INHA Chapter 98

During this period, Xu Dongyou had continuously felt his strength growing stronger. Initially, he thought it was due to his pact with Zhulong. However, with his recent rise to fame from participating in the talent show and eventually becoming a spokesperson, his strength had surged once more.

He began to develop a more frightening hypothesis.

It seemed that his strength was increasing in proportion to his growing fame. This led him to question whether the Bureau’s decision to make him an official live-stream host was not just a coincidence but a deliberate choice.

Had the bizarre fish attack incident not been accidentally broadcasted, the Anomaly Handling Bureau might have had another method to make him a host.

He didn’t ask the director directly, perhaps subconsciously preferring to trust Elder Chen. When he arrived on the top floor, Elder Chen was still smiling and invited him to sit down, while Jiu Chao prepared tea for Xu Dongyou.

As Xu Dongyou drank his tea, he pondered how to bring up the matter with Elder Chen. He had previously asked Elder Chen about the reason for his power surge, but Elder Chen hadn’t provided a direct answer.

He wasn’t sure if Elder Chen would respond differently this time.

Perhaps because Xu Dongyou’s concerns were too evident, Elder Chen sighed, put down his cup, and said, “Just ask directly what you want to know.”

Xu Dongyou was momentarily surprised, feeling a bit embarrassed. He also put down his cup and said quietly, “I want to ask about the increase in my strength.”

Xu Dongyou shared his previous speculations and questions with Elder Chen. After he finished, Elder Chen’s expression seemed even more complex. He remained silent for a long time before speaking, “I do know part of the reason for this, but I cannot provide you with more specific details at the moment.”

Xu Dongyou felt disappointed but nodded in understanding. “I understand. Can you at least tell me what I can know right now?”

This inexplicable increase in strength made him feel uneasy, as it came so unexpectedly.

Elder Chen, precisely because of this concern, decided to share some information with Xu Dongyou, fearing that Xu Dongyou might avoid or be wary of these powers due to discomfort or apprehension.

“Your increase in strength is indeed related to the human race, but it’s not due to the fame you might think. In fact, it concerns something much deeper. You should know that the human race has a concept of fortune, and so does the demon race. This is why the evil forces behind the scenes seek to slowly weaken human fortune with evil,” Elder Chen explained.

“As long as the human race remains strong, evil forces will find it hard to succeed.”

Xu Dongyou listened intently, becoming even more puzzled. It sounded as though it had less to do with him directly.

After all, he was not of the human race but of the demon race.

Elder Chen sighed deeply and said, “Have you ever wondered why the demon race has not had any newborns for thousands of years, yet you are a naturally formed demon child?”

Xu Dongyou’s mind went blank. Indeed, why was he the exception? Clearly, this world had become predominantly human, and it seemed that demon newborns should not appear.

“There might be only one reason that explains this: your existence is unique. As you gain more affection from the human race, you accumulate protection from their fortune. However, you are essentially of the demon race. Consequently, the demon race will also gradually grow stronger because of you. But since this world belongs to humans, the demon race cannot fully regain its former glory. Nevertheless, this is already quite significant.”

As for the deeper reasons, Elder Chen felt it was not yet necessary to explain them to Xu Dongyou. He continued, “Your existence is crucial for the future of the demon race. Perhaps it won’t be long before we see more naturally formed demons.”

Elder Chen felt quite pleased with this prospect.

Xu Dongyou was enlightened, finally understanding the reasons behind his newfound strength. The apprehension he had felt about this power dissipated. He thought that if his strength grew, he could better protect those he wanted to safeguard and help the demon race regain their fortune. It seemed like the best of both worlds.

However, he still had questions about the evil forces.

“What about the entity behind the evil forces? Why do they want to destroy human fortune so badly?” Xu Dongyou asked.

Elder Chen’s expression grew serious, and he shook his head. “I don’t know about this either, including Elder Bai. It only indicates that the entity behind the evil forces is indeed very powerful. We might have to wait until Lord Zhulong awakens to find out more.”

Xu Dongyou nodded solemnly in agreement.

After resolving his inner doubts, Xu Dongyou spent a while with Elder Chen and Jiu Chao before leaving. Before departing, he visited the sealing array once more to check on Zhulong.

It hadn’t been long since his last visit, and Xu Dongyou noticed that Zhulong seemed much more alert now. The madness in its blood-red eyes had diminished.

Zhulong lowered its head, gazing intently at Xu Dongyou. Its voice, though still deep, was less tumultuous. “It seems your strength has increased again.”

Xu Dongyou nodded and shared his conversation with Elder Chen to Zhulong. Although Zhulong was not fully awake, Xu Dongyou treated it as an equal in terms of intelligence.

Zhulong’s eyes went dark. After pondering for a while, it said, “I sense a very pure form of power from you.”

Xu Dongyou considered this thoughtfully.

Pure power, huh…

After bidding farewell to Zhulong, Xu Dongyou headed home. While sitting in the backseat of the car, he continued to reflect on his conversation with Zhulong during his visit to the sealing array.

He wondered what kind of power could be considered pure and if it had any relation to his natural transformation into a demon.

Zhulong mentioned that it was still in a semi-mad state and many memories had not yet returned. It only knew that this pure form of power had rarely been seen in either the demon or human races.

Xu Dongyou asked if such power had been present in ancient times.

Zhulong remained silent for a long time, seemingly straining to recall. The more it tried to remember, the more intense the madness in its eyes became, and an unsettling aura began to emanate from it.

Seeing this, Xu Dongyou quickly interrupted Zhulong’s attempt to recall, feeling deeply guilty. He had almost caused harm to Zhulong just moments earlier.

However, Zhulong, despite its fierce and imposing appearance, had a surprisingly delicate and gentle side. It comforted Xu Dongyou, saying, “This is actually a good thing. It at least means that someone in ancient times must have possessed this pure form of power.”

Xu Dongyou remained unsettled by the earlier incident, and Zhulong’s words did little to soothe him. He silently reminded himself not to ask questions that could provoke Zhulong’s madness in the future.

Upon returning home, Xu Dongyou had dinner and then went to rest. His mother was chatting with the neighbor next door, excited about Xu Dongyou becoming an official spokesperson. Both his parents were thrilled.

However, as Mother Xu lay down in the evening, the joy turned into worry and anxiety. With Xu Dongyou’s current fame, news platforms and the internet were abuzz with the story, and even the old man downstairs, who never goes online and only watches TV, knew about it.

Did Xu Dongyou’s biological parents see this? Would they come looking for him? Did they really abandon him back then?

If so, as Xu Dongyou’s adoptive mother, what should she do? She couldn’t possibly refuse to let them meet Xu Dongyou if they wanted to reconnect.

But thinking about how his biological parents had abandoned him in the middle of winter, clearly with the intention of leaving him to die, how could they have the audacity to seek him out now?

On the other hand, what if they did not abandon Xu Dongyou intentionally? Perhaps they had been searching for him all these years due to unforeseen circumstances.

Mother Xu’s feelings became increasingly complicated, and she couldn’t help but start crying. Father Xu sighed heavily, equally distressed.

Lying in bed, Xu Dongyou heard the muffled sounds of crying from the next room and sighed as well. He knew he needed to have a serious talk with his parents about this matter the next day.

The next morning, Mother Xu got up early to buy groceries. When she returned, she handed the groceries to Father Xu to start cooking, while she sat down and began browsing her phone. She had recently started learning how to use the internet and was searching for information about Xu Dongyou.

Reading the praise for Xu Dongyou in the comments lifted her spirits, and she began to feel happy again.

After Xu Dongyou got up and freshened up, the family sat down to breakfast together. Once they had finished eating, he put down his chopsticks and said, “Mom and Dad, there’s something I want to tell you.”

Father Xu and Mother Xu were uncertain about what Xu Dongyou was going to say. Seeing his serious expression, they began to feel an inexplicable sense of unease.

“What—what is it?” Mother Xu asked, forcing a smile and her heart pounding.

It wouldn’t be something wrong with the endorsement, would it?

Xu Dongyou said straightforwardly, “Actually, I already know that you’re not my biological parents.”

The revelation hit like a thunderclap, shattering the calm like a boulder dropped into a tranquil lake. Father Xu and Mother Xu were left stunned, their minds blank. It took them a long time to regain their composure. They didn’t even notice their hands starting to tremble.

“You—”

What could they say?

Should they ask Xu Dongyou how he found out? If he was just testing them, their responses might inadvertently reveal the truth.

They were so stunned that they couldn’t find the words. They just sat there, completely at a loss for what to do or say.

Xu Dongyou felt a pang of sympathy for his parents. He reached out and took their cold, sweaty hands in his, and said softly, “Actually, I’ve suspected this since I was very young. But as I grew up, the Anomaly Handling Bureau helped me investigate this matter.”

Mother Xu looked up in confusion. The fear of losing her son seemed to choke her up instantly, and tears began to flow uncontrollably.

Father Xu’s eyes were red with emotion.

“Don’t cry,” Xu Dongyou said with a pained expression, his own eyes filling with tears. “I never wanted to leave you and I never will. You will always be my parents.”

“Dongyou… Mom didn’t mean to hide this from you,” Mother Xu said, gripping Xu Dongyou’s hand tightly and sobbing. “If your biological parents come looking for you, I won’t stop them.”

Xu Dongyou sniffled and fought back his tears. “Mom, the reason I brought this up today is to tell you that no matter what happens in the future, I will always be your child. That’s something that no one can change.”

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