ICAWZ Chapter 113

Xu Cenfeng still quite liked being a tour guide. Once the tourism industry was fully developed, he might consider returning to his old profession. Unfortunately, he couldn’t share this thought with Faeus because Faeus would certainly think it was unambitious. After all, being a tour guide couldn’t compare to being the leader’s personal secretary in terms of prestige.

Faeus unexpectedly didn’t insist, “Suit yourself.”

The military was full of ravenous female zergs, as fierce as wolves and tigers. Xu Cenfeng might be in more danger staying here than being outside.

Just as they were talking, the video communicator in the office suddenly emitted a series of urgent beeps, followed by the somewhat anxious voice of the guard on duty: “R-Reporting to the leader, General Wesley requests an audience!”

The other party arrived much faster than expected.

Xu Cenfeng felt his heart sink upon hearing this and instinctively looked at Faeus. However, Faeus appeared unperturbed, as if he had anticipated this. “Go into the records room. Don’t let them see you.”

Xu Cenfeng, worried about Faeus’ temper, glanced at the holster on his waist. “Handle things calmly. Don’t draw your gun.”

Faeus responded dismissively but still frowned and pulled the gun from his waist, handing it directly to Xu Cenfeng. “Is this better?”

Xu Cenfeng didn’t answer. He weighed the heavy gun in his hand, then turned and walked into the nearby records room. He left the door slightly ajar, leaving a small gap to observe the situation.

General Wesley almost kicked the door open as he stormed into the office. Xu Cenfeng, hiding inside, heard a loud bang followed by General Wesley’s angry and anxious voice: “Leader, I just received news that Zog was attacked and killed by a Blackwing Bird during the beast tide. Is it true or not?!”

What answered him was a long, drawn-out silence.

Xu Cenfeng leaned against the wall, thinking the news had spread too quickly. It had only been a short while since the adjutant reported to Faeus, yet General Wesley had already caught wind of it.

Faeus sat in his office chair, glancing unobtrusively towards the gap in the door, clearly aware someone was eavesdropping. After a brief pause, he said, “I have already ordered the army to search below the cliff for Zog. As long as his body isn’t found, there’s still hope he survived.”

Those words were akin to a death sentence. Zog had fallen off the cliff while injured; even if he had miraculously escaped from the Blackwing Bird, the smell of blood would attract other beasts.

General Wesley felt a wave of dizziness upon hearing this. Clenching his teeth and tasting blood in his mouth, he slammed his fist heavily on the desk and growled angrily, “Those soldiers should have gone down to search immediately. Why did they return to the city without finding Zog?!”

General Wesley had finally reunited with his family, just recently reconnecting with his younger son, Agu, when suddenly, his eldest son Zog encountered trouble again. This was something that no one could easily accept.

Yet, Faeus seemed almost intent on provoking him. He closed his eyes and lightly rubbed his temples with his fingertips, his tone cold and indifferent. “At that time, the number of Blackwing Birds was overwhelming. The remaining troops had to evacuate from the Multar Forest as quickly as possible. There was simply no opportunity to rescue Zog. General Wesley, after years of military campaigns, you should understand that sacrifices are inevitable.”

“Whether it’s you, Zog, or me, someday we will all die on the battlefield. To die in the line of duty is the greatest honor for a military female.”

While Faeus’ words made sense, they seemed overly detached from zerg sentiment. Xu Cenfeng, an outsider, found them unsettling, let alone General Wesley.

“Leader! You…”

General Wesley could hardly believe these words came from Faeus. He couldn’t control himself and grabbed Faeus, pulling him up from the chair. His fists clenched and trembled, his eyes red with anger as he shouted furiously, “Zog is your own blood cousin! Your blood cousin! He always listened to you since childhood, even if he had only one piece of candy, he would split it with you. And now that he’s in trouble, is this the attitude you take?!!”

Faeus remained devoid of emotion, but his presence exuded an unusually dangerous aura. His deep green eyes locked onto General Wesley, each word a stern warning: “Regardless of my attitude, you should not address the leader in this manner, General Wesley, Sir!”

General Wesley paused at Faeus’ words, not because of what Faeus said, but because Faeus suddenly discreetly wrote two words on the back of his hand:

[Not dead.]

After Faeus finished writing, he calmly gestured towards the door, then continued to write a word:

[Acting.]

General Wesley looked bewildered at Faeus’ actions, but Faeus coldly shook off his hand. “While Zog is my cousin, he is also a soldier. If he has indeed met misfortune, I will ensure he receives a proper burial.”

Xu Cenfeng, hidden in the records room, frowned unconsciously upon hearing Faeus’ words. He thought to himself that Faeus seemed to be asking for trouble with his remarks. Just as he was about to peer through the crack in the door for a closer look, there was a sudden, dull thud. General Wesley, without warning, had struck Faeus with a powerful punch, knocking him to the ground.

“Bang!”

Faeus was punched back two steps, crashing into the table, knocking it over.

General Wesley’s eyes reddened with anger as he unabashedly berated, “You truly deserve to be the leader! You’re indeed the leader of the entire North! How could I forget? Only the most cold-blooded and selfish zerg could sit in this position. It’s just the death of a cousin to you, of course you wouldn’t care!”

With these words uttered in frustration and bitter laughter, he shook his head while stepping back, his disappointment reaching its peak. “Just pretend I’m blind, just pretend I’m blind!¹Conveys extreme disappointment and frustration. It suggests that the speaker feels so let down or betrayed by the situation or the person that they might as well have been blind to have believed or trusted otherwise.”

Fuming, he turned and walked away, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

The soldier who had been eavesdropping outside quickly straightened up, adopting a serious posture as if on guard duty. He remained that way until General Wesley’s figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor. Only then did he covertly send out a message through his terminal.

[Ding! Intercept successful!]

Just a door away, the lightbrain on the office desk suddenly blinked twice.

Faeus licked his lips without expression, tasting a hint of blood as expected. Unconcerned, he pulled out a chair and sat in front of the terminal brain, opening the intercepted message. Without looking back, he addressed the records room, “Come out, he’s gone.”

Xu Cenfeng heard this and then opened the door to come out. He frowned and walked to Faeus’ side, reaching out to turn his face towards him. He saw a large purple bruise around the corner of his mouth, showing how hard the punch had been just now.

Xu Cenfeng’s voice was unusually serious: “Why did you deliberately provoke General Wesley?”

Faeus gestured for Xu Cenfeng to look at the terminal brain screen, casually stating, “We can’t catch fish without putting on a show.”

Xu Cenfeng followed his gaze and saw on the lightbrain screen a intercepted message displayed prominently:

[Rupture confirmed. You can take action.]

Faeus tapped lightly on the lightbrain, explaining to Xu Cenfeng, “The ones able to stand guard outside are all my personal soldiers. Yenia’s quite capable; I wonder how many zergs he’s managed to recruit within our ranks.”

Xu Cenfeng heard this and gently wiped the blood from the corner of Faeus’ mouth with his fingertip. The vivid red blood stood stark against Faeus’ pale skin, catching the eye unnaturally. Xu Cenfeng glanced down briefly, then brought his fingertip to his lips and licked off the blood, tasting a hint of iron.

“So you were acting just now?” Xu Cenfeng asked.

Faeus stared at Xu Cenfeng’s actions, his gaze darkening briefly. Even his response sounded distracted. “Yes.”

Xu Cenfeng suddenly thought of a past life scenario, “What if General Wesley reveals your plan?”

Faeus responded playfully, “We are of the same family.”

Xu Cenfeng found this reasoning untenable, “Yenia and you are also family, and isn’t it that in the North you do not believe in this?”

They do not believe in blood ties, nor do they trust siblings; they only trust themselves. They embrace betrayal while fearing it at the same time. It’s a troubled kingdom, with chaotic order, like a pack of beasts dressed in finery, roaming the halls.

Faeus licked his lips and after a moment of silence, he cryptically uttered, “Zog is still recovering outside the city. Only I know his hiding place.”

As long as General Wesley remained loyal, Faeus would never take action. However, if Wesley succumbed to Yenia’s temptation and turned against him, Faeus had enough leverage in hand.

Faeus had climbed to his current position step by step, often at the expense of others. He deeply understood that “emotion” could be the strongest bond in the world or the most elusive reliance. His relationship with General Wesley clearly didn’t reach such depths.

Faeus finished speaking, pulled back the chair, and stood up. He reached out, grasping the back of Xu Cenfeng’s head, slightly tilting it, and unexpectedly whispered an address in his ear: “… Remember this place.”

Xu Cenfeng, puzzled, asked, “Where is this?”

“The place where Zog is hiding,” Faeus said meaningfully. “Yenia will soon make a move. Remember this place. In the future, if I’m not around… or if something happens, General Wesley will protect you.”

He also left a team of elite A-grade operatives to protect Xu Cenfeng discreetly, but there was no need to tell him at this moment.

Xu Cenfeng’s expression barely perceptibly furrowed at the words he heard. He stared intently at Faeus, wanting to know if he was joking. “Didn’t you say we were going to die together?”

Faeus suddenly remembered a certain occasion in bed with Xu Cenfeng when he had been driven out of control, blurting out some words in confusion. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You don’t actually want to die with me, do you?”

Even ants strive to survive, and any creature with a functioning brain would naturally want to live. Why did Xu Cenfeng’s mind always seem so different from other zergs?

But Xu Cenfeng countered, “Do you want to see me marry another female zerg?”

Faeus choked on his words. ‘…’

Damn it, hadn’t he thought about that at all?!

Xu Cenfeng chuckled at Faeus’ reaction. He handed the gun back to Faeus, who didn’t take it, so he simply set it down on the nearby table. “So, shall we die together?”

He finished speaking and reached out to cup Faeus’ face, gently running his fingers over the wound at the corner of Faeus’ mouth. Lowering his gaze, a dense shadow fell under his lashes. “Does it hurt a lot?”

“…”

Perhaps because Xu Cenfeng’s voice was too gentle, Faeus’ breath inexplicably caught for a moment at his words. He thought to himself, ‘What S-class female zerg would cry out in pain just because he got punched?’ “Do you think I’m a three-year-old cub?”

Xu Cenfeng knew he would say that, and he lightly hummed in response, “But I’m afraid you’ll hurt.”

Yet he feared that Faeus would hurt…

Faeus was momentarily stunned by his words, about to say something when suddenly he was pressed against the corner of the table. Xu Cenfeng’s gentle kisses fell softly and tenderly like raindrops, bringing a faint sensation of ticklishness.

Faeus weakly tilted his head back, furrowing his brow and grunting in frustration. “Didn’t you say no marking in the office?”

Xu Cenfeng glanced at him and reminded him, “I’m not marking.”

He was simply, very earnestly, kissing him.

For the first time, Faeus realized getting punched wasn’t ideal, especially on the face—it really affected kissing. Lying on the office desk, he struggled to lift Hu Cenfeng’s head and gasped, “Damn it, can’t you choose a different place to kiss?”

Xu Cenfeng wiped the blood from his lips upon hearing this, then raised an eyebrow lightly. The gesture made him look somewhat bewitching, his gaze vague. “Where else can I kiss?”

Isn’t kissing just kissing?

Faeus glanced at the closed door and curtains, muttered lowly under his breath. He resignedly shrugged off his military jacket and shirt, lying on the office desk, his tanned chest rising and falling unevenly. “Anyway, no kissing allowed.”

There are so many places on his body, not just the mouth, that can be kissed.

Xu Cenfeng had to change tactics, trailing kisses down Faeus’ neck and then reaching his abdominal muscles. He poked at them, feeling like smooth squares of chocolate—similar not just in color but also in texture. The muscles were segmented, unlike the elasticity of his chest.

Faeus, startled by his bite, trembled involuntarily. He pulled Xu Cenfeng back up, his green eyes darkened, and he spoke hoarsely, “What are you doing, kissing there?”

Xu Cenfeng answered seriously, “In the future, if we have larvae, it’ll be convenient…”

The remaining words were cut off as Faeus covered his mouth with his hand. He thought Xu Cenfeng must have gone mad with the desire to be a father, veins bulging on his forehead. “You don’t need to worry about such things.”

Xu Cenfeng remained silent.

Indeed.

Male zergs couldn’t breastfeed.

They passionately kissed beside the office desk, the black gun lying quietly nearby. Faeus glanced aside, his mind somewhat dazed. He reached out and embraced Xu Cenfeng, realizing it was perhaps the first time he had ever handed over his gun. Suddenly, a proverb came to mind:

‘In the distant battlefield where the smoke of gunpowder hasn’t cleared,

A true warrior never parts with his weapon.

Whoever disarms your companion gun will become your destined nemesis.’

Nemesis, huh…

Faeus’ Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he suddenly asked in a hoarse voice, “Xu Cenfeng, will you ever betray me?”

This question was quite ordinary in the North, where such rules were commonplace. Faeus had grown accustomed to them. Yet, he suddenly realized that if this question applied to Xu Cenfeng, it sounded anything but pleasant.

Xu Cenfeng pressed his face close to Faeus’, shaking his head. “I won’t.”

He didn’t hesitate for a second, nor did he need to.

Though Faeus had already guessed the answer long before, he still felt relieved. He let Xu Cenfeng pull him up from the desk and then closed his eyes, resting against Xu Cenfeng’s neck. “Actually, I don’t understand either…”

Xu Cenfeng: “Understand what?”

Faeus muttered to himself, “I don’t understand why our ancestors believed in betrayal…”

Perhaps feeling that his words might offend their ancestors, Faeus stopped himself after saying this and remained silent, despite Xu Cenfeng’s attempts to prompt further discussion.

He finally got up and walked to the window for some fresh air. As he straightened his clothes and looked down, he saw General Wesley had already walked out of the military headquarters gate, with a familiar figure trailing behind—Yenia.

Faeus squinted his eyes. “Look, the fish is on the hook.”

Why is Yenia so impatient?

Xu Cenfeng silently approached him from behind and finally spoke, but it was to answer his previous question: “Faeus, the words of our ancestors could be wrong, and beliefs can also change.”

The author has something to say:

Ancestor (angrily): “May a thunderbolt strike you both down!”

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  Conveys extreme disappointment and frustration. It suggests that the speaker feels so let down or betrayed by the situation or the person that they might as well have been blind to have believed or trusted otherwise.