The healing light in Cen Le’s hand continued for a while. After discerning Shi Deng’s condition, her heart sank.
Shi Deng had obviously been very well treated. Injury sites showed traces of ability healing, also modern medical technology methods.
This current appearance was already the best effect. Her healing technique could surprisingly only play a barely pain-relieving role. To recover normally would still require long-term training and recuperation.
Shi Deng extended his hand, blocking Cen Le’s futile efforts. “Sister Le, forget it. It’s useless.”
Yuan Ting: “How can it be useless? Sister Le can definitely…”
Zhi Ze tugged him. Yuan Ting instantly shut his mouth.
Shi Deng said lightly, “Don’t be like this. I didn’t want you to see originally… Moreover, I can still stand using my ability.”
“So today, at the very beginning, you were propped up by ability to meet us?” Cen Le, through clothing, grasped Shi Deng’s calves, sensing leg condition. Frowning: “You truly don’t treat your own body seriously!”
Though Cen Le looked adorable, she was typically stone-faced—but once angered, absolutely terrifying.
Shi Deng silently endured the lecture.
In the distance, Uncle Xiao Fu pushed a wheelchair, slowly approaching. Stopping before them, smiling kindly: “Alright. The Leader should rest. If you all have questions, please wait until the Leader rests and wakes before asking.”
Looking carefully, between Shi Deng’s pale brows, fatigue was well concealed.
Zhi Ze nodded, bending down to help Uncle Fu lift Shi Deng, gently placing him in the wheelchair. Being close, just as he set him down, he heard Shi Deng take an extremely light breath inward.
Zhi Ze’s movements became even more careful.
Uncle Fu covered Shi Deng’s legs with a fleece blanket. “Thank you, all three. You may freely stay or leave.”
Shi Deng inclined his head. “I’m not convenient to go to Tiangu’s side. Still need you all to inform them—those few Tiangu upper echelon who came to Yuan Guang… It’s not that I don’t trust them. My time reversal matter—the fewer people who know, the better. At worst, they must be trustworthy people.”
Zhi Ze: “I understand.”
He naturally knew this.
Cen Le placed four small healing light rings on Shi Deng’s wrists and calves. As long as her ability wasn’t depleted, no matter how far, these four small rings could function—just with extremely minimal healing effect. At most, pain relief.
It was an ability technique she’d casually developed out of boredom. Now it proved invaluably useful.
After explaining things to them, Shi Deng was pushed away by Uncle Fu.
Not going far, the youth leaned back and fell deeply asleep. Because pain was alleviated, his brows and eyes relaxed. Lips also lightly curved upward. Seemed to finally sleep soundly for once.
Uncle Fu stopped, pulling up the blanket sliding downward for him. Deliberately choosing terrain with level ground to walk.
Reaching Shi Deng’s bedroom door, he discovered Shi-ge had long been waiting there.
The young man bent down and lifted the person up. Uncle Fu pushed open the door.
The bed had also been tidied, freshly changed with softer sheets. Shi-ge laid the youth flat, unfastening the complicated leader garments. Without the covering, the youth’s thin arms were exposed, the bandages wrapped around them clearly visible.
Glimpsing the four healing light rings on his wrists and calves, Shi-ge paused, his gaze softening slightly.
Uncle Fu sighed quietly. “Ah, the Leader overdoes it too much. Just woke up and immediately used his ability, even summoned Yellow Springs. Shi-ge, do they all know now, or… Give me the truth so I don’t slip up here.”
Xiao Deng jumped onto the bed, curling up beside Shi Deng’s hand.
Shi-ge touched Shi Deng’s forehead, sensing the temperature was normal. He withdrew his hand, pulling the blanket over the youth.
Then together with Uncle Fu, he closed the bedroom door before saying faintly, “He only mentioned the first retrograde. What he revealed were all good things. The suffering he endured—not a word mentioned.”
Though he’d expected as much, Uncle Fu still couldn’t help shaking his head. “The Leader… Forget it. I’d better go make him a nourishing soup.”
***
That afternoon, Chi Yu and the other three, along with Tiangu’s upper echelon, left Yuan Guang.
No matter how those officials questioned them, they got no answers.
After returning to Tiangu, Chi Yu convinced Tiangu’s leadership to summon absolutely trustworthy Tiangu ability users and disclosed this matter—preparations must be made for Yuan Marrow’s failure.
“However, that means Mr. Shi’s identity—the young man Shi Deng calls Shi-ge—we still don’t know.”
Chi Yu: “Not important. What’s important is he won’t harm us.”
The leader nodded. “According to previous discussions, Yuan Marrow needs one final energy transmission from him. When does he have time?”
Chi Yu: “Shi-ge should still need to care for Shi Deng. Cen Le examined him—Shi Deng’s body… still requires a very long recovery period.”
“Alas…” The leader had a headache. “Please be sure he recuperates properly. Whether suppressing the contamination underground at Yuan Guang or retrograding time… we owe him.”
Zhi Ze glanced at him. “Is there something else troubling you?”
“Word about Feng City got out despite our efforts. The contamination crisis is escalating—infection rates climbing every day. What Shi Deng did there has been sensationalized by profiteers, his blood turned into legend. Now fake ‘divine water’ circulates everywhere. It’s nothing but naked human greed.” The leader’s sigh was weary.
Cen Le’s voice turned cold. “The so-called ‘divine water’ is just water mixed with Shi Deng’s blood. Everyone knows what happened in Feng City. Where’s any ‘divine water’? Contaminated people have their malice amplified. Those uncontaminated—are their minds also unclear?”
The leader was silent a moment, then said, “Just days ago, we dismantled a place called the ‘Divine Water Market.'”
He elaborated for the four on what the divine water market was.
Since Shi Deng’s blood could treat contamination became exposed, some harbored crooked thoughts. They dared not provoke Yuan Guang’s leader but could collect unused divine water and sell it at high prices for huge profits.
At first, it started with that infamous bloody path in Feng City—scavenged clean until not a trace of blood remained. Even the water used to scrub the ground, tainted with his blood, became known as “divine water”—commanding astronomical prices on the black market, when it could be found at all.
High-ranking non-ability users all wanted to get some to drink. The uncontaminated wanted prevention. The contaminated wanted healing… Quite a few wanting to join Yuan Guang did so hoping to obtain that bit of divine water.
Unfortunately, however much blood on that path, couldn’t withstand such supply.
So people turned their attention to those who’d drunk Shi Deng’s blood.
At some unknown point, such rumors emerged: Any ordinary person who’d drunk divine water and wasn’t contaminated meant divine water remained in their bodies. Therefore, they also possessed certain purification abilities. Though not as effective as divine water, drinking more would still work.
Not long after the rumors spread, people discovered—ordinary people in Feng City who’d actively harmed Shi Deng and drunk his blood began slowly decreasing, disappearing.
Tiangu thoroughly investigated.
They discovered those missing people either became certain people’s exclusive blood slaves or were dragged to black markets, specifically for bloodletting, becoming merchandise sold in the ‘Divine Water Market.’
After blood slaves died, their organs could also sell for high prices.
The bloodiness and filth within—merely narrating these few sentences was enough to chill hearts.
The leader: “It’s also karmic retribution. If they hadn’t…”
Chi Yu saw even more clearly. “If they hadn’t actively harmed Shi Deng, the ‘Divine Water Market’ would still appear. Even if Shi Deng hadn’t bled to save people, there’d still be other markets.”
“Chaos approaches. Human hearts are unfathomable. None of this is avoidable.”
Zhi Ze said, “Can our elite team’s mission assignments be adjusted closer to Yuan Guang? That way, first, it won’t delay mission execution. Second, we can often visit Shi Deng. If there’s any need there, Tiangu will immediately get word.”
Just ‘divine water’ triggered such severe consequences. The time retrograde matter absolutely couldn’t be revealed—otherwise, it’d easily trigger greater unrest.
Moreover, Yuan Guang and Tiangu were century-old mortal enemies. Sudden abnormal behavior would instead attract attention. In the current situation, some actions were better conducted secretly.
The leader weighed things briefly, agreeing. “Alright. Be careful.”
…
Shi Deng slept for three straight days.
The healing rings encircling his wrists and calves maintained their soft luminescence through three days of sleep. He slept dreamlessly, pain-free. Consciousness, however, returned with the familiar sensation of depleted strength.
The back of his hand had an IV drip—these days, he’d survived on this.
Shi Deng himself didn’t care. He just wanted to lie flat and properly enjoy the next hundred-plus days. Unfortunately, from his bedroom to outside, everything had been transformed to resemble a rehabilitation training room.
During these three days, Cen Le and the other two would sneak over here whenever they completed a mission—they’d visited quite a few times. They rigorously participated in Shi Deng’s rehabilitation training plan and the house renovations.
Considering Shi Deng would temporarily be in a wheelchair, all the sharp corners in the rooms were smoothed down. Door handle positions were also moved to places Shi Deng could reach more easily.
Including the bathroom fixtures—everything was torn out and remodeled.
Fortunately, Yuan Guang had sufficient financial resources. Before Shi Deng woke, everything was already prepared.
To avoid causing secondary injury, Uncle Fu this time resolutely stood on Shi-ge’s side. His ability was thread manipulation—once Shi Deng used his ability attempting to stand or engage in dangerous activities, he’d sense it immediately. Perfect for supervision.
“…I really can feed myself now! I can also stand by myself. I can walk ten steps on my own right now!”
Nearly three months later, Shi Deng couldn’t tolerate it anymore and finally lost his temper.
Heaven knew how he’d endured these three months. Did this group really treat him like a helpless child?! This was absolutely infuriating!
“Sister Le, don’t you three have missions? How do you still have time to come to Yuan Guang? Slacking off isn’t very good, is it?”
The youth extended pale, thin fingers, tilting his head up, sneakily tugging Cen Le’s sleeve.
Cen Le pushed up her glasses, glancing at his fingers.
Thinking not bad—at least now his wrists had recovered nearly seventy percent. Could exert force. Just his calves still weren’t working.
“Trust me, will you? I’m really, truly much better now.”
Yuan Ting pushed him outside to sunbathe while humming perfunctorily: “Mm, very good. Keep it up.”
Shi Deng: “…”
The youth’s ears drooped.
The wheelchair was pushed to their usual sunbathing spot. On aged tree branches lay a person—Shi-ge rested with closed eyes. A small kitten sprawled on his abdomen. His hand stroked it intermittently.
Hearing sounds below the tree, he didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he teased lazily: “Walking ten steps really makes you impressive. Shi Deng, even Xiao Deng walks faster than you.”
Shi Deng: “…………”
Yuan Ting and the other two burst into laughter, each heading to their own sunbathing positions, handling Tiangu’s affairs or reviewing next mission details.
They weren’t idly free—just came over during rest time after completing missions. Unknowingly, this place had become their source of relaxation and happiness.
The youth lay flat, resigned to his fate. Warm sunlight fell on him. Though gloomy, his lips curved upward. Brows and eyes relaxed—he looked even more comfortable than Xiao Deng.
These three months felt stolen.
Friends and those he cared about—all accompanied him. Not one missing.
If only…
It could continue forever. How wonderful that would be.
Uncle Fu’s legs were slower. When he arrived, this place was already extremely peaceful.
He smiled, taking out a camera. Click—he permanently recorded this scene.
In the photograph:
Under gentle, comfortable sunlight, forest treetops cast dappled shadows across the ground. Breeze stirred fragmented golden light.
Below the tree, four youths. One reclined sleeping in a wheelchair. Three wore relaxed expressions, each occupied with something.
The young man was on tree branches. A lazy kitten curled on him. In the photo, Shi-ge had somehow opened his eyes, half-propping himself up, gazing at the youth in the wheelchair below.
In deep blue eyes, traces of tenderness and reluctance.
***
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152