Bringing Mi Xiaobao and Feng Qingyang with him, Lian Qiguang rushed to Xiyang Academy.
At a glance, he spotted Chu Xi pacing anxiously at the school gate.
“Second Brother!”
The moment Chu Xi saw Lian Qiguang, it was as if he had seen family. His reddened eyes, which had been desperately holding back tears, immediately overflowed.
“S-Second Brother, Xiaoxiao… Xiaoxiao, she…”
“Where is she?”
Having no patience to comfort a child, Lian Qiguang expressionlessly cut off Chu Xi’s stammering.
“She’s… she’s in the medical building.”
“Lead the way.”
Throwing out those blunt words, Lian Qiguang strode into the academy.
“O-Okay!”
…
Following Chu Xi to the medical building, they found Lian Xiaozhu’s treatment room.
Looking at the tightly shut metal door, Lian Qiguang’s brows drew together slightly.
“What happened?”
At Lian Qiguang’s question, Chu Xi immediately pointed furiously at the man standing off to the side.
“It was him!”
His face was full of hatred.
“He’s Lian Kai’s older brother. He killed Little Flower and Little Grass. And because of him, Xiaoxiao collapsed!”
Little Flower was the man-eating flower Lian Qiguang had once given Lian Xiaozhu.
As for Little Grass…
Lian Qiguang glanced at Chu Xi’s now-empty head and understood.
He raised his head and expressionlessly looked at the silent man nearby.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”
Sensing Lian Qiguang’s hostility, the man lowered his head slightly with an apologetic expression.
“My brother didn’t do anything wrong!”
Lian Kai grabbed the man’s hand and glared at Chu Xi aggressively.
“That flower attacked my brother first! My brother was acting in self-defense.”
“And you!”
He sneered at Chu Xi.
“Aren’t you always following behind her? Didn’t you say you’d protect her? Hmph! That’s because you’re useless!”
“I…”
Click.
The door opened.
A woman stepped out.
“Teacher Jing!”
Chu Xi ran over and nervously looked at the woman.
“How is Xiaoxiao? How is she?”
“She…”
Just as Teacher Jing began speaking, Lian Qiguang strode forward and kicked the metal door wide open.
He entered expressionlessly.
“What are you doing?!”
Teacher Jing’s expression changed drastically.
She hurried after him and blocked his path, glaring at him with caution.
“This is the medical building! There’s a patient inside! Get out!”
“Teacher Jing, he’s Xiaoxiao’s brother.”
“Brother?”
Teacher Jing glanced suspiciously at Lian Qiguang.
Standing in the treatment room, Lian Qiguang expressionlessly looked at Lian Xiaozhu.
Her face was pale.
She lay silently on the medical bed, breathing weakly.
Various instruments surrounded her, connected to her small frail body.
“Ku Mu…”
Mi Xiaobao stepped closer and quietly tried to comfort him.
“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. Come outside first and leave this to the doctors.”
“Get out.”
Staring at Lian Xiaozhu, who looked terrifyingly fragile, Lian Qiguang spoke coldly.
“Ku Mu…”
“Hello, I’m Jing Qian, Xiyang’s school doctor.”
Jing Qian softened her tone as she addressed him.
“I know you’re worried, but staying here will only interfere with the patient’s rest. It won’t help in any way. Please leave first. If the patient—”
Jing Qian’s endless talking exhausted what little patience Lian Qiguang had left.
His left hand flipped over.
Gray-brown seeds scattered from between his fingers.
A hard stone thorn vine suddenly burst from the floor.
“Watch out!”
Lian Kai’s older brother, who had been behind them, reacted instantly.
He rushed forward and grabbed Jing Qian’s arm, pulling her out of the attack range.
“Ku Mu! What are you doing?!”
Mi Xiaobao cried out in shock.
“What the—!”
Forced backward by rows of rapidly growing stone thorns, Feng Qingyang nearly cursed.
“Ku Mu! Have you lost your mind?!”
He fled the treatment room in a panic.
He had no desire to end up like Qiying.
The stone thorns grew wildly, forcing everyone out.
Then—
Bang!
The treatment room door slammed shut.
The wildly growing stone thorns sealed the entire entrance completely.
“What is he trying to do?!”
Jing Qian stared at the blocked door in horror and screamed.
“Xiaoxiao! Xiaoxiao!! Second Brother!”
Chu Xi rushed forward in panic but was immediately caught by Mi Xiaobao.
“You fatty! Let me go!”
“Are you stupid? Want to get skewered alive?”
Remembering Qiying’s miserable state, Mi Xiaobao shivered.
“But Xiaoxiao’s still inside!”
“That’s Ku Mu’s sister. He won’t hurt her.”
Feng Qingyang stared at the thorn-covered door, lips twitching.
“This is outrageous!”
Jing Qian trembled with anger.
“What does he think this place is?! This is illegal! According to Blue Planet law, this is a criminal offense!”
“He… since he’s that child’s brother, he probably won’t harm her.”
Lian Kai’s older brother spoke quietly.
“If he’s doing this, maybe he has his reasons.”
“What reasons could there be?!”
Jing Qian shouted furiously.
“Using abilities at school, openly attacking teachers and students, with children present! He clearly has no regard for Blue Planet law!”
“I’m going to see the principal right now! We absolutely cannot let him off!”
“Teacher Jing…”
…
Lian Qiguang slowly walked to the medical bed.
Expressionlessly, he looked at Lian Xiaozhu’s pale and fragile face.
After a long silence, he slowly raised one hand and gently placed it over her face.
A faint green light gathered in his palm.
It slowly spread from his hand, gradually enveloping Lian Xiaozhu’s body.
Lian Qiguang carefully controlled his ability, weaving it into a net.
Bit by bit, it wrapped around Lian Xiaozhu.
As the green light moved inch by inch through her body, the tension in Lian Qiguang’s expressionless face slowly deepened.
Her body was weak.
Her internal organs had already begun failing.
Following the damaged organs inward—
Lian Qiguang found the source.
The heart.
Bit by bit, he infiltrated Lian Xiaozhu’s heart.
Finally, in its deepest layer, he found it—
A tiny black spot.
That small black mark was slowly spreading outward.
If left unchecked, sooner or later it would corrode the entire heart.
And once the heart was fully corroded—
Lian Xiaozhu would die.
Lian Qiguang expressionlessly looked at her pale little face.
He remained silent for a very long time.
Heart corrosion.
Organ failure.
The pain this caused…
For someone like her, who had never experienced real suffering—
How had she managed to endure it without changing expression?
How had she still smiled foolishly in front of him every day?
Lian Qiguang withdrew his gaze expressionlessly.
Suddenly, force surged through his hand.
A powerful green light exploded from his palm and fully enveloped Lian Xiaozhu.
The green light coursed through her body.
It forcefully tore through the black corruption.
Then gently wrapped around her heart and failing organs.
As the green light spread—
Lian Xiaozhu’s tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
The terrifying paleness in her face eased.
But as more and more of that green light flowed into Lian Xiaozhu’s body—
Lian Qiguang’s own face gradually turned pale.