“Xiao Hong, does it hurt?” After holding it in for a long time, the little one managed to squeeze out these words.
The fiery red sparrow’s eyes widened as it glared angrily at him, showing all its whites in a very upset manner.
A red sparrow had fallen from the sky, leaving the group of children stunned. Was this the same little bird that the little one had always remembered and once chased out of the village alone?
However, those who truly understood, such as the village chief and several elderly elders, were all paralyzed with fear. Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao were so terrified that their hair stood on end, not daring to move, afraid of provoking the little red sparrow.
They had once observed from afar a fiery red bird battling in the vast mountain range, burning half the sky. The sight was so terrifying that it was unforgettable for a lifetime.
Now, as this crimson sparrow fell from the sky, it dyed the horizon red, like the setting sun scattering its light. Even without much imagination, it was enough to make one’s scalp tingle. This was most likely the powerful being they had seen before.
“Child, come here.” Shi Yunfeng spoke softly, fearing to anger the little red bird, and called the little one back.
“Grandpa, it’s okay. I know Xiao Hong is powerful, but I don’t sense any hostility from it. It means no harm to Stone Village,” the little one explained with blinking eyes.
The red sparrow lay on the ground, its eyes wide open, and let out a faint glow of dawn that fell on a large rock. With a “poof,” a wisp of blue smoke rose, and the entire rock melted into a pool of lava, flowing on the ground, so hot that it scorched people’s faces.
The crowd was horrified. This was just a small wisp of light, not actual flame, and already it had such a terrifying temperature. Thinking back to what they had seen, with the sky burning endlessly for half a month, it was truly awe-inspiring.
Everyone was anxious for the little one, and Shi Feijiao and others cautiously approached, trying to pull him away.
“Xiao Hong, don’t be angry. Look, even smoke is rising from your head. It would be a shame if your beautiful red feathers were burned,” the little one said.
The red sparrow had a cluster of red feathers on its head flashing and standing upright, clearly very angry. However, after a moment, it calmed down and continued to stare at the little one with an unusual gaze.
“Grandpa, look, Xiao Hong is very friendly now and not angry anymore,” the little one said with a happy, sweet, and pure smile, wishing to hold the little red bird.
The fiery red sparrow flapped its wings and struggled to stand up. The wounds on its chest and abdomen glowed with symbols, constantly draining its vitality.
“You came looking for the Willow God, didn’t you? You fell on its trunk before. This time, you want it to heal your wounds?” the little one asked.
“Hmph.” The red sparrow was displeased to have its thoughts guessed by a child. It made a crisp “hmph” sound, ignoring him, and looked up at the willow tree.
The large, charred willow tree stood silent. The dim willow branch swayed in the wind, and at this moment, it silently drooped down, gradually emitting a green glow.
The red bird chirped softly and walked a few steps towards the tender green willow branches, exposing its wounds and extinguishing the last bit of flame.
A drop of crystalline sap appeared on the branch, like a jade dew, emitting a radiant light with a fragrant aroma that refreshed everyone in Stone Village.
The willow branches drooped, the tender shoots touched the fiery red sparrow, and the transparent sap flowed into the terrible wound. Instantly, the flames there became intense, and the symbols flickered continuously. The red bird chirped, its body trembling in apparent pain, struggling to endure.
The willow branches swayed lightly, and several drops of sap appeared, rolling among the tender shoots, each one crystal clear, like celestial pearls, shimmering with light and releasing a fragrant aroma.
As these drops of sap fell, the symbols gradually disappeared, and the wound piercing through the chest and abdomen completely closed. The red bird’s pain seemed to ease significantly.
Then, the greenish tender shoots extended to its head, and the crystalline sap trickled down, gradually healing the small wounds on the sparrow’s head, completely eliminating the severe injuries it had sustained.
With a flash of firelight, the red bird’s entire body glowed brightly, dazzling everyone’s eyes. The immense divine radiance made it look strikingly beautiful, a stark contrast to its previous state.
The villagers were astonished. The tiny red sparrow exuded a tremendous divine aura, almost like facing an ancient deity. The people nearly collapsed, but fortunately, the large willow tree emitted a halo that offset this divine might.
Meanwhile, at a distance, near the lake, multicolored birds and unicorns all bowed and worshipped this place as if on a pilgrimage.
The little red sparrow was very pleased, chirped a few times joyfully, and, withdrawing its divine aura, hopped around in place. It addressed the willow tree in a clear human voice: “I owe you a big favor.”
The charred willow tree remained silent, its tender green branches swaying, pointing at all the villagers.
The red sparrow’s spirits were lifted, its feathers shining brightly. It was full of vitality, having recovered its energy.
With a “clang,” a red feather fell from its body, and the radiant light flowing from it was extraordinarily mystical, piercing into a rock with a hissing sound.
“Keep this safe. If anyone causes trouble, show it to them,” its voice was melodious and clear, like pearls falling on a tray, evidently a message.
However, after the red feather was inserted into the rock, it immediately melted, turning into a pool of lava with red light flowing and the liquid boiling, rapidly expanding in area.
The crowd retreated, as the temperature was too high.
The little red sparrow was momentarily stunned, looked at the crowd, then opened its mouth to suck in the glowing feathers. The divine light flashed intensely, and streams of divine radiance flew into its mouth.
It absorbed the divine essence, leaving only a bright red feather behind, nodded at the willow tree, and flew up into the sky.
“Xiao Hong, come back and visit often,” the little one stood at the village entrance, waving vigorously at the sky.
The red sparrow staggered in mid-air, almost falling. It turned back, glared at him fiercely, then, with its body radiating light, shot off into the distance without looking back.
“Keep this feather safe,” the village chief Shi Yunfeng said seriously. Such a small red feather held great significance, and no one would consider it an ordinary feather.
Afterward, calm returned, and the villagers began to get accustomed to the new environment.
A group of children yelled excitedly, running on the beautiful, grassy lake shore, discussing how to catch dragon beard fish to strengthen their muscles. Their desire for power was growing.
The small phoenix with vibrant wings, two meters long, leisurely swam into the lake, unbothered by the children. As for the dozens of unicorns, they only had a slight wariness of the adult men but ignored the children.
Once things settled, the little one sat alone by the lake, hugging his knees, staring at the blue lake water, motionless for a long time.
“What is the child thinking?” Shi Yunfeng approached and sat on the green grass by the lake.
“Grandpa, you should tell me now,” the little Shi Hou said, turning with clear eyes.
“Alright, I will tell you everything I know,” the village chief nodded. Shi Hou was precocious and should not be treated as an ignorant child.
A gentle breeze blew, the air was fresh, carrying the scent of earth and the fragrance of grass and trees. Occasionally, golden fish leaped from the lake, creating a peaceful and tranquil scene.
“Our Stone Village seems to have a grand and astonishing origin, but even we ourselves are on the verge of forgetting it, with only a few words passed down from our ancestors,” Shi Yunfeng murmured.
The Shi clan’s heritage stretches back a long way, tracing back to ancient times according to the late clan elders. However, over the vast stretches of time, everything can become faint, and even the villagers themselves no longer believe those old tales.
“That’s such a long time ago,” Little Shi Hou said, astonished.
The village chief sighed gently and said, “Many things have been forgotten by us; the lineage has long been severed. It wasn’t until one day when a young couple came here and mentioned these things that we realized that the old stories might be true.”
Little Shi Hou’s eyes widened. He knew that this couple might have been his parents.
“What did they look like?” The villagers treated him very well, but while others had parents, he was an orphan. Despite his cheerful and optimistic nature, there was a soft spot deep within him, a longing he couldn’t deny.
“The woman was very beautiful. The man was also handsome but appeared somewhat ill,” the village chief said honestly.
The little one clenched his fists, his eyes shining with both joy and anticipation, lifting his face and asking, “Grandpa, please tell me more.”
“They came from an ancient kingdom and said that Stone Village was the ancestral land of their clan. Although they were once glorious, they could no longer find their ancestral land.”
The clan was unimaginably powerful, but due to ancestral teachings, they were not allowed to return to their ancestral land at will, to avoid leading enemies there. Thus, over the long years, they had lost the way back.
This was done to preserve a branch of the family, ensuring that the bloodline continued. In case the glorious clan was destroyed outside, this place could still endure and remain a sanctuary.
The remaining branch was also powerful in its time, but for various reasons, Stone Village gradually declined. By now, the methods of cultivation had long been lost.
“That young couple accidentally discovered the way back to their ancestral land and came here.”
The couple was very powerful, having crossed the Great Wilderness and traversed endless territories before finally arriving here. However, they were disappointed to find that Stone Village was not as mighty as they had imagined, having long lost its ancient grandeur.
“At that time, you were held in their arms and looked very weak, appearing only a few months old. But they said that you were already a year old.”
The little one’s eyes widened as he listened intently. At this moment, a group of children also ran over, sitting quietly on the ground, listening curiously.
“Your physical condition was very poor, showing severe regression. They said that raising you as if you were a few months old would be sufficient. If you couldn’t survive, they wouldn’t blame us.” The village chief sighed, patting the little one’s head. Even he hadn’t expected that such a weak child could survive, and with such extraordinary talent.
The little one looked dazed, a hazy mist filling his mind. A child so young shouldn’t remember what happened at one year old, but his subconscious had a deep imprint of it.
“They, my family, made it possible for me and my brother…”
In his daze, the little one seemed to see something, unable to hold back his tears. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
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