Only Human Here 13

His consciousness detached from his body.

Wei Huan felt himself slowly sinking into a cocoon wrapped in black threads. In the silent darkness, a gentle call reached him.

["Ah Huan."]

His mother? Wei Huan followed the voice and saw his mother's figure dressed in military uniform.

["Ah Huan, take good care of yourself."]

["Stay alive."]

Don't go!

Wei Huan tried to shout, but his mouth couldn't produce any sound. He attempted to run towards his mother, extending his arms to embrace her, but in that moment, his mother's figure disappeared without a trace.

His arms were left empty, and he couldn't grasp anything.

Mom…

["Ah Huan, you are my son… You bear the honor of the Nine Phoenixes on your shoulders…"]

His father's voice?

It was his father's voice.

He was afraid to turn around, his father's voice sounded so weak, and Wei Huan had never heard him speak like this.

A dreadful premonition surged within him.

But he hadn't seen his father in years. How could he bear not looking back?

His eyes stung, and Wei Huan raised his hand to rub them. With determination, he turned around and saw his father kneeling in a pool of blood, the Nine Phoenixes mark on his forehead stained with fresh blood.

His father looked at him with infinite tenderness.

["Did you think I would say that…"]

Wei Huan's heart ached.

["No, I didn't."]

In front of him, the powerful man shook his head gently, struggling to speak word by word.

["You are… yourself."]

["Dad can't protect you anymore…"]

Wei Huan's heart ached, and his steps were heavy and sluggish. He walked to his father's side with great effort, knelt down, and reached out. The moment his fingertips touched his father's face, his father disappeared, like a cluster of light mist torn apart by the wind, slowly fading into the darkness.

The boundless blackness suddenly ignited a ring of wildfire, trapping Wei Huan within. The fire grew higher and higher, forming a blazing wall, pressing on his nerves with scorching heat. Wei Huan stood up and looked around at the fiery barrier. Through the scorching screen, he squinted and vaguely saw a tall figure.

He took slow and deliberate steps toward the fiery enclosure, moving closer to the figure trapped within it.

Wei Huan extended his fingertips, and in the next moment, a hand reached through the wall of fire, tightly grasping his hand. A powerful force pulled his body, making him lose balance and rush forward.

As his body passed through the wall of fire, Wei Huan's consciousness broke free from the dream, and he abruptly opened his eyes.

The dream had been so vivid and heavy that he kept gasping for breath. His chest rose and fell dramatically, and his unfocused pupils stared at the white ceiling. It took him a while to regain his composure.

"Ah Heng, you're awake? That's great, you've finally woken up."

Hearing the voice, Wei Huan quickly turned his face, his heart still pounding. Sitting by the bedside was Jing Yun, and his rapidly thumping heart gradually settled.

"The competition…" Wei Huan began, his voice hoarse. He coughed a few times.

Jing Yun immediately handed him a glass of water. "The competition has already ended. You were unconscious for a whole day, do you know that? I was so scared when I found out you were injured. Luckily…"

"What?" Wei Huan widened his eyes and interrupted Jing Yun. "I was unconscious for a whole day?"

Jing Yun nodded, his glasses sliding down halfway before Wei Huan pushed them back up.

The sound of a knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Both of them turned their heads towards the door.

Yang sheng?

Upon seeing his childhood friend's face, Wei Huan suddenly felt nervous. Why was he here? Did he discover something suspicious?

During his battle with Yang Ling, he had been closely observing. Although he had been trying to avoid using his usual moves and tactics, he couldn't rule out the possibility that Yang Sheng, who had grown up with him, might have noticed.

If he had indeed been discovered, should he just confess?

Yang Sheng had already changed out of his Mountain and Sea combat instructor uniform and was now wearing a refreshing blue shirt. He had just entered the room and took a few steps before turning to look back. "Where is she?"

He addressed the question to the outside of the ward, "Come in quickly."

Yang Ling, who was leaning against the hallway wall, pouted. Her small shoes' heels gently tapped against the base of the wall, making a light sound. She heard her brother calling her, but she couldn't summon the courage to enter.

Yang Sheng went out by himself, taking his sister's hand and pulling her into the room. Seeing Yang Ling's somewhat stubborn demeanor, Wei Huan couldn't help but want to laugh but restrained himself.

"Before we left, you promised to behave, and now you want to change your mind?" He even pretended to put on a stern expression, despite clearly being a doting older brother. Wei Huan knew Yang Sheng too well, having grown up with him. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Releasing his sister's wrist, Yang Sheng  turned to Wei Huan and said, "Wei, I'm very sorry. I brought my sister here specifically to visit you."

Visit? Wei Huan suddenly understood. So, Yang N brought his sister along to apologize.

The term "visit" struck him as amusing, and he cleared his throat, suppressing his laughter. He feigned innocence and shook his head. "It's alright; I'm fine. I haven't lost an arm or a leg." He even wiggled his arm and inadvertently touched the wound on his chest, wincing in pain.

Jing Yun quickly stepped forward to support Wei Huan's arm, cautioning him to be careful.

Wei Huan glanced at Jing Yun as well. This guy seemed to be blushing for some reason, and his face turned as red as a freshly cooked crab.

Yang Sheng continued, "It's fortunate that you are not seriously injured. It's also fortunate for my sister. She knows she acted immaturely in the practical combat, sometimes being too rough. She's aware of it and feels quite embarrassed. She even told me yesterday that she wanted to come and see you today."

Is that so? Wei Huan pursed his lips.

"I'm not embarrassed at all. I'm very willing to do it…" Yang Ling muttered under her breath. However, upon seeing her brother's gaze, she fell silent and pressed her lips together.

"Sorry, we will cover all your medical expenses from now on," Yang Sheng said, bowing to Wei Huan while using his hand to gently press his sister's head, forcing her to bow and apologize as well.

"I'm sorry," Yang Ling said rapidly and unclearly, finishing the three words as if she were a spring bouncing back up, her twin tails swaying cutely.

If this were before, Wei Huan would have definitely teased her, but now, their roles were different, and he gave up on that thought, turning to Yang Sheng instead. "It's okay; there's always a winner and loser in a competition, and getting some injuries is normal. Don't worry too much just because I'm a human; I'm quite strong."

Yang sheng shook his head repeatedly, changing his somewhat relaxed expression from earlier to a serious one. "No, it's not about getting injured or not. As a Bi Fang bird, she knows her own abilities and what you, as an opponent, can endure. However, she didn't show restraint and nearly caused a fatality. This is all due to her desire to win and her immaturity. Right now, she's only receiving a punishment for the foul and hasn't paid too heavy a price. If we don't rein her in, she might make a serious mistake in the future."

As expected, Yang Sheng, no matter how he joked with him on a daily basis, was always clear-headed and stubborn when it mattered, insisting on his own point of view.

Yang Ling pouted, her cheeks puffing up in a sulky expression. Her face was full of dissatisfaction. Wei Huan wanted to laugh when he saw her like that.

Wait a minute.

"Foul?" Wei Huan was slow to react and turned to look at Jing Yun, who was sitting on the bed. Jing Yun nodded his head rapidly, resembling a chick pecking at grains.

Thinking about this, Yang Ling's expression became even more unpleasant. "Are you still asking? It's all your fault. I won fairly, and you were the one who fell off the duel platform first. But Instructor Yun insisted on judging me for a foul."

Yun Yongzhuo? Wei Huan was even more surprised now.

Right, Yun Yongzhuo was the referee. Wei Huan looked at Yang Sheng, his expectations rising. "So, what's the final result of the competition?"

"Because Yang Ling did not adhere to the principles of fair and safe combat in the practical combat, and she also lost control while manipulating the Fire Lotus, after discussion with the referees and teachers, it was decided to penalize her for the foul. However, you were indeed the first to be eliminated…"

Ah… In that case, it still wasn't possible. Wei Huan lowered his head.

"So the final result is Yang Ling advancing, but you can receive a compensation of 15 points for her foul."

Yang Ling shuffled slowly behind her brother, like a little ghost. Her eyes gazed in another direction as she murmured quietly, "I still feel it's unfair. I clearly felt someone was helping him…"

Fifteen points in compensation. Wei Huan's eyes brightened. "So, what now? Is the entire practical combat over?"

Jing Yun smiled like a little sunflower, grabbing Wei Huan's arm. "You've passed the Mountain and Sea entrance exam! We're classmates from now on!"

He had just finished speaking, but then he seemed to think his emotions were too stirred up. He coughed a couple of times to calm himself down, letting go of Wei Huan's arm, and sipped water from a glass on the table, sneaking glances in their direction as he drank.

Hiding behind her older brother, Yang Ling peeked out and huffed, "What's so great about being at the bottom? If it weren't for that 15-point bonus, you would have been eliminated."

This was truly an unexpected delight! Wei Huan clenched his fists. "That's great!" He couldn't hide the smile on his face.

Yang Sheng suddenly turned to his little sister and said, "Weren't you going to say something else?" Yang Ling glanced at her brother and pouted in a dejected manner. Then, she gave Wei Huan a fierce glare. "Hmph, who would want to stay here?" With that, she darted out of the hospital room.

Seeing his sister leave, Yang Sheng turned to Jing Yun. "You were saying something, weren't you?" Yang Ling's gaze was full of questions as she looked at her brother, then let out a displeased snort and left the room in a hurry.

Seeing his sister leave, Yang Sheng finally remembered that there was still someone in the room. He turned to Jing Yun and spoke, "Young classmate, can you help me find out where my sister went?"

He smiled gently and politely. Jing Yun blushed deeply and nodded repeatedly, leaving the water glass on the table. Without saying a word, he left the hospital room.

Was this kid sick? Wei Huan shook his head inwardly. He was acting so strangely.