Chapter 23: Admitting a mistake? No, they were simply afraid.

"Now, it is your turn!"

Jiang Zhuoran’s gaze turned icy, her silver sword casting a chilling glint under the moonlight.

"I—I know I was wrong! Please, I beg you, spare me! Do not kill me!"

One person’s pleas for mercy triggered a chorus from the entire group. Their voices rose and fell, and they looked utterly pathetic now, stripped of their earlier greed and arrogance.

Jiang Zhuoran stood before them, feeling at a loss as she watched these people weeping and begging. She was not a cold-blooded killer, and in this moment, she found it difficult to strike.

*[Pah! Do you really think you were wrong?]*
*[You are just terrified!]*
*[This group is the worst of them all.]*

Hidden behind Yan Wuqiu, Jiang Zao poked her head out, watching the cowering mob with utter disdain in her heart.

Admitting fault?
No, it was nothing more than fear.
If the roles were reversed, they would have killed Jiang Zhuoran without a second thought to seize her fortuitous encounter.

When you are weak, everyone bullies you; when you are strong, they do not repent—they only regret not killing you before you grew powerful.
Such is human nature.

Yan Wuqiu and Lou Si looked at Jiang Zao with calm expressions, though internally, her words had stirred a thousand ripples. They hid it well, but they were shocked to realize that she saw the world more clearly than they did.

The world of cultivation was one where the weak served as prey for the strong, and power was supreme. When had they become so indecisive?

Only Jiang Zhuoran tightened her grip on her sword and exhaled a long, heavy breath, as if coming to a resolution.

Just as Jiang Zao had said, they were only begging because they were afraid. If their positions were swapped, would she, Zaozao, and her senior brothers have been spared if they begged for mercy?
No, they would not. They would only have been mocked and toyed with even more cruelly.

"Vermilion Bird."

"Kree—"

Jiang Zhuoran raised her eyes, and the Vermilion Bird responded from across the clearing. Its gaze toward the crowd held no emotion. She parted her lips slightly:

"Kill them!"

Jiang Zhuoran and the Vermilion Bird coordinated their movements, darting through the crowd like ghosts, leaving blood in their wake.

"No, please, don't kill me!"
"Don't—don't kill me! I’m willing to be your slave, just please let me live!"
"No! I don't want to die!"

The scene descended into chaos. Some fought back, desperate for a sliver of hope. Others begged, their fear spreading boundlessly; they would pay any price just to keep their lives.

Yet, no amount of begging or resistance could change their inevitable end.
Become a slave?
Jiang Zhuoran felt nothing but disdain for the offer.

Who would leave an unpredictable threat by their side?

The pleas and screams were finally silenced by the flames of the Vermilion Bird.

Even in its weakened state, the Vermilion Bird was a divine beast, and its aura was no joke. Augmented by the power it shared with her, dealing with these people was effortless.

After they were killed, the Vermilion Bird’s flames incinerated the remains, leaving no trace behind.

With the crisis resolved, Jiang Zhuoran let out a long breath before the world went black, and her body collapsed.

"Junior Sister!"
"Sister!"

The anxious cries of the three behind her reached her ears. She wanted to turn back and tell them she was fine, but her body refused to obey.

So tired, so sleepy, so desperately wanting to rest...

The Vermilion Bird, worried for its master, tried to fly toward her, but halfway there, it shifted back to its original small form, its cries growing faint.

"Chirp, chirp..."

As it began to fall, Lou Si reacted quickly, catching it securely in his hands.

After checking on the unconscious girl and the beast, Yan Wuqiu realized they had simply exhausted their spiritual energy and fallen asleep. His suspended heart finally settled.

"Senior Brother Yan, is Sister alright?" Jiang Zao asked, hugging her sister tightly.

Yan Wuqiu shook his head. "Do not worry, Junior Sister has just fallen asleep."

Lou Si walked over, cradling the small Vermilion Bird. "The little bird is fine, too."

This time, despite the danger, they had emerged unscathed.

They had been in the secret realm for a long time, and now that the greatest treasure had been secured, it was time to return to the sect. Their master would surely be delighted to hear the news.

Yan Wuqiu smiled, but a sudden, stray thought crossed his mind, turning his expression cold.

The little Vermilion Bird that Jiang Zao had mentioned in her inner thoughts had truly chosen Jiang Zhuoran. Did that mean everything else she had said was true as well?

It was just... the time had not yet come.

If it were true, what would they do then?

"Senior Brother Yan? Senior Brother Yan, what is wrong?" Jiang Zao waved a hand in front of him, puzzled by his distracted state.

Yan Wuqiu’s expression shifted, then immediately returned to normal, masking his face with his usual gentle, jade-like composure.

"Ah... nothing."

"Alright."

*[How strange...]*

Jiang Zao couldn't figure it out. Those people were dead, and they and the little bird were safe... was there anything else to worry about?

Unable to fathom it, she decided not to dwell on it. What she truly lamented were the storage bags of the attackers.

*[Sigh, it’s such a pity that the Vermilion Bird burned those storage bags to ash. If I had collected them all, maybe I could have finally experienced what it feels like to be a rich woman.]*

...

On the spirit ship.

Jiang Zhuoran stirred and slowly woke up on the daybed. She sat up, clutching her head, and instinctively called out, "Zaozao."

Jiang Zao, who had been teasing the little Vermilion Bird by the wooden table, looked over at the sound of her name. Her face lit up when she saw her sister awake.

"Sister, you're awake."

"Chirp, chirp."

The little Vermilion Bird, with its tiny, bean-sized eyes, flapped its wings joyfully at the sight of her, the entire creature radiating happiness.

"Mm, where are we now?" Jiang Zhuoran asked with a smile.

Jiang Zao replied, "We are on our way back to Yuling Peak. We will be there soon."

Jiang Zhuoran nodded in realization.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp..."

The little bird, unable to climb up, let out impatient chirps from under the bed, drawing her attention. It was hard not to find the creature’s determined efforts amusing.

Jiang Zao noticed the round, angry little thing and bent down to scoop it into her hands.

"Zaozao, is it truly a Vermilion Bird?"

Jiang Zao looked over, startled to see the disbelief in her sister’s eyes. For a moment, she didn't know how to explain it.

The little creature in her hands, seeing that its master doubted it, stared back with teary, aggrieved eyes, looking absolutely pitiful.

Jiang Zao sighed and patiently explained, "Sister, it is indeed a Vermilion Bird. It has just exhausted its spiritual energy and was forced to take this form."

"As your cultivation improves, it will gradually recover and eventually become the divine Vermilion Bird. Don't let its current appearance fool you; it can serve as your final line of defense."

"Plus, it can hide its aura. To others, it will look like an ordinary, low-level spirit beast, so it won't attract any attention."

Jiang Zhuoran listened, completely swayed by the explanation, and nodded before she even fully processed it.

"I understand, Zaozao."

She took the little bird from her sister and locked eyes with it, chuckling softly. "Since you are already my spirit beast, I will certainly not let you be wronged."

"Chirp, chirp—"

The divine beast understood her words. Knowing its master accepted it, it affectionately rubbed its little head against her cheek.

Jiang Zao watched the interaction between the girl and the beast with a gentle smile.

Contracting a divine beast, sweeping across the world...

Everything was moving according to the plot. Jiang Zao didn't know if her existence would change the story, but she knew what she wanted.

Over this time, she had gradually stopped viewing them as puppets in a book and instead saw them as people of flesh and blood, with real emotions—they were her sister and her senior brothers.

Perhaps she couldn't change the path of the plot, but she would definitely ensure their survival.

No matter the cost!

Jiang Zao’s resolve grew firmer.

"Junior Sister, Zaozao, we have arrived," Lou Si’s voice called from outside the cabin.