Hey! Control Yourself! - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Sacred Path

In the end, the plan to go out and feast fell through. The group returned dejectedly to the school cafeteria and ordered a “Universal Emperor Set Menu,” engaging in some retaliatory consumption.

“Shen Ji, I feel like you’re in a bit of trouble.”

Lei Yi opened the news section. The heat surrounding the live broadcast of the Gaya conflict remained high. The Federation continued to condemn the Empire’s mental energy experts for using mental energy pistols to kill their citizens. The Empire’s stance was clear: it was a matter of self-defense, and there was no reason for condemnation.

On the light-brain’s projection, countless starships turned into points of light, flashing across the vast sea of stars. They were heading toward the edge of the Empire.

“The Federation’s Everlasting and a massive fleet of cosmic vessels are advancing directly toward our Empire’s Star Gate. Our military has dispatched additional fleets to the gate. War could break out at any moment. If a conflict occurs, the peace maintained between the Federation and the Empire for many years will be shattered.”

Royce said, “It’s either hand us over or hand over the Enigma gland. Otherwise, war is inevitable.” In short, the Federation would never allow the Empire to monopolize the Enigma gland.

Lei Yi raised both hands and shrugged. “Then the Federation’s calculations are wrong. Our King is not afraid of war.”

Sha Mo focused entirely on eating, showing complete dedication to the meal.

Meanwhile, Shen Ji, the center of the storm, merely touched the gland at the back of his neck. In today’s interstellar world, the Enigma gender had been extinct for tens of thousands of years. Both the Federation and the Empire wanted to research and replicate the Enigma’s deterrent pheromones to create a chemical weapon for war.

Since Shen Ji differentiated into an Enigma at the age of ten, his father had warned him to hide his identity and never leak a trace of Enigma pheromones. During physical exams, doctors couldn’t distinguish the subtle differences between Alpha and Enigma glands. He had successfully masqueraded as an Alpha for years.

He hoped the gland brought back from Gaya would allow the government to replicate the Enigma gender, ensuring that Enigmas would no longer be experimental subjects in power struggles.

Over the next few days, aside from sleeping, Shen Ji spent his time researching information about Sheng Lu. Although he had always followed news of Sheng Lu, because he was a pre-apocalyptic figure, archaeologists’ accounts were vague, making it difficult to gain deeper insight.

Royce reminded him, “I remember Sheng Lu’s fans created a fan circle on the interstellar forum called ‘The Sacred Path.’ You could try there.”

“But you’ll have to open a forum account!” Lei Yi said mischievously.

Shen Ji opened an account directly and logged into “The Sacred Path” anonymously.

“Please answer: What is your purpose for logging into The Sacred Path?”

A: Ahhh! I love Sheng Lu too much! B: I just need materials for an archaeology paper, haha. C: Just choosing randomly; I’m just curious. D: Ahhhhhh! I LOVE Sheng Lu so, so, so much! E: Other.

Shen Ji chose E. A “brick” slammed down on the screen, and the application crashed.

Lei Yi burst out laughing. “Shen Ji, are you even a modern person?”

Shen Ji logged in again. This time, he chose A.

“Please look into the camera frame and sincerely express: ‘I, [Name], love Sheng Lu too much.'”

Shen Ji’s lip twitched. What kind of abstract nonsense was this?

Before doing this, he specifically checked to see if Sheng Lu’s consciousness within his body had awakened. His mental sea was calm; Sheng Lu’s consciousness was hidden in the deep sea. Since he turned five, Sheng Lu rarely woke up, though it seemed he had appeared in a dream to tease him before the last transition.

Shen Ji endured the shame, veins popping on his forehead, and said to the camera: “…I, Shen Ji… love Sheng Lu too much.”

His eyes were dead, and his voice was a sluggish drag, sounding exactly like a kidnapped hostage.

Suddenly, a sudden chuckle echoed in his mind—a pathological laugh that was purely Sheng Lu’s style.

Shen Ji froze. “When did you wake up?”

“You were looking for me so thirstily just now; of course I couldn’t wait to wake up.” That magnificent voice felt as if it were right by his ear, thick with a scalding ambiguity.

Shen Ji: “Heh…” Who exactly is thirsty?

“I missed you so much, my sweet baby,” Sheng Lu whispered in a low tone, just like when Shen Ji was a child.

“Psychopath. I’m not a five-year-old anymore,” Shen Ji said coldly. This feeling of having a long-distance conversation with his own head had a certain neurotic beauty to it.

“Ah, then you’ll have to prove to me that you’ve grown up.” He laughed pervertedly again, his voice syrupy.

Shen Ji frowned, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Stop using that routine.”

Sheng Lu laughed. “Ah… can’t use that one anymore? Then I’ll have to use the one where my big butt slams hard against little Shen Ji.”

Shen Ji raised a hand to cover his forehead. Dead pervert. Is he really an Omega?

“Go back. Go back, okay?”

He heard Sheng Lu’s low laughter gradually fade back into his mind. Then, his mental sea returned to silence. He went back just because I told him to? Shen Ji was slightly surprised.

By now, he had successfully logged into The Sacred Path, and was immediately surrounded by a screen full of falling petals and sea waves.

“Congratulations on entering The Sacred Path. Please state your gender.”

Shen Ji chose Alpha.

“Please log into the forum using your real name.”

Shen Ji clicked his tongue, but after logging in with his real name, a 3D hologram of Sheng Lu appeared. It seemed that because Sheng Lu had appeared in Lei Yi’s live stream, this hologram was almost a 1:1 match to the real person, far better than the one in the Science Museum.

Below the main page was Sheng Lu’s biography:

Sheng Lu, pre-historic Gaya human, possesses Mermaid blood. Exact age cannot be determined. Held multiple identities in human society.

Gaya experts believe Sheng Lu’s mother was a descendant of Mermaids and his father was a town doctor. Sheng Lu likely possessed atavistic blood—pure Mermaid blood.

The elites of Gaya adored Mermaid glands. The Great God Cult once preached that Mermaids were deformed species, cursed by the heavens. Followers of the cult hunted Mermaids on a large scale, harvesting glands for noble enjoyment. They farmed Mermaids and conducted various experiments on them…

Sheng Lu’s pure blood was considered a divine punishment. His appearance easily triggered associations with Mermaids.

In his early years, Sheng Lu’s philosophy remained focused on benevolent avoidance and hiding his identity. Archaeological finds show a period where Sheng Lu inherited his father’s profession, becoming a clinic doctor in a village and generously taking in abandoned infants.

During this time, some believed he was harboring infants for profit. Sheng Lu was subsequently imprisoned in the Swamp Prison for an unknown duration.

Later, as meteorites began to fall and the world fell into panic, social order collapsed and human sanity frayed.

After a gap in history, archaeology discovered that Sheng Lu had become the leader of the Shaxing organization, known as the “Great Demon Sheng Lu.”

Shaxing then entered a slaughter mode. Villages were massacred, the Great God Cult was completely wiped out, and many nobles and government officials were killed. Finally, the apocalypse truly arrived. Gaya humans fled their home planet to forge a new path in the universe.

Some experts speculate Sheng Lu was one of the seeds left behind on the home planet. Others believe that before the end, Sheng Lu escaped into the deep sea in his Mermaid form. There are various theories, but none have been confirmed.

The introduction ended there. Shen Ji knew most of this, but he hadn’t heard the theory about Sheng Lu escaping into the deep sea.

He then clicked on a “Virtual Boyfriend” box, topped up 500 Star Credits, and successfully activated it.

“Please Choose”

A: Mermaid Form

B: Human Form

Shen Ji clicked B. Blue fluorescent light spread out, and cool seawater flooded around his calves. The room transformed into a shallow beach. The sound of waves reached him, and a magnificent deep blue fish tail flashed through the water.

Shen Ji stepped into the water, and a beautiful Mermaid swam near him under the shimmering light. White hair, red eyes, pointed ears, skin as white as snow. Silver-blue ear fins glinted, and soft scales shimmered beneath the skin of his neck and shoulders.

Shen Ji reached out and touched his face, but felt a sense of disappointment. Although the appearance was nearly identical, it was just a virtual projection; the touch couldn’t compare to the real person.

The Mermaid grabbed his hand, his face affectionately brushing against the back of Shen Ji’s hand. “You came to find me… I’ve been waiting for you.”

Ah, that’s completely out of character.

If the real Sheng Lu were here, he would have at least shown that perverted smile the moment his face was touched. He would have said something like, “Ah… so hot… don’t…” while gripping Shen Ji’s hand tightly, eyes glowing and his whole body trembling in a state of feigned weakness.

Shen Ji covered his forehead once more.