Chapter 42: A New Understanding - I Like This Bird

Sijin was already so pale from his impending doom that his expression became even more unsightly, and he even felt a surge of despair.

The little brat who had appeared out of nowhere claimed he was faking his illness. His brother might not believe it, but Ji Yaoguang’s reputation within these circles was impeccable. If Ji Yaoguang stated that he was feigning sickness—even if he weren't actually faking it—his brother would surely blow a gasket, and he dared not even imagine the consequences.

This predicament left Sijin utterly helpless. Given his level of cultivation, there was no way he could silence Ji Yaoguang or murder him to cover it up. Trembling with fear, he could only say, "Fine, you win. How do you want me to cooperate?"

Lin Zhao was momentarily speechless. "What is wrong with you? Act normally. I’m here to help you fight against the Source Ghosts. You know what they’re trying to do, don't you?"

Sijin paused, his expression finally calming down. "One of you has an unknown background and completely exposed my foundation, while the other is an exiled criminal who spends every day whispering bad things by my elder brother's side to sow discord, and now you both claim you've come to help me fight the Source Ghosts... Think about it, would you believe such words?"

Just as Lin Zhao was wondering how to respond, Ji Yaoguang, standing beside him, suddenly spoke up, "A-Jin, don't you have any explanation to offer?"

Sijin raised an eyebrow slightly. "What explanation do you want? Are you trying to stand up for my brother now?"

Ji Yaoguang remained silent for a few breaths before speaking in a gentle tone, "Earlier, I went to see your elder brother and told him I was coming to visit you, which is why I asked A-Zhao to come along. I only learned of your situation just now, but I feel there might be some hidden hardship or misunderstanding..."

To think an out-of-nowhere excuse had been handed to him on a silver platter, Sijin instantly put on a wronged expression. His mind raced at top speed, and the moment he opened his mouth, he prepared to weave a lie.

Lin Zhao rolled his eyes, stepped forward, and grabbed Sijin's hand, absorbing a negligible amount of corrosion.

In an instant, all of Sijin's words stuck in his throat. His mouth remained open, but he couldn't close it, resembling a sparrow caught by the neck.

He cautiously touched the back of his hand to feel the sensation, then looked up to confirm, staring fixedly at Ji Yaoguang as if searching for an answer.

Ji Yaoguang nodded slightly. Sijin had not harbored any malicious intent toward the little bird in the past, so he could be trusted.

Sijin opened his mouth, intending to say something, but not a single word came out. Instead, the little bird at the side burst into a hugely arrogant and loud laugh—so loud that many people in the distance turned to look.

"Umm, can I take a look at it?" Sijin asked Lin Zhao carefully.

"Look at what?" Lin Zhao asked, bewildered.

"The bird, of course!" Sijin pointed toward the sky, his breathing turning hurried. "That bird!"

Thinking of the featherless bird resting against his chest, Lin Zhao immediately grew displeased. "In your dreams! The Old Tree hasn't even looked at that bird yet; what makes you think you get to be the first?!"

He was preparing to raise a fully-feathered Great Golden Crow to show to the Old Tree. As for that little fledgling right now, he didn't even want to look at it a second time while bathing.

Ji Yaoguang wanted to say that he had seen the totem, but upon reflection, he realized he truly hadn't seen A-Zhao's true form yet. Therefore, he only curled the corners of his lips slightly, and as he looked at Sijin, a trace of the aloofness and pride belonging to the primary spouse unconsciously crept into his brows.

Sijin was not disappointed. At this moment, he finally understood why the Azure Emperor, who had been deemed certain to die, would return to this place. What the emperor brought was not a calamity, but something of peerless value. Sijin even felt that while the Old Tree was indeed foolish, it truly possessed a profound and universal love—at least, if he were to obtain this Golden Crow, he would absolutely never let anyone else know about it.

After taking a deep breath, he said, "Then let's start with my situation. Please take your seats, both of you. This story is rather a long one!"

He tapped his fingers twice on the table, and a flock of small birds immediately flew out from the surroundings, carrying gorgeous feathered garments and crowns to dress him. Some flew directly between his brows, transforming into new flesh and blood, rejuvenating him completely.

Ji Yaoguang was slightly amazed. "So, all these years, you've condensed your flesh, blood, and vital essence into a totem to preserve them. No wonder even the Tu Witch failed to detect your affliction. After all, this can indeed be considered a genuine loss and dissipation of blood and soul, except that you didn't store your physical essence within your own body."

Sijin smiled faintly. "You flatter me."

Ji Yaoguang had no intention of flattering him; he simply led A-Zhao to their seats in silence.

Platters of fine wine, roasted meat, fish, prawns, and various other delicacies brought by birds were promptly laid upon the table.

A moment later, he sat across from the two men with a sigh of emotion and poured them tea. "Ah, I don't know how many years it's been since I last had a proper meal and dressed well. I have you both to thank for this blessing!"

Ji Yaoguang paid no attention to any of this—what fine treasures had he never enjoyed before? He merely picked up a teacup and sipped it quietly.

As for Lin Zhao, he curiously tasted the grand dishes, nudged the Old Tree with his elbow, and pointed at some fried fish a little further away.

Ji Yaoguang immediately replaced his stern expression with a smile and picked up a piece to place by Lin Zhao's mouth.

Sijin was choked mid-thought, waiting until the youth finished eating the small fish before he melancholically asked, "Azure Emperor, do you still remember the ninth battle of the Darkless Sea?"

"I remember," Ji Yaoguang said, explaining when he saw Lin Zhao's puzzled look. "The Darkless Sea lies east of the Witch Kingdom and is a place even more perilous than the Monster Ruins and the Vast Ocean. There are sea monsters and fierce beasts within the depths, and every few centuries, it stirs up a massive tsunami disaster. Each time, ferocious beasts on par with the Black Tortoise level attack the Eastern Six States. Because of this, I was stationed there year-round."

Sijin continued, "During that battle, three Heavenly Witches fell in succession, and both my elder brother and I suffered heavy injuries. My mind and spirit were captured by the mighty Kunpeng beast. Although my cultivation foundation wasn't heavily damaged, I completely lost the courage to face enemies in battle... How could I ever speak of that desire to flee the moment I set foot on the battlefield to anyone? Driven by helplessness, I had no choice but to feign illness."

"Yet once this act began, there was no turning back," Sijin sighed helplessly. "My older brother's fiery temper mellowed a great deal after that incident. In the past, he would never compromise or yield, but ever since, he has learned to shoulder the family honor. With a brother like that, how could I ever get better and drag him down?"

Lin Zhao couldn't help laughing. "Stop trying to emphasize objective excuses here. You just saw that the Lord of Di State was powerful, so you wanted to lie flat and coast along on free meals."

"Indeed," Sijin didn't get angry at being called out so bluntly. He smiled faintly, "Not entirely, though. The reason I was unwilling to let my brother exert his full effort in the past was because I couldn't see the slightest sliver of a way to break this deadlock."

Saying this, he pointed his finger, and invisible ripples radiated from his fingertips, distorting space to manifest a map. The central area was empty, completely blank, but the surrounding territories were marked with the Twenty-Four States and their topography. "Look, ever since the expansion policy was implemented a millennium ago, the Twenty-Four States have been established for nearly a thousand years, but that's as far as it goes. The resources of the various states and the Witch Kingdom can no longer support any more shamans."

"However, whether within the states or the Witch Kingdom, the population in various regions continues to grow. At that rate, a famine should have erupted long ago, yet such a thing has never happened. Do you know why?"

Ji Yaoguang fell silent for a moment. "Although the Witch God strictly prohibits the practice of sacrificial offerings, most of the newly grown population in the Witch Kingdom and the various states over these years has simply vanished."

Lin Zhao was shocked, and the small fish he was eating suddenly lost its flavor. "What do you mean by 'vanished'?"

Sijin sighed deeply, "Sacrificial offerings are undoubtedly a method of drinking poison to quench thirst. But think about it: if a family of dozens or hundreds relies entirely on a single shaman to hold up their household, and that shaman dies, his family will be reduced to ordinary commoners. Will he waver? Will his family urge him to take risks?"

"Over the years, human trafficking among the various states has even become an extremely lucrative industry," Sijin sneered. "If it weren't for the suppression by the Witch God, this matter would likely have been brought out into the open long ago. I even suspect that the great calamity you encountered last time was a trap set by them. You certainly saved hundreds of millions of subjects in the Eastern Six States, prevented the collapse of the Sea-Suppressing Realm, and preserved the eastern front of the Witch Kingdom, but your own fall caused the morale of the Twenty-Four States to crumble. Even though the Witch God strictly forbade the spread of this news, your departure could never be blocked by a mere decree."

Lin Zhao flew into a rage. "Is there truly no one who tried to manage or stop such a thing?!"

"They managed it, of course," Sijin smiled faintly. "Management is one thing, but actions are another. Those people were going to die anyway, and their deaths would implicate their families. Committing a crime brings the same end result. Since the outcome is the same either way, why not take a gamble?"

Ji Yaoguang’s fingers tightened their grip. Of course he knew what consequences his choice back then would entail, but at that time, no matter what he chose, it would have been a mistake.

Lin Zhao immediately grasped the Old Tree's clenched fist, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Is the Darkless Sea the sole responsibility of the Old Tree alone? Did everyone else die off? Stop playing this moral kidnapping game here. If a country must rely on a certain entity to sustain itself, the very first thing it should do is prepare for when that sustenance fails and accept reality, rather than interrogating others on whether they ought to act or not!"

Sijin gave a light cough, his expression remaining gentle and accommodating. "Ah, I am simply used to speaking this way. If A-Zhao dislikes hearing it, I won't speak of it anymore."

"Besides, I heard that you still cannot fly, so you certainly haven't experienced the beauty of flight," Sijin smiled. "I have a garment woven of feathers here; would you like to try it..."

Lin Zhao was not some fledgling ignorant of the world. "No need, you can keep it."

Sijin didn't dwell on it and continued, "Therefore, over the years, the major states have split into two factions. One faction hopes the Witch Kingdom will show mercy and grant them greater support, while the other believes they must stand on their own—survival is no crime, and if resources are lacking, they should be seized from other nations."

"And this time, my brother ran into trouble, yet he is unwilling to resort to sacrifices," Sijin said calmly. "So, I simply decided to take a gamble. First, I would cooperate with the Source Ghosts, signaling my willingness to offer sacrifices to cure my illness. That would naturally attract shamans who wish to jump in and grab a share of the spoils. A single one of those shamans is worth thousands of ordinary mortals. As long as I turn around and offer them as sacrifices instead, that 'Source' entity won't care about the origin of the spiritual energy, right? By then, my brother will be saved, and the Di State can preserve the majority of its territory."

"At worst, the Di State would be completely annihilated, which isn't much different from the original outcome anyway. There you have it, that is my entire plan," Sijin concluded. "The greatest source of confidence in all this is that I am not actually sick at all. At a critical moment, a Heavenly Witch turning the tide of a situation is not a difficult feat."

Lin Zhao listened through the whole explanation and remarked, "Well, although it's merely a plan and riddled with loopholes, you've certainly put in the effort."

Sijin smiled. "So, for A-Zhao to come and help me, I truly am most fortunate!"

"I imagine that the Azure Emperor is strapped for resources and surely hasn't settled down anywhere yet," Sijin raised his hand with a smile, and the surrounding water-patterned map instantly materialized before them. "Come, this estate is my favorite detached dwelling; it features water pools, bird perches, golden-threaded nests, and wonderful scenery. If you don't find it beneath you, you can rest here for a while, and we can discuss matters further."