“I knowww, Sis…”
With her cheeks still being pinched, Fang Qian tried to beg for mercy, but Fang Yi had no intention of letting her off so easily.
She was clearly furious over her sister’s reckless behavior.
Only Fang Yi truly understood just how powerful Bai Qiu was.
The mana pressure he had released alone had been enough to injure her and nearly blow her off the mountaintop—and this was a peak over three thousand meters high.
If both sides hadn’t been consciously holding back out of concern for her safety, she might already be dead.
“You say you’re sorry every single time, but you never learn! Do you realize how dangerous that was just now?!”
Fang Yi scolded sternly.
Still, she slowly released her grip and took a deep breath.
“I’ll deal with you properly after we get back.”
She shot her sister a fierce glare.
Having narrowly escaped further punishment, Fang Qian immediately hid beside Bai Qiu.
Bai Qiu remained silent.
Fang Yi was right.
Had he not restrained himself at the last moment, Fang Qian would certainly have been injured.
The girl was simply far too reckless, nothing like someone who had survived the hardships of the apocalypse.
“Hehe! Mama Bird, Papa Bird, Big Brother Uncle is a good person! He even saved my sister and me before!”
Holding onto Bai Qiu’s arm, Fang Qian’s cheerful voice swept through the tense standoff like a gentle breeze, easing the suffocating atmosphere.
The Skyvault Silver Falcon flapped one wing and cried out repeatedly, seemingly saying something.
To Bai Qiu’s surprise, Fang Qian responded as though she could understand every word.
Thus began a lengthy conversation.
…
Twenty minutes later.
“Since you’ve agreed to let me take them away, I have no intention of continuing this conflict. Let’s consider this matter settled.”
Bai Qiu spoke calmly.
The negotiations had gone surprisingly smoothly.
Only after asking did Bai Qiu learn that Fang Qian possessed a skill called Benevolent Resonance.
As long as the other party harbored goodwill toward her, whether animal or otherwise, she could communicate with them without any barriers.
Bai Qiu found himself becoming increasingly curious about these three girls.
Time and time again, they somehow managed to escape certain danger, as though fortune itself favored them.
It was no exaggeration to say that if Bai Qiu had been as weak as they were, he would have died countless times already.
For that reason, he agreed to let them travel with him.
However, he imposed one condition:
He wanted to know all of their status panels and skill information.
As the leader of the party, he would have complete authority over the distribution of experience, the allocation of rewards, and every strategic decision.
In return, he would guarantee the safety of all three of them.
That said, the truth was that Bai Qiu simply couldn’t bear to abandon three helpless children in such a perilous wilderness.
The conditions he set were merely meant to teach them that nothing in this world came for free.
And if something truly was free…
It was often the most expensive of all.
“Screee! Screee!”
The Skyvault Silver Falcon called out twice to Fang Qian.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
“Big Brother Uncle, Mama Bird says she wants to take us back for a little while! She has something she wants to give us! And she also said she can carry us out of Cloud-Severing Heights!”
She tugged excitedly on Bai Qiu’s cloak.
Clearly, she understood that once Bai Qiu had agreed to form a party, he alone held the authority to make decisions.
Bai Qiu nodded.
“If that’s the case, then I have no objections. Go ahead. I’ll follow not far behind.”
If the two Skyvault Silver Falcons had truly intended to attack, they would have done so long ago.
Even Bai Qiu found facing both of them at once to be an intimidating prospect, so he had no desire to provoke another conflict.
After all, his primary objective remained the same—
To reach the Great Ruins and uncover more information about Sky Island.
With that settled, Fang Qian, Fang Yi, and Wang Lin climbed onto the backs of the Skyvault Silver Falcons.
Their petite bodies quickly disappeared into the birds’ thick, silvery plumage.
“Mama Bird, we’re ready! You can take off now!”
Fang Qian called out happily.
She had originally wanted to invite Bai Qiu to ride with them, but considering the delicate relationship between him and the falcons, she ultimately decided against it.
The Skyvault Silver Falcon let out a cry and spread its wings, soaring into the sky.
Its mate took flight as well, remaining close at its side the entire time.
Bai Qiu wasted no time.
He waited until the two falcons had flown about a kilometer ahead before activating Wind Control.
Using his mana barriers as footholds to propel himself forward, he shot through the air like a jet aircraft.
It didn’t take long for him to catch up.
Of course, that was only because the Skyvault Silver Falcons had deliberately slowed down.
With the three girls riding on its back, the falcon’s flight speed was less than two hundred meters per second.
Wang Lin cautiously poked her head out.
Her twin cat-ear braids whipped wildly in the wind as she looked behind them.
To her astonishment, Bai Qiu was actually flying through the air, keeping pace with the Skyvault Silver Falcons with ease—even while wearing what appeared to be an incredibly heavy suit of armor beneath his cloak.
It was simply unbelievable.
She ducked her head back down and whispered to Fang Yi beside her, “He actually caught up… And he’s even wearing armor that looks that heavy under his cloak. How in the world is that even possible?”
“Come on, Lin, don’t overthink it.”
Fang Yi smiled faintly.
“I’m sure that’s only a fraction of what he’s capable of. The fact that he’s willing to let us join his party and level with him is already incredibly generous. Just don’t end up offending him by saying something you don’t really mean.”
She never told her younger sister or Wang Lin that Bai Qiu wasn’t actually an Archer-class profession.
Since he clearly had no intention of revealing it himself, she wouldn’t bring it up either.
Everyone had their own secrets.
Well…
Everyone except her rather scatterbrained little sister.
The nest was only a few dozen kilometers away.
For the Skyvault Silver Falcons, it took barely five minutes to reach it.
After seeing them arrive, Bai Qiu chose not to follow.
Instead, he landed atop the nearest neighboring peak.
Just because the falcons had agreed to reconcile didn’t mean he could casually step into their nest.
After all, it was where they raised their chick and stored everything they depended on for survival.
To avoid stirring their natural instincts or making them feel threatened, Bai Qiu decided to wait for them to finish before they came down on their own.
…
Fang Qian gently stroked the Skyvault Silver Falcon chick, which stood a full head taller than she did.
Its downy feathers were remarkably soft and dense, allowing it to withstand the frigid winds atop its nest more than five thousand meters above sea level.
The moment the chick saw Fang Qian and the others, it happily flapped its tiny wings.
Whenever its parents went out hunting or patrolling their territory, the three girls had secretly fed it treats.
Before long, they had completely won over its trust and affection.
…
Just outside the enormous nest atop the mountain stood a massive ginkgo tree.
Its branches were covered with clusters of pale green fruits.
Among them, however, hung the occasional bunch of large, brilliant silver fruits, decorating the treetop while releasing an enchanting fragrance.
The Skyvault Silver Falcon stretched out its neck and plucked off a branch laden with the silver fruits.
Carrying it over, it gently presented the entire branch to the three girls.
“Wooow… Is this really for us?”
Fang Qian’s eyes sparkled.
After the falcon nodded in confirmation, she carefully accepted the branch, which was as thick as her arm.
“Thank you, Mama Bird! You’re just as beautiful and gentle as my own mom!”
Fang Qian beamed happily.
The Skyvault Silver Falcon’s expression, however, grew noticeably dimmer.
After spending the past two days together, it had truly come to regard this lively, mischievous little human as one of its own children.
Yet after much persuasion from its mate, it had ultimately decided that these children should return to their own kind.
And so…
Before they parted, it wished to present its departing children with the most precious treasure possessed by the Silver Falcon clan.
— The end of the Chapter–
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