Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 215 Ling Cage Part 1 (8)

"This is.?"

Looking at Leila's appearance, Yang Chen couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

In his original world, Lyra had never been seriously injured, let alone in a situation that required rebuilding her physical body.

Bai Yuekui's voice rang out from the side, explaining, "More than ten years ago, we encountered a beast horde attack. To cover the retreat of her teammates and Tianlai, Laila deliberately lured the beasts away... By the time we found her, her body had already turned into a pile of dust..."

She paused for a moment: "Later, we used 3D printing technology for human bodies left over from the old world in an attempt to reshape her carbon-based body, but we failed."

She looked at Yang Chen, her eyes filled with questioning and expectation: "This situation... do you have a solution?"

Just then, Leila, who had been lying quietly on the hospital bed, suddenly straightened up. Her body, which was covered with honeycomb-like holes, struggled violently, and she made a muffled and painful hoarse sound in her throat, as if she was resisting something or enduring some kind of great pain.

"Wife! Wife! It's okay, it's okay!" Xia Tianlai quickly hugged Leila and comforted her over and over again.

With his comforting words, Leila's struggles gradually subsided, and she collapsed back onto the hospital bed, though her desperate eyes showed that she was still in pain.

Xia Tianlai silently looked at his wife, his back to Yang Chen.

After a long while, he finally spoke, still without turning around:

“Yang Chen...you are someone Boss Bai trusts, so I am willing to trust you too.”

"What... do you plan to do? What do you need me to prepare? As long as there is a glimmer of hope, I am willing to pay any price."

Yang Chen looked at Xia Tianlai's back, which seemed to have aged considerably, and then at Leila, who was still suffering in pain on the hospital bed.

He stepped forward and put his hand on Xia Tianlai's shoulder:

"You don't need to prepare anything special, Tianlai."

"The root cause of this situation is the repulsion between the life essence and the newly formed carbon-based body; they cannot be compatible." Yang Chen's gaze fell on Leila. "Incompatibility will only lead to worse consequences if forcibly mixed."

As he spoke, Yang Chen reached out and gently placed his hand on Leila's forehead.

A faint glimmer flickered in the depths of his eyes.

The magic power of the Tiger Talisman surged out from Yang Chen's body through his hand.

One black and one white, one yin and one yang, two seemingly opposing yet complementary auras, like the rotation of a tai chi symbol, enveloped Leila on her sickbed.

The Tiger Talisman's power is neither a forceful expulsion nor a bestowal of life, but rather a mediator that penetrates into the very core of Lyra's body and life essence, soothing the intense conflict and reconciling the incompatible rejections.

Under the tense gaze of Xia Tianlai and Bai Yuekui, a miracle occurred.

Leila's deathly pale skin began to regain its color at a visible speed, becoming rosy and radiant.

The alarming, irregular honeycomb-like pores on the skin's surface are gently smoothed out, quickly shrink and healed, and eventually disappear, restoring a smooth and even surface.

The unnatural twisting of the body completely subsided, and the whole body presented a harmonious and healthy posture.

More importantly, her eyes, which had been empty and lifeless due to pain and despair, began to gradually regain their luster. It was a kind of bewilderment after getting rid of long torment, and a fluctuation of feeling control over her body again.

"Wife...?" Xia Tianlai stared in disbelief at the scene before him, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

He held Leila's hand tightly, feeling its warmth.

Leila seemed to hear his call; her eyelashes fluttered slightly, her gaze focusing on Xia Tianlai's tear-streaked face, her lips moving slightly: "Tianlai..."

This call instantly shattered all of Xia Tianlai's psychological defenses. He could no longer hold back, so he bent down and buried his face in Leila's restored hand, bursting into tears.

Bai Yuekui stood aside, quietly watching this miraculous scene, watching Leila transform from a painful wreck back into a whole person, and watching the pain that Xia Tianlai had suppressed for more than ten years be released at this moment.

She looked at Yang Chen again, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"What's going on"

Summer came and held Leila in his arms, crying uncontrollably like a child. The guilt of more than ten years was now intertwined with ecstasy, causing him to completely lose control of his emotions.

Leila quietly let him hold her, her eyes, now bright again, gazing tenderly at her husband.

She seems to be readjusting to this body that is no longer in pain.

After a while, she slowly raised her hand and somewhat awkwardly placed it on the back of Xia Tianlai's head, gently stroking it.

Although her voice was still a little weak, it was very gentle:

"It's alright, Tianlai...it's alright..."

Feeling his wife's gentle caresses and comforting words, Xia Tianlai's crying gradually stopped.

He looked up, his eyes brimming with tears, at Leila's recovered face, and a wave of immense guilt washed over him once more.

“I’m sorry… Layla… I’m so sorry…” he choked out, gripping her hand tightly. “It’s all my fault… If I hadn’t insisted on trying it back then, you wouldn’t… wouldn’t have suffered so many years of pain… It’s all my fault…”

Looking at him like this, Leila gently shook her head: "I don't blame you, Tianlai. I've always believed in you, believed that you would find a way someday."

She paused, then continued, "Although I've been bedridden for over a decade, I'm still conscious. I know when Xiaohua and Douzi come to see me and talk to me… I've watched them grow up little by little, from little girls into beautiful young women…"

Her gaze seemed to travel through time, and she saw her daughters lying by the bed, chattering about the outside world, sharing the troubles and joys of growing up.

Those voices, that companionship, were a vital force that kept her from completely collapsing amidst endless suffering.

Upon hearing this in the summer, her guilt lessened slightly, but a deeper pang of heartache welled up within her.

“You…you heard everything…” he murmured.

“Yes.” Leila nodded with a smile. “I heard everything. So, don’t blame yourself, Tianlai. Now our family is reunited, isn’t it?”

As she spoke, her gaze passed over Xia Tianlai's shoulder and fell upon Yang Chen, who stood behind her and had created all these miracles. Her eyes were filled with boundless gratitude.

Leila said softly, "Thank you." Her gaze then turned to Bai Yuekui, "Thank you too, Boss Bai."

Yang Chen smiled and waved his hand: "Your body has just recovered and needs a little time to adjust. Get some rest, and you should be fully adapted by tomorrow."

Leila nodded obediently, tried to move her hands, and felt the long-lost sense of control.

Her gaze fell on Yang Chen's face again, and she said softly, "The way you look at me...it's so warm, just like a father's..."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chen simply smiled gently and offered no further explanation.

Summer has finally brought me back to my senses after the emotional shock.

He looked at his wife, who had recovered her health, and then at Yang Chen, who had brought about this turning point. His gratitude was beyond words.

This usually somewhat eccentric old man suddenly turned around, grabbed Yang Chen's leg, and cried out in a voice trembling with emotion, "Thank you! Thank you so much, Yang Chen! You are a great benefactor to our family!"

"Oh! Heavens! Get up! You don't need to do this!" Yang Chen was caught off guard by his sudden big bow and quickly bent down to help him up.

"It's good that you're all alright; you're all family."

In this chaotic yet heartwarming moment, the door of the clinic creaked open.

A figure rushed in, carrying an old-fashioned handheld game console, yelling, "Dad! What are you all arguing about? Why aren't you asleep so late? I can hear you playing games next door..."

The person who came was Xia Dou. Before she could finish speaking, her gaze swept over the hospital bed.

When her gaze fell upon the figure sitting against the headboard, with a rosy complexion and a smile on his face, she froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

The handheld game console in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and the screen shattered instantly, but she was completely unaware.

Her eyes were wide open, staring intently at Leila on the bed, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Tears welled up unexpectedly, blurring my vision.

“Mom…?” A trembling syllable was squeezed out of her throat with difficulty.

Leila looked at her youngest daughter, who had grown up but still retained a childlike innocence, and her eyes filled with tears.

She reached out her hand to Xia Dou, her voice choked with emotion: "Xia Dou... my bean..."

This call completely shattered Xia Dou's stiffness.

"mom--!!!"

She let out a heart-wrenching scream, rushed over, threw herself at the bedside, hugged Leila tightly, buried her head in her warm embrace, and burst into tears.

Xia Tianlai, seeing his wife and daughter embracing and weeping, couldn't help but tear up again. He went over and hugged the mother and daughter together.

Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui watched this scene quietly without making a sound to disturb it.

After a long while, Xia Dou's crying gradually subsided, but she still clung tightly to Leila and refused to let go, as if her mother would disappear if she let go.

Leila gently stroked her daughter's hair, looking at her red, swollen eyes and nose, feeling both heartache and amusement, and softly scolded her:

"It's so late and you're still playing games. Your dad keeps coming to nag me, saying you're always staying up late and he can't control you."

Xia Dou shook her head vigorously: "I'm not playing anymore! I won't play anymore! Mom, I promise I'll be good and go to bed early!"

Suddenly, as if remembering something extremely important, she abruptly lifted her head from Leila's embrace, hastily wiping away her tears and snot with her sleeve, and said urgently:
"Mom! Wait for me! I... I'll go get my sister! And my nephew too! They'll be so happy to know you're all better!"

As she spoke, ignoring Lai's attempts to stop her and her words, "Don't disturb them so late," she turned and rushed out of the clinic like a gust of wind.

He ran while shouting in a voice that was both tearful and incredibly loud:

"Sister—! Sister—! Come quick! Mom's better! Mom's really better—!!!"

The sound carried far into the quiet night.

Inside the clinic, Leila watched her daughter's hurried disappearance, shook her head helplessly, but a smile played on her lips.

She could imagine how surprised and delighted her eldest daughter, Xia Hua, and grandson, Shan Shihui, would be when they heard the news.

Summer walked to the bedside, took Leila's hand again, and looked at the vivid expression on his wife's face, feeling a surge of emotion: "This girl, still so impulsive..."

“That’s good,” Leila said, squeezing his hand back and smiling. “My Bean is still the same lively and cheerful Bean.”

Bai Yuekui felt a warmth rise in his heart as he watched this scene.

Her gaze fell on Yang Chen again, and she saw him smiling as he looked in the direction where Xia Dou had disappeared through the door, his eyes gentle.

“It seems the village won’t be quiet tonight,” Bai Yuekui said softly.

Yang Chen withdrew his gaze, looked at her, and smiled: "A lively atmosphere is good; that's what life should be like."

He patted Xia Tianlai on the shoulder and said gently, "I'm leaving this place to you, Xia Tianlai. Spend some time with Leila and the children."

Xia Tian quickly stood up, trying to persuade him to stay: "Are you... are you leaving already? We haven't properly thanked you yet..."

Yang Chen waved his hand, interrupting him, "There's nothing to thank me for. Your family hasn't had a proper conversation in over a decade; you must have a lot to say. Yue Kui and I won't disturb you any longer."

As he spoke, he nodded to Layla on the bed, then walked out of the clinic with Bai Yuekui and gently closed the door behind them.

Outside the clinic, several lights in the village were indeed lit up by Xia Dou's shouts, and some excited chatter could be faintly heard.

Inside the clinic, as Yang Chen and Bai Yuekui left, a sense of curiosity arose in Leila's heart.

She leaned against the headboard, holding Xia Tianlai's hand, and softly asked, "Tianlai, that Yang Chen... I've never met him before. Is he... very close to Boss Bai? Judging from Boss Bai's attitude towards him, it seems quite unusual."

Upon hearing this, Xia Tian scratched his head, a look of confusion on his face. "To be honest, wife, I don't know his background either. He only suddenly appeared in the village today, and Boss Bai immediately declared that his status in the village was equal to hers, and that we should all follow his orders."

He paused, recalling everything that had happened tonight, his eyes becoming incredibly firm: "However, how he got here, who he is, none of that matters anymore."

"From now on, I'll listen to everything Boss Bai says, except for what he says!"

Leila listened to her husband's words and saw his serious expression, and she understood.

She nodded and smiled, "Yes, since Boss Bai trusts him so much, he must be a trustworthy person."

“Yes!” Xia Tian nodded emphatically.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded again outside the clinic, followed by Xia Hua's tearful cry: "Dad! Is what Douzi said true?!"

Xia Hua rushed in, accompanied by Xia Dou, carrying Shan Shi Hui who was rubbing his eyes. It was clear that Xia Hua had dragged him off the bed.

When Xia Hua saw her mother smiling at her from the bed, tears silently streamed down her face. She hugged the limestone and walked closer step by step, as if afraid of disturbing this beautiful dream.

"Mom..." Xia Hua's voice choked with sobs, a thousand words stuck in her throat.

Leila reached out her hands to her eldest daughter and grandson, her eyes filled with love: "Little Flower... Lime... Come, come to Grandma..."

Walking along the village path, their shadows were elongated by the lamplight.

Yang Chen turned to look at the silent Bai Yuekui beside him and said, "It's getting late, and you must be tired after looking at the documents all day. Go and rest."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuekui gently shook his head: "How could I possibly sleep after seeing these things?"

She paused for a moment, then asked, "The one with you, her name is Hongkou, right? Where does she live?"

“Yes, Hongkou.” Yang Chen nodded. “She’s temporarily staying with Maiduo.”

“Where is Maido…” Bai Yuekui nodded slightly.

She then looked at Yang Chen: "I originally planned to arrange for you to stay at Tianlai's place; he has spare rooms. But judging from tonight's situation..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Summer has finally brought the family together, and they must have so much to talk about that it's really not appropriate to disturb them.

Yang Chen expressed his understanding: "It's alright, no need to make special arrangements. I'll just find a place to spend the night."

Bai Yuekui, however, rejected his idea: "There's no reason for you to sleep outdoors."

She hesitated for a moment, seemingly making up her mind, then looked at Yang Chen again: "Come with me."

After saying that, she said no more and turned to walk towards the depths of the village toward her own dwelling.

(End of this chapter)