Chapter 65: Hatching Bird Eggs

In the days that followed, Shen Xin seldom went out on missions. His focus shifted almost entirely to cultivation, for in less than five months, Sister Dan would take him to participate in the selection trials at the Holy City. Anyone who ranked in the top hundred of the trials would be granted permanent residency there.

According to Sister Dan, every year on the second day of the second lunar month—known as the Day of the Dragon Raising Its Head—exceptional espers from cities across the nation would flock to the Holy City, hoping for a stroke of luck. Should one advance, it would be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, soaring to new heights, transforming from a mere bird to a phoenix.

If he could enter the Holy City, he would be set for life. Even if he did nothing but occasionally act as a courier, enormous profits awaited. For example, a single Vitality Pill could fetch one million inside the Holy City, but two million outside. Bringing just a few hundred pills per trip could net billions.

Of course, that was only in theory. The reason the Vitality Pill was so expensive was its potent effects and limited production. Still, there were other goods to transport. With frequent trips each year, a few billion in profit was always within reach.

And if one became an honored guest of a powerful mortal family, even just a year could bring in earnings of a hundred or two hundred million.

Sister Dan said that the Holy City was not densely populated, with fewer than a hundred thousand residents, and only about three thousand true experts among them. Many were born in the city and awakened only minor abilities, yet still managed to stay.

Thus, to maintain its sacred status, the Holy City recruited talent from the outside world each year. Those with exceptional talent were often snatched up shortly after awakening their powers. Other espers could also gain residency through the selection trials.

The prospect of becoming a Holy City resident filled Shen Xin with motivation. Days flew by, and over twenty days passed in the blink of an eye. One day, as he sat meditating in his room, he suddenly heard a bird’s cry from the incubator.

“It hatched?” he exclaimed.

He rushed over and saw a fluffy, pale yellow chick. No, it was more like a large bird. Its head alone was as big as a fist, and because the incubator was too small, only its head had emerged while the rest remained trapped.

“Let me help you, little one.”

Shen Xin opened the incubator, lifted the egg out, and placed it on the floor. Before long, the chick broke free of its shell and chirped incessantly at him.

“You must be hungry,” Shen Xin said, feeding it a Spirit Nourishing Pill. After eating, the chick circled him without pause. The commotion drew Yu Yanan from the neighboring room, who gasped in delight at the sight.

“What a huge duck! So fluffy and cute—like a plush yellow duckling.”

“A yellow duckling?”

Shen Xin examined the chick, noticing its flattened beak, quite unlike the sharp beak of a Sky-Piercing Bird. He picked it up and found its webbed feet resembled those of a goose.

“Could this be a giant goose?”

“Who cares? It’s adorable. If you won’t raise it, I will. I’ll get some milk—just look how hungry it is.”

Yu Yanan, overflowing with affection, hurried out to fetch some milk, warming it before bringing it back. The little creature rushed over with its big feet, buried its head in the milk, and finished it in no time. When it was done, it stared expectantly at Yu Yanan.

“It still seems hungry! I’ll go slice some beef.”

Shen Xin quickly intervened. “I already gave it a Spirit Nourishing Pill.”

“It’s too small for that, it needs real nutrition. Leave it to me.”

In the end, Yu Yanan cut up a plate of beef, at least two or three pounds, and the chick devoured it all in short order, honking as it ate.

The sound of its honking nearly made Shen Xin faint. It was undeniably either a duck or a goose now.

“My precious Sky-Piercing Bird—how did it turn into a giant goose?”

Still holding out hope, Shen Xin called his parents to ask about their egg. To his astonishment, theirs had hatched too. His mother sounded thrilled. “Son, it’s a giant goose, so lively! It can eat three pounds of grain in one meal. Once it’s grown, it’ll weigh three or four hundred pounds. No wonder it sells for millions—if it were in a zoo, the crowds would be overwhelming!”

Shen Xin hung up in silence, then collapsed onto his bed in despair. “Oh, my Sky-Piercing Bird, where are you?”

Yu Yanan, hands on her hips, stormed in, shouting, “Crying again? You’re a grown man, stop whining! What’s wrong with a giant goose? Do you look down on geese or something?”

Shen Xin immediately fell silent, not daring to argue further. A goose it was, then. If it got big enough, maybe it could even be used as a mount.

Days passed, and the goose grew rapidly, eating prodigious amounts: three or four pounds of rice, a big carton of milk, and a Spirit Nourishing Pill every day. After a month, it already stood two meters tall and weighed over a hundred pounds. Among geese, it was a veritable titan.

Still, it hadn’t molted, remaining fluffy and soft. Yu Yanan named it Big Yellow, a name Shen Xin found a bit rustic, but under her fierce insistence, he had no choice but to accept.

Big Yellow might have been a simple name, but the goose seemed to love it. Whenever called, it would flap its wings, waddle over, and honk incessantly, begging for food.

It was quite affectionate, too. Shen Xin had little time to play with it, busy with his cultivation, but Yu Yanan took it everywhere. Sometimes, Tang Ziran would bring snakes for Big Yellow. Shen Xin, terrified of snakes, would retreat instinctively, but the goose devoured them without hesitation.

“Ziran, are you sure it’s safe to feed it snakes?” Shen Xin asked, worried.

Tang Ziran replied with confidence, “Of course! Geese are natural enemies of snakes.”

“That’s wonderful!” Shen Xin, afraid of snakes himself, was relieved to have a goose that was their nemesis. To test its prowess, he drove a small truck with Big Yellow to Snake City and, after asking some locals, found the area with the most snakes.

When Big Yellow saw the ground writhing with serpents, it honked with glee and gulped them down as if eating spicy snacks. The snakes, in turn, fled in terror at the sight of the goose, desperate to escape.

“Well done, Big Yellow! You’ve finally made something of yourself!”

“Honkhonk!” Big Yellow flapped its few feathers, proud as could be.

Still, too much snake wasn’t good, so after a couple of days, Shen Xin brought the goose back.

Another month went by, and December arrived. The weather had cooled for good, though it wasn’t truly cold. In Ox City, only the depths of winter lasted a month or two, with roasting heat from May until late October. Summer, in this city, seemed to stretch on for half the year.

By now, Big Yellow could hardly be called that—it had become a giant white goose. With its head held high, it reached a height of three meters and weighed two hundred pounds. It was a spectacle on the street, drawing crowds wherever it went.

Fortunately, Tang Ziran had managed to tame it somewhat. Its aggression had lessened. As long as it wasn’t attacked, or unless given an order, it wouldn’t go on the offensive.

Yu Yanan, at her wit’s end, renamed it Big White. Shen Xin still didn’t like the name, but didn’t object—surely this name would stick, since a white goose couldn’t possibly change color.

Now, Big White had become a local powerhouse. Even when facing the five exotic beasts kept in the courtyard, it showed not the slightest fear—defiant and ever ready to fight.

Of course, each time it was slapped away by an exotic beast, sent flying far and wide.

But Big White was tough as nails, its feathers as hard as steel. Whenever it was thrown, it would lower its head and charge right back in, brimming with fighting spirit!