Jing Lei returned to the village carrying a basin of clean water. Throughout the journey, the little red bird remained perched on his head, showing no intention of leaving. It was restless and couldn't seem to stay quiet, constantly chirping as though it were telling Jing Lei an incredibly long story.
"Where did you come from?"
Chirp.
"How long have you been in that egg?"
Chirp.
"Why did you suddenly hatch after I cooled your egg? And how did you end up inside that little cave?"
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Jing Lei tried making conversation with the bird as he walked back to the village. Just as he had expected, the little creature was incredibly talkative. It kept chirping and fluttering its tiny wings, yet stubbornly refused to leave his hair.
He wasn't even sure why he bothered talking to it. Even if the bird answered every single question, he couldn't understand a word of what it was saying. After all, he didn't speak bird.
Jing Lei couldn't help but wonder about the creature's origins. As the son of a wealthy merchant, he had encountered countless rare and exotic creatures that his father had bought and sold over the years. Yet he had never seen a bird quite like this one.
Despite having only just hatched, it already had a full coat of feathers. On top of its head sat a long, elegant crest that almost resembled a crown. Its tail feathers were equally magnificent, flowing like the train of an expensive robe and nearly reaching the back of Jing Lei's neck.
After walking for quite some time, accompanied by the bird's endless chatter, Jing Lei finally arrived at the village.
Suddenly, Qing Li came running toward him.
"You're finally back! Here, let me carry that basin for you."
She took the basin from Jing Lei's hands. However, the moment she looked up, she noticed the little red bird perched comfortably on his head.
"Who's this little fellow?"
"Oh, this bird? I picked it up somewhere. It's incredibly noisy."
Jing Lei gently stroked the feathers on top of his head. As though it understood that Jing Lei was making fun of it, the bird immediately burst into another round of indignant chirping.
Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!
"...It's really quite talkative," Qing Li remarked, her eyes widening.
"But I've never seen this kind of bird befo—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a cane suddenly swung toward her and struck her waist.
"Ouch!"
Qing Li was already far too familiar with that particular cane.
"Why are you still standing around chatting? There are plenty of patients waiting over there!" Baba scolded.
Jing Lei was slightly startled by Baba's sudden appearance and her rather familiar way of disciplining Qing Li.
Pouting, Qing Li obediently picked up the basin and hurried away toward the group of injured villagers.
Jing Lei watched her disappear into the crowd before turning his attention to the old woman standing before him.
"Haaah... There are more and more injured people ever since the last attack."
Baba sighed before shifting her gaze toward the little creature perched on Jing Lei's head.
"You're the one who picked up this little fellow?"
"Ah, yes. I found it in a cave near the lake," Jing Lei answered, feeling slightly nervous.
Baba stared intently at the little bird for a while, remaining silent.
"Interesting..."
She stroked her chin thoughtfully, as though trying to make sense of something.
"I can't see anything from this creature."
"What do you mean, Baba?"
Jing Lei tilted his head in confusion.
"Every living being has a thread of fate surrounding them. Yet, for some reason, I cannot read this little fellow's destiny."
Jing Lei was slightly taken aback.
He had almost forgotten that Baba possessed the ability to perceive fate, a power that came remarkably close to seeing into the future. And yet, the destiny of the creature he had just found was completely unreadable to her.
"Even so, I don't sense any ill intentions from it. If you wish to keep it, I see no reason to stop you."
With that, Baba turned and walked away.
Several days passed after that incident.
The Xuemu Tribe had made no further movements whatsoever. It was almost as though they had realized that with Wu Zhen staying in the Lingmu Tribe, their chances of winning were incredibly slim.
And so, they remained quiet, making no attempts to launch another attack.
Meanwhile, all the villagers had gathered at the center of the village, discussing the situation with grave expressions.
"The Xuemu Tribe hasn't made a single move. Does this mean we'll be safe for the next few days?"
"No. They might simply be waiting for us to let our guard down before launching a surprise attack."
"Perhaps they're waiting for something... Or gathering their strength until the right opportunity presents itself."
The villagers continued exchanging their opinions, each offering a different possibility.
Baba's expression remained grim. She sat quietly, her face clouded with worry.
Jing Lei glanced toward Wu Zhen. However, the latter's expression was even worse. He seemed restless, as though he had finally run out of patience with the situation.
Suddenly, Wu Zhen interrupted the discussion.
"We should attack the Xuemu Tribe at their own base."
His words immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Our strength is nowhere near theirs. If we march straight into their territory, it'll be no different from throwing our lives away. Besides, they've tamed countless wolves. We'd be putting ourselves at an even greater disadvantage."
"If we simply stay here and wait, we'll never put an end to their attacks. We have to fight back." Wu Zhen remained firm in his decision.
Jing Lei stepped closer, unable to hide his concern. "We can't be hasty about this. We're talking about the lives of an entire village."
"We've been here for almost two weeks. We can't stay here much longer. We don't even know whether the others are still alive…" His voice grew increasingly anxious. "I don't know if Yang Luo is still alive, either."
"Senior Wu… I'm worried about the others, too. But I don't understand why you care so much about Senior Yang Luo. Why do you act as though you owe him your life?"
The last words felt strangely uncomfortable as they left Jing Lei's mouth. He had always been composed and rational, careful with both his words and actions. Yet, somehow, hearing Wu Zhen speak about Yang Luo made him feel inexplicably uneasy.
"I really do owe him my life," Wu Zhen suddenly replied.
Jing Lei wanted to say something, but no words came out. He could only stare at Wu Zhen's figure as the man abruptly turned and walked away from his side.
"We'll head for their base the day after tomorrow. We still have time to prepare."
Wu Zhen announced this to the villagers as he walked away, his figure gradually disappearing from Jing Lei's sight.
Jing Lei remained where he stood. For some reason, he felt as though he had lost something, though he couldn't quite understand what it was.
Night had fallen.
The full moon shone through the drifting clouds, its silver light casting a gentle glow across the lake and making its surface shimmer in the quiet darkness. Jing Lei sat by the water, not far from the cave where he had discovered the little red bird.
Everything was peaceful. Even the usually talkative bird had fallen silent, resting atop Jing Lei's head. Around him, the fireflies' lights gradually grew dimmer.
"Mom… dad… I miss you."
The words escaped Jing Lei before he even realized it.
He had never felt this lonely before. Yet tonight, there was an inexplicable emptiness inside him, as though something important was missing.
Jing Lei's thoughts drifted back to his childhood.
"Mom! Dad! Look what I found!"
A little boy, barely five years old, hurried down the wooden corridor beside the garden, making his way toward a particular room.
"Young Master, please don't run! You might trip!"
A teenage attendant hurried after the little Jing Lei, trying to catch up with him.
With something carefully cradled in his arms, Jing Lei pushed open the door.
"Mom, look!"
He rushed toward a woman sitting beside the window.
"Lei'er, what are you carrying?" the woman asked gently. She lifted the little boy and settled him onto her lap.
"I found it outside the house!"
Jing Lei opened his arms, revealing a small, fluffy white creature nestled against his chest. It was a rabbit, its eyes wide with confusion and a hint of fear.
"It's a rabbit," the woman remarked, looking slightly surprised.
"Can I keep it? It's so cute and tiny!"
Jing Lei affectionately nuzzled his cheek against the rabbit's soft fur.
"We can't keep it, Lei'er," the woman replied gently.
"Huh? Why?"
The little boy looked disappointed, a small pout forming on his lips.
"Because it has a family, too. Its family is probably waiting for it to come home."
"Can't I become its new family?" Jing Lei tried to convince his mother once more.
The woman gently shook her head. "If we take this little one in, what will happen to its family?"
"...All right. I'll return it," Jing Lei said reluctantly.
He climbed down from his mother's lap, still holding the rabbit carefully in his arms.
"Lei'er… why do you want to keep the rabbit so badly?" the woman asked curiously. "You already have so many pets. A dog, a cat, and even a bird."
Jing Lei fell silent for a moment. Then, as though remembering something, the light in his eyes suddenly returned.
"Because I want to protect it. Dad said that if there's someone or something weaker than me, I should protect them."
The woman gently stroked her son's hair.
"It's not only the little and weak ones who need protection, Lei'er. Even the strongest beings have their vulnerable sides."
"But how can I protect someone who's stronger than me?" Jing Lei asked, his expression filled with confusion.
The woman merely smiled.
"It's not time for you to understand that just yet."