Chapter 81

The two of them stared at each other for a long while. Lin Tantan felt a little bewildered: "H-How?"
Ye Xiao's thoughts were complicated. His first thought was that she really hadn't listened carefully to what he'd said; his second was, if he confessed again now that she was calm, would she hit him?
The atmosphere was so good; he didn't want to ruin it.
So he rubbed his forehead. Sure enough, Lin Tantan immediately grew tense: "What's wrong? Dizzy?"
Ye Xiao said, "A little." He gave a wry smile. "I used to tease Ruther about drinking sugarcane juice until he got diabetes, looks like I should be drinking it too."
Lin Tantan's expression turned serious. "The poison in you was caused by an ability. Those black ants are probably a materialization of that person's dark-type power. It does require an ability-based ingredient to dispel. But luckily, the toxin in you isn't as strong as Ruther's; it's not corrosive, and the short-term damage is limited."
As she spoke, she looked toward the gaunt man lying there, almost charred to a crisp but still breathing, and went over to ask, "Do you know how to dispel your ability?"
Some people understand the toxins their abilities produce and know what to use to neutralize them. Lin Tantan didn't know if this man was like that; sparing his life was also to ask this question.
The gaunt man lay on the ground, moaning unconsciously. When he looked at Lin Tantan, a cruel gleam flashed in his eyes and he gave a bitter smile. "Y-you come closer and I'll tell... you."
Lin Tantan frowned. Ye Xiao came to her side and put an arm around her shoulders. "He's hiding something dangerous, don't bother asking him."
He raised his hand, and a blade of wind sliced open the emaciated man's forehead, taking his life.
Lin Tantan looked at him. "Can you stand? Sit down quickly."
There was an embarrassed look in Ye Xiao's eyes. Even if she might not have heard him clearly, he had indeed said those explanatory things, and he'd very likely say them again later. Now that he'd made it known his wounds were only superficial, he couldn't keep up the act of being crippled; but the poisoning was real, though not severe, it would let him account for things.
He still looked a little weak, leaning some of his weight on her, his voice hoarse. "I'm fine, just a bit dizzy and lightheaded, not to the point I can't walk. I hadn't recovered earlier, but after we talked and you treated me, I feel much better."
This wasn't pretending; he was truly injured. He could have suppressed the reaction to such minor wounds, but now he simply chose to show it.
As expected, Lin Tantan looked worried. "Let's go, or should we call Bai Cheng to come up? I don't have a radio." She spoke to the mutated rats on the floor, "Go tell Bai Cheng and the others to come over."
The mutated rats squeaked and scurried out.
Lin Tantan helped Ye Xiao sit and continued channeling energy into him, tending to his many wounds.
Wang Shuo was still propped against the wall, unable to get up, the water-dragon strike had been too powerful; his ribs were all broken. He suddenly said, "I... know."
They both looked at him.
Wang Shuo said, "This kind of poison isn't easy to clear. Every night it gets unbearably itchy, like ants crawling all over you. People poisoned before... cough... scratched themselves to death."
Lin Tantan's face changed sharply. "What? You're not lying?"
Wang Shuo coughed up some blood-tinged foam and sneered, "Why would I lie? If you don't believe me, wait until night, watch him and you'll see."
Lin Tantan knew this wasn't something you could fake, and there was no point in doing so. Her expression darkened as she looked at Ye Xiao and asked softly, "Do you feel anything?"
Ye Xiao shook his head slightly. "Not now."
Not now, but what about at night?
Ye Xiao didn't think Wang Shuo was lying. He'd found it odd before: although the gaunt man could turn his ability into ants that crawled everywhere, an unusual trick compared to ordinary power users, his poison hadn't seemed especially strong; its chief effect appeared to be dizziness, and a single bite had knocked him out.
It turned out the poison's true effect was precisely that: at night it felt like ants crawling over you. Those who couldn't withstand it scratched themselves to death. The poison's viciousness suited that gaunt man well.
Lin Tantan asked Wang Shuo how to cure it. He demanded she promise not to kill him and that she treat his wounds.
Lin Tantan was about to agree when Ye Xiao said, "You five haven't been innocent, have you? Ding Jinbo, before the end, was a killer who only cared about money; his mental-power ability was practiced, he handled Li Qun and Shao Ping with ease and surely conducted many experiments on others. As for this man, you said the previously poisoned scratched themselves to death, there must have been many victims, most likely innocent. And the three others with you..."
Ye Xiao rubbed his head; it still throbbed a little. "I don't know what you've done, but birds of a feather flock together, it's probably nothing good. What right do you have to live?"
Wang Shuo's expression shifted. He wanted to protest that he'd done nothing wrong, but that sounded too false. Gritting his teeth he said, "What do you want to do?"
Ye Xiao said, "Remember Shao Ping? He's a wood-type ability user. I'll lock you up with him. Whether he treats you will depend entirely on whether you can persuade him."
Wang Shuo thought of that weakling and felt it would be too easy. Even with broken ribs now, he could still release some power, couldn't he subdue him?
He agreed at once and told them the poison was called "black ant poison," named for the black ants the gaunt man produced. Its active period was every night, roughly from nine to three. The poisoned would feel as if countless ants were crawling inside and on their skin; in severe cases there was even a gnawing sensation. The longest recorded duration was three nights, and the person who lasted that long killed himself on the third night.
The only relief came in two ways: soaking in water, poisoned people always wanted to immerse themselves when it flared up, or drinking water. If possible, alcohol was even better. The one who lasted three nights had gotten through the first two by drinking two bottles of liquor; on the third night, with no more alcohol, he couldn't bear it.
Lin Tantan asked when it could be completely cured. Wang Shuo shrugged: how would he know? The poisoned died too quickly for anyone to observe.
As for using ability-infused ingredients, they'd never tried that. They didn't even know it was an option, and those poisoned wouldn't have had the means to obtain such ingredients.
Lin Tantan thought, If that's true, then it's not so hard to cure. She planned to give Ye Xiao lots of ability-foods, try one, then two, then three. If nothing worked, she'd channel the poison out the way she channeled zombie energy; after all, the poison's essence was merely another form of energy.
She took Ye Xiao's hand; he squeezed her fingers and smiled to reassure her. "It's okay, it's basically a test of willpower. I'll treat it as training."
Lin Tantan couldn't smile. Helplessly she said, "You really can't keep taking such risks."
Ye Xiao still smiled. "Will you stay with me?"
Lin Tantan looked into his gentle, hopeful eyes, how could she refuse? After a long silence she said, "I will. I'll stay with you." As long as you need me, I'll be by your side, in whatever form, as long as it makes you happy.
If refusing would hurt him, why cling to some predestined fate? So much had changed; she needn't torment herself. After all, he was the only one she truly cared about.
Ye Xiao's smile grew even brighter.
While no one had arrived yet, she tore off a loose strip of cloth from his clothes, conjured a stream of water in her hand to dampen it, and wiped his face. She didn't explain why she still possessed water-type abilities, and Ye Xiao didn't ask, it seemed an unnecessary question.
Ye Xiao was sweating heavily; he'd been thrown to the ground and had smudges of dirt on his face. Mixed with sweat, to be honest he was a little grimy, but Lin Tantan showed no disgust. She cleaned him carefully, bit by bit; when she reached the two blood streaks beneath his left eye she brushed them several times with her finger and the wounds completely healed. A gentle wipe removed the scab and the skin was as good as new.
Lin Tantan stroked that patch of skin and murmured, "You nearly injured your eye."
Ye Xiao smiled and took her hand. "I promise there won't be a next time, okay?"
Lin Tantan nodded.
The only other sober person, Wang Shuo, thought: Damn, his eyes almost got ruined.
Bai Cheng finally came up with others. He first checked Lin Tantan to make sure she wasn't hurt. Earlier she had run up so fast that a fight broke out as soon as she reached the stairs; he hadn't gotten involved, reckoning that with Ye Xiao there they wouldn't come off worse.
Seeing that it was indeed so, he looked at Ye Xiao, who looked bright-eyed and invigorated, hardly like an injured man. Hah, it was all an act; so happy because he'd finally won the beauty's heart?
Lin Tantan and Ye Xiao still held hands. From the moment Bai Cheng came in, she stared at him; seeing no change in his expression from start to finish, she felt dazed. So there really was nothing between them? Had she misread everything?
Her perception felt overturned and her thoughts were muddled, but in any case she'd destroyed every possible outcome.
She sighed inwardly and dropped her gaze.
Bai Cheng finished examining the two and saw Ming Ze. "Why is this kid still unconscious? Is he hurt?"
Lin Tantan was stunned. She vaguely remembered that he had awakened, and then... she'd knocked him out again.
God, she'd really swung without measuring the force, had she seriously hurt him?
She cleared her throat twice. "Let me have a look." When she checked him, Ming Ze had a bump on his forehead and another on the back of his head, the one on the forehead from her blow, the one at the back from him hitting the ground after she knocked him out.
She hurried to treat him. Ming Ze drifted awake, still dazed when he saw Lin Tantan. "I remember..." He remembered as if she'd thrown a ball of golden light at him and he'd blacked out, an illusion, it must be an illusion. How could Miss Lin have knocked him out?
Ye Xiao cut in, "You were attacked by Ding Jinbo with psionic power. Go back and rest properly and see if there are any aftereffects."
Ming Ze hurriedly agreed.
Besides the three of them, Wang Shuo followed Ye Xiao's instructions and dragged away the other three bodies. One He Fan remained; he'd been dragged under by three stakes and barely dug out alive. Though close to death, he hadn't died. Xu Qin took him, he was very interested in the ability to perceive other abilities and wanted to study it more closely.
Researchers from the institute also arrived, but too late. They were working on instruments to detect abilities, but since these powers are invisible and intangible within the human body, having someone who could actually perceive them would save them a lot of trouble. There was no choice but to turn to Xu Qin.
Lin Tantan asked, "Keeping him here won't cause trouble, will it?"
Ye Xiao was unconcerned. "He Fan isn't aggressive. As long as he's kept under close watch there's no fear he'll cause trouble. If he misbehaves, kill him."
He naturally harbored no fondness for He Fan.
Lin Tantan recalled the many bad deeds this notorious man had done in the past and thought killing him wouldn't be undeserved.