The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 373: The Shadow

Chapter 373: The Shadow

In the enchanting space between the peaceful fish pond with thriving lotus leaves and the vastness of the mountain range beyond, the scenery unfolded like a masterpiece, a breathtaking canvas painted by the hands of nature itself.

The beauty of the surroundings stood in glaring opposition to the mundane existence Xu Zeng had endured in Sun village under the watchful eyes of the other Xu family.

This life Xu Feng was living was much more fulfilling than the one he lived in Sun Village. He was basically that family’s free servant, doing nanny work, cooking, cleaning, and farming as well.

Knowing his brother lived somewhat of a carefree life with two dependable—questionably so—mates made Xu Zeng somewhat relieved.

From the earliest moments of their existence, Xu Feng had been an extraordinary brother, filled with affection and steady support.

Whether it was the daring rescue through a chaotic rift in space during their pre hatching period or the sacrifice to allow him and their "dad" to escape, Xu Feng had always been his cherished brother.

Now, with two eggs nestled against his hands, Xu Feng’s legacy continued.

As a sigh escaped Xu Zeng’s lips, Da Long, the somewhat fussy egg, responded by rubbing against him, offering both comfort and a surge of energy. Meanwhile, Xiao Long, already reveling in the gentle petting, heightened his affection for his seemingly distant uncle.

These two eggs were the fourth great feat his brother had accomplished. Preceded by finding two mates who care for him beyond their lineage, and his ease of energy accumulation and usage even in this energetic desert.

Xu Feng was amazing, and Xu Zeng only wished he had more time to spend with his brother. He was only a shadow who was striving to be better, and help care for some of what Xu Feng had left behind.

He was content staying in the shadows, but he still wished for his brother.

Even thinking back to the letter Xu Hu Zhe handed him, and the 12 taels of gold that were oh so heavy in the coin purse against his heart, he couldn’t help but wonder how he could live up to his brother’s memory.

Not to surpass it, but to provide for those left behind. It was a too large burden.

In the long letter, Xu Feng had carefully shared all he knew about this world, cultivation, the Xuan family, the Bai family, and more. He shared his life, his hopes, and his dreams for all those in Nanshan Estate, openly.

His brother also shared his plans to leave Nanshan Estate sooner rather than later, after creating a sustainable business for Xu Si and Xu San to oversee. Their end goal was to leave the Dongzhou continent at the right timing.

While Xu Zeng wasn’t sure if he could fill his brother’s shoes, even if he lost his life trying, he would make sure the two cubs would leave this energetic desert in one piece. If needed, he knew their "papa" could ensure their safety after.

He just needed to make sure they could hatch before then, in a safe manner.

Because he had no access to his and his brother’s shared space at the moment, the jams and wines Xu Feng wrote about weren’t accessible to him. So, Xu Zeng had to come up with another plan.

Or make some edits to the one his brother began.

In the past two months, Xu Zeng had set out on a quest to craft an abundance of jams and wines, a venture that heavily involved Xu Hu Zhe’s expertise in the craft.

Frequent trips to the mountains became his routine, a treasure hunt for both valuable items suited for Da Long and Xiao Long and less useful trinkets destined for the market, courtesy of Xuan Jian’s capable duo—Liu and Min.

One of Xuan Jian’s martial artists, Liu, was quite suited to business. While he didn’t have the face for it, his brain was quite quick, and Min—another martial artist—was much more amiable and slicker with his tongue.

The birth of this power couple was all Xu Zeng’s doing. His time in Dongmen hadn’t just given him trauma, and made him more skittish, he also had lots of experience after being conned by several people in the beginning.

If not for his inheritance, and their bloodline cultivation technique, he wouldn’t have had a better starting point than others in the other world and would have been a completely naïve sitting duck.

His experiences in being conned and his quick learning ability didn’t make him good at being a con man himself, but it did help him to identify those that would be good at being con men...er, businessmen.

Being a businessman was not equal to a con man, this was the trauma showing its ugly head!

Jie—another one of Xuan Jian’s men—was also very slick with his tongue with honeyed words flowing easily, would be a better salesman than Min due to his looks more amiable looks, but Xuan Jian wouldn’t agree to let this right hand man go.

Jie and Bo were the closest to Xuan Jian, and while they weren’t strong demon beasts, Xu Zeng could smell that they were also demon beasts with their beast cores locked. They were likely locked so they could adventure with their master—Xuan Jian—within Dongzhou.

The other martial artists were either completely human, or human with a small touch of demon beast blood running through their veins. Either way, all Xuan Jian’s men were good martial artists, who watched over the estate seriously.

Liu and Min were enough for Xu Zeng’s purposes, and he was thankful for the two men. With them in tow, in the last few months, he had been preparing to sell wine and jams in an upright manner.

Where Xu Feng had been in a hurry to support his family, Xu Zeng was waiting patiently for the right time to open the market. In his time in the other world, and his time with that shameless family in Sun Village, it was always about biding his time.