ICAWZ Chapter 55

The fool from the Admon family was hospitalized due to a brain injury caused by a malfunction in the aircraft.

Once this news spread, in less than half a day, the entire imperial capital’s aristocracy became aware of the incident, instantly drawing countless attention. Among them were those who expressed pity, those who mocked, but most were just here for the spectacle.

No other reason, this fool is now the Admon family’s sole “lifeline”. If he were to die, there would be quite a show to witness.

Everyone knows that the Zerg Emperor sought a companion for the eighth prince, Gaien, who has disabilities. In his quest for a suitable partner, the Zerg Emperor practically combed through all the male zergs in the imperial capital with a blood purity of over 45%. Unfortunately, those with high purity were unwilling to marry, while those willing to marry had purity levels too low to pacify an S-class royal zerg. The Admon family seized this opportunity.

In the imperial capital, every inch of land is precious, and the hierarchy is clearly defined. Below the royal family are the four dukes and eight marquises, followed by third-rate noble families. The rest are classified based on military power and wealth, decreasing in rank accordingly. The Admon family belongs to the lowest of the low, even within the lowest ranks.

They squandered the savings left by their ancestors, leaving nothing but an empty title and a load of gambling debts. In order to climb up the social ladder and associate with the royal family, the old fellow from the Admon family willingly proposed to betroth his eldest son, Ashya, to the eighth prince, Gaien. All this, just so the entire family could move back from a third-tier star to a first-tier star.

When news of this matter initially circulated in the noble circles, it caused an uproar of laughter. After all, despite Ashya’s blood purity reaching 50%, he was a complete fool, with an intelligence level inferior to that of a three-year-old child. Now, joining as a companion to the eighth prince, Gaien, wouldn’t this be a source of amusement for everyone?

However, the eighth prince, having lost a leg on the battlefield and unable to find a partner for so many years, pairing a fool with an amputee seemed almost like a match made in heaven.

“What do I do? What do I do!”

Outside the intensive care unit of the Interstellar Hospital, a middle-aged male zerg paced anxiously – none other than Admon himself. His brows were tightly furrowed, displaying an unusual level of distress. “Ashya still hasn’t woken up, and his brain was already not in the best condition. What if this accident makes him even more foolish? The palace official from His Majesty’s side is coming tomorrow. If he sees Ashya in this state, won’t the marriage plans be ruined?!”

On a long bench in the corridor, a drowsy male zerg was seated, none other than Admon’s younger son, Johnny. Upon hearing the conversation, he let out a yawn and nonchalantly remarked, “Father, the eighth prince has been limping for years. If any male zerg was willing to marry, he would have been wed by now. Why wait until now? Ashya is just in the hospital; he hasn’t died. With a blood purity of 50%, how could the royal family not be willing?”

Admon, infuriated, slapped him directly on the head. “Nonsense! You’re the troublemaker! Both of you are my cubs. How come your brother has a blood purity of 50%, and you only have 25%? You good-for-nothing!”

Johnny, irritated, evaded his father’s hand, saying, “Ashya’s blood purity was traded for intelligence. I’m not willing to become a fool, let alone marry someone with a limp! If it weren’t for your mountain of gambling debts, do you think Dad and Uncle would need to earn military merits on the battlefield and still not return until now?”

Having spoken, he swiftly ran to the wall, pointing at Admon and scolding, “You’re the real good-for-nothing!”

Admon, furious, removed his shoe and hurled it towards Johnny. “I’ll show you, you little scoundrel zerg!”

Johnny agilely dodged, and the shoe ended up hitting the door directly. A doctor happened to walk out of the ward, observing the scene with a furrowed brow. “Gentlemen, the hospital prohibits loud disturbances. His Excellency Ashya has safely passed the critical stage. Tomorrow, he can be transferred to a regular ward. Make sure to monitor his condition closely. Tonight is a crucial period.”

Admon, hearing this, didn’t even bother to retrieve his shoe, nervously asking, “Has he woken up? Are there any lingering effects?”

The doctor replied, “His Excellency Ashya’s eyes were injured during the aircraft impact, which may affect his vision in the future. It would be best to provide him with a pair of glasses.”

Admon didn’t see it as a significant issue. “What about his brain? There’s no problem with his brain, right?”

The doctor silently sighed, thinking that Ashya already had issues with his brain; could there be more problems? “Your Excellency, I can’t provide an answer to that at the moment. We’ll have to wait until His Excellency Ashya is completely awake to conduct a detailed examination.”

Admon asked anxiously, “When will he wake up then?”

The doctor replied, “The earliest could be tomorrow, the latest, the day after tomorrow.”

The doctor hurried off to perform the next surgery, and after speaking, he turned and left. The lights in the hospital corridor were as bright and glaring as the sun, yet they only gave off a cold sensation.

As the sun rose and set, it marked the beginning of a new day.

The sun slowly ascended from the window, illuminating the scene inside the ward. The only two male zergs accompanying, lying on the sofa, were deep in slumber, their loud snores echoing through the room. On the hospital bed, a man lay quietly, covered in white gauze in most places, making it nearly impossible to see his face.

A sliver of sunlight quietly fell on his face, as if trying to rouse him.

Where is this…

Han Yan lay on the hospital bed, and with a slight movement of his fingertips, he struggled to open his eyes. However, what met his gaze was a blurry play of light and shadow. Instinctively, he closed his eyes, and it took a good while before he reopened them.

This was an ordinary ward, filled with the strong odors of disinfectant and medicine, indistinguishable from the future. However, the instruments and equipment around were extremely unfamiliar. There were no leads attached to his limbs, only a red light scanning around Han Yan from a distance. His electrocardiogram data appeared directly on an electronic crystal screen.

Han Yan could only recall boarding a tour bus to go up the mountain. However, an accident occurred, causing the bus to overturn. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness. It was a remote area, and descending the mountain would take a full two days, with only some extremely backward small clinics along the way. It was impossible for them to have such advanced medical facilities.

Han Yan keenly sensed that something was amiss. He furrowed his brows and struggled to sit up in bed, accidentally touching the bedside bell. This directly startled Admon and Johnny, who were sleeping on the sofa.

“Ashya?!”

Admon, half-awake, opened his eyes and saw Han Yan attempting to sit up. In panic, he rushed forward, quickly pressing him back down. “Thank the Zerg God! Don’t move recklessly! The doctor said your injuries haven’t fully healed, and you can’t get out of bed yet!”

Admon’s eye sockets were deep, his cheekbones high. Coupled with reddish-brown hair and gray-blue eyes, his appearance was strikingly different from that of a Chinese person.

Han Yan subconsciously frowned and asked, “Who are you?”

Admon, upon hearing this, was momentarily puzzled, evidently not understanding why Han Yan suddenly didn’t recognize him. On the other hand, Johnny looked rather indifferent, with a hint of disdain in his tone. “Tsk, he’s being foolish again. It seems the crash didn’t do his brain any favors.”

Admon then remembered that his cub was a bit slow, not even recognizing simple numbers like 12345. He sighed, ran his hand through his hair in resignation, and said, “I am your male father.”

After saying that, Admon pointed towards Johnny lying on the sofa. “This is your younger brother, Johnny. Don’t forget again.”

On the sofa lay another man with reddish-brown hair, but his eyes were brown, making him appear younger.

Han Yan, observing his surroundings, finally belatedly realized that something was wrong. He subconsciously looked at his own hands, noticing long and slender fingers with smooth palms. They were clearly the hands of someone who had been pampered, vastly different from his hands covered in calluses from martial arts training.

“A mirror.”

Han Yan, sitting on the bed, unexpectedly spoke, startling Admon. Before he could react, Han Yan, devoid of any discernible emotion, repeated, “Give me a mirror—”

The man on the hospital bed had his forehead wrapped in bandages due to the impact, and his face was covered with thick ointment. The half of his face visible was difficult to judge for attractiveness, but what stood out were his gray-blue eyes. They resembled the color of a glacier melting into the deep sea, gradually sinking and dissolving, devoid of any warmth.

When Han Yan saw the unfamiliar face in the mirror, there was a subtle pause. He slowly lifted the mirror, catching a glimpse of his blue hair through the gap in the white bandages. The color was lighter and gentler than his eyes, akin to the sky after being washed by rain.

This body was entirely different from Han Yan’s original one, with black hair and black eyes. There was no resemblance whatsoever.

He stared at the mirror in silence, finally covering it gently with his hand.

Folang Village is situated at the highest point of the mountain, with an elevation of over two thousand meters. The tour bus overturned on the second bend near the entrance of the village, falling from a height of about sixteen hundred meters. Without any protective measures, the survival rate for all passengers approached zero—

Even if someone miraculously survived, it would certainly not be someone as physically impaired as him.

He was already dead.

Otherwise, he would not have reincarnated into this unfamiliar body.

This was Han Yan’s conclusion. Lost in thought, he unconsciously looked at his legs under the covers, placing his palm on the right knee and meticulously inspecting the bones.

In his previous life, Han Yan was abandoned as an infant due to a congenital defect in his right leg. His biological mother discarded him on the mountainside. Later, a respected elder from Folang Village adopted him and sponsored his university education. Han Yan went on to become a wealthy businessman.

Han Yan was an exception in the village. The people of Folang Village practiced ancient martial arts for generations, but due to his physical limitations, he had to abandon martial arts halfway. He later entered the business world, achieved success, but had a falling out with the elders of the village over tourism development. As a result, he hadn’t returned to the village for several years.

In that simple and rustic place, such an indifferent and profit-driven person had never emerged. It seemed as though the minds of all the villagers were focused solely on Han Yan. He excelled in scheming, had a deep understanding of human nature, and spared no means to make money. There was no trace of human warmth in him.

It was as if, by taking away one of his legs, the heavens were also punishing him.

But Han Yan didn’t mind. He thought, ‘Well, I’ve come back now, haven’t I?’ Having confirmed that the legs of this body were fine, he slowly withdrew his hand and asked Admon, “Where is this place?”

This was his second question.

However, Admon didn’t answer him. Instead, he rubbed his face with impatience. “Ashya, now is not the time to discuss these matters. The official from His Majesty’s side will be here soon. It’s better for you not to ask these foolish questions. It will only make you seem unintelligent!”

Admon got nervous easily and tended to pace in circles. After his speech, he walked back and forth in front of the hospital bed, incessantly reminding Han Yan, “I don’t want to go back to that trashy third-tier star. Your marriage to the Eighth Prince must not encounter any mishaps. This is our only chance to make a comeback. Even if I die, I want to die on a first-tier star in this lifetime!”

Johnny lying on the sofa rolled his eyes. “Father, you’re saying so much, but Ashya can’t remember any of it. He can’t even count to 12345. Do you expect him to understand what you’re saying?”

Admon, realizing the truth in Johnny’s words, hurriedly went to a drawer, pulled out a pile of pre-prepared books, and stuffed them into Han Yan’s arms. “Ashya, if the official comes later, just sit on the bed and pretend to read these books. Don’t do anything else. Do you understand?!”

This was the only method Admon could come up with to make his foolish cub appear somewhat intelligent.

In an instant, seven or eight thick books appeared on Han Yan’s legs. He picked up one of them and casually flipped through it, only to find the text familiar yet strange, causing him to unconsciously furrowed his brows.

“Yes, yes, exactly like this!” Admon affirmed.

Admon clapped his hands excitedly, pleased that Han Yan had finally understood his intention. To make it more convincing, he even handed a pen to Han Yan, instructing him to maintain this posture and not move. “Very good, Ashya. Just sit on the bed quietly and read the book. Don’t move!”

Han Yan paid no attention to Admon’s shouting. He looked down at the unfamiliar pen in his hand, realizing it had a peculiar design he had never seen before. Even the writing was strange. Experimentally, he wrote two characters on the title page, and the ink flowed extremely smoothly—

Han Yan.

Lacking strength, he felt somewhat detached.

Han Yan lightly crossed out the two characters and repositioned the pen. This time, his control over the pen seemed more proficient. Each stroke was meticulous and earnest, creating beautifully sharp characters, revealing a hidden sharpness.

The room fell into a profound silence, broken only by the rustling sound of the pen tip writing on paper.

Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, Han Yan leaned against it and carefully wrote something on the blank page. Admon’s words were too numerous and fragmented, inadvertently revealing many details. It was enough for Han Yan to gather a lot of information:

Me—Ashya.

Younger brother—Johnny.

Father—Unknown name.

Common points: Profound appearance, seemingly from an exotic place.

Previous residence: Third-tier star.

Current residence: First-tier star.

Family situation: Poor, likely attempting to climb the social ladder.

Target for climbing: Eighth Prince (possibly a member of the royal family).

Current predicament: Palace official is about to visit.

Original owner’s intelligence: Likely lower.

Difficulty in marriage: High.

 

 

 

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Author’s note:

Third uncle sighs.jpeg