Who Stole My Eggs?

Xie Zuo lowered his head slightly and touched the tip of his nose. “Hey, don’t worry about what happened in the past. We just came to visit Feng Yi. If you find it troublesome, I will take him away. I will take care of him, and he will live a happy life. It takes thousands of years to hatch.”

Lin immediately said, “I’ll do it!”

Hey… that feeling was coming again. Xie Zuo suddenly realized something. He patted his head and said, “Xiao Lin, are you… you and Feng Yi…”

Xiao Lin. This familiar title immediately offset the strangeness in Lin’s heart toward Xie Zuo. No matter who he was or who he had been, he was still his Brother Ah Yun, and he would never change!

Speaking of Feng Yi, Lin’s cheeks turned slightly red. “Yeah.”

Xie Zuo felt complicated and asked, “Xiao Lin, how long have you been together?”

“It hasn’t been long…” Lin replied shyly. “Do you still remember that time in the Southern Emperor’s Temple? He came to congratulate you, and… gave me one of his tail feathers.”

“You didn’t take it seriously, did you?” Xie Zuo’s expression was hard to describe. “He didn’t tell you that it’s his biggest and best one, and that it’s just for you, right?”

Lin was stunned. “Isn’t it?”

Although Xie Zuo felt sorry for Feng Yi’s experiences, he couldn’t tolerate Feng Yi’s constant play and deceit. And now, deceiving Xiao Lin—his innocent Xiao Lin—was absolutely intolerable!

Xie Zuo hugged Lin sympathetically and said, “Xiao Lin, Feng Yi has countless tail feathers. If you pluck the biggest and most beautiful ones, they’ll just grow back bigger and more beautiful. Don’t fall for him just because of a feather. If you have needs, just have fun with him, but don’t take it seriously, okay?”

Wu Xiao, Feng Yi, and Huo Yao—the three brothers—had completely opposite approaches to love and relationships. Wu Xiao and Feng Yi were both so promiscuous they often walked away immediately after their escapades, while Huo Yao was an abstinent old virgin, uncivilized and so stubbornly chaste that no one could do anything about it.

Xie Zuo watched Lin’s expression shift from warmth to icy coldness. He couldn’t help but push the phoenix egg deeper into Lin’s sleeve, worried Lin might crush it in anger.

Xie Zuo had originally planned to visit Feng Yi, who had been wronged and burned himself to a crisp, to console him. Instead, he ended up venting his frustration and dismantling Feng Yi’s image in Lin’s eyes.

Fortunately, even though Lin was angry, he still couldn’t let go of Feng Yi. In the end, Xie Zuo returned the phoenix egg to Lin, who continued to take care of it.

When Xie Zuo had been Tiandi, he had deliberately kept Feng Yi at a distance, afraid that his closeness would lead to the prophecy coming true. This caution had unintentionally made Feng Yi unsuspecting of Yue Rong disguised as Tiandi. Feng Yi had even been happy about the return of Tiandi, thinking that his refusal to keep their distance meant something positive.

Because of this, when Huo Yao asked Feng Yi to hide, Feng Yi had gone to say goodbye to the fake Tiandi without any doubts—only to be taken away in the process.

By the time Feng Yi woke up, the situation had become irreversible. Abandoned by his parents at birth, he had refused to give in to despair or admit defeat, even choosing to live as a woman to gain recognition from his clan. He had succeeded, becoming their emperor and trampling on those who once insulted him. But when he fell into trouble, not a single tribesman stood up for him. Instead, they collectively turned against him, blamed him, and offered him up to the Demon King.

From beginning to end, Feng Yi had never truly been accepted by the Phoenix clan. Ever since they abandoned him, he should have known there was no going back. The tribe had submitted to him out of fear, not genuine acceptance.

Just as the deities in Taixu Temple had collectively petitioned to punish Xie Zuo, the Phoenix clan acted in the same manner. The deities didn’t care whether Xie Zuo had made a mistake or whether there was evidence. As long as there was a signal from those in power, it was enough for them to charge into battle.

Similarly, to the Phoenix clan, it didn’t matter whether Feng Yi’s actions stemmed from genuine intentions or whether they were good or evil. If he caused them trouble, they would push him out to face punishment. Most importantly, by sacrificing him, they could ensure their own safety. The question of right or wrong was irrelevant to them.

Feng Yi had no choice but to burn himself to maintain his dignity.

Xie Zuo regretted it deeply. He shouldn’t have been swayed by the prophecy, thinking that keeping his distance from Feng Yi could save him. Instead, it had led Feng Yi directly into the foretold future, fulfilling the prophecy. If he had been willing to keep Feng Yi by his side and guide him, Feng Yi might not have been so obsessed with returning to his clan, and perhaps today’s tragic outcome could have been avoided.

After obtaining Huo Yao’s consent, Xie Zuo refined the thunder deity’s post hidden in the phoenix egg into one with the phoenix egg. In this way, Feng Yi was blessed with the power of thunder and lightning. When the phoenix hatched in the future, he would become the only thunder-and-fire phoenix in the world, destined to live as long as the world endured.

Xie Zuo solemnly made a promise to the phoenix egg: “I will wait for you to hatch, and I will keep you by my side this time.”

The phoenix egg, which had been silent until then, seemed to understand. It shook as if to express its joy.

Lin, watching from the side, could no longer contain his emotions and burst into tears.

Xie Zuo and Huo Yao settled on Rain Deity Island first. They had initially planned to find an island to settle on near Rain Deity Island. After resolving Feng Yi’s matter, Lin finally let go of his worries. In his spare time, he accompanied Xie Zuo to explore the surrounding islands. After thorough investigations, Xie Zuo and Huo Yao ultimately chose a small island. It had four distinct seasons, a convenient location, and was not far from Rain Deity Island—just the right place.

Xie Zuo did not forget to consult little snake and Wu Xiao for their opinions, and both expressed satisfaction.

Xie Zuo and Huo Yao checked the zodiac calendar together. The sixth day of the next month was an auspicious day for moving, so they chose that date.

The family returned to the Asura world early to pack their belongings. Despite not living there for long, they had accumulated a surprising amount of stuff—mostly little snake’s things. He was a nostalgic child and insisted on packing and taking anything, he had ever used.

On the fifth night of the Lunar New Year, Xie Zuo felt extremely excited about the happy life that was about to begin. He and Huo Yao played wildly for most of the night.

After the clouds and rain dissipated, Xie Zuo laid on Huo Yao, content and teasing, “You are so mighty and majestic, the Great Deity of Thunder—”

Huo Yao, equally satisfied, replied, “You still want to provoke me? Do you even plan to sleep tonight?”

“Sleep,” Xie Zuo said, chuckling. “I need to recuperate enough for the move.”

After a moment of rest, Xie Zuo urged Huo Yao, “Take me to bathe. I’ll feel uncomfortable if I don’t.”

“Alright,” Huo Yao agreed, standing up and lifting Xie Zuo into his arms. He whispered, “Didn’t you say it was quite comfortable?”

“That’s different!” Xie Zuo blushed. “You’re such a bad example, teasing me like this.”

As they rubbed their hair together playfully, Xie Zuo suddenly perked up his ears. “Wait a minute—is little snake outside?”

Huo Yao stopped speaking, and both of them held their breath.

Indeed, there was a faint “rustling” sound outside the door, like the sound of a small snake crawling.

Suddenly, the noise stopped. Then, the little snake slipped in through the crack in the door, looking irritated. “Father, Daddy, I have to disturb you.”

Xie Zuo’s heart melted at the sight of little snake. He quickly got out of bed and picked him up. “What’s wrong, honey? Who upset you?”

The little snake flicked its tail, glanced at Xie Zuo, then at Huo Yao, and finally said, “Did you forget something?”

“Forgot something?” Xie Zuo quickly ran through his mental checklist. “No, I haven’t forgotten anything. I’ve packed all your toys, snacks, and pets.”

“Alas,” the little snake sighed. “I… actually think it’s nice being an only child. But I’m not…well, how should I put it—I don’t want to take him, but he’s quite pitiful, right? You fostered him elsewhere… I mean, isn’t it time to get your other kid back?”

The night deepened as the family pondered over his words.