Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 206 Bai Yuekui's Drug Experiment

As night deepened, Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui escorted the young Yuekui back to the Bai family villa.

Most of the lights in the villa were off, except for a warm yellow wall lamp under the porch that emitted a soft glow.

The young Yue Kui turned around, waved to the two of them, and lowered his voice.

"I've arrived, thank you... Goodnight."

The moonlight shone on her young face, her eyes clear, perfectly complementing the peaceful night.

"Good night." Bai Yuekui nodded slightly.

Yang Chen smiled and waved to her, "Go inside and get some rest."

Only after watching the young Yue Kui leave did Yang Chen and his companion depart.

Back in their downtown apartment, all was quiet.

Open the door, turn on the light.

Yang Chen casually tossed his coat onto the sofa armrest and lazily slumped into the soft sofa.

"It's finally all over," he sighed.

"The handover of support between the two worlds is complete, the troubles here have temporarily subsided, and even your potential has been successfully unleashed... Now things should be calm for a few days, right?"

Bai Yuekui followed behind him, hung up his coat, sat down next to him, and picked up the book he had been reading halfway through that had been on the coffee table.

Hearing Yang Chen's words, she didn't even lift her eyelids:
"Calm down? Research on the new drug has entered a critical stage, requiring in-depth comparison of my and 'her' genetic samples. The Coastal Alliance's global monitoring network for the Mana ecosystem also needs ASH coordination. The genetic weapons and magnetic field jamming devices at Base Three also need to be iterated based on combat data..."

With each word she spoke, Yang Chen's shoulders slumped down a little, until he was almost completely flattened.

"Stop, stop, stop..." Yang Chen turned to the side, put his arm around Bai Yuekui's waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Boss Bai, I know you're very busy. But we just finished a cross-world war. Can't we at least catch our breath and enjoy some peace?"

He leaned closer: "For example... the weather looks nice tomorrow, how about we go out on a date?"

Bai Yuekui paused in her book-turning, glanced at him sideways, and met his eyes, which seemed particularly bright in the warm light of the living room.

She was silent for a few seconds, then closed the book and gave a curt reply: "...Whatever you want."

Yang Chen immediately beamed and hugged her tightly.

"Alright." Yang Chen chuckled. "Then, Boss Bai, shouldn't we start thinking about employee benefits now? Like... getting some rest earlier?"

Bai Yuekui glanced at him, her eyes seemingly seeing through his little thoughts, but in the end she didn't push him away. She just let him put his arm around her, and they stood up together and walked towards the bedroom.

"...You always have so many excuses."

The next morning.

Bai Yuekui woke up a little later than usual. When she came out of her bedroom, she found that Yang Chen had already prepared breakfast and placed it on the small table in the dining room.

"Good morning, Yue Kui," Yang Chen greeted her, wearing an apron. "Have something to eat first."

Bai Yuekui raised an eyebrow in surprise and walked to the table to sit down.

As soon as she picked up the cutlery, ASH's mobile app lit up.

"Yue Kui, the young Yue Kui has sent a message asking if I have any plans for today. She wishes to begin training for her source potential."

Bai Yuekui paused, looking at Yang Chen opposite him.

Yang Chen was staring at her expectantly.

She paused for a moment, then replied to ASH: "Tell her I have something to do today. Training will start tomorrow."

"Understood." The light from ASH went out.

After breakfast, the two tidied up quickly and went out.

Without a clear destination, they were like an ordinary couple in the city, wandering aimlessly through the bustling streets.

The days that followed were like a slowly flowing dream for the young Yue Kui.

She has accepted this peaceful Hisakawa City, accepted this "home".

Bai Jingyu and Teresa treated her no differently than their own children, Bai Yuekui and Bai Yuetian. That natural care gradually soothed her heart, which was riddled with wounds from loss.

Xiao Yuekui was full of curiosity and affection for her "new older sister," often pulling her aside to share what happened at school and how many awards she had won.

As for those two Bai Yuetian... the young Yue Kui realized that he really couldn't control them, and he was too lazy to care anymore.

When the two of them get together, they're either tinkering with weird and wonderful things or teasing and undermining each other.

She spent most of her time following Bai Yuekui.

Sometimes I go to Nirvana to get involved in scientific research projects around the world.

Sometimes I go to the Potential Activation Center to further familiarize myself with and control my awakened source potential under Bai Yuekui's guidance.

She learned very quickly; her innate intelligence was just like her own when she had silver hair.

However, every time she saw the intimacy between Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui, she would still feel a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

That day, Bai Yuekui found her and said directly, "Get ready, we're going to Dragon Bone Village tomorrow. The preliminary experimental data of the new drug is ideal, and we can proceed with human trials."

Young Yue Kui's heart tightened slightly, then he nodded: "Okay."

Longgu Village, Ecological Base No. 3, Core Experimental Zone.

Here, only the subtle flashing of indicator lights from various precision instruments in operation echo each other.

Outside the enormous observation window, other areas of the base were bustling with activity, but inside this absolutely isolated core laboratory, only four people were present.
Yang Chen, Bai Yuekui, young Yuekui, and the ASH holographic projection floating on the central control panel.

In the very center of the cold laboratory, a sleek, complex, enclosed biological chamber gleams, connected to multiple screens displaying different data and drug delivery devices.

Bai Yuekui stood beside the cabin, his fingers gently tracing the cold walls, his expression as calm as ever.

“Sister…” Young Yue Kui couldn’t help but step forward, his voice filled with undisguised worry, “Let me go first. My physical condition is more… ‘clean,’ isn’t that the most suitable one, as you said?”

Bai Yuekui turned his head to look at his younger self, whose eyes, identical to his own, revealed unease.

She gently shook her head: "Precisely because your body is a perfect blank control, we cannot take risks lightly. The stability of the first batch of the drug is unknown, and I need to personally confirm its basic reactions and potential conflicts. My body has undergone modifications to the old version of the drug, giving it a stronger 'tolerance for error,' and..."

Her gaze shifted to Yang Chen beside her. "With him here, nothing unexpected will happen."

Yang Chen met her gaze, nodded, and said with an unusually serious expression, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things. If anything seems amiss, the horse talisman will immediately clear away any abnormalities."

His assurance eased the tension in the young Yue Kui's heart slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on Bai Yue Kui's movements.

Bai Yuekui said no more and reached out to unbutton his casual coat.

Her clothes slipped off one by one, piling up at her feet, eventually revealing her completely exposed body.

The shadowless lamps on the top of the laboratory cast light that outlined her smooth lines: her shoulders and back were straight, her waist was slender, and her legs were straight.

Long-term combat and her special physique endowed her not with delicate beauty, but with a perfect figure.

Her short, silver-white hair contrasted sharply with her snow-white skin.

Young Yue Kui glanced subconsciously at Yang Chen beside him, his cheeks flushing slightly, before turning back to look intently at him.
Bai Yuekui walked steadily to the biological chamber. The hatch slid open silently, revealing a cushioned material that conforms to the curves of the human body and a dense array of biosensor contacts.

She lay down inside, her body fitting perfectly against the sensor. The cold touch made her tense for a moment, but then she relaxed.

"Let's begin." She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyelids, her voice coming through the built-in communicator.

Yang Chen walked to the medicine delivery control panel, where a medicine ampoule emitting a faint blue light was already placed.

He carefully placed it into the automatic injection device, and the transparent tube was instantly filled with blue liquid medicine.

"ASH, monitor vital signs at full range," Yang Chen ordered.

"Understood. All sensors calibrated, monitoring mode activated." ASH's projection light swirled, and a massive amount of data began scrolling rapidly across the surrounding holographic screens. "Injection countdown, three, two, one..."

As ASH calmly counted off, the injection device emitted an extremely slight "hiss" sound, and the blue liquid was slowly injected into Bai Yuekui's vein through a precision tube.

The laboratory fell silent, with only the faint sounds of the instruments running.

Yang Chen held his breath and focused intently on the various data curves on the main screen and Bai Yuekui's facial expression.

Young Yue Kui even slowed his breathing and unconsciously clenched his hands.

Inside the cabin, Bai Yuekui kept his eyelids closed, focusing all his attention on his body.

She could clearly feel a cool fluid flowing through her body with her blood. At first, she didn't feel anything special, just like ordinary saline solution.

But soon, subtle changes began to appear.

A very slight tingling sensation, like a weak electric current, ran through the blood vessel wall near the injection point.

Immediately afterwards, she felt something long dormant within her being stirred.

Those were the residual marks of the old "Angel" and "Miracle K" drugs, deeply embedded in her cells.

An indescribable sense of "restlessness" began to creep in from the depths of my bones and from the nerve endings.

This restlessness, though not intense, foreshadows a potentially violent reaction.

Her heart rate showed slight fluctuations on ASH's monitoring screen, and her skin began to turn an abnormal pale red, especially her brain area, where the temperature rose significantly.

“Abnormal fluctuations in non-coding gene sequences were detected, the conduction rate of the nervous system increased by 17%, and the metabolism of some hematopoietic stem cells accelerated abnormally.” ASH’s voice reported the data steadily, “The life essence has entered a brief turbulent state in the body.”

As the young Yue Kui watched the fluctuating data on the screen and saw Bai Yue Kui's slightly furrowed brows, his heart leaped into his throat.

Bai Yuekui kept his eyes closed, but fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

She was carefully discerning each feeling, assessing the intensity and development trend of the conflict.

Yang Chen was already standing outside the bio-pod, his hand slightly raised, a blue halo swirling around his fingertips, the power of the horse talisman ready to be unleashed.

His gaze was fixed on Bai Yuekui. If she showed any sign of pain or if the data showed any signs of going out of control, the power of the talisman would instantly envelop her.

Time passed by minute by minute.

After reaching a critical point, the "restlessness" within Bai Yuekui's body did not continue to rise, but gradually tended towards a strange balance.

The pale redness on her skin began to fade, and her abnormal body temperature gradually returned to normal.

"...The peak of the conflict response has passed. The fluctuations in the life essence have leveled off, and neural and metabolic indicators have returned to their usual thresholds. The residual activity of Angel and Miracle K drugs... has been detected to be attenuating." ASH updated the monitoring results.

About ten minutes later, Bai Yuekui's tightly closed eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened them.

Her eyes looked somewhat tired, but more than that, they held a clear understanding.

"It's ready." Her voice came through the communicator, slightly hoarse. "Initial fusion complete, conflict under control, no malignant chain reaction triggered. The baseline safety profile of the drug... approved."

Yang Chen let out a long sigh of relief, and the blue light in his palm quietly dissipated.

He walked to the edge of the cabin, the hatch slid open, and he reached out his hand.

Bai Yuekui sat up with the help of the young man, took the clothes that the young man hurriedly handed over and put them on to cover her beautiful body.

Anyway, there are no outsiders here, so it doesn't matter whether it's covered or not.

"How are you feeling? Are you really alright?" the young man Yue Kui asked anxiously.

“Hmm.” Bai Yuekui looked at the young Yuekui. “The data and my own feelings both indicate that the new drug is more compatible with my physique than expected. Although there are conflicts, they are within a controllable range, and… it seems to also help to clear the stubborn residue of the old drug.”

She paused, then looked at Yang Chen and ASH: "Next, based on this data, we can further optimize the drug to reduce the intensity of the conflict. And then..."

Her gaze finally settled on the young Yue Kui:
"It's your turn now."

After Bai Yuekui finished speaking, he moved his still somewhat numb limbs slightly, feeling the aftershocks of the intertwining of old and new forces within his body.

She looked at Yang Chen and added, "However, the data from the observation period on me is also very important. Don't use the power of the talisman on me yet; I need to fully record the subsequent metabolic process of the medicine and any possible delayed reactions."

Yang Chen frowned slightly, clearly not agreeing, but seeing Bai Yuekui's insistent gaze, he nodded.

"Okay, I'll listen to you. But if there are any signs that you can't handle it, I'll take action immediately."

"Mm," Bai Yuekui replied.

Young Yue Kui listened from the side and understood the arrangements to come. He nodded and said, "I understand. I will be prepared."

Her gaze swept over Bai Yuekui, who was still only casually draped in an outer garment, his figure mostly exposed, and then quickly glanced at Yang Chen standing beside him, her cheeks uncontrollably flushing red.

She couldn't help but hand over all the clothes she had just worn: "Sis, um... the data recording is almost done, please put your clothes on first."

Bai Yuekui took the clothes, but did not put them on immediately. Instead, he looked at the young man Yuekui with some confusion.

"It's normal to need to cleanse yourself during experiments to avoid potential interference, right? You should be familiar with these basic procedures."

She clearly didn't feel there was anything wrong with her current state; in a purely research environment, the body is merely a container for data.

Young Yue Kui was taken aback by her matter-of-fact words, and his cheeks burned even hotter.

Of course she understood the experimental procedures! But... but the problem was, the body in front of her was exactly the same as her own! And right next to her stood Yang Chen, whose gaze was currently focused on the data and instruments, but he was, after all, a living, breathing person...

Doesn't this mean that you indirectly expose yourself as well?

"I...I know..." The young man, Yue Kui, stammered, his voice lowering slightly, a hint of embarrassment in his voice, "But...the experiment is in progress right now...it's better to wear it..."

Logically, I should have accepted it by now, but it is still very difficult.

Bai Yuekui looked at her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, then glanced at Yang Chen beside her, and finally belatedly realized what his younger self had been acting awkwardly about.

She paused for a moment, but didn't say anything more.

First, Yang Chen attached sensors to his body, then he followed instructions, tied the straps, and dressed himself, completely covering up his alluring body.

"Alright." Bai Yuekui straightened his collar. "ASH, continue monitoring my physiological indicators and report any abnormalities immediately. Come with me; we need to plan your next testing procedure in detail."

“I understand, Moon Lord.” ASH’s projection flickered.

Young Yue Kui secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed Bai Yue Kui's footsteps, heading towards the data analysis table next to him.

But as she turned around, she subconsciously glanced at Yang Chen out of the corner of her eye.

That glance, however, happened to meet Yang Chen's gaze.

He seemed to have just turned his gaze away from Bai Yuekui and was now looking at her.

Their eyes met briefly in the air.

Yang Chen's eyes still held the focus from before, but the moment they met the gaze of the young Yue Kui, that focus was replaced by understanding.

It even carried a hint of... barely perceptible teasing?

Young Yue Kui's heart skipped a beat, as if the other party had seen right through his secret shyness and awkwardness caused by "sharing a body".

The heat that had just subsided on her cheeks surged back up, even more intense than before, almost burning up to her ears.

She hurriedly lowered her eyelashes, not daring to look him in the eye again, and quickened her pace, almost running away as she followed Bai Yuekui.

Yang Chen looked at the young Yue Kui's back, which was almost moving in unison, and his ears, which were clearly red.

He naturally understood what made her embarrassed.

He shook his head, banishing the inappropriate thoughts from his mind, and followed after them, refocusing his attention on the important matter at hand.

(End of this chapter)