Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Bird of Ill Omen

Lin Chen scratched his head and continued, “True, I can’t take everything that old man said at face value. He even promised to find me a bride, but he passed away before fulfilling it. Sigh...” Mentioning his master ancestor, his expression dimmed slightly. Yet at that moment, Yan Ruyu’s mind was completely blank.

She paid no attention to Lin Chen’s subtle melancholy and grew restless. Deciding to clear her head, she walked over to the window to let the cold wind refresh her senses.

After a long while, Lin Chen reclined in his chair with a satisfied look, exhaling deeply. Then he smiled and said, “Miss Yan, I’m about to leave. Do you want to come along?”

Yan Ruyu, standing by the window, nodded. “Yes, let’s go together.”

As the two descended the stairs, Yan Ruyu suddenly shouted, “Demoness! How dare you come here—prepare to die!” Before finishing, she stepped forward swiftly, chasing after a figure.

Lin Chen, puzzled, wanted to follow and help, but it was clear he had underestimated the situation; both figures had already vanished without a trace.

Just as Lin Chen sighed quietly, a jade-like hand tapped his shoulder. “Fellow Daoist Lin, long time no see.”

He instinctively turned to see—it was none other than Xie Mengmeng.

True to her name, she looked adorably naïve, though her face and figure seemed incongruous.

Especially her chest, like majestic mountains along a flowing river, grand and turbulent.

Lin Chen bowed slightly. “Long time no see. Was that person just now chasing you?”

Xie Mengmeng waved her hand teasingly before his eyes, not answering directly but curiously asking, “You can see now?”

“Yeah, I happened upon a master who cured me. Your reckless cultivation speed is incredible,” Lin Chen said, astonished.

“Don’t say that! I do it all to eliminate evil and promote good,” Xie Mengmeng smiled faintly, as if these words were worn out to her ears.

“Eliminate evil and promote good, huh? I have an opportunity for that right now. Want to come along?” Lin Chen asked tentatively.

“There’s that unreasonable woman with you. Even if I want to go, I can’t,” Xie Mengmeng said helplessly.

“Oh, her? We can just go alone,” Lin Chen replied casually.

Though Yan Ruyu had treated him to a meal, he trusted Xie Mengmeng, with whom he had cooperated before, more.

Moreover, Xie Mengmeng’s current strength was truly on par with Yan Ruyu’s. No one knew how many men she had ‘drained’ to break through so quickly.

“All right! Let’s go then!” Xie Mengmeng agreed without hesitation.

---

Lin Chen was surprised. “You’re not even going to ask who it is or where?”

“Why bother? I’m the kind of person who goes wherever she pleases. My goal is to sleep with every unfaithful scoundrel in the world,” Xie Mengmeng said with a faint smile, speaking with no embarrassment.

Lin Chen was stunned, completely dumbfounded, drawing the attention of those around.

The men’s eyes gleamed green as if saying, “I’m the unfaithful one.”

The women hissed and cursed, “Shameless harlot!” “Fox spirit, shame on you!”

At that moment, Lin Chen felt like sitting on pins and needles beside Xie Mengmeng.

On one side, men’s scorching eyes; on the other, women’s scolding tongues.

Yet Xie Mengmeng, the subject of it all, seemed oblivious.

She looked at Lin Chen and said, “Let’s hurry. That crazy woman might come back.”

As Lin Chen swung himself onto a donkey, ready to move, Xie Mengmeng leapt up and hopped on too.

She even gave the donkey a playful smack on the rump, causing it to cry out in pain then bolt wildly, heart racing.

Lin Chen, caught off-guard, fell back onto her chest in an intimate encounter.

Feeling the softness behind him, he quickly straightened up, trying to avoid contact.

A man’s instinct momentarily tempted him to act on the impulse with Xie Mengmeng.

But thinking of all those men she had exhausted, he quickly suppressed the thought.

Suddenly, Xie Mengmeng hugged him tightly from behind, her breath warm against his ear.

His heart raced instantly, breath quickened, and his face flushed faintly.

Unversed in such matters, Lin Chen suspected she was using some kind of enchantment.

Panicking, he said, “Don’t get any ideas! I asked for your help, not to be ‘used up’ right away.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m just a little cold and wanted a hug,” Xie Mengmeng said, confused.

Lin Chen had no choice but to let her hold him, silently praying she wouldn’t use the seductive magic of the Hehuan Sect.

After a moment, he calmed down, realizing she might simply be cold.

---

The weather was indeed chilly, growing colder the closer they neared Jinxiu City.

The biting wind howled fiercely, perhaps because they rode a donkey fast, it lashed directly at his face.

Like icy blades scraping skin, the cold stung painfully, making him miserable.

Late at night, the two traveled through desolate wilderness, with strange bird calls echoing intermittently.

Upon hearing the cries, Xie Mengmeng cursed loudly, “Ugh! Damn beast, why are you making such noise?”

“It’s just a bird call. What’s the fuss?” Lin Chen said, somewhat speechless.

“That bird is an omen of misfortune where I come from, called the ‘Harbinger of Disaster’!” Xie Mengmeng said gravely.

“Is it really that ominous?” Lin Chen asked, shocked.

“Yes. It’s a creature with a human face and bird body, appearing before great calamities. That’s why it’s named so,” she explained with lingering fear.

Lin Chen frowned slightly. “By the way, where exactly are you from?”

“Beimo,” Xie Mengmeng said softly, a hint of sorrow flashing in her eyes.

Though she held Lin Chen close, he did not notice.

“Beimo? That’s quite far north, right? The northernmost border of the Jing Kingdom,” Lin Chen said.

Xie Mengmeng nodded. “Yes. Beyond Beimo lies the Forbidden Zone for humans, so many strange and bizarre creatures live there.”

“Mount Wanyao?” Lin Chen asked uncertainly.

“You know about Mount Wanyao? I thought you would ask me!” Xie Mengmeng was surprised.

“My master ancestor often told me stories about it, so I naturally remember,” Lin Chen whispered.

He recalled hearing from his master ancestor that Mount Wanyao was a place where many animals became spirits.

Some great demons even ascended to immortality. He used to take it as a mere tale, but now it seemed real.

His master ancestor had also said that if life ever became unbearable, one could visit Mount Wanyao—just to see the scenery.

Back then, Lin Chen had replied, “Master, what nonsense! Why go to such a dangerous place when you’re about to die?”