Chapter 346

Chapter 346

My face flushed instantly. I shot Leopold a reproachful look.

This is all your fault!

Instead of backing down, Leopold wrapped my hand in his and said with a grin, "If he can handle being single, why would this bother him?"

Brady was speechless.

So was I.

After a ten-hour flight, we finally landed at Clouds District Airport.

We switched cars twice without stopping and headed straight for the village where Arlo lived.

Since we needed to monitor Orion's condition constantly, we rode in the ten-passenger van with him.

The mobile hospital bed had been swapped for a vehicle-mounted stretcher, secured near the front of the van.

We sat in the seats beside the stretcher.

On the way, Brady explained Orion's condition with the 'controlled parasite.'

"The controlling parasite is currently in a semi-dormant state."

"Semi-dormant means its activity level has decreased, but it hasn't stopped completely. During this phase, the controller's influence on the controlled weakens, but it doesn't disappear entirely."

That reminded me of Ethan's injury last night.

My heart jumped, but then I remembered checking Orion—aside from the wound on his arm, there were no other injuries.

So I asked, "Does that mean even if Ethan gets hurt now, Orion won't be affected?"

"Exactly." Brady nodded, then added, "But the controlling parasite is extremely complex. I can't say for sure that the influence won't suddenly intensify again at some point."

"So the process will definitely be more complicated than we think. You both need to stay calm. Don't interfere with the process, and don't upset Orion. Keep him in a positive mindset as much as possible."

Leopold and I both agreed in unison.

The car wound through mountain after mountain.

The landscape shifted from earth-toned peaks to lush green forests.

Finally, we stopped outside a Native American reservation halfway up a slope.

A dark-skinned middle-aged man in a blue cloth shirt—Uri—walked over.

He had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth and spoke with a heavy accent.

"Dr. Wood?"

"Yes, you're Uri." Brady got out of the car to greet him.

After exchanging a few words, Uri climbed into the van to give us directions.

Through the window, I saw dozens of houses scattered across the hillside.

Their roofs were covered in moss, and the walls had been stained black by rainwater.

The reservation was eerily quiet, as if no one lived there at all.

"Here we are." Uri pointed outside. "Arlo lives in the house at the very back. Just go straight there."

Teddy and Brady worked together to lift Orion out of the van.

The path was too narrow for the stretcher to be wheeled, so they had to carry it the entire way.

Uri didn't leave. He followed us in and offered to help if they got tired.

From the van earlier, I'd already spotted Arlo's house. I thought it was close, but the walk turned out to be much longer than expected.

After two bends in the path, Leopold saw them struggling and offered to take over.

I was worried. "Your leg..."

Leopold said calmly, "It's fine. I know my limits."

I didn't argue.

We finally reached Arlo's house.

Beyond the low courtyard wall, I saw a small, wrinkled old man sitting in the yard, leaning back in a bamboo chair, rolling a string of black beads between his fingers.

"Is that Arlo?" Brady asked.

"Yeah. Wait here for a moment. I'll go talk to him," Uri said.

A moment later, Arlo and Uri came to the gate together.

A pair of cloudy eyes swept over each of our faces.

Finally, they settled on Orion lying on the stretcher.

"Come in."

We hurried inside.

The moment we set Orion down, Arlo walked over and placed his hand on Orion's abdomen.

He closed his eyes.

The entire courtyard fell silent.

My nerves were on edge. I couldn't help clenching my fists.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine."

Leopold's quiet reassurance helped, but only a little.

"Are you the boy's parents?"

Arlo opened his eyes and looked at us.

"Yes."

"The controlled parasite is lodged in his heart meridian. It's embedded pretty deep." Arlo withdrew his hand and resumed rolling the black beads.

I spoke carefully. "Can it be removed?"

Arlo lifted Orion's eyelid, pinched his fingertip, then finally answered, "It can."

That answer felt like salvation. My entire body relaxed.

"But it'll take three days."

Arlo held up three fingers and continued. "The parasite has penetrated the boy's heart meridian. We can't just pull it out. We have to 'draw it out.'"

"But the boy is too young. We can't be forceful. We can only draw out about an inch per day."

"Three days should do it."

Leopold responded immediately. "That's fine."

Arlo nodded. "During these three days, the boy cannot be moved. He cannot catch a chill. He cannot see blood."

"Got it. We'll remember," I said quickly.

As long as it saved Orion, we'd meet any condition he set!

Arlo glanced at me. "It's too late today. We'll start tomorrow morning."

Then he pointed at Brady. "You're a doctor. You'll assist me tomorrow."

Brady agreed.

Arlo turned and went back inside.

I was confused. "Where are we staying tonight?"

Uri pointed to the rooms straight ahead. "There are two rooms over there. You can stay in those. Arlo doesn't talk much, but he's a good man. Just listen to what he says."

"Come on, I'll help you clean up the rooms."

Once the rooms were ready, Brady settled Orion into the larger one first and started setting up the equipment.

Teddy and I went to prepare the other room.

After we made the bed, Brady finished calibrating the instruments. He paid Uri and politely saw him out.

Then he pulled Teddy aside to discuss other arrangements.

I glanced around and noticed Leopold outside on the phone. His expression was grim.

I stepped outside just as he hung up.

"What's wrong?"

Leopold's face was dark. "David's been extradited back to Silverlight City. He held a press conference at the detention center, trying to drag me down with him."

"How can he do that? He's the one who escaped prison and deliberately killed someone. How dare he slander you!"

Leopold gave a bitter smile. "That's who he's always been."

"Does Donovan know?" I was worried. Donovan's health had never been great. This kind of shock could be dangerous.

"That was Grandpa on the phone just now. He said I should handle it myself. He won't interfere."

"What about Alicia?"

"She's already in the ICU. The news can't reach her."

I felt a little relieved. "So... what are you going to do?"

If he didn't fight back, the accusations would only pile up.

But if he did, it could destabilize things internally and give rival factions an opening.

"I'm handling it through legal channels." Leopold's expression was calm. "I've already turned over last night's dashcam footage, street surveillance, and the police report to my lawyer."

"If he wants to slander me, he'll have to prove his claims hold any weight."

Seeing how composed he was, I felt a bit more at ease.

"What about the Guise family...?"

Leopold's lips curved slightly. "The Guise family can barely keep themselves afloat. They don't have time to worry about him."

"What happened to the Guise family?" I was surprised.

We were in the same isolated environment. How did he know everything while I knew nothing?