Spirit Bird

"Who?!"

A deep voice came from within the island. Then the black mist parted to either side, revealing a shadowy path.

A tall man clad in rotting sackcloth slowly emerged from within.

He was powerfully built, but his body was covered in festering wounds, making him a ghastly sight.

He was alive, yet he radiated a dense aura of death.

He had only taken a few steps, yet in the blink of an eye, he had reached the shore.

The long-bearded man aboard the Flying Boat stroked his beard and smiled. "Every trade has its rules. As for who wants the Rotbone Flowers... naturally, I cannot say."

"Mm."

The sackcloth-clad man nodded. He did not make things difficult for him—or rather, he did not dare to.

"How did he find out?"

The long-bearded man spoke bluntly. "He wants to buy four plants. Old Ghost, are you selling?"

Old Ghost, the sackcloth-clad man, pondered for a moment before saying, "No Spirit Stones. Barter only. Arrange for me to meet him. That is still within the rules, isn't it?"

"Of course." The long-bearded man smiled. "But whether he is willing to meet you, I cannot say."

"No matter. Ask him first... anyone who knows about Rotbone Flowers cannot possibly refuse to meet."

"When the time comes, have him meet me at this place."

Old Ghost casually tossed out a slip of paper.

The long-bearded man caught it one-handed, glanced at it, then cupped his hands. "Very well. Farewell."

With that, the Flying Boat sliced across the water. The long-bearded man swiftly vanished into the vast Cloud-Rain Marsh. Black mist once more shrouded the island, and Old Ghost's figure disappeared as well.

"Chicken Bro, did the Red-Crowned Chicken I ordered last time arrive?"

That day, Ji Yuan arrived before the familiar shop run by the chicken cultivator.

Ever since the Chicken Coop had reached Level Two, he could briefly control First Tier spirit birds. Ji Yuan naturally could not let such an opportunity pass, so he had come early to buy from the chicken cultivator.

Who would have thought that the man only sold half-spirit chickens, like Green-Yellow Chickens?

Ji Yuan needed genuine spirit birds, and those had to be reserved in advance.

So it was that Ji Yuan had already come several times, only to be told they had not arrived. Today, he had come again.

"They're here, they're here. We were just waiting for you, Chicken Bro." The chicken cultivator nodded repeatedly.

Ji Yuan patted his waist. "Eh, seems I didn't bring any Spirit Stones. I'll go back and look for them."

Seeing this, the chicken cultivator hurriedly begged for mercy. "Brother Yuan, I was wrong, I was wrong."

Ji Yuan called him Chicken Bro because he sold chickens. The man had refused to accept it, so he started calling Ji Yuan "Brother Ji." After saying it a few times, Brother Ji became Chicken Bro. Once or twice was one thing.

But today, Ji Yuan was about to pay. Naturally, he could not continue suffering such humiliation.

"Take it out and let me see."

As the chicken cultivator headed into the back room, he said, "Brother Yuan, I'm truly sorry. The female Red-Crowned Chicken you wanted is just too rare. They searched Quiet Peace Ward for ages and couldn't catch one. They only caught a male."

"A male?"

Ji Yuan frowned slightly. With the effect of the [Chicken Coop], naturally it was better for him to buy hens. Then every day, First Tier spirit birds would lay Spirit Eggs, and their effects would surely surpass those of Green-Yellow Chickens.

"Yes, but think about it, Brother Yuan. A Red-Crowned Chicken is definitely better as a rooster. Every ten days, it can produce a small bottle of Red-Crowned Chicken Blood. That blood is the nemesis of yin creatures. It fetches quite a price even if you sell it."

As he spoke, the chicken cultivator carried out an iron cage covered in Talismans. Inside stood a massive rooster about four feet tall.

The Red-Crowned Chicken's most eye-catching feature was its dark-red comb, like congealed-blood amber, with serrated fleshy spikes growing along its edges.

Its entire body was covered in scale-like hard feathers, and it had three Mystic Iron-colored tail plumes.

Though captured, it stood inside the iron cage like a great general who had won a battle.

Even though it was a rooster, Ji Yuan felt a flicker of delight at first sight. A spirit bird that had entered a tier truly was worthy of its tier; it was indeed far stronger than a half-baked Green-Yellow Chicken.

"Fine, then."

Ji Yuan looked exceedingly regretful on the surface, with even a tiny trace of disappointment. "Then the price..."

The chicken cultivator immediately grew anxious. "The price definitely cannot be any lower. I've already put in quite a lot. If you cut me down again, Brother Yuan, this business really can't go on."

"I wanted a hen because it could lay eggs. Though this rooster can provide comb blood, that is indeed good stuff.

But who can take it while keeping it alive? This Red-Crowned Chicken is a living creature, not a dead object. Besides, taking comb blood will most likely be a one-time thing. It would be unreasonable not to lower the price a little."

"Seventeen, how about it? That's the price. If that still won't do for you, Brother Yuan, then we won't make this deal."

"Fine... then."

The previous asking price had been nineteen. Cutting off two Spirit Stones at once was already quite good.

Ji Yuan paid the Spirit Stones.

This Red-Crowned Chicken was merely an Early First Tier spirit bird. It was only because Ji Yuan wanted it alive that the price was so high.

Afterward, Ji Yuan carried the Red-Crowned Chicken through the market, drawing quite a few looks.

After all, cultivators who bought living Demon Beasts were still in the minority.

Ji Yuan was not afraid, of course. More importantly, living creatures could not be placed inside a Storage Bag, so he had no choice but to carry it this way.

After a while, when he returned home, he went straight to the back courtyard. First, he summoned the Dragon Armor Shield to guard before him. Then he summoned the Blackgold Blade and had it hover above the Red-Crowned Chicken's head, while the Deathbringer Needle floated before its eyelids.

Only then did Ji Yuan feel safe enough to open the chicken cage and release it.

With three Dharma Tools threatening it, even after the Red-Crowned Chicken was freed from its restraints, it did not dare resist. Only then did Ji Yuan reach out, seize it, and toss it into the [Chicken Coop].

With just that, Ji Yuan discovered that the Red-Crowned Chicken had become obedient. Between himself and it, there seemed to be an additional invisible bond.

Not only that, every Green-Yellow Chicken in the back courtyard raised its head, as though threatened and intimidated by something, not daring to move at all.

That was until the Red-Crowned Chicken strutted out of the Chicken Coop with its head held high and let out a long crow toward the sky.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

All the Green-Yellow Chickens trembled as they collapsed onto the ground.

Having watched the entire scene unfold, Ji Yuan suddenly felt something stir within him... the bird king had emerged!

Among the many Green-Yellow Chickens in the Chicken Coop, this newly arrived spirit bird, and a rooster at that, had without question become the bird king—or rather, the leader of this flock of hens.

One rooster with thirty hens. He was truly living in the lap of luxury.

At the very moment the Red-Crowned Chicken crowed, in the Wen Household next door—

Zhao Yuechan woke from her cultivation, staring in astonishment at Wen Lin, who was equally curious.

"Brother Wen, was that... a Red-Crowned Chicken?"

"Mm."

Wen Lin also turned to look toward the neighboring courtyard, a trace of curiosity in his eyes. "It seems our neighbor has quite a few secrets as well."

"Then should we..."

"Interact normally for now. Outsiders cannot be trusted."

"Alright."

After the husband and wife finished discussing it, they paid it no further mind.

Ji Yuan, meanwhile, looked at the Red-Crowned Chicken's vivid scarlet comb and knew that it was time to draw blood.

Drawing comb blood might have been a difficult matter for others, but for Ji Yuan... with a thought, he immediately controlled the Red-Crowned Chicken.

Then he manipulated it, making it obediently walk over.

The Blackgold Blade flashed into a black streak and sliced open the Red-Crowned Chicken's comb.

After a while, Ji Yuan looked at the small bottle of comb blood in his hand, which radiated dense yang energy, and was overjoyed.

This was a fine treasure. Ji Yuan had no intention of selling it. If he encountered some yin creature or ghostly specter next time, this thing could save his life.

Looking again at the Red-Crowned Chicken, now completely listless, Ji Yuan felt somewhat regretful.

The next blood draw would have to wait at least another ten days.

How wonderful it would be if he could draw a bottle every day...

The Great Sun turned in its cycle. By the time Ji Yuan was about to draw his third bottle of comb blood, the date had finally reached December 3rd.