Closer to Revealing My True Self
Chapter 122 - 106 Incubation (Part 2)_1

Chapter 122: Chapter 106 Incubation (Part 2)_1

The formation of the shell prevented more energy from escaping.

The hard shell enveloped it, creating a stable and energy-rich internal environment.

The cave became dark once more.

Feng Yi felt he had a very long dream, wherein he saw vast desolation and old events hidden in the fog.

He dreamt of cities emerging from the wasteland, only to be leveled by the winds and sands, and after a great while, new cities rose and prosperity withered away.

A speck of dust traversed the darkness, sailing through the oppressive silence.

What was held, what was seen.

It stood aloof.

Then, the dust settled.

...

Tan Mountain Gorge.

High upon the cliffs, the ancient Buddha watched the night, quietly observing the mist swirling in the gorge below.

At the entrance of the gorge, inside the black car, the old man watched as the time flashed [0:30] on the display screen.

The wind within the gorge became stronger.

The cameras placed by those who had gone to scout the path ahead had all lost connection. The signal was initially interfered with and soon after, cut off completely.

The car’s body withstood the onslaught of Feng Yu.

Outside, the sound of rain was noisy; inside, the silence was tense to the extreme.

Five people stopped even their breathing.

In the car’s interior light, the five of them sat tense, their gaze unfocused, their bodies in the car, but their thoughts drifting to unknown dimensions of discussion.

The old man in the second row of multifunctional seats locked his eyes on the time displayed on the electronic screen.

Finally, the digits jumped to [0:31]

It was only a minute, but it felt like a very long time had passed.

It wasn’t clear who took the first deep breath inside the car, but the nerves of several people relaxed.

Outside, the winds and rain battering the car softened. The wind decreased.

A while later, the numbers indicating time slowly changed until [0:35], yet an anxious and uneasy atmosphere lingered in the car.

It was like the exam had ended, but the results had not come out; they still had to wait.

And so they waited until dawn.

Zheng—

The pocket watch in the old man’s hand emitted a high-pitched alert.

His eyes snapping open, the old man flipped open the cover of the pocket watch.

After the hands wavered slightly, they pointed in a direction. Unlike before, there was a faint glow on the needle, as if it had received a certain signal, bright and blinding, yet also thrilling.

A pleased smile appeared on the old man’s serious face.

The other four in the car stopped what they were doing the moment the pocket watch made the sound, all turning to look at the old man. Seeing the smile on the old man’s face, they let go of the anxiety that hung over them, and the atmosphere became animated.

"Uncle, can we set off now?" asked the person at the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel.

"Set off!"

In the gorge, the rain had stopped, and the wind had grown gentle, only the dense fog continued to flow slowly through the valley.

The driver, steering the vehicle deeper into the valley, thought of something and with a mix of shyness and awkwardness gracing his determined face asked, "Uncle, when we meet him, what should we call him? Young Master? Mr. Yi? Boss?"

After pondering for a moment, the old man replied, "He hasn’t decided whether to keep you or not, so he’s not your boss yet. For now, call him Mr. Yi."

A bulky figure sitting in the back row also asked timidly, "Then, if Mr. Yi thinks our salary demands are high and we also need room and board, what should we do?"

"Hmm..." It seemed that the old man had only just considered this question, his expression unchanged, "That’s between you and him. I am just a butler; I don’t interfere with his decisions."

The interior of the car fell silent once again.

With a faint smile, the old man said, "There’s no need to be nervous. Be yourselves and show your true colors."

After he spoke, he straightened his bow tie.

The four others in the car were silent.

This old man had taken great care to prepare before embarkation, burning incense, bathing early in the morning, dressing in well-tailored clothes fit for a national gala, and even polishing his shoes till they shone and styling his hair!

This is being oneself?

Pah!

There was silence in the car again. Then, the four people, excluding the driver, took out their phones and began typing rapidly, stirring up a lively discussion in their private chat group.

The driver, though not joining the conversation, pondered over what pose to strike for an introduction that would take center stage.

The person in the passenger seat frowned slightly, gazing at the phone screen with a grave expression, as if negotiating a billion-dollar contract.

The bulky man in the third row on the left typed awhile, paused to ponder, and then continued his conversation, his face wearing a worried look.

On the right side of the third row, another sat red-faced, switching between the photo gallery and the chat group, uploading photos rapidly, proving a point with both images and words.

Each of the four had their roles, but whether they could stay or how many would remain was for Feng Yi to decide. The first impression had to be good!

At this critical moment, positioning was also key; they needed to decide their places in advance because there would be no time for discussion upon arrival!

The old man sitting on the multifunction car seat didn’t pay attention to the undercurrent in the car; he took out a box containing neatly pressed clothing. Facing the self-capturing camera on the screen, he meticulously adjusted every stray hair and then tidied up the screen and any extraneous items before holding a bathrobe with solemn dignity.

----

In the underwater cave, amidst darkness and silence.

Ka—

Ka ka—

The sound of the hard shell breaking echoed continuously, with fragments sinking in the water.

Feng Yi shook off the debris from his body, flicked his leg, and swam upwards, surfacing and sitting within this special cave.

The cave appeared to be the end of an underwater passage; half-filled with water, the other half with circulating air.

His feeling now was akin to having woken from a peaceful sleep, his eyes just opened, his mind not entirely clear, still feeling slightly drowsy.

Around him, darkness persisted, yet it did not hinder his vision; in fact, he saw even more clearly than before. His senses had been greatly enhanced and merged more effectively. For example, his visual and olfactory systems, which he previously had to consciously control, now felt like intrinsic parts of his body, easily managed at will.

What else had changed?

His hands were still hands, his legs still legs.

He had not turned into a snake!

So, had he succeeded or not?

Feng Yi focused and assessed his situation. His instincts did not signal failure, so it must have been a success. But...

He hadn’t turned into a snake!!

He wasn’t sure if he should feel lost or relieved.

In fact, relief was the predominant feeling, being able to still live in human society, without worrying about becoming an outcast.

No scales had grown, no extra tails.

I am still me!

"Hatching" was nothing special after all!

Feng Yi smiled, then his smile faded. He felt it couldn’t be that simple.

He checked his body again. The clothes he had been wearing were gone, and the cash in his pocket had disappeared too.

Using his instincts to investigate, he got the answer: They had disintegrated.

During the evolution process, the strong energy and special force field had turned everything to ash, sinking into the underwater caves.

Feng Yi rubbed his slightly aching head. Thankfully, he hadn’t carried more with him.

Wait a second!

Feng Yi looked at himself, not wearing a single piece of clothing!

How am I supposed to go out like this?!

What should I do now?

Feng Yi worried.

Instincts really were unreliable. If he had known this would happen, he should have placed a bag of clothes outside beforehand for emergent situations. Now, he was in an awkward predicament – how was he supposed to get back?

It wouldn’t be proper to go out naked!

If a security camera somewhere caught him, that would be even worse.

But this place was too remote, no one ever came, and without a phone, he couldn’t contact the outside world.

It seemed to be almost dawn outside. Should he wait until midnight to sneak out? Stealthily make his way to where there were people, then ask for help, claiming to have been robbed on the way?

That didn’t sound too appealing either.

Feng Yi, who wasn’t bothered by the cold, stirred the water with his leg, contemplating his next move. Maybe he should sleep on it first, wait until he was fully rested, his brain clearer, and then figure out a plan?

Thinking this, Feng Yi leaned against the rock wall, coaxing sleep. The feeling of drowsiness was still very prominent.

I’m hungry...

Hmm?

Feng Yi opened his eyes, carefully discerning the information carried by the air flowing into the cave.

Someone’s here!

The scent was vaguely familiar.

His now more acute sense of smell caught the scent in the air: four young men and an old man. The first four were strangers, but the latter, he had met before.

The butler?

Feng Yi raised an eyebrow.

How had the old man found this place?

However, Feng Yi could sense they posed no threat or malice.

They had arrived just in time.

...

By the poolside.

Four young men and an elder stood there quietly.

Suddenly, their expressions sharpened.

There was a creature moving through the water, quickly approaching.

Woosh—

A figure leaped from the water, landing steadily on the ground beside the pool.

The chilly moisture it brought with it carried an imposing vigor, as if it were a real sword, sharp and startling!

Their stark fierceness suggested a wild aggressiveness, and the overwhelming pressure that directly bore down on them made the hairs on their backs stand up!

The four men felt a chill in their hearts. Their future boss seemed, perhaps, not so easy to get along with.

Feng Yi looked over.

He’d only meant to show his head for a bit of interaction, considering he had no clothes on. But he’d surged forward too strongly and ended up on the bank.

It didn’t matter anyway, there were only a few people, and it wasn’t really anything to be embarrassed about.

His mind still a bit foggy, his thoughts a beat slow, Feng Yi kept a straight face, expressionless, so others couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

His gaze swept over the four strangers and settled on the familiar elder.

The seemingly simple but actually exquisite tailcoat, the stiff posture, even the curvature of his mouth seemed as though they were measured with precision, from hair to dress exuding a staid elegance.

"Long time no see," Feng Yi said.

"Long time no see," the butler responded with a slight bow, stepping forward and unfurling a bathrobe to drape it over Feng Yi.

Wrapped in the bathrobe, Feng Yi sized up the old butler. So, he had acknowledged him, hadn’t he?

Despite maintaining contact, there hadn’t been a face-to-face conversation since their first meeting. Unlike that first time, the butler now showed more respect and closeness, and the look in his eyes was more affectionate...

Affectionate?!

Feng Yi shifted his gaze away, nodding his chin towards the four men standing not far away, "Who are they?"

Perhaps because he had just emerged from a cave, his voice carried a chill, slightly aloof.

The butler offered a dry towel, "Madam Feng has cultivated these assistants for you; they are all professionals. Although their salary demands are high, their abilities are strong. However, it’s up to you whether you keep them or not."

Feng Yi, who was wiping the water droplets off his face, paused upon hearing this.

His still-drowsy brain locked on to the keywords.

What professionals?

What salary?

How high?

If I can’t afford them, can I reject them all?