Chapter 64: Nectar

Gulin Castle.

The Council Chamber.

The gray-haired vice president knelt on one knee upon the red, gold-trimmed carpet.

He kept his head lowered, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

An hour ago, he had suddenly received a notification: "The President wishes to see you, now."

Such an unconventional emergency summon—could something have gone wrong somewhere?

The gray-haired man mentally reviewed several critical matters one by one, wondering which one had displeased the President.

Had he embezzled the bonuses meant to be returned to the members? Or had his private usury business outside been discovered?

...No, no, the President had always ignored such trivialities. As long as the extraordinary individuals were left untouched, the President cared not about anyone else, even if lives were lost.

At the far end of the carpet stood the steps made of black marble. At the top of the steps sat a high-backed chair carved from silver.

The President of the Association, the mouthpiece of the great True God, sat squarely within that high-backed chair.

The steps were too tall, and combined with the shadows cast by the high-backed chair, it was impossible for anyone below to clearly discern the President's visage.

Yet this detracted not a whit from the President's majesty; instead, it inspired an even greater impulse to provere oneself, regarding him all the more as the proxy of the True God.

The President spoke.

It was the heavy, muffled tone characteristic of the elderly.

The campfire flared up rapidly as Chu Jiu slowly turned the bamboo flower chicken skewered on a bamboo pole in his hands.

Therefore, no matter how grating to the ears the demonic sound might be, he still had to go and take a look.

*

"This was discovered deep underground by the ancestors of the Feathered Clan a very, very long time ago!"

Chu Jiu: ......I... I see.

Both Chu Jiu and the spiritual beasts, save for Gulu Lu, felt a tremor in their hearts, thinking to themselves: Must they sing this song every single time they eat?......

"There is no need to be nervous."

The gray-haired man immediately said in a clear voice: "My Lord, the road signs of Bean Village are entirely normal."

The little gray bird pointed at the "bird's egg" and said proudly, "Look, our palace is not a whit inferior to the houses of you bipeds!"

After the gray-haired man departed, the man revered as the "President" slowly raised his right hand, gazed at the blisters and pustules occasionally sprouting upon his skin, and sighed.

At this moment, the Roaring Rabbit had already sprinted to Chu Jiu's side, gesturing breathlessly: "Roar... roar roar..."

Gulu Lu's eyes curved into two downward arcs: "Gulu Lu, it's true!"

Judging from the shapes of these stones and their distance from one another, Chu Jiu did not believe they had been formed naturally.

The little gray bird looked once more at the Feathered Clan members flying out one after another from the bird's egg, and waved its wings in pleasant surprise: "Ah! Mom and Dad! I'm back!"

[New Area Unlocked: Gale Rock]

The Dodo raised its head and let out two "Dodo" calls, meaning, "Sit tight and hold on, we are about to climb the cliff."

*

"Roar roar roar, only Gulu Lu, Gulu Lu is not afraid of Swiftfeather's singing, Gulu Lu stayed right there to listen to him sing!"

The Queen smiled even more brightly: "Very well, as you say, your share shall be given to our guests as well."

The two large gray birds bowed gracefully to the crowd in mid-air: "Respected guests, please wait a moment."

After a little while, once the "Feast" was completed, I shall no longer need to be constrained by this human flesh, nor hide in a plane so primitive it makes one's skin crawl, scraping a living by feeding on those meager wisps of spiritual energy.

The little gray bird stretched its neck in excitement: "Where is the nectar?"

Swiftfeather, the little gray bird, had changed into a snow-white little outfit, with a head full of bumps.

"This drink is very, very special; when viewed in the sunlight, it is purplish-red!"

However, for the Feathered Clan, whose eyesight far exceeded that of humans, the Rock Rabbit's protective coloration was virtually nonexistent.

The little gray bird happily sat by the campfire, holding the bamboo flower chicken and devouring it ravenously.

With that, the two large gray birds—one grasping the little gray bird's left wing and the other clutching its right wing—flew swiftly toward the inner recesses of the palace with a swish.

The bald mountain eagle took the roasted chicken leg with immense gratitude, completely forgetting what a savage and terrifying biped the creature before it was.

Thus, the group took a brief ten-minute rest just before the final rock climb.

Could the President have other informants? Or was this a hint that he had handled matters poorly? Or perhaps a subtle reprimand?

Chu Jiu knew that Little Canned Food couldn't possibly stay behind by itself, so he could only fashion another pair of earplugs for it, while urging: Don't be afraid, I'm just going to take a look.

A quarter of an hour later, the little gray bird and Gulu Lu flew back together.

"Mom, Dad, look! Fifty feathers! And the bald mountain eagle is right there by the precipice!"

The Forgotten Forest.

"Gulu Lu, Gulu Lu, it really sounds wonderful!" Gulu Lu floated, its little tentacles curling once more into the shape of a heart.

Innumerable schemes of power struggles and factors potentially threatening his status and authority instantly raced through the gray-haired man's mind.

An attendant immediately flew off to make the arrangements.

"You subdued the mountain eagle for our Feathered Clan, making you our honored guest! We wish to thank you with the most delicious food and the most precious gifts!"

Considering that this region was littered with bamboo flower chickens and bamboo flower pigs, and that the little ones also liked to play near the bamboo groves, Chu Jiu deliberately traveled a bit longer, letting the little hamster lead everyone to pitch camp within the bamboo forest.

Chu Jiu did not urge it to go out and play either, but instead allowed the little fellow to stay close to his side, chatting with it idly.

"Every member of our Feathered Clan may only drink one cup per meal, not a drop more!"

It truly was a fine house.

Upon reaching the "concert venue," he caught sight of the little gray bird singing at the top of its lungs, with Gulu Lu floating in the air, swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the little bird's song.

Sigh.

Chu Jiu's expression shifted, and he stood up anxiously: "What happened?!"

As a token of gratitude, the Feathered Clan was willing to gift Chu Jiu a large jug of "Blessed Nectar" and render services whenever Chu Jiu required them.

"Since that is the case..."

Since the spiritual field over there showed no fluctuations... given his current state, he truly ought not to risk venturing out.

With that, the Queen Gray Bird instructed the attendant nearby: "Pass down the order: select the ten loudest singers from the guard detachment, let them be led by Swiftfeather, and accompany 'Chu Jiu from Bean Village' to the human settlements, obeying Chu Jiu's commands."

Although the King and Queen had beaten their son mercilessly just moments before, their attitude toward Swiftfeather now was quite gentle.

Seeing that Chu Jiu and his companions were thoroughly enjoying the meal, the two large gray birds felt immensely gratified.

"Anyway, ever since I was born, these stones have always been there. It seems it has been for a very, very long time."

"Considering the long journey, give each of them three cups of nectar."

"As for the reward..." The Queen Gray Bird pondered briefly before saying, "According to custom, such a task requires two cups of 'Blessed Nectar' per person."

Earlier, the Dodo had run so fast that he hadn't had time to look closely. Now, stopping to examine it in detail, he could see that across this vast slope, at regular intervals as it descended, there were rather orderly stones?

"For instance, Chu Jiu's sapling knight loves listening to me sing!"

Chu Jiu was about to continue when a commotion broke out ahead!

Even if they rode the Dodos the entire way, it would still take nearly half a month.

She looked up at Chu Jiu and the others: "I've already ordered someone to fetch the nectar. Would you first care to taste our braised rock rabbit?"

Even the Dodos and the bald mountain eagles bolted behind them as if running for their lives!

A moment later, three gray birds emerged.

Then, it twitched its tail: "Roar roar roar, the bunny is so delicious, I never expected the little bird-people could make bunny taste so delicious!" In its intoxicated state of eating, it completely forgot that it, too, looked somewhat like a rabbit.

Chu Jiu temporarily suppressed the doubts in his mind and said, "It's fine. The Dodos should be rested by now; let's climb the cliff."

The little gray bird: "Chirp? Those stones? Haven't really paid attention to them."

The spiritual beasts: ......

The King Gray Bird flapped his wings, signaling the attendants to bring all the food forward: "Alright, business is done! Let us begin today's feast!"

Unlike the terrain of the Sanctuary Valley—which featured "rocky mountains on both sides and a gravel wasteland in the middle"—Gale Rock was entirely a single mountain.

When they finally passed through the endless, almost boundless black mountain range of Sanctuary Valley, another expanse of dark brown rocky cliffs came into view.

"However, the food of our Feathered Clan is also very delicious! Especially our 'Blessed Nectar'!"

The Roaring Rabbit looked at the rabbit meat on its plate, whispering softly at first, "Roar roar roar, going to eat the bunny..."

The originally serene, tranquil, and secluded bamboo forest now had its ground scattered in disarray with bamboo flower chicken feathers, upside-down bamboo weevils, and curled-up leaf-roller caterpillars...

The gray-haired man knew this meant he had passed the test. He let out a long breath internally, maintaining a calm exterior as he withdrew from the council chamber.

Understood, understood.

The exposed black rocks, the yellow-tinged green dirt slopes, and the colorful plains at the very bottom formed distinct layers.

Chu Jiu: "Of course not—I am, um, as Swiftfeather just said, a pioneer. I saw from ancient texts that the singing of the Feathered Clan is of great benefit to our farming, so I wanted to invite the Feathered Clan to help."

Trapped within this flesh, even one's senses had grown dull.

Though the little gray bird had a head full of bumps from the beating, its spirit recovered with astonishing speed.

"It is especially fragrant, especially sweet, and after drinking it, your whole body fills with strength!"

"I told Chu Jiu that the portion of 'Blessed Nectar' belonging to me should also be given to him, so he can drink his fill."

Most of the other houses were half-human-high bird nests divided into various small rooms, allowing a family of little bird-people to live in cozy comfort.

Muttering to himself, he took a small bite.

And the habitat of the Feathered Clan lay at the very summit of this precipice, which was described in folklore as "a cliff region difficult for humans to climb and approach."

How he longed for the days when he could move freely without the aid of a mortal shell.

Clearing his throat, he was about to explain why he needed ten members of the Feathered Clan when the King Gray Bird waved a wing: "No problem!"

"When we arrive at Gale Rock, I will surely treat you to the most delicious roasted bamboo insects, braised rock rabbit, and Blessed Nectar!"

At that precise moment, Chu Jiu heard a rustling sound coming from deep within the bamboo forest ahead.

The little gray bird: "Chirp chirp, that's not it!"

Among the companions beside him, Little Canned Food naturally still insisted on eating only the grilled fish prepared by Chu Jiu.

The Queen Gray Bird gently touched her forehead with the tip of her wing and said to Chu Jiu, "Rest assured, regardless of whether our singing is truly useful, since we have promised to serve you, we will certainly dispatch Feathered Clan members to accompany you."

Beside them, the little gray bird flew around the room in delight: "Yay, yay! I get to go out with Chu Jiu again!"

Looking at the rabbit meat in the plate, meticulously carved into pieces and stewed to tenderness in a stone oven, Chu Jiu picked up a piece with a wooden fork and placed it in his mouth.