47. Aerial Battle Rooster

After devouring most of the elixirs in the Alchemy Hall, the flock of Fire-Tailed Fowl moved at astonishing speed. Cultivators, flying atop their artifacts, quickly grew weary, and before long, the Grand Elder could no longer keep pace. Panting heavily, he returned to the ground.

“These beasts, why do they fly so fast?” Ding Desheng spat in frustration, feeling as though he’d been toyed with.

“These Fire-Tailed Fowl are surprisingly clever. Inside the Alchemy Hall, they only ate pills with low spiritual energy. The ones brimming with potent energy, they left untouched. It seems they know their bodies can’t handle something like a Ninefold Elixir—they’d explode on the spot,” Dongmen Yong remarked with a sigh.

“Master, are you just going to stand by and let them fly away?” Ding Desheng protested, unwilling to accept it. He had poured immense effort into breeding these fowl, reluctant to eat even a single one, all to expand their flock.

Dongmen Yong clasped his hands behind his back. “What’s there to fear? Our Danxia Sect has the Danxia Immortal Array. Aside from the main gate, no one inside can leave, and outsiders cannot enter. No matter how those Fire-Tailed Fowl leap and flutter, they won’t escape.”

The Danxia Immortal Array was one of the sect’s treasured defenses, a source of their enduring strength and prestige.

Ding Desheng simmered with anger, yet had no outlet for it. Just then, a disciple announced, “Elder, Master—we found a trail of footprints in the coop!”

“What?!” Ding Desheng seized on the moment and strode inside. Sure enough, several footprints marked the earth—the very ones left by Xie Wuyi, who, in the darkness, hadn’t noticed what he’d left behind.

“It seems someone drugged the Fire-Tailed Fowl, making them go mad,” Ding Desheng declared. “Judging by the prints, the left foot is deep and the right shallow—a left-handed person. Immediately question all left-handed disciples and ask what they were doing last night!”

Unbeknownst to him, Xie Wuyi had worn nightwear previously used by Elder Qin Shou, a staunch right-handed man who had raised the left sole higher. When Xie Wuyi wore them, the soles were restored, making the left foot appear heavier.

With Ding Desheng’s furious command, no one dared delay, and word spread quickly.

Xie Wuyi, after tidying up, had drifted into a brief nap, but was soon roused by a clamorous commotion. Puzzled, he opened his eyes to find a proud rooster laughing in his room, surrounded by hens filling the floor.

Stunned, he was about to rise when he discovered his bed littered with eggs.

“This must be a dream!” Xie Wuyi shut his eyes again, but after some time, upon waking once more, he found the Fire-Tailed Fowl still lingering, docilely clustering around him.

Xie Wuyi was at a loss. Dressed in only his thin inner robes, he bolted outside, and to his surprise, the flock followed him.

“How are you all here?” Xie Wuyi exclaimed.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” The rooster king crowed incessantly, as if answering him.

“Go back quickly, or I’ll be in trouble!” Xie Wuyi pleaded.

But the Fire-Tailed Fowl were reluctant to leave. The immortal bird aura emanating from Xie Wuyi made him seem like their father.

Unable to bring himself to harm them, Xie Wuyi watched these loyal creatures and felt it unreasonable to slaughter such obedient animals.

Suddenly, he noticed a silk handkerchief on the table. He sighed as he picked it up—it was left behind by Dongmen Qianyun.

“As expected of the Second Miss’s silk, it carries such a delicate fragrance. If there were more, this dull wooden hut would be filled with a woman’s scent,” Xie Wuyi mused with a smile.

But as soon as he spoke, the Fire-Tailed Fowl began to file out, lining up in an impressive procession.

Xie Wuyi was caught off guard. If the fowl were leaving, it was a relief—at least he wouldn’t be seen with them and avoid further trouble.

He hadn’t anticipated that his last words would nearly cause disaster.

The Fire-Tailed Fowl soared out like a barrage, swarming across the sky like migrating geese.

Not far away, three junior sisters were strolling and chatting.

“Do you think Senior Brother Dongmen Jianhao—he’s so handsome and doesn’t have a Dao companion yet—do you think I could become his Dao companion?” one lively sister asked.

Another laughed, “You don’t know how many are vying for Senior Brother Dongmen! He’s the eldest son of the Sect Master and destined to be the next leader of Danxia Sect. If you became his Dao companion, you’d be the Sect Mistress. Dream on!”

“I actually think he and Senior Brother Baili would make a good pair. Don’t you see how beautiful Senior Brother Baili is? So stunning, he makes all women feel inferior,” the third sister said, stars in her eyes.

“Ugh…” The other two were speechless.

Just then, three Fire-Tailed Fowl blocked their path, startling them.

“What’s going on? Aren’t these the Grand Elder’s Fire-Tailed Fowl?”

Suddenly, one of the fowl darted into a junior sister’s arms, tugging and pulling until her red undergarment was pulled out from her clothes.

The three sisters gave chase, shouting, “You lecherous bird, give back my undergarment!”

The fowl, swift as lightning, vanished with a flap, carrying the three garments in its beak toward the wooden hut.

Meanwhile, in Lady Ding’s courtyard—the wife of the Sect Master and Ding Desheng’s sister—a knocking sounded at the window.

Annoyed, Lady Ding grumbled, “Who is it? Can’t you use the front door?”

She went to open the window, only to find a Fire-Tailed Fowl perched there, staring silently at her for half a minute.

Perplexed, Lady Ding began to speak, but the fowl darted forward and snatched her undergarment in a flash.

Her face blanched, then flushed with embarrassment. “Stop—stop right there, you wretched beast!”

Pampered and unaccustomed to such chaos, Lady Ding was caught off guard as the fowl fled with her undergarment.

Throughout Danxia Sect, women suffered the same fate: the Fire-Tailed Fowl, indiscriminate, snatched the undergarments of any woman they saw, all rushing in the same direction.

Danxia Sect was in uproar; female disciples and masters alike were in turmoil. Outside Ding Desheng’s door, a crowd had gathered.

“You old scoundrel, come out!”

“To think the esteemed Grand Elder would commit such shameful acts—shame on you!”

“You turtle! Come out and give us back our undergarments!”

The doorway was packed with clamoring voices.

Ding Desheng was utterly bewildered, hastily protesting, “Ladies, perhaps there’s been some misunderstanding?”

“Misunderstanding? Everyone knows you bred those Fire-Tailed Fowl and spend all day playing in the coop. We thought you were up to something good—now it turns out you taught those birds to do this! You old lecher, go die!” A plump female disciple, beside herself with rage, hurled her embroidered shoe, striking Ding Desheng squarely on the face.

Back at the wooden hut, Xie Wuyi stood with mouth agape, utterly astounded. Opening the door, he was greeted by a mountain—built entirely from women’s undergarments.

He swallowed hard. “You foolish birds… you’re going to be the death of me!”

Biting his lip, Xie Wuyi realized his casual words had become law to the fowl. Did this mean they obeyed everything he said?

Thinking it over, Xie Wuyi ordered, “Take these things to Elder Ding and let him return them to the innocent female disciples.”

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” The flock, as if following his command, began collecting the undergarments.