OFTLHFRO C89

Chapter 89 All Arranged

So sleepy…

Luo Mingchen felt as if his whole body were sinking into a mire, yet his senses were crystal clear.

He knew he was being carried by Huo Yan, knew how anxious the three children were, and even knew the rain outside was coalescing.

But the more he tried to let the raindrops return to normal, the more they transformed, condensing without dispersing.

Seeing the rain turn like that outside, Huo Yan knew absolutely no outsiders could be brought in.

And in just that brief moment, Luo Mingchen’s body temperature rose to an astonishing degree.

“Daddy, there should still be some fever-reducing herbs at home—I’ll decoct them…” Huo Yuhui began, only to see Huo Yan take out a small vial. “What’s that?”

Huo Yan didn’t answer, just felt Luo Mingchen’s forehead again—it was even hotter than before.

With no response from him at all, Huo Yan poured out an ice-blue pill and fed it to him.

Fortunately, Huo Yan remembered to give him a bowl of water to swallow it, or Luo Mingchen would have felt choked by such a big pill.

As his perception of everything sharpened, an odd sense of out-of-body detachment washed over him.

Was… he about to die?

Anxious, Luo Mingchen tried to seize control of his body, but he couldn’t.

He knew every change happening within him, but not how to control any of it.

After taking the ice-blue pill, the fever did subside some, yet whether hot or not, he only registered it—there was no discomfort, nor comfort.

It was very strange…

Was this an ability upgrade?

He wasn’t sure, because that wasn’t how upgrades had felt before.

But he remembered other ability users saying level five was a watershed; reaching level six, the whole world would feel different.

Moments after that thought, countless currents of water-element energy surged through his limbs and bones, swelling his crystal core until it ached.

Before coming to this world, he’d trained hard to survive the apocalypse—the higher the level the better—but after arriving here, he’d stopped cultivating, never expecting to actually break through.

Huo Yan fed him two pills in succession; his temperature fell, then rose again, then gradually dropped. A membrane like a water-film covered him—neither puncturable nor pressable.

Even the cold-ice poison Huo Yan had just administered dissipated without effect.

“Daddy…” Huo Xinyue began, but Huo Xiang covered her mouth at once.

In a situation like this, silence was best.

On the bed, Luo Mingchen only realized that was poison when it started to act, but his internal energy dissolved it quickly.

Now, the only way to cool down was to actively absorb the surrounding water-element energy.

Having intended to decoct herbs, Huo Yuhui stopped when he saw the water-film sheathing Luo Mingchen.

With no way to touch him, Huo Yan could only watch his face shift from flushed red to pink to judge the fever easing.

This wasn’t a simple fever; it was a change in whatever ability he cultivated.

He recalled once having to digest forcibly infused inner force himself; perhaps letting him sleep a few days would be better…

If Luo hadn’t told him before that abilities differed from inner force, Huo Yan would have tried to help channel it—but with two different systems, acting rashly would be dangerous for both.

It wasn’t time for desperate measures; Huo Yan decided to wait and see.

Huo Yuhui looked, then said to Huo Yan, “Daddy, I’ll go to the academy and request leave.”

Only then did Huo Yan look at them. “I’ll keep watch here. Yueyue stays. You two go to school.”

Only then did Huo Xiang dare speak. “With Little Daddy like this, how can we settle down to class? Daddy, let us stay. If medicine needs buying or water boiled, we can do it.”

“Daddy, with Little Daddy like this—and with changes at home—we can’t let outsiders know,” Huo Yuhui added. “We’re better here, to keep people from coming. And since you need to care for Little Daddy, we’ll look after Yueyue.”

Hearing them out, Huo Yan glanced at the bed and gave a slight nod. “Alright. Be careful if you go out.”

“I will.”

Huo Yuhui had Huo Xiang stay home with Huo Xinyue and took an umbrella to the academy.

If they simply failed to show up, someone would surely come to find them.

And if someone came, they couldn’t exactly refuse to open the door.

The phenomenon in the courtyard couldn’t be concealed either; they couldn’t bluff laymen by claiming it was inner force again. Better he arrange things first.

Exactly as he expected, he ran into Master Mo just as he was heading out to find them.

Seeing him, Master Mo was surprised. “Student Huo, why isn’t your younger brother here?”

They’d never been late before, but being late once was understandable—so long as the reason was clear.

But why had only one come?

Bowing, Huo Yuhui said, “Teacher, this student is here to ask for leave. There’s a family matter; both our fathers are tied up, and we need to look after our younger sister.”

Seeing his solemn expression, knowing how much he loved studying, Master Mo was sure he wouldn’t lie; he nodded. “In that case, you’re excused for the day. Don’t fall behind on your lessons.”

“Thank you, Teacher. I will.”

Having secured leave, he informed Wen Liuyun.

After a moment’s thought, he went to speak to the tavern keeper as well.

With these matters settled, he hurried home.

Huo Xiang, with Huo Xinyue, was crouched at the front door. When someone knocked, he asked warily, “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Hearing his voice, Huo Xiang opened up and ushered him in quickly, then shut the door with care.

Even though Luo Mingchen had forgotten his old warning, Huo Xiang remembered—never reveal Little Daddy’s secret, or Little Daddy would disappear.

Every move they made, Luo Mingchen was fully aware of.

His current state was like his soul drifting above the sky while his body lay immobile on the bed.

He’d tried many times and found he could only somewhat control the growing water sphere in the courtyard—splitting it into several, so if it burst, the house and garden wouldn’t be destroyed.

His body, bloated to bursting by the water-element energy, eased a little when he tried moving the spheres outside.

And so, he simultaneously expended ability energy and absorbed ambient water-element energy.

The three little gatekeepers stared, dumbstruck, at the shifting water spheres in the yard.

This was beyond human ability…

“Is Little Daddy actually a celestial immortal?” Huo Xiang murmured.

Luo Mingchen, steering the spheres, “heard” that and wanted to laugh. If he could control water freely, he’d have reached out to poke Huo Xiang’s cheek.