Chapter 43 – New Home

One month after the conclusion of the Yun Family incident, Yun Xiguang woke up at six o’clock sharp as usual one morning.

Chi Qiong, lying next to him with a small towel draped over his body, struggled to lift his wings after Yun Xiguang got up. He seemed to want to get up but could not manage to do so.

Yun Xiguang smiled at Chi Qiong, reached out with his finger, and playfully tugged at the three strands of hair on top of Chi Qiong’s head that had grown a little longer. The hair was a lustrous gold color, much sturdier than the rest of his downy feathers. Yun Xiguang curled the strands around his finger and watched as they sprang back to their original upright position.

It was rather cute.

Yun Xiguang slapped his face hard, warning himself not to disrespect the Phoenix Venerable and to maintain respect.

He got up and quickly took a shower in the bathroom, feeling refreshed afterward. After washing a towel, he returned to the bedroom with a steaming wet cloth and gently lifted the chubby wing of the spirit bird to clean Chi Qiong’s feathers.

At first, Yun Xiguang didn’t dare wake Chi Qiong, only taking the opportunity to clean him when Chi Qiong was eating.

Later, he realized that Chi Qiong found it difficult to fully awaken. One morning, emboldened by some unknown force, he dared to wipe Chi Qiong down. At the time, Chi Qiong grumbled and chirped twice, leading Yun Xiguang to believe he had accidentally woken him up. The next day, he didn’t dare to do it again.

To his surprise, that morning, Chi Qiong woke up for the first time, staring at him with sleepy eyes, swaying from side to side.

Yun Xiguang was not sure what Chi Qiong wanted, so he just looked back at him.

They stared at each other for a long time, man and bird, until Chi Qiong finally could not resist. He angrily grabbed the towel covering his body, flinging it onto Yun Xiguang’s hand. He pecked Yun Xiguang’s hand rapidly while chirping, as if making a strong protest.

It was then that Yun Xiguang realized that yesterday, when he wiped his body, the spirit bird’s chirp was not a sign of waking up, but a half-asleep command: “Good, serve me in the same way every morning from now on.”

Having said it once, the spirit bird assumed that there would also be a body-wiping service the next day. However, Yun Xiguang, being unqualified, had forgotten about it the next day, which infuriated him to no end. Despite his fatigue, he got up to angrily peck Yun Xiguang.

Yun Xiguang hurriedly washed the towel and carefully wiped the entire body of the spirit bird, then used a hairdryer to dry his feathers. Only then did the spirit bird comfortably fall back asleep.

From that day on, morning grooming became a daily task for Yun Xiguang.

The spirit bird’s body was too small; even after growing a bit larger after obtaining the three phoenix feathers, he could still fit in the palm of a hand. His feathers were just a bit longer, making him look rounder and fluffier.

Yun Xiguang thought the spirit bird had gotten fat, but when he wet his feathers, he realized that his body was still quite small, it was just that his feathers were very fluffy.

After cleaning the feathers, Yun Xiguang brought out the hairdryer to fluff them up.

He bought a comb suitable for the spirit bird and used it to brush his feathers while blowing them dry. The spirit bird slept through the process, rolling over occasionally to allow Yun Xiguang to dry his feathers more easily.

After fluffing up the feathers, Yun Xiguang stared at the fluffy, plump spirit bird, an irreverent thought rising in his heart.

He extended his index finger, lightly brushing against the spirit bird’s neck.

The downy feathers there were fine and soft, smooth and comfortable to the touch, with an excellent feel. Since Yun Xiguang learned the identity of the spirit bird, he had not dared to touch him casually anymore, especially not such a vital area as the neck, which he was even less inclined to touch.

But today, perhaps due to spending more time together, the spirit bird’s good temper had emboldened Yun Xiguang. He coveted the downy feathers on his neck and finally took advantage of the spirit bird’s deep sleep to reach out and brush them.

“Chirp~~~” Chi Qiong called out, simultaneously raising his neck voluntarily.

Although Yun Xiguang still could not understand how a single chirp could convey dozens or even hundreds of words, he could read a little of the spirit bird’s thoughts from the tone of the chirp.

It did not mind him stroking his feathers and was even extending its neck for him to stroke a few more times.

Yun Xiguang felt delighted, not only stroking his neck but also extending his fingers to scratch his round belly.

Chi Qiong showed no signs of rejection.

Yun Xiguang’s boldness grew, and he could not resist lifting Chi Qiong’s small wing and lowering his head slightly.

He felt like taking a bite.

Yun Xiguang was not a pervert; it was a common thought that most people had when faced with something adorable.

Because it was so cute, it induced a feeling of infatuation, where the brain instinctively sensed that this body was about to be “cute to death.” To protect the body itself, it sent a command to people, generating thoughts like “pinch” or “take a bite” to balance out the adorableness that dominated the brain.

That was the case with Yun Xiguang.

He was captivated by the cuteness of the spirit bird.

As Yun Xiguang’s lips approached the small wing, a “cluck cluck” sound came from the bedside.

Yun Xiguang put down the small wing and looked expressionlessly toward the window.

There, a Golden-Winged Great Peng the size of a pigeon squatted at the window, looking at him seriously with eagle-like eyes, a hint of vigilance in them, as if saying, “Rascal, what do you want to do to the Phoenix Venerable?”

This was naturally Li Zheng’s Golden-Winged Great Peng.

After the Yun Family incident, this vulture had been returning to their window every morning and evening, punctually, with a “cluck cluck” sound. This was probably what was known as the morning and evening greetings.

Originally, spirit beasts could not leave their Spiritbond Master too far away; otherwise, they might attract the attention of the laws. The higher the compatibility, the greater the freedom of the spirit beast.

A spirit beast like the Golden-Winged Great Peng, which had over 90% compatibility with Li Zheng, could leave Li Zheng 10 to 15 kilometers away without issue.

The problem was that during this month, Li Zheng had been stationed in the Yun Family’s mountain in the outskirts of the capital to deal with the Yun Family affairs. That mountain was over 20 kilometers away from the urban area of the capital city, let alone the fact that during this period, Li Zheng had gone to places hundreds of kilometers away to pursue fugitive members of the Yun Family.

Despite such distance, the Golden-Winged Great Peng could still come to ask after their well-being every day, thanks to its ability of “divine leg power,” which allowed its thoughts to travel to where all living beings went.

In human understandable terms, the Golden-Winged Great Peng was not physically present, but its mind was always with the Phoenix Venerable. It could separate a mental entity to come and ask after their well-being every day, increasing its presence before the Phoenix Venerable.

So even if Yun Xiguang had closed the windows when he went to bed, it could not stop the Golden-Winged Great Peng from appearing inside the window.

Facing the scrutinizing gaze of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, Yun Xiguang calmly said, “I was helping him wash his face.”

The Golden-Winged Great Peng did not speak, but its thoughts directly reached Yun Xiguang’s mind: “You’d better be.”

Yun Xiguang rubbed his temples and said, “I remember that Director Li finished the investigation yesterday. Today, he’s supposed to report to his superiors about the situation with the Yun Family and submit the evidence against the Yun Family to the Supreme Court, right? At such an important time, is it really okay for you to come here whenever you want?”

“My main body is still with Li Zheng,” the Golden-Winged Great Peng said.

“But you’ve been coming to ask after our well-being for a month, and he hasn’t woken up once. He hasn’t seen you at all. Aren’t you tired of running back and forth like this?” Yun Xiguang asked.

Even though Yun Xiguang had gotten into the habit of waking up at six o’clock every morning, there were times when he wanted to sleep in. Having a vulture staring at him to wake up at six-thirty every morning was terrifying. There was no freedom to sleep in, which was quite annoying.

“Hmph, this is my spontaneous respect for the Phoenix Venerable, not false worship. Spontaneous respect doesn’t need the Phoenix Venerable to know about it. I do my own thing; why should I seek credit!” the Golden-Winged Great Peng said.

Yun Xiguang: “…But your presence is disturbing other people’s sleep. My spirit bird and I also want to sleep in.”

“I’m not disturbing the Phoenix Venerable! I haven’t made a sound and have been communicating telepathically!” the Golden-Winged Great Peng protested.

But you’re disturbing me… Yun Xiguang looked at the Golden-Winged Great Peng unhappily.

He wished to set up a barrier outside the window so that this damn bird would never be able to come in again. Unfortunately, he did not have that kind of power yet.

Yun Xiguang could complain to the spirit bird about this matter. He knew that the spirit bird would certainly teach him a powerful barrier technique and allow him to set it up using the power of the phoenix feathers. But Yun Xiguang did not want the spirit bird to intervene.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng’s daily morning and evening greetings were a sign of respect for the Phoenix Venerable. Yun Xiguang knew that the spirit bird needed this kind of reverence. Even if he had turned into a bun, he was still a proud bird. The worship of spirit beasts was a recognition of the spirit bird’s status.

The spirit bird would not care if he was not worshipped, but he would be happier if he was. Yun Xiguang could not prevent the spirit bird from gaining happiness just because he felt uncomfortable.

This was the source of his feud with the Golden-Winged Great Peng, which did not require the spirit bird’s intervention.

Thus, Yun Xiguang had been annoyed up until today.

While he was confronting the Golden-Winged Great Peng, a bluish-green figure appeared indoors. Scales of blue light appeared on the glass of the room, and the Golden-Winged Great Peng’s mental entity was suddenly moved outside. It pecked at the window a couple of times outside, discovering that it could not get in, and emitted a strange cry outside. Without understanding it, one knew it was cursing someone.

No, it was cursing a dragon.

It was the Azure Dragon who had set up the barrier to drive the Golden-Winged Great Peng away.

The bluish-green figure only grew large for a moment before instantly transforming into a ten-centimeter-long green snake. It slithered to Yun Xiguang and spoke in human language, “I’m back. I didn’t expect that you’ve been disturbed by this fellow all these days. Don’t worry about it in the future. I’ll help you throw it out.”

“Senior Azure Dragon, you’re back?” Yun Xiguang said joyfully.

During this month, the Azure Dragon had also been acting with the Special Affairs Bureau, assisting them in capturing fugitives from the Yun Family.

Not everyone lived in the main residence of the Yun Family all the time. On the day of the operation, several capable Yun Family members were outside doing work for the Yun Family.

For years, they had been in remote areas around the world, searching for solitary spirit beasts and some missing individuals who were neglected and unattended. The spirit beast blood and human blood used by the Yun Family to pollute the phoenix feathers were obtained by these people.

Since these people were working outside, they escaped the capture on the day of the operation. But Li Zheng could not allow them to remain at large.

The Azure Dragon had a contract with the Yun Family and could pinpoint the location of each descendant of the Yun Family. It accompanied the people from the Special Affairs Bureau to catch them, wandering outside for days, until yesterday when the last person was apprehended. Only then did it return to find Yun Xiguang.

“I came back last night. Seeing that you were sleeping, I took the liberty to spend the night in the guest room. I saw that there was a huge fish tank in the guest room. Was that prepared for me?” the Azure Dragon asked.

“That’s your room,” Yun Xiguang said.

The Azure Dragon loved water and would soak in it from time to time. There was a hot spring on the hill behind the Yun Family’s house that was the Azure Dragon’s special resting place. Yun Xiguang did not have those conditions, so he could only buy a large fish tank when he redecorated the house.

For this reason, Chi Qiong, who disliked water, was angry for a few days, indicating that this home could have him or the Azure Dragon, but not both. If the Azure Dragon was there, there would only be an additional dish of grilled snake meat.

Yun Xiguang consoled Chi Qiong for a long time, assuring him that he would never enter the Azure Dragon’s room, never help the Azure Dragon polish its scales, never give the Azure Dragon food he made with his own hands, and never enter into any verbal contract with the Azure Dragon. Only then did Chi Qiong decide to spare the snake meat dish.

“That… Senior Azure Dragon…” Yun Xiguang said softly, “There’s one more thing, that Crimson Chi…”

“Oh, I almost forgot about it. It’s been over a month,” the Azure Dragon then remembered there was still a Crimson Chi in its stomach and spat out a breath of clear air.

The clear air landed on the ground, transforming into a spirited red snake. Two bumps had even bulged out on its head, and it affectionately rubbed against the Azure Dragon.

Yun Xiguang had worried about this matter, thinking that after a month inside the Azure Dragon’s stomach, the Crimson Chi might have been digested to a considerable extent. He had not expected the Crimson Chi to look so healthy.

The Azure Dragon explained, “Inside me, it’s nourished by dragon energy, which brings it more benefits than being outside. In the future, let it share a room with me. When I’m not using it, I can soak in the fish tank more often. In a few years, it might transform into a Crimson Crocodile. Then no one will confuse it with the previous Crimson Chi, and it can freely move around in the world.”

“Thank you, Senior Azure Dragon!” Yun Xiguang said happily.

“You’ve had a rosy complexion recently, with luck on your side. It seems many good things are about to happen. But remember not to get carried away, especially with the Phoenix Venerable. You must show respect,” the Azure Dragon said, looking at Yun Xiguang somewhat reproachfully.

It seemed that not only had the Golden-Winged Great Peng seen what happened this morning, but the Azure Dragon had also seen it! Yun Xiguang scratched his face, laughing somewhat embarrassedly.

“I admit I did go a little overboard,” Yun Xiguang admitted honestly. “I only moved into this house last night. It’s the legacy left by my parents. I lived here when I was young. I was so excited today that I did many outrageous things.”

After the Yun Family was liquidated, the Special Affairs Bureau took the people living in this house away and returned this 300-square-meter house to Yun Xiguang.

When Yun Xiguang moved here as a child, it was still a new house. He had not lived in it for long before being chased out. Now, the house was somewhat old.

Wu Ailang waved his hand, taking on the task of redecorating the house. With a large sum of money, in less than a month, the entire house was refurbished, using excellent eco-friendly materials. It was ready for moving in immediately after renovation.

Yun Xiguang did not refuse the offer, merely silently noting down the amount of money. He would soon become a Grade A Spiritbond Master with a high income. He would be able to pay back this money to Wu Ailang soon.

If Wu Ailang did not want the money, Yun Xiguang could repay the favor in other ways. There was no need to refuse at this moment.

Thus, last night, Yun Xiguang moved into this house with the spirit bird and told him, “This is my home from now on.”

Not the Yun Family’s home, not the school dormitory, not a tiny rental apartment, not the Wu Ailang family’s home where he was staying, but a home that belonged completely to him.

The spirit bird pecked Yun Xiguang’s hand hard.

Yun Xiguang smiled warmly and quickly corrected himself, “Right, it’s not just my home. It’s our home.”

He was not alone. He would not recall the happiness of his childhood and the time spent with his parents in this empty, spacious house alone, with a faint sadness and regret lingering in these memories.

This home had the spirit bird, and it would be lively.