Xuan Ji: "...You're welcome."

You're the one who looks like a safety helmet!

Xiao Zheng spoke solemnly, "We are reopening the investigation into the abnormal deaths of special individuals, including the survival status of underage and unverified special individuals. As for the rights and management of special ability individuals, including highly humanoid non-human creatures like the Sword Spirits, how to define their rights, various countries may soon officially discuss legislation. I hope that by then..."

"Oh, speaking of that," Xuan Ji interrupted, "how is Captain Yan doing?"

"He's still the same. The metal parts on his body haven't been removed, and the special abilities medical team won't let him go on field missions. I send him a hundred messages, and he might reply with one or two after a week," Xiao Zheng sighed, "He's always searching for traces of the mermaids in the Ancient Studies Department. But the mermaids have already been wiped out, extinct..."

He didn't finish his sentence before Xuan Ji handed him a one-inch crystal bottle.

"I told him...what is this? Copper sulfate solution?"

It was a rich blue.

"I got it from the merfolk's chief when I travelled from the time spell back to four thousand years ago," Xuan Ji explained. "I didn't know what it was before, but these past few days I've been researching the ancient characters on the bottle. They're written in the language of the ancient Mountain people."

Suddenly, Xiao Zheng realized what this could be.

The small crystal bottle he was holding between his fingers felt like it had turned into a thousand-pound weight.

The young master, who had a family mine, began to tremble.

He nervously held the small bottle with both hands and stuttered, "H-how old is it?"

"It should be the language used by their clan during the period when they were in the Heavenly White Jade Palace. Similar characters can be found on some ceremonial items in the High Mountain Palace. The words on the bottle say 'The Passage of Life and Death.' I guess..." Xuan Ji trailed off.

"So this is mermaid blood?" Xiao Zheng's voice trembled, "Help...help me make a phone call! I...My hands are full..."

Xuan Ji asked, "Call who?"

"The central dispatch office!" Xiao Zheng looked like he was holding a bomb in his hands, "Ask them to bring me a temperature-controlled safe! I'm begging you, how could you just take out such an important thing from your pocket like that!"

Xuan Ji: "..."

He didn't know about this before.

The mermaid clan chief not only took it out of his pocket casually, but also threw it directly into his arms amidst the thunder and lightning.

If he hadn't caught it well, the small bottle would have fallen into the sea.

With just one bottle of mermaid blood, Xiao Zheng was able to bridge the gap between him and his old friend who had transformed into a Vermilion Bird.

The young master shouted and ordered Xuan Ji to call in a group of men from the central dispatch office.

They all acted as if they were facing a major crisis as they placed the small crystal bottle of mermaid blood into a temperature-controlled safe, treating it as if it were a vaccine for a zombie virus in a biohazard crisis.

Completely ignoring the newly transformed Vermilion Bird, the group of men continued to make a fuss and exaggeratedly escorted the safe out of the room.

Xuan Ji could only laugh and cry as he saw them off. But as soon as the group disappeared from view, Xiao Zheng suddenly felt a jolt in his heart and turned to stare at the bedroom on the second floor of the sanatorium.

Without a second thought for anyone else, Xuan Ji leaped up to the second floor and entered through the window.

He had just realized that his "Chiyuan" had awakened!

But suddenly, a gust of wind blew into the room, tossing Sheng Lingyuan's long hair that was spread on the pillow all over the bed.

However, the person on the bed remained motionless.

It turned out that it was just his illusion.

Xuan Ji squatted at the window, the fire in his eyes dimming. He stayed there for a while before jumping down from the windowsill and closing the window quietly.

He sat silently by the bed, holding Sheng Lingyuan's hand with a sense of desolation.

"I've already thought of a clever excuse for you," Xuan Ji squeezed Sheng Lingyuan's hand and lifted his chin, talking to himself.

"You can say that you knew Dan Li would leave a bit of power to keep you alive, so you let your mother drain you... We've come this far, I won't let you go that easily. Dan Li wouldn't be so careless. Can we say that?

"I've been fooled by you since I was young, and it doesn't matter this time. I...I'm used to it.

"Lingyuan, I don't blame you anymore. When will you open your eyes and look at me?"

Sheng Lingyuan remained silent, and following his held hand, his head slowly tilted over, as if unwilling to be deceived.

He had never been so obedient in his life.

Xuan Ji fiercely closed his eyes, unable to hold back any longer.

He lifted Sheng Lingyuan's wrist and bit it in frustration before standing up and leaving without looking back.

The sanatorium was decorated in a very old-fashioned style, with a dressing mirror at the entrance.

Xuan Ji accidentally knocked it askew when he opened the door too forcefully. He casually straightened it and inadvertently glanced inside, his heart suddenly skipping a beat.

He seemed to have seen the Emperor's hand move.

Xuan Ji blinked hard, afraid to turn around, fearing it was just an illusion...

Then he saw in the mirror that the Emperor's hand not only moved, but it was not an unconscious twitch upon waking - he wiped the drool from his wrist onto the bedsheet.

This big pig foot of an Emperor, he really didn't fall for it!

Xuan Ji's expression twisted back and forth a few times, finally settling on a cold smile.

He turned back and locked the open door, slowly turning around.

"Sheng, Ling, Yuan!"

End of story.