Chapter 119: Are You Convinced? [Please Subscribe!]

Since Shidandan had already expressed his stance so clearly, there was no need for any pretense. Zhou Yi quickly crouched down and carefully gathered every stone without letting a single one fall to the ground. He then packed them back into the ceramic jar, and with a wave of his hand, the jar was neatly tucked away.

Glancing down at his feet to ensure nothing was left behind, Zhou Yi finally exhaled in relief. As long as there was some gain, even grasshopper legs were meat.

Just then, two teams were already running toward Zhou Yi’s direction, abruptly interrupting his reverie.

So soon?

The first to return was the team led by Sophia. They carried huge bundles on their backs, and judging by the size, it was clear they had found quite a few remains.

Following behind were Ye Qing and his group, four people each carrying sizable bundles as well.

“Sect Leader, we found eight sets of skeletal remains. Additionally, there was one set found just outside the north gate. Although the body was burned, the hand was still clutching the door latch.”

Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes. This person wasn’t necessarily trying to open the gate for the Liang Emperor; more likely, they were trying to escape.

Sophia quickly added, “We searched seven sets of remains. Two of them are small, only reaching my waist in height, probably no older than ten years. Not sure if they were the ones captured.”

As she spoke, someone behind Sophia opened one of the bundles, revealing two petite skeletons. Zhou Yi glanced over and shook his head slightly.

“They look like adults, just dwarfs. Their spines and ribs were abnormally developed, and their skulls were indistinguishable from adults.’ Are they not back yet?”

Before anyone could answer, the fat man and Cheng Zhi appeared, carrying their own bundles. These two teams had gathered the least amount of findings.

Only the fat man and Cheng Zhi came forward, placing their bundles on the ground without opening them, simply smiling at Zhou Yi.

“No sign of any people.”

Zhou Yi understood—they had found something but didn’t want to reveal it just yet. Before he could speak further, a cold gust swept down from above.

Sophia reacted swiftly, leaping about three feet high, releasing a streak of fire that shot upward.

Zhou Yi looked up and saw a massive vulture swooping down. It spread its wings, which were four to five meters wide. What kind of mutated vulture was this, to be so enormous?

Zhou Yi had already formed an ice arrow in his hand and hurled it at the vulture’s eyes. The arrow was fast but still skimmed just over the top of the vulture’s head.

This vulture was no fool—agile and intelligent.

Skimming just above the grand hall, the vulture changed direction and soared upward. A few feathers were knocked loose and fluttered down. Everyone looked up, searching for the bird’s silhouette. It was moving too fast and was so large—it appeared desperate.

But what was it trying to do? Zhou Yi felt puzzled. Revenge?

Just a bird?

Before he could dwell on it further, the vulture changed direction again and dived down even faster, this time avoiding Sophia, who was evidently formidable, and headed straight for Zhou Yi.

No need to say more—Zhou Yi understood. This vulture wasn’t after anyone else; it was seeking revenge on him, likely knowing he had killed its former master and burned this Phantom Mountain.

Zhou Yi didn’t have time to form an ice arrow. He quickly dodged to the side. At the same time, Cheng Zhi threw a vine, which wrapped around the vulture’s neck. He held onto the remaining vine tightly, pulling with all his strength, hoping to stop the bird.

But the strength gap was overwhelming. Cheng Zhi was dragged into the air, and Zhou Yi, seeing this, immediately leapt repeatedly, landing on the remnants of the grand hall’s rooftop frame.

Sophia followed suit. Zhou Yi waved at those below who were still throwing things upward. The roof was already severely damaged, and such reckless attacks could harm their own people if the bird wasn’t killed outright.

“Stop! Don’t accidentally injure Cheng Zhi! A Su, aim for the vulture’s eyes! I’ll try to rescue Cheng Zhi!”

Sophia hurriedly jumped onto the roof. The vulture circled once and then dived again. Cheng Zhi, grasping the vine like a kite string, was being dragged behind the bird.

Zhou Yi clenched an ice arrow, hesitant to act rashly. With Cheng Zhi swaying behind as a tether, any slip could turn him into bird fodder.

The vulture’s eyes were sharp. It suddenly spotted Zhou Yi standing on the beam, folded its wings, and dove straight down at him. Zhou Yi shuddered—this reckless bird was suicidal.

Just as the vulture’s beak was about to pierce Zhou Yi’s body, he moved—not by dodging, but by springing upward, flipping over and landing squarely on the vulture’s back. With the ice arrow in hand, he sliced the vine wrapped around the bird’s neck.

The vulture let out a long cry, flapping its wings, turned around, and flew toward the northern side. Cheng Zhi fell, but reacted quickly, catching a crossbeam with a new vine and slowly descending to the ground, watching Zhou Yi being carried away by the vulture with frustration.

“What do we do? The master is still on the vulture’s back!”

Sophia grew anxious and waved to them.

“Stay put and don’t follow; the vulture seems smart—it’s only after the Sect Leader. If you go up too, you’re just throwing yourselves away.”

Her words were harsh, but everyone had seen the vulture’s abilities. It soared into the clouds, then plunged sharply toward the ground, clearly trying to shake Zhou Yi off its back. Attacking now might hit the wrong target.

The fat man slapped Cheng Zhi on the back and shouted, “What are you standing there for? Quickly lead the group to retreat. There’s no one left here, and all the remains are gathered. Ye Qing, lead your team out fast. We’ll split into two groups: the three of us will rescue the Sect Leader. You all withdraw first—otherwise, you won’t be of any help. If you get caught, you’re just a sacrifice.”

As if in response, the vulture swooped again, seizing a crossbeam of another building. With a crack, it crushed it, rolled several times on the opposite side, and took flight once more.

Ye Qing nodded and waved to the others. They, too, were carrying many items. Sophia took charge of the remains and hurried toward the north gate, where their horses were hidden on the mountain opposite.

As the group moved away, the fat man finally exhaled in relief. Cheng Zhi’s face remained anxious—after all, Zhou Yi had just risked himself to save him from the vulture.

“What do we do? How do we save the master? Do we all go up?”

The fat man slapped Cheng Zhi’s head, giving him a stern look, and said slowly:

“Are you stupid? Does our leader look like he’s about to die?”

Cheng Zhi was taken aback, confused. “What do you mean?”

“The baddest, see? I think the leader wants to tame that dumb bird, like training a hawk or taming a horse. Patience and skill outmatch it, so naturally, it can be subdued.

“But judging by how things look, it’ll take some time. We just watch and wait. If we have to kill the bird, the four of us will go up together. We can definitely take it down.”

Sophia glanced at the two men, flicked her wrist, and gathered the skeletal bundles from the ground. She, too, sensed that Zhou Yi intended to tame the vulture.

Her worries eased somewhat, but she still clenched a fireball in her left hand, ready for any emergency.

In the sky, Zhou Yi clung tightly to the vulture’s neck. The ice arrow in his hand was not used to stab but to guard against the bird turning to bite him.

Time and again, the vulture dove and rolled, but Zhou Yi held on to its feathers steadfastly, refusing to let go.

After an unknown duration, Zhou Yi’s arms tingled with numbness. The vulture finally landed—not on Phantom Mountain but on a nearby hillside.

Squatting on the slope, the vulture shook its head back and forth and ceased struggling.

Zhou Yi looked up, ice arrow raised, and cautiously descended.

Staring into the vulture’s eyes, Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow.

“Are you surrendering? Or shall we fly a few more rounds?”

The vulture stretched its neck and let out two loud, hoarse cries. The volume was so great it made Zhou Yi’s ears ring—likely audible in several nearby valleys.

“A loud mouth, huh? I think you’re still not convinced. No worries, I have plenty of time today. Let’s go for a few more flights, no breaks in between. I don’t mind the smell of the corpses on you. Let’s go!”

Zhou Yi took a step toward the vulture. The bird tilted its head slightly, saw his approach, and jumped backward twice in succession. This time it dared not call out and retracted its head, not extending it forward.

Zhou Yi smiled. A true submission needs to look like submission—this won’t do. It wants me to come running to it.

“I’m not killing you, not because I want to keep you around for fun, but because I think you still have value. Never mind, I’m too tired to argue. Let’s take it easy.”