Chapter 113 - 108: White-throated Needletail
"Flowers fall, do what one may; Swallows return, a familiar sight."
Watching the swallows fly across the sky, Zhao Lin was reminded of a poem from his past life.
More than half a month had passed in a flash, and the weather had thoroughly warmed up.
During this time, he hadn’t gone into the mountains to kill bandits, only observing them in secret on two occasions.
Drilling Mountain Leopard and his gang had already moved their base, heading deeper into Baitou Mountain to Fuli Valley.
The entrance to their old lair on Seven Pillar Peak was blocked with rubble, and the inside was filled with numerous animal traps and spikes. It seemed they had no intention of returning anytime soon.
Recalling his last encounter, it had been incredibly perilous. Drilling Mountain Leopard had actually managed to get his hands on Crossbow Arrows!
He didn’t know if they had been smuggled from the military, but judging by their range and firing rate, they were nearly identical.
If he hadn’t mastered the ability to fly, overheard the bandits’ conversation, and made preparations in advance, he would have most likely been injured.
He planned to lie low for a while, both to build up his strength and to keep the bandits on edge. He wanted them to taste the feeling of not fearing the thief who steals, but the one who is always watching.
...
That morning, after completing a patrol of his jurisdiction, Zhao Lin headed to the Xinglong Escort Agency in West City.
The Liuhe Sect held a stake in the Xinglong Escort Agency and would periodically send someone to check on the business. Zhao Lin had specifically asked his master for this assignment.
The reason for this, once again, had to do with the bandits.
That day on Seven Pillar Peak, he had accidentally overheard Drilling Mountain Leopard and his men discussing a protection fee. The Tongfu Escort Agency was only willing to pay seventy percent.
From the sound of Drilling Mountain Leopard’s tone, it seemed he planned to teach the Tongfu Escort Agency a lesson.
Zhao Lin figured that if a Tongfu Escort Agency convoy passed through the Baitou Mountain area, the bandits would very likely try to rob it. For him, that would be a perfect opportunity for an ambush.
Escort agencies, as a matter of courtesy, usually informed local agencies before a mission. So while Zhao Lin was ostensibly there to check on the business, he was actually trying to get information on the Tongfu Escort Agency.
"Junior Brother Zhao, please, come in."
The head guard who greeted Zhao Lin was named Zhu Qinggang. A man in his forties, he had worked at the Xinglong Escort Agency for nearly twenty years and was a true veteran.
Since Zhao Lin represented the Liuhe Sect, Zhu Qinggang addressed him as "Junior Brother" to show familiarity.
"Senior Brother Zhu, business at the agency seems to be good lately."
Zhao Lin said with a smile, putting down the agency’s business records.
Zhu Qinggang also smiled. "It’s all thanks to everyone’s support. The roads have been peaceful recently, no trouble at all."
Zhao Lin nodded, took a sip of his tea, and asked casually, "By the way, I have a friend I haven’t seen in years. I heard he’s a head guard at the Tongfu Escort Agency."
"I was hoping to ask Senior Brother Zhu, have any of Tongfu Escort Agency’s convoys passed through here recently?"
Zhu Qinggang thought for a moment, then shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. "We’ve received a few missives, but I can’t recall which agencies sent them. Junior Brother Zhao, please wait a moment, I’ll go check."
"Then I must thank you, Senior Brother," Zhao Lin said politely.
After a short while, Zhu Qinggang hurried back holding an opened letter. He smiled. "Junior Brother Zhao, there really is one!"
Zhao Lin stood and took it with both hands. A glance at the envelope revealed the Tongfu Escort Agency’s name and insignia.
"Senior Brother Zhu, may I see what’s written inside?"
Zhu Qinggang said nonchalantly, "Missives shouldn’t be shown to outsiders, but Junior Brother Zhao, you’re one of us. Feel free to read it, just don’t show it to anyone else."
"You have my word, Senior Brother."
Zhao Lin offered his thanks, pulled out the letter, and unfolded it. The contents were simple: the Tongfu Escort Agency planned to pass through Qinghe County’s territory in April and was notifying their peers in advance for mutual support.
The timeframe was vague, but that was normal. Escort missions were risky, so secrecy was natural.
For him, however, this information was enough. With dozens of constables under his command and acquaintances at the docks, it wouldn’t be difficult to get more details.
He returned the letter to Zhu Qinggang, and after some more pleasantries, Zhao Lin rose to leave.
By the time he left the escort agency, it was past noon.
Zhao Lin returned to the county yamen to change into plain clothes, then left the city and headed north. He went to He family Village on the outskirts of Baitou Mountain and found Jin Bao, the Hunter who had previously helped him catch a Golden Leopard.
"Mr. Zhao, what does that ’needletail swift’ you mentioned look like?"
Zhao Lin had called Jin Bao out of the village, saying he wanted to catch a bird called a white-throated needletail. Jin Bao scratched his head and thought for a long time, but couldn’t recall any bird on Baitou Mountain with that name. He spoke with some difficulty.
"Take a look at this. Does it jog your memory?"
Zhao Lin took a piece of paper from his robes. Drawn on it was a bird with scythe-shaped wings and tail feathers that looked like needles at the tips.
There was a white patch beneath the bird’s neck.
"Looks like a swallow," Jin Bao said after a moment’s inspection.
"Right, it is a swallow, just a rather special kind."
Zhao Lin nodded in agreement and then asked, "Are there any of these swallows in the Baitou Mountain area?"
Ever since absorbing the Lark’s Essence Soul and gaining the ability to fly, Zhao Lin had been planning to upgrade it.
The bear and the Golden Leopard represented strength and speed, and while the Lark’s flying ability was decent, it wasn’t top-tier among birds.
Birds were hard to find in winter. Now that the weather had warmed and the migratory birds were returning, he could start his preparations.
Zhao Lin had given deep thought to which bird he should choose.
The fastest flying birds he knew of were the white-throated needletail, the peregrine falcon, and the Frigatebird.
Among these three, the peregrine falcon was probably the most famous.
However, the peregrine falcon’s strength was its flat, streamlined body, making its diving speed unbeatable. In terms of sheer speed from flapping its wings, the needletail was likely superior.
The Frigatebird was similar to the peregrine falcon; its strength also lay in diving.
The white-throated needletail was not only fast, but its flying skills were exceptional—it even mated and slept while in flight. It was a bird truly born for the sky.
That was the ability Zhao Lin wanted.
In truth, the Lark’s Essence Soul was still releasing a white mist every day, stimulating his twenty-four acupoints, so he was still some time away from a bottleneck.
But Zhao Lin felt he should prepare now. Otherwise, if he needed it half a year later, the swallows would have already returned south for the winter.
Jin Bao thought in silence for a while, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "I remember now! I’ve seen them in the mountains before when I was hunting."
Zhao Lin glanced at him and asked, "Why didn’t you remember a moment ago?"
Jin Bao chuckled. "Swallows eat insects; they don’t harm the crops. Why would I hunt one? The swallow you drew flies really fast. When you’re close enough, you can even hear it go WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH."
When he heard that last part, Zhao Lin was reassured. He took out two taels of silver and gave it to him, instructing, "Same as before, help me catch one alive. When you’re done, have someone find a constable named He Qingquan at the county yamen."
He didn’t want to handle this matter personally. Paying someone to catch a swallow was too unusual; it was better to be discreet.
Jin Bao was startled and waved his hands in refusal. "Why would I need so much money to catch a single swallow? I’ll just grab one for you the next time I see one while I’m hunting in the mountains."
Zhao Lin slowly shook his head. "This swallow isn’t easy to catch, especially alive. Take the money for now. There will be another reward if you succeed."