As Lu Yan entered, the blanket immediately became warmer.
The golden egg rolled to Lu Yan's side, and he didn't mind it.
"It seems to have grown a bit," Yu Su compared the egg's size with Lu Yan's hand, noticing it had grown larger.
Lu Yan: "Indeed, it has grown larger."
Yu Su initially found it surprising, but considering the egg's intelligence before hatching, its growth didn't seem so strange. He wondered if it was about to break the shell.
"Brother, is the egg going to hatch?" Yu Zhou asked eagerly, lying on Yu Su's belly, watching the golden egg.
"It should... be soon, I guess," Yu Su wasn't too sure.
*
One morning, Yu Su, still sleeping, felt movement in the blanket.
Subconsciously, he reached to touch the egg in the blanket, muttering, "Alright, stop moving. I know you... hi!"
Before Yu Su could finish speaking, the egg's temperature startled him awake.
He lifted the fox fur blanket to find the spiritual jade nearly reduced to ashes, and the golden egg, originally marked with flame patterns, now seemed like it was going to ignite, with a dangerously high temperature.
Confused, Yu Su wondered, "What's going on?"
"The shell is about to break," the all-encompassing spirit's voice echoed.
"Break the shell? I thought it was cooking itself," Yu Su sighed in relief.
However, the commotion caused by the phoenix egg's birth was unusually intense. When Yu Su lifted the fox fur blanket, the heat radiating from the egg directly affected the room's temperature, making it uncomfortably hot.
Yu Su quickly picked up Yu Zhou, and both brothers exited the room.
After a while, the temperature spread outside, visibly melting the ice and snow on the ground.
Yu Su stared, "Could it burn down the house?"
Even the all-encompassing spirit didn't anticipate such a stir during the phoenix's hatching, sensing that something was off.
"Brother, it's so hot," Yu Zhou said, sweating.
"Yu Su, what's happening? Why is it suddenly so hot?" Yu Yushi also came out, Yu Ji and Yu Kui had taken off their animal-skin clothes, wiping away sweat.
After a while, Lu Yan and Jian Yunchuan, who were supervising the patrol and martial training in the square, returned. Yu Meng and others followed.
"Yu Su, what's —" Yu Meng's words were cut off as a brilliant golden light suddenly burst forth from the house.
This phenomenon astonished everyone.
Even Qing Ze on Deer God Mountain suddenly emerged from his den, leaped to the mountain's peak, and gazed toward Yu Village.
"Master, this doesn't seem to be a phoenix egg," the all-encompassing spirit anxiously remarked.
Startled, Yu Su snapped out of his confusion. "Phoenix? Impossible!"
Yet, how else could the phenomenon be explained?
After about ten seconds, the anomaly vanished, retracting the golden light into the house.
The oppressive heat also subsided.
Yu Su hurried inside and saw the once-round golden egg now had a hole at the top. From it emerged a cute, fluffy, light-gold chick, making chirping sounds inside the eggshell. The chick struggled to climb out but kept falling back.
"Chirp chirp..." The cries were soft and plaintive. It looked up at Yu Su, chirped twice affectionately, seemingly expressing its grievances.
Yu Su carefully lifted it and noticed it was not just an ordinary chick; its light-gold feathers were fluffy and soft. The two small wings were also covered in fuzz, resembling a round sparrow but exuding an indescribable vitality.
"Wow," Yu Zhou, who followed in, exclaimed. "Such a cute little bird!"
Lu Yan and the others entered, watching Yu Su holding the bird, unable to resist their curiosity.
The little one wasn't shy at all. Standing on Yu Su's palm, its tender beak lightly brushed against Yu Su's wrist. It then chirped twice, showing familiarity.
"Yu Su ge, did this little bird make it so hot just now?" Yu Meng asked in amazement.
Yu Su nodded, explaining, "Yes, it's a fire attribute spiritual bird, so it caused a phenomenon when it was born."
"Master, it's very likely a Vermilion Bird," the all-encompassing spirit excitedly suggested.
Yu Su, maintaining his composure, said, "We're not sure if it's a Vermilion Bird yet."
The all-encompassing spirit hadn't seen a real Vermilion Bird, as they disappeared in ancient times. Information about them was limited to mythological tales.
Thinking rationally, Yu Su said, "I'll take it into the mountains to see Qing Ze; he should know what bird this is."
"Alright."
*
Deer God Mountain.
"Lord of the Mountain, what kind of bird is it?" Yu Su showed the chubby little creature to Qing Ze.
Qing Ze stared at the small bird, which tilted its head and chirped twice at him after a moment of confusion.
"Can it talk?" Yu Su asked.
Qing Ze shook his head. He couldn't understand what the chick was chirping. He lightly touched Yu Su with his deer antler, conveying a thought.
"Vermilion Bird."
Yu Su was astonished. This was a Vermilion Bird?
So, they were all mistaken. It wasn't a Phoenix or a Vermilion Bird but a Vermilion Bird, a divine bird residing on Youdu Mountain, considered an auspicious omen.
Yet, why would a Vermilion Bird egg appear in the Black Flame Valley?
Qing Ze was also unsure why the Vermilion Bird's egg was in the Black Flame Valley, but he seemingly approved of Yu Su raising it.One, the growth period of the Vermilion Bird chick is lengthy, and they require human care until they mature. Two, the Vermilion Bird is an auspicious omen, bringing good fortune.
The little Vermilion Bird also likes Yu Su very much. When Yu Su holds it, it constantly chirps in his palm or nuzzles against him, displaying its reliance on him.
Yu Su gently strokes its head, and it enjoys the attention.
Decided. Since both Phoenix and Vermilion Bird can serve as guardians, Yu Su decided to keep the little Vermilion Bird.
After deciding to raise the bird, Yu Su went back to the house and prepared a warm nest for it. He carefully provided food, ensuring it wouldn't go hungry.
Although the bird ate the food, it preferred sleeping next to Yu Su. It claimed half of Yu Su's pillow and stubbornly refused to stay in its nest. Yu Su tried putting it back a few times, but it always ran out on its own, so he let it be.
Anyway, the little one was quite warm. Having an extra source of warmth on the pillow made Yu Su sleep more soundly.
The younger ones, including Yu Zhou, enjoyed playing with the little Vermilion Bird when Yu Su was busy.
The bird, while docile in front of Yu Su, appeared aloof to others. It would stand on the warm bed, quietly observing people, making them hesitant to touch it.
Every time Yu Su saw it, he would gently pick it up, feeling its fluffy and soft feathers. The light-golden plumage was beautiful, resembling a round golden ball in the sunlight. The children, especially Yu Kui, a girl, found it incredibly adorable.
When Yu Su had time, he would take it out for a stroll. Yu Su couldn't shake off the feeling that since the birth of the Vermilion Bird, the temperature in the village had been noticeably warmer than outside. While the wind howled and snow flew outside, the village remained quiet, even during snowfall, in stark contrast.
"Is this your doing?" Yu Su asked the little Vermilion Bird.
The bird chirped, and Yu Su couldn't understand.
"Chirp chirp."
"Now, is it too late to learn the chirping language?"
Either way, such anomalies were welcomed. The villagers knew it was a change brought by the spiritual bird around Yu Su, which further increased their respect for him.
Once the little Vermilion Bird became familiar with the village, it often demanded to go out with Yu Su. Since Yu Su couldn't carry it all the time, it would squat on Yu Su's head, treating it as its new nest, chirping a couple of times to signal it was ready to go.
Yu Su: "..."
Indeed, it had directly started building on his head. If not for its cuteness, he would never allow it.
For some time, people often saw Yu Su with the round, light-golden ball on his head walking around the village. Occasionally, a tuft of its hair would stand up in the wind.
Sometimes, when Yu Su rode a sled, it would squat on his head, letting the cold wind sway its tuft of hair. It remained as stable as a mountain.
Yu Meng and others occasionally envied, wanting it to squat on their heads, but no matter how they coaxed it, it refused to move. Among them, only Lu Yan could get special attention from it.
Yu Su guessed it might be related to Lu Yan's fire spirit roots or the fact that Lu Yan hatched the egg with him, and the bird remembered Lu Yan's aura. Therefore, it was more friendly toward Lu Yan.
"Chirp chirp."
Lu Yan fed it, and it happily ate. Lu Yan also liked playing with it, conjuring a ball of flames for it.
The little one wasn't afraid of fire at all. Flames felt as comfortable to it as bathing water, allowing it to frolic in the flames. Its fluffy feathers didn't catch fire but sparkled, making it even more beautiful.