Chapter 23: Fire

The rapid progress of the Feathered Clan was truly astonishing, far beyond Liang Yuan’s expectations. Over the past decade, Liang Yuan had devoted himself entirely to the volcano, focusing on the matters of the Bi Fang, paying little attention to the affairs of the Feathered Clan and the Merfolk. He had never imagined that their development would unfold so swiftly, transforming into what it was now.

Paths crisscrossed, and the sounds of chickens and dogs echoed from every corner.

The Feathered Clan had begun to domesticate animals, cultivate crops, and their written language was taking its earliest form.

Suddenly, Liang Yuan caught sight of the Feathered Shaman, bowing in devout worship before the clan’s totem.

“A shaman?”

Liang Yuan smiled faintly, finding this rather intriguing.

The title "Feathered God" had originally been bestowed without much thought, but since the feathered people had adopted it, it seemed fitting enough—at least it distinguished them from the merfolk’s veneration of their First God.

What surprised Liang Yuan most was that the Feathered Clan had already established a totem.

Primitive tribes often gave birth to totems from their reverence for nature, but for the Feathered Clan, their totem surely arose from worship of themselves.

The irony was not lost on him.

The merfolk, whom he had favored so deeply, had erected a temple in his honor, only for it to be forgotten and neglected. Meanwhile, the feathered people, who had received far less from him, had based their faith upon him, though all they’d gained was his awakening of their spirits.

It was not about having less, but about fair distribution.

He resolved to treat both clans equally, curious to see which would flourish more.

The Feathered Shaman prayed, seeking a response from the Feathered God. He had no real expectations, and his daily prayers had become nothing more than habit.

But today, everything changed.

Tiny points of starlight swirled above the totem, leaving the shaman utterly stunned.

Brilliant light glimmered, and spiritual radiance burst forth atop the totem.

"Feathered..."

The shaman trembled with excitement, his entire body shaking. "Feathered God!"

He had never imagined he would receive a sign from the god, having long given up hope.

But miracles often arrive at such moments. As his body quivered, the radiance swept away the darkness and entered his brow.

Instantly, the shaman felt a soothing sensation coursing through his veins, spreading from his brow throughout his body.

Where his temples had been whitened by toil, the hair turned black once more, wrinkles faded, and all signs of age vanished. He felt as fearless as he had in his youth.

He even sensed that the clan’s greatest warrior could no longer match him.

He was now the Feathered Clan’s strongest warrior.

More than that, the shaman felt an invisible flame flickering within him.

Unable to resist, he opened his mouth, and a plume of fire erupted, startling the nearby feathered guards into stupefied silence.

“Feathered Shaman!”

The feathered guards gazed at him in awe, laying down their weapons and bowing repeatedly, crying, “Feathered Shaman! Feathered Shaman!”

The shaman ignored them, his eyes fixed on the totem, feeling the fire’s power burning within him. In an instant, understanding dawned—he seemed to know the cause.

By day, the divine bird soared under the blazing sun, piercing the heavens.

The entire sky was ignited by the bird’s flames, its miraculous presence stretching for three thousand miles.

"Change the totem to the Divine Bird, Bi Fang."

The ethereal message seemed to drift from afar, arriving lightly at the shaman’s ear. He was stunned, bowing his head in reverence. “I humbly obey the Feathered God’s command!”

The other guards, witnessing the scene, were shaken to their core, trembling with awe, daring not question, their faces alight with fervor. “We humbly obey the Feathered God’s command!”

It was the Feathered God!

Truly, the Feathered God!

The shaman was overwhelmed with emotion.

And, as he pieced it together in his mind, he finally understood why no divine command had come for ten years.

“The Feathered God dislikes being disturbed. With the birth of the Divine Bird, Bi Fang, we are to honor it as our totem, seeking its protection for our clan.”

His newfound power over flame surely stemmed from the Divine Bird, Bi Fang.

Lost in thought, the shaman bowed deeply, and after a few hours of waiting, with no further sign from the god, he slowly rose, his demeanor reverent, instructing those around him, “Send for Yun Wu. Select a massive stone, and by the Feathered God’s decree, carve the image of the Divine Bird, Bi Fang. Henceforth, the Divine Bird shall protect our clan for ten thousand years!”

Yun Wu was the clan’s most skilled carver, the one who had crafted the god’s statue.

Unlike the merfolk, where any member could have a name, the concept of names was sacred among the Feathered Clan.

All clan members bore the surname Yun, and their names were usually chosen at random—such as One, Two, Three, Four, Five; Dun Dun, Nan Nan, Gu Gu.

Names that sounded cheap, almost trivial.

Only those who had made significant contributions or achieved notable status could claim a proper name—like the original eleven feathered people: Yun Che, Yun Ning, and so on.

Of course, among all feathered folk, there was one exception.

The Feathered Shaman.

The shaman had no name.

The shaman’s life was dedicated wholly to the clan, and so he would never leave a name behind. When a shaman died, the successor would likewise have no name—be it the tenth, twentieth, or thirtieth generation, all were simply the Feathered Shaman, never anyone else.

Yun Wu’s achievements were great, earning him the name Wu, and after completing the carving of the Divine Bird, he would formally gain his own proper name.

The shaman steadied himself, holding his breath as fire flared from his fingertips. With every sweep of his arm, the flame danced, leaving an indelible mark against the night sky.

From this moment, he too was a feathered one favored by the god.

His confidence soared, convinced the clan had not been abandoned by the deity. They must continue striving, seeking the god’s delight.

“From this day forward, the Feathered Clan shall honor fire!”

Far from the ancestral lands of the feathered people, by a shallow pool, Quan Xi lay gazing at the stars, uncertain and lost.

He had come to the clan’s ancestral home, but it was nothing like he had imagined.

It was a place of civilization, much like the merfolk’s royal court. How should he interact with the feathered people here? Was he truly to assume the identity of the so-called ‘wingless seabird’?

He knew the lie would eventually be exposed, and the guise of a wingless seabird could not last long.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp.”

The mysterious bird perched on the reeds, tilting its head at Quan Xi, puzzled by his thoughts.

Quan Xi looked back and smiled.

So be it. There was no use in regret now.

He would take things as they came.

“Sleep! It’s been so long since I slept in the water.”