Chapter 101
His silver eyes shimmered with affection, and within that affection lay a hint of pride, as if he were showing off his ger to everyone.
"Just wait and see."
The man spoke with absolute confidence, as if he had already claimed the ger as his own.
"..." Zhao Qi watched the ancient beastman standing beside the young master up ahead. Though the two were merely standing there, it felt as though they had erected an impenetrable wall, isolating everyone else—including Cheng Bai beside him.
Yet, judging by Young Master Cheng’s demeanor, it seemed he only had eyes for the young master, completely ignoring the beastman beside him.
Zhao Qi opened his mouth, then glanced at the beastman’s silver eyes brimming with joy, and silently closed his lips again.
He decided... not to ruin the mood.
A few days later, with a thunderous boom, Zhao Qi finally understood Cheng Bai’s pride.
That young master had actually used mud, charcoal ash, and foul-smelling yellow clay to create a weapon of immense power—one capable of blasting apart ferocious beasts!
Even Ning’an City had never seen such a weapon before...
Zhao Qi stared dumbfounded as the beastmen of Danmu Tribe surrounded the young master, praising him and kneeling before him... as if they were on the verge of worshipping him as a deity.
And the young master accepted their reverence with utter composure, his calm and steady demeanor making it seem as though he was born to be revered.
Back in Ning’an City, this young master would panic for half a day if a mere servant ger bowed to him... Yet now, in his conduct and bearing...
This young master... truly wasn’t the same anymore.
Zhao Qi was beginning to understand Cheng Bai’s feelings.
Wang Jin, inwardly delighted by the crowd’s admiration, turned to the man beside him, eyebrows raised high and chin lifted smugly, as if seeking praise from Yuan Heng—like a haughty little cat begging for chin scratches.
Yuan Heng let out a soft chuckle, curled his index finger slightly, and lightly scraped it against the ger’s chin...
A tingling numbness spread from the sensitive flesh, startling Wang Jin. His face flushed pink. In front of everyone, this man was becoming more and more brazen!
Though he scolded him inwardly, outwardly, Wang Jin seemed to adore it, his gaze growing sticky as he looked at the man.
The onlookers flushed, knowing these two were at it again.
Mu ger coughed lightly and spoke up, "A-... A-Jin, when are you two setting off for Ning’an City?"
The question snapped both the involved parties and the crowd back to reality. They suddenly remembered—these two weren’t officially wedded yet. Being too affectionate in public wasn’t proper...
The man’s fingers twitched, and he tucked his hand behind his back, as if doing so could restrain his urge to get closer to the ger.
Wang Jin pouted, deeply dissatisfied. Having grown accustomed to days of unrestrained intimacy with the man, this new restrained lifestyle felt like forcing a carnivore to go vegetarian.
And the man was that plump, tender piece of pork belly right in front of him, making his mouth water—yet not letting him take a single bite.
This unfulfilled longing only made Wang Jin crave him more. The feather that had once lightly tickled his heart had now turned into a full feather fan, relentlessly brushing against it, stirring up unbearable itchiness.
He truly wished he could cast everything aside and just cling to the man, indulging in sweet, sticky intimacy!
The ger’s obvious desire was like a stone thrown into the calm lake of Yuan Heng’s heart, sending ripples across the surface—one after another, growing wider and wider... until the man’s heart could no longer remain still.
His fingers trembled, curling tightly, his pale glass-like eyes brimming with emotions he longed to convey to the ger.
Unfortunately, Wang Jin had already looked away, missing the man’s silent turmoil.
"Once everyone finishes setting up the traps around the tribe with what I’ve made, Brother Heng and I will leave," Wang Jin said to Mu ger.
The man’s long lashes fluttered slightly, a faint trace of surprise flashing in his light-colored eyes.
The ger... had made these things for the tribe’s safety.
His heart softened imperceptibly.
Xiao Ruo gasped. "Just the two of you? A-Jin, Brother Heng, you should discuss this and pick some beastmen from Danmu Tribe to accompany you. The journey is long, and though Brother Heng is strong, having escorts would be safer. Besides, you can’t just go to Ning’an City with only two people—it’d make the city think our tribe has no men!"
"Yeah, A-Jin, Brother Heng, pick a few beastmen to go with you."
Wang Jin glanced around, then fixed his gaze on Yuan Heng, as if leaving the decision to him.
Yuan Heng stepped forward and shook his head. "No. The tribe suffered heavy losses and needs to recover. Now isn’t the time for beastmen to leave."
"But—" Xiao Ruo tried to argue.
Yuan Heng cut him off. "I’ll go alone. This trip is just to visit the ger’s elder brother and gain his approval for our marriage. Once he agrees, the rest of you can come later. As for safety..."
His gaze swept past Zhao Qi and Cheng Bai at the edge of the crowd. "Aside from me, the ger’s family has sent beastmen for escort. There’s no need to worry."
The crowd fell silent, obediently following Wang Jin’s instructions to fortify the tribe’s perimeter.
Zhao Qi nudged Cheng Bai. "These modifications aren’t simple. The entire outer perimeter is now protected. If ordinary beasts trigger these traps, they’ll be blown to bits by that powerful weapon... Even if stronger beasts survive the blast, they’ll still be injured, and the noise will alert the tribe’s beastmen, giving them time to prepare for battle..."
He chuckled in admiration. "It’s not as sturdy as a city wall, but for protecting a single tribe, it’s more than enough... This young master has really changed after his disappearance. No wonder he’s considered blessed."
"Blessed?" Cheng Bai’s brow arched, his silver eyes clouded with something unreadable as he looked at Zhao Qi.
Zhao Qi frowned. "What? Did I say something wrong again?"
Cheng Bai shook his head. "Not exactly... It’s just that this disappearance was strange."
"Strange? How? Didn’t he run away because he thought he was being forced to marry your elder brother?" Zhao Qi reminded him, "Young Master Cheng, you’d better think carefully about how to explain this to the city lord and your brother when you return."
"When the young master disappeared, the city lord was so frantic he didn’t investigate deeply before sending everyone to search. Now that the young master is back, he’ll definitely dig into the reason—and that reason involves your lies... If the city lord and your brother find out..."
"Your brother might protect you, but the city lord..."
"..." Cheng Bai’s temple twitched, his expression darkening.
Zhao Qi, as if adding salt to the wound, continued, "Oh, and you also lied to the amnesiac young master... With all these piled up, tsk tsk..."
He shook his head, gray eyes teasing. "Do you really think the city lord will let you off?"
Cheng Bai’s fox-like eyes narrowed as he glared at Zhao Qi. "Are you even my friend? Spouting such cold remarks!"
"Because I’m your friend, I’m warning you in advance. Think of a plan quickly—once we’re back in the city, it’ll be too late."
"..." Cheng Bai fell silent.
After a long pause, Zhao Qi’s teasing mood faded, replaced by guilt.
Had he gone too far?
He coughed. "Alright, I might’ve been harsh, but it’s the truth. You’d better prepare your excuses early."
"Let’s talk about that later." Cheng Bai looked up, his gaze fixed on the petite figure ahead. "I’m serious, Zhao Qi. This disappearance was suspicious."
Zhao Qi followed his gaze.
Cheng Bai continued, "During my time in Danmu Tribe, I asked around. The ger wandered here alone, his mind in disarray... acting like a lunatic..."
Zhao Qi was stunned. "A lunatic? He wandered here alone?"
Cheng Bai nodded gravely, his silver eyes reflecting the distant figure with a mix of regret and heartache.
That delicate ger, spoiled since childhood by the city lord, would bruise if he so much as fell. In Ning’an City, no one dared to bump into him... Yet he had suffered who-knows-what hardships, wandering here alone, reduced to madness...
Because of his madness, he endured bullying in Danmu Tribe for a long time... until he regained his senses, and those tormentors were punished.
Zhao Qi frowned. "That can’t be. When the young master disappeared, several beastman servants vanished with him—didn’t he take them when he fled? Celestial Fox beastmen are more than capable of handling beasts. They wouldn’t let the young master wander here alone. Besides, the young master is of the Xi bloodline—the Xi family has the ability to tame beasts. Even if he’s weak and can’t control them, beasts fear his blood and wouldn’t attack him willingly... How could he end up so wretched?"
"...Yet the truth is, he did. Even now that his mind has recovered, his memories are damaged... I suspect he didn’t run away on his own."
Cheng Bai shook his head. "No. Those missing beastmen were assigned by the city lord to protect him. They only obeyed the young master. If he hadn’t wanted to leave, they never would’ve let him step out of Ning’an City. He must’ve taken them away himself and ordered them not to send word back. That’s why the search took so long, why the city lord was so worried."
Cheng Bai sighed. "You overestimate those beastmen. Answer me this—if, as you say, the young master fled with his servants and made them hide their tracks, then where are those servants now that we’ve found him?"
"..." Zhao Qi paused. "Didn’t you find him during the beast horde? He must’ve been caught in it, and the servants died trying to save him..."
Cheng Bai shook his head. "When I found him, he was alone. After arriving in Danmu Tribe, I asked—he came here by himself. None of those servants were with him."
"Then..."
"By the time he wandered here, his servants were already gone. Most likely... dead."
"!" Zhao Qi’s eyes widened. He stared at Cheng Bai for a long moment before a thought struck him.
"...Are you saying someone in Ning’an City wanted the young master dead?"
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