Chapter 27: Her Lover, the Deceiver

The Mental Power she had always concealed now swept outwards in all directions through the forest. Everywhere it passed, all living creatures let out pained cries. But this time, the Mental Power had no lethal intent; they could still flee in time to hide.

The Mental Power spread far further than the Pheromones.

The sky turned from black to white, and the sun rose high overhead.

Inside the tent, two figures nestled close against each other.

Zhen Yan was filled with two distinct scents head to toe: her own grape fragrance, now joined by Jia Hua’s mango scent.

Jia Hua rested her chin on Zhen Yan’s shoulder, breathing in the two scents emanating from her, and smiled happily.

Zhen Yan cast a sidelong glance at Jia Hua, the corner of her mouth also curving up slightly.

At the crucial moment, Jia Hua had frozen, and it was Zhen Yan who guided her.

“I differentiated into an S-Rank Omega on the day I came of age. In order to stay with you, I lied and said I was an Alpha.” Lying in Jia Hua’s arms, Zhen Yan voluntarily confessed, then started questioning. “You’re an Alpha? When did you start deceiving me?”

Jia Hua reached up and rubbed her nose. “Uh… when I differentiated after coming of age. It was also because I didn’t want to break up with you, so I lied to you.”

Zhen Yan sat up and turned to look at her. “Then how did your Mental Power test result come out as a D-Rank Omega? You did another physical later at the military academy, and it was still D-Rank Omega. Were all the machines broken?”

Jia Hua was silent for a moment, then raised her right hand. On her ring finger was that low-quality Black Ring.

Jia Hua took it off her finger and placed it in Zhen Yan’s palm. “It allows me to appear as just a D-Rank Omega in front of all machines.”

Hearing this, Zhen Yan looked at Jia Hua with astonishment.

If what Jia Hua said was true, this item absolutely could not be of this world.

To simply wear a ring and change a gender engraved into one’s genes—it was too miraculous!

Jia Hua actually didn’t know how to explain it either. After all, her own experiences were too bizarre. But meeting Zhen Yan’s bright eyes, the desire to share welled up within her.

“Let me tell you a little story,” Jia Hua said, holding Zhen Yan.

Zhen Yan leaned against Jia Hua and nodded. “Okay.”

“Once upon a time, a little girl grew up in a village. She was always very beautiful, the daughter of the village’s only schoolteacher. But the year she turned sixteen, the weather was terrible. No wind, no rain. The crops failed completely. Famine spread everywhere, and a drought ravaged the land. The village ran out of grain. They even sold children for food. All humanity was lost. Then, one day, a Daoist Priest passed through the village and rested at the girl’s house. When leaving, the villagers discovered him, and he nearly became their meal. Just as they were about to roast him alive, he suddenly claimed he had a way to end the natural disaster.”

Jia Hua paused briefly before continuing. “His solution was to offer the most beautiful person in the village to the Water God in exchange for heavenly water. It was clearly a lie, but at that very moment, a light rain fell from the sky. Though brief, it convinced the villagers. They demanded the girl’s parents hand her over to lift the disaster. Naturally, the parents refused. A few days later, they kicked down the girl’s door, beat her parents to death, then tied the girl to a bamboo raft and pushed her into the filthy, nearly dried-up river. That day, heavy rain poured from the sky. Amid the wind and rain, she fainted. When she woke, she found herself lying on a bed.”

Seeing Jia Hua pause again, Zhen Yan asked, “Was the girl rescued?”

Jia Hua lifted her eyes to Zhen Yan, shaking her head. “No, she had fallen into hell. The man was a Demonic Doctor, and the girl became his human test subject—using her body to test his poisons. Each time the doctor saw a desired result, he’d feed her the antidote. Over time, the girl gradually became a poison herself.”

“Later, during one trial, the girl killed the Demonic Doctor, then slaughtered everyone in his valley. Afterward, disguised as a passerby, she passed through the village where she’d grown up. She discovered the village was full of men, without a single woman. It turned out the village had to offer one girl to the Water God every month to ensure favorable weather. With no women left in their village, they raided other villages to seize them.”

“Everyone in that village deserved to die!” Zhen Yan’s brows were tightly furrowed.

“They did,” Jia Hua said, a flash of murderous intent in her eyes. “The girl used her own poisoned blood to kill everyone in the village. Finally, she lit a massive fire. The entire village burned in the inferno. No one survived.”

The tent fell silent for a moment. Then Zhen Yan slowly spoke, “Did the girl die too?”

Jia Hua nodded. “Mm.”

How the girl died, Zhen Yan didn’t ask. Jia Hua didn’t say.

Zhen Yan ached for Jia Hua’s past. Jia Hua resented her own past.

Let that past be buried in the river of time, sealed deep beneath the earth.

Zhen Yan silently hugged Jia Hua, saying nothing. Jia Hua hugged her back, tilting her head to place a kiss on her cheek.

“Later, the girl was very happy. She met an Immortal. The Immortal taught her much and gave the girl another chance at life. Finally, at the very end, she found the person she liked.”

Jia Hua’s warm breath fell on Zhen Yan’s ear, tickling.

“The person the girl liked was surnamed Zhen, given name Yan.” The drawling final syllable was deeply suggestive.

Zhen Yan wrapped her arms around Jia Hua’s neck and said slowly, “The person surnamed Zhen, named Yan, also has only one girl she loves, whose surname is Jia, given name Hua.”

The atmosphere was perfect. Their eyes met. They lowered their gazes, slowly drawing closer together…

“Gurgle~~”

Jia Hua’s stomach growled at the worst possible moment.

Instantly, both opened their eyes and burst out laughing.

Zhen Yan released Jia Hua’s neck and said, “Go, gather up all the clothes. Let’s head out.”

Jia Hua: “…You sure you don’t need to rest?”

Zhen Yan: “…No.”

The two got dressed, walked out of the tent, and looked at the sky. They spoke in unison, “We’re late!”

Today was the third day of break. He Tong seemed to have told them they had to be back at the military academy for self-study before 7 PM.

They exchanged a glance and shrugged helplessly.

Well… it’s not like they could help it, right?

They dismantled the Tent, packed it into its bag, and then into a Military Backpack.

Zhen Yan applied a layer of Mosquito Spray to Jia Hua’s exposed face and neck.

After finishing, Jia Hua asked again, “Really, don’t you need to rest more? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Zhen Yan cast Jia Hua a shy, reproachful glance and shook her head. “I’m really fine.” Saying this, she handed the Mosquito Spray to Jia Hua to apply to her.

Jia Hua inwardly both admired Zhen Yan’s physical resilience and also felt it was her own lack of strength. When she got back, she’d exercise properly, made herself even stronger.

Once the Mosquito Spray was applied to Zhen Yan, they set out again.

Anyway, they were already late. Whether by one day, two, or three or four—it was all the same now.

Having already confessed in front of Zhen Yan, Jia Hua no longer needed to constantly hide her Mental Power. She extended her senses outward. Not far from them, on a tree, she discovered a monkey hugging their stolen military backpack while crouched on a thick branch.

Having found the thief, naturally, they needed to get back what was stolen.

“I found our military backpack. Get on. I’ll carry you there.” Jia Hua put her own backpack on her chest and said to Zhen Yan.

Zhen Yan shook her head, refusing. “No need, I can walk.”

Jia Hua: “No, you’re too slow.”

Zhen Yan: “…Then give me your backpack. I’ll carry it.”

“Fine.” Jia Hua handed her backpack to Zhen Yan, then crouched in front of her. Once Zhen Yan was on her back, she immediately sprinted forward at extreme speed.

Lying on Jia Hua’s back, Zhen Yan watched the trees flash past her on either side, silently thinking: If only they’d come clean to each other sooner, would they already be on their way back to Planet Dinkley with captured Bakero Snakes? All this time, Jia Hua had been forced to walk slowly through the jungle with her.

Soon, Jia Hua stopped, pointing at a tree ahead for Zhen Yan to see. Following her finger, Zhen Yan saw a small monkey with a half-full backpack as big as itself crouched on a thick branch.

With a flick of Jia Hua’s finger, the little monkey tumbled off the branch. But two large monkeys shot out from below, catching the little one with open arms. The trio then fell together onto the damp, rotting leaves.

Jia Hua, carrying Zhen Yan, ran before them. Setting Zhen Yan down, she held out a hand to the monkeys.

The three monkeys instantly stepped back, the two larger ones shielding the small one behind them, watching Jia Hua warily.

“The backpack. Give it to me,” Jia Hua said coldly.

The two larger monkeys turned, yanked the backpack off the little one’s back, and despite the little one’s protests, placed it halfway between the two humans and three monkeys. Then they rapidly retreated, looking at Jia Hua fearfully.

Jia Hua snorted, walked forward, and retrieved the backpack. Its exterior showed clear bite and tear marks, but it wasn’t truly damaged. Jia Hua nodded with satisfaction. The academy-issued military backpacks weren’t just complex to open and secure—they were also waterproof and tear-resistant.

Jia Hua opened the backpack. Inside, aside from the two Suppressant vials that had shattered from a strong impact, everything else was present.

Looking at the three emaciated monkeys before her, Jia Hua turned to Zhen Yan. “Do you want canned food? If not, shall I give the canned food to these monkeys?”

Zhen Yan shook her head. “I don’t want any. Give it to them. They look like they’ve been starving a long time too.”

Jia Hua opened the few cans of canned food in the pack and tossed them to the three monkeys.

Smelling the fragrance, the three monkeys immediately pounced on the cans.

After securing the backpack, Jia Hua planned to take Zhen Yan and continue searching for Bakero Snakes. But just then, on the large tree right in front of them, a Bakero Snake was coiled, almost perfectly camouflaged against the trunk.

Jia Hua: “…”

Is this the arrangement of fate?

A wisp of killing-intent Mental Power struck. The Bakero Snake died instantly, falling onto the damp, rotting leaves.

Using a branch, Jia Hua scooped the snake into a glass jar they’d prepared earlier. Sealing the jar, she tossed it into the backpack.

The mission required two snake gallbladders. One more to go.

“Squeak—squeak—” The three monkeys in front suddenly screeched at them. When the two looked over, the three monkeys pointed in a specific direction, then started walking forward. Every few steps, they waved for the two to follow.

Jia Hua and Zhen Yan exchanged a glance and followed.

Following the three monkeys as they walked, soon, one monkey stopped on a branch, pointed towards a particular spot, waved at them once more, and then, still clutching its canned food, ran far away, completely disappearing.

Jia Hua raised an eyebrow mentally. Expanding her Mental Power to probe, the discovery made her eyes widen. The spot the monkey pointed to was a pit of ten thousand snakes!

It was full of Bakero Snakes!

Well, well. Now there was no shortage of snakes.

Jia Hua directly spread her Mental Power outward. The surrounding creatures fled in terror. The Bakero Snakes were no exception. In the mass snake exodus, one snake fell from a cliff and died from the impact. Jia Hua waited a short while, then led Zhen Yan over. They easily picked up the snake and tossed it into the jar.

Jia Hua shook her backpack, which was now on her shoulders. “Mission complete!”

Zhen Yan reached out to take her hand, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Let’s head back.”

Jia Hua nodded. “Okay.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the three monkeys crouched on a branch nearby, watching them. Jia Hua pulled all the remaining food from her pack, waved her hand in their direction, tossed the food onto the ground, and then, hand in hand with Zhen Yan, left the forest.

—

By the time the two reached the human habitation zone, the sky had darkened.

Hand in hand, they walked along the street.

They had already changed into clean sets of clothes. The scent of their pheromones had long since dissipated on the wind. The high-priced concealing Nape Patch originally meant for Jia Hua was now stuck to the back of Zhen Yan’s neck.

Jia Hua had used her sharp canines to puncture two small holes in Zhen Yan’s nape, injecting her Pheromones inside to perform the Mark.

These two small holes would vanish quickly. But “quickly” still meant at least several days.

They bought return tickets on StarNet. However, the starship from Bakero Planet to Planet Hakasi only departed once a day. They could only buy tickets for tomorrow morning’s 8 AM departure.

After buying the tickets, their first act was to send a message to their Homeroom Teacher, Senior Colonel He Tong, reporting their safety. Then they directly turned off their phones, found a restaurant to feast at, and finally returned to the hotel where they’d stayed before. This time, they booked a normal double room—the kind where someone outside couldn’t see the person showering inside.

But now, having broken through that final barrier, even in this normal room, simply looking at each other stirred the Pheromones they had suppressed into activity again.

Seeing Zhen Yan’s blushing cheeks, Jia Hua walked over, her throat rolling. She asked, “Need help?”

Looking at Jia Hua, Zhen Yan’s eyes were moist. “Mm.”

Jia Hua reached out a hand to her. “Bed or bathroom?”

Zhen Yan placed her hand in Jia Hua’s, lowering her head. “Bathroom, then.”

The corner of Jia Hua’s mouth lifted. She pulled Zhen Yan up and walked with her into the bathroom. She turned on the shower. The sound of rushing water filled the air, seemingly trying to cover some other sound.

The next morning, the two boarded the small starship heading to Planet Hakasi. As soon as they were on board, they fell asleep. The previous night… had been too wild.

They only awoke when a crew member shook them. Shaking off sleep, they transferred to the large starship bound for Planet Dinkley. By the time the large starship landed at Planet Dinkley’s docking station, night had fallen.

Their phones were flooded with a bombardment of messages from He Tong. Neither replied. They planned to respond once back at their dorm.

They took a taxi and stopped at the military academy gate. Staring at the tightly shut gate, Jia Hua grabbed Zhen Yan, who was about to walk towards it. Under Zhen Yan’s confused look, she led her to a section of the outer wall.

Zhen Yan: ?

The two scaled the wall to enter the military academy.

Returning to Zhen Yan’s dorm, they were surprised to find the neighboring Dorm A-01 occupied. Lights were blazing inside.

“What are you looking at? Come in quickly,” Zhen Yan called from the doorway.

“Coming!” Jia Hua answered, withdrawing her gaze and following Zhen Yan inside.

They had just finished showering when a message arrived from He Tong: 【Tomorrow morning at 6 AM sharp, on the drill ground in front of the dorm area. Run 100,000 meters.】

The two: 【…】

Jia Hua took the opportunity to ask: 【Teacher He, who’s the transfer student joining our class tomorrow?】

He Tong quickly replied: 【How do you know someone is transferring into our class?】

【Jia Hua: The neighboring dorm, A-01, is occupied.】

【He Tong: …Are you living with Zhen Yan?】

Jia Hua changed the subject: 【Who is it? Just tell me, please. Or I’ll just go knock on the door directly.】

He Tong: 【Don’t! I’ll tell you. The transfer student coming tomorrow is the Imperial Third Princess, Mo Siyi. Do not disturb her rest. Even if you aren’t sleeping, she needs to!】

Wouldn’t an Imperial Princess normally have private tutors? Even if she attended a military academy, it would be the Imperial First Military Academy. Why come to the Imperial Fourth Military Academy?

Having gotten the information she wanted, Jia Hua quickly ended the chat with He Tong with a “Bye-bye.”

Lying in bed after telling Zhen Yan this news, the two quickly drifted off again. They still had the 100,000-meter run tomorrow morning. They needed good sleep tonight.

Meanwhile, inside the Boss’s office at the Holy Land Auction House located within the “Treasure Hunt Holy Land,” Ge Qiuqian was still waiting for the Senior to come collect her money.

From last night to tonight, a full day and night, she’d stayed at the auction house. Her goal was that, no matter when Senior arrived, she could personally hand over this Black Card containing a ten-figure sum to the Senior, and further express her most sincere regard.

And as for the Senior she was yearning for? Currently sleeping soundly while hugging her wife.

The auction house? Long forgotten.