The Imperial Marshal’s Darling at the Tip of His Heart - Chapter 16

The light from the isolated data pad screen reflected coldly on Yun Shu’s pale, focused face. The raw energy signal data, as vast as a sea of smoke, surged violently against his perception.

His head throbbed with a splitting pain. His temples felt as if they were being pierced by awls. Every breath pulled at the intense, stabbing pain of crystalline friction deep within his chest. Yet, he forcibly suppressed these extreme physiological agonies to the lowest level of his consciousness, submerging his entire mind into the storm of data.

The concept of time had blurred. Only the rapidly scrolling code on the screen and the constantly shifting energy waveforms marked the passage of hours. The one-day deadline Ling Yao had imposed hung over his head like a sword, forcing him to squeeze every last drop of potential from his ruined body.

The Empire’s isolated data pad was rudimentary in function with limited computing power. Many complex preprocessing and filtering algorithms could not be run directly. To Yun Shu, this was actually a form of protection in disguise; he did not need to deliberately hide Xilan’s core algorithms because they simply could not be used here.

He had to rely on the most basic mathematical tools, the most fundamental physical models, and his own near-instinctive understanding of Turbid Crystal energy to comb for patterns amidst the chaos. Sweat continuously slid from his forehead and dripped onto the cold screen, blurring into small water stains. His fingers trembled slightly due to weakness and the continuous, minute operations, but every keystroke remained precise.

The discomfort in his lungs forced him to pause briefly and frequently, suppressing low coughs. After each pause, he immediately and forcibly pulled his attention back into the data stream. Certain parameters on the monitor occasionally emitted soft alarms, indicating the deterioration of his physical condition, but they were quickly smoothed over by his powerful willpower and the residual effects of the medication in his system.

After an unknown amount of time, just as his mental fatigue was reaching a breaking point and his vision began to blur with double images, he suddenly captured an extremely anomalous signal characteristic, like a faint golden light in a dark current.

This segment of the signal was mixed within intense background noise. It was extremely weak and its frequency was very peculiar. It did not possess the violent, corrosive characteristics common to Turbid Core energy. Instead, it carried a strange sense of rhythm, a periodic decay that felt more like the aftershock of a resonance.

Yun Shu’s spirit jolted. Enduring the vertigo, he mobilized all remaining computing power to isolate and amplify this anomalous signal, performing a Fast Fourier Transform and spectral analysis. The results caused his pupils to contract.

The frequency pattern of this signal actually had a high-similarity resonance characteristic with the specific bioelectric harmonics produced by active Turbid Crystals in the bodies of certain late-stage, severe Crystal-Erosion Disease patients in Xilan. Although it was amplified thousands of times and distorted by the space environment, the core mathematical pattern matched perfectly.

This was not a simple pollution signal. This was an energy release directly related to Crystal-Erosion Disease, or perhaps a fingerprint formed after Turbid Core energy interacted strangely with a specific biological entity.

A bold, nearly insane hypothesis instantly formed in his mind. What this abandoned monitoring station had captured might not be a direct signal from the Turbid Core itself, but rather a ripple left behind by an entity containing special Turbid Crystal energy, perhaps even an entity with a direct link to the Turbid Core, that had produced a long-distance resonance with a Crystal-Erosion patient far away under specific conditions.

If this hypothesis held true, then tracking the source of this signal to find that massive resonant body could have significance far beyond simply tracking the Turbid Core. It could point directly to the essence of Crystal-Erosion Disease, or even the key to its solution.

His heart began to pound with excitement and shock, triggering another bout of violent coughing. He covered his mouth tightly to prevent any sound, but his eyes remained locked onto the beautiful yet eerie resonant waveform restored on the screen.

He had to verify this hypothesis, but he needed more data. He needed Xilan’s detailed database of patients’ bioelectric harmonics for comparison. This was something absolutely impossible to accomplish on an Imperial isolated pad.

He was caught in a dilemma. Should he report this discovery in full to Ling Yao? The risk was enormous. It would mean handing over Xilan’s core research results along with this potentially vital hypothesis. How would the Empire use this discovery? Would it be for healing, or for creating even more terrifying weapons? He could not trust Ling Yao, and he could not trust the Empire.

Should he hide it, or only submit a portion? But Ling Yao was no easy target; any concealment or tampering might be immediately seen through, with unimaginable consequences.

Just as his thoughts were racing and he was rapidly weighing the pros and cons, the sliding door opened silently. Ling Yao walked in. He seemed to have just finished handling military affairs, still carrying the cold, stern aura of the command center. His gaze first landed on Yun Shu’s sweat-soaked, pale face and his obviously overextended state. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before his gaze shifted to the screen of the isolated data pad.

“Time is up,” Ling Yao said, his voice unreadable as he reached out. “The analysis results.”

Yun Shu’s heart leaped. He only had one chance. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady despite its extreme exhaustion and raspiness.

“The signal analysis, preliminary processing is complete. The raw signal had immense noise, but an anomalous harmonic was discovered within it.”

He did not hand over the data pad immediately. Instead, he pointed his finger at the resonant waveform on the screen. “This harmonic has a unique structure with a clear periodic decay characteristic. It bears similarities to certain energy residue patterns I have encountered in my past research.”

He chose his words with extreme care, avoiding any direct mention of Xilan or Crystal-Erosion Disease. Ling Yao’s gaze swept sharply across the waveform diagram. He clearly saw the unusual nature of this signal.

“The source? Intensity prediction?” he asked, his tone quickening slightly.

“The direction of the source can be roughly locked to the depths of the Calante Asteroid Belt. The intensity cannot be accurately predicted. The signal itself does not seem to be a direct emission source, but rather the residual trace of a resonance effect.”

Yun Shu answered cautiously, telling part of the truth while hiding his key hypothesis.

“Resonance effect?” Ling Yao captured the keyword, his eyes instantly becoming incredibly sharp. “Resonating with what?”

Yun Shu’s heart nearly stopped. He met Ling Yao’s searching gaze. His brain worked at high speed, and he eventually chose a half-truth that carried relatively low risk.

“It may be resonating with some periodic activity of the Turbid Core itself, or it may be related to certain special cosmic environments. It requires more data and more in-depth model verification.”

He steered the subject of the resonance toward the Turbid Core itself or the cosmic environment, temporarily masking the core hypothesis related to biological characteristics.

Ling Yao stared at him in silence, then looked back at the waveform on the screen. His gaze was deep, as if evaluating the truth of the words and the immense value contained within this discovery. The air in the cell seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of Yun Shu’s suppressed, shallow breathing.

Seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an ordeal. Suddenly, Ling Yao reached out, not to take the data pad, but to operate it directly. His fingers slid rapidly across the screen, pulling up all of Yun Shu’s analysis logs and intermediate calculation results. His gaze was electric as he scanned them at high speed.

Yun Shu’s heart rose into his throat. His muscles tensed as he prepared for the worst. He had cleaned up the obvious traces of his operations as much as possible in the short time he had, but Ling Yao’s insight was terrifying.

However, Ling Yao’s gaze eventually stopped on the mathematical analysis module of the resonant waveform. He looked at it several times, seemingly developing a deep interest in the ingenious method of spectral separation and pattern recognition completed using such limited tools.

“To be able to achieve this level of signal extraction and pattern recognition with such a rudimentary tool,” Ling Yao suddenly spoke. His voice betrayed no emotion, yet it carried a sense of pure, technical scrutiny. “Your mathematical foundation and intuition are indeed interesting.”

He seemed to temporarily overlook the question of the resonance source, instead showing a certain degree of recognition for Yun Shu’s technical ability.

Yun Shu did not dare relax. He only said in a low voice, “It was a stroke of luck.”

Ling Yao finally picked up the data pad, copying and transferring all the analysis results and data to his personal terminal. Then, he tossed the isolated pad back onto the bed.

“The Calante Asteroid Belt,” Ling Yao mused. He looked at Yun Shu again, his expression becoming complex and unreadable. There was scrutiny, calculation, inquiry, and a flash of something difficult to capture, perhaps appreciation. “This coordinate happens to overlap with the area pointed to by another lead.”

He did not explicitly say what the other lead was, but Yun Shu instinctively felt it might be related to the hidden data node he had risked his life to steal.

“The direction you provided is valuable,” Ling Yao finally said, concluding the task. He did not press for details on the resonance, seemingly accepting Yun Shu’s statement that it required more verification. “I will have the medical team increase your dosage of analgesics. Get some rest.”

Ling Yao dropped those words and turned to stride away. His tone was still cold, but that “get some rest” carried an unusual undertone.

The sliding door closed.

Yun Shu collapsed onto the medical bed as if drained of all strength. He was soaked in cold sweat and his lungs burned with pain, yet his mind was exceptionally clear due to the extreme tension and the unexpected recognition at the end.

The crisis had passed for now. He might have even won a little breathing room by demonstrating his value. That shocking hypothesis about the resonance remained safe for the time being. But he knew Ling Yao would not easily believe his words. The Empire’s research departments would soon verify and dig deeper into his analysis. He had to find a way to verify his hypothesis before the Empire did, or find a way to cooperate without being consumed.

And Ling Yao’s final words about “another lead” kept him on high alert. The Empire’s investigative net was tightening. He looked at the cold sliding door, his gaze seemingly piercing through it to see the vast and dangerous Calante Asteroid Belt beyond the starship.