Chapter Eighty-Six: At the Heart's Core

"Stop squirming. It’s much better when you’re in your female form—being close to you doesn’t make me so uncomfortable. Last time I had to piece together your male body, I downed three whole bottles of mineral water just to get through it." As Dongguan spoke, she pressed her hands against Youba’s feminine form and closed her eyes. Youba felt a warm current rise from his lower abdomen, spreading throughout his body. The phoenix butterfly patterns on his arms flowed along Dongguan’s hands, weaving over his entire body, drawing back the spreading warmth into his core. The cycle repeated, and his bruised, battered body rapidly healed.

"Alright, that’s enough—don’t wear yourself out. The remaining minor injuries I can mend on my own. There are so many more people who need saving."

"Are you unaware of how badly you’re hurt? Or are you just not noticing how obviously I’m slacking off? You fool," Dongguan shot Youba a glare.

"Slacking off? You just healed even my smallest wounds—how is that slacking—ah! My chest!" Youba’s protest was cut off by a sharp cry of pain.

"Speak with a woman’s voice! You’re in a woman’s body, yet you insist on gruffness!" Dongguan’s hands pinched his chest hard, making him grimace. She explained, "Some of these people are as good as dead—let them die quickly! They’re all criminals and scoundrels. Why should I exhaust myself saving every last one of them?"

Tears nearly sprang to Youba’s eyes from the pain, but her words brought warmth to his heart. A little embarrassed, he realized he could sit upright now and, facing Dongguan, quickly murmured his thanks.

"Hmph. This body of yours is one of my finest treasures. I would never allow anything to happen to it. No need to thank me."

With that, the cherry blossom butterfly mark on Dongguan’s forehead shattered. She stood and stretched, only to notice Youba, utterly oblivious, had simply thrown on a pair of trousers before preparing to leave. She looked at him in disbelief. "Are you really going out like that?"

Youba paused. "Why not?"

He scratched his ear absentmindedly, limbs swinging freely, accidentally exposing himself. Only when he caught Dongguan’s pointed stare at his chest did he hurriedly snatch a death row jumpsuit from a nearby corpse and pull it on.

"By the way, are you thirsty?"

"What?" Dongguan blinked, not quite understanding.

"Didn’t you say last time that after swapping out my male body, you drank three bottles of mineral water? Aren’t you thirsty this time?" Youba asked, now dressed, his expression full of genuine concern.

"I… I… That was because—never mind, I have people to save. It’s none of your business!" Dongguan, recalling how her body had gone into uncontrollable spasms during Youba’s last operation, felt uncharacteristically awkward under his earnest gaze. Waving him off, she turned to tend to the unconscious Muyou.

"I’ll help you too," Youba said, unleashing a hundred tentacles in all directions, instantly killing all the mortally wounded death row inmates. Seeing Dongguan make no move to stop him, a flower-shaped energy cannon blossomed from one of his tentacles, and in a flash, he aimed it right at Dongguan’s patient—Muyou.

A glint of murderous intent flickered in Youba’s eyes. He’d heard rumors that Dongguan had been appearing frequently at Block A on the surface, which he hadn’t believed. But now, it was clear she held a special concern for this boy. This won’t do—he must not be allowed to live! The enmity between them was already irreconcilable. Better to kill him now, while Dongguan’s attachment was still shallow, than to have her heart break even more later.

The chrysanthemum-shaped energy cannon shot toward the half-dead Muyou at lightning speed from behind Dongguan. At the very instant it was about to pierce through her, Dongguan merely flicked her hand, and the cannon froze in the air, dissipating into nothingness.

"What I have claimed, no one may touch. Not even you, my most prized treasure," Dongguan turned her head; her lens flashed a cherry-pink chill that made Youba involuntarily retreat half a step. His instincts screamed that Dongguan was truly angry now—this was a moment when he absolutely could not defy her.

"I… I was just worried you’d tire yourself out, so I dealt with those dying inmates ahead of time. I only wanted to spare you," Youba muttered, head bowed, sounding wounded.

Gulping noises filled the silence—dangerous inmates all around swallowed hard. Even the seven surviving instructors couldn’t help wanting to open their eyes for a glance. The sight of Youba, so dainty and delicate now, was a stark contrast to his usual burly self. Yet not one dared look. The earlier scream had warned them—no one but Youba had such privilege.

The ever-smiling woman was not as easygoing as she appeared. Not at all.

"Any of you may die, but he… absolutely will not." Dongguan’s words, half to herself, half to all present, echoed through the space. She approached Muyou, plopped down beside him.

A pained groan came from beneath Muyou.

"What on earth—there’s someone under you?" Dongguan was momentarily startled. Flipping Muyou over, she found Xu Chen crushed into the ground, having absorbed most of Muyou’s impact. Now, with Dongguan’s added weight, he began to stir.

Taking advantage of Xu Chen’s still-closed eyes, Dongguan casually tossed him aside. He traced a graceful arc through the air before crashing back to the ground and losing consciousness once more.

"My little one, you always bring such surprises. What was that technique? Only at the Lingyan level, yet its power is so terrifying…" Dongguan closed her eyes. This time, she lay down fully atop Muyou. The contact of their skins made her body react once more. Breathing deeply, she activated the phoenix butterfly patterns, which glowed and wrapped Muyou in a shimmering pink aura, suffusing every inch of his body. A smile tugged at Dongguan’s lips, a deeper intoxication.

"Your body always fascinates me so. I adore it, my precious. If only you were a girl—perhaps I might truly fall for you."

With those words, the butterfly patterns on Dongguan’s face and neck shattered into pieces. As the light faded, Muyou’s wounds vanished, even the dust on his face wiped clean.

"Ah…" When she finished, Dongguan seemed utterly exhausted, sighing softly and languidly sprawling atop Muyou.

"Since you saved me, I’ll allow you to rest on my chest—for one minute," Muyou’s voice sounded, gentle and steady.

The injuries he’d suffered were far more than mere exhaustion, especially after unleashing the ‘Fiery Phoenix Sundering Slash’ with all his strength, fusing in months of accumulated sinister death energy. Its power had been so overwhelming even his own arm had died and gone numb. That the first person he saw upon waking was Dongguan—even if their current position was a bit awkward—honestly, Muyou felt deeply grateful to her.

Since entering the death row playground, Dongguan had always looked after him. Her methods might be unorthodox, but Muyou could see she had her reasons. She was guiding him, helping him adapt to the desperate, unfathomable environment of this place.

Even if Dongguan had her own motives for being kind, Muyou didn’t mind. Everyone had their own burdens—like Dongguan, like An Ruxiang, like everyone lying on the ground around him.

Anyone who ended up in the death row playground must have tasted true despair. No one reached this point without profound helplessness.

But when someone is good to you, that’s a debt—a kindness.

And Muyou… did not like owing anything to anyone!