When he returned from “paying his respects,” Oser discovered guards who didn’t belong to him at the medical college gates and was displeased that his territory had been infringed upon.

“Who told you to stand guard here?”

A guard saluted and said: “Answering Your Highness Oser, His Highness Disi is receiving medical treatment inside. We are responsible for deterring outsiders.”

Oser glanced toward the hospital’s main entrance, a sense of foreboding growing within him. He strode in swiftly, and Tang De hastily followed.

The hallway had been cleared, and was completely empty.

“Go underground and watch. Don’t let anyone get close.”

“Yes.” Tang De left at once.

Oser walked down the hallway, yanking open every door he passed. Finally, behind one of them, he spotted a blond man napping on a sofa.

The loud bang of the door opening woke him up, and he leaped up in a fluster when he saw Oser appear at the door.

“Your Highness Oser, why are you here?”

Without any hesitation, Oser grabbed his ear and dragged him out of the VIP lounge.

“Owowowowow—” he screamed like a slaughtered pig, with no thought to his image.

“I should be asking you why you’re here.”

This man named Wu De had royal blood, though it was difficult to track it back to a specific generation. He belonged to a marginal royal family, relying on his status to live freely in aristocratic circles.

The only legitimate royal family member who was close to him was Disi, who didn’t live in the palace.

Wu De had always been a little afraid of Oser, and acted timid when he saw him.

Oser tortured him without even using his pheromones, and scared him into revealing everything.

“It, it, it was His Highness Disi who told me to come! I don’t know what his plans are, he just told me to wait for him in this room……”

“Where is he?”

Wu De shook his head vigorously: “I really don’t know!”

Seeing that he didn’t dare to lie, Oser released the man and tossed him aside. He lacked the patience to search everywhere, so he held his breath and concentrated. Using this ability, an Alpha could determine if there were any of his own kind nearby and estimate the opponent’s strength in order to fight or flee as soon as possible.

Wu De was scared to death, and backed up in desperation: “Your Highness Oser, please use your words and not your pheromones!…..Urgh…..”

He was the closest victim and bore the brunt of the attack. Unable to bear the immense pressure, he vomited on the spot.

Elsewhere, Disi sensed the pheromone fluctuations, and his eyes gleamed as he released the same force. It intersected with Oser’s barrier, and the moment the two forces collided, the glass all along the way shattered.

Nan Ting heard a faint buzzing sound. It felt like an electric current flowing through her scalp, followed by a slight sensation of nausea.

She was a Beta, and an Alpha’s mental power over her was finite. This feeling only lasted a short time. Nan Ting suppressed her discomfort and hastened to aid Ling Yi, but received a shock.

He was barely holding himself up with one hand on the wall. The expression on his ashen face was pained.

“What’s wrong?” Nan Ting anxiously went to support him.

Ling Yi moved his lips with difficulty, uttering a silent curse.

Cold sweat broke out continuously all over his body, and he felt a chill invading his bones.

Nan Ting saw that he wasn’t in good condition and looked around for Oser’s guards, who had promised to protect them from afar, but there was no sign of them.

“Don’t look for them, they’re all Alphas. They can’t move under this level of mental suppression.”

A doctor with a mini isolation mask walked quickly in their direction.

Nan Ting shouted excitedly, as if she had found a savior: “Doctor Lan Ze!”

Lan Ze used all of his strength to lift Ling Yi up. “Let’s move him somewhere else first.”

Nan Ting went around to support his other side: “Doctor Lan Ze, what happened just now? I thought it was all in my head.”

Even the isolation mask couldn’t block out Lan Ze’s disgust: “Driven by their base desires, Alphas are using pheromones to fight each other. Humans are subject to the same reproductive instincts as lower organisms. What a waste of evolution.”

Nan Ting helped Lan Ze take Ling Yi to his personal laboratory. Lan Ze gave Ling Yi an injection and wrapped him in a blanket. Only then did Ling Yi recover slightly.

Nan Ting was solely focused on Ling Yi, and only understood half of what Lan Ze just said: “I don’t understand what you mean by base desires and reproductive instincts.”

Lan Ze put his hands in his pockets and leaned casually against the wall: “In order to seize and attract a mate, creatures in nature do some incredible things. Humans film these life-or-death battles and incomprehensible dances, turn them into documentaries, and watch them out of curiosity. But if higher beings were to watch human Alphas, they would find them no different from peacocks spreading their feathers or spiders shaking their buttocks. Only when our physical desires are met will we remember that we are primates.”

“You mean there were multiple Alphas releasing their pheromones just now? But hasn’t Ling Yi already been marked by His Highness Oser? How could he still be affected?”

“Even a completed mark can be overwritten by an Alpha with higher mental strength. This is the law of the jungle. A powerful Alpha is able to possess all of the Omegas who match him, which is why a law was created for this.”

“If I find out who’s spreading these pheromones, I will make them suffer.”

Ling Yi looked weak, but his face said all the harsh words he couldn’t speak. There were two words written in his eyes: extreme aggression.

“An ordinary person’s pheromones won’t affect you unless their mental strength is equal to or even greater than that of His Highness Oser.”

Nan Ting was astonished: “There’s an Alpha as strong as His Highness Oser?”

“Brotherly quarrels are also common conflicts in nature, regardless of species.”

Ling Yi thought of the same person, that face that was so sleazy and vulgar, and regretted handing over the throne to such a person.

He cursed the new crown prince a hundred and eighty times in his heart.

Lan Ze told Nan Ting: “His clothes must be wet. Go get him a new set. He shouldn’t catch a cold at this stage.”

Nan Ting went at a trot. The Alpha pheromones gradually dissipated, and Lan Ze removed his isolation mask.

The laboratory became very quiet as Lan Ze listened carefully to the sounds coming from outside.

“Go hide behind the curtains for a moment.”

Ling Yi: “What?”

Lan Ze: “Someone is coming.”

Du Bin, wearing a mask, appeared at the door of the laboratory.

“Is there a problem? We don’t see patients here.”

“I’m looking for someone. I thought I saw a friend come in here just now.”

“You were mistaken.” Lan Ze issued an eviction order.

Du Bin’s expression was perpetually stern. Compared to the carefree Tang De, this young man had the look of a natural bodyguard.

“May I confirm this? I’ve been searching for that friend for a long time.”

“The person inside is my patient. He’s bad-tempered. I advise you not to disturb him.”

“Really? I’ll just take a look.” 

Du Bin walked straight in. Ignoring Lan Ze’s obstruction, he came to the curtain and lifted it with force—

. . . . . . .

Oser and Disi faced each other with dislike written all over their faces. 

“I thought it was someone else, but it turns out to be 99.65.”

Disi removed his mask and gave him a slight nod.

“I just arrived, and my dear brother rushed over in such a hurry. Are you worried about my health, or are you eager to protect your food?”

Oser sneered: “The Royal Medical College should be reorganized. The privacy of patients has been so carelessly disclosed. Who would dare seek medical treatment here in the future?”

“My doctor just happened to find a document in the recycling bin and accidentally gave it to me as a medical examination form. Only then did I realize that Imperial Brother has been quietly contributing to the development of medicine. It’s truly heartwarming.”

Oser couldn’t be bothered to waste time on him: “Are you sick? If not, leave now.”

Tang De rushed over and whispered hastily in Oser’s ear: “Your Highness, that person isn’t downstairs.”

Oser turned his head sharply: “What?”

“The guard said he went for an examination and hasn’t returned yet. I sent someone to look for him.”

Oser sent Disi a fierce glare and rushed off.

Disi’s voice sounded behind him: “Imperial Brother should look more carefully. After all, what’s the difference between 99.65 and 100?”

. . . . . .

The instant Du Bin opened the curtains, a fist cracked toward him. He had trained in various fighting techniques for many years, and even he was caught off guard. He reflexively raised his arm to block it, but failed and took a blow to the chest.

The force of this punch was not to be underestimated. Half of Du Bin’s body went numb, and he was unable to move for several seconds. If the person opposite him were an assassin, he would have been dead by now.

Du Bin regained control of his body and was forced to take two steps back. When he looked up, his perpetually stern expression transformed into shock.

Behind the curtain was a hospital bed, and the person sitting on it had a face as perfect as an artist’s sculpture.

He sat there motionless, eyes fixed on one point. If he hadn’t just been punched by this person, Du Bin would have thought he was a mannequin.

Lan Ze continued to lean against the wall with his hands in his pockets, his posture unchanged.

“I warned you that my patient is bad-tempered. Please, take a closer look and see if he’s the person you’re looking for.”

Without looking back, Du Bin could imagine his entertained expression, but could only swallow the sweet taste in his mouth and admit defeat.

“Apologies, I think I recognized the wrong person.”

After confirming that there was no further movement outside, Ling Yi poked half his head out the other side of the curtain. 

Lan Ze: “He left. Come out.”

The first thing Ling Yi did after relaxing his vigilance was to take a closer look at the strange patient.

“He’s neither an Omega nor a Beta.”

“He’s an Alpha, but his gland was severely injured. Even surgery couldn’t restore its original function, so it’s normal that you can barely smell his pheromones.”

Ling Yi reached out and waved a hand in front of his eyes, but he didn’t seem to see it.

“His brain was badly damaged. Not only does he not have any memory, but his emotional region is also blocked, and he has lost cognitive function.”

“Factory reset?”

“It can be understood as such.”

“But that punch he threw just now wasn’t amateurish.”

“I’m still researching this case, but it seems he has retained some fighting instincts.” Lan Ze asked, “What do you think of his appearance?”

It was his extraordinary appearance that had drawn Ling Yi’s attention.

“How should I put it…..he’s a little too…..perfect. So flawlessly perfect that he doesn’t even look like a real person. I’d believe you if you said he was a modeled doll.”

A rare look of pride appeared on Lan Ze’s face.

“I don’t understand popular aesthetics, but I understand mathematics. From a mathematical perspective, as long as the facial features conform to the golden ratio, the human brain will perceive him as beautiful. I’ve meticulously calculated his facial features, and they conform to the golden ratio from every angle, making him a true masterpiece.”

It was really ill-mannered to call a living person a masterpiece, but since the person who said it was Lan Ze, Ling Yi felt that this was normal. 

“You did plastic surgery on his face too? What sort of heinous crime did this person commit to be put in such a state? What’s his name?”

“That’s a good question. I haven’t had time to pick one yet.” Lan Ze held his chin in his hand thoughtfully. “Let’s just call him Huo Yu.”^[1]

When Ling Yi came out after changing his clothes, he ran into Oser and his entourage, who had been looking for him.

Among them was Pat, who had rushed over after hearing the news. He was frightened by Oser’s urgent appearance, and thought that a major incident had happened again. He was still frightened at this moment.

Oser grasped Ling Yi’s shoulders and looked him up and down twice before confirming that he was safe and sound.

Ling Yi opened his eyes wide and asked innocently: “Your Highness, what happened just now? I was walking down the hallway and suddenly couldn’t move.”

Oser touched on it lightly: “The medical college’s management is lax, and some random people were allowed to sneak in. Were you frightened?”

Pat rushed forward and exclaimed: “Your Highness Ling Yi, do you feel unwell? Would you like a comprehensive examination?”

Ling Yi: “…..What did you just call me?”

“Your Highness Ling Yi, ah.” Pat said without blinking an eye. “You’re the future consort, so it’s not presumptuous of me to address you as Your Highness in advance.”

Tang De admired his natural flattery. When observing His Highness Oser’s reaction, he found that not only did he not object, but he even demonstrated some approval.

He was greatly inspired: “Your Highness Ling Yi, how about you wait for me to come back and escort you personally? None of my subordinates were reliable at the critical moment, and will be punished to do push-ups when they go home.”

The corners of Ling Yi’s mouth twitched uncontrollably: “……”

Pat donned the dignified look of a doctor and asked Nan Ting: “Has His Highness Ling Yi’s examination been completed?”

Nan Ting was still baffled, but since Doctor Pat and Captain Tang De, who possessed higher authority than her were calling him that, she changed her method of address as well: “The….first wave of cats and dogs arrived before His Highness Ling Yi could be examined.”

“That’s outrageous!” Pat shouted. “This is the Royal Medical College, not a veterinary clinic. What cats and dogs are allowed in here? Your Highness Ling Yi, I’ll take you to the scanning room now. Please, come this way.”

A dog met a cat outside the medical college and took the initiative to admit his mistake.

“This subordinate is incompetent and lost track of the target.”

“It doesn’t matter. Judging by how nervous my brother was, that report is 200 percent correct.”

“Do you want to create another opportunity?”

Disi shook his head: “No need. From what I know about my brother, even if his Omega matches with all the Alphas in the world, that won’t stop him from taking him out and showing him off.”

He looked toward the medical college: “We’ll see each other again soon.”

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[1] Huo Yu (火羽) means fire feather, a callback to his previous moniker, Night Crow. It also refers to him being reborn like a phoenix! ⮐

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Chapter 23 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 25