Chapter 20: The Shang Family

The reality proved that not every talking creature is a demon beast; it might just be a parrot.Upstodatee from n(0)/ve/lbIn/.(co/m

“What kind of demon bird is this!”

Lu Yang was furious. With a forceful pull of his hand, the parrot was swiftly captured, not even getting a chance to react.

The village head could have done the same, but he was hesitant, thinking the bird was a Qi Cultivation or Foundation Building stage demon beast.

“Demon beast! There’s a demon beast!” the parrot squawked non-stop.

Peach Blossom Leaf, hearing the commotion inside the room, rushed over to check, feeling just as frustrated as Lu Yang.

It was good that the mission was completed without a battle, but the problem was they had traveled all the way from the Dao Seeking Sect, enduring a three-day flying boat ride, just to catch a parrot? How would they write this in the mission report without becoming a laughing stock?

People in Taiping Village had limited knowledge and didn’t recognize this bird from the deep rainforest, but Lu Yang and Peach Blossom Leaf did. This basic knowledge was well-known in the Dao Seeking Sect.

“No wonder he’s a Daoist; he easily captured the demon bird!” The village head and others praised Lu Yang for his profound cultivation after learning that the parrot had been caught.

Both felt helpless and patiently explained to the villagers that this was a very common bird, just not often seen in the northern part of the continent.

“This parrot... or the ‘demon bird’ you refer to, is best at mimicking human speech.”

“Mimicking human speech, mimicking human speech,” the parrot kept repeating next to them. Lu Yang held the parrot’s beak and continued explaining to the people.

“It calling Zhang Guanjia a demon wasn’t its own intention but a mimicry of what it heard from Feng the tailor. When it encountered Zhang Guanjia, it happened to repeat the phrase.”

Zhang Guanjia breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the Dao Seeking Sect disciples had cleared his name so quickly.

“Similarly, when it said, ‘Who are you, where is Zhang Guanjia?’ it didn’t understand the meaning. It was just repeating something it heard elsewhere, meaninglessly.”

“That damn bird, let me kill it.” Zhang Guanjia was furious at the sight of the parrot.

Lu Yang raised his hand to stop Zhang Guanjia: “Considering the distance from the rainforest, this bird certainly didn’t fly here on its own. It must have been brought by someone.”

“Other than someone being extremely bored to bring this parrot, which is only peculiar and serves no other purpose, across half the continent, it could only be the doing of the Luodi Commercial Chamber . Is there a branch of the exchange here?”

The village head shook his head: “Such a business wouldn’t open in our remote and poor village. However, there is one in Quhe County, located in the busiest area, bustling with endless visitors. It’s possible someone bought it from the exchange and then the parrot accidentally escaped.”

They greeted each other with a bow.

The head of the Shang family then examined the parrot for a moment and nodded, “Yes, this is the parrot my daughter bought from the Luodi Commercial Chamber in the county. At that time, I thought it wasn’t worth much. The exchange asked for an exorbitant price, but my daughter insisted on buying it, so I had to comply with her wish.”

“Steward Zhang, please take these two young heroes to meet Xiao Yuan.”

“Yes, master.”

Steward Zhang gestured for them to follow and called a maid to serve tea and water to the Shang family head and Huang, the village head.

On the way, Peach Blossom Leaf casually asked, “How long have you been with the Shang family, steward Zhang?”

Steward Zhang respectfully replied, “The master saved me on his way into seclusion, and since then, I have been serving by his side. It’s been about twenty years now. The young lady wasn’t even born at that time.”

“So, you must have a very good relationship with Miss Shang.”

“Not to hide from the young heroes, I watched the young lady grow up. I have no children of my own, and I treat her as my own daughter. Seeing her downcast every day, it pains my heart as a steward.”

Lu Yang suddenly asked, “Were you present when the parrot went missing?”

Steward Zhang sighed, his tone filled with self-blame: “At that moment, I was distracted and didn’t notice the parrot flying away. If I had been more attentive, I would not have let the young lady be so upset. It was my dereliction of duty.”

Lu Yang simply nodded, not saying anything more.

Steward Zhang knocked gently three times at the door and spoke calmly, “Miss, the parrot you lost has been found. Two young wandering heroes have brought it here.”

A voice came from inside the room, “Let them in.”

“Yes.”

Lu Yang and Peach Blossom Leaf opened the door. Miss Shang of the Shang family was leaning by the window, quietly reading a book. The evening sunlight shone on her hair, creating a static beauty that seemed to freeze time.

Many young men in Taiping Village were infatuated with Miss Shang.

Lu Yang kindly suggested, “Reading in the sunlight is bad for your eyes, especially in the evening. You should light a lamp. Your father isn’t short of money.”

(End of the chapter)