The Great Golden Crow was stunned for a moment. He turned his head to look at her for a long time, then turned away again, remaining silent for a long time before saying, "I have no friends."
Fairy Weining found this hard to believe. In the uninhabited Beyond the Heavens, he had the Qingluan and Huofeng as companions, yet amidst the bustling living beings of the Three Realms, he claimed to have no friends.
At that moment, his previous warmth and gentleness seemed to have been replaced once more by his earlier cold and stern demeanor, making him difficult to approach.
Fairy Weining frowned slightly, looking at his stubborn and rigid back.
She took a step forward, standing face-to-face with him, and smiled brightly, "Since you have no friends, let me be your first. From now on, we will help and support each other. With me setting an example, you can make more friends in the future. How does that sound?" With that, Fairy Weining extended her right hand, holding it out before him, waiting for his response.
The Great Golden Crow stared intently at the hand held out before him, shifting his gaze to Fairy Weining only after a long moment. Their eyes met; his were as dark as ink, filled with a complex and inscrutable look. His thin lips, as if carved by a knife, were pressed tightly together, and his body was almost as stiff as stone.
Fairy Weining smiled slightly, nodding encouragingly. As if ice and snow were beginning to thaw, his body relaxed bit by bit, his expression losing its previous sternness, and the corners of his mouth curved up slightly.
He tilted his head, closed his eyes, and suddenly burst into laughter, the smile lingering on his face for a long time without fading.
Finally, he turned back to look steadily at Fairy Weining, and with a fierce determination, raised his large hand—broad as a cattail fan—to clasp hers. "Since the Fairy does not disdain me and is willing to be my friend, from this day forth we shall share life and death, support each other with all our hearts, and never shrink from death!"
Hearing his resolute, vow-like words, Fairy Weining was astonished while also feeling his sincerity, and her heart was deeply moved.
She smiled gently. "Why should the Divine General belittle himself? It is my fortune to be friends with you. Today we pledge our friendship, and we shall surely support one another, share life and death, and remain loyal to the end!"
Since they were friends, naturally they would support each other through thick and thin and live and die together; how could she let him bear the burden of protecting her alone and facing death unflinchingly? Since he was righteous and willing to protect her with his life, how could she dare treat him with anything less than her whole heart, or cherish her own life alone?
When her voice trailed off, their fingers intertwined, and they remained silent for a long time.
Seeing that he was still holding on, a look of lingering excitement on his face—though surprised by his intensity, yet fearing that such extreme emotions might harm him—Fairy Weining gently struggled and slipped her hand free. "To think the First Highness looks down on others! When making friends, you aren't even thinking of fighting side by side with me. Where on earth would I need your protection? Do you really take me for some fragile fairy?"
The very second Fairy Weining pulled her hand away, the Great Golden Crow's hand twitched, instinctively reaching forward again before he caught himself and slowly lowered it.
Hearing her words, he laughed helplessly, "I wouldn't dare. How could I ever dare look down upon Fairy Weining, the prized pupil of Goddess Nuwa? It's just that it is only natural for a man to protect a woman. I never said you were fragile."
"Why is it considered second nature in the eyes of people in the Three Realms for a woman to be protected by a man? All those goddesses and female immortals certainly didn't earn their reputations for nothing. Besides, while it's a good thing for people to feel pity for the weak, if women willingly accept protection and never think of making themselves stronger again, that is what truly harms women!" Fairy Weining put her hands behind her back and replied with a hint of defiance.
The Great Golden Crow raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and nodded. "Hmm, what you say makes sense. No one is born a protector or someone to be protected. Since we exist within the Three Realms, we should never lose the will to strengthen ourselves."
Fairy Weining nodded repeatedly; these words were spot on.
With a roll of her eyes, she purposely said, "Judging by the First Highness's expression, you still seem rather unconvinced. Why don't we spar, and see if I can protect my friend after all?" Without giving him a chance to speak, Fairy Weining lunged forward with agile grace.
Seeing her movement, a flash of astonishment quickly vanished from the Great Golden Crow's face, replaced by a smile in his eyes as he smoothly accepted the challenge.
Fairy Weining had spent hundreds of years sparring with Qingluan and Huofeng. From initially being unable to last two or three moves against Qingluan, she had progressed to fighting both of them simultaneously without losing ground—an improvement that could truly be called advancing by leaps and bounds.
Therefore, she had a good deal of confidence in her own martial skills. However, she had never sparred with anyone else in the Three Realms, so she still felt a bit uncertain inside.
It was rare to encounter a kindred spirit and a master of high caliber; here in this serene and sacred place, to not have a friendly spar would be to waste such a beautiful time and setting.
Yet Fairy Weining seemed to have overestimated herself; every single one of her moves was completely neutralized by him.
The Great Golden Crow's combat style was fierce, decisive, and exceptionally powerful—a completely different style from that of Qingluan and Huofeng. She was forced to step back repeatedly and fall into a defensive stance, relying on her superior footwork to maneuver around him, clearly putting her at a disadvantage.
Yet Fairy Weining was neither flustered nor afraid; her form remained steady and her offense and defense balanced, making it difficult for him to defeat her immediately.
Gradually, Fairy Weining figured out his moves and slowly regained the upper hand, balancing offense and defense.
Yet the Great Golden Crow was also formidable, advancing step by step with watertight defense, and for a moment she found it hard to secure a victory.
As the fierce battle reached its height, Fairy Weining grew more and more spirited, fighting with increasing courage. Suddenly, as their four hands met, he counter-attacked, catching her wrist and pressing it down against her side.
Just as Fairy Weining tried to use his momentum to break free, his voice rang out by her ear, "Stop, let's call a truce."
Her movements faltered. "What is it? We were just getting to the good part, why call a halt?"
He released her hand, casually placing it behind his back, and said with a helpless smile, "I truly never imagined, Fairy Weining, that someone as… as delicate as you could be so combative, and possess such swift footwork and brilliant techniques. I am truly impressed. If we kept fighting, I'd soon show signs of losing, so I had to call a stop before I made a fool of myself." He cupped his fists in mock salute.
Shaking out her sleeves, Fairy Weining smiled triumphantly. "As immortals, we must subdue demons and protect the Three Realms, so naturally we need some skills. Besides, where am I delicate? Well, I managed to fight you to a draw—I can protect you now, can't I?"
Seeing her fixated on the question of who protected whom, the Great Golden Crow was caught between laughter and tears. "Yes, yes, yes, you can protect me. But it's getting late—didn't you say you were worried Your Majesty and the Goddess would think you got lost because of me?"
It was rare to see him joke, and it made Fairy Weining laugh out loud. "I never knew you had a sense of humor, A-Jin. That's a rare sight."
The Great Golden Crow was taken aback, his expression indescribable.
Seeing his strange expression, Fairy Weining teased mischievously, "What, do you think 'A-Jin' doesn't sound good? Should I call you Big Brother, or Big Crow? Actually, I like calling you A-Jin the most. It matches so well with A-Qing and A-Huo—they're all colors!"
The Great Golden Crow's lips twitched. "And what about you? Do they call you A-Wei or A-Ning?"
"Either is fine. They call me A-Wei, but you can call me A-Ning if you like, A-Jin." Fairy Weining was unconcerned and completely unbothered.
The Great Golden Crow wrestled with himself for a moment. "Alright, A-Ning, call me whatever you like. Just don't address me like that in front of others; let's keep these names between ourselves."
Fairy Weining laughed heartily. "Fine, I won't compromise the majesty of the Divine General Great Golden Crow in public."
Unable to do anything with her, the Great Golden Crow shook his head helplessly.
The two of them sat by the edge of the Heavenly Sluice, looking out at the Heavenly River and enjoying a rare moment of tranquility. After a while, the Great Golden Crow said solemnly, "Actually, your strength should surpass mine. The reason you couldn't defeat me for a moment is simply because you have never truly faced real combat, mortal combat, or fought for your life. As for me, I bear the heavy responsibility of guarding the Heavenly Court, and I've been through countless bloody battles, giving me experience and a murderous aura that you lack. Until you possess those two things, you might be able to defeat me, but I would certainly be able to kill you."
Hearing his somewhat chilling words, a trace of a chill rose in the depths of Fairy Weining's heart, and she looked at him with complex emotions.
Seeing that Fairy Weining seemed frightened, he realized his tone had been too serious and offered her a reassuring smile. "Don't be afraid. I'm just speaking hypothetically."
Fairy Weining shook her head. "Although what you just said gave me a start, I know you have my best interests at heart. Since I am determined to protect the Three Realms, I will have to experience these things sooner or later. I originally thought I was quite formidable, but it turns out I still fall short. I need to cultivate myself much more. In fact, I want to go down to the Mortal Realm for trials as soon as possible so I can improve myself."
A trace of complexity flashed across the Great Golden Crow's face. "As long as you practice diligently, given time, no one in the Three Realms will be your match—including me. Only..."
Hearing his words, Fairy Weining instantly grew excited. "Are you telling the truth? Does that mean I can go to the Mortal Realm to subdue demons now?"
Seeing her grab his arm, the Great Golden Crow laughed in exasperation. "When I first met you, you seemed like such a steady fairy. Why are you so impatient now?"
"When I first arrived in the Three Realms, I couldn't act like a wild monkey; I had to at least put on a show of being steady, otherwise I would have utterly shamed Beyond the Heavens and the Goddess. Now that I'm with a friend, of course I can act however I want. Surely you don't expect me to put on that act in front of you, too?" Fairy Weining smiled mischievously.
The Great Golden Crow hurriedly replied, "There's really no need for that."
After exchanging a couple of lighthearted remarks, he returned to the serious matter at hand. "With your magical power and martial skill, subduing demons will be absolute child's play. It's just that your heart is pure, you lack battlefield experience, and you don't understand the malice of human hearts. Combat is a life-or-death struggle, fraught with extreme danger, so you still need to gain more experience first."
Fairy Weining said earnestly, "The malice of human hearts? Goddess Nuwa is merciful and all-loving, and mortals were created by the Goddess's own hands. Surely not all mortals have malicious hearts."
He was stunned for a moment, and after pondering for a long time, he said, "It has nothing to do with Goddess Nuwa. It's just that mortals experience the vicissitudes of life and the changing of the world—how could they possibly remain as pure as when they were first born? People can be good or evil; of course not all mortals are bad. Moreover, when I speak of the malice of human hearts, I am referring to all living beings in the Three Realms. And this 'heart' does not refer to the physical organ within a mortal, but rather... I don't really know how to explain it to you. However, you must remember this: never easily trust anyone, whether they are immortals, demons, ghosts, monsters, in the Mortal Realm, the Underworld, or even the Heavenly Court."
Hearing his words, Fairy Weining felt only a dazed heaviness in her heart. So in his eyes, immortals and the Heavenly Court were not entirely trustworthy comrades-in-arms and family either?
For a moment she found it hard to accept, yet she did not know what to say.
Seeing her grave silence, the Great Golden Crow raised a hand to grip her left shoulder with a slight squeeze, staring straight into her eyes with a solemn expression and a stern tone. "Promise me—I will never harm you!"
Seeing how solemn he was, Fairy Weining pushed aside her chaotic thoughts and promised earnestly, "Don't worry, I promise you. Although I don't fully understand, I will definitely keep your words carved in my heart. I will carefully ponder and reflect upon them, and experience them one by one until I figure it out completely. You can rest assured!"
Hearing her words, he smiled with relief and released his hand. Then he stood up, leaning against the railing to gaze into the distance. Fairy Weining followed his example, and together they looked out toward the gradually dimming horizon and the vast, boundless distance. It was so serene and peaceful that it allowed one to completely relax body and mind.
After a long silence, he sighed softly, "Actually, I'd rather you never had to understand any of this!"
A whirlwind of thoughts rushed through Fairy Weining's mind. For him to harbor such sentiments, he must have been through far too much. He was not a man of many words, yet here he was, speaking at such length.
Fairy Weining was grateful for his care, but she also resolved to go to the Mortal Realm as soon as possible to experience and learn for herself. Without understanding the ways of the Three Realms, how could she protect it, and how could she ever comprehend all that he had been through so that she might comfort and accompany him?
"Don't worry!" Fairy Weining patted his arm soothingly and smiled gently.
He smiled without a word, and the two of them stood side by side, admiring the rolling clouds at the edge of the sky together.
Only when the horizon grew dark did he let out a long breath, seeming reluctant to part with this peaceful serenity. "It's getting late, let's head back."
Fairy Weining nodded. "Mm, let's go."