Chapter 76
Following the canary, Wen Xin ascended to the surface, where his vision was immediately engulfed by a blanket of endless white snow.
He closed his eyes briefly to adjust to the piercing daylight, only to be startled by a series of cries coming from nearby.
Turning towards the source, he saw several large birds lined up in formation, perched not far away.
These birds were massive, their puffed chests towering above the height of an adult human. Their expansive wings, when spread, rivaled the rotor blades of a small helicopter.
Even without knowing their specific species prior to mutation, it was clear these were apex predators.
When the birds spotted the canary emerge, their faces lit up with joy. Reflexively, they ruffled their feathers, sending a flurry of light snow scattering into the air.
But their excitement caused them to forget their master’s earlier instructions. They revealed their gaping maws filled with sharp teeth and claws curved like hooks.
The oppressive aura was overwhelming, and the reactions of Tang Qi and the red panda were immediate.
Tang Qi held his breath and tightened his grip on his gun, while the red panda, cowering in Wen Xin’s arms, burrowed deeper into the crook of his elbow.
The canary raised his hand to his mouth and coughed sharply, glaring coldly at the birds. “Ahem!”
The foolish birds froze, their bodies stiffening instantly. They quickly folded their wings, which were large enough to send a person flying several meters, and bowed their heads like chastised chickens.
These enormous raptors lowered their heads and sneaked glances over, managing to exude an oddly comical sense of obedience.
The canary turned back to Wen Xin, who was busy comforting the red panda. A subtle hint of embarrassment broke through the stern lines of his face.
“They’re usually quite docile. Perhaps the smell of blood wafting from the cave made them a bit overexcited.”
Wen Xin’s eyes fell on the saddles and reins strapped to the birds’ backs. “Are they your mounts?”
“Yes. Rose City is some distance from here, and only they can make the trip within twenty minutes.”
This reminded Wen Xin of the twenty-minute deadline he had set earlier. He glanced back at the untouched chests of gold and jewels they had hauled up, recalling how flustered the canary had been preparing them before arriving. It must have been quite the scramble.
The canary approached the birds and then extended his hand towards Wen Xin, asking softly, “Are you afraid of them?”
Wen Xin had seen the canary’s original form—a bird no larger than a hand, charming and elegant with feathers as smooth as silk. It bore no resemblance whatsoever to these ferocious creatures before him.
Yet, in the canary’s eyes, there was a trace of contradiction, as if he both hoped for and feared Wen Xin’s response.
Wen Xin whispered soothingly to the red panda before passing it to Ah Lü. Then he approached the canary.
The giant birds puffed up their chests proudly, standing tall to display themselves.
Unbeknownst to them, their enormous shadows cast a more oppressive aura than before.
Wen Xin raised his head, barely able to reach the fluffy chest feathers of the nearest bird.
“Will they hurt me?” Wen Xin asked.
“Absolutely not,” the canary answered without hesitation. “You’re an honored guest of Rose City—they can sense that.”
Besides, how could he possibly bring truly wild beasts to meet Wen Xin?
These raptors had been raised in his backyard for years, fed only processed meat, and given specialized socialization training. They were exceptionally friendly.
Only then could the canary confidently let them interact with the young man.
Wen Xin stretched out his hand toward the nearest bird.
The bird, which had been secretly observing this unique human for some time, tilted its head. It had always considered humans to be timid. When the canary first hired human caretakers, most couldn’t overcome their fear of handling its sharp, blood-stained beak or claws.
Only a rare few had dared to tremble their way through touching the birds, eventually earning the role of caretaker.
This human, however, seemed unusually brave.
The large bird, deep in thought, obediently lowered its head and gently rested the smooth side of its long beak on Wen Xin’s palm.
Back in the cave, the canary had only briefly revealed its true form, leaving Wen Xin no opportunity to pet the bird or develop any technique for it.
So, he simply ran his hand over the beak.
Smooth and flawless, with no chips or cracks, and the tip still bore a hint of soft, youthful yellow.
Wen Xin couldn’t help but smile slightly. “A healthy child indeed.”
Thanks to the canary’s deliberate training, the bird was accustomed to having its beak touched by humans.
The youth’s touch had a unique gentleness that the bird found deeply comforting. It let out a soft coo, leaned forward instinctively, and nudged its beak against Wen Xin’s retreating palm.
But before it could take things further, the canary reached out, grabbed the bird’s feathers, and pulled it back with a neutral expression. “Do not overstep with our guest.”
The bird was utterly baffled. “Caw?”
It was just following its master’s instructions, making an effort to be friendly!
Before it could figure out what had gone wrong, the canary firmly turned the bird’s head towards the heavy chests of gold and silver treasures stacked nearby.
“Take these back,” the man ordered coolly.
Still confused, the bird dutifully went off to work, moving the treasures piece by piece.
The canary exhaled a silent breath of frustration.
Training these birds to interact with Wen Xin had been a calculated effort—he wanted to familiarize the youth with his true form, yet not allow him to grow overly attached to the birds.
What a contradictory mess he was.
The bird’s back was broad and spacious, easily accommodating Wen Xin and his group.
Since this was Wen Xin’s first time riding on such a creature, the canary didn’t trust leaving him in anyone else’s hands. Sitting behind Wen Xin, he held the reins himself.
“Let’s go.”
The bird let out an excited cry and took off into the air.
As they ascended, the scenery below turned into a miniature diorama, shrinking further with every wingbeat.
The snowstorm that arose made it difficult to see clearly as they sped onward toward Rose City.
Before long, they reached their destination—a towering, majestic palace.
The snowstorm during the journey had been so fierce that Wen Xin kept his eyes closed most of the way, missing the rare sights along the route.
Before coming here, Wen Xin had heard of the chaos in the West, where small bases and shelters often collapsed due to human conflicts. Only a few fortresses managed to stand firm, and among them, Rose City was the most well-known.
Its fame, however, was not for prosperity but for its humble origins as a ramshackle refugee camp.
The area had once been home to a sea of wild roses, and with an investor building tall walls around it, the previous city lord had seized the opportunity to market it as “Rose City.”
That it had later developed into a fortress defied everyone’s expectations.
Wen Xin had been curious about what the interior of Rose City looked like, but finding himself quickly at the palace, he let the thought pass.
The canary stopped at the entrance and excused himself under the pretext of other matters, leaving servants to guide the group to their prearranged quarters.
Ah Lü, the green-scaled viper, growled as its stomach rumbled. Before they even reached the room, it announced, “Wen Xin, I’m heading out to grab some food.”
Wen Xin glanced outside. Seeing that the snowstorm had lessened, he nodded. “Be careful.”
“No worries. No one can beat me,” Ah Lü replied confidently.
The red panda, ever gluttonous, wanted to tag along.
Surprisingly, Ah Lü showed rare consideration. “Stay here and keep Wen Xin company. Don’t let anyone—or any mutant—bully him while I’m gone. I’ll bring you back a treat.”
Given that the red panda even chickened out from hunting low-grade mutant rats, having Ah Lü handle things was undoubtedly a good idea.
The red panda eagerly agreed, “Sure, sure!”
Meanwhile, Wen Xin, having overheard their conversation, looked thoughtfully in the direction Ah Lü had departed. After a moment, he sighed softly, the corners of his eyes curving in subtle amusement.
Ah Lü quickly sensed the location of a free hunting zone—a territory teeming with mutants. Their auras were thick with an unnatural frenzy and violence.
Yet, Ah Lü didn’t immediately dive into the hunt.
Instead, it followed the only S-rank presence within the palace to where the canary was attempting to revert to his youthful form.
The process of regressing his appearance consumed an immense amount of energy.
By the time Ah Lü arrived, the canary had just succeeded. His chest heaved unevenly, his body drenched in sweat, and his golden locks clung damply to his forehead, leaving him looking rather disheveled.
The canary gasped for air before dousing himself with a basin of icy water. Wiping back his hair, he asked, “What brings you here?”
Perched by the window, Ah Lü flicked its tail idly and brought up an unrelated topic.
“People outside say the leader of the Eastern territories is a giant venomous snake who swallows prey whole without chewing.”
The canary raised a brow, unconcerned. “Do you care about those rumors?”
Ah Lü sneered. “Why would I waste time on baseless gossip?”
The canary’s lips curved slightly. “Then we think alike.”
Ah Lü fixed its gaze on him. “If that’s the case, why do you keep hiding that you’re the lord of Rose City?”
Lying was a suffocating weight—always the risk of being exposed, always the dread of the deceived’s eventual anger.
Ah Lü was what it was: a massive, venomous serpent, towering several stories high. That was an unchangeable truth.
Yet the canary had every opportunity to be honest about his identity. After all, Wen Xin seemed far more tolerant of raptors than of snakes.
Recalling how Wen Xin’s hand had instinctively gone to his dagger the first time he saw a swarm of snakes in the garden, Ah Lü felt a chill run through its core.
Even harmless little snakes were enough to put Wen Xin on high alert—how much worse would it be with a massive venomous serpent?
Back then, Ah Lü hadn’t dared to stay and watch. It feared the youth would go on a rampage against the snakes if it lingered too long and had hurriedly tugged on Wen Xin’s pant leg to drag him away.
The canary paused at those words, almost imperceptibly, before letting out another quiet laugh. “Tell me, do I look different now?”
That much was true.
Ah Lü scrutinized him and let out a thoughtful hum. “You’ve changed a lot, but isn’t that what you wanted? To grow stronger?”
“Strength always comes with a price. I realized that much back then, but not deeply enough. I kept making a mess of things, and in the end, I had to resort to extreme measures to clean it up.”
The canary took a quick shower and put on fresh clothes, reverting to his usual detached demeanor. His voice was calm and emotionless.
“I don’t care about rumors, but most of the ones about me out there aren’t baseless. It won’t be long before Wen Xin finds out about those things.”
“Ah Lü, to my shame, I’ve only now begun to understand why you and Xiao Hei always hesitated to show your true forms.”
Lowering his lashes, the canary gave a bitter, self-mocking smile. “How could I possibly reunite with him bearing such a terrifying face?”
Soon, the servants prepared a meal and came to remind Wen Xin and his companions to eat.
Wen Xin speculated that Ah Lü, leaving the red panda behind, must have gone off to meet with the canary privately. He asked Tang Qi to go ahead to the dining hall while he stayed in the room to wait.
Rose City, naturally, had no shortage of food for mutants. The red panda hoisted a large chunk of roasted meat into the air and stuffed it into its mouth with a delighted squeal.
“Mm, mm, so tasty! But not as good as what you make, Wen Xin!”
Wen Xin chuckled as the little creature’s compliment brought a smile to his face. He used a napkin to wipe its greasy paws. “If you say that, you might make the chef who cooked this feel sad.”
The next moment, he heard deliberate footsteps outside the room.
He had left the door open to welcome the canary, and when he turned toward the sound, he caught sight of a head peeking out from the side.
The figure was that of a young man, clearly a bit nervous. Meeting Wen Xin’s gaze, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed reflexively. Forcing a semblance of composure, he spoke.
“Long time no see.”
