The Birds Keep Ringing Chapter 6
byChapter 6 The Sixth Chapter: A First Kiss in a Dream is Still a First Kiss.
The moment this thought surfaced, he immediately strangled it.
Too spineless.
Yun Zhen struggled, wanting to change his posture to appear less than entirely comfortable, or at least to show a little heroic, unyielding integrity. But Jiang Zhi, likely thinking he was cold, tucked him further into his embrace.
“…”
Forget it.
Yun Zhen found an excuse for himself: The saying goes, “Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without peril.” He was currently deep behind enemy lines, observing the foe up close.
As the Art of War states: The most dangerous place is the safest place. By the same logic, the arms of his enemy were the most… the warmest place.
Master had taught him the true meaning of the character for “endurance” (忍), a blade suspended over the heart; to retreat an inch is to fail to endure. Yun Zhen felt he was enduring greatly now, reaching a new level of patience. As for advancing an inch?
Advancing an inch would mean falling asleep.
Just as Yun Zhen was fighting the sandman and nearing the end of his patience, a rustling sound came from ahead.
A rabbit darted out of the bushes, one hind leg dragging limply on the ground, hopping forward awkwardly.
Yun Zhen thought, is there something wrong with the feng shui of this mountain? Famous mountains and great rivers should be filled with spiritual energy and auspicious signs. Why were all the animals he encountered here more miserable than the last—all disabled individuals, no, disabled beasts.
Jiang Zhi suddenly stopped.
Yun Zhen poked his head out from a gap in Jiang Zhi’s robes and saw the rabbit struggling to squeeze into an inconspicuous cave. The entrance was covered by vines, making it impossible to spot without looking closely.
Yun Zhen wondered: Is Jiang Zhi going to be nosy and worry about a rabbit’s leg? When did this person become so compassionate? Does he like fluffy things?
Yun Zhen instinctively ruffled his own feathers.
No, no, Jiang Zhi wasn’t that kind of person. He was uninterested in everything, belonging to the “six senses purified, four great elements empty” category.
Besides, how bald was this mountain? Even trees refused to grow here, which showed how heavy this person’s killing intent was.
But Jiang Zhi walked toward the cave anyway. He pushed aside the vines and stepped inside.
According to the rules of storybooks, such a place either hid a peerless secret manual or the remains of a predecessor, usually accompanied by a dying wish like, “Successor, inherit my mantle and avenge me.” At the very least, there should be a treasure chest containing good things like thousand-year-old ginseng or an ultimate divine weapon.
Instead, the small cave was filled with a group of animals lying haphazardly, like a martial arts convention.
A hawk with a broken wing was tilting its head, lying on the ground next to a blind wolf. It was unclear if they were sleeping or dead.
There was also a squirrel with a bald tail, curled up in the corner, looking very depressed. Yun Zhen could understand its feelings; a squirrel without a tail was like a man without hair—it didn’t affect basic function, but something felt missing.
The most pathetic was the wild boar missing a leg. Wild boars weren’t particularly intelligent animals to begin with, and now missing a leg, it had lost what little dignity it had. It lay on the ground, eyes vacant, drooling slightly.
Yun Zhen looked at this room full of “crippled soldiers and defeated generals.” This wasn’t a martial arts convention; this was clearly where the villains, beaten half to death by the protagonist group after the convention ended, were huddling together for warmth.
Senior Sister Wen Wan was squatting on the ground, carefully applying medicine to a hedgehog, mumbling, “Be good, it won’t hurt, it will be better tomorrow after the medicine.”
The hedgehog was docile in her hands, motionless, allowing her to do as she pleased, its quills all soft and drooping.
Yun Zhen was dumbfounded.
A hedgehog? How did this thing get injured? Did it accidentally prick itself?
Hearing the noise, Wen Wan looked up. “Second Senior Brother, why are you here?”
Wen Wan looked a little guilty, as if she had been caught doing something secret.
Yun Zhen suddenly understood.
So Senior Sister had been raising these animals in the mountains all along. He had previously wondered why she was always sneaking off down the mountain, thinking she was going to meet some sweetheart.
Yun Zhen felt he had truly been blind before. He had actually suspected someone as kind as his Senior Sister.
As he was lamenting, he saw the civet cat that had chased him to the ends of the earth lying lazily at his Senior Sister’s feet. His Senior Sister occasionally reached out to stroke its chin, and the cat purred contentedly.
He had thought it was some wild beast. It turned out to be a house cat! A pampered house cat with an owner, full of energy, whose sole purpose was bullying birds!
Yun Zhen now wished he could rush over and peck the cat’s face, but he looked at his small body, then at the cat’s size, and wisely abandoned the idea.
The cat sensed his gaze, looked up, and meowed at him.
It sounded like it was saying: What, got a problem?
Yun Zhen gnashed his beak in fury.
If he were human right now, he would definitely complain to his Senior Sister, telling her how the cat bullied him, and ask her to teach it a good lesson. But unfortunately, he couldn’t speak now. He could only chirp a few times, which sounded completely unthreatening, and more like he was trying to be cute.
Jiang Zhi’s gaze swept over the animals. He walked up to the blind wolf and squatted down.
The wolf alertly bared its teeth, letting out a low growl, sounding ready to pounce and bite at any moment.
Yun Zhen shivered in fear and closed his eyes. He could already imagine the scene of blood splattering.
Even though the wolf was blind, a skinny camel was still bigger than a horse. What if it went mad and bit off Jiang Zhi’s hand?
If Jiang Zhi’s hand was bitten off, how would that affect him? It seemed it wouldn’t. It might even be a good thing. With one hand gone, Jiang Zhi’s martial arts would be crippled, and he wouldn’t be able to bully him anymore.
But after waiting for a long time, nothing happened.
Yun Zhen secretly opened one eye and saw Jiang Zhi’s hand resting on the wolf’s head, as if comforting an injured child.
The wolf didn’t bite him.
Not only did it not bite, it even rubbed its head against Jiang Zhi’s palm, making “woo-woo” sounds. It sounded like a dog begging for affection, completely lacking the fierce look it had moments ago.
Was that still a wolf? That was clearly a dog! And a spineless dog at that!
What Yun Zhen found even harder to accept was that Jiang Zhi was so gentle with a wolf. This could only mean one thing: in Jiang Zhi’s eyes, he was probably worth less than a blind wolf.
Yun Zhen was deeply hurt.
He sulked in Jiang Zhi’s arms, watching Jiang Zhi stroke the wolf for a while, then pull out a small porcelain bottle from his robes and hand it to Wen Wan.
“Trauma Medicine.”
Wen Wan took it and said, “Thank you.”
When she saw Yun Zhen, her eyes lit up. “Oh, this bird is so cute.”
Yun Zhen instinctively puffed out his chest. Although he was a bird now, being praised as cute was still gratifying.
He had always relied on his looks. In the past, the tutors who first met him would also praise him for being cute.
Well, only the first time.
Wen Wan examined Yun Zhen closely. “Why does he look so puffed up?”
She stared at Yun Zhen for a moment, then suddenly laughed. “He’s so fat, Second Senior Brother. You need to feed him less, or he won’t be able to fly.”
“…”
He took back what he just said. Not gratifying, not gratifying at all.
What did she mean, “so fat”? He was plump! He was prosperous! Besides, what if he was fat? Did he eat your millet?
But it was Jiang Zhi who fed him, he didn’t ask for it!
Jiang Zhi handed the bird over. “It seems to be injured.”
Wen Wan took Yun Zhen and gently stroked his head. “Little guy, why are you so scared? Your feathers are all bristled.”
She checked him carefully, turning him over and over, making Yun Zhen feel embarrassed. Being handled like this felt strange.
Perhaps it was because the cat was still watching nearby. The cat had a smug expression, as if saying: You’re so fat, you think you can fly? Dream on.
“He’s fine, just startled. He just needs a good rest when you get back. But Second Senior Brother, you really should feed him less. This bird is too fat, it’s not good for his health.”
Yun Zhen: “Chirp!” (I’m not fat!)
“Quite the temper,” Wen Wan chuckled.
Jiang Zhi took Yun Zhen back and turned to leave. Before leaving, Yun Zhen deliberately looked back and chirped at the cat.
Yun Zhen thought: Although Senior Sister keeps a cat, her flaws don’t overshadow her merits. Her willingness to care for these injured animals proves she is a good person. She definitely wouldn’t be the one who turned me into a bird.
Back in the room, Yun Zhen was placed back in the small nest made of soft cloth on the table. The entire bird melted into a puddle, lying motionless in the nest.
The ordeal had exhausted him. From being chased by a cat to nearly being stabbed to death by a sword, this one night’s experience was more thrilling than his entire previous life combined.
Jiang Zhi glanced at him and turned to pour water.
Yun Zhen lay there, secretly peeking at the damaged page of the Daoist Principle of Nature on the table.
The book was open, missing many pages, and the edges were ragged, looking utterly ruined.
It was over.
Yun Zhen’s heart sank.
He now had two choices: One, play dead, pretending he didn’t know how the book got damaged; Two, confess proactively and seek leniency.
But then he thought, if he confessed, would Jiang Zhi understand? He was just a bird now, only capable of chirping. Jiang Zhi wasn’t an immortal who could understand bird language, was he?
Besides, even if he could understand, what could he do to him? At most, skip a couple of meals, or kick him out.
Being kicked out would be fine too, saving him the trouble of having to look at Jiang Zhi’s face every day.
Play dead it is. A dead bird fears no boiling water.
Yun Zhen buried his head under his wing, playing the ostrich. As long as he didn’t admit it, no one could prove he did it. Even if Jiang Zhi had a thousand ways to prove it, he was a bird now and couldn’t speak. What could Jiang Zhi do to him?
The worst he could do was stew him.
But Jiang Zhi probably wouldn’t do that. Master had entrusted him to Jiang Zhi. If Jiang Zhi stewed him, Master would definitely ask when he returned. How would Jiang Zhi explain it then?
“Master, the bird was too fat, I couldn’t resist stewing it”?
That wouldn’t fly.
Jiang Zhi walked over with the water and placed it on the table. His gaze swept over the book, lingering for a moment.
Yun Zhen was so nervous his feathers stood on end, ready to flee at any moment. He had even planned his escape route.
Then, Jiang Zhi closed the book.
That was it?
Yun Zhen secretly opened one eye and watched Jiang Zhi pick up the book, walk to the bookshelf, and put it back, as if nothing had happened.
What did this mean?
Based on his understanding of Jiang Zhi, this person cherished his belongings. His sword was polished enough to reflect a person’s image, his clothes were folded into perfect squares, and even the teacups on the table had to be neatly arranged.
How could he have no reaction to a torn book?
Unless…
Unless he had already found out.
Yun Zhen suddenly remembered something.
How did Jiang Zhi know where he was?
The mountain was so vast, and he was just a small bird. How did Jiang Zhi manage to find him?
Logically, Jiang Zhi should have been practicing his sword, so why did he suddenly appear in that spot? And the timing was so perfect, right when he was about to be stabbed by the sword.
The more Yun Zhen thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
Had Jiang Zhi been following him all along?
Jiang Zhi walked to the bed and began taking off his outer robe.
Yun Zhen chirped, “Chirp.”
Jiang Zhi paused and looked back at him.
His face was still expressionless, but for some reason, Yun Zhen felt his eyes looked slightly different than usual.
Less cold, like the iceberg had melted a little. It was still an iceberg, but at least it wouldn’t freeze people to death.
The situation was a bit awkward. Yun Zhen didn’t know what to say, and even if he did, no one would understand. This showed the malice of the mastermind; if he had been turned into a parrot, Yun Zhen wouldn’t be so miserable, but he was a silent pearl bird.
Finally, Jiang Zhi was the first to look away.
He walked to the table, picked up Yun Zhen, and moved him onto the quilt.
“Sleep,” Jiang Zhi said.
Yun Zhen thought, what if you crush me in your sleep?
He had heard that masters unconsciously circulate their Internal Energy while sleeping. What if Jiang Zhi had a nightmare and slapped the bed? Wouldn’t he be reduced to dust?
“I won’t move.”
Jiang Zhi seemed to have read Yun Zhen’s mind.
Yun Zhen looked at him, half-believing, half-doubting.
Jiang Zhi blew out the lamp and lay down on the bed.
Yun Zhen perched on the quilt, still muttering internally: You say you won’t move, but what if you sleepwalk?
But he was too tired. He buried his head under his wing and quickly fell asleep.
He had a dream where he was still human.
When he was young, he had a bad temper and was mischievous, always causing trouble. But Master didn’t dare punish him too severely. After all, Yun Zhen was the patron. What if his parents got upset and stopped giving money?
So Master came up with a compromise: sending Yun Zhen to the back mountain for “Quiet Contemplation.”
“Quiet Contemplation” was essentially being forced to stand still.
For others, Quiet Contemplation might be fine. They would get used to standing and might even gain some Enlightenment. But for Yun Zhen, it was torture. He had never been quiet since childhood; leaving him alone was worse than killing him.
At first, Yun Zhen could entertain himself. He caught ants in the back mountain, counted stones, and even tried talking to the trees, asking them, “Aren’t you bored standing here for hundreds of years?” “Do you ever want to walk around?” “Do you sleep at night?”
But he quickly grew bored and wanted to go back.
To prevent him from returning early, Master came up with a trick: if Yun Zhen came back early, no one was allowed to speak to him. Whoever spoke to him would be punished alongside him.
That was a cruel move.
Under Yun Zhen’s persistent pestering and relentless begging, Senior Brother and Senior Sister would usually break, and even Master himself often couldn’t resist.
In the dream, Yun Zhen had been in the back mountain for three days again. He secretly ran back, but everyone ignored him, acting as if he were air.
Yun Zhen was furious but helpless. He could only talk to himself in the courtyard like a madman.
Until one night, he couldn’t take it anymore and secretly ran away under the cover of darkness.
He wanted to go home, back to Jiangnan, back to the place with his parents, good food, and drink. He never wanted to stay on this broken mountain again.
He ran fast, afraid of being caught and dragged back, but halfway down the mountain, he got lost.
It was very dark, and everything looked the same. Yun Zhen couldn’t tell north from south. He fell several times, scraping his knees and palms, but still couldn’t find the way down.
He was tired, hungry, cold, and scared. Finally, he couldn’t walk anymore, so he leaned against a tree and closed his eyes.
He thought he might die here, in this wilderness, in this place where no one knew. Then wild beasts would come to eat his body, crows would peck out his eyes, and ants would crawl over his bones…
In a daze, he heard footsteps approaching.
Yun Zhen opened his eyes and saw Jiang Zhi walking toward him.
Yun Zhen wanted to say something, but he was too tired. He couldn’t speak. Then, he felt something covering him.
It was Jiang Zhi’s outer robe.
Jiang Zhi squatted in front of him, looking at him with an emotion Yun Zhen had never seen before.
“Can you walk?” Jiang Zhi asked.
Yun Zhen shook his head.
Jiang Zhi didn’t say anything, just turned around and squatted with his back to him.
“Get on.”
Yun Zhen was stunned for a moment, then climbed onto his back. Jiang Zhi stood up and carried him back.
Then the dream began to feel unreal.
Like he had eaten poisonous mushrooms, Yun Zhen saw Jiang Zhi standing in front of him. They were very close, close enough to hear each other’s breathing and see the reflection in each other’s eyes.
Jiang Zhi still looked at him expressionlessly, his eyes calm like stagnant water, but he leaned closer and closer, until…
Until there was a cool, soft touch on his lips.
Yun Zhen woke up with a start.
He abruptly opened his eyes, his heart pounding violently. The entire bird was in a state of high tension.
How could Jiang Zhi kiss him?
Impossible, absolutely impossible.
Yun Zhen tried hard to recall the experience of getting lost that time, his mind a mess.
It was true that Jiang Zhi found him and carried him back. He remembered talking the whole way, and he only remembered Jiang Zhi being sarcastic and cold to him.
Oh, only cold, no sarcasm.
But what about after that? What happened next?
He couldn’t remember at all. Maybe he was too tired at the time, and his mind wasn’t clear, so his memory was incomplete.
But one thing he was sure of: Jiang Zhi absolutely did not kiss him, absolutely not.
Yun Zhen raised his head and looked at the face so close to him.
Jiang Zhi was sleeping soundly, his breathing steady. That cold face rarely looked so human.
If only he wasn’t Jiang Zhi, if only he wasn’t the Second Senior Brother who always wore a sour expression.
Yun Zhen shook his head, throwing these messy thoughts out of his mind.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Staring at Jiang Zhi’s lips, a bold idea popped up.
He wanted revenge.
Jiang Zhi kissed him in the dream. Although it was just a dream, he was still angry and annoyed because it was his first kiss.
A first kiss in a dream is still a first kiss. To be taken advantage of by Jiang Zhi so ambiguously, he felt unbalanced and had to do something to reclaim the situation.
Yun Zhen flapped his wings, stood up, aimed at those thin lips, and viciously pecked them.
Uh.
He seemed to have used too much force. It was bleeding.
Jiang Zhi opened his eyes, and their gazes met in the darkness.
Yun Zhen froze in place, blood still clinging to his beak.
“…”
Yun Zhen thought, is it too late to play dead now?