ICAWZ Chapter 231

Han Yan and Ah Sui had already privately acknowledged each other long ago. But the matter of soul-swapping was simply too bizarre and outrageous to speak of openly, so in the end, it remained a tacit secret between them.

Blairand knew nothing of this. He merely felt that the appearance of this “Lord Ashya” had stolen far too much of the attention that should have belonged to Ah Sui. Even the bottle of orange juice in front of him now seemed irritating to look at.

“…Please, you drink it. I’m not thirsty.”

Blairand barely managed to maintain his poise and smile, though it was all for show.

Sitting further back, Ashya keenly sensed something. He lifted his head slightly and glanced over, a trace of amusement flickering in his gray-blue eyes behind the lenses. Without a word, he calmly twisted open his own drink and handed it to Gaien—offering Ah Sui a subtle “demonstration.”

Ashya said, “Thirsty? Have some water.”

Gaien didn’t like sour drinks, but he still took a sip. Half-leaning against Ashya’s shoulder, his eyelids drooped—he always liked showing their closeness like this, even in public. “My lord, I’m a little sleepy.”

Ashya took the bottle from him and casually pressed a light kiss to the top of his head. “Then sleep for a while.”

Hearing that, Gaien shifted his position and leaned down to lie across Ashya’s lap. Ashya quietly reached out to support the back of his head, and after that, made no other movements.

Seeing this, Ah Sui unconsciously bit the bottle cap, thinking: Ashya might resemble his Grandpa San in many ways, but such a thoughtful gesture definitely wasn’t one of them. Back then, he absolutely hated anyone touching his legs—had switching bodies really changed him this much?

The sun is always red, and grandsons are always dumb. Ah Sui completely missed the point of Ashya’s actions; instead, his thoughts drifted off, guessing at all sorts of irrelevant things.

Blairand noticed him staring blankly at Ashya and frowned to himself. Don’t tell me my charm still can’t compete with a mere male zerg?

On the road to the campsite, dusk gradually deepened, and the scenery around them became harder to make out. Faeus lounged lazily in his seat, legs stretched out and crossed, casually taking up two spots. His domineering attitude was on full display. “Why schedule the trip this late? It’s already dark. At this pace, we won’t reach the inner forest until tomorrow.”

Xu Cenfeng, out of habit as a tour guide, remained standing most of the time—it made it easier to observe the surroundings and give commentary. Hearing Faeus’ complaint, he turned to glance at him and smiled. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just heard there’ll be a blood moon tonight, so I wanted to let everyone enjoy the view. The outer forest has a better line of sight—the trees are too tall in the inner zone, you probably won’t see anything from there.”

Faeus couldn’t even be bothered to lift his eyelids. “Blood Moon? What’s so great about that?”

Yusto, who had always been at odds with him, seized the chance to respond: “Back when the Zerg Race first came into being, the Zerg God descended carrying civilization. Later, the god suddenly vanished on a night of the Blood Moon. So ever since, the Blood Moon has been used by the descendants to commemorate the Zerg God. And you’re asking what’s so great about it?”

Without waiting for Faeus to reply, he added with mock realization, “Ah, I forgot—your northern regions don’t believe in gods.”

Lu Yuan thought Yusto was getting better and better at fanning the flames, and honestly, he found it amusing. He crossed one leg over the other and subtly tapped Yusto with the toe of his shoe, lowering his voice: “Enjoy the view. Maybe say a little less.”

The Northern Zerg Clan were all firecrackers—what if a fight really broke out? He and Xu Cenfeng wouldn’t be able to hold them back.

Yusto shot him a glare. “I didn’t say anything wrong.”

The North never believed in gods to begin with.

Faeus let out a cold, expressionless laugh, thinking Yusto really wasn’t capable of much beyond that. In the North, when they fought, it was with real fists and real weapons—what good was running one’s mouth?

Just as the tension in the bus began to thicken, You Que suddenly spoke up, having noticed something: “What’s going on up ahead? Looks like someone’s digging.”

Xu Cenfeng’s role as tour guide finally came in handy. “This sightseeing route is newly developed. A while back, the construction crew discovered the ruins of an ancient temple underground. It’s said to be very old, but since the excavation is still ongoing, we won’t be able to take you there for a look.”

When Sanya heard the word “ruins”, he gave a small shake of the ponytail at the back of his head, vaguely recalling something he’d seen while mining in Blackstone Prison. “There were similar ruins discovered in the Northern region, supposedly tens of thousands of years old. But there wasn’t much inside—just some murals on the stone walls.”

The Zerg Race had always been more passionate about exploring the future, and far less interested in the past. After all, they believed the past couldn’t be changed, so knowing about it was of little use. It wasn’t likely to bring any real progress to their current lives. Sanya, too, was no exception to that mindset.

The vehicle moved smoothly along the road. Xu Cenfeng leaned against the armrest of Faeus’ seat, his arms crossed, standing steadily. He seemed to recall something and spoke slowly:

“Sometimes, exploring the past isn’t such a bad thing. The development and origins of the Zerg Race are still a mystery. For example, how are males born? How are females born? How about sub-females? There’s no explanation for any of it. According to historical records, the Zerg Race originally reproduced asexually.”

Xu Cenfeng’s question left everyone speechless.

Faeus always felt there were many secrets about Xu Cenfeng: “You know something?”

Xu Cenfeng met the gaze of the others, pausing for a moment before responding: “I wouldn’t say I know for sure. It’s just, during the development of the inner forest, I came across a few elderly Eastern Zerg tribe members, and I overheard them talking about it.”

As the sun sank lower, and the trees grew darker, he slowly began to recount that little-known story:

“It’s said that many years ago, there were actually two Zerg Gods. One had silver hair and red eyes, that’s Hermes. The other had black hair and black eyes, but their name is lost to history.”

“They combined, and from that union came their descendants. The male zergs inherited the traits of the black-eyed Zerg God, which made them physically weaker. The females inherited the traits of Hermes, making them strong and battle-hardened. But as the bloodline diluted and mutated over the years, eventually, a new type of sub-female was born—one with psychic abilities.”

“Great power requires restraint. Although Hermes was invincible in battle, his mental state often slipped into madness. In those times, only the other Zerg God could soothe him.”

Xu Cenfeng seemed to know more than he let on, though he spoke in a veiled manner, treating it more like an obscure legend. He gazed into the distant, silent wilderness, his fingers tracing the dark outlines of the mountains in the air. His voice was low as he spoke:

“The more powerful the female zerg, the stronger the trace of Hermes’ blood within him. They don’t just awaken the god’s power—they inherit his ‘suffering’ as well. That’s why only the male zergs can soothe them.”

Sanya suddenly spoke up, his voice sharp: “Black hair, black eyes? Doesn’t that mean pure-blooded males?”

Yusto seemed to have an epiphany: “No wonder all the black-haired, black-eyed male zergs are pure-blooded. They must have inherited the traits of the black-eyed Zerg God.”

Hearing this, Sanya instinctively glanced at his male lord. You Que had brown eyes, not black. The latter noticed his gaze and calmly spoke: “Brown and black are pretty much the same.”

Sanya lightly traced his fingertip along the palm of You Que’s hand, a half-smile playing on his lips. “True. It makes it even more special…”

Before long, the bus arrived at the campsite. When they got off, the group realized they had only circled around the excavating temple ruins, arriving at the front from the rear.

Lu Yuan jumped off the bus, his shoes lightly crunching on the grass. “Hiss, this temple’s pretty big. Do you think it’s safe for us to camp here? What if the ground collapses? Should we move further in?”

“We can’t move.”

Xu Cenfeng had somehow appeared behind him, his expression calm but carrying an imperceptible firmness. “We can’t move any further in.”

Lu Yuan frowned, puzzled. “Why?”

Xu Cenfeng didn’t elaborate. “Let’s go in first. We still need to start the fire and cook. It’ll be too late if we wait much longer.”

Lu Yuan didn’t think much of it and followed along into the camp. Xu Cenfeng, being meticulous by nature, had arranged the camping setup with great care. In the middle of the grassy area was a neatly arranged fire pit, complete with all the necessary grilling tools. Around it were several military tents, and everything from sleeping bags to cups was brand new.

“Though we could have hired a chef to help with the grilling, I think it’s more fun to do it ourselves. Feel free to grab whatever you’d like to eat.”

After a brief explanation of where the drinking water was stored, Xu Cenfeng picked up a few skewers of food and headed toward Faeus, only to find him sitting by the fire, lost in thought, clearly distracted.

“What are you thinking about?”

Xu Cenfeng instinctively reached out, but Faeus reacted sharply, looking up at him. His dark green eyes were filled with a dangerous, almost feral aggression, like a wild beast threatened on its territory.

Xu Cenfeng paused. “…”

Faeus, caught off guard by Xu Cenfeng’s gaze, finally snapped out of his thoughts. As soon as he realized what he’d just done, a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. But, true to his nature, he didn’t know how to apologize. He just sat stiffly, unable to move.

Xu Cenfeng didn’t seem to mind the odd behavior. He set the skewers aside and sat down next to Faeus, speaking softly: “What’s wrong? Why are you zoning out?”

“…”

Faeus didn’t know how to explain. Since they arrived in the inner forest, he had been experiencing a strange sense of anxiety, his mind constantly flashing with chaotic images. Sometimes it was a blizzard, his bloodied body lying in the wilderness, being torn apart by a wild beast. Other times, it was the image of someone stumbling away, but the figure looked eerily like Xu Cenfeng’s silhouette.

Each of these scenes brought immense distress to Faeus. His eyes, bloodshot from the overwhelming images, had taken on a reddened hue, and in the flickering light of the fire, they almost appeared ferocious.

“It’s nothing…”

Faeus closed his eyes and slowly exhaled, as if trying to convince himself. He forced the words out again, with more emphasis: “I’m fine.”

Even though Xu Cenfeng was observant, he couldn’t quite figure out the reason for Faeus’ abnormal behavior. He could only assume it was related to a possible upcoming psychic instability, thinking perhaps it was time to offer another round of calming therapy later in the evening.

“After we finish eating, you should rest early.”

Having said that, Xu Cenfeng lowered his head, focusing on grilling the meat. But just as he did, a low, hoarse, and ominous voice suddenly echoed in his ears: “Xu Cenfeng…”

Xu Cenfeng: “Hmm?”

Faeus asked, his voice quieter than usual: “Will you ever leave me?”

Xu Cenfeng paused in his movements. “…”

The question seemed like something a couple might casually ask for reassurance, a small question about security. But for Xu Cenfeng, someone who had truly left Faeus once in his past life, it struck him unexpectedly deep, almost like a knife to the heart.

Xu Cenfeng lowered his head, unmoving for a long time. The skewer in his hand had burned, the flames nearly creeping up the metal to his fingertips. He snapped back to reality, hurriedly setting the skewer aside, wiping the grease off his hands with a napkin, forcing a smile. “Why do you ask that?”

Faeus stared at him, his eyes still tinged with red, his gaze piercing. “I want to know.”

“Xu Cenfeng, answer me.”

Xu Cenfeng heard the urgency in Faeus’ voice and let out a quiet breath. It felt as though something heavy was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. “I won’t. Don’t think too much about it.”

He answered with certainty. At his words, Faeus’ gaze darkened, but the intensity in his eyes seemed to lessen. A strand of red hair slipped down the side of his face, making him appear oddly vulnerable. “Xu Cenfeng, don’t lie to me. You know… I hate being lied to the most.”

Saying “hate” would be too light—it’s hatred, the kind that grinds teeth in fury.

Xu Cenfeng had a calm temperament. He gave a slight smile, as smooth and unruffled as a polished jade: “No, I’m not lying. Do you want some grilled meat?”

Faeus glanced at the burnt skewers, frowning in clear distaste. “It’s burnt. Who would want that?”

Despite his words, Faeus still picked up the burnt skewers, eating them quickly. Then, he unclipped the folding knife from his belt, carefully dividing the remaining grilled meat into evenly sized chunks, taking over Xu Cenfeng’s grilling duties.

Xu Cenfeng glanced at him: “Can you cook?”

Faeus was the typical Northern female zerg—he would never conform to the Western expectation of being equally skilled in both the drawing-room and the kitchen. His cooking skills, to put it mildly, were disastrous.

The smoke from the grill was thick, and Faeus squinted his eyes, his tone arrogantly confident: “I can’t cook, so even if it’s inedible, you’ll have to swallow it.”

This was the first time in his life he had cooked for a male zerg. If Xu Cenfeng didn’t give him face, he was as good as dead!

Xu Cenfeng watched him with a gentle smile, his gaze soft like water. For the first time, he spoke a line of affection: “I’ll eat it, even if it’s poison.”

Faeus’ hand trembled, almost knocking over the plate.

Perhaps it was because they were rarely all together, and after a day of hunger, everyone was full of energy. By the late hours, there was no sign of fatigue. Surprisingly, it was Faeus who returned to the tent to rest first.

In the midsummer season, despite being under the covers, he felt an overwhelming chill, as if lying in the ice and snow, with even his bones radiating a cold, bone-deep chill. But, being stubborn as ever, he refused to admit to anyone that he wasn’t feeling well, curling up alone in the tent.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Xu Cenfeng had just washed his hands by the creek and returned to the tent. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Faeus curled up in the corner with his eyes closed. He immediately crouched down and gently embraced him.

The tent was pitch black, and Faeus, hearing Xu Cenfeng’s voice, slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was unfocused for a moment, unsure, and he weakly called out, “Xu Cenfeng…?”

“It’s me.”

Faeus was in a daze, his words tumbling out without much thought: “Is it snowing outside…?”

How else could he be this cold?

It was summer, stiflingly hot, with only occasional breezes, so Xu Cenfeng couldn’t bring himself to lie and say it was snowing. He reached out and brushed his fingers through Faeus’ disheveled hair. When his hand touched Faeus’ forehead, it was as if he had touched ice.

“There’s no snow, Faeus. It’s warm now.”

Faeus closed his eyes and frowned, a trace of pain flashing across his face. His ears were filled with the deafening sound of gunfire, the fierce growls of wild beasts, and the howling of a snowstorm. It seemed like someone was desperately calling his name:

“Supreme Leader! Hurry back!! There’s an ambush!!”

“Supreme Leader! Don’t die! If you die, what will happen to the North?!”

“Supreme Leader, you shouldn’t have let that male zerg go back then. I will find him for you…”

“Supreme Leader, I will bury you here…”

“Supreme Leader…”

“Supreme Leader…”

Please don’t die on the distant battlefield. The snowstorm there has not stopped, and old friends have not returned…

 

 

 

---

Support me on ko-fi for more additional updates~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ