"Are you alright?"
"Senior Brother!"
Several disciples from the Yunqing Pavilion rushed to Nie Shiyun’s side to support him. In truth, the paralysis from the needle had worn off just a few seconds after he fell from the stage. However, Nie Shiyun continued to feign a serious injury, remaining seated on the ground and allowing his sect-mates to help him up.
It was best not to reveal Meiqiu’s sapience for the time being. After confirming through their spiritual connection that Meiqiu hadn't sustained any major injuries, Nie Shiyun took out a medicinal pill and stuffed it into the bird's beak, telling him to endure the grievance and return to the jade pendant for now.
"Was that your own spirit beast just now? Why didn't you use the spirit turtle Uncle gave you?" Nie Xingan asked with concern.
Nie Shiyun hadn't exactly had a choice. At that moment, he had been unable to move and could only decide whether or not to enter the jade space with his thoughts. Meiqiu had sensed the danger and rushed out on his own; it had nothing to do with Nie Shiyun’s commands.
"I was in a panic and didn't think that much," Nie Shiyun replied.
He took some medicine to recover his depleted spiritual energy and treat his wounds. Seeing that he was no longer in any great danger, the Yunqing Pavilion disciples felt slightly more at ease, though the heart-pounding terror from moments ago was not so easily dispelled.
Qi Miaohan said indignantly, "Is that man insane? Just you wait, this lady will get revenge for you."
"Don't be impulsive. And don't forget, you have to win against Rong Lü first, then Duan Mingyu, before you even have a chance to face Xu Yehua," Nie Shiyun said, patting her shoulder.
Qi Miaohan was fuming. Part of it was provocation from the recent scene, but another part was the realization that she had once actually liked such a man. The more she thought about it now, the more embarrassed she felt.
"You say that as if I'm going to lose," Qi Miaohan narrowed her eyes, steadying her mind. "Anyway, they're all birds of a feather—none of them are any good. Just watch me fight my way through them one by one."
Nie Shiyun was somewhat surprised to see such a serious expression on Qi Miaohan’s face. He recalled that in the original story, her cultivation hadn't been as high as it was now. Ever since their parting in Fanhua City, she seemed to have been truly stimulated by his rapid progress, remaining in secluded cultivation until the eve of the Great Cultivation Meet. He had heard that her senior sisters in the Pinyin Pavilion were both suspicious and gratified by this change.
"Cousin, don't be discouraged. You performed very well," Nie Xingan comforted him, seeing Nie Shiyun lost in thought.
"I know. I did my best, after all. I'm just a bit tired..."
Nie Shiyun didn't regret the outcome, nor did he have many grievances. If he had wanted to be cautious, he should have intentionally lost the previous match. His goal this time wasn't necessarily to win the tournament, but rather to test what would happen if he faced Xu Yehua under current circumstances.
The result wasn't bad. Xu Yehua seemed to be guided by some fated animosity; although his strikes were ruthless, he had lost some of his judgment. Furthermore, being able to escape successfully without relying on the power of the Chaos Space proved that everything had indeed been turned upside down. The scales of the plot were beginning to tilt in his favor.
He also had Meiqiu to thank. Thinking of Meiqiu’s tragic cry earlier, Nie Shiyun felt a pang of sympathy. He decided it would be better to return to his room early to check on the bird's condition.
Hearing Nie Shiyun say he was exhausted, the Yunqing Pavilion group naturally urged him to go back and rest. Having the name of the Yunqing Pavilion carved into the top eight was already a great enough honor for them. Although Nie Shiyun wanted to stay and watch Zhai Bairong, it would be strange if he suddenly acted perfectly fine after appearing so strained on stage. He cast a distant glance toward the other side, but Duan Mingyu’s group was surrounded by a crowd, making it impossible to see clearly. In the end, he chose to leave first.
Upon returning to his room, the first thing Nie Shiyun did was enter the jade pendant. Meiqiu had been perfectly fine, perched there munching on spiritual food, but the moment he saw Nie Shiyun enter, he froze and immediately began to wail. The sympathy Nie Shiyun had felt earlier instantly diminished by several degrees.
"I lost two tail feathers—!" Meiqiu shrieked.
"I saw. I put them in my storage bag. I can use them for something later," Nie Shiyun said, stroking Meiqiu’s head.
"Can't you put them back for me? Using some secret technique of a master tool refiner or something?" Meiqiu asked, refusing to give up.
Nie Shiyun paused, then said, "There is no such secret technique. Did you suffer any internal injuries from that hit?"
The spot where Meiqiu had been hit was a bit awkward—right above his tail—but before the protective shield had completely shattered, he had been unable to withstand the momentum of the spiritual energy and was pushed back, crashing into Nie Shiyun. Aside from losing two feathers, his external injuries were just a few scratches, which healed after taking a pill.
Meiqiu wanted to act pitiful to get some benefits, but after whimpering for a long time, he couldn't point out exactly where he was hurt. His summary was that his whole body felt uncomfortable and he needed delicious food to recover.
Nie Shiyun was helpless. However, Meiqiu had indeed performed a great service today, taking the initiative to intervene at a moment so perfectly timed that even Nie Shiyun had to marvel at it. He smoothed the feathers on Meiqiu’s back, thinking that a demonic beast of this age would be no different from an infant in any other household. Yet, following him, Meiqiu often faced perilous situations. He could only compensate the bird in other ways.
"What do you want to eat? You were a big help today; I'll buy you whatever you want."
Meiqiu gave a joyful cry. Seeing that his voice was still so loud, Nie Shiyun knew his spirits were good. He smiled and waved his hand to summon paper and brush, listening as Meiqiu rattled off a list of dishes.
"..."
"...The paper is almost full." Nie Shiyun felt as though Meiqiu intended to order every meat dish on a restaurant's menu. Although he enjoyed fine food himself, he didn't eat with such gluttony.
"Fine, fine, this will do. It barely matches my contribution," Meiqiu lifted his head. Because Nie Shiyun’s current attitude was so gentle, he immediately became boastful. "I also want those... those sugar beans!"
"What sugar beans?"
"The ones your Dao companion made!"
Nie Shiyun suddenly understood. Those were actually medicinal pills with added syrup; the medicinal components definitely made up ninety-nine percent of the content. But in Meiqiu’s eyes, they were still sugar beans—just high-grade sugar beans that were beneficial to one's cultivation.
"If he comes tonight, you can ask him yourself," Nie Shiyun said.
In Meiqiu’s impression, Zhai Bairong was extremely easy to talk to, so he wasn't afraid at all to ask him for things directly. But to put it bluntly, since hatching, the only two humans Meiqiu had ever conversed with were Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong.
Although Nie Shiyun had returned to his quarters first, he had asked his cousin to send him messages via communication crystals regarding the results of the subsequent matches. Not long after he had rested, the result of the third match arrived.
The third match was Zhai Bairong against a disciple from the Pinyin Pavilion. That person had entered the sect a few years before Qi Miaohan and was considered one of her senior sisters. However, she had only broken through to the Golden Core stage last month. Facing Zhai Bairong, the result was a foregone conclusion; she lost.
Qi Miaohan naturally sided with her own sect, and combined with her lack of goodwill toward Duan Mingyu’s faction, she had been gnashing her teeth throughout the match, looking for any opportunity to curse. However, from beginning to end, while Zhai Bairong’s strikes were decisive and swift, he maintained perfect etiquette and decorum before and after the match, leaving no room for anyone to find fault.
The match began quietly and ended quickly. The spectators, who were still reeling from the match between Xu Yehua and Nie Shiyun, barely had time to process what happened before the third match was over.
"Hmph. What a poseur," Qi Miaohan muttered, forcing herself to find a grievance.
Qi Xuan'er whispered, "Sister, misfortune comes from the mouth. Let's say less... Rest a bit more; it's almost your turn to go up."
"It seems my opponent doesn't even have me in his sights," Qi Miaohan glanced in Rong Lü’s direction, feeling exceptionally displeased.
On the other side, Rong Lü and Duan Mingyu were talking. they had been speaking for a while. The content was nothing more than Duan Mingyu worrying about Xu Yehua, while Rong Lü was angry because Xu Yehua had roughly brushed off Duan Mingyu’s hand earlier. Duan Mingyu explained to Rong Lü that Xu Yehua had already apologized and told him not to take it to heart.
At this moment, Zhai Bairong stepped down from the stage, and the topic finally returned to the competition. Duan Mingyu smiled and congratulated Zhai Bairong on his victory, praising his effortless and handsome moves on the stage. Zhai Bairong smiled and asked in return, "My match was uneventful, nothing worth mentioning. But what about you two? What were you talking about just now?"
"Ah, it's nothing... It's just that Brother Rong Lü couldn't stand to see me wronged. But Yehua was just acting in the heat of the moment; it was a misunderstanding," Duan Mingyu summarized.
Zhai Bairong lowered his eyes. Instead of glossing over it like a peacemaker as he usually did, he frowned and said, "Just because he was in the heat of the moment, he can treat you like that? How carefully do we usually protect you? Yet he acts in such a manner. I can completely understand why Fellow Daoist Rong couldn't stand it."
Duan Mingyu let out a soft "ah," opening his mouth as if to argue. However, Zhai Bairong’s words were clever; he criticized Xu Yehua’s actions while simultaneously stating his and Rong Lü’s loyalty. Duan Mingyu’s conscience wouldn't allow him to only side with Xu Yehua.
"We know it might have been a misunderstanding. But still..." Zhai Bairong said suggestively.
Rong Lü immediately nodded in agreement. "Exactly. None of us can bear to see you wronged. If I had done such a thing... no, I could never do such a thing regardless."
Duan Mingyu hadn't originally felt wronged, but hearing the two of them speak this way—especially his Senior Brother, who usually advocated for keeping the peace, speaking so sternly—he reflected on it and began to feel a bit sad himself.
"I'll go find him and ask about it after the matches are over," Duan Mingyu whispered after a moment of thought.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 品音阁 | Pinyin Pavilion | A sect, likely focused on music-based cultivation (lit. "Appreciating Sound Pavilion"). |
| 繁花城 | Fanhua City | City of Myriad Flowers; a location mentioned in previous events. |
| 糖豆 | Sugar beans | Meiqiu's name for the candy-coated medicinal pills Zhai Bairong makes. |
| 传讯晶石 | Communication crystal | A magical item used for sending messages over distances. |
| 装模作样 | Poseur / Pretentious | To put on an act or behave hypocritically. |
| 和事佬 | Peacemaker / Mediator | Someone who tries to settle disputes and keep everyone happy. |
