Fang Jinyu did not answer. His eyes showed a slight hint of surprise, for right after the little girl's words fell, he could feel that his own luck had immediately decreased by a full tenth!
So this destiny calculation technique actually requires one to pay a cost in luck?
He couldn't help but suddenly realize—no wonder after meeting that little girl his destiny calculation technique ceased to react. And after he had mastered the technique, he had noticed that his own luck was so meager, almost nonexistent; it was likely because he had paid that price once before!
Now that he had regained some luck—enough to cover the cost of using the destiny calculation technique—the technique began to react once again.
"This thing truly deserves to be the main character's exclusive secret technique…"
After all, who besides the main character would possess such abundant luck to expend?
Sure enough, a mere cannon fodder is nothing more than cannon fodder. Escaping from the role of cannon fodder is exceptionally difficult!
Fang Jinyu was full of emotion. Then, lowering his head, he stole a glance at the little girl who was now poking his stomach with her little finger, and said, "You've had too much to drink; what you just said is all nonsense."
"I didn't drink!" The little girl shot Fang Jinyu a glance as well, then continued her fiddling with her hand—and even applied a bit more force.
"That's because you slept too much; when a person sleeps excessively, they tend to become daft. I suppose you've become daft now." Fang Jinyu glanced at her again—are you planning to poke my belly endlessly?
Only then did the little girl stop. After glancing at Fang Jinyu, she walked away without a word.
She made a mental note of that remark!
But after only a few steps, the little girl suddenly remembered something and said, "There's a bird looking for you—just outside."
"What kind of bird?"
Fang Jinyu couldn't help but be surprised.
"A talking bird, all black—just like a crow."
Before the little girl could finish her sentence, Fang Jinyu hurried out. At that moment, his destiny calculation technique began to react again, though not very strongly.
However, Fang Jinyu wasn't leaving solely because of that.
At that moment, within his field of vision, the countdown text box had long since dropped to zero and disappeared. In other words, the troublesome opportunity that had been giving him headaches was now gone; he could go out without worrying about any issues of attracting unwanted "male" attention.
Moreover, a talking bird…
Under normal circumstances, that would be a spiritual beast of the Golden Core realm!
Among spiritual beasts, those in the Qi Refinement realm understand human nature; those in the Foundation Establishment realm know human intentions; and only those in the Golden Core realm are capable of uttering words in a human-like manner.
Of course, in reality it only sounds as if they're speaking like humans, because a spiritual beast's call is still its original cry. However, once a spiritual beast breaks into the Golden Core realm, with its entire mystical power becoming profound, even its voice undergoes an incredible transformation—so that when it reaches human ears, it takes on the form of words that people can instantly understand.
In short, with a Golden Core spiritual beast coming to find him, Fang Jinyu dared not neglect it!
Yet, when Fang Jinyu went outside, he found that it was only a Foundation Establishment realm bird, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly stepped forward and clasped his fists, saying, "Brother Dao, please don't be angry. Earlier, Fang was in seclusion cultivating so I ended up neglecting you."
This was a bird as black as a crow, but its size was a few measures larger than that of an ordinary eagle; when it spread its wings, they measured as long as half a zhang!
"Ga ga! No harm, no harm. For two days, I was simply struck on a whim to wander around Little River Peak, and chatting with that little girl was so amusing that I ended up staying a few extra days." After cawing twice, the crow-like bird truly spoke in human language.
That, however, confirmed for Fang Jinyu the bird's species.
It was a Jade Falcon Myna—a special spiritual beast that is somewhat blood-related to the common myna of the mortal world, capable of learning human speech. However, these kinds of spiritual beasts are generally not very high-ranked, rarely exceeding the third layer of the Qi Refinement realm.
And the myna before him was very likely at the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment realm, for its demeanor was comparable to that of Aunt Xin Qianqian.
Immediately, Fang Jinyu selected some of the things that Jade Falcon Mynas favor and began to converse with it. Although it was not yet of the Golden Core realm, the bird seemed likely to reach the Golden Core realm before long, so he did not seek a deep friendship—he only aimed not to offend it.
After a while, the Foundation Establishment realm black bird suddenly grew extremely excited.
Because Fang Jinyu had told it that there was a place where a beautiful female myna of the Qi Refinement realm still awaited marriage.
It is said that Fang Jinyu learned of this matter from that book as well—it was the pet of one of the fish belonging to the female lead, Su Yier. That female myna was so headstrong that she always demanded extra money for everything, even when betraying her master, so that Fang Jinyu only needed a glance to remember her.
At that moment, the black bird, self-named "San Sun", looked at Fang Jinyu with an expression as if admiring its own kind and said, "Ga ga! My bird and Brother Fang truly meet as if it were fate! How about Brother Fang and this silly bird swear brotherhood today? I shall be the second elder, and you, Brother Fang, be the third."
"Then who is the first elder?" Fang Jinyu couldn't help but ask, his mind full of sarcastic thoughts, for he felt he had seen this kind of plot somewhere before.
"A Golden Core realm Black Pig." After San Sun said that, it suddenly recalled something and quickly added, "But that Black Pig has never agreed; however, don't worry, Brother Three—my bird will persuade that Black Pig!"
Fang Jinyu remarked, "Which senior from Spirit Beast Valley is that?"
"Are you very familiar with that 'Three'?"
"Two senior disciples once entrusted me with refining a pill, and another senior lent me the formula for a Primal Spirit Pill for three days." Fang Jinyu did not elaborate, but those few words only sparked further imagination.
"Ga ga! So it turns out everyone is on the same side! No wonder my bird suddenly came here two days ago. Even though Little River Peak ordinarily wouldn't attract my bird, I nevertheless couldn't help staying here for a few extra days." San Sun wore an expression of extreme delight, with the tuft of feathers on its head spreading out flamboyantly like a rooster's comb.
However, when the black bird again repeated "two days ago," a thought suddenly occurred to Fang Jinyu: could it be that the countdown opportunity actually referred to this black bird?
So Fang Jinyu asked, "Second elder, did you return from outside the mountain two days ago?"
"I went to wander around Spirit Beast City and just happened to come back." Seeing that Fang Jinyu was on good terms with him, San Sun immediately said, "Then let it be settled—I'll first go find that Black Pig. This time, I will definitely persuade that fellow to become my elder!"
Spreading its wings, San Sun transformed into a black shadow and vanished in an instant—a speed that caused Fang Jinyu's heart to skip a beat.
For even if he had mastered the evasive speed of the Ten Directions Xunzhen Sutra, it would still be far inferior.
However, the next second, the black bird returned again.
"Almost forgot, Brother Three, this item was bought by me on a whim. I don't know what use it might have, so I'll give it to you!" San Sun tossed an object down and then, once again, transformed into a black shadow and left.
Fang Jinyu immediately reached out and caught it, for his destiny calculation technique reacted once more—this time much more strongly than during the previous two occasions!
Only the reaction he experienced when he encountered that little girl could compare to this.