Chapter 1934

To show sincerity, Ghost Doctor Fu Fu finally stopped concealing anything, and told how he came here, his original purpose, and the entire background of the trans-space plan.

Hu Xiaotian already knew quite a bit about these matters, could judge that what Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said was true, and also recounted his own trip to attack Fan Yin Si to search for the skull; as for what Ji Feihua and the Chosen One said when they met, he did not rush to reveal it, since he hadn't witnessed it himself, a little concealment was understandable.

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said: "Why did the Chosen One choose to meet only Ji Feihua? Could he also have the Chosen One's bloodline?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You once performed a cesarean on Ling Jiazi; have you studied her bodily structure and how it differs from ours?"

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu closed his eyes, straining to recall everything, his voice low and slow: "Ling Jiazi's bodily structure is not much different from that of a normal human, except her blood is blue."

Hu Xiaotian said: "How does she differ from the Chosen One you saw?"

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu suddenly opened his eyes, looking at Hu Xiaotian with some surprise: "What else do you know?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You just need to tell me whether she is the Chosen One or not."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said: "This is exactly what I couldn't figure out. Initially we all believed Ling Jiazi was the Chosen One; she not only controlled the Dakang emperor Long Xuan'en and his son, but also brought Hong Beimo, Ren Tianqing, Mu Rongzhan, Quan De'an, and Liu Yuzhang under her control. A woman with such power inevitably raises alarm; one could say these people all wanted to eliminate her, yet never dared to act—first because Ling Jiazi was too formidable, second because she was too beautiful, and no one could bear to harm such a beauty."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; looking at Qiqi he could picture her mother's appearance back then. Qiqi probably lacks some allure, but once she fully matures her charm would be thrilling to imagine—let alone Ling Jiazi in her prime. Ghost Doctor Fu Fu's remarks likely conceal something; he too must be among those bewitched by Ling Jiazi.

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said: "An opportunity finally arose—Ling Jiazi became pregnant, yet she suffered a difficult labor. In the past I had accidentally cut my palm and seen red blood, but when I performed a cesarean on her, her blood was blue."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Is there anyone in this world who can change the color of blood?"

"Her blood was originally blue; before that she was merely disguising herself. Ling Jiazi's genes are countless times stronger than ours; she can effortlessly imitate many things, even normal human physiology. Yet even so, she still has a weakness: childbirth is likewise a perilous gate for her. To produce offspring, she almost gathered all her strength here. At that time—" Ghost Doctor Fu Fu suddenly stopped speaking.

Hu Xiaotian heard the crucial point, held his breath, fearing to interrupt his train of thought.

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said: "I have never seen such a physiological structure; her interior is like a crisscrossing network, akin to plant roots, with an egg developing in her abdomen—she has none of the normal human traits, and even her internal structure differs completely from that of the Chosen One!" He glanced at Hu Xiaotian and added: "I have dissected the Chosen One's body before; their internal structure is very similar to humans', while Ling Jiazi is entirely different—perhaps after the Chosen One transmitted their legacy to this world, a mutation occurred."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Chosen One's descendants are physiologically closer to normal humans, some even without any difference."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu nodded: "So I said it might be a genetic mutation."

Hu Xiaotian said: "There is also another possibility: besides us and the Chosen One, there exists another mysterious intelligent lifeform in this world!"

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu looked at Hu Xiaotian, a hint of fear in his eyes; the things Hu Xiaotian said had countless times surfaced in his own mind. He had always suspected that Ling Jiazi was neither the Chosen One nor a transmigrator, nor even a native of this world; even genetic mutation couldn't account for it, such a drastic change couldn't occur in a short span. Hu Xiaotian must know something more, he hasn't fully confessed. Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said: "I cannot exclude this possibility."

Hu Xiaotian sighed, stood up, paced a few steps, and said softly: "It is said that the spaceship crashed back then solely because an unknown lifeform had infiltrated it; she wanted to control the ship, and the captain, in utter desperation, chose to make an emergency landing—even with the Chosen One's Level of Science civilization, they were powerless against her, showing how formidable this lifeform is."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu nodded, already able to conclude that everything Hu Xiaotian said was true, and Ling Jiazi very likely was the lifeform that crashed onto this planet together with the Chosen One back then.

Hu Xiaotian said: "After the emergency landing, the Chosen One believed they had disposed of the mysterious lifeform, but they did not anticipate alarming the Dakang court. The Chosen One were besieged, their two most important core figures captured by Dakang, and the survivors scattered. The Chosen One's skull could be preserved only because they used some mysterious power to influence and persuade the then-interrogating military sage Zhuge Yun Chun; the Dakang imperial palace's Long Ling Shengjing and Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda far surpass realistic architectural craftsmanship, showing that Zhuge Yun Chun learned much knowledge from them."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu sucked in a breath of cold air: "But what do they want? What is the purpose of helping Zhuge Yun Chun?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Exchange! They surely intend to preserve something this way, which is very likely the ultimate weapon to restrain that mysterious lifeform!"

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said: "You saying that makes me somewhat understand. Back then our trans-space plan went smoothly at first; we had even found that spaceship, preparing to excavate it, but we were drawn in by a mysterious phenomenon step by step into the Chosen One's hideout. Our battle with the Chosen One ended in mutual loss; now looking back, we realize we were all part of someone's layout and design."

Hu Xiaotian said: "That must be it. After that mysterious lifeform came to this world it became extremely weak, needing a long time to recover; perhaps with her power then she could not eliminate you, so she devised this scheme to make you hostile toward each other, causing you to unwittingly kill one another, while she reaps the benefits like a fisherman."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu's gaunt hands clenched into fists; after so many years in this world he still could not fathom why he had mistakenly entered the Chosen One's hideout, thinking it was the Chosen One who had lured them in. Hu Xiaotian's words should be close to the truth—the Chosen One and they are alike, both victims of the mysterious lifeform's layout. He whispered: "Have you seen the Chosen One?" If you haven't seen the Chosen One, how could Hu Xiaotian know all this so clearly?

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "The Chosen One would not see me, someone with no blood relation to them; all this I heard from others. As for why the Chosen One have lingered on this planet for so long, it is not because they lack the strength to return home, but because they have detected the traces of the Mirage; they dare not go back, fearing to bring this perilous lifeform to their homeland and bring disaster upon their world."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu suddenly realized.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Hong Beimo is desperately repairing that spaceship; the fundamental reason likely lies with you."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said softly: "No, the Mirage is dead; I personally witnessed Ling Jiazi's death—how could a person die and come back to life?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "In the vast universe, anything can happen; life is not what we currently know. Perhaps some lifeforms have transcended ordinary limits; the death you witnessed might merely be a dormant state, and the body you saw is nothing more than a shell they use to disguise themselves."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu murmured: "But if she is not a substantive lifeform, how could she become pregnant?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "What we call pregnancy, for the Mirage might merely be a synthetic process of creating life."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu's mind suddenly cleared; the problem he had agonized over without answer now had an answer; his dim eyes brightened, then immediately dimmed again, and he said softly: "Are you saying the Mirage is still alive?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "That seems right; I have always thought she lurks in the darkness, silently watching us, waiting for an opportunity."

Hearing the words 'waiting for an opportunity,' Ghost Doctor Fu Fu's heart tightened instantly; could the opportunity the Mirage awaits be their repairing the spaceship? If the ship is fixed, would she pilot it and leave? He, full of confusion, said: "But why would she want to leave? This world is far vaster than our former world; even when Ling Jiazi was alive, she never showed great ambition toward this world."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The greatest reason for someone to leave is unsuitability; perhaps this world is unsuitable for the Mirage's survival, so over this long time she has never become stronger; perhaps her ambition is not limited to this."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu said: "Then does that mean if the spaceship cannot be repaired, she will never be able to leave this place?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded, then added: "Don't forget that the Mirage, like the Chosen One, has existed for over a hundred years; during this long span, her evolution may have been slow but never ceased, and now she may have become powerful beyond our imagination."

Ghost Doctor Fu Fu secretly mused that his greatest wish all along had been to repair the spaceship and return home, but the present circumstances have thwarted that hope, leaving him to pin all his hopes on Hong Beimo alone—yet he never imagined that behind him a pair of eyes watches everything; should Hong Beimo truly fix the spaceship, the Mirage would surely infiltrate it and ride the ship back to her own homeland, then what disaster would he bring upon his family and native land!