The Great Bright Hall

"Caw, caw! The iron tree has blossomed, the iron rooster has shed its feathers! O heavens, O earth, my fortune has finally come..."

The Auspicious Duck cheered wildly, its gorgeous wings sweeping back and forth. In the blink of an eye, rows of fruit vanished from where they lay.

Xu Yi smiled wryly and shook his head. He swung onto his horse. "Duck, aren't you good at fortune-telling? You should know this place has become a land of great peril. Find somewhere to hide and enjoy a little peace."

This loquacious duck had once saved his life, but Xu Yi was in no position to protect even himself now, much less the duck.

Fortunately, the loquacious duck was a master at foreseeing the future, and its knack for staying alive was Number One Under Heaven. Xu Yi needn't worry about it.

"Wait! You're deathly pale, kid. Are you planning to pick a fight with someone?"

The Auspicious Duck called after Xu Yi. "Fine, fine. You may be stingy, kid, but you're a thousand times better than that fellow surnamed Xiao. I'll pick the best of a bad lot and settle for you. Since I've accepted your gifts, I'll do you the favor of casting one more lot. Don't get excited, though. I just don't want to roam the world looking for my next meal again."

After cawing a few times, three ancient copper coins appeared between its bright red webbed feet, their mottled patterns steeped in antiquity.

The duck muttered an incantation, its webbed feet flapping this way and that. With a strange cry, the three coins spun through the air and landed. The duck leaped and flapped up into the air, its tiny, bean-sized eyes fixed on Xu Yi in disbelief. "You absolutely mustn't go this time. If you