Chapter 218
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Ying Qingcang wrapped his arms around Xin Qing worriedly. "Shh, shh, don't be scared. It's just a pig."
"That's a wild boar!" Chen Huan exclaimed, finding Ying Qingcang's irrelevant placation utterly contemptible. The point, which Ying Qingcang's paltry attempt at comfort had totally missed, was this: Where did that monstrous thing fall from?
Two people ran over from somewhere nearby. One of them had a build similar to King Kong. He stopped in front of the wild boar and gave it two kicks. "It's dead. Tow it away!"
The other person, a young man who looked like some kind of scholar, noticed the presence of Ying Qingcang and his companions.
"Hey! Outsiders?"
Ying Qingcang shot a glance towards Boss Wan. Admittedly, he was starting to regret not having Young Master Shen here. In situations like this, putting their hopes on the facially paralyzed Boss Wan was nothing but an exercise in futility. It seemed like Ying Qingcang had to do all the talking himself this time.
"Hello, we're friends of Young Master Shen, and we're here to see your chieftain."
At that greeting, the two villagers led the group to the village without saying another word. Meanwhile, Chen Huan was still obsessing over the wild boar; she kept asking the two villagers what they planned to do with it. The man with the King Kong build hefted the boar by its tail. "Alright, fine. Let's move out!"
That was how the group entered the village with a wild boar in tow. The chieftain was very surprised to see them, especially after they had told him that Xin Qing was the person who had needed his prescription last time. Filled with excitement, the old man got to work immediately, taking Xin Qing's pulse, tapping everywhere on Xin Qing's body. He only stopped when he noticed the glare that Ying Qingcang was giving him.
The chieftain stroked his beard. "I need some time," he said. "It seems to me like there's something inside her brain."
Ying Qingcang's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. "A thing?" he asked. Chen Huan was the one who spoke next. "The doctors back in our base said the same thing," Chen Huan said, not sounding surprised at all. "Still, they couldn't be sure. After all, nobody would dare make such claims about people having something inside their brains."
Xin Qing thought for a moment. "Is it a tumor?" she asked.
"Something like that could be detected with a simple CT scan. You won't even be needing me if it were a tumor," the chieftain said. Then, after a wave of the chieftain's hand, the young scholar whom they had met earlier ran inside. "Follow this man and get yourself settled in the village. I'll get back to you after I've looked into it for a few days!"
Xin Qing and Ying Qingcang were brought to a wooden cabin. Boss Wan and Chen Huan were given a cabin to share as well. Due to their sheer numbers, Boss Wan's men were brought to the village's warehouse. Even now, Chen Huan still insisted on having her own space. In the end, she was told that the spaces available were the pigsty and the cowshed. She stayed with Boss Wan obediently.
That night, the villagers invited all of them to dinner. Everyone gathered around a long, wooden table. Xin Qing did a quick headcount and realized that the entire village only had about twenty people in total. Then, the chieftain drew Xin Qing's blood, with which he filled about half a test tube. As per the village's customs, Ying Qingcang and Boss Wan were both invited for drinks. Xin Qing, on the other hand, felt like taking a stroll around the village after dinner. She managed to slip away while Ying Qingcang was not paying attention.
She strolled alone and ended up at the small brook behind the village. She was surprised to find a lot of nocturnal and nyctinastic plants in the area. The plants came in various sizes and were grouped into clusters. All of them radiated colorful lights, creating a breathtaking view altogether.
Xin Qing was just about to walk closer to check out the plants when she heard a rustle in a bush nearby. Startled, Xin Qing found herself rooted in the same spot, immobilized by fear. After a while, she saw a dark shadow emerging from behind the bush. She squinted and took a closer look. Then, she sighed in relief.
It was a little boy, who was probably around five to six years old. The boy was dressed in clothes made of hemp fabric. He was obviously someone from the village.
"Hi! Little boy! Nice to meet you," Xin Qing greeted him with a tiny smile. Then, she slowly sat down on a rock nearby. "Why aren't you having dinner?"
The little boy raised his head. "Are you afraid of spiders?" he asked.
That non sequitur had Xin Qing going blank for a moment. Then the next thing she knew, she found herself completely drawn into the little boy's eyes. She had always found Xunxun's eyes to be severely lacking in childlike qualities. Still, Xunxun was far too ordinary compared to this kid before her eyes. The look in this kid's eyes reminded her of Ying Qingcang; deep and penetrating, yet cold and emotionless.
Xin Qing shook her head a few times. The darkness of the night must have been messing with her head. No child could be in possession of such eyes...
"Are you afraid of spiders?" the little boy asked again.
"Ah?" Xin Qing said, surprised. Then, she quickly recovered and said, "Yes, I am. I have trypophobia." Whatever the reason for this kid's repeated mention of spiders was, she had no idea. All she knew was that she felt like shuddering at the mere sound of that word.
The kid pointed his finger at the rock under her. "There's one crawling up from under the rock that you're now sitting on," he said flatly.
Xin Qing's eyes went wide, and she glanced down, which immediately caused the hair on her skin to rise. A spider the size of a ping pong ball was indeed crawling its way up to the top of the rock. Xin Qing sprang to her feet and leaped to one side.
"Ah Qing! What on earth are you doing?" Ying Qingcang's voice rang out. A second later, she found herself pulled into his arms. Ying Qingcang glared at her. "Who told you to jump around?" he said in a harsh tone.
Xin Qing patted her chest in relief. Then, she pointed at the kid. "There was a spider. Good thing he reminded me."
Ying Qingcang shot a glance at the little boy and then turned to look at the spider on top of the rock. A sudden coldness radiated from his eyes. In two steps, Ying Qingcang traversed the distance between himself and the boy. His hands reached out to grab the kid by the neck. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Xin Qing yelled out in shock.
To both of their surprise, Ying Qingcang's attempted grasp completely failed; the boy had taken a step back, and was now outside Ying Qingcang's striking distance.
"Don't come any closer!" Ying Qingcang yelled, stretching out his arms to prevent Xin Qing from stepping any further. He then leveled the little boy with a cold stare. "Who are you? And why are you trying to scare her with a spider."
Xin Qing was momentarily stunned. Her gaze went to the little boy, and then to the spider on the rock. Then, it hit her. It was impossible for anyone to be able to make out the spider that was crawling up the black rock from that kind of distance and in such gloomy surroundings. Not to mention the fact that the spider was equally dark in color as well.
"You..." Xin Qing stared back at the boy in disbelief. She could not believe that the boy had tried to set her up.
The boy met Xin Qing's gaze briefly before lowering his head. "There's a firefly three meters to your left. In front of you, to the right, there's a cricket. A fish will leap out of from the river surface behind me any moment from now."
A splash sounded the moment the boy stopped speaking. Indeed, a fish broke through the river surface. At the same time, Ying Qingcang saw a cricket leaping across. He frowned, remembering what Young Master Shen had told him before about the abnormality of the people in this village. He shot a wary glance at the boy, then he turned around and began dragging Xin Qing away.
The boy's voice sounded behind him, "You and that Young Master Shen are the same. Your body reeked of blood. Both of your auras come in black. The baby in her stomach is healthy. The mother's scent is clean..."
Ying Qingcang had heard enough. He picked up Xin Qing from the ground and quickly carried her away. Xin Qing peeked out from behind Ying Qingcang's shoulder. She saw the little boy standing amidst the night, cold and lonely.
The next morning, Ying Qingcang and Boss Wan were woken up by the villagers, asking them to go hunting. Chen Huan was still out cold from being drunk the night before. Xin Qing remembered the boy from last night and decided to ask the chieftain about him.
"Oh, you mean Xiao Jiji!" said the chieftain, who was smashing a bowl of herbs with a pestle. The corners of Xin Qing's lips twitched. "What kind of name is that..."
"I found the kid in the jungle. I've asked Young Master Shen to look for his parents last time. Well, I guess there's still no leads yet, then, since you've never even heard of the boy."
Xin Qing frowned. Young Master Shen had never mentioned this before. Neither did Ying Qingcang.
"Is he a bit... I mean compared to us..." Xin Qing had no idea how best to bring this up.
"I take it you've seen his capabilities," the chieftain remarked with a nonchalant nod. "I hope they didn't frighten you!"
"No," Xin Qing said, shaking her head. "In fact, the boy had helped me yesterday."
"Well, in the words of you outsiders, you guys would probably say that kid possesses superpowers. But in truth, I'd much rather refer to his talents as having an accelerated sense of perception!" The chieftain noted the look of confusion on Xin Qing's face. There was a brief pause as the chieftain thought about how best to explain it. "His sensory system is similar to certain wild beasts. Take a cheetah, for example. A cheetah is able to detect any movement within a ten mile radius from where it stood. Not even a leaping rabbit could escape its detection. A lot of other animals are capable of it too. Their senses are like radars. They're able to perceive and judge any movement within their vicinity."
Xin Qing nodded. Well, she understood that part, but the thing was...
"He knew that I'm pregnant. He even mentioned something about the scent of blood on Ah Cang's body." Xin Qing stroked her belly. She was dressed in such loose clothing. It was impossible for anyone to see that she was pregnant.
The chieftain threw another handful of herbs into the mortar. "Tsk, tsk. That kid can turn some of the things he senses into something concrete and tangible. Well, this is easier to explain, I guess. Think about those mercenaries, for instance. Mercenaries tend to have this killer aura about them. If they stand before you, the most that an average person can tell from their appearance is that they are fierce, and that they're not people to be trifled with. But now consider a soldier, or a guy like Boss Wan. If it were a soldier, one look will suffice to see the murderous aura surrounding them."
"Okay, so what you're saying is that it all boils down to one's sensory acuity?" Xin Qing still found it very hard to believe what she had just been told. At the same time, she thought the chieftain's explanation sort of made sense.
The chieftain chuckled. "The average human only utilizes 0.9 percent of his or her brain. If people could tap into more than 10 percent of their mind's potential, anyone could do what the kid does. Anyone could be superhuman."
Xin Qing nodded. "Isn't this precisely what Chen Huan's research is about?" she thought. Xunxun, as well as the baby currently inside her body, had received a genetic modifying drug. At that thought, Xin Qing was suddenly hit by a wave of worry. What would she do if her child ended up having strange abilities in the future...
When Ying Qingcang returned, he saw Xin Qing sitting there alone with a frown. He had no idea what was going through her mind right then.
"What's the matter? Are you feeling any discomfort?"
Xin Qing glanced at him. "I'm fine," she said. "Will you quit assuming that I'm unwell all the time!" After that, she filled Ying Qingcang in about her conversation with the chieftain that morning.
"Say, what should we do if our child ended up the same way?"
"Well, that's great, isn't it? That way, nobody would be able to plot against him," Ying Qingcang said calmly.
"From what you're saying, you seem to be assuming that the baby in my tummy is indeed a boy," Xin Qing grumbled. "What if it's a girl?"
"I never said it's a boy!" Ying Qingcang helped her to her feet. "Come, let's go eat before Chen Huan finishes all the food."
While Xin Qing and the others were happily awaiting her treatment in the village, the two children that they had left at home to be watched over by Monica and Ah Nan were encountering problems of their own.
Today, an international children's fashion brand had expressed its interest in having Ah Sha on board to provide celebrity endorsement for their products. Monica had brought the contract home so that Xunxun could have a look through them. Monica would never straight out say it, but she had to admit that this kid was highly organized and meticulous in this type of thing. He would never allow Ah Sha to be placed in a position of disadvantage.
"We won't be doing this advertisement," Xunxun said after reading through everything. He tossed the contract back to Monica.
Monica's eyes widened. "Why? That's a very well-known brand in England, you know? Even the members of the Royal family wear their products!" Monica took out several articles of clothing from a plastic bag and smiled at Ah Sha. "Come, Ah Sha. Have a look at them yourself. Aren't they pretty?!"
Ah Sha had been sitting at a desk, studiously trying to complete the writing worksheet that Xunxun had created for her. The moment she heard Monica calling her, Ah Sha abandoned her pencil and ran straight to Monica. Ah Sha picked up the minidress and held it against her body.
"It's very pretty!"
"It's still a no even if the clothes are pretty."
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Ying Qingcang wrapped his arms around Xin Qing worriedly. "Shh, shh, don't be scared. It's just a pig."
"That's a wild boar!" Chen Huan exclaimed, finding Ying Qingcang's irrelevant placation utterly contemptible. The point, which Ying Qingcang's paltry attempt at comfort had totally missed, was this: Where did that monstrous thing fall from?
Two people ran over from somewhere nearby. One of them had a build similar to King Kong. He stopped in front of the wild boar and gave it two kicks. "It's dead. Tow it away!"
The other person, a young man who looked like some kind of scholar, noticed the presence of Ying Qingcang and his companions.
"Hey! Outsiders?"
Ying Qingcang shot a glance towards Boss Wan. Admittedly, he was starting to regret not having Young Master Shen here. In situations like this, putting their hopes on the facially paralyzed Boss Wan was nothing but an exercise in futility. It seemed like Ying Qingcang had to do all the talking himself this time.
"Hello, we're friends of Young Master Shen, and we're here to see your chieftain."
At that greeting, the two villagers led the group to the village without saying another word. Meanwhile, Chen Huan was still obsessing over the wild boar; she kept asking the two villagers what they planned to do with it. The man with the King Kong build hefted the boar by its tail. "Alright, fine. Let's move out!"
That was how the group entered the village with a wild boar in tow. The chieftain was very surprised to see them, especially after they had told him that Xin Qing was the person who had needed his prescription last time. Filled with excitement, the old man got to work immediately, taking Xin Qing's pulse, tapping everywhere on Xin Qing's body. He only stopped when he noticed the glare that Ying Qingcang was giving him.
The chieftain stroked his beard. "I need some time," he said. "It seems to me like there's something inside her brain."
Ying Qingcang's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. "A thing?" he asked. Chen Huan was the one who spoke next. "The doctors back in our base said the same thing," Chen Huan said, not sounding surprised at all. "Still, they couldn't be sure. After all, nobody would dare make such claims about people having something inside their brains."
Xin Qing thought for a moment. "Is it a tumor?" she asked.
"Something like that could be detected with a simple CT scan. You won't even be needing me if it were a tumor," the chieftain said. Then, after a wave of the chieftain's hand, the young scholar whom they had met earlier ran inside. "Follow this man and get yourself settled in the village. I'll get back to you after I've looked into it for a few days!"
Xin Qing and Ying Qingcang were brought to a wooden cabin. Boss Wan and Chen Huan were given a cabin to share as well. Due to their sheer numbers, Boss Wan's men were brought to the village's warehouse. Even now, Chen Huan still insisted on having her own space. In the end, she was told that the spaces available were the pigsty and the cowshed. She stayed with Boss Wan obediently.
That night, the villagers invited all of them to dinner. Everyone gathered around a long, wooden table. Xin Qing did a quick headcount and realized that the entire village only had about twenty people in total. Then, the chieftain drew Xin Qing's blood, with which he filled about half a test tube. As per the village's customs, Ying Qingcang and Boss Wan were both invited for drinks. Xin Qing, on the other hand, felt like taking a stroll around the village after dinner. She managed to slip away while Ying Qingcang was not paying attention.
She strolled alone and ended up at the small brook behind the village. She was surprised to find a lot of nocturnal and nyctinastic plants in the area. The plants came in various sizes and were grouped into clusters. All of them radiated colorful lights, creating a breathtaking view altogether.
Xin Qing was just about to walk closer to check out the plants when she heard a rustle in a bush nearby. Startled, Xin Qing found herself rooted in the same spot, immobilized by fear. After a while, she saw a dark shadow emerging from behind the bush. She squinted and took a closer look. Then, she sighed in relief.
It was a little boy, who was probably around five to six years old. The boy was dressed in clothes made of hemp fabric. He was obviously someone from the village.
"Hi! Little boy! Nice to meet you," Xin Qing greeted him with a tiny smile. Then, she slowly sat down on a rock nearby. "Why aren't you having dinner?"
The little boy raised his head. "Are you afraid of spiders?" he asked.
That non sequitur had Xin Qing going blank for a moment. Then the next thing she knew, she found herself completely drawn into the little boy's eyes. She had always found Xunxun's eyes to be severely lacking in childlike qualities. Still, Xunxun was far too ordinary compared to this kid before her eyes. The look in this kid's eyes reminded her of Ying Qingcang; deep and penetrating, yet cold and emotionless.
Xin Qing shook her head a few times. The darkness of the night must have been messing with her head. No child could be in possession of such eyes...
"Are you afraid of spiders?" the little boy asked again.
"Ah?" Xin Qing said, surprised. Then, she quickly recovered and said, "Yes, I am. I have trypophobia." Whatever the reason for this kid's repeated mention of spiders was, she had no idea. All she knew was that she felt like shuddering at the mere sound of that word.
The kid pointed his finger at the rock under her. "There's one crawling up from under the rock that you're now sitting on," he said flatly.
Xin Qing's eyes went wide, and she glanced down, which immediately caused the hair on her skin to rise. A spider the size of a ping pong ball was indeed crawling its way up to the top of the rock. Xin Qing sprang to her feet and leaped to one side.
"Ah Qing! What on earth are you doing?" Ying Qingcang's voice rang out. A second later, she found herself pulled into his arms. Ying Qingcang glared at her. "Who told you to jump around?" he said in a harsh tone.
Xin Qing patted her chest in relief. Then, she pointed at the kid. "There was a spider. Good thing he reminded me."
Ying Qingcang shot a glance at the little boy and then turned to look at the spider on top of the rock. A sudden coldness radiated from his eyes. In two steps, Ying Qingcang traversed the distance between himself and the boy. His hands reached out to grab the kid by the neck. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Xin Qing yelled out in shock.
To both of their surprise, Ying Qingcang's attempted grasp completely failed; the boy had taken a step back, and was now outside Ying Qingcang's striking distance.
"Don't come any closer!" Ying Qingcang yelled, stretching out his arms to prevent Xin Qing from stepping any further. He then leveled the little boy with a cold stare. "Who are you? And why are you trying to scare her with a spider."
Xin Qing was momentarily stunned. Her gaze went to the little boy, and then to the spider on the rock. Then, it hit her. It was impossible for anyone to be able to make out the spider that was crawling up the black rock from that kind of distance and in such gloomy surroundings. Not to mention the fact that the spider was equally dark in color as well.
"You..." Xin Qing stared back at the boy in disbelief. She could not believe that the boy had tried to set her up.
The boy met Xin Qing's gaze briefly before lowering his head. "There's a firefly three meters to your left. In front of you, to the right, there's a cricket. A fish will leap out of from the river surface behind me any moment from now."
A splash sounded the moment the boy stopped speaking. Indeed, a fish broke through the river surface. At the same time, Ying Qingcang saw a cricket leaping across. He frowned, remembering what Young Master Shen had told him before about the abnormality of the people in this village. He shot a wary glance at the boy, then he turned around and began dragging Xin Qing away.
The boy's voice sounded behind him, "You and that Young Master Shen are the same. Your body reeked of blood. Both of your auras come in black. The baby in her stomach is healthy. The mother's scent is clean..."
Ying Qingcang had heard enough. He picked up Xin Qing from the ground and quickly carried her away. Xin Qing peeked out from behind Ying Qingcang's shoulder. She saw the little boy standing amidst the night, cold and lonely.
The next morning, Ying Qingcang and Boss Wan were woken up by the villagers, asking them to go hunting. Chen Huan was still out cold from being drunk the night before. Xin Qing remembered the boy from last night and decided to ask the chieftain about him.
"Oh, you mean Xiao Jiji!" said the chieftain, who was smashing a bowl of herbs with a pestle. The corners of Xin Qing's lips twitched. "What kind of name is that..."
"I found the kid in the jungle. I've asked Young Master Shen to look for his parents last time. Well, I guess there's still no leads yet, then, since you've never even heard of the boy."
Xin Qing frowned. Young Master Shen had never mentioned this before. Neither did Ying Qingcang.
"Is he a bit... I mean compared to us..." Xin Qing had no idea how best to bring this up.
"I take it you've seen his capabilities," the chieftain remarked with a nonchalant nod. "I hope they didn't frighten you!"
"No," Xin Qing said, shaking her head. "In fact, the boy had helped me yesterday."
"Well, in the words of you outsiders, you guys would probably say that kid possesses superpowers. But in truth, I'd much rather refer to his talents as having an accelerated sense of perception!" The chieftain noted the look of confusion on Xin Qing's face. There was a brief pause as the chieftain thought about how best to explain it. "His sensory system is similar to certain wild beasts. Take a cheetah, for example. A cheetah is able to detect any movement within a ten mile radius from where it stood. Not even a leaping rabbit could escape its detection. A lot of other animals are capable of it too. Their senses are like radars. They're able to perceive and judge any movement within their vicinity."
Xin Qing nodded. Well, she understood that part, but the thing was...
"He knew that I'm pregnant. He even mentioned something about the scent of blood on Ah Cang's body." Xin Qing stroked her belly. She was dressed in such loose clothing. It was impossible for anyone to see that she was pregnant.
The chieftain threw another handful of herbs into the mortar. "Tsk, tsk. That kid can turn some of the things he senses into something concrete and tangible. Well, this is easier to explain, I guess. Think about those mercenaries, for instance. Mercenaries tend to have this killer aura about them. If they stand before you, the most that an average person can tell from their appearance is that they are fierce, and that they're not people to be trifled with. But now consider a soldier, or a guy like Boss Wan. If it were a soldier, one look will suffice to see the murderous aura surrounding them."
"Okay, so what you're saying is that it all boils down to one's sensory acuity?" Xin Qing still found it very hard to believe what she had just been told. At the same time, she thought the chieftain's explanation sort of made sense.
The chieftain chuckled. "The average human only utilizes 0.9 percent of his or her brain. If people could tap into more than 10 percent of their mind's potential, anyone could do what the kid does. Anyone could be superhuman."
Xin Qing nodded. "Isn't this precisely what Chen Huan's research is about?" she thought. Xunxun, as well as the baby currently inside her body, had received a genetic modifying drug. At that thought, Xin Qing was suddenly hit by a wave of worry. What would she do if her child ended up having strange abilities in the future...
When Ying Qingcang returned, he saw Xin Qing sitting there alone with a frown. He had no idea what was going through her mind right then.
"What's the matter? Are you feeling any discomfort?"
Xin Qing glanced at him. "I'm fine," she said. "Will you quit assuming that I'm unwell all the time!" After that, she filled Ying Qingcang in about her conversation with the chieftain that morning.
"Say, what should we do if our child ended up the same way?"
"Well, that's great, isn't it? That way, nobody would be able to plot against him," Ying Qingcang said calmly.
"From what you're saying, you seem to be assuming that the baby in my tummy is indeed a boy," Xin Qing grumbled. "What if it's a girl?"
"I never said it's a boy!" Ying Qingcang helped her to her feet. "Come, let's go eat before Chen Huan finishes all the food."
While Xin Qing and the others were happily awaiting her treatment in the village, the two children that they had left at home to be watched over by Monica and Ah Nan were encountering problems of their own.
Today, an international children's fashion brand had expressed its interest in having Ah Sha on board to provide celebrity endorsement for their products. Monica had brought the contract home so that Xunxun could have a look through them. Monica would never straight out say it, but she had to admit that this kid was highly organized and meticulous in this type of thing. He would never allow Ah Sha to be placed in a position of disadvantage.
"We won't be doing this advertisement," Xunxun said after reading through everything. He tossed the contract back to Monica.
Monica's eyes widened. "Why? That's a very well-known brand in England, you know? Even the members of the Royal family wear their products!" Monica took out several articles of clothing from a plastic bag and smiled at Ah Sha. "Come, Ah Sha. Have a look at them yourself. Aren't they pretty?!"
Ah Sha had been sitting at a desk, studiously trying to complete the writing worksheet that Xunxun had created for her. The moment she heard Monica calling her, Ah Sha abandoned her pencil and ran straight to Monica. Ah Sha picked up the minidress and held it against her body.
"It's very pretty!"
"It's still a no even if the clothes are pretty."
Ying Qingcang wrapped his arms around Xin Qing worriedly. "Shh, shh, don't be scared. It's just a pig.""That's a wild boar!" Chen Huan exclaimed, finding Ying Qingcang's irrelevant placation utterly contemptible. The point, which Ying Qingcang's paltry attempt at comfort had totally missed, was this: Where did that monstrous thing fall from?Two people ran over from somewhere nearby. One of them had a build similar to King Kong. He stopped in front of the wild boar and gave it two kicks. "It's dead. Tow it away!"The other person, a young man who looked like some kind of scholar, noticed the presence of Ying Qingcang and his companions."Hey! Outsiders?"Ying Qingcang shot a glance towards Boss Wan. Admittedly, he was starting to regret not having Young Master Shen here. In situations like this, putting their hopes on the facially paralyzed Boss Wan was nothing but an exercise in futility. It seemed like Ying Qingcang had to do all the talking himself this time."Hello, we're friends of Young Master Shen, and we're here to see your chieftain."At that greeting, the two villagers led the group to the village without saying another word. Meanwhile, Chen Huan was still obsessing over the wild boar; she kept asking the two villagers what they planned to do with it. The man with the King Kong build hefted the boar by its tail. "Alright, fine. Let's move out!"That was how the group entered the village with a wild boar in tow. The chieftain was very surprised to see them, especially after they had told him that Xin Qing was the person who had needed his prescription last time. Filled with excitement, the old man got to work immediately, taking Xin Qing's pulse, tapping everywhere on Xin Qing's body. He only stopped when he noticed the glare that Ying Qingcang was giving him.The chieftain stroked his beard. "I need some time," he said. "It seems to me like there's something inside her brain."Ying Qingcang's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. "A thing?" he asked. Chen Huan was the one who spoke next. "The doctors back in our base said the same thing," Chen Huan said, not sounding surprised at all. "Still, they couldn't be sure. After all, nobody would dare make such claims about people having something inside their brains."Xin Qing thought for a moment. "Is it a tumor?" she asked."Something like that could be detected with a simple CT scan. You won't even be needing me if it were a tumor," the chieftain said. Then, after a wave of the chieftain's hand, the young scholar whom they had met earlier ran inside. "Follow this man and get yourself settled in the village. I'll get back to you after I've looked into it for a few days!"Xin Qing and Ying Qingcang were brought to a wooden cabin. Boss Wan and Chen Huan were given a cabin to share as well. Due to their sheer numbers, Boss Wan's men were brought to the village's warehouse. Even now, Chen Huan still insisted on having her own space. In the end, she was told that the spaces available were the pigsty and the cowshed. She stayed with Boss Wan obediently.That night, the villagers invited all of them to dinner. Everyone gathered around a long, wooden table. Xin Qing did a quick headcount and realized that the entire village only had about twenty people in total. Then, the chieftain drew Xin Qing's blood, with which he filled about half a test tube. As per the village's customs, Ying Qingcang and Boss Wan were both invited for drinks. Xin Qing, on the other hand, felt like taking a stroll around the village after dinner. She managed to slip away while Ying Qingcang was not paying attention.She strolled alone and ended up at the small brook behind the village. She was surprised to find a lot of nocturnal and nyctinastic plants in the area. The plants came in various sizes and were grouped into clusters. All of them radiated colorful lights, creating a breathtaking view altogether.Xin Qing was just about to walk closer to check out the plants when she heard a rustle in a bush nearby. Startled, Xin Qing found herself rooted in the same spot, immobilized by fear. After a while, she saw a dark shadow emerging from behind the bush. She squinted and took a closer look. Then, she sighed in relief.It was a little boy, who was probably around five to six years old. The boy was dressed in clothes made of hemp fabric. He was obviously someone from the village."Hi! Little boy! Nice to meet you," Xin Qing greeted him with a tiny smile. Then, she slowly sat down on a rock nearby. "Why aren't you having dinner?"The little boy raised his head. "Are you afraid of spiders?" he asked.That non sequitur had Xin Qing going blank for a moment. Then the next thing she knew, she found herself completely drawn into the little boy's eyes. She had always found Xunxun's eyes to be severely lacking in childlike qualities. Still, Xunxun was far too ordinary compared to this kid before her eyes. The look in this kid's eyes reminded her of Ying Qingcang; deep and penetrating, yet cold and emotionless.Xin Qing shook her head a few times. The darkness of the night must have been messing with her head. No child could be in possession of such eyes..."Are you afraid of spiders?" the little boy asked again."Ah?" Xin Qing said, surprised. Then, she quickly recovered and said, "Yes, I am. I have trypophobia." Whatever the reason for this kid's repeated mention of spiders was, she had no idea. All she knew was that she felt like shuddering at the mere sound of that word.The kid pointed his finger at the rock under her. "There's one crawling up from under the rock that you're now sitting on," he said flatly.Xin Qing's eyes went wide, and she glanced down, which immediately caused the hair on her skin to rise. A spider the size of a ping pong ball was indeed crawling its way up to the top of the rock. Xin Qing sprang to her feet and leaped to one side."Ah Qing! What on earth are you doing?" Ying Qingcang's voice rang out. A second later, she found herself pulled into his arms. Ying Qingcang glared at her. "Who told you to jump around?" he said in a harsh tone.Xin Qing patted her chest in relief. Then, she pointed at the kid. "There was a spider. Good thing he reminded me."Ying Qingcang shot a glance at the little boy and then turned to look at the spider on top of the rock. A sudden coldness radiated from his eyes. In two steps, Ying Qingcang traversed the distance between himself and the boy. His hands reached out to grab the kid by the neck. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Xin Qing yelled out in shock.To both of their surprise, Ying Qingcang's attempted grasp completely failed; the boy had taken a step back, and was now outside Ying Qingcang's striking distance."Don't come any closer!" Ying Qingcang yelled, stretching out his arms to prevent Xin Qing from stepping any further. He then leveled the little boy with a cold stare. "Who are you? And why are you trying to scare her with a spider."Xin Qing was momentarily stunned. Her gaze went to the little boy, and then to the spider on the rock. Then, it hit her. It was impossible for anyone to be able to make out the spider that was crawling up the black rock from that kind of distance and in such gloomy surroundings. Not to mention the fact that the spider was equally dark in color as well."You..." Xin Qing stared back at the boy in disbelief. She could not believe that the boy had tried to set her up.The boy met Xin Qing's gaze briefly before lowering his head. "There's a firefly three meters to your left. In front of you, to the right, there's a cricket. A fish will leap out of from the river surface behind me any moment from now."A splash sounded the moment the boy stopped speaking. Indeed, a fish broke through the river surface. At the same time, Ying Qingcang saw a cricket leaping across. He frowned, remembering what Young Master Shen had told him before about the abnormality of the people in this village. He shot a wary glance at the boy, then he turned around and began dragging Xin Qing away.The boy's voice sounded behind him, "You and that Young Master Shen are the same. Your body reeked of blood. Both of your auras come in black. The baby in her stomach is healthy. The mother's scent is clean..."Ying Qingcang had heard enough. He picked up Xin Qing from the ground and quickly carried her away. Xin Qing peeked out from behind Ying Qingcang's shoulder. She saw the little boy standing amidst the night, cold and lonely.The next morning, Ying Qingcang and Boss Wan were woken up by the villagers, asking them to go hunting. Chen Huan was still out cold from being drunk the night before. Xin Qing remembered the boy from last night and decided to ask the chieftain about him."Oh, you mean Xiao Jiji!" said the chieftain, who was smashing a bowl of herbs with a pestle. The corners of Xin Qing's lips twitched. "What kind of name is that...""I found the kid in the jungle. I've asked Young Master Shen to look for his parents last time. Well, I guess there's still no leads yet, then, since you've never even heard of the boy."Xin Qing frowned. Young Master Shen had never mentioned this before. Neither did Ying Qingcang."Is he a bit... I mean compared to us..." Xin Qing had no idea how best to bring this up."I take it you've seen his capabilities," the chieftain remarked with a nonchalant nod. "I hope they didn't frighten you!""No," Xin Qing said, shaking her head. "In fact, the boy had helped me yesterday.""Well, in the words of you outsiders, you guys would probably say that kid possesses superpowers. But in truth, I'd much rather refer to his talents as having an accelerated sense of perception!" The chieftain noted the look of confusion on Xin Qing's face. There was a brief pause as the chieftain thought about how best to explain it. "His sensory system is similar to certain wild beasts. Take a cheetah, for example. A cheetah is able to detect any movement within a ten mile radius from where it stood. Not even a leaping rabbit could escape its detection. A lot of other animals are capable of it too. Their senses are like radars. They're able to perceive and judge any movement within their vicinity."Xin Qing nodded. Well, she understood that part, but the thing was..."He knew that I'm pregnant. He even mentioned something about the scent of blood on Ah Cang's body." Xin Qing stroked her belly. She was dressed in such loose clothing. It was impossible for anyone to see that she was pregnant.The chieftain threw another handful of herbs into the mortar. "Tsk, tsk. That kid can turn some of the things he senses into something concrete and tangible. Well, this is easier to explain, I guess. Think about those mercenaries, for instance. Mercenaries tend to have this killer aura about them. If they stand before you, the most that an average person can tell from their appearance is that they are fierce, and that they're not people to be trifled with. But now consider a soldier, or a guy like Boss Wan. If it were a soldier, one look will suffice to see the murderous aura surrounding them.""Okay, so what you're saying is that it all boils down to one's sensory acuity?" Xin Qing still found it very hard to believe what she had just been told. At the same time, she thought the chieftain's explanation sort of made sense.The chieftain chuckled. "The average human only utilizes 0.9 percent of his or her brain. If people could tap into more than 10 percent of their mind's potential, anyone could do what the kid does. Anyone could be superhuman."Xin Qing nodded. "Isn't this precisely what Chen Huan's research is about?" she thought. Xunxun, as well as the baby currently inside her body, had received a genetic modifying drug. At that thought, Xin Qing was suddenly hit by a wave of worry. What would she do if her child ended up having strange abilities in the future...When Ying Qingcang returned, he saw Xin Qing sitting there alone with a frown. He had no idea what was going through her mind right then."What's the matter? Are you feeling any discomfort?"Xin Qing glanced at him. "I'm fine," she said. "Will you quit assuming that I'm unwell all the time!" After that, she filled Ying Qingcang in about her conversation with the chieftain that morning."Say, what should we do if our child ended up the same way?""Well, that's great, isn't it? That way, nobody would be able to plot against him," Ying Qingcang said calmly."From what you're saying, you seem to be assuming that the baby in my tummy is indeed a boy," Xin Qing grumbled. "What if it's a girl?""I never said it's a boy!" Ying Qingcang helped her to her feet. "Come, let's go eat before Chen Huan finishes all the food."While Xin Qing and the others were happily awaiting her treatment in the village, the two children that they had left at home to be watched over by Monica and Ah Nan were encountering problems of their own.Today, an international children's fashion brand had expressed its interest in having Ah Sha on board to provide celebrity endorsement for their products. Monica had brought the contract home so that Xunxun could have a look through them. Monica would never straight out say it, but she had to admit that this kid was highly organized and meticulous in this type of thing. He would never allow Ah Sha to be placed in a position of disadvantage."We won't be doing this advertisement," Xunxun said after reading through everything. He tossed the contract back to Monica.Monica's eyes widened. "Why? That's a very well-known brand in England, you know? Even the members of the Royal family wear their products!" Monica took out several articles of clothing from a plastic bag and smiled at Ah Sha. "Come, Ah Sha. Have a look at them yourself. Aren't they pretty?!"Ah Sha had been sitting at a desk, studiously trying to complete the writing worksheet that Xunxun had created for her. The moment she heard Monica calling her, Ah Sha abandoned her pencil and ran straight to Monica. Ah Sha picked up the minidress and held it against her body."It's very pretty!""It's still a no even if the clothes are pretty."
