If I Must Be the Phoenix's Tail, Then I Shall Perish with the Phoenix

"Wait, Third Brother, there's one more small matter," Xiao Yan said hurriedly, grabbing Xiao Meng with an embarrassed smile.

Xiao Meng felt like his whole world had gone wrong. This guy was actually pushing his luck.

"Fourth Brother, I was just being polite. You actually took it seriously?"

Xiao Meng said with a dark expression. Acting like this is an easy way to get beaten up, you know?

Xiao Yan smiled awkwardly. "Third Brother, it's only a small matter."

"Spit it out. Your brother's time is precious," Xiao Meng said, thoroughly annoyed. He made up his mind never to be polite with this guy again. Look how spoiled he had become—he did not even know how to behave anymore.

"Master needs to refine a fourth-grade medicinal pill for me, and it'll consume a great deal of soul power. About that Soul-Nourishing Wood..." Although Xiao Meng had not mentioned the Soul-Nourishing Wood just now, Xiao Yan knew he had merely forgotten about it for the moment. Once he remembered, he would definitely come knocking to demand it back, and he might even beat Xiao Yan senseless.

So Xiao Yan decided to bring it up first. That would greatly improve his chances of keeping the Soul-Nourishing Wood, and he could avoid a beating too.

"Forget it. It's just a piece of rotten wood. I'll consider it a good deed and give it to that old beggar," Xiao Meng said with a sigh, waving his hand dismissively.

Xiao Meng's reaction caught Xiao Yan off guard.

"Brat, watch your mouth! Who are you calling a beggar?" Yao Lao protested from inside the ring. He transformed into a tiny soul figure about a foot tall and flew out, glaring furiously at Xiao Meng.

A dignified ninth-grade alchemist being mistaken for a beggar—he was probably the first in all of history. If those old fossils found out, they would laugh their teeth out.

Xiao Meng shot him a sidelong glance. "If you're not a beggar, then take out something to exchange for the Soul-Nourishing Wood. Otherwise, give it back to me."

He then snorted coldly. "You dead old man, you're downright shameless. I kindly lent you the Soul-Nourishing Wood to restore your soul power, yet you want to keep it for yourself. Let me ask you this: do you have any conscience at all?"

"You're infuriating me! Brat, name your price. There are not many things in this world that I cannot afford!" Yao Chen was practically going mad.

"Then give me the Bone Spirit Cold Flame," Xiao Meng said casually, staring at Yao Lao with a teasing expression.

Yao Lao froze for a moment before crying out, "Brat, how did you know I have the Bone Spirit Cold Flame?"

Xiao Yan was equally shocked. Xiao Meng was simply too uncanny. He really seemed to know everything.

Xiao Meng remained calm and composed. "I know the past and foresee the future. What's so surprising about that?"

"The Bone Spirit Cold Flame ranks eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. This kind of Heavenly Flame can only be encountered in places of extreme cold and extreme yin once every hundred years, when the sun and moon alternate. Back then, in order to obtain this Bone Spirit Cold Flame, you stayed for eight years in the Fallen God Icefield, that sunless hellhole. And at the very moment you absorbed it, you nearly got burned to ashes by the Bone Spirit Cold Flame..."

Xiao Meng recited every detail of how and where Yao Lao had obtained the Bone Spirit Cold Flame as though he knew it by heart.

"Y-you... How do you know all that?" The moment Xiao Meng said this, Yao Lao's expression changed drastically. He staggered back several steps as if he had seen a ghost, unable to believe his own ears.

Many things that had happened in the Fallen God Icefield were known by only two people besides himself. One was his friend Feng Xian, and the other was a woman named Han Shanshan.

"I just calculated it on my fingers," Xiao Meng said with a faint smile.

Xiao Yan rolled his eyes, glanced at Xiao Meng's arms folded across his chest, and said weakly, "Third Brother, you haven't even counted on your fingers yet."

Xiao Meng: "..."

"Is that the point?" Xiao Meng glared fiercely at Xiao Yan and could not be bothered with him.

"Brat, how do you know these things? Who exactly told you?" Yao Chen took a deep breath and stared fixedly at Xiao Meng as he asked in a low voice.

Xiao Meng curled his lip. "I already told you. I know the past and foresee the future."

Yao Lao did not believe him at all and continued staring at him.

"Old Yao, don't brag in front of me again. There are plenty of things in this world that you can't afford."

Xiao Meng snorted. "You dare show off in front of me? I'll beat you until you're black and blue, got it?"

With that, Xiao Meng swaggered away with his feet turned outward, as arrogant as could be. It made people want to beat him to a pulp.

"Oh, right. Let me tell you something while I'm at it—Han Feng is in the Black-Corner Region." After taking only two steps, Xiao Meng suddenly turned around and looked at Yao Chen.

As soon as Xiao Meng spoke, Yao Chen's foot-tall soul body abruptly expanded to the size of a normal person. His body trembled violently, and pale white flames burst from his pupils, causing the temperature of the world to plummet dozens of times over.

"Teacher, what's wrong?" Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically at Yao Lao's sudden transformation. He could feel an intense hatred and killing intent.

"Han Feng is really in the Black-Corner Region?" Hearing Xiao Yan's voice, Yao Lao quickly restrained his emotions. His voice became calm, but Xiao Meng knew that beneath that calm was a heaven-defying storm forged from suppressed hatred.

"Absolutely."

Xiao Meng nodded and added, "One of your good friends has been searching for your whereabouts. Afraid of being found, Han Feng hid in the Black-Corner Region. That bastard even gave himself the title of Medicine Emperor."

"Teacher, who is this Han Feng?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.

Xiao Meng smiled and answered first. "Technically speaking, you should call him Senior Brother."

"I do not have such a traitorous disciple, so Xiao Yan does not need to call him Senior Brother!" Yao Lao nearly roared.

"Old Yao, you're already so old. Why get so worked up?"

Xiao Meng rolled his eyes. "Xiao Yan has inherited your teachings now, so leave the matter of purging your sect to him. Is it worth getting angry over a white-eyed wolf? Be careful not to make yourself sick. It isn't worth it."

"Fourth Brother, your teacher ended up like this because of that Senior Brother of yours," Xiao Meng then said as he looked at Xiao Yan.

"What? Teacher was harmed into this state by Han Feng?" Anger spread across Xiao Yan's face. How could a disciple harm his own master?

"Teacher, don't worry. If I ever encounter that beast, I'll definitely kill him for you," Xiao Yan said through gritted teeth, clenching his fists tightly.

"Fourth Brother, Han Feng is currently a nine-star Dou Huang, and he's also a sixth-grade alchemist. There are countless powerful experts around him," Xiao Meng said, giving Xiao Yan a strange look.

Xiao Yan immediately stood there dumbfounded. A nine-star Dou Huang? A sixth-grade alchemist?

"No matter how high his cultivation is or how strong his alchemy is, one day, I will personally purge the sect for Master," Xiao Yan said with utmost seriousness after recovering from his shock.

However, Xiao Meng, who had been intently watching the system screen, wore a bewildered expression. Why had the system not rewarded him with more fishing attempts?

Xiao Meng's face darkened a little. Are teacher-student relationships really this tense nowadays?

"Han Feng, a nine-star Dou Huang, a sixth-grade alchemist, with countless powerful experts around him."

Damn it, just listen to that! Even Xiao Meng himself had nearly pissed his pants. How could that fail to provoke Xiao Yan? So Xiao Yan had just been talking nonsense with a straight face? If he had meant it seriously, two fishing attempts would have been guaranteed.

Xiao Meng left in a rage. He had wasted so much breath yet gained nothing. The thought alone was frustrating.

"System, why didn't you give me any fishing attempts? Did I really fail to provoke Xiao Yan just now?" Xiao Meng was in a foul mood as he walked along.

The system responded.

" Ding! Frequent provocation has minimal effect and does not meet the requirements for rewarding fishing attempts."

Xiao Meng: "..."

"What do you mean, frequent provocation? It's been almost two months since I provoked him last time. You call that frequent?" Xiao Meng protested.

"Ding! As the... first... supporting character, Xiao Yan possesses a strong drive to improve. Therefore, even without provocation, he will work very hard. Your previous provocation has already pushed his motivation to its peak."

"Wait, explain what those two ellipses mean first."

Xiao Meng roared, "System, are you fucking fooling me? Am I really the protagonist?"

"Ding! You are the true protagonist."

Xiao Meng did not buy it at all. His eyes nearly split with rage as he shouted, "If I'm the protagonist, why did you sound so reluctant when mentioning Xiao Yan's role? I graduated from high school, damn it! I know exactly what those two ellipses mean. Don't even think about fooling me!"

System: "..."

"System, tell me honestly—which one of us is the protagonist, Xiao Yan or me?"

Xiao Meng took a deep breath and said pleasantly, "Just tell me. As long as you're telling the truth, no matter what the answer is, I'll gladly accept it."

"However, I, Xiao Meng, have a bad habit: I would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."

Xiao Meng then said with a cheerful smile, "If I must be the phoenix's tail, then I shall perish with the phoenix."

System: "..."

"Ding! You are the protagonist."