The Birds Keep Ringing Chapter 10
byChapter 10: Seeking Riches Amidst Danger!
The moment they returned, Master immediately grabbed Jiang Zhi’s sleeve. “Second Disciple, what happened? Are you hurt?”
Yun Zhen rarely saw Master behave like this. After all, disciples were like chives in the field—cut one batch and another would grow—though their particular field was rather barren, with chives growing sparsely.
Logically, Master’s usual reaction to such an event should be to stroke his beard, pinch his fingers to calculate, and then say with an air of detachment, “When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility upon a man, it will first test his resolve, and exhaust his muscles and bones…”
Yun Zhen’s heart began to pound. He wondered, “Could Lu Feng’s sword have been poisoned? Although they are a prominent martial arts family and a righteous sect, who knows? In storybooks, those seemingly upright righteous figures often commit many despicable acts behind the scenes.”
“It’s just a flesh wound.” Jiang Zhi hurriedly rescued his sleeve from Master’s grasp.
Master seemed relieved and earnestly advised, “Second Disciple, if you were to fall, what would become of us? Your junior brother’s martial arts are terrible; he can’t even beat a stray cat. And your senior brother…”
“Chirp!” Yun Zhen protested.
It was clearly the cat that launched a sneak attack! It had no martial virtue!
Master stopped mid-sentence, as if suddenly remembering something, and looked around. “Where is your senior brother?”
Wen Wan poked her head out from behind the door and raised a hand. “Reporting, Senior Brother said his chest felt constricted and he needed to go out for a stroll to clear his mind.”
“Clear his mind?” Master’s beard bristled with anger. “Why is he clearing his mind at a time like this? I think his mind has scattered entirely!”
Yun Zhen flew onto the table to watch the commotion, preening his feathers with his beak.
It was perfectly normal for Senior Brother to be absent. This kind of martial arts assembly, filled with experts, attracted passionate young heroes and heroines of the jianghu, all eager to showcase their skills and perhaps meet a confidant, be they male or female. Senior Brother, a veteran of romance, must have been ready to make his move long ago.
Yun Zhen suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility: Could Senior Brother have set his sights on Lu Feng?
An arrogant young master like Lu Feng was the type most likely to ignite certain people’s desire for conquest. Senior Brother seemed to enjoy challenging those who appeared impossible to win over.
Yun Zhen imagined the scene.
Senior Brother, fanning himself, would wink at Lu Feng: “Young Master Lu, your garden is truly vast. Might this humble one have the honor of enjoying the spring scenery within the garden with you?”
Lu Feng would smile faintly: “Brother Xiao, you jest. The spring scenery in the garden is not even one ten-thousandth as captivating as Brother Xiao’s charm.”
Then the two would exchange glances, speaking back and forth until the atmosphere grew ambiguous. Finally, under the dark night sky, two lonely men…
Too horrifying. Yun Zhen shook his feathers, shedding a layer of goosebumps.
“Forget it, forget it.” Master waved his hand. “None of you are easy to deal with. Second Disciple, come inside with me. I need to examine your wound.”
“No need.” Jiang Zhi turned and walked away.
Master tried to follow but tripped over the threshold. He held onto the door frame and shouted exasperatedly, “Are your wings hardened now! You won’t even listen to your Master!”
Yun Zhen thought, the one who truly grew wings is me.
Back in the room, Jiang Zhi lit a lamp, removed his outer robe and his blood-soaked undergarment, leaving his upper body bare.
Yun Zhen landed on the table, tilting his head to stare at him.
Logically, he should avert his gaze, as propriety dictates, to show his innocence.
But innocence was usually something only those with guilty consciences needed to prove. Yun Zhen felt he had no guilty conscience; a bird watching a person undress was not lewdness, just as a person watching a bird bathe was not voyeurism.
So, he could look openly, righteously, and legitimately.
Jiang Zhi had an excellent physique—not the superficial kind, but the lean, toned muscle developed through years of martial arts practice. The cut was on his arm, not large, but very deep.
Yun Zhen watched, and his face began to feel hot. Fortunately, he was a bird now, so no one could see him blush. After watching a little longer, the wound startled him, and he forgot about blushing.
The shape of a wound was very telling, and although Yun Zhen’s martial arts were terrible, he had this much discernment. A clean, precise wound indicated a very strong opponent, one strong enough to control their force with ease and precision. If the wound was a bloody mess, it meant the opponent was a brute who only used raw strength.
Lu Feng clearly belonged to the former—an expert among experts.
Jiang Zhi took out a medicine bottle and bandages from his luggage and skillfully began to clean, apply medicine, and bandage the wound, as if treating a piece of flesh unrelated to himself.
The man was clearly injured, yet he didn’t utter a sound, as if the injury belonged to someone else. Yun Zhen’s eyelids twitched, and his claws tightened. He felt the base of his own wings ache in sympathy.
He suspected that Jiang Zhi was either born without a sense of pain, his nerves completely numb, or he had sustained so many injuries since childhood that he had become accustomed to the pain.
This thought made Yun Zhen feel a little uneasy. He recalled what his Senior Sister had said: Master had found Jiang Zhi in a mass grave, barely alive.
He himself had been pampered since childhood, living in luxury. When unhappy, he would throw a tantrum, making everyone cater to him. He couldn’t imagine what one must endure to become like this.
Jiang Zhi changed into a clean outfit, blew out the lamp, and prepared for sleep.
Yun Zhen flapped his wings and flew onto the pillow, settling down near his neck.
The human neck was the fastest place to dissipate heat, and also the warmest. He was a bird, and birds naturally seek warmth and avoid cold. It was instinct. It wasn’t that he wanted to cling to Jiang Zhi; it was biological instinct, and he couldn’t control it.
Yun Zhen found himself a perfect excuse and tucked his head into his wings with a clear conscience.
In his dream, smoke swirled. A white-bearded old man stood with his back to him, possessing the air of an immortal, with the hair of a crane and the face of a child.
Yun Zhen was excited. Here it comes! The classic trope from storybooks: a master offering guidance! This must be the legendary Half-Immortal!
He cleared his throat, ready to bow and offer some polite words like, “Junior Yun Zhen offers his respects.”
The old man turned around on his own.
“…”
“Master?” Yun Zhen’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What, did you think it was the Grand Supreme Elder?” Master blew on his beard. “That venerable one is busy with myriad affairs, booked until next year. Seeing your pitiful state, I came to resolve your confusion on his behalf.”
“What exactly are you playing at?” Yun Zhen gritted his teeth. “Was it you who turned me into a bird?!”
Master stroked his beard and said solemnly, “Zhen’er, don’t rush. I’ll keep it brief. Do you know why, for the past few centuries, so many have sought cultivation, yet none have achieved ascension?”
“Because their masters are all charlatans like you,” Yun Zhen said bluntly.
Master sighed and said earnestly, “It’s because the spiritual energy has been ruined by humans.”
“Ruined by humans?”
“Yes.” Master nodded. “Think about it, why are those famous mountains and great rivers rich in spiritual energy? It’s not because the mountains are high and the water is good, but because the birds and beasts on those mountains absorb the essence of the sun and moon daily. Over time, they naturally develop spirituality. As they cultivate for centuries, the spiritual energy grows denser, and the entire mountain benefits.”
Master continued, “Later, the major sects, for the sake of their own cultivation, drove away or even killed those spiritual animals and occupied their territory. Without these Spiritual Beasts, the spiritual energy naturally dispersed. It’s like lighting a fire in a room; when the fire is strong, the room is warm, but once the fire goes out, the room naturally becomes cold.”
Yun Zhen was stunned. “There’s such a theory?”
Master grew angrier as he spoke. “Later, some clever people discovered this secret and started capturing those spiritual animals, throwing them into furnaces to refine elixirs! Think about it, a fox cultivates for hundreds of years, only to be caught, thrown into a furnace, and stewed into a pill, which is then swallowed by a person. How unjust is that!”
A scene suddenly flashed through Yun Zhen’s mind: the rare birds and exotic beasts in Lu Feng’s backyard, the snow-white eagle, the snarling red fox…
He shivered.
“The Xie Family…” Yun Zhen’s voice trembled slightly. “Is the Xie Family like that? Is that right?”
Master nodded. “They claim to cherish Spiritual Beasts on the surface, but in reality, they are just fattening them up for the slaughter.”
Yun Zhen recalled what Lu Feng had told him: “I have collected these Spiritual Beasts over many years. Although I know it’s not right to keep them confined here, I truly can’t bear to let them go…”
Hypocritical, sanctimonious!
Master lowered his voice. “The Lu Family Patriarch’s sister is a favored Imperial Consort in the palace. In half a month, it will be the Consort’s fortieth birthday, and the Emperor is throwing a grand banquet for her. The Lu Family is currently busy preparing gifts to celebrate her birthday.”
Yun Zhen gasped. The Lu Family was so blatant because they had the backing of the Imperial Family; they were true relatives of the Emperor. This meant that no matter how excessive their actions were, the Emperor could settle everything with a single word from the Consort.
He remembered how he had been happily cozying up on Lu Feng’s shoulder earlier, and a wave of fear washed over him. If he were caught and thrown into a furnace, he would truly become a braised fat chirper.
“What does this have to do with me?” Yun Zhen swallowed, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. “Master, tell me honestly, why did you turn me into a bird?!”
“It has everything to do with you!” Master said. “This is my brilliant plan! Zhen’er, think about it. Now the entire martial arts world knows that our Flowing Cloud Sect has been blessed with an Auspice, which is you, this bird. Can the Lu Family sit still?”
Master stroked his beard proudly. “Tell me, when they see you, won’t they be tempted?”
Yun Zhen suddenly understood. “You want me to be a spy?”
“Clever!” Master nodded approvingly. “Truly worthy of being my good disciple.”
“Are you insane?!” Yun Zhen exploded. “Do you know how hot a refining furnace is? I’ll be roasted alive! I’m still so young, and I haven’t even gotten married yet! I don’t want to become roast suckling bird!”
“Don’t get agitated, don’t get agitated.” Master quickly soothed him. “At tomorrow’s Martial Arts Assembly, the Lu Family will undoubtedly try every means to obtain you. At that time, I will go with the flow and present you to Lu Feng as an Auspice. Once they have you, they will be ecstatic and will quickly take you to their elixir refining location. You just fly towards the place with the densest spiritual energy—that will be their lair! At that point…”
A sharp glint flashed in Master’s eyes. “I will have people shout that the Spiritual Bird has sensed demonic energy, and we will follow closely behind. In front of all the martial artists, we will expose their true nature of refining elixirs with living creatures! By then, the Lu Family’s reputation will be ruined, and everyone will turn against them! They naturally won’t be able to keep the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader.”
Yun Zhen listened, dumbfounded. The plan sounded decent, but…
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Yun Zhen demanded angrily. “I’ve been terrified these past few days, thinking I’d have to be a bird for the rest of my life!”
Master scratched his head sheepishly. “If this plan of mine failed, we wouldn’t even receive an invitation. Wouldn’t that be a waste of effort and embarrassing? Besides…”
He mumbled softly, “If I told you beforehand, and your acting wasn’t good enough, what if the Lu Family saw through you? Look at you today, perched on Lu Feng’s shoulder, rubbing against him—how natural that looked! I almost thought you had genuinely defected.”
Yun Zhen: “…So I was kept in the dark like an idiot, knowing nothing?”
“This is called…” Master argued confidently, “This is called ignorance is bliss. If you knew, you would be nervous, and nervousness leads to exposure.”
“Senior Brother and the others don’t know either?” Yun Zhen asked.
“Your Second Disciple knows,” Master said. “I needed his cooperation, so I told him in advance. As for the Eldest… he probably has a good guess. Only your Senior Sister doesn’t know. She’s too soft-hearted; if she knew, she’d definitely argue with me.”
“What do you need Jiang Zhi to cooperate with you on?”
“To hold back, of course, so he doesn’t accidentally become the Martial Arts Alliance Leader.”
“…”
Yun Zhen suddenly recalled Jiang Zhi’s fight with Lu Feng today. Although it was to save him, with Jiang Zhi’s strength, Lu Feng shouldn’t have been able to injure him easily.
Master composed himself and looked seriously at Yun Zhen. “Zhen’er, I came tonight to ask for your opinion. This matter carries risk, and I cannot force you. If you are willing, we will proceed. If not, we will treat this as a trip for free food, drink, and loot. We’ll eat our fill, dust off our clothes, and leave. No one will be able to stop us.”
Yun Zhen fell silent.
Honestly, he wanted to curse Master for being an old liar, using him as a pawn without even a heads-up. But then he thought of those poor animals, captured and locked in cages, only to be thrown into a furnace and refined into elixirs…
He remembered the red fox, and the ferocity and despair in its eyes—that wasn’t wildness, it was the instinct for survival.
And… what a huge opportunity to show off!
If successful, he, Yun Zhen, would be the famous Divine Bird Hero of the jianghu! Wherever he went, people would point at him and say, “Look, that’s Yun Zhen, the Hero who bravely infiltrated the Lu Family back then!”
Storytellers would weave his deeds into storybooks and sing them everywhere. “The tale goes that on that day, Yun Zhen ventured alone deep into the enemy camp…”
Young women would look at him with admiration and say, “Hero Yun is so amazing!”
Just imagining those scenes made Yun Zhen’s blood boil.
But on the other hand…
He thought of the refining furnace again.
The fire in a refining furnace was no ordinary fire; it was Earth Fire, with terrifyingly high temperatures. If a person fell in, they would instantly turn to ash, leaving no bone fragments behind.
If he, such a small bird, were to actually fall in…
“I…” Yun Zhen hesitated.
On one side was the Divine Bird Hero famous throughout the land, and on the other was an internally and externally charred roast suckling bird.
“Master, I have one more question,” Yun Zhen asked. “How can you be sure they will take me to the refining room? What if they just lock me up and plan to slowly fatten me up before killing me? Wouldn’t I have to stay at the Lu Family for a long time?”
“They won’t,” Master shook his head. “The Imperial Consort’s birthday banquet is in half a month, and the Lu Family is currently lacking a key ingredient. Your arrival as a divine beast is perfectly timed. Tomorrow is also the night of the full moon, when spiritual energy is at its peak. They definitely won’t miss this opportunity.”
Yun Zhen clicked his tongue in wonder. “Master, you’ve calculated this quite precisely.”
“Of course,” Master stroked his beard. “This is called strategizing within a command tent and achieving victory a thousand miles away.”
Yun Zhen thought about it. His heart was still churning, but the temptation of becoming famous throughout the land kept stirring him.
Fine, seeking riches amidst danger!
Which protagonist in a storybook didn’t succeed after enduring eighty-one trials? If he wanted to become a hero, he had to experience some storms.
Author’s Note:
No animals were harmed during the filming of this segment [pity]