Chapter 256: Birds

Chapter 256: The Birds

Wu Buke was drenched in cold sweat.

His legs felt weak as he stared blankly at the shattered cliff. The Hundred-Step Pavilion trembled under the surging shockwaves, the rocks beneath his feet crumbling. A crescent-shaped gap had been carved into the distant peak a thousand meters away, and beyond it, the moon hung huge as a barrel.

"..."

Wu Buke's pupils contracted abruptly. He suddenly realized the grave mistake he had made. No matter how bizarre or unusual Xie Chunshan's behavior had been, this display of mountain-shattering power was undeniably the genuine *Wuwang Heart Method*. And the man before him was the true Lord Wuwang of the Demon Palace—someone who could squash him like a bug.

His blood ran cold. Reacting instantly, he dropped to his knees, kowtowed three times until sweat and blood soaked the dirt beneath him.

"Palace Lord, show mercy!" Wu Buke pressed his forehead to the ground, swallowing with difficulty. "I swear no disloyalty! It's just that Xiao Wu possesses formidable cultivation and many hidden tricks. I feared Envoy Xue might lose control of him, allowing him to escape and endanger Your Excellency. That's why... that's why..."

Just as he was about to present his prepared excuse, Xie Chunshan gave a cold smirk, his glass-like eyes icy. "Oh?"

Wu Buke choked on his words.

Xie Chunshan idly twirled the teacup lid, skimming off the foam. "So you’re saying Xiao Wu’s to blame?"

Wu Buke: "!"

In that instant, he realized he had made another fatal mistake.

Earlier, he had thought Xie Chunshan's behavior was strange—capturing his mortal enemy Xiao Wu yet neither torturing nor favoring him, instead indifferently locking him away in the Siyou Pavilion and even allowing him to recover in the main hall for half a month. It didn’t seem like Xie Chunshan’s usual style at all, as if the Righteous Path had tricked him. But today’s test proved that the Palace Lord was still the same Palace Lord.

If the Palace Lord remained unchanged, then his actions... could only mean one thing.

Lord Pingwu—Xiao Wu—was no mere pet to be taken at will.

Wu Buke nearly ground his teeth to powder.

He prostrated himself even lower. "Palace Lord, please forgive this subordinate’s thoughtless words. Lord Pingwu is as pure as moonlight and breeze—he would never stoop to something as base as fleeing. I was wrong to presume his intentions. I submit to Your Excellency’s punishment."

Xie Shu remained silent. He casually poured the first cup of tea, then leisurely refilled it, his sleeves flowing gracefully as if Wu Buke were of no concern. But inwardly, he thought: *Old fox.*

Compared to Xue Sui, Wu Buke was far wilier and harder to fool.

With just a few words, he had shifted the accusation of spying on Xie Chunshan to merely "misjudging Lord Pingwu." Xie Chunshan, as the Palace Lord, held a far higher status in the Demon Palace than the captive Lord Pingwu, and assuming intent was far less damning than spying. Thus, the severity of his offense was greatly reduced.

Xie Shu saw through it, of course. But for now, he had to play along with Wu Buke’s script. Driving him to desperation would mean mutual ruin—something Xie Shu couldn’t afford.

He didn’t hurry to let Wu Buke rise either. Only when the man was trembling on the ground did Xie Shu finally put aside the tea tray. "Go to Xue Sui and receive your punishment. I still need you to keep an eye on Xiao Wu, so I’ll spare you—for now."

Wu Buke exhaled in relief and hurried away.

Only when his figure had vanished down the cliff did Xie Shu finally let out a quiet sigh and stand up.

His legs were numb.

Xie Shu ran a business, not an acting troupe. While Wu Buke had been drenched in sweat, Xie Shu’s own back was soaked. He’d been digging his fingers into his thigh hard enough to bruise.

To make matters worse, Wu Buke could fly back, but Xie Shu had to descend the Hundred-Step Pavilion on foot.

The pavilion was named for its location atop a hundred-zhang cliff—difficult to climb, and just as difficult to descend. Xie Shu made his way down miserably, still forced to maintain the dignified bearing of the Palace Lord, pretending to stroll leisurely under the moonlight, admiring the birds, lest any disciples spotted him and questioned his authority.

But in the dead of night, he saw no living birds—only a few half-dead ones gasping out their last breaths along the path.

Xie Shu lifted the hem of his robe and stepped over the third bird, puzzled. "What's going on tonight? I didn't see this many on my way up."

Living creatures blocking the path were generally considered an ominous sign in the metaphysical world of feng shui. Xie Shu hadn’t believed in such things before, but now that he had transmigrated, the sight of several birds lying motionless on this steep, winding path struck him as strange.

66 yawned. "When you quaked the mountain earlier, the shockwave reached here and uprooted the trees. They couldn't escape from their nests in time and got knocked down by accident."

Xie Shu: "..."

So this "omen of living creatures blocking the path" was actually his own doing?

Glancing around, he saw many trees shattered mid-trunk, scattered like debris after a typhoon. Baibu Ting was already steep, and without the cover of trees, the view was now completely exposed.

Xie Shu clasped his hands together guiltily. "My apologies, my apologies."

As he continued descending, he suddenly felt lighter, as if something had been lifted off him. Turning back, he called out, "...66?"

The Mini System that usually clung to him for naps had disappeared at some point and was now crouched by the roadside, poking at a barely alive bird with the tip of its screen, as if diagnosing its condition.

Xie Shu found it somewhat amusing. "Even digital beings have this much compassion?"

To pity a roadside turtledove like this.

Did that mean it was truly a living being, or just a line of code?

For once, Xie Shu felt a rare flicker of compassion. He took a few steps forward and crouched beside 66, observing the bird for a moment. "It's beyond saving. If you're—"

He wanted to say, "If you're sad, we can dig a hole and bury it."

But then 66 spoke up. "Xie Shu, this is a turtledove."

Xie Shu: "?"

"...And?"

66: "When I was with a previous host in an ancient setting, I ate this. It was delicious! But—"

Xie Shu: "...But?"

66: "But in modern times, it's a protected species. You can't eat it. My last host was from the modern era, so it's been ages since I last tasted it!"

Xie Shu: "."

The Mini System lifted its pixelated display brimming with tears. "Xie Shu, let's take it home! It's great for soup or barbecue!"

After enduring the Demon Palace's questionable meals day after day, 66 was on the verge of revolt.

Xie Shu rose without sympathy, rejecting this clearly unreasonable request.

66’s eyes turned into two pixelated tears as it sniffled. "Xie Shu—"

Xie Shu: "..."

Rubbing his temples in exasperation, he hesitated for a moment before lifting the turtledove with telekinesis.

Never in his wildest dreams would Xie Shu have imagined that the first few spells he'd use after crossing into this cultivation realm would be: first, restraining Xiao Wu to a bed, and second, using telekinesis on a turtledove.

Along the way, several more birds had fallen. Some 66 didn't recognize, so it ran identifications through its database. The system's database was vast, and unfortunately, many food enthusiasts from various realms left similar comments on search engines—words like "savory," "tender," "silky," or "springy." Whenever it encountered such keywords, 66 would perch on the steps, gazing hopefully at its host.

Xie Shu: "..."

Here’s the refined translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

He held up the birds and said, "Let me make it clear first, I can’t roast them."

Xie Shu’s childhood wasn’t exactly happy, but he never lacked food or clothing, so he never had to cook birds himself.

Moreover, bearing the identity of Xie Chunshan, was he really expected to pluck feathers and start a fire in the demonic palace’s main hall?

66 nudged him: "Someone knows how to roast them."

Xie Shu hesitated: "You—"

66: "Lord Pingwu, he definitely knows how."

Xie Shu: "..."

66 said smugly, "He once said he’d secretly roasted birds as a kid."

"..."

Xie Shu looked down at the birds in his hand and, for some reason, suddenly felt a flicker of distraction. He thought of Xiao Wu’s back, the scars stretching across it, and the half-eaten roasted bird from Xiao Wu’s childhood.

By now, Xiao Wu had long since stopped eating grains, living off wind and dew like a proper immortal. But now, with his cultivation shattered and his strength gone, Xie Shu had been feeding him porridge—still with a sweet tooth, like a child.

Would he want roasted birds, then?

Porridge every day wasn’t enough. Xiao Wu’s condition had improved somewhat; he ought to have some protein.

But while porridge was one thing, the meat dishes in Wuwang Palace were so bad even Xie Shu found them revolting—hardly suitable for a recovering patient. So, on impulse, he brought a few birds with him and headed toward the Siyou Pavilion.

But standing at the door, Xie Shu hesitated. Asking someone to roast birds this late seemed ridiculous. He pressed his fingers to his temples and turned to leave—but then the door chimes jingled inside, signaling that someone had gotten up and was approaching.

After returning from the main hall, Xie Shu had unlocked the cell door, allowing Xiao Wu to move freely within the courtyard.

Xiao Wu’s body was still healing, and movement still tugged painfully at his meridians, so he rarely stirred, spending his days in deep sleep instead. But now, he staggered forward, stopping only when he reached the door.

Xie Shu let out a quiet sigh and said softly, "Immortal Lord."

At his voice, Xiao Wu relaxed a little, his expression softening again. "Xiao Yu, you’re unharmed."

He and Xie Shu were separated by a wooden door. "Earlier, there was a loud noise outside, followed by Xue Sui rushing past. Then the palace shook as if in an earthquake—it stopped after a short while. I figured something had happened in the palace, and since you had just left, I was a little worried."

The loud noise was Xie Shu ordering Xue Sui to chop down trees; the earthquake was Xie Shu blowing up a mountain himself.

Xie Shu didn’t admit he’d caused both disturbances. Instead, he pushed the door open and instinctively supported Xiao Wu by the shoulders, taking on half his weight. As they moved, Xiao Wu stumbled and reflexively grabbed Xie Shu’s arm, his fingers brushing against feathers, leaving a soft, ticklish touch.

Xiao Wu paused. "What’s this?"

Now Xie Shu had no choice but to explain.

He could only sigh quietly. "Just... some birds I caught on the way. I wanted to ask if the Immortal Lord would like to roast them."

Xiao Wu fell silent for a moment before reaching out to take the birds. He stroked their feathers—one was still alive, shivering under his touch—and dipped his fingers in well water to feed it, a quiet smile in his eyes.

Xie Shu just watched.

He had never kept pets, nor had he ever considered it. But Xiao Wu’s careful touch on the feathers was... oddly endearing.

Once Xiao Wu had his fill of petting, he picked up the lifeless ones, seemingly pondering how to proceed. As he fumbled, he asked, "Did you bring these birds because of that scar?" Xie Shu looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

Xie Shu wanted to say, "No."

The main reason for bringing the birds was 66's impulsive decision.

Xie Shu prided himself on being rational. He was the system's host, the story's villain, a man destined to return to the modern world after completing his tasks. There was no denying he liked Xiao Wu—this protagonist he had personally shaped, whose personality, appearance, and character were all to his liking. But his feelings toward Xiao Wu were half a creator's fondness for his character and half the care permitted by the plot's deviations, mixed with some survival instincts. Someone like Xie Shu would never allow unexpected interruptions to disrupt his plans.

That was how it should have been.

But looking at the Immortal Lord before him, the words stuck in his throat.

Song Xiaoyu was probably Xiao Wu's sole comfort in his bleakest hours.

Pity that, in the story, even this comfort wouldn't last much longer.

Xie Shu twirled his fingers absently.

He said, "Yes."

Xiao Wu gave a small smile.

Perhaps due to the strict discipline of the immortal sect, Xiao Wu often smiled, but it was usually polite—standard and elegant, yet always distant and cool. But now, facing a roasted bird that had come decades too late, his smile was pure, even warm.

Xie Shu's lips parted slightly.

Almost without thinking, he blurted out, "Would the Immortal Lord like to see the temple fair?"

The second scar on his back was because of a temple fair.

Xie Shu said softly, "In a couple of days, there happens to be a temple fair at the foot of the mountain. If there's anything the Immortal Lord wants, I'll bring it all to you."