Chapter 196 – Brutal Beastman Marshal vs. White Lotus, Black Lotus, Pitiful Plant Prince (23)
Mu Jin thought that, given he was probably the only fern left on the entire Plant People continent, he could explain his situation however he wanted. So, for convenience in the future, he deliberately exaggerated the details about his plant-like form.
However, he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but when he mentioned that this plant form would make his physique more robust1, and that even his body’s scent and fluids could help enhance another person’s physique, the man’s eyes seemed to darken.
Cromwell couldn’t help but move closer upon hearing Mu Jin’s words, pulling his beloved into his arms. His fingers gently played with Mu Jin’s long hair, noticing that it seemed even more resilient in this form. Stroking the soft strands, he felt an irresistible fondness.
But, a stronger physique?
Bending down to kiss Mu Jin’s cheek, Cromwell found the dark green veins on his face exceptionally alluring, causing his breathing to become heavier. He leaned in and whispered, “Xiao Jin, I actually got a bit injured today while fighting the horned python.”
“Where are you hurt? Why didn’t you let the doctor check you just now?” Mu Jin exclaimed anxiously, examining Cromwell’s body. He remembered that Cromwell had used wind blades to deal with the horned python, so how could he be injured?
Then he recalled that the horned python might have the ability to block detection, so it might have injured his lover in a way he didn’t notice.
Seeing Mu Jin so worried about his well-being, Cromwell felt a warm sensation in his heart. Stopping Mu Jin from unintentionally igniting fires while searching for injuries, he tightened his arms around him and rasped in his ear, “Xiao Jin, just use yourself to heal me.”
Hearing Cromwell’s words, Mu Jin immediately understood that this was just an excuse, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. But he also found his lover, with his deep voice and profound gaze, incredibly handsome.
Instantly, Mu Jin’s heart was struck by cupid’s arrow. As the ultimate devoted fan of his lover, he naturally obeyed Cromwell’s request, cooperating with him time and again to heal his “injuries.”
As for the temperature in the room during the healing sessions, let’s not mention that. After hearing that Mu Jin’s new plant form had enhanced his physique, Cromwell couldn’t help but have some other thoughts.
But after all, plant people and beastmen are different. He worried that Mu Jin wouldn’t be able to quickly accept or adapt to his beast form. After all, the beast form and human form are very different in many aspects, and once the beast form is initiated, it’s often harder to stop, making it tough on his partner.
Therefore, he decided to let Mu Jin gradually adapt to the situation, considering his current condition, and decided to use a half-beast form for the latter part.
However, for Mu Jin, Cromwell’s beast ears and tail were too unfair! Was this the charm of contrasts? And those black wings—flying halfway up with them, the variations couldn’t be more diverse.
Seeing his beloved staring at his half-beast form with sparkling eyes, Cromwell couldn’t help but be a bit greedy, wanting to test his lover’s physique. The conclusion was that Mu Jin’s new plant form indeed had a strong physique, and the half-beast form unlocked many new and interesting experiences.
Mu Jin, with his enhanced physique, did not faint after a night of strenuous activity. The next day, he even had a rosy complexion, feeling only a bit tired. Seeing Mu Jin in such good condition, Cromwell finally felt relieved.
As for his lover’s subtle hints about wanting to use his beast form, Mu Jin didn’t really catch on. While he enjoyed being close to his partner, he didn’t realize there could be other surprising aspects to a relationship with a beastman.
After all, he was still a plant person, and despite the extensive knowledge among plant people, there wasn’t much detailed information about beastmen’s intimate relations.
Since it was only the first day of the weekend, and Mu Jin had another day of rest, the ever-eager Marshal took the opportunity to help his beloved get better acquainted with his new plant-person form.
In the afternoon, finally getting a bit of his own time, Mu Jin went to his workshop in the Marshal’s mansion. He handed over some of the plants he had collected in the forest to Cromwell, who then took them to the military’s other alchemists for further research.
As for the rest, Mu Jin analyzed and processed them himself. This act made Cromwell even more convinced that Mu Jin had entered the forest for his sake, filling him with deep emotion.
Although Mu Jin trusted his own abilities in alchemy, he also believed that there were various geniuses among ordinary people. The saying “many hands make light work” rang true to him; since he had so many materials, he didn’t hesitate to involve others, hoping someone might find better research directions.
That evening, Cromwell kindly let Mu Jin have a proper night’s rest. The next day, Mu Jin returned to the Imperial Academy in high spirits, only to be notified upon arrival that it was exam day for the alchemy department.
Mu Jin had no fear of exams. For someone who had played the role of a top student in many worlds, if he aimed for second place, no one would dare to claim first.
The first part of the exam was a written test. When Mu Jin entered the exam hall, he noticed Isaiah looking confident. Raising an eyebrow, he decided not to hold back. He quickly completed his exam and was the first to hand in his paper.
Seeing Isaiah’s surprised expression, Mu Jin gave him a gentle smile. However, to Isaiah, that smile felt more like a provocation.
Although Isaiah’s earlier decision to delay their duel had somewhat improved Mu Jin’s opinion of this beastman, it didn’t mean he hadn’t noticed Isaiah’s subtle admiration for Cromwell and his idolizing thoughts. So, in terms of dealing with a rival in love, both Mu Jin and Cromwell were on the same page.
However, Isaiah, seeing Mu Jin hand in his paper so quickly, felt annoyed by the perceived provocation. She didn’t believe Mu Jin was confident, thinking instead that he had achieved nothing despite studying for so long.
She assumed Mu Jin was just treating the Imperial Academy as a playground, not taking the exam seriously. This thought irritated Isaiah, as even though the beastmen’s alchemy program was somewhat weaker, Mu Jin’s indifferent attitude still made her angry.
Isaiah pursed her lips in displeasure and then resumed working earnestly on her exam. However, her disdain didn’t last long. After the written exam concluded and they moved on to the practical section, Isaiah was taken aback by Mu Jin’s performance.
As the top student in the alchemy department, Isaiah excelled in both the written and practical exams, and she didn’t consider anyone a threat.
However, as Isaiah was halfway through her potion extraction, she heard Mu Jin raise his hand and inform the teacher that he had completed his extraction. This surprised Isaiah.
Initially, she thought Mu Jin was merely messing around and wasting materials, but when she finished and walked past Mu Jin’s workstation, she was astonished to see that the extracted potion in his vial was exceptionally clear. Based on the color, it was an A-grade potion.
To put this into perspective, even a talented and hardworking student like Isaiah, after three years at the Imperial Academy, could count the number of times she had extracted an A-grade potion on one hand. Extracting a B-grade potion was already considered an excellent result for students of their caliber.
Isaiah, in her surprise, began to observe Mu Jin more closely. She realized that his mental strength far exceeded hers, allowing him to separate impurities from the potion flawlessly.
Moreover, his proficiency with the equipment demonstrated meticulous practice, clearly not the work of an amateur.
This raised questions in Isaiah’s mind. Was this Prince of the Plant Empire really as useless as she had imagined, merely wasting his time at the Imperial Academy?
With these thoughts, Isaiah’s gaze towards Mu Jin became more inquisitive. She had to admit that his skills surpassed not only hers but also those of her instructor.
Given the small number of students in the alchemy department, their written exam results were promptly graded and announced the next day, along with the practical results.
As Isaiah had vaguely anticipated, Mu Jin outperformed her in both the written and practical exams, taking the top spot in the alchemy department.
What shocked her even more was that all of Mu Jin’s grades were rated as S. This meant that his performance was flawless, and the teachers couldn’t find a single error in his exam papers or practical work, which left Isaiah stunned.
While Isaiah might have consoled herself during the practical exam by thinking that plant people had a natural advantage in potion extraction due to their superior mental strength compared to beastmen, the combination of his written exam scores and his adept use of the equipment left no room for self-deception.
Isaiah now clearly understood that Mu Jin was indeed a genius, and one who had honed his skills through diligent effort and mastery of the field.
Note :
- “More robust” means stronger, healthier, or more vigorous. ↩︎