Pan Shulin and his servant exchanged a glance. Taking advantage of the others not paying attention to him, he left the room with his servant.
Once outside the pavilion, the two leaned weakly against the wall, their legs giving way.
The servant's face was frighteningly pale, his voice trembling: "Young master, what should we do? If Xi Yao wakes up, they will know about our previous assassination attempt..."
"Don't panic yet... don't panic..." Pan Shulin took a deep breath: "Let's go back first and think carefully about what to do. Xi Yao hasn't woken up yet, we still have time."
"Okay." The servant supported Pan Shulin as they staggered back.
"Brother Heng..." The person on the bed murmured after a while of nightmare, reaching out and groping around as if searching for the person he was calling.
Hearing the call, Yuan Heng immediately stepped forward and drew the ger into his arms.
The ger seemed to recognize this embrace, and after a short while, he settled down and slept peacefully.
The two beastmen both stared at the person on the bed with worried expressions, their demeanor suggesting that if only the person on the bed was safe and sound, they would be content.
Xi Ning watched silently, sighed, turned, and left the room.
Seeing this, Cheng Bai's fox-like eyes turned to Yuan Heng. After staring at Yuan Heng for a moment, as if he had made some kind of decision, he suddenly stood up, pulled Yuan Heng to his feet, and followed Xi Ning out the door.
"Let go!" Yuan Heng's eyes fell upon Cheng Bai's grip on his arm, his expression turning cold. A palpable, threatening aura began to radiate from him, pressing down on Cheng Bai.
Cheng Bai stood his ground, meeting Yuan Heng's hostile stare with a ferocity that matched the other man's intensity.
Xi Ning turned his head and saw the two so incompatible. He chuckled and said: "What are you doing? Want to fight again? Aren't you afraid of disturbing Yao'er?"
Hearing this, the two came to their senses, released each other, and looked away. Cheng Bai knelt before Xi Ning and said: "City Lord."
Xi Ning was taken aback, pressed his lips together and said: "What is the meaning of this? Do you wish to debate Yao'er's future with me again? I have stated before that this is not my decision to make. We must wait until Yao'er's memory returns and he can choose for himself."
"Not that." Cheng Bai said without looking away: "I request that the City Lord approve a duel between me and Yuan Heng."
"A duel?" A trace of surprise flashed in Xi Ning's eyes. This ancient beastman was stronger than any other beastman. Cheng Bai had always been clear about strengths and weaknesses, yet this time he actually took the initiative to challenge the stronger party.
"Are you sure?" Xi Ning asked.
"Sure." Cheng Bai replied: "Yuan Heng and I previously agreed in Danmu tribe that once we came to Ning'an City, we would duel according to Ning'an City's rules. The winner marries the little delicate one, the loser voluntarily withdraws."
"Ning'an City's rules? What rules?" Xi Ning asked, a flicker of interest in his eyes. What rule was this that he, the City Lord, didn't know about?
Cheng Bai looked up at Xi Ning and said: "Hunt Haiqiong, marry the ger."
"..." Xi Ning's eyebrows rose slightly, and he couldn't help but let out a light laugh.
This hunting of Haiqiong was something some spoiled gers demanded their fiances go hunt. Once hunted, it was usually served as sashimi at the wedding banquet. If a ger had this dish at his wedding feast, it indicated that his husband cared deeply for him... and it gave him great face.
Because of this, many gers in Ning'an City would demand their fiances hunt it, so saying it was a rule for marrying a ger wasn't entirely false.
However, Haiqiong lived in the deep sea and was very fierce. Even with the Celestial Fox tribe's excellent tracking skills, few could track it, let alone hunt it. Even if a spoiled ger demanded his fiance hunt it, he would have his own family and the fiance's family help...
For these two to so casually agree to hunt it...
Xi Ning shook his head: "This is not appropriate."
"How is it not appropriate?!" Cheng Bai persisted relentlessly.
Xi Ning looked down at Cheng Bai and said impatiently: "Forget about Yuan Heng, he is not from Ning'an City. You grew up in Ning'an City, don't you know how dangerous hunting Haiqiong is?"
"I know. It's precisely because I know that I want to compete in this. Hunting it, staking one's life on it, that shows enough sincerity." Cheng Bai glanced at Yuan Heng and sneered: "I'm just afraid some people might be scared."
Hearing this, Yuan Heng pressed his lips together and spoke calmly: "I can compete in any way, but there is one thing I disagree with. The ger is not a prize. He has his own choice. The winner does not get to possess the ger. Whoever the ger chooses is the one who gets to be with him. However, the loser must absolutely not pester the ger."
"..." Hearing this, Xi Ning's heart trembled. This man truly cherished his younger brother.
Cheng Bai's fingers tightened upon hearing this, and he did not reply. Yuan Heng glanced at him and said: "What? Are you afraid the ger won't choose you?"
"Who's afraid?!" Cheng Bai retorted, stiffening his neck: "Back when the little delicate one was clinging to me, you were still in some backwater tribe!"
"Fine, then it's settled as I said."
"Have it your way!"
"..." Two strong beastmen, whose impressive bearing could make others admire them with a single glance, were now bickering like two immature children, the content of their words sounded so childish.
Xi Ning's eyelid twitched. It seemed he had not agreed to their competition, yet these two had already settled it?
Xi Ning's face darkened: "You can compete in anything except this. Not to mention the danger, this hunting of Haiqiong is less of a rule and more of a bad custom born from ostentation. The Cheng and Xi families have never valued this kind of face and have rejected this unhealthy practice. Cheng Bai, as a member of the Cheng family, you want to lead the way in this? I will not agree."
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