Guan Buping pointed at him, stood frozen for a moment, then helplessly flicked his sleeve, shook his head with a sigh, silently cursing the prodigal son, though conceding he was quite the sentimentalist.

Though he found the plight of the two eagles moving, he wouldn't spend money to buy them; even if he bought them, they would only die, better to die by their own master's hand.

Besides, he wasn't that wealthy; any money he had was better spent on wine.

This Brother Li was truly generous, yet soft-hearted, valuing friendship—certainly worth befriending.

He shook his head, filled with emotion, clutching the wine jar as he walked back towards the Zhenwei Escort Agency; having just finished a long escort job, he was utterly exhausted and would need ten days or eight to recover.

Li Muzhan held the birdcage and turned back, finding an inn and requesting a small courtyard. He then sat in the courtyard to study the two eagles.

The two eagles nestled close together; one was magnificent, its skeletal structure prominent, while the other was delicate and exquisite, only slightly larger than a pigeon, their size difference nearly half.

Both eagles kept their eyes closed, so their gaze was obscured, but from their posture, even in sleep, they radiated an untamable wildness; even trembling slightly, their pride remained undiminished.

Such magnificent eagles—Li Muzhan instantly adored them. Without such proud bone structure, how could they contend with the Black Eagle, the king of eagles?

Furthermore, emotion, this very thing, could render one weak or make one strong, and it seemed the same applied to these two birds.

Sunlight warmed their bodies, and the air carried a faint fragrance. It was already noon. The inn front opened onto a tavern, and Li Muzhan's keen sense of smell picked up the subtle scents of cooking food and wine.

The sunlight fell upon the eagles, their feathers completely dull, obscure and lifeless, already withered; they looked ready to collapse at any moment, a truly heartbreaking sight.

Li Muzhan reached into the cage and touched the birds. The male eagle suddenly snapped its eyes open, darted out its beak, and pecked with startling speed, catching the back of Li Muzhan’s hand.

The strike felt like a sword thrust, incredibly fierce, leaving a pale mark on the back of Li Muzhan’s hand.

He took a breath—what immense power! Yet he laughed, his hand still stroking the bird's feathers, not withdrawing it.

The male eagle raised its head, its gaze potent, fierce to the extreme.

Li Muzhan smiled; his Inner Sense opened, pouring warmth toward the eagle, trying to soothe it, but with minimal effect. It glared back at Li Muzhan, defiant, fierce, and hard.

Li Muzhan sighed, knowing it was useless in the moment and would require time. He turned to the female eagle and reached out to touch its feathers, but it suddenly collapsed to the ground with a soft thump.

The male eagle let out a sharp cry, immediately hopped down, crouched beside the female, and nudged her with its head.

Li Muzhan frowned, extended both hands to gently cup the female, and felt her breath was weak, near its end.

He quickly set her down, pulled a porcelain bottle from his robe, retrieved a teacup, filled it with clear water, took a tiny fragment of a Creation Pill from the bottle, ground it with his fingernail, dissolved it into the water, and then coaxed it into the female eagle's mouth.

The female was too weak to drink, so he enveloped the liquid with his internal energy and guided it into her abdomen.

After drinking, the female eagle remained motionless. The male eagle squatted beside her, equally still, as if petrified. Li Muzhan shook his head, finding it remarkably perceptive.

A moment later, the Creation Pill took effect. The female eagle suddenly flapped its wings twice, managed to stand again, and opened its eyes curiously, surveying its surroundings.

The male eagle chirped with joy, flapped its wings, and suddenly sprang upward, its wings opening to fill the space in the cage. Li Muzhan opened the cage door and let it out.

The female eagle cried out a few times, flapped its wings weakly, but stumbled and couldn't fly.

The male eagle stood proudly, then after a moment, suddenly squeezed out of the cage, flapped its wings, and shot toward the sky, reaching hundreds of meters high in an instant, circling overhead with clear, long cries.

The female eagle flapped a few more times, then suddenly leaped up, squeezed out of the cage, and flew into the air, soaring with the male eagle across the heavens.

Li Muzhan looked up, a smile touching his lips.

Saving the female eagle with a fragment of the Creation Pill was like accumulating merit; even if the two birds flew away, it wouldn't matter. He was simply moved by their profound devotion.

He sat beneath the rockery, gazing upward as the pair circled in the sky, smiling, his heart filled with joy.

These two eagles were wild, but subduing them forcefully wouldn't be difficult; his spirit was like a dragon, and he could have suppressed them with sheer majesty.

But doing so would damage their fundamental nature. An eagle is the king of birds; once fear casts a shadow, there is no potential for growth.

He truly couldn't bear to do that, so he let them go, leaving their choice to themselves; it was merely ten taels of silver, no great loss.

He watched them for a while, then lowered his head to read. The sunlight was bright and warm on him. He felt drowsy and considered napping. After reading a few pages, he used the book to shade his eyes and leaned against the rockery for a short rest.

Amidst clear cries and the whistling wind, he looked up to find the two eagles standing on the stone table, staring intently at Li Muzhan, brimming with sentience.

Li Muzhan extended his hand; the female eagle gently pecked it, a light touch that didn't hurt, issuing a happy, soft chirp, traces of affection shining through her deep eyes.

Li Muzhan waved his hand and chuckled, "Go on, go on."

He could feel the gratitude in the eagles’ hearts, and their yearning for the sky, their desire for freedom. Unexpectedly, he decided to stop forcing them and let them go.

The two eagles chirped a few times, seemingly communicating, indeed deliberating; the female seemed reluctant, but the male was resolute, insisting on flying high, no longer to be detained by humans.

Li Muzhan was surprised by the eagles' intelligence. He decided to see the act of kindness through to the end, suddenly reaching out and pressing a stream of internal energy into each.

The energy flowed gently, following established circuits several times before finally resting in the Qihai center.

Having aided the Crimson Shadow before, he had researched animal meridians; they were similar to humans but simpler, focusing on vital meridians—for an eagle, only four existed.

Li Muzhan directly formed a grand internal energy circulation through all four meridians. The energy swiftly completed one circuit, returning to the Qihai. Then, using his Inner Sense, he imprinted the method of moving this energy into the two eagles' brains.

Their minds were simple; although inferior to humans, the energy circulation method was sufficient. As they developed Lianqi Huashen and their internal energy increased, they would grow smarter.

He released his hands, waved his right hand, signaling they were free to leave, then turned and returned to the room to sit in meditation, preparing to break out of Lingyun City that night.

He had passed through the bird market and understood his chances of success were slim—no wonder Elder Ji and the others disagreed. The opportunity was truly minuscule. Looking at all the eagles in the market, none surpassed the Black Eagle.

Only these two eagles offered a chance for a contest, but he truly couldn't bring himself to do it, so he let them go instead. He shook his head, secretly amused at his own soft heart.

Toward humans, his heart was hard; he deeply understood the inherent evil in human nature and that they were not worthy of sympathy. Toward animals, however, he was extremely kind; their minds were simple, but they knew good from evil, making them more trustworthy and dear than people.

After the double eagles left, they never returned. Occasionally, when Li Muzhan looked up, he would spot them circling, but most of the time they were absent, and Li Muzhan didn't dwell on it.

He planned to take advantage of the night to break through the South Gate and return to Tenglong City.

The moon rose above the treetops, and the world was silent. Li Muzhan awoke from his couch, slowly moving to the floor, stretching with a series of sharp pops and cracks, like frying soybeans.

His cyan robe billowed, as if he stood in a fierce gale. The fabric flapped violently, and the surrounding curtains swayed and drifted, despite the lack of wind outside—a strange sight.

Li Muzhan's eyes were utterly detached, free from sorrow, joy, or worry, as if human emotion had been stripped away, yet his gaze was clear and sharp, compelling one not to look directly.

He turned, glanced around the vicinity, and with a sudden flash, vanished from his spot, appearing instantly at the encampment of the Black Eagle Riders.

As soon as he manifested, a heaven-shaking roar echoed in the night sky: "Who goes there!"

Li Muzhan drifted past courtyard after courtyard like a wisp of thin smoke, reaching the South City wall in a blink. His feet seemed to tread on level ground as he stepped directly onto the wall, scaling it in a flash, and vaulting over.

The elders' eyes glowed, their expressions solemn.

Li Muzhan’s expression remained indifferent. He glanced at the four elders, his form flickering as he angled away, landing outside the city wall to one side. The four elders shouted in fury and moved to surround him.

Li Muzhan’s face was expressionless. His shoulders shifted slightly, and palm shadows covered the space before him like a downpour.

With a dull thud, all four tumbled back to the ground, staggering several steps, looking utterly disgraced, though their eyes fixed venomously on Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan’s look was impassive. He swept his gaze over the four, then flickered and vanished, reappearing ten miles away. The grassland was vast, and they could see him clearly under the moonlight.

The four exchanged glances; their faces changed drastically. They couldn't fathom what secret method Li Muzhan had used to suddenly become so powerful; their blood churned, and they found they couldn't circulate their internal energy.

"Good! Good!" A long laugh rang out in the night air, clear and pleasant.

A figure flashed, and a white shadow appeared beside the four elders. They were overjoyed and quickly urged, "Young Master Feng, hurry! Don't let him escape!"

The white shadow resolved into a handsome young man, exquisitely graceful and refined. The corner of his mouth curled slightly, suggesting ease and leisure, but his eyes were deep and clear.

He smiled faintly, "Is that the one?"

"It is him!" one elder nodded quickly.

The handsome young man stood with his hands behind his back, shaking his head. "He is still using a secret technique; it won't last long. No need to rush!"

An elder quickly said, "Young Master Feng, his movement technique is too fast. If he gets away, it will be hard to find him..."

"Rest assured," Young Master Feng smiled, shaking his head.

Another elder shook his head, his expression heavy, sighing, "Young Master Feng, do not be careless. This fellow's abilities are astonishing..."

"His skills are certainly not trivial, otherwise, why invite me here?" The white shadow smiled, chuckling, "The cultivation of the four seniors is already astonishing, yet you still cannot handle him. This rogue is indeed worthy of pride."

The four elders managed a weak smile, losing face, a flash of anger quickly extinguished in their eyes.

"I shall go!" Young Master Feng laughed loudly, his form like lightning, drifting away. In the blink of an eye, he caught up to Li Muzhan, laughing grandly, "Sir, please remain!" (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next...)