Married by Paper, Loved by Fate 208

She hadn’t even finished speaking.

“Boom!” A loud explosion erupted.

The spaceship shook heavily, and the cabin tilted and flipped.

This sudden change almost made Shen Tang stumble and fall, but fortunately, Lu Xiao tightly held her waist, pulling her into his embrace.

At the same time, he coldly glanced outside the window, bent over to scoop her up horizontally, and strode toward the cockpit.

The moment they stepped out, they ran into Jia Lan coming their way.

Seeing the two in such an intimate state, and especially with Lu Xiao’s clothes almost off and Shen Tang in his arms with flushed cheeks and disheveled attire, anyone could tell what they intended to do.

He instinctively glanced at a certain part of Lu Xiao, and instantly, his face turned even darker!

Jia Lan quickly withdrew his gaze, suppressing the frustration in his heart, and said in a deep voice, “The spaceship is under attack, many fighter jets are swarming to surround it! They’re bombarding us like crazy!”

The romantic atmosphere had long dissipated, Shen Tang knitted her brows, deep in thought.

Having just crossed the border in the morning, and now getting ambushed and pursued at night?

If someone hadn’t intentionally set up an ambush, she wouldn’t believe it even if beaten to death!

Could it be the assassins sent by Shen Qingli again?

Somehow, it seemed not that simple.

No matter how well-regarded Shen Qingli is, she still doesn’t have enough power to dispatch such a force as a princess.

Shen Tang’s mind suddenly recalled that Ninth Rank Beastman who attempted to assassinate her last time.

That person was strong, origins unknown, definitely not an ordinary person!

Were these ambushing forces sent by him?

If that’s the case, then it’s bad.

She knew nothing about the opponent.

She was in the open, the enemy in the shadows, making it hard to find an opportunity for a counterattack.

Shen Tang quickly checked the situation through the system’s map.

What she saw made her shiver!

At least a hundred fighter jets completely surrounded the spaceship.

With firepower this overwhelming, breaking through wasn’t just difficult — it was impossible!

Shen Tang also noticed a black skull totem etched on these fighter jets; the pattern was somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t recall it for the moment.

The cabin continued to shake and rumble, she could hardly stand firm.

Fortunately, the “Silver Cloud” was a top-tier civilian spaceship, safer than even military ones, otherwise it would’ve exploded just like that old shabby ship back in the day.

But the enemy’s firepower was too strong, the Silver Cloud couldn’t hold out for long.

She didn’t want the spaceship she had sunk her savings into to be scrapped after just a few months of use.

“I’ve checked, there’s a complex terrain about ten kilometers ahead, a large dense forest, perfect for hiding from pursuit,” Jia Lan said. “Unfortunately, the spaceship is too large a target to sneak through such complex low terrain, and it seems these people aim to annihilate us here and won’t give up easily.”

Lu Xiao understood what he meant, “Someone needs to draw their fire.”

“Right,” Jia Lan nodded, looking at the two.

He hesitated, prioritizing the bigger picture, turned to Lu Xiao and said, “You’re a Flying Beastman, take Tangtang and leave from the escape pod’s hatch, I’ll draw their fire to cover your escape.”

The spaceship was struck by another missile, jolting heavily, with alarms ringing within the cabin.

Shen Tang knew they couldn’t wait any longer and could only resort to this method.

She worriedly looked at Jia Lan, “What about you after we retreat?”

“I’m not stupid enough to die in vain; once you two are safe, I’ll take the spaceship back and return via the water route, these land-bound ducks can’t catch me.” Jia Lan’s chin lifted slightly, and a look of unprecedented seriousness flashed in his beautiful eyes, indicating the situation wasn’t as light as he made it out to be.

He urged urgently, “Alright, time waits for no one; you two hurry up and leave!”

At the same time, he glared at Lu Xiao fiercely, “Protect her, or I won’t spare you once we’re back!”

“She is also my Female Master.” Lu Xiao’s calm voice held little fluctuation, yet every word struck powerfully,

“Even if I die here, I will protect her.”

Shen Tang’s throat tightened, shaking her head, “None of us will get hurt!”

Lu Xiao and Jia Lan looked at her with a comforting smile, “Yes, we’ll all return safely.”

Jia Lan went to the spaceship’s cockpit.

Activated attack mode.

But the “Silver Cloud” was only a civilian spaceship, and though it was semi-military grade, its ammunition reserves were limited, let alone being able to take on a hundred.

No chance of winning.

It was merely to confuse the enemy’s sight.

In an instant, all ammunition was fired, destroying two fighter jets ahead.

The enemy’s ranks were momentarily thrown into disarray.

Catching that brief chaos, Lu Xiao took Shen Tang and exited from the second escape hatch.

Falling from high altitude, he instantly transformed into his true form—the Golden Eagle, with sharp talons clutching Shen Tang, diving towards the dense forest ahead.

The nearest fighter jets noticed their escape and quickly pursued.

“Boom!”

A missile blasted towards the Golden Eagle.

Lu Xiao reacted swiftly, dodging sideways.

Immediately afterward, several more missiles came flying, with one specifically targeting Shen Tang!

The missiles formed a linear blockade from all directions. If Lu Xiao dodged, Shen Tang would surely be hit by the energy explosions.

Ultimately, Lu Xiao didn’t dodge; he turned sideways, using his wings to shield from an impact.

The left wing instantly exploded into a mist of blood in mid-air!

Feathers scattered and fell as the Golden Eagle was blown back, collapsing hundreds of meters, then at the brink of hitting the ground, spun back skyward to distance himself from the battle.

Unfortunately, after being injured this time, the Golden Eagle was clearly at the end of his rope, barely managing to maintain stability, flying shakily.

“Lu Xiao!” Shen Tang felt the Golden Eagle’s body trembling, his claws gripping her tightly, fearing she would fall.

“I’m fine.” Lu Xiao’s breath was unstable, keeping himself calm with difficulty, yet the blood sprayed from his sharp, curved beak splattered onto Shen Tang’s face.

Wet, hot, sticky.

Her eyes widened, holding her breath, feeling her heart tightening.

“You’re seriously hurt… Let me heal you!” The Earth Element Ability doesn’t work well in the sky, besides, a Seventh Rank superpower can’t destroy fighter jets.

Lu Xiao desperately evaded the pursuing missiles, his chest rising and falling intensely, his raspy voice mixing with the blood dripping onto her, staining a large area, “No need, there’s no time. Do you… still have any Crystal Core?”

Shen Tang’s spirit jolted; he wanted to break through on the spot? 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She did have a fair amount of Crystal Core in her space, but breaking through under these circumstances would most likely lead to failure.

If forced breakthrough fails, his strength will be severely damaged!

He’s risking his life!

“No, fly towards the dense forest, we still have a chance to escape!” Shen Tang shook her head desperately.

“We’ve been discovered. If not dealt with quickly, more pursuers will be drawn.” The fierce wind was mingled with increasingly thick blood scent, yet his voice remained calm and powerful, “Don’t worry, trust me.”

He spoke again, this time in a commanding tone, “Give me the Crystal Core!”

Shen Tang’s throat felt tight; these pursuers came to kill her but dragged them both into this, putting their lives on the line.

She clenched her fists; once she got back, she would surely seek revenge!

Shen Tang retrieved the Beast Crystal from her space.

Invisible hunting wind carried the Beast Crystal into the Golden Eagle’s mouth, transforming into a surge of potent power, merging into limbs and bones.

Next, Shen Tang felt the Golden Eagle’s body instantly tense up, his talons gripping her waist tightly.

The force wasn’t gentle anymore; the sharp eagle claws almost pierced her flesh as if to crush her bones!

Shen Tang bit back her pain, daring not to make a sound for fear of disturbing Lu Xiao’s advancement process.

Lu Xiao pushed his body to the extreme; in less than half a minute, his body burst into golden light, strength skyrocketing, breaking through from Seventh Rank Peak to Eighth Rank!

“Screech—”

The Golden Eagle let out a sharp, golden sound of shattering stones.

He spread open his blade-like sharp golden beak, a keen Wind Blade flying out, hitting the wing of a fighter jet.

The wing was instantly sliced, sparking and smoking heavily.

The fighter jet lost balance immediately, plummeting from the sky, crashing into the mountains with a thunderous explosion, bursting with thick black smoke.

Following that, another Wind Blade pierced the air, penetrating the glass of another fighter jet, slicing off the pilot’s head.

A vast mist of blood splattered on the broken glass, sickeningly vivid.

The fighter jet went out of control, subsequently crashing to the ground, again exploding into a heap of ashes.

Lu Xiao quickly eliminated the fighter jets pursuing them from behind, taking Shen Tang out of the encirclement, leaving the pursuers behind.

…

Several hundred kilometers away in the hilly terrain.

The pursuers were already out of sight.

The tense atmosphere of life and death gradually faded, becoming peaceful and serene.

Lu Xiao slowed down, carrying Shen Tang along.

Jia Lan should have also evaded the pursuers along the water route.

According to the plan, both sides would meet, but—

Lu Xiao’s movements paused slightly, relaxing the grip of his claws, suddenly spinning mid-air, heading in the opposite direction of the destination.

“Ah!” Shen Tang shouted in alarm, almost falling, only to be swiftly caught upon the Golden Eagle’s back.

Her heart was pounding in fear, clutching the Golden Eagle’s neck tightly.

When Lu Xiao’s speed slowed again, she dared to finally face the fierce wind, looking at the system map direction, questioning, “Hey, where are we going? This isn’t the direction to meet Jia Lan.”

“…There might be pursuers behind us. I’ll take you to a safe place to hide first, and we’ll meet him tomorrow.”

Shen Tang found the suggestion reasonable and agreed without further doubt.

She lay on the eagle’s back, with a faint, gentle green light appearing in her palm, silently helping him heal.

Lu Xiao felt the gentle power from her palm, and a slight tremor arose in his heart.

Meanwhile, he remembered that the female had only been wearing a thin silk nightgown when she came out.

Probably, it had long been torn beyond recognition.

Her legs straddled his body, clinging tightly against him, separated only by the fabric as thin as a cicada’s wing, allowing him to sense her softness and warmth…

With this thought filling both his body and mind, Lu Xiao couldn’t help but feel his mouth dry up, his gaze growing darker, and that peculiar impulse rising once more.

With the bumps along the road, the female’s body occasionally brushed lightly against him, causing his veins to burn and swell, bringing a tearing pain.

Sigh…

Lu Xiao fiercely suppressed his inner thoughts, his sharp and deep eagle eyes scanning the rivers, suddenly catching sight of a hill ahead adorned with clusters of blooming flowers.

His heart stirred, and he dived forward.

Shen Tang was startled by the sudden acceleration of the Golden Eagle and buried her head with closed eyes.

Soon, they reached the destination.

The Golden Eagle landed on the hill, crushing a few delicate blossoms.

Before Shen Tang could open her eyes, she smelled the rich and elegant fragrance of flowers.

Surprised, she opened her eyes to a vast sea of flowers, endless and breathtaking!

The sky was faintly lit, with the moon hanging among the branches.

Patches of pink evening primroses were blooming, covering the entire hill with a flower carpet, the sea of blossoms swaying in the breeze, its sweet scent refreshing the soul, like stepping into a fairyland.

“Thank you for bringing me here, it’s so beautiful.” Shen Tang’s charming face broke into a joyful smile.

Lu Xiao’s low and slightly husky voice sounded beside her ear, “It’s said that evening primroses only bloom for the moon. The Female Master is very fortunate.”

Simultaneously, the Golden Eagle gracefully bent down, letting her slide down to the ground from his wing.

Shen Tang’s feet touched the soft soil and lawn, with tiny wildflowers reaching up to her knees, brushing against her skin, tickling.

She took a deep breath of the rich floral fragrance, her mood lifted, running and twirling amidst the sea of flowers.

The woman’s black hair flowed like clouds in the night sea, her delicate, charming face smiling, the wind blowing at her tattered dress, strands flying and fluttering, resembling an unfettered fairy among the flowers.

Lu Xiao’s breath paused slightly, captivated and unwilling to disturb.

“Ah!”

A stone hidden among the lush flowers and grass caught Shen Tang off guard, causing her to almost tumble to the ground.

Lu Xiao hurried over, supporting her with his sharp beak to steady her posture.

Instinctively, Shen Tang also held onto the Golden Eagle.

Unexpectedly, in the next second.

The Golden Eagle transformed into human form.

The two fell into the sea of flowers by inertia, Shen Tang solidly pressing down on Lu Xiao. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

As Shen Tang touched his chest, she suddenly realized—he wasn’t wearing any clothes!

The two were closely entwined.

Shen Tang’s charming face flushed, reluctant to look down, and she hurriedly freed herself, trying to get up.

Lu Xiao’s large hands tightly embraced her waist, pulling her back into his arms.

Seemingly sensing the female’s anxiety, Lu Xiao took a deep breath without rushing to continue what had been left undone. Embracing her, he propped himself up and seated her on his lap.

Another wave of floral fragrance wafted over, carrying petals that settled in Shen Tang’s hair, accentuating her face, making it even more enchanting and captivating, stirring his heart.

“Do you like it here?” Lu Xiao softly inquired.

Shen Tang looked at him and nodded, “I do.”

“I like it too.” Lu Xiao chuckled softly, restraining his surging desire, his large hand threading through her long hair, cupping the back of her head and gently kissing her forehead.

His kisses slowly fell on her eyebrows, eyes, nose, face, and finally her rosy, tempting lips.

His approach was gentle yet assertive, carefully savoring her beauty.

Shen Tang’s cheeks became more rosy, her gaze gradually growing hazy, akin to a flower bud slowly blooming before him, exuding a fatal allure.

Lu Xiao’s throat moved, fingers twitching at her waist.

The mountain wind grew stronger, flowers scattered wildly, drifting and swirling, enveloping them in this poetic landscape.

Lu Xiao had a flower crown in hand, placing it in her hair.

At this moment, Shen Tang seemed fused with the endless sea of flowers, breathtaking and mesmerizing.

Making him reluctant to desecrate.

Yet longing to… smash the beauty hard.

Dylan