Chapter 39 – “So he saved you?”
Novel Title: 龙血 (Dragon Blood)
Author：水千丞 (Shui Qian Cheng)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 单鸣 (Shan Ming -MC), 沈长泽 (Shen Changze -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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When Shan Ming woke up, he found that he was back in the room where he was recuperating a few days before.
He tried to move his fingers and found that his body was stiff. It was probably because he hadn’t moved for many days. With bandages wrapped around his body, Shan Ming knew without even looking into the mirror that he must look like a mummy.
In just half a month, he was injured twice. He was really unlucky enough.
There was no one in the room and he couldn’t move. He was anxious to know how Shen Changze was doing and whether those SWAT bastards continued to trouble them.
He opened his mouth and tried to let out a cry. But his throat was hoarse and he couldn’t make a sound. His head buzzed as soon as he spoke. He felt dizzy and he felt like he wanted to vomit.
Reluctantly, he could only continue to lie down. After a while, the door was pushed open. Pell walked in.
“Shan? Are you awake?” Pell ran over happily. She touched his forehead tenderly and kissed the tip of his nose, “Thank God. You finally woke up.”
Shan Ming forcefully opened his mouth and said, “Water.”
Pell stuffed the straw into his mouth and the cold liquid flowed down his dry throat, which was a bit painful. But he obviously felt better.
“Where’s the child?” Shan Ming asked.
“He’s next door.” Pell replied while examining him.
“How is he?”
“It’s weird.”
Shan Ming’s heart sank. Did they find out?
“There are no serious injuries on the body but he has not woken up.”
Shan Ming was stunned. No serious injuries? He clearly remembered that the child was seriously injured.
“How many days has he been asleep?”
“It’s the same as you. It’s been four days. He occasionally talks in his dreams and he makes some small movements. Except for his breathing and heartbeat, his physical fitness is normal. He looks no different from a dead person when he sleeps.” Pell frowned. “This child is really strange. I remember that he was in such a coma two or three years ago. But he woke up after two to three days at that time. This time, it was already four days and there was no sign of him waking up. Tell me, do you think that we are too strict with him? I always feel that he is becoming less and less like an ordinary kid.”
“Of course he can’t be like an ordinary kid. He’s already a mercenary.” Ayer pushed open the closed door and walked in.
Shan Ming propped up his body and tried to sit up. But when he moved, he realised that his two arms were almost useless. One side was muscle strained and dislocated.it was so sore that he couldn’t lift it up. Meanwhile, on the other side, he was shot through his shoulder.
Pell perceived his intentions so she helped him up to lean against the bed and tucked a pillow behind his waist.
Ayer came over and shook his head, “You’ve spent almost half a month lying on the bed, how do you feel?”
Shan Ming said honestly, “It’s good that I didn’t die.”
Ayer grabbed his chin and turned it left and right, “Fortunately, you didn’t hurt your face. Or else it’s such a waste.”
Shan Ming shook off his hand, “Tell me, how did I get back? Why are we still in New York?”
“You were brought back in a car by the child. He passed out after seeing us and he hasn’t woken up yet. As for why we are still here… you should be able to guess. Of course, it has something to do with you being attacked this time.”
Shan Ming’s heart skipped a beat. But he acted calmly. At least he was sure that Ayer and the others didn’t know Shen Changze’s true identity, “What’s going on? Tell me.”
“Shen Changze killed a person that day in the safe passage from the hotel to the top floor, you know it.”
“Yes, the bomb must be related to that person.”
“I’m 99% sure that these events are inseparable. You also know that the candidate supported by the company has a strong political opponent. Although there is no evidence at present, a lot of information that cannot be made public shows that he supported the Nigerian anti-government terrorists to carry out that terrorist attack. The purpose of the event was to push the company to the forefront of public opinion and snatch voters during the chaos. And the person who was killed by Shen Changze in the corridor was the politician’s nephew, a CIA agent.”
Shan Ming was stunned.
Ayer thought that it was due to Shen Changze coincidentally killing an important person. Shan Ming knew that it actually had nothing to do with such a coincidence. However, now he has a good explanation for everything.
Through the actions of those SWAT officers, the appearance of Captain House, and also what he said at the end, those people obviously came for the other identity of Shen Changze. How could they suddenly get involved with an assassination of some nephew?
Ayer continued: “In short, now that the hotel has sent special police to investigate, we are not allowed to leave the country now. We must stay to assist in the investigation. Although we are very reluctant, we have indeed been involved in political struggles. Now the company and the supported candidate are trying to find a way to send us back to Colombia. Neo also came yesterday and is trying to figure it out. But we still can’t leave for now.”
Shan Ming pondered for a while, “What do they want?”
“They wanted to put the responsibility for the death of this agent on us, accusing the company of hiring an assassin.”
“Then what should we do now? We can’t just stay here and wait for them to finish with their political struggles.”
“Of course not. Although the company said that they will find a way to send us back to Colombia as soon as possible, I think they are in a state of distress. I think we will observe for a few more days. If the situation does not improve, we can only find our own way to leave here.”
Shan Ming understood that Ayer was thinking of him. With his current mummy appearance, he would drag others down if he acted on his own.
Ayer habitually lit a cigarette and blew second-hand smoke on Shan Ming’s face, “I just can’t figure out why they tried to ambush you.”
Shan Ming glared at him, “Maybe they interrogated the guests who were in the safe passage that day and found out that it was a child who killed the agent?”
“It doesn’t make much sense. Even if they catch the kid, how do they explain to the media that a trained CIA agent was killed by a ten-year-old kid? There’s no need for them to act like this. As long as they can prove to the government that we are guilty, none of us can escape from their territory. What are they doing sending SWAT to block you…” Ayer’s blue eyes showed confusion.
Shan Ming felt a trace of guilt for concealing the truth and lying to Ayer. But he was really unprepared. He didn’t know how to explain this incredible thing to Ayer. It’s not that he didn’t trust Ayer. But Ayer hates that kind of monster deeply. If he knows that Shen Changze is the same kind as the monster back then, he doesn’t know how Ayer will react.
He needed a suitable time to confess to Ayer. He worries that if more people know, the worse it will be for ‘Peregrine Falcon’.
Ayer asked: “I’m also very curious, how did you escape? SWAT blocked the news. We only know that you were chased by them on the street and you finally came back by car. You really have nine lives. If you come back a little later, you will really die.”
Shan Ming snorted coldly, “I almost died this time. If it wasn’t for the child…”
“So he saved you?”
“Anyway, I passed out after we grabbed the car. You’re right, we almost died.” Shan Ming recalled the shocking killing scene in front of him. He still has lingering fears over what happened.
But compared to the confusion he felt two years ago, at least now, Shan Ming knows another important clue. That is, Captain House and Shen Changze are the same kind of creature. It was obvious that Captain House could control his body well and definitely knew more about what Shen Changze really is. He must find a way to look for Captain House and make him answer the questions in his heart.
Or, even if he did nothing at all, Captain House would surely come to look for them.
Shan Ming knew that he was involved in something bad. This was far more complicated than any governor’s election.
This time, Shen Changze was in a coma for seven days.
As Pell said, except for his normal breathing and heartbeat, he almost looked like a dead person. He was lying motionlessly. Like a vegetable. There are no abnormal symptoms that could be detected.
Just as Shan Ming was worried that he would never wake up, one afternoon, he woke up suddenly. He wanted to eat as soon as he opened his mouth.
When Shan Ming was brought to his room, there was a pile of dishes on the table in front of the child. The food was enough for four adults. All the adults in the room were stunned.
After Shan Ming entered the door, the child paused and turned to look at him.
Shan Ming was just about to open his mouth to scold him for eating so much all at once but the child suddenly jumped off the chair and ran over towards him. He threw himself on him and called him “Baba”. He then stopped talking and hugged him tightly .
Pell went up and pulled him off, “Don’t press on Shan’s wound.”
The child ignored Pell. He continued to hug Shan Ming’s neck even harder. He choked up and called out again, “Baba”.
Job winked at Pell and all the other adults pushed the door to go out, leaving only this unusual pair of father and son.
After the door was closed, the child began to cry, “Baba, Baba, I thought you were dead. I thought you were dead. Baba—”
Shan Ming rolled his eyes, “Since I’m not dead, why are you crying like this?”
The child was still crying as he rubbed against Shan Ming’s body. It was as if he wanted to shrink into Shan Ming’s arms like when he was a child. That was the place that made him feel at ease and filled him with a sense of security. But unfortunately, he has grown up now. He is no longer the small child who can sleep on Shan Ming’s stomach.
His whole movement accidentally bumped into Shan Ming’s shoulder. Shan Ming let out a muffled snort. The child immediately came to his senses and jumped off of him. He nervously said: “Baba, where are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. You go and lock the door.”
The child went over and locked the door. He then pulled the stool and sat across from Shan Ming.
Shan Ming looked at his bright black pupils. Those eyes had turned red before. It was still vivid in his memory. He asked slowly, “How much do you remember?”
Shen Changze lowered his head sadly, “I think… I remember them all. But it seems like it was someone else’s memory. It was as if I was watching a movie. Anyway… Anyway…” The child held his own head, “I don’t know what I am. Baba, what on earth am I?!”
“I told you I don’t know. Based on the information I found out so far, after you become that thing, you will become a so-called superman. You are very powerful but you will lose your memory. You will lose control. You will be in a coma for a long time each time it happens.”
“Each time?” The child raised his head blankly, “Is… Is this not the first time…?”
Shan Ming shook his head, “As far as I know, it has happened at least three times.”
“Three times? Why can’t I remember any of them?”
“I’ve told you that you will lose your memory. I guess the first time happened when I saw you in the primaeval forest of Myanmar five years ago. Do you still remember the three wolves that we ate as food? At that time, I wondered what kind of wild animal killed them beyond my common sense. But now it seemed that it was who killed them. That was the first time.”
The child listened blankly.
“The second time was two years ago when you ran into Jim outside the base.”
The child’s eyes widened, “Jim. Did I kill him?!”
“That’s right. When I arrived, Jim was already dead. So you… you appeared in front of me in that form. You didn’t recognise me at all. You attacked me when you saw me. You then passed out and slept for several days. The third time, you also know, was this time. You not only did not forget, but you also recognised me. I think this is a big improvement. Maybe it has something to do with your age as you grow up.”
The child’s eyes were dull and he looked like his soul had left his body. It is difficult to accept this reality all at once. A person who has never doubted that he is a human being since he was a child suddenly finds out that he is not human after all one day. Such a shock would cause someone to be in a state of disbelief unless he experienced it first hand.
Shan Ming pondered: “According to my judgement, you will transform when your life is threatened. This is understandable. It belongs to the instinct of animals. After the transformation, the physical exertion is overloaded so you will be in a coma. You need a lot of supplements after waking up to refill your energy.”
The child tugged at his hair and said in a trembling voice: “I remember that I killed many people. I just wanted to bite off their necks. I like red very much. When I see their blood, I feel that my body is full of strength. I… I feel that my body is not my own and everyone’s movements have become slower. Their fists have become softer and they are all too weak… that they should all be damned!” The child’s eyes suddenly changed. He held Shan Ming’s hand and said, “Baba, I tore off the neck of the person who shot you. I will kill everyone who hurt you!”
Shan Ming slapped him, “Listen, there is a monster hiding in your body. This monster has unimaginable power. You must learn to control it and not let it control you.”
The child was stunned for a moment before his eyes regained clarity, “Baba, I want to see that… that person. That person who is like me.”
He remembered the person who could keep up with his speed. He had scales, a horn, wings and a tail. Although he couldn’t see his whole body, he knew that they were almost the same. The only human’s features retained are the face and hair. Apart from that, every part of the body has mutated completely without any human characteristics. It was like… like a dragon in ancient Chinese legends.
Shan Ming said in a deep voice: “That’s right. We must see him…” Shan Ming suddenly remembered something. He looked at half of his face that he slapped just now where there used to be bloodstain caused by a bullet. But now, it was smooth and did not look like he had received any injuries at all. He lifted the child’s trouser legs. He remembered that a large piece of flesh had been cut off by the shrapnel of the grenade on his calf. But now it seemed that there was only a very shallow scar left. There was no trace of major injuries. All of them healed at a fast speed. This kind of resilience was simply beyond imagination and Shan Ming felt a little envious for a moment.
The child also looked at his calf. He clearly remembered that his leg was blown up to the bone that day. But now, the injury is gone.
Shan Ming said: “No matter what you are, you must be a higher level species than us humans. You can heal wounds by yourself. After you transform, your blood is acidic and your body is invulnerable.” Shan Ming patted his face, “You carry death with you.”
The child blinked, “Baba, does that mean I’m very good?”
“It’s terrible. If you can’t control this ability well, it’s a time bomb. You won’t know how you will die one day.”
The child sighed: “I must control it… But, how to control it? I don’t even know how to transform.”
“So we’re going to ask Captain House. He can freely switch between human form and monster form. He must know a lot.”
The child pursed his lips and nodded. He then yawned, “Baba, I’m sleepy again. I want to sleep.”
“Go to sleep.”
“Baba.” The child tugged at him, “I want to sleep with you.”
“But I’m not sleepy.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t sleep. I just want to lie next to you.” The child looked at him with big watery eyes, displaying his longingness.
Shan Ming frowned and finally said, “Come with me.”
The two of them returned to Shan Ming’s room. Shan Ming was recuperating on the bed all day long so he was not sleepy at all. The child was indeed sleepy. After climbing on the bed, he lay beside Shan Ming with one hand on his waist. He closed his eyes comfortably.
“Baba, I’m gonna sleep.”
“Hmm.”
“Baba, if one day I become a monster, do you still want me?”
“If you can’t change back to a human form, how can I still want you? Should I take you to the zoo and find someone to pay you a visit?”
“Then let’s find a place where there are no other people. We can stop living such a dangerous life. We can go fishing and hunting every day, isn’t it good?”
“Whoever wants to find a place to live in seclusion with no other people but you? You little bastard. It will suffocate me to death. I like a dangerous life and I was born to be part of the battlefield.”
The child was silent for a while. He then put his head softly on Shan Ming’s stomach, “I will go wherever Baba goes and I will protect you.”
“Well, that sounds more like a human speaking.”
“Even if I become a monster, I will still be by your side.”
Shan Ming closed the book in his hand and looked at the hair on the child’s head thoughtfully, “Don’t be like that in front of others. And except me, don’t let anyone else know. Understand?”
The child nodded. His body pressed against Shan Ming, breathing in the familiar scent of Shan Ming. His heart gradually calmed down.
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Next update: 2023.–.–
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