241. There Are Still Smart People in the World
However, only two days later, Luna Kindred's condition deteriorated rapidly; she lay in bed coughing incessantly.
"It's not a cold, also not a fever, and it doesn't resemble any illness I've ever seen..."
Yun Ling carefully examined her body but found nothing abnormal. Even after feeding her some blood, her condition didn't improve.
"Kongming, do you know what the reason is?" Yun Ling forced himself to remain calm and asked Kongming beside him.
"I know, but there's no cure," Kongming answered his question as if she had expected it.
"What is it?" Yun Ling pressed.
"It's a genetic defect. This is a genetic defect she has as a clone, which means her lifespan is destined to be short to begin with." Kongming replied.
"Is there really no way to treat it?" Yun Ling frowned; he didn't believe there was any disease in the world that couldn't be overcome.
"The only way is to send her back to her original lab. Perhaps that will offer a glimmer of hope for her."
"I...don't want to..." Luna Kindred struggled to her feet. She had finally escaped that lab; she absolutely doesn't want to go back!
Her weakened appearance made her already delicate features even more heartbreaking.
"Luna, rest for a while." Yun Ling could only let Luna Kindred lie down first.
"Could I take her to the town doctor?" Yun Ling asked Kongming.
Fearing Kongming wouldn't believe him, Yun Ling added.
"I promise I won't run away. If you notice anything amiss along the way, you can tie me up and bring me back anytime, okay?"
"Alright." Kongming didn't refuse.
She understood Yun Ling's personality in this life— he was a kind of person obsessed to the point of being pathological.
Once he set his mind on something, he would always find a way to accomplish it.
But Luna Kindred's illness was truly incurable by current medical methods.
Having lived in this world for so many years, Kongming hadn't stagnated; on the contrary, she had always kept pace with the times.
Furthermore, she was naturally exceptionally intelligent and possessed first-rate learning abilities, thus having a broad range of knowledge.
Because of this, she was well aware that Luna Kindred's illness was no ordinary ailment.
However, since Yun Ling didn't believe her, she wouldn't stop him; there would always be a consequence.
Yun Ling carried Luna Kindred on her back, accompanied by Kongming, to the town's hospital.
However, just as Kongming had predicted, there was no cure.
"I...want to...be with...Ling..." Luna Kindred said weakly.
"Whatever you want to do, I'll be with you," Yun Ling replied earnestly.
"Just being together...is enough..." Luna Kindred inhaled Yun Ling's scent, a hint of satisfaction on her face.
"...Miss Kongming, is there really no other way?" Yun Ling looked at Kongming again.
"No, I already saw her fate a while ago. It's a dead end, incurable and unsolvable," Kongming replied.
"Fate? What's that?" Yun Ling was puzzled by this new term.
"Simply put, it's a person's destiny. Although I can't predict it with 100% certainty, I can still roughly deduce a thing or two," Kongming explained.
"Is there really such a magical thing…"
Yun Ling's curiosity was piqued again, but his concern for Luna Kindred's illness suppressed his thirst for knowledge.
He didn't give up and continued to visit several more hospitals, but still no one could find the cause of her illness.
"We're being followed."
Suddenly, Kongming spoke to Yun Ling.
"Followed? Could it be Moriarty's accomplices? No, I've already disguised myself; they shouldn't recognize me… Could it be…!"
Yun Ling looked at Luna Kindred beside him.
"They're probably here to capture her," Kongming nodded, agreeing with Yun Ling's idea.
Yun Ling gritted his teeth.
That laboratory was the only place that could save Luna Kindred, but... if she really went back, would she survive?
Luna Kindred was terrified of that place, which most likely meant that some inhumane human experiments were being conducted there.
Clone technology had been explicitly prohibited since its first proposal because it was deemed inhumane.
What kind of good place could a laboratory still conducting such research be?
"Take her to our lodgings. There's a maze there; they won't be able to break through it so quickly," Kongming said to Yun Ling.
"What about you?" Yun Ling looked at Kongming beside him; she didn't seem to intend to leave with Yun Ling.
"I'll stay and cause them some trouble. Don't worry, they can't hurt me," Kongming said confidently.
Then Kongming jumped off the carriage and began a standoff with the pursuing group.
The carriage driver, clearly not wanting to get involved, actually kicked them off halfway.
Helpless, Yun Ling could only carry Luna Kindred and run up the mountain.
He could sense that people were gradually surrounding them.
"Target A-017 located, and individual Yun Ling under observation. Please issue orders, Your Excellency."
"Arrest."
"Yes, sir!"
An elite Valkyrie unit blocked their path.
"Mr. Yun Ling, please come with us." The leading Valkyrie stepped forward and negotiated with Yun Ling.
"Why do you know this name?!" Yun Ling's eyes were filled with shock.
Only three people knew this name: Fu Hua, Kongming, and Luna Kindred. How could they…
Could it be… he was also a clone?
An absurd thought arose in his mind, but it was quickly erased.
He had memories from childhood to adulthood; how could he be a clone?
"You will know once you see His Holiness the Bishop," the Valkyrie said, offering no further explanation.
"What if I don't go?" Yun Ling took a few steps back, clearly unwilling to surrender so easily.
"Then we may have to take coercive measures against you."
The Valkyries surrounded the two of them.
"Let her go, and I'll go with you," Yun Ling tried to negotiate.
"Impossible. A-017 is a valuable resource for the laboratory, and she is extremely dangerous. We cannot let her leave." The Valkyries shook their heads.
At this moment, Yun Ling made a bold decision.
He pulled a gun from his pocket and slowly pointed it at himself, much to the astonishment of the Valkyries.
He would use himself as a hostage to secure Luna Kindred's escape.
"I don't know who this Yun Ling you speak of is, but I think someone so similar to him must be very important to you."
"I'll say it again, let her go, and I'll go with you!" Yun Ling roared.
The leading Valkyrie finally showed a hint of panic.
Her orders were to capture Yun Ling and A-017 alive.
No, A-017 might not be as important as Yun Ling.
Yun Ling had already cocked his pistol, looking at her with a death-defying resolve.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and a large hole was shot through Yun Ling's hand, the gun flying from his grasp.
Blood dripped onto the ground. Yun Ling cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground, clutching his wrist.
Veins bulged on his forehead, his face flushed crimson.
Indeed, there are still clever people in this world.
Under these circumstances, stopping someone from committing suicide is incredibly easy.
…