"Brother..." Ye Mu curled up in Ye Yan's embrace.
It was noon, and Frozen Wind Village was bustling with activity. Ye Yan could clearly hear every word the villagers said to him. They didn't even bother to whisper, speaking so loudly as if afraid he couldn't hear them.
"Look, that monster is so bold as to leave the house."
"Tsk, if it weren't for Grandpa Chen's protection, that monster would be dead by now."
Ye Yan's fists clenched, his jaw clamped shut. He didn't respond or even acknowledge them. His other hand held the sparrow tightly, calming it down.
Several children were running around on the road, seeing him and whispering to each other. One of the children threw a stone, hitting him on the back. Ye Yan paused for a moment, then continued on his way.
His brow furrowed, not because of the villagers' treatment but because a faint contraction in the air caught his attention. His intuition told him that a great danger was threatening this village.
He withdrew his gaze and continued walking, ignoring the villagers' words. Every now and then, Ye Yan would stop and glance at a certain spot for a moment before continuing on his way.
Five minutes later, they stopped at the village entrance, and Ye Yan's gaze swept across the entire village. His feet moved again, this time not entering but walking around the village from the outside.
Although confused, Ye Mu did not ask any questions. He sat casually on Ye Yan's shoulder, watching his every move. "The food you made earlier was delicious! I want to taste it again..."
"Sure," replied Ye Yan, his eyes busy observing his surroundings. "As long as you do the hunting."
"Leave it to me." The sparrow puffed out his chest, patting it with his small wings. "Ye Mu, the greatest hunter, is ready."
Ye Yan glanced at the sparrow on his shoulder, his eyes shining mockingly. With a dismissive tone, he said, "The greatest hunter? You? Haha... Don't think too highly of yourself."
"As a bird, Mumu is of course the greatest hunter," he replied firmly.
Ye Yan laughed heartily upon hearing this. A small bird that had never known the sky dared to be arrogant in front of the Sky Emperor. "Alright, from now on, you will be the one hunting."
"Hmph!" Ye Mu snorted in annoyance, turning his face away. "What exactly have you been looking for all this time?"
Ye Yan didn't answer, he walked quickly to a spot. He blinked for a moment, then picked up a small twig from the ground. "Found it."
For a moment, Ye Yan stared at the blue sky with clouds floating in it, a cynical smile on his face. "Let's go back, Grandpa Chen will worry if we stay out too long."
Strangely, on the way home. The village road was deserted, with no one in sight. Ye Yan hummed a song, the twig in his hand swaying gently. Meanwhile, Ye Mu flew above his head, chirping occasionally as if singing along.
The pungent smell of smoke made them both stop for a moment, looking up at the sky to see the source of the smoke. At that moment, they ran frantically towards it.
"Grandpa Chen!" they shouted in unison.
In front of Grandpa Chen's hut, the villagers gathered with torches in their hands. The flames consumed the old hut, while Grandpa Chen sat limply on the ground.
Tears streamed down his face as he watched his house burn to the ground. His eyes were wide and empty, his face looking even older. "My house..."
"Grandpa!" Ye Yan rushed over to the old man. He carried his body and placed him in a safe place. "Little bird, stay here and protect Grandpa."
"KILL THAT MONSTER, DON'T LET IT LIVE!"
"KILL IT!"
"KILL IT!"
Anger surged in Ye Yan's chest. The villagers' behavior was outrageous. He could no longer allow them to do as they pleased.
The murderous intent radiating from Ye Yan silenced the villagers in fear. But then, Uncle Li's voice broke the tense atmosphere. "He's just a fool, what are you all afraid of!"
"That's right! That fool Ye Mu couldn't possibly retaliate against us," said one of the villagers.
Another villager shifted uneasily, his eyes still filled with pure fear. "But... I feel like that monster is a little different now."
"Yeah, there's no way he could stare at us like that." Another chimed in.
Uncle Li clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I warn you, if we don't kill this monster now, our village's situation will not improve."
Hearing this, the villagers' doubts and fears immediately vanished. They tightened their grip on their torches, the sparks catching the glint of determination in their eyes.
"KILL YE MU, FREE OUR VILLAGE!"
"KILL YE MU, FREE OUR VILLAGE!"
The villagers' cries echoed loudly. Next to Grandpa Chen, a sparrow was huddled on the ground. Its body was shaking violently, accompanied by panicked and anxious chirps.
"It seems you have forgotten my warning." Ye Yan's tone turned cold. His gaze was so cold, it was as if he was looking at a pile of corpses, not humans.
Ye Yan's fingertips lifted and pointed at the crowd. A gray light shot forward, and at the same time, the branch that Ye Yan had been holding broke instantly.
Crack!
All the screams and the sound of the fire immediately disappeared. Time seemed to stop, and in the center of it all, Ye Yan stood tall. He reached out his hand and pulled a red fan out of thin air.
A cynical smile spread across his face. "Come out, I don't like small talk."
"It's amazing that you found me. Who are you? You're not Ye Mu." A man's hoarse voice broke the silence.
Ye Yan rolled his eyes in disgust. "Don't compare me to that stupid kid."
The atmosphere fell silent again. Ye Yan fanned herself as she walked towards the crowd. Casually, she threw Uncle Li to the ground in a crouching position, then sat on his back with her legs crossed. Continuing to fan herself, she seemed indifferent to the situation at hand.
"How did you find me?" the voice asked again.
"Only a fool would be fooled," Ye Yan sneered. "Yes... I don't mind telling you."
"From the moment I first stepped into the village, I knew something was strange here," he said, Ye Yan's eyes staring straight ahead. "Considering you're the stupid rat who did it, I'm not that surprised."
Ye Yan laughed smugly when the sound of gnashing teeth reached his ears. One of the things he liked was making his enemies angry.
"I'm surprised you used the Cold Star Flower to create an illusion." His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the stupid bird still curled up on the ground.
"For mortal humans, that flower is indeed very effective. But in front of me, all of that is just child's play," he added.
"All this time, you pretended to be Ye Mu and deliberately showed a different attitude." The man's voice trembled with anger, his teeth gnashing even harder.
Ye Yan blinked innocently. "You just realized? How stupid."
A helpless sigh escaped Ye Yan's lips. "I'm not even surprised to hear that anymore."
"After all, what can be expected from someone who flaunts his stupidity so openly." Ye Yan shook his head.
"What do you mean?" asked the man.
Ye Yan's fan folded, making a soft 'click' sound. The top of the fan touched her lips, the mockery and contempt on her face clearly visible. "You made three fatal mistakes."
"First, you dared to investigate my soul," she replied. "Second, you watched me. And lastly..."
"Your expression when I attacked the villagers yesterday was terrible." The fan opened again, a cool breeze gently blowing across Ye Yan's face as he smiled widely and spoke in a low tone.
"You're not cut out to be a criminal, Old Man Chen."