Serpent Kingdom Wedding: Master-Servant Contract and Little Brother's Complaint Session

The sunset of the Snake-People Kingdom stained the desert the color of blood. Before Queen Medusa's palace, Xiao Feng stared at the "marriage contract" before him with black lines running down his forehead; the four large characters "Master-Servant Contract" on the parchment made his eye sockets ache. Beside him, Xiao Yan crossed his arms, the corners of his mouth curling upward wildly as he struggled to hold back his laughter.

"Explain this. What is going on?" Xiao Feng gripped the marriage contract and looked toward Medusa.

Her Majesty the Queen flicked her long purple hair, her snake tail striking the ground with a crisp sound. "Back in the Tagor Desert, you used the Emperor Flame to save my life. According to the traditions of the Snake-People Kingdom, you and I are now bound by a 'Symbiotic Contract'." Her fingertips brushed against Xiao Feng's chest. "Today is our wedding night."

Xiao Feng took a half-step back, the Emperor Scale instinctively glowing with golden light. "Wait! A Symbiotic Contract is not a Master-Servant Contract! And I never agreed to this..."

"Do not be shy, Brother Xiao." Protector Die, standing behind Cai Lin, suddenly spoke up. "Her Majesty has already proclaimed to the Snake-People Kingdom that if this marriage does not take place today, she will launch a 'Snake Tide' to trample the Xiao family."

"What?!" Xiao Feng realized with a start that he had clearly been set up! He turned to look at Xiao Yan, but the latter merely shrugged with an innocent expression. "Third Brother, the Queen is being so proactive, you might as well just go along with it—besides, you aren't losing anything."

The system notification chime rang at the perfect moment:

Ding! Host has triggered the "Forced Marriage" plotline and obtained the "Reluctant Union" achievement!
Xiao Yan has obtained the "Best Bad Friend" title and may provide unlimited snark at the wedding scene.

"Little Yanzi!" Xiao Feng gritted his teeth. "If you aren't going to help, why are you fanning the flames?"

Xiao Yan shrugged. "Can't help it. Who told you to steal my 'protagonist script'?" He lowered his voice. "Perhaps this is part of a system bug; just treat it as a life experience."

The wedding ceremony was held at the "Spirit-Swallowing Altar" of the Snake-People Kingdom. Xun Er, Xiao Yi Xian, and Yun Yun had actually been invited to observe the ceremony. The three women looked on with varying expressions: Xun Er's eyes held a faint sorrow, Xiao Yi Xian clutched a bouquet and giggled foolishly, while Yun Yun stared at Xiao Feng, lost in thought.

"Now, will the bride and groom please drip their blood to seal the contract." Protector Die handed over a dagger.

Xiao Feng was just about to refuse when he saw the sky in the distance fill with yellow sand. A phantom image of Hun Dan's Bone Dragon stepped through the air, holding a glowing "System Patch" in his hand. "Xiao Feng, your 'Protagonist Experience Card' has expired!"

The moment the patch's light descended, Medusa suddenly grabbed Xiao Feng's wrist. The dagger pierced both their fingertips, and their blood coalesced into a snake-shaped contract upon the altar. Xiao Feng felt a wave of dizziness and discovered, to his shock, that he could not channel his Dou Qi—the contract had been implanted with a "System Magic-Sealing Curse"!

"Cai Lin! You..."

Medusa's eyes were complex, but she gritted her teeth and said, "I am sorry, but the Snake-People Kingdom needs the power of the Emperor Flame to resist the Soul Clan." She turned to look at Hun Dan. "You promised that once this was done, you would lift the Heaven-Swallowing Python bloodline curse from me!"

Xiao Feng's pupils constricted. So, this was all Hun Dan's conspiracy! He had used a system bug to tamper with Medusa's memories, twisting a "debt of gratitude" into a "contractual obligation," all to trap the twins of the Xiao family!

"Third Brother, watch out!" Xiao Yan swung his ruler at Hun Dan, but the latter tossed out a "System Patch," causing Xiao Yan's attack to rebound. "This is Hun Dan's 'Plot Correction' ability! He is forcing the story to return to the original work's line where 'Xiao Yan has a one-sided love for Medusa'!"

Xiao Feng attempted to activate "Soul Movement Three Thousand," but his soul power was suppressed by the contract, leaving him unable to move. Just as the beam from Hun Dan's "System Finale" was about to strike Xiao Yan, Xun Er suddenly threw out a fragment of the Progenitor Ancient Jade, its green light blocking the beam. "Do not dare harm him!"

Xiao Yi Xian pulled out poison and scattered it toward the Bone Dragon, but accidentally splashed some onto Xiao Feng, drawing a furious roar from Medusa: "You dare harm my husband?!"

Yun Yun sighed, shaking her head, and drew her sword to join the fray. "Young Master Xiao, I shall help you break this contract!"

The wedding scene instantly descended into chaos. Xiao Yan snarked while he fought: "Third Brother, your harem is on fire! Xun Er and Cai Lin are about to fight! Xiao Yi Xian threw the poison at the wrong person! Sect Master Yun Yun is hacking away at the contract array!"

Xiao Feng was on the verge of tears. Looking at the chaotic scene before him, a sudden flash of inspiration struck—if it was a system bug, then he would use a bug to break it! He focused his mind and shouted at the system: "System! I want to file a complaint! This plot is unreasonable!"

Ding! Host has triggered the "Player Complaint" mechanism. The system is currently verifying...
Illegal plot tampering by Hun Dan detected. His location has been locked!

Seeing that the situation had turned, Hun Dan immediately crushed a teleportation talisman. Xiao Feng seized the opportunity to break free from the contract, the Emperor Flame erupting and burning the remaining system patches to ash. Medusa looked at him, the confusion in her eyes gradually dissipating. "Young Master Xiao... I am sorry, I seem to have..."

"It is fine." Xiao Feng gave a bitter smile. "It was Hun Dan who pulled the strings." He turned to look at Xiao Yan, who was clutching his stomach, laughing until he was out of breath.

"Finished laughing?" Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to help me explain?"

Xiao Yan suppressed his laughter and bowed to Medusa. "Your Majesty, it was all a misunderstanding! My brother, he... is allergic to snakes!"

"When did I ever..."

"Shut up!" Xiao Yan sent a telepathic message. "If you don't want to be pressured into marriage, just play along!"

Medusa looked at the two of them suspiciously, eventually waving her hand to signal the snake-people to retreat. "Regarding today's events, my Snake-People Kingdom owes the Xiao family a favor. But as for the Emperor Flame, I will still find you to 'discuss' it." After she finished speaking, she flicked her tail and left, leaving a faint, lingering scent in the air.

Xun Er walked up and handed over an antidote. "Brother Xiao, let us treat your wounds first."

Xiao Yi Xian crowded in as well. "I have a newly refined 'Hundred-Poison Immunity Pill,' Brother Xiao, would you like to try it?"

Yun Yun took out a healing scroll from the White Cloud Sect. "Young Master Xiao, let me bandage you."

Xiao Yan watched this scene, which resembled a battlefield of romantic rivals, and couldn't help but cover his face. "Third Brother, you are about to host a 'Harem Convention'!"

Xiao Feng looked at the three young women with a headache, suddenly recalling the sinister grin Hun Dan had worn before leaving. He put aside his playful mood and said sternly, "Hun Dan will not give up. The King Nine-Nether in the Soul Burial Abyss may awaken at any time. We must find the remaining Ancient Emperor Jade fragments as soon as possible to summon the true form of the Emperor Flame."

Xun Er nodded. "The Gu Clan possesses a 'Burning Heaven Chapter' fragment; my father once mentioned it. If we can persuade my father..."

"I will go with you," Xiao Feng said. "And I will take the opportunity to apologize to Senior Gu Yuan. Ever since we parted at the teleportation array..."

"Wait!" Xiao Yan suddenly raised his hand. "I'm going too!"

"What are you going for?" Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow.

Xiao Yan grinned. "To watch the show! In case you catch someone's eye in the Gu Clan again, I need to be there to remind you—don't forget, you are a man with a 'Master-Servant Contract'!"

The system notification chime rang:

Ding! Host has initiated the "Gu Clan Marriage Proposal" side quest and obtained the "Brother's Responsibility" buff (Charisma +20%, but will attract more misunderstandings).

In the night wind of the desert, Xiao Feng looked at the cunning in his brother's eyes and suddenly felt an ominous premonition. Perhaps, just as Xiao Yan said, this was all a system bug, but regardless, he had to protect those around him, even if... he had to face countless headache-inducing "romantic tribulations."

"Let's go." He sighed. "First, we resolve the Ancient Emperor Jade fragments, then we deal with these... misunderstandings."

Xiao Yan followed behind, secretly sending a telepathic message to Yao Lao: "I bet five bottles of Green Scale Grass Liquid that when Third Brother goes to the Gu Clan this time, he will gain at least one more confidante."

Yao Lao chuckled. "You're on. I guess it will be the daughter of one of the Gu Clan elders?"

"No," Xiao Yan's eyes burned with intensity. "I bet it's Senior Gu Yuan's foster daughter—that mysterious 'Miss Gu Ling'."

Moonlight spilled across the sandy ground, stretching their shadows long. No one noticed Queen Medusa hiding behind a sand dune, her fingertips gently brushing the Emperor Flame mark on her chest, a faint, imperceptible smile curling her lips...