Chapter 11: The Importance of Freedom
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Before the sun had completely set, the three of them reached the top of the hill.
Basking in the sunset, they looked at the ocean of trees in the distance.
Though the scenery before them was fantastic, Bai Youyun and Lin Ya were not in the mood to appreciate it.
All they could think about was the Fire Sparrow, so they had no time to care about the scenery before them.
"Hey, why did you bring us here? Aren't we supposed to be treating the Fire Sparrow?" Lin Ya asked.
Li Yi replied, "I brought you here to treat the Fire Sparrow."
Lin Ya chuckled. "Are you kidding me? You can cure the fire sparrow by bringing it up a hill? Who are you trying to fool?"
"Don't you worry, you'll understand why I brought it here soon."
As he spoke, Li Yi took the cage from Bai Youyun.
He lifted the cage and faced the Fire Sparrow towards the flock of birds in the distance.
Bai Youyun and Lin Ya were still puzzled, but their eyes were glued to Li Yi.
At that moment, the Fire Sparrow's hazy eyes could only vaguely make out the figures of the distant birds.
Those figures, so free and unrestrained, roaming the world without anything to stop them.
The Fire Sparrow cracked its eyes open, flapping its wings as it tried to stand up.
Lin Ya and Bai Youyun were excited when they saw this unfolding before them..
For the first time in a while, the Fire Sparrow had moved. This whole time it had been lying motionless in the cage.
Suddenly, the Fire Sparrow let out a sharp cry!
The loud cry echoed off the surrounding landscape.
Hearing the Fire Sparrow's cry, Bai Youyun showed an expression of pleasant surprise.
"It actually cried out. It hasn't cried out for almost a month!"
Bai Youyun said in disbelief.
Lin Ya was also somewhat surprised. She was not expecting that merely seeing other birds would arouse the Fire Sparrow's interest like this.
Li Yi continued, "That cry is a cry of envy. Do you understand?"
"Envy? It really envies those wild birds?"
Lin Ya was a little puzzled.
Li Yi shook his head speechlessly. "As I've already explained to you, what this bird needs is freedom."
Hearing this, Bai Youyun lowered her head and fell silent. This was the first time she heard such a lively cry from her Fire Sparrow's mouth.
Lin Ya, too, fell silent when she heard this. Both of them seemed to be reflecting on their mistakes.
At the same time, they gradually realized that Li Yi was right to bring them here.
That free and unfettered flock of birds would indeed stimulate the Fire Sparrow's spirit.
"I understand now. The Fire Sparrow stopped eating because it lost its freedom."
Bai Youyun began to recall her past actions.
"It makes sense now that I think about it. I trained with it for at least eight hours every day, but I never considered its feelings."
"Now I understand. It yearns for freedom. It doesn't want to be like a domesticated animal trapped in a zoo. Though it lacks nothing as far as food goes, it has no freedom to speak of."
"In the end, it's all because I care too much about that competition..."
Bai Youyun lowered her head with some self-blame. That she had realized her mistake was now obvious.
At that moment, she felt a little helpless. The day of the competition was approaching fast, and there would not be enough time to allow the Fire Sparrow to make a full recovery.
"It's all my fault. I made the Fire Sparrow quit eating just because of that competition..."
Bai Youyun looked carefully at the bird cage. She looked at the living creature inside, then said in a low voice, "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. I should never have forced you to work so hard..."
Lin Ya quickly retorted, "This isn't your fault. Given your family situation, I'm not surprised things came to be like this."
"You're just like this Fire Sparrow. You carry the heavy burden of your family's expectations. They expect nothing less than the best from you."
To Bai Youyun, these words felt like a needle piercing her heart.
She knew that she was no different from the Fire Sparrow in the cage.
But she began suppressing such thoughts long ago. She dove head-first into the career her parents had set before her.
If she thought about it more carefully, the truth was, she had never experienced freedom.
Lin Ya continued, "Yun, you and I have known one another since we were very young. From the day we first met, all you have ever focused on was training monster pets."
"You never allowed yourself to just be a kid."
Bai Youyun's expression turned a little sour. She had long numbed herself to the past. She did not want to think about it.
"I never asked to come from this background. It seems that part of me has rubbed off onto the Fire Sparrow..."
Bai Youyun sighed helplessly.
At that moment, Li Yi could gauge that the Fire Sparrow was not the only caged bird here. Bai Youyun was just the same.
"As for the Fire Sparrow, what it yearns for the most is freedom."
"You came from a prestigious family, so you have very little freedom. But now, you can still let the Fire Sparrow have a taste of freedom."
Li Yi's words made Bai Youyun sink into deep thought.
Indeed, she could decide here and now to release the Fire Sparrow and give it its freedom.
But if she did that, she would be unable to participate in the competition. She would disappoint her family.
Li Yi continued, "The Fire Sparrow's current anorexia is due to its lost freedom. If you don't give it its freedom, I'm afraid its condition will not improve."
"In other words, if you decide to keep it, it will be very difficult for it to participate in the competition."
At that moment, Bai Youyun was lost in thought. She was considering whether to let it go and give it its freedom.
Lin Ya said, "You can't let it go. The competition is coming up fast. If you let the Fire Sparrow go, it will never come back!"
"How are you gonna participate in the competition then?"
"If you keep it, then you can always find other ways in the coming days."
Li Yi stood up and retorted, "There's no other way. You really think there are any better options? Why don't you tell me what they are, then?"
Lin Ya choked and was speechless for a moment.
Bai Youyun pondered for a long time. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "I'll release it!"
"Since it can't participate in the competition even if I keep it, I might as well set it free. At least its life will be saved."
"It's already expressed its dissatisfaction by refusing to eat. There's no point in forcing it to stay with me."
"I already have no freedom to speak of. I don't wish for it to be like me."
"But, the competition..." Lin Ya's face was full of worry.
Bai Youyun shook his head. "If I can't participate in this competition, then that's just fate. I'll participate in a future competition, after I contract a new monster pet."
Lin Ya was still worried. "If you let the Fire Sparrow go on your own accord, your father is not going to be happy!"
Hearing this, Bai Youyun frowned slightly. Her worry was very obvious.
"There's nothing we can do. We have no other choice. We can only do this."
Hearing this, Lin Ya did not try to persuade her further. It seemed that Bai Youyun had already made up her mind.
"Are you sure you want to set the Fire Sparrow free? Once you set it free, it might never come back."
Li Yi informed her again, but Bai Youyun nodded. She chose to set it free.
-- Gift
received