Fang Jinyu did not answer, his eyes faintly revealing a trace of surprise, because just as the little girl's words fell, he could sense that his fate energy immediately decreased by a full tenth!

So using the Fate Calculation Art originally required paying a cost in fate energy?

He couldn't help but suddenly realize. No wonder after encountering this little girl, the Fate Calculation Art had shown no further reaction. And when he had successfully cultivated the Fate Calculation Art, he saw that his own fate energy was so thin it was almost nonexistent—probably because he had paid the cost once before!

Now that he had acquired fate energy again, enough to afford the consumption of the Fate Calculation Art, the art reacted once more.

‘This thing is indeed a protagonist's exclusive secret art…’

Other than the protagonist, who would have such rich fate energy to spend?

Indeed, cannon fodder is cannon fodder. Wanting to shed the role of cannon fodder is truly difficult in every possible way!

Fang Jinyu sighed with deep emotion in his heart. Then he glanced down at the little girl who was now poking his belly with her little finger, and said, “You drank too much; everything you just said was nonsense.”

“I didn't drink!” The little girl likewise glanced at Fang Jinyu, but her hand didn't stop, even pushing a little harder.

“Then you must have slept yourself silly. Sleeping too much makes people stupid. I suppose you've become stupid.” Fang Jinyu glanced at her again. Was this endless poking of his belly ever going to stop?

Only then did the little girl stop. She looked at Fang Jinyu, then walked away without a word.

She made a note of that sentence!

However, after only a few steps, the little girl suddenly remembered something and said, “There's a bird looking for you, right outside.”

“What bird?”

Fang Jinyu couldn't help but be surprised.

“A talking bird, pitch-black, like a crow.”

Before the little girl had even finished speaking, Fang Jinyu hurriedly walked out, because at this moment his Fate Calculation Art was reacting again, though not intensely.

But Fang Jinyu wasn't entirely acting because of that either.

At this moment, within his field of vision, that countdown text box had long since reached zero and vanished. In other words, that annoying opportunity was already gone. He could safely go out now, without worrying about running headlong into "a man."

Added to that, a bird capable of speaking...

Under normal circumstances, that would be a Golden Core spirit beast!

Among spirit beasts, those at the Qi Refining stage understand human nature, those at Foundation Establishment understand human intent, and only at Golden Core can they speak in human tongue.

Of course, in reality, it only sounds like human speech. Because the cries of spirit beasts are actually still their original cries. It's just that after a spirit beast breaks through to the Golden Core stage, its mana becomes profoundly arcane, and along with it, their voices undergo inconceivable changes. Thus, when heard by human ears, it turns into speech that people can instantly comprehend.

In short, with a Golden Core spirit beast looking for him, how could Fang Jinyu dare to be neglectful!

However, after going out, Fang Jinyu discovered it was only a Foundation Establishment bird. This allowed his heart to relax somewhat. So he hurried forward and cupped his fists in both hands: “Fellow Daoist, please do not take offense. Earlier, Fang was in closed-door cultivation and was rather negligent toward you, Fellow Daoist.”

It was a bird as black as a crow, but its body was even somewhat larger than an ordinary eagle. When it spread its wings, they spanned half a zhang!

“Caw caw! No problem, no problem. Two days ago, this bird also had a sudden whim and felt like coming to Xiaohe Peak for a stroll. I had an interesting chat with that little girl, so I ended up staying a few extra days.” The crow-like bird cawed twice, then actually spoke in human words.

This, however, also confirmed the species of the bird for Fang Jinyu.

Jade Falcon Myna.

A special spirit beast with a trace of blood relation to the mynahs of the mortal world, capable of learning human language. However, most of these spirit beasts have low cultivation and rarely exceed the third layer of Qi Refining.

Yet the myna before him was very likely at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, because its aura was similar to that of Xin Qianqian's aunt.

Immediately, Fang Jinyu picked some topics that Jade Falcon Mynas liked and conversed with it. Although it wasn't a Golden Core cultivator, this bird seemed not far from reaching the Golden Core stage. So while seeking friendship wasn't necessary, simply avoiding offense would suffice.

After a short while, this Foundation Establishment black bird suddenly became extremely excited.

Because Fang Jinyu told it that in a certain place, there was a beautiful female myna at the Qi Refining stage, still unmarried and waiting in her boudoir.

Now, the reason Fang Jinyu knew this was also from that book. It was the pet of one of the female lead Su Yier's fish. That female myna had too much personality, always asking to add money to everything, including when selling out its master, so much so that Fang Jinyu remembered it after just a glance.

Now, this black bird, calling itself 'Three Harms,' was looking at Fang Jinyu with the eyes of 'one of its own': “Caw caw! This bird and Fellow Daoist Fang truly regret not meeting sooner! Why don't Fellow Daoist Fang and this foolish bird become sworn brothers today by cutting off a chicken's head? This bird will be Second Brother, and you, Fellow Daoist Fang, will be Third Brother.”

“Then who is Eldest Brother?” Amidst a heart full of complaints, Fang Jinyu couldn't help but ask, because he felt he had seen this plot somewhere before.

“A Golden Core black pig.” After Three Harms finished speaking, it remembered something else and hurriedly added, “But that black pig hasn't agreed yet. However, Third Brother, rest assured, this bird will convince that black pig!”

Fang Jinyu couldn't help but say, “Which senior from Spirit Beast Valley is it?”

“Are you very familiar with that fellow?”

“Two Seniors entrusted this disciple Fang with refining a batch of pills once, and another Senior lent the formula for the Yuanling Pill to Fang for three days.” Fang Jinyu didn't elaborate, but these few words only made it more suggestive.

“Caw caw! So we're all family! No wonder two days ago this bird suddenly felt like coming here for a stroll. Clearly, Xiaohe Peak had nothing to attract this bird, yet it still made this bird stay a few more days involuntarily.” Three Harms had an expression of pleasant surprise, the tuft of feathers on its head spreading out flamboyantly, like a cockscomb.

However, this black bird repeating “two days ago” once more at this moment actually caused a thought to suddenly arise in Fang Jinyu's mind: Could it be that the countdown opportunity was actually referring to this black bird?

So Fang Jinyu asked, “Second Brother, did you return from outside the mountain two days ago?”

“This bird went for a spin around Spirit Beast City and just came back.” Seeing Fang Jinyu so agreeable, Three Harms immediately said, “It's settled then. This bird will go find that black pig first. This time I'll definitely convince that fellow to be this bird's Eldest Brother!”

With a spread of its wings, Three Harms turned into a black shadow and vanished in an instant. This speed made Fang Jinyu's heart slightly alarmed.

Because even if he cultivated the escape speed of the Ten Directions Xunzhen Scripture, he would still be far inferior.

But the next second, this black bird came back.

“Almost forgot. Third Brother, this bird bought this thing on a whim. This bird doesn't know what use it has, so I'll give it to you!” Three Harms tossed down an object, then turned into a black shadow and left again.

Fang Jinyu couldn't help but reach out to catch it, because his Fate Calculation Art had reacted once more!

And it was far more intense than the previous two times!

Only the reaction of the Fate Calculation Art when he encountered that little girl could compare.