ICAWZ Chapter 162

“The bus we were originally on fell into a deep pit in the Solitiam Forest. By the time I got there, all that was left was the wreckage of the vehicle and a male corpse. His ID in his bag showed his name was Han Yan.”

“I buried him in a nearby dirt pit and searched the area, but I didn’t find any other tourist bodies. I don’t know if they, like us, are still alive.”

As Lu Yuan explained in a low voice, Ah Sui struggled to regain his composure for a long time. Although he had suspected for a while that Grandpa San might have met with misfortune, it was still hard to believe when he heard the confirmation.

When Lu Yuan saw Ah Sui’s eyes starting to redden, he immediately panicked, stumbling over his words, “Hey… you, you don’t cry, okay? If I had known, I wouldn’t have told you…”

Hearing this, Ah Sui snapped back to his senses and hastily wiped his eyes. “If there’s another chance, could you take me there to see it?”

He wanted to pay respects to Grandpa San, and if possible, dig up the body and bring it back. Grandpa San shouldn’t be left buried in the forest as a lonely, wandering soul.

After a moment of thought, Lu Yuan suddenly pointed to Ashya, who was sitting on the sofa, and whispered to Ah Sui, “For something like this, you’ll have to ask Ashya. I overheard the Emperor say that the entire Solitiam Forest is now under his development. I don’t even know if that deep pit has been filled in.”

Ah Sui followed Lu Yuan’s direction and caught a glimpse of a slender, upright silhouette. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, the figure’s lowered gaze seemed somewhat distant, as if lost in thought. After a moment, the zerg stood up and went to the balcony to smoke.

That familiar feeling resurfaced in his heart.

Ah Sui muttered to himself, “He… he seems like my Grandpa San.”

Lu Yuan mercilessly shattered his illusion, “How could that be? Your Grandpa San died a long time ago.”

Maybe the body’s already decayed.

Upon hearing this, Ah Sui’s eyes reddened again, and he felt like crying. Lu Yuan mentally cursed himself for speaking out of turn, quickly trying to fix the situation, “Well, look, once someone is dead, they can’t come back. If you’re really upset, just burn some more paper money for Grandpa San later, and focus on starting a family and settling down. That way, he can rest in peace knowing you’re doing well.”

Ah Sui sniffled and replied, “That makes sense. Thank you for telling me this.”

Lu Yuan patted his shoulder, saying, “No need to thank me. It’s just the two of us Earthlings here, so we should help each other.”

Ah Sui, however, said, “It’s not just the two of us. Brother Cenfeng is here too.”

Lu Yuan was momentarily confused. “Who’s Brother Cenfeng?”

Ah Sui scratched his head, “Brother Cenfeng is the tour guide. Don’t you remember? He was sitting diagonally across from my Grandpa San back then, and he wore a hat too.”

Lu Yuan, hearing this, seemed to remember something, and a cold laugh escaped his lips. Through gritted teeth, he forced out a response, “Of course I remember him.”

That damn tour guide, who scammed him out of over five thousand in registration fees! The so-called luxury accommodations, the so-called ancient ruins, the so-called exploration of lost civilizations—everything was a lie!!

Lu Yuan’s fists clenched in anger. “Where is he now?”

The thought of his hard-earned money made it hard for him to swallow his frustration.

Ah Sui, uncertain, said, “Brother Cenfeng should have gone to the north. He mentioned needing to find a friend.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but feel a bit of schadenfreude. “The north? He’s in for a tough time.”

Ah Sui asked, “Why?”

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know? In the north, it’s matriarchal. The females there are ruthless, and the males are just there to get bullied.”

Ah Sui thought for a moment and replied, “But Brother Cenfeng knows martial arts. He probably won’t get bullied, right?”

Lu Yuan, thoroughly enjoying the drama, grinned and added, “What’s so impossible about it? I heard from the Zerg Emperor that recently, a pureblood male zerg from Hossburgh emerged, and he became the partner of Faeus, the leader of the north. Tsk… Faeus, wait until you see him, you’ll understand. That female zerg is not someone to be trifled with.”

Ah Sui had initially attended the banquet to cheer himself up, but instead, he was filled with worries. Not only was he upset over his Grandpa San’s death, but now he was also concerned about how Brother Cenfeng was faring in the north. Ever since leaving the palace and boarding the aircraft, he had been wearing a troubled expression.

Blairand noticed that Ah Sui seemed off and asked, “Why do you look so down? Did some zerg bully you?”

But that didn’t make sense. He had seen Ah Sui and Lu Yuan talking and laughing just fine.

Ah Sui shook his head but didn’t say anything. Instead, he asked, “Blairand, can we go back to the Solitiam Forest sometime soon?”

Blairand paused upon hearing this. “Why do you suddenly want to go back there?”

Ah Sui struggled for a long time but couldn’t bring himself to say that his Grandpa San had died. He could only respond awkwardly, “The scenery there is quite beautiful. I just want to go see it again.”

Blairand gently kissed the tip of Ah Sui’s nose, completely obedient to his future monarch, and said, “Of course, His Excellency Ashya has been working on developing tourist areas lately, and the Solitiam Forest is one of the projects. Once it’s finished, I’ll take you there to enjoy it.”

Ah Sui: “…”

What a coincidence, his Grandpa San had also been involved in tourism development.

As they were talking, a sleek black sports car suddenly sped past them, then quickly reversed a bit and came back. The window rolled down, revealing Ashya’s deep, refined face.

Blairand politely lowered the window to greet Ashya, nodding slightly, “Your Excellency Ashya.”

Ashya nodded in response, “I heard from the Emperor that you and His Highness Ah Sui are about to get married. Has the date been set?”

Although Blairand didn’t quite understand why Ashya was so interested in this matter, he still answered without hesitation, “Thank you for your concern. The date has been set for the 24th of next month. Please make sure to attend.”

Ashya smiled faintly, “Congratulations. Both the Eighth Prince and I will be attending, and we will prepare a generous gift.”

After speaking, he intentionally glanced at Ah Sui, who was sitting inside the cabin, as if he wanted to say something but ultimately just raised a hand to adjust his glasses. With an ambiguous tone, he remarked, “It seems like you and His Highness Ah Sui have a good relationship. You’re always together, never apart.”

Blairand seemed to not notice the teasing in Ashya’s words and responded calmly, “Apologies if we’ve caused any offense. The military just granted me a marriage leave, so I want to spend more time with him.”

“That’s nice,” Ashya replied with a soft smile.

Ashya had only spoken that one sentence when he was about to raise the window and leave, but suddenly, he heard a faint voice calling him “Grandpa San.” It was so quiet that he momentarily thought he was imagining it.

Ashya froze.

But by then, the driver had already started the car, and the black vehicle quickly disappeared into the snowy night.

Blairand turned his head to look at Ah Sui, a puzzled expression on his face. “What did you just call Lord Ashya?”

Ah Sui fell silent, shaking his head. “Nothing.”

Ah Sui felt foolish for thinking that Ashya resembled his Grandpa San. He couldn’t fathom that such a thing as soul transfer even existed—it was just too beyond his comprehension.

Ah Sui and Blairand’s wedding was set for the 24th. Although the day didn’t unfold as expected with spring warmth and blooming flowers, and a light snow even fell, it didn’t dampen the joy of the guests.

Ah Sui and Blairand both wore white ceremonial attire, standing at the front to undergo the partner ceremony’s necessary rites. The elderly southern officiant, with his silver hair, lifted a bowl of snow water that had been consecrated before the temple and lightly flicked his fingertips across their foreheads, symbolizing rebirth and purity.

“Yinchatait was once immensely wealthy. It not only possessed the richest resources and jewels in the world but also the clearest spring waters and the most unique landscapes. Your Highness, may you learn to cherish the beauty of your partner rather than exploit it, and may you witness the natural rise and fall of all that grows. May the Zerg God bless you.”

Ah Sui nodded, “I will protect him for life.”

The officiant then bent his finger and lightly flicked it, placing the snow water on Blairand’s forehead. “Beauty is not a sin, and rarity is not a wrongdoing. Please do not let it lead you to pride or self-doubt. Although the Zerg God has not granted you great strength, you still bear the responsibility of protection. May you guard your companion well, may you never be exploited, and may he be more precious to you than all the beauty in the world. May the Zerg God bless you.”

Blairand nodded solemnly, “I will protect him for life.”

After exchanging vows, they exchanged rings before all the witnesses. Chief Harrington, seated in the audience, saw the moment and, with red-rimmed eyes, clapped his hands. The weight he had carried for over twenty years was finally lifted.

The south was rich in fertile land and beautiful appearances but lacked the ability to protect these blessings. Centuries ago, the land was first merged with the west, and countless females had their wings plucked by their male companions—each of them bearing a sorrow known only to themselves.

But now, things were different. Blairand had not only married a pure-blood male zerg, but His Highness was also kind-hearted. His later years would surely be free of worries.

The Zerg Race’s wedding ceremony was similar to those on Earth. After Ah Sui and Blairand completed the partner ritual, they began going around to toast the guests. Lu Yuan sat at the table for the male zerg’s family, which seemed somewhat out of place. After all, Ah Sui had no relatives or close friends in Salaranfa, so no matter how you looked at it, Lu Yuan had ended up in the wrong seat.

Prince Yusto, seated nearby, discreetly nudged Lu Yuan’s arm. “This is the family table. Did you sit in the wrong place? What if His Highness gets upset?”

Lu Yuan couldn’t exactly explain to him that he and Ah Sui were from the same hometown, so he quickly made up an excuse. “What’s there to be afraid of? Both of us have black hair and black eyes, we look like relatives. Besides, didn’t Ashya sit at the family table too?”

Yusto followed Lu Yuan’s pointing finger and noticed that Prince Gaien and his male lord Ashya were seated nearby. He couldn’t help but be a little surprised. “Are they really that close with His Highness Ah Sui?”

Lu Yuan lowered his voice to gossip, “I heard that for the wedding gift, Ashya gave a villa in the center of the Imperial Capital, along with 5% of his company’s shares. Tsk, no surprise, he’s in business, so when he makes a move, it’s always extravagant.”

As they were talking, Ah Sui and Blairand had already come over with their wine glasses. Seeing this, Lu Yuan quickly stopped his conversation and, along with Yusto, stood up from their seats. He raised his glass and offered his congratulations, “Ah Sui, Blairand, wishing you a happy marriage.”

Blairand smiled gently and nodded, “Thank you for your blessings.”

After speaking, he lightly clinked his glass and drank it all in one go without changing expression.

Ah Sui followed suit, “I’ve finished mine. You’re welcome to drink at your own pace.”

Lu Yuan raised his hand to press against Ah Sui’s glass, looking down at its contents and, in a voice only they could hear, said, “Tsk, what are you pretending for? It’s probably just plain water, right?”

Ah Sui’s gaze wandered. “Blairand told me not to drink alcohol.”

Lu Yuan chuckled. “Hey, it’s fine if you’re toasting me with water, but you can’t do that with the others, especially when they’ve given you such generous gifts.”

Before he could finish speaking, a calm voice suddenly came from behind them. “His Highness Ah Sui is still young. It’s better for him to avoid smoking and drinking.”

Lu Yuan turned around and saw that Ashya and Prince Gaien had somehow gotten up and walked over. The refined male zerg lightly clinked glasses with Blairand, his gray-blue eyes filled with warmth. “Gaien cannot drink, so I’ll drink this on his behalf. Wishing you both a lifelong happiness.”

Blairand couldn’t help but feel that the male zerg in front of him was somewhat inscrutable. He observed Ashya calmly, his light blue eyes unusually beautiful and hard to look at directly. “Your Highness, thank you for your blessings. But the gift you gave us was far too extravagant. It makes me feel uneasy.”

Ashya, hearing Blairand’s words, gently swirled his wine glass and then looked toward Ah Sui. “It’s nothing. I just think His Highness Ah Sui’s martial arts are quite impressive. I’d like to be friends with him and perhaps spar in the future.”

After speaking, he relaxed his fingers, and the wine glass suddenly dropped straight toward the ground. Ah Sui, seeing this, prepared to act, but to his surprise, Ashya’s movement was even faster than his own.

Ashya didn’t even glance at the falling glass. In the instant it was about to hit the ground, he lightly kicked it with the tip of his shoe. The glass, still holding a small amount of wine, was sent soaring again due to the force. It spun gracefully in the air, and with a quick flick of his wrist, Ashya expertly caught it, not a single drop spilled.

This move was a martial art from Folang Village, known as “The Green Mountains Remain, the Clear Waters Flow.”

Ah Sui’s pupils contracted for a moment as he stared in shock at Ashya.

Ashya, however, simply raised his hand to adjust the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, his movements casual and familiar, almost identical to a figure from Ah Sui’s past.

“Whoosh—”

A gust of wind blew by, carrying with it a flurry of snow that swept across the outdoors.

 

 

 

---

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