Vermilion Bird watched Little Shi Hao wielding Qiongqi's bone club as he repeatedly ventured into the Great Wilderness to fight Fierce Beasts.
After killing them, he brought them all back to the village to eat.
It was downright savage!
Those two demons, one big and one small, were practically the bane of Fierce Beasts!
She always felt that if they ever ran out of meat, Ye Xuan's gaze would turn very dangerous.
That look seemed to say: Braised or steamed?
"No! I can't stay here!"
Vermilion Bird shuddered, her beautiful red feathers all standing on end.
"If I stay any longer, I'll end up as roast meat sooner or later!"
She glanced at Ye Xuan, who was talking with Willow Deity, and her little eyes rolled.
If she couldn't beat him, should she try seduction?
No, a battle of wits!
Taking advantage of Ye Xuan's good mood, Vermilion Bird fluttered her wings and cautiously flew over, landing in front of him.
"Boss..."
Vermilion Bird reined in all her divine flames, trying to look as harmless as possible. She even rubbed her wings together, putting on a fawning expression.
"Hmm?"
Ye Xuan looked down at the palm-sized red bird.
"What is it? Are you hungry? There's still some Qiongqi meat left in the pot."
"No, no, I'm not hungry!"
Vermilion Bird shook her head frantically. She didn't want to hear the word "pot" again.
She took a deep breath and gathered her courage.
"Boss, I've been in the village for three months now, and I've been doing my guard duty without slacking off."
"Do you think... you could let me go home for a visit?"
"Go home for a visit?" Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, yes! I miss home!"
Vermilion Bird's eyes welled with tears, and she spoke mournfully.
"I'm Fire Country's Sacrificial Spirit. If I don't go back, things will fall into chaos over there."
Seeing that Ye Xuan remained unmoved, Vermilion Bird gritted her beak and decided to play her trump card.
She edged closer and lowered her voice, speaking in a mysterious tone.
"Boss, if you let me go, I'll bring you a big gift!"
"Oh? What kind of gift?" Ye Xuan's interest was piqued.
"A wife! I'll get you a wife!"
Vermilion Bird puffed out her chest and declared confidently.
"Fire Emperor and I are old pals! I only need to ask, and he'll marry his most beloved little princess to you!"
"That little princess is called Huo Ling'er. I watched her grow up."
As she spoke, Vermilion Bird gestured with her wings.
"That girl is really pretty! Fair skin, big eyes, and..."
She seemed to think of the perfect description, then added with utmost seriousness:
"She's chubby! Very blessed! She looks like she'd be great at having children!"
"How about it, Boss? Good deal, right? She's a princess of Fire Country, so her dowry will definitely be piled up like a mountain!"
Pfft.
Little Shi Hao, who was drinking water nearby, spat it out.
Ye Xuan's mouth twitched as he looked at the red bird, who was trying to play matchmaker to save her own life. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Chubby?
That description...
If the haughty little princess Huo Ling'er heard it, she'd probably pluck every last feather from this Sacrificial Spirit.
Besides, who wanted your chubby girl!
"So this is your beauty trap?"
Ye Xuan reached out and unceremoniously rapped Vermilion Bird on the head.
"Thunk!"
"Ow!"
Vermilion Bird clutched her head and gazed at Ye Xuan pitifully.
"Boss, you don't like chubby girls? There are skinny ones, too. The Fire Emperor has plenty of daughters..."
"Enough."
Ye Xuan cut off her sales pitch.
He stood up and dusted off his clothes.
"I'm not interested in any of your princesses."
"But..."
Ye Xuan looked Vermilion Bird up and down, making her feathers prickle.
"If you want to leave, you can."
"But you'll have to leave something behind as a ransom."
"Hand over your Vermilion Bird Treasure Art, and then you can go."
At that, Vermilion Bird didn't get angry. Instead, she was so relieved she nearly jumped for joy.
He only wanted her art? He wasn't taking her life?
That was incredibly generous!
She could cultivate a new art if she lost this one, but once her life was gone, it was gone for good.
Besides, facing a monster on Ye Xuan's level, she hadn't expected to keep the art to herself anyway.
"Here! I'll give it to you right now!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Vermilion Bird spat out a crimson bone talisman.
It was a primordial true bone, inscribed with the Vermilion Bird Treasure Art.
"Please accept it, Boss!"
Vermilion Bird eagerly handed the bone over.
Ye Xuan took the talisman bone.
His Chaos Heavy Pupils opened.
Hum!
Two beams of gray divine light swept across the bone.
In an instant,
the intricate, profound Vermilion Bird runes were broken down in his eyes into the most fundamental laws of fire.
Commanding flames, taking form, incinerating the heavens...
In just a few moments,
a pure crimson flame ignited in Ye Xuan's palm.
Within the flame, a divine bird seemed to spread its wings and soar.
He had mastered the Vermilion Bird Treasure Art in an instant!
"That's enough."
Ye Xuan extinguished the flame and casually tossed the talisman bone back to Vermilion Bird.
"You can go."
"R-really?"
Vermilion Bird caught the bone, still unable to believe her good fortune had come so suddenly.
"What? Want to stay for dinner?" Ye Xuan gave her a faintly amused look.
"No, no! I'm not eating! I'm on a diet!"
Vermilion Bird jolted in fright.
"Whoosh!"
A flash of red light enveloped her as the seal lifted.
Her body didn't immediately return to its original size, but the aura of a Venerable finally began to flow through her again.
"The mountains stay green, and the rivers keep flowing!"
"Boss, thank you for sparing my life!"
Vermilion Bird beat her wings and turned into a streak of red light, shooting into the sky at incredible speed, afraid Ye Xuan might change his mind.
After she had flown far away,
Vermilion Bird's somewhat smug voice rang out from the sky:
"Boss! I was serious about the proposal!"
"When I get back to Fire Country, I'll talk to the Fire Emperor!"
"I'll save the chubby girl for you! Just wait—"
Vermilion Bird's voice echoed through the valley.
Hearing this, Ye Xuan shook his head helplessly.
That little red bird sure had a lot to say.
"Big brother, what's a chubby girl?"
Little Shi Hao came over and asked curiously.
"It means... someone who eats a lot," Ye Xuan casually bluffed.
"Wow! She must be really strong, then!"
Little Shi Hao looked amazed.
In his simple worldview, eating a lot meant being blessed, and eating a lot meant being strong.
"Enough thinking about chubby girls."
Ye Xuan turned his gaze toward the distant reaches of the Great Wilderness.
That was the direction of the outside world.
"Little Dot."
"Here!"
"You've been cooped up in Stone Village for too long. It's getting hard for you to improve here."
"An eaglet must eventually spread its wings, and a tiger must eventually return to the mountains."
Ye Xuan patted Little Shi Hao's shoulder, his tone turning serious.
"Do you want to go see the world outside?"
Little Shi Hao froze for a moment.
He looked at the village where he'd lived for three years, then at the boundless Great Wilderness.
A trace of reluctance flashed in his eyes, but his longing for the unknown was stronger.
"I do!"
"I want to see if the outside world really is as big as Grandpa Clan Leader says."
"More than that... I want to find my parents."
At the end, the little boy's voice grew quiet.
Hearing this, Ye Xuan couldn't help sighing inwardly.
This thread of fate would have to be faced sooner or later.
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