Yun Qing withdrew his hand as though nothing had happened. A faint warmth rippled through his eyes as he said gently, "It's nothing. Let's set off."
"Chirp?" Yun Huang looked at him, his two tiny bean-like eyes half narrowed with an innate air of nobility.
What he did not know, however, was that after being surrounded and nuzzled by all those spirit flowers, his down had fluffed up. The little chick lay round and plump in Yun Qing's palm, looking for all the world like a tiny golden ball of fluff.
That nobility, that inviolable majesty of an Immortal Emperor, had been reduced to a tenth of its former glory.
Yun Qing lowered his head and met those black bean-like eyes, too round to pose the slightest threat. His expression remained unmoved by the winds from all eight directions, while the little figure inside his heart burst into gleeful laughter.
Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh.
Yun Huang stared at him suspiciously for a moment. Faced with Yun Qing's unshakable smile, he finally gave up and settled lazily back down, giving the web between Yun Qing's thumb and forefinger a light peck as though urging him along.
The curve of Yun Qing's lips deepened. He carefully cupped that warm little bundle of gold in his palm, his fingertip casually brushing its fluffed-up down. It was impossibly soft.
He looked up toward the Azure Lotus Sword Sect members, who were assembling their ranks.
It was time to say goodbye.
Ji Lingri must have had a reason for testing him. Once they reached the Heavenly Origin Platform, everything would become clear.
Yun Qing stepped forward and cupped his hands toward Liu Qingwu. "Brother Liu, the storm has passed, and we urgently need to continue our journey. Should an opportunity arise another day,