Chapter 3: Mercurial Moods

◎ Even in death, I won’t be a spirit pet for anyone’s amusement. ◎

The Venerable One’s aura was gentle yet crushing, like mountains piled from mist, pressing down soft and light.

Fu Yuqiu’s pupils went unfocused; his red plumes quivered wildly.

He didn’t even know what was happening — it seemed to be this White Sparrow shell’s nature, making him instinctively submit to the Venerable before him.

Fu Yuqiu hated being dominated, and fought desperately against the fear engraved as if into his very blood.

The “snowball flower” shuddered violently. Perhaps finding it amusing, the Venerable leaned forward slightly.

“You fear me?”

Fu Yuqiu instinctively wanted to say “I don’t!” — but that endless, abyss-mountain aura still bore down upon him; his feathers puffed out entirely, looking ready to shake loose like a dandelion’s seed.

Where on earth had that Azure Luan Clan Master found the confidence, believing this useless glutton that couldn’t even manage human form was capable of killing this Living Yama?

Relying on what?

Puncturing people to death viciously with that tender yellow little beak?!

Dizzy from the crushing pressure, Fu Yuqiu in a daze actually moved his head and pecked twice with his beak.

The White Sparrow was presumably still a juvenile; the beak was delicate — a light peck differed little from a feather brushing past.

Fu Yuqiu pecked dazedly a few times, then lifted his head slightly — and crashed straight into a pair of smiling golden eyes.

Fu Yuqiu: “…”

Fu Yuqiu stared blankly for ages before snapping awake.

The place he had just been pecking…

Was the Living Yama’s finger!

Fu Yuqiu froze solid.

Yun Shou, seeing this, happily licked his little sharp teeth, waiting for the Venerable to reward him with the bird.

The Venerable, having taken two pecks, looked at him mildly. “Why did you stop?”

He meant the fireworks that had stopped — the oriole, at its last breath, heard and strove to tear loose another plume, lighting it alight.

But Fu Yuqiu, scared witless, thought he meant him, and hurriedly pecked several more times at the Venerable’s finger.

Like a woodpecker. Tap-tap-tap.

The Venerable: “…”

Yun Shou: “…”

Yun Shou’s eyes went wide.

Was this White Sparrow stupid, or fearless?

He had a feeling that once the oriole’s fireworks finished, there would be a White Sparrow firework show to follow.

The Venerable sat upon the cloud seat, his shadow slanting down to envelop the sparrow like a cage from which there was no escape.

Fu Yuqiu had been pampered from birth; the most terrifying scene this life had witnessed was Feng Beihe’s matter-of-fact announcement, in the Sand Mustard, that he would take his Spirit Core.

But now, though the Venerable had not said a single word — the corner of his lips still curved in a smile — Fu Yuqiu was trembling almost to pieces.

Fu Yuqiu’s little face went numb; he held his breath in anxiety.

Yet the Venerable’s golden eyes lifted slightly — toward the oriole still setting off fireworks. “You may go.”

The oriole’s glazed eyes brightened faintly.

He had thought that with the assassination failed, death was certain — the blood-firework had nearly exhausted his life force. He’d never expected this turn: that he might luckily claw a life back from this “Yama’s” hands.

Fu Yuqiu also quietly released a breath.

He seemed to have gotten his life back too.

“Thank you… Venerable One.”

The oriole struggled up from the pool of blood, suppressing his trembling, and spread his wings to leave.

Yun Shou frowned at the sight, saying grudgingly, “Venerable One, you’re just letting him go?”

The Venerable gazed at the Little Snowball and said lightly, “I only said he could leave. Whether he makes it back — isn’t that a question of his own ability?”

Only then did Yun Shou understand.

He grinned, gleefully transforming into an azure dragon, and flew out of the hall baring fangs and claws.

Fu Yuqiu: “…”

The breath he had just released got sucked right back in.

His eyes went round.

Promised to let him go, then sending someone to intercept?

Granting hope first, then plunging into despair — is that something a normal person does?

Truly a Living Yama!

The Venerable looked at the faintly trembling “snowball flower.” “What is the matter with this flower?”

Yun Gui appeared at some point and stated the White Sparrow’s crimes in as few words as possible.

“Today, when the Golden Radiance Grass’s spirit flower bloomed, before the Snow Deer Physician arrived, this White Sparrow swallowed the flower, stem and all, in one gulp.”

“That flower has the effect of nurturing the soul. Replanted, I fear it will take half a year.”

The Venerable murmured thoughtfully, “Half a year… Yun Gui, do you think I can last another half year?”

Yun Gui: “The Venerable One’s life spans heaven itself.”

The Venerable laughed. “Spans heaven itself. Well said — ‘spans heaven itself.'”

Fu Yuqiu, eavesdropping covertly, inwardly wailed.

With the Venerable’s life-saving grass swallowed whole by the sparrow, surely he would be killed for it.

The Venerable finished laughing, lowered his gaze slightly, and looked at Fu Yuqiu again.

Fu Yuqiu was startled out of his wits, wanting nothing more than to dig a hole and bury his head in the Spirit Soil.

But that blood-deep fear surfaced again; the sparrow shell’s instincts screamed run for your life!, driving Fu Yuqiu to scramble confusedly out of the Spirit Soil that gave him the most security.

Seeing him flee, the Venerable propped his chin as if watching a play, seeming to relish the picture of prey struggling for survival before him.

Fu Yuqiu scrambled on wings and claws, half crawling, half flying, all the while calculating: If he comes to grab me, I’ll self-detonate my Spirit Core!

Perhaps because Feng Beihe had hurt him too deeply, in such mortal danger Fu Yuqiu utterly failed to think about staying alive — instead he kept planning whether, if he truly died, he could drag one or two down with him.

But just as he clumsily spread his wings, the Venerable’s golden eyes turned suddenly deep and cold.

The gently drifting mist in the hall became, in an instant, as if ten thousand Wrathful Ghosts had possessed it, howling as they twisted into arrow after arrow shaped like plumes.

Countless arrows, as if grown eyes and minds of their own, all leveled menacingly at Fu Yuqiu’s round body.

— In a blink, the ethereal great hall of the Nine Heavens seemed transformed into a Yellow Springs Hell crawling with Wrathful Ghosts.

Yun Gui, as if used to it, lowered her eyes slightly, unable to keep watching.

Fu Yuqiu had no idea the Venerable was about to take his bird life. He flapped his small tender wings with all his effort, but the body was too fat; the wings couldn’t lift it at all.

Besides, a grass that had rooted year-round had only just become a bird — it didn’t know the first thing about flapping wings.

Fu Yuqiu staggered, rolled off the table without even a chirp, and slammed heavily to the ground like a stone dropped into deep water.

“Chirp-weep—”

Light stirred in the Venerable’s eyes.

The arrows, already sinister and loosed from the string, were a hair’s breadth from the White Sparrow’s back when they froze as if locked in frost.

Fu Yuqiu’s fall left him dizzy, stars bursting before his eyes.

When he blearily opened his eyes, he found several wisps of soft mist gently stroking the red plume on his brow.

They circled once, then vanished.

Just then, a shadow fell over him, terrifying him into shutting his eyes, breath stopping.

The next instant, a pair of gentle hands cradled him up.

The Venerable’s features were as if painted, his golden eyes strikingly beautiful; mist settled softly on his shoulders, as if the wrath that had nearly pierced the sparrow with ten thousand arrows had been mere illusion.

He smoothed a hand lightly over Fu Yuqiu’s head and asked warmly, “Do you still want to watch the fireworks?”

Fu Yuqiu shook his head frantically.

He was terrified this dog of a man would blow him up like a firework.

Yet the Venerable smiled gently, as if indulging a disobedient sweetheart: “Very well. We won’t watch.”

Fu Yuqiu was dumbfounded, never realizing he had just walked through the gates of hell.

This Living Yama…

could actually be this reasonable?

Yun Gui froze, lifting her head in shock, even her cold face showing astonishment: “Venerable One?”

A moment ago the Venerable had clearly conceived killing intent…

The Venerable was still tenderly kneading the Little Snowball: “Hmm?”

“That Golden Radiance Grass…”

“Eaten is eaten. We’ll simply have the Snow Deer Physician plant another.” The Venerable said mildly, “Or would you have him spit it back out?”

Yun Gui went cold with dread, unable to imagine such indulgent words coming from the Venerable’s mouth.

For an instant, she nearly believed the Venerable had suffered a Body Seizure.

Just then, the Azure Dragon came riding the clouds, landing in a blink and resuming a youth’s form.

Yun Shou licked his lips in high spirits and, seeing the Venerable kneading the White Sparrow, asked with heartless bluntness: “Venerable One, are we making medicine of this White Sparrow?”

Fu Yuqiu stiffened again.

The Venerable adored the White Sparrow’s fluffy, rounded feel, stroking back and forth until every wisp of down stood on end.

He glanced up at Yun Shou.

Yun Shou choked.

He knew this look well — every time he erred or misspoke, the Venerable looked at him exactly like this.

Yun Shou had no idea what he had done wrong, but knelt with practiced ease to beg forgiveness.

“Venerable One, I was wrong.”

The Venerable ignored him and asked Yun Gui, “Can he sing?”

Yun Gui weighed her words. “Perhaps? He called a few times just now. Who knows what tune the Azure Luan taught him.”

“Retrain him.” The Venerable put the puffed-up White Sparrow back into the Golden Cage. “Teach him within the afternoon; send him to my sleeping hall tonight.”

Seeing this, Yun Shou hurried to lift the cage, asking dumbly, “Teach him what song?”

The Venerable looked at him again.

Yun Shou knew he had misspoken again.

Yun Gui stamped hard on Yun Shou’s foot and cut in, “Fish in the Water. I remember it.”

Having blundered twice in a row, Yun Shou dared not make a sound, and shuffled off hugging the cage.

The Venerable lowered his eyes to the jade basin — two little claw prints had been kicked into the once-smooth Spirit Soil, and a few wisps of soft snow-white down clung there.

He lifted a finger; the down floated up, twining lightly about his jade-white fingertip.

The Venerable said offhandedly, “What is it you wish to say?”

“That White Sparrow was presented by the Azure Luan Clan.” Yun Gui said coldly. “He carries the Linked Azure Water — I fear it will harm the Venerable’s immortal body…”

“The Linked Azure Water?” The Venerable laughed; the down at his fingertip abruptly became a Golden Plume, which he flicked before Yun Gui. “—I am fond of this White Sparrow. Go. Reward the Azure Luan Clan with a Golden Plume.”

“Venerable One! That sparrow came to kill you — just set him off like a firework. Why would you…”

The Venerable looked at her mildly.

Yun Gui, still hot with temper, startled and hastily bowed her head, kneeling.

The Venerable asked idly, “Where is Beihe?”

“Junior Venerable Beihe has suffered a relapse of his old illness; the Snow Deer Physician has gone to treat him. He should recover within days.”

“Have you found who injured him back then?”

Yun Gui’s lips curled. “Ever since you said you would choose the most outstanding of the three Junior Venerables to succeed you as Venerable, the Azure Luan, Vermilion Crane, and Peacock Clans have fought like gamecocks — each killing the other. Who knows when he was ambushed. Nothing’s been found; my guess is the Azure Luan Junior Venerable.”

The Venerable said unhurriedly, “The Azure Luan does everything too slowly. If he could injure Beihe so badly, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to try killing me with a mere White Sparrow.”

Yun Gui muttered under her breath, “You clearly know everything…”

“Beihe is calm and ruthless. Knowing the three clans’ contest must end in mutual ruin, he simply came to kill me himself.” The Venerable flicked out another Golden Plume. “—A reward for Beihe.”

Yun Gui: “…”

A reward?!

The Dragon Clan worshipped strength — if you could win, fight with claws; if not, fight to the death. Blunt and simple. She truly couldn’t understand the Venerable’s behavior: someone comes to kill him, and he smiles, indulges, and hands out rewards.

But she dared not interfere with the Venerable’s decisions, so she could only nod agreement. Taking the Golden Plume in her jaws, she became a black dragon and rode the clouds away.

The hall stood empty. The Venerable lowered his eyes to watch a cloud drift over and nestle docilely in his palm, as if recalling the feel of that Little Snowball White Sparrow.

He said softly, “Time for rain.”

The cloud seemed to possess a mind of its own; at his words it nodded obediently and flew into the sky like a streak of light.

With several rumbles, rain came pouring down across the whole of the Nine Heavens.

It rained even upon that splendid hall. The Venerable let the rain fall upon him, snow-like droplets clinging to his feathery lashes and ink-black hair.

He tilted his head slightly upward and murmured softly.

“Linked Azure Water…”

Outside the hall, Yun Shou carried the Golden Cage, staring in disbelief at the White Sparrow — whole and intact, not a feather out of place.

“How did you escape the Venerable’s clutches?!”

Fu Yuqiu was just as baffled himself. “Chirp chirp?”

Ugh! Why wouldn’t the chirping stop?!

“Hey, you sound really lovely when you call.”

With the Venerable always so mercurial, Yun Shou couldn’t be bothered to press further. “I’ll teach you a little song in a bit. Learn it fast and sing it for the Venerable tonight. Sweet-talk him into a good mood, and your whole Azure Luan Clan will rise on your coattails.”

Free of that terrifying Venerable’s oppressive aura, Fu Yuqiu felt himself again.

He couldn’t care less about the Azure Luan Clan’s fortunes. He turned his head away and thought coldly:

Want me to sing? Dream on. Even if I die, I won’t be a spirit pet for anyone’s amusement.