Chapter 189: Don't Forget, Rong'er, That Brother Eagle Is Still a Bird

The autumn drizzle drifted, the secluded valley shrouded in mist, the echo still lingering, when a sudden screech shattered the sky and a black silhouette beat its wings, tore through the clouds, and surged forward.

The black shape was still far away, and the birds nesting in the forest flapped up, scattering in a sudden panicked flight.

Niu Dingtian, clad in black, sword in hand, stood atop the cliff; beneath his flowing raven hair, upon seeing the black silhouette, he broke into a delighted smile.

Even a hundred zhang away, the Divine Eagle discerned the human figure on the sheer cliff, its hooked beak slightly opened, and another screech rang through the valley.

Hearing the excitement in the screech, Niu Dingtian brushed his sleeve lightly, rose onto his toes, and his figure flashed like a phantom, landing steadily on the charging eagle's back.

"Old Black! Let's go to the cave! I'll pay respects to the master first!" Niu Dingtian sat cross‑legged on its back, affectionately patted its feathers, and shouted with the whistling mountain wind.

At this moment, it was his second time riding a bird into the sky, and his heart couldn't help but swell with gratitude.

Previously, whenever he mentioned a rider, this bunch would get angry with him; now it seemed that a period of separation had its benefits.

Hearing Niu Dingtian's words, the Divine Eagle let out a few "gugu" sounds, apparently displeased with the nickname.

Yet it still performed a rapid turning spiral, and amid the excited screeches, rushed swiftly toward the deep valley.

Snake Valley, Cave

Compared to a year ago, the cave's scene was unchanged: stone table, stone bench, stone bed, still spotless; the stone tomb beside the carvings remained as lonely and desolate as before.

Niu Dingtian knelt before the tomb and earnestly kowtowed three times.

After the ceremony, he rose, sword in hand, standing before the tomb; involuntarily, the sight stirred a melancholy in his heart.

Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth.

Even a sword demon, however powerful, ultimately cannot escape death; how many more years can I endure? Or will I someday fall to an enemy's hand? If I die, will this world still revert to its original trajectory?

When that time comes, what will sister‑in‑law Chen Jin'er do? How long will Han Xiao Ying and Miss Huang remember me? Ten years? Twenty years? Or a lifetime? Niu Dingtian stood quietly before the tomb, closed his eyes, pondering the flood of questions.

Perhaps because his realm has advanced, or perhaps because he crossed the brink of life and death last night, now facing this solitary tomb again, he seemed to truly feel the loneliness of Du Gu Qiu Bai.

The Divine Eagle stood nearby, silent.

Originally, it had come because Niu Dingtian's empty hands, with no wine or meat, ran over; it had intended to complain, but now it also missed its old master.

So, the one man and his eagle, who should have joyfully reunited after a long separation, now stood sparsely, silent before the tomb.

"Brother Eagle, come with me."

After a long while, Niu Dingtian softly broke the cave's silence, paused, and said:

"If I die out there someday, you'll have to bring me here to be buried; if you die out there, I'll bring you back here to be buried."

Speaking, Niu Dingtian turned, saw the Divine Eagle's eyes wavering, gave a gentle smile, and said:

"Perhaps by then there will still be someone to collect my corpse. But you and I have met; I don't want to see you end up being gnawed by beasts in the valley after death."

As he spoke, Niu Dingtian lifted his gaze slightly, his eyes earnest; his words truly reflected his sincerity.

Originally, according to his thoughts, he still needed to devise a way to coax this bunch out, but after paying respects at the tomb, he abandoned that idea.

The Divine Eagle, after listening, showed obvious intent in its eyes, glanced at the nearby tomb, let out two dejected "gugu" sounds, and, conflicted, crouched on the ground.

The choice concerning the latter half of its life, the eagle still had to consider carefully.

Niu Dingtian, seeing this, smiled faintly and said, "Think it over well; I'll wait for you outside the cave."

"However, today is the day I establish my sect; regardless of Brother Eagle's decision, you must come with me to Xiangyang for a drunken revel."

Having finished, Niu Dingtian turned and silently walked out of the cave.

……

Half an hour later

The clouds cleared, the rain stopped, rainbow ribbons hung in the air, water droplets fell slowly from leaf tips and branches, landing in puddles on the ground, creating ripples.

Compared with the thunderstorm two nights ago in the mountains, this lingering autumn drizzle spreading across Jiangnan seemed to disperse the year's last summer heat.

Even the air outside Xiangyang City carried a chill.

At this moment, on the intersecting puddles of the official road, horse hooves clattered, the rumble of wheels echoed, and in the eastern sky, neon lights shone brilliantly like cloud brocade.

Then, from a great height, a screech rang out; pedestrians on the road either reined their horses or stopped, all looking up to locate the source.

"Wah~ Mom, look quickly,"

"That bird is huge!"

"Is there a person sitting on the bird?"

"There's really a person! He's up there watching us! He flew toward Jiugong Mountain!"

The shouts and awe below seemed not to reach Niu Dingtian; having just lowered his gaze, man and eagle had already flown to the sky above Jiugong Mountain.

The sudden arrival of such a massive creature naturally alarmed the mountain guards, who after reporting, readied crossbows.

"No need to panic!" Niu Dingtian saw the situation and shouted deep toward the ground.

This shout, like a muffled thunder, caused many martial artists practicing in the courtyard to notice the disturbance, and they hurriedly called out, flooding the courtyard as they looked up and discussed.

"It's the Sect Leader!!"

"Lower your crossbows!"

The hurriedly arriving Niu Kui looked up, examined closely, and immediately ordered the arrows to be drawn back.

The Divine Eagle swooped over the hilltop, its massive wings beating a few times, stirring a gust of wind, and the man and eagle landed steadily on the ground.

At this moment, Yi Deng, Huang Lao Xie, Fan Tian, Miss Huang and others had all appeared, and the spacious training ground was filled with people.

"Fun, fun, Lao Wandong also wants to ride! Lao Wandong also wants to ride!"

Before anyone could ask, a loud cheer rose from the noisy crowd, and a white‑bearded, white‑haired old man squeezed east and west with extraordinary speed, pushing his way out of the crowd.

It was Lao Wandong Zhou Botong.

At this moment his right wrist was wrapped in gauze, indicating he had been injured.

Seeing the Divine Eagle, Zhou Botong's eyes lit up, shouting, "Good brother, let me ride it! Lao Wandong will teach you Kongming Fist! Hand this big bird over to me!"

Speaking so, without waiting for Niu Dingtian's consent, he lunged forward, eager to grab the Divine Eagle.

Niu Dingtian did not block him, gave the Divine Eagle a cue to let go, and swiftly darted to Miss Huang's side.

Miss Huang happily looped her arm around him, ignoring the arena fight; her eyebrows curved as she giggled, "Brother Niu, where did you get the little eagle? Rong Er also wants to sit." Niu Dingtian replied affectionately, "We'll discuss that later; she'll get to sit eventually."

"Divine Eagle brother is extremely attuned to human nature; whoever tries to ride it, it gets angry at them. If it really goes to peck someone, I can't stop it."

Miss Huang heard that, her pretty face fell, and she pouted.

Niu Dingtian smiled faintly, his gaze steady, and subtly nudged the warm, soft spot on her arm.

"You want to die~" Miss Huang blushed instantly, no longer able to pout, hurriedly lowered her brows and eyes, and muttered a low curse.

Though her face was flushed and dizzy, bright red, her arms still clung tightly in intimacy.

Niu Dingtian, seeing the moment was right, leaned close to the beauty's ear and asked curiously, "When did Lao Wantong arrive? His leg healed but his hand is injured—did your father beat him?"

As he spoke, his eyes drifted a short distance and saw Huang Lao Xie and Yi Deng both fully focused on the arena fight, completely unaware of the flirtation here.

Miss Huang's beautiful eyes rolled, she puffed out her chest and hummed, "Serves you right! Early this morning, climbing the mountain, seeing the old turtle and trying to ride it, got bitten by that smiling turtle. If I hadn't stepped in, it still wouldn't have loosened its mouth."

"Bang!"

As the words fell, a booming sound came from ahead, followed by the onlookers' uproar.

Niu Dingtian and Miss Huang stopped talking and looked up together.

After a few rounds of man versus eagle, the Divine Eagle spread its wings and swooped directly at Lao Wantong's Void‑Empty Fist.

At this moment the Divine Eagle's wings were slightly spread, its gaze fierce, as if ready to take off at any moment; its momentum was so strong that the surrounding mountain wind seemed to freeze.

Lao Wantong, seeing this, not only was unafraid but laughed heartily, shouting, "What a great bird, come, come, come, play with Lao Wantong again!"

After speaking, his figure flickered and he moved again to the Divine Eagle's front.

The Divine Eagle let out a "guh" sound, its claws suddenly swiped, raising a gust of wind that rushed straight at Zhou Botong's face.

Zhou Botong moved lithely, slipping away like a loach; his right hand turned his fist into claws, sometimes striking at the Divine Eagle's vital points, other times seeming to toy.

Though the Divine Eagle possessed boundless strength, it was hard to read its tactics; for a moment, man and eagle exchanged attacks and defenses, retreating and advancing, fighting in a tangled stalemate.

"Where did you get this? First a divine turtle, now a divine eagle—how do they all turn into spirits?" Fen Tian, having appeared unnoticed, swayed to Niu Dingtian's side.

At this moment, she wore a dark purple‑black strength robe underneath, and a long dark purple robe with cloud patterns over it.

This female‑as‑male attire gave her a dashing bearing, and with her fragrant, jade‑like skin, she was exceptionally alluring.

While speaking, her gaze flicked to where someone's arm rested and gave that person a disdainful look.

Miss Huang, seeing this, was displeased; the old lady even leaned forward when someone was being affectionate.

She simply puffed out her chest, tightened her arm again, and when she could squeeze no more, gave a provocative glance.

If you have the skill, come yourself!

"You…" Fen Tian, seeing this, was flustered, "You're as coveted as a treasure!"

Just as she was about to retort with two sarcastic lines, Niu Dingtian sent a private voice of comfort, "Rong Er is still young and naive; sister, don't compare with her."

"You've worked hard these past days; tonight I'll go to the courtyard to find you; I have important matters to discuss with you, sister."

Having said that, without waiting for Fen Tian's reaction, he sent a voice to Miss Huang, "Let Rong Er loosen a bit; she's in a growth phase, don't crush her."

As he spoke, Niu Dingtian moved his arm, but it was tightly restrained, feeling no rebound at all.

"Growth? Crush?" Miss Huang reconsidered, her face flushed bright red, glared fiercely, then, as if annoyed, flung her arm away.

Niu Dingtian felt at ease, but standing before the girl while being intimate with another, he felt somewhat guilty.

He simply took over Fen Tian's lead and explained, "Divine Eagle brother was a senior's living friend; the Lone Nine Swords I passed to Rong Er were derived from that senior's legacy."

"Now the Divine Eagle brother can only accompany me; from now on, you must treat it as your own."

Miss Huang, hearing that it was one of their own, looked up again at the arena, saw the Divine Eagle at a disadvantage, and instantly felt reluctant.

Her bright eyes twinkled, she cooed, "Since it's one of ours, Brother Niu, are you still watching Lao Wantong bully it? No, I must go lend a hand to the little eagle!"

Having said that, she rushed into the arena.

Yet she felt weightless as Niu Dingtian caught her by the waist and carried her back; the speed was so swift it seemed she never left the ground.

"What's Rong Er in a hurry?" Niu Dingtian smiled lightly and said, "In the future the Divine Eagle will inevitably spar with people; it's perfect for Lao Wantong to train it, so it won't be too unfamiliar when meeting masters later."

"But it's about to be defeated!" Miss Huang, puffed up, pursed her lips, still wanting to go up and win favor.

Niu Dingtian cast a sidelong glance, fully understanding the girl's thoughts, and smiled, "The Divine Eagle is granted heavenly power, born with three weapons: the Iron Wings, the Firm Beak, and the Sharp Claws."

"The Iron Wings can sweep and match the hardness of swords; a single claw or peck, even a massive stone can't endure. Moreover, Rong Er, don't forget the Eagle brother is still a bird."

"A bird?" Miss Huang was a bit confused.

Fen Tian, hearing that, also looked over with a surprised expression.

"Birds can fly," Niu Dingtian glanced at the Divine Eagle and said lightly.

In the training arena, the Divine Eagle spread its wings and swept forward, the fierce wind akin to several masters' palm winds combined.

Its two wings unfolded, striking left and sweeping right, instantly unleashing an incredibly fierce gust; the nearby few were caught by the wind, unable to stand, stumbling and falling backward.

"Ha ha, how fun!" Zhou Botong used the Thousand‑Jin Drop, his hair disheveled as he stood in the wind, laughing continuously as the gust blew.

Clearly, he was tireless in enjoying this game.

Yet his laughter made the Divine Eagle feel as if being toyed with.

With a screech, the angry Divine Eagle spread its massive wings, fanning a gale as its huge body instantly rose from the ground.

Having learned from last year's bombardment of Niu Dingtian, it no longer acted recklessly; it would circle and dive, waiting to strike, then soar, pecking and clawing.

"You big bird! How dare you cheat! I'm done, I'm done! Lao Wantong is done!"

Yet the Divine Eagle wouldn't let him go, pursuing while clawing and snapping its beak mercilessly.

Lao Wantong fled into the crowd; the crowd erupted and scattered, and seeing the Divine Eagle swoop again, he hurriedly lunged at Niu Dingtian.

……

PS: Updates have resumed, thanks for the readers' recommendation votes. Earlier chapters have been revised as they go; this month's ending of the Eagle‑Shooting Scroll is about to conclude. (End of chapter)