Chapter 63 Part 1

Not to mention Li Ruoshui—even Lian Rusu was interested in the Shadow Crows.

Although the rift in the Feather Kingdom was a thing of the past, the cause remained unclear, and leaving it unresolved wasn’t ideal. Moreover, she had a premonition that the Feather Kingdom rift might be related to the “Eye of the Return to Ruins,” after all, naturally occurring rifts from heavenly collisions wouldn’t have been so violent from the start. If someone had truly exploited the Eye of the Return to Ruins, had those strange patterns and altars spread to other parts of the Feather Kingdom? Why had they remained hidden for so many years without emerging?

Of course, the best outcome would be if the guess proved false—no one hoped for turmoil to stir in the Nine Provinces.

Lian Rusu gazed at Li Ruoshui and said warmly, “We’ll head to Golden Jade Cliff tomorrow.”

Holding a grudge was one thing; getting things done was another. Li Ruoshui wouldn’t let a bit of petty awkwardness get in the way. In Heavenly Capital Main City, aside from listening to the Feather Sovereign’s stories, they had nothing else to do. She nodded immediately. “Alright.” She stayed quiet for only a moment before obliquely probing Lian Rusu: “What cultivation method does Fellow Daoist Yan practice?”

If Yan Xun had asked Lian Rusu about cultivation matters, Lian Rusu would surely know her fundamental dao.

Lian Rusu gave Li Ruoshui a puzzled look and shook her head. “I don’t know.”

A flash of delight rose on Li Ruoshui’s brow. Suppressing a smile at the corner of her lips, she feigned surprise. “She didn’t say?”

Lian Rusu looked baffled. “Why would she tell me?”

Li Ruoshui blinked and pretended to be calm. “Senior Sister’s reputation is known to all in the Tianyan Mirror. I thought Fellow Daoist Yan would seek you out for dao discussion upon seeing the name ‘Chen Buyan.'”

Lian Rusu shook her head. “Scattered cultivators have their own paths; she wouldn’t necessarily come specifically for me.”

Li Ruoshui let out an “oh,” wanting to laugh more reservedly, but she couldn’t help it—she was just the bold type. Knowing that Yan Xun’s “sister” was a one-time thing and she alone held that privilege with Lian Rusu, she couldn’t suppress the surge of glee in her heart.

Lian Rusu raised a brow. “Junior Sister seems to be in high spirits?”

Li Ruoshui propped her chin, her face beaming with a genuine, heartfelt sincerity. “Traveling with Senior Sister, how could there be anything unpleasant?”

Lian Rusu glanced at Li Ruoshui but ultimately didn’t bring up her earlier sulking.

She now knew that Li Ruoshui’s words couldn’t be taken entirely at face value.

The next day, the two set off for Golden Jade Cliff.

The cliff was steep and towering, about a hundred zhang deep. Opposite it loomed a vast mountain shrouded in clouds and mist, with a waterfall cascading like a jade dragon, roaring deafeningly. The trees on the cliff were twisted and gnarled; amid their sparse branches and leaves, several massive nests were faintly visible—the Golden Eagles’ abodes.

As soon as Li Ruoshui and Lian Rusu approached, a shrill Golden Eagle cry rang out. A golden-black speck dove from midair like flashing lightning and thunder, landing on the ground and transforming into a daoist clad in dark feathered robes.

“Fellow Daoists, who might you be?”

Li Ruoshui deftly produced the Tianyan Mirror and greeted the daoist. “I am Li Shangshan, and this is my senior sister, Chen Buyan. We’re friends of Fellow Daoist Yan Xun; she invited us to Golden Jade Cliff.”

The daoist nodded in realization. “I see.” She made a “please” gesture and led Li Ruoshui and Lian Rusu toward the Golden Eagle clan’s territory.

Li Ruoshui kept pace with the daoist. From outside, the clan’s territory looked like ordinary nests on the branches, but upon entering, she realized it held a hidden universe. After passing through an invisible barrier, the scenery shifted abruptly: endless plains stretched before them, and at the center stood a colossal tree reaching to the heavens, its top lost in the clouds. Numerous Golden Eagles perched upon it.

“Thanks to your aid, Fellow Daoist, or we would have lost one of our Golden Eagles.” The daoist had heard of Li Ruoshui and Lian Rusu’s deeds and spoke as she led the way. Though unawakened, untransformed Golden Eagles served as laborers in the clan, the Golden Eagles still cherished them—some were nest-mates, akin to sisters and brothers.

“You’re too kind, Fellow Daoist,” Li Ruoshui replied without batting an eye, chuckling. “Anyone would lend a hand.”

“Having the intent doesn’t mean having the ability.” The daoist shook her head—not everyone could wield their magic power freely in the Incessant Wind.

Li Ruoshui asked further, “What about those Shadow Crows?” Having just arrived in the Feather Kingdom, the Shadow Crows were the first villains she’d encountered; by convention, she had to scrape some oil from them.

The daoist’s expression grew subtle at the mention. She sighed. “We found the guests from that day. Some had means and paid compensation in Spirit Jade Pills, so that matter’s settled. But the Shadow Crows—” She trailed off, her indescribable expression betraying her mood.

Li Ruoshui raised a brow in surprise. “Compensation?” That was it? Shouldn’t it be endless vengeance, fighting to the death, swearing eternal enmity across generations? Had she misjudged these birds in the Feather Kingdom? Were they actually simple folk, not a fraction as vile as those in the Empire?

Unaware of Li Ruoshui’s thoughts, the daoist explained, “It wasn’t some deep-seated grudge—just young ones bickering, getting heated over their skills and fighting atop a Golden Eagle’s back. They know they were wrong now and regret it deeply. Those who fell into the Incessant Wind were actually carried out by the Shadow Crows.”

Li Ruoshui let out an “oh,” feeling a twinge of regret.

Having seen too much villainy, she tended to assume the worst of those birds. She’d already planned how to inherit the Shadow Crows’ everything, only for the Golden Eagles to say they were just ill-reputed, not yet at the “wipe them out” stage. What a loss of potential spoils.

“What do you want with the Shadow Crows, Fellow Daoist?” the daoist asked curiously.

Li Ruoshui raised a brow. “Some personal matters.”

Seeing Li Ruoshui unwilling to elaborate, the daoist tactfully dropped it.

As they ascended along the branches toward the tree, Li Ruoshui suddenly spotted a group dressed differently from the Golden Eagles—cultivations ranging from Heart Fixing to Nascent Soul. Regardless of their prowess, the Golden Eagles treated them with utmost respect, even yielding the path proactively upon meeting.

“Those are the Feather Sovereign’s personal guards,” the chatty Golden Eagle daoist explained upon catching Li Ruoshui’s gaze. “Our clan’s elder ancestor has reached the Nascent Soul Third Layer. The Feather Sovereign sent them with dao scriptures and resources.”

Li Ruoshui’s eyes flickered with surprise; she hadn’t expected the Feather Race to be so generous.

The daoist pressed her lips and said solemnly, “Those are the Feather Sovereign’s personal possessions—resources she cultivated to Cave Heaven with herself. Yet she’s given them all away.” Whether the elder ancestor succeeded or failed, the Golden Eagle Clan would become the Feather Sovereign’s most loyal guardians!

Li Ruoshui nodded in understanding. In sects like the Kyushu Immortal Dao Seven Sects, countless cultivators entered the gates, but only a tiny fraction became auxiliary teachers or true disciples. Even among those, few rose to receive resources and dao scriptures.

The higher the cultivation, the greater the investment. The Golden Eagle Clan was prosperous in the Feather Kingdom yet still needed the Feather Sovereign’s allocation to have a shot at Cave Heaven. Without teachers or family backing, one could only seek opportunities alone.

The current Feather Sovereign was merely at Golden Core; this act meant sacrificing her own path to Cave Heaven first. If the elder ancestor succeeded, it would be a boon with future returns—but failure meant all for naught. It was no different from a grand gamble; the Feather Sovereign truly had bold resolve.

But why do this? Had she sensed the heavenly tribulation brewing?

The daoist led Li Ruoshui and Lian Rusu directly to where the Shadow Crows were held.

Unlike what Li Ruoshui imagined—no prison cell, but a fully furnished treehouse. The four Shadow Crows had reverted to pitch-black lumps sprawled on chairs, like salted fish utterly given up.

The daoist sighed. “It’s not that we won’t grant them freedom; by clan rules, they damaged the magic tools on the Golden Eagle and must pay the corresponding Spirit Jade Pills to leave. We’ve sent the word out, but no kin have come to redeem them.”

“We thought of having them labor off the debt, but Shadow Crows—” The daoist sighed in exasperation, leaving it unsaid.

Comprehension dawned on Li Ruoshui’s face—these little birds had too bad a reputation; forget earning money, they might scare off all potential clients on sight. “How many Spirit Jade Pills do they owe?”

“Are you compensating for them, Fellow Daoist?” The daoist looked surprised. “Ninety-three thousand two hundred.”

Li Ruoshui coughed lightly, averting her gaze. “Just asking.” After a pause, she added, “Can I speak with them?”

The daoist nodded. “Of course.”

She opened the door to let Li Ruoshui in, instructing her to call out when leaving.

The four Shadow Crows, resigned to “imprisonment,” had food and drink in the Golden Eagle territory with no threat to life, so they lounged lazily. They’d even felt a subtle regret after eating their fill—should’ve caused trouble sooner; this could be home. They ignored entrants until sensing the qi on Li Ruoshui and the others differed from Golden Eagles’, snapping alert and bouncing up like black coal balls.

“Who are you?” The one speaking had a tuft of white feathers on her head; her eyes were wary and guarded.

Li Ruoshui didn’t answer, turning to Lian Rusu instead and softly calling, “Senior Sister.”

Lian Rusu raised a hand, casting a sound-isolation spell and a shielding array.

Only then did Li Ruoshui smile at the Shadow Crows. “Who I am isn’t important—what matters is that I can—” Thinking of the near-ten-thousand Spirit Jade Pills, she swallowed “help you” and cut straight to, “I have questions for you.”

A Shadow Crow snorted coldly. “Why should we answer just because you ask?”

“Don’t be so unruly, birds.” Li Ruoshui looked at them disapprovingly. “You can certainly refuse. There’s a saying: silence is assent.”

The Shadow Crow’s eyes widened; it took her a moment to recover. Glaring at Li Ruoshui, she demanded, “You’re spreading rumors?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Li Ruoshui shot her a reproachful look—Senior Sister was right there; how dare this little black bird slander her? Skipping the chit-chat, she said directly, “The rift that appeared in Heavenly Capital—was it related to you Shadow Crows, right?”