All things emerged from Zhen. Zhen was the east. Zhen was the trigram of the east; when the Dipper's handle pointed east, it was spring, the season when all things were born.
"Chirp, chirp..."
Pulling aside the tent curtains, Liang Qu suddenly heard birds calling in the woods, one after another, and pointed behind him.
"Yan Rui, what bird is that?"
"An oriole, I think? Orioles are pretty easy to recognize—their calls rise and fall." Long Yanrui scratched the back of his head and pricked up his ears. "Brother-in-law, you're a land-dweller, yet you can't even tell? I'm an aquatic being, and I've been on land less than two years, but I know."
"Hahaha!" Liang Qu laughed three times. "You, you—Binglin isn't nearly as amusing as you."
Long Yanrui did not understand.
Without saying more, Liang Qu put away the Little Mirage Dragon into the Vortex Palace and strode toward the central command tent.
Awakening of Insects had three phases: first, Peach Blossoms Begin to Bloom; second, Orioles Sing; third, Hawks Transform into Doves.
Thunder before the insects stirred, and nothing would come to fruition.
Thunder struck at Awakening of Insects, and rice became like mud!
Beneath dense shade, a brilliantly patterned venomous snake poked its head out and bit an oriole spreading its wings. It wrapped around the bird's neck, coiling itself into a ball. Once the bird fell silent, it began at the head and swallowed it down in great gulps.
Rustle.
A cool breeze swept into the tent, making dust dance.
"King Chong."
"Xingyi Marquis."
"Has Pan Tong Da Xi arrived at the front lines?"
"Yes."
"What about Centipede and Withered Bone?"
"Centipede and Withered Bone are stationed to the left and right rear, each fifteen hundred li away. Xing Jin and South Sea are likewise positioned