Chapter 31 - The search

Just like that, ten days passed. Qu Wren desperately searched for Hachin in the sea. He swam as far as the other side of the green Mer Island to search for traces of him but he could not sense the distinct trail the oyster left behind.

"He definitely would not leave me alone then where did he go...."

Sighing, he swam back to the shore with ease. The little pink bird stood waiting near a coconut tree with its form slightly curled up.

"Why are you waiting here? It gets cold." he picked it up and plunged him inside his shirt.

In just ten days the bird had grown up a lot and its body has grown up to the size of a naked chicken. Its beady red eyes glowed brightly as it watched him from within his shirt.

"You're so silent today. Are you sick? Does anything feel uncomfortable?"

The little bird chirped and closed its eyes tiredly.

These few days the bird had been sticking close to him at all times except when he was swimming and serving for Hachin. It's loved to stay inside his shirt rather than in the small nest he created for it.

With a small smile, he gently caressed the little bump inside his shirt. "You are a cute little birdie...."

Feng mien grumbled loudly. 'Cute? Cute my ass. I am not cute. I am a majestic flame phonic and yet you call me cute? Darn..... preposterous!!' He slightly kicked at him with his small feet.

Qu Wren gently tugged at its twisting legs. "Chirpy, why are you kicking me, huh? Your nails might break off." he tugged at its legs. The skin was smooth to the touch, which reminded him so much of a small twig.

"You really have twig like legs," he mumbled to himself.

'Twig!!! You bastard!! You call this mighty one's legs a twig!!! Juts you wait... I'll.... I'll grow up and roast you with my heavenly flames!!!' Feng Mian screamed at him with his eyes glaring intently.

Wren simply smirked and gently tugged at the struggling leg. "Why are chirping so loudly? Did you want to poo? You better not poo inside my clothes. It's the only one I have that is clean,"

The bird froze up all of a sudden. It started crawling up, gripping onto his shirt with his beak and onto his shoulder. With its eyes narrowed, it pecked at his nose.

"OW! Hey!!" Wren glared back at it.

'That's for disgracing me, you stupid conch shell!!' Feng Mian continued pecking at him wherever he could reach.

"Whoa stop it," Wren plucked him off his shoulders and glared at it. "Stop it or I'll roast you,"

The bird froze and acted like it normally would.

"Jeez, what's up with you? Your attacks really hurt." Wren pulled down his shirt down, exposing his slightly pink shoulders. There were distinct pink marks all over.... "You little ungrateful thing."

He gently caressed its shiny orange beak.

Feng Mian squeaked loudly. 'I am not ungrateful, you idiot, you are. I was planning on letting you live after seeing my disgraceful form. But you know what I changed my plan. I'm going to roast you alive and eat you after I gain my human form. That's that,'

Hearing the bird's continuous angry chirps, Wren smiled softly. "I guess you might be hungry no wonder you attacked me so..." he pulled the birdie close and into his shirt skilfully.

The bird docilely let him handle it.

Wren soaked the cried octopus and handed it to the bird. It closed its mouth firmly and turned its head away. "Hey, I thought you were hungry. Eat,"

"Chirp!" it did not even face him.

"You want something other than this?"

"Chirp?" the bird glanced at him with an expectant look.

"Agh, finding food for you is so troublesome. I wish you could eat some fish or something. It would have been so easy.... I have to find worms for you every time....." he groaned and went about searching through rotting tree trunks that littered along the shore.

When he was lucky, he would find some wood grub which the little bird enjoyed. If they were out of luck, he had to feed the rehydrated octopus to it.

Digging through bark, he found a small white grub that was crawling swiftly into the crevice. "aha!! Caught you!!" he pulled it out of the rotting tree.

The bird happily looked up from his shirt with its mouth wide open.

"You spoiled birdie, all you do is eat and poo and sleep. Look how fat you are. If this goes on, you might not even fit inside my shirt,"

"Squeak!!!!" it pecked at his collar bone and borrowed inside his shirt.

"Ow~!!!" he screamed loudly.

A distant figure glanced his way with a piercing stare.

Qu Wren found this guy's immediately from just the overwhelming presence he was emitting.

He glanced up at the cliff where he found the bird to see a young man dressed in midnight blue who was piercingly staring at him.

"Who might that be?" Wren did not bother with him. He just found few more grubs and went back into the forest.

***** 

Mu Zheng watched this person walk away with a deep frown.

Sighing, he glanced down at the charred figure of the person on the ground. He gently held the shrivelled up hand. "Master... I warned you multiple times.. Why did you do this.... now I'm all alone without you... how can I survive without nagging at you? How?"

Fat tears rolled down his cheeks.

His master's charred figure was gripping tightly onto a sword. He gently pried open his fingers and took it out.

"Who did this to you? I shall avenge you, master. Whoever did this to you shall not survive!! Their blood shall soak this very land you passed away,"

"This shall be my last vow to you master.... this servant shall follow after you."