Chapter 19: The True Form of The Demon Bird!
Tao Yaoye asked, “Since the demon bird is looking for Zhang Guanjia, have you tried letting them meet?”
The village chief let out a long sigh. “We don’t need to let them meet. A few days ago, the demon bird went directly to Zhang Guanjia’s house and shouted ‘Monster! Monster!’ at him. Then, it flew out of the window and we don’t know where it went afterward.
“Just when we were at a loss of what to do, master immortals, you both came.”
Tao Yaoye was pensive for a moment before guessing, “Is Zhang Guanjia a demon? Perhaps the demon bird was warning you to be careful of Zhang Guanjia?”
There were also demons that were benevolent. They would sometimes transform into human form or reveal their true form to warn humans of calamities. The Great Demon King Zhu Yan was one example. In folklore, wherever Zhu Yan went, it would signify serious turmoil. As such, Zhu Yan was seen as an ominous demon beast.
After learning of the matter, the immortal sects had a completely different take. It was not Zhu Yan that had brought upon disaster. Instead, Zhu Yan had foreseen the chaos and specially traveled to the Central Continent from the Demon Region to inform the humans purely out of goodwill.
Of course, Zhu Yan was partly to blame for the people’s misunderstanding toward him—he had a phobia of people and dared not speak. His ferocious facial features also didn’t help his cause. It was hard for people to believe that he was a benevolent demon beast.
Maybe this demon bird is the same. It is here to inform the people of Taiping Village that Zhang Guanjia is a shapeshifting great demon.
The village chief was put on the spot. I don’t want to refute this beautiful fairy-like immortal, but I also can’t ignore the facts and say that Zhang Guanjia is a demon.
“Zhang Guanjia grew up in Taiping Village. All the old people can attest to that. He also has two younger brothers, Zhang Guanyi and Zhang Guanbing.[1] The three brothers are very close. He now runs a private school and teaches children Confucianism and cultivation. He’s one of the few teachers here in Taiping Village.
“To say that he is a demon…”
Tao Yaoye disagreed with the village chief. “Demons have long lives. Many long-lived types will stay in a certain place for decades and let themselves age, blending in with humans. One day, when they’ve seen enough of the scenery, they’ll feign their death and leave their graves. Then, they’ll go to a new place and start anew.”
The village chief opened his mouth, but no words came out as he felt that he wasn’t as knowledgeable as Tao Yaoye.
Lu Yang shook his head, pointing out the loopholes in Tao Yaoye’s speculation. “If Zhang Guanjia were a demon, that would mean that he is a shapeshifting great demon. How could a demon like that tolerate a little demon bird running its mouth off? It would have been killed by Zhang Guanjia before it even had a chance to speak.”
Tao Yaoye didn’t object. What Lu Yang said was indeed true.
Lu Yang stood up. “That said, we still have to meet with Zhang Guanjia.”
The village chief quickly led the way. “This way, please, master immortals.”
On the way, Lu Yang corrected the village chief’s way of address. “All of us are cultivators with the goal of becoming an immortal. Although we are currently only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, even venerable ones that are at the Fusion and Transcendent Tribulation stages and are closest to becoming immortals are not qualified to be addressed as master immortals.
“You may address us as Daoists.”
The village chief smiled obsequiously. He didn’t dare to treat Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye as ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. Not even one in ten could ascend to the Golden Core Stage, but that was for ordinary cultivators. The disciples of the Dao-Seeking Sect were sure to advance to the Golden Core Stage. Their achievements in the future would be beyond his imagination.
“Isn’t that because no one has ascended to an immortal? There are only legends.”
Lu Yang merely smiled and said nothing more.
Soon, the three arrived at Zhang Guanjia’s house.
“Old Zhang, you have visitors. Open the door.”
The door creaked slightly open, revealing the expressionless Zhang Guanjia standing behind.
“Let me introduce, these two are disciples of the Dao-Seeking Sect. They have come to help us eliminate the demon bird.”
Hearing the name “Dao-Seeking Sect,” there was finally a change in Zhang Guanjia’s expression. He protested helplessly, “I’m really not a demon. You can’t simply believe whatever the demon bird says. It even shouted ‘patron, come and play.’[2] Why don’t you find a few patrons to play with the bird?”
The village chief smiled awkwardly. “We’re just touring around and happened to come by here.” The village chief was recognized for being diligent in his work. He had already spoken this much, so Zhang Guanjia could only open the door and invite them in.
Zhang Guanjia’s house consisted of the standard rooms along with a gatehouse and courtyard. As he was the only one living inside, it appeared empty. He was past forty and unmarried.
Their conversation still revolved around the demon bird, so Zhang Guanjia was not in a good mood. “I have never seen that demon bird before. Who the hell knows why it called my name? I’ve never left Taiping Village my whole life. The furthest place I’ve ever been to is Quhe Commandery. Where would I meet a demon bird?
“Every day, there will be students asking me, ‘Teacher, teacher, are you a demon?’ There are even students afraid that I will eat them up, and they will finish their homework on time every day!
“Even a neighbor came looking for me, saying that he has an enemy at the Foundation Establishment Stage in Quhe Commandery. He asked whether I could secretly kill the other party and that the price could be negotiated!” Zhang Guanjia shared his story through clenched teeth. He wished he could have a fight to the death with the demon bird just so that he could clear his name.
I’m just an ordinary person, but just because the demon bird said so, I’m now suddenly a demon? That’s totally unreasonable!
After the discussion, the three still didn’t obtain any useful information. They merely listened to Zhang Guanjia complain for four hours about how the demon bird had disrupted his life.
Fortunately, Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye hurriedly expressed that they must exterminate the demon bird and return justice to Zhang Guanjia. Only then was he satisfied and stopped grumbling.
“The demon bird is here again!” someone outside the house yelled as they fled for their lives.
Hearing the commotion, Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye immediately cast away their leisurely attitudes. Carrying their magical treasures, they left the house to confront the demon bird.
“Daoists, you must be careful!” The village chief got the villagers to stay quiet and move to a place further away from where the demon bird was sighted.
Lu Yang gripped the hilt of his sword. As soon as the demon bird had even the tiniest bit of intention to attack the people, it would be faced with a sudden cold glimmer and be sliced into half.
Tao Yaoye took out her red paper umbrella. This was her life-bound magical treasure—the Thousand Illusion Umbrella.
Lu Yang cautiously gestured that he would scout ahead, and Tao Yaoye nodded. The demon bird was currently in a villager’s house. Like a cat, Lu Yang made no noise as he moved up on his prey. He was on full alert, his muscles tensed as he prepared to pull out his sword for a battle any moment.
The most optimistic outcome is that the demon bird is only at the Level Seven Qi Training Stage. The worst case scenario is that it turns out to be an advanced Foundation Establishment demon. Fighting it wouldn’t be easy.
Finally, he saw the demon bird that had plagued Taiping Village for twenty days.
Its dark green feathers were vibrant and lustrous. Spanning from the corner of its eyes to its neck were large patches of red. The combination of red and green made it especially striking. Lu Yang could tell the demon bird’s origin at one glance.
It had come from the depths of the woods.
It fed on figs and berries.
It was adept at mimicking human speech.
This was a parrot.
1. You can think of ”Jia Yi Bing” as something like “one two three” or “A, B, C.” In other words, the brothers’ names are named with one, two, and three. ☜
2. This expression is often used in brothels. ☜
Rakumon's ThoughtsWho guessed it? xD
Comments
Top