Chapter 64: Nectar
Ancient Linburg.
The Council Hall of the Association.
On the red carpet with gold trim, the gray-haired vice-chairman knelt on one knee.
The gray-haired man kept his head lowered, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
He had suddenly received a notification an hour ago, saying, “The Chairman wants to see you, now.”
Such an unconventional and urgent summons could only mean something had gone wrong somewhere.
The gray-haired man mentally went through several important matters one by one, not knowing which one the Chairman might be dissatisfied with.
Was it that he had withheld the bonuses returned to members? Or had his private usury been discovered?
…No, no, the Chairman had always been indifferent to such things. As long as the ability users weren’t touched, the Chairman wouldn’t care about anyone else, even if lives were lost.
At the end of the carpet were steps made of black marble. At the top of the steps was a high-backed chair carved from silver.
The Chairman of the Association, the representative of the great true god, sat upright in the high-backed chair.
The steps were too high, and the high-backed chair’s shadow further obscured the Chairman’s face, making it impossible for those below to see clearly.
But this did not detract from the Chairman’s majesty in the slightest. On the contrary, it made people prostrate themselves in worship even more, regarding the Chairman as the true god’s agent.
The Chairman spoke.
It was the deep, muffled voice characteristic of the elderly.
“No need to be nervous.”
“Recently, that village called Bean Village, have there been any unusual changes to their ‘road sign’?”
Hearing the Chairman’s question, the gray-haired man’s heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, this is bad.
He hadn’t reported to the Chairman beforehand about his suggestion to his subordinates to use the “box” to destroy the road sign and cause a riot. Afterwards, because such a simple task had actually failed, he dared not report truthfully. Instead, he had concealed it, thinking to wait until the long-nosed man “made amends” and destroyed Bean Village in some other way before reporting to the Chairman.
But now… the Chairman had actually asked about it…
Did the Chairman have other informants? Or was this an implication of my incompetence? Or perhaps a subtle warning?
Countless power struggles and factors that could endanger his position and authority instantly ran through the gray-haired man’s mind.
No, he absolutely couldn’t admit this, at least not let the Chairman know that he had privately used the “box,” and not let the Chairman notice Bean Village!
The gray-haired man immediately said loudly, “Your Excellency, there is nothing unusual about the Bean Village road sign.”
“Ever since our unsuccessful attempt to requisition ‘honey’ before, I have been paying close attention to Bean Village.”
“This village has nothing strange or noteworthy, and they haven’t developed any novel or rare tools.”
“Their honey, in my judgment, was obtained by accidentally discovering a large number of wild bee colonies; there is no artificial feeding involved.”
“The villagers in this village are either crude and ignorant old people, or widowers who will resort to violence at the slightest disagreement.”
“Such a remote and dilapidated small place, I thought it was really unnecessary to waste your time on it, which is why I didn’t update you on the news in real time.”
The Chairman was silent for a long while, then slowly said:
“If that’s the case…”
“Then everything can remain as usual.”
The gray-haired man knew that he had passed this test. He breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, but his face remained expressionless as he retreated from the council hall.
After the gray-haired man left, the man revered as “Chairman” slowly raised his right hand, looked at the blisters and pustules that occasionally appeared on his skin, and sighed.
This human skin is truly troublesome.
Trapped in this skin, even my own senses have become dull.
For example, an hour ago, I clearly felt a slight fluctuation in the spiritual field at the edge of this area, in the region called “Bean Village”…
But according to the human’s report, it was just an illusion.
Since there are no fluctuations in the spiritual field over there… and my current state is not suitable for venturing out.
Otherwise, if this skin breaks again, I’ll have to expend energy to fuse with another one.
Sigh.
I truly miss the time when I could act freely without the need for skin.
After a while, when the “feast” is complete, I will no longer be restricted by human skin, nor will I have to hide in such a primitive and repulsive plane, living off the meager spiritual power I can absorb.
*
Forgotten Forest.
Bamboo Forest Area.
Considering that this area was full of bamboo flower chickens and bamboo flower pigs, and the little ones liked to play near the bamboo, Chu Jiu deliberately traveled a bit further to let the little hamster lead everyone to set up camp in the bamboo forest.
Just as he had thought, as soon as he put down his backpack, the little ones scattered around, taking the baby triceratops and causing a ruckus all over the bamboo forest.
Only Little Can still obediently lay on his shoulder, watching him start a fire and cook.
Chu Jiu didn’t urge it to go out and play, but let the little guy stay close to him, chatting with it idly.
The bonfire quickly grew taller, and Chu Jiu slowly turned the bamboo flower chicken skewered on a bamboo stick in his hand.
Of course, he could use his spiritual power to make it quickly, and the resulting “fire-roasted bamboo flower chicken” would taste exactly the same as this time-consuming roasting.
But he still preferred to take his time, letting everyone run wild in the forest, play around the campfire, and finally fall into a deep sleep in the yurt tent by the embers.
After all, there was no urgent matter forcing them to march quickly.
No urgent matter?
A thought stirred in Chu Jiu’s heart, and he couldn’t help but sigh softly, remembering a matter that wasn’t urgent.
Little Can rubbed its face against his: “Meow?”
Chu Jiu poked at the firewood and muttered, “I wonder if it’s going to snow soon in Bean Village…”
Little Can: “Meow? Meow?”—”Snow? Will anything happen when it snows?”
Chu Jiu: “Hmm… nothing really. It’s just a promise I made with a friend.”
Little Can: “Meow?”—”A promise with a friend?”
Chu Jiu was about to continue speaking when he heard a commotion ahead!
Looking up, he saw Kakaba running back quickly on all fours, carrying the handle of the cradle in its mouth!
Behind it, Rawr Rawr Rabbit’s ears were curled up, and it was also running like the wind!
Even the Bodo and the bald mountain eagle were chasing after them, running as if for their lives!
Chu Jiu’s expression changed, and he stood up anxiously, “What happened?!”
This was the campsite chosen by the little hamster; there shouldn’t be any monster invasion!
At this moment, Rawr Rawr Rabbit had already run up to Chu Jiu, panting and gesturing: “Roar… roar roar roar…”
“Quick Feather, Quick Feather is going to sing again!”
“Roar roar roar, it’s too terrifying, we ran back first!”
“Roar roar roar, only Glup-Glup, Glup-Glup isn’t afraid of Quick Feather’s singing, Glup-Glup stayed there to listen to him sing!”
Chu Jiu: …Oh, I see.
Understood, understood.
That singing was indeed…
Just at this moment, Chu Jiu heard a rustling sound coming from the depths of the bamboo forest ahead.
He saw several bamboo flower pigs galloping wildly, countless small birds flying out in unison, and even the flightless bamboo flower chickens were desperately flapping their wings!
It was practically a scene of a desperate mass escape.
However, Chu Jiu gritted his teeth, found the cotton to make earplugs, put Little Can aside, and ran towards the “concert hall”!
He hadn’t run a few steps when something gently tapped his shoulder—
Turning his head, he saw Little Can looking anxious, its blue eyes full of: What are you doing?
Chu Jiu knew that Little Can couldn’t possibly stay behind by itself, so he could only make another pair of earplugs for Little Can, while also instructing it: “Don’t be afraid, I’m just going to take a look.”
Everything from flowers and birds to insects and grasses was present here, just right for verifying his guess about the “Feathered Folk’s singing.”
So even if it was the most demonic sound imaginable, he had to go take a look.
*
Arriving at the “concert venue,” he saw the little gray bird singing at the top of its lungs, while Glup-Glup floated in the air, dancing back and forth to the rhythm of the little gray bird’s song.
The originally tranquil, beautiful, secluded, and peaceful bamboo forest now had bamboo flower chicken feathers scattered messily on the ground, six-legged bamboo weevils lying on their backs, and curled-up leafworms huddled in balls…
Chu Jiu had a good idea of what was going on.
He didn’t disturb the little gray bird and its loyal audience, who were in high spirits, and quickly left the concert with Little Can.
A quarter of an hour later, the little gray bird and Glup-Glup flew back together.
“We’re back!” the little gray bird announced happily, “I performed very well today! I sang three songs in a row!”
“Glup-Glup, glup glup, it was really nice!” Glup-glup floated, its little tentacles once again bending into a heart shape.
Although the little gray bird couldn’t understand Glup-Glup’s words, it still received encouragement from the big heart shape! It puffed out its little chest, and even the little tuft of gray feathers on the top of its head seemed more spirited!
Chu Jiu: ……
The spirit beasts: ……
Bodo and Bald Mountain Eagle: ….
Finally, Chu Jiu broke the silence: “Singing must have been tiring, come and eat some bamboo flower chicken.”
The little gray bird happily sat down by the bonfire and began to devour the bamboo flower chicken.
While the little gray bird was completely engrossed in eating the chicken, Chu Jiu secretly asked Glup-Glup, “Glup-Glup, do you really think Quick Feather’s singing is nice?”
Glup-Glup’s eyes curved into downward arcs: “Glup-Glup, it really is!”
“Hearing him sing makes my little leaves feel like they’re stretching out!”
Chu Jiu nodded and didn’t say anything more.
Over there, the little gray bird finished eating a roasted chicken, drank a bowl of honey water, and patted its round belly, sighing, “So delicious…”
“However, our Feathered Folk’s food is also very delicious! Especially our ‘Blessed Nectar’!”
“When we get to Galewind Rock, I will definitely treat you to the most delicious roasted bamboo worms, braised rock rabbits, and invite you to drink Blessed Nectar!”
“I’ll give you my share so you can drink your fill!”
Hearing the little gray bird’s declaration, Chu Jiu couldn’t help but smile and ask, “What exactly is this ‘Blessed Nectar’ you’re talking about? It sounds like it’s in limited supply?”
The little gray bird said seriously, “Cheep! This is indeed in limited supply!”
“This drink is very, very special. It’s purplish-red when you look at it in the sunlight!”
“It’s especially fragrant and especially sweet, and you’ll feel full of power all over after drinking it!”
“Each member of the Feathered Folk can only drink one cup during a meal, and there’s no more after that!”
“Apart from that, this nectar is only taken out on special occasions—like celebrating the New Year, or when our royal family wants to assign some task.”
…Purplish-red, especially fragrant, especially sweet?
Chu Jiu had a vague guess in his mind.
He asked again, “Do you Feathered Folk make this nectar yourselves?”
The little gray bird: “Cheep cheep, no!”
“Our Feathered Folk ancestors discovered it underground a long, long time ago!”
“Because this stuff gets less and less the more you take, that’s why it’s limited.”
The little gray bird paused here, tilted its head, and then smiled happily again: “But don’t worry.”
“My mom and dad said there’s still a lot of this nectar in the underground rock caves!”
“As long as everyone drinks sparingly, we can drink it for a very, very long time!”
…Buried underground, gets less and less the more you take?
Chu Jiu fell into deep thought again.
From Bean Village to “Galewind Rock,” they had to cross the Forgotten Forest, the Sunny Plateau, and then go around the dormant volcano near the Sanctuary Valley.
Even riding the Bodo bird the whole way, it would take nearly half a month.
During this half-month journey, the little gray bird had been in high spirits, constantly proclaiming to everyone how enthusiastic and hospitable the Feathered Folk were.
For example, everyone smiled all day long, they would sing and dance while eating, and Chu Jiu would definitely like the feasts they held…
Chu Jiu and the spirit beasts other than Glup-Glup felt a shiver down their spines, thinking, did they really have to sing this song while eating…?
When they finally passed through the endless black mountains of the Sheltered Valley, another area of deep brown rocky mountains appeared before them.
[Newly Opened Area: Galewind Rock]
[Map Openness of Each Area: Forgotten Forest – 98%; Sunny Plateau – 76%; Sanctuary Valley – 63%; Galewind Rock – 1%]
Unlike the Sanctuary Valley’s terrain of “rocky mountains on both sides, with a rubble desert in the middle,” “Galewind Rock” was entirely a mountain.
At the foot of the mountain was a ring of meadows covered in lush green grass and clusters of wildflowers, with occasional trees;
Going up from the meadows, first were gently rolling slopes dotted with mountain wildflowers, then piles of rocks, and finally the mountain terrain suddenly changed, becoming near-vertical brown cliffs that seemed to pierce the clouds.
And the Feathered Folk’s habitat was at the top of these cliffs, which was what ?Folk Tales? described as “cliff areas that are difficult for humans to climb and approach.”
Fortunately, what was difficult for humans to climb was no problem at all for the Bodo bird.
This clever big bird carried Chu Jiu’s “family of seven,” advancing straight up the mountain path as if walking on flat ground, quickly passing the slopes and rocky areas, and arriving at the foot of the cliffs.
The Bodo bird raised its head and “dodoed” twice, meaning, “Hold on tight, we’re about to climb the cliffs.”
Chu Jiu patted the dodo bird’s head: “Thanks for your hard work. These cliffs look very high, let’s eat some chestnuts to replenish our strength first.”
The Bodo bird happily flapped its wings, meaning, “Okay! Eat!”
The bald mountain eagle next to it watched the dodo bird being fed again, looked over expectantly, and carefully raised its wings—”C-can I have some too?”
Chu Jiu gave it a roasted chicken leg.
The bald mountain eagle gratefully accepted the roasted chicken leg, completely forgetting how ferocious and terrifying this bipedal creature in front of it was.
And so, the group took a short ten-minute break before the final climb.
Chu Jiu bit into the roasted flatbread in his hand, turning back to look at the mountains below:
The black, bare rocks, the yellow slopes interspersed with green, and the colorful meadows at the bottom were clearly layered.
…Hmm?
The Bodo bird had run too fast just now, and he hadn’t had time to see clearly. Now that they had stopped and he looked carefully, he could see that on this large slope, there seemed to be some relatively regular stone blocks every so often going downwards?
Judging from the shape and the distance between these stone blocks, Chu Jiu didn’t think they were naturally formed.
He looked at the chattering and excited little gray bird beside him: “Quick Feather, do you know what those stones below are?”
The little gray bird: “Cheep? Those stones? I haven’t paid much attention to them.”
“Anyway, those stones have been there since I was born. It seems like they’ve been there for a very, very long time.”
“Is there something wrong with these stones?”
Chu Jiu temporarily put aside his questions and said, “It’s nothing. The Bodo and the others should be rested. Let’s climb the cliffs.”
*
The Feathered Folk’s dwellings were a series of “crow’s nests” along the edge of the cliff.
These nests were carefully built using sturdy vines, polished branches, and smoothed stones, all crafted with the Feathered Folk’s unique techniques.
Such ingenious craftsmanship made Glup-Glup unable to resist crawling out of the backpack, its tentacles trembling in surprise: “Glup-Glup! So amazing! Their houses are even better built than Glup-Glup’s!”
They were indeed very good houses.
The exteriors were simple and unadorned, while the interiors were comfortable and spacious—decorated everywhere with feathers and fabrics, as well as fresh flowers and green leaves brought from the meadows.
Among these, the royal family’s “palace” was even more magnificent:
Most of the other houses were half-person-high nests, with different small rooms divided inside, allowing a small bird-person family to live comfortably.
From the outside, the royal family’s palace looked more like a “giant bird egg.” The volume of this giant bird egg was such that not only could the Feathered Folk live comfortably inside, but even a mountain eagle wouldn’t feel cramped.
The little gray bird pointed at the “bird egg” proudly: “Look, our palace is no worse than your bipedal creature houses!”
The little gray bird then looked at the Feathered Folk flying out of the bird egg one after another and waved its wings in surprise: “Ah! Mom! Dad! I’m back!”
With that, the little gray bird flew straight towards two larger gray birds: “Mom! Dad! Quick Feather is back! Wuwuwu!”
“Mom! Dad! Listen to me, I brought back the ‘mountain eagle feathers,’ but the way I brought them back is a bit special!…”
While introducing Chu Jiu and his group to the Feathered Folk King and Queen, the little gray bird told the story of how it obtained the mountain eagle feathers truthfully and without any embellishment.
By the time Chu Jiu and the others entered the “bird egg” and, guided by attendants, sat down in the lavish banquet hall, the little gray bird had already finished its story.
This silly little gray bird excitedly flapped its wings:
“Mom! Dad! Look, fifty feathers! And the bald mountain eagle is right by the cliff!”
“Can I change my title today?”
The two large gray birds bowed elegantly in the air towards the group: “Distinguished guests, please wait a moment.”
“We need to have a good talk with this child. Please have some honey water and some fruit first.”
With that, the two large gray birds, one carrying the little gray bird’s left wing and the other its right wing, flew swiftly towards the inner part of the palace.
Soon, clear cries of wailing came from the inner part of the palace:
“Waa waa waa, I will never dare to lie again!”
“Waa waa waa, lying is wrong, I know now!”
“Waa waa waa, I can’t exchange for a title by lying, I’ve remembered it!”
…What a mixed doubles “reasoning” session.
Chu Jiu silently put a fresh fruit in his mouth.
This fruit was probably gathered from the meadows below? It was slightly sour, but quite appetizing.
A moment later, the three gray birds came out.
The little gray bird, Quick Feather, had changed into a snow-white little outfit and had a head full of bumps.
It flew straight to Chu Jiu: “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have tried to obtain the feathers through deception!”
“You subdued the mountain eagle for our Feathered Folk and are our honored guest! We are willing to thank you with the most delicious food and the most precious gifts!”
The two large gray birds also followed behind the little gray bird, bowing to Chu Jiu in apology, and finally expressed very sincerely:
Thank you, Chu Jiu, for plucking the mountain eagle bald so it could no longer harm the Feathered Folk, and thank you for bringing their silly son back safe and sound and stopping him from lying.
As a token of gratitude, the Feathered Folk were willing to gift Chu Jiu a large pot of “Blessed Nectar” and to serve him whenever he needed.
Hearing this, Chu Jiu frankly said that he actually had one thing he needed the Feathered Folk’s help with—
He hoped the King and Queen would lend him ten Feathered Folk to stay in Bean Village for a period of time.
Although the little gray bird had been beaten and had a head full of bumps, its spirits recovered very quickly.
Hearing Chu Jiu’s words, it excitedly flapped its wings: “Cheep cheep, I can go, I want to go!”
Chu Jiu sighed inwardly, thinking, this little gray bird, it agreed without even asking what it was going to do?
He cleared his throat, just about to explain why he needed ten Feathered Folk, when King Gray Bird waved its wing: “No problem!”
Chu Jiu: “Ah?”
Were even the adult birds of the Feathered Folk this straightforward and unrestrained without asking the reason?!
Queen Gray Bird: “What you want to do is definitely not something harmful, right?”
Chu Jiu: “Of course not—I am, um, as Quick Feather just said, I am a pioneer. I saw in ancient books that the Feathered Folk’s singing is very beneficial to our farming, so I wanted to ask the Feathered Folk for help.”
Queen Gray Bird smiled: “Is that so? I only knew that our singing could only be appreciated by our own people. I didn’t expect it to be helpful for human farming.”
The little gray bird immediately protested: “Mom! Who said only our own Feathered Folk can appreciate it!”
“For example, Chu Jiu’s sapling knight really likes listening to me sing!”
Glup-Glup, who was drinking honey water nearby, actually raised its tentacles and gave the little gray bird a very appropriate heart sign.
Chu Jiu: ……
Queen Gray Bird supported her forehead with the tip of her wing and said to Chu Jiu, “Don’t worry, whether our singing is really useful or not, since we have promised to serve you, we will definitely send Feathered Folk to go with you.”
Having said that, Queen Gray Bird said to the attendant beside her, “Issue an order to select ten of the loudest singers from the guard team. Let Quick Feather lead them to the human settlement with ‘Chu Jiu from Bean Village’ and obey Chu Jiu’s orders.”
“As for the reward…” Queen Gray Bird pondered for a moment, then said, “According to custom, such a task requires two cups of ‘Blessed Nectar’ per person.”
“Considering the long journey, let’s give them three cups of nectar each.”
The attendant immediately flew off to make arrangements.
The little gray bird flew around the room excitedly: “Yay, yay, I can go out with Chu Jiu again!”
King Gray Bird flapped its wings, signaling the attendants to bring up the food: “Alright, the important matters are settled! Let’s begin today’s banquet!”
The little gray bird stretched its neck excitedly: “Where’s the nectar?”
“I told Chu Jiu that I would also give him my share of ‘Blessed Nectar’ so he could drink his fill.”
Although the King and Queen had just beaten their son mercilessly, their attitude towards Quick Feather now was very gentle.
The Queen even smiled and said, “Okay, we’ll do as you say. Give your share to our guest as well.”
She looked up at Chu Jiu and his group: “I’ve ordered someone to fetch the nectar. How about trying our braised rock rabbit first?”
Chu Jiu knew that [Rock Rabbit] was a type of rabbit that lived among the rocks. Whether in winter or summer, the color of this rabbit’s fur was always the same as the surrounding rocks, making it difficult to detect their presence.
But for the Feathered Folk, whose eyesight was far superior to humans, the rock rabbit’s camouflage was almost useless.
Therefore, rock rabbit had become the most common delicacy on the Feathered Folk’s dinner table.
Looking at the rabbit meat in the dish, carefully cut into pieces and braised until tender in a stone oven, Chu Jiu used a wooden fork to pick up a piece and put it in his mouth: Mmm! Fragrant, smooth, and tender!
Most importantly, the Feathered Folk hadn’t forgotten to put salt in the rabbit meat! And it was precious rock salt!
Naturally high-quality ingredients, plus a foolproof cooking method, and the most basic seasoning—dishes made this way would definitely not be bad!
Chu Jiu nodded with bright eyes: “It’s delicious!”
Among his companions, Little Can naturally still only wanted to eat the grilled fish Chu Jiu made.
Kakaba was eating chopped celery in large bites—the celery was gathered from the meadows at the lowest level.
Glup-Glup was drinking mountain spring water mixed with high-altitude honey—the honey came from the beehives that occasionally appeared on the cliffs, and the spring water was collected from the spring eyes.
Rawr Rawr Rabbit looked at the rabbit meat in the dish, first muttering softly, “Roar roar roar, want to eat bunny…”
While muttering, it took a small bite.
Then, its tail twitched: “Roar roar roar, bunny is so delicious! Didn’t expect the bird people to make such delicious bunny!” Its delighted eating completely made it forget that it also looked like a rabbit.
Seeing that Chu Jiu and his group were enjoying the meal, the two large gray birds were also very pleased.
While they were eating and drinking, the other large and small gray birds attending the banquet spontaneously began to dance—
Whether the Queen had given prior instructions or not, they only danced and did not sing collectively.
This banquet was indeed as the little gray bird had described before, full of laughter and lively chatter.
Until a servant gray bird rushed into the banquet hall like an arrow, crying out with a sob in its voice:
“King, Queen, Prince!”
“It’s terrible! The rock cave where the nectar is buried has collapsed!”
“All of our treasured nectar is gone!”
