chapter 09

Aunt Hua Rou ran to her husband's side once more, her expression complicated and tears streaming down her face.

"How did this happen?! You said his condition was hopeless... he's..." Hua Rou couldn't finish her sentence. She knew better than anyone the severity of her husband's condition. As a seasoned guide, she had witnessed his decline over the years, with every passing second only worsening his state.

While the room overflowed with a mix of shock and joy, Xiao Hong lay within Shen Lingzuo's spiritual sea, silently watching his master. His golden eyes gleamed with pride. Naturally, his master's power was astonishing—how could something as trivial as a fractured spiritual sea of an A-rank sentinel stand in her way? This was child's play for her. If it hadn't been her first time using her healing abilities without any prior experience, she wouldn't have been so utterly drained of energy.

Amid the cacophony of medical devices and the stunned faces of the doctors, one of them looked at the digital monitor in disbelief and stammered,

"This is impossible... His spiritual condition was completely shattered! How... how did he recover like this?"

Aunt Hua Rou, who hadn't left her husband's side, turned tearful eyes toward the doctor.

"You said this a while ago! Did you recheck him again? Are you absolutely certain?"

Even though she was a powerful Guide herself and could sense the newfound stability in his spiritual sea, Hua Rou remained skeptical, unable to believe her senses.

The doctor replied, his tone a mixture of calm and unease,

"Not only is he fine... His spiritual sea is completely stable—no, it's overflowing with immense power. It's as if he's regained the peak of his strength from his youth!"

Her husband, whose voice was still weak, managed to speak once more. His throat felt a bit better than before.

"I really... am fine... I feel like my spiritual sea... has been completely healed. My mind is clear, and even my spiritual companion seems close to awakening... Perhaps it can't emerge yet because I'm still exhausted."

Every word from the patient stunned those present. It was nothing short of a miracle—a word that had long lost its meaning in this era. Yet, they were witnessing one with their own eyes.

The doctors discussed fervently for several minutes. The initial shock on their faces gave way to exhilaration. This was a discovery that could alter history—perhaps even lead to a definitive cure for the Rampage through pharmaceuticals alone.

Meanwhile, Hua Rou sat with Shen Lingzuo, who appeared lethargic but was, in truth, wracking her brain for an excuse to leave the room as soon as possible. It seemed the red-eyed doctor had only just noticed her presence. He approached her suddenly and asked,

"You were here before we arrived, weren't you? Did you do anything to the patient?"

Alarm bells went off in Shen Lingzuo's head. She quickly shook her head, vigorously denying his question. Then, remembering the utility of her mouth, she finally spoke:

"No, I came in to check on the general, and all the machines were beeping. That's why I stayed."

But all eyes soon turned to Shen Lingzuo, who was sitting quietly against the wall.

One of the doctors addressed her sharply,

"You were the only one present when the patient recovered, correct? Are you sure you didn't do anything?"

Shen Lingzuo raised her head, her expression icy.

"I did nothing. I have no idea what happened. My presence here was nothing more than a coincidence."

Yet the doctors' gazes remained doubtful. There was something off about this girl. The red-eyed doctor couldn't quite place it, but he felt it—she wasn't an ordinary girl.

Still, lacking any evidence, he couldn't simply detain her or interrogate her, especially given her connection to Guide Hua Rou, the wife of General Ouyang. His hands were tied unless he could confirm something concrete.

Before anyone could press further, a young doctor with vibrant green hair entered the room. He quietly approached the red-eyed doctor, the chief physician and lead scientist for the Ouyang Family's Second Army. Whispering into his ear, he conveyed urgent information.

A minute later, the red-eyed doctor's expression shifted dramatically. Shock and disbelief flickered across his face as he turned to look at Shen Lingzuo with a mix of astonishment and elation. But he quickly masked his emotions, his eyes returning to a neutral state.

"We'll discuss this later," he said briskly before leaving the room with the younger doctor.

In the corridor, the senior doctor's voice trembled as he asked,

"Are you certain of every word you just said?"

The green-haired assistant nodded solemnly.

"There are surveillance recordings from the room. You can see for yourself when we arrived. Even I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

Back in the room, Shen Lingzuo felt the oppressive atmosphere closing in around her. She needed to leave immediately. Her task was complete, and the general was happily chatting with Hua Rou.

She leaned close to Hua Rou and whispered weakly,

"Auntie, I want to go home. I'm feeling very tired."

Before Hua Rou could respond, the doctors interjected, adamant that she, as the sole witness, could not leave until they uncovered the root cause of the patient's miraculous recovery.

Feigning weakness and confusion, Shen Lingzuo replied, her voice dripping with vulnerability,

"Please… I'm not well... I need rest... I feel like I'm going to collapse."

Her appearance truly mirrored her words—she had yet to recover from the severe depletion of her spiritual energy.

Unable to watch the pitiful girl any longer, Hua Rou intervened decisively,

"If she says she needs rest, then she needs rest. If you have questions, you can ask them later," she said with an unyielding authority that brooked no argument.

The doctors exchanged hesitant glances, but they couldn't defy Hua Rou. Both she and her husband held high military ranks within the Ouyang family.

 On the other side, the doctor's red eyes widened with every passing second of the video. He watched as Shen Ling Zhu extended her hand toward the patient's cabin. A radiant blue and red aura surrounded her. In the next moment, a massive spiritual phoenix, shimmering with golden and red hues, materialized in the room and merged with Shen Ling Zhu, enveloping her in its protective embrace.

He had watched the footage seven times, yet his reaction remained the same.

"The phoenix..." the doctor murmured, barely believing his own eyes.

"Yes, the phoenix. There's no doubt," he answered his own question quietly, but his tone turned grave. "This... this is beyond our authority. Contact Marshal Ouyang immediately, now!" he shouted at the young assistant beside him. The assistant quickly opened a communication channel, almost as if he had anticipated this outcome. Within seconds, the call connected.

Shen Ling Zhu walked slowly beside Aunt Hua, trying to suppress her growing anxiety. The moment they exited the room and moved further away from the people inside, she quickened her steps, heading straight for the exit.

I can't stay here. Her instincts screamed at her to leave as quickly as possible.

---

Back in the doctor's office, the call was answered. A cold, commanding voice came from the other end.

"Bernard, why are you calling me again? If this is about another guide, I'll cut your research budget in half this time."

"No... not my money! You've already taken so much..." Bernard pleaded, his red eyes frantic. He seemed to have momentarily forgotten why he had called this obstinate marshal, but his young assistant pushed his shoulder secretly, snapping him back to reality.

Finally recalling the urgency of the situation, Bernard spoke in a serious tone.

"Marshal, we have an emergency."

Marshal Ouyang Jian immediately recognized that Bernard wasn't joking.

"Speak," came Ouyang Jian's deep, commanding voice.

After Bernard recounted everything word for word, Ouyang Jian paused for a moment before replying,

"Send me the video now. And stay where you are—I'm already at the hospital. Keep the girl there; I'll be with you in seconds."

Bernard sighed in relief. With the marshal himself here, everything would be fine. Then he asked in a worried tone,

"Your Grace, why are you here? Are you unwell?"

"Not exactly. I came for—"

Their conversation was interrupted by the young assistant, who announced that the girl had left the room.

"What? How could they let her leave?" Bernard snapped angrily. He turned to the marshal on the other end of the line and hesitated.

"Marshal..."

The marshal chuckled coldly.

"Don't worry. She won't get far. I'll find her."

He ended the call and began watching the video that had been sent to him. His eyes gleamed with a peculiar interest as he muttered to himself,

"That girl... but this power..."

Suppressing his thoughts, he quickly left the room. He wasn't far—just one floor below where Shen Ling Zhu had been. If his guess was correct, she would attempt to leave the hospital, so waiting at the exits would be the best strategy.

Meanwhile, Bernard rushed to the patient's room, where Hua Ru was still sitting beside her husband. Leaning toward her, he asked urgently,

"Madam Hua Ru, who is that girl with you? Tell me everything, quickly."

Hua Ru looked at the doctor with suspicion before cautiously replying,

"She's my niece. A normal girl. Why do you ask?"

Bernard choked on his own breath.

"Normal? If she's a normal girl, then I must be a fisherman!"

Hua Ru was startled by his response and became certain something was happening with Ling Ai. She quickly pressed him for answers.

At first, Bernard was reluctant to say anything. However, considering that the girl had healed Hua Ru's husband and seemed close to her, he decided there was no harm in revealing the truth. Perhaps Hua Ru could convince the girl to cooperate with his research later...

And so, Hua Ru learned everything. Her initial reaction wasn't joy but fear. If Shen Ling Zhu had hidden her powers, it meant she didn't want anyone to know she was a guide, and her current escape only confirmed this.

When Bernard added that the marshal would intercept Ling Ai, Hua Ru couldn't stay still.

"Are you all idiots? If she didn't want her identity and powers revealed, you should've handled her cautiously. That girl has suffered enough from her family, and now you're cornering her! Do you think a minor can handle this? You're all a bunch of fools!"

She stormed out of the room after her harsh words, leaving Bernard frozen in place. It wasn't that he hadn't considered her point, but the girl's power was immense, and… his selfishness had driven him to act this way.

Realizing his mistake, Bernard hurried after Hua Ru.

Left alone in the room, Hua Ru's husband couldn't do much. It wasn't that he didn't care for the girl who had

saved his life, but his body was still weak, rendering him unable to move. In his heart, he could only hope the girl would be safe.