Chapter 12

The delay in Qin Fei’s transformation was entirely due to the magic plant. He had already completed his transformation a month ago, but there was still a large amount of energy remaining. He estimated that he had only used about one-third of it, and the magic plant had absorbed the rest of the energy to evolve itself. 

From the time it was just a seed, the plant had drifted through the vast, dark expanse of space, wandering the universe for an unknown period of time. It lived off the faint energy scattered across the stars, but the energy in space was so minuscule that it only occasionally, with great luck, came across useful minerals to absorb. This allowed it to grow its first two leaves. It was only through a fortunate encounter with Xi Yuan that the plant found its silver mineral and took root.

When it was brought back, Qin Fei was not yet an adult and could not control his own pheromones. He frequently used his abilities and mental powers to move objects or practice exercises indoors. The plant could absorb the residual energy in the world to promote its own growth. Before going to sleep, Qin Fei often felt comfortable using his abilities to nourish the plant, further advancing its evolution. The plant, with some rudimentary intelligence, sensed that this zerg treated it well, and thus developed a sense of goodwill. It often responded by using its powers to give him something in return, which was why Qin Fei felt comfortable around it. 

When the plant had absorbed enough energy to reach saturation, it generously provided him with energy, aiding in his fourth transformation. Thanks to the large amount of wood-type crystal cores that Xi Yuan had provided, the plant not only helped Qin Fei evolve but also promoted its own evolution. In the following two months, it remained inside the green cocoon, absorbing energy. In order to avoid being disturbed by unknown zergs outside, it did not emerge until it had absorbed every last bit of energy.

Now, the plant has formed a contract with Qin Fei. If he rolled up his sleeve, he would see a vivid three-leaf clover tattoo on his arm. The clover had a delicate stem with three identically sized leaves at the top, resembling the three-leaf clovers he often saw on the roadside back on Earth.

When he first woke up, a soft, immature consciousness used mental power to communicate with him. The plant did not have a name, but Qin Fei had a rough understanding of its abilities. It had a great reciprocal function—when he used his powers to nourish it, the plant could return more refined energy in kind. Over time, it could also condense a transparent water droplet, which had excellent healing properties for injuries.

He named it ‘^[1]Lucky Clover “Xìngyùn Cǎo” (幸运草).Lucky Clover’—in his eyes, it really resembled the four-leaf clovers from Earth. Regular clovers typically have three leaves, with four-leaf clovers being extremely rare. The four-leaf variety is known as ‘lucky clover’, and it’s said that anyone who finds one will be blessed with good fortune. He had never personally looked for one but had heard his classmates talk about it. This magic plant had now officially reached adulthood and had the shape of a three-leaf clover. If its level increased in the future, it would become a four-leaf clover. He thought it really looked like one, so he decided to name it ‘Lucky Clover’.

Not long after the doctor left, the Male Zerg Protection Association arrived in full force. At the same time, a large group of serious-looking female zergs surrounded the house, setting up a security perimeter. When he checked the star network, he saw the news flooding in. It was all good news, announcing the birth of a new level 9 male zerg, a sign that the revival of the zerg race’s males had taken another step forward. Many businesses were also using this opportunity to offer large discounts to boost sales, making the atmosphere even more lively.

For the first time, Qin Fei had a direct understanding of the treatment afforded to level 9 male zergs. After all, he hadn’t expected that he, an ordinary male zerg, would be granted such close protection from military personnel. His communication terminal had been constantly buzzing. He briefly glanced at it—most of the messages were from people he didn’t know, introducing themselves and asking to be friends. The only two special ones were congratulatory messages from Ai Nuo and Lin Yu. He replied with a simple “thank you” to both and turned off the terminal.

However, he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like Xi Yuan was avoiding him? He had been awake for so long now, and many people had come and gone in and out of the room. The only time he had seen Xi Yuan was at the beginning, standing by his bed. Since then, he hadn’t seen him again. And even when he had seen him, Xi Yuan appeared happy, but didn’t look him in the eye, as though he were deliberately avoiding him.

He couldn’t help but wonder: What was going on? He had been planning to talk to Xi Yuan about the ceremony. He raised his wrist and used his communication terminal to call him over.

Xi Yuan did come, but his eyes were lowered, head bent, staring intently at the floor as if a flower had suddenly appeared there. He refused to look Qin Fei in the eye.

Seeing him like this, an idea flashed through Qin Fei’s mind: “Xi Yuan, I don’t blame you. This isn’t your fault. Besides, I wasn’t hurt, and in fact, I gained something from this—becoming a level 9 male zerg. If it weren’t for this magic plant, I might not have made such progress.”

Xi Yuan finally lifted his head, allowing Qin Fei to see his reddened eyes. No wonder he had been keeping his head down, not wanting Qin Fei to see.

“I’ve already told my male father, and we’ll find a good day soon to hold the ceremony. Do you have any thoughts about it?” Qin Fei asked.

Xi Yuan’s face showed unmistakable shock. “Master… you… really don’t blame me? If this magic plant hadn’t been beneficial and had been something else, the outcome might have…” He couldn’t finish the sentence. Just thinking about that kind of result sent a chill down his spine.

“I’ve been in contact with this magic plant for some time now, and I have a vague feeling about it. If I felt something was wrong, I wouldn’t have placed it by the bed. You have to trust me,” Qin Fei reassured him.

A long silence followed. After a long while, Xi Yuan knelt on one knee, one hand over his chest in a firm grip, as if swearing an oath to Qin Fei. “Master, Xi Yuan swears to you that I will always prioritize your safety above all else, and I will use my life to protect you! According to imperial tradition, level 9 male zergs are usually assigned military protection. I’ve already reported to the military and requested personal protection for you. Given my status, the military will likely approve.”

“How many people will there be?” Qin Fei asked.

“Traditionally, it’s fifty people,” Xi Yuan replied.

“Well, you can arrange it then. I’m not used to having so many people around me. Also, don’t change the subject—I was asking about the ceremony.”

There was another long silence. Xi Yuan stared at Qin Fei without blinking, and after a long while, he replied hoarsely, “I will follow male master’s arrangements.” Should he let go? Just the thought of it made his heart ache like it was being cut by a knife. If he left and wasn’t by Qin Fei’s side, and another female zerg stood beside him instead, how could he bear it?

“Then let’s go with the date a month from now. Tomorrow, you can come with me to register,” Qin Fei said.