RMWDS -Chapter 290 Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix

Lei Lingyin’s call came almost at the same moment as the phoenix’s cry. Amid the sound of rushing water in the background, she shouted anxiously,

“Leader, that egg of yours cracked open! Something flew out of it! It was way too fast—I couldn’t catch up at all!”

Miao Yunyou quickly reassured her.

“It’s fine. It seems to have flown over to my side. Don’t worry about it.”

After hanging up, she immediately rushed upstairs.

Lin Wan was still singing on the third-floor terrace, so that wasn’t available.

Thus, she headed to the fifth floor.

All of the terrace entrances were equipped with smart locks that could only be opened by staff, making them inaccessible to tourists.

She pressed her fingertip against the lock. With a soft click, the door opened.

A gust of wind created by flapping wings rushed toward her, carrying the fragrance of grass and leaves, along with countless flecks of golden sunlight.

Hundreds of birds had come flying from the surrounding mountains and forests, circling continuously around the ancient-style restaurant with its carved beams and upturned eaves.

Their colorful feathers reflected dazzling hues under the sunlight. Thousands upon thousands of wings beat in unison, producing a ceaseless roar like waves crashing upon the sea.

Following a fixed pattern, the flock spiraled layer upon layer, gradually drawing inward from the outer edges. Naturally, they formed an enormous circular formation in the sky. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the birds, casting mottled patches of light and shadow onto the astonished faces of the tourists below.

Everyone stopped instinctively and raised their heads, staring blankly at the sea of circling birds above them, their eyes filled with disbelief and awe.

Even Lin Wan, who was on the third-floor terrace, was startled. Her fingers paused on the strings for half a second.

Fortunately, she had seen extraordinary things before.

In just a second, the surprise in her eyes disappeared. Her emotions calmed completely, and her slender fingers steadily returned to the zither strings. Her gentle and melodious singing continued without the slightest interruption.

Her voice was heavenly, clear and lingering, as though the strange spectacle around her did not exist at all. Only the music and her song drifted freely with the wind, tenderly soothing the clamor of the world.

The tourists below erupted in excitement.

“My God! What’s going on?”

“Is this some hidden performance? Boss Miao really knows how to put on a show! How much would it cost to hire so many birds?”

“I get it! This is Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix! Her singing is so beautiful that even the birds in the mountains have been attracted here!”

“I know, I know! We learned this in our Chinese textbook! ‘Kunshan jade shatters and the phoenix cries; lotus weeps with dew while fragrant orchids smile.'”

“That’s a bit too self-congratulatory, isn’t it?”

“But her singing really is beautiful.”

“How were they trained? I’ve only heard of trained pigeons before. I didn’t know other birds could be this obedient!”

“You know what? The atmosphere is actually amazing!”

Everyone held up their phones and frantically snapped photos of the sky. The rapid clicking of shutters rang out one after another.

Standing on the fifth-floor terrace, Miao Yunyou clung to the railing and widened her eyes, scanning the densely packed flock over and over.

After searching for a full thirty seconds, she finally spotted an oddly out-of-place little creature right at the center of the flock.

The little fellow was round and chubby, resembling a freshly steamed brown-sugar glutinous rice dumpling—soft, sweet, and plump. Its body was covered in fluffy, flame-red down, a pure and brilliant crimson that gleamed brightly under the sun.

Its tail was short, its head perfectly round, and its tiny body looked adorable yet clumsy. Flapping a pair of short little wings, it barely managed to maintain its flight.

Mixed among the agile and graceful birds, the little creature’s flying was completely crooked and wobbly. It staggered and swayed through the air in an adorably clumsy manner. Several times, it nearly crashed headfirst into the rear end of the magpies flying ahead, forcing the surrounding birds to take the initiative and dodge out of its way.

Miao Yunyou was dumbfounded.

So this was what the legendary phoenix looked like?

Its round little appearance was practically molded from the same template as that ruby-red egg.

It had absolutely nothing in common with the majestic ancient divine bird that people imagined—one whose outstretched wings could blot out the sky.

At that moment, the little red fluffball also noticed her standing by the railing.

It let out a clear chirp and suddenly flapped its tiny wings twice. Like a small red cannonball, it crashed through the surrounding flock and flew straight toward Miao Yunyou.

Instinctively, she opened her arms.

With a soft plop, the fluffy little body crashed into her embrace. The impact wasn’t strong, but it still made her take half a step backward.

Its pair of black, obsidian-like eyes were bright, pure, and crystal clear. Without blinking, it stared directly at Miao Yunyou.

Within those tiny pupils, her reflection was perfectly preserved.

They were filled with complete trust, affection, and wholehearted fondness for her—pure feelings without the slightest trace of impurity.

Half an hour later, the courtyard of the staff dormitory was packed three layers deep with spectators.

Freshly cut watermelon and cold drinks had been placed on the stone table beneath the grape trellis. Miao Yunyou sat on a stone stool, while the little phoenix lay obediently on the table beside her.

An Ning crouched beside the table, his finger wavering in midair. He wanted to pet it, but didn’t dare.

Wei Zijun squatted beside him, equally curious, and whispered,

“So this is what a phoenix looks like…”

Standing nearby, Wei Zhuoshan’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

“It’s… this round?”

Ling Nianci was closest to the table. Her eyes sparkled as she propped up her chin with both hands, repeatedly exclaiming,

“So cute!”

Ling Yunxiao quietly discussed with his wife, Wen Xiuning,

“Our daughter seems to really like it. I’ll make one for her with velvet flowers tonight.”

Wen Xiuning smiled.

“Sure.”

Su Qingyu held up his phone and snapped pictures from every possible angle.

“No regrets, no regrets! I’ve really broadened my horizons this time!”

Su Qingluo calmly remarked,

“Turn off the flash. Don’t scare it.”

Su Wangkui stroked his white beard and circled the stone table over and over, muttering to himself,

“To think that in my lifetime, I would actually get to see a phoenix…”

Xie Dingnian also looked at the little phoenix with emotion.

“The phoenix sings upon the lofty ridge.

The parasol tree grows beneath the morning sun.

To witness this in one’s lifetime—

how fortunate one is.”

Honest and straightforward Shen Yan said nothing.

He was pondering a different question.

If even phoenixes existed in this world… then did dragons exist as well?

Even little Yaoyao, who was being carried in Lin Wan’s arms, stretched out her tiny arms and happily shouted,

“Birdie! Birdie!”

Surrounded and stared at by so many people, the little phoenix was obviously rather shy.

Its round body curled up slightly in fear as it shrank into Miao Yunyou’s palm. Its tiny claws tightly gripped her fingers while it buried its head in her hand, leaving only its bright red little backside sticking out.

The fluffy rear trembled slightly, making it look like a living ball of fur.

“Leader, I’ve fished everything out of the pool!”

Lei Lingyin came rushing in energetically, carrying a transparent plastic bag in her hand.

She overturned the bag onto the stone table, and with a clattering sound, a pile of objects spilled out.

There were more than a dozen ruby fragments the size of fingernails, sparkling brilliantly under the sunlight.

And there was also the amber necklace.

However, upon closer inspection, one would discover that the feather sealed inside the amber had vanished completely without a trace.