Chapter Twenty-One: The Scruffy Bird Is Actually a Vermilion Bird Chick!

Jiang Zao looked down to see a bird, no larger than a chick, its black plumage streaked with a few odd tufts of red. The dark crimson tail feathers, which hung limply behind it, gave it a rather comical appearance.

The creature tilted its head, fixing a pair of beady, green-bean-sized eyes on Jiang Zao. It let out an indignant, fierce-sounding chirp at the girl who dared to mock it.

"Chirp, chirp!"

"You've got quite a temper, haven't you?"

Finding the scruffy little bird exceptionally amusing, Jiang Zao couldn't help but crouch down and scoop it into her palm to get a better look. The little creature, as if understanding her teasing, immediately pecked at her palm with its beak in a fit of rage. It was determined to show this human what it was made of!

However, the little thing lacked any real power. Jiang Zao only felt a ticklish sensation against her skin, which made her burst into laughter.

Jiang Zhuoran, drawn by the sound of her laughter, asked curiously, "Zaozao, what do you have there?"

Yan Wuqiu and Lou Si were also intrigued, wondering what could possibly be so funny in this desolate wilderness.

"A cute, scruffy little bird," Jiang Zao said, holding it out generously for the three of them to see.

"Chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp!"

Upon seeing Jiang Zhuoran, the little bird flapped its wings and chirped excitedly. The next second, it leaped from Jiang Zao's hand, aiming directly for Jiang Zhuoran.

Watching the little creature struggle to reach her, Jiang Zhuoran instinctively caught it. Once she held it, however, she immediately began to regret it, looking at the others with a helpless, pleading expression. She had never raised a bird before; she had no idea how to care for one!

Yan Wuqiu chuckled, "Junior Sister, it seems to like you very much."

The little creature was nuzzling affectionately against Jiang Zhuoran’s palm, clearly quite fond of her.

"Indeed, Junior Sister. Though it is uniquely ugly, it is certainly one of a kind," Lou Si added with a nod. He had seen his fair share of ugly birds, but this was the first time he had seen one reach such a level of aesthetic disaster. It was truly an eye-opening experience.

*You’re the ugly one! Your whole family is ugly!*

Understanding his words, the bird’s beady eyes filled with fury. It might have been good-tempered with Jiang Zao, but that didn't mean it felt the same way about him. The bird opened its beak, and a jet of flame shot out toward Lou Si, instantly setting his bangs ablaze.

"Ahhh! My hair!" Lou Si shrieked, frantically trying to pat out the flames.

The event happened so suddenly that the three of them stood frozen in shock. It was Yan Wuqiu who finally snapped out of it, casting a spell to extinguish the fire and performing a quick cleansing ritual on Lou Si so he wouldn’t look quite so bedraggled.

Who could have guessed that a seemingly harmless little bird would be capable of breathing fire and actually harming Lou Si?

"You wretched, scruffy little beast! How dare you set me on fire!" Lou Si pointed an angry finger at the bird to vent his frustration. "I was even speaking up for you, asking Junior Sister to keep you! It seems I should have just roasted and eaten you instead!"

Facing his angry accusations, the bird scurried in fear into Jiang Zhuoran’s palm, covering its tiny head with its wings and trembling.

"Chirp... chirp..."

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Jiang Zhuoran soothed, stroking its small body before turning to her Fourth Senior Brother to plead on the bird's behalf. "Fourth Senior Brother, it's still just a baby and didn't mean any harm. Please, forgive it."

"Hmph! I won't lower myself to argue with a bird." Lou Si snorted, crossing his arms and turning away in a huff. He was bursting with suppressed anger, but with nowhere to vent, he had no choice but to swallow it.

Jiang Zhuoran was relieved and quickly thanked him. "Thank you, Fourth Senior Brother."

Yan Wuqiu walked over to her side and looked at the intelligent little bird with a serious expression. "Junior Sister, this bird might not be an ordinary spirit beast."

The fact that it could understand their speech, perform human-like acts of revenge, and show fear all pointed to its extraordinary nature. Furthermore, since this was the birthplace of a divine beast, the overwhelming pressure of such a creature should have deterred any other birds or beasts from venturing near. There was an absolute hierarchy among them; unless they had a death wish, no other beast would dare appear here.

Jiang Zhuoran felt conflicted. She truly liked the little thing, but could she really afford to keep such an unusual spirit beast? *Wait,* she thought, *Zaozao always has the most ideas. Maybe she knows what to do.*

Jiang Zhuoran looked toward Jiang Zao, only to find her deep in thought. She swallowed the words she had been about to speak.

*Scruffy, fire-breathing... I feel like I've seen this somewhere before.*

Jiang Zao’s inner voice echoed, and the three of them watched her silently as she pondered.

*I remember now!* Jiang Zao clapped her hands together and looked up, her eyes bright with a radiant smile.

*Remember what?* The three of them were left in suspense, waiting for her to continue, only to find she had fallen silent. They were deeply frustrated. Being left with a beginning but no end was maddening—it was like being interrupted in the middle of a task. To make matters worse, they couldn't even bring themselves to ask.

Jiang Zao smiled mysteriously. "Big Sister, this little coal ball is no ordinary spirit beast, and it shares a bond with you."

"Huh?"

The three of them were confused, especially Jiang Zhuoran, who had no idea what she meant. What did she mean by "sharing a bond"?

"Chirp, chirp!" *She’s right.*

The little creature chirped in agreement, though no one else could understand it. Jiang Zao didn't explain directly, instead offering a cryptic smile: "Big Sister, just drip a drop of your blood onto it, and you will know."

"Oh, alright." Jiang Zhuoran nodded blankly, trusting her sister’s advice. Whatever Zaozao said, she would follow.

Jiang Zhuoran formed a bead of blood at her fingertip. Upon seeing it, the bird seemed ecstatic, flapping its wings and gazing at the blood bead with longing. Before the bead could even fall, it jumped up and swallowed it in one gulp.

The moment the bird swallowed the blood, an extraordinary phenomenon occurred. A wind began to swirl, and the bird’s body grew rapidly, transforming into a Vermilion Bird, its body glowing red and wreathed in flames.

A piercing, high-pitched cry rang out through the sky, drawing the attention of many.

"This is... a Vermilion Bird!" Yan Wuqiu exclaimed, his breath hitching in his chest. The very creature that countless cultivators were fighting over was now in their hands, and it appeared that his Junior Sister had just formed a contract with it. How much luck must one have for a divine beast to present itself?

Jiang Zao watched the scene with calm indifference, just as she had expected.

*Who would have thought that scruffy little bird was a Vermilion Bird fledgling? The little bird is quite clever, though—using a phantom image to lure away the covetous cultivators while it made its escape.*

Only Lou Si was trembling with fear. He was the one who had offended the bird. If it hadn't just been born, or if it weren't for Jiang Zhuoran's sake, he might have already been reduced to a pile of ash scattered by the wind. The natal fire of a Vermilion Bird was not something he could survive. At the same time, he felt lucky that it had chosen his Junior Sister as its master, which had spared him from death. After this, he decided he would treat it with nothing but the utmost respect.

The sudden phenomenon drew a crowd from all directions, and in no time, the sky was filled with people.

"A Vermilion Bird! It's actually a Vermilion Bird!"

"I never expected the real Vermilion Bird to be here. Such an effortless gain!"

Everyone stared at the creature with greedy eyes. Everything related to a divine beast was a treasure; obtaining even a fragment would be a massive fortune. Whether it was whole or not no longer mattered.

Seeing the cultivators stirring, the three of them frowned. This was the most critical moment of the contract. If interrupted, the consequences ranged from a regression in cultivation and severe injury to a total collapse of one's spiritual foundation. They could not let them interfere.

"The Vermilion Bird is not something you are entitled to covet. Leave now if you value your lives, or else... don't blame me for being unkind!"