Chapter 142: Chen Huai’an, You Are Important!

“So… you’re telling me… this is Old Luo?”

Despite triple-checking, Zhao Ying still couldn’t believe what she was seeing—a lump of bloody, mashed-flesh floating in a glass tank.

“Captain Zhao, I’d never lie to you!”

The pale, visibly shaken subordinate next to her patted his chest, swearing his honesty. “When Director Luo was brought in, he was nothing more than a flattened meat pancake. Standard procedure is to perform an autopsy before cremation, but the moment the scalpel touched him, the ‘pancake’ suddenly screamed ‘AOOO!’ Scared the forensic girl so bad she peed herself.”

Zhao Ying twitched her nose.

No wonder there was a faint stench in the air.

Someone had actually wet themselves.

Not surprising, though. That pile of mangled flesh was already nightmare fuel. A forensic examiner—who wasn’t even a Demon Slayer, just an ordinary woman—witnessing it suddenly scream? A total mental breakdown was inevitable.

The mass of flesh had started forming limbs—things resembling hands and knees were beginning to take shape.

“We discovered that Director Luo seems to be undergoing reconstruction,” the subordinate quickly explained after noticing Zhao Ying’s confusion.

“Exactly!” A toothless mouth suddenly opened within the meat lump and spoke in a muffled voice. “I’m rebuilding myself! Stop stabbing me with scalpels, damn it! You think that doesn’t hurt?!”

“AHHH! A GHOST!!”

THUD—

The moment the meat lump opened its eyes, one of the Demon Slayers shrieked and fainted, smacking into the glass door.

Bearded Guy—Luo—rolled his newly formed eyes and clicked his tongue.

“Captain Zhao, your people need serious training. Their mental fortitude is lacking.”

Zhao Ying’s lips twitched, but a faint smile appeared in her eyes. “If it were me when I first started, I would’ve emptied an entire magazine into you.”

“That’s… pretty violent.”

“Thanks for the compliment. And… welcome back, Old Luo.”

—

“Still remember what my ability is?”

“Of course. Cellular Assimilation.”

In a secluded room within the funeral home, Zhao Ying and the partially reformed Luo sat across from each other.

She handed him a cigarette, lit one for herself, took a deep drag, and relaxed into the sofa, crossing her legs. “I remember you could never find a suitable target to assimilate. So… you absorbed the demonic dragon?”

“Correct.” Luo wiggled his cigarette at her. “Thanks for the trouble, Captain Zhao.”

She flicked open a lighter and lit his cigarette.

Luo took a deep inhale, exhaling smoke from countless pores across his barely-formed body.

“When that dragon crushed me, I didn’t just sit there waiting to die. I bit off a chunk of its flesh and activated my Cellular Assimilation ability. Honestly, I didn’t expect much… but as you can see, I survived.”

“Any side effects?”

“Of course. Every organ in my body is now composed of mutated cancer cells, just like that dragon. The only difference is that I don’t have its dragon aura. And to keep my body functioning, I need an absurd amount of food to generate energy. The energy consumption of these cancer cells is insane. If I ever run out of energy and all the cancer cells starve to death, I’ll die for good.”

Zhao Ying stared at his significantly smaller body. “Then how are you sustaining yourself now?”

“Self-cannibalization.” Luo lifted his shirt, revealing a second mouth on his stomach, actively gnawing on his still-forming torso.

“F***! You should’ve said that sooner!”

“I was worried you’d pull out your gun and empty a magazine into me.”

Zhao Ying was speechless.

She quickly contacted her team to deliver 200 pounds of pork for Luo’s recovery.

“How’s that brat Chen Huai’an doing?” Luo’s tone was anxious, his bloodshot eyes fixated on Zhao Ying. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“Nope. We couldn’t even beat that dragon.” Zhao Ying rolled her eyes.

“So now…”

“A female Sword Immortal appeared and suppressed him. He’s currently in containment and undergoing medical evaluation.”

“Oh, good. Good, good, hahahaha.” Luo sighed in relief, rubbing his newly grown hands together. “That kid’s got potential. Sure, he’s got some instability, but if there’s a way to avoid killing him, I’d rather not. He’s definitely not a bad person… But wait! What’s this about a Sword Immortal?”

“I don’t know either. Maybe it’s part of his abilities?” Zhao Ying massaged her temples, then shifted the conversation. “What are your plans? Are you staying as the Director of the Tianfu Demon Slayer Bureau? Be honest, if you don’t go back, that kid will probably join us out of guilt. Do you want to disappear for a while? I can request a transfer for you.”

It was a tempting offer.

Luo hesitated for a long time.

But in the end, he shook his head.

“Maybe you’re right, but he deserves to know the truth. More than anyone, I understand how torturous it is to live with guilt and regret.”

Zhao Ying saw the darkness flicker in Luo’s eyes.

She knew he was thinking about his shattered past.

She stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

“So, I’ll go back as Director,” Luo finally said, flicking his cigarette butt into the ashtray with a smile. “Even if Chen Huai’an doesn’t join the Demon Slayer Bureau, he can still be an ally. No need to pressure him into anything.”

“Alright. We’ll go with your plan.”

—

—

“Mr. Chen Huai’an, unfortunately, the cancerous cells inside your body haven’t disappeared. However, they seem to have entered a dormant state.”

Dressed in a hospital gown, Chen Huai’an stood in a metal containment chamber.

A voice came through the intercom from the Demon Slayer Bureau’s medical staff.

A small, reinforced-glass window allowed him to see outside—fully armed soldiers stood at attention, watching him like he was Godzilla.

Not that he blamed them.

After all, he was carrying a monster inside his body.

Chen Huai’an let out a bitter chuckle. “Got it. So what happens now?”

[You will remain in Containment Room 0 with your pets… Uh, and we’ll need daily blood samples from you.]

“Let me talk to him.”

A new voice replaced the intercom speaker.

Soft, warm, and familiar.

[Chen Huai’an, it’s me—Xiang Xiaoyuan.]

[Please, don’t have any self-destructive thoughts. Seventy percent of your body is now composed of demonic cancer cells. If we forcefully kill them, you will die too. I’m leading the research team—trust us. We will find a way to help you absorb and control the cancer cells.]

Hearing Xiang Xiaoyuan’s voice, Chen Huai’an felt a slight weight lift from his chest.

He looked up at the surveillance camera. “Why are you helping me so much? Bearded Guy… died because of me.”

[I mourn Director Luo’s death deeply.]

Inside the monitoring room, Xiang Xiaoyuan held the microphone, her eyes filled with sorrow.

But she forced herself to remain strong.

She spoke with conviction:

“This isn’t your fault. Every Demon Slayer accepts the possibility of sacrifice when they join the Bureau.”

“As for why we’re helping you?”

“If I wanted to sound noble, I’d say saving a life is the greatest virtue.”

“But to be blunt—someone who can control General-class power is extremely important. Not just to the Demon Slayer Bureau, but to the entire world’s fight against demons and evil forces!”

Her voice grew firm.

“Chen Huai’an, you are important!”

“To the world, you are very important!”

“Please… give our team some time.”

“We will save you!”

—

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