CHAPTER 1523: CHAPTER 1524: LITTLE HEI

"Before I turned eight, I lived in the countryside. When I was a child, I would follow Grandma to dig lotus roots in the fields. Occasionally, she would say that bitter birds were the reincarnation of bad daughters-in-law; they had mistreated their mothers-in-law in their past lives, which is why they suffer from hunger and cold in this life, constantly wailing."

At this point, Yan Zisu pointed to a slightly shaking patch of grass below and said, "Look, it’s sticking its head out."

The bitter bird is actually a type of water bird, commonly known as a moorhen. They’re relatively small and feed on aquatic small animals like snails and fish, as well as grains.

You looked down and saw an adult bitter bird leading four entirely black chicks on a walk under the grass, pecking at the insects there.

"Staying in such a small place is a bit stuffy. How about we go down and have some fun? Anyway, the show won’t start until four or five o’clock." You suddenly asked Yan Zisu beside you.

Yan Zisu nodded slightly. Honestly, there’s not even a book here, and she’s been feeling bored for a while. If you weren’t there, she might have tried to figure out a way to leave already.

"Are you afraid of heights?"

You asked.

Seeing Yan Zisu shake her head, you smiled and said, "Not being afraid of heights makes it easy."

Then, you took two steps back, turned around, and bent over towards Yan Zisu: "Climb onto my back; I’ll carry you down."

Yan Zisu hesitated for a moment, then obediently held onto your back, wrapping her arms around your neck and her legs instinctively around your waist. The height difference between the two of you is only about ten centimeters. If not for your sturdy build, an ordinary person might find even taking a few steps difficult, especially since Yan Zisu is considered quite tall even among girls.

Seeing Yan Zisu move so skillfully, you couldn’t help but laugh: "Your dad must have carried you on his back a lot when you were little."

"It was Grandpa. When I was a child in the countryside, Grandfather always carried me like this."

You smiled, then climbed onto the windowsill, which had a thick drain pipe attached to it. Although the brackets fixing it were rusty, the pipe was still very sturdy. With Yan Zisu on your back, you gripped the pipe with your strong hands like clamps, making sure she felt no shaking at all.

After that, you alternated your hands gradually lowering yourselves, moving steadily and powerfully.

At first, Yan Zisu on your back didn’t notice much. After all, you were both wearing clothes.

However, as you carried her down using the pipe, perhaps due to nervousness, she hugged you tighter.

That broad touch made you inwardly exclaim: "Jade Emperor, Jesus, Saint Maria Ozawa!"

You easily touched down on the ground, feeling pleased and admiring Zisu’s abundant assets.

Before the two of you reached the ground, the bitter bird mother had already led its chicks into the grass.

However, one chick seemed oblivious to the commotion, leisurely pecking at the seeds and occasionally making sharp calls.

After reaching the ground, Yan Zisu bashfully let go of your back, bowing her head slightly. To hide her embarrassed emotions, she hurried forward to pick up the little bitter bird that was happily eating.

Strangely enough, the little bitter bird wasn’t afraid of strangers. It looked up with bright eyes, blinking at Yan Zisu.

Animals rely on scent and energy to communicate with each other, and humans naturally have unique energy too. However, Yan Zisu is an exception. From her, the little bitter bird couldn’t detect any unusual energy. Perhaps it was too young to understand, or maybe her energy was exceptionally weak. Nonetheless, it seemed very happy seeing Yan Zisu.

"Interesting, this little guy doesn’t seem afraid of you." Just as you started to speak, the little bitter bird chirped and struggled to escape.

Yan Zisu then placed the little bitter bird on the ground, just as the bitter bird mother poked its head out and called, prompting the chick to run to its mother and disappear into the grass.

Watching the bitter birds leave, Yan Zisu said, "I wasn’t very sociable as a child and didn’t like playing with others. Aside from Grandpa and Grandma, I rarely talked to anyone. Grandpa had a dog named Little Hei, and whenever he did farm work, it was Little Hei who played with me."

At this point, Yan Zisu’s voice lowered, as if touching a tender spot within her heart.

You gently pulled Yan Zisu’s slightly cool, jade-like hand and softly said, "Since you can remember Little Hei now, it means Little Hei always lives on in your memories. No matter what, it’s always beautiful."

Little Hei—well, in the countryside, any black dog is called Little Hei. Your family’s Little Hei is living quite comfortably now. Lin Panxia and Xian Qianling have spoiled it endlessly, and Little Hei even takes on the role of a police dog at times, performing efficiently.

Yan Zisu looked up at you with a gentle smile and nodded, "Little Hei was ten years old when it died. Grandma said it’s rare for a native dog to live that long; it had already reached an old age."

"That’s right, that’s how you should think."

"Even so, I was sad for a long time. Strangely, during that period, I dreamt about Little Hei every night. It would accompany me to play everywhere, and in the dreams, I could communicate with Little Hei." At this point, Yan Zisu looked up at you, appearing hesitant.

Seeing this, you didn’t say much and simply smiled at her, knowing this was a moment for Yan Zisu to make her own choices. What she was going to say next was bound to be her personal secret.

After a moment’s silence, Yan Zisu finally spoke, "What I’m saying might sound odd, but it truly happened to me."

You pulled Yan Zisu’s hand again, smiling, "Speak, I’ll listen."

When she’s with you, Yan Zisu’s heart is often in a floating state, not hollow, but relaxed and free. It’s like when she would lay on her grandfather’s broad back as a child, her small body and heart rising and falling with the bumps of the fields and mountain paths. It’s a feeling of her body and soul flying like a bird, free as can be.

"The dream continued for a long time until I returned to the city. After coming back, I no longer dreamt of Little Hei. But for some reason, I started hearing strange sounds afterwards."

"What sounds?" You asked.

"I couldn’t distinguish them. There were all sorts of sounds. As soon as these sounds entered my ears, they quickly turned into some odd meanings. I seemed to understand, and yet I didn’t."

Upon hearing this, you realized that Yan Zisu might have had her superpowers stimulated. Master Chen Houtu had said before that superpowers are mostly not innate but arise due to certain conditions afterwards. Superpowers differ from martial arts as they cannot be acquired through deliberate cultivation, but they manifest in those who naturally carry the genetic predisposition under special circumstances.

At this moment, Yan Zisu showed a hint of dismay on her face— the first time since you’ve known her that you’ve seen this expression on her. You immediately embraced Yan Zisu, holding her close to your chest, leaning against the ivy-covered, mottled wall.

"There’s no one else here. Go ahead and say whatever you want to."