191: The Lost Territory, Qinghai
Part 1
Cong Xia truly hesitated to interrupt the touching mother-son reunion scene. No, it should be said that he didn’t quite dare. However, in the end, he couldn’t help but say, “Your Majesty, mutants cannot bear children…”
“Don’t call me Your Majesty, that sounds so formal. You can call me Deng Jieyun. Just call me Sister Deng,” she rested her chin on her hand and glanced at Cong Xia. “I know mutants can’t have children, so I’ve been worrying. Aren’t you from the Academy of Science? Isn’t there any solution? I don’t want to spend my whole life with a mantis, but if this matter can’t be resolved, I can’t leave either.”
Cong Xia gave a wry smile, “Reproductive issues are one of the major problems that the Academy of Science is focusing on, but there hasn’t been substantial progress yet.”
Deng Jieyun sighed, “So there’s no hope?”
Deng Xiao answered, “Mom, I won’t let you be with the mantis forever. Let’s find a solution together. Many problems we thought were unsolvable two years ago have been solved now. The issue of reproduction will be solved sooner or later.”
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Ubldt Mkydck ypjle, “Uyd’v usw fwpv qkde y ekqqlaldv lxralpp?”
Pldt Kkluwd pyke, “Ls, vbl lxralpp nyd sdzu cl csad qasx vbl lxralpp. Ebld vbl xydvkp lxralpp oyp raltdydv, R oyp vyjld yp dswakpbxldv. Jwv kv ldele wr nasppcallekdt okvb xl, yde ds sqqprakdt olal rasewnle kd vbl dlmv tldlayvksd. Rq R nyd’v rashkel vblx okvb y dlo lxralpp, vbld R nyd sdzu ynnsxrydu vblx wdvkz elyvb.”
Pldt Dkys lmnzykxle, “Mbyv nyd’v cl.”
Usdt Dky pyke, “El okzz alrsav uswa pkvwyvksd vs vbl Gnyelxu sq Fnkldnl. Xdnl y xlvbse vs pszhl vbl alrasewnvkhl rasczlx kp alplyanble, ol okzz elqkdkvlzu kdqsax usw qkapv. Tsolhla… R byhl y pwttlpvksd, R’x dsv pwal kq kv’p qlypkczl?”
Pldt Kkluwd aykple yd lulcaso, “Qs sd.”
“Ebyv kq ol cakdt kd y dlo lxralpp qasx lzploblal?”
Pldt Kkluwd’p hsknl talo blyhu, “Mbyv dlo lxralpp oswze byhl vs jkzz xl kd y ewlz, svblaokpl xu nzyd osd’v ynnlrv kv. Ysalshla, usw byhld’v tayprle vbl nsal sq vbl kppwl. Rv’p dsv vbyv R nyd’v zlyhl. Rq R oydv vs ts, R nyd yv ydu vkxl. Jwv xu plzq-yoyaldlpp byp xlatle okvb vbl xydvkp lxralpp’p nsdpnkswpdlpp. Mbswtb kv nyd’v nsdvasz vbkp cseu, kv nsdpvydvzu kdqzwldnlp xl. Mbkp nsxxwdkvu kp xu alprsdpkckzkvu, yde R nyd’v zlv ts. Rd uswa lulp, vblu yal xsdpvaswp nalyvwalp, cwv kd xkdl, vblu yal xu rlsrzl. Rq R nyd’v qwzqkzz xu ewvu yp vbl lxralpp, R nyd’v zlyhl rlynlqwzzu.”
Pldt Dkys nzldnble bkp qkpv. Rv pllxle bl pvkzz nswzed’v ynnlrv vbl qynv vbyv bkp xsvbla bye vwadle kdvs y xydvkp, yde lhld bye vs clya vbl alprsdpkckzkvu sq clyakdt xydvkp sqqprakdt. Jwv bl nswzed’v pvsr kv lkvbla. Tl jdlo obyv kv xlydv vs cl y nasppcalle. Gqvla nasppcallekdt, plzq-yoyaldlpp oyp ds zsdtla pszlzu sdl’p sod. Mbl Plhkz Vkdl yde Yw Wlk olal vbl xspv schkswp lmyxrzlp. Tkp xsvbla bye nsdvasz shla bla cseu, obknb oyp qsavwdyvl yxke vbl wdqsavwdyvl.
Deng Jieyun patted Deng Xiao’s cheek. “Half a year. If you can’t come out of Qinghai within half a year, regardless of whether I’ve borne offspring or not, I will go in to find you. If I die, I’ll be free from the guilt of abandoning my clan, and that problem will be considered solved.”
“Mom…” Deng Xiao couldn’t describe the discomfort in his heart. After reuniting with his long-lost mother with great difficulty, he was already facing separation again, and this time, the separation might become a true farewell.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Tell me what has happened to you in these two years, young man. You’ve undergone a mutation, right? What ability do you have?”
Deng Xiao forced a smile. “Mom, I’ve become quite impressive. I’m a return-to-ancestry amphibious reptilian.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of that.” Deng Jieyun stood up. “Come on, let me see your abilities.”
“Huh?”
She pulled Deng Xiao up from the ground. “Spar with me for a bit. Let’s see if you’re just bragging.” With that, she pushed Deng Xiao out of the nest. They were currently on a tree branch thirty meters high. As soon as Deng Xiao was thrown out, he screamed and fell down. Cheng Tianbi quickly provided cushioning for him, saving him from a direct impact on the ground.
The empress finally realized, “Oh, right, you can’t fly.” With that, she flapped her wings and flew down.
The crowd followed suit and descended. By now, the sky was already bright, and countless mantises stood or lay on the ground, all glaring at them. But upon seeing Deng Jieyun, they immediately cleared a space.
After landing, Deng Jieyun transformed into a nearly three-meter-tall mantis. Her two sharp scythe-like legs swung in the air as she called out to Deng Xiao, “Come on, hurry.”
Deng Xiao’s muscles swelled, transforming him into a more than three-meter-tall, robust and powerful large lizard-human. His thick, long tail wagged vigorously behind him, and the monster face covered in wrinkled skin displayed a proud smile. “Mom, look, am I cool or what?”
Deng Jieyun exclaimed, “You look hideous!” Her words had barely left her mouth when the large mantis’s figure flashed, charging toward Deng Xiao like lightning. For those with poorer eyesight, they could only see the emerald-green afterimage she left in the air. In an instant, she had already reached Deng Xiao. Her sharp legs slashed fiercely at his neck—astonishing speed and a tricky angle. If all the attacking mantises were this terrifyingly fast, they couldn’t possibly stand here unscathed!
Deng Xiao was clearly taken aback, quickly leaning backward to barely dodge the strike. He instinctively swung his tail, aiming it at the mantis’s legs, but suddenly remembered that this was his mother. He stopped himself abruptly.
Deng Jieyun leaped up from the ground, spun in the air, performing a motion as fluid and agile as flowing clouds. It was something humans could never achieve. Paired with the majestic appearance of the large mantis, it made people want to applaud. As she descended, she lunged directly at Deng Xiao again, her blade-like attack sweeping forth.
Deng Xiao exclaimed, “Wow,” evading left and right. Despite the impressive appearance of the large mantis, it was too slender. Deng Xiao didn’t dare to counterattack, fearing that he might accidentally break her delicate legs.
They repeated this several times. While Deng Jieyun was fast, she still had her reservations, and the training Deng Xiao had undergone became evident. Her scythe-like legs never managed to touch him. Finally, she stopped, expressing frustration, “This is no fun.”
Deng Xiao grinned, “Mom, you haven’t been able to defeat me for a while now. I’ve just been letting you have your way.”
“Are you asking for a beating?”
“I wouldn’t dare. Mom, come back to our camp with us. There’s plenty of delicious food in the camp, and some friends too.”
Deng Jieyun thought for a moment, “Alright, about your house…”
“We’ll bring the construction team over right away to start digging.”
“Tell them to hurry up. They can come over when they’re ready. I’ll join you after I’ve finished arranging things to avoid any trouble.”
Cong Xia immediately got in touch with Zhuang Yao, instructing him to dispatch the construction team immediately.
Cheng Tianbi said, “Let’s go and see the house.”
The group walked towards the wooden villa together.
Their recent luck seemed to have gone a bit overboard. Not only did they effortlessly obtain a commitment from the Devil Pine Forest, but even the group of mantises, which had initially posed a considerable challenge, also ended with an unexpected outcome. If it weren’t for the fact that the Mantis Empress happened to be Deng Xiao’s mother, they wouldn’t have known how much effort it would have taken to move the house.
But it remained uncertain whether this stroke of good fortune would follow them into Qinghai.
The villas were covered in wild grass, with the main entrance blocked by some unidentified plants. It seemed they had been idle since two years ago. Fortunately, the damage wasn’t severe; it was only the sizeable yard that had lost its original appearance. They cleared away the weeds and entered through the door.
Although a layer of thick dust covered everything in the house, the layout and decorations still revealed a sense of taste. Everything was neatly organized, devoid of the panic that usually accompanied the onset of doomsday.
Frames and certificates adorned the TV cabinet. Cong Xia picked one up and looked at it. The familiar (^ ^) smile appeared before him. As expected, it was a photo of Mu Fei and his parents. The certificates were awards he had received for some interior design achievements. Cong Xia breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, this is the house.”
Several hours later, Tang Tingzhi and Zhuang Yao arrived with several construction vehicles. Abu followed behind. The convoy of vehicles entered the midst of the mantis swarm. The mantises stared fixedly at the large machinery and humans, occasionally making restless noises, yet none dared to move recklessly. They were nervous, and the members of the construction team were even more so. A mantis killing them was as easy as cutting vegetables; they could be sliced in two with a single stroke. Their current behavior was akin to walking into the lion’s den.
“Abu, over here!” Deng Xiao shouted to Abu.
Abu quickly ran over, and Deng Xiao jumped onto its back, embracing its neck. “Mom, look, this is my friend, Abu.”
“Oh, a little kitty.” Deng Jieyun smiled and rubbed Abu’s fur.
The construction vehicles parked in front of them. Tang Tingzhi and Zhuang Yao hopped off the vehicles. Zhuang Yao approached them with quick steps, sizing up Deng Jieyun, and crossed his arms. “I have to say, you guys are really lucky.”
Deng Jieyun bent down and glanced at Zhuang Yao, extending her hand to pinch his young and tender face. “Who’s this little devil? Trying to speak like an adult?”
Zhuang Yao’s irritation flashed, and he pushed her hand away.
“Mom, he’s also my friend. His name is Zhuang Yao. Despite his age, he’s a cerebral domain evolvert—smarter than all of us put together.”
“Cerebral domain evolver? Isn’t that the highest level of research resources at the Beijing Institute? Sending such a little kid to solve the reproduction problem, I doubt there’s much hope.”
“Also, there are adults.” Tang Ting nodded towards her, “The issue of reproduction is of paramount importance to humanity. We will definitely put in our full effort.”
Deng Jieyun glanced at him, “Hmm, this sounds somewhat reasonable.”
Zhuang Yao ignored her, “Hurry up and dig. We still need to send the house to the northeast. The Devil Pine demands that we must personally retrieve the Puppet Jade. After obtaining the Puppet Jade, we’ll have to return as well. With digging and back-and-forth travel, it’ll delay us for three to four days.”
Tang Tingzhi discussed the excavation plan with the head of the engineering team, and they began preparing for the digging. Once the excavation work started, Deng Jieyun left four orchid mantises to “supervise” and went back to the temporary camp with two others.
Deng Xiao excitedly recounted his experiences from the past two years to his mother, but they both tacitly avoided mentioning his father. They ate, drank, and celebrated in the camp, commemorating their successful acquisition of the house in just over a day.
It’s worth noting that the Praying Mantis Clan was the most dominant and powerful force in Kunming, and even across the entire Yunnan province, no one dared to cross them. Yet, they had managed to “win by surprise.”
This was likely their final revelry, as life and death were uncertain once they entered Qinghai. Thus, they engaged in festivities with great enthusiasm.
Deng Jieyun had a fiery and bold temperament; she could outdrink men. After downing a considerable amount of alcohol, she became excessively happy, drank without restraint, and the mother and son ended up sobbing with their heads in their hands. This brought a touch of sadness to Cong Xia’s heart.
Eventually, they fell asleep without realizing it. When they woke up the next day, they all had hangovers, but their spirits were high. The three days of waiting for excavation were the most relaxed days they’d had in months. They cooked, played cards, chatted, teased the cat, cherishing every minute and second of their remaining freedom. For Deng Xiao and his mother especially, they wished for days with 800 hours, to have more time together.
During these three days, Cheng Tianbi repeatedly asked if he wanted to visit his original home. After pondering for a while, Cong Xia thought of Mu Fei’s dusty house and struggled to reconcile its desolate appearance with the cozy little nest he had lived in for four years.
He shook his head, “Let’s forget it. I’m afraid it’ll bring up too many emotions. Besides, I heard that many houses in the city have been occupied by wanderers. If my house is also taken, I’ll feel even more disheartened. Let’s wait until everything’s over.”
Cheng Tianbi patted his shoulder, “If you want to go, I’ll accompany you anytime.”
Cong Xia smiled faintly at him, “Thank you.”
On the fifth day after returning to Kunming, the foundation of the house was finally dug up. The next step was relatively simpler: lift it and transport it to the mountains by plane.
With everything ready, they decided to send Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia to the mountains to retrieve the Puppet Jade, while the others stayed in Kunming and waited for their return.
Before leaving, Cong Xia handed the freshly-made energy armor to Wu Yu, and Wu Yu gave him the Puppet Jade. Wu Yu pointed at the jade piece in his hand and gestured to Chen Shao behind him, “Can I place it against your skin? Is that alright?”
Chen Shao drew a knife, made a cut on his arm, and then took the jade piece, pushing it into the wound without even a hint of a grimace.
When Cong Xia released the armor, he healed the wound on his arm. Wu Yu watched his wound close up and smiled contentedly, saying to Cong Xia, “Thank you.”
Cong Xia replied, “We should be the ones thanking you.” He patted the Puppet Jade in his pocket.
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