The sky was already bright. Above the camp, aircraft continued to circle overhead, while trainees were rescued in groups of two or three. Some were covered in blood, their lives hanging in the balance.
The rescued students gathered at the assembly ground. Some of the girls buried their heads and sobbed. All around them stood soldiers armed with live ammunition. The camp, which had still been bustling and noisy two days ago, was now filled with an oppressive atmosphere of grief and sorrow.
Xiahou Shaoxuan stood with his hands behind his back inside the command room, staring at the battered students outside. His ten fingers were clenched tightly, his palms aching. The storm had stopped, but nearly half of the trainees were still missing. Most of those who had returned were seriously injured, and some had already stopped breathing by the time they were brought back to camp.
A whole night had passed, yet Lian Qiguang still had not returned. The surveillance system had been rendered useless by the sandstorm and could no longer conduct searches. Xiahou Shaoxuan did not dare imagine what would happen if something had happened to Lian Qiguang. He wanted to go find him—he wanted it so badly that he was nearly going insane.
But he couldn’t.
Xuan Lang and Zhong Mu were right. He could not abandon thousands of students for the sake of his own selfish desires. If rescuing Lian Qiguang meant sacrificing the lives of several thousand students, Xiahou Shaoxuan could not do it.
Just as Xiahou Shaoxuan was about to drive himself mad, the door to the command room was suddenly thrown open with tremendous force. Xuan Lang came tumbling inside, his face filled with excitement.
“Boss… Boss! Sister-in-law and the others are back!”
What?
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s eyes tightened. Without caring about his image, he turned and ran outside.
Above the camp, a red-and-black aircraft slowly appeared in everyone’s line of sight. Its imposing appearance immediately drew the attention of numerous people, who looked up.
The aircraft stopped above the assembly area and slowly descended. As the door opened, Xiahou Hetian stepped out first, followed by Shentu Sihao, Xuanyuan Zhe, and the others…
Looking at the assembly area, Xiahou Hetian and the others suddenly felt their noses sting, with an urge to cry.
Xiahou Shaoxuan rushed over. If anyone had been paying close attention, they would have noticed that his hands were trembling.
“Big Brother.” Xiahou Hetian walked toward him, his voice choked with emotion.
Xiahou Shaoxuan reached out and patted Xiahou Hetian on the shoulder, feeling considerably relieved.
“Good. As long as you’re all right. Where’s your sister-in-law?”
“Sister-in-law?!”
The people around them were stunned upon hearing the title, unable to help pricking up their ears.
“He’s inside.” Xiahou Hetian rubbed his eyes and gestured behind him.
As Qiu Limò stepped down from the aircraft, Lian Qiguang appeared behind the aircraft door.
His eyes met Xiahou Shaoxuan’s. Lian Qiguang tugged at his pale lips and slowly jumped down from the aircraft.
But just as he lifted his foot, Lian Qiguang suddenly turned, his body collapsing straight down.
“Young Master Lian!”
“Sister-in-law!”
…
Shouts of alarm erupted all around them.
The instant Lian Qiguang fell, Xiahou Shaoxuan felt as though his heart had stopped beating. His body flashed forward, catching Lian Qiguang in his arms before he could hit the ground.
“Someone! Medic!” Xiahou Shaoxuan roared frantically.
The weak breathing of the person in his arms, so faint that it seemed as though it could stop at any moment, nearly drove Xiahou Shaoxuan to the brink of collapse.
“Big Brother…” Xiahou Hetian’s eyes widened in terror. One trembling hand pointed toward the ground beneath Lian Qiguang.
“Sister-in-law, he… he…”
Xiahou Shaoxuan lowered his head.
He saw that the area beneath Lian Qiguang had somehow become covered in blood, which was slowly spreading outward.
Suddenly, Xiahou Shaoxuan’s vision went black. His mind went blank, buzzing loudly.
“Boss!”
A medic hurried over.
“Quick! Check what’s wrong with him! Quickly!” Xiahou Shaoxuan roared hoarsely. “If anything happens to him, I’ll shoot you!”
Seeing that Xiahou Shaoxuan was already nearly out of his mind, the medic did not dare say another word. He immediately crouched beside Lian Qiguang, took out a medical device from his spatial device, and began examining him.
Before long, accompanied by the beeping of the instrument, the medic’s eyes slowly widened. His face was filled with disbelief, and his lips trembled so badly that he could not speak.
“How is he?!” Xiahou Shaoxuan demanded coldly, suppressing the murderous rage surging inside him.
“He…” The medic swallowed. “I-I’ll check again.”
As he spoke, he took another device from his spatial device and brought it close to Lian Qiguang’s abdomen.
Looking at the display, the medic’s mouth fell open, astonishment slowly spreading across his face.
“Damn it!” Xiahou Hetian grabbed the medic by the collar and lifted him off the ground. “What the hell is wrong with my sister-in-law?! Speak! If you keep dragging this out, believe me, I’ll kill you!”
“Ah! No…” The medic came back to his senses and hurriedly shook his head.
“Hetian.” Xuan Lang stepped forward and pulled Xiahou Hetian’s hand away. “How is he supposed to talk if you do that?”
Xuan Lang dragged Xiahou Hetian aside, then turned toward the medic.
“Tell us exactly what’s wrong with sister-in-law.”
“R-Report!” The medic turned toward Xiahou Shaoxuan and swallowed nervously before saying stiffly, “He… no! Madam… Madam seems to be pregnant.”
“What?!”
“What…”
Exclamations rang out everywhere. Everyone stared at the medic in shock and disbelief.
“That’s right.” The medic nodded firmly. “He’s definitely pregnant. I guarantee it. And it’s twins.”
Pregnant…
Xiahou Shaoxuan looked down at the pale-faced Lian Qiguang in his arms, his heart aching terribly.
“But, Major General!” The medic frowned and hurriedly continued. “Madam has only been pregnant for about two months. This is an especially dangerous period, and… and he hasn’t been able to take proper care of himself. He’s suffered excessive stimulation, and during this competition, he endured his discomfort and continued using his abilities extensively.”
“I recommend immediately reporting to the government and requesting that the government send relevant specialists to treat Madam. Otherwise, I’m afraid we won’t be able to save the babies.”
“Then what are you waiting for?! Go!” Xuan Lang snapped, finally unable to maintain his composure.
“Yes!”
The medic immediately opened his optical brain and sent a message, then looked toward Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“Major General, please take Madam to the emergency treatment room. I’ll give Madam a pregnancy-stabilizing injection.”
“All right.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan nodded pale-faced and was about to stand while carrying Lian Qiguang, but his head suddenly went blank and he nearly fell.
“Boss!” Xuan Lang hurriedly reached out to support him, his face full of concern. “Sister-in-law will definitely be fine. Don’t worry. Take him back first.”
“…” Xiahou Shaoxuan nodded stiffly and staggered toward the emergency treatment room.
“Hetian, Idol… is he a Natural?” Shentu Sihao stared blankly at Xiahou Shaoxuan’s retreating figure, astonished.
Xiahou Hetian closed his eyes and shook his head hard.
“I… I don’t know.”
“Hetian.” Xuanyuan Zhe stepped forward and placed a hand on Xiahou Hetian’s shoulder. He said quietly, “I think what’s more important right now is notifying Marshal Xiahou.”
“Huh? Right! Right!” Xiahou Hetian nodded and hurriedly reached for his optical brain, only to remember that Guangguang’s optical brain had been confiscated.
“Wait. I’ll go get mine.”
Looking at the pool of blood on the ground, Qiu Limò clenched both hands tightly. His nails dug into his flesh, and tiny drops of red trickled between his fingers, yet he felt nothing.
Lian Qiguang… was pregnant.
Then he must be going crazy.
Very quickly, news that Xiahou Shaoxuan, grandson of the Xiahou family, had a wife who was pregnant—and with twins at that—spread throughout the upper society of District One, shocking everyone.
Meanwhile, Xiahou Zhong was sitting in a conference room, staring at the optical brain in his hand, his entire body frozen.
Three words kept flashing through his mind.
Pregnant…
The other people in the conference room looked at Xiahou Zhong’s stunned old face, completely unable to understand what was going on. They quietly exchanged glances and whispered among themselves.
After a long while—
A loud, unrestrained laugh echoed throughout the entire conference room.
“Hahahaha!!! I have great-grandchildren! Hahaha… You bunch of old bastards, let’s see who still dares show off in front of me!”
“……”
Meanwhile, Lian Qiguang had already been given a pregnancy-stabilizing injection, but his condition remained poor.
Lian Qiguang had been pregnant without knowing it. Because of the matter concerning the Little Crown Prince, his training had grown increasingly intense. He had not been eating or sleeping properly. During this competition, he had even endured his discomfort and recklessly unleashed his abilities.
Just as Xiahou Shaoxuan was becoming so furious and agitated that he was nearly about to tear the camp apart, the specialists specially dispatched by the government arrived.
Xiahou Shaoxuan boarded the aircraft with them and left the camp.
The sandstorm had already stopped, leaving only the search-and-rescue operation behind. Xuan Lang no longer stopped Xiahou Shaoxuan. He did not dare stop him anymore, either. Xuan Lang could guarantee that if he tried to obstruct him again, Xiahou Shaoxuan would definitely strike him down.
Xuan Lang had never imagined that Lian Qiguang would become pregnant. After all, given Lian Qiguang’s frightening combat ability alone, no one would ever think of him as a Natural.
Xiahou Shaoxuan followed the group of specialists to the First Military District Hospital in District One.
Watching Lian Qiguang, covered in blood, being carried into the emergency room, Xiahou Shaoxuan felt a pain in his chest so intense that it nearly suffocated him.
He leaned against the metal wall and helplessly crouched on the floor.
He did not dare think about it.
He did not dare think about what he would do if something happened to Lian Qiguang.
Without Lian Qiguang, could Xiahou Shaoxuan still live?
Hurried footsteps approached.
Xiahou Shaoxuan raised his head and saw Xiahou Zhong walking quickly toward him, with An Ruxin, Xiahou Jue, and Xiahou Luoyu behind him.
Other than Guanze and Xiahou Yuchi, who were still in District Three, everyone from the Xiahou family had come.
“Xiaoyuan, Xiaoguang…” Seeing the blood covering Xiahou Shaoxuan’s body, An Ruxin nearly fainted.
“You bastard!”
Xiahou Zhong stepped forward. A lightning-formed rod in his hand struck Xiahou Shaoxuan heavily, his entire body trembling with anger.
Although Xiahou Zhong had initially been so excited upon hearing that he had a great-grandchild that he had nearly jumped for joy, after thinking about it, he realized that Lian Qiguang seemed to still be underage. His vision immediately went black, and he nearly fainted again.
Xiahou Zhong’s ability was far stronger than Xiahou Shaoxuan’s. Although he had not completely lost his temper and had reduced his strength somewhat, the blow still tore Xiahou Shaoxuan’s flesh open, leaving him covered in blood.
Faced with Xiahou Zhong’s beating, Xiahou Shaoxuan stood silently in place, neither dodging nor talking back.
“You bastard! How old is Xiaoguang? He’s not even an adult yet. He’s just a child, and you—you actually…” Xiahou Zhong pointed at Xiahou Shaoxuan with a trembling hand, his face full of fury.
“He’s pregnant, and you still let him participate in the competition! Look what happened now!”
Xiahou Jue was furious as well, practically wanting to slap him.
“Xiaoguang is a Natural, and he’s underage. You actually did something like this to him. That’s enough to get you sentenced to death! Just wait to face a military tribunal!”
Xiahou Zhong angrily stared at Xiahou Shaoxuan and swung the rod at him again.
This blow struck directly to the bone.
Xiahou Shaoxuan stiffened his body but did not make a sound.
At that moment, two men in uniform walked over. They exchanged a glance upon seeing the scene, but still approached.
“Marshal, we’ve been ordered to take Xiahou Shaoxuan in for investigation.”
“I want to see him when he wakes up.”
Upon hearing this, Xiahou Shaoxuan suddenly raised his head and spoke heavily.
“Do you think Xiaoguang can forgive you? Will he even see you again?”
Xiahou Zhong raised his rod, intending to strike again, but An Ruxin, already crying her eyes out, stopped him.
“Dad, if you keep hitting Xiaoyuan, you’ll beat him to death.”
An Ruxin knew exactly how powerful Xiahou Zhong was. Although Xiahou Shaoxuan had remained motionless and silent, the two wounds that exposed bone had already drained the color from his face.
“Hmph!”
Xiahou Zhong snorted coldly and withdrew the rod.
“Take him away! Don’t give me any special treatment. Handle him according to the rules!”
“Yes, Marshal!”
The two men stepped forward and approached Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“Please come with us.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan turned back and looked at the tightly closed emergency room door.
Xiahou Zhong’s words continued to echo in his ears.
“Do you think Xiaoguang can forgive you? Will he even see you again?”
“Xiahou Shaoxuan, please come with us!”
Seeing that Xiahou Shaoxuan did not move, the two men repeated themselves.
Xiahou Shaoxuan lowered his head and silently followed them away.
At this moment, he was somewhat afraid.
He did not dare face Lian Qiguang.
He was afraid of seeing hatred and disgust in Lian Qiguang’s eyes.
“Dad!”
Watching Xiahou Shaoxuan being taken away, An Ruxin felt distressed.
“Don’t call me Dad! Anyone who dares plead for that rebellious son can get out of the Xiahou family!”
Those words immediately silenced An Ruxin.
In his unconsciousness, Lian Qiguang sank into a world of darkness.
In a daze, he seemed to see Xiahou Shaoxuan.
He wanted to run toward him, but Xiahou Shaoxuan suddenly began retreating.
Lian Qiguang desperately chased after him, but Xiahou Shaoxuan still disappeared into the darkness.
“Shaoxuan, Shaoxuan…”
“Shaoxuan…”