Chapter 158: Shameless Bird

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Shameless Bird

Perhaps because the news had spread so quickly, more and more disciples began arriving at the canteen. Some had already finished their meals and left earlier, only to return after hearing the latest gossip. Before long, the place was even more crowded than it had been when Sui Sui and Yizhou first arrived.

Needless to say, Sui Sui found the entire meal extremely stressful although he was busy gossiping. He could feel countless gazes falling on him from every direction.

If there weren’t a thousand pairs of eyes watching him, there were certainly at least eight hundred. Some were filled with admiration, others with jealousy, and a few carried such undisguised hostility that Sui Sui almost felt as though their owners were trying to bore holes through him with their eyes.

He had never imagined that simply sharing a meal with someone could attract this much attention.

Yizhou, too, seemed to have grown tired of the commotion. After finishing his food, he stood up and promptly pulled Sui Sui, who had also finished eating, away from the table. This was perhaps the one occasion when Sui Sui didn’t complain about his senior brother’s behavior. After all, he was just as eager to escape the canteen as Yizhou seemed to be.

By the time they returned to their courtyard, Yizhou showed no intention of entering his room. Instead, he stopped outside and told Sui Sui that he had something to do and might not return that night. Before leaving, he reminded him not to forget their agreement and to be ready for training the following morning.

At the mention of tomorrow’s lesson, Sui Sui’s spirits immediately lifted. He had been looking forward to learning sword techniques from Yizhou ever since they made their arrangement, and now that the first lesson was finally approaching, he couldn’t help feeling excited.

After Yizhou left, the courtyard gradually fell quiet. With no one else around, Sui Sui returned to his own room, intending to spend the rest of the day refining pills.

"So, was that your Senior Brother? Not bad, not bad. You’ve found yourself a pretty good furnace, kid."

The moment Sui Sui stepped into his room, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from the side, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He quickly turned toward the sound and found the bald red bird awake, sitting comfortably in its little nest as it regarded him with an oddly knowing expression.

Sui Sui blinked.

A furnace?

Did it mean a dual cultivation furnace? But how did this bird know about that?

His surprise must have been written all over his face, because the bird immediately let out a cheeky laugh "Hey, hey! Don’t look so surprised. Your entire body reeks of that other kid’s spiritual energy. I could practically smell him from here!"

The bird gave him a knowing look, then continued in a rather shameless tone, "Don’t worry, I won’t judge you. It’s perfectly normal to find yourself a Dao companion early, especially when your Yin and Yang physiques complement each other so well. You certainly have good taste, kid. You’ve managed to find yourself quite a catch with an extreme Yang!"

Hearing this, Sui Sui immediately became flustered.

"D-D-Dao companion? We’re not like that at all!" he stammered, his cheeks warming as he hurriedly denied the accusation. But that wasn’t even the most important thing. He quickly gathered himself and turned a wary gaze toward the bird. "And more importantly, how did you find out about my constitution?"

His expression grew guarded. The discovery of his Extreme Yin Constitution was no trivial matter. If word of it spread, he could easily become a target for cultivators seeking to exploit his physique. He had already gone to considerable lengths to keep it hidden, so how had this bird managed to see through his disguise?

More importantly, could it really be trusted?

If the bird showed even the slightest intention of coveting his Yin essence, Sui Sui was prepared to fight it to the death. He might not be strong enough to win, but that didn’t mean he would simply sit back and let himself be taken advantage of!

The bird seemed to notice his sudden change in attitude. It clicked its beak, looking almost offended by the suspicion.

"Do you really think you can hide your constitution from this great Venerable? Hmph! I happen to be particularly sensitive to these things. Even the slightest trace of Yin or Yang energy is difficult to escape my perception. Besides, that temporary contract between us allowed me to establish a connection with your spiritual energy, making it easier for me to sense what was hidden beneath your ordinary appearance."

It raised its head slightly, Seeing that Sui Sui was still listening, it continued, its tone taking on a more instructive edge.

"You really ought to be more careful about entering into contracts or forming spiritual connections with other people. Such connections aren’t always harmless. Once a connection is established, the other party may be able to sense things about you that you would normally keep hidden. Depending on the nature and strength of the contract, they might even be able to perceive your spiritual energy, constitution, or other peculiarities. You were lucky that the first person you formed such a connection with was me. If it had been someone with malicious intentions, you might have exposed yourself without even realizing it."

The bird puffed out its chest, looking every bit as arrogant as its words suggested. It seemed rather satisfied with the opportunity to lecture someone.

"Of course, you don’t have to worry about me. We belong to the same element, so your Yin essence is of no particular benefit to me. I have absolutely no reason to covet it. But that doesn’t mean everyone would be so accommodating!"

It paused, giving Sui Sui a look like seeing a poor comrade before continuing, this time with a more serious expression.

"An Extreme Yin Constitution is an exceptionally valuable physique. If other cultivators discovered what you were hiding, especially those who practice certain cultivation methods, they might see you as a walking treasure. Some would try to capture you and use your Yin essence to improve their cultivation, while others might even treat you as a living cultivation resource. Do you understand now why you should be careful?"

Sui Sui knew that what the bird said was right, but he still remained somewhat skeptical of the bird itself. What did it mean by being the same element? did it mean that it was also an extreme Yin person? was that so coincidental? Who is this bird really?

He wasn’t entirely sure whether the bird was telling the truth of not harboring bad intent towards him, but for now, he decided to take its words at face value.

He could always ask Yizhou about it later and see if there was anything wrong. Sometimes, the simplest solution was to ask someone more knowledgeable for help. Besides, he and Yizhou were in the same boat for the time being, so there was no harm in consulting him.

"Can you really sense it? Is it that obvious?" Sui Sui asked, still a little uneasy.

"To ordinary people, it shouldn’t be obvious. But to someone with a special affinity for Yin and Yang energy, like me, detecting it is still possible with a little effort. Your constitution is naturally concealed at your current cultivation level, so most people wouldn’t notice anything unusual. What really gave you away, though, was the contract." The bird tilted its head, giving Sui Sui a look as if saying he was stupid for not even knowing this.

It then gave Sui Sui a knowing look before continuing "You should really thank your Dao companion for covering you in his scent. It helps conceal your natural aura, making your energy appear more balanced rather than overwhelmingly Yin"

Sui Sui blinked, his attention immediately caught by one particular part of the bird’s explanation. What did Yizhou have to do with any of this?

"Huh? What do you mean? My Senior Brother covers my aura?" Sui Sui asked in surprise. But before the bird could say anything else, he quickly raised a hand and added, "Wait! And he’s NOT my Dao companion! Don’t go around making things up!"

"Huh? You didn’t know? You reek of that guy’s scent! When I first sensed you, I even mistook you for someone with a Yang affinity because of it. So you really didn’t know? Don’t you two do that kind of thing? How can you not know?" the bird asked.

Sui Sui stared at it, growing more confused by the second. What was it talking about? He lowered his head and glanced at himself, then looked back at the bird. He was beginning to suspect that they weren’t talking about the same thing at all.

"What kind of thing are you talking about?" Sui Sui asked cautiously.

"Dual cultivation, ah! You know, but the type where you use sex!" the bird answered without the slightest hesitation. To make sure Sui Sui understood, it even waved its wings around, making a few rather suggestive gestures.

Sui Sui’s eyes widened before his entire face turned bright red.

"No! We don’t do that at all, okay?! I’m innocent! We only exchange energy through small contact!" he hurriedly protested, practically tripping over his own words.

He was innocent! Completely innocent!

Well... aside from that one kiss, there really hadn’t been anything else between them. That didn’t count, right? It was only a kiss! And it wasn’t as though they had done anything beyond that!

The more Sui Sui thought about it, the more desperately he wanted to defend himself. Why did this bird have such a dirty mind?!

The bird gave him a long, doubtful look. Its expression practically said that it wasn’t convinced in the slightest.

"Uh-huh? Sure, whatever you say."

It didn’t seem particularly interested in arguing. Instead, it shifted its attention back to the matter at hand, though the knowing look in its eyes suggested it hadn’t forgotten Sui Sui’s flustered reaction.

"Anyway, since you did me the favor of letting me stay here, even if the place is a little small and not particularly impressive, I’ll give you a bit of advice."

It puffed out its chest slightly before continuing, adopting the air of a knowledgeable senior giving guidance to an inexperienced junior.

"Your constitution isn’t particularly easy to detect at your current cultivation level. But as you grow stronger, its aura will become more pronounced, and hiding it won’t be so simple. If you want to keep it concealed, you’ll need to learn certain techniques that can mask your constitution. Or..."

The bird deliberately dragged out the last word, glancing at Sui Sui with a rather meaningful expression and wiggled its non-existent eye brows.

"Just have sex. That works too. It won’t conceal your constitution permanently, of course, but as long as his essence remains inside you, his Yang energy can continue to mask your Yin aura."

Sui Sui froze.

For a moment, he could only stare at the bird, his face growing hotter with every word. He understood perfectly well what it was suggesting. In other words, if he wanted to keep his constitution hidden, he could simply... do that with Yizhou?

And not only that, he would have to let Yizhou...inside of him?

Ahhh!

Sui Sui couldn’t even bring himself to finish the thought. How could this bird be so shameless? Did it have no sense of embarrassment whatsoever? It spoke about such things as casually as if it were discussing the weather!