"KOK-KOK-KOK-KOH!"
The sharp crow of the Emberclaw Rooster shattered the early morning stillness, jolting Lie Zhanfeng and Xie Dongyi awake. The sun hadn't even fully risen, its pale light barely kissing the edges of the horizon.
Lie Zhanfeng groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes as if to shield himself from the noise. "Do you really treat yourself as an alarm clock! Do you yell like this every morning?" he snapped, sitting up and glaring at the rooster perched smugly on a nearby rock.
Jimao puffed out its chest, unbothered by his master's grumbles. "Of course! Someone has to ensure you lazy humans wake up on time."
Lie Zhanfeng narrowed his eyes, clearly understanding the rooster's words. "Wake up for what? We're in the middle of nowhere! There's no rush!"
Jimao flapped its wings indignantly. "A proper day begins early. Not my fault you're too undisciplined to appreciate it!"
Meanwhile, Xie Dongyi quietly rose and began gathering firewood nearby. Although he couldn't understand Jimao's words, the tone alone was enough to piece together the gist of their bickering. He shook his head lightly, suppressing a smile.
"Don't waste your energy arguing with a bird," he said as he crouched to ignite the fire.
Lie Zhanfeng pointed accusingly at Jimao. "This is your fault for spoiling it! It's getting cockier every day—pun absolutely intended!"
Xie Dongyi chuckled faintly as the flames crackled to life. He took out a pan from his storage ring, carefully preparing breakfast.
---
The smell of roasted meat and steamed buns soon filled the air. Once the food was ready, the trio settled down. Two young men and one particularly noisy rooster sat around the fire, enjoying their meal.
Lie Zhanfeng tore into his food, speaking between bites. "You know," he began, "I've been thinking about something."
"That's rare," Jimao muttered, though only Lie Zhanfeng could hear it. He ignored the jab.
Xie Dongyi glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Lie Zhanfeng swallowed and leaned back slightly. "It's about the beast core."
Xie Dongyi stiffened slightly but didn't interrupt.
Lie Zhanfeng continued, "It was originally for you, and you gave it to Jimao." He gestured toward the rooster with his chopsticks. "I know you're trying to be practical, but I feel bad. You deserve something in return."
Xie Dongyi shook his head. "It's fine. The beast core was more useful to Jimao. It's not a big deal."
Lie Zhanfeng frowned. "It is to me. So, I've decided to give you this."
With that, he reached into his void bracelet, and a silver gleam emerged. A beautifully crafted sword appeared in his hands, its blade polished to a mirror finish. The intricate hilt shimmered faintly with a soft blue light, giving it an ethereal quality.
The sword he took out is obviously the one he got when he first went to Westmount.
He'd been thinking about how to give it to Xie Dongyi, but there was no opportunity. Now that the time is right, Lie Zhanfeng felt like it's about time to give it as a gift.
Xie Dongyi's eyes widened as he instinctively leaned back. "I can't accept that," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Lie Zhanfeng ignored him, holding the sword out. "It suits you more than the beast core. You're a sword cultivator. What are you going to do—keep using that broken sword you've been lugging around?"
Xie Dongyi shook his head. "This sword is too precious. I—"
"It's not up for debate," Lie Zhanfeng interrupted, his voice taking on a rare edge of authority. When Xie Dongyi still hesitated, he smirked. "If you don't take it, I'll just throw it away. Not like I need it. I'm no sword cultivator, and this poor town doesn't exactly have a booming market for swords like this."
Xie Dongyi's expression tightened. "You wouldn't dare."
Lie Zhanfeng made a show of standing and pretending to toss the sword into the bushes.
"Fine!" Xie Dongyi relented, grabbing the sword before Lie Zhanfeng could follow through. "I'll take it. But only because throwing it away would be a waste."
"Sure, sure," Lie Zhanfeng said with a grin, clearly satisfied.
He gestured to the sword. "Go ahead, make the contract. Let's see what it's got."
Xie Dongyi sighed, resigning himself to the situation. He pricked his finger with the blade, letting a single drop of blood fall onto the sword's surface. The blade absorbed the blood instantly, glowing faintly as the contract was established.
As the connection solidified, Xie Dongyi's eyes flickered with understanding. He could feel the sword's presence within his soul, a faint hum of energy resonating with his own.
"It's called Zhentian Sword," he murmured, almost in awe. "It's a spiritual weapon forged during the Celestial Era. It was said to have belonged to a legendary general who once quelled a rebellion in the heavens."
Lie Zhanfeng raised an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised. "Sounds fancy."
Of course, Lie Zhanfeng already knew about the sword based on the description in the original plot.
"It's more than that," Xie Dongyi said quietly. "The sword's strength... its craftsmanship... it surpasses anything I've ever seen." He ran his fingers lightly along the blade, his expression both reverent and overwhelmed.
The Xie Family majored in sword cultivation. Although Xie Dongyi is weak and unfavored, he'd seen many peerless swords on display since he was young. But compared to this sword, all of those treasured swords are bunch of rubbish.
A lump formed in his throat. He couldn't remember the last time someone had gone out of their way for him like this. In his fourteen years of life, kindness and generosity were luxuries he rarely experienced.
His vision blurred, and he blinked rapidly, trying to compose himself. But when he looked up at Lie Zhanfeng, the gratitude he felt was impossible to contain.
Lie Zhanfeng noticed his red-rimmed eyes and immediately looked alarmed. "Hey, what's wrong? Did the sword hurt you or something?"
Xie Dongyi shook his head and, without thinking, stepped forward to wrap his arms around Lie Zhanfeng in a hug.
Lie Zhanfeng froze. His ears turned an alarming shade of red, and he awkwardly patted Xie Dongyi's back. "Uh... are you okay? What's this about?"
"Thank you," Xie Dongyi said simply, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lie Zhanfeng's heart did a strange little flip, but he covered it with a grin. "You're welcome. No need to get all emotional about it."
When Xie Dongyi finally released him, Lie Zhanfeng rubbed the back of his neck, trying to dispel the awkwardness.
Meanwhile, Jimao watched the entire exchange in silence, his beady eyes filled with suspicion. He pecked at his remaining food absently, muttering to himself. "These two... are they going to mate?"
Lie Zhanfeng's sharp hearing caught the comment, and his face turned as red as his ears. He turned to the rooster, glaring. "You shut your beak, or you'll be roasting on that fire next!"
Jimao squawked indignantly, flapping his wings. "You, senile man! Did you forget? You can't burn me!"
"What's it saying now?" Xie Dongyi asked curiously, noticing Lie Zhanfeng's annoyed expression.
"Nothing important," Lie Zhanfeng replied quickly, shooting the rooster another warning look.
Xie Dongyi gave him a skeptical glance but chose not to press the issue.
The trio fell into an uneasy silence, punctuated only by the occasional crackle of the fire. Finally, Lie Zhanfeng broke it with a cough. "Well, since you've got a fancy new sword, how about showing me what you can do with it later?"
Xie Dongyi nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'll consider it. But first, you'll need to spar with me."
Lie Zhanfeng groaned dramatically. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret giving you that sword?"
"Because you will," Jimao muttered, loud enough for only Lie Zhanfeng to hear.
Lie Zhanfeng shot the rooster a look. "That's it. No more beast cores for you!"
Jimao squawked indignantly but wisely kept its comments to itself for the rest of the morning.