Rumble-
At midnight, flashes of lightning lit up the Wu Mountains, which stretched for a thousand miles.
With snowy white feathers, Niao Niao slipped soundlessly through the canopy of the ancient mountain forest like a white ghost. After flying a quarter mile, the bird settled on a branch to shelter from the rain, watching the figure in the forest slowly run past.
Guan Yujia had been pierced through the shoulder by a spear and suffered internal injuries as well. He could not return to Iron River Manor. His only option now was to reach Crouching Dragon Cave as soon as possible and obtain a Great Liang Pearl to treat his wounds.
Crouching Dragon Cave lay in western Wu Prefecture, while his current position was in its central region. Crossing hundreds of miles of deep mountain forest on foot was no easy task for the badly injured Guan Yujia.
After running several dozen miles through the mountains and completely shaking off his pursuers, Guan Yujia hid in a cave, swallowed some wound medicine, and began tending to his injuries.
Flying through the rain all night, Niao Niao could not go without food or drink either. The bird landed near the cave and, after confirming that the target customer would not leave anytime soon, searched the surrounding forest for food.
As a domesticated bird of prey, Niao Niao had eaten whatever Ye Jingtang ate since childhood and would not touch anything he did not eat. Food available in the mountains amounted to pheasants, hares, or small fish.
After searching the wilderness for a long time without finding suitable prey, Niao Niao flew high into the sky and surveyed the surrounding mountains, hoping to find a village or town with lights where the bird could cadge a meal.
No village appeared, but a