Wang Jin’s face turned pale as he followed the undulating flesh with his eyes. He saw it stretch far into the distance, slowly rising upward until it reached a towering height, revealing the true form of this monstrous wave...
It was a colossal, snail-like creature, its body as massive as a mountain, inspiring terror.
It carried a pale shell on its back, with a pair of copper-bell-sized eyes at the front. Those eyes now rolled restlessly, as if scanning for prey.
Wang Jin's legs gave way, his knees hitting the dirt as he barely caught himself from collapsing completely.
Cheng Bai cracked open an eye, watching the trembling figure with a faint smirk.
He spoke softly, "Little brother-in-law, your luck isn’t great. Nothing lives where the Flesh-Devourer's passed. If we want to escape, we’ll have to wait until it passes..."
Wang Jin mustered his courage and took another look before turning his head back, face deathly pale. "It moves... so slowly..."
Cheng Bai nodded. "Exactly. It moves very slowly. For it to pass us by would take at least..." He paused, calculating, then continued, "At least eight days."
"Eight days?!" They’d starve to death by then...
The ger’s eyes seemed to speak, filled with accusation and a pitiful grievance, soft enough to melt one’s heart. Without realizing it, Cheng Bai’s tone softened.
"Don’t worry. Give me two days, and I’ll get you out."
He paused, then added, "Definitely more reliable than that Brother Heng of yours."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he stiffened—as if realizing how childish he sounded. His ears reddened, and before Wang Jin could respond, he turned away, leaning against the wall with closed eyes.
"......" Seeing that he was being ignored, Wang Jin began inspecting the cave.
Cheng Bai watched him, as if the man was already trying to figure out his own way out. A strange ache swelled in his chest.
This spoiled brat...
He had already promised to get him out in two days, yet here he was, distrustful and scheming on his own...
Cheng Bai opened his mouth, wanting to tell him to rest, but then thought better of it—this was happening because the ger didn’t trust him.
So he stubbornly stayed silent.
He believed so much in that "Brother Heng," even when the man wasn’t here, yet when it came to Cheng Bai—who was right beside him—he refused to rely on him...
Fine! If he doesn't trust me, then so be it!
Cheng Bai pressed his lips tightly together, swallowing back his words.
He refused to believe this pampered ger could come up with anything useful...
Time was hard to track in the cave, but Cheng Bai could hear the ger tapping and digging at something.
Suddenly, a sharp hiss echoed through the cave, followed by a massive pillar of fire erupting from Wang Jin’s direction.
Cheng Bai jolted upright and dashed over, shielding the ger in his arms.
The flames died down quickly, and only then did Cheng Bai relax, looking down at the ger in his embrace.
The ger’s face was smeared with dirt, as if he had rolled in the mud. Cheng Bai couldn’t help but chuckle, reaching out to wipe it away. The softness of the skin beneath his fingers made him freeze.
Was this spoiled brat’s skin always this delicate? His thumb lingered, almost addicted to the sensation, unwilling to pull away even after the dirt was gone.
Wang Jin, oblivious to Cheng Bai’s lingering touch, was practically glowing with excitement, his eyes sparkling with undisguised joy.
Even though his bandaged wound had started bleeding again, he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he clutched Cheng Bai’s collar tightly and exclaimed, "We—we can get out!"
"?" Cheng Bai was confused.
Wang Jin tugged at him. "There’s bamboo at the cave entrance! Cut some for me—we can escape!"
____
Yuan Heng had been searching for the ger for two days straight, fighting relentlessly without rest, without food or water.
He didn’t dodge the beasts—he charged straight at them.
Naturally, none were a match for him, but after two days of nonstop battle, exhaustion was taking its toll.
His beast form, usually majestic, now looked dull. His once-proud wings drooped weakly, dragging against the ground, and his sharp eyes were bloodshot.
His reflexes had slowed, relying purely on brute strength to fight.
But the beasts of the horde were endless. If this continued, Lai Yuan and Xiao Ruo feared Yuan Heng would collapse before ever finding Wang Jin.
They tried to reason with him, but he ignored them, forcing them to take turns following him in case the worst happened.
Occasionally, Yuan Heng would return home.
Most of the beasts there had been driven away, leaving the area relatively safe.
Sometimes, he wondered—if the ger had survived, would he come back?
Every time that thought crossed his mind, no matter how far he had wandered in the beast tide, he would drag his exhausted body home to check.
This time, however, he encountered someone he never wanted to see.
The man stood rigidly, hostility in his gaze, cradling a dying figure in his arms—pale, barely clinging to life.
The leader’s heart ached. The ger in his arms had begged to see Yuan Heng one last time, and he couldn’t refuse.
As Yuan Heng approached, the dying ger’s eyes fluttered open, a faint light flickering in their emptiness when they landed on him.
He looked at Yuan Heng as if gazing at the one he had cherished most in life.
"Brother Heng..."
Yuan Heng’s expression darkened. He ignored the ger, glaring at the leader instead, and spat out a single word: "Leave."
"......" The leader opened his mouth to speak, but Yue ger cut in first.
"You’re still looking for Wang Jin?"
Yuan Heng remained silent.
Yue ger’s voice trembled with hatred. "You still care about him? But—"
Suddenly, he laughed, a sickly flush rising to his ashen face. "He’s dead. He’s dead. You’ll never find him... hahaha... You only have me now..."
"!" Yuan Heng’s eyes snapped open in fury. He lunged forward as if to strike, but the leader moved to block him—
A deafening explosion echoed in the distance, drawing e everyone's attention.
In the far horizon, flames erupted into the sky.
Yuan Heng’s gaze sharpened. In an instant, he shifted into his white tiger form, wings spreading wide as he shot toward the fire.
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