ICAWZ Chapter 140

Protect?

The word struck a chord in Blairand’s heart, but before he could calm himself, he heard Ah Sui’s next question. He looked at the other man in a daze, his light blue eyes softer than the moonlight in the darkness, filled with a hint of confusion: “Why?”

However, Ah Sui didn’t answer. Instead, he earnestly leaned over Blairand’s back to touch the base of his wings, curious about how they had grown: “Can I have wings too?”

Blairand gently shook his head: “You’re a male zerg; male zergs don’t have wings.”

Ah Sui didn’t understand the physical structures of female and male zergs; he just felt that his body was not much different from Blairand’s. He simply took off his nightgown and turned around to show his back to Blairand: “But my back is the same as yours. Could it be that your wings developed earlier, and mine will develop later?”

Blairand didn’t expect Ah Sui to take off his clothes. Embarrassed, he turned his head away and softly urged, “Put your clothes back on quickly.”

As he spoke, he lightly flapped his wings behind him, retracting them with a whoosh. Ah Sui quickly called out to stop him: “Hey, I haven’t seen enough yet! Don’t put your wings away so quickly!”

However, it was too late; Blairand had already retracted his wings. He turned to face Ah Sui, feeling a bit helpless at the male zerg’s antics: “We agreed it was just a quick look.”

“That doesn’t count! I didn’t look closely enough before. Please show me just one more time.”

Ah Sui, having said that, dove under the blanket to tickle Blairand, wanting him to turn his back again. Blairand tried to avoid it while stifling laughter, but he couldn’t match Ah Sui’s agility. In the end, he was tickled until he felt weak all over, even bringing tears to his eyes.

“Ah Sui—”

Blairand pressed down on the male zerg’s flailing hands, his voice suddenly turning hoarse. He lay panting beneath Ah Sui, his golden hair messy and cascading over his shoulders like a handful of snow quietly melting away. His skin temperature rose higher and higher.

Seeing this, Ah Sui unconsciously stopped his movements. He gazed at Blairand’s face in the darkness, his heart skipping a beat. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, like sticky honey that couldn’t be separated.

A faint blush appeared on Blairand’s cheeks, very light and subtle. His eyelashes fluttered as he suddenly realized how intimate their current position was, and he slightly pulled away from Ah Sui’s touch. “It’s cold; quickly put your clothes back on.”

Ah Sui inexplicably thought that Blairand’s red face was even more beautiful than his wings. Unable to help himself, he reached out to gently touch the blush at the corner of Blairand’s eyes before quietly sliding down to put on his clothes. After a moment’s thought, he leaned back against Blairand, almost sharing the same pillow: “So, can you…”

Ah Sui paused for a moment before saying, “Can you show me just one more time tomorrow?”

With Ah Sui so close, Blairand almost brushed against his nose. This subtle intimacy was enough to make one’s heart race. Unable to resist, he lifted his hand and pinched Ah Sui’s cheek; it felt just as soft as he had imagined. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and said, “Let’s talk about tomorrow when it comes. It’s getting late; let’s sleep.”

But Ah Sui didn’t lie back down; instead, he squeezed onto the same pillow as Blairand. He liked the light fragrance on Blairand’s body, burying his head in the other’s neck like a little dog and sniffing for a moment. After that, he tucked himself in under the blanket and said, “Good night.”

Blairand’s fingers twitched, as if he wanted to push Ah Sui away, but for some reason, he didn’t move. He had no choice but to go along with him: “Good night.”

This night was destined to be restless.

As Blairand slept, his nostrils were filled with the strong scent of pheromones from the male zerg, making him feel unbearably hot. It felt like an addiction; while it eased his restless mental energy, it also deepened his dependence, causing his already shaky sanity to teeter on the brink of collapse.

Ah Sui slept soundly, not waking until dawn. When he got up in the morning, he noticed that Blairand was still asleep. After staring at him thoughtfully for a moment, he quietly lifted the blanket and went outside to practice.

There was still a lot of leftover reindeer meat from yesterday. The fat cook had cut the meat into thin strips and left it in the snow to freeze overnight, so by the next day, it had turned into ice. If the temperature was low enough, it could be stored for three months without issue.

When Ah Sui was training as a child, he liked to slack off, thinking others might do the same. However, when he came to spy on the camp in the morning, he was surprised to find a neat row of figures standing in formation, all practicing their moves earnestly. Even Heim and the others were gritting their teeth as they stood by, holding their stances.

How strange; why are these zergs so diligent?

Ah Sui shook his head in confusion. He walked up to Heim, resting the hilt of his sword on Heim’s shoulder and pressing down while tapping his back. “Straighten your back, stretch your arms out, and don’t let your butt touch the ground.”

Heim strained with all his might to keep from collapsing, gritting his teeth so hard that each word came out one at a time: “Ah Sui, just remember, if we can hold on for five days, you’ll teach us how to fight!”

Ah Sui crossed his arms and walked around them: “Let’s see if you can last five days first.”

Heim and the other male zergs had been living in comfort for too long, and their foundation was weak, making it quite difficult for them to last five days. After saying this, Ah Sui walked over to check on Quike and the others’ progress, only to find a gray-haired, golden-eyed female zerg whose movements were the most rapid, already showing some results.

Seeing this, Ah Sui couldn’t help but look a bit longer. “What’s your name?”

The female zerg appeared rather taciturn. At his question, he paused, stood up straight, and replied with three words: “Julian.”

Ah Sui nodded in satisfaction, stroking his chin as he said, “Your technique is quite good; it has a sense of killing intent.”

For a beginner to be able to perform a complete set of techniques is already quite impressive. This female zerg not only mastered it in just one night but also infused each move with killing intent, which was quite rare.

Ah Sui’s comment was originally made without much thought, but it immediately made Julian’s heart tighten. He feared he had revealed something in front of Ah Sui, and even Quike and the others instinctively paused to look over, creating an inexplicably tense atmosphere.

Julian showed no signs of panic on his face. Lowering his gaze, he cautiously replied, “Report to the leader, I used to work as a bouncer in a casino, so I have some experience.”

Working as a bouncer in a casino?

Ah Sui frowned at this and shook his head, advising, “Gambling is not good; it has no future. You shouldn’t be a bouncer anymore. Come work with me, and in a few days, I’ll make you the deputy captain.”

The way he said it made it sound like being an interstellar pirate had some bright future.

At that moment, Blairand happened to wake up. Dressed in his outer coat, he stood at the door of the starship and couldn’t help but feel worried as he saw Ah Sui and Julian acting so chummy with each other.

Although Ah Sui was highly skilled, he lacked a certain level of caution. With Julian and the others combined, there were a total of thirty-nine zergs, all carefully selected talents from the team. If they truly wanted to find an opportunity to harm him, it would be difficult to defend against.

Blairand stepped down from the starship and called out to Ah Sui from several meters away: “Ah Sui!”

Hearing his name, Ah Sui turned to look and saw it was Blairand. Thinking he was being called for a reason, he hurried over: “What’s wrong?”

But Blairand didn’t speak. Instead, he pulled Ah Sui to a secluded spot, ensuring no zergs were watching. After a brief moment of silence, he whispered, “Ah Sui, didn’t you say you wanted to go to the Imperial Capital with me?”

Ah Sui nodded, “I did say that.”

Blairand furrowed his brows and suddenly said, “How about in a few days, I take you to the Imperial Capital? We’ll leave quietly at night, without alarming anyone, and we won’t be space pirates anymore. How does that sound?”

The Empire never showed mercy when it came to eradicating space pirates. Julian and the others had already found the location of the camp and would find a way to contact the main force in a few days. At that time, Ah Sui would definitely be in grave danger, so it was better to leave as soon as possible.

Once they reached the Imperial Capital, Blairand could use his influence to help Ah Sui change his identity. As long as he remained hidden for a while until the storm passed, it would be fine. There were so many interstellar pirates wanted by the Empire; no one would specifically hunt down any that slipped through the cracks.

Upon hearing the words “Imperial Capital,” Ah Sui’s ears perked up. “Are we going to the Imperial Capital?”

He seemed very interested, but there was a hint of hesitation in his demeanor, as if he was reluctant to leave the team he had just gathered.

Blairand looked at Ah Sui and couldn’t help but reach out to gently brush aside the stray hair in front of him, whispering, “Yes, we’ll go to the Imperial Capital, just the two of us.”

Forget everything, don’t worry about anything, and start a new life in the Imperial Capital.

Upon hearing this, Ah Sui hesitated for a moment and cautiously asked, “Then… can we bring Brother Cenfeng with us?”

Blairand: “…”

Blairand: “…Alright, we’ll bring him.”

Just one more male zerg was no big deal.

However, Ah Sui had more questions. He hesitated and asked, “What about Heim and the others? Are we just going to leave them here?”

Blairand then remembered that there were a few other noble male zergs tied up in the interstellar pirate den. Heim and the others had been relying on Ah Sui for protection during this time. If Ah Sui left, Black Fang would certainly take revenge on them.

For whatever reason, the military females of the Salaranfa would never overlook valuable male zergs.

Blairand silently gritted his teeth and finally made a compromise: “We’ll bring them too.”

Just three of them; it wasn’t a big deal.

Ah Sui scratched his head. “But Brother Cenfeng said this place is in the middle of nowhere, far from the towns. We need to use a starship to escape, so do we have to steal one?”

Blairand replied, “Yeah, we’ll use the one we’re staying on.”

Ah Sui seemed hesitant to dampen his spirits but couldn’t help but voice his concerns. “Brother Cenfeng said that if we want to escape, we have to slip away at night. But taking off in a starship would make too much noise. It wouldn’t take three hours before Black Fang and the others would notice. We can’t take on a group of interstellar pirates, and we can’t afford to waste fuel.”

So…

Ah Sui patted Blairand’s shoulder and lowered his voice to comfort him, “Don’t rush it. Once I’ve trained my own team, we can escape together. Those females learn quickly; it won’t be long before they’re ready.”

Blairand thought that if that was the case, they might as well just head straight to an interstellar prison.

He had gotten carried away thinking about taking Ah Sui with him. But upon truly analyzing the situation, he realized there were a multitude of problems. Blairand couldn’t help but raise his hand to cover his forehead, seriously doubting whether his IQ had been infected by Ah Sui. Otherwise, how could he be so naive, making plans to escape without a proper strategy?

Damn…

Blairand, who rarely cursed in his life, muttered a low swear word in his heart. He looked up at Ah Sui, frowning slightly, wanting to confirm just one thing: “Ah Sui, if I said we had to escape, would you go with me?”

As he spoke, his fingertips unconsciously tightened, waiting nervously for Ah Sui’s answer. But Ah Sui didn’t hesitate for even a second. “Of course I’d escape with you.”

After speaking, Ah Sui gave Blairand’s somewhat slender shoulders a firm squeeze and said seriously, “You’re too weak; you can’t beat Black Fang and his gang. I wouldn’t feel at ease letting you escape alone. What if those bad guys caught you again?”

Hearing this, Blairand felt the heavy weight in his heart finally settle quietly. He couldn’t tell if he was moved or feeling something else, and he remained silent for a moment.

Ah Sui, thinking Blairand was scared, hesitated for a moment before finally stepping forward to gently embrace him, whispering in comfort, “Are you missing home? Don’t be afraid. I’ll send you back when we get the chance, but leaving now is too dangerous. It’s not the right time.”

Caught off guard by the sudden hug, Blairand’s face grew a little warm, but he didn’t struggle. He turned his head to look away and quietly explained, “I’m not scared.”

Ah Sui assumed he was just being stubborn, but he genuinely started considering the possibility of escaping the interstellar pirates’ den. Patting Blairand’s back, he said, “I’ll start sneaking some starship fuel back over the next few days. Let’s aim to escape by the end of the month. Brother Cenfeng said we wouldn’t be staying here too long.”

Brother Cenfeng said, Brother Cenfeng said—this phrase was quickly becoming Ah Sui’s catchphrase.

Hearing this, Blairand glanced at Ah Sui and, with a meaningful expression, asked, “Do you listen to him that much?”

Ah Sui blinked. “I listen to you too.”

After all, he thought, he’s not very bright, so he’d listen to anyone smarter than him.

Blairand: “…”

After Blairand took Ah Sui away, no one knew where they went, and half an hour had passed without their return. Seeing this, Quike and the others couldn’t help but exchange uneasy glances. Taking advantage of a moment when the guards weren’t paying attention, they gathered together and spoke in hushed, worried tones.

“Do you think Blairand might have figured out our identities? From the first time he saw us, his expression seemed a bit strange. What if he reports us to the chief?”

“Are you kidding? He’s an Imperial Major General; there’s no way he’d conspire with interstellar pirates.”

“We’ve already mapped out the pirates’ base. Should we try to contact Major General Aks now and end this sooner?”

Upon hearing this, Quike slapped the back of that soldier’s head, cursing in a low voice, “Damn it, we’ve only been here a few days. What if they still have more zergs? Besides, the signal is poor out here in the wilderness. What if we accidentally expose ourselves? The boss hasn’t even finished teaching me all his techniques yet. Why are you all in such a rush to go back?!”

That last point was his main concern.

After he said this, most of the soldiers fell silent, muttering in agreement, “You’re right, you’re right. The mountains are covered in snow, and the signal’s poor here. We should stick around a few more days to see how things go. After all, Major General Aks did give us half a month to gather information.”

Julian had been silent the entire time, but now he looked around at everyone, his voice neutral as he asked, “Have you all forgotten who you are and really started to think of yourselves as interstellar pirates?”

Quike looked down, kicking at a pile of snow, and muttered, “Captain, it’s just… I think the boss  isn’t so bad. It’d be a shame to take him down.”

Though they hadn’t been in contact for long, Ah Sui seemed simple-hearted, never once scolding or abusing his subordinates and even teaching them martial arts. None of them wanted to take down this naïve “sweetheart.”

Julian’s voice was cold and unmoved. “No matter how ‘nice’ he is, he’s still a despicable interstellar pirate. I’ll figure out a way to contact Major General Aks in a bit. Just make sure you cover for me.”

Reluctantly, the others replied, “Yes, Captain.”

In the afternoon, they stayed at the campsite to continue training. After a day of practice, their coordination looked quite decent. Julian used an excuse to go to the bathroom and walked to a nearby grassy area to try using the miniature signal device to contact the main force. Unexpectedly, Quike’s pessimistic prediction had come true: heavy snow had blocked the mountain, and the signal couldn’t get through at all.

Frowning, Julian kept trying to make contact, but before long, he heard someone calling him from nearby. Quickly, he hid the miniature signal device in his teeth, turned around, and hurried back to the campsite.

When Julian ran back to the campsite, he saw Quike gesturing at him enthusiastically while glancing subtly to the side. “What took you so long just to pee? The big boss has been looking for you!”

Only then did Julian notice that the black-haired, black-eyed male was there again. Straightening up, he greeted, “Boss, did you need something from me?”

Actually, Ah Sui didn’t have any urgent matter. He simply thought that Julian’s strong fists were better suited for hand-to-hand combat. “I noticed you’re more suited for close combat. The techniques of the nine-section whip aren’t ideal for you. After dinner, don’t rush off to gather firewood. I’ll teach you a new set of fist techniques.”

After speaking, Ah Sui patted his backside and turned to leave, planning to scout around Black Fang’s starship and sneak back with some fuel later. Unbeknownst to him, Julian stood frozen in place at his words.

Quike and the others were surprised that Ah Sui was going to teach Julian new techniques, instantly feeling a mix of envy and jealousy. “Captain, you really have such good luck!”

They had barely practiced the nine-section whip for two days and had already gained a lot from it. This new set of fist techniques might be even more powerful. Ah Sui had a keen eye; Julian was already famous for his close combat skills in the military, able to smash through steel plates with a single punch.

Julian shot Quike a glare, his voice heavy as he reminded, “You’re the captain now.”

Quike realized he had let that slip and instinctively shrugged, apologizing, “Did you manage to contact headquarters?”

Julian frowned, “No, the signal is too weak.”

Quike asked, “What about tonight?”

For the first time, Julian hesitated, “…Let’s talk about it in a couple of days.”

He needed to practice his fist techniques tonight and didn’t have the time.

 

 

 

---

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