I Have a Golden Crow

In Yang Qingqing’s world, time seemed to have frozen.

The Chi Ancestor looked at Du Yu with such eyes, feeling sorrow and even despair for him.

For Yang Qingqing, the unease deep within her heart was no less than Du Yu’s.

Whatever Du Yu was about to lose, or if Du Yu himself was to perish, these were unbearable for the woman.

"Tell me, and I will try my best to make a better decision." Du Yu looked up at the bear’s eyes and said in a deep voice.

In his heart, he added a sentence: At least, let me be mentally prepared.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

The contradiction was even more apparent, as Du Yu’s heart was filled with unease, every second feeling like a year.

Yet the glowing green lights around him nourished his body with abundant life force, bringing him waves of delight.

The emotional and physical experiences were completely separate.

If the Chi Ancestor did not speak soon, Du Yu felt he might really go insane.

"Flap flap flap~"

A sound of wings flapping emerged, and the Little Golden Crow suddenly flew out of Du Yu’s body.

"Ying?" Hu Xiaoyan had been pretending to be a scarf, her head drooping on Du Yu’s chest.

At this moment, she lifted her fox head to look at the little black and gold bird flying around ahead.

This is...

This is the Golden Crow Saint?

She’s so small.

The Golden Crow was indeed pitifully small, truly only palm-sized, with wings spread no more than twenty centimeters.

Yang Qingqing’s beautiful eyes widened slightly, her heart filled with shock.

When did the Golden Crow Saint acquire a physical body?

Was it just now?

Moreover, Little Fen Yang was extremely cautious about hiding her form.

So when Little Fen Yang willingly flew out, you could instead feel relieved, no longer worrying about the Chi Ancestor being a threat to the two before them.

At least in the Little Golden Crow’s test, the Chi Ancestor passed in terms of holy quality and character.

Du Yu stared blankly at the Little Golden Crow, observing her physical form, lost in thought.

And the sight of the Little Golden Crow flapping her wings, earnestly flying in front of them, prompted Yang Qingqing to take action.

"Come." She raised her hand, and the Little Golden Crow indeed found her "resting place."

The little talons landed on the woman’s slender fingers, gripping her fingertips, and the pitch-black wings slowly folded.

The Little Golden Crow was entirely black, an extreme black.

But on her bird head, neck, and the tips of her wings, there were streaks of dark gold patterns.

On her head, she also had a crest, five dark gold feathers like a crown, dazzling and magnificent.

"Caw~" The Little Golden Crow gently called, hopping on the woman’s fingertip and turning to gaze at Du Yu.

As if observing the emotions deeply hidden in his eyes.

Taking this opportunity, Yang Qingqing had the fortune to view the Golden Crow Saint from the front.

On the Golden Crow’s chest, she saw a dark gold circle.

Is this... the sun?

Rather than a sun, it was more like an "eclipse."

Because the base color of the Golden Crow Saint was jet black, within and outside that circle of dark gold pattern, it was naturally pitch-black.

That dark gold ring resembled a partially eclipsed scorching sun, leaving only its luminous edge.

"Hoo~" Suddenly, there was a surge of energy.

Within the endless green light, a Chi Bear slowly emerged.

The Little Golden Crow looked back at the spectacle, and the master and disciple pair also saw, this was naturally the Chi Ancestor Saint’s Demon Soul.

At the Supreme Level, the Demon Soul could naturally take form.

But unlike Little Fen Yang, Celestial Cyan Porcelain, and Kui Chou, the Chi Ancestor Demon Soul before them did not transform into a human shape, it remained in the form of a Chi Bear.

The Chi Ancestor Demon Soul was clear in color, black and white interspersed, wearing a green bamboo leaf conical hat and holding a bamboo staff.

In a daze, Du Yu seemed to see "Wuxin."

The presence of the Golden Crow Saint was significant; upon her appearance, the Chi Ancestor Demon Soul emerged too.

"You don’t remember me." The Chi Ancestor spoke, and it was in human language.

"Caw?" The Little Golden Crow hopped on the woman’s fingertip, turned around, and looked curiously at the Chi Ancestor.

She tilted her bird head with the dark gold pattern, her crest gently swaying.

The extreme black, the noble dark gold hue, and the woman’s fair jade hand.

Together they formed a perfect piece of art.

Mysterious, yet beautiful.

It left Du Yu secretly entranced.

The Chi Ancestor’s eyes were filled with sorrow, looking at the Little Golden Crow: "Back then, you and the master buried me under the Tai Sui Bamboo."

The Little Golden Crow’s body stiffened, staring blankly at the Chi Ancestor.

Du Yu’s heart shook as memories in his mind buzzed.

It was his first visit to Jinguan City - Chi Bear Paradise. At that time, Little Fen Yang looked at the Chi Bear image on the park gate and, her memory blurred, she uttered a dialogue:

"Xiongxiong!"

"It seems like I fought side by side with Xiongxiong... Oh, right, Xiongxiong died."

"So pitiful, Xiongxiong didn’t even have a Demon Soul, just gone like that."

"We were so sad, we sent it home, buried it in a bamboo grove..."

"Hoo~"

Silently from within the Little Golden Crow, a Demon Soul emerged.

Little Fen Yang widened her large tangerine eyes, looking dumbly at the Chi Ancestor: "Xiongxiong, are you... are you that Xiongxiong?"

"Perhaps," the Chi Ancestor looked at the Little Golden Crow, "perhaps truly."

"But you were so small then." Little Fen Yang murmured, growing more dejected with each word, "When you died in battle, there wasn’t even a Demon Soul.

You had no life essence left, how could we save you, no matter how we tried..."

Chi Ancestor softly said: "You buried me beneath the Tai Sui Bamboo."

Little Fen Yang held a pair of small hands in front of her chest, her large orange eyes misting up, nodding repeatedly: "Mm, mm, mm..."

"The bamboo wood granted me life." Chi Ancestor turned around, moving on his massive bear paw, until he reached the edge, gazing at the bamboo forest below.

Little Fen Yang couldn’t help but float forward, and Du Yu and Yang Qingqing followed suit.

The palm of the majestic Chi Bear was incomparably huge, and Du Yu flew above, as if traversing soft hills.

At the edge of the bear paw, the Demon Soul Chi Ancestor looked down at the bamboo forest: "When I awoke, everything had changed.

Playmates of the past had become warriors of the tribe, the impression of my young and impulsive father had transformed into a sober, reserved clan leader.

Only I remained the same small appearance as before, facing this world in panic."

"I’m sorry, Xiongxiong." Little Fen Yang lowered her eyelids, twisting her fingers, "We didn’t know, didn’t know you came back alive."

Chi Ancestor shook his head: "The elder didn’t allow outsiders to know that I awoke, nor did the elder allow me to leave that bamboo forest."

Although his words spoke of the bamboo forest, Chi Ancestor’s eyes repeatedly surveyed the bamboo forest below.

So, was this bamboo forest the one where Chi Ancestor was buried after his death?

Did Chi Ancestor bring all these bamboos into the Celestial General’s Seal?

Chi Ancestor sighed deeply: "Three months after I awoke, the tribesmen said, ashes had come.

They were going to march, to resist the enemy invasion."

Du Yu’s heart tightened, only then realizing that Chi Ancestor had been awakened three months before the invasion of Youhan Realm.

Being awakened at this point in time...

Now appears deeply symbolic.

This special Chi Bear, with its tribesmen, survived and continued the race’s flame.

How this bamboo forest could awaken a long-dead Chi Bear, Du Yu didn’t know the mystery.

But Chi Ancestor’s recent display of reviving the dead and rebuilding flesh and bones, Du Yu had experienced firsthand.

Little Fen Yang’s long-pursued, yet unattainable physical body had been forcibly reshaped!

On her illusory body, wings slowly grew.

Though Little Golden Crow’s physical body was very small, like a Mortal-level Demon Beast.

But this was a real body!

This was something Little Fen Yang couldn’t achieve even after contracting two Demon Fires and recovering rapidly time and again!

"Actually, I know what will happen." Chi Ancestor looked at the bamboo sea below, "The bamboo knows what will happen."

Little Fen Yang: "What will happen?"

Chi Ancestor: "I know how my tribesmen died, each and every one, clearly.

I know how my homeland fell.

I know how the entire world was shrouded in ash mist, how all things withered."

Chi Ancestor painfully closed his eyes, his tone became lighter, increasingly faint: "I know, I know it all.

The bamboos, they know."

"Xiongxiong." Little Fen Yang flew forward, a small hand resting on Chi Ancestor’s shoulder.

Looking at the tortured soul before her, Little Fen Yang’s heart was also saddened, but she didn’t know how to comfort Chi Ancestor.

Chi Ancestor hung his head, murmuring softly: "I begged the tribesmen not to go, begged them not to go..."

Du Yu softly said: "But the Chi Bears went anyway."

"Hehe." Chi Ancestor suddenly laughed, but the smile was bitter, "Yes, the Chi Bear race won’t bow to fate.

The Chi Bear race refuses to become Youhan’s slaves.

The elder said, the destiny of all living things is a path walked step by step. Father said, only resistance can bring hope."

Chi Ancestor slowly turned his head, his pitch-black eyes lost their original luster: "But the bamboos don’t think so."

Yang Qingqing’s emotions had long fallen to the bottom, she softly said: "The bamboos don’t think so?"

"Mm." Chi Ancestor nodded, "Under the elder’s guidance, several tribe warriors brought me, along with this bamboo, to this place.

The elder said, this is another hope for the Chi Bear race, a hope to continue the species.

But the bamboos know, this is the only hope for the Chi Bear race.

The last hope."

Yang Qingqing furrowed her brows slightly: "Is the ’bamboo’ you’re speaking of your own name, or is it referring to the bamboo forest below?"

Chi Ancestor: "My name, the bamboo forest below, what difference does it make?"

Yang Qingqing fell silent and said no more.

Chi Ancestor: "The tribesmen who went to fight all died, died on the path resisting fate."

Slowly, Chi Ancestor turned his gaze to Du Yu, speaking word by word: "Every single one."

Du Yu opened his mouth: "I dare not comment hastily on the choices of the Chi Bear race, but for myself personally...

I too will die on the path resisting fate."

Yang Qingqing gripped Du Yu’s hand, gradually tightening.

Not fearing his playful antics, angry shouts, but fearing his calm words stating an unchangeable fact.

Du Yu gives his utmost to fulfill promises made to others.

Even more so for promises made to himself.

Du Yu felt the strength of Master Qing’s hand, with resolute determination: "Please tell me, Chi Ancestor, what you have seen."

Chi Ancestor quietly looked at Du Yu, motionless, saying nothing.

Du Yu likewise looked back at Chi Ancestor, with a serious expression and determined gaze.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive, though everyone stood on the broad palm of the Chi Bear, in the vast world, it seemed as if they returned to the narrow paths of the bamboo forest.

Returned to that narrow, dark wall of the bamboo forest.

Finally, Chi Ancestor showed a slight reaction, but not to Du Yu, instead looking beside him at Little Fen Yang.

Chi Ancestor: "You’ve found another her."

Little Fen Yang lowered her eyelids, softly reciting: "Du Yu is not another Zhu Xin, he’s not, they are both unique."

"Perhaps he’s not, but you still are." Chi Ancestor softly sighed, "We crossed over a hundred years of time, meeting again, and you are still the same as before.

Still thinking of that tree, still carrying forward her obsession, continuing that path."

Little Fen Yang’s emotions were somewhat collapsing, she covered her eyes with both hands, nodding repeatedly.

Though no tears flowed from her fingers, she was already sobbing uncontrollably: "Yes, I still am, still..."