OLTFMD | Chapter 5

Chapter 5

◎Host, this bird is too wasteful, we can’t afford to keep it!◎

Steamed?

Stir-fried?

Luo Ning looked at the white bird in Shen Ji’s palm, then at Shen Ji, thinking she had misheard.

“Brother Shen...” she asked hesitantly, “are you going to eat it?”

Shen Ji stood up, and at the same time shook off the remaining bits of snow on Ya Ji.

Luo Ning stood up after him, her eyes still following his hand. “That doesn’t seem right, it looks so beautiful, if you eat it, wouldn’t that be such a waste...”

This bird was snow-white all over, its light body small yet evenly solid and smooth. Although its feathers had been wetted by snow water and were somewhat messy, one could still see their original luster and smoothness.

It was impossible to tell where it was injured, but it looked very weak. No one knew when it had woken up, and its unusually pale silver eyes shone brilliantly under the sunlight, beautiful beyond belief.

It was just that perhaps the cold in Tianshan was too heavy, making her feel as though a bird’s eyes could make her back feel cold.

Luo Ning unconsciously avoided its gaze.

Shen Ji asked, “You want to keep it?”

Luo Ning remembered his words and said awkwardly, “If that’s not allowed...”

“It is allowed.” A skeleton with hardly any flesh on it, how could it compare to a life-saving favor? After saying that, Shen Ji lifted his hand. “Then let’s give it to—”

He did not finish the sentence.

The foolish bird stuck to his palm suddenly sprang to life. It looked like it had used all its strength to viciously peck the back of his hand once!

Shen Ji sucked in a sharp breath, his five fingers suddenly tightening. He restrained himself in time, and did not directly throw it to its death.

Luo Ning also cried out, “It’s bleeding!”

Bright red blood streaked down from the back of his hand along Shen Ji’s tiger’s mouth, immediately soaking the foolish bird’s snow-white feathers, looking extremely glaring.

Shen Ji transferred it into his left hand hanging against his chest.

Luo Ning quickly tore off a strip from her clothes and wrapped it around the wound to help stop the bleeding.

Shen Ji flexed his fingers. “Thank you.”

The back of his hand still had a tearing pain left behind, but fortunately it was only a minor injury, and he could endure it.

He flicked the foolish bird’s still-unwilling-to-be-good chicken wing, and casually tossed it to Luo Ning. “It’s yours.”

In Three Spirit Realm, he ran into a phoenix that held grudges.

In the mortal realm, he ran into this violent black chicken.

After coming to this world, he had not done a single proper thing, so why was he always at odds with birds.

Luo Ning fumbled to catch it, then glanced at the back of Shen Ji’s right hand. Thinking of the scene of blood splashing onto the bird’s body, she could not help feeling deep reverence for this little ancestor, and then sluggishly stuffed it back into Shen Ji’s hand.

“Brother Shen, um, you should still hold it...”

After saying that, afraid she would not be able to avoid this hot potato, she turned around and ran all the way back, stiffly petting the well-behaved Wind-Chasing Leopard.

Seeing her pretending to be unconcerned from behind, Shen Ji looked down at the returned foolish bird. He could only pinch it and raise it before his eyes. “Behave. I can still consider sparing your bird life, understand?”

The foolish bird seemed to understand human speech. From just now until now it had been staring straight at him, looking very unconvinced and rebellious.

It might have been holding a grudge over being treated as ingredients by him.

After all, this world had immortals and demons, so for a bird to have spiritual intelligence was not strange.

But there was still medicine to gather, and Shen Ji did not bother to argue with it. He casually stuffed it into his chest, then returned to the side of the Wind-Chasing Leopard, taking Luo Ning to go around the place where he had fallen several times.

Luo Ning quickly forgot the little episode of picking up the bird, and focused on searching the mountain for herbs that could relieve his injuries.

While organizing the basket on her back, she suddenly asked again, “Brother Shen, can you still hold on? Do you want to go down the mountain and rest?”

Shen Ji said, “I’m fine.”

There was a weak stirring rolling in his chest, and he pressed it inward again with one palm.

His clothes had protective talisman patterns, so even if the foolish bird wanted revenge, it was powerless.

The System remembered its mission and seized every opportunity to brainwash Shen Ji. “Host, look how much the female lead cares about your affairs. Take advantage of this moment to build a good foundation, how could you possibly not earn points!”

Shen Ji remembered something, and no longer ignored its clumsy persuasion. “I found Luo Ning, why is there no reward in points?”

The System had already prepared its answer. “Because although this book is centered on Luo Ning, our main mission is to defeat the great villain, so we need to focus on the male lead Xuan Chen, whose combat strength is stronger. Luo Ning is more of a support role. Finding Luo Ning is only the prerequisite for starting the main mission. Afterward, we have to wait until the male and female leads meet before the mission will award points.”

Shen Ji frowned. “You mean, for these three months I won’t get a single point?”

The System comforted him, “We won’t need points for the time being, Host. You’re injured, so these three months are just right for recuperation! Besides, the great villain will also disappear for three months. Even if he smashes the seal and comes to the mortal realm to find you by then, we’ll already be in the immortal realm.”

Shen Ji lightly tapped his waist seal.

The timing was cut too tightly, and that would easily breed problems.

Besides, he did not only have Xie Fu as an enemy.

Red Phoenix Venerable would absolutely not let him go easily.

The System then said with certainty, “Don’t worry, Host, the great villain won’t go to the heaven realm to attend the banquet until a full month after the passage opens. These whole four months, you won’t run into each other!”

Shen Ji did not explain it to it.

At this point, aside from acting according to the situation, there was no other way.

He turned and asked, “How exactly do I do this mission?”

The Host finally had some drive, and the System hurriedly explained, “The mission has two side lines. One is shifting hatred. The Host needs to draw the great villain’s hatred on behalf of the male lead. The more the great villain can’t stand you, the more he will target you. In this way, the male lead will be spared by him, and the danger level will be greatly reduced.”

Shen Ji could not help remembering Xie Fu from their last meeting.

This side line of drawing hatred, he was afraid he had already completed it far beyond the quota.

“The second is guiding the male lead to take fewer detours. You must avoid all plots that would lead to a bad ending! Of course, to complete these two side lines, the most important thing right now is to get along well with Luo Ning.”

After saying this firmly, the System boldly imagined the future. “Once the Host gets into the core circle of the protagonists later, you’ll be able to earn lots and lots of points, exchange for different functions, and reach the peak of life!”

Shen Ji was noncommittal about its optimistic thinking.

Peak of life?

First survive these three months before talking about it.

—

By the time they returned to the foot of the mountain, the sky was nearly dusk.

Night in the Snow Realm arrived especially late, and especially cold.

Colorful clouds were half-spread across the horizon, and the ground still everywhere reflected the dazzling brightness of the snowy plain, but the cold air growing stronger by the moment had already blown from the endless snow mountains, sweeping through all of Shouluo Village.

“Strange...”

Still outside the village, Luo Ning looked toward it, doubt rising on her face.

Shen Ji asked, “What is it?”

Luo Ning explained, “It’s almost dark. At this hour in the past, everyone would have closed their doors tightly to keep out the cold, and every household would have started cooking. Why is there not a sound today?”

Hearing this, Shen Ji also looked toward the too-quiet outskirts of Shouluo Village.

Just as Luo Ning was about to say something else, she saw several familiar figures quickly come out from the village entrance. “Uncle?”

Shen Ji lightly nudged both sides of the Wind-Chasing Leopard to speed up toward them.

Luo Honglin and the others turned their heads at the sound, first startled by the ferocious beast before them, and all raised the odd weapons in their hands.

Luo Ning hurriedly spoke out, “It’s me, Uncle! Me and Brother Shen!”

Seeing the two people on the beast’s back, the others finally let out a sigh of relief.

Luo Honglin’s expression was solemn. “Luo Ning, you were too reckless this time! You went out of the village without saying a word, and were gone all afternoon. Do you know how worried I was!”

Luo Ning blinked and said guiltily, “I know I was wrong.”

Shen Ji noticed their hidden unease and anxiety. “What happened?”

Luo Honglin could not help turning to him. Just then he saw Shen Ji dismount in one fluid motion, his movements extremely clean and free, looking tall and extraordinary all over, completely unable to reveal that his severe injuries had not yet healed.

This Shen Ji, being so handsome that he drew bees and butterflies was one thing, but just from his words and manner, one could tell he was definitely no ordinary person.

He had fallen from the demon realm while heavily injured, there must be some reason for that. Luo Ning had a simple mind and got close to him, whether that was good or bad, who knew...

Seeing that Shen Ji raised his hand as if to help Luo Ning down, Luo Honglin’s eyelid twitched, and he quickly stepped forward to intercept him, blocking him and taking Luo Ning’s arm.

Luo Ning could not see his worry, and followed Shen Ji’s words to ask, “Did something happen in the village?”

A strong young man behind Luo Honglin said, “Xiao Ning, you didn’t know because you were out this afternoon. Two groups of people from the demon realm came to the village, especially overbearing. Everyone is discussing this in the ancestral hall, and after counting and counting, you were the only one missing.”

Luo Ning looked surprised. “Demon Realm?”

The young man recalled it and said, “Yes, all for finding a man. I looked at the portrait, he was painted like a heavenly immortal. Oh right, that man’s hair was silver-white, just like the snow on Tianshan at night.”

Hearing his description, Shen Ji’s eyes moved slightly.

So they were coming for Xie Fu.

That was true. Xie Fu’s cultivation had been completely lost. In Qishan, everything related to him would certainly disappear along with it, and not only would the Red Phoenix he had sealed regain freedom, the other phoenixes would of course also take measures.

But since even they had begun to act, it meant his own safety would likewise be threatened.

Luo Honglin said, “The demon realm has sent people several times. This is abnormal. I’m afraid it will be unfavorable to Shouluo Village. Luo Ning, you should come to the ancestral hall with me too.”

Luo Ning obediently nodded. “Oh, okay.”

At this time the young man took two wrapped buns from his chest. “Xiao Ning, I specially saved these for you, eat them quickly.”

Luo Ning’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Second Brother!”

She took them and gave one to Shen Ji, suggesting, “Brother Shen, what about the bird you brought back? Give it some too.”

Only then did Shen Ji remember that there was still a burden stuffed in his chest.

Luo Honglin could not help asking, “Saving a bird?”

He looked at Shen Ji again.

Today, during the banquet, they had met briefly. He had deliberately observed him. Although this person was composed and measured, and courteous in every way, the depths of his eyes were always heavy and dark. One could imagine that he was outwardly warm but inwardly cold, not someone who would do something extra for no reason.

“Yeah, Uncle, hurry and look, it’s really pretty!”

After Luo Ning finished speaking to Luo Honglin, she touched her chin and said, “But it’s been listless all this time, it must be seriously ill. Brother Shen, do you want me to feed it some medicine?”

Shen Ji said, “You decide.”

The foolish bird had only been left because Luo Ning wanted to keep it in the first place. Whether it was sick or not, he did not care much. After speaking, he only took out a cloth bag and handed it to Luo Honglin. Inside were all the spirit stones from the System storage and the spatial pouch.

When eating, there had been too many eyes around, and he had not been able to thank Luo Honglin separately. Now was just the time.

“For your life-saving kindness, I have nothing with which to repay it. These spirit stones are a small token of thanks. Please accept them.”

Luo Honglin was shocked. “Th-this—!”

Spirit stones were common in the other four realms, but in the mortal realm where spiritual power was thin, they were exceptionally rare. Shouluo Village had one piece, and the spiritual power within it was left with only a thread, yet it had been passed down as a treasure through three generations. What Shen Ji had in hand was not less than thirty pieces!

As the village chief, he knew best the value of this thing in the mortal realm.

He also knew very well that compared to Shouluo Village, the heavily injured Shen Ji needed it most right now.

Shen Ji saw his hesitation. “The demon realm—”

“Dong, dong——”

Two urgent and piercing warning sounds exploded in his mind, and Shen Ji frowned.

His original intention was to remind Luo Honglin about Xie Fu, so they could hide out and avoid the limelight. Clearly, the System did not want him to do that.

“Host, please do not alter the predetermined plot, or the subsequent development of the story will change!”

The System said anxiously, “For example, if they leave the Snow Realm, the female lead loses the condition to reach the seal location, and the plot cannot continue. That is a highest-level major mistake. I will have to undergo judgment for this, the Host will lose the chance to reincarnate, the soul will be reshuffled, the punishment is very severe!”

Afraid that Shen Ji would insist on acting on his own, it emphasized, “If the Host insists on doing this, I guarantee that before you even finish speaking, we will be immediately pulled out of the small world, please, think twice!”

Luo Honglin waited a long time for Shen Ji’s next words, and could not help asking, “What about the demon realm?”

Under the System’s repeated pleas, Shen Ji changed his words. “The people from the demon realm are not easy to deal with. You’ll need these.”

Thinking of the demon realm people coming to the door one after another, yet Shouluo Village having no strength to resist at all, Luo Honglin clenched his fist, hesitated, and took one piece. “Thank you, young friend. One piece is enough.”

Even so, he still felt ashamed to receive it. Looking at Shen Ji’s left arm, he said, “Since we now have spirit stones, tonight I’ll go back and carefully think over the medicinal formula, and I will definitely help you recover as soon as possible.”

After saying that, before Shen Ji could speak again, he patted Luo Ning on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“Oh...”

Forced by her uncle’s usual authority, Luo Ning nodded in disappointment. Before leaving, she turned her head and said to Shen Ji, “Brother Shen, then remember to give the bird something to eat, don’t let it starve to death!”

Shen Ji looked at Luo Honglin once, then turned back to Luo Ning and nodded. “Okay.”

The wooden house where he was recovering and the ancestral hall were in opposite directions. After returning, he casually tossed the cloth bag full of spirit stones onto the table. Before sitting down, he felt a warm lump in his chest, and pulled out that foolish bird again.

The foolish bird was thrown onto the tabletop in the same way as garbage, and only wobbled two steps before it steadied itself.

Shen Ji glanced at it, tore off some bun skin and held it to its mouth. “Eat?”

The foolish bird’s attitude toward him, this half life-saving benefactor, was extremely cold. It snorted at him, not even bothering to spare him a glance.

Shen Ji asked, “Not hungry?”

The foolish bird stared straight at him, as if still furious over what had happened in the afternoon.

However, those eyes somehow felt familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere.

Shen Ji thought for two seconds without result, then raised his hand to pick up its wing, and in its half-beat-late struggle, he felt and looked it over from head to tail.

No injury.

The only blood on it was his.

The foolish bird did not struggle for long before extending its sharp claws to nail toward his palm!

From the wound on the back of his hand that had not yet scabbed over, it definitely was not playing around.

Shen Ji immediately let go.

The foolish bird immediately lost its balance and stumbled onto the tabletop.

Shen Ji sat down, eating the bun that it despised, watching it struggle to slowly stand back up, and with a bent finger he flicked it over onto the table again. Up again, flicked again.

Unfortunately, the foolish bird’s perseverance was too poor. After failing twice, it gave up completely and lay on the table sulking.

Those eyes that had been staring at him finally closed, and the previously fairly calm chest also rose and fell more heavily.

Still, it was angry enough that instead it had gained a bit more vitality.

The corner of Shen Ji’s thin lips lifted slightly, and he prodded its head. “Wake up.”

The foolish bird spread one wing open a crack, then forcibly endured it and withdrew it again, refusing to respond.

Shen Ji poked its belly again, and with a wicked hand he slid downward, hooking up one of its slender bird claws. “I wonder how birds are supposed to tell male from female?”

The foolish bird’s pale silver eyes suddenly opened.

It looked coldly at Shen Ji, kicked his finger toward his crotch, and when it saw Shen Ji pull his hand back, it flapped both wings and flew into the air, diving down at high speed!

Shen Ji raised his brows and smiled faintly, reaching back with one hand to grab his cloak, easily wrapping this angered and embarrassed impact into his arms.

Perhaps realizing its situation was not good, the foolish bird did not continue struggling.

So Shen Ji lifted a corner of the cloak.

Silver light flashed instantly.

A sharp beak shot out from the cover first, viciously stabbing toward the back of his hand!

The System cried out, “Host, it’s pecking you again!”

The smile at the corner of Shen Ji’s lips deepened.

He had long been on guard against this foolish bird’s retaliatory instinct, and at the instant it launched a sneak attack, he had already firmly pinched the mouth it used for violence.

The foolish bird spread its wings and beat at his arm, but the effect was not good.

Shen Ji pinched it and shook it. “Any other moves?”

The foolish bird glared at him.

Its light-colored eyes were as cold as blade edges, naturally carrying a kind of icy temperature. At this moment, filled with ever-intensifying rage, the wooden house seemed to twist in a moment of heat that went unnoticed.

It endured again and again, and stepped back, but was pulled back to the original spot by the force in Shen Ji’s hand.

Shen Ji smiled and said, “You’re so hot-tempered, you’re not suitable for steaming, you’re suitable for barbecue.”

The foolish bird froze, looked up at him once, its sharp claws unintentionally leaving an uncontrollable hole of anger on the tabletop. After a while, it took a deep breath, and in the silence seeping in with the cold, heavily leaned backward—

At the same time, Shen Ji suddenly let go again.

Watching it unexpectedly tip backward, then get caught by the folds of cloth, staggering as it rolled once through the cloak, he could not help laughing twice.

The foolish bird’s whole body stiffened, and it lay on the ground without moving again.

“...” the System could not help complaining, “Host, you’re really so boring...”

Shen Ji, smiling, scooped up the foolish bird that was pretending to be dead and put it back on the table. “Am I?”

The System asked, “This bird has opened its spiritual intelligence, and you’re playing with it like this. Aren’t you afraid that in the future, after it has achieved cultivation, it’ll come back to take revenge on you?”

Shen Ji said casually, “Then I’ll wait and see.”

He patted the foolish bird’s head again. Seeing that it had no reaction, he rubbed the smooth feathers under his palm instead. They felt soft, and when touched, they were faintly hot. In a place as cold as Tianshan, it was very suitable to be a constant-temperature hand warmer.

Tomorrow he still had to go up the mountain to observe the terrain, and it happened to be useful.

As for the foolish bird, it remained motionless with its back to him.

It should have been that the several attacks just now had exhausted the energy it had spent the whole afternoon recovering.

Shen Ji smiled, pushed the bun skin to its mouth again, then ignored the dantian that kept tearing and churning from time to time, removed the cloth band hanging from his left arm, and according to the cultivation method in the original body’s memory, took a spirit stone, bent his knee onto the bed and sat cross-legged, joining his hands, palms facing upward.

In this world, the body was his only weapon.

The sooner he recovered a little more, the greater his odds.

Seeing this, the System also did not disturb him again.

During that time, Luo Ning sent medicine over. After Shen Ji drank it and sent her away, the dazzling snowy brightness outside the window had already been buried by moonlight.

He turned back and saw the foolish bird still lying in place, so he took off his cloak and piled it under it, lest in the depths of the night, with the cold so heavy, he accidentally froze it to death.

The bird’s flight feathers trembled almost imperceptibly.

Shen Ji tapped its apparently indifferent little back of the head.

“Sleep.”

—

The shadow swaying in the candlelight was cast onto the wall, clearly showing the movements of the person behind it.

The rustling sound soon stopped, and the wooden house fell completely quiet.

The foolish bird got up from the tabletop.

The enlarged cross-legged shadow on the wall came into view, and it paused mid-step, turning its face toward the mortal lying on the bed behind it, eyes closed and healing.

It coldly watched Shen Ji for a moment, then its gaze turned to the cloth bag beside it.

The mortal realm lacked spiritual power. At present, cultivation methods could not be used, and healing actually depended on merely a few spirit stones.

But it had already heard everything in their conversation just now.

Since there were signs in the demon realm, this matter could not be delayed.

—

“Host! Something bad has happened! The bird you picked up is about to waste all your spirit stones!!”

The next morning.

The System’s shriek shattered Shen Ji’s long-lost peace without a trace.

He formed a seal and withdrew his power, then opened his eyes to look at the table.

On the table, the cloak piled into a heap was no different from last night, and the scattered bun skins had not been touched.

The only difference was that the foolish bird that had nestled in the cloak last night was now lying on top of the loosened spirit stone bag. A small white lump, the gaps in its feathers faintly glowing, its posture lazy, with a different kind of beauty.

Shen Ji got up and went over. Only when he got close did he discover that all the spirit stones beneath it had lost their luster and split apart, clearly having had all their spiritual power sucked dry, and were already useless.

Every time the light on its body flickered, there came from the cloth bag a sudden, sharp crack.

It should have been this sound that attracted the System’s attention.

Actually, he had also vaguely heard it just now, but had not taken it to heart.

Shen Ji raised his hand and picked up the foolish bird, pouring all the spirit stones out of the bag.

The stock had shrunk severely.

Of the thirty-four spirit stones from last night, only the final six remained, and they were not even full of spiritual power.

The System cried out in pain, “Host, this bird is too wasteful, we can’t afford to keep it!”

This time, it was rare that Shen Ji agreed with it.

It had devoured twenty-eight spirit stones in one night. If the System had not discovered it, the remaining six might not have even been spared. Given his current level of poverty, he truly could not afford to keep it.

Moreover, most of these spirit stones he planned to use to help Shouluo Village get through the crisis. Now they had been squandered by an unidentified foolish bird, and he would have to find another way later.

But time could not be turned back, and when the spirit stones were gone, they were gone. Saying more would not help.

He sighed helplessly and lifted the foolish bird in his hand before him. “Were you being a thief last night?”

The foolish bird still had that same cold dead-bird-don’t-fear-boiling-water look.

Shen Ji extended his index finger and pressed its unchanged belly. “With such a big appetite, do you know this was all my wealth?”

The foolish bird shivered from his press, and the light flickering through its feathers gradually turned silver.

The System was still fuming. “It eats too much! Host, why don’t we really roast it, otherwise there’s no way to make back the cost!”

Make back the cost?

Shen Ji pinched the soft flesh on the foolish bird’s belly.

This weight.

Making back the cost was absolutely impossible.

The foolish bird pretended to struggle once, not very seriously.

Shen Ji bent one finger and flicked its forehead, giving it a little punishment. “Tell me, if I stew you into soup, how much spiritual power can I get out of it?”

As soon as he spoke, the silver light on the foolish bird’s body suddenly blazed brighter!

Shen Ji only felt a weight in his hand, and the palm-sized fur ball suddenly stretched open in the silver light.

He tilted his face slightly to avoid the blinding light, and unconsciously gathered the warm source that fell into his arms.

His injured left arm had nowhere to take force, so he held the other person’s waist with one hand. Out of absolute goodwill, he held the other person firmly steady and pressed them tightly against himself.

In just an instant,

the foolish bird was gone.

A naked man was right before his eyes.

The man’s eyes were dazzling as silver, cold as ice. So close, the killing intent in those eyes looked so familiar.

Snow-white hair lengthened by spiritual power also slowly fell, loosely covering the same familiar perfect body without a stitch on it.

The wet warmth tangled again, an unfamiliar calm, carrying the clarity that had not existed during the recent back-and-forth struggle.

Xie Fu looked at Shen Ji from close range. The sharp coldness between his brows was mixed into a low voice, wrapped in an unconscious indifference and sarcasm.

“Stewed in soup?”

Shen Ji: “...”

He remained silent in absolute deathly stillness.

The System’s shock was undoubtedly even greater.

It froze for one second, then directly broke down.

“Great villain?!! Why is he here! How can he be here!!”

The System could not believe it, could not understand it, its circuits in chaos, heartbroken to the point of collapse.

“Host, we’re done for. The great villain didn’t follow the original plot. If he’s with you, how is he supposed to recover his cultivation!!!”

Author’s note:

A random little red packet may drop in the comments section~

—

Thank you to the little angels who threw in landmines or fed me nutrient solution during 2022-08-01 17:35:17 to 2022-08-02 17:38:42~

Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Account deleted, Luynn, Afei, Imperfect, aha 1 each;

Thank you to the little angels who fed nutrient solution: Matcha Lazy Cat 17 bottles; Xiuxiu is sniffing again 10 bottles; My Lazy Self 9 bottles; Wulin 5 bottles; Peach-Flavored Pomelo Wine, ww, Ran 5 bottles; Zhuxiao 4 bottles; Fengqiao Night Mooring 3 bottles; Zhizhi, Duheng, Shisan or Ersan Ya 2 bottles; Xijing, Fuquan, Longze, The sister of a tough girl, kxin, The later waves paddling hard, Yeyu, Fish, Follow My Heart 1 bottle;

Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!