Chapter 152: It Can’t Be Masochism, Can It?

Chapter 152: Chapter 152: It Can’t Be Masochism, Can It?

Cui Lingyao was deeply touched by how considerate the System was.

She hesitated for a moment before whispering, "So, after you revive me, are you just going to go back into hibernation? What am I supposed to do if I run into danger again?"

[What can you do?]

The System, oblivious to her scheme, said bluntly, [You’ll just have to protect yourself.]

Cui Lingyao pushed back. "We’re a team. Are you really just going to leave me to fend for myself without a care in the world?"

She whispered enticingly, "How about this... why don’t you give me a few treasures so I have a way to defend myself?"

The System faltered for a second.

It seemed to recognize something, yet it asked with a hint of confusion, [What kind of treasures?]

"The Hundred Diseases Pill!"

Since it had asked, Cui Lingyao dropped the pretense and laid her cards on the table. "Can you give me a few Hundred Diseases Pills for self-preservation?"

System: [...]

When it went silent, Cui Lingyao didn’t lose heart and pressed on. "Think about it. If I’d had a Hundred Diseases Pill on hand this time, I wouldn’t have died. Then you wouldn’t have had to expend energy to get me a new body. You said yourself that energy is precious. Compared to that, what’s a Hundred Diseases Pill?"

[You... might have a point...]

"What do you mean, ’might have’?"

Sensing an opening, Cui Lingyao’s spirits lifted. She spoke quickly, "You’re going into hibernation again. If I have another accident, we’re both done for. Neither of us wants that, right?"

The Hundred Diseases Pill.

It was an elixir newly developed by the Medicine World, and in their world, it was exceedingly precious.

But to the System, it was nothing special.

At least, not when compared to its energy.

Still, the System hesitated. [But how can we not abide by the contract...]

Their contract stated that upon the host’s completion of a mission, it would reward them with one Hundred Diseases Pill.

How could it give them out in advance—and "a few" of them, at that?

"Don’t be so rigid,"

Cui Lingyao said, "How is this violating the contract? You agree, and I agree. The contract is just between the two of us anyway. We’re just making an exception for an emergency."

She argued her case with great earnestness.

She laid out the stakes, making it seem as if she would die again the moment she was revived if she didn’t get the Hundred Diseases Pill.

The System had never been subjected to such schemes. The more it listened, the more sense she seemed to make. It immediately came to a decision. [You’re right. Since my energy will be depleted and I can’t watch over you, I should give you something to ensure your survival.]

"You’re the best System in the whole world,"

Cui Lingyao was so moved she was on the verge of tears. "Whatever Hundred Diseases Pills you have, just give them all to me. I’ll definitely put them to good use."

The System, suspecting nothing, went to check its storage space.

After a long moment, it said, [There are only four left. I have to keep one as the reward for when you complete the mission, so I’ll give you the other three.]

It even sounded a little embarrassed as it added, [This mission has gone on for too long, and I haven’t had time to restock. This is all I have.]

"That’s enough, that’s plenty! Three is perfect," Cui Lingyao said, feeling a pang of guilt, like she’d just tricked a child out of their favorite toy. She quickly added, "Don’t you worry. I’ll be sure to stay alive and complete the mission."

The System had seen how ruthless she could be when it came to completing the mission and returning home, so of course, it believed her.

But in the very next moment, it heard her ask, "If Xie Jinbai refuses to cooperate and have a child, could we adopt an heir from the Imperial Family?"

[Absolutely not! It must be his biological child!]

The System’s refusal was swift and firm. [In the original timeline, after Xie Jinbai’s death, several Princes from Great Yue’s Imperial Family vied for the throne. The whole conflict started because the bloodline on the throne was considered impure, making the succession illegitimate. An adopted heir from the Imperial Family wouldn’t have a proper claim. The ambitious Princes below could simply flip the table and refuse to acknowledge them. We can’t allow that kind of vulnerability.]

It had been thoroughly traumatized by the last mission.

What if an adopted heir still failed to prevent the era of chaos?

It would literally starve to death.

Since this concerned the mission itself, Cui Lingyao didn’t try to swindle the System any further.

She actually had a pretty good impression of the System.

If she could, she’d like to complete the mission properly and let it eat its fill.

But that meant... Xie Jinbai had to have a biological heir.

’Ideally, he should raise the child himself and personally groom him for success.’

’That way, even after his death, the heir would be capable enough to deter foreign threats and keep the realm of Great Yue from descending into chaos.’

...

「Pingzhou City, Evening.」

A fierce wind howled and lightning flashed, heralding another torrential downpour. Rain lashed down, drumming against the windowsills.

The sky was blotted out by dark clouds, which coiled overhead like a monstrous beast, ready to devour all living things at a moment’s notice.

Inside, a group of deputies and advisors paced about anxiously.

"It’s been three days! How is the Prince still unconscious after three days!"

Two army medics supported the patient while an old man with a snow-white hair and beard stood by the couch. He held golden needles between his fingers, inserting them one after another into Xie Jinbai’s acupoints.

The old doctor’s arm was perfectly steady, but sweat poured down his forehead like rain.

Once the round of acupuncture was complete, all eyes fell upon the man on the couch.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Even the most impatient deputies held their breath, waiting with rapt attention.

After a long while, the color began to drain from everyone’s faces.

They had summoned Doctor Liu overnight, yet even his masterful Golden Needle Technique had produced no reaction.

Liu Rong stepped forward and asked in a trembling voice, "How is he?"

"His life is not in danger," Doctor Liu said, letting out a long sigh of relief. "The Prince’s sword wound was not an attempt to kill himself."

Having killed countless men, their Prince possessed a thorough understanding of the human body. He had deliberately avoided all of his own vital points. The sword strike was precise, designed to inflict a grievous wound that, with proper treatment, would not be life-threatening.

’So, what was the purpose of that strike?’

’It couldn’t have just been self-flagellation, could it?’

No one would ever know.

Liu Rong’s expression eased at his words. "Then why hasn’t the Prince woken up?"

"Patience," Doctor Liu said, wiping his sweat with a cotton cloth. "The Prince is overcome with grief, and the shock has damaged his heart-meridians. He is unwilling to wake. When he is ready, he will awaken on his own."

The immediate priority was to treat the wound.

Looking at the puncture wound that had only just finished healing, only to be torn open again, Doctor Liu shook his head gently.

He had never seen a member of the Heavenly Royal Family, a man of unparalleled power, hold his own life in such low regard.

Two medical officers began to clean the wound, apply fresh medicine, and bandage it.

They worked with the utmost care. As the final layer of gauze was being wrapped, the man who had been unconscious the entire time suddenly let out a muffled groan.

"He’s awake!" a deputy exclaimed, his face alight with joy. "The Prince is finally awake!"

The deputies in the room, all of whom were top-tier martial artists, rushed to surround the bed.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xie Jinbai opened his.

His face was deathly pale, his lips dry and cracked. He looked utterly haggard, except for his eyes, which were a startling scarlet, as if they were weeping tears of blood.

The space before his bed was crowded with heads. He stared blankly around the room, then closed his eyes. "Move."

Everyone started.

The quicker ones had already scrambled to the side to make room.

The slower ones quickly followed suit.

In an instant, the space before the bed was clear.

Xie Jinbai opened his eyes again.

As expected, he did not see that delicate silhouette.

His pupils trembled. After a few rigid moments, he suddenly raised his hand and slammed it against his freshly bandaged chest.

"Your Highness, no!"

Doctor Liu lost all composure and rushed forward to stanch the bleeding, demanding angrily, "What are you doing?!"