Chapter 63

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<b>Chapter 63: It’s over (2)</b>

 

 

Next Day: Bright and Early.

Mi Wan groggily heard the chiming of her cell phone and lazily reached out a hand from under her covers to turn it off and was about to snooze for another 10 minutes. But the moment she retracted her hand back under the blankets, the alarm went off again.

Why is it ringing again? Mi Wan reached over irritably to turn it off again, but not long after, the noisy alarm rang again.

Did her phone break or something?

Mi Wan whipped off her blankets to grab her phone. Just as she was about to turn it off, she realized the noise was not from an alarm, but from someone calling her phone.

“Are you crazy, do you know what time it is?” 

All that blanket warmth. Gone.

“Mi Wan, what was in those eggs you sent me yesterday?” A young man’s crisp voice came, thick with suspicion.

“Eggs are just eggs, what else can they be?”

“But…” Mi Zhao looked over to his roommate who was limping around with him yesterday, now running around and doing all sorts of activities. He was amazed, “Your…were your eggs meant to heal my sprained leg?”

“Your legs have recovered, right? No need to thank me. I’m hanging up now.” With that Mi Wan hung up immediately. 

Since you are wise enough to express your gratitude, I’m not gonna yell at you for waking me up.

“So what? What did your older sister say?” The curious Yang Kaize energetically bounced over to his good friend’s side.

“The eggs were meant to heal my legs.” Based on Mi Wan’s assumptions that his leg injury has been healed, Mi Zhao deduced that the two eggs from yesterday really were, as Wei Ji said, some type of super tonic ginseng eggs.

“Hurry up and ask your sister to give you another, then we will be good to participate in the basketball competition in a few days.” Yang Kaize pressed.

Of the two eggs from yesterday, one was gobbled up by Yang Kaize, and he gave the other to his roommate, Wei Ji. Though Wei Ji did inform him that these are no ordinary eggs, he was doubtful, but Mi Zhao ultimately gave one of them to Wei Ji, because compared to Wei Ji’s sickly grandpa, he was a young and strong lad who would recover from a sprain in half a month. However, watching his energetic friend bouncing around this morning, he could not help but feel slightly annoyed.

It was one thing to give an egg to Wei Ji, but Yang Kaize was just being a cheapskate. These were eggs that Mi Wan had intended for him.

“Why did you take my egg?” Mi Zhao felt gloomy by the thought and glared at his companion angrily.

“I took it because you wanted to throw it away?”

“Did you see me throwing it away? Which eye of yours saw me discard it? Did you rummage through the garbage bin for it?”

“…” Yang Kaize was momentarily speechless. Yesterday, he only heard Mi Zhao say he was going to throw it away, but he never actually did see him do so. It was Yang Kaize who took it upon himself to snatch one from that bento and ate it, but, “I didn’t know that egg was so precious.”

“You ate it anyway.” Mi Zhao became even more sullen.

“I’m sorrryyyyy, how about I run to my grandpa’s house and get you a ginseng as repayment?”

“I just want that egg.” 

You think my family can’t afford ginseng?

“Then ask your sister to send you another.” Yang Kaize advised.

Mi Zhao gave his companion a look but ultimately did not dare ask Mi Wan for another egg. For one, Mi Wan might not have another one of those precious eggs, and even if she did, he had an unusual feeling that if that woman were to find out that he had gifted her eggs to strangers, he would never receive another gift from her in this lifetime.

And so, he paid the price of nursing an injured leg for half a month.

<b>~~~</b>

While in class, Mi Wan received a WeChat message from Guan Li, asking her out for lunch. Regarding this, she wasn’t surprised. When she cured Guan Tong, she had long expected this would cause a commotion within the demon tribes. Not just the demon tribes, she anticipated that the Demon Hunter Association would probably follow suit. As expected, not an hour later, Bai Feng also sent a WeChat message to her, hoping to have a talk with her.

Mi Wan did not have it in her to deal with Bai Feng, so she decided to invite Xiang Zhen along for lunch. That way she can deal with both sides at once with clear intentions.

Seated in the same booth, Guan Li and Xiang Zhen both wore unnatural expressions. Though they usually got along, this time, they were representing two completely different stances.

“Don’t you both have something to talk about? Why so quiet?” Mi Wan ate as she asked.

“Can… we talk separately?” Guan Li suggested.

“Yes, yes, it’s better if we talk separately.” Xiang Zhen immediately nodded in agreement. He was still very confused. 

How did he, a low-level demon hunter, suddenly become the Association’s representative?

“Okay, if you’re not going to talk, I will.” Mi Wan put down her chopsticks and spoke freely, “I know you wanted to know how I was able to treat Guan Tong.”

“Right.”

“Correct.” Both men nodded unanimously.

Mi Wan smiled and answered. “Bingya grass.”

“Bingya grass? You found a hundred-year-old Bingya grass?” Compared to the dumbfounded Xiang Zhen, Guan Lu’s reaction was far more enthusiastic.

While Bingya grass might be a foreign item to demon hunters, it was impossible for demons to be ignorant of the only remedy to their demonic source. For the last hundred years, demons have tried every means to find Bingya grass, but ultimately, the conclusion was, due to the thinning of spiritual energy, it was impossible for Bingya grass to live for a hundred years. And Bingya grass that has not reached a hundred years old was useless to demons, which was why hundred-year-old Bingya Grass became an impossible spiritual medicine.

“Where would you find hundred-year-old Bingya grass these days?” Mi Wan explained, “I used a unique method to concoct medicine that does not require century-old Bingya grass. To you demons who are level 6 and below, it has the potential to recover your demonic source.”

“It only works on those who are level 6 and below?”

“Correct.”

Guan Li was filled with a sense of excitement. Even if it only worked for level 6 demons and below, it would drastically change the fates of demons. In today’s world, don’t demons who are level 6 and below make up the majority of their population?

“Then…is it difficult to cultivate this medicine?” Guan Li continued questioning.

Mi Wan gave Guan Li an appreciative look for finally asking the important questions.

 “It’s difficult.”

“How difficult?”

“Put it this way. I just finished treating your younger sister, so now I don’t have the ability to treat another person for the next month or so.”

In other words, she can only treat one demon a month. After a moment of heavy silence, Guan Li asked the question that mattered most. “Then… if demons need help in the future, senior, can you…lend us your assistance?”

Despite being silent all this time, Xiang Zhen’s expression immediately tensed.

Mi Wan smiled as she watched the nervous looks of these two people and offered the most frustrating response. “Depends on my mood.”

Although she had promised Fan Chen that she would treat demons so long as they can pay her enough, Bai Feng just sent her a document that changed her mind. While she refused to talk to Bai Feng directly and wanted Xiang Zhen to be the one present while she conversed with Guan Li, Bai Feng sent her a report from the Demon Hunter Association that showed the population ratio between demon hunters and demons. After reading it, she changed her mind.

Although this goes against the promise she made to Fan Chen, as a demon hunter who experienced the Great War between humans and demons 500 years ago, she understood the importance of the delicate balance that preserved their current peace and had absolutely no desire to repeat history. Besides, whether the payment was sufficient also depended on her mood, so her answer technically did not go against her initial agreement with Fan Chen.

The words “depends on my mood” concluded the afternoon’s talk and successfully established Mi Wan’s standing between both races. After all, both races hoped that Mi Wan’s mood would side with them.

Instructions from the demonic tribes were, “Spare no cost to establish good relations with this person. We must obtain the medicine concoction recipe.”

Not to be undermined, orders from the Demon Hunter Association were, “If you see Mi Wan, be polite and do your best to satisfy her demands. Do not let her be lured over to the demons’ side.”

News of there being a method that can stop demons from degenerating spread like wildfire in the demonic community. In the short span of a day, the news had circulated throughout all the demonic tribes. Similarly, Mi Wan’s ‘depends on my mood’ reply, also made its way to Fan Chen’s ears.

That night, Fan Chen returned home and gazed at the pots of Bingya grass he had carefully raised in his living room. He could almost faintly hear Mi Wan’s promise echo in the background.

“If demons were to come to you and ask to be treated, will you treat them equally and not refuse them?”

“Of course, as long as they pay me enough.”

“Ding ding~~” The sound from his cell phone pulled Fan Chen out of his thoughts. Scanning the screen on his phone, his eyebrows consciously frowned. It’s from Mi Wan.

“Hello?” Fan Chen picked up the call.

“Are you home now?” Mi Wan asked.

“I’m home.”

“Then why haven’t you turned your lights on?”

“I’m downstairs.” Fan Chen said as he walked out of his living room.

“I see you now.” Mi Wan stood in front of her bedroom window and waved towards Fan Chen who was standing in his courtyard.

“Do you need something?” Fan Chen asked.

“I forgot to tell you last time that Ji Jingjing sent me another batch of eggs, but I don’t have much spiritual energy, so I might need to postpone making your medicine.”

“No worries.”

“Oh yeah, can you give me those 70-year-old Bingya grass? Won’t they wither in two years? Might as well give them to me and I’ll add it in when I make your medicine and nourish your demonic source, it might help you recover from your injury.” Mi Wan was quite proud of her idea. Demons naturally have extraordinary recovery abilities, perhaps Fan Chen’s injury would naturally heal once she properly nourished his demonic source.

Seeing that Mi Wan had voluntarily mentioned the Bingya grass, Fan Chen finally could not help but ask. “I heard that if demons need your help treating them in the future, it would have to depend on your mood.”

“So you heard.” Mi Wan’s smile faded as she looked at Fan Chen who was separated from her by a wall, suddenly unable to voice out whatever excuse she made up for herself in the daytime.

“Mmhmm. I heard.” Fan Chen waited for her answer.

“Fan Chen, I do not want to lie to you.” Mi Wan grounded her teeth and decided to directly explain her apprehensions, “You and I lived through the Great War between humans and demons. You knew the situation between the humans and demons back then. I’m scared that my interventions would break the balance between these two races, which is why I probably cannot fulfill my initial promise to you and not refuse them.”

Fan Chen went silent for so long that if he were not standing in his courtyard looking at her this entire time, Mi Wan would have thought he was no longer by his phone.

“I understand.” After a long pause, Fan Chen answered and immediately ended the call, and never glanced in Mi Wan’s direction again.

“I…” Mi Wan seemed to have more to say, but the busy dial tone from her phone reminded her that her voice could no longer be transmitted. While Fan Chen’s words did not contain criticism, Mi Wan could still feel the other party’s deep disappointment in her. It seemed to also have a personal effect on her because she felt an emptiness in her heart.

“Why should I feel guilty? I’m not obligated to save demons in the first place! Hey, I’m a demon hunter not capturing demons is already considered a mercy.”

“Although it was Fan Chen who gave me the Bingya grass, I only used it to save demons, and I even offered him half the compensation…even though he never accepted it.”

Mi Wan glanced at the bracelet on her wrist, and whatever excuse she made up throughout the day had become completely ineffective. She sighed inwardly and mumbled. “I only wanted to maintain our current peace.”

When she was sitting in that restaurant booth and facing both Xiang Zhen and Guan Li, Mi Wan came to the sudden realization that the subtle balance between today’s demon-human relationship was about to be jeopardized by her. Although she was mildly aware of this fact before, she had always felt that she was only casually solving small transformation issues for a few demons and it would not have any significant impact. That was until Bai Feng sent her that report.

It was quite simple. It contained the population ratio between demons and awakened demon hunters from the last hundred years.

There is a 1 in 10 chance for demon hunters to awaken while demons had the benefit of longevity. With low fertility rates and the many issues caused by degeneration, the delicate balance between demons and demon hunters was preserved. Once she resolved the problem with demonic degeneration, it was a matter of time before demons would overpower the demon hunters. And even if she only chose to save a select few demons, if these demons were to continue their cultivation, it would lead to them becoming more powerful demons that would pose difficulties to the Demon Hunter Association.

Due to this issue, Mi Wan lost sleep for the first time in her life and when Auntie Zhang knocked on her door the next morning, she suddenly realized that Fan Chen did not give her the Bingya grass.

He must be angry for real.

A week later, perhaps to soothe her guilt, when Mi Wan recovered a part of her spiritual power, she forced herself to concoct Fan Chen’s medicine. However, when she sent Fan Chen a message to retrieve it, the man did not reply. That night, Mi Wan leaped over the wall to deliver the medicine, only to find that Fan Chen had not returned home in quite some time. The furniture in his bedroom had even accumulated a light layer of dust.

Does this mean…it’s over?

Mi Wan set down the medicine-filled thermos and left dejectedly.

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