Beginning with the Ubume Bird - Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Chapter 37 Feather Lord

Li Yan’s lips curled slightly, and his sword-like eyebrows leveled out. He remained silent.

Cha Xiaodao lit another cigarette, worth mentioning, he insisted on using green-tipped matches to light it, not a lighter.

Accompanied by the sizzling sound of the phosphorus burning, Cha Xiaodao shook out the match before continuing,

“You should know about Earth Endurance, right? Under Yan Fu’s command, responsible for arranging identities for the Comrades, providing information, guiding actions, as well as taking care of the aftermath.”

“I’m not sure what kind of peculiar object Pei Yunhu acquired that granted him the ability to tamper with Yan Fu events, but the essence of Yan Fu events of the escape-and-kill type is the survival of the fittest, not the meaningless sacrifice among the Comrades.”

“I’m confident that Earth Endurance won’t turn a blind eye to Pei Yunhu’s actions; by midnight tomorrow, or even today, Earth Endurance will take action to stop him.”

Li Yan scratched his chin, his expression ambiguous.

“Therefore, you don’t need to go looking for trouble with Pei Yunhu yourself, just wait peacefully for the event to be corrected.”

Only upon hearing this did Li Yan respond slowly and methodically, “Suppose, and this is just a supposition, the Earth Endurance you mentioned is no match for Pei Yunhu. If Earth Endurance doesn’t have the capability to take him down, what should I do then?”

“That shouldn’t be possible.”

Cha Xiaodao pondered for a moment: “Although he doesn’t hold the Yan Fu Heritage, Earth Endurance’s combat level should be slightly higher than that of other Comrades in the same event. Plus, with their years of cultivation of the Yan Fu Fruit, it makes no sense that they can’t take down a Comrade who has only been here for a few days.”

Li Yan shrugged his shoulders.

“Even so, you don’t need to worry at all.”

Cha Xiaodao seemed to recall something, appearing very confident: “Among the Comrades in this event, there are quite a few capable individuals. Take Wushan, for instance, whom I know of, his strength is close to that of the Nine Luminaries level. A man of pride and lofty aspirations, he certainly wouldn’t be content with being used by Pei Yunhu. Rather than pursuing you, he’d go after Pei Yunhu first.”

Li Yan shook his head: “If you have nothing else to say, then step aside.”

The burning cigarette ash fell, scorching the back of Cha Xiaodao’s hand.

He looked at Li Yan somewhat unexpectedly.

“Hey, are you serious? You don’t seem to be in too good shape right now.”

“Make way,” Li Yan said.

After taking a deep breath, Li Yan took two steps forward: “Of course, if you want to have a showdown right now, I wouldn’t mind either.”

Cha Xiaodao pursed his lips and stepped aside.

Li Yan passed by Cha Xiaodao, with Lady Dan following behind him. Cha Xiaodao glanced at the Nine-Winged Sudu’s blurred, blood-splattered back twice, and after Li Yan had walked several steps away, he finally frowned and spoke:

“Is it because you don’t believe what I said?”

“No, no, I believe you completely.”

Li Yan laughed briefly but soon his smile faded, “However, I believe even more that things aren’t as optimistic as you estimate.”

As Li Yan kept walking away, Cha Xiaodao hesitated for a moment before shouting out:

“I know of a place that can cure the demoness on your back. Also, if you help me break through my peak, I’m confident I can make up for your depleted energy. There are only three hours left before the designated duel begins, and in your current state, be careful not to upset the boat in the gutter.”

“Hey! If you think there’s something amiss, you can speak up, hey.”

Li Yan turned around, and this time, he was genuinely interested.

…

The sky was covered with golden, viscous rolling clouds, fluffy and full, possessing a faintly trembling texture. Below the clouds, lay the azure ocean connected to the islands.

Clouds the size of hills, gilded with gold, slid from the scrolls and dripped down.

The sea surface started to boil. At first, there was a spot of black, followed by a swath of black engulfing the sky and sea.

The full view was unclear, but one could make out the erect wings, like an eternal, ancient black forest.

White waves lashed against the rocks, large fresh fish, blue, plump crabs, and basin-sized scallops fell like raindrops onto the shore.

Standing on the rock was a man in a white coat, the collar of which he had raised to reveal only his Adam’s apple. He was holding a black umbrella.

“Any news?”

The melodious and gentle voice came from across the sea.

“Among the escape-and-kill type events I’ve initiated, I’ve found traces of ‘Sifan’.”

In front of the man loomed a massive black wing as high as mountains.

He bowed his head, his posture extremely low.

Because those dark feathers belonged to the man standing at the very pinnacle of Yan Fu.

The master of the ten classes of the Yan Fu Heritage.

Feather Lord·Peng

The gentle male voice was completely indifferent, “Hey, what does that have to do with us?”

“The Human Master, upon investigation, found that the main reason for allowing Sifan’s agents to infiltrate the Yan Fu Fruit, was Lady Dan’s business dealings.”

The voice of the umbrella man was devoid of any fluctuation.

“…”

After a moment of silent, humid air, the gentle voice sighed heavily.

“Stupid old woman…”

The sea waves contracted violently, white foam receding quickly to reveal the parched earth.

Amidst the endless dark red sand dunes, deep-blue corals and various huge, twisting fish were visible everywhere.

“Can’t even have a peaceful bath, I really am done with her.”

The man, with his upper body bare, walked barefoot on the sandy ground, his short hair dripping wet.

“Additionally,”

the umbrella man continued unhurriedly, “that person named Li Yan has also been implicated in this incident.”

“…Li Yan?”

The man lifted his head, the water streaming down his sharply contoured face.

“Who is Li Yan?”

…

There’s no superiority among regional cuisines, Cha Xiaodao had always believed that.

But the pursuit of food’s essence and delicacy is tireless.

Shandong cuisine, Szechuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Anhui cuisine.

Eight major culinary traditions, with seven hailing from the south.

Previously, when Cha Xiaodao was working odd jobs in Beijing, there was a popular TV drama called “Bright Sword,” where Chu Yunfei invited Li Yunlong to dine, and it was mentioned,

“Shanxi cuisine is inferior; it’s unsuitable for the table. The only notable northern cuisine is Shandong cuisine.”

Cha Xiaodao learned northern cuisine, specifically Tianjin cuisine. Naturally, he was not convinced by Chu Yunfei’s words.

However, it also sparked his deep interest in Shandong cuisine.

This peculiar journey to Yan Capital, for Li Yan, was a surreal melee of Beijing punk monsters and indie rock, while for Cha Xiaodao, it was a fantastical adventure in a whole other world.

Dongxing Building of Yan Capital, the foremost of the eight major Shandong banquet halls. After three nights of apprenticeship, Cha Xiaodao was on the verge of perfection, missing just one Shandong dish from Dongxing Building.

Li Yan, with his arms crossed, exchanged a glance with Lady Dan, both observing Cha Xiaodao bustling around in front of the stove.

“It’s not midnight yet, you’re just making dinner, how can I help you?”

Cha Xiaodao washed his hands and wiped them with a damp towel.

He glanced sidelong at Li Yan, “You’ll know when the time comes.”

In the end, the two agreed: Cha Xiaodao would use the Jin Lan Patch to designate Li Yan as his “Comrade,” with the relationship lasting until the Yan Fu incident came to a close.

After Li Yan’s return, he was obliged to pay Cha Xiaodao five hundred Yan Fu points.

Once Cha Xiaodao broke through his initial peak performance, he would help Li Yan deal with the sequelae of overusing “Hidden Flight” and, following their “designated confrontation,” accompany him to the Goddess Temple to seek a cure for the Nine-Winged Sudu.

Yes, Yan Capital, Naizi House, Goddess Temple.

The temple devoted to Three Heavens Lady. According to Cha Xiaodao, a creature with a body like the Nine-Winged Sudu’s might only be accepted by this Goddess Temple within Yan Capital City.

As for whom to listen to among the two…

Cha Xiaodao slammed the pork stomach onto the cutting board, murmuring to himself, “Well, we’ll have to discuss that.”