Apocalypse Chapter 44: Xiaoheng’s Identity

Chapter 44: Xiaoheng’s Identity

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

River’s Bridge had become a ruin. The neatly arranged and beautiful inn collapsed under the wild boars’ rampage, leaving most of it in ruins. Though some houses remained standing, they were riddled with holes. A nauseating smell of blood permeated the air, and bloodstains could be seen scattered on the ground, indicating the intensity of the battle from the previous night.

The surviving villagers helped each other towards the artificial water pool. Even before they got close, they were astonished by the mountain-like piles of wild boar carcasses.

The largest boars looked ferocious, with tusks on their heads measuring half a meter long. They lay facing the direction of the crowd, their tank-like bodies causing shivers among those who saw them. There were exclamations from the crowd, “My goodness, are these the wild boars that attacked us?”

No wonder the houses in the village collapsed so severely. What kind of house could withstand their onslaught? Without espers, no one present would have stood a chance.

Even the smallest of these boars were larger than adults, each with one or two fatal wounds. Through the wounds, one could see skin as thick as a finger and dense subcutaneous fat. People trembled at the thought, “With such thick skin, no wonder knives and spears couldn’t deal with them. Do the espers battle against such wild boars? Are they alright?”

The espers were not in the best condition. After a night of fierce battle, each of them had acquired several wounds. They were currently behind the piles of wild boar carcasses, where Wang Chunlan was administering treatment to them.

Ruan Hanyu’s thighs and waist were pierced by the tusks of wild boars, staining her half-body with blood. As a girl who was experiencing her first battle, her performance was stunning. Under Guan Shao’s command, she had blocked and intercepted dozens of wild boars, even using ice spears to kill several of them.

After being baptized in blood, Ruan Hanyu’s gaze became resolute, and her demeanor changed from timid to confident. At the moment, she was using her abilities to bathe Xiao Guaiguai. Xiao Guaiguai had killed many wild boars and helped everyone drag the dead boars out of the mud. The reddish vines were covered with mud and filth. Seeing the gathering crowd, she calmly glanced at them and then resumed her work.

Pan Pan had previously fought against the Bloodthirsty Vine, but last time, he was chased around by it, rolling on the ground. This time, he finally regained his confidence from the mutant wild boars. Who said that earth-based espers could only be shields? Not only did he protect his teammates, but he also learned how to use earth to attack with his teammates. In last night’s battle, he suffocated over a dozen wild boars with the mud from the artificial water pool. Of course, he was also injured, but with Wang Chunlan around, external injuries would soon be healed. At the moment, he was clearing the mud walls and roadblocks he had set up yesterday, striving to restore the area around the artificial pond to its original state.

Chu Qiang and Guan Shao were lightly wounded, and their wounds were easily treated with a few adhesive bandages. Chu Qiang was tough-skinned, so ordinary injuries couldn’t harm him. Guan Shao, on the other hand, was nearly invulnerable to the wild boars due to his superb skills.

The most severely injured among them was Jiang Rong. Unfortunately, his concussion had just recovered, and now his arm was broken. When the crowd arrived, Jiang Rong was pale, receiving treatment. Fortunately, Wang Chunlan was there; otherwise, his arm would have swollen as thick as a bucket.

Wang Chunlan carefully bandaged Jiang Rong’s arm and applied a splint. She apologized, “My abilities only work temporarily on external injuries, so I can only alleviate your pain and reduce some swelling. Xiao Rong, you need to rest well during this time and try to recover from your bone fracture as soon as possible.”

Jiang Rong expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, sister Chunlan, I’m already much better.” 

Without Wang Chunlan, he didn’t know how long he would have to endure the pain. Chu Qiang’s voice was low and full of guilt, “Sister Chunlan, if you have time after we return, could you teach me some basic medical knowledge?” 

It turned out that he believed Jiang Rong’s injury was somewhat related to his lack of medical knowledge. Seeing Chu Qiang so remorseful, Jiang Rong comforted him, “Thank you, Qiang. If it weren’t for you, I would have been knocked away by the wild boars long ago.”

However, Jiang Rong also agreed with what Chu Qiang said. They all had different professions before, and they were all ignorant of other occupations. In their small team, there were doctors, mercenaries, optoelectronic designers, and civil engineers. By exchanging more ideas and learning from each other, they might save their lives at critical moments.

Jiang Rong suggested, “After we return, we should not only learn basic medical knowledge but also strengthen physical training to enhance our own physical fitness. Guan Shao, can you teach us how to exercise when we return?” 

If he could be more agile and knew how to exert and release force, he wouldn’t have suffered such serious injuries. Guan Shao nodded slightly, “Sure.”

Chu Qiang nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, Master Guan is really skilled. If he personally takes action, our cooperation will definitely be better than it is now!” 

Guan Shao was a veteran who had fought on the battlefield and led a team. With his guidance, their cooperation would be more tacit. Jiang Rong concluded, “Alright, after we return, everyone write down what they are good at. In the future, let’s gather together to learn more when we have time.”

The people in the team responded one after another, “Okay!”

Ruan Hanyu rubbed her hands embarrassedly, “But, I only know how to play the guzheng and paint…” 

Compared to the practical professional skills of others, what she knew was really inadequate. However, Jiang Rong had a different opinion, “Hanyu can play the guzheng? That’s great!”

Chu Qiang gave a thumbs up, “Hey, this must be learned well. Maybe we can develop a set of codes that only we know.”

More and more people gathered around, and Jiang Rong frowned slightly, wanting to stand up and take a look at everyone. However, with a splint on his arm, his balance was a bit unstable. If it weren’t for Guan Shao’s timely support, he might have fallen.

A gray-haired old man stood out from the crowd. He was the former village chief of River’s Bridge, whom Jiang Rong had seen a few times before. The old village chief walked tremblingly to the crowd, placed his hands together in front of his chest and shook them up and down three times. Then, he bent down and knelt on one knee.

Understanding the old village chief’s intention, Jiang Rong quickly stepped forward, “Village chief, please get up quickly. This is unacceptable!”

The old village chief reached out and grasped Jiang Rong’s hands, then knelt heavily on the ground. Even before speaking, tears welled up in his eyes. “Children, you saved everyone’s lives. Thank you, thank you…” The old village chief choked up, “If it weren’t for you, all of us would have perished. You must accept this gratitude!”

Following the lead of the old village chief, the villagers behind also knelt down. Jiang Rong’s group looked at each other in surprise. To be honest, they had never seen such a scene before and didn’t know how to react.

Fortunately, after a few bows, everyone got up on their own. The old village chief tightly held Jiang Rong’s hand with eager eyes. “Jiang Rong, it’s all thanks to you this time.”

Jiang Rong knew about the rumors of the formation of the esper team a few days ago. It was said that to join the base, they had to give up their family property, which made everyone grumble and feel like they were being robbed. Many of them were still stubborn, thinking they could survive as long as they stayed in their own homes.

What’s wrong with the esper team? Would ordinary people not make it without these espers? What’s wrong with not joining the base? Aren’t they still living well now? Why should they give up their freedom and be enslaved by espers in the base? However, after last night’s experience, they deeply felt their insignificance. They realized a truth: without espers, they really couldn’t make it.

From today onwards, they will try their best to get along with the espers. So what if they had to give up everything and obey them in the future? As long as they could survive, those material possessions meant nothing. Jiang Rong pursed his lips. “No need to thank us, we just took what we needed.”

The old village chief waved his hand repeatedly. “No, this is not just taking what you need, this is saving people from fire and water.” 

The old village chief was good at flattering, always speaking in a flowery manner. Jiang Rong remained silent with his eyes lowered. He knew what the old village chief meant. He was just praising them first, then putting a high hat on them, and finally stating his own request, hoping that the espers could protect them.

Sure enough, the old village chief began to play the emotional card. “Speaking of which, you’re still one of us from River’s Bridge. Although your family moved away, your parents’ names are still on the big stone at the village entrance. I know you’re a good kid who values emotions and righteousness. You…”

Guan Shao glanced at Chu Qiang and lowered his voice, “Jiang Rong is from River’s Bridge?”

Chu Qiang responded, “Yes, but they moved away three years ago.” 

They sold the inn in River’s Bridge, leaving only the old house in the deep mountains. The crying of a child came from the back of the crowd. “Daddy——”

Following the sound, Jiang Xiaoheng, with tears on his face, ran over from the back of the crowd, followed closely by Jiang Hao. Auntie Chu chased after them, panting, but she couldn’t catch up with the two children.

Jiang Xiaoheng ran too fast and accidentally tripped over a stone under his feet. The little child fell heavily to the ground, scraping his palm harshly. Unlike other children who would stay on the ground after falling, Jiang Xiaoheng quickly got up, wiped the mud and tears off his face, and continued to run towards Daddy. Jiang Rong hurriedly went to meet him. “Hey, Xiaoheng, don’t run, Daddy is fine.”

Jiang Xiaoheng, with his short legs, rushed into Jiang Rong’s arms, sobbing loudly, echoing in the crowd. Jiang Xiaoheng cried so hard, his small hand gently touched the splint on Jiang Rong’s arm. “Daddy, does it hurt? I’ll blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore…” As he spoke, he puffed out his cheeks and blew on Jiang Rong’s arm. Big tears rolled down his cheeks. “Hoo… Hoo… It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt…”

Jiang Rong hugged his son tightly, lowering his head to kiss his son’s forehead. “Don’t cry, Daddy doesn’t hurt, it’s okay. Xiaoheng, be good, don’t cry…”

Jiang Xiaoheng fell hard, and his palms had several bleeding wounds. Jiang Rong held his son’s soft little hand, feeling distressed, and blew on his palm. “Sister Chunlan, do you have any more adhesive bandages?”

Wang Chunlan hurried over. “Yes, Xiaoheng, don’t be afraid, Auntie will apply medicine for you.”

Leilei quickly followed with the medicine box. Seeing Jiang Xiaoheng’s palms, the little girl gently touched his head. “Don’t cry, if you keep crying, you’ll become ugly~”

It was only at this moment that Auntie Chu caught up with the two children. She ran out of breath and turned red. It took her a while to catch her breath. “The two children didn’t sleep all night. When they heard you were injured, they had to come and see.”

After all the wild boars were slaughtered, Chu Qiang sent a message to his parents to let them know they were safe, mentioning that Xiao Jiang was injured. Unexpectedly, the two children didn’t sleep and stayed by the radio all night.

Knowing that Daddy was injured, Jiang Xiaoheng couldn’t sit still. He grabbed Uncle Chu’s sleeve and begged him to take him to see Daddy. He could hold back his emotions in the car, but as soon as the door opened, he couldn’t hold back anymore.

Seeing the bloodstains on Jiang Rong’s clothes, he didn’t care about anything else and just wanted to rush into Daddy’s arms. Jiang Xiaoheng clung tightly to Jiang Rong, his little head resting on Daddy’s chest. Feeling the familiar breath and heartbeat, Jiang Xiaoheng’s panicked heart finally calmed down. “Daddy…”

Just now, he was really scared. He was afraid Daddy would be like Grandpa and Grandma, gone forever. Jiang Hao anxiously grabbed Jiang Rong’s arm, his eyes turning red as he tried to open his mouth. But no matter how hard he tried, he could only make short “ah ah” sounds.

Feeling the children’s anxiety and worry, Jiang Rong’s heart warmed. He stretched out one arm, trying to hug both children, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, I’m fine, you don’t need to worry. We’ll go home soon.”

There were whispers in the crowd, and many people looked in the direction of Jiang Zixuan. “Is that the child?”

“It looks like it, I didn’t expect him to be so big already.”

“Who’s the other child?”

Jiang Zixuan’s face turned red and then pale in succession. He took a few steps back and stood behind the crowd, his eyes constantly looking in the direction of Jiang Xiaoheng. Seeing the child so attached to Jiang Rong, he lowered his head and clenched his fists.

Seeing Jiang Rong embracing the two children, the people present truly realized that espers were also human, they also had families, and they could also get hurt. Indeed, they were powerful, but everything they possessed was earned with their own lives. To gain the protection of espers, one must show more sincerity.

After soothing the two children, Jiang Rong and his group prepared to leave. At this moment, the villagers of River’s Bridge truly witnessed the terror of espers. With a call from Jiang Rong, behind the carcass of the wild boar crawled out a blood-red vine. After absorbing the blood of over a hundred wild boars, Xiao Guaiguai grew several times larger overnight.

Now it was bigger than a car when it balled up, and they could only go back sitting in Chu Qiang’s large pickup truck. Chu Qiang assessed Xiao Guaiguai’s size, “Guaiguai, if you grow any bigger, I’ll have to get a bigger truck.”

Xiao Guaiguai shyly waved its two vines, “Okay~”

Xiao Guaiguai, completely blood-red, exerted a strong pressure on the people present. At the moment they saw it, many people stepped back in fear. After hearing that it was a mutated plant subdued by Jiang Rong, the crowd whispered to each other, “My god, just this mutated plant alone could rival a reinforced platoon, right?”

“Don’t talk nonsense, this thing can’t even be handled by a reinforced platoon.”

With Chu Qiang and Xiao Guaiguai’s help, Leilei’s work became much easier. She didn’t need to walk through the whole village to collect all the wild boars; with a wave of her hand, the piled-up corpses disappeared. A murmur arose from the crowd, “Spatial esper!”

Jiang Rong’s group was too terrifying; originally, there were already several powerful espers among them, and now even the inconspicuous little girl had spatial abilities… It would be great if they could get the protection of this group of people.

Before leaving, Jiang Rong said to the village chief in a calm tone, “If there’s nothing else, we’ll head back first. If you need us in the future, you can find Chu Qiang at Fishery Village Three.”

The old village chief nodded repeatedly, “Alright…”

As Jiang Rong left while carrying Jiang Xiaoheng, a strange gaze swept through the crowd. Jiang Rong turned his head and saw Jiang Zixuan staring directly at Xiaoheng. Jiang Rong slightly turned his body to shield Jiang Xiaoheng’s face with his own, and Chu Qiang stepped forward to block Jiang Rong and his son more securely. Guan Shao observed everything, it seemed that Jiang Rong’s group and this person didn’t get along well.

After experiencing a fierce battle, the espers were extremely exhausted. They needed to go back, take a good hot bath, rest, and then discuss how to deal with the wild boar meat.

As soon as Chu Qiang’s pickup truck stopped, Xiao Guaiguai couldn’t wait to climb onto Little Fairy. Listening to the two mutated plants communicate in their limited vocabulary, Chu Qiang chuckled to himself. Since having Xiao Guaiguai, Little Fairy rarely teased him anymore.

Just as Chu Qiang was about to drive away, he heard two knocks on the car window. Guan Shao stood outside the window with a serious expression, “Do you have a moment? I have something to ask you.”

Chu Qiang rolled down the window, “What’s up, Master Guan?”

Guan Shao went straight to the point, “Has Jiang Rong been bullied by the people of River’s Bridge?”

The smile on Chu Qiang’s face slowly faded, “Well… sort of.”

Guan Shao’s eyes darkened, “Why would they bully Jiang Rong?”

Chu Qiang scratched his head in distress, hesitated, and then said, “Well, this is a bit difficult to talk about. How about I ask Xiao Jiang first? If he doesn’t mind, I’ll tell you.”

Guan Shao nodded slightly, “Alright, you don’t need to ask. I’ll ask him directly later.” 

If the people of River’s Bridge had harmed Jiang Rong, he would remove these people from the list of the base. 

***

Jiang Rong was covered in the smell of blood and the stench of wild boars, and he really needed a hot bath now. However, with his arm injured, he was having some difficulties. Not to mention scrubbing, it was difficult for him to even take off his clothes.

When Guan Shao entered the room, he saw Jiang Rong negotiating with Jiang Xiaoheng, “Baby, can you help Daddy scrub his back later?”

Jiang Xiaoheng raised his little hand, “Okay~ Daddy, do you want my duck? I can give you all my little ducks~” 

Jiang Xiaoheng’s way of expressing love was straightforward; he would share his cherished things. If his kindness was rejected, he would feel very sad. Jiang Rong understood this very well, “Alright, you go get your duck, Daddy will go to the bathroom first.”

Jiang Xiaoheng nodded repeatedly, “Okay, Daddy, I’ll be back soon.”

As soon as he entered the bathroom, the smell of blood on Jiang Rong’s body was replaced by the cool scent of mint. He bowed his head and slowly unbuttoned his shirt with one hand. What used to be smooth with both hands became very inconvenient with just one. It took him several minutes to unbutton all the buttons, and he accidentally pulled his wound several times, causing him to gasp in pain.

A soft knock came from the door, and Jiang Rong thought it was Jiang Xiaoheng. Without turning his head, he said, “Son, come in~”

The door opened, and Guan Shao, holding a bunch of little yellow ducks, walked into the bathroom. As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Rong’s exposed back. Although Jiang Rong didn’t have strong muscles on his body, his bones and flesh were evenly distributed without an ounce of fat.

The young man with a tall and straight figure slightly lowered his head, revealing his fair neck. Guan Shao’s gaze followed Jiang Rong’s spine downward, and the beautiful shoulder blades resembled the spread wings of a butterfly, captivating his eyes.

Jiang Rong was carefully pulling the sleeves of his shirt down from his braced arm. Sensing the pressure behind him, he turned his head and immediately used the shirt to shield his front, “Guan Shao? What are you doing here?”

Guan Shao placed the little ducks he was holding in the bathtub inside the shower area, “Xiaoheng still needs your help bathing. How can he take care of you? Let me do it.”

Jiang Rong’s shower room was divided into two parts. After rinsing outside, one could move inside to soak. Guan Shao adjusted the water temperature with the shower head, “Alright, come in quickly.”

Turning his head, Jiang Rong saw that he was still standing outside the shower room in his underwear.

Guan Shao said helplessly, “Take them off. It’s uncomfortable to shower in your underwear. Is it inconvenient for you? Let me help.”

Jiang Rong’s ears turned slightly red, and he took a step back, “I can manage.”

Guan Shao chuckled lightly, “We’re both men, you don’t need to be nervous. Besides, wasn’t it you who helped me clean up when I was unconscious?”

Jiang Rong turned his back and pulled down his underwear, “Well…”

Guan Shao glanced sideways and caught sight of the captivating white skin, causing his heartbeat to quicken a few more beats. The water temperature was just right, and as it cascaded over his body, every pore opened up. Guan Shao was good at taking care of people. After pouring water over Jiang Rong’s body for a few rounds, he applied shower gel onto the loofa. The sweet scent of mint filled the bathroom as Jiang Rong stood under the shower head, leaning against the wall with one hand. Guan Shao placed his left hand on Jiang Rong’s left shoulder and used the loofa to apply foam to his back with his right hand.

Even through the loofa, Guan Shao could feel the tension in Jiang Rong’s back muscles. The warm and slippery touch of his fingertips made him addicted, so he rubbed the loofa on Jiang Rong’s back several times.

Jiang Rong’s ears were tinged with red, and he gritted his teeth, “Is it done?”

Guan Shao said solemnly, “Not yet. Don’t worry, I’ll help you clean up properly.”

To ease Jiang Rong’s embarrassment, Guan Shao casually asked, “Today at River’s Bridge, I saw someone who looks a bit like you. You both have the same surname Jiang. Have you met before?”

Jiang Rong responded, “The person you saw should be my relative. Strictly speaking, he’s my cousin.”

Bending down, Guan Shao applied foam to Jiang Rong’s long and straight legs, “Why do I feel like your relationship isn’t very good? Has he bullied you before?”

Jiang Rong remained silent, and Guan Shao said seriously, “Xiao Jiang, we are teammates, and our goal is to establish a base. I don’t want people who have bullied you in our base. If you’re not happy, we’ll remove River’s Bridge from the base…”

Jiang Rong turned slightly, locking eyes with Guan Shao, “The person you saw is called Jiang Zixuan, he is Xiaoheng’s biological father.”

Guan Shao’s pupils contracted sharply, “Xiaoheng… isn’t your biological son?”

Jiang Rong nodded slightly, “When Jiang Zixuan was in college, he got his girlfriend pregnant but didn’t want to take responsibility. As time passed, the girl’s belly grew bigger. If the child had been aborted then, the girl’s life would have been in danger. So, she gave birth to the child and sent him to Jiang Zixuan’s family. Jiang Zixuan’s family didn’t want the child either, but my parents did, so they took the child.”

Guan Shao nodded thoughtfully, “If your parents brought the child back, why is he registered under your name? You’re still young and will have your own family in the future. Wouldn’t it be better for them to keep the child under their name if they wanted a child?”

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Rong’s lips, but it was bitter, “Because they brought Xiaoheng back for me. I’m gay. I can’t start a family with a woman, let alone have my own child. They brought Xiaoheng back as if he were my own child, hoping Xiaoheng could take care of me in my old age. Do you understand? Guan Shao, I like men. Are you scared now?”

 

 

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