| The Paternity Guard (PATERNITY) |
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Being a Shadow Guard, Shi Qi naturally can’t be touched by this disheveled man.
However, as Shi Qi skillfully dodged, the man’s went straight for the carriage shaft. When Shi Qi got closer and reached out to stop him, the man sat on the ground while dumbfounded.
This action might have saved his life, and caused some onlookers to breathe a sigh of relief. However, for those with ill intentions, the situation wasn’t so simple.
The skinny-faced man, who had been riding recklessly, let out a sharp laugh when someone dared to oppose him. He whipped his horse and lashed out before spewing insults, “Where did this bumpkin come from, daring to oppose me? I’ll beat you until you soil yourself! Get down now and beg for mercy!”
The lively street market fell silent as people avoided him. Only the curses of the man could be heard. Despite being a Shadow Guard, Shi Qi felt a surge of anger.
They were only obedient to their Master and wouldn’t tolerate being mistreated by anyone.
After all, they were the Shadow Guards of Xing Beiming, the Master of World’s Supreme Fortress.
Insulting them was also disrespecting their Master.
The skinny man intended to teach him a lesson and strike his whip in Shi Qi direction but the whip didn’t land in Shi Qi. Instead, another pair of slender hands effortlessly caught it.
Before anyone could comprehend what happened, the skinny man was thrown off his horse. He struggled to get up and when he finally did, blood gushed from his mouth with his several teeth.
As Shi Qi turned around, Xing Beiming stood behind him with his cold gaze fixed on the man bleeding profusely from his mouth. “Master?”
Ignoring him, Xing Beiming thought to himself, ‘Where did this scum come from and bully my people? I’ll beat you until you lose control of your bowels!’
Thinking this, he stared at the scoundrel with increasingly cold eyes.
This man was not to be trifled with!
The scoundrel, seeing Xing Beiming’s menacing gaze, trembled. However, upon remembering his own status, he immediately regained his bravado. “N-no…way…” He managed to stutter out a few words before bursting into suppressed laughter. Enraged, the scoundrel grabbed the collar of his attendant and demanded him to speak up.
The attendant, emboldened, stood with his hands on hips, much like an enraged woman. “You’ve had enough! Do you know who my Young Master is? He’s the nephew of General Qin Beiping of Weiyuan! If you dare to offend him, I’ll make sure you regret it! Beg for mercy while you still have a chance!”
His words flowed smoothly which indicate that he was used to exerting authority. Xing Beiming lashed out the whip and hit the scoundrel behind Shi Qi.
The scoundrel howled in pain while tears streamed down his face. “Why…why are you hitting me? It wasn’t me who said it earlier! Damn it, what rotten luck for encountering these jinxes! Where can I escape… No, if I escape today, how can I still swagger through the streets in the future?”
In a fit of rage, the scoundrel pointed at Xing Beiming’s group. “You…you—”
Surprisingly, the attendants understood him and started yelling as they rushed forward. Xing Beiming’s gaze remained fixed on the scoundrel and left the others to Shi Yi.
Ying Qi, maintaining the demeanor of a physician, stayed close to Shi Qi and just casually clean up the mess that Shi Yi left behind.
The hidden bystanders just saw a blur before their eyes and when they looked again, the scoundrel and his group had collapsed. The leader was tied to a tavern flagpole with his own whip. His face bruised and swollen while his silk robe was soaked.
Xing Beiming was indeed relentless and likely scaring him to the point of losing control of his bowels.
As for General Qin Beiping, as far as Xing Beiming knew, he was a strict and upright military man. If the scoundrel dared to file a complaint, he would likely be the first to suffer. Xing Beiming’s lips curled into a wicked smile.
This smile, seen by Zhang Wei, carried a hint of fear. Having just recovered from the sight of the pitiful state of Qin’s people, he was now thrown onto a carriage while he was unsure of what awaited him.
Though these people had arguably saved him, each one seemed extraordinary.
He was afraid.
“Get off the carriage when we’re out of the city,” Xing Beiming instructed calmly.
“Can we go farther? I’m afraid they’ll catch up again. Qin Kui won’t let me off so easily. I…,” Zhang Wei hesitantly requested.
Since they were willing to save him, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to ask for a longer ride. He was almost certain that if he stayed here for another day, he would not live to see the light of day.
“For what reason?” Xing Beiming inquired.
“Huh?” Zhang Wei was momentarily stunned. After a brief moment of thought, he understood Xing Beiming’s meaning.
He glanced at the two people in the carriage; they were also figures from the Martial Arts World, right? Then they probably wouldn’t accuse him of spreading false rumors.
“Actually, I came from Lihai City. A few days ago, there was a sudden increase in homicides, and I accidentally witnessed the whole process. It was demonic! A person’s blood was completely drained! It was more terrifying than a dried corpse! When I reported it, I was accused of spreading false rumors which attracted their pursuit. Then I escaped here but I was always bullied by Qin Kui. Every time I tried to leave the city, he caught me. Sometimes, I thought that it was better to die.”
Zhang Wei’s face was filled with deep sorrow. Bearing such a heavy secret, whoever caught him would meet a grim fate. He might as well be dead.
A flash of insight sparked in Xing Beiming’s eyes. “When did you see this?”
Zhang Wei, seemingly lost in thought, turned pale. “Three months ago.”
It happened more than a month before the homicides in Suoyun City. According to the Shadow Guards investigation, such demonic activities had only appeared in this area.
The capital and some northern cities had not yet experienced them, indicating that Lihai City might be the origin. Perhaps the organization resembling the Blood Demon Sect headquarters was there. However, it was no small feat for Zhang Wei to escape the pursuit of those people alone.
They escorted Zhang Wei to Fuye and instructed him to wait there and promising someone would come to protect him. As for Lin Canghai, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, when he arrived at Fuye, he could only gaze at Zhang Wei with a sigh.
He needed to make time to investigate Lihai’s affairs first. As for capturing Xing Beiming as a laborer, that could wait a while.
Today, Xing Beiming was particularly interested in one thing and that is, touching Shi Qi’s belly.
The book said that massaging pregnant women appropriately could relieve stress and discomfort. So, Xing Beiming often unbuttoned Shi Qi’s clothes and massaged the designated areas as instructed in the book while the remaining time was spent gently stroking Shi Qi’s increasingly prominent abdomen. Of course, he couldn’t resist exploring other areas as well.
After traveling for over a month, Shi Qi was well taken care of, albeit slightly fatigued.
Shi Qi leaned back on the soft pile of brocade blankets while resignedly watching his Master gently caress his exposed belly.
At first, he felt awkward and helpless but now it had become a routine that he became comfortable with.
The warm hand effectively blocked the early winter chill but as time passed, Xing Beiming reluctantly buttoned up his clothes and covered him with a thick blanket. His eyes were filled with a complaint of “not enough,” but now that it was late autumn, it wasn’t the most appropriate time for such affectionate gestures.
Suddenly, Shi Qi’s belly violently moved that he couldn’t help but to groan softly. Xing Beiming’s hand froze instantly and after understanding what had happened, his eyes lit up with pleasant surprise as he looked at the bulge beneath his palm. Then, he glanced at Shi Qi. “He moved!”