Chapter 10: Caw Caw, I’ve Rebelled! Giving Birds a Taste of Barbecue…

The Tongtian Instrument fell silent for a moment before exploding into chaos.

“Good grief! What nonsense is the Book Pavilion spouting just to scam us out of our spirit stones? Watch out, or Pei Minor Official will blow up your Tongtian Instruments!”

“Huh?? Making it up on the spot??”

“Wait, I’m kinda into it. This pairing works—count me in!”

An out-of-place message from a Pill Peak disciple slipped in: “Fresh batch of high-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills and Meridian Supplementing Pills just out of the furnace. One bottle for only ten high-grade spirit stones. Send a transmission if interested—contact Du Zichen at Pill Peak. Bulk buyers preferred.”

“Is Pei Minor Official really not watching? Then yeah, I’m shipping it.”

“You log into the Tongtian Instrument and the first thing you see is the Book Pavilion gossiping about Pei Minor Official behind his back. You got a death wish or what!”

Just then, a hoarse, clear youthful voice rang out from the Tongtian Instrument, laced with anger: “Everyone shut up! This has nothing to do with the Immortal Venerable—nobody say another word!”

The channel went deathly quiet after that.

Gu Changhuai rubbed his forehead. It was over. Given the Book Pavilion’s nature, they were probably about to spin wild tales all night. He’d only been at Xinnan Immortal Sect for a few days, and his reputation was already in tatters.

It wasn’t long before a reciting voice came from the Book Pavilion side: “Pei Minor Official lashes out at the scholars, but the pen won’t yield to power. ‘Pei Minor Official seeks to monopolize Attendant Gu and rages that the Immortal Venerable—what kind of man is he?’ Is this the death of humanity or the collapse of morality!”

Gu Changhuai was stunned: “…”

What a silver tongue that twisted black into white!

Applause erupted in the Tongtian Instrument. “Great poem, great poem.”

“Zhao Shuzhai’s survived this long for a reason. With that mouth of his, he has to enter the Immortal Sect Grand Competition next year. I won’t watch without him.”

“Fresh Red Vermilion Fruits from Heavenly Melody Valley just arrived—highest bidder wins!!”

Pei Tianyi sneered coldly: “Zhao Shuzhai, don’t move a muscle. This young master is coming right now to tear you apart! Wait for me!”

Book Pavilion: “I’m out—don’t miss me.”

The Tongtian Instrument quieted down again as everyone returned to private transmissions—selling wares or spreading gossip as usual. Gu Changhuai breathed a sigh of relief and sent a quick message: “One Fire Lotus stalk, starting bid five hundred high-grade spirit stones.”

He logged out, rubbed his temples, and gained a whole new understanding of the Cultivation World’s major sects. Eye-opening, to say the least.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Gu Changhuai got up and went out to find Hua Mei still holding yesterday’s pot of porridge. “What do we do with this thing?”

Gu Changhuai asked strangely, “I thought you’d eat it as a midnight snack last night. If I knew you weren’t going to, I’d have eaten it myself.”

Hua Mei fretted, “How could I sleep like the dead in Xinnan Immortal Sect and eat that? I’d be asking for death.” He glanced at Gu Changhuai. “And you’re actually thinking of eating it?”

Of course, he couldn’t eat it now. Gu Changhuai wouldn’t touch a bowl of poisoned porridge in broad daylight, especially not with Rong Ye wide awake.

He was afraid Rong Ye would catch on, so he had to destroy the evidence.

Right then, he heard Rong Ye’s low, cold voice from the corridor: “What’s going on?” His tall, slender figure approached gracefully and stopped beside Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai feigned calm. “Nothing, Immortal Lord. The porridge has gone cold, that’s all.”

After steeping overnight and into the morning, the colorful porridge had formed a thin layer of rice film on the surface, with a faint mushroom aroma still lingering.

Rong Ye lowered his gaze to Gu Changhuai. “Are you hungry?”

He raised his hand, and spiritual energy wrapped around the pot’s edge. Soon, steam rose from the porridge. Rong Ye withdrew his hand and said flatly, “It’s hot now. Eat.”

Hua Mei stood there holding the pot, not daring to speak.

Gu Changhuai: “…”

Cold sweat beaded on his skin.

“Not that hungry.” Gu Changhuai made an excuse. “I went to the Ten Directions Garden market this morning and ate some fruit there.” Unbeknownst to him, his expression made him look like a bristling cat desperately pretending to be calm.

As soon as he spoke, he seemed to hear a soft chuckle from the person beside him. Gu Changhuai looked up suspiciously and met Rong Ye’s indifferent amber eyes. His face was as usual.

Rong Ye nodded. “Fair enough.” He paused, then added, “I’ll be in secluded cultivation for the next few days, so focus on your practice and don’t wander off.”

Gu Changhuai glanced at Rong Ye again, a strange feeling bubbling up inside. He had to specially come say this? Who was the attendant here, really… Still, he smiled warmly, lowered his eyes, and replied softly, “Understood, Immortal Lord.”

*

The Fire Lotus’s value in the Cultivation World was evident. Gu Changhuai had only posted the message two days earlier when a neighboring pill cultivator snapped it up for refining.

Five hundred high-grade spirit stones, sparkling and translucent, sat stacked on the desk.

“You get 250, I get 250.” Gu Changhuai split the loot, dividing the stones equally into two pouches and tossing one to Hua Mei.

Hua Mei caught it and looked at the meager pouch in his hand with a sigh. “250, oh 250—my entire fortune. I’m going to buy the most expensive rouge and seduce the hottest little immortal cultivator.”

Gu Changhuai said fondly, “Not your fault you’re short 250. Go play.”

Hua Mei touched his face in the mirror. “Qing Lian Immortal Lord has been scarce these past couple days. What about your assassination plan? Has the Demon Venerable been hounding you?”

“Something like that?” Gu Changhuai thought back to the Han Ya he’d seen at the sect gate’s peak when they arrived. But it had vanished since they reached Supreme Peak.

As he pondered, a small black shadow dropped in front of Gu Changhuai, followed by a dull “thud.” He looked down instinctively to see a thumb-sized emerald bead rolling on the long desk. It reached the edge, bumped to a stop.

The bead was jade-green, with faint currents swirling inside and spiritual energy coiling around it—clearly no ordinary item.

“A spirit treasure from the sky??”

Hua Mei looked up in shock toward where it fell. The pitch-black Han Ya perched on the beam at some point, another red bead in its beak.

Once it had their attention, Han Ya lifted its chin proudly, flapped its wings, and flew down to land on the desk. It spat out the red bead.

Gu Changhuai silently stared at the red and green beads. Noticing the tiny holes for threading fine string, he looked back at Han Ya.

Meeting his gaze, Han Ya puffed out its chest proudly.

Gu Changhuai broke the silence: “…Where did you snatch these from? You just wander the immortal sect like this, and the Demon Venerable doesn’t care?”

These were obviously artifacts, typically paired with hair crowns. That morning at the market, he’d seen other sect members with ornate crowns—long ribbons dangling from the pins at either end, tipped with spirit treasures forged from heavenly materials.

Their uses depended on the maker: some offensive, some with hidden kills, others defensive arrays. The Cultivation World had endless varieties, and even Gu Changhuai couldn’t tell them apart.

Han Ya was displeased and cawed hoarsely, its voice as grating as ever: “Who told you to be useless? Taking days to kill one person. These are treasures I found elsewhere—supposed to be one-hit kills. Try them.”

“One-hit kill?” Hua Mei leaned in curiously, picked up a bead, and examined it closely from every angle but saw nothing special. “Doesn’t look unusual. You didn’t get scammed, did you?”

Han Ya snorted coldly. “Ignorant trash.”

Hua Mei scowled at Han Ya. “Filthy crow.”

Gu Changhuai examined the beads too, nudging them with his hand—no reaction. He tentatively infused a wisp of demonic energy. Instantly, chilling killing intent washed over him. He withdrew the energy at once, and the activated kill array fell silent again.

The lingering chill made the room’s hangings sway and chime. Hua Mei’s pupils shrank; it took him a while to find his voice. He patted his chest dramatically, full of aftershock: “…What an intense aura. This servant nearly thought he was done for.”

“Impressive indeed.” Gu Changhuai praised, holding a bead up to the light. Now he could clearly see inside the thumb-sized emerald: not flowing water, but tiny, intricate script filled with killing moves.

He took the other from Hua Mei. Together, the red one housed a protective grand array—capable of blocking a full strike below Tribulation Passing Period. The green was the kill array, triggered on spiritual energy infusion.

The more Gu Changhuai examined them, the more alarmed he grew. “Such exquisite craftsmanship. These seem unassuming but could preserve life and rampage through the Cultivation World. Not something from an ordinary family.”

The ones he’d seen at Ten Directions Garden market were flashy but harmless—mostly decorative, borderline useless.

He frowned. “Where exactly did you get these? You’ve stirred up trouble.”

Such refined, practical yet decorative items likely came from major immortal sects or wealthy clans. Better not to invite issues—return them if possible.

Han Ya flapped to the screen and fell silent.

“Hey, hey.” Hua Mei poked at it. “My big bro’s asking you—speak up!”

Annoyed, Han Ya swatted at Hua Mei’s hand with its wing and rasped: “Stole ’em on the road! Stole ’em!”

Gu Changhuai said helplessly, “Stole from who?”

Han Ya circled in flight, repeating: “Don’t know, don’t know. The Demon Venerable urges you to act soon—or he’ll send someone else to clean house.”

Gu Changhuai paled in shock: “Instead of sending help, he sends someone to deal with me? Is he insane?”

Calming down after a moment’s thought, he said, “Fine. Help me pass a message to the Demon Venerable: I’m working on it. Qing Lian Immortal Lord is tricky to kill.”

“Can’t.” Han Ya perched on the beam, its black feathers gleaming. Its raspy voice continued: “Caw caw, I’ve rebelled. You’re my master now—he’s not.”

Gu Changhuai: “?”

He looked up, baffled. “…Me?”

Hua Mei couldn’t hold back: “Filthy crow, wanna hear yourself talk?”

Han Ya turned its head, eyes flashing crimson. “I am the Ancient Demon Crow. Whoever rules the Demon Realm, I serve as master.”

Even more ridiculous.

If it was stronger than the Demon Venerable, why get threatened into the Cultivation World as an unpopular assassin? Carrying a gut-worm that could act up anytime, living in constant fear of exposure—what a joke.

Besides, Han Ya couldn’t seriously have submitted after one little stone toss, right?

He and Hua Mei exchanged a glance.

Gu Changhuai smiled amiably and said just six words: “Light the stove, build the fire, boil the water!”

Time to give the birds a taste of barbecue!