Chapter 27: The Encounter

When his feet touched solid ground once more, Yin Tianfang felt as though he had been reborn. The torment of those three months had been almost unbearable.

“Hurry up and take a bath,” he muttered, wrinkling his nose at the foul stench rising from his body. With a swift movement, he darted toward the Clearwater River. Once at the riverbank, Yin Tianfang didn't bother removing his clothes and plunged headlong into the crystal-clear waters.

It was a long while before he resurfaced, spitting out a mouthful of water, floating contentedly atop the river. For three months, he had eaten only the raw flesh of monstrous beasts and drank their freshly spilled blood. Even the inner disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect never enjoyed such luxuries; their cultivation was aided only by medicinal herbs and spiritual ginseng.

Yet Yin Tianfang felt no happiness. The meat had been raw, the blood freshly drained from beasts he'd just slain. For three months, he'd lived a life as primitive as those who ate hair and drank blood. Now, at last, he was free from that ordeal.

He scrubbed himself quickly, watching as layers of black grime sloughed off his skin and sank to the riverbed. Those impurities and toxins were expelled from his body during his recent breakthroughs. As the filth settled beneath the water, a number of fish soon floated belly-up, lifeless around him.

“So poisonous?” Yin Tianfang was momentarily stunned, then somewhat embarrassed. He hadn't expected the things expelled from his body to kill so many fish.

“Well, I'll pick a few big ones to take back for Little One,” he thought. After months of eating beast flesh, a change of flavor would certainly be welcome.

After cleaning himself thoroughly, Yin Tianfang selected several plump fish from those floating nearby and quickly returned to shore. He gathered a few dry branches, stuffed them into his storage pouch, and, riding his flying sword, soared toward the cliff cave.

Inside the cave, Little One stood forlornly at the edge, gazing up at the sky, his mood low. Beside him, the adult monstrous bird let out soft cries, as if trying to comfort him. Yet Little One remained listless.

Suddenly, Little One sprang to his feet, eyes fixed on the streak of light approaching in the sky. He bounced around the cave, chirping excitedly.

The adult monstrous bird turned its head, watching as Yin Tianfang sped toward them. Upon meeting those sharp avian eyes, Yin Tianfang offered an awkward smile and landed in the cave.

No sooner had he set foot on the ground than Little One rushed over, pinning him beneath his body with a thud.

“Get off! Get off!” Yin Tianfang protested. Though still young, Little One had grown immensely, nearly as large as the adult beast. His feathers shimmered silver, while the adult’s were black. Sometimes Yin Tianfang wondered if Little One was the offspring of the adult, though there seemed to be no other beasts nearby.

After coaxing Little One off, Yin Tianfang pulled dry wood from his storage pouch. Using his flying sword, he chopped it into blocks, recited a spell, and conjured a fireball. Pointing his finger, the fireball shot into the pile of wood, igniting a blaze within the cave.

Little One hopped excitedly around the fire, his eyes filled with curiosity. Yin Tianfang arranged the river fish over the flames, and soon the scent of roasting meat filled the air. He swallowed hungrily, vowing never again to eat raw bloody beast flesh.

“It’s ready to eat,” Yin Tianfang said, rubbing his hands together as he eyed the tender, succulent fish. He reached out, but a large head suddenly appeared, jaws opening wide to swallow all the fish in one gulp.

Yin Tianfang’s hand froze midair. He turned to look at Little One, who quickly turned away, mouth working to pull the last bit of fish tail inside and swallowed it with a gulp.

Yin Tianfang was speechless. A moment later, the adult monstrous bird returned, tossing a beast carcass into the cave. Little One glanced at the huge beast, then at the fire, and his eyes lit up. He rushed over, dragging the carcass to Yin Tianfang and pointed first at the beast, then at the fire.

Outside the cave, the adult monstrous bird didn’t leave as usual, but perched atop a protruding rock, gazing inside.

Yin Tianfang thought for a moment, beckoned Little One over, and whispered a few words in his ear. Little One understood, trotted to the cave entrance, and spoke to the adult bird. The adult seemed to hesitate, but after a moment, nodded in agreement.

Little One immediately ran back, grabbed the large beast, and headed outside. At the cave entrance, he leapt onto the adult bird’s back, calling out to Yin Tianfang. Yin Tianfang hurried over and climbed up as well.

The adult beast seized the carcass, spread its wings, and soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, they arrived above the Clearwater River. The bird landed, dropped the carcass, and Little One and Yin Tianfang climbed down. The adult glanced around, then spread its wings and flew into the forest.

It was Little One’s first time leaving the cave. Everything seemed so novel to him; he bounded into the water, playing happily.

Yin Tianfang deftly prepared the beast’s carcass. Soon, the aroma of roasting meat wafted through the air. Little One, frolicking in the water, suddenly froze at the scent, then dashed madly toward the shore. Standing by the fire, his eyes shone as he gazed at the golden, roasted beast.

“Wait a bit, don’t rush. It’s not fully cooked yet,” Yin Tianfang said, adding more wood to the fire.

In the distance, several figures crossed the river on boats, braving wind and waves. As they passed the area, their eyes drifted toward the shore.

The leader, a young man, slowed his pace as he spotted Yin Tianfang and Little One.

“Young master, what’s wrong?” someone behind him asked. The youth narrowed his eyes, saying nothing as he made his way toward the shore.

He came ashore and headed straight for Yin Tianfang. When he saw the beast roasting over the fire, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

His gaze shifted to Little One beside Yin Tianfang, and his astonishment deepened, underlaid with a hint of greed.

“I am Lin Tian of the Lin family from Tianfeng City. May I ask your name, brother?” the young man said with a smile.

Yin Tianfang, focused on roasting the beast, had his back turned. He was ravenous. Hearing the youth’s voice, he turned around.

In the instant their eyes met, both men were taken aback.

“It’s you?!” The youth’s eyes narrowed. Fortune truly favored him—he had searched everywhere and found his quarry here by sheer chance.

Yin Tianfang’s heart skipped a beat. Danger flashed through his mind, and countless thoughts raced in an instant.