Tian Ji Han waited. And waited.

It felt like an eternity before he could gain some semblance of awareness of his surroundings.

“Unlike the Ka Gu which had weak vision, I cannot see at all as a rock… but I can feel. I can feel the worms crawling dozens of feet beneath the soil, the whisper of the winds through the trees, and the cold, lifelessness of my other neighboring rocks.

But even though I have awareness, I have no ability. I can’t even move!”

Indeed, no one would be able to guess that the single lone, solitary stone on top of hundreds of others within a corner of the forest would inhabit the soul of Tian Ji Han, a former Golden Core cultivator of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

However, Tian Ji Han soon was able to see further. He observed through vibrations within the earth, that somewhere far from him in the forest occurred the event where Yin Na killed Liao Ya Shu. Then he killed Huang Jin Be and She Liaoji, and also renewed the slave contract with his Yaoguai Mao Shiqi.

“That villain!” thought Tian Ji Han. “He thinks he got away with it, with nothing more than Heaven as his witness. But I, a mere piece of rock, know what he has done, and once I find the perfect body to transfer my soul into I swear I will use it to enact justice on him!”

If he could move his rock body at all in the first place, he would be vibrating in anger. He could do nothing as he sensed the footsteps and presence of Yin Na and his Spicy Oil Boar grow fainter and fainter, leaving the vicinity of his detection.

“...” Tian Ji Han was at a loss.

“My mortal enemy Yin Na has left. What do I do now?”

However, after only an hour, he felt heavy vibrations in the soul again.

“Oh, it’s…it’s Xiao Feng!” Tian Ji Han wanted to weep in relief and happiness. “And he brought cultivators, presumably to aid me in my battle! Alas, you were too late, but do not worry, I am alive. I just need to figure out a way to move…or communicate!”

----------------------------------------

“I will pay you the 200,000 spirit stones,” said Xiao Feng. “Now please…please pursue the direction of the Spicy Oil Boar’s trial!”

Chen Zixi harumphed, looking bored as he stroked his white beard.

“Don’t you rush me, is a mere disciple telling his Master to hurry?”

Xiao Feng felt desperately pressed for time. Because he had already failed in arriving here on time to save his Master, he felt like he could at least track down the nearest living clue that fled the scene.

“You know that the Spicy Oil Boar can float, and of course, fly. What happens when we track these hoof prints only to find out that the Desolate beast has taken off? I don’t have any advanced tracking techniques to find where it could fly to, it could be anywhere from a couple hundred li to having wandered off completely out of the Southern Domain!” Chen Zixi explained.

Xiao Feng resisted the urge to cry in frustration. Chen Zixi was clearly reluctant to take action. Since the promise of 200,000 spirit stones was assured to fall into his hands, the Golden Core cultivator had no incentive to fulfill his end of the bargain!

“Please, master,” said Xiao Feng. “Disciple begs you to at least try!”

“Hmph,” Chen Zixi snorted. “That’s more like it.”

“I’m not going back into that necklace!” said Ying Er.

“We can walk, perhaps we would be able to find more clues along the ground,” said Brother Sun Lu.

As the party of cultivators talked, they were walking closer towards where Tian Ji Han was perched by as a rock.

“I’m here!” thought Tian Ji Han. “Please, come here, look here! I’m still alive!”

Tian Ji Han willed every centimeter of his stone with all his might, he could almost feel his soul accumulating fatigue. But as hard as he tried, in the end a rock was still a rock.

Tian Ji Han felt their footsteps getting further and further.

“No!” Tian Ji Han wanted to scream. “Come back, I’m still here! Xiao Feng, Brother Liu Kang, Brother Sun Lu, Xiao Ying Er! You will never be able to find me again if you leave this spot!”

Tian Ji Han felt his world ending, hysteria attacking the mind of his soul. He knew that if these people left here it would be weeks, months, even years for another human to pass by this part in the forest, unless the Heavenly Sword sect chose to investigate the matter further which was unlikely.

Either way, he would not be able to deal with the power of isolation. It would tear his sanity to pieces, he would be a crazy soul imprisoned within the claustrophobic confines of his stone shell!

At that moment, he felt something land upon his rock body. He could not see what it was, but he could feel its claw-like legs, its springy, light weight that somehow felt familiar to his new body.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

This was a bird.

“I’m…I’m sorry!” Tian Ji Han made a decision as he mentally apologized.

His soul was far more powerful than a bird’s, as his soul transferred into the bird that, unfortunately for the bird, housed the soul of a cultivator. The bird was overwhelmed in an instant, its life ejected out of its hollow body as Tian Ji Han took it over.

Tian Ji Han could see and move once again. He ruffled his feathers as he acclimated into his new body. He had white feathers speckled with blue-streaks. The body of this bird was pudgy, almost spherical in shape and was soft to the look and touch, it was undeniably cute and adorable. It was a spirit Budgie!

Tian Ji Han felt remorse for forcefully taking the body of a Spirit bird, but above all he felt a sense of urgency. He began to flap his wings, but he was not used to the body, and flopped to the ground a bit like a fish on dry land.

“Damn it!” Tian Ji Han flapped his wings, scattering pebbles and ashes as his pudgy body rolled along the dirt and grass. How did a Spirit Budgie even fly? It was so pudgy!

“Where…is the center of gravity?” That’s when Tian Ji Han had a spark of inspiration. “Wait, the center of gravity…is the dan tian!” Tian Ji Han concentrated for the span of ten breaths.

He sensed that this Spirit Budgie indeed, had a dan tian, albeit pitifully weak.

“I’m not asking for the qi reserves of a dragon, I just want to fly!”

Tian Ji Han estimated that the amount of qi this Spirit Budgie had couldn’t amount to more than that of a mere mid-stage Qi Refining martial artist. Nevertheless, the moment he tried to circulate his qi, he felt a sense of grounding with Heaven and Earth.

He flapped his wings, and was able to consistently maintain floating in the air.

“Xiao Feng!” Tian Ji Han opened his beak, but no sound came out. Only the natural, piercing cry of a Spirit Budgie rang in his ears. “Xiao Feng, Master has returned!”

He flew as hard as he could towards Xiao Feng, but he was still bad at the motion and needed practice.

----------------------------------------

“Well, this is where the trail ends,” said Chen Zixi.

“Master Chen,” said Brother Sun Lu. “These tracks could not be more than a few hours old. There may still be hope in pursuing the direction of these hooves somehow?”

“I wouldn’t be so hopeful if I were you,” said Chen Zixi. “Look over here.”

The group of cultivators looked at what Chen Zixi was gesturing at.

“This-!” Xiao Feng’s pupils shrank with recognition.

“This is Master Tian Ji Han’s sword…” said Brother Liu Kang.

The Golden Dragon Treasure sword, which was Tian Ji Han’s signature weapon and a symbol of his righteousness within the Heavenly Sword sect, was charred and sticking ominously into the ground like an improperly set-up stick of incense that failed to burn.

Meanwhile, a foot away, a pudgy white-blue Spirit Budgie was flying clumsily towards them. This was Master Tian Ji Han’s new body, and he saw what these cultivators were looking at.

“That demon Yin Na!” thought Tian Ji Han. “He didn’t take my sword and planted it so saliently as if planting the flag of my death. I will land near them and try to communicate somehow!”

Meanwhile, Xiao Feng was studying the sword carefully.

“But this isn’t conclusive evidence,” thought Xiao Feng. “It was almost as if…as if Yin Na stuck this sword in here. As if he wanted to say, ‘look, I killed your master, come and get me!’”

Just as Xiao Feng was about to say something…

“No!” Xiao Ying Er suddenly let out a piercing cry that was not expected of her nature and caught everyone else off guard. She began wailing as big fat teardrops spilled from her almond eyes.

Xiao Feng understood. “Even though I do not accept this as evidence, Ying Er Jie’s genuine reaction means that she accepts it as proof that master is dead.”

Xiao Feng and the others now understood why Xiao Ying Er was so adamant in following along with them in helping them rescue Tian Ji Han.

“Little brat,” scoffed Chen Zixi. “You were in love with this Tian Ji Han welp!”

Xiao Ying Er did not answer; she only continued sobbing.

“Hehehe, what a pity, now he is dead, and now you got no incentive to keep helping, eh?”

“Chen Zixi, you-!” Brother Liu Kang and even Brother Sun Lu were enraged that Chen Zixi would mock the crestfallen Xiao Ying Er, but they were too weak and did not dare to actually do anything.

“Master Ji Han…” Xiao Ying Er wept. “You were so brave, so righteous…and so kind.”

Xiao Ying Er managed to choke out these words, and Xiao Feng was moved with emotion.

He began tearing up himself, and found himself wondering if his master truly had perished after all.

“Now your sword has been sullied and tarnished by the grip of an evil demon. Yin Na, I swear I will not share the same skies with you!” Xiao Ying Er was screaming at the Heavens.

“No way,” Xiao Feng was lost in his own thoughts. “If Master is gone…that means I’m all alone now. I’m an orphan again, without a nest to return to, a slave of the Sect and my new Master. I’ll spend the rest of my life paying off my debts…I’ll be lost forever!”

What a strange scene for the Spirit Budgie that was Tian Ji Han to fly into! He flew within earshot, and began flying circles above the cultivators’ heads.

“Wow, I never imagined that Xiao Ying Er had a crush on me,” thought Tian Ji Han. “I thought she was simply a true follower of virtue, but now that I’m a Spirit Budgie I’m afraid I can’t give her a polite response. But what am I thinking! Xiao Feng, Brother Sun Lu, can’t you see me? It’s me, your brother Tian Ji Han! I’m inside the body of a Spirit Budgie! Your friend and master isn’t dead, Xiao Feng, please notice me!”

“Where did this Spirit Budgie come from?” snarled Chen Zixi.

“It’s just a Spirit Budgie,” sobbed Brother Liu Kang, overwhelmed with emotion as he was weeping for Tian Ji Han. “You wouldn’t even show mercy to a harmless bird?”

“This explosion should have wiped out all wildlife within the vicinity, yet this bird just shows up out of nowhere. I don’t like it, it seems suspicious to me.”

Tian Ji Han felt fear as Chen Zixi fixated his gaze on him with killing intent. He managed to quickly land on Xiao Feng’s shoulder.

Xiao Feng was wiping the tears from his eyes as he looked at the pudgy Spirit Budgie on his shoulder.

“Huh?” Xiao Feng looked into its gentle, beady and yet, oddly intelligent-looking eyes.