ICAWZ Chapter 146

Ah Sui didn’t know where Blairand had been taken. The starships shot across the sky with a “whoosh,” disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving only a cold and desolate moon hanging in the night sky. Before long, it was swallowed by the clouds.

If it weren’t for the chaotic footprints still left on the ground, Ah Sui might have suspected that he had just dreamed it all. He stood there for a moment, suddenly recalling something. His expression shifted slightly, and without a word, he turned around and headed back the way he came—

The military had already caught up to this place. Xu Cenfeng and the others were probably in grave danger!

Ah Sui, eager to confirm the situation, ran wildly through the snow. Following the direction in his memory toward the battlefield, he listened carefully to the sounds of gunfire around him. It wasn’t until the dark sky began to show a hint of dawn that he finally found the traces of the team in a dense forest, just a few hundred meters from the battlefield.

“Big Boss! We’re over here!”

Quike and the others had been hiding deep in the forest, only daring to peek out from the mountain hollow when dawn finally broke. From a distance, they spotted a familiar figure and quickly waved at Ah Sui, some of them carrying rifles and running out in small groups.

Xu Cenfeng was among them. He took off his hat and walked up to Ah Sui, giving him a once-over. Noticing that, apart from some dirt on his clothes, Ah Sui seemed relatively intact and uninjured, he asked, “Where did you go just now? Are you hurt?”

Ah Sui was panting heavily from running. At Xu Cenfeng’s question, he struggled to shake his head, bending over to support his knee as he asked, “I’m not injured. What about you guys?”

The battlefield from yesterday was now nothing but scorched earth. The interstellar pirates were either dead or wounded, and the rest had long since fled, leaving no trace behind.

Xu Cenfeng indicated that he was fine, furrowing his brow as he said, “I don’t know what happened yesterday. Not long after you launched the flare, the military rushed over and ambushed us. The Black Hawk Alliance and the Klayt Alliance were scattered. Julian and I ran fast, so we weren’t caught.”

He paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that Ah Sui was alone. He hesitated and then asked, “Where’s Blairand?”

At the mention of this, Ah Sui suddenly fell silent for the first time. He didn’t know how to explain what had happened. After a moment, he quietly said, “He was found and taken by the military. I can’t find him…”

His voice carried a hint of confusion.

Xu Cenfeng patted his shoulder. “Let’s find a place to rest for now. Once the situation calms down, we’ll search for Blairand. The military is already rounding up the escaping interstellar pirates, and they’ll likely search this area soon.”

Ah Sui found some comfort in Xu Cenfeng’s words and, upon hearing them, forced himself to gather a bit of energy. He had been running through the snow almost the entire night, and the physical exhaustion was evident on his pale face.

Seeing this, Xu Cenfeng took two bags of compressed biscuits and a thermos from his backpack and handed them to him. “Eat something to regain your strength. The main road is too obvious. We’ll have to take a detour through the forest.”

Quike, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. “Yes, it’s safer to go through the forest!”

After the military’s ambush, the undercover agents should have rejoined their team, but in the end, Quike and the others couldn’t ignore the call of conscience. Taking advantage of the chaos on the battlefield, they slipped away, intending to escort Ah Sui and Xu Cenfeng to safety. After all, the military had already captured plenty of star pirates in the ambush, so losing track of two small leaders wouldn’t be a big issue.

Hmm, small leaders.

After eating and drinking his fill, Ah Sui found a hidden spot to rest for half an hour. Only then did he lead the team deeper into the forest. His longsword had been accidentally lost, so he had to pick up a broken branch as a weapon, trudging forward on the snow-covered ground with difficulty.

But soon, they encountered a new problem.

The main group hadn’t traveled far when they came across a fork in the road. The path on the left led to the west, while the path on the right led north. Ah Sui didn’t know which way to go and, feeling uncertain, turned around to ask, “There are two paths here. Which way should we go?”

Xu Cenfeng paused for a moment, then said, “Let’s go west.”

However, Quike and the others disagreed. He grabbed Ah Sui and pulled him toward the right path, lowering his voice as he said, “Big Boss, listen to us, let’s go north! The west and north have always been at odds. Even if the pursuers come, they won’t dare enter Hossburgh. If we head west, we’re doomed!”

Xu Cenfeng, however, said, “The most dangerous place is often the safest. We all know that hiding in Hossburgh is the safest, and the military knows that too. The entrance in the north might already be full of ambushes.”

Quike was almost frantic. “But the entrance to the west is also full of ambushes!”

Xu Cenfeng countered, “How do you know that?”

“I…”

Quike immediately fell silent, unable to answer. He couldn’t exactly say that he was an undercover agent and had prior knowledge of the military’s plans. “Anyway, we can’t go west!”

“Alright, enough! Stop arguing!”

Ah Sui’s mind was already in a state of confusion, and the argument only made it worse. He unconsciously furrowed his brow, glancing at the path to the left, then at the one on the right. After much hesitation, he finally made a decision. “I’ll go with Brother Cenfeng. Let’s head west!”

“Thud!”

Hearing this, Quike lost his balance and immediately knelt on the ground. He tearfully clutched Ah Sui’s leg, almost wanting to kowtow right there. “Big Boss, we really can’t go west! The military must have set up an ambush there. If you go, you’ll definitely be caught!”

It wasn’t just Quike. Even the other subordinates began speaking up, trying to persuade him:

“Yes, Big Boss, let’s head north instead!”

“The west is too dangerous, we absolutely can’t go there!”

Ah Sui seemed a bit hesitant, but Xu Cenfeng remained calm throughout. He lifted his eyes to look at Ah Sui, his voice low as he said, “Ah Sui, trust me, let’s go west.”

If he wanted to find Blairand, they could only go west.

In a sense, they were like family in this strange foreign world. Every time they faced difficulties, Xu Cenfeng always provided the most accurate guidance. Now that Blairand was not around, Ah Sui would only trust Xu Cenfeng, and could only trust Xu Cenfeng.

Ah Sui pushed away Quike and the others’ hands that were trying to stop him, furrowing his brow as he said, “We’re going west.”

…

And then, they were captured by the military.

If heaven could give Ah Sui a chance to do it all over again, he would never trust Xu Cenfeng, that unreliable fool, again. Because the exit of the western forest was almost surrounded by a whole small unit of military forces. As soon as they stepped out, they were caught in a trap by the military.

Hundreds of black gun barrels were pointed at their heads, and before they even had a chance to resist, they were captured.

The soldiers guarding the entrance of the forest hadn’t expected to catch two more “stragglers” so quickly. They put handcuffs on Ah Sui and Xu Cenfeng and directly escorted the two male zergs onto a prison ship, throwing them into one of the holding cells. “You’d better behave yourselves and not try anything funny, or you’ll regret it!”

Life is unpredictable, like a sausage wrapped in another sausage.

Ah Sui hadn’t expected that one moment he was struggling to survive in the wild, and the next, he was locked in a cold prison cell. He looked around, realizing that it was a shared room. There were two simple foldable beds and a small partition with a toilet. Xu Cenfeng was already lying on one of the beds, taking a nap.

“…”

Ah Sui couldn’t understand how Xu Cenfeng could have the nerve to fall asleep.

And Xu Cenfeng, perhaps sensing the resentful look from Ah Sui, finally opened his eyes and looked at him, sincerely saying two words: “I’m sorry.”

He had made a misjudgment.

Ah Sui shouldn’t have trusted him.

“…”

Ah Sui’s fist clenched and loosened, loosened and clenched again. He didn’t know how much willpower it took to resist the urge to punch Xu Cenfeng. He walked over to Xu Cenfeng’s side, still unable to accept the reality. In disbelief, he asked, “How could Quike and the others be military undercover agents?!”

Earlier, when they ran into the military at the forest exit, Quike and the others hesitated, not daring to shoot. It wasn’t until one of the female commanders came over, patted Julian on the shoulder, and told them to return to their team that Ah Sui suddenly understood, as if waking up from a dream.

Xu Cenfeng rested one hand behind his head and speculated aloud, “The military has always wanted to wipe out the Klayt Alliance. That tourist spaceship from before was probably a bait they deliberately released. The zergs on it weren’t ordinary tourists, but well-trained military females. I didn’t expect you to take those prisoners into your team…”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “The ambush yesterday was probably a result of Quike and the others tipping off the military. Otherwise, the military wouldn’t have come so suddenly.”

Ah Sui immediately felt drained upon hearing this, collapsing onto the ground, looking utterly disoriented. He lowered his head and buried his face in his knees, remaining silent for a long time. He wasn’t in despair, but he couldn’t believe his bad luck—he had chosen thirty-nine members for his team, and all thirty-nine were military undercover agents?!

Xu Cenfeng, however, was rather open about it. He reached out and patted Ah Sui’s shoulder. “Don’t dwell on those messy thoughts. Take a rest. The military wiping out interstellar pirates was bound to happen sooner or later. Even if it weren’t Quike and the others, it would have been some other zerg.”

Ah Sui finally lifted his head from his knees after hearing this. His pale skin and reddened eyes were quite noticeable as he spoke, “But we’re interstellar pirates. If we get caught, we’ll be thrown in prison.”

Xu Cenfeng gently reminded him, “We’re already in prison.”

Ah Sui replied, “After we finish serving our sentence, will we be executed?”

Xu Cenfeng didn’t seem worried at all. “Don’t be afraid. The Salaranfa Law doesn’t impose the death penalty on male zergs. At most, we’ll be exiled. Get some sleep, and we’ll talk about the rest later.”

If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t be so calm. In a life-or-death situation, they would hardly have the peace of mind to sleep. But Ah Sui wasn’t an ordinary person. After thinking it over, he realized that Xu Cenfeng had a point and reluctantly lay down on the other bed.

Ah Sui hadn’t slept all night, and now, with his nerves finally relaxing, he was both tired and exhausted. It wasn’t long before he fell into a deep sleep. But the sleep wasn’t peaceful. He kept dreaming uncontrollably of the massive creature in the snow, cold, dangerous, and beautiful. Every time he recalled it, his heart would tremble uncontrollably.

In his sleep, Ah Sui instinctively pressed his hand over the pocket of his jacket, where a shimmering, colorful shard of wing lay quietly. He couldn’t help but wonder how Blairand was doing now, whether he might be nearby…

This spaceship was specifically designed to imprison prisoners, with many small cells separated inside. The military had set up ambushes around the forest, and one by one, they caught a number of interstellar pirates. Soon, Ah Sui’s neighboring cell was filled with zergs.

The other interstellar pirates were noisy, either banging on the door or tugging at the bars. In comparison, Ah Sui and Xu Cenfeng’s cell was the quietest. The two of them lay on their beds, sleeping so soundly that it almost seemed as though nothing, not even the end of the world, would wake them.

General Aks was originally inspecting the cells when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two zergs sleeping inside. He frowned imperceptibly. “Why are only two zergs locked in this cell?”

The officer explained, “General, these two male zergs are the leaders of the Klayt Alliance. I was concerned that housing them with the females might cause problems, so I had them separated.”

General Aks examined Xu Cenfeng and Ah Sui without showing any emotion. He noticed that these two male zergs had fair skin and delicate features, a stark contrast to the rough, burly interstellar pirates. “Are you sure they are the leaders of the Klayt Alliance?”

The officer nodded. “Captain Julian and the others have identified them. There’s no mistake.”

General Aks said, “Keep a close eye on them, make sure nothing happens to those two. There are still some interstellar pirates on the run that we haven’t captured. Clear out the number three starship and use it as a holding cell.”

After speaking, he turned and walked off the starship, heading straight toward a larger flagship nearby. Blairand had been placed inside since he was rescued in the outskirts last night, but due to his weakened condition, he had remained unconscious.

When General Aks entered, the doctor was administering a suppressant injection to Blairand. The pale blue liquid flowed into his arm, but it made the unconscious female zerg uneasy, causing him to stir restlessly.

“Splash—!”

To prevent Blairand from losing control and attacking, his wrists were shackled to the bed. As he struggled, a loud clattering sound rang out. His face was pale to the point of being almost transparent, and his golden hair scattered across the pillow. Yet, he was mumbling something under his breath.

Seeing this, General Aks stepped forward quietly, listening closely for a moment, only to realize Blairand was saying, “Don’t leave.” Furrowing his brow, he turned to the doctor and asked, “Didn’t Blairand’s estrus period already end? Why is this happening?”

The military doctor hesitated for a moment before speaking, as it involved the purity of the female zerg, and he didn’t dare to speak recklessly: “It seems that Major General Blairand still carries the pheromone scent of an unfamiliar male zerg. This pheromone is very strong, and without being marked, it can severely disrupt his mental state. I’ve already injected a suppressant, and once the scent fades in a while, he should be fine.”

Hearing this, Aks’ expression changed slightly. He immediately reached out to check Blairand’s nape, thinking the male zerg had violated him. However, after carefully inspecting, he found that Blairand’s zerg markings on the back of his neck hadn’t changed color, which made him quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

The laws of Salaranfa were strict, and Blairand was of noble birth. His capture in the interstellar pirates’ lair for over a month had already caused controversy, especially since the leaders of the interstellar pirates were two male zergs. If the zerg markings on his neck had changed color at this moment, the news would likely reach the imperial capital, and his reputation would be ruined.

Aks spoke in a deep voice, warning, “Watch your mouth. I don’t want anyone else to know about this.”

The military doctor quickly bowed, “Rest assured, General Aks. It’s just that Blairand’s mental disturbance was caused by his injuries. I will not speak out of turn.”

Aks’ expression softened slightly. “Take good care of Major General Blairand. Notify me immediately if he wakes up.”

The military launched a surprise attack under the cover of night yesterday. Although it dealt a heavy blow to the two interstellar pirate alliances, many pirates still managed to escape. Aks was still busy hunting down the fugitives and soon left the starship to meet with his subordinates and plan the next move.

As for Ah Sui, he slept soundly through the night and woke up only when it was already dark.

When he woke up from the bed, it was just in time for dinner. The chef was pushing a small cart down the corridor, handing out water and compressed biscuits through the small openings in the jail cells, as expected, provoking a round of curses:

“Dammit! This is all we get for dinner? A tiny bag of compressed biscuits? Even birds get more than this!”

“Is this how you treat prisoners? Bring some meat here, now!”

After sleeping the whole day, Ah Sui was already starving. He walked up to the bars of his cell and stretched his neck, hoping for something to eat, thinking that he’d accept the compressed biscuits without complaint as long as he could eat.

“Here’s your dinner, please enjoy.”

The chef pushed a food cart to the front of Ah Sui’s cell, but instead of throwing the compressed biscuits inside, he pulled out two steaming hot boxes of food and handed them to him, along with a bottle of high-calcium milk. Compared to the meager meals of the other space pirates, it was practically luxurious.

Ah Sui took the box of food in surprise and opened it, only to find rice with Lululou beast meat soup, and a strawberry bun on the side. He couldn’t help but freeze in place.

This familiar nutrient meal… Could it be…???

Ah Sui stared blankly at the door.

At this moment, the chef delivering the food also took off his hat, tears welling up in his eyes as he leaned against the bars and said, “Grand Leader, it’s me, don’t you recognize me?”

Ah Sui looked at the familiar face before him, shocked, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Fat Chef?! How are you here?!”

The Fat Chef sighed repeatedly. “Grand Leader, it’s a long story.”

Seeing this, Ah Sui’s expression changed slightly. He lowered his voice and asked, “You weren’t captured by the military and made to work as a cook, were you?”

The Fat Chef awkwardly shook his head. “No.”

Ah Sui frowned. “Did you sneak over here on your own?”

The Fat Chef shook his head again. “Also not that.”

Ah Sui suddenly noticed that beneath the Fat Chef’s white apron, he was wearing a military uniform. His face stiffened for a moment, and he hesitantly asked, “…You’re not also an undercover agent like Quike, are you?”

His luck couldn’t possibly be this bad, could it?!

The Fat Chef immediately raised his head, eyes wide with indignation as he retorted, “Grand Leader, how can you say that? I’m nothing like Quike and those ungrateful bastards! They were trained by the military to be undercover agents, but I’m just a cook responsible for logistics!”

Ah Sui: “…”

Ah Sui, infuriated, reached through the bars and grabbed his collar, growling, “I’ll strangle you!!”

 

 

 

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