The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 578: Judgement

Chapter 578: Judgement

Normally, Xu Feng would have realized the women were already on their knees. Normally, he would have acknowledged that they had been begging, that they had fallen of their own accord.

But at this moment, none of that mattered.

Something deeper, something colder, had taken over.

The moment his words left his lips, the air in the hall thickened, pressing down like a heavy fog. It wasn’t just authority—it was command, absolute and unquestionable.

For a brief, stunned second, no one moved.

Then, like an invisible force had slammed down on them, the two women collapsed further.

Their knees were already on the cold stone floor, but now, they felt as though they were fused to it. A suffocating weight pinned them down, the trembling in their limbs worsening with every breath.

One of them tried to lift her arms, reaching toward Xu Zeng as though he were the lesser evil. As if, in some desperate, foolish hope, he would be the one to save her.

She was wrong.

The moment she stretched her fingers toward him, an icy pressure shot toward her. It was unbearable, like plunging into the depths of a frozen lake. Her fingers twitched violently, but her body refused to move further. Her mistake was clear—she had reached out for salvation, only to brush against the embodiment of something far more terrifying.

Her lips parted in horror as she forced her gaze upward, unable to lift her head, only shifting her eyes.

What she saw was not salvation.

She saw death.

The energy between the two brothers was thrumming in perfect sync at that moment. One leading, the other following, a dance they knew instinctively.

There had always been whispers about the immortal bloodline carriers, the descendants of those touched by something greater than humanity. But it had always seemed like an idle myth—an old wives’ tale meant to frighten children into obedience.

Now she knew better. Now she understood.

The young ger kneeling in front of Xu Hu Zhe flinched violently. His hands, still twitching, hovered in the air for a moment before dropping lifelessly to his lap. His mouth opened as if to protest, to plead—

Nothing came out.

He couldn’t speak.

He couldn’t breathe.

He could only kneel.

Xu Feng’s gaze swept over them, cold and unmoved.

"I did not ask you to wail," he murmured. His voice was calm, deceptively soft, but it cut through the air like a blade. "I told you to kneel."

The two women, still trembling, struggled to compose themselves. Shallow gasps replaced their previous wails, their hands shaking as they dug into their own laps, nails pressing into their skin as if grounding themselves would change their fate.

One of them was still resisting, just barely. She had managed to lift her hand before, had fought against the weight crushing her down.

Xu Feng noticed.

If circumstances had been different, perhaps she could have been someone worth cultivating. Strength like that was rare his brain told him, but they only wanted loyalty, she could not be trusted.

It was too late for her.

Maybe it was his fault. Maybe if he had taken a firmer hold of his household from the beginning, none of this would have been necessary. Maybe if he had stepped up earlier, if he had never "died," if he had never given space for influence to seep in—then today wouldn’t have come to this.

Maybe, instead of removing threats, his efforts could have been spent elsewhere.

Maybe.

But now?

Now, there was no room for "maybe."

The other two lazy servants were kneeling as well, but the pressure on them was significantly lighter. They weren’t spies. They weren’t traitors. They were just useless.

Still, to Xu Feng, they were all nuisances.

Pitiful.

He should have never allowed them to behave so disgracefully. To stand before him and his family with such blatant disrespect.

His expression remained unreadable.

"You had a place here," he continued, his tone disturbingly gentle, yet devoid of warmth. "You had security. Comfort. A future. You were given everything willingly."

A whisper of wind moved through the hall, though the doors were closed. His silver hair stirred slightly, a slow shift as his dimple appeared—not from amusement, but from something far darker.

"And yet, you chose to throw it away. So now, I must throw you away."

One of the women let out a choked sob, her fingers digging into her lap hard enough that her knuckles turned white.

"You won’t lose your life." Xu Feng tilted his head slightly, watching them without a shred of sympathy. "Be grateful."

The weight of his words settled like lead in the room.

"My chosen Chief Attendant speaks my will," he continued smoothly. "And I will not be disobeyed."

The silence that followed was deafening. Even breathing was a struggle for some.

The remaining servants—those still standing—held their breaths, their backs stiff with tension. They understood, perhaps for the first time, that this was not the same Xu Feng they had known before, or maybe they had never known him fully in the last year.

Even Xu Zeng and Xu Hu Zhe, though silent, stood as though bearing witness to a shift in power—one that would not be undone.

This was not just an execution of orders. It was a lesson.

For those who would leave.

For those who would stay.

It was the final, irrefutable truth.

This was Xu Feng’s judgment. This was Xu Feng’s home—even his husbands allowed him free rein here. There were few rules, but they could not be broken, nor could they be bent.

Now no one—no one—would ever mistake that again.

The women’s shoulders shook, their gazes fixed firmly on the ground.

Moments ago, they had been pleading for mercy, for a way out. Now, the reality of the situation had settled like a cold, suffocating fog over their trembling forms.

They had been promised their lives. A mercy they hadn’t even thought to beg for. And now, that promise was the only thing anchoring them, the only thing keeping them from completely unraveling.

If they died here, would the ladies of the old Xuan house even bother to retrieve their bodies? Would they be given a proper burial, or would they be discarded, forgotten, as though they had never existed at all?

Likely not.

There was suddenly no lifeline.

No escape.

This wasn’t just any noble household.

And it was certainly not a home run by some backwoods village ger, as they had once were foolishly made to believe.

No one came to their rescue.

No one would.

The silence that stretched between them was crushing.

Xu Feng exhaled slowly, his silver lashes lowering as he let out a quiet breath.

"I will not waste any more words on you."

His voice was final. Cold. Utterly disinterested.

There was nothing left to say.

He turned his gaze to San, preparing to deliver the final blow, but before he could, another voice entered the space.

It was calm, low, and steady.

"Allow Min and Jie to escort them back to their former residences to oversee their packing," Xuan Jian murmured, stepping forward, his words spoken soothingly—to his husband, not to the ones being cast out.

He didn’t fully elaborate, but even in his off kilter state, Xu Feng knew his husband would only suggest something that served them best.

"I want them out of my domain."

Xu Feng’s voice was quiet, but his anger was like a roaring wildfire beneath the surface, dangerously close to consuming everything.

If they stayed any longer—if he had to see them another second—he didn’t know what he might do. And that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

"I’ll go as well," Xuan Jian added smoothly.

His eyes flickered across the room, seeking out additional support. One of his men volunteered immediately, followed closely by Xu Hu Zhe, his broad form shifting forward without hesitation.

Then—

"I’ll support the Chief Attendant and watch over the remaining servants here."

Xu Zeng’s voice was as sharp as a blade, his tone filled with an unmistakable chill.

San gulped but straightened her spine, adding bravely, "I’ll speak to our remaining people about the new delegation of duties and remind them what will become of our former residents of Nanshan Estate (and them if they ever choose to betray us). The Masters may retire—it has been a long day."

She was offering him an out.

They all were.

San, Zeng, Hu Zhe, Jian.

They weren’t just handling the situation—they were trying to calm him down. Trying to ease his burden before he burned himself out completely.

And Xu Feng knew, logically, that he should insist on handling this himself. He should be the one to throw them out, to make them feel the weight of his decision. To show them he was—was what?

But the immediate gratification wasn’t worth it.

"...Brother."

Xu Zeng’s voice was quiet, almost hesitant as if trying to pull him back from the edge.

And then—

Warmth.

Familiar fingers laced through his own, grounding him instantly.

Xu Feng didn’t have to look to know who it was.

Xuan Yang’s grip was firm but not demanding, his touch steady, reassuring, and not too much body heat was transferred. When Xu Feng finally glanced up, he was met with dark eyes that held no judgment—only love.

Reassurance.

Welcome.

There was nothing more to say.

He let it go.

Everyone moved as they had promised.

Xu Feng allowed Xuan Jian to direct the dismissals and allowed Xu Zeng and Hu Zhe to remain behind to handle the estate’s affairs. He let San take charge of the remaining servants, and as they all fell into place, the weight pressing against his chest began to ease.

With every step he took away from that hall, something inside him unraveled.