Azure Awl Chicken

On the third day after killing Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu.

Before dawn had fully broken, Shen Xiuhan had already washed up.

On the bed, Shen Momo was curled into a tiny ball, sleeping soundly.

Madam Zheng was a light sleeper. Hearing the movement, she woke at once and hurriedly pulled on her clothes as she sat up.

"Eldest son, why are you up so early today? Mother will go light the stove and warm up some food to fill your stomach."

"Mother, no need to rush."

Afraid of waking his younger sister, Shen Xiuhan lowered his voice and made up an excuse.

"Yesterday, when I passed Shallowwater Bay, I saw some movement beneath the mudflat. I'm going early to try my luck and see if I can catch a couple of big fish."

Madam Zheng understood at once and softly reminded him, "The water's edge is slippery. Be careful, and don't forget to bring the new basket."

"I know."

He pushed open the wooden gate.

Shen Xiuhan went to the kitchen, slung the new fish basket over his back, and left the fenced courtyard.

Of course, he was not going fishing. He was going for the treasure beasts of Great Mount Li.

Uncle Chen's words still rang in his ears, and he knew full well the dangers lurking in the mountains.

Yet in this world, however venomous a beast's claws and fangs might be, they could not compare to the poison of the human heart.

Treasure beasts were certainly fierce, but they could not give him the same pressure as Ma Xianyang and the Through-the-Back Martial Hall.

Though the Through-the-Back Martial Hall was presently locked in a fierce struggle with the White Family and had no time to spare for him, that did not mean Shen Xiuhan could sleep easy.

The path of martial arts was like rowing against the current: if one did not advance, one perished.

Only by seizing every last drop of blood and vitality and strengthening himself could he preserve himself and protect his family in this world.

He had to go to Great Mount Li.

Of course, even a lion used all its strength to hunt a rabbit.

To ensure nothing went wrong, Shen Xiuhan stirred a thought.

[Today's intelligence has refreshed!]

[Intelligence ①: The "Iron Bone Technique" originated as a branch of the Dragon Cavalry Army's secret hard-body cultivation art, the "Dragon-Elephant Radiant Prison-Suppressing Body," one of the Five Armies of the Qi Kingdom. It was privately passed by Tian Erhu's younger brother, Tian Ping'an, to his elder brother!]

[Tian Ping'an: Centurion of the Dragon Cavalry Army's Right Camp. Battle-hardened veteran, sinew-tempering cultivation.]

"..."

Shen Xiuhan's steps paused slightly, his brows knitting.

When he had found the Iron Bone Technique in Tian Erhu's home yesterday, he had already vaguely sensed that something was off.

How could a street thug who had not even broken into Blood Tempering possess a hard-body cultivation art?

Sure enough.

This technique had a source.

"Tian Ping'an..."

"Heh, good thing his surname isn't Chen. Otherwise, I'd have had to flee Cangzhou overnight with my whole family."

Shen Xiuhan mocked himself.

But I heard the Dragon Cavalry Army has been stationed in the east year-round, guarding the borderlands. Nothing should happen in the short term...

Still, a sinew-tempering martial artist puts immense pressure on me...

Shen Xiuhan sighed inwardly and firmly committed this intelligence to memory.

[Intelligence ②: Ma Xianyang and Feng Xiaobao have confirmed that Yu and Tian died by your hand! However, the two are wary of throwing a stone at a rat for fear of smashing the vessel, worrying that rashly trying to kill you would instead force you to hand over the nonexistent "secret method for luring treasure fish" to Mei Shuangfeng in exchange for protection. Thus, the two have decided to endure in silence and devote themselves fully to contending with the White Family.]

[Their apparent retreat is merely a delaying tactic meant to numb you. Once you let down your guard, they will strike with thunderous force and show no mercy!]

So they really do know...

Shen Xiuhan sneered inwardly.

At the time, he had stepped into Bright Force right in front of more than thirty people from the outer courtyard. The news could not possibly be kept under wraps.

Thus, Shen Xiuhan had never intended to conceal it from the beginning.

Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu had happened to come to his door to threaten him, so he might as well strike fiercely and get rid of those two eyesores and spies first.

Yet this risky move had inadvertently struck true, buying him a chance to catch his breath.

Because what he lacked most right now was time.

[Intelligence ③: Great Mount Li contains many treasure beasts, and demonic beasts can be found in its depths. Pressured by a Blue-Eyed Wind Wolf, an Azure Awl Chicken was driven to the outskirts of Great Mount Li. Last night, another Azure Awl Chicken arrived to guard three unhatched "treasure beast spirit eggs" in its nest!]

When Shen Xiuhan saw this intelligence, his eyes first lit up, only for his brows to furrow deeply the next instant.

Why had another one appeared out of nowhere?

There had clearly only been one last night...

Could it be that, when they were pursued by the Blue-Eyed Wind Wolf, the male had voluntarily stayed behind to hold it off while the female fled in panic with the spirit eggs in her beak, and after escaping danger, the two had reunited here on the outskirts?

Shen Xiuhan's expression shifted as wild guesses tumbled through his mind.

This sudden change had indeed thrown his plans into disarray.

One Azure Awl Chicken was still worth a gamble.

Two of them... what if he could not beat them?

Shen Xiuhan swiftly weighed the pros and cons.

Should I just turn back to the martial hall and ask Master, or bring Second Senior Brother Xu Chuan into the mountains to hunt them with me?

No, no rush!

I'll sneak over first, figure out the situation, and decide afterward!

Since these Azure Awl Chickens could be driven all the way here, they presumably were not that strong.

Even if he truly could not defeat them, with his current strength, making a clean escape should not be difficult.

Those two beasts had eggs to protect. Surely they would not dare pursue him relentlessly.

The vast Great Mount Li range lay across the horizon like an ancient colossal beast draped in frost and snow.

With a fishing rod in hand and a fish basket slung across his shoulder, Shen Xiuhan traveled seven or eight li before reaching the foot of the mountain.

Not far away, a fishing settlement called West Qi Village was scattered across a sheltered hollow.

The waters here were abundant, and it lay close to the deep-water region of Cloudwater Lake.

Looking out, he saw not only bamboo rafts and small skiffs moored near the shore, but occasionally one or two black-canopied boats as well.

Clearly, West Qi Village lived far more prosperously than Little Mirror Bay.

Dawn had only just broken, and the morning mist was thick. The land was so quiet that only the wind could be heard; not a single early-rising villager was about.

Using the woods as cover, Shen Xiuhan plunged straight into Great Mount Li.

After roughly a quarter-hour's walk, he crossed two snow-covered earthen hills and stopped before a fork choked with dead grass and thorns.

After looking around, he reached back, parted the chest-high dead grass, and stepped onto the rocky trail to the right.

After walking for another cup of tea's time,

Shen Xiuhan stopped before an uneven stretch of rocky ground pitted with hollows.

Found them!

At the edge of his vision,

one large and one small cluster of pale golden light nestled silently amid a pile of dead grass.

Shen Xiuhan lowered his body, casually picked up several stones, and approached while holding his breath.

But before he could get close—

Flutter, flutter, flutter!

A powerful beat of wings exploded through the air!

The larger cluster of light shot up from the dead grass and soared into the sky.

Shen Xiuhan finally saw what this Azure Awl Chicken looked like.

It was a full size larger than an ordinary domestic chicken, its entire body covered in azure feathers.

Its crest stood high. As its sharp beak opened and closed, a pair of dark yellow vertical pupils looked down from above, staring straight at him.

Most eye-catching of all was the cluster of completely mutated feathers on its tail.

Several dozen azure tail feathers, each over a foot long and incomparably sharp, were gathered together like azure inverted awls, glinting with a metallic chill beneath the morning light.

But Shen Xiuhan's gaze fixed on the Azure Awl Chicken's left wing.

The feathers there were disordered, and a faint dark-red stain showed through.

"It's... injured?"

Shen Xiuhan's eyes lit up, and his heart settled completely.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Before he could think further, the Azure Awl Chicken attacked first.

Four or five awl-like tail feathers streaked through the air as azure blurs, shooting toward Shen Xiuhan!