9 The Phoenix Mountains

"So....this is the Phoenix Mountain Ranges?" Da Xia asked as she stared at the huge dense forest standing in front of her. She could make out the shapes of some of the high peaks at a distance, covered with the greenery of the forest.

"Yes, wifey! This is the vast and dangerous Phoenix Mountains. The place which is the home of some of the most dangerous spirit beasts that walk on our continent." Li Jun proudly introduced her to the huge mountains that stood in front of them.

Da Xia gulped down the saliva to relieve her suddenly dry throat. She could feel fear taking over her soul as she imagined ferocious beasts lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce on her as soon as she entered the forest.

While Li Jun was completely oblivious to the results of his words on his little wifey, his brother clearly noticed her hesitation and fear.

"Xiaxia, you don't need to go if you are afraid. Let's go back home." Li Wei spoke in a tender voice as he pulled on her hand to drag her toward their small house which stood at the very edge of the Jia Province.

"What are you talking about? Why would I be afraid? It's clearly you who are afraid of entering this forest." Da Xia immediately pulled herself back to the surprised Li Jun's side as she tried to appear normal and calm.

"Are you sure?" Li Wei asked her with arched eyebrows as he waited for her to stop pretending. However, Da Xia was in no mood to give in to the fear that was silently crawling up all over her body.

She raised her head high as she spoke in a determined tone, "We are going into that damn forest, and we will get everything that we need. You two don't need to worry. I'll protect you. Just trust me."

Somehow, she succeeded in appearing fully confident and strong as she spoke those words. At least, Li Jun was successfully fooled by her act. On the other hand, Li Wei could do nothing but follow his brother and little wifey as they set off toward the forest that was standing at a distance of just a few hundred meters.

Da Xia kept reminding herself that the Little Kitty had confirmed the survival of her journey to the Phoenix Mountains. She just needed to keep calm and protect her two naive husbands. With this thought in mind, she finally entered the dark creepy forest along with Li Jun and Lei Wei.

-

Ten minutes later~

"Oh, God! Please save me. Please, please, please...."

Da Xia kept chanting under her breath as she hid behind two powerful shields. Her heart was beating so fast that she felt like she was going to pass out very soon.

"Xia, it's just a normal snake. Why are you afraid of this poor creature?" Li Jun asked as he looked at the little green snake with warmth and tenderness.

"You know nothing! A snake is a snake, no matter how big or small it is. Goodness, this forest is so creepy. There were supposed to be huge deadly creatures, not these tiny reptiles." Da Xia almost cried in misery as she tightened her grip on Li Wei's arm as she peeked at the little snake which was still wrapped around the tiny rock without any care in the world.

"Why is it not running away?" She asked as she clutched Li Wei's arm tightly in her embrace. She was literally wrapped around his arm at the moment.

"Because it's sleeping." Li Wei answered her question.

"Really?" Da Xia was surprised and hence she once again peeked to see if the little snake was really sleeping or not. "Why can't it find a more hidden place to sleep?" She asked no one in particular as she glared at the little reptile.

"I already told you not to come here if you are scared. Now, look at you!" Li Wei reprimanded her as he stopped his brother from going any closer to the sleeping snake.

Da Xia pouted with her puppy eyes on full display as she looked like a child who had been punished without any fault.

"Brother, why are you being so mean to wifey? Look how sad she is looking!" Li Jun immediately came to her aid as he showed his dissatisfaction with his brother's attitude while wrapping his arms around his wife.

Li Wei too started feeling bad as he looked at Da Xia's sad expression. The two brothers were once again fooled by their dear wife's act.

"There will be more reptiles like these in the forest. Since we are only going to collect wood, I know a place where we can be safe from these little creatures," he said and then waited for her to react. When she finally looked up at him and nodded her head hurriedly, he felt himself relaxing.

He bent his knees a little as he spoke, "Hop on! I'll carry you so that you won't have to fear about walking over a reptile." He did not look at her as he spoke. His eyes were trained on the trees that were lining the area in front of them.

A small smile appeared on Da Xia's lips as she noticed the light touch of pink on his cheeks. Even though he acted like a mature person most of the time, Li Wei was just as innocent and adorable as Li Jun.

"Wifey, hurry on! Otherwise, this little thing is going to wake up soon." Li Jun whispered in her ear, making her jump in fear.

She did not waste any more time as she immediately hopped on Li Wei's back. Her arms perfectly wrapped around his shoulders before she clasped them around his neck. She then felt his hands on her thighs which made her take in a long deep breath.

"Are you alright?" Li Wei asked in worry, oblivious to the effects that his hands were having on her.

"Y-yeah! Let's go. We have a lot of work to finish." She spoke softly against his ear as she tightened her hands on his shoulders.

This time, it was Li Wei who felt his body shivering as her hot breath touched his nape.