"Stop running if you have the guts!" Meiqiu shouted resentfully.
The Exotic Fire came to a halt. Overjoyed, Meiqiu rushed forward, only to be blasted directly in the face by a plume of Vermilion Bird fire.
He had been chasing this thing for a while now. The Exotic Fire had developed a rudimentary intelligence, but it was far from being able to distinguish the gravity of the situation; it simply followed its instincts. Now that only Meiqiu was chasing it and no one was attempting to form a contract with it, the Vermilion Bird fire had forgotten the previous conflict. It assumed Meiqiu was playing hide-and-seek and was enjoying itself far too much to leave.
Meiqiu couldn't understand why the fire, which had been relatively well-behaved before, was now jumping around and darting into narrow, remote crevices. He had chased it all this way, and his feathers were a mess. He was truly at his wit's end. Finally, driven to fits of pique, Meiqiu decided to attack the Vermilion Bird fire directly to show it what he was made of.
Exotic Fires were pure, but a Phoenix’s Essence Fire was of an even higher grade. When the Vermilion Bird fire was struck by the phoenix flame, it felt a slight sting of heat, but it didn't actually cause any damage. It instinctively began to view Meiqiu as one of its own kind, and its playfulness grew. Excitedly, it spat back a wave of flames that enveloped Meiqiu before drifting away with a metaphorical giggle.
*Nie Shiyun, hurry up and get here...* Meiqiu wailed in his heart. He had been relegated to a playmate by the Vermilion Bird fire; they were just spitting flames back and forth, neither able to burn the other.
Perhaps because he had been eating and sleeping so much lately, Meiqiu actually felt his body grow a bit heavy after chasing it for a while. He would never admit he had gotten fat.
Meiqiu glanced at his storage space. He had always relied on his own innate fire and had never learned how to use magical treasures. However, if this stalemate continued, he might lose the fire before Nie Shiyun arrived. That would be a massive embarrassment. Meiqiu decided to try using a weapon to intercept the fire.
"I'm done playing with you!" Meiqiu lacked confidence, but his momentum remained strong. As he landed, he transformed into his human form and summoned a Rainbow Sword from his storage space.
It was a sword Nie Shiyun had forged casually in his spare time, not specifically made for Meiqiu. Consequently, when held by Meiqiu in his young child form... he couldn't even hold it properly.
Meiqiu lost all his dignity as he desperately gripped the hilt with both small hands, his previous imposing aura vanishing instantly.
The Vermilion Bird fire was somewhat puzzled and stopped curiously, staring at Meiqiu from mid-air.
When Shen Yan caught up, this was the bizarre scene he witnessed.
He scanned the surroundings and, as expected, felt no other cultivators' auras. He figured this child must have gotten separated from Nie Shiyun and the others for some reason and happened to stumble upon the Exotic Fire, charging in with the fearlessness of a newborn calf.
"Hey! That's dangerous, get away from there!" Shen Yan shouted.
The fire was startled, remembering that this human cultivator had attacked it not long ago. Although his cultivation was somewhat lacking, the ghostly yin energy surging from that banner made it very uncomfortable. The Vermilion Bird fire turned and fled.
Meiqiu was furious. He swung the sword wildly a couple of times, his spiritual power flowing into the blade to release two arcs of sword qi. However, because he had never used a sword before, his aim was miles off, though he did manage to chop down a small tree.
"Don't come here and ruin things!" Meiqiu barked back resentfully before continuing his relentless pursuit of the Vermilion Bird fire.
Shen Yan thought to himself that this was truly an ungrateful child, but he couldn't bear to watch him die. He had no choice but to follow.
"What are you doing? Are you here to steal the Exotic Fire?" Meiqiu looked at Shen Yan warily as the man caught up.
Shen Yan hadn't expected the boy to know it was an Exotic Fire. He said in surprise, "You know what it is and you still dare to chase it? That's not something a child like you can handle! Where is Senior Nie?"
*He's the one who sent me to do the dirty work!* Meiqiu screamed internally.
Seeing the distance between him and the fire widening, Meiqiu desperately wanted to transform back into his beast form and fly after it. But with Shen Yan beside him, he didn't dare change back. His two short legs were churning so fast they felt like they were about to break.
"He'll be here in a moment! I just need to stall it!" Meiqiu said breathlessly.
Shen Yan guessed that Nie Shiyun and the others had gotten into a conflict with Duan Mingyu's group. If he had just walked away earlier, it would have been fine, but since he had already chased them this far, he couldn't just ignore the situation. He simply summoned his flying sword, stepped onto it, and reached down to scoop Meiqiu up.
"Hey...! Let go!" Meiqiu was tucked under one arm, feeling as though he had lost every shred of face he had left.
"I'll give you a lift. Don't worry, I've already given up on that Exotic Fire. It's just that Senior Nie and the other have done me a favor, and I don't like owing people." Shen Yan felt Meiqiu struggling and, assuming it was just a child's tantrum, explained patiently with a frown.
For the second time today, Meiqiu was at his wit's end. He thought to himself that Shen Yan leaving would be the biggest help of all! Flying on his own would be much more comfortable than riding this crappy flying sword.
Perhaps because this Exotic Fire hadn't seen humans for a long time, seeing so many today had made it hyperactive. After playing with Meiqiu for so long, it had muddled its way into a cave. As luck would have it, this cave had only one entrance, and it had now been backed into a dead end.
Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't fully recovered from his injuries, and his spiritual power was nearly depleted after the high-intensity chase. He whispered an instruction: "What luck. I'll keep it at bay for now; take this chance to contact Senior Nie..."
Meiqiu didn't listen to a word Shen Yan said and jumped down from his arms. Although being carried like that was embarrassing, he had indeed saved a lot of energy on the way. Looking at the Vermilion Bird fire, which was spinning around the wall in confusion, he laughed loudly as he approached: "Haha, idiot!"
Shen Yan's eyelid twitched. He had never seen such a disobedient child! The Exotic Fire realized Meiqiu was mocking it and, in a fit of pique, spat out a blast of flame at him.
In that instant, Shen Yan's heart leaped into his throat. He hurriedly tried to summon his yin souls. But Meiqiu didn't dodge; instead, he walked right into it. "You..." Shen Yan watched, dumbfounded, as the child before him absorbed the flames of the Vermilion Bird fire without a scratch.
"I called it an idiot, and it got angry!" Meiqiu said dismissively.
Nie Shiyun probably wanted to use this thing for artifact refining. Meiqiu felt quite disdainful at the thought; clearly, his own Phoenix Essence Fire was more useful!
He and the Vermilion Bird fire began another tug-of-war of flames. Aside from annoying each other, it was essentially meaningless.
Shen Yan's heart was filled with uncertainty.
Looking at the fire attacks the child was releasing, although they didn't cause much damage to the Exotic Fire, the heat and power forced Shen Yan to stay several paces away. He was certain that the child's cultivation was definitely not at the Qi Refining stage. It might not even be Foundation Establishment, but perhaps close to his own!
A four or five-year-old Golden Core cultivator? Was that even possible?
Shen Yan's first thought was "possession," but Meiqiu's words and actions were truly those of a child. If this was an act, it was far too chilling.
Just as various suspicions filled his mind, the auras of two cultivators approached.
Shen Yan instinctively gripped his Soul-Summoning Banner nervously, but then he heard Nie Shiyun's voice.
"Meiqiu! How is it..."
"Waaaah! Don't call me by my nickname when there's an outsider!" Meiqiu's scream drowned out the second half of Nie Shiyun's sentence.
Only then did Nie Shiyun glance at Shen Yan. This was their second meeting today.
Shen Yan naturally took a step back and put away his Soul-Summoning Banner, signaling through his actions that he had no intention of snatching the prize. Standing to the side, he said, "I heard little Daoist friend Xuan Yang's shouts on the way and decided to meddle."
Seeing the unconcealed doubt in Shen Yan's eyes, and then looking at Meiqiu, who was unreservedly blasting the Vermilion Bird fire, Nie Shiyun sighed. Not transforming back into his original form was probably the extent of Meiqiu's discretion. But in the eyes of a normal person, a five-year-old Golden Core cultivator was likely more sensational than a contracted spirit beast that could take human form.
"Thank you. He's quite a handful."
"What are you two whispering about? Hurry up and take over!" Meiqiu shouted.
With a wave of his hand, Nie Shiyun sent out the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Cover, which descended directly over the Vermilion Bird fire, trapping it inside.
The Vermilion Bird fire went silent for a moment, followed by the muffled thuds of it fruitlessly slamming against the walls of the cover.
"Phew... I'm exhausted." Meiqiu let out a long sigh and sat on the ground, heedless of his image. His exercise for today had equaled an entire year's worth.
Nie Shiyun looked at Zhai Bairong and urged, "Alright, go ahead. The Divine Fire Cover won't hold it for long. With Me—Xuan Yang helping you from the side, you'll surely be able to contract it smoothly."
Zhai Bairong was stunned. Realizing that Nie Shiyun probably hadn't heard his previous explanation, he had to shake his head again and say helplessly, "Having the remnant soul of the Azure Lotus Exotic Fire is enough for me. You have a fire spiritual root and you're an artifact refiner. I only came along this time so that you could contract it."
"Is that so?" Nie Shiyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Since they had established their relationship, he had given Zhai Bairong many things, but it was always on his own initiative; the other man had never asked him for anything. That was why Nie Shiyun had been so motivated when Zhai Bairong said he wanted it. He hadn't expected that after going in a big circle, it was meant for him after all.
Zhai Bairong stepped closer to Nie Shiyun and said softly in a voice only the two of them could hear, "My success rate in alchemy is already quite high. As for you, although you have Meiqiu's Essence Fire to assist you now, which is no inferior to an Exotic Fire, I can tell you don't want to keep him tied to your side forever. Therefore, it's more appropriate for you to take this Vermilion Bird fire."
Nie Shiyun was speechless. He had never told anyone, including Meiqiu himself, about his future plans. He could only say that Zhai Bairong understood him too well; he had grasped the underlying reasons from the small details of their daily lives.
Shen Yan didn't dare say a word from the side, but he was quite speechless. For any other cultivators, this would be a situation of fighting and killing each other to snatch the prize, yet Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong were standing here politely offering it back and forth. To make matters worse, he had to watch from the side, not daring to make a move.
Finally, Nie Shiyun was persuaded by Zhai Bairong. Accepting his kindness, he nodded and stepped forward to form the contract with the Exotic Fire.
Meiqiu had rested for a bit. Hearing Nie Shiyun say he might need his assistance, he scrambled up from the ground, brushed the dust off his bottom, and ran to the side to wait, ready to show off his skills.
Zhai Bairong looked at Shen Yan. Although he tentatively trusted this man, this matter involved Nie Shiyun and an Exotic Fire, so Zhai Bairong did not let down his guard. He walked over to Shen Yan and gave him a polite smile. Shen Yan naturally understood the implication and proactively retreated a distance. Zhai Bairong moved back with him, leaving Nie Shiyun and the others space to work.
Standing near the cave entrance, Zhai Bairong was confident that even if Duan Mingyu and the others found them, he could stall them for a while to ensure Nie Shiyun's contracting process wasn't interrupted.
"Since the matter is settled, I won't disturb you further." Shen Yan intended to leave.
"Wait a moment," Zhai Bairong said. His tone was polite, but his attitude was quite firm. "When I arrived, I saw you looking suspicious and uncertain. I imagine Xuan Yang's careless behavior caused you some trouble? If you're not in a hurry, why not wait until the two of them come out, and we can properly apologize to you."
"...Alright." Shen Yan pulled back the leg he had stepped out and gave a couple of dry, forced laughs. As expected, there was more to Xuan Yang than met the eye.
When he had stayed briefly at the Cloud-Clear Pavilion, his dealings with Nie Shiyun had only given him the impression of a very shrewd businessman; he didn't have much of an impression of Zhai Bairong. Now it seemed that, in a way, this man was even harder to deal with than Nie Shiyun.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 凤凰精火 | Phoenix Essence Fire | The innate, high-grade flame of a phoenix. |
| 九龙神火罩 | Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Cover | A powerful fire-based magical treasure. |
| 虹霓剑 | Rainbow Sword | A sword forged by Nie Shiyun. |
| 玄阳 | Xuan Yang | Meiqiu's human name/alias. |
| 金丹 | Golden Core | The third major stage of cultivation. |
| 夺舍 | Possession | The act of a soul seizing another person's body. |
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 116 | Capturing the Vermilion Fire | Novela.app | Novela.app
