Chapter 35: Chapter 35
The shriek of split air burst out!
Several azure feathers, like arrows shot from a strong bow, tore through the morning mist, hurtling straight at Shen Xiuhan’s face.
So fast!
Shen Xiuhan’s pupils contracted. Without thinking, he whipped the fish basket from his back around to shield his front.
THUNK-THUNK-THUNK!
The freshly woven bamboo strips had been soaked in water — tough and pliant.
Though those tail feathers came in like flying arrows, they only sank in halfway before being trapped in the basket’s body, their shafts still humming with vibration!
The first strike having missed, the Azure Spike Fowl let out a sharp, high-pitched cry.
It spread its wings wide and dove from above like a soaring eagle striking prey, sharp talons hooked, going straight for Shen Xiuhan’s face!
“Bring it on!”
Shen Xiuhan didn’t retreat — he advanced.
Qi-blood surged into his right leg, drawn back like a fully-bent bow, instep taut. He kicked out savagely!
BANG!
A stone shot skyward like a cannonball, hurtling straight at the Azure Spike Fowl!
The beast’s reflexes were quick. In midair, it tucked low and barely scraped past the stone.
But that one dodge cost it momentary balance, sending it wobbling. At the same time, it let out a pained, agitated screech:
“Gu-gu-gu…”
Shen Xiuhan narrowed his eyes.
In the flapping of that left wing, he saw fat drops of crimson blood splatter loose.
‘Its wound is serious!’
Cold light flashed in Shen Xiuhan’s eyes!
The qi-blood throughout his body erupted like boiling water, instantly coursing through both arms.
His hand swung up. Three stones, palmed and concealed, flew from his hand in a triangular formation.
Gray streaks like lightning, piercing through the morning mist!
Three stones — one high, two low — sealed off every avenue of evasion.
The Azure Spike Fowl visibly panicked. Its crippled wing flapped harder, but it had no strength left to dodge.
SHUNK-SHUNK-SHUNK!
All three stones struck the Azure Spike Fowl’s body with precision, throwing up a spray of blood!
“GAAH!”
The Azure Spike Fowl let out a shrill cry and crashed to the ground.
Blood spread out, staining the dry grass red.
Yet the beast’s savagery was not yet broken. Even with its crippled wing now snapped, it still thrashed and spun on the ground in vain — its dark yellow vertical pupils locked unblinkingly on Shen Xiuhan.
Had this been an ordinary hunter, seeing the prey collapsed and badly wounded, he would have already settled himself by now, ready to step up and finish off the drowning dog.
But Shen Xiuhan had known from the start there were two Azure Spike Fowl here.
His eyes shifted slightly.
He’d already glimpsed the second Azure Spike Fowl — the one that had stayed hidden — slipping behind a small mound of earth several dozen paces away, body pressed low, breath held, gathering its strength.
‘Clever beast… no wonder it draws on the essence of heaven and earth…’
Shen Xiuhan’s heart stirred with caution, but his face betrayed nothing.
Pretending he hadn’t noticed at all, he strode toward the wounded one.
One step. Two. Three.
The hidden Azure Spike Fowl didn’t move a feather. Endlessly patient.
Until Shen Xiuhan was just three steps away — and then it could hold itself back no longer!
WHOOSH-WHOOSH!
The Azure Spike Fowl exploded upward, both wings beating violently, its tail trembling — clearly preparing to launch its sharpest azure feathers at Shen Xiuhan.
Pity.
Big Brother Shen was already wise to it.
Every move the Azure Spike Fowl made fell within his sight.
He stopped mid-step, swung up one hand!
SWISH!
A great cloud of quicklime came smashing down on its head, instantly enveloping the just-launched Azure Spike Fowl!
“Gu-gu-gu…”
This Azure Spike Fowl, visibly smaller than the other, let out an anguished wail.
Its eyes burned by the quicklime, unable to open them, it dropped straight out of midair.
“My chance!”
Shen Xiuhan’s eyes lit up. Xu Chuan’s words flashed through his mind:
‘If your enemy comes diving down at you, never retreat — answer after the strike, overcome the strong from below!’
Cloud Grasp Sky Sever!
His five fingers exploded forward, qi-blood flooding in. Like the talons of a true eagle reaching into the sky, he locked onto the Azure Spike Fowl’s slender neck with unerring precision!
A violent struggle exploded against his palm.
Two black-glinting talons slashed wildly at the back of his hand. The force was tremendous — far surpassing that silver-backed fish from the other day!
Cold light flashed in Shen Xiuhan’s eyes. His five fingers clenched with sudden, savage force.
“CRACK-CRACK…”
A sharp series of bone-splitting sounds.
The Azure Spike Fowl that had been struggling violently a heartbeat ago now had its neck collapse limp. Its entire body went slack and dropped.
“Gu…”
A short distance away, the wounded Azure Spike Fowl let out a low, mournful cry — and slowly fell silent as well.
But Shen Xiuhan didn’t rush over.
His thoughts stirred. He confirmed that the Intelligence markers for “Azure Spike Fowl” had vanished.
Only then did he walk forward and gather the two Azure Spike Fowl together.
He hadn’t noticed it before, but with both treasure beasts laid out in front of him, Shen Xiuhan immediately felt the abundant qi-blood within their bodies.
His stomach was clearly not empty, yet an unaccountable urge rose within him to roast them on the spot and eat them.
“Such domineering qi-blood… truly worthy of treasure beasts!”
Shen Xiuhan murmured praise to himself, barely managing to suppress the urge.
Second Senior Brother Xu Chuan had once mentioned this.
Treasure fish were creatures shaped by the essence of heaven and earth. Eating them carelessly wasted their medicinal potency. The proper way was to combine them with herbs and refine them into pills.
Treasure beasts were probably the same.
Shen Xiuhan decided to bring them back to the hall and ask Master whether they could be refined into a qi-blood pill.
If it worked, he wouldn’t have to worry about cultivation resources for some time.
But the moment that thought formed, another problem surfaced.
Just days ago, catching one silver-backed fish had nearly brought disaster to his door!
Now, he’d quietly bagged two treasure beasts…
These things might be nothing in the eyes of a great clan.
But to bottom-rung martial artists desperate for qi-blood, they were like a small child hauling a gold brick down a crowded street!
In the entire martial hall, there were perhaps two or three people Shen Xiuhan could actually trust.
The outer court had too many eyes — both ordinary disciples and branch-family scions of great houses planted among them.
Shen Xiuhan didn’t dare gamble on how they would react if they found out.
‘How about… bringing them in separately, in batches, with some days between?’
The thought formed and was immediately rejected.
Master had said that once such spirit creatures died, the qi-blood inside them drained away rapidly.
Given enough time, the medicinal potency would be gone, and they’d be no different from ordinary fowl.
So what to do?
A moment later.
Shen Xiuhan stared at the two Azure Spike Fowl on the ground, eyes flickering — and a bold idea rose from the depths of his mind.
“To hell with it… start a fire right here, and just eat one?!”
True, eating it this way would waste most of the precious medicinal potency.
But at the same time, it would let him dodge prying eyes and give him a story he could stand by!
Out fishing, he just happened to spot a strange chicken falling from the sky, badly wounded. Watched it crash into the mountains, chased it down, and finished it off from a distance with stones…
Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?
As for the smaller Azure Spike Fowl — roast it right here on the spot.
Yes, it would waste most of the qi-blood, but plenty would still remain.
He’d eat half himself.
The rest would be just enough to take back and nourish Madam Zheng and Shen Momo.
The two of them no longer wanted for food and drink, but their bodies had been depleted for years. Ordinary food worked too slowly to restore them.
Treasure beast meat was rich in qi-blood — perfect for restoration.
Of course, an ordinary person couldn’t take too much of it. One leg apiece would be plenty.
One stone, three birds — everyone wins!
No sooner said than done.
Shen Xiuhan gathered some dry branches into a pile and lit a fire.
He plucked the Azure Spike Fowl clean of its azure feathers, tore open its belly with his bare hands, removed the entrails, then ran a sharpened wooden stick through it head to tail and set it over the flames, turning it slowly.
In barely thirty minutes, the smell of cooking meat filled the air, drifting on the wind.
“Mm — that smells good!”