are your eyes so bloodshot?"

"Hmm, I've had some insomnia lately, couldn't sleep," Ye Jingxuan didn't deny he hadn't slept, merely changing the reason.

"Insomnia?" Mei looked surprised but didn't suspect anything. She thought for a moment, then retrieved a bottle from her space and handed it to him. "Here, this is a potion for insomnia. Drink it, and I guarantee you'll sleep until dawn."

Ye Jingxuan didn't need the potion, but he accepted the bottle anyway, saying, "Alright, I'll try it tonight."

"Where are the others? You all seem so busy lately. Every time I wake up, I can't see anyone," Mei asked curiously, seeing only Ye Jingxuan. These days, every time she woke up, she only saw one person. Although the person caring for her changed frequently, they hadn't appeared together in front of her for a long time, which left her slightly disappointed.

"They went out. Why, is something the matter?" Ye Jingxuan asked, observing her disappointment. She wasn't the type to need people hovering around her; if she was disappointed, there had to be a reason.

"Yes. When I woke up a few days ago, I organized the items in my space and realized there are some things I want to give to everyone. Since they aren't here, why don't you pass them on for me?" As she spoke, a heap of items suddenly appeared on the bedside cabinet.

Ye Jingxuan helped Mei sit up and watched as she distributed the items. "This necklace and these earrings are for Sister Yuan. The gemstone is a water element crystal; it can enhance the power of her water-type abilities. There is also a book on water-type cultivation techniques here—give that to her as well. This Gale Cloak is for Brother Jie; it not only amplifies his wind-type abilities but also increases his movement speed. And this is for Xiao You; it records the deeds of the Great Prophet, and I hope it brings him inspiration. These things are for A-Chen, and these are for you!"

After distributing everything, Mei’s breathing became unstable. She closed her eyes to calm herself, and it took a while before she recovered. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Ye Jingxuan with his head slightly bowed, staring blankly at the gift she had given him. "A-Ye, what's wrong? Do you not like the gift? Should I open the space for you so you can pick whatever you like?"

Ye Jingxuan shook his head, his voice raspy as he asked, "Mei'er, have you sensed something?"

Listening to her distribute her belongings as if she were settling her final affairs, Ye Jingxuan felt a pain in his heart so sharp he could barely breathe. He dared not look up, afraid he wouldn't be able to hide his agony. Even if she had given him an ordinary stone, he would have treasured it; how could he not like it?

Mei didn't know his thoughts. Hearing his question, she replied calmly, "A-Ye, are you trying to ask if I have a premonition that I'm running out of time?"

"Mei'er! Don't say that! You'll be fine! You'll definitely be fine!" Although she had spoken euphemistically, Ye Jingxuan still couldn't bear it. All along, he had refused to accept the possibility of her death, refusing even to think about it. He told himself over and over that this was all temporary and that she would get better. If he didn't, he feared he wouldn't be able to hold on.

"A-Ye, don't be like this. It hasn't reached that point yet! I wasn't using these things anyway; they were just sitting in my space. It's better to give them to you all to help increase your strength."

She did indeed have the thought of settling her affairs. Although she wouldn't give up until the very last moment, if the outcome truly couldn't be changed, she wasn't incapable of accepting it. After all, defying the heavens to change one's fate wasn't something that could succeed every time. She had already changed her own destiny more than once; otherwise, she would have long since died at the hands of some noble. Having lived this long, what more could she ask for?

Less than two days after that conversation, Mei’s condition deteriorated once again. The small blisters no longer appeared; instead, large areas of her body began to fester. A mere touch would cause skin and flesh to slough off. Such injuries meant that every time she soaked in the medicinal water, the pain would cause her to pass out. Unfortunately, as her condition worsened, the effectiveness of the water diminished. What used to last half a day now only lasted two hours before the festering returned.

After failing to find any trace of Number Three, Mo Chen, Ye Jingxuan, and the others stopped going on missions, staying by Mei’s side every single moment. When the last bottle of medicine in the space was used up, they could only watch helplessly as Mei’s entire body rotted away. To prevent her flesh from falling off, they had to wrap her entire body in gauze.

But it was useless! Even if the flesh didn't fall off, it continued to decay. Everyone watched in despair as Mei took one step after another toward death.

Outside the Longsheng base, a bone dragon flapped its wings, rapidly approaching the city. On its back, a figure in a black cloak stared at the constantly flashing pattern on the back of their left hand, using mental energy to urge the bone dragon to fly faster.

*Mei'er, hold on! I'm coming to save you!*