Whose Nirvana (VIII)

"Your Excellency, Number Nine was recommended to join the Shadow Guard during the Federation-wide talent selection ten years ago." Bi Qi knelt at the foot of the dais, a complex expression on her face. "The person who recommended him has passed away."

Flora waved her hand wearily, "It's all over."

If Fei Rui had been the one to orchestrate this move, he wouldn't have chosen to betray her for a girl, and ended up in such a mess.

In that case, let the past be the past. Seventeen years later, she couldn't face this child for a while.

Fei Rui was not her biological child. After all, how could she have a child with that bastard Electra?

Electra always dreamed of achieving a lasting legacy and completely eradicating martial warfare. The then-head of the Lan family, the Martial Alliance, obstructed his efforts. Later, despite his utmost efforts to destroy the Martial Alliance and kill the Lan family head, he still felt it was not enough. Developing a mythical beast surpassing the Night Orchid became his obsession, and to this end, he captured countless living beings to cultivate the Scarlet Rose.

One day, he suddenly had an inspiration. He said that perhaps only a woman with special charm like the deceased head of the Lan family could carry such an otherworldly fantasy beast.

And she, this little pet that made him so proud, certainly had a "special charm" in his eyes.

To avoid being subjected to experiments, she feigned pregnancy, revealing the truth at a Frost family dinner. Thus, she narrowly escaped before giving birth—though, ultimately, she chose to bear the Scarlet Rose in order to control the Hall of Phantasmal Beasts. But actively facing death and letting one's fate be completely controlled by others are completely different.

She knew then that this was a life-or-death struggle. Once this madman, Electra, had such an idea in mind, she would never give up. To avoid being consumed to death by the unstable Scarlet Rose, she had no choice but to—completely kill him.

No, not just killing him. What if I killed Electra? She would still be that helpless orphan, bullied by everyone. Even her bullies would change from just one Electra to everyone in the world.

She began to build her own forces. Lucian and Peach were the ones she snatched from Electra. To him, these two were defective, eliminated and no longer valuable. But to her, the defectives were her most loyal knives, because they had nowhere to retreat.

Her subordinates grew in number, her plan to kill him grew more complete, the stuffing in her clothes grew larger, and even as she neared her full term, her plan to assassinate Electra was still incomplete. Frost's old men had grown suspicious, their eyes fixed on her belly like vultures.

Just when she was about to be exposed, Fei Rui came to her and solved her urgent problem.

Because she "gave birth to the Young Palace Master", she became the "mistress" in the hearts of everyone in the Fantasy Beast Palace.

The little child grew up day by day, and she was not without feelings for him. However, his existence, while giving her more time to prepare, also blocked her path - as long as he was still around, it would not be her turn to inherit the Fantasy Beast Palace.

So, the one-year-old boy was "lost".

Now, he is back, in such an unexpected way.

Fei Rui, ah Fei Rui, she is really her good child. Every time she appears, she helps her solve her problems.

With him around, the results of Project V will definitely belong to her.

The actual control of the Fantasy Beast Palace must belong to her.

Mao Tan thought he had planned everything, but from now on, the owner of the Fantasy Beast Palace would have nothing to do with the Frost family.

This is also...Electra's good fortune.

Flora leaned lightly against the armrest and chuckled.

…

Dark red rose vines pierced the silver-haired boy's back, greedily sucking his blood. The blood vessels under his skin quickly withered, while the vines grew brighter and more juicy.

Flora stood in front of the one-way glass in the ICU, watching quietly. It was unclear what she was thinking.

"The vital signs have dropped to 30%." Lucien's blue eyes were filled with anxiety.

Flora didn't look back. "Go on, add more."

A new potion was pushed into his veins, and the buds at the vine's tip pierced the boy's temples. Memory solution flowed in, and the boy's eyeballs began to move beneath his eyelids.

His silver hair initially showed only a hint of darker hues at the roots, like moonlight being devoured by dark clouds. The new black hair, fine and silky, spread among the snow-white hair, like ink dripping into clear water, slowly and irreversibly devouring the original color.

His once translucent mint-colored pupils were beginning to fade from the edges. Like ink dripping into clear water, the black slowly spread, eroding the green bit by bit. The remaining emerald floated deep within his pupils like a emerald koi carp about to drown.

"Does it have to be this way?" Lucien grabbed Flora's wrist. He was taller than her and could look down at her when he was not kneeling.

"What else? Wait for Mao Tan to discover he's an imposter?" Flora turned around. "Lucien Frost, you know very well that only those who have contracted the Scarlet Rose will naturally repel the Lord of All Devourers. Only then can Mao Tan dispel his suspicions."

Her eyes were as dark as the night, hiding many emotions that she herself was not aware of. "If Mao Tan finds out that the 'Young Palace Master' he has high hopes for is not of Electra's bloodline, you and I will be torn to pieces by those old immortals in the name of justice!"

"But..." Lucien wanted to say something, but the red thread pierced through his lips and tightly bound his upper and lower lips.

"I don't like hearing this from you."

Flora frowned, forcing herself to ignore the soreness and discomfort in her heart. "If he can't succeed... he'll have to disappear. And you..." She pinched his chin, "I've only paused the experiment to see what happens. Don't push it any further."

Blood flowed down Lucien's chin and onto his collar.

"He's been active as Song Baiyue for too long, so this face of his can no longer be used..." Flora stroked Lucien's hand, "If he survives, I'll have to use your skillful hands to replace his face."

On the other side of the glass, Song Baiyue's heart monitor drew a long straight line.

Lucien quickly pressed the resuscitation button, and a high-voltage current ran through the incubator. After a few seconds, the flat electrocardiogram showed slight fluctuations again.

Fei Rui's hand, resting on the bedside, twitched. Fine thorns pierced his skin, quickly being gently enveloped by new flesh. A blood-red bud blossomed from the vine's tip, slowly expanding with his breath, as if becoming a part of his body.

Flora walked in, ran her fingers through his sweaty hair, and placed her palm against his forehead.

"Good boy. I am your mother."

Fei Rui's eyelashes trembled and she opened her eyes.

There was a blinding white before his eyes. He tried hard to focus, almost crying, before he could barely make out the outline of the person in front of the bed.

Where is this? Why does this feel so strange?

The memories in his mind told him that his name was... Fei Rui. He was the Young Master of the Fantasy Beast Hall.

His eyes turned dully towards the door.

Lucien was walking out of the intensive care unit, with blood still stained on his collar.

"Then..." Fei Rui's voice was a little hoarse, "Is he the father?"

Flora smiled, and she actually looked a bit maternal.

"No, you don't have a father."

"Child, you only have me, your only mother, Flora."