Under One Person: Feng Shui Master, I Will Protect the Mountains and Rivers with My Own Body

Over the next few days, the air inside the bunker seemed to solidify into glue, so thick that it was hard to breathe.

The blisters on Liao Zhong's lips were layered on and on. When his craving for cigarettes kicked in, he could only chew on tea stalks. His already fierce face was now so worried that he looked like a bitter gourd had come to life.

Yan Sen's judgment was proven correct.

Chen Duo's "rebellious phase" came more fiercely than a restless wildcat in adolescence, and it had a chilling quality to it.

At first, it was just a small-scale operation.

As the researcher, Li, handed her the spoon, Chen Duo reacted as if a machine had malfunctioned. She snapped her teeth together, biting down hard on the spoon and drawing blood from her lip. Blood dripped down her chin into the white porridge, staining it with glaring red spots.

She didn't cry out in pain, nor did she give in. She just stared straight at Researcher Li, her emerald eyes filled with a certain expectation—an expectation of being scolded, punished, or even beaten.

Researcher Li had never seen anything like this before. She was so frightened that tears almost welled up in her eyes. She frantically wiped away the blood while comforting her, saying, "It's okay, it's okay, baby. Auntie doesn't blame you. Does it hurt?"

The light in Chen Duo's eyes dimmed in that instant.

That was disappointment.

Later, Yan Sen guided her Qi circulation, teaching her to refine the Qi of the liver. This brat actually pushed the Qi into her fatal acupoint right in front of Yan Sen.

If it weren't for Yan Sen's eyes being like they had cheat codes, plus the suppression of the spleen's earth energy, Chen Duo would probably be lying in the operating room with her meridians ruptured by now.

Liao Zhong didn't hit her; he just coldly pressed her back onto the bed and even covered her with a blanket.

So, Chen Duo resorted to her last trump card—a hunger strike.

For two whole days, he neither ate nor drank anything.

No matter what delicacies the researchers brought in, even if it was a KFC family bucket that Yan Sen specially had someone buy from outside, she ignored it all.

She sat quietly on the edge of the bed, like a weathered stone statue, silently questioning the world that had been "too lenient" towards her in this almost suicidal way.

"What the hell is going on?!"

In the monitoring room, Liao Zhong slammed his teacup on the table, spilling tea all over the floor. "Is she courting death? Huh? I went through all this trouble to save her, just to watch her die in front of me?"

The male researcher next to her had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was all messed up like a bird's nest. He was the team leader in charge of Chen Duo's daily life and had a daughter who was about the same age as Chen Duo.

"Boss Liao, Master Yan... this really won't do." The researcher's voice trembled. "All the indicators are dropping, and the primordial Gu is starting to stir. How can such a small baby withstand this kind of torment? Perhaps... we should intervene forcefully? Even if it's just through nasal feeding..."

"Yes, Boss Liao," Researcher Li said, wiping away tears. "The way that child looked at me... it was so heartbreaking. She seemed to be blaming me for not hitting her. How can there be such a child in this world..."

Liao Zhong didn't speak, but instead turned his gaze to the boy in the corner who was sitting with his legs crossed and holding a ruler in his hand.

Yan Sen stared at the thin, pale, yet terrifyingly stubborn figure on the monitor screen, his eyes as calm as a bottomless lake.

"You can't rush it."

Yan Sen spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but with a strange calmness, "She's searching for boundaries. Just like a wild animal newly caged will bang on the bars, or a bird newly released from its cage will be afraid to fly. She's using this method to confirm where the bottom line of this new world really is."

"If we intervene now, such as by binding her and feeding her through a nose, or by showing even the slightest hint of 'coercion' out of pity, she will immediately retreat into that shell called 'Gu Body Holy Child'. Because then she will find the familiar 'rules'—oh, so there are still people who will force me, so I am still just a tool."

Yan Sen stood up, walked up to Liao Zhong, and patted the burly man's trembling shoulder.

"Uncle Liao, this is a tug-of-war. She's pulling with all her might, and we have to pull with all our might. But we can't force it; we have to let her loosen her grip on her own."

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Liao Zhong gritted his teeth, the scar at the corner of his eye twitching. "If we wait any longer, once the Primal Gu backfires, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal won't be able to save it!"

Yan Sen narrowed his eyes and looked at Chen Duo's slightly trembling fingertips through the one-way glass.

In his view, the primordial Gu within Chen Duo's body, having not received nourishment from the Liver Wood Qi for three days, had awakened from its slumber and was now like a hungry black snake, tentatively gnawing at Chen Duo's remaining Qi.

Pain was inevitable. The kind of excruciating pain that felt like a thousand ants gnawing at the heart was unbearable for most people, but Chen Duo remained silent.

"It'll be soon," Yan Sen said softly. "The second before collapse is the best time to rebuild."

……

On the morning of the third day.

Chen Duo could no longer sit still.

Extreme hunger, coupled with the backlash from the primordial Gu, brought her bodily functions to a freezing point.

She huddled in the corner of the bed, her hospital gown soaked with cold sweat, but her bright green eyes remained fixed on the doorway, as if awaiting final judgment.

"That's about it."

Yan Sen pushed open the door to the monitoring room, carrying a brand-new pink dress and a pair of sequined leather shoes.

"Pass the word down, everyone, change into civilian clothes. Except for necessary security personnel, take off all those white coats and protective suits. Gather all the little kids who can run and jump in the bunker to the activity room in Zone B." Liao Zhong slapped his face, forcing himself to smile.

The male researcher next to him was taken aback. "What are you going to do, Boss Liao?"

"Let's take her to see..." Yan Sen's lips curled into a gentle smile, "The human world."

……

The Dark Fortress, Block B, has three underground levels, yet it boasts a full-spectrum simulated sunlight system.

This is a huge multi-purpose activity center with basketball courts, swimming pools, and even a small playground covered with artificial turf.

At this moment, the place was no longer as desolate and deserted as it used to be.

The researchers, who usually have serious faces and wear protective suits like biological soldiers, have all changed into T-shirts, jeans, and sportswear.

The men were sweating profusely on the basketball court, while the women chatted and laughed by the tennis court.

More importantly, there are children here.

The orphans of the supernatural beings, or children suffering from special illnesses, who were taken in by the Dark Fortress for various reasons, are now chasing and playing in the playground.

Screams, laughter, and the thud of a ball hitting the ground intertwined to create a symphony called "Life".

When Liao Zhong pushed the wheelchair and brought Chen Duo, who was wearing an eye mask, here, Yan Sen could feel Chen Duo's heartbeat instantly surge even without touching her.

"Drip—drip—drip—"

The heart rate monitor on Liao Zhong's wrist emitted an urgent alarm.

"Don't be afraid."

Yan Sen walked to the wheelchair and reached out to remove Chen Duo's blindfold.

light.

A blinding yet gentle light instantly flooded into Chen Duo's world.

She squinted instinctively, and then froze.

There were no cold caves, no white walls, and no people dressed in protective suits like monsters.

Before me lies a world of vibrant colors.

A little girl in a floral dress, holding a windmill, ran past her, laughing.

Two little boys rolled around on the grass, fighting over a ball.

In the swimming pool not far away, a chubby researcher clumsily jumped into the water, splashing a huge spray that drew good-natured laughter from those around him.

Chen Duo gripped the armrests of the wheelchair tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Her breathing became rapid and heavy, like a fish out of water, desperately inhaling and exhaling oxygen.

This unfamiliar atmosphere, called "freedom" and "clamor," was more terrifying to her than the most potent poison.

Because it is unknown.

Yan Sen didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently grasped Chen Duo's cold little hand.

"Walk."

Yan Sen used a little force to pull her up from the wheelchair.

Chen Duo's legs felt weak and she staggered, but Yan Sen steadily supported her.

"Here, no one will force you to do anything." Yan Sen's voice cut through the noise and clearly reached Chen Duo's ears. "If you don't want to do it, you don't have to. If you do it wrong, no one will hit you. No one will bully you."

Chen Duo trembled all over. She turned around and looked at Liao Zhong, who was standing at the door.

The man, who was usually fierce and menacing, was now wearing an oversized basketball jersey that didn't fit him well, holding a bottle of mineral water, and grinning at her with an encouraging look in his eyes.

She turned her head again and looked at the children who were playing.

The children noticed her; some stopped to look at her curiously, some made faces at her, and then went back to their games.

Nobody treated her like a monster. Nobody gave her any orders.

Chen Duo felt something inside her head collapsing.

That was a high wall that the Medicine Immortal Society had spent years building for her; it was a strict, ruthless system of rules that could give her a false sense of security.

Now, the wall has collapsed.

She stood naked in this wilderness called freedom, feeling lost and terrified.

Sweat trickled down her forehead and dripped onto the floor. She opened her mouth, trying to breathe, but felt as if her throat was blocked.

"Want to give it a try?"

Yan Sen picked up a basketball from somewhere; the orange-red ball had a rough, grainy surface. He handed the ball to Chen Duo, his eyes clear and determined.

"This thing is called a basketball. You can play with it however you want. Even if you break it, nobody will care."

Chen Duo stared blankly at the ball.

Was that... an order?

No, it's not an order.

That person's eyes didn't have that familiar feeling.

She reached out with trembling hands and took the basketball, which felt rather heavy to her.

The ball was in my arms; it was a little hard and a little cold.

The surrounding voices seemed to fade away at that moment, and her world consisted only of the ball in her arms and the boy in front of her.

She mimicked the children she had just seen, tentatively and cautiously tossing the ball to the ground.

"Bang."

The ball landed and bounced.

Because the force was too weak, the ball only bounced to knee height before rolling to the side.

Chen Duo shuddered and instinctively shrank her neck, waiting for the inevitable slap or whip to fall.

However, no.

Nothing happened.

Yan Sen simply stood there, picked up the ball, put it back in her hand, and said with a smile, "You're too weak! Didn't you eat? Oh right, you really didn't eat. Come on, try harder!"

No punishment?

Even if you don't do well... you won't be punished?

Chen Duo's bright green pupils began to tremble violently.

A tremendous, unprecedented sense of injustice and panic overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

She gritted her teeth, letting out a low growl like a wounded wild animal: "Ugh...ugh..."

She picked up the basketball, and this time, she used all her strength to slam it hard onto the ground!

"Bang!"

The basketball hit the ground hard and bounced back up with tremendous force.

Because she had no experience, Chen Duo didn't have time to dodge.

"Snapped!"

The high-speed spinning basketball slammed squarely into her face.

A sharp pain shot through my nose, and warm liquid instantly flowed out, running down my lips and into my mouth; it tasted salty and fishy.

It hurts.

It really hurts.

But Chen Duo didn't stop.

She acted like a madwoman, ignoring the blood streaming from her nose, and grabbed the ball again, slamming it hard against the ground.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

One, two, three...

The basketball bounced up again and again, some hitting her and some flying far away, so she ran over to pick it up and continued to hit it.

She was venting.

She was using this clumsy, violent way to say goodbye to her past self, to say goodbye to that damned Medicine Fairy Society, and to greet this world that had inexplicably become gentle...

Until she could no longer lift the ball.

Chen Duo collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, her face covered in blood, her hair disheveled, looking like a little madwoman.

Yan Sen neither helped her up nor wiped away the blood.

He simply walked over silently and placed a pre-prepared boxed lunch on the floor in front of her.

That's braised pork, steaming hot and glistening with oil.

Chen Duo stared at the meal.

This time, there was no spoon, and no instruction to eat.

She suddenly reached out and ripped open the lid of the lunchbox without even picking up her chopsticks.

With her small, dusty, and sweaty hand, she grabbed a handful of piping hot rice and chunks of meat and stuffed them into her mouth.

The blood from my nose flowed down and mixed into my food.

Tears welled up and flowed into my mouth.

The stench of blood, the saltiness of tears, and the aroma of meat blended together to create an extremely strange yet incredibly real flavor.

That's the taste of being alive.

Chen Duo stuffed rice into her mouth and chewed it, her cheeks puffed out high.

Suddenly, she stopped moving.

She looked up at the ceiling with simulated sunlight.

"Wa ...

A piercing, sharp, and heart-wrenching wail burst forth from her small throat.

The sound didn't sound like crying; it sounded more like shouting.

That was the explosion of years of pent-up pain, fear, and confusion at this moment.

That was the first sound uttered by this life named "Chen Duo" in this world...

cry.

The entire activity center fell silent.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the girl sitting on the ground, her face covered in blood and tears, wailing loudly.

Liao Zhong stood at the doorway, this towering man, over six feet tall, already in tears. He turned his back, his shoulders heaving violently, biting his hand tightly to stifle any sound.

Yan Sen stood in front of Chen Duo, quietly watching her cry.

He neither tried to persuade nor coaxed.

He simply took a tissue out of his pocket and gently placed it beside Chen Duo's hand.

Then, he raised his head, looked at the artificial sun on the ceiling, and exhaled a long breath.

"Welcome to the human world, Chen Duo."

He said softly.

"This world may not be the best, but it's not... that bad either."