I have a phoenix.

After much difficulty and explanation, Old Song reluctantly accepted this absurd excuse, though only half convinced. At that moment, Uncle Zhong burst in, having heard that Xie Wuji had been "cleansed" by a gust of wind. He demanded, "Old Song, is what you said true?"

"To be honest, I'm half convinced myself," Old Song replied helplessly. "After all, Brother Xie was wearing those clothes at the time, and was holding my daughter... This reason really is hard to believe..." His heart was a tangled mess. Heaven only knew what this rascal had done to his daughter. Now, with all the village gossiping about Xie Wuji and Song Xiaoyu, it would be difficult for her to marry well. If worst came to worst, perhaps this boy would have to take responsibility.

As Old Song mulled over the matter, raising a cup of tea to his lips, Uncle Zhong's eyebrows shot up, and he slammed the table, shouting at Xie Wuji, "Brother Xie, take off your pants!"

Xie Wuji was startled, immediately covering himself. "Uncle Zhong, please, don't—I'm not used to this, and I... I don't swing that way..."

Uncle Zhong nearly spat blood. He shouted, "Let us see your behind!"

With those words, Old Song, in the midst of drinking his tea, sprayed it all over Uncle Zhong's face, then coughed violently. His complexion turned ashen as he suddenly recalled all those times he and Uncle Zhong bathed together in the mountains, baring all.

Meanwhile, Song Xiaoyu, who was handling the teaware, stood agape, her mouth so wide it could have fit an apple. "Uncle Zhong, isn't this a bit too much excitement?"

Uncle Zhong wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Old Song, have you forgotten how our ancestors came to this place?"

"Weren't they being hunted?" Old Song asked.

"Wrong! It was because of the behind—no, because of the Undying Phoenix! We are the Undying Longevity Sect. Each of our sect masters has been chosen by the Undying Phoenix, inheriting its legacy. Later, the sect master was ambushed with a celestial formation and perished, and the Undying Phoenix became the Undying Egg. Everyone thought the Phoenix was gone, but when I went to see... the Phoenix manifested! The girl said the Phoenix entered Brother Wuji's behind. So, I deduced that Wuji may have inherited the Phoenix's legacy! If that's the case, our sect might have hope of regaining its place among the ten great sects of the world!"

"The behind!" Old Song jumped to his feet, his eyes blazing as he stared at Xie Wuji.

Xie Wuji had no idea what they were talking about, and immediately covered his rear, glancing nervously at the two uncles. Though both were thin, it was obvious they were martial artists. Now being eyed so ambiguously by the pair, Xie Wuji felt as though a swarm of ants was gnawing at him—utterly uncomfortable.

"W-what are you doing?" Xie Wuji stammered.

But at that moment, Uncle Zhong, catching Xie Wuji off guard, reached out and yanked. With a sharp rip, Xie Wuji's third pair of pants since arriving here met its demise.

Old Song stomped his foot, roaring, "Can't you be more gentle, damn it! That was my last pair of pants!"

Uncle Zhong, his knuckles white, pointed at Xie Wuji's behind and said to Old Song, "Look!"

At that instant, as if a dramatic overture had begun, both old men stared, eyes wide as saucers.

Song Xiaoyu, unable to process the scene, cried out, "Mother, have they all gone mad?" and fainted again.

On Xie Wuji's buttocks, a pair of wing-shaped birthmarks had appeared—fiery red, looking more like tattoos!

Uncle Zhong covered his mouth, biting his lip, tears streaming down his face. Old Song burst into loud, uninhibited sobs. "Ancestors! Our Undying Longevity Sect is saved! We might return to Tea Province—we can finally go home!"

The two old men embraced, weeping bitterly.

It was a while before Xie Wuji could piece together what had happened. It turned out that the villagers were all descendants of a certain sect whose master had cultivated the legendary Undying Phoenix technique—a peerless art, making its practitioner impervious to weapons, the greatest defensive skill under heaven. In other words, the ultimate shield.

However, the art had a flaw: the practitioner could not drink realgar wine, or the technique would be ruined. The sect's enemy used a beauty trap to trick the master into drinking, then their ten elders attacked him. Deprived of the Phoenix technique, the master fought valiantly but died.

Song Zhong and Song Xiao’s father, the famous Song Zang, second-in-command of the sect, risked everything to take some treasures and lead a group of survivors far away, eventually settling here. Over time, survival became the focus, and thoughts of revenge faded.

Song Xiao, Song Xiaoyu's father, said, "It seems the heavens have blessed us. The Undying Phoenix has returned at last. Brother Wuji, whether you agree or not, please, help us!"

"Let me think..." Xie Wuji tugged at his ruined pants. The weather was cold, and a split crotch offered no protection from the wind.

Feeling a bit guilty, Song Zhong began to remove his own pants, but Song Xiao quickly intervened. "What are you doing?"

"I tore Brother Wuji's pants, so I have to compensate him! This pair of white trousers has been with me ten years, never washed, and I have deep feelings for it. But for the sect master, even if it's just underwear, I'll give it up!" Song Zhong declared solemnly, entirely serious.

To Xie Wuji, the sight was sickening. This was no white pair of pants; it was shiny black, slick as leather, and a foul stench came off it from afar.

So Xie Wuji cupped his fists and said, "A true man fears not the wind at his crotch! Uncle Zhong, please keep your pants. Our friendship cannot be measured by a pair of trousers, and with the recent humidity, a little breeze might even do me good."

Song Zhong rose and returned the gesture. "Brother Wuji, you are truly noble. Then you agree to become our sect master?"

Xie Wuji thought luck was finally smiling upon him. Since he could be the leader here, what harm was there? He readily agreed, "No problem. So, how many of us are there?"

"Quite a few. The two of us brothers, you, and my daughter. That makes four," Song Xiao replied with a grin.

Xie Wuji nearly stumbled. Four people make a sect? One of the ten great sects? What nonsense!

But he could only force a smile and say nothing more.

Just then, Song Xiao seemed to remember something. "Brother Wuji, would you step aside?"

Puzzled, Wuji watched as Song Xiao retrieved a table leg support from beneath the square table—a book, dusted it off, and blew on it. "This is our sect’s greatest treasure, the Undying Phoenix Manual. Now that you bear the Phoenix’s legacy, follow its teachings to cultivate."

Xie Wuji's mouth twitched. "This book is the divine manual?"

"Indeed," Song Xiao confirmed.

"You use the sect's sacred manual as a table support?"

"It's complicated. Only those with the Phoenix's inheritance can practice the art. To others, the book is blank, but to the chosen, it is a true manual," Song Xiao explained.

"Father, you had me tear two pages for kindling the other day," Song Xiaoyu, now awake and tidying her hair, interjected.

Song Xiao's face soured. "Go patch up Wuji's pants, quickly..."

"Hmph!" Song Xiaoyu, clearly dissatisfied, left in a huff.

When Xie Wuji opened the Undying Phoenix Manual, the characters seemed to flutter in the air like erratic flies, reorganizing themselves into lines of verse. Strangely, he could understand it, and a clear blueprint formed in his mind.

The Undying Phoenix Manual was powerful, containing eight sets of techniques. The current one was a form of fist technique called the Grip of Immortality—a hard, iron-like style, nearly indestructible.

Back then, eight guardians of the sect had escaped with their disciples, each taking one technique for future recognition. Now, only one-eighth remained here.

Studying the methods, Xie Wuji couldn't help but immerse himself in practice. Outwardly, nothing seemed to change, but within, a tempest raged.

In that inner chaos, Xie Wuji suddenly saw a fiery red bird flying through the void, swelling in size as it soared. Pain gripped him.

The bird spoke in human tongue: "Foolish human, you dare try to absorb my spirit? Courting death! I’ll drain your energy for my revival!"

With that, the bird prepared to devour everything, but suddenly a golden light appeared in the chaos.

Within Xie Wuji’s inner world, a pair of golden eyes fixed on the bird. Seeing them, the Phoenix trembled.

"You... what are you?!"

But those eyes unleashed a powerful pressure, immobilizing the bird, and in a flash, shot forth a beam that shattered the Phoenix, which then dissolved into pure energy and was absorbed by the surrounding chaos.

Watching Xie Wuji cultivate, Song Xiao said, "Though our skills are modest, we should guard him. He seems to be comprehending the Phoenix technique. How much he gains depends on his own fate."