Chapter 71

Ruan Xuezong had stirred up yet another earth-shattering event in the Western Regions. By the time he spurred his horse out of Chasang Kingdom’s borders and reached the agreed-upon banks of the Peacock River, the Demonic Sect assassins could no longer catch up to him.

The Peacock River was marked on the Western Regions map as an important waterway that fed into Lop Nor and had once nourished the ancient city of Loulan.

Yet when Ruan Xuezong gazed at the riverbed littered with sand and gravel, strewn with pebbles everywhere and completely dried up, he could scarcely imagine the glory of this river once known for its beauty like a peacock. Perhaps it had once wound through the desert like a jade-green ribbon, sustaining life in the oases. Now, however, the banks on either side were lined with the fallen husks of poplar trees, giving the scene a profoundly desolate air, reminiscent of death itself.

Ruan Xuezong had arrived at the downstream section, where Ancient Tomb Ditch lay.

On the player map, it was probably displayed that way, but in Ruan Xuezong’s eyes, it was simply a circular tomb city built from stones atop the sand dunes.

The sound of hoofbeats drew a player’s head from behind the stone wall.

Five-Colored Mottled Black called out in delight, “Zongzong! I’m right here!”

Beside him lay a corpse—the Chasang King.

Five-Colored Mottled Black could hardly describe his own emotions, for the Chasang King puppet still retained some vestiges of life consciousness. The system judged it not as a quest item, so he couldn’t store it in his inventory. He had no choice but to carry the heavy burden on his back.

Fortunately, after being turned into a puppet, the Chasang King had lost much of the moisture in his body and weighed very little. The game system interface displayed: 35.6kg. It wasn’t too taxing for him.

Ruan Xuezong had once demonstrated a dual-person lightness skill, and Five-Colored Mottled Black had mastered it perfectly.

During their heart-pounding escape while carrying the Chasang King, Five-Colored Mottled Black had felt dazed at times, as if he were a thief who had stolen a mannequin from a fashion store. Stealing a corpse in a wuxia world was a first for him as a player!

After reaching the rendezvous point, he had carefully checked the surroundings for any suspicious figures. His little heart pounded wildly. What did it feel like? Thrilling—like he wanted to do it all over again!

Ruan Xuezong said, “Young hero Five-Colored Mottled Black, you’ve worked hard.”

Five-Colored Mottled Black’s face flushed red at once. In the most passionate voice of his life, he declared, “For Zongzong, it’s no hardship at all!!!” If he weren’t afraid of startling Ruan Xuezong, he would have shouted the Zongzong Support Group’s motto: Lick Zongzong, love Zongzong, offer your heart to Ruan Xuezong!!!

“Young hero, you’ve done splendidly. Unfortunately, you overlooked one thing.” After praising him with a smile, Ruan Xuezong changed his tone, his expression turning cold. “You remembered to guard against people, but you forgot that in this vast, sparsely populated desert, there are also some animals that can infiltrate anywhere.”

His gaze lifted toward the sky.

Heeding the hint, Five-Colored Mottled Black looked up in confusion and spotted two or three vultures high above at a thousand meters. The lead one was a strikingly familiar Black Eagle, staring down at them intently. As a player, he had been so focused on the pursuers on the ground that he hadn’t noticed the red-named raptors in the sky—

This was the consequence of not checking the minimap!

Realization dawned on Five-Colored Mottled Black, sending a chill down his spine.

Vultures fed on carrion, drawn here by the Chasang King’s corpse on his back. They had gathered on their own, and the Demonic Sects’ Black Eagle, being sentient, must have received their report. Now, with the Black Eagle circling overhead, it seemed ready to turn back.

He had been careless!

Before Five-Colored Mottled Black could berate himself, Ruan Xuezong suddenly asked, “Young hero, do you have a bow and arrows in your inventory?”

“Yes, Zongzong.” Five-Colored Mottled Black blankly pulled out a bow and arrows from his novice days. Ruan Xuezong narrowed his eyes, raised his arm, and effortlessly drew the string full. He aimed at the sky, and with a “whoosh,” he loosed an arrow charged with internal energy.

A sharp whistle pierced the air, followed by an eagle’s screech that rent the heavens.

Several black feathers burst free, and the arrogant Black Eagle plummeted straight into the soft sand and stones, carving out a crater. Up close, the level 60 Black Eagle thrashed its wings in the sand, but to no avail— an arrow was embedded in its chest, blood gushing from the wound.

The Black Eagle could no longer fly. It glared at Ruan Xuezong with eyes full of hatred and let out two piteous cries.

Ruan Xuezong’s lips curved in a cold smile as he seized the eagle.

“Zongzong is awesome!!!” Five-Colored Mottled Black’s face glowed with excitement, as if he had fired the shot himself. He clapped furiously, then rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Zongzong, now that this Demonic Sects Black Eagle is in our hands, it can’t send any more reports. How should we deal with it? Barbecue or stew?”

As a chef player, he could even invent recipes like “stewed Black Eagle,” “griddled Black Eagle,” “charcoal-grilled Black Eagle,” or “Black Eagle shashlik”…

As if it understood human speech, the Black Eagle furiously flapped its wings with its dying strength, trying to peck him.

Ruan Xuezong listened thoughtfully. Truth be told, he was a bit tempted by the player’s talk of Black Eagle dishes, but after a moment’s consideration, he shook his head. “A level 60 sentient Black Eagle—plucking and cooking it would be too easy on it. We can tame it instead!”

A level 60 Black Eagle was equivalent to a second-rate expert in the Rivers and Lakes. In the original novel, the swordsman Hua Bailian and the wanderer Shen Jiangling had captured this Black Eagle but chose not to kill it on the spot. Instead, they tamed it with kindness, companionship, and love—even including a short tale of “the weakened, starving Black Eagle fed with flesh cut from the heroes’ own bodies,” which fully reformed the ferocious bird belonging to Du Rulan.

Ruan Xuezong’s approach was to conquer violence with violence. If it refused to submit, he would pluck its feathers, sever its talons, smash its beak—and kill it if necessary!

In ancient times, an empress had tamed a wild horse with an iron hammer, dagger, and steel whip. He refused to believe an iron-fisted method couldn’t subdue an eagle.

After capturing the Black Eagle, Ruan Xuezong discussed it with Holy Son Wu Yao and buried the Chasang King right there in Ancient Tomb Ditch. The king had been manipulated by the Demonic Sects in life; in death, at least he could rest in a quiet plot of land.

The youth nodded, a tear glistening in his eye. The three of them selected the largest tomb chamber and placed the Chasang King inside.

As the coffin lid sealed shut, a window popped up on Five-Colored Mottled Black’s game interface.

【Ding, secret plot quest “Steal Chasang King’s Corpse” completed. Rewards issued.】

【Congratulations, young hero Five-Colored Mottled Black! You’ve obtained the special title “Lone Brave”—the envy of all!】

【Congratulations, young hero! You’ve gained a large amount of proficiency and experience, some silver fragments, a CG segment, and member favorability: +50 Chasang King favorability, +30 Holy Son Wu Yao favorability, +10 Ruan Xuezong favorability… CG unlocked in the Western Regions map scroll. View anytime.】

The crisp chime of rewards filled the air, refreshing Five-Colored Mottled Black’s body and soul. As expected of an ultra-lucky player like him—he had even triggered a secret plot quest with such generous rewards! It felt amazing—utterly exhilarating!

He immediately equipped the special title. If other players asked, he planned to say in the calmest, most nonchalant tone: “Oh, nothing much. Just a somewhat rare plot quest. The daily life of a lucky player—simple as that. No real tips or essence to it; it’s all about having the face for it. Those who spend ten hours perfecting their looks just end up as boy toys. Us regular-faced folks are the ones who master all the perfect quests—like infiltrating, calling in Six Gates for backup, or sneaking off with a corpse while the Demonic Sects aren’t watching…”

In short, he’d brag however he could!

While Five-Colored Mottled Black reveled here, other players elsewhere had noticed something amiss.

With the rewards issued, Five-Colored Mottled Black’s ranking on the fiercely competitive Ruan Xuezong favorability leaderboard shot up over twenty spots. The players pushed down weren’t fools.

“Aaaah, that kid Five-Colored Mottled Black—he must have linked up with Zongzong! Probably even picked up a quest!”

“Form a party to kill Five-Colored Mottled Black! Spots 1/10000!”

“Five-Colored Mottled Black is the biggest cancer in our Zongzong Support Group. He found Ruan Xuezong and didn’t report it? Unforgivable—my bloodthirsty blade can no longer be restrained…”

Five-Colored Mottled Black was watching the CG and had no idea he was now on countless players’ hit lists, with red-name bounties queued up through next February’s spring.

The system-issued CG opened with two seconds of ink-wash blurring into focus, transforming into two figures like puppets in a marionette show, set against the backdrop of Chasang Royal Palace.

Ruan Xuezong recognized them at a glance: the man was the Chasang King, and the woman was Du Qing’e. Upon entering the harem, Du Qing’e had monopolized all favor, but the Chasang King’s harem had previously housed many beauties—including a graceful beauty from the Central Plains who had borne him a daughter. Elevated by her child, that Central Plains Beauty had watched as Du Qing’e smiled gently at the endlessly crying infant. The next day, rumors spread through the harem that the Little Princess had been abducted by evildoers and gone missing.

The scene shifted, and the infant girl had become the second miss of Peacock Manor, doted on by Qu Tianwei like the apple of his eye. Both believed fervently in a certain “truth.” Two years later, Du Qing’e seized control of the Chasang King puppet, expelled all the harem beauties, and kept only the swaddled Holy Son. Wielding Chasang’s power, she colluded with the local Demonic Sects, frenziedly plundering the resources she craved…

Ruan Xuezong’s brows furrowed slightly. To achieve her goals, Du Qing’e had squeezed every utilizable thing utterly dry—even this land in the Western Regions. She truly lived up to her reputation as the venomous beauty who sowed chaos among the masses.

Meanwhile, the Black Eagle had yet to return. In Chasang Royal Palace, a zither player halted his hands above the strings, silencing the music.

A falcon’s cry echoed from the sky, casting a small shadow—a strikingly divine white falcon with snow-bright, pristine feathers so white they bordered on blue, untouched by any speck of dust.

The man lightly raised one arm, and the snow-white falcon obediently perched there, affectionately stepping on it and rubbing against his slender fingers, trilling twice as if reporting merits.

Du Rulan chuckled. From the white falcon’s clear cry, he gleaned the intelligence he sought.

“He killed it? …You’re shaking your head, so no.” Du Rulan tilted his head idly, his smile fading from his lips, replaced by a chill austerity. “He can’t tame it. A Black Eagle raised in mire and blood—how could it so easily change masters and turn toward the sun?”

Just like a person: once rotted like decayed grass and wood, there was no climbing out of the abyss. That fledgling little bird from the Central Plains, Ruan Xuezong, was far too naive…

At the same time, Ruan Xuezong pressed on through the desert. He and a white steed led the way, while the Black Eagle flew overhead—but its deep yellow talons were bound by a silver chain, the other end gripped firmly in Ruan Xuezong’s hand. If the Black Eagle tried to fly off, Ruan Xuezong would yank the silver chain, dragging it back.

Worse still, when the Black Eagle furiously opened its beak to peck, Ruan Xuezong would shoot it a cold glance, draw his bow threateningly—half in contempt, half in warning—easily cowed into stillness. After a couple futile flaps, it would swallow its rage and behave for the moment.

【Ding, taming progress 20%】