Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 929 - 922: Uninvited Guest

Chapter 929: Chapter 922: Uninvited Guest

Watching Aunt Axia’s figure leave, the two exchanged glances before simultaneously lowering their heads to look at the hot drinks in their hands. Hu Daoke couldn’t help but ask, "Still drinking?"

"Let’s drink, who knows, it might be invigorating!" Cheng Ziang said, extending his cup forward, apparently wanting to toast with Hu Daoke.

"Hey, now you’re speaking my language!" Hu Daoke revealed a knowing smile, clinked cups with Cheng Ziang, and the two of them tilted their heads back, downing the hot drinks in their cups in one go.

After finishing their drinks, the two tossed their cups to the ground and leaned against each other lazily, watching the wood burn fiercely in the fireplace.

Cheng Ziang turned to glance at Feng, who was sitting on the blanket, listlessly hugging her long blade with her head cocked to the side.

Whenever Cheng Ziang saw that blade, he thought of his own, so he couldn’t help but lament, "Ah, what bad luck, why did the headquarters insist on using Kedal metal to forge my blade? Now it’s pretty much ruined, and I’ve gone from a swordsman to a gunman."

"Isn’t changing from swordsman to gunman a progression, and besides, who told you to treat your blade so roughly? Serves you right," Hu Daoke shrugged and said.

"How was I supposed to know Kedal metal’s fracture resistance would backlash against the blade itself? Sigh, if I had known, I wouldn’t have done it. My poor blade, it was with me for just a few months..." Cheng Ziang lamented sorrowfully.

"Come off it, you change blades faster than clothes. You were all about that last crappy blade, and the next second you fell for the stolen Anti-Magic Blade, aren’t you just fickle?" Hu Daoke said, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up!" Cheng Ziang, rarely left speechless by Hu Daoke, struggled to retort with only that.

Feeling the warmth of the fireplace, they leaned on each other and closed their eyes to rest. Dripping sounds from outside indicated that the accumulated snow was slowly melting.

After a while, they sensed a distortion in the magic in the air, and then Fulajie’er’s figure appeared before them. She frowned and looked anxious as she said to them, "Hey, it seems like some people are heading this way."

"Eh, I sent you to find animals, not people!" Hu Daoke said.

"Stop messing around," Cheng Ziang slapped his forehead, then sat up straight and asked seriously, "How many people are coming, and are they headed our way?"

"Hmm, about five or six, they’re taking a shortcut, and they’re heading straight for us. They’ll be at the door in about ten minutes if they move fast," Fulajie’er estimated.

"Men or women, what kind of people are they? Can you see clearly?" Cheng Ziang pressed on.

"Hmm, all men, with weapons, they look like they are all from the North," Fulajie’er scratched her head and floated back and forth in mid-air as she spoke.

When she mentioned Northerners, she was primarily referring to people from the Northern part of the Continent, including the Aud people, the Bobulu people, and the Blaiqi people.

"Armed..." Hearing this crucial word, Cheng Ziang’s expression grew even more serious. He lowered his head to think for a moment, then raised it to tell Fulajie’er, "Go tell Aunt Axia quickly!"

"Okay!" Fulajie’er responded and was about to fly towards another room.

"What do you need me for?" At that moment, Aunt Axia’s figure appeared at the door, looking at them with a sullen expression and asked.

"Aunt Axia, does your medicinal soup have invigorating properties?" Hu Daoke yelled.

"Invigorate what?" Aunt Axia obviously didn’t understand the concept yet.

"Shut up, can’t you see the situation here? We’re talking serious business!" Cheng Ziang rebuked him, smacking his crown sharply and scowling.

"Ow," Hu Daoke grumbled, covering his head, "Why so fierce? It’s just some men with weapons; we have arms too, and if all else fails, we still have Feng. Right, Feng?"

"Yeah!" Feng nodded hastily.

"Hey, Aunt Axia!" Fulajie’er flew up to Axia, and upon entering her personal space, she began to speak.

"Do you have any orders for me?" Aunt Axia asked respectfully, with a slight bow.

Actually, the title "Aunt Axia" was something that Luo’er had forced Fulajie’er to change. Previously, she used to simply call Axia "Snow Elf," but Luo’er felt this was disrespectful to Axia, so he mandated a more respectful appellation.

However, it seemed that despite the change in title, their relationship hadn’t changed; Axia still treated Fulajie’er with great respect, regarding her almost as a deity.

"It seems like some people are approaching your house, all men, around five or six of them!" Fulajie’er said seriously.

"Should be the people from the trade caravan," Axia said after pondering for a moment, "They’re likely coming to collect furs, but it’s weird, they seem to have come a month early."

"Should we deal with them?" Fulajie’er asked, tilting her head.

"I’ll go have a look." Axia nodded, then took a cloak from the wall and draped it over herself.

"Need help?" Cheng Ziang called out to her, and then sincerely asked, "I have a feeling of unease. How about we accompany you to take a look?"

"No need for the trouble, I can handle it myself." Axia turned around, showing a charming smile.

"It’s not wrong to suspect the ill intentions of others, but one must always be cautious, Aunt Axia," Cheng Ziang reminded, "These people are armed, don’t take them lightly."

"Alright then, I’ll trouble you!" Axia nodded and agreed to their request.

"Lazy pig, get up and work!" Cheng Ziang nudged himself to stand, then kicked Hu Daoke and said.

"Don’t kick me, will you? Is that how you treat your brother?" Hu Daoke stood up, wrapped in a fur blanket, then looked at Axia and asked, "So, um, can I go out draped in this blanket?"

"Whatever you want!" Axia shrugged and said.

"We don’t yet know if these people are friend or foe, so just to be safe, Old Hu, go upstairs and find a concealed corner to set up your gun, Feng and I will hide and observe from the surroundings!" Cheng Ziang commanded.

"Got it!" Hu Daoke struggled to tie the blanket around himself, then took a few steps forward and picked up the light machine gun leaning against the wall.

"Thanks for the hard work." Axia smiled and said.

"No trouble, just don’t use us as guinea pigs for your potions next time," Cheng Ziang shook his head and said.

"Don’t paint me as so wicked; these potions do have a virility-enhancing effect, you know." While saying this, Axia’s face showed a slyly teasing expression.

"Do you know what virility means?" Cheng Ziang paused, staring at her blankly as he asked.

"Hehe..." Axia didn’t answer, but turned with a smile, then opened the door.

The group stepped outside and immediately felt the huge difference in temperature between the indoors and outdoors. As a Snow Elf, Axia, and Ziang, a half-breed, didn’t feel much, but Hu Daoke and Feng were bitterly cold.

The snow outside had still not completely melted, and everything around was enveloped in the vast whiteness of the snow. Hu Daoke leaned on the balcony of the second-floor treehouse; even with a fur blanket over him, he was rubbing his hands together to stay warm.

"Feng, go over to that end of the yard. When they get to the yard, circle behind them," Cheng Ziang said, pointing not far away to Feng.

"Mm!" Feng nodded, ready to leave.

"Wait a moment," Cheng Ziang called out to her, then took off the blanket draped over himself, tied it around her neck, patted her shoulder and said, "Don’t get too cold, come back right away when you’re sure there’s no danger."

"Mm!" Feng nodded emphatically again, this time Cheng Ziang could tell she was excited.

As Feng left, Cheng Ziang turned his head to look at Axia, who was standing quietly in the yard waiting, then called into the air, "Little Fula!"

"You’re also calling me ’Little Fula’..." Fulajie’er appeared in front of him instantly, and then spoke in a grieved tone.

"Ah, don’t worry about the small stuff," Cheng Ziang waved it off and said, "Go check where those people are now, keep us updated on their position and situation."

"Oh!" Fulajie’er responded with a sulk.

"Mm, and while you’re at it, communicate with Luo’er, don’t let him come out and mess things up." Cheng Ziang continued giving instructions.

"Mm..." Fulajie’er grumbled in response.