Chapter 246
Chapter 246: The Cubs’ Dad Went Straight for It—He Said He Was Going to Pursue Their Mom
“Understood, Chief Executive,” Kong Que said.
Kong Que moved even faster than Zhong Li He. He dressed neatly in seconds, then turned around and shoved pants into Zhong Li He’s hands, followed by a coat and shoes—like a loyal assistant who’d done this a thousand times.
Zhong Li He dressed in a hurry and strode out.
The moment they stepped into the corridor, someone reported, “Chief Executive—Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming’s flyer has arrived.”
Zhong Li He didn’t pause for even a heartbeat. He and Kong Que boarded immediately.
Inside the flyer, Kong Que carried out every order Zhong Li He had given. He contacted teams, checked reports, cross-referenced alerts.
By the time he finished, he had an answer ready. “Chief Executive, both Da Xi Nation’s Fringe Star region and the Zhen Lin Empire’s Fringe Star zone are currently stable. No invasion. No active attacks.”
Zhong Li He exhaled, slightly more at ease—and then immediately started worrying again. “Then why is Chong Ming calling me at 3 a.m.?”
“I can’t guess,” Kong Que answered carefully. “Please don’t worry too much. It likely isn’t catastrophic.”
Zhong Li He shot him a look. “If it weren’t catastrophic, he wouldn’t be calling me in the middle of the night.”
He paced inside the flyer, thoughts racing. “It’s either something huge, or something that could tear the universe open. Maybe an insect clan incursion we haven’t detected yet. Or a massive outbreak of the super living dead zombie virus. He can’t make a decision and wants my input.”
Kong Que hesitated. “Maybe—”
“No ‘maybe.’” Zhong Li He waved him off. “It’s definitely something. I know him. He doesn’t call people at 3 a.m. unless the sky is falling.”
The flyer flew at full speed. In under half an hour, it landed at the Zhen Lin Empire’s military department.
An escort met them and took them straight to the training field.
The huge field was empty except for one person.
Chong Ming stood at the center, bare-chested, combat pants on, golden hair tied high, the cold outline of authority in every line of his body.
Zhong Li He froze, then rushed toward him. “Chong Ming! What happened? What’s wrong?”
Chong Ming’s expression didn’t change. His voice was flat. “Nothing happened.”
Zhong Li He blinked, thrown.
Chong Ming continued, unruffled. “I woke up halfway through sleep. My mate ran away. I couldn’t sleep. So I called you to spar with me, vent, and kill time.”
Zhong Li He nearly exploded out of his own skin. “You sick bastard! Your mate ran away—what does that have to do with me? You dragged me out here for that?!”
“I thought something happened to you! I worried the whole way here! I even imagined eighty-eight different ways you could die!”
“And now you’re telling me you just couldn’t sleep, so you called me to spar? You can’t sleep, but I can!”
Chong Ming lifted the hand with his lightbrain and tapped the screen once. “I told you. I said I couldn’t sleep and asked you to come spar.”
Zhong Li He snarled. “Don’t twist words. Your message said you wanted to discuss something at your military department. It didn’t say spar!”
Chong Ming blinked. “Oh. I sent the spar message to Lieutenant General Kong Que. Maybe Kong Que was sleeping and had his lightbrain muted.”
Zhong Li He whipped around. “Kong Que! Check your lightbrain!”
Kong Que had already checked. His face stayed calm, but his eyes carried apology. “Sorry, Chief Executive. Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming did send that to me. My notifications were muted. I didn’t see it.”
Zhong Li He stared, anger burning—and then redirected it with a bitter sigh. “Not your fault. He’s the one who split his message into two.”
He jabbed a finger at Chong Ming. “Fine. I can’t kill you, but I can hurt you.”
Kong Que spoke up quietly, practical as ever. “Chief Executive, if you spar with Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming and you get injured, I can take you to treatment. But if both of us get injured, and I miss work again the way I missed the message, it could delay important matters.”
Zhong Li He ground his teeth, then relented. “Fine. You stay out.”
He changed into combat gear, stepped onto the field, gathered his fire ability—and attacked Chong Ming without another word.
—
Jiang Tea Tea used Shrink the Earth to an Inch and crossed a thousand kilometers in one breath. She landed on the mountain she’d bought, her feet sinking into soft dead leaves.
She still couldn’t figure it out.
Why would Chong Ming seduce her?
Why would he try to hook her?
Then the cubs moved.
She pressed a hand to her belly and felt tiny stirring inside—life rolling and bumping against her palm.
A realization cracked through her.
The Gold Dragon Clan had serious reproductive issues. For dragons with ability levels as high as Chong Ming’s, producing cubs successfully was nearly impossible.
So that was it.
He was doing it for cubs.
He wanted to secure his cubs. He wanted more cubs. He wanted her to keep breeding—strengthen the Gold Dragon Clan bloodline.
Scheming dragon. Black-bellied dragon. An Old Loach planning eight steps ahead.
No way.
She wasn’t letting him win.
Jiang Tea Tea transformed into a massive tea tree, roots digging deep into the earth. She grew thick and tall, branches spreading wide, leaves dense enough to swallow the sky.
She absorbed nourishment from the soil and spiritual essence from the air—everything that fed cultivation, everything that helped her grow stronger.
—
From 3 a.m. until 5 a.m., Zhong Li He sparred with Chong Ming without mercy.
By the end, Zhong Li He—fighting in beast form—finally managed to rake sharp phoenix claws across Chong Ming’s face, leaving a bloody scratch along his cold, steady features.
Zhong Li He limped, bruised, feathers shedding everywhere… and laughed like a maniac.
He let out loud phoenix cries, delighted by his one small victory.
Kong Que, expressionless, bent and collected fallen feathers across the training field—one, two, three, four, countless, as if this had become routine.
Chong Ming and Zhong Li He lay in medical pods afterward, the two of them still talking business through the glass.
Even while healing, they finalized cooperation terms.
After they stepped out, the agreement was signed. Early that morning, both official websites published congratulatory statements about the partnership.
It was so early that aside from a small burst of coverage from major media, most people hadn’t even noticed.
Other nations noticed immediately.
Those who already disliked Da Xi Nation and the Zhen Lin Empire were furious enough to choke on it.
The insect clan’s eldest prince, Agris, wanted to exploit the Zhen Lin Empire’s super virus crisis—stir muddy waters, strike while the empire was weak—but he couldn’t get the Empress Mother to approve it.
Even those who claimed they’d help him only wandered around the Zhen Lin Empire’s Fringe Star zone from a safe distance. None of them dared cross deeper, much less open fire.
Even Crown Princess Asais told him to keep his head down lately. She warned him that their Empress Mother was in a foul mood and he shouldn’t wander into her line of fire.
Agris burned with rage. He spammed Atuya with message after message, demanding she help him.
Every message was read.
None were answered.
Atuya read everything and ignored him completely.
Agris finally snapped. He smashed his own home to pieces, then collapsed onto the floor like his bones had been pulled out, shaking with powerless fury.
—
At noon, Jiang Tea Tea shifted back into human form.
She barely had time to stretch before her lightbrain exploded with messages.
“Sister Tea, where are you? Come look—these super-virus infected living dead zombies are getting worse. If we don’t feed them raw meat, they tear into each other and eat each other.”
“Sister Tea, we found fifteen infected on the quarantine ship. From onset to detection, it took less than five hours.”
“In those five hours, their skin changed completely. They don’t look like beastfolk anymore. They don’t look human.”
“It’s terrifying. They shift between beastfolk and beast form. Bullets do nothing. Their heads and limbs are intact, and they can climb and grab people.”
“We already relocated. We’re not on the original quarantine ship anymore. Everyone is getting blood drawn for testing in batches.”
“Sister Tea, waaah… I’m so scared…”
Another message cut in: “Don’t be scared. You weren’t infected. After another twenty-four hours of isolation, the risk will be cleared.”
Jiang Tea Tea responded with voice input, calm and brisk. “Cheng Lin Yue is right. Stop scaring yourselves. I’ll study it and see if I can come up with some kind of protective pill or antidote.”
Sui Xuan Chu and Huang Da Zhuang bombarded her immediately, all faith and desperation.
“Sister Tea, if you need anything for the pill, I’ll call my mom and dad and have them send it.”
“Sister Tea, tell us what you need! My family has money—we can support you.”
“Sister Tea, my big brother has connections. If you need equipment, I’ll make it happen.”
“Sister Tea, our octopus clan has been on land for years, but if you need ocean materials, I can still find a way.”
Jiang Tea Tea replied, unimpressed. “No matter how broad your connections are, can they beat Chong Ming’s? No matter what materials you find, can you find more than he can?”
The group instantly folded. “Right. When something happens, find Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming. He’s the best. He’s the strongest.”
“Sister Tea, we’re your most loyal lackeys. Save our lives. Please calm our nerves!”
Jiang Tea Tea’s thoughts drifted to the living dead zombies she’d once encountered in a small secret realm.
Those had been nastier than anything here—stronger, more disgusting, and laced with crystalline growths.
Crystals in the living dead zombies’ heads.
Back then, she’d hunted them for their crystals to trade to a fallen immortal pharmacist for cultivation tonic pills.
But crystals didn’t make antidotes.
Crystals killed zombies by removing their ability to attack.
Useless for protection.
She thought again.
And again.
Then she dug through her memories—thousands of years of them—searching for something, anything.
From day to night, from night to morning, she rifled through her past.
And to her surprise, she found it.
Her grandmother—infamous for wandering the three realms, living wildly, refusing to ascend—had once brewed an all-purpose antidote.
The recipe used thirteen ingredients.
Thirteen poisons that countered and restrained each other.
Jiang Tea Tea searched the net through her lightbrain. The ingredients existed. She could find them.
But most were contraband.
Buying and selling them was illegal. Severe punishment meant exile. Lighter punishment still meant crushing fines.
Jiang Tea Tea had no intention of getting herself exiled over medicine.
So she boarded her flyer and went straight to the military department—to Chong Ming’s office.
Chong Ming looked up from his lightbrain. “You left at 3 a.m. the day before yesterday and only came back now. You’re not going to explain?”
Jiang Tea Tea pointed at the ceiling. “Aren’t your satellites watching me? Where I go, you can find out easily. Why do I need to explain?”
Chong Ming’s voice was even. “I promised you I wouldn’t casually monitor you every day. Did you forget?”
Jiang Tea Tea gave a perfunctory “Oh,” then projected her lightbrain screen and shoved it in front of him. “Look. I want these thirteen poisons. Ten portions of each.”
Chong Ming scanned it. “Nine are contraband. Two are rare protected plants. Two don’t exist in the Zhen Lin Empire but do exist in Da Xi Nation. Tell me what you need them for.”
Jiang Tea Tea bared her teeth in a grin. “If I say it’s to make a potion and feed it to your big nephew, would you believe me?”
“I would,” Chong Ming said without hesitation.
Jiang Tea Tea’s grin faltered. “Then hurry and get them.”
Chong Ming issued orders immediately. “Five hours to gather everything.”
“Fine.” Jiang Tea Tea nodded. “I’ll go find Sui Xuan Chu and Huang Da Zhuang.”
She turned to leave—
“Wait,” Chong Ming said.
Jiang Tea Tea stopped, about to ask why.
Chong Ming appeared behind her like a ghost.
She turned and nearly jumped out of her skin, stepping back on instinct—
His hand closed around her wrist, stopping her retreat. “Why are you running?”
“I’m not running,” Jiang Tea Tea said stiffly. “I’m done here. I’m not going to waste your time.”
Chong Ming gave a low laugh. “So I should thank you for being considerate?”
Jiang Tea Tea forced an awkward chuckle. “No need. Let go.”
He didn’t.
His grip tightened instead. “Classmate Jiang Tea Tea, I want to discuss something. After that, I’ll let go.”
“You can discuss without holding me,” Jiang Tea Tea snapped, tugging. “There’s no need to grab me.”
“I’ll let go and you’ll vanish,” Chong Ming said bluntly. “I don’t trust you.”
Jiang Tea Tea shot back, reflexive. “Am I that kind of person?”
Chong Ming nodded, perfectly serious. “You are.”
Jiang Tea Tea took a breath, then forced calm through clenched teeth. “Fine. Say it.”
Chong Ming’s voice dropped—dark, hoarse, and direct. “Two days ago at 3 a.m., you already knew I was seducing you.”
“You avoided me for two days. I didn’t look for you. You should understand what that means.”
His gaze locked on hers. “So I’m informing you. Starting today, I will officially pursue you—with marriage as the goal.”