Yan Tianhen couldn’t help but laugh and say, “That’s the first time I’ve heard someone talk about themself like that.”

　　Yang Dongmian said with a straight face, “Humble me knows myself well.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi lightly said, “This bird…what’s so special about it?”

　　Yang Dongmian heaved a sigh of relief, then immediately answered, “I don’t know if this bird is special or not, but when I was handing over a Return Yuan sky-level pill to those two as part of our transaction at the foot of the mountain, this bird came out of nowhere and swallowed the Return Yuan Sky pill. So we definitely had to chase it—- and we ended up here as we were chasing it.”

　　Yan Tianhen’s face immediately changed. He even dug his ears before he said in disbelief, “Return Yuan Sky pill? I didn’t hear that wrongly right? Isn’t that really difficult to find?!”

　　Lin Xuanzhi was also stunned, then said, “After this bird ate an earth-level medicinal pill, it actually didn’t have any abnormal reaction?”

　　“Earth-level medicinal pill?!” Duan Yuyang almost fell down from his horse. He opened his mouth so wide his jaw almost dropped off as he shouted, “Oh G.o.d, you’re not lying to honourable me right? Where did you manage to get an earth-level medicinal pill from?”

　　Even though he didn’t know what kind of pill the Return Yuan Sky pill was, just knowing that it was an earth-level medicinal pill was more than enough!

　　Out of the four levels of medicinal pills — primary-, profound-, earth- and sky-level — the most commonly seen type in the Five Continent’s mainlands is the primary-level medicinal pill. Profound-level medicinal pills can only be found within big sects, and as for earth-level medicinal pills, the number of such pills that exist in the East Continent could probably be counted with just one hand.

　　Yang Dongmian was shocked by these three voices that rang out at the same time, then immediately patted his chest and said, “How would I dare lie to you? That’s a real, bona fide earth-level medicinal pill, and it was a pill that I expended a looot of effort in getting from the Middle Continent’s Sky Peak Sect.”

　　When he spoke of this, Yang Dongmian suddenly felt his heart and teeth ache. His face twitched, then he sighed and said, “At first I had thought that I would be able to earn a big sum…but who knew that this animal with flattened feathers would actually appear at such an opportune moment. All my life savings had disappeared in an instant…” After he finished speaking, Yang Dongmian felt more and more despair as he thought of what had happened. He didn’t kneel down to beg for forgiveness anymore, and instead sat on the ground and spoke as tears streamed down his face.

　　“Forget it, just palm me to death. I don’t want to live anymore! I’m going to be broke soon……wuwuwuwuwu……”

　　Yan Tianhen looked at him as he suddenly cried while he was talking, then quickly comforted him by saying, “What are you crying for? If you don’t have any more money you can just go earn it back. People shouldn’t be forced to die just because of money!”

　　Yang Dongmian wiped away the snot and tears on his face, then sniffed as he said, “What do you know? This medicinal pill was crafted by a fussy craftsman in Sky Peak Sect who took ten years to craft this one earth-level medicinal pill. He hadn’t intended to sell it at first, but it was because I knew him when I was young that he was willing to sell it to me. And he hadn’t even received his deposit…wuwuwu……”

　　Yan Tianhen thought that he did seem pretty miserable, so he thought for a bit before he said, “When those two went to get the medicinal pill from you, they must have brought some money along. Why not you go search their clothes to see if there’s money?”

　　“They won’t have money.” Yang Dongmian sniffed and said with bloodshot eyes, “That was a pill requested by their master, how would they be able to afford an earth-level pill? I had coincidentally b.u.mped into them on my way to meet their master, and they said that they had to see the pill then, which was why I was forced to open the bottle.”

　　But who would have thought that when one was unlucky, they could be this unlucky.

　　No medicinal pill and no money — you could say that he had lost both money and the goods. Yang Dongmian thought about his pathetic savings, then thought of the looming debt that towered over him and suddenly felt like his life had turned bleak and hopeless.

　　Duan Yuyang couldn’t help but sympathise with him and said, “You really are too unlucky.”

　　Yan Tianhen nodded his head and said, “Yeah, this kind of occurrence is really rare.”

　　“Chirp chirp—-chirp chirp chirp!” The bald bird that was buried in Yan Tianhen’s arms suddenly popped its head out and chirped a few times with a sympathetic look on its face.

　　Yan Tianhen, “……..”

　　He thought that at this kind of timing, the perpetrator only needed to keep quiet.

　　Lin Xuanzhi’s eyes swept over the bird and suddenly thought of something —- in his past life, Yang Dongmian appeared to have died very early on, and was said to have had died right on this Flying Luan peak. Rumours has it that Flying Luan peak was reduced to ashes after burning for a whole seven days and seven nights and had turned into a dead mountain. At the same time, there were three disciples from Profound Sky Sect who were burned to death in this fire, and one of them was Yang Dongmian!

　　Lin Xuanzhi narrowed his eyes slightly, and a strong killing intent gradually arose within him.

　　Bald bird suddenly felt a murderous intent come from one of the humans. It shuddered and withdrew his head back into Yan Tianhen’s clothes — see no evil see no evil.

　　Yan Tianhen rubbed the bald bird through his clothes, then said somewhat apprehensively, “Dage, since it had already eaten the pill, we can’t possibly get it to spit it out right? Why not we release it ba.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi was still immersed in his own speculations and could not extricate himself from his thoughts.

　　Lin Xuanzhi said, “Ah Hen, bring that bird over to let me take a look at it.”

　　Yan Tianhen hesitated for a bit, then took the bald bird out, got off his horse and walked over to Lin Xuanzhi.

　　He pursed his lips as he held the bald bird up in his hands, then said softly, “Dage, it’s actually really obedient.”

　　Bald bird flapped its wings and cried out sadly, then Lin Xuanzhi picked it up by its wings and held it in his hand.

　　Lin Xuanzhi looked at this bald bird.

　　Bald bird opened its golden beak as it faced Lin Xuanzhi to express its dissatisfaction.

　　And what Lin Xuanzhi clearly saw in that instant was a hint of smoke within that bird’s beak.

　　Lin Xuanzhi was stunned. This bald bird whose ugliness was unmatched and was no better than a pheasant would actually become the phoenix that would turn the entire Five Continents’ mainlands upside down in the future.

　　Isn’t this too big of a discrepancy?!

　　Don’t ask how he knew about this, because in his past life, he only knew one such phoenix that could shake the heavens, the earth and the skies!

　　But at this moment, the phoenix was merely a bald bird.

　　It tried its best to spit out a mouthful of fire, but all it did was spit out a puff of smoke and even choked itself by accident.

　　“Chirp chirp chirp–” It coughed harshly.

　　Yan Tianhen’s heart was beating so fast it almost jumped out from his throat1.

　　Lin Xuanzhi threw the bald bird back to Yan Tianhen, then said with a face full of disdain, “If you want to raise it, then just raise it for now ba. It doesn’t even have enough meat on it to get stuck in our teeth if we roast it now to eat.”

　　Yan Tianhen, “……”

　　Bald bird, “……”

　　Nonsense! It’s obviously very delicious!

　　Yan Tianhen quickly stuffed this ugly and cute bird back into his clothes and was about to return to the horse he shared with Duan Yuyang when Lin Xuanzhi stopped him.

　　“Sit in front of me.” Lin Xuanzhi said.

　　Yan Tianhen stiffened, and only hesitated for a short moment before he obediently turned around and grabbed Lin Xuanzhi’s outstretched hand. Then, he sat back on his old seat.

　　He moved about a bit uneasily, so Lin Xuanzhi wrapped his arms around him from behind.

　　Yan Tianhen immediately settled down.

　　Lin Xuanzhi said to Yang Dongmian, “I want you to swear that you won’t tell anyone that the deaths of those two people are related to the three of us.”

　　Although Yang Dongmian had just rolled about on the floor talking about how he was better off dead, but evidently, when he had the chance to live he would choose to try his best to stay alive.

　　Thus, Yang Dongmian immediately straightened three of his fingers and swore to the heavens, “I, Yang Dongmian, swear that I will never tell anyone else about what had happened today! If I were to reveal anything about the three people in front of me, I’ll be struck by lightning and doomed to suffer in h.e.l.l forever!”

　　The oath had been made and the contract had been formed; the heavens had mysteriously taken note of this oath.

　　Lin Xuanzhi nodded, then said, “Yang Dongmian, I have some business I want to do with you, but it won’t be easy. Are you interested?”

　　“Of course!” Yang Dongmian’s eyes lit up. He got up from the ground, patted away the dust from his clothes and said, “The bigger the deal the better. What does Huarong Sword Immortal want?”

　　Lin Xuanzhi said, “I want the Thousand Year Winter Silkworm’s frozen soul.”

　　Yang Dongmian was stunned, then said, “I can get that item, but if Huarong Sword Immortal wants it, it should be easier for you to obtain the Thousand Year Winter Silkworm’s frozen soul directly without using me as a middleman right?”

　　Lin Xuanzhi narrowed his eyes and looked at Yang Dongmian with an obscure look, then said, “Looks like you do know quite a bit about me.” Yang Dongmian shuddered, then awkwardly chuckled and said, “Actually, I don’t really know much. This isn’t because I’m always staring at Huarong Sword Immortal, but because Huarong Sword immortal is naturally an eye-catching existence so even if I closed my eyes and covered my years, someone would mention you bei~”

　　Duan Yuyang sighed ruefully, “You’re so good at boot-licking.”

　　Yang Dongmian broke out into a huge smile and said, “I’m genuinely sincere.”

　　Duan Yuyang nodded and said, “Boot-licking at its finest.”

　　Yang Dongmian, “…….”

　　Where did this person come from? Must he expose him like this?

　　Yang Dongmian turned around and continued talking to Lin Xuanzhi.

　　“But of course, if Huarong Sword Immortal has this request, I’m ready to go all out to fulfill Huarong Sword Immortal’s wish as soon as possible.” Yang Dongmian said.

　　“I want to obtain the Thousand Year Winter Silkworm’s frozen soul within the next seven days.” Lin Xuanzhi held up one finger and said, “I’ll give you this price.”

　　Yang Dongmian’s face suddenly brightened. His smile was so wide that his eyes had turned into slits as he said, “Don’t worry Sword Immortal, I’ll definitely be able to get you a Thousand Year Winter Silkworm’s frozen soul of the highest quality! But, where do I pa.s.s the good to you?”

　　Lin Xuanzhi said, “I’ll wait for you at Gentlemen’s Approach Inn. When you find it, just head there straight to find me.”

　　“That’s great.” Yang Dongmian nodded his head.

　　Gentlemen’s Approach Inn was located right below Profound Sky Sect on the liveliest street in Profound City, so it was pretty convenient for him.

　　“One more thing.” Lin Xuanzhi said, “You can just call me by my name.”

　　Huarong Sword Immortal has already become a fragment of the past. Although Lin Xuanzhi was slightly reluctant to part with this alias, but ever since he decided to cultivate the path of the craftsman, he had been destined to never be Huarong Sword Immortal again in this life.

　　Yang Dongmian took out a Penetrating Clouds Shuttle out from his storage bag, then clasped his hands and said, “Then I’ll take my leave first. Also, Xuanzhi Shixiong, even though there were some people in our sect who let you down, there is still a fraction of us who have always looked forward to your return.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi’s expression turned stern, then he clasped his hands and said to Yang Dongmian, “Thank you.”

　　Yang Dongmian was already about 25 metres away.

　　“Thank you Xuanzhi Shixiong for not killing me!”

　　After Yang Dongmian left, Duan Yuyang touched his chin and said, “That rascal actually didn’t need to beg us to spare him. He has quite a lot of good stuff on him that’s more than enough to help him escape.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi, “He probably wanted this bird.”

　　Duan Yuyang’s line of sight immediately fell onto the bulge in Yan Tianhen’s clothes and said, “Exactly what species is this bird? It had swallowed an earth-level medicinal pill, yet it didn’t exhibit the slightest abnormal reaction to it. I’m afraid it’s not just any ordinary bird.”

　　“It’s not ordinary, but it’s not a good bird either.” Lin Xuanzhi stretched his hand out and encircled Yan Tianhen from behind, then he grabbed the bird that was moving about in Yan Tianhen’s embrace.

　　Bald bird, “Ao ao ao chirp!”

　　Lin Xuanzhi ignored the bald bird’s protest, then said, “There’s a chance that this bird hasn’t digested that earth-level medicinal pill. Why not Ah Hen cut its stomach open to look for that earth-level pill, then you can leave it for yourself to consume next time.”

　　Yan Tianhen froze for a moment. He looked at the bald bird that had instantly exploded and was crying out shrilly. His heart couldn’t help but soften and said, “Dage, don’t scare it, it’s still very young — it’s only an infant!”

　　Lin Xuanzhi thought, it’s definitely an infant, but it may not be very young.

　　Lin Xuanzhi placed this bird on Yan Tianhen’s shoulder.

　　Bald bird glared at Lin Xuanzhi with its pair of golden red eyes, then angrily spat out a puff of smoke at him.

　　Duan Yuyang coincidentally saw what had happened and his eyes almost fell out of its sockets, “I saw smoke come out from its mouth!”

　　“Un, it probably wants to cook itself ba.” Lin Xuanzhi said.

　　Duan Yuyang, “…….”

　　Little phoenix, “…….”

　　Chirp chirp chirp this person is so detestable!

　　1. The actual phrase describes something like you feel your heart jumping up to your throat, which is akin to when you’re taking a rollercoaster. It’s a phrase used to describe a feeling of extreme nervousness/fear↩

　　T/N: I’m feeling a slight burn out………(╥﹏╥)