◎Did you poison the Blood Fire Lotus?◎
If anyone had caught him being cradled and kneaded like this a quarter of an hour ago, Fu Yuqiu would have thrown a proper fit. But now the lingering terror of his brush with death washed over him, and he let out a faint, almost imperceptible whimper, digging his claws desperately into the gaps between the Immortal Venerable’s fingers.
Having his “legs” wrapped up didn’t give him much sense of security either. Fu Yuqiu froze for a moment, then stretched out his stubby little wings and clamped them deathly tight around the Immortal Venerable’s index finger.
The Immortal Venerable looked down at him. “That frightened?”
Fu Yuqiu hadn’t caught what he said. He was too close—close enough to catch a faint scent of forest and rain drifting off the Immortal Venerable—and his frantically pounding heart finally began to slow.
By the time his hearing returned, the Immortal Venerable and the Snow Deer Physician were speaking.
“What did you feed him?”
“Nothing but spirit rice from the medicine garden.”
The Snow Deer Physician thought to himself—this white sparrow had been frightened mute anyway; even if it wanted to tattle, not a word would come out.
Fu Yuqiu: “……”
Fu Yuqiu was about to explode at this damned physician’s shameless stunt—twisting the truth and tattling first. He clung to the Immortal Venerable’s fingers with all his might, glaring furiously at the Snow Deer Physician.
Even with rage blazing through him, he remembered he was supposed to be a “mute.” No chirping allowed.
And besides, with this white sparrow’s wretched habit of chirp-chirp-chirping the moment he opened his beak, the Immortal Venerable probably couldn’t understand a word—might even think he was singing. A complete waste of breath!
Before, when Fu Yuqiu had been angry, all he’d wanted was to blow everything sky-high and take everyone down with him—so long as he got his satisfaction.
But now that he couldn’t blow up, he nearly cried from frustration.
The Immortal Venerable watched the white sparrow glare with round, furious eyes, then look so terribly wronged that beads of moisture welled in his jet-black eyes. After a long silence, he said, “If he won’t take the treatment, then there will be no treatment.”
With that, he gathered up the sparrow, white robes sweeping as he turned and left.
The Snow Deer Physician’s soul had yet to return to his body; his knees buckled and he nearly collapsed to the floor.
The fear that gripped him afterward was beyond describing. He could hardly imagine the Immortal Venerable’s moods shifting so treacherously. How on earth had Feng Beihe dared speculate?
And normally the Immortal Venerable never set foot in the medicine hall. For him to come today of all days…
It was almost as if he’d known what was happening and come specially to rescue that white sparrow?
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded at the door again.
Startled, the Snow Deer Physician hurriedly pulled himself together and looked up.
Yun Shou poked half his head through the doorway. “The Immortal Venerable is unwell today. Didn’t you say you brought a Blood Fire Lotus to make into medicine for the Venerable One? Hurry up and brew it and bring it in.”
“At once,” the Snow Deer Physician said quickly.
Yun Shou gave a snort and turned to leave.
Everyone in the Nine Heavens knew perfectly well about the Snow Deer Physician colluding with Feng Beihe, the Vermilion Crane Junior Venerable—it was simply that the Immortal Venerable didn’t care, so no one saw fit to make an issue of it.
Inside the inner hall, Fu Yuqiu lay listlessly where the Immortal Venerable pressed him onto the fabric draped over his knee.
That soft, cloud-like cloth was wonderfully comfortable, and Fu Yuqiu’s avian instincts drove him to flap his claws and wings with all his might. In no time at all, the immaculate fabric was a rumpled mess.
At last he managed to work the cloth into a nest, and he flopped headfirst into it.
The Immortal Venerable wasn’t annoyed in the least. He propped his chin on one hand and watched the sparrow build his nest with great interest.
In a single day, Fu Yuqiu had survived three assassination attempts—his little life had nearly ended more than once.
Now he was utterly exhausted, curled up in his “nest,” too drained to move so much as a feather.
How did it come to this? Fu Yuqiu’s thoughts were a muddled blur. A spirit core self-detonation—even without the sand mustard, everything within five li would have been blasted to ash. How did that physician come out unscathed?
And where was Feng Beihe?
That physician is a snow deer… Feng Beihe isn’t a deer too, is he?
Then Fu Yuqiu suddenly recalled what Feng Beihe had said in the sand mustard…
“It was all an act.”
An act?
Then his identity—even the name “Feng Beihe”—might be fake too?
Ever since leaving the Secluded Sound Valley, Fu Yuqiu had been following Feng Beihe around the mortal world for fun. Every time topics like the “Nine Heavens,” the “Immortal Venerable,” or the “Three Clans” came up, Feng Beihe had seemed intimately familiar with them all.
Could he be one of the Nine Heavens’ own?
Just as Fu Yuqiu was lost in thought, something snow-white wriggled into view before his eyes.
He focused—and saw the Immortal Venerable holding a snow-white worm between his fingers, poking it toward his sharp little beak like someone teasing a bird. “If you won’t eat spirit rice, then have a snow silkworm instead.”
Fu Yuqiu: “……”
Fu Yuqiu stared at the wriggling worm, frozen for a long moment. Then, with a sudden “Waaah,” he threw up on the spot.
The Immortal Venerable: “……”
Fu Yuqiu was terrified of snakes and birds of prey—but most of all, of bugs.
The Crimson Spirit Secluded Grass could neutralize insect bites, but there were always strange little bugs that crawled onto his leaves and squirmed like mad.
Not scary, exactly. Just utterly disgusting.
Fu Yuqiu had drunk a great deal of spirit water, plus the repeated chases and shocks to his nerves. This one stimulus was all it took—the disgust wrenched everything back up out of him.
Only after the violent wave of retching passed did Fu Yuqiu go rigid all over, belatedly realizing exactly who he had thrown up on.
The Immortal Venerable…
The Living Yama with his mercurial moods, who burned birds and beasts as fireworks.
Fu Yuqiu: “……”
Fu Yuqiu’s wings were trembling.
The courage of a creature with nothing left to lose, willing to perish together with anyone—that was gone now, replaced entirely by panic and the fear of death.
Where had the Crimson Spirit Secluded Grass ever endured such inhuman torment? He nearly chirped out loud in despair.
And right then, a soft sigh drifted down from above.
Fu Yuqiu looked up, dazed.
The Immortal Venerable placed the snow silkworm into a clay urn at his side, then reached out and stroked the red plume on Fu Yuqiu’s head. “That picky?” he said mildly.
Fu Yuqiu went blank.
He… he wasn’t angry?!
The Immortal Venerable carried him over and set him on the nearby bird-perching stand, then rose, stripped off his soiled outer robe, and walked to a miniature landscape with living water, washing his hands with unhurried composure.
Fu Yuqiu gripped the perch beneath his feet for dear life, watching timidly.
A moment ago, his sharp eyes had caught it: a few drops of his vomited water had splashed onto the Living Yama’s hand.
Anyone else would have exploded in fury—just like Yun Shou, who’d been splashed in the face and snarled like he wanted to eat him alive.
The calmer and flatter the Immortal Venerable seemed, the more Fu Yuqiu feared he was bottling up something enormous.
Like…
Planning to set him off as fireworks or something.
Having washed his hands, the Immortal Venerable changed into a clean inner robe, its layered hems embroidered with golden patterns—luxurious and stately—as he swept through the clouds to his desk.
A little cloud drifted over and made to dry the water from his hands.
The Immortal Venerable paid it no mind. He braced his elbows on the desk and absently studied his water-droplet-covered right hand.
Fu Yuqiu sat mute as a winter cicada, doing his best to stay upright on the swaying perch.
The Immortal Venerable watched for a good while. Then, abruptly: “Little Highness, want to see fireworks?”
Fu Yuqiu: “……”
Fu Yuqiu cherished his bird life. He shook his head, timid.
The Immortal Venerable paid the refusal no heed, and flicked a single drop of water from his fingertip.
The droplet soared upward and burst into a beautiful water-firework, trailing a tiny rainbow.
The Immortal Venerable smiled. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
Fu Yuqiu didn’t know whether to shake his head or nod.
The Living Yama’s presence already crushed down on him—and now that Fu Yuqiu actually had a will to live, he could no longer casually plan a spirit core self-detonation.
I’ve clearly already offended him… Fu Yuqiu thought.
Even if the Living Yama flew into a rage, that would be better than this smiling reaction—setting off fireworks for him, of all things…
There has to be a catch.
Fu Yuqiu finally understood how terrifying “mercurial” could be.
The Immortal Venerable acted as if he didn’t know what anger was, propping his chin and idly flicking water droplets.
Water fireworks bloomed open one by one.
There weren’t many droplets left on the Immortal Venerable’s hand. After only two or three flicks, his gaze slid toward Fu Yuqiu—and toward… Fu Yuqiu’s beautiful snow-white feathers.
Fu Yuqiu: “……”
Fu Yuqiu jolted as if struck by lightning.
He understood exactly what the Venerable’s inexplicable behavior meant.
The Living Yama was telling him: Since you don’t like water fireworks, shall we try a different kind?
When Fu Yuqiu’s jet-black pupils contracted sharply, the Immortal Venerable smiled and set his other water-soaked hand flat on the desk.
Fu Yuqiu hopped off the bird stand with the worst grace imaginable, trotted two steps, and buried his head in the Immortal Venerable’s palm.
The white sparrow’s body was like a round little snowball as he curled into the Venerable’s jade-like palm. Those sharply-jointed fingers closed slightly, and soft down spilled out from between them.
Fu Yuqiu kicked off with his claws for all he was worth, letting his body roll back and forth across the Immortal Venerable’s water-soaked fingers and warm palm.
After only two or three passes, every drop of water on the Immortal Venerable’s hand had transferred onto the white sparrow’s soft down.
The cloud nearby: “……”
Fu Yuqiu shut his eyes and resigned himself to being a hand towel.
The Living Yama had saved his life once, after all. Drying his hands was fair payment for the debt.
—If anyone knew he was settling debts like this, they’d curse him for a shameless wretch.
But against an existence like the Immortal Venerable—a Living Yama—Fu Yuqiu made the exchange without a shred of guilt.
Having found the perfect justification for his endurance of humiliation, Fu Yuqiu dried with ever greater skill and enthusiasm.
The Immortal Venerable’s deep golden eyes abruptly softened. He laughed, and seeing his fingers dry again in moments, gently hooked a finger beneath the white sparrow’s chubby little chin.
Fu Yuqiu lay curled in his palm, tilting his head in confusion.
Was the Living Yama… happy now?
Not planning to set off white-sparrow fireworks anymore?
Just then, soft footsteps sounded outside the hall.
“Venerable One, the Blood Fire Lotus medicine is ready.”
At the Snow Deer Physician’s voice, Fu Yuqiu’s eyes snapped open, and he kicked viciously at the air with his claws.
The Immortal Venerable idly stroked the sparrow in his palm, thoroughly enjoying the feel of the fluffy little thing rolling about.
“Mm. Bring it in.”
Soon the Snow Deer Physician came in slowly, carrying a bowl of blood-red medicine, which he set respectfully on the desk.
Fu Yuqiu watched coldly from the sidelines.
He vaguely remembered—back in the sand mustard, at the instant of the spirit core self-detonation, the physician seemed to have shouted something…
“Junior Venerable—”
Junior Venerable?
Which Junior Venerable?
The Three Clans seemed to have three Junior Venerables—some kind of bird or other; Fu Yuqiu hadn’t bothered to keep them straight. For a moment he had no clue.
While Fu Yuqiu was pondering, the Immortal Venerable had already picked up the medicine bowl with practiced ease, gently blowing on the scalding liquid.
Steam wreathed half his face, lending him a rare hint of sickly fragility.
Fu Yuqiu sniffed the medicinal aroma—and his little head suddenly clicked.
Blood Fire Lotus…
Snow deer.
The Immortal Venerable was presumably used to drinking medicine; facing that acrid bitterness, his brow didn’t so much as twitch.
Just as he was about to drink, the white sparrow—who had been rolling meekly in his palm—suddenly bounced up and gently pecked his fingertip, eyes shining up at him.
“What is it?” The Immortal Venerable’s fingers stroked the sparrow’s round little body.
Fu Yuqiu instinctively let out a contented little bird breath—then caught himself and shook his head twice, thinking this bird had no shame whatsoever.
Getting a scalp-tingling rush the moment someone touched him.
Shameless!
Having finished cursing out his own shell, Fu Yuqiu bounced up high again, as if trying to say something.
The Immortal Venerable would rather play with the sparrow than drink medicine anyway. He set the bowl aside at random, propped his cheek on one hand, and watched mildly to see what the white sparrow intended to do.
The moment the scalding bowl was set down, Fu Yuqiu hopped and scrambled over to it.
The bowl stood a little taller than his whole body. Fu Yuqiu leapt with all his strength, claws clamping the rim—if the Immortal Venerable hadn’t steadied him with a finger, he’d have tumbled straight into the scalding medicine.
Fu Yuqiu strained to bend his head down and carefully pecked a mouthful of the still-steaming medicine.
It was scalding hot; he nearly burned his tongue. After a couple of “hoo-hoo” puffs, he glanced up at the Immortal Venerable, then bent down to take a few more pecks.
The Immortal Venerable didn’t stop him—just watched like an audience at a play, brimming with interest.
Not having received an order to withdraw, the Snow Deer Physician dared not leave on his own, standing bowed and respectful to one side.
Then, after a few pecks of medicine, Fu Yuqiu suddenly began coughing, muffled and choked, as though he’d swallowed something filthy.
The Immortal Venerable’s brow arched.
After several violent coughs, Fu Yuqiu’s body swayed on the bowl’s rim, as though he could no longer hold himself upright.
He wobbled twice—then the snow-white ball finally gave out, flopping straight over backward with a wet smack. He was so plump he even bounced twice.
Hastily adjusting himself into a suitably “tragic” death pose, Fu Yuqiu twisted his neck and sprayed out the mouthful of blood-red medicine he’d been holding, staining his snowy feathers red.
Then his little tongue lolled out past his beak, and his eyes squeezed shut.
—He was playing dead.
The Immortal Venerable: “……”
The Snow Deer Physician: “???”
A deathly silence fell over the entire sleeping hall. Even the cloud in midair was stunned.
The Immortal Venerable gazed at the sparrow “dead” on his desk for a long, long moment. Even the mist throughout the great hall seemed to freeze in place.
The Snow Deer Physician’s nerves were pulled taut; he had no time to puzzle out what the sparrow’s behavior meant.
The Immortal Venerable quietly studied Fu Yuqiu for a good while. Then he suddenly laughed softly, raising a hand to scoop up the sparrow.
Though he was picking up a fat little bird, he did it with the grace and dignity of a man plucking a flower.
That elegance lasted all of an instant.
—He had meant to set the bird on his knee as before, but perhaps remembering his recent drenching, the Immortal Venerable’s hand paused, and he set him back down on the desk instead.
Fu Yuqiu’s death act was a thorough one; not even being shuffled about like this stirred a single feather.
The Immortal Venerable braced his elbows on the desk. “Did you put poison in the Blood Fire Lotus?”
The Snow Deer Physician: “???”
The physician finally caught up, and his face went white as paper in an instant.
He dropped to his knees in disarray, forehead pressed to the floor. “Venerable One, see clearly! I… even with a hundred lives’ worth of courage, I would never dare poison you!”
The Immortal Venerable laughed, fingers idly prodding the still-acting-dead Fu Yuqiu. “Then how is it the Little Highness took a few pecks of my medicine and ended up like this?”
The Snow Deer Physician’s face turned iron-grey. He clenched his teeth, at a complete loss for an answer.
“Why so silent?”
Cold sweat poured down the physician’s back. It took him a long while to grit out: “Perhaps… the Little Highness carries water spiritual power. His spirit vein conflicts with the Blood Fire Lotus…”
“Oh?” The Immortal Venerable’s fingers wound around the sparrow’s long tail feathers, his tone careless. “And what if you did poison it?”
“Venerable One! I—”
He had just opened his mouth to say I wouldn’t dare when the Immortal Venerable opened his golden eyes and gave him a faintly smiling look.
“And if I say you poisoned it?” the Immortal Venerable said. “Would you tell me I’m wrong?”
A chill ran through the Snow Deer Physician.
Even Fu Yuqiu, who’d been trying to borrow the tiger’s might, was left speechless.
Talk about leaving a man no way out.
So this is what power does—whatever it pleases?
Fu Yuqiu sneaked one eye open a crack and glimpsed the physician’s looked-like-he’d-swallowed-poison expression. His mood instantly brightened.
That’s right—leave no way out.
He couldn’t find Feng Beihe for now, but catching one of that nest of snakes and rats to vent on would do.
The Immortal Venerable stroked the docile Little Snowball for a while, pointedly ignoring that nearly bulging “eye-crack.”
“Hm.” He made a soft sound, as if struck by a brilliant idea, and smiled. “Since you insist there’s no poison, why not test it yourself?”
The Snow Deer Physician’s face grew uglier still.
Snow deer were native to Kunlun Mountain, their spirit veins wholly cold-aligned.
But the Blood Fire Lotus was a fire-attribute spirit grass. If he truly drank it, even a snow deer’s frost spirit veins might be ruined beyond repair.
Yet if he didn’t drink, he could prove nothing about the medicine…
And more than that…
The Immortal Venerable probably didn’t actually believe the medicine was poisoned. He was simply casting about for an excuse to have him killed—after all, a snow deer ought to serve the Nine Heavens alone, yet he had thrown in his lot with Feng Beihe, the Vermilion Crane Junior Venerable.
Cold sweat drenched the Snow Deer Physician. And in a daze, he saw it—the white sparrow that should have been “tragically dead” had sneaked one eye open and was watching him, brimming with impish glee.
The Snow Deer Physician: “……”
This white sparrow—was this deliberate too?
Was he avenging the matter of the Linked Azure Water?!
