Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 92

Jiang Rui followed Xiao Lu-nan covertly while remaining invisible. As for Jiang Xi, he had temporarily put her into a deep sleep and sent her into his “Secret Realm” to be looked after by Miao Xuan. Calculating that it would take Xiao Lu-nan nearly three hours to get home, Jiang Rui gave up on tailing him and entered the Secret Realm himself.

He suspected that Mo Zhao—Xiao Lu-nan’s wife—likely hadn’t even realized she was pregnant yet. After all, with Xiao Lu-nan constantly appearing and disappearing like a ghost, there was precious little time for them to spend together. Although Xiao was currently in the process of “going straight,” such a transition was never easy. This was exactly why Rong Jing-tang had arranged this business deal—to accelerate that process.

Jiang Rui himself no longer had the heart for world-conquering ambitions. Having died once, everything seemed filtered through a lens of detachment; fame and fortune simply didn’t interest him anymore.

As for Xiao Lu-nan, since his previous life, all he had ever wanted was a better life for himself, his wife, and his brothers. Jiang Rui knew that Xiao wasn’t inherently ambitious; he had simply been forced by circumstance onto an irreversible path. In this life, Jiang Rui would help him build his foundation and then help him retire once everything came to fruition. It was his way of repaying Xiao for the protection he provided in their past life.

Inside the Secret Realm, the Little Peach Tree and the Spirit Marrow were playing chess beneath the massive Spirit Marrow Jade Tree. Jiang Rui approached but did not interrupt.

The Little Peach Tree was clearly no match for the Spirit Marrow. Though the “child” had observed people playing chess over the last seven hundred years, he had never studied it seriously. The fact that he could play this long without losing suggested that the Spirit Marrow was holding back so much it practically felt like a flood.

Before long, the Little Peach Tree let out a startled cry, placed a piece back in the box, and cupped his face in frustration, admitting defeat. The Spirit Marrow’s face, hidden behind a white cloth, remained impassive. With a wave of a hand, the chess pieces returned to their starting positions.

Jiang Rui stepped forward. Seeing the Spirit Marrow about to leave, he spoke up. “Sir, please wait.”

The Spirit Marrow paused and turned his head slightly. His profile, as sharp as if carved by a blade, made Jiang Rui blink. He couldn’t see the man’s eyes because of the cloth, but he felt an unfathomable depth radiating from him.

“We have known each other for a long time, yet I still do not know your name,” Jiang Rui said with a faint smile, noticing the Little Peach Tree’s eyes instantly light up with curiosity.

“I am Spirit Marrow,” he replied. He then faced forward, clasped his hands, and slowly merged back into the Spirit Marrow Jade Tree.

Jiang Rui nodded. It seemed “Spirit Marrow” was both his identity and his name. Turning to the Peach Tree, Jiang Rui teased, “You cling to me here every day—what is it you’re truly after?”

The Little Peach Tree’s face turned red—a look of pure innocence on a face more seductive than a fox spirit’s. “I don’t know! It’s just so comfortable here, I never want to leave.”

The spiritual energy in the Secret Realm was incredibly rich, the perfect tonic for an elemental demon like a peach tree. It was only natural for him to want to stay. Jiang Rui gestured toward the Jade Tree. “And what about the Venerable Spirit Marrow?”

“I… I don’t know either,” the Peach Tree stammered before wrinkling his nose at Jiang Rui and vanishing in a puff of pink mist.

Jiang Rui watched the lingering pink glow and finally let out a bored sigh. Behind him, Miao Xuan’s lip twitched; sensing Jiang Rui was about to turn around, the spirit promptly “greased his soles” and slipped away.

Standing in the vast expanse of the realm, Jiang Rui realized he was… incredibly bored. He decided to find some work to do. Between the white tiger’s jade mine and the awakening of the Spirit Marrow Jade Tree, the spiritual density here made it feel like a constant paradise.

He planned to bring Rong Jing-tang in here one day and choose some high-level cultivation techniques for him. But before that, he had to alter Rong’s constitution. The Secret Realm was “possessive”; if one wasn’t the direct master, even someone with a rare mutated ice-root like Rong Jing-tang might be overwhelmed by such concentrated energy. What should be a tonic would become a disaster.

With that in mind, he dragged the fleeing Miao Xuan back. Since Miao Xuan had been by his side through many alchemy sessions, Jiang Rui delegated the task of refining basic Foundation-Building pills to him. Miao Xuan, who had wanted to focus on his own recovery, looked depressed but couldn’t resist the temptation of the spiritual nourishment Jiang Rui offered. He and the white tiger—who had been planning to cause trouble at the mineral mountain—were soon stuck miserably fanning the flames of the alchemy furnace.

Wang Cheng-hui moved quickly. As soon as he received the medicine, he distributed it to several pharmaceutical factories under his control.

Jiang Rui’s plan for Xiao Lu-nan to have a quiet few days with Mo Zhao was ruined. Xiao hadn’t even left Qing City before a barrage of phone calls pulled him back. Jiang Rui watched the sweating, eye-rolling Xiao Lu-nan with a mischievous smile.

“The herbs A-Tang prepared for you are at Harbor Pier 3,” Jiang Rui told him, patting his arm. “That’s Yang Feng’s territory, so you don’t need to worry about interference.”

Xiao Lu-nan nodded but insisted on overseeing the delivery himself. Jiang Rui approved of his caution. “Help me look after my cousin. If you’re too busy, you can leave her with Xiao Wu.”

Xiao Lu-nan assumed Jiang Rui simply liked Xiao Wu’s lively personality and thought he’d be a good playmate for Jiang Xi. Since the docks were busy with heavy lifting, he hadn’t planned on making seventeen-year-old Xiao Wu work anyway. Giving him the “precious task” of guarding Jiang Xi solved two problems at once.

The transport fleet was already waiting. Because they were moving pharmaceuticals, the trucks had been pre-treated with disinfectants and anti-mold agents. The smell was pungent, but Xiao Lu-nan didn’t complain. He threw himself into the labor alongside his brothers, showing no “big boss” ego whatsoever.

“Xiao Lu-nan is a real man,” Yang Feng remarked, standing beside Jiang Rui.

“Yes,” Jiang Rui replied, his eyes fixed on the horizon. “He is.”

Once the business at the docks was concluded, Jiang Rui prepared to return to Beijing University (Jingda). Although his “avatar” could maintain appearances there, it was better to be there in person.

Looking back, it was strange that such a massive incident at the university hadn’t appeared in the news. He suspected Rong Jing-tang had pulled some strings. Even so, he was surprised by the extent of Rong’s influence in the capital—not even the “fearless” major media outlets had breathed a word.

Jiang Rui’s reason for returning was specific: the first Anatomy Lab.

Although medical students expected to face cadavers, the actual day brought a strange atmosphere. Jiang Rui was fine, but An Le—now fully recovered and hopping with energy—was nervously munching on popcorn. “Hey, Yan-yan, do you think I’m going to throw up?”

Jiang Rui hid a smile as Zhao Jin-yan comforted An Le with a serious face, taking away the snacks and replacing them with warm water.

“Oh! Jiang Rui!” An Le perked up. “Did you bring any food back from home?”

“A lot,” Jiang Rui laughed. “I sent it via express delivery; it should be here in two days.”

“By the way,” Jiang Rui added as he closed his laptop, “I’ll be applying to live off-campus soon.”

“Really? Jin-yan and I were planning to move out, too,” An Le noted. At their age, heirs to families like theirs were expected to start handling family affairs outside of school.

As they headed out, An Le gripped his textbook, looking at the word “ANATOMY” in large letters. He licked his lips nervously. “Jin-yan… I don’t faint at the sight of blood, do I?”

A flash of amusement crossed Zhao Jin-yan’s eyes as he ruffled An Le’s hair. “No, you don’t.”

On the way, they passed other students discussing the lab. Several female students kept glancing their way. An Le nudged Jiang Rui with his elbow, winking mischievously. “You two are basically the ‘Twin Flowers’ of Jingda right now.”