Hawke and his group watched as Faeus leaped off the starship, and they followed closely behind. A swarm of pure black figures dived down from the sky, menacingly, like death reapers harvesting lives.
Someone below recognized Faeus and shouted excitedly, pointing to the sky, “It’s the Supreme Leader! The Leader and his team are back!”
“What?! The Leader is back?!”
“The Leader isn’t dead?!”
The soldiers fighting below heard the shocking news and all looked up at the sky. They saw the red-haired, green-eyed female zerg leading the charge—it was indeed Faeus, with Deputy Leader Hawke and his team following behind. For a moment, they couldn’t believe their eyes.
Faeus landed on the city wall with Xu Cenfeng, the wings on his back flapping violently for a moment to shake off the snow. He pulled a gun from his waist and tossed it to Xu Cenfeng for self-defense, his lips curving into a slight smile. His voice remained clear even in the biting cold wind:
“Stay here and wait for me to come back!”
He knew Xu Cenfeng disliked bloodshed.
After Faeus finished speaking, he ordered the nearby soldiers to protect Xu Cenfeng, and then he joined the battlefield alongside Hawke and the other zergs. The Northern Zerg Tribe was notorious for their belligerence and bloodlust. At this moment, firearms became insignificant weapons compared to the brutal physical combat. Razor-sharp claws eviscerated their enemies, resembling a pack of primal beasts.
Yenia’s subordinates were already at a disadvantage, and Faeus’ appearance was the final straw that broke the camel’s back, forcing them into a relentless retreat with screams of agony echoing continuously.
Scalding hot blood splattered on the snow, staining it with large, shocking patches of red. The two groups of soldiers fought fiercely under the dark night sky. The battle raged on until dawn, when the faint light of morning began to appear on the horizon, and the outcome finally started to become clear.
Faeus was already in a bloodthirsty frenzy, his once green eyes now completely crimson. With a vicious swipe of his claws, he accurately sliced through the throat of an enemy soldier. Blood spattered across his stern face, making him look like a god of death descended to the battlefield.
A red sun slowly rose from the horizon, its light piercing through the clouds and illuminating the chaotic scene in front of the Hossburgh city gates. Yenia’s remaining forces were dwindling, while Faeus’ side continued to receive reinforcements, creating a stark disparity in strength.
Seeing this, the rebels instinctively retreated, their faces filled with panic. They huddled together back-to-back, unable to hold their guns steady, clearly already reduced to a disorganized and demoralized group.
Faeus was always ruthless towards traitors. Seeing the rebels’ disarray, he shook the blood from his claws and ordered their execution. A barrage of gunfire echoed across the sky, seemingly marking the end of the uprising.
Faeus watched the last rebel fall, then flapped his wings, creating a gust of icy wind, and flew back to Xu Cenfeng’s side. Standing shoulder to shoulder on the city wall, his deep and authoritative voice rang clearly in every soldier’s ears: “Regroup and enter the city!”
He had been away from this royal city for too long; now was the time to return.
Yenia, always keenly aware, heard the sudden return of Faeus with his troops to the city. When he learned that his “ally”, General Wesley, had unexpectedly betrayed him, he abruptly realized he had fallen into a massive trap. Publicly, he deployed a portion of his forces to the city gates to fight and buy time, while secretly he and his guards attempted to escape through the rear gate. However, General Wesley, with his cunning, had already anticipated this move and intercepted them.
“Yenia, where do you think you can run to?”
General Wesley had been waiting at the outskirts of the city, surrounded by a mass of soldiers that stood stark against the snowy landscape. He stared at Yenia across from him, a deep furrow forming between his brows. “If you’re smart, you’ll surrender your weapons now. Considering your history with Zog since childhood, I’ll plead with the leader for leniency.”
Upon hearing this, Yenia tightened his grip on the gun, aiming it at General Wesley with a deeply unpleasant expression. Through gritted teeth, he retorted, “Shut up! You traitor! What did Faeus promise you to make you abandon seeking justice for Zog’s death? Have you forgotten? It was Faeus who killed Zog!”
General Wesley’s tone turned icy cold in response, “Yenia, I didn’t expect you to remain stubborn at a time like this! If I’m a traitor, then what does that make you?! Who was it that deliberately attracted the beast tide when Zog was on a mission? You know better than anyone!”
Yenia’s face momentarily turned pale. “When did you find out?!”
General Wesley shook his head with furrowed brows. “Don’t take us all for fools. Your schemes have only brought harm upon yourself!”
With that said, he finally realized that Yenia had no intention of repentance and that leaving him alive would only be a liability.
General Wesley recalled how, if it hadn’t been for Faeus secretly sending troops to protect Zog, Zog might have died long ago in the beast tide. Clenching his teeth and steeling his resolve, he turned to his officers behind him and ordered in a solemn tone, “Under the command of Supreme Leader Faeus, Yenia has colluded with the rebels and attempted treason. Anyone who kills him will be rewarded with a first-class military merit! The rest of you, surrender your weapons; past sins will be forgiven. Those who resist will be imprisoned and tried for treason!”
As soon as General Wesley’s orders rang out, many soldiers behind Yenia began to waver. They exchanged glances, unconsciously stepping back away from Yenia, even dropping their weapons.
Power struggles were merely games played by leaders; at the bottom, soldiers had no real choice. They followed orders from their superiors—if not, death awaited them. Yenia might not fear death, but they certainly did. With the battlefield clearly against them, resisting would be foolish.
It was unclear who was the first to drop their weapons and surrender, rushing directly to General Wesley’s camp with a panicked expression. “General! I surrender! We never wanted to rebel; it was all Yenia’s doing!”
With the first surrender came the second, and soon after, soldiers from Yenia’s camp began to surrender one after another, running to join General Wesley’s side.
“I surrender too!”
“I surrender as well!”
“As long as I can be forgiven for the past, I’ll do anything!”
In just a few short minutes, Yenia’s entire group behind him dispersed with a sudden rush. Yenia watched in shock at the scene before him, his hand trembling with anger on the gun. He went mad, aiming frantically around and pulling the trigger several times in a fit of rage, shouting hysterically, “Stop! All of you, stop right there! I’ll shoot anyone who dares surrender! I’ll shoot them dead!”
“Bang—!”
Another sharp gunshot echoed in Yenia’s ears, but this time, it wasn’t the rebel soldiers who were injured—it was Yenia himself.
Suddenly, Yenia’s last remaining deputy, standing behind him, grabbed him by the neck in front of everyone, aimed directly at his back, and fired a shot. The bullet hit squarely in his heart. Yenia’s chest exploded in a burst of blood, which quickly spread around him, dripping onto the snowy ground.
Yenia felt the intense pain in his chest and incredulously turned around, only to see his longtime deputy glaring at him fiercely. Through gritted teeth, the deputy whispered, “Leader, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Blame your own inadequate planning and inability to defeat Faeus and his group!”
“Anyway, you were going to die sooner or later. Might as well earn me a first-class military merit!”
After his deputy spoke, he aimed at Yenia and pulled the trigger, firing several shots until the gun ran out of bullets. He then callously tossed Yenia’s lifeless body aside. Discarding his weapon, he slowly raised his hands in surrender and called out loudly to General Wesley and his troops, “General Wesley, I don’t want military merit. I only hope that you can plead for me before the leader and give me a chance to redeem myself!”
The deputy was very astute; he knew as a leader of the rebels, it wouldn’t be easy to clear his name like an ordinary soldier. For now, preserving his life was paramount.
General Wesley was taken aback by being killed by one of his deputies. Seeing this, his pupils contracted slightly for a moment, and he frowned, “I will plead for you in front of the leader, but whether it succeeds or not depends on your luck.”
He finished his command and gestured for the soldiers to temporarily detain the surrendered rebels. Then, carrying Yenia’s body, he returned to the city to report to Faeus.
By the time they arrived, Faeus and Xu Cenfeng had already returned to their residence. Thanks to the elite A-grade guards stationed outside, Yenia’s deputy did not force his way in. Inside, servants maintained cleanliness daily, keeping the furnishings exactly as they were when they left, with minimal changes over time.
Faeus had just returned to his room to wash off the blood and change into clean clothes when he heard the news of General Wesley bringing back Yenia’s body to report. He paused momentarily and asked, “Yenia is dead?”
Xu Cenfeng nodded. “That’s how the soldiers at the gate reported it. They said his deputy, in an attempt to redeem himself, shot Yenia from behind in a surprise attack.”
Faeus raised an eyebrow lightly, his expression ambiguous. “It seems Yenia’s deputy has truly learned from him.”
They’ve mastered betrayal to the core.
After saying this, he turned to Xu Cenfeng and said, “Let’s go, let’s go out together and see.”
Yenia’s body lay outside in the garden, covered with a white cloth. General Wesley approached Faeus and Xu Cenfeng as they emerged from the house. “Leader, Your Excellency, all of Yenia’s former troops have been apprehended and are now detained in the military prison. Please give us your instructions.”
Faeus looked at Yenia’s body upon hearing this, lost in thought. “How do you think we should handle them?”
General Wesley sensed a faint aura of hostility from Faeus and hesitated briefly. “Leader, when I was persuading the soldiers to surrender outside the city, I promised them that if they surrendered, their past crimes would be forgiven.”
Faeus, clearly not one to easily forgive, had a mind sharper than a needle’s point. His tone chilled as he asked, “So you’re saying not only can I not punish these rebels, but I must also release them from prison unscathed?”
General Wesley paused, caught off guard.
Xu Cenfeng, understanding Faeus’ decisive nature but also noting his lack of diplomacy, gently nudged Faeus from behind and took the initiative to speak. “There are quite a few soldiers involved. It’s not feasible to execute them all. Besides, Hossburgh needs to recover from this internal strife. Since General Wesley has promised forgiveness, perhaps we should be generous in our approach.”
Faeus glanced at him sideways upon hearing this, grinding his teeth inwardly. “Are you saying I’m stingy?”
Xu Cenfeng thought to himself, you’re already quite stingy, but he shook his head with a calm demeanor. “I don’t think you’re stingy. I’m just concerned about how it might appear to others.”
Faeus furrowed his brow and looked away. “Betrayal once, no second chance. I can’t possibly enlist those rebels back into our ranks!”
Xu Cenfeng patiently advised, “When you conduct the duty reshuffle later, you can transfer them away from the main city of Hossburgh and directly assign them to guard duty on a desolate planet. It’s a form of mild punishment with a great lesson. After a few years when the incident settles down, we can cultivate new talents and replace them.”
This could be a reasonable compromise.
Faeus silently gritted his teeth, feeling somewhat unwilling. “Compile a list of all those rebels. In a few days, deploy them all to guard duty on the desolate planet. They’re not to return for less than ten years!”
This decision reflected his resolve, albeit reluctantly.
General Weiser glanced at Xu Cenfeng in admiration for his influence over Faeus, reminiscent of the deceased former leader who could command such obedience from Faeus. “Leader, what should we do with Yenia’s body?”
Faeus fell silent for a moment.
According to interstellar law, Yenia’s body should be cremated, but considering they grew up as brothers, their sudden enmity and Yenia’s death brought an indescribable sense of sorrow.
Faeus didn’t want other zergs to perceive him as softening, so he hesitated for a long time before making a decision.
In the end, it was Xu Cenfeng who noticed his thoughts and took the initiative to say, “Leader, Yenia is already a defeated general. There’s no need for us to hold onto grievances with the corpse. Let’s find a place to bury him.”
Regardless, Yenia is considered part of the bloodline of the northern royal family and shouldn’t die in a disgraceful manner.
Faeus nodded. “We’ll do as you suggested.”
He then turned to General Wesley. “You’ve done well during this time. I’ve already sent my soldiers to bring Zog back from the city outskirts. Next month, we’ll discuss and reward accordingly.”
General Wesley visibly relaxed upon hearing this, a rare smile appearing on his face. “Next month coincides with the beginning of spring, a good day indeed.”
Faeus raised an eyebrow in surprise at the mention of spring arriving so quickly. He glanced subtly at Xu Cenfeng beside him, then turned back and calmly said, “Indeed, it’s a good day. You can prepare a generous gift in advance.”
The topic changed too quickly, and General Wesley did not react immediately, saying, “What?”
When Faeus thought about how soon he could take this clean and pristine young zerg beside him back home, he felt quite pleased. “Next month, I’m going to hold a companion ceremony. I’ll send you invitations then. Remember to bring Zog and that little cub along,” he said.
Xu Cenfeng was momentarily stunned by the statement, and he instinctively glanced at Faeus, only to find that Faeus had already turned and headed back into the house. His ears seemed slightly redder than usual, and his departing figure suggested a hint of fleeing.
Oh…
It was then that Xu Cenfeng remembered, weren’t they supposed to get married?
For some time thereafter, Xu Cenfeng seemed unaffected by the matter. He continued with his meals, drank water as usual, and spent consecutive days holed up in his study, engrossed in his books. This behavior left Faeus feeling a bit offended.
“I can’t believe it, we’re about to hold the companion ceremony, and you feel nothing?!”
Faeus pinned Xu Cenfeng beneath him, frustrated by the nonchalant attitude of this male zerg, itching with resentment in his heart.
Xu Cenfeng rested one hand behind his head, a barely noticeable smile flickering in his dark eyes. “Really?”
Faeus’ forehead veins bulged. “Yes.”
Xu Cenfeng pondered seriously for a moment. “Will there be any difference after we get married?”
There’s probably none. Do what you should do, embrace when you should, act when you should.
However, Faeus raised an eyebrow and said, “Of course there is.”
Xu Cenfeng asked, “For example?”
Faeus hesitated, “…”
Faeus remained silent, pulling open the drawer beside him. He took out a package of soft fertility plugs and tossed them onto the bed. All of these were secretly ordered by Xu Cenfeng, that cunning fox, from the StarNet. His lips curved slightly, his voice deep and seductive, “For example? For example, after we become partners, you could make me wear this every day.”
Faeus had no reason to refuse anymore.
There was no reason to refuse, to bear offspring for this dominant male right in front of him…
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![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
