Chapter 257
Chapter 257: If Your Wife Won’t Give You a Title, When Will You Find Your Peacock a Female?
The accusations grew louder, sharper.
“Jiang Tea Tea. Cheng Yuan. We admit you’re excellent. Gifted. Valued by the Commander-in-Chief.”
“But any treatment needs data. Not personal intuition. You can’t just pour a random bowl of poison into a living beastfolk!”
“Dual-ability beastfolk are under two percent. One death is a national loss. You knew it was poison and fed it to him anyway. That’s murder!”
“I’m telling you—this is assassination. You should be court-martialed—”
“Enough.” Jiang Tea Tea’s voice cut through them like a whip.
She pointed at the crowd of healers and researchers. “You were brought here to watch and assist. Not to point fingers at me.”
“Leave. Right now. I don’t need you teaching me how to do my job. Go.”
Huang Da Zhuang had volunteered. It had been agreed from the start. They didn’t object in the military department—now that he was foaming and rolling, they suddenly had opinions.
It was obvious who they were really targeting.
The healers and researchers looked at each other, voices softening. “Jiang Tea Tea… we’re here under the Commander-in-Chief’s orders. Without his orders, we wouldn’t be here. We can’t leave—”
“And we’re not trying to target you. It’s just that toxin-against-toxin has never been used like this. You’re too—”
Jiang Tea Tea cut them off again. “You know the Commander-in-Chief ordered you to cooperate and listen. And what did you do?”
“You came in afterward to criticize. We don’t need your hindsight. Lieutenant Colonel Ma, drive them out. And report what they did today to Adjutant Ai.”
Da Ma Zi—Lieutenant Colonel Ma—was one of Chong Ming’s bodyguards. He’d been assigned primarily to protect Jiang Tea Tea.
The moment she named him, he didn’t hesitate.
He drew his gun and aimed it at them.
Faced with a loaded weapon and Jiang Tea Tea’s uncompromising stare, the healers and researchers had no choice. Regret burned in their throats, but they had to go.
They hadn’t gone far when Huang Da Zhuang, who’d been rolling and foaming in the grass, suddenly sprang up with a bark and bolted uphill.
“Cheng Xiao Ting!” Jiang Tea Tea shouted as she took off after him. “Carry Cheng Lin Yue. Follow!”
Cheng Xiao Ting transformed into beast form, grabbed Cheng Lin Yue by the back of her clothes, tossed her onto his back, and sprinted—four paws moving like wind.
Sui Xuan Chu, Ju Que, the others, and the guards all followed at full speed. In a blink, they were gone.
Da Ma Zi wanted to chase too, but he was still driving the healers and researchers away. He could only watch them disappear into the trees.
Cheng Yuan stayed behind at the equipment, eyes on the numbers as they flickered wildly.
The healers and researchers glanced at each other. Their pride collapsed fast.
Xin Yi forced out a humiliating change of tone. “Cheng Yuan… do you need our help?”
Cheng Yuan didn’t even look at them. “You didn’t obey the Commander-in-Chief’s order. Why would I dare ask you for help?”
Their faces burned with embarrassment.
They’d questioned because they’d been diligent and loyal inside the military department for years. Then Jiang Tea Tea and Cheng Yuan had dropped in like meteors and taken leadership. How could they accept it?
But if they left now, they’d be accused of disobeying orders. That was worse.
Their voices grew softer. “We were too impulsive. We didn’t mean harm. We also want to find an antidote and treat the supervirus infected as soon as possible.”
“You’re the person in charge. You can’t do it all alone. Let us stay. We’ll obey you. We won’t question you or Jiang Tea Tea again.”
“No need.” Cheng Yuan’s hands never stopped moving. Backup data streamed into his lightbrain. “Lieutenant Colonel Ma, take them away. They’re in the way.”
The healers and researchers realized, too late, that neither Cheng Yuan nor Jiang Tea Tea would give them face.
In their hearts, they prayed Huang Da Zhuang would die. If he died, their accusations would be validated and they could argue their way out.
If he lived—if the medicine worked and he saved himself—they’d be branded undisciplined, insubordinate. They might lose their positions. Even their licenses and healer plaques.
In the end, Da Ma Zi didn’t just escort them away. He reported everything, detail by detail, to Adjutant Ai.
By the time they returned to the military department, there was no buffer at all.
They were ordered to go home on leave—pending investigation.
Their stomachs twisted with regret.
The researchers and healers who hadn’t been chosen to come with the team could only shake their heads at them.
The Commander-in-Chief valued Jiang Tea Tea. She was young, bold, and dangerous. She could fight and heal. What was there to doubt?
Even if you didn’t learn anything, you’d at least broaden your horizons. If you did something right, the Commander-in-Chief would reward it. Glory wouldn’t all go to Jiang Tea Tea and Cheng Yuan.
They couldn’t understand it.
Were those people’s brains full of mud? Or was it just old pride—unable to stand someone like Jiang Tea Tea?
Up on the mountain, Huang Da Zhuang ran like a mad dog, heart rate and blood pressure spiking beyond normal ranges.
Cheng Xiao Ting, carrying Cheng Lin Yue, couldn’t catch him. The wolf was fast, but Huang Da Zhuang was faster. They had to track him by crushed grass and scent.
Jiang Tea Tea kept pace beside him, staying level with him.
Her magic power was under twenty percent now, but running wasn’t a problem.
She’d expected him to seek herbs. She’d expected him to eat something.
Instead, Huang Da Zhuang sprinted all over the mountain, found a pond, and dove in headfirst.
Just… soaked.
Jiang Tea Tea stopped on the bank and watched.
When Cheng Xiao Ting and the others arrived, panting, they crowded close.
“Sister Tea, how is he?”
Jiang Tea Tea nodded toward the water. “Soaking.”
Cheng Lin Yue blinked. “What herbs did he eat on the way?”
“None,” Jiang Tea Tea said. “He ran for one hour and twenty minutes. He’s been soaking for twenty.”
Cheng Lin Yue stared, stunned. “So… your antidote has no problem? It makes you foam and roll like you’re dying, then you need cold water, and that’s it? No other side effects?”
Sui Xuan Chu and the others looked like their brains had shorted out.
Sister Tea’s medicine worked?
The poison that made them hallucinate and see Sister Tea as a tree demon… worked?
The infected might have hope.
Jiang Tea Tea kept her tone level. “Not sure yet. We wait for him to come out.”
Cheng Lin Yue nodded rapidly. “Okay, okay.”
Cheng Xiao Ting sucked in a breath and asked, “Sister Tea… his head’s been underwater for twenty minutes. Is he already—”
Jiang Tea Tea jolted. “Pull him up—now!”
Splash!
Cheng Xiao Ting plunged in, grabbed Huang Da Zhuang by the scruff and tail, and hauled him onto the shore.
Cheng Lin Yue rushed to check him, but before her hand touched him, Huang Da Zhuang rolled like a corpse and flopped straight back into the pond.
Cheng Lin Yue froze midair, then looked up at Jiang Tea Tea. “He didn’t drown. He’s moving.”
Jiang Tea Tea nodded. “I saw. He rolled in by himself. He’s not done soaking. Let him soak.”
Cheng Lin Yue withdrew her hand. “Okay.”
Cheng Xiao Ting stared at the pond like it had insulted his ancestors.
He’d touched Huang Da Zhuang and thought he was dead.
But the dog could hold his breath that long, roll back into water on command, and continue soaking?
Was he, a wolf, really inferior to a dog?
They waited.
Twenty more minutes passed.
Huang Da Zhuang sprang out, shook the water from his coat, and stood.
The six of them rushed in to circle him, eyes wide, murmuring.
“Does anyone else feel like Da Zhuang’s fur got yellower?”
“No, no—it’s not yellower. He looks taller. Leaner.”
“His eyes are clearer. Smarter. More… dominating.”
“Da Zhuang, how do you feel?”
Huang Da Zhuang looked at them like a man being roasted alive. He shook again, then transformed into human form.
His shirt was gone. Only training pants remained. No shoes. Barefoot.
The moment the others saw his upper body, they whistled and surged forward, hands flying.
“Da Zhuang, your body is insane! How did we never notice?”
“Eight-pack abs! Chest hair! Ab hair! You don’t look nineteen—you look twenty-nine. Mature dog.”
“Your waist is tight. Your back muscles—whoa.”
“I remember you had a little soft fat. Now you’re actually… Da Zhuang.”
“These muscles feel amazing—”
Huang Da Zhuang yelped like a dog and leapt away, face horrified.
“What are you doing? What kind of comrade comes up and grabs someone’s chest and stomach?”
“Cheng Xiao Ting, I’m a dog and you’re a wolf. We’re basically the same ancestor line. Why are you rubbing my back? I’m not clean anymore!”
“Cheng Lin Yue, Sister Tea—keep distance. I don’t want your future males to beat me to death!”
The six lined up again, suddenly solemn like judges.
Jiang Tea Tea eyed him. “He does look stronger. The medicine’s effect seems… pretty good.”
One of them blurted, “Sister Tea, not just upper body. Lower body feels tight too. Give me a sip of that poison next time. I want shortcuts. I want abs without training.”
“Me too—his abs didn’t even dent when I pressed!”
“Give me a sip—give me a sip—”
Huang Da Zhuang glanced at his arms, at his hands. He didn’t feel bigger, exactly. He just felt like he had endless strength.
Jiang Tea Tea raised a hand. “No one else drinks yet.”
“We go back to Cheng Yuan. Then we find a supervirus infected and test. Move.”
No one argued. They returned at once.
Huang Da Zhuang tried to say something. Nobody listened. He tried again. Their hands reached for him again.
He panicked, transformed back into a dog, and ran.
Back at the equipment site, Huang Da Zhuang was dragged into a full checkup.
Ten minutes later, Cheng Yuan held the report and sighed in amazement.
“As expected. Toxin-against-toxin can be a powerful tonic.”
“Existence is reason. We have advanced instruments, endless drugs—chronic disease, cancer, none of it is a big deal anymore.”
“But sometimes dark medical art and herbal medicine… works just as well as extracted drugs. Sometimes better.”
He patted Huang Da Zhuang’s chest and gave Jiang Tea Tea a thumbs-up.
“Jiang Tea Tea—your formula is incredible.”
Jiang Tea Tea lifted a brow, accepting the praise, then moved fast.
Equipment packed. Everyone returned to the military department to report to Chong Ming.
After the report, they headed straight to the infected quarantine zone.
They selected three infected and poured the medicine into their mouths.
Chong Ming came personally.
He also brought Zhong Li He.
And with Zhong Li He came Kong Que—inevitable.
The three men stood outside the isolation glass and watched.