Chapter Twenty: Greetings, Fellow Daoist—I Am Chen Mian

The four prepared to continue forward but heard a voice behind them, causing them to turn around in unison.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, what is this about?”

Yan Wuqiu recognized the person hastily chasing after them—it was Chen Mian, whom they had encountered before entering the secret realm.

At this moment, he appeared disheveled and dirty, a stark contrast to the refined gentleman he had seemed earlier.

“Oh, it’s you all,” Chen Mian said as he approached the group and stopped, relieved to see familiar faces, he began to pant heavily.

“Second Senior Brother, who is this?” Lou Si asked Yan Wuqiu curiously.

This person before them was unfamiliar to Lou Si, but the other three seemed to know him well.

“Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Chen Mian,” Chen Mian said cheerfully, not waiting for Yan Wuqiu to speak, as he grabbed Lou Si’s hand to introduce himself.

“Heh, hello,” Lou Si forced a smile, quickly withdrawing his hand and turning away to secretly wipe it on his clothes in disgust.

The unexpected grab had left him covered in goosebumps; he never wanted to have any dealings with this man again.

“Ah! I’ll have to throw this shirt away!” Lou Si muttered, thoroughly unimpressed by Chen Mian, who was overly familiar and touchy from the start. He regretted his earlier curiosity about Chen Mian’s identity—if not for that, he wouldn’t have ended up taken advantage of.

Jiang Zao leaned back, watching Lou Si’s frustrated and angry demeanor with amusement.

“Hahaha, Chen Mian’s antics seem to have caused quite a bit of damage to Fourth Brother,” came the voice in Jiang Zao’s mind.

“His hands must be raw by now, but pity the fine fabric of Fourth Brother’s clothes that’s about to be discarded.”

“Though this Chen Mian… I don’t recall him much. He’s probably not an important figure.”

Lou Si’s “clean freak” nature was no joke; he was extremely averse to strangers.

“Don’t laugh!” Lou Si shot a cold glare at Jiang Zao and hissed under his breath, embarrassed and angry.

Jiang Zao pressed his lips to hide a grin, then gave him an “OK” sign, though he didn’t quite understand but had no time to pay attention.

Jiang Zhuoran peeked discreetly at Lou Si and saw him scrubbing his hand in utter disgust after being grabbed by Chen Mian.

He looked as if he might break apart.

Yet, it was strangely amusing.

Hold it back! No laughing.

Jiang Zhuoran tried hard to suppress her laughter, but the twitch at the corners of her mouth betrayed her true feelings.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t control herself—it was Lou Si’s flustered state that was simply irresistible. Even Yan Wuqiu couldn’t help but clench his fist to cover a smile.

“Ahem, may I ask, Fellow Daoist Chen, what brings you here?” Yan Wuqiu’s question diverted Chen Mian’s attention from Lou Si. A calculating smile appeared on his face.

Yan Wuqiu should already know that the Little Vermilion Bird was about to hatch, which would surely spark fierce competition among cultivators. Why not join forces to seize this chance together?

Chen Mian’s eyes gleamed with calculation. His intention was not specifically directed at the four of them, but it still sent a chill down Yan Wuqiu’s spine.

Having known each other for less than a day, Yan Wuqiu held little trust in Chen Mian. At most, they were acquaintances. Collaborating with him would be like bargaining with a tiger — one wrong move and it could be fatal.

A lone cultivator surviving in this ruthless world of cultivation could never be ordinary.

Chen Mian was certainly not as harmless as he seemed.

He could not afford such a gamble!

A fleeting dark light flashed in Yan Wuqiu’s eyes as he replied apologetically, “I’m afraid I must disappoint you, Fellow Daoist Chen. The cost of seizing the Vermilion Bird’s hatchling is too great. My juniors and I will not take the risk.”

“That’s truly a pity,” Chen Mian said with a low sigh, then quickly switched to a different expression. “I hope there will be a chance next time.”

“Of course,” Yan Wuqiu replied with a smile.

Chen Mian sighed again. “In that case, I wish you all great fortune in your quest.”

With that, the four parted ways with Chen Mian. Their next encounter would likely be when the Vermilion Bird’s egg was up for grabs.

Yan Wuqiu had his own plan. Since Jiang Zao believed the egg would eventually recognize their young junior sister as its master, he might as well take a chance and also verify whether her words were true.

“Let’s keep moving,” he said.

“Second Senior Brother, why did you refuse Fellow Daoist Chen’s invitation?” Jiang Zhuoran asked in confusion. Chen Mian clearly was no ordinary person; wouldn’t his help be beneficial?

Yan Wuqiu shook his head, expression grave. “Chen Mian is a man of deep schemes, impossible to fathom. If we meet again, we must not become friends unless absolutely necessary.”

Images of Chen Mian’s demeanor and every move flickered through his mind. Everything seemed calculated.

Why did he suddenly appear at the empty entrance of the secret realm and inform them of the situation within?

A lone cultivator must fight tooth and nail for all resources. This secret realm should have been a tremendous temptation for him. He wouldn’t give up the opportunity out of fear.

For lone cultivators, opportunities are more precious than life itself.

Or perhaps his cultivation was already very high, and he looked down on the meager gains within the realm. Why then show goodwill toward them?

In short, Chen Mian’s appearance raised too many questions. Until these were resolved, they could not trust him.

“I understand, Second Senior Brother,” Jiang Zhuoran nodded knowingly. Whatever he said could not harm her.

As they prepared to leave, Jiang Zao pulled the still sulking Lou Si aside, teasing with a smile, “Fourth Brother, your hands are about to lose skin from all that rubbing.”

Lou Si snorted in annoyance. “None of your business!”

Jiang Zao remained playful, ignoring his words. “If you don’t leave soon, Chen Mian might come back and kidnap you.”

The mention of Chen Mian made Lou Si’s face pale as if he had heard something terrifying. Without another word, he grabbed Jiang Zao and hurried off.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go,” he urged.

Watching his anxious demeanor, Jiang Zao smiled slyly like a little fox, thoughts unknown.

“Seems like he found out something really serious,” came the voice in Jiang Zao’s mind.

At that moment, Lou Si felt a chill down his spine, sensing something ominous was about to happen—something deeply connected to Jiang Zao.

He had no idea that for a long time to come, Jiang Zao would use Chen Mian to threaten him.

The four continued onward. The closer they drew to the source of spiritual energy, the denser it became. More and more cultivators filled the air, hovering densely and all fixated greedily on a single cave.

That cave was where the Vermilion Bird hatchling was about to emerge, also the place with the most concentrated spiritual energy.

The four hid at the base of the mountain in a spot unlikely to attract attention. Looking up at the sky, Jiang Zao felt as if his trypophobia was about to act up.

“Truly fitting for an ancient spirit beast. This kind of welcome is unparalleled by any ordinary spirit creature,” he thought.

The other three didn’t know how to respond to his thoughts.

Naive? Or simply foolish?

Was this really a welcome?

If not for the restrictions in place, they would have rushed in to claim it immediately.

On the surface, it seemed calm, but beneath, currents churned. It was a waiting game—neither side making the first move. If the enemy acted, they would seize the opportunity.

As the saying goes, the bird that sticks its head out gets shot. These cultivators were all cunning; everyone wanted to be the last to strike, returning with a full bounty without effort.

“The Vermilion Bird hatchling has been born!” someone shouted from the air.

A pillar of red, blazing light illuminated the entire sky. The phantom of the Vermilion Bird appeared, and a sharp bird cry echoed through the clouds.

“Hahaha, the Vermilion Bird is mine! Die, all of you!”

A single move set off a chain reaction. Everyone recovered from their shock and greedily flew toward the Vermilion Bird’s phantom.

“The Vermilion Bird is mine!”

The battle erupted instantly.

The scene spiraled out of control—no one willing to concede, fearing the bird would fall into another’s hands.

“Quick, chase it! The Vermilion Bird is escaping!”

A shout rang out as everyone pursued the direction the bird’s phantom was flying.

Open attacks were easy to dodge, but hidden strikes were hard to guard against.

During the chase, many cultivators fell victim to covert injuries, losing their lives.

“Hm, where did this ragged bird come from?”