419: Chapter 63 The Death of Liao Zhong

"The Medicine Immortal Society, is there a problem with them?" Old Meng hadn't quite caught on.

Meng Li sighed and explained, "Of course there's a problem, a big one at that. The reason Chen Duo appeared in the Medicine Immortal Society was that she was kidnapped by those lunatics when she was very young and raised as a Gu."

"By the time you met her, the Medicine Immortal Society's cultivation of her was already complete."

"She became the legendary Gu Body Saint Child, a Gu in human form."

"In other words, while Chen Duo's body was human back then, her consciousness and self-perception were those of a Gu."

Speaking to this point, he paused and asked Old Meng, "Would you be willing to turn into a dog?"

Old Meng couldn't keep up with this leap in logic, but he still replied firmly, "Of course not."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a person..." Halfway through his sentence, Old Meng suddenly realized and his expression froze.

Meng Li immediately said, "Do you understand now?"

Old Meng nodded, dazed. "My consciousness and self-perception are human, so it's natural that I wouldn't want to become a dog. When Chen Duo was first rescued, her consciousness and self-perception were those of a Gu. So, at that time, she might not have necessarily wanted to become human."

"But her consciousness and self-perception were restored to being human later on, so why would..."

Meng Li sighed helplessly. "You still don't understand."

He then explained, "Things are indeed as you said; through Liao Zhong's efforts, Chen Duo's consciousness and self-perception were restored from a Gu to a human."

"But this process was entirely led by Liao Zhong, not by Chen Duo herself."

Old Meng frowned, puzzled. "Is there a problem with that? Old Liao did it all for Chen Duo's own good."

Meng Li said, "At first, there was no problem. But when Chen Duo's Awakening occurred and she realized she was a human, problems arose. Humans have independent wills and thoughts; they have emotions and preferences. Especially as she learned more and more, she would develop her own ideas and want to make her own choices."

"In this situation, for Liao Zhong to continue leading Chen Duo's choices with his own ideas and making decisions for her was, in a sense, oppressing her."

"I don't deny that Liao Zhong was wholeheartedly acting for Chen Duo's benefit, but such 'goodness' is somewhat wishful thinking and self-righteous."

"To give a simple example: you like eating apples, but I only give you bananas because I think they're better for you."

"Would you be happy?"

Old Meng shook his head silently.

Meng Li continued, "That's where the problem lies."

"Doing something like this once, twice, or three times is nothing. But when it happens dozens or hundreds of times, ask yourself: even if you know the person making decisions for you truly means well and you don't resent them, wouldn't you still have the urge to escape?"

"Especially if one day, you unexpectedly discover that after leaving that place, you don't have to listen to others completely and can make your own choices."

"Would you still be willing to return to a place where you can only follow orders and have no choice?"

Old Meng's eyes were vacant. After a moment, he said with difficulty, "Is this why Chen Duo defected?"

Meng Li nodded.

"And she killed Old Liao because of this too?" Old Meng asked again.

Meng Li shook his head. "Yes, but also no."

"What do you mean?"

Meng Li said, "Liao Zhong was very special to Chen Duo. When she asked to meet him, she wanted him to leave with her."

"But Liao Zhong not only refused, he insisted on taking her back to the Company."

"Chen Duo didn't want to go back, and since she couldn't convince Liao Zhong, she could only give him two extreme choices."

"Kill her, or be killed by her."

"So, Chen Duo inflicted the Original Gu Poison on Liao Zhong."

"At that time, Liao Zhong held the switch to the Explosive Collar around Chen Duo's neck. He had every opportunity to press it, killing Chen Duo and thus neutralizing the Gu Poison."

"But he gave up that chance."

"Therefore, while it's true Liao Zhong died from Chen Duo's Gu Poison, it was actually his own choice."

"He chose to use his death to fulfill Chen Duo's wish and set her free."

Old Meng's eyes were glazed, filled with tears. "Old Liao..."

Once he had composed himself, Meng Li asked, "Do you still want Chen Duo to return to the Company now?"

Old Meng shook his head, then looked worried. "But given her situation, the risk of her being outside is too great. The Company will definitely find a way to drag her back."

"I know that, which is why I'm currently trying to help her change," Meng Li replied.

Old Meng was surprised. "Change? How?"

He knew Chen Duo's situation well; as of now, it seemed unsolvable.

Meng Li said, "I can't reveal the specific method because it's still in the experimental stage, and I'm not sure if it will work."

"Will there be any danger?" Old Meng asked with concern.

Meng Li spoke truthfully, "There are definitely risks, but you should be well aware of Chen Duo's current situation. Not only is the Gu Poison within her a potential threat, but the time you can afford her is running out. So, even if there are risks, we have to try, don't we?"

Old Meng was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Meng Li said, "Not for now. You, Zhang Chulan, and the others should focus on completing this mission. Don't let it affect Chen Duo and me."

"Alright, I understand." Old Meng nodded in agreement, then said earnestly, "Then I'll leave Chen Duo in your hands, Dr. Meng."

Meng Li nodded slightly, then as if thinking of something, suggested with a smile, "Old Meng, I've heard about your situation. I think with your abilities, you could actually choose to be a doctor, just like me. Once you achieve something, your income wouldn't necessarily be worse than a Temporary Worker's, the risk would be lower, and you could help more people."

"Me, a doctor?"

Old Meng was a bit dazed, but he quickly snapped out of it, looking surprised. "You know about my ability?"

Meng Li replied with a smile, "I've heard of it. Biologist, a new school derived from Beast Tamers that uses controlling bacteria as a means to defeat enemies."

"In that regard, you are also a founder of a new school, quite remarkable."

"However, from a doctor's perspective, I think the direction your ability has developed is a bit skewed. Or rather, your thinking has been restricted by the mainstream 'fighting and killing' mindset of the outlander circle. You can make someone sick by controlling the bacteria in their body, but you can also use that same method to cure people."

"You could even go into medical research."

"If you could develop some specialized medicines, the patent fees alone would be enough for you to achieve financial freedom."

"The Company and even higher-ups would value you immensely. They would never make you do high-risk dirty work, let alone take the fall for them."

Old Meng was stunned on the spot, feeling as if he had been enlightened. Then... he was deeply moved!

Because he felt that what Meng Li said made sense, and that vision was so grand and enticing!

The prospect of financial freedom from patent fees alone was enough to make his heart race, not to mention the added benefits of low risk, not having to do unjust dirty work, and not having to take the blame. Most importantly, these weren't just empty promises; they were grounded in logic and very likely to be achieved.

Old Meng knew his own abilities well.

And Meng Li was a perfect example.

The other man was also an outlander, and his ability was controlling lightning—which had almost nothing to do with medicine—yet he chose to be a doctor and went on to achieve success, fame, and fortune.

His own ability to control bacteria was directly related to medicine and was currently unique.

In this case, as long as he developed in this direction, any achievement would be better than being a Temporary Worker.

At this moment, it was as if the clouds had parted for Old Meng, and he simultaneously gained a deeper understanding of Chen Duo.

If there were a better choice, who would want to stay in the Company as a high-risk Temporary Worker doing dirty work and taking the fall?

Wouldn't that just be being a glutton for punishment?

Old Meng had made up his mind!

Once the mission in Biyou Village was over, he would find time to study medicine in depth and then find a way to conduct experiments.

In one's forties or fifties, that's exactly the age to be diligent in learning and strive for progress!

For the sake of financial freedom, one should definitely fight for it!

However, before that, he had to keep working as a Temporary Worker for the time being, otherwise, he would have no source of income.

Once he was confident or had some results, he would apply for a transfer.

As a veteran outlander, he knew well that being high-profile was risky; keeping a low profile while doing big things was the way to go.

Though his heart was racing, not a trace of it showed on Old Meng's elderly-woman-like face. He simply adjusted his glasses and replied with a smile, "Dr. Meng, thank you for the reminder. I will seriously consider your suggestion."

After saying that, he chatted for a few more moments and then left.

Meng Li then returned to the courtyard.

...