Chapter 70: Senior Brother, I’ll Raise a Birdy
Drip, drip—
Fine rain continuously pattered against the eaves outside the window.
A tiger-striped parrot stood on the windowsill, its intelligent eyes gazing distantly with a confused air, as if pondering how to fly back to its owner.
Ye Anping watched it, raising his hand to rub his temples, still contemplating the matter of his junior sister and Si Xuanji.
As things stood, Si Xuanji was practically at their doorstep. It was highly probable that he and his junior sister would not be able to avoid this situation.
Their interaction with Si Xuanji indeed held the possibility of shifting the “Protagonist” position away from Feng Yu Die, and the probability was quite high. However, Ye Anping considered an alternative approach.
Si Xuanji herself was a legendary figure. In the mid-game of the game, there was a mini-game akin to Gwent, where “Si Xuanji” was an ultra-rare golden card. It could be said that meeting Si Xuanji was a great opportunity for Feng Yu Die, an opportunity no less significant than the Xuan Yin Art. Moreover, unlike treasures and cultivation methods, this opportunity could be obtained repeatedly.
Therefore, for him and his junior sister to meet Si Xuanji was also equivalent to gaining a great opportunity. As for what this great opportunity would bring, Ye Anping couldn’t imagine, but he was certain it would be of great help to him and his junior sister.
“It’s raining!! It’s raining!! I can’t go back!! I can’t go back!!” the tiger-striped parrot squawked. It then hopped from the windowsill onto Ye Anping’s stomach, staring at him as if expecting him to help send it back to its owner.
Ye Anping reached out and gently stroked the parrot’s crest, saying, “Why did you run off? Your owner must be worried.”
“So polite!! So polite!!” The parrot rubbed against his finger, seemingly expressing joy, although the words, given the tone, sounded more like an insult.
Ye Anping sighed, “What a peculiar little fellow.”
“Thank you for the compliment!! Thank you for the compliment!!”
“…”
“Congratulations and prosper!! Congratulations and prosper!!”
“…”
Ye Anping let out a breath. Having nothing else to do, he took a soft, non-crumbling ointment from the table, used his spiritual energy to shape it into small portions, and offered them to the parrot’s beak, feeding it.
Around noon, Pei Lianxue and Xiao Yunluo came again to deliver a meal. However, before they entered the room, the tiger-striped parrot had already flown out the window. It was likely that Si Xuanji, not wanting Xiao Yunluo to know she was there, had sent the parrot back.
Yet, whether it was deliberate on Si Xuanji’s part or because the parrot had become attached to him after being fed, the parrot flew back immediately after Pei Lianxue and Xiao Yunluo left. It even brought back more than ten spirit stones for him, as if as “payment for boarding.”
Ye Anping was at a loss. Since the boarding fees had been paid, he had no choice but to keep the bird. Fortunately, it was just a parrot—it didn’t smell bad and was quite easy to care for.
But then again, if Si Xuanji was willing to let him take care of her tiger-striped parrot, it meant she must think highly of him. Why? Was it because he was handsome? Ye Anping found it very likely.
…
At sunset, Xiao Yunluo arrived at the Xuan Xing Sect’s Scripture Repository. It was a colossal, hundred-story tower, resembling a golden measuring rod, standing atop the northernmost high mountain of the Xuan Xing Sect. This was also the most heavily guarded place in the sect. Even she, the Young Miss, couldn’t enter with just a Facial Recognition Card; she had to present her Identity Token and register.
Previously, she had overheard Pei Lianxue talking about cultivation methods involving taking poison and being beaten black and blue. The more she listened, the more frightened she became, yet she also felt a strong desire to try it herself. Since Pei Lianxue’s explanation was vague and she mentioned that her cultivation method was taught by her senior brother, Xiao Yunluo had intended to ask Ye Anping for specific details and try it out. However, Lianxue was too possessive, and she never found an opportunity to ask. Thus, she came to the Scripture Repository now, hoping to find Mr. Qi and inquire about those cultivation methods.
After registering at the entrance, Xiao Yunluo rode a Flying Sword into the repository and flew to the top floor, stopping before a single room.
*Bang bang—*
“Mr. Qi, it’s Xiao Yunluo.”
“Please enter.”
As she entered the room, the scent of ink immediately wafted towards her. Mr. Qi was holding an ink brush, writing something. Xiao Yunluo dared not disturb him and stood by, waiting. Only after Mr. Qi put down his brush did she speak, “Mr. Qi, I wish to ask you about cultivation matters.”
“Cultivation matters?” Mr. Qi paused slightly, looked up at her, and asked, “What’s wrong with your cultivation?”
“It’s just that I heard… there’s a cultivation method that involves… constantly being beaten, eating poison, and so on? Is that true?”
“Being beaten? Eating poison?” Mr. Qi was taken aback by her question. But then, he suddenly remembered that this girl had been close to that girl named Pei Lianxue recently, and he understood what she was asking about.
“There is indeed such a cultivation method. It was used by cultivators a thousand years ago but has gradually fallen into disuse.”
“Then I…”
“You cannot.”
“Why?” Xiao Yunluo knitted her brows and hastily asked, “If Mr. Qi is worried that I can’t handle it, you can rest assured…”
Qi Baishi shook his head and interrupted, “Whether you can handle it aside, that cultivation method requires a one-on-one master-disciple pair.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means the master must understand every aspect of the disciple, even better than the disciple understands themselves. Their meridians, physique, and everything must be clearly known, otherwise, it can easily lead to damaged meridians and a crippled disciple, rendering them useless.”
“Then can’t I find someone else…”
“Currently, within the Xuan Xing Sect, only the Sect Master understands the path of arduous cultivation, but…” Mr. Qi did not finish the latter half of his sentence: *How could the Sect Master bear to have you, his only daughter, endure such arduous cultivation?*
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunluo fell silent. She had always been quite afraid of her mother, and now there was also the matter of losing her sword…
“Mr. Qi doesn’t know?”
“Mm, I know, but I have never taught anyone like that, and I cannot experiment on you, the Young Miss.” Mr. Qi shrugged. “Also, that Pei girl is a very special case. Elder Wang previously mentioned that the Hundred Lotus Sect Master asked her to cultivate arduously with the Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, but I don’t think that’s the case. If you have time, you might consider getting to know that Young Master Ye.”
“…”
Mr. Qi stroked his beard and said, “Although I have never met that Young Master Ye, Elder Wang has always praised him to me.”
“… Praised him?”
“Praised him for gifting hundreds of spirit stones for free,” Mr. Qi chuckled. “That kid is young, but he’s far from simple. Getting to know him wouldn’t be a bad thing for you.”
“I see… This disciple understands.” Xiao Yunluo cupped her hands in a salute and then left the Scripture Repository.
…
