Xie Jianyu’s lips parted in surprise.
He extended his hand in Zhang Fengxi’s direction. The alpha thought that Xie Jianyu meant to pull him to his feet, but Xie Jianyu slapped his head hard instead.
"Owwwwww!!!"
Xie Jianyu blinked at the alpha who did not show any sign of disappearing into thin air.
"You... What are you doing here?" Xie Jianyu asked in confusion, once he was convinced that he was facing the real Zhang Fengxi in flesh and blood.
Zhang Fengxi pursed his lips. He got back up with a lot of groans, reminiscent of an old god who could not be bothered to get up from his divine seat.
"Are you not aware that the Demonic Realm kidnapped you? Xie Jianyu, did you bump your head somewhere?"
Xie Jianyu suddenly felt so tired. His knees buckled under his weight and he fell to the ground.
"Xie Jianyu!"
Zhang Fengxi held Xie Jianyu in his arms and shook him lightly.
"Don’t faint on me now. Come on, we need to run away from here."
Zhang Fengxi grabbed one of Xie Jianyu’s arms and slung it around his neck. And then, he hoisted the powerless omega to his feet and held him by his waist.
"Come on, we need to get out of here now..."
THUMP
Zhang Fengxi stared at the ground.
Winter Frost slipped from Xie Jianyu’s hand and fell to the ground.
Zhang Fengxi licked his lips.
Winter Frost was not his spiritual weapon, so it most likely would not obey him. Still, he had to try. Without any transportation device, he might as well build a little house in the Demonic Realm and stay down here for all eternity!
"Hey, Winter Frost, let me step on you. Take us out of here."
"..."
The sword did not show any sign of obedience.
"Winter Frost, your master here is not well. If I wait until he wakes up, the First Demon King’s soldiers will catch us in no time."
"..."
Zhang Fengxi cursed under his breath. What the hell was wrong with Xie Jianyu and everything around him? Why were they so stubborn?
Zhang Fengxi picked Winter Frost up. He then decided to carry Xie Jianyu on his back. That way, he could run faster.
The prince of the Longjing Palace started dashing across the forest. Sometimes he kicked off to a sprint, sometimes he had to stop at a tree to catch a breath. Zhang Fengxi wiped the sweat off his forehead many times and panted like never before.
It was not the exhaustion.
The hot, sulphuric fume made it so difficult for him to breathe.
Before Zhang Fengxi found Xie Jianyu, he had been wandering in the Demonic Realm for hours.
The alpha cast a glance at Xie Jianyu’s pale countenance. And then at the omega clothing he was wearing.
"..."
Liu Wenyuan’s words floated into Zhang Fengxi’s mind.
"The one that the First Demon King wanted to capture was the Crown Prince in the first place. When he found out that he caught the wrong omega, he almost killed me."
Whenever a villain aimed for an omega, he usually did not look for a sparring partner.
Zhang Fengxi clenched his fists in anger.
Xie Jianyu, just what did the First Demon King do to him?
If he dared do anything to the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm...
"...Xi."
Zhang Fengxi almost cracked his neck from fright. Xie Jianyu’s eyes fluttered open.
"What are you doing...?"
"... Uh, running away?"
Xie Jianyu furrowed his brows.
"You have been going around the same spot almost seven times," he said.
"What are you talking about? Impossible!"
Xie Jianyu then pointed in a direction. To be exact, he was pointing at a scrap of peach-colored fabric that lay unceremoniously on the forest ground.
"That’s the hem of the same gown I am wearing. I tore it off as soon as I entered the forest."
"..."
The Adam’s Apple at Zhang Fengxi’s throat started to bob up and down nervously. He instinctively denied Xie Jianyu’s assessment.
"No way."
"... If you don’t believe me, pick it up."
They did not have much time to argue.
"Let’s say that you are right," Zhang Fengxi agreed. "In that case, let me go the opposite path."
Zhang Fengxi turned on his heels and dashed in the opposite direction. After passing several trees, he stopped. There was that scrap of silk again, mocking him for his stupidity.
"We are trapped," Xie Jianyu mused. "Zhang Fengxi, put me down."
"No."
"... Zhang Fengxi, put me down so I can help think about a way out."
"Xie Jianyu, dimensional traps like this one are very tricky. If I let you go, we will be separated very quickly."
Xie Jianyu stared at the back of Zhang Fengxi’s head. Was Zhang Fengxi worried about him? Did Zhang Fengxi maybe also have the tiniest affection for him? Was it wrong of Xie Jianyu to harbor a glimmer of hope?
"You will be captured by the First Demon King and I will be left here alone to starve."
"..."
Right.
In Xie Jianyu’s mind, he was stomping angrily on that glimmer of hope. How stupid of him. Naturally, he was Zhang Fengxi’s best bet to come out of this place alive.
"Something is happening," Zhang Fengxi alerted Xie Jianyu.
A wave of thick white mist started to spread through the forest. Zhang Fengxi started to climb the nearest tree, but then a cold voice rang out through the rolling mist.
"I do not appreciate it when another man tries to lay his hand on my bride. Release him before I cut off your limbs and feed them to my hungry dogs."
The First Demon King had arrived with his entourage. Behind him stood tens of demon guards who pointed their spears at Zhang Fengxi and Xie Jianyu.
This was the end of their escape.
Xie Jianyu tapped on Zhang Fengxi’s shoulder lightly.
"Let me down, now."
Instead of putting Xie Jianyu down, Zhang Fengxi snarled at the First Demon King, "Who the hell are you calling your bride?"