Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Faced with Shi Wu's shameless bullying, the hot-tempered and crew-cut members wanted to stand up for their captain but didn't dare to speak out. The key was, looking at Xue Hong Yi himself, he seemed quite happy, chuckling and saying to Shi Wu, "You talk just like Wang Sui, no wonder you're good friends..."

Hot-tempered, crew-cut: "…" Alright, if the captain likes it, then it's fine.

After eating and drinking their fill, Wu Yin began to feel sleepy. Yawning, he walked into the stable, sat down beside Jie Lin Yuan on a hay bale, eyes bleary, "Any discoveries?"

"If you're asking about the gold-winged sparrow, then no, there's not even a sparrow in the fields," Jie Lin Yuan said. "But I did spot two zombies over there."

Wu Yin followed his gesture and saw two male infected, their bodies rotting, snagged by the spikes on the outer fence arranged by Mr. Balk. They kept stepping in place, unaware, their thighs and arms torn and mangled by the spikes, leaving trails of decaying flesh.

"…Tsk." Wu Yin, uninterested, turned back to ask, "When exactly does this bird show up? It won't just not come these two days, will it?"

"That's a possibility," Jie Lin Yuan admitted. "The bet didn't specify what happens if it doesn't show up. We just said if we can't tame the gold-winged sparrow in three days, we lose. So, are you ready with the 10 survival points?"

"Cheating." Wu Yin stated flatly. "There's only one possibility, I win and ask them for survival points."

Knowing Wu Yin's character, Jie Lin Yuan wasn't surprised by this response. He chuckled, "Or what if the gold-winged sparrow prefers night time?"

"Then we'll just blow it up and eat it," Wu Yin yawned, lying back on the hay, shifting to a side position, using his arm as a pillow. "You keep watch, I'll sleep a..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly sat up.

"What's up?" Jie Lin Yuan sensed Wu Yin's movement and heard the restless horse in the stall trying to tear its tether. Simultaneously, Wu Yin grabbed his wrist, warning, "Jie Lin Yuan, behind you..."

Realizing something, Jie Lin Yuan quickly turned, only to lock eyes with two large, black orbs peering through the stable window.

“……”

White nictitating membranes flicked sideways, as if the black pupils felt the window too small for a clear view. Hopping from one window to another, the eyes continued their stare.

This was no mere "eagle-sized" bird; it was almost as big as a brown bear. Even compared to the Black Knight, this mutant gold-winged sparrow was not inferior in size.

Wu Yin and Jie Lin Yuan exchanged a look, neither making a rash move.

The gold-winged sparrow curiously observed the humans through the window, its eye surroundings dark brown as if wearing smoky eyeshadow. Its head bobbing, the short, conical, pale yellow beak pecked at the glass, quickly creating a crack.

The timing of the mutant bird's appearance was just right. Mr. Balk had confidently stated it wouldn't appear at noon, so the three from the Fei Hong Mercenary Team were still napping in the semi-basement, leaving Wu Yin free to display his abilities. After taming the gold-winged sparrow, he could come up with an excuse later.

"Shh." Wu Yin raised his finger to his lips, signaling the gold-winged sparrow to stay quiet with a warning gaze.

Compared to the quiet and well-behaved lotus flower beauty, the intelligent Border Collie Princess, and the Black Knight with both limited physique and intelligence, this Goldfinch was clearly all height and no brains, and exceptionally noisy. Wu Yin's warning had no positive effect; instead, it excited the Goldfinch into a louder chirping, like a young lad finally catching his crush's attention.

It excitedly flapped its wings, pecking at the window with even more force, choosing to break in rather than use the door.

The horses in the stable were startled, rearing up and neighing terribly.

Within seconds, everyone in the semi-basement rushed out upon hearing the commotion. They held their guns, cautiously and quickly approaching the stable. Xue Hongyi, unusually reliable, called into the gate with a deep voice, "Shiwu, Xie, are you alright?"

"We're fine," Xie Linyuan replied, leading a white horse with one hand and holding Wu Yin with the other, calmly walking out of the stable. As they moved, the Goldfinch also landed on the roof of the stable, curiously peering down, casting a vast shadow that enveloped the three below.

The impulsive buzz-cut man and his muscular companion tensed up, ready for battle, aiming their guns at the Goldfinch's head.

"Step back," Xie Linyuan ordered calmly, speaking clearly, "The Goldfinch currently has no intent to attack; don't scare it."

"Are you sure?" Xue Hongyi was also nervous, his palms sweaty, quickly wiping them on his clothes before re-gripping his gun.

Xie Linyuan felt Wu Yin squeeze his hand tightly, understanding the gesture. He nodded to Xue Hongyi, "Don't worry, we can handle it." Then he turned to the crowd and found Balk, holding a bridle, "…Sir, please come and take the horse away."

Balk, wary of the Goldfinch on the roof, cautiously stepped out from behind Xue Hongyi and approached Xie Linyuan and Wu Yin.

Unexpectedly, his approach instantly enraged the mutant Goldfinch. Its two-meter-long wings spread wide, furiously flapping against the roof, emitting sharp chirps. Its green chest feathers stood up, threatening anyone who dared to come close.

The three members of the Flying Dragon Mercenary Team didn't hesitate, instantly opening fire at the mutant bird. Their years of field experience told them that opportunities for survival are fleeting, and attacking is the best way to protect themselves.

The bullets hurt the Goldfinch, causing it to panic and flap its wings to leave the roof. Its black eyes glanced at Wu Yin, seemingly reluctant to leave, but the continuous gunfire forced it to turn swiftly and fly rapidly into the sky.

Balk loosened his grip, quickly going to calm the frightened white horse.

Wu Yin, delighted, swiftly let go of Jie Lin Yuan's hand and headed towards the Fei Hong team, taunting with a mix of sarcasm and grievance, "What are you doing? Deliberately driving away the Golden-winged Bird to hinder our mission? Are you so desperate for ten survival points that you'd lose face over it?"

The hot-tempered man couldn't contain his anger and roared, "We saved you!"

Xue Hong Yi, with a stern face, said seriously, "Shiwu, stop being willful. You've seen the danger of the mutant birds. I..."

He was cut off mid-sentence, his expression suddenly changing. His two subordinates, disregarding their disdain for Shiwu, raised their guns to the sky again. Balk, gripping the horse tightly, only had time to shout, "Watch out—"

A massive shadow loomed over Wu Yin. Suddenly, he tensed as sharp claws gripped his shoulders and upper body from both sides. Then, feeling lighter, his feet left the ground, and he was swiftly lifted into the air.

Wu Yin: "..."

In the blink of an eye, he was snatched by the Golden-winged Bird, rising about five meters off the ground and still climbing.

Fearing they might hurt him, the three members of Fei Hong didn't dare to shoot. The missile launcher on the old car was also useless. The group could only helplessly shout his name, watching him being carried away by the Golden-winged Bird. Xue Hong Yi suddenly remembered something,

—except for one person.

Wu Yin saw a black figure leap onto the rooftop at an incredible speed, leaving a blur. Jie Lin Yuan then ran and jumped across the rooftops of the farm buildings, rapidly closing in on the Golden-winged Bird. Wu Yin lowered his eyes, meeting the gaze of a pair of crimson eyes on the ground.

For a moment, Wu Yin's fingertips trembled uncontrollably. He felt like a grazed animal, its neck snapped by a ferocious beast, already a prey caught, yet momentarily overlooked due to the beast's brief lapse, allowing an unknown "hyena" to steal the prize. The enraged beast roared, shaking the earth.

—"Ah, what is that thing below? So terrifying. How can a human run that fast?"

Suddenly, Wu Yin heard a crisp, youthful female voice. Struggling, he lifted his head, looking past the brown-green feathers, and to his surprise, saw panic and helplessness on the face of a Golden-winged Bird.

"Relax," said Wu Yin, "he's not here to kill you."

—"He is here to kill me!"

"It's your fault for suddenly coming back and snatching me away," Wu Yin laughed, "You steal from others right in front of them and then blame them for chasing you?"

—"I was worried about you! You're different from them; I don't want you to die."

Balk sighed with relief and hurried to calm the distressed white horse.

The Golden-winged Bird lowered its head, its round eyes wide open. "I can only understand you, and you can understand me. I'm telling you, the owner of that farm is super scary. He killed his wife and daughter, a super terrifying serial killer! If I hadn't taken you away, you'd surely be killed by him by now!"

Wu Yin frowned in contemplation and said, "Find a place to put me down first."

"No, I won't let you go. The ground is dangerous. I'm taking you to my nest. It's not far, just a two-hour flight."

Wu Yin: "…Put me down."

"No, no, no."

Wu Yin, tired of arguing with the rebellious female bird, grasped its talons and closed his eyes.

On the ground, having lost sight of Xie Linyuan and the others, Xie Linyuan transformed his left arm into a hook claw and a rudimentary gliding tool. He followed the mutant bird's flight path, swiftly maneuvering through grasslands and forests. Suddenly, he sensed something, stopped, and agilely climbed to the top of a tree.

Looking up, he saw the Golden-winged Bird, which had been flying high at great speed, now flailing its wings erratically as if intoxicated, clearly trying to find a safe landing spot. However, its uncooperative wings only led to a struggle, causing it to plummet straight down.

“……”

Soon, Xie Linyuan couldn't help but chuckle, leaping nimbly from the treetop to the ground, rolling forward to lessen the impact, and then sprang up, quickly running towards the crash site.

Five minutes later, he found Wu Yin sitting on a rock adjusting his clothes, with the crestfallen Golden-winged Bird standing nearby.

"Have you tamed it?" Xie Linyuan asked with a smile.

"It said Balk killed his wife and daughter," Wu Yin said emotionlessly, pointing at the Golden-winged Bird, "And it's been pecking sunflower seeds every day as revenge against Balk."

“……”