Driven by anger, Chu Xinghui chased the black bird for two full hours before suddenly skidding to a stop.

There was no road ahead—only a bottomless, mist-covered cliff.

Chu Xinghui immediately calmed down.

He looked up at the black bird.

That foolish bird had already flown above the cliff and was happily circling with outstretched wings.

Seeing that he wasn’t moving, the bird even deliberately swooped a little closer to his face.

Pure provocation.

Chu Xinghui thought for a moment.

Only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage had enough spiritual power to fly with a sword. Qi Refining cultivators could fly too, but only with specially crafted flying spiritual tools.

Clearly, he had neither.

Chu Xinghui was still somewhat bitter as he stared at the black bird circling above.

Well, flying was impressive, after all.

He knew how to bend and adapt, so he put away his sword decisively and chose to temporarily let the bird go, turning to leave.

Seeing him leave, the bird panicked and dove from mid-air, ramming straight into his chest.

Chu Xinghui hadn’t expected the bird to be so strong. Caught off guard, he was knocked right off the cliff.

The last thing he saw was a drifting black feather floating in the air

As he plummeted rapidly, Chu Xinghui closed his eyes.

He decided he would hate all black birds from this day on.

*

He didn’t know whether it was good or bad luck, but halfway down the cliff, a branch suddenly snagged his clothes.

With that brief moment of resistance, he seized the opportunity to grab the branch and hung there in mid-air.

Unnoticed by him, a frost-blue feather silently floated out from the bird’s nest on the branch and gently attached itself to the back of his neck. It glimmered faintly for a moment, then vanished without a trace.

Chu Xinghui didn’t notice anything unusual. Hanging on the branch, he swayed a bit and felt a chill on the back of his neck.

Maybe it was the wind blowing from the cliff.

But he didn’t have time to worry about the cold. First, he assessed his surroundings.

He was hanging from a pine tree growing out of the cliffside. At the tip of the branch hung a messy bird’s nest. Perhaps due to its awkward growing position and long-term malnutrition, the tree wasn’t very sturdy. The branch he held was thin and fragile.

He focused on the bird’s nest.

After his experience with the black bird, he was now extremely wary of anything bird-related.

But it seemed to be just an empty nest.

Chu Xinghui still felt something was off, but after staring a bit longer, it was still just an empty nest.

He had to give up on the nest and quickly checked his own condition.

The injuries from fighting the Biling Snake hadn’t healed. Worst of all, his chest—where the bird hit—was aching, possibly with broken bones.

Finally, Chu Xinghui looked down.

The good news: the cliff bottom wasn’t far now.

If he fell, he’d probably suffer broken bones and would be bedridden for a while, but he likely wouldn’t die.

The bad news: it wasn’t solid ground below—it was a bottomless deep pool.

He wasn’t sure whether there were aquatic beasts inside. Worse, he couldn’t swim. He might not die from the fall, but without training in the Water Avoidance Technique, he might drown.

What a wonderfully surprising day.

At that moment, he heard a crisp crack above his head.

He looked up.

The fragile branch could no longer hold a grown man swaying back and forth. It was about to break.

Chu Xinghui took a deep breath and glanced down at the deep pool.

This too, was probably part of his destined suffering.

Just before the branch snapped, he spared his poor “life-saving” tree and resolutely let himself fall.

At the moment he was about to plunge into the water, Chu Xinghui’s sharp eyes spotted a faint purple glow on a rock face near the water’s edge.

It was the Zixu Grass he had been searching for.

In that instant, Chu Xinghui erupted with a tremendous burst of life force. He kicked off a protruding rock ledge, used the last bit of his spiritual power to pluck the herb, then tumbled against the cliff wall a couple of times before finally crashing into the pool.

From the impact, Chu Xinghui couldn’t help but cough up blood.

But with all the tasks finally completed, there was nothing left in this world that could make him suffer anymore.

Chu Xinghui closed his eyes, letting a splash rise from the water’s surface, filled with the strange peace of someone finally ready to rest in peace.

***

At the same time, Xie Liufeng was fishing.

That day, he had already tried three different spots in the Myriad Spirit Valley and still hadn’t caught a single fish.

But he didn’t think it was his fault—he firmly believed that the problem lay in the feng shui of the fishing spots. So, he packed up and headed to a fourth location.

This was Stillwater Pool, the central part of the valley. Several high-level beasts resided there, so it was rarely visited by people, and the fish were fat and plentiful.

To enjoy a peaceful fishing experience, Xie Liufeng had driven out all the Nascent Soul-stage beasts living there.

He had divined it earlier—this was the perfect moment to cast his line.

After carefully preparing his fishing spot, he pulled out a brand-new hook and was just about to cast it when a shadow suddenly plummeted from the sky and landed in the pool with a huge splash.

He looked in the direction of the splash and, on impulse, flicked his fishing line toward it.

Chu Xinghui struggled a bit in the water and sensed that the depth wasn’t too bad. He was about to find the bank and climb out when something strange wrapped around his waist.

He didn’t realize what it was and instinctively tugged at it.

Feeling an unusual tug on his fishing rod, Xie Liufeng was genuinely surprised and instinctively gave it a pull.

Chu Xinghui felt the force pull him, followed the line, and saw a refined and handsome young man.

The young man stood on the shore, holding a fishing rod, exuding an air of casual elegance that somehow felt entirely unreliable.

The two of them stared at each other.

Xie Liufeng studied the half-drowned, miserable figure he’d “caught” with sudden interest. His eyes lit up, seemingly struck by an idea.

Chu Xinghui had no idea what this strange man was thinking and calmly looked away.

—

Although the man was very attractive—possibly the most attractive person Chu Xinghui had ever seen—he felt they were strangers and chose to ignore him, continuing to swim to shore.

But Xie Liufeng held the line tight and wouldn’t let go.

Chu Xinghui looked at him again, signaling him to ease up.

Still, Xie Liufeng didn’t budge.

Chu Xinghui was getting irritated.

He was out of strength. If he didn’t reach solid ground soon, he’d sink.

Xie Liufeng finally acted.

Chu Xinghui felt the line around his waist wrap tighter, and the next moment, he was hauled ashore by the fishing rod.

Xie Liufeng circled around him, delighted, muttering to himself: “Look what a treasure I caught.”

Chu Xinghui watched him cautiously, silent.

He suspected the man might be mentally unstable.

Xie Liufeng, seeing him quiet, suddenly looked enlightened: “Ah, you must want to come home with me.”

Chu Xinghui thought he should at least object to such nonsense. He began to say “I don’t…”—and realized he’d lost his voice.

Chu Xinghui: …

Xie Liufeng beamed: “Mm-hmm, not speaking means you agree.”

Chu Xinghui could only glare coldly, trying to express disapproval.

Xie Liufeng ignored the look, pulled out another fishing line, wrapped him up from head to toe, and slung him over his shoulder: “Alright, alright. A kind soul like me will gladly grant your wish. Let’s go—home.”

Chu Xinghui: …

Exhausted by everything, he simply shifted to a slightly more comfortable position and let it happen.

—

Xie Liufeng carried him all the way to a small courtyard at the edge of the valley.

The courtyard was hidden in greenery, small and sparsely furnished—just a simple temporary dwelling.

There seemed to be a spirit-gathering array inside. Upon entering, the spiritual energy felt much richer than outside.

Xie Liufeng opened the door, took a look around, unwrapped Chu Xinghui, dropped him on the bed, and went out to fetch things.

Chu Xinghui sat on the edge of the bed, warily watching the man bustle around, hand on his spiritual sword just in case.

Xie Liufeng returned with a few healing herbs, made a bowl of dark paste, and brought it in.

The strange smell made Chu Xinghui sneeze, and he cautiously edged back.

Xie Liufeng gestured at him: “Arm.”

Chu Xinghui stared at him for a moment. Realizing resistance was futile, he reluctantly held out his arm.

Xie Liufeng cast a cleansing spell, then carefully applied the ointment to his wounds: “So many injuries, and you said nothing. You’ve got some endurance.”

Chu Xinghui: …

What could he say? He literally couldn’t speak.

Whatever was in the paste, it dissolved on contact. His torn flesh healed rapidly, leaving no scars.

After tending most of the visible wounds, Xie Liufeng told him: “Open your mouth.”

Reluctantly, Chu Xinghui obeyed.

Xie Liufeng popped a pill into his mouth.

He smiled: “How’s the taste?”

Chu Xinghui chewed and honestly said: “A bit bitter.”

Then paused.

He could speak again.

Squinting, he stared suspiciously at the man.

Xie Liufeng acted like he noticed nothing, rummaging in his storage pouch and pulling out a prettier pill bottle: “Wanna try this one?”

He remembered this one had sweet fruit in it and was popular with the young disciples back at Beiyue Sword Sect.

Chu Xinghui hesitated, but went ahead and swallowed it.

It tasted pretty good—just a little drowsy.

Xie Liufeng teased: “Nine-turn Gut-Wrenching Poison. Tasty, huh?”

Chu Xinghui didn’t quite believe it but sobered up quickly, watching him closely.

Xie Liufeng laughed, flicked his forehead, and said: “Kidding. Just regular healing medicine. Lie down. If I really meant harm, could you stop me?”

Chu Xinghui lay down, thought for a while, and muttered: “…My sword isn’t dull either.”

It might not matter, but resistance for resistance’s sake was still resistance.

Xie Liufeng chuckled, pulled the sword from his grip, and set it aside. Then he grabbed a blanket and tossed it over his head.

Chu Xinghui poked his head out, still watching the strange man.

The medicine was already warming his meridians and organs, even dispelling the persistent chill in his body.

He felt like a long-lost stray animal that had suddenly been taken in and placed in a warm shelter—on edge, yet soothed to the point of drowsiness.

He watched for a while longer, resisting sleep, and finally asked: “Who are you?”

Though the man was odd, he had saved him. He felt it was only right to ask his name.

“Xie Liufeng,” the man replied casually.

Chu Xinghui continued: “…What kind of person are you?”

“Me?” Xie Liufeng thought for a bit, then clapped his hands: “Just a regular guy with no spiritual power, weak and unable to care for himself.”

Chu Xinghui fell silent: “…You used a cleansing spell on me earlier.”

Xie Liufeng’s face remained perfectly innocent: “Nope. You must’ve imagined it.”

Chu Xinghui added: “…This is the Myriad Spirit Valley. It has a protective barrier. A powerless mortal shouldn’t be able to enter.”

Xie Liufeng immediately put on a “miracle survivor” face: “Is that so? Wow, I must be really lucky—made it here alive and even picked up a real cultivator.”

Chu Xinghui: …

Fine. A mortal it is. Not his problem.

He turned to face the wall, ending the conversation.

 

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