Chapter 155: Great Figure

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Great Figure

The next instant, a rather familiar balding bird flapped its way into the room.

"Ah! What took you so long? This esteemed one has been knocking for ages! If I had a slightly shorter temper, I would have smashed your window and flown straight in!" the bird complained the moment it entered, puffing out its chest as though Sui Sui had committed some unforgivable offense by making it wait.

Sui Sui stared shocked at the familiar sight, then glanced toward the window before turning back to the bird. "Ah? What are you doing here? And how did you even find me?"

"Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten your promise to me?" The bird gave him an indignant look. "Besides, have you forgotten that we still have a contract? As long as that contract remains, this esteemed one can find you wherever you go!"

Only then did Sui Sui remember their earlier agreement, now he remembered what he thought he forgot.

He quickly reached into his storage space and retrieved the bottle of spiritual liquid he had prepared for the bird.

"Here, this is what I promised you."

The moment the bottle appeared, the bird’s attention was immediately drawn to it. Its beady eyes followed Sui Sui’s hand, the instant the bottle was within reach, it snatched it from his hand with its beak and held it close, inspecting its contents with obvious satisfaction.

"By the way, there’s something you should know." After securing its precious reward, the bird suddenly cleared its throat. Its tone had taken on an unusually serious quality, although the slight hesitation in its voice made Sui Sui wonder what it was about to say.

Sui Sui raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"You see, uhh..." The bird shifted its gaze away for a moment before puffing out its chest again. "This is partly your fault, you know! I used up almost all my energy helping you earlier, and it’ll take quite some time before I can recover. On top of that, those old fogies from your sect are still hot on my trail. So, since you’re partly responsible for my current predicament, you have to let me stay here and keep me hidden. Understand?"

Sui Sui stared at it, momentarily speechless.

Sui Sui nearly rolled his eyes. If he thought about it, hadn’t he been the one who told the bird to run away in the first place? The bird had been the one insisting on going on a rampage just to find something to eat, and now it was somehow making him responsible for the consequences. What strange reasoning!

Still, he couldn’t deny that he was partly at fault, especially since the bird had indeed used up quite a bit of energy helping him earlier. In the end, Sui Sui decided not to argue over such a trivial matter.

"Okay, but there’s something I need to tell you first. My Senior Brother also lives here, so if possible, please don’t bother him. He doesn’t have a very good temper, and for the sake of both our lives, I really, really hope you won’t interact with him," Sui Sui said, his expression unusually earnest.

He even glanced toward the neighboring room as he spoke, as though worried Yizhou might suddenly appear and overhear their conversation. After all, he wasn’t exaggerating. If the bird somehow managed to annoy his Senior Brother, there was no telling what might happen. He would rather not have to deal with the aftermath.

The bird seemed rather displeased by the warning. It puffed up its chest, looking as though it wanted to argue that it wasn’t afraid of some mere human. However, after taking another look at Sui Sui’s serious expression, it eventually swallowed its protest and gave a reluctant nod.

"Fine! This esteemed one has no interest in bothering or interacting with you humans anyway!"

Sui Sui finally relaxed a little. At least the bird had agreed. Whether it would actually remember to keep its distance was another matter, but for now, he decided to trust its word.

There was still one more thing to take care of. Since the bird would be staying with him for a while, he couldn’t very well let it sleep just anywhere. Sui Sui thought for a moment before remembering the small beds he had recently bought for MuMu. Fortunately, he had purchased several, so there was no need to go out and buy another one.

He reached into his storage space, took out one of the little beds, and carefully placed it in front of the bird.

The bird lowered its head and inspected the bed, looking from one end to the other. It then took a few steps back, tilted its head, and stared at the tiny thing as though Sui Sui had just presented it with the greatest insult of its life.

"...What is this?"

"A bed," Sui Sui answered matter-of-factly.

"I can see that! Do you take this esteemed one for a hatchling? How am I supposed to sleep in something this small?!"

The bird flapped its wings indignantly, its few remaining feathers sticking out in every direction. It looked as though it wanted to kick the bed aside, but after another glance at its own nearly featherless body, it seemed to remember that it wasn’t exactly in a position to make demands.

Sui Sui blinked at it. "But it’s quite comfortable, plus, I’ve got nothing else."

the bird snapped. "This esteemed one deserves something better!"

Despite its complaints, the bird eventually hopped onto the little bed, turning around several times as though reluctantly testing its comfort. It then settled down, still wearing an expression of profound dissatisfaction.

—

The next morning, when Sui Sui woke up, the first thing he did was check on the bird. As expected, it was still fast asleep on the little bed, probably recuperating its energy as it had said. Its tiny body was curled up, with its few remaining feathers sticking out in different directions.

It seemed to be sleeping quite soundly, so Sui Sui decided not to disturb it and went about his morning routine instead.

After washing his face and tidying himself up, he stepped out of his room.

Unexpectedly, Yizhou was already awake.

He was standing in the courtyard, practicing his swordsmanship. His upper body was bare, with his outer robe nowhere in sight.

An ordinary looking sword flashed through the air in his hand, its blade tracing clean, precise arcs as he moved through one technique after another.

His movements were fluid yet powerful, each step perfectly measured, each turn executed with effortless control. There was no wasted motion in his practice. Even a seemingly simple swing carried a force that made the air tremble faintly around the blade.

A thin layer of sweat glistened across his exposed shoulders and chest, catching the morning light whenever he moved. More had gathered along his collarbones and trailed down his well-defined abdomen, leaving a faint sheen on his skin.

His long hair was loosely tied behind him, though a few strands had escaped and clung to the sides of his face. Despite the intensity of his movements, his breathing remained steady, as though this level of exertion was nothing more than a casual morning exercise.

Sui Sui couldn’t help but stop and watch.

Wow! So this is the protagonist’s might! So cool ah!

He had known that Yizhou was powerful, of course, but seeing him practice up close was an entirely different experience. Every movement looked so effortless, yet Sui Sui could tell that there was considerable skill behind each strike. No wonder Yizhou had become such a renowned genius at such a young age!

But as he continued watching, Sui Sui couldn’t help noticing something else.

His Senior Brother really did have an excellent figure!

Yizhou wasn’t excessively muscular, but his physique was well-proportioned, with just the right amount of definition. His shoulders were broad, his chest firm, and his abdomen toned with a clearly defined set of abs. Even the distinct V-line along his waist was perfectly shaped. It was the kind of physique that looked as though it belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine.

If Yizhou were in the modern world, he could probably make a living as a model without even trying!

Sui Sui stared for another moment before suddenly feeling a little warm.

...Why does it feel so hot?

He blinked and quickly looked away, wondering if it was simply because he had been standing under the morning sun for too long.

"Junior Brother, do you like the view?"

Yizhou’s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

He had already stopped his practice and lowered his sword. Turning toward Sui Sui, he wore a faint smile as he approached, looking rather pleased with himself.

Sui Sui blinked, only then realizing that he had been caught staring. A little embarrassed, he quickly looked away and scratched his cheek.

"Uh, hehe... Is that the sect’s sword technique, Senior Brother? You’re really good at it!"

He tried to sound casual, hoping that a little flattery would be enough to divert Yizhou’s attention.

"Mm. Why? Have you not learned it?" Yizhou asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I really haven’t." Sui Sui gave an awkward smile. After all, as a probationary disciple, he hadn’t been taught these kinds of techniques yet. Now that he was primarily known as an alchemist, he had even fewer opportunities to learn martial arts. Besides, sword techniques were generally taught to disciples who specialized in martial cultivation, so it wasn’t particularly surprising that he had never had the chance to practice them.

"Then, do you want to learn?" Yizhou asked, seemingly making the offer on a whim.

Sui Sui’s eyes immediately lit up. "Can I really?" after seeing Yizhou’s cool movement, Sui Sui was even more interested, plus he is already planning to learn martial arts anyway, why not just ask to best right?

"Of course. This Senior Brother can teach you the basics." Yizhou’s lips curved into a faint smile, but before Sui Sui could get too excited, he added, "However, there’s a small condition."

The excitement on Sui Sui’s face paused. He looked at Yizhou, suddenly feeling that there was probably more to this offer than he had initially thought.

"Uhhh... What condition?"

"Nothing much. Just accompany me for a meal, ba."

Sui Sui blinked, looking at him for a moment. Was that all? He had been expecting something much more troublesome.

"A Meal?"

"Yes, A Meal"