After Losing My Memory, I Became My Rival's Palm-Sized Chirper - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Bird in the Palm

Qi Jia said, “Besides, the world is vast and full of wonders. Even a male spirit can conceive a child through his primordial spirit. Don’t think you can fool me just because I have amnesia.”

The Heavenly Emperor’s lips had already tightened into a straight line.

Feeling the Emperor—who stood perfectly straight, the very image of a banished immortal from a storybook—suddenly tense up, Qi Jia blinked in confusion. Is there something wrong with His Majesty’s head too?

After all, besides the fact that the man kept asking questions he clearly knew the answers to, Qi Jia had smelled a very strong scent of medicinal herbs on him ever since getting close. He had smelled it back in the Cloud Hall, but while they were flying, the scent had been masked by the strong winds. Now that they had landed, the thick medicinal aroma wafted toward him again. It was strong, but not unpleasant. It was just…

“A-choo!—”

He finally let out the sneeze that had been bottled up while they were high in the air. Because the force was too powerful, the little fat bird almost blew himself away. Fortunately, one of Qi Jia’s claws was deathly gripped onto the Emperor’s collar, preventing him from tilting backward or falling over.

However, because of this tug, the Heavenly Emperor’s collar was pulled open slightly.

Qi Jia looked up and saw that on the Emperor’s neck, half-hidden by the collar, were what looked like strips of cloth. They weren’t the white, gold-rimmed, obviously expensive inner collars of an immortal robe, but rather something finer—white bandages stained with mottled blood.

Even with amnesia, Qi Jia knew what those were based on common sense.

“…Chirp?”

Qi Jia tilted his little head. So this Heavenly Emperor, who was supposed to be incredibly powerful according to Qi Shaoxu, was actually injured? Do High Immortals even get injured? And it was a surface-level external wound which, logically, should be the easiest to heal—yet it required bandages?

Qi Jia recalled the rumors he had heard about the Heavenly Emperor over the past three months, even before he knew he carried Dragon Breath. After all, the four realms had been in turmoil ten thousand years ago, and the current peaceful world was only established after the Heavenly Emperor, Yu Baixi, ascended the throne. To understand common world knowledge, one could never bypass the Emperor who contributed most to it.

For instance, when Qi Shaoxu introduced the combat power rankings, he mentioned that the number one person in the world was still the Heavenly Emperor of the Celestial Realm, Yu Baixi.

Why say “still”? Because it was said that in the Great Immortal-Demon War ten thousand years ago, Yu Baixi suffered a heavy blow. It was inevitable; the main general of the Demon Army, the Demon God, had reached the “Half-Step Godhood” realm. It was said that a God’s power could easily destroy heaven and earth, and a Half-Step God could easily face a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers. Yet back then, Yu Baixi fought the Demon God alone. He not only killed him but also sacrificed half of his own cultivation to shatter the Demon God’s soul, ensuring he vanished from the world forever. This became a legend discussed by all living beings for ten thousand years.

“So the Emperor, who exhausted himself killing the Demon God and lost half his cultivation, is still number one in the world today?”

Qi Jia had summarized this from the enthusiastic gossip of Qi Shaoxu and the Five Mochi, and he’d had an epiphany: “Is it possible that it’s not that the young Emperor is too strong, but that all the current creatures in the four realms are too weak? Everyone is lazy and doesn’t want to cultivate, so there’s a massive gap in power levels?”

At the time, Qi Jia, basking in the sun on Budu Mountain, had looked at the truant Qi Shaoxu and the five mochi-like birds with eyes full of doubt.

Qi Shaoxu: “…” Budu Mountain Five Mochi: “…”

Back to the present.

In short, Qi Jia had long known that Yu Baixi had been injured and lost half his cultivation. He also knew the Emperor had extraordinary combat power. But back then, he was just gossiping with the other spirits and hadn’t thought much of it. Now, it seemed His Majesty’s injuries were likely much heavier than anyone imagined… to the point where even a mere flesh wound was difficult to heal!

No wonder everyone knew about the Emperor’s “battle damage.”

.So, the other father of his child seemed to be quite sickly and weak. In that case, could he even afford to take responsibility?

These shifting thoughts made Qi Jia forget to hide his actions. He had originally only intended to sneak a peek at the injury, but the more he looked, the deeper he peeled back the other man’s collar.

Accidentally, Qi Jia’s cold beak pressed against a section of Yu Baixi’s neck that wasn’t covered by bandages. This caused the upright Yu Baixi to suddenly turn his head again.

The fat bird was warm and soft all over, except for the beak, which was the hardest and coldest part. But as a dragon, Yu Baixi was used to cold and hard things, so he wasn’t startled by the sudden cold touch. He was simply unaccustomed to such contact. In his memory, his relationship with this bird was never one that should involve such intimate gestures.

Though in their youth in the mortal realm, they truly had been “husband and wife” for a few days… in name only.

“What are you doing?”

Seeing the mochi-like bird restlessly clutching his collar, Yu Baixi’s eyelids flickered as distant memories flooded back.

Qi Jia felt a bit embarrassed for accidentally touching him. He believed that whether he had amnesia or not, he was a polite bird; pulling at someone’s collar and accidentally pecking them was indeed rude. But then he remembered: This man is a big scumbag dragon.

His embarrassment vanished instantly, replaced by self-righteousness. “Just taking a look. I have to check the condition of my child’s other father.”

The little fat bird returned to the pose of wings-on-hips. Qi Jia wanted to ask how he got hurt, but noticing that while His Majesty’s expression remained unchanged, his shoulders had become stiffer, he changed his tune: “You’re not shy, are you? No way. I’ve probably seen every part of your body already, right?”

“You… likely have not,” the usually silent man managed to retort.

“Ha?” The little fat bird’s feathers puffed out in indignation. “You’re that much of a scumbag? You mated with me without even taking your clothes off??”

Yu Baixi frowned slightly at the bird’s jumping logic. “…What?” He had been wanting to ask since the beginning. “What… mating.”

At this point, Qi Jia had to reference the third “Scumbag Beast Abandons Wife and Child” storybook he had read, which mentioned that lecherous and impatient scumbags don’t even take their clothes off when mating. Though Qi Jia didn’t understand if the difference was really that big, the book had been confiscated by his “Senior Brother” Qi Shaoxu for being “indecent and prohibited.” But Qi Jia had learned one thing: not taking off clothes during mating was a sign of an irresponsible spirit. It was scumbag behavior!

Since he had never seen anything below the man’s neck, it stands to reason they hadn’t undressed. Therefore, his child’s other father was clearly a scumbag among scumbags!

“…Budu Mountain was right not to let you read those books,” the Emperor said earnestly after a moment of stunned silence.

Qi Jia became even more arrogant. “Ha! So you’ve always known I was at Budu Mountain! I only mentioned my Senior Brother and never named the mountain, yet you knew.” The little bird puffed his chest. “You knew but never came to find this bird. This is clearly a decision to abandon your bird and child!”

Yu Baixi’s brow twitched. “I… did not know you were pregnant. How can you claim I abandoned you?”

“So you’re the kind of scumbag dragon who runs away after sleeping with someone and never looks back even once.” The fat bird’s eyes gleamed as he rested his wing on his chin, analyzing logically: “But that does rule out the scenario where you used me as a substitute and forced me to run away while pregnant.”

The Emperor: “?”

After another pause, Yu Baixi frowned deeply. “What do you mean?”

Having said that, the Heavenly Emperor—who could remain indifferent while ministers discussed his marriage in the grand hall—closed his eyes. His voice was low and raspy, carrying the exhaustion of someone heavily injured and still bleeding. “In any case, regardless of whose child it is, it is certainly not mine.”

Qi Jia tilted his head warily. “?”

The Emperor’s solemn face was full of gravity. “You and I have never… mated.”

Qi Jia: !?

There it is! The third trick in the Scumbag’s Guide to Evading Responsibility: Flat-out denial!

At this point, Qi Jia wasn’t afraid of him running away; given the man’s speed earlier, he would have vanished long ago if he wanted to. Besides, it was tiring to keep his legs split to grip the collar. Qi Jia retracted his claws, flapped his wings, and landed gracefully on the stone table in front of Yu Baixi.

“Then how do you explain the Dragon Breath in my belly?”

“The Dragon Breath is mine,” Yu Baixi looked down at the bird. “The child is not.”

“Things are not as you imagine.” He knit his brows, seemingly thinking of how to explain it clearly to this bird. Before this, the Emperor hadn’t explained anything to anyone for a very long time.

“Then how are they?” Qi Jia met his gaze.

Perhaps due to the natural pressure of his bloodline, or because of his reputation for brutality and strength, few in the four realms dared to look him in the eye like this. But Qi Jia had only heard rumors and didn’t take them to heart. Furthermore, because he carried Dragon Breath, he felt no pressure at all. Thus, the little fat bird stared back without blinking, looking valiant and spirited.

However, looking at this dragon head-on for the first time, Qi Jia had to admit the Dragon race truly had an excellent aura and appearance. In Qi Jia’s aesthetics, he was naturally the best-looking, but he couldn’t deny the Emperor’s features were remarkable. Sharp eyebrows, a high nose, and perfectly shaped lips. His eyes were slightly long, with deep, dusky-cyan pupils—aloof and noble. More importantly, this dragon was remarkably tall. His frame might be a bit thin due to battle damage, but as a man, Qi Jia could tell how grand his build was, with shoulders wider than most human forms and perfect proportions.

…How hateful.

Originally, Qi Jia wondered how someone with his personality and intelligence could easily get involved with a scumbag. Now it seemed… there was a high probability he had been swayed by beauty.

Was this bird’s will so weak that he couldn’t resist temptation!? On the way to the Heavenly Realm, he thought that if the scumbag was the Emperor, the man must have been attracted to Qi Jia’s looks. Because although Qi Jia felt the experts on the ranking list weren’t all that great, the reality was that he himself was likely just an ordinary little bird spirit with a bit of strength—the spirits at Budu Mountain told him that if he were truly famous, someone would have come looking for him during his three-month disappearance. In a world where strength is respected, the strong are pursued by all major sects. Since his strength was average, Qi Jia felt his only outstanding feature besides his looks was his ability to eat.

So, it was highly likely the scumbag dragon coveted his beauty—a lustful dragon! But now it seemed he might have also…

The little fat bird quickly let out a “chirp,” not wanting to dwell on this and deciding to skip over it.

At that moment, the Emperor, who was being questioned about the Dragon Breath, averted his gaze slightly, avoiding the bird’s scrutiny.

Qi Jia: “?”

As everyone knows, in a confrontation, morale is everything; whoever flinches first loses. The Emperor, by looking away, had clearly lost his momentum.

However, Yu Baixi maintained his dignified exterior, his voice steady and clear: “The exact situation requires me to investigate before I can tell you. Or, once you regain your memories, you will naturally know.”

If the immortal ministers were here, they would be shocked that His Majesty had the patience to say two full sentences in one breath! But Qi Jia, not knowing how reticent the man usually was, just cocked a wing. “?”

“If I could regain my memories, would I be this confused? Would I have this attitude toward you?” Qi Jia stated, “That’s the core of the problem!”

Yu Baixi countered, “But are you certain you are truly pregnant?” The Emperor turned his dusky-cyan eyes back to the fat bird, filled with seriousness. “This does not match the ‘you’ in my knowledge.”

“The ‘you’ in your knowledge?” Qi Jia suppressed his temper and tilted his head. “…What was I like?”

Although he was annoyed that the man was trying to evade responsibility, Qi Jia felt that regaining his memories was more important than demanding the scumbag dragon take responsibility. Only then could he truly control his own fate. The little fat bird stared intently at the Emperor. “Speak up, what was I like before?”

“You were very aloof.” Yu Baixi weighed his words carefully. “Many pursued you, but you never looked at anyone. You did not easily interact with outsiders.”

“Me? Aloof?” Qi Jia became more confused and pointed a wing at himself.

“Yes. And you didn’t talk much.” As if remembering something, Yu Baixi’s tone softened, almost a murmur. “At least on the surface, that’s how it appeared.”

Qi Jia was shocked. He thought he was quite easy to get along with and definitely not a man of few words. For example, he could chat well with the reticent Qi Shaoxu. And the reason he became “iron brothers” with the Five Mochi of Budu Mountain was that he once spent an entire afternoon chirping and arguing with them until they were completely won over.

Qi Jia suddenly felt the scumbag dragon’s words couldn’t be trusted. Though he wanted to know about his past, he hadn’t forgotten he was here to hold someone accountable. If words were untrustworthy, he had to pursue practical matters.

Waving his wings, Qi Jia signaled he didn’t want to talk nonsense anymore. Based on his intention to make the man responsible, the priority was…

“Is there anything to eat? I’m hungry!”

He already couldn’t use much spiritual power due to his injuries, and after charging up to the Ninth Heaven and breaking the gate array, his power was even further depleted. He needed food to replenish his strength and spiritual energy—urgently. The little fat bird grumbled, “Even a debt collector deserves a cup of water. Besides, your Heavenly Realm is too high; my wings hurt from flying…”

The Emperor didn’t refuse this time. He said in a low voice, “Yes.”

After a moment, Yu Baixi looked up. Seeing the bird hadn’t moved, he added deliberately, “Follow me.”

But Qi Jia still didn’t move. He looked at the Emperor with a bit of a rascal’s look, his voice lazy: “Hungry. Tired. No strength to move.”

Yu Baixi: “…”

The tall figure paused again. Although the little fat bird still looked sharp and guarded, the few long feathers on top of his head were no longer as spirited as before.

The bird from the past, though cold and powerful on the outside and seemingly disliking proximity, was truly only like that on the surface. When he was with someone he had a good relationship with, he loved acting like a rascal. And only a very, very few people—Yu Baixi only found out by chance—knew that this person was actually incredibly delicate and pampered.

The Heavenly Emperor stood not far from the round bird. His boots, whiter than clouds, were sunk in the unique mountain mist of the Heavenly Realm. Dressed in magnificent silk, he stood tall and elegant. His expression didn’t move, still solemn, but after a slight hesitation, he took a step forward.

Then, he reached out. His fingers were long and well-proportioned. Palm up, he extended his hand toward the fat bird.

Qi Jia flapped his small wings and landed on the Emperor’s palm as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Yu Baixi cradled the bird in his palm and, in an instant, entered the palace.