Chapter 224
Chapter 224
Roundy hurriedly flew higher and shook its head, still shaken.
“I’m fine, I’m fine… Snake venom doesn’t frighten me. But these things have become demons, after all. Besides being poisonous, their venom is somewhat corrosive, so I need to use my own demonic energy to purge it.”
As it spoke, its demonic energy surged.
I saw white frost spread over its wing at a speed visible to the naked eye, then turn into solid ice crystals!
The ice froze the patch of feathers struck by the venom.
Miraculously, the transparent crystals instantly turned black as they absorbed all the snake venom. Then they fell from Roundy’s wing, struck the ground with a crack, and shattered into icy powder.
Roundy continued cursing in midair.
“Good thing it didn’t hit your big brother’s eyes, or things would’ve gotten troublesome. Purging it completely would’ve cost at least thirty percent of my demonic energy.”
I shrugged helplessly.
“If certain people… no, certain birds didn’t brag and show off so much, this wouldn’t happen.”
As I spoke, I launched another ball of talisman fire, grievously injuring the venomous snake demon that had attacked Roundy.
Roundy dived from the sky, seized it in its beak, carried it aloft, and tore it to pieces in midair.
Before long, we eliminated the entire group of venomous snakes.
…
For the next two days, Roundy and I battled all manner of beasts inside the dense forest Master had enclosed with formations.
We mainly trained our coordination and grew familiar with borrowing each other’s power.
I had to admit, Master truly was formidable.
Who knew what methods she had used or where she had found so many venomous snakes and fierce beasts!
They seemed endless, leaving Roundy and me utterly exhausted.
Fortunately, snake and wild boar meat tasted fairly good, much better than wolf meat.
By Sunday afternoon,
Roundy and I finally cleared the entire forest of venomous snakes and fierce beasts. At almost the same moment, Master appeared outside the forest and said with a smile,
“Not bad. Ah-Zhong, you and the stupid bird are beginning to coordinate properly.”
She waved a hand, and several nearby piles of stones stacked in peculiar configurations collapsed on their own, rolling all over the ground.
At the same time, the world before my eyes brightened slightly.
It was as though an extremely thin veil had been lifted.
Although the scenery barely changed, it looked brighter. This showed that Master had dispelled the formations surrounding the forest.
Ordinary people could now pass through normally instead of overlooking the area or becoming trapped in something like a ghost maze.
We had been “confined” in the forest for two days, constantly dealing with venomous snakes and fierce beasts strengthened by talisman water. On top of that, we had eaten poorly and lived rough.
I did harbor a tiny complaint.
But the instant I saw Master’s smile, I forgot all about it and immediately cheered up.
“Master! Look how impressive your disciple is!”
I ran over and tried to hug her.
But she disdainfully pushed me away through the air.
“Stay away! It’s the middle of summer, and you haven’t bathed for two days. You’re filthy, reeking, and covered in blood. Don’t come near your master.”
Me: “…”
Heartless!
You were the one who threw me inside!
And when you pretended to be a madwoman, weren’t you even filthier than I was now?
Naturally, I would never dare say any of that aloud. Otherwise, instead of a “rapid three-slap beating,” I might receive a “rapid thirty-slap beating.”
Roundy and I returned home.
Master had probably explained everything to my parents, because they had already prepared hot water for my bath.
A large wooden tub about half a person’s height stood in a secluded corner of the courtyard.
Steam rose from it.
A clean set of clothes rested on a small wooden stool nearby.
My mother must have heard us open the courtyard gate, because she poked her head out of the main room. She glanced at me and said with distress,
“Oh, my child, how did you get so filthy? There’s blood all over you too. If Immortal Lady Qin hadn’t warned us in advance, seeing you like this would’ve scared your mother to death.”
I smiled, scratched my head, and did not know what to say.
My mother told me to hurry and bathe first, then eat something.
She and my father would wait inside.
“Come on, Wu boy! Let’s take a bath.”
Roundy looked excited. Walking on its short, thick legs, it really did resemble a big fat hen as it headed toward the bathing tub.
I was surprised.
“What the hell? You’re a bird. You can soak in a bath? Aren’t you afraid all your feathers will get wet?”
“Afraid of what? You don’t understand, Wu boy. Your big brother loves soaking in baths. Back in the Northeast, people even scrubbed me down. You know about northeastern bathhouses?”
Scrubbing? Northeastern bathhouses?
I froze. I truly knew nothing about them.
Although the internet had already emerged by then, and Lianghe Town had several internet cafes, cultural exchange between northern and southern China was still limited.
People living in the south, especially in small places, found northern lifestyles and customs difficult to understand.
So Roundy’s words made me curious.
As I walked toward the tub, I peppered it with questions.
“So you’re a bird from the Northeast? Oh, right… Gyrfalcons are birds of prey native to the Northeast. Although you don’t look like a bird of prey in the slightest. You’re completely a fat free-range chicken.”
“But even so, you used to visit places where humans lived? You soaked in bathhouses? What happened to you in the past? Tell me about it.”
I was curious about Roundy’s origins.
But the fellow never spoke of them.
When I asked today, it deliberately assumed a world-weary expression and spoke in a falsely profound tone.
“Sigh, you wouldn’t understand, Wu boy… Don’t ask. Your big brother’s past was extraordinarily exciting and mysterious, far beyond your imagination. Be careful it doesn’t frighten you.”
As the stupid bird spoke, it had already jumped into the large wooden tub.
Soaking in the comfortably warm water, it cooed with pleasure.
I took off my filthy, bloodstained clothes and climbed into the warm water too.
Like a greasy, middle-aged fat man, Roundy rested both wings on the tub’s rim and paddled its short, thick legs through the water. Its feathers were soaked.
“Wu boy, your big brother’s past was truly filled with wonder and excitement. Honestly, you lose nothing by calling me Big Brother… Owww!”
I interrupted the damned fat bird’s posturing.
I grabbed both its feet, lifted it upside down from the water, and repeatedly slapped its round belly.
Now that its feathers were wet and clung to its fleshy stomach, it was clear the fellow looked round and fat because it truly had too much flesh, not because its feathers were fluffy!
As I struck it, I said,
“That’s for pretending to be profound, and that’s for acting arrogant! You’re still getting your belly slapped and your head kneaded by me, aren’t you?”
Roundy twisted its round body and struggled.
“Let go, Wu boy! Your big brother was telling the truth! Ah, glub-glub…”
I really did let go.
The fat bird plunged headfirst into the tub and swallowed plenty of water.
I burst out laughing.
“You brat, I’ll fight you!”
Roundy went berserk.
It beat its wings and splashed water wildly at me.
“You think I’m afraid?”
I laughed and scooped up water in both hands, splashing it back.
A fierce battle immediately erupted…
After bathing, I changed into clean clothes.
Then I ate a late afternoon meal with my parents.
They indirectly asked what had happened over the two days I had been away, and I did not hide anything. I told them outright.
Both were frightened after hearing it.
My mother in particular hesitated several times, looking as though she wanted to speak.
She seemed about to ask whether my current life was too dangerous.
But in the end, at a look from my father, she said nothing more and merely urged me to be careful.
My parents actually understood perfectly well…
My bazi was innately extremely light, and my fate was unusual, making me highly prone to attracting sinister supernatural things. If I did not take a master and walk the path of cultivation, I would encounter no fewer of these incidents, and when they happened, I would have no ability to protect myself!
On top of that, the prophecy that I would not live past fifteen hung over my head like a sharp sword that could fall at any moment…
At least now, I had taken the initiative into my own hands.