Da Huang the crow didn't immediately agree to Su Chen's proposal. Instead, he narrowed his beady eyes and muttered to himself, "Does this human even know what deduction means?"
He scrutinized Su Chen from head to toe again. Slightly long black hair, a ridiculously flawless face, and that strange green four-petal lotus mark between his eyebrows—definitely suspicious. If you ignored the torn clothes, dirt-covered skin, and the glaring fact that he wasn't wearing any shoes, he might look decent.
"But of course," Da Huang scoffed in his heart, "not as handsome as me, the great Da Huang!"
Still, the crow tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hmm... this guy might be lying, but even if he is, what can I really do about it? Pluck his hair?"
With a dramatic flutter of his wings, Da Huang finally spoke. "Alright, human. I want to believe you, I really do," he said with an exaggerated sigh, "but your shameless face makes it very difficult. Show me a sample of your so-called technique, and maybe—just maybe—I'll consider your offer." His tone was suspicious and serious, though he didn't outright reject Su Chen. He was just being... professionally distrustful.
Su Chen's face remained calm as water. But deep inside, he was quietly smug.
Heh, the bird didn't say no! That's a win in my book. Give me a bit of time, and I'll trick this oversized pigeon right into my hands. With that tiny head of his, how much brain power could he possibly have? Hahaha...
"Alright, alright, Mr. Bird," Su Chen said with a forced smile. "I'll show you my technique—but seriously, do you think this is the right place?"
He gestured around them. They were still floating in midair above a narrow mountain spring, wind gusting around their robes. Not exactly the coziest spot for a heart-to-heart.
"This isn't exactly a place to sit down and chat," he added. "Let's head to my cave. We can talk properly there."
Da Huang flapped his wings and looked around. Honestly, the human had a point. Hanging out in midair wasn't ideal. But going to Su Chen's cave? That sounded like walking into a trap. Still, after struggling with his bird instincts for a moment, he mentally put a rock on his heart and nodded reluctantly.
"…Alright."
Su Chen didn't waste any time. He circulated his Qi and took off, flying low this time—barely a few meters above the ground. After his last unexpected nosedive, he wasn't taking any chances.
As he flew, he used his Qi to dry his soaked clothes, the fabric fluttering in the breeze like a tattered flag. At the same time, he subtly activated his sensing technique, making sure Da Huang was still following behind and hadn't taken the opportunity to flee.
To his relief, the crow was still there, flapping along at a steady pace and grumbling under his breath.
Before long, Su Chen spotted the mouth of his cave and slowed his flight, landing carefully on the stone outside. He turned around and casually pointed to a smooth rock nearby.
"Have a seat," he said politely, as if he hadn't just lured a talking bird into a suspicious cave in the middle of nowhere.
Su Chen sat down on a flat stone slab opposite the fat crow, stretching his legs out comfortably.
Da Huang, being a bird through and through, didn't just sit—he hopped up onto a smaller stone with a few awkward bounces before settling into place. His feathers ruffled in the mountain breeze as the two of them stared at each other in silence.
Suspenseful silence…
A gust of wind whistled dramatically between them.
Cough, cough—Su Chen cleared his throat and tried to act like a serious cultivator. "So," he said, steepling his fingers like some wise old sage, "you want to see my technique? Simple. First, tell me your name."
Da Huang blinked. At first, he hesitated, suspicious as always. But after thinking it over and seeing no harm in it, he gave a dignified nod.
"This one's name," he said, puffing out his chest, "is the great Da Huang."
"And you?"
Su Chen blinked once, thinking, This bird seriously called himself 'great'? But not to be outdone, he replied with equal gravity, "The Great Conqueror... Su Chen."
He even paused for dramatic effect.
To Su Chen's surprise, Da Huang didn't scoff. In fact, the crow's eyes lit up slightly, as if he'd just heard the name of a future emperor.
"Hmm, majestic…" Da Huang thought, nodding slowly. "This human might actually be someone important."
Su Chen, sensing the bird's shift in attitude, leaned forward and said, "Alright, Mr. Great Da Huang. Just from your name alone, I can tell—there's a shadow of greatness behind you. You must come from a powerful clan."
As he spoke, he casually waved a finger through the air, drawing mysterious-looking shapes, as if he were calculating fate or reading fortunes.
In reality, he was just stalling while he tried to come up with something flashy.
Hearing Su Chen's words, Da Huang froze for a second—stunned, even a little shaken.
How did this human know?
After all, didn't he come from the Golden Crow Clan? One of the mighty, ancient clans from the Upper Realm. Their bloodline could burn mountains and boil seas. Their pride was higher than the heavens. Even the wind would detour around their nests.
Da Huang narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, human… looks like you've got some real skill." He puffed up proudly, clearly pleased with himself. "Your guess is correct. This one does come from a great clan."
Of course, he didn't mention which realm that clan was from. No need to drop Upper Realm bombs just yet.
Su Chen, on the other hand, didn't look the least bit surprised. In fact, he was already mentally rolling his eyes.
Of course you're from a great clan. With a name like 'Da Huang,' you practically screamed 'important side character with hidden background.'
He didn't even need a divination technique because he doesn't know any of it. Just use some basic web novel logic.
Step one: Annoying personality? Check.
Step two: Dumb pride? Double check.
Step three: Probably has a defective bloodline or broken meridians or some nonsense like that.
Step four: Will eventually meet a walking cheat-code protagonist who "accidentally" fixes him.
Step five: Gets stronger than everyone in his clan.
Step six: Returns home, slaps around all the elders who mocked him, and becomes the heir.
Final step: His entire clan suddenly worships the protagonist like he's their granddaddy reincarnated.
Su Chen sighed internally. Classic side character arc. Predictable as a third-rate novel plot.
Still, he kept a straight face and nodded solemnly. "I knew it. A noble aura like yours can't be hidden."
"In his mind, though, he was already planning how to use this self-important crow for all he was worth."