"Come on, get on my shoulder again," Zhang Fengxi beckoned at Xie Jianyu. "We need to keep trying."
Xie Jianyu pulled a grimace when he moved his wounded leg. By chance, his eyes were drawn to something on the ground.
"Wait, why is the ground wet?" he asked.
"Eh?"
Zhang Fengxi burned another fire talisman and checked the ground. It was not only wet. The lowest level had been filled with water, making it look like there was a little pond in the cavity. The ground beneath Zhang Fengxi's boots had turned into mud.
The centipede spirit's carcass was slowly surrounded by water.
"Wait a moment."
Zhang Fengxi used the fire talisman to look around, trying to find the water source. He found a stream of water flowing from above, running slowly past the rocky wall and filling the empty space beneath.
The young alpha quickly turned pale when the realization kicked in.
Now he remembered.
There was a water source and a waterfall close to the mountain range. The huge amount of water was kept at bay by a huge dam. In his last life, the giant centipede spirit's movement did cause the dam to break, but thankfully the water did not end up flooding the human villages.
Now Zhang Fengxi knew why.
Their fight with the centipede caused the water dam to break, but the water did not flow toward the villages.
It flowed into this cavity instead.
If they did not move soon, they were going to drown miserably.
Zhang Fengxi started to get nervous. His optimism was officially gone by now.
Getting out of this hell hole already proved to be a challenging feat. Try to do that before said hell hole turned into a pool!
Well, they could swim to the surface, but Xie Jianyu was hurt. Zhang Fengxi alone couldn't keep both of them afloat.
Xie Jianyu coughed into his fist a few times. He raised his aggrieved eyes and looked at Zhang Fengxi.
"Come here," he said to the alpha.
"..."
For what?
Nevertheless, Zhang Fengxi moved toward Xie Jianyu like a string puppet. Xie Jianyu raised his misty eyes and looked up at Zhang Fengxi. The latter's heart pounded rapidly when Xie Jianyu suddenly put his arms around his neck. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Xie Jianyu's slender body. This time, Xie Jianyu did not push him away.
Countless questions swirled in Zhang Fengxi's head.
What was Xie Jianyu doing???
Why the sudden embrace???
Was he depressed from the hopelessness of the situation???
Did he just want a hug???
Xie Jianyu mumbled something incoherent.
Zhang Fengxi craned his neck to listen to what he was saying.
"Winter Frost," he whispered. "Rise."
Zhang Fengxi gaped at the omega in his arms.
Now he knew what Xie Jianyu was doing.
As if possessing a life on its own, Winter Frost pulled itself free from its sheath at Xie Jianyu's waist. Glowing brightly, it hovered around one chi* from the ground.
"..."
"Hurry," Xie Jianyu whispered. "I can't sustain it for long. I am slowly losing consciousness..."
Xie Jianyu leaned against Zhang Fengxi and closed his eyes.
"Thanks," Zhang Fengxi nodded. He held Xie Jianyu tight in his embrace and stepped onto Winter Frost.
A spiritual weapon had its own temperament. It did not like being stepped on. Although the command came from its master, Winter Frost's defiance was apparent. It was especially unhappy to let Zhang Fengxi ride on him.
Zhang Fengxi swallowed hard.
Get another sword, he told himself. A better one.
Winter Frost was obedient enough to lift Zhang Fengxi and Xie Jianyu to the highest tunnel that they could find. Afterward, it returned to Xie Jianyu's waist like a pouty child.
As soon as they reached the tunnel, Xie Jianyu shoved Zhang Fengxi away.
"Don't come close to me," he said. He was sweating a lot and his eyes were glassy.
Zhang Fengxi was confused.
What was happening? Why was Xie Jianyu angry at him again?
Zhang Fengxi unwittingly took a deep breath. An intense, sweet smell entered his nose. The fragrance was characteristic of an omega.
Zhang Fengxi gaped at Xie Jianyu. The latter hugged himself into a ball, his shoulders shaking violently.
It was the worst time possible for an omega to go through a heat period.
------------------------
Author's note :
*chi = is a third of a meter in ancient Chinese measurement.