The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 337: A Thrilling Tale

Chapter 337: A Thrilling Tale

As the morning sun painted the Blooming Courtyard in hues of soft gold, Xu Feng strolled leisurely through the tranquil grounds, savoring the serenity of the early hours. The courtyard was a sanctuary of natural beauty, with vibrant blossoms dancing in the gentle breeze and the sweet scent of flowers perfuming the air.

The greenhouse, bathed in the warm glow of the rising sun, stood like a jewel amidst the greenery. The makeshift greenhouse seemed even more beautiful, its glass-like walls almost shimmering with a strange iridescence. Inside, a lush oasis awaited, with exotic plants from every corner of the Nanshan Mountain range—okay maybe not every corner, but as much as Xu Feng and his husbands could get their hands on.

Breakfast was ready, but both Xu Feng’s lovers were still asleep. They had a long night, and he didn’t blame them at all, nor would he wake them before they had enough rest.

So, what was there to do? Wait for brunch and munch on a few buns of course...maybe also a small, teeny, tiny jar of jam would do as well.

Walking and snacking sounded nice, so that was what he did. His legs weren’t too sore, and he hadn’t spent too much time in the kitchen. Si and San had made sure of it. Xu Feng would stroll around his pretty prison for some much needed exercise.

...His Blooming Courtyard wasn’t a prison! His mind was more a prison than his physical body...sad, but true.

The mid-spring morning cast dappled shadows across the path as Xu Feng wandered from the side of the courtyard, into the greenhouse, out of the greenhouse, and through the front courtyard.

All the while admiring the intricate beauty of each plant he came across, sharing energy as he went past them. He paused beside the immortal plants, each with their own characteristics and an air of energy around them.

He would spend more time and energy on these plants, but not enough to exhaust himself. No more fainting incidents were needed.

The world was just as he remembered, beautiful and full of life. If there was a grade to abundance. It would be Dongmen (and the world it was set in), Donghua, and maybe the world beyond this continent.

The world he left, the world Xu Zeng now inhabited, that zombie-filled landscape was the lowest, with not the lowest energy, but the most chaotic energy. While he’d only been there for more than a day, the land felt barren in a strange way, but it was only just bruised, filled with chaotic and rotting energy.

He knew just as much as Xu Zeng did that the world Dongmen was set in was going through a period of what seemed like collapse. But for a rebirth, there must first be a death. There was a chance that, that world would die indefinitely and there would be no rebirth, but there was still hope.

The crystal nuclei that could be retrieved from a zombies corpse signified this hope. If this energy was used by heroes—even the most unlikely—to protect humankind, and adapt to the coming changes; it could be the rebirth of that entire planet, and a level up in the grand scheme of things.

Xu Feng stared into space, the beautiful landscape seeming far off, as he thought of the great mysteries of the world. Death, life, rebirth, energy, growth, sickness, health, cultivation.

There were many knowns as unknowns. And many knowns that needed to be explored further.

It wasn’t the impending fatherhood that had him so introspective but the entire fabric of his life. It felt like a bundle of chaos from beginning to end. Even the gaps of information that Xu Zeng had filled in for him felt incomplete like there was so much more that he should know to navigate life.

But at least he was given somewhat of a blueprint, many people went through life without any indication of a pathway.

Like the people from the world of Dongmen, they were raised to excel in school and eventually get a higher education, whether that was a college or university degree or going to trade school, and that was the golden pathway. But that wasn’t the best choice for everyone.

Some people became entrepreneurs, some lived off the land, some found joys in other ways. There was no right way to live, only many pathways to live life, to learn, to grow, to find happiness.

Happiness depends on the person. It brings you joy, but not always in large bursts, sometimes in small bits and pieces here and there.

Even with an apocalypse and the shattering of society, there would still be small joys on the path to survival. If all joys were lost, would life be worth living?

Xu Feng took a small bite of the leftover bun from the night before, the burst of wild pheasant filling coating his mouth. His eyes crinkled at the edges involuntarily, this was a small joy.

He licked at the oil left on his lips.

San was becoming more and more extravagant with her cooking, and getting more comfortable with using oils and other "expensive" items in her cooking.

This was a small joy for him, watching her live a little less restrained even in such a small way.

It was likely like this in many lower worlds.

Lost in thought, Xu Feng contemplated the mysteries of life and the universe, his mind drifting to the distant realms beyond Donghua. There were worlds yet unexplored, adventures yet to be had, and he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement at the prospect of what lay ahead.

Now in this lower world where Donghua was set, even in this small continent of Dongzhou, there were also many paths to happiness.

The people in this continent for the most part didn’t know of cultivation and their ability to challenge Dao and break through the barriers through the accumulation of energy and knowledge.

The energy level of this continent was greater than the once sterile environment of his last world. Yet, it was enough to maintain half breed demon beasts—the "descendants of the immortal beasts."

The energy was thin in most places, but accumulated in nature, and particularly in mountainous areas. This led to the strange beasts in the forests, and the rare pseudo spiritual plants that grew there.

Those with amazing talents like Xuan Yang—who was descended from the Xuan clan and possibly human cultivators of the Dong clan—whose origins come from outside the continent were wasted in this continent. But they could still find happiness.

Their choices of happiness were similar in that they could find scholarly success that needed financial support, or they could live life as a merchant, a farmer, a tradesman like a smith, a tile expert, a seamstress, and so much more.

This world wasn’t as developed as a modern one, but in every world there were opportunities to find small and large happiness. The barriers were just different for everyone.

The battles were different as was the journey.

Xu Feng couldn’t help but wonder what paths were available for those who lived outside of the continent. ’How do humans and demon beasts cultivate? Are they all trying to achieve the limits of their cultivation potential? Are there trades specifically for cultivators?’

In novels, there would sometimes be spirit-wine makers, artifact crafters, pill makers, and more, in addition to just pure cultivators.

There was a deep desire to learn and know more brewing within him. He’d read so many books already, and some answers likely couldn’t be found in books.

The thought of further adventure thrilled him. Searching the most energy rich areas of Donghua and maybe all of Dongzhou.

Xu Feng always wanted a calm life, but adventure could be nice too, travel and adventure with his loved ones.

There were also many questions he needed to ask Xuan Jian about the outside world, and his lover’s past and background. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Xuan Jian was clearly shouldering a lot. He was tired, and working hard for their family. FAMILY, they were a family now!

All those were excuses though, Xu Feng was scared. Scared to break the new trust and delicate relationship they had just stabilized. This new family, was still so new.

What if Xuan Jian was one of the people Xu Zeng’s "dad" was hiding from? One of the people who threw themselves into this continent in order to cannibalize him and his brother?

He couldn’t believe that about Xuan Jian, but still, he wouldn’t rock the boat.

This was a very real fear, Xu Feng was trying to avoid when he threw himself into jam and winemaking. At first, he tried to busy himself to reduce thoughts of his brother and the dangers waiting for them, and now he was unsure of Xuan Jian’s past and intentions.

Xu Feng waved away an invisible cloud, physically shifting the air around him before gobbling up the last of the bun in the other hand.

Ignorance was bliss. He almost wished his story was a simple farming story, where he married a wealthy family’s young master, and he and his husband lived happily ever after. The end.

It would still be a thrilling tale.