CHAPTER 461: CHAPTER 461 : XIE JIANYU’S DARK PAST (6)

Beta servants were completely immune to both alpha pheromones and omega scents. They only became aware of these powerful hormones when alphas’ rut kicked in or omegas’ heat began.

Panic flooded Xie Jianyu when he overheard the servants.

It was his heat.

His heat had started.

He choked back a groan, forcing himself to his feet. Being out in the open during his heat was unthinkable, surrounded by so many alphas.

His heart hammered against his ribs as he scanned his surroundings, desperate for a sanctuary. Sweat beaded on his forehead, the metallic tang of fear thick in his mouth. He had to disappear, to hide until the storm raging within him subsided.

Xie Jianyu tore off the lower part of his robe and covered his head.

He used the shredded remnant to mask the scent wafting from his skin, a scent growing more potent with each frantic beat of his heart. It drowned out the distant echoes of festival revelry, only to be replaced by the roar of his own blood rushing in his ears. Each ragged breath escaped his lips like a choked sob, bordering on an omega’s yearning whimper for an alpha’s loving caress. Shame burned hotter than the heat consuming him from within.

Unable to contain the swirling emotions beneath the crumbling facade of an alpha, the Crown Prince slammed his fist into the smooth marble floor. The impact left a spiderweb of cracks across the otherwise meticulous surface.

Rage coiled in Xie Jianyu’s gut, fueled by self-loathing. Why, in this desperate hour, was his body betraying him with the instincts of an omega?

"Ah..."

Xie Jianyu grabbed a marble shard from the floor and tightened his fingers around its sharp edge. Blood seeped out from his fist, the stinging pain granting him a brief relapse into reason.

Fist dripping with blood, Xie Jianyu dragged his sorry self from the ground again, hoping to reach his destination soon.

Alarmed by the growing footsteps ahead of him, he slipped into the shadows of a side passage. Discreetly, he peeked through a slight gap and saw two alpha males walking side by side.

"I feel so uncomfortable," one of them said with a frown as he rubbed at his throat. "My throat is dry and itchy. There is this unusual fragrant smell in the air."

"Yes, it is so strange," His companion agreed with him. "If I don’t know better, I might think that an omega in heat is close by."

The first alpha took a deep breath, inhaling a lungful of air.

"It does smell a lot like an omega," he slowly said. "But what are the odds? No noble omegas attend the banquet without chaperones by their sides."

Xie Jianyu gritted his teeth. As he covered his nose and mouth, he prayed fervently for his scent to suddenly subside and go away.

"We should go," the second alpha furrowed his brows. "Whatever it is, it is not wise to linger around the palace, far from the pavilion. If we meet any court officials, they might question our motifs."

"Right. Let’s go."

Xie Jianyu heaved a sigh of relief.

Thank heavens.

Crouched in the shadows, Xie Jianyu waited for the echo of the alphas’ footsteps to fade before resuming his escape. And yet, before he had even taken three steps away from the dark shadows, a cold male voice announced himself behind him.

"Halt."

Xie Jianyu barely lifted his head as a blade pressed against the nape of his neck, the metallic chill sending a jolt through him. A sidelong glance revealed not the familiar glint of a sword, but the unmistakable curve of a spear. He would recognize this spear anywhere. It was the Three Realm Spear.

His jaw clenched, his body tensing into a statue. Of all the banquet attendees tonight, he had to encounter Zhang Fengxi.

"Turn around slowly, and show me your face," the Supreme General commanded, his voice devoid of warmth, a glacier’s edge.

Xie Jianyu swallowed hard.

He could turn around and show the alpha his face. He was, after all, the Crown Prince. He was second-in-line to the throne, right under his father. But then, his right of inheritance only persisted because the entire empire believed the lie that his family spread for five long years.

If they found out about his real secondary gender... if Zhang Fengxi found out that he was an omega, and not an alpha...

"Did you not hear me? I said, turn around!"

The cold blade pressed deeper into Xie Jianyu’s neck.

In a split second, Xie Jianyu made his decision. Zhang Fengxi must not find out, no matter what.

With a flick of his wrist, Xie Jianyu sent the crimson scarf swirling upwards, a scarlet shield against the menacing glint of the blade. Zhang Fengxi, momentarily blinded and disoriented, faltered. In that split second, Xie Jianyu unleashed a lightning-fast punch, the impact echoing through the tense silence. A guttural growl ripped from Zhang Fengxi’s throat, his surprise etched on his wide eyes.

The Supreme General did raise his weapon, but he did not expect the stranger to fight against him at all. It was a folly act of defiance, especially because his opponent was not brandishing any weapon!

The tiger clan’s code of honor rang within Zhang Fengxi’s head, prohibiting him from meeting a defenseless person with a weapon. Thus Zhang Fengxi returned his spear to his back and started exchanging blows with the opponent by only using his fists and kicks.

They were both excellent martial artists of their generation, masters of unarmed combat who danced a deadly ballet even without the glint of steel. Blows rained down, and a hundred strikes met with a hundred parries, neither yielding an inch.

Xie Jianyu, an omega in the throes of heat, felt his strength wane even without the added pressure of an alpha’s presence. Facing Zhang Fengxi, an alpha whose every breath pulsed with dominating pheromones, was akin to plunging into a viper’s pit. He knew his situation was precarious, but retreat was no option. His only hope was a stray blow, a lucky strike to send Zhang Fengxi crashing down and knocking him out for good.

When he saw a tiny gap in Zhang Fengxi’s defense, Xie Jianyu attacked without a moment of hesitation. But then, his wrist was caught and he was pulled toward the alpha instead.