Shi Lang did not take any public transport on his way back home. He walked slowly lost in thoughts. The people around were also rushing in their own lives so no one paid attention to a dazed teenager walking on the sidewalk.
Shi Lang was thinking about what was going on with his heart at the moment. He was a cultivator in the past life and had seen countless situations. However, this was the first time he had suffered a heartbreak sort of situation. as he thought about Jane, his heart became heavier, eyes gathered water.
His footsteps also became heavy. Despite being overridden with grief, Shi Lang was able to assess his situation. He mumbled, “Even a grade three phantom cobra’s poison might make me feel like this.”
As soon as he thought about this, he chuckled. As he blinked the tears welling up in his eyes fell to the asphalt. Shi Lang walked forward on his path, slowly his pace normalized and his shoulders were squared. He realized that joy and sorrow were constant in life, but that did not mean that he should stop moving forward and keep on sulking over it.
He arrived home and found his parents present in the living room. They had big smiles on their faces, Shi Lang had topped the results in the assessment. They were a family of three. Shi Lang’s grandparents had passed away when he was just ten. So, the three people celebrated on their own.
Shi Lang spend the night chatting with them and finally went to his room. The boy entered his room and sat down in front of his table. The gene serum case was placed over it. He sighed and leaning back in his chair he began to think about what he should do.
His only aim was to live a life with no regret, however, he now had the chance to get stronger. If he stayed at the level he was now, his life will be mediocre, but he will be able to stay safe and live with his family. However, deep inside, his instincts as a person who lived to defy the heavens and broke through the shackles of humanity and mortality back in the time wanted to grab hold of this chance.
As he was lost in thought, he heard a knock on the door. He asked, “Yes.”
The door of the room was pushed open, and his father walked inside. Shi Lang’s father was a humble-looking man, a set of glasses resting on his nose, with well-combed hair. He was called Shi John.
Shi was his family name while his mother was western in ancient terms so John. The man smiled at Shi Lang and said, “This thing is a gene serum?”
The boy nodded, he did not see a point in hiding such a thing if his father had already found out. Shi John nodded and said, “I will not dwell over on how you acquired it. Ever since you came home, I get this feeling that something is going on in your mind. I may not be very smart but sharing things help.”
Shi Lang nodded and with a sigh, he said, “I have always wanted to live a life with no regrets. However, now I have a chance to be stronger. This serum is one of them. The other thing is joining a special camp for three months, before the army entrance exam.”
Shi John asked, “So, what seems to be the problem?”
The boy replied, “The pursuit of strength will take me away from you all. I will not be able to spend much time with you guys. Then my friends will be left behind too.”
Shi Jogn chuckled and said, “Despite all the grown-up aura around. You are still a teenager. Well, listen here, Young Man. You are worrying too much. We only meet at night. Sometimes even that is not possible. However, if you can be strong, we both will be able to stay calm. If you won glory, we will bask in the shine too.
As for your friends, they will always be your friends, if you move away, you will make new friends. Those people who suffer together are better friends than those who share laughter.”
Shi Lang was surprised to hear all this. He realized that due to his unstable mindset, his thinking as the cultivator has become chaotic. The boy sighed and said, “Thank you for your advice, Dad.”
Shi John smiled and patted his shoulder. He said, “Try to get some sleep kiddo. You have been working hard lately. The rest is well earned.”
Shi Lang nodded with a faint smile on his face, with that small talk, his father left the room. The boy stretched his body while sitting in the chair and picked up the card that Commander Aries had left him with. After failing the number on his phone, he waited for the other side to answer it.
Soon enough a calm yet deep voice sounded, “This is Aries.”
Shi Lang replied, “Sir, this is Shi Lang. I would like to take up on your invitation.”
Aries replied, “Report at the crossroad we split today. Make sure you are there on time. Sharp eight hundred hours. I will not be sparing one more minute for you.”
“Roger that, Commander,” replied Shi Lang.
That said the call was disconnected. Shi Lang had made the decision and felt like his heart has eased up a lot. His gaze fell on the gene serum container. The container was a small square briefcase. The boy used his thumbs to open the case. The holding grip was equipped with a fingerprint scanner.
The whole box had a similar thing applied all over the surface. Only when the registered fingerprint holder touches the case would it open. Inside the case, laid a bottle filled with glittery liquid. The cylindrical bottle was only as big as a human palm.
Shi Lang picked up the bottle from the foam casing inside the case and he also picked up gun-shaped injector equipment. He fixed the bottle at the back of the injection and held it in his right hand. He clenched his left fist hard, making the veins bulge over his arm like worms inside his fair skin.
The boy did not hesitate and injected the needle directly into his vein and squeezed the trigger mechanism, making the liquid from the bottle spill inside his body. After the bottle was emptied, Shi Lang stood up from the chair and sat down in the center of the room after removing his t-shirt.
His face did not show it but his body was going through tremendous pain and irritation. It was as if his blood was set on fire. The boy did not let out even as much as a whimper. His tolerance alone was enough to shock the people. The gene serum was nurturing his DNA chain on a cellular level. Shi Lang could sense that his ability to sense the things around him was improving to a frightening level.
If earlier he was able to sense things around him during battle, it could now be used normally. This was his special ability. It was like a radar inside his brain. Shi Lang personally thought it was just like the spiritual sense he had in his past life. The process of genetic enhancement lasted almost the complete night. When it finished, the clock was already ticking five hundred hours.
Shi Lang stood up and decided to get ready. He had to make a stop before he met with Aries.