The Birds Keep Ringing Chapter 12
byWhen they arrived at the guest courtyard’s main hall, everyone else was already waiting there.
Master was talking to the steward, his face plastered with a fawning smile. Yun Zhen was all too familiar with that expression; his father had to smile like that every time he visited the prefect.
At the time, Yun Zhen didn’t understand why his father, whose Yun Family was wealthy enough to rival a region, still had to act like a subservient grandson. It was only after reading some classical texts that he understood the sages’ meaning: under the heavens, all land belongs to the king. Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants were at the bottom rung. The richer one was, the more one had to tread carefully.
Xiao Fengzhi was leaning against a pillar without any proper posture, his eyelids drooping, looking utterly distracted. He probably hadn’t slept well last night, off God knows where carousing again. Wen Wan, however, was relaxed, squatting by the pond feeding the goldfish. The fish were round as glutinous rice balls, mouths agape waiting to be fed, so fat they couldn’t even jump. They likely wouldn’t leap over the dragon gate in this lifetime.
“Second Brother, you’re finally here!” Master shouted as soon as he saw Jiang Zhi. “The Martial Arts Assembly is about to start! We need to hurry and grab a good spot!”
Grab a spot? This wasn’t like rushing to the market to buy cabbage; did they need to queue?
“I need to go out,” Jiang Zhi said.
“Go out? What is so urgent that it must be done now!” Master stamped his foot in agitation. “Leave the bird! I’ll watch it for you! This is our Sect-Protecting Divine Beast; we need it to make an impression later!”
“It’s coming too,” Jiang Zhi said.
Master opened his mouth, then deflated, waving his hand in tragic resignation: “Fine, fine, go quickly and come back soon. Don’t miss the main event!”
Yun Zhen excitedly perched on Jiang Zhi’s shoulder. He had been wanting to go out and explore. Luoyang City was such a magnificent place; half the stories in the novels happened here. Either the protagonist met a noble person, or the villain was chopped down.
Jiang Zhi exited the Lu Family gate. The young attendant at the door, assuming he was a disciple of a major sect, quickly led over a magnificent black horse.
Yun Zhen muttered internally: Where is this person going? He’s not thinking of running away, is he? Logically, he wasn’t the type to fear death.
Luoyang City’s streets were wide, and pedestrians flowed like weaving threads. Yun Zhen’s attention was quickly drawn to the vendors on both sides. There were sellers of candied hawthorns, monkey performers, and a man selling cure-all pills, bare-chested and spitting saliva as he claimed his medicine could restore the vigor of an eighty-year-old man. Many people watched, but no one paid.
Finally, they stopped outside a shop.
The shop looked quite impressive. The sign read: “Wang’s Tailor Shop – Professional Customization, Fair to All.”
Yun Zhen scoffed inwardly. Those who claimed to be “Fair to All” usually targeted the young and old. He had been fooled often as a child.
The shopkeeper, a lean man in his forties, was rapidly clicking an abacus. Seeing Jiang Zhi enter, he immediately put down the abacus and greeted him with a beaming smile: “Customer, are you looking for clothes? We just received several bolts of fine Suzhou-Hangzhou silk…”
He lowered his voice, showing off mysteriously: “Just last month, the prefect’s great-grandfather passed away, and that burial robe was made right here! The prefect was extremely satisfied.”
Yun Zhen thought, what time is it, and Jiang Zhi is still buying clothes? Why is this person so vain?
And this shopkeeper was odd enough to advertise with a burial robe; wasn’t he afraid of bad luck? But then Yun Zhen reconsidered: it was hard to earn money from the living, who were picky. The dead were different; they never complained, resulting in one hundred percent satisfaction.
“Make a set of casual clothes,” Jiang Zhi said, pulling a small silver ingot from his sleeve and placing it on the counter.
“Wonderful!” The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up. He pocketed the silver and took out a measuring tape. “Customer, shall I take your measurements?”
Jiang Zhi gave him a cold look, and the shopkeeper’s hand froze mid-air.
Then, Jiang Zhi recited a string of measurements.
As Yun Zhen listened, his bird eyes widened. Weren’t those his measurements!
Jiang Zhi was making clothes for him?
He did need a set of clothes. He was about to become a famous hero; he couldn’t run around naked.
Besides, constantly wearing Jiang Zhi’s clothes wasn’t ideal; they were a bit too big. Yun Zhen firmly believed he was still growing and would one day be taller than Jiang Zhi. Then he could look down at this stoic face and make him crane his neck to speak to him. The thought alone was exhilarating.
But then again, how did Jiang Zhi know his measurements? Did he secretly measure him all over while he was asleep? That was too strange.
Yun Zhen pondered for a moment and decided that all masters were like this. They could glance at someone and know the exact location of every pressure point, let alone mere body size. Perhaps his Second Senior Brother had already measured him from head to toe, even counting how many eyelashes he had.
“Alright,” the shopkeeper scribbled quickly. “When would you like to pick it up?”
“Tonight.”
“Tonight?” The shopkeeper looked troubled. “Customer, that’s too rushed. Our tailors are skilled, but this…”
Jiang Zhi pulled out another silver ingot and placed it on the counter.
“Done!” The shopkeeper’s eyes went wide. He tucked the silver into the drawer. “It will be ready by the hour of You (5-7 PM)!”
The shopkeeper brought out a pile of samples, covering the entire table. “What color would you like? We have every color. Moon white is popular lately, and dark green is also nice.”
Jiang Zhi’s hand finally stopped on a piece of red silk—a very true, bright red, the same color as the spring couplets pasted during the New Year.
Yun Zhen looked at the red cloth, and his entire bird self felt unwell.
“Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!” (No red!)
He squawked desperately, flapping his wings to fly off Jiang Zhi’s shoulder, landing on a piece of black cloth. He gripped it tightly with his two small claws, flapping his wings vigorously, terrified that others wouldn’t see him.
Black! It must be black!
He was about to become the renowned Divine Bird Hero of the martial arts world. How could he wear bright red? That was so flashy! A black outfit, paired with a sword, standing under the moonlight with a flick of his long hair—that was the definition of dashing and elegant.
Red was for young wives! It was for those dissolute young masters who only knew how to indulge in pleasure!
Yun Zhen hopped and jumped on the black cloth until it wrinkled. He even started pecking at the red cloth with his beak, trying to shred it.
The shopkeeper stared, bewildered: “Customer, is your bird… sick? I heard there’s a bird plague in the city lately; many birds have died. My aunt’s parrot was fine a few days ago, but it died yesterday. Should you find a doctor?”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhi’s expression changed.
He quickly grabbed Yun Zhen, ignoring his desperate struggles, and stuffed him back inside his inner robe.
“I want red.”
“Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!” (I don’t want red! I want black! Black! Black!)
Yun Zhen was still struggling, his two small claws kicking wildly against Jiang Zhi’s chest.
Jiang Zhi pressed down on his fluffy head. The force was light but firm enough to immobilize him without hurting him.
“Yes, yes, yes.” The shopkeeper quickly gathered the samples. “Very well, please go about your business. I will arrange this immediately and guarantee it will be made beautifully for you!”
Yun Zhen was trembling with anger, but his current attack power was close to zero. He could only turn his head away resentfully, ignoring this stoic-faced man with terrible taste.
He hated red the most in this life!
When he was little, during the New Year, his mother insisted on dressing him in a bright red padded jacket, claiming it was festive, and tied his hair into two little knots pointing skyward. Young Yun Zhen was adorable, like carved jade, but as soon as he stepped out, he was surrounded by neighbors. A group of aunties clustered around him:
“Oh, Madam Yun, your daughter is so pretty!”
“Yes, yes, she’s even cuter than the girl on the New Year’s painting!”
From that day on, Yun Zhen swore he would never wear red again!
Leaving the tailor shop, Jiang Zhi mounted the horse. Yun Zhen flew out of his embrace in a huff and landed on the horse’s head. The horse snorted, perhaps displeased with this fluffy, uninvited guest. Yun Zhen nearly slipped off and quickly gripped the horse’s mane with his claws.
The mane was stiff and pricked his claws, but he refused to return to Jiang Zhi. This was his last shred of dignity as the Divine Bird Hero.
The man and the bird stubbornly held their ground, walking back in silence.
The venue for the Martial Arts Assembly was an open field at the foot of the mountain. Tall viewing stands were erected around the perimeter, with a massive fighting platform in the center.
It was already packed with people—a sea of humanity. Martial artists from all walks of life had arrived, a dense, spectacular crowd.
Looking around, sects like Qingcheng, Diancang, Kongtong—all the famous and obscure ones were present. They wore colorful sect uniforms, flashy and fluttering, with various slogans written on the banners waving in the wind.
This hardly looked like a Martial Arts Assembly. If not for the weapons hanging from their waists, one might think a theater troupe was rehearsing here. Some people had even set up gambling tables outside the arena, shouting: “Lu Feng versus Xie Xiaoming! Place your bets now!”
Master and the others had already secured their spot in the fifth row—an excellent location with a wide view, and most importantly, closest to the free snack table.
Master held a plate of osmanthus cakes in one hand, crumbs covering his mouth, and waved the other hand at Jiang Zhi, signaling him to come over.
Wen Wan advised him nearby: “Master, take it easy. Don’t upset your stomach.”
Master replied self-righteously, “These are all free! It’s a waste not to eat them!”
Xiao Fengzhi said weakly, “Master, could you please stop embarrassing us? Everyone is looking at you.”
“Let them look, what’s there to fear!” Master was unconcerned. “We have always been unconventional. Besides, if they look at me, it means I have charisma.”
“…”
Seeing Jiang Zhi approach, Master breathed a sigh of relief, quickly stuffing the remaining osmanthus cake into his mouth. He mumbled indistinctly, “You finally made it. Any later and you would have missed it.”
He lowered his voice and whispered conspiratorially, “I already drew the lot for you. Heaven Group number one. Don’t try too hard when you go up. Just go through the motions. Absolutely do not cripple anyone; I can’t afford the medical bills.”
Master wanted to give a few more instructions, but a booming voice echoed from the stage.
“Fellow martial artists, heroes, and champions! Welcome to this year’s Martial Arts Assembly!”
It was Lu Feng.
He stood on the fighting platform, smiling warmly, looking completely harmless. The sunlight shone on him, making him glow like an immortal descended from heaven.
If Yun Zhen hadn’t known the script beforehand, he might have been fooled by this facade.
He heard a girl nearby whisper, “Young Master Lu is so handsome. I wish I could marry him.”
Another girl pouted, “You’re dreaming. Young Master Lu is going to be the Martial Arts Alliance Leader. If he marries, it will be a princess or a county mistress. Why would he look at a bean sprout like you?”
Yun Zhen muttered internally: These mortals. Lu Feng is a gilded cage of corruption. He wouldn’t take him even if he were free.
“On behalf of the Lu Family, I welcome everyone to Luoyang. The martial world has been peaceful for a long time, and we must remain vigilant. The purpose of this assembly is to exchange skills, meet friends through martial arts, and stop before causing serious harm…”
Yun Zhen felt like yawning.
“…Therefore, the rules for this Martial Arts Assembly will be changed,” Lu Feng continued. “To ensure fairness, each participating sect may only send one person to compete. All participants will draw lots and be divided into Heaven and Earth groups. The top contender from each group will be determined internally.”
“What? Only one person per sect? Then I came here for nothing!”
“That’s a new rule. Didn’t we always have round-robin matches in previous years?”
The crowd below buzzed with discussion, but Lu Feng ignored it. He smiled slightly: “The two winners will then compete with me for the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader!”
At this, the crowd erupted.
The meaning was clear: the people below were here to compete for second and third place. As for the champion, it had already been decided.
“That’s not right, is it? Shouldn’t the Alliance Leader himself be the one defending the title?”
“Shhh… keep your voice down. I heard the previous Alliance Leader suffered a Cultivation Deviation while practicing and is now paralyzed.”
It seemed the change in leadership was not just a rumor but a confirmed fact.
“I, Lu, am unworthy, but I am willing to be the brick that draws out the jade. If any hero can defeat me, the Lu Family will gladly yield the position of Alliance Leader without a second word!”
Yun Zhen rolled his eyes. What was the difference between this and pulling down your pants to fart? The rules were set by them, the lots were drawn by them, and the platform was built by them. After all that circling, didn’t the Lu Family still call the shots?
After speaking, Lu Feng elegantly took his seat in the Alliance Leader’s position.
A white-bearded old man walked onto the stage, cleared his throat, and unfolded the list in his hand.
“Heaven Group, first match.”
He read out two names: “Flowing Cloud Sect, Jiang Zhi.”
“Versus—”
“Sword Forging Manor, Xie Xiaoming.”
What a coincidence? Jiang Zhi’s first opponent was Young Master Xie? This was truly a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road!
Yun Zhen shook his feathers gleefully. Now the show was about to begin!
Author’s Note:
Please pick Red or Black [Pity]