Chapter Thirty-Eight: Escape

Using origin power to cleanse a curse was indeed feasible, but the strength of the curse varied, making the cost unpredictable and potentially bottomless. Moreover, the expenditure was enormous—curses between Bonders would require the burning of at least tens of millions of origin points to even begin to make a dent.

Ye Han was unwilling to pay that price for now.

As for severing his lower body and then cleverly using a small amount of origin power to reconstruct it—such a shortcut was impossible. The other party had used planetary will as a price, and the curse was targeted at the level of Ye Han’s consciousness. Even reconstructing his body would not help.

“Have you seen that examinee before?”

Luan Shuangyu walked up to Ye Han, towering over him and glaring into his eyes.

Ye Han gazed at the magnificent mountains before him and swallowed nervously. “No, but his subordinate, Gu Eleven, said so.”

“Ying Xiaoxiao, Gu Eleven?” Luan Shuangyu arched her elegant eyebrows, her tone icy. “Are you sure it isn’t Gu Xiaoying? She’s deeply involved with the enigmatic side of technology!”

“I’m sure!” Ye Han nodded without hesitation. “If it wasn’t her real name, the contract I signed with her would be invalid!”

With that, Ye Han recounted the entire process of signing the contract. The slaves within Boyang City were a rich prize; Ye Han didn’t believe the other party would give up so easily.

“How naïve!” Luan Shuangyu retorted mercilessly. “You used ‘Ye Huan’ as a false name, but the blood of a Bonder is proof enough—the contract is still valid! Besides, you thought you tricked her into granting you an enchantment with a pseudonym, but did it occur to you that she might not care about Boyang City at all, and wanted just a drop of your blood?”

Her tone was tinged with disappointment, and even she noticed it herself.

“That shouldn’t be possible!” Ye Han was already half-convinced. He had thought using a false name was a clever move, a trap for the other party. Now, after Luan Shuangyu’s analysis, he felt he had been outsmarted.

“Just pray that your blood has already been exhausted by her,” Luan Shuangyu said sarcastically, turning to stare at the city gate, where the situation was rapidly deteriorating. She fell silent, lost in thought.

“So, if you plan to run, could you take me with you?” Ye Han asked awkwardly, sensing the worsening situation at the gate.

With half his body numb and unresponsive, even a teleport might not ensure his safety. Staying with Luan Shuangyu seemed a safer bet; at least her pride would prevent her from striking him when he was down.

“Your reason?” Luan Shuangyu didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids.

Ye Han’s guess was correct; she disdained killing a half-paralyzed man. If she had to kill him, it would be when he was whole.

In three days, the local gene serum on Xiyuan Star would be ready. When that happened, her subordinates’ strength would be elevated, and with the development of the serum, ninth-tier combat power would become standard. Then she would sweep through the lands beneath her feet.

To bring Ye Han along would only be a nuisance. Better to let him fend for himself—if he died in the chaos, she would be spared the trouble.

“I have a feeling,” Ye Han shrugged helplessly, trying to reason, “that if you don’t kill me yourself, you’ll be left with a knot in your heart for life.”

“Heh.” Luan Shuangyu let out a chilly laugh; the wind outside the window was wild, tousling her hair.

“Think of it as a dog bite!” she snapped through clenched teeth. “When I return to the Liyang Sector, I’ll destroy this body and use origin power to forge a new one.”

“But it’s still the same genes, isn’t it?” Ye Han grinned cheekily. “And even if you rebuild your body, can you really move on in your mind?”

“You!” Luan Shuangyu’s gaze sharpened with murderous intent. She looked ready to tear Ye Han apart. “Do you believe I won’t kill you right now?”

“I do!” Ye Han nodded seriously, then added, “If you’re the kind of person who strikes at the weak, I have nothing to say—it’s just disgusting.”

“A representative of planetary will shamelessly bullying the helpless—what more can I say?”

“There’s no real difference between abusing power and kicking the fallen. Just think about what I did—ugh, it’s disgusting.”

Ye Han retorted, feigning indifference to life and death, but inside he was terrified.

After all, women were unpredictable. What if Luan Shuangyu wasn’t as proud as he thought, and lost her mind, killing him outright?

He was gambling everything on this psychological standoff—odds fifty-fifty.

“You insult me!” Luan Shuangyu’s eyes glinted coldly, her entire aura transforming in an instant.

Ye Han sensed she was borrowing the abilities of the local creatures.

“It doesn’t count until you kill me,” Ye Han waved his hand lightly. “If you kill me now, what does it matter if I insulted you? I’m already prepared for you to desecrate my corpse—why not let me curse you a few times first?”

A cold gleam flashed in Luan Shuangyu’s eyes, murderous intent swirling.

Just as Ye Han was about to use his origin power to cleanse the curse and escape, her aura abruptly receded.

She glared at him, breath fragrant and cold. “I’ll let you go this once. If you ever dare speak so recklessly again, I’ll cut you down!”

With that, she picked up a pair of scissors on the table and, with a crisp snip, sliced a mushroom in half.

Ye Han shivered violently at the sight.

For a moment, his numb lower body even seemed to feel a chill.

“Hmph!” Luan Shuangyu snorted, hooking Ye Han’s arm. “The situation here is settled. We’re returning to Yan Yue Sect!”

Ye Han gave a wry smile, half-leaning against her, feeling the softness of her body. He turned his head. “You’re not planning to imprison me, are you?”

Luan Shuangyu’s ears flushed as his breath brushed past. “Keep your distance when you speak!”

Ye Han glanced at the ground, hesitating. “In my current state...”

“Enough nonsense!” Luan Shuangyu tightened her grip on his arm. After releasing the borrowed power, she found it taxing to support him.

“Let’s go then,” Ye Han smacked his lips and hesitated no longer, activating his teleportation talent and heading straight for Yan Yue Sect with Luan Shuangyu.

At Jiantong Pass, the defending general had already been injured under the demon clan’s war of attrition. Exhaustion of his strength was inevitable.

The city was now in chaos. Xu Hao, along with his most loyal soldiers, had leapt from the hundred-zhang-high city walls to escape.

A fall from such a height would turn anyone below the third tier into pulp, but those of fourth tier and above, capable of flight, were able to catch the jumpers. Though the process was slow, safety was assured.

Of the more than half a million Earthlings developed here, nearly four hundred thousand were soldiers below the third tier.

In a single afternoon, those above the third tier, along with the soldiers they caught, managed to get over two hundred thousand people out of the city.

By the following night, all could be evacuated.

As for the eighth-tier experts stationed in the city, they were powerless to stop the fleeing soldiers—there were simply too many, and one careless moment would see someone leap from the wall. Besides, they dared not slaughter the defectors outright, for fear of demoralizing their own defenders and causing unrest.

On the other side, the demon clan was focused entirely on the city gate, desperate to secure the breach. As for those soldiers jumping out, as long as they didn’t attack, the demons ignored them.

In the eyes of the demon clan, anyone outside the city would eventually become their food anyway. There was no hurry to deal with them now.

Thus, Xu Hao and his men were granted a rare moment to catch their breath.