Chapter 85: Chapter Eighty Five- Before your generals flatten my house

The village square of the Orycto tribe was entirely quiet, the tribesmen still hiding inside their mud huts, terrified of the residual energy of the heavenly storm.

Long Zhan raised his hand and let out a sharp, resonant draconic whistle that cut through the silent night air like a blade.

Within seconds, a dozen shadows detached themselves from the dark canopy of the jungle, landing silently in the courtyard before the porch.

They were his most elite, high-grade dragon warriors—men who had followed him from the Northern Peaks.

"Your Majesty!" Davy whispered, dropping to one knee in the dirt. "The storm has passed, but the energy was... unnatural. Are you harmed?"

"Silence," Long Zhan commanded, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying growl that made the warriors instantly bow their heads deeper into the mud. "My female is currently resting inside. If a single one of you makes a sound that rattles a stone, I will personally peel the scales from your backs."

Long Zhan reached into his vest and pulled out a rolled-up piece of primitive parchment.

It was the detailed blueprint for the architectural expansion they had started before the birth. "Take these," Long Zhan ordered, tossing the parchment at the lead warrior’s feet. "This is the blueprint for the insulated stone nursery wing. Gather the highest-grade boulders from the northern riverbed. Line the inner walls with thick beast furs for insulation. I want this wing built immediately, and I want it done in absolute silence."

Davy grabbed the parchment, nodding rapidly. "Understood, Lord Zhan We will begin the stone masonry at once."

Long Zhan’s violet eyes darted toward the other side of the cottage courtyard.

There lay a half-finished, tangled mess of wooden beams and structural frames,the foundation that Qin Mo had started building for the private living quarters and the luxurious bathroom wing.

A slow, thoroughly malicious and smug grin slowly spread across Long Zhan’s handsome face. He crossed his arms, his chest puffing out with petty satisfaction.

"Listen well," Long Zhan added, his voice dripping with wicked amusement. "You are to work strictly on the stone nursery wing. Do not touch a single piece of timber on the opposite side. Leave the snake’s half-finished construction completely untouched. Let that lazy reptile break his own back pulling logs when he finally decides to come out."

"Yes, Lord Zhan," the warriors answered, instantly understanding their King’s petty rivalry.

Sounds of heavy footsteps came from afar, long Zhan stretched out his senses and saw what was coming, he didn’t say anything, instead, he turned back around and stepped into the dark, empty interior of the wooden hut.

He stood firmly in the center of the room, looking up at the thatched ceiling.

He already knew that Lin Wan’s senses could constantly monitor the external environment around her house.

He lifted his boot, tapping it rhythmically against the dirt floor three times, before calling out softly to the empty, silent air: "Wanwan, I am finished. Bring me back inside."

Inside Lin wan’s bedroom in the space, a sudden flash of golden light materialized beside the velvet lounge chair.

Long Zhan stepped out of the spatial vortex, dusting off a few stray specks of primitive dirt from his wrinkled leather collar.

His violet eyes instantly scanned the bed, and his jaw locked tight at the sight before him.

Qin Mo had completely taken advantage of his brief absence. The Teng snake king had removed his pink kitty apron, tossing it carelessly onto the floor.

He was currently lying stretched out fully across the mattress, his long, elegant frame draped lazily over Lin Wan’s lap.

His face was nestled deeply against her hip, his long fingers loosely gripping her waist beneath the heavy blankets, while his magnificent silver hair spread out across her legs like silk.

He looked like an incredibly satisfied, pampered pet, purring softly as he nuzzled her skin.

In the corner of the room, inside the large crib, the three newborn triplets were sleeping soundly, completely oblivious to the silent war brewing between their caretakers.

Long Zhan marched over to the side of the bed, his boots heavy against the floorboards.

He reached out and aggressively kicked the wooden frame of the bed, his face twisting into a dark glare. "Get up, snake. I am done securing my side of the perimeter. It is your turn to go out there and stand guard."

Qin Mo didn’t even bother to open his silver eyes. He simply tightened his long arms around Lin Wan’s thigh, burying his face deeper into the soft cotton of her clothes.

"Go away, uncultured lizard," Qin Mo hissed softly, his voice dripping with pure, lazy arrogance. "I am currently utilizing my aura to stabilize our female’s weakened core. My presence is vital to her healing process. Do not disturb the peace of this nest with your mindless shouting."

"Your presence is just an excuse to crawl into her lap, you deceitful reptile!" Long Zhan growled, his large fists clenching at his sides as his draconic aura began to spark with raw irritation. "Wanwan, look at him! He hasn’t moved a single inch since I left!" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Lin Wan sat perfectly still against the pillows, her hands resting on Qin Mo’s silver head.

She was highly amused by their endless, petty bickering, but the weight of the Teng snake King resting heavily across her legs was beginning to make her joints feel stiff.

She closed her eyes, preparing to tell them both to shut up, when her elite-agent tactical awareness instinctively extended outward, scanning the external boundaries of the space through her mental link to the cottage.

The very second her spatial consciousness breached the surface of the primitive realm, her unreadable, cold expression suddenly cracked into sharp, profound shock. Her entire body went completely rigid beneath the blankets.

"Qin Mo," Lin Wan said, her voice dropping into a sharp, commanding tone that instantly cut through the room’s bickering. She shoved his shoulder with significant force. "Get off me. Right now."

Qin Mo blinked his silver eyes open, looking up at her with a slightly dazed, pouty expression. "What is it, Wanwan? Is the pain returning? Should I call Wang’s Mother back?"

"No," Lin Wan said, her eyes narrowing as she stared blankly at the wall, her mind processing the massive tactical map her spatial senses were feeding her. "Your men are outside. An incredible ocean of them."

Qin Mo let out a soft, dismissive scoff, shifting his head back down to find a more comfortable position against her leg. "Let the dragon handle it, Wanwan. He loves nothing more than hitting things with his fists. Let him go out there and play with whatever wild beasts have wandered near the fence." Not taking in what Lin Wan said about his men.

Lin Wan didn’t hesitate. She raised her right hand and delivered a sharp, echoing thump directly to the back of Qin Mo’s silver head.

"Ow!" Qin Mo hissed, instantly sitting up and rubbing the back of his head, his silver eyes wide with wounded shock. "Wanwan, why did you hit me?!"

"Because you are being an idiot," Lin Wan said coldly, her elite commander’s brain already calculating the defensive parameters of the situation outside. "Those aren’t wild beasts. The entire primitive territory of the Orycto tribe is currently completely surrounded by millions of high-grade, armored beastmen. I can see the silver standard flags from here. It is the elite Vanguard of the Beast City, Qin Mo. And they look ready to level the entire valley to the ground."

Hearing this, Long Zhan suddenly burst into a loud, booming roar of pure, unadulterated laughter. He threw his head back, his massive chest shaking as he pointed a mocking finger at Qin Mo’s face.

Qin Mo’s eyes snapped toward the dragon, his expression hardening. "You knew," he hissed, his fangs extending slightly. "You went out there, saw my imperial vanguard at the gates, and you deliberately didn’t say a word."

"Of course I didn’t tell you, you lazy worm!" Long Zhan laughed smugly, crossing his massive arms over his chest with an air of absolute triumph. "Why should I handle your frantic ministers for you? I wanted to see how long you would stay curled up like a household pet while your entire royal cabinet is outside weeping in the mud! Go on, Your Majesty. Your empire is waiting at the gate."

Qin Mo’s jaw practically snapped as he gnashed his teeth in pure, burning fury.

He realized with an intense sting to his pride that he had been completely played by the brute dragon.

He stood up from the bed, his elegant robes rustling as he aggressively adjusted his collar and straightened his belt.

He turned back to look at Lin Wan, his silver eyes narrowing into a dramatic, deeply aggrieved expression. "Wanwan, do you see how truly malicious and underhanded this Damned lizard is? He’s deliberately making me leave because he wants to have you for himself."

"Go, Qin Mo," Lin Wan said, an unreadable, faint twitch of amusement hovering at the edge of her lips. "Before your generals accidentally flatten my house."