Xi Ling: Xie Xuan Yu, come a little closer to me…
Bird-Raising Secrets, Rule 10: Why do little birds always like to perch high up and look down on you? Because in that moment, they feel grand.
The night had grown deep, and both the cat and the Parrot had fallen asleep.
In the small courtyard house, Xie Xuan Yu lifted his gaze from the booklet and fixed it on the high perch in the room. The little Parrot’s eyes were pitch-black, still alert and spirited, looking down at him with an air of superiority.
Bird-Raising Secrets, Rule 13: When a little bird stares at you, is it just observing you?
No, no—it’s because it likes you! After all, who would keep staring at someone they dislike? Little birds are the same!
Xie Xuan Yu closed the booklet.
Xi Ling narrowed her eyes, her gaze and head following his movements. She didn’t know what was written in that booklet, but she suspected it was filled with nonsense.
However, after what had happened tonight, she couldn’t help but wonder: why did Xie Xuan Yu dislike her so much?
Cat Master had once mentioned offhandedly that she was domineering and arrogant in the Academy, bullying others at every turn.
But she truly hadn’t bullied any fellow students. On the contrary, she had heard from Xi Zhao that Xie Xuan Yu secretly collected protection fees in the Academy.
Yet, Xie Xuan Yu had transcended evil spirits, released Ancient Beasts, and cared for Spirit Pets—clearly, he still had a kind heart.
Would someone like that exploit fellow students and collect protection fees in the Academy?
He would likely despise such behavior.
So, if he heard that she, Xi Ling, bullied others in the Academy, how would he feel?
Putting herself in his shoes, Xi Ling thought he would undoubtedly feel disgusted.
Could his aversion to her stem from this?
A summer breeze blew in through the window, rustling the pages of the book on the desk. Outside, the sky gradually shifted from pitch-black to ink-blue, then to azure.
In the afternoon, Xi Zhao and Xi Ling practiced swordplay in a vacant training ground in the forest.
“We’re entering the secret realm for trials the day after tomorrow. Are you prepared?” Xi Zhao swung the long sword in his hand, slashing toward the sword in Xi Ling’s grasp.
The two blades collided, sending sparks flying.
“That brat Xie Xuan Yu, where does he get the nerve to embarrass you in front of so many people? Thankfully, I turned the tables for you. We can lose anything, but we can’t lose our dignity.”
He paused. “That’s a lesson your father taught me.”
Xi Ling said, “My father said that? He cries whenever someone bullies him. I heard that when he was studying in the Academy, he used to fight while crying.”
Xi Zhao: “…”
He mustered all his strength for another strike, only to find his opponent unmoved. Instead, with a deft and effortless move, she deflected his attack, disarmed him, and forced him to retreat step by step.
The sword fell to the ground, embedding itself in the mud, its hilt still trembling.
Xi Zhao turned and saw the provocative, proud look on his younger sister’s face, cursing in frustration with a series of chirping bird-like sounds.
He muttered, “I’m done practicing,” walked to the edge of the platform, and sat down, completely forgetting his earlier declaration about not losing dignity.
Xi Ling sat down beside him. Xi Zhao continued the earlier topic: “I just can’t stand Xie Xuan Yu. Do you know how much evil he’s done? He forms cliques in the Academy, collects protection fees on a large scale, monopolizes missions, and squeezes out his fellow students—it’s utterly shameful! You can’t give someone like that a friendly face.”
Yes, this was the version Xi Ling had heard before about Xie Xuan Yu collecting protection fees.
She asked, “Brother, have you seen it with your own eyes?”
“No, but his Academy lackeys often help others with homework after class, assist with credit tasks, clean up, pick up and drop off from school, repair damaged Treasure Swords, go to the cafeteria to grab food and save seats after class, and even help write love letters. Their business is extremely wide-ranging, going to any lengths to earn protection money!” Xi Zhao said through gritted teeth.
Xi Ling: “…”
“Of course, they also fight.”
“Anyway, it’s only natural that you don’t get along with him. I came to the Academy to be your study companion and to help your father keep an eye on you. You shouldn’t get too close to such disreputable men.”
Xi Ling looked up: “What study companion? Father sent you here to cultivate properly.”
Xi Zhao gazed into the forest, his eyes distant: “Class time is starting. I should go back to my dorm to sleep.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xi Zhao had already used instant teleportation to vanish underground.
Xi Ling sighed. When Xi Zhao first came to the Academy, he wasn’t this lazy and unambitious. But after discovering that no matter how hard he studied, he remained among the bottom ten in his grade, he simply gave up. Since his ranking didn’t drop any further, he started slacking off every day.
Xi Ling jumped off the dueling platform and was about to walk out of the woods when she noticed several shadows flickering among the trees, darting past like arrows.
Xi Ling focused her gaze and saw that they were Xie Xuan Yu’s few unsavory friends.
Whenever these people appeared, Xie Xuan Yu was usually among them.
With a hand seal, green smoke rose around her, and soon she transformed into a small black Parrot.
The little Parrot flapped its wings and flew back. When she left in the morning, Xie Xuan Yu had clearly still been at home.
The sky was clear and the clouds were light, with a pomegranate tree casting a patch of green shade.
Under the tree, a wooden rocking chair swayed gently in the wind. A man in a blue brocade robe lay on it as if asleep, a copy of “Bird-Raising Secrets” covering his face, revealing only his clean, sharp jawline. His hand hung lazily to one side.
The little Parrot flew in from outside and successfully landed on his abdomen. It stepped once, then suddenly retracted its foot, sighing: “So hard.”
Xi Ling shook her claws and continued stepping on his abdomen, climbing up to his chest.
Beside his hand lay scattered a jade slip, glowing green—someone was sending a voice transmission.
A panicked male voice came through: “Boss, boss, come help quickly!”
Xi Ling blinked. Why did these unsavory friends also call Xie Xuan Yu “boss” in private?
“Help, boss, we’re getting beaten up!”
“The other side brought ten people, boss, save us!”
That slender hand lifted from the armrest, fumbled around for the jade slip, brought it to his lips, and said slowly: “Next time you can’t win a fight, don’t shout my name outside.”
“Boss, hurry! The two of us can’t hold on anymore, we’re being stepped on—ow, ow, ow!”
The transmission cut off abruptly, followed by the sound of fists hitting flesh, startling to hear.
Another voice from the jade slip taunted arrogantly: “You collect protection money, aren’t you tough? You even claim to protect the disciples in the Academy. Do you know who’s in charge in the inner sect?”
Xie Xuan Yu sat up. The little Parrot lost its balance and slid down from his chest, only to be picked up by the scruff of its neck by Xie Xuan Yu as they both left the courtyard.
Following the traces of the fight deeper into the woods, bloodstains were scattered along the path.
Deep in the forest, Zong Yuan lay face down on the ground. After sending the voice transmission to Xie Xuan Yu, he felt a sharp pain in his scalp as someone lifted his head. What met his eyes was a pair of sinister, fierce pupils.
The man in purple raised his hand, pointing at another man behind him who was slumped on the ground with blood streaming from his nose and mouth, and said, “Do you two want to stand up for him? Do you have the ability? What are you, mere outer disciples, daring to confront me? Do you know who my father is?”
A disciple from the back immediately chimed in, “This is the young master of the Eastern Continent’s Changsun family, one of the thirteen great immortal sects. With such a noble status, how dare you offend him?”
“You Spirit Cultivators from the lower spirit continents are truly crude and foolish. Today, we’d dirty our hands just by teaching you a lesson.”
But as soon as the words fell, leaves in the forest behind them swirled violently, as if a surge of immense magical power was approaching.
Everyone turned around, only to be struck in the abdomen by a palm strike from a distance. They crashed against a tree, vomiting blood, unable to even open their mouths.
The cultivators writhed in agony. When they looked up, a figure in bamboo-green robes appeared among the trees. His form was slender and upright, and the longsword in his hand hadn’t even been drawn, yet it gleamed with a chilling light under the forest shadows.
It was Xie Xuan Yu!
“Boss, boss!”
“Boss, you’re here!”
The two on the ground in the forest were stunned for a moment before finally snapping back to reality.
Xie Xuan Yu walked over, lifting the two up as if they were small birds, then turned to face the group of Spirit Cultivators who had scrambled to their feet.
Xie Xuan Yu said coldly, “What are you still doing here?”
The people in the forest immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
Xi Ling flailed her claws angrily toward the retreating figures, chirping furiously. When she turned back, she saw that Xie Xuan Yu’s two friends were both bruised and battered, covered in injuries—a truly miserable sight.
The bullied disciple slowly propped himself up, weakly stepping forward to bow in gratitude to the three.
“Thank you, Brother Xie, Brother Zong, and Brother Cang. I’ve only just entered the Academy and encountered this misfortune. Those people heard I was from a lower spirit continent and that my family had a bit of wealth, so they’ve been ordering me around and humiliating me at every turn. Today, I had no choice but to ask Brother Zong and Brother Cang for help, never expecting to cause such trouble for my benefactors.”
Zong Huan and Cang Xingzhou, whose names were mentioned, quickly waved their hands. “It’s nothing, nothing.”
The disciple raised his hand, conjuring a bulging pouch in his palm.
“I hope Brother Zong and Brother Cang will look after me in the future. Please accept these spirit stones.”
He looked up, tentatively glancing at Xie Xuan Yu. “If Brother Xie ever needs spirit stones or anything related to weapons, you can come to me. My family runs a few sword-forging shops across the four great spirit continents.”
Xi Ling found this person increasingly familiar. She remembered—he claimed to have “a bit of wealth,” but it was far more than just a few shops. His family’s businesses spanned all four great spirit continents, and the largest weapon emporium was run by the Zhu family.
But in the end, Spirit Cultivators spoke with strength. No matter how wealthy one was, without power in the law of the jungle that was the Spirit Cultivator world, one couldn’t protect themselves.
Zong Huan said, “Don’t worry. Since we’ve accepted your protection fee, we’ll look after you from now on.”
Cang Xingzhou added, “That’s right. Whether it’s helping you with homework, escorting you to and from the Academy, or getting food after class—since we’ve taken your spirit stones, just order us around as you please.”
The two grinned, blood nearly spilling from their mouths.
The other person agreed, said “thank you,” glanced once more at Xie Xuan Yu as if afraid he might change his mind, and limped away hastily.
Xie Xuan Yu frowned slightly. “Don’t take on this kind of job again.”
Zong Yuan said, “But you’re soft-hearted, boss. You say you won’t take it, yet every time someone comes begging for help in such situations, you still step in to save them. Just like when you saved me at the Academy.”
Xie Xuan Yu replied, “Ever since then, you’ve clung to me like a vengeful ghost.”
Zong Yuan: “…”
“Anyway, boss, they all voluntarily paid protection fees, begging for our shelter. It’s not like we forced them, right?”
Xie Xuan Yu took the spirit stone pouch and weighed it in his hand.
Xi Ling, standing nearby, pricked up her ears. Just from the sound, she could tell there were quite a few. When the pouch was opened, each stone gleamed with a translucent hue—all pure, high-grade spirit stones.
Xie Xuan Yu looked at Cang Xingzhou. “How is your mother’s health? Has she been feeling better lately?”
Cang Xingzhou shook his head.
Xie Xuan Yu said, “Take these spirit stones for your mother’s treatment. Distribute the rest among others at the Academy who need it. If it’s not enough, come to me for more.”
Xi Ling turned to look at him. This person always appeared aloof and indifferent, yet the things he did in private were undeniably gentle and compassionate.
Perhaps he wasn’t as bad as she had imagined.
Zong Yuan wiped the blood from his nose and mouth while counting the spirit stones. “By the way, hasn’t Yang Ying come to see us in a long time?”
Cang Xingzhou said, “No, she hasn’t. She was being ostracized by a few senior sisters and asked for our help, but she hasn’t come to us recently.”
“Her family forbade her from attending the Academy and cut off her expenses. A month ago, the boss asked me to deliver some spirit stones to her, so she wouldn’t have to drop out. But she refused to take them.”
As the words fell, the little Parrot flew up from Xie Xuan Yu’s shoulder.
Yang Ying was her fellow student at the Academy.
The first time she saw Yang Ying, the girl was being held down and forced into the mud by several senior sisters and brothers. They had heard that her True Form was a lamb, missing one ear, and wanted to see how ugly this porcelain-doll-like girl would look when her flaw was exposed.
Xi Ling couldn’t stand such a sight. She took on all seven of them, confronting the senior sisters and brothers, and in the end, forced them to apologize to the little lamb.
Afterward, she was punished by their master for stirring up trouble and made to kneel in the Discipline Hall.
But if asked whether Xi Ling regretted it, she certainly did not.
She had no idea that Yang Ying and Xie Xuan Yu had interacted privately and that Xie Xuan Yu had helped her?
Xi Ling leaned close to Xie Xuan Yu’s ear and whispered, “I’m going out to play for a bit.” Then she spread her wings and flew off his shoulder.
She was going to find Yang Ying to confirm this.
Zong Yuan said, “Boss, you’ve really worked hard today—taking care of a whole mountain of Spirit Pets and still supporting fellow students.”
Zong Yuan followed Xie Xuan Yu’s steps. “Oh, right, boss, the rules for the upcoming secret realm trial have been announced. Did you know? It requires forming teams of two to enter the secret realm. Can I team up with you, boss? I want to experience what it’s like to win without lifting a finger.”
Xie Xuan Yu ignored him and said to the two, “Go to my courtyard and tend to your wounds.”
As they approached Xie Xuan Yu’s small courtyard at the foot of the mountain, they saw a female figure standing in front of the gate.
Zong Yuan immediately recognized her. “Yang Ying, we were just about to look for you.”
The girl turned around. Her skin was fair, her features delicate, but she was overly slender and fragile, like fine porcelain—exquisite yet easily broken.
Zong Yuan asked, “Why haven’t you come to us lately? Are those senior sisters and brothers still bullying you?”
Yang Ying shook her head. “No, it’s much better now. Thank you, Senior Brother Zong. I came today because of Xi Ling.”
“Xi Ling?” Zong exchanged a glance with Cang Xingzhou. “I remember she was quite close with those people who bullied you. Did she bully you again?”
Yang Ying waved her hand. “No, Xi Ling has never bullied me. Where did you hear that, Senior Brother Zong? The reason I haven’t come to find you all these days is because Xi Ling helped me. Ever since she taught those senior brothers a lesson, I haven’t been bullied again.”
“But since Xi Ling returned from the Forbidden Land outside the Academy a few days ago, she’s been acting very strange.”
Zong Yuan asked, “What was she doing in the Forbidden Land?”
“I don’t know either. At the time, I thought she was undergoing a tribulation. When I entered the forest, I saw her collapsed amidst raging flames, her True Form’s wings burned. She sent me out of the forest, and when I returned to the Academy, I realized I had mistaken her for someone else—it was actually Li Qin undergoing the tribulation. But when I asked Li Qin, who said Xi Ling hadn’t returned all night, she wasn’t worried at all. Instead, she told me not to overthink things.”
“I’ve heard there are evil spirits and malevolent beings in the Forbidden Land that latch onto people and can’t be shaken off. These past few days, I haven’t been able to find Xi Ling day or night. When I asked her through the jade slip, she was evasive and wouldn’t answer me.”
After listening, Zong Yuan lowered his voice. “What if she’s just been busy these past few days and forgot to reply to you?”
“But every time I communicate with her through the jade slip and ask what happened in the Forbidden Land, whether it has anything to do with Li Qin, it sounds like something is gripping her neck…”
Halfway through her sentence, Yang Ying seemed to realize she had said too much and quickly changed the subject.
“Xi Ling is the best friend I’ve made at the Academy. I’m worried she might have truly encountered something evil. I didn’t dare tell anyone else, so I had no choice but to come find Senior Brother Xie.”
Just then, the jade slip on Yang Ying’s body emitted a faint glow, and a clear, bright female voice sounded—
“Little Yang, Little Yang, it’s me. Where are you?”
Little Yang’s eyes instantly lit up with spiritual light. “Xi Ling, I just finished class.”
“Then come to my dormitory after class. I’m going out tonight, but I left some delicious treats for you. By the way, I want to ask you something—how is your relationship with that scoundrel Xie Xuan Yu?”
Scoundrel.
Little Yang didn’t dare to look at Xie Xuan Yu’s expression and whispered, “It’s… alright, I suppose.”
“Has Xie Xuan Yu helped you before?”
“He has. Senior Brother Xie is actually quite kind.” Little Yang carefully chose her words, not daring to praise Xie Xuan Yu too much in front of her. “His friends, after learning about my family’s difficult situation, lent me spirit stones so I could continue attending the Academy.”
“Xi Ling, you were injured in the Forbidden Land that day. What exactly happened?”
The voice from the jade slip began to falter.
“N-nothing happened.”
Little Yang pressed, “There were two people in the forest that day, but my Spiritual Power is too weak to hear their voices clearly. I only vaguely sensed two people approaching. Who were they?”
As these words fell, Xie Xuan Yu’s eyes flickered slightly.
The voice from the jade slip traveled to the other end. Xi Ling looked up at the blood-red sunset outside the window.
She couldn’t answer—the silencing spell suppressed her, even forcing her to give the opposite response.
To restrain the Formation Array, Xi Ling had broken into a fine sweat on her neck.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.” Xi Ling’s tone was gentle. “Little Yang, I made your favorite pastries. Remember to come back early.”
The green light on the jade slip dimmed.
Xi Ling gently stroked the jade slip. Though she and Little Yang had known each other for less than a few months, she could tell from her tone that Little Yang genuinely cared about her.
She set the matter aside for now, rose, and walked toward her bedchamber. Crouching down, she pulled out a bulging bag from beneath the bed.
This large sack of top-grade spirit stones had taken Xi Ling a long time to save up. The thought of soon losing them filled her with reluctance.
But if something could be accomplished with spirit stones, it wasn’t truly difficult.
Consider: how could one get a handle on a man who loved raising small animals, had a soft heart for people, and was short on money?
It was all too easy—just cater to his interests.
First, she would wear him down with persistence, bringing the spirit stones to see him and lowering his psychological defenses. It didn’t matter if he didn’t agree to her request right away. Later, when she transformed into a little parrot, she would whisper repeatedly in his ear about how wonderful Xi Ling, the little princess of the Phoenix Bird Clan, was, planting that idea in his mind. She would wear him down until he agreed.
If this bag wasn’t enough, she had plenty more spirit stones in her bird nest outside the Academy.
She refused to believe that all this couldn’t sway Xie Xuan Yu into doing her bidding.
Xi Ling lowered her head, packed the spirit stones neatly, stored them in her Qiankun bag, and hurried out.
“The rules for the secret realm trial are out—have you all seen them? It’s actually in pairs!”
A dense crowd had gathered in front of the notice board in the Academy Halls, discussing the rules for the secret realm trial.
A slender figure squeezed her way through. “Sorry, sorry, let me take a look.”
The cultivators were annoyed, ready to scold the person pushing in rudely, but when they saw it was Xi Ling, the reprimands on their lips instantly turned into—
“Junior Sister Xi Ling, have you found a partner for the team yet?”
“Team?”
“Yes, this time it’s in pairs.”
After reading the rules clearly, Xi Ling’s eyes couldn’t help but light up.
Not only had the rules changed—from solo battles to pairs—but even the final healing treasure would be given to both members.
“Junior Sister, have you decided who to team up with? Would you like to join me?” Several senior and junior brothers crowded around.
Xi Ling smiled. “I already have someone in mind.”
Several male cultivators watched the direction their junior sister had left, sighing wistfully. “Who is the person Junior Sister has in mind?”
“It goes without saying—it must be Li Qin, or maybe Chao Jing. Definitely not any of us, nor that deadweight fool Xi Zhao, or Xie Xuan Yu.”
Xi Zhao, who happened to be standing right by the notice board, was inexplicably insulted. He turned around and said, “Show some respect!”
Only then did the male cultivators notice he was present. Embarrassed, they rubbed their noses and whistled as they walked away.
“…”
At the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain, the evening breeze stirred, rustling the flowering trees.
Zong Yuan and Cang Xingzhou were inside the cottage, having their wounds treated by Cat Master.
Just then, footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard.
Cat Master’s ears perked up sharply. “I’ll go check.”
But moments later, a heart-wrenching, almost demonic shriek came from outside.
“Boss, boss, that woman is here!”
Zong Yuan and Cang Xingzhou looked up. Which woman?
Cat Master dashed into the room, slipped, and slid right to Xie Xuan Yu’s feet. Scrambling up, he grabbed Xie Xuan Yu’s garment sleeves with his paws and tugged, pulling him outside.
Man and cat stepped out of the cottage.
Xie Xuan Yu halted, recognizing the visitor at a glance.
The sky was tinged with dusk, woven densely with sunset clouds.
The young girl stood beneath the flowering tree, holding a bag that emitted a soft, clear glow, illuminating the faint pink petals falling like rain around her.
Hearing the footsteps, she slowly turned her head. The wind brushed the stray hairs at her temples, sweeping past her bright eyes.
Their gazes met, and upon seeing him, the corners of her eyes and brows gently curved, as if cradling a full handful of the lingering spring water of a summer night.
“Xie Xuan Yu, I have something to say to you. Come over here.”
“You can just say it like this.”
“No.” She shook her head lightly. “There are people behind you, eavesdropping.”
A faint rustling sound came from behind. Xie Xuan Yu waited for a moment, but the noise didn’t stop. He had no choice but to lift his steps and walk toward her.
She said, “A little closer.”
Xie Xuan Yu moved a bit closer.
She raised her hand. “Closer still. They can still hear.”
“Closer, a little closer.”
As Xie Xuan Yu stepped out of the courtyard gate, the young girl suddenly reached out and tugged at his sleeve. Rising on her tiptoes, she signaled for him to lower his head. Her breath, carrying the faint fragrance of her person, brushed toward him, enveloping him completely.
Then, in the gentle breeze of the summer evening, her soft voice drifted through the air.
“For the secret realm trial at the Academy, participants are paired in twos. Have you found someone you’d like to partner with? If not, may I join you?”
She held a pouch of jade stones in both hands, scooping up a handful as if cradling moonlight, and offered it to him. The clear light illuminated her cheeks and also reflected her face in his eyes.
Her voice brushed past his ear as she whispered, “Xie Xuan Yu, I want to enter the secret realm with you.”
At that moment, the cicadas’ chorus of midsummer reached its peak of clamor.