The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 475: Ambushed

Chapter 475: Ambushed

Xu Zeng opened his eyes to find himself met with the worried gaze of Bai Mo, whose scent enveloped him more strongly than he had ever noticed before.

It was a scent reminiscent of a true demon beast or an "immortal" beast, as the natives of Dongzhou would say. Despite the strangeness of the situation, Xu Zeng couldn’t help but find comfort in the familiar aroma.

It was a nice smell, from his possessive show of power in Sun Village till now, he was growing more and more accustomed to his lover’s scent. He was looking forward to becoming true lovers, which should benefit Bai Mo’s beast more than any other tonic they would be able to find in a short time.

It was a scent that promised safety and belonging. He intended to shower a smile on his little fox, to revel in the closeness they shared, but his thoughts were abruptly pulled back to the present just as they began to drift off to sweeter places.

With a finger pressed against his lips, Bai Mo seemed to be conveying a message beyond mere silence. Xu Zeng’s mind moved sluggishly, fogged by fever, but he concentrated, forcing himself to focus.

Taking control of his body, he became acutely aware of his own discomfort. He was sticky and clammy, alternating between sensations of intense heat and bone-chilling cold. There was an unbearable itch beneath his skin, an urge to shed it all and find relief in his true form.

This form was no good. He couldn’t understand why his brother would prefer this form, it was so troublesome. It wasn’t being a ger that was troublesome, but their—his and his brother’s—bloodline that made things uncomfortable.

This body was intended to mate. To impregnate. To bear children. It wasn’t meant to wear full time, and the last week and some change was too much for him. The duration was more than he could reasonably handle.

Coupled with the fatigue from the events of Sun Village, everything was too much. He was so weak, and it was too hard to control this body’s lust.

To impregnate or to be impregnated, his body was fighting against itself. He wasn’t sure where the lust-filled fever ended and the fever brought on by illness began. It was too much, and his brain wasn’t taking too well to these conditions.

Luckily he had no strength to follow his instincts. Simply fighting was all he could reasonably do.

The only things he would condone against his scales were his little red fox’s bright red fur and his garden snake’s blue-black scales. He would also allow his nephews near him, they were always an exception.

In the midst of his discomfort, Xu Zeng’s thoughts lingered on his beloved garden snake, a source of comfort and solace in times of distress. His garden snake would make him feel better. His garden snake...

To his dismay, he realized that he couldn’t sense its presence. Panic surged within him. Where was his garden snake when he needed it most? His beast stirred restlessly, agitated by the absence of his companion.

Fury bubbled up within him, his beastly instincts urging him to lash out, to wreak havoc upon his surroundings. The urge to break free from his confines, to unleash his primal instincts, threatened to overwhelm him. But even in his delirium, Xu Zeng fought to maintain control.

He couldn’t afford to lose himself to the chaos on the edges of himself. He wasn’t crazed.

He wasn’t feeling well, and only his people would make him feel comfortable. How could his snake abandon him?

Xu Feng’s garden snake hadn’t abandoned him till death, and he ran away when he was feeling unwell. The beast in him felt indignant, ready to cause a ruckus. Breaking this carriage would be child’s play if he could just shed this skin.

His beast was unhinged. Even so, Xu Zeng tried to keep himself under control, he still had his little fox. It was him, his fox, and his nephews. Him. His fox...

Bai Mo’s finger against his lips brought him back to the present, reminding him of... how kissable those red lips were.

Marriage, he reminded himself, he needed to wed the fox before indulging in such desires.

What was he supposed to be doing again? The thoughts seemed to move slowly like pushing against an unmovable wall, like currents threatening to drown him, but Xu Zeng finally made some headway. Where was Xu Hu Zhe?

Where was Xu Hu Zhe? He couldn’t leave them alone, not when danger lurked nearby. They were his responsibility, his territory to protect.

The green in his eyes darkened, taking on a poisonous hue as a surge of determination coursed through him. This was his carriage, his territory, and he would defend it with all his might, even in his weakened state.

Xu Zeng wouldn’t leave them alone. He wasn’t feeling strong enough to protect his fox and his nephews, Xu Hu Zhe should know that. There was no way his snake would leave them alone... not alone, there were strangers in his territory.

This was his carriage! His territory! The green in his eyes began to darken to a poisonous-looking color— it promised a vibrant but potent death.

"Where is garden snake?"

Bai Mo looked confused, but the confusion only lasted for a few seconds before a small smile played on his lips. This wasn’t the time for smiles and play... but still, Xu Zeng wanted a little kiss. Just a small taste.

In response, Bai Mo shook his head as the smile faded from his lips, and his face grew serious. He whispered, "Bandits." And pointed to the front of the carriage.

Bandits.

Bandits?

Where was his garden snake? Xu Zeng’s brows stayed furrowed for some time as he tried to make sense of the riddles the fox was feeding him.

Foxes were always too tricky, was he playing a game? Were the snake and the fox playing a game with him? Were they playing a game with bandits?

What kind of game could you play with bandits?

There were many games in the other world. Some were even inside of their technology. The magic of the other world was very strong.

Xu Zeng furrowed his brows again, he was getting away from the answer, he could feel it moving toward the distance.

Bandits. No garden snake. Quiet fox... scared fox.

Why would his fox be scared? His fox should never be scared when he was around. No one would hurt him while Xu Zeng was around. He was a dragon after all. Who would fight a dragon head-on?

Well, another dragon would fight a dragon... but his brother’s dragon mate wasn’t there. He wouldn’t fight the warrior dragon even if he was here. It wasn’t a fair fight.

This damned continent was horrible, there wasn’t enough energy. There were troublesome people. There were also bandits. Bandits tracking them...

"Tracking bandit?"

Bai Mo watched with growing concern as Xu Zeng’s eyes sharpened, his mind piecing together the puzzle before them.

"Bandits," he muttered, his voice barely audible above the rhythmic clatter of the carriage wheels. They had been tracked, ambushed, and caught in the bandits’ trap. Xu Hu Zhe was missing, leaving only Bai Mo, him— a delirious ger— and his two nephews to face the looming threat.

Xu Zeng gestured urgently, his hands moving in swift, decisive motions as he conveyed his plan to Bai Mo. "Protect." He emphasized, his eyes flashing with determination. Bai Mo furrowed his brows, uncertainty gnawing at his insides, but he nodded in agreement.

If there was one thing Xu Zeng could do, it was protect his loved ones, even in the face of danger.

With a sense of urgency, he reached for a bag nestled beside Bai Mo, retrieving an intricate box containing three shimmering stones. The urge to consume them all washed over him, but Xu Zeng exercised restraint.

’Protect,’ he reminded himself, his gaze fixed on the precious stones before him as he reveled in the energy overflowing from within the box.

Swiftly, he popped one of the green stones into his mouth, feeling its energy surge through his veins like a warm current. It was a sensation he had felt before, a comforting embrace that filled him with renewed strength like a zombie crystal core but concentrated to the max.

These stones were his dad’s most prized possessions— other than the two rings he and his brother now wore... wore in the past.

As the energy coursed through him, Xu Zeng wasted no time. A bit clumsily, he began to gather up their belongings, stowing them away in his space.

Everything, even the goods stored in the storage benches of the carriage was thrown into his space.

In his determination to protect, Xu Zeng even attempted to coax Bai Mo into the space, but the effort proved futile. It didn’t work. Instead, he was met with a searing pain in his temple. Blood tinged the back of his throat, forcing him to conserve energy.

"Xu Zeng!"

His nephews were safe. His dad’s memorial tablet was safe. Everything he could possibly store was safe. Everything and everyone but Bai Mo.