Lie Zhanfeng staggered slightly as a wave of dizziness washed over him. The spirit contract had taken its toll, leaving him drained. He rubbed his temple with a grimace and glanced at Xie Dongyi, who stood nearby, silently observing him.
"I'm feeling a bit out of it," Lie Zhanfeng admitted, his voice unusually subdued. "I'll just take a short nap to recover."
Xie Dongyi nodded without hesitation. "Go ahead. I'll keep watch."
With a grunt of thanks, Lie Zhanfeng ambled over to a sturdy old tree and sat down cross-legged beneath its shade. He closed his eyes, hoping to regain some clarity.
Meanwhile, Jimao, the Emberclaw Rooster, had no intention of granting him peace.
"Caw-caw!" the bird screeched at the top of its lungs, flapping its wings dramatically. It strutted in circles around Lie Zhanfeng, puffing out its feathers in indignation.
The racket was relentless.
"Caw! Caw! Traitorous fool! Lazy oaf! You think you can ignore me?" Jimao's cries grew louder, clearly aiming to disrupt Lie Zhanfeng's rest.
But the man remained unmoved, his breathing steady and even, as if the rooster's efforts were beneath his notice.
Jimao's tantrum continued for a while longer before the rooster finally grew tired. Realizing its squawking was utterly pointless against a guy like Lie Zhanfeng, it gave up with a huff.
It waddled over to the fireplace, which now consisted of nothing more than ashes and charred wood. Curling up in the warmth of the embers, Jimao grumbled to itself, feathers ruffled both literally and figuratively.
It didn't notice the soft footsteps approaching until a shadow fell over it.
Jimao glared up, only to see Xie Dongyi standing before it. The young man's face was calm as he reached into his storage ring and retrieved a beast core.
The rooster froze.
"This is from the Stonehide Boar," Xie Dongyi said evenly, placing the core near Jimao. "It's more useful to you than to me." Without waiting for a reaction, he turned and walked back to his spot near Lie Zhanfeng, standing guard with his usual composed demeanor.
Jimao stared at the core, momentarily stunned. It hesitated, then cautiously pecked the glowing orb closer to its body.
"Well, at least one of them knows how to treat me properly," the rooster muttered, its mood improving slightly. It nestled closer to the beast core, absorbing its energy while sneaking glances at Xie Dongyi.
"What a generous man," Jimao thought. "Why does someone like him have to follow that treacherous scoundrel?"
---
When Lie Zhanfeng finally stirred, the sun was already setting. Stretching his arms with a satisfied groan, he blinked at Xie Dongyi, who was still standing vigil nearby.
"How are you feeling?" Xie Dongyi asked, his tone as steady as ever.
"Much better," Lie Zhanfeng replied, rising to his feet. He smiled sheepishly. "Thanks for guarding me while I was out. You worked hard."
"It's nothing," Xie Dongyi said simply.
Lie Zhanfeng's gaze wandered to the sleeping rooster, curled up near the fireplace. Something shiny caught his eye. Frowning, he crouched down and gently nudged Jimao aside, revealing the beast core nestled beneath its body.
"This..." he murmured, turning to Xie Dongyi with a questioning look.
"I gave it to Jimao," Xie Dongyi explained. "It's more useful to it than to me."
Lie Zhanfeng frowned. "That's yours, though. I gave it to you."
Xie Dongyi shook his head. "You gave it to me, so it's mine to decide what to do with it. Besides, the stronger Jimao is, the more of a trump card we'll have."
"Trump card? What can a broken bird do?" Lie Zhanfeng muttered, though his words lacked real bite. Deep down, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of warmth at Xie Dongyi's generosity.
Xie Dongyi only smiled in response, amused at Lie Zhanfeng's words.
They soon changed the subject, focusing instead on preparing dinner. Xie Dongyi retrieved the remaining Stonehide Boar meat from his storage ring, and Lie Zhanfeng took on the task of cooking.
The aroma of roasting meat filled the air, rich and mouthwatering. Just as the meal was almost ready, a familiar voice broke the peace.
"Caw! Caw! Ungrateful scoundrels!"
Jimao, now wide awake, flapped over in a flurry of feathers. It glared at Lie Zhanfeng with righteous indignation.
"Eating without me? Where's the promise that you'd treat me well?!" the rooster squawked, pacing back and forth like an irate landlord.
Lie Zhanfeng shot it a withering look. "I never promised that I'd treated well, besides, you already have a beast core. What else do you want?"
"That doesn't count! The handsome one gave me that!" Jimao retorted, pointing a claw dramatically at Xie Dongyi.
Xie Dongyi, who couldn't understand the rooster's tirade, turned to Lie Zhanfeng with a curious expression. "What's it saying?"
Lie Zhanfeng rolled his eyes. "It's being greedy."
Xie Dongyi nodded in understanding. He picked up a few strips of roasted meat and tossed them to Jimao.
"Here," he said.
Jimao's attitude shifted instantly. It devoured the meat with gusto, pausing only to crow, "Ah, what a generous man! Truly, this handsome fellow is the only decent human here!"
Lie Zhanfeng watched the rooster's antics with an exasperated expression, his eye twitching slightly. He resisted the urge to kick the overgrown feather duster.
"You're lucky you're small," he muttered under his breath.
Xie Dongyi chuckled softly, his eyes crinkling in amusement.
After dinner, the trio settled into a quiet rhythm. Jimao, having absorbed some of the beast core's energy and feasted on roasted meat, was in a surprisingly good mood. It perched on a low branch, humming to itself as it preened its feathers.
Lie Zhanfeng leaned back against the tree, glancing at Xie Dongyi.
"You know," Lie Zhanfeng said, his tone light but laced with mock seriousness, "you're too soft sometimes. That bird's going to walk all over you."
Xie Dongyi tilted his head slightly, a calm expression on his face. "Maybe. But it's better to show kindness when you can. Besides, Jimao is your contracted beast. We should treat it better."
Lie Zhanfeng snorted, crossing his arms. "Treat it better? It's been acting like an emperor since the moment we met. If we give it an inch, it'll take a mile. Next thing you know, it'll be demanding a throne made of spirit stones."
Jimao, perched on a low branch nearby, puffed out its chest and spread its wings grandly. "A throne made of spirit stones? Now that's more like it! Excellent idea!"
Lie Zhanfeng's eye twitched. He turned to glare at the rooster. "I was joking. And stop eavesdropping!"
"How can I not eavesdrop when you're talking about me?" Jimao retorted, flicking its feathers in mock indignation. "If you must speak ill of me, at least do it behind my back. Have you no manners?"
Lie Zhanfeng jabbed a finger in the rooster's direction. "Manners? You've been crowing at me non-stop since we formed this contract! Where are your manners, feather duster?"
"Feather duster?" Jimao squawked, scandalized. "I'll have you know I'm an Emberclaw Rooster, a rare and majestic breed! Feather duster, he says! The nerve!"
"Shut up! You're a defective Emberclaw Rooster at best."
Xie Dongyi, who couldn't understand Jimao's words, glanced between the two. "What's it saying?"
Lie Zhanfeng gave him a long-suffering look. "It's complaining, as usual. Apparently, I'm too loud for its delicate ears."
Xie Dongyi let out a soft laugh. "I see. You two seem to get along better than you admit."
"Get along?" Lie Zhanfeng repeated, aghast. He pointed at Jimao. "This thing wouldn't recognize camaraderie if it hit it on the beak!"
Jimao scoffed, fluffing its feathers. "And you wouldn't recognize greatness if it perched on your shoulder! Too undignified!"
"What's it saying now?" Xie Dongyi asked, curious.
"It's calling itself great again, delusional bird." Lie Zhanfeng muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Xie Dongyi chuckled. "Well, maybe it's not entirely wrong. You should trust your vision."
Jimao perked up and flapped its wings with excitement. "See? The handsome one gets it! Why can't you be more like him?"
Lie Zhanfeng rolled his eyes and shot a glare at the rooster. "If you think I'm going to start spoiling you just because Dongyi does, you're out of luck."
"What did it say this time?" Xie Dongyi asked, noting the exasperation on Lie Zhanfeng's face.
"Just more nonsense about how I should treat it better," Lie Zhanfeng replied with a huff.
Xie Dongyi's lips quirked into a faint smile. "Maybe you should. Jimao is part of our team now."
Lie Zhanfeng stared at him, incredulous. "You're taking its side?"
"I'm just saying," Xie Dongyi said with a shrug, "It's your beast companion, afterall. Who should treat it better if not us?"
"You'll spoil it," Lie Zhanfeng grumbled.
"Maybe," Xie Dongyi admitted, his smile widening ever so slightly.
Jimao, puffing itself up even more, crowed loudly. "Spoil me all you want! I deserve it!"
Lie Zhanfeng threw his hands up in exasperation. "This is exactly what I'm talking about!"