Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 95: Chapter 1 Deadly Harvest

The spear was as thick as a duck egg, bathed in an orange hue by the setting sun; as the orb of day sank westward, the trailing red sunlight sprinkled over the hand grasping the spear, then the neck, and finally the face.

The boy had a head of short black hair, wore a loose white tank top, black shorts, and layered cloth shoes. One foot forward, one foot back, his elbows steady, the spear stable in his grip.

The old man sat on the red brick steps, tapping his tobacco pipe bowl.

“Not bad! Tong Lin, I’m not afraid to tell you the truth, Zheng Yijian was killed by me. I poisoned his wine, making his body fester and leaving him to die a horrible death! Your second brother, too, was poisoned by me, including the Tianling Swordsman, the Dixing Immortal, the West Swordsman, South Swordsman, North Swordsman, and all the friends and heroes who have crossed paths with you. Every single one of them, I poisoned!”

The voice box buzzed with sound, and Dantian Fang’s voice made one unable to resist listening further.

“Alright, Dayan, go play.”

The boy cracked a smile, set down the spear, threw a towel over his shoulder, took a scoop of cold water to drink, and flashed a mouthful of white teeth.

“Grandpa, what happened to Yongzheng in the end?”

The old man glanced at him without saying a word.

“Heh heh.” The boy’s thick eyebrows stood up as he carelessly said, “If I were Tong Lin, I would definitely kill Yongzheng…”

“Go play your games!”

The old man laughed and scolded him.

Several heads peeked over the wall, a few pairs of eyes darting back and forth. They called out softly to the boy in the yard, “Brother Dayan~ Brother Dayan~”

The boy raised an eyebrow and with a plop, tossed the scoop into the water tank.

“Grandpa, I’m stepping out for a bit.”

“You little rascal, try not to stir up trouble.”

The old man cursed impatiently but turned a blind eye.

The boy took a few steps outside.

“What’s up?”

“Er’luo got beaten up.”

The boy’s voice rose by an octave, a sharp interjection escaping his throat: “Hmm?”

At that time, there were plenty of movie theaters on the streets, with rows of white plastic chairs and tables, and on the canvas screened “Gu Huazi Zhi Jiulong Bingshi.”

Over a dozen young lads barged in, their faces a mix of youthful naivety and defiance, completely blocking Zheng Yijian on the canvas as they crowded in.

“Who hit Er’luo?”

The leading broad-browed boy pointed a reclaimed steel rod forward with an air of arrogance.

“Me!”

The speaker stood up regardless of the round-faced girl beside him trying to dissuade him.

She wore a white duck-bill cap seldom seen in the town, her hair tied in a ponytail, and donned a pair of yellow sandals, her clear toenails charming.

A group of fierce-looking youths surrounded them, but the girl with the white cap was not afraid. She swept away the plastic table with a sweep of her arms and amidst the chaos, grabbed a bottle of leftover beer, smashed it against the wall, the splashing liquid and glass shards poised towards the boy.

“What are you trying to do?”

The girl’s voice was crisp. Her eyes like those of a newborn deer.

The man suddenly opened his eyes wide.

“…”

Taking a deep breath, Li Yan pushed himself up from the stone bed, his right palm rubbing his eyes. But as he kept rubbing, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Pity she’s already married.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

In that moment, a wild thought flickered through Li Yan’s mind.

“So what if she’s married?”

He fixed his gaze, then slapped his forehead with a slap of his hand.

“What am I thinking…”

During the battle of Renchen, Li Yan had been wound too tightly. With the successive scares and violent fights, the pent-up anger and desire for slaughter in his heart were almost immediately released upon his return to Yan Fu. He laid down on the stone bed and fell asleep, putting off settling the score for later.

He had no idea how much time had passed when the dream of that very scene roused Li Yan from his slumber.

He lifted his hand, and only then did the dim stone room begin to cast mottled shadows.

The images of gun smoke, bows, swords, horseshoes, fluttering flags, iron armor, and long tassels spun rapidly in front of Li Yan.

His eyes full of blood, the straight-backed elder foot soldier holding his head high. The fuzzy flesh and blood amidst the pounding of ten thousand hooves as he fell from his horse, the splattered muddy snow, the empty eyes of the dead, the fiercely waving red Imperial Flag.

Dripped with golden crimson fluid, the commanding Niutou Chantan, Nine-Winged Sudu with its wings protecting its body, its eyes watery. The spearhead of the Tiger Head Spear piercing through bodies, the steed rearing up, its hooves stepping toward the rising sun…

“Under certain conditions, the walkabout state will be repaired without charging any points.”

Settlement report as follows:

“Excellent” rating settlement Yan Fu points: 600 points (200 base points plus 200% bonus)

Purchase authority limit: 200%! (Individual action 140% + full completion of Yan Fu event 30% + completion of special Yan Fu event 30%)

You have exchanged for gold, obtaining a total of 5500 Yan Fu points! (Rewarded 20 ingots of gold for breaching Pyongyang City, each ingot worth 25 points; awarded 500 pieces of gold after killing Honda Tadakatsu, each piece worth 10 points)

Deducted 700 points for the equestrian skill solidification

Your current Yan Fu points: 5850 points!

Special reward for the completion of the Yan Fu event: The content of this Yan Fu event relates to Yuzi, and you will randomly draw an item containing The Power of Yazi (including but not limited to consumable items, skills, exotic objects, legacies).

Drawing in progress…

In the still light and shadow, a golden goblet fell into Li Yan’s hands.

[Blood Oath Wine]

Quality: Fine

Category: Consumable

The blood wine formed by the Power of Yazi, when taken, will enhance the affinity with cold weapons, and there is a certain chance to comprehend the skill “Soldier Leader.”

Upon repeated consumption, the chance of comprehension will accumulate.

(Only items that are categorized as Yan Fu Talisman or inheritance can improve the awakening degree. Other category items transformed from the power of an Exotic Beast cannot increase the awakening level.)

Li Yan inspected the item for a while, not in a hurry to drink it.

It was evident that this special reward was far weaker compared to an inheritance, which was something he had been prepared for.

You have completed the special Yan Fu event: Gather the Joseon Wild God.

You have received the reward to draw once more for an item containing the Power of Yazi.

Drawing in progress…

What fell into Li Yan’s hand this time was a golden beast tooth.

[Juvenile Yuzi’s Bug Tooth]

Quality: Rare

Category: Consumable

Used on a common quality cold weapon, it can add three empty attribute slots.

Used on a fine quality cold weapon, it can add two empty attribute slots.

Used on a rare quality cold weapon, it can add one empty attribute slot.

Li Yan nodded, this item was not widely adaptable, but it was very suitable for him.

Your gains from this Yan Fu event are as follows:

One, Personal category

Passive skill: [Killing Intent Attack]

You have acquired a Yan Fu Talisman imbued with the Power of Yazi and have absorbed it.

You have opened the long-term general Yan Fu event: The Inheritance of Yazi.

Current mission: Shatter one hundred fine quality weapons.

Phase reward: Enhancement of the Killing Intent Attack skill

Active skill: [Nine Phoenix Divine Talisman]

Two, Item category

[Kachiten]

[Gold-engraved Tiger Head Spear]

[Dugong Dew Talisman] *5 (Similar to the effects of the Qi Healing Technique, but stronger. Tear it to activate immediately, more convenient than the Qi Healing Technique, and less likely to expose flaws in battle. It was given by Li Rusong during Li Yan’s escape and was brought back unused.)

Three, Secret stash category

You served as the Governor in the Daning Guard Bureau during this Yan Fu event and were granted the Ming Country military honorary title: Flying Cavalry Captain.

You have received [Yan Fu Secret Stash·Dragon Tiger Qi]!

You have started the Yan Fu record of using Dragon Tiger Qi, allowing you to share the usage insights of all Yan Fu Esteemed Walkers regarding Dragon Tiger Qi.

The Governor’s position has granted you thirty counts of Dragon Tiger Qi.

The title of Flying Cavalry Captain will grant you five counts of Dragon Tiger Qi every month (distributed according to the world the Esteemed Walker belongs to.)

Please note that due to the grade, the amount of Dragon Tiger Qi you can possess cannot exceed thirty counts.

The effects of Dragon Tiger Qi are as follows:

1, Holding: Immune to 10% damage from all Yan Fu Esteemed Walkers, 5% from any type of damage, and has a deterrent effect on all kinds of evil spirits.

2, Summon: You can consume Dragon Tiger Qi to summon characters from within Scale-Ding You Twenty-Four Fruits.

The summoned one’s degree of trust in the walker decides the success rate, and the power rating determines the amount of Dragon Tiger Qi consumed.

Cannot summon with trust levels below seventy, and guaranteed success above ninety.

3, Burning: Consuming the limit of Dragon Tiger Qi can temporarily enhance a specific skill of the walker. Burning the limit over a long time to boost a skill can possibly solidify the enhancement effect.

4, Breakthrough the peak! (Unique)

You can specify an inheritance that has reached a bottleneck (39%, 69%, 99%) for a breakthrough.

Within the three peak breakthroughs of an inheritance, Dragon Tiger Qi can only act as a breakthrough medium once.

The effects after the fourth are not within my authority to inquire.

Li Yan clenched his fist and suddenly turned to look at his bedside.

On the stone bed lay a snow-white juvenile tiger, curled up about the size of a washbasin, its tail gently swaying as it was deep in sleep.

“Thirty counts of Dragon Tiger Qi?”

Li Yan tried to reach his hand toward the little snow tiger’s nose but ended up being hugged around the wrist by two fluffy paws.

Li Yan didn’t try to pull his hand free; instead, he attempted to open his purchase permissions for this occasion.

At that moment, a voice rang in his ear, and from nowhere, a clear sphere of water appeared before him.

“Esteemed Walker, before you check your personal purchase permissions, there is some information to notify you of.”

“Your performance has been extremely highly rated twice in a row, and together with your current personal capability evaluation, the examiner has decided to enhance your Yan Fu authority. Before this, she has initiated a private conversation with you. You can choose to accept or decline.”

“Examiner’s codename: Yu Shiqie.”