Lin Yun and Madam Li approached the cave under the cover of night, the forest quiet except for the distant hoot of an owl. The cave's entrance loomed ahead—a dark maw in the rocky hill, promising shelter from the chill midnight air.
Madam Li glanced at him curiously. "This place looks… isolated. Are you sure it's safe?"
Lin Yun didn't answer immediately. As a cultivator, his senses extended far beyond hers—he felt the faint presence of living beings inside. Something was wrong.
He stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.
"Don't move from here," he whispered.
Madam Li nodded, eyes wide.
Lin Yun activated his Golden Eyes, peering into the darkness. He was trying to discern if the other party was cultivators or not. Through the gloom, he saw two human-like figures, their bodies radiating subtle spiritual energy fluctuations—weak, but undeniable.
Although it was not as strong as the previous beast he'd fought, it was enough to confirm they weren't ordinary mortals.
The male beastman, tall and burly with furred ears and a tail, laughed lowly. "Look, it seems like a cultivator was here! Haha, but he's not here now. This Spirit Veil Owl really carries luck for its owner."
The female beastman, slimmer with sharp claws and piercing eyes, spoke up. "It was indeed the case. Even a cultivator was here—the heavens are in our favor. Let's search this place. If we find anything useful, we'll be rich."
They both began searching the cave, rummaging through the scattered rocks and debris.
After a while, the male one spoke in an angry manner. "Empty… empty. Everything's in a mess. There's not even a single spiritual stone! This is the third time this month. That owl was just deceiving me!"
He turned to the female. "Hey, where did you get this fool owl?"
She shrugged. "I bought it from an old man. He seemed quite powerful. He said he urgently needed spirit stones, so he sold it to me for just 5 spirit stones."
The man exploded in fury. "You fool! How can you believe such obvious lies? This is not a Spirit Veil Owl—this is just a brainless beast!"
In a fit of anger, the man punched the owl perched nearby. The bird screeched as it crashed into the wall, a bleeding wound opening on its wing.
The man sneered. "Look—how can it be a veil owl if it's injured by such a small attack?"
With fury, the man left the place, and the female beastman, sharing his anger, followed her senior brother. But before leaving, she kicked the owl hard and spat, "My spiritual stones were wasted on this fool."
She left in a rage.
Lin Yun waited, confirming with his Golden Eyes that the two had moved far ahead. Only then did he lead Madam Li into the cave.
"I think this place is safe now," he said quietly.
Madam Li looked around the dim interior, her eyes landing on the bleeding owl in the corner. The bird lay still, its deep blue eyes flickering with pain, but it refused to close them—as if defying death itself.
She knelt and gently picked up the owl, cradling it in her arms.
"Lin Yun," she said softly, "can you heal this owl?"
Lin Yun calmly looked into the owl's eyes. Those blue depths stared back—unyielding, resilient. In that brief moment, memories flooded Lin Yun's mind.
He was back in his past—a school hallway, children scattering in fear as he walked. Whispers followed him like shadows. He approached the principal's office, where parents of other students had gathered. They all turned, cursing him loudly for something he hadn't done. Accusations flew like arrows. Lin Yun said nothing, just walked away as a single tear fell from his eye.
Madam Li shook his shoulder gently.
"Lin Yun? What are you thinking?"
He snapped out of the daze. "It's nothing."
He looked at the owl again and said in a slow voice, "So you also want to live as an odd one, huh? You remind me of my past. So I'll give you a chance. Live well."
Lin Yun placed his hand on the owl and began healing it. Vitality poured from the Mysterious Land, flowing into the bird's wounds.
"The injuries are more serious than I thought," he murmured. "It's like there are very old injuries here too. It will take more energy to heal."
After some time, the owl was completely healed. Its feathers shone in the moonlight filtering through the cave entrance.
Madam Li smiled. "Should we take this owl? It's so cute."
Lin Yun shook his head. "No. Birds are meant to fly freely in the sky, across clouds and mountains."
He took the owl in his hand and gently tossed it into the air. "Hey, you little thing—I want you to be free. Feel the winds. Don't waste them."
Lin Yun then asked Madam Li, "Are you upset with my decision?"
Madam Li said, "No, you were right. I forgot what freedom is."
But to both of their surprise, the owl circled once and returned, perching on Lin Yun's shoulder.
Madam Li said in a happy tone, "I think it wants to be your beast companion."
Lin Yun looked at the owl and said, "Huh…" with a sigh. "Okay, I agree. But we should first name this owl."
He grabbed the owl in his hand. "I want you to be free, to cross mountains and seas. So I think Bai Yun is a good choice."
The owl seemed to like the name, letting out a soft hoot.
And just like that, another name was added—Lin Yun and Madam Li, with their new companion, continued the journey.
End of Chapter