Chapter 19: The True Identity of the Demon Bird!

Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

Peach Blossom Leaf asked, “Since the demon bird is looking for Zhang Guanjia, have you tried letting them meet each other?”

The village head sighed heavily, “We didn’t need to arrange their meeting. A few days ago, the demon bird directly went to Zhang Guanjia’s house and shouted ‘Demon!’ ‘Demon!’ at him, then flew out of the window, heading to another household.”

“We were at a loss about what to do when you two immortal masters arrived.”

Peach Blossom Leaf pondered for a moment and guessed, “Is Zhang Guanjia a demon? Is the demon bird warning you to be cautious of him?”

There are indeed benevolent beings among the demon race, who either transform into human forms or reveal their true identities to warn humans of impending disasters. For example, Zhu Yan, the great demon king, is misunderstood in folktales as a harbinger of chaos, but in reality, Zhu Yan came from the demon realm to the Central Continent to warn humanity, purely out of goodwill. Of course, Zhu Yan is also partly responsible for this misconception — it suffers from social anxiety and avoids speaking.

Given its silent nature and fierce appearance, it’s hard for people to believe it’s a benevolent demon. Perhaps this demon bird is doing the same, alerting the people of Taiping Village that Zhang Guanjia is a transformed great demon.

The village head seemed somewhat embarrassed to contradict the beautiful immortal from the Dao Seeking Sect, but he couldn’t disregard the facts and falsely accuse Zhang Guanjia of being a demon.

“Zhang Guanjia grew up in Taiping Village from a young age, and the elders can testify to this. He has two brothers, Zhang Guanyi and Zhang Guanbing, and they share a deep bond. Zhang Guanjia now runs a private school, teaching Confucianism and cultivation to children — he’s one of the few teachers in Taiping Village.”

“If he’s claimed to be a demon, that would be…”

Peach Blossom Leaf disagreed with the village head’s view, “Demons are long-lived, and many live for decades in one place, gradually aging to blend in with humans. When they’ve seen enough of the scenery, they fake their death and move to a new place to start anew.”

The village head opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond, as his knowledge was limited compared to Peach Blossom Leaf’s.

Lu Yang gently shook his head, pointing out a flaw in Peach Blossom Leaf’s conjecture, “If Zhang Guanjia were a demon, he would have to be a transformed great demon. How could such a being tolerate a minor demon bird’s nonsense? If the bird had tried to speak, Zhang Guanjia would have likely killed it before it could utter a word.”

Peach Blossom Leaf didn’t argue, as Lu Yang’s point made sense.

Lu Yang stood up, “Nevertheless, we should meet this Zhang Guanjia.”

The village head quickly led the way, “This way, immortal masters.”

On the way, Lu Yang corrected the village head’s manner of address, “We are all cultivators aiming for immortality. Regardless of our mere Foundation Building stage, even Integrating Soul masters and Tribulation Passers, those closest to immortality, aren’t entitled to be called ‘immortal masters.'”

“You may address us as ‘Taoists.'”

The village head offered an apologetic smile. He dared not treat Lu Yang and Peach Blossom Leaf as ordinary Foundation Building cultivators. The chance of a Foundation Building cultivator advancing to the Golden Core stage is less than one in ten, applicable to ordinary cultivators. But Dao Seeking Sect disciples are almost certain to reach the Golden Core stage, with unfathomable future achievements beyond his imagination.

“This isn’t about no one becoming an immortal; it’s just vague legends about immortals.”

Hearing this, Lu Yang just smiled and didn’t say much more.

Before long, the three of them arrived at Zhang Guanjia’s residence.

“Old Zhang, someone’s here, open the door.”

The wooden door creaked open, revealing Zhang Guanjia with a wooden expression, standing behind it.

“Let me introduce you, these two are disciples from the Dao Seeking Sect, here to help us get rid of the demon bird.”

Hearing the words “Dao Seeking Sect,” Zhang Guanjia’s expression changed. He said helplessly, “I’m really not a demon. You can’t just believe whatever the demon bird says. It also shouted ‘Grandpa, come play.’ Why don’t you send a few grandpas to play with the demon bird?”

The village head laughed awkwardly, “We’re just passing by and happened to come to your place.”

Despite being a diligent official respected by everyone, Zhang Guanjia could only welcome the three inside after the village head’s words.

Zhang Guanjia’s house was a two-entry residence, feeling empty for a single occupant.

Zhang Guanjia, in his forties, was still unmarried.

The conversation inevitably circled back to the demon bird. Zhang Guanjia grumbled, “I’ve never seen that demon bird before. Who knows why it’s calling out my name.”

“I’ve never left Taiping Village in my life; the farthest I’ve been is to Quhe County. Where would I meet a demon bird?”

“Every day, my students ask me, ‘Teacher, are you a demon?’ Some are even scared I’ll eat them, so they complete their homework on time!”

“Even my neighbors came to me, saying they have a Foundation Building stage enemy in Quhe County, asking if I could secretly take him down for a negotiable price!” Zhang Guanjia spoke through gritted teeth, wishing to have a decisive battle with the demon bird to clear his name.

He was just an ordinary person, yet the demon bird’s mere words had turned him into a demon, which was utterly unreasonable!

After a long conversation, the three didn’t gather any useful information, just listening to Zhang Guanjia’s complaints about the impact of the demon bird on his life.

Thankfully, Lu Yang and Peach Blossom Leaf quickly stated their intention to eliminate the demon bird, to bring justice to Zhang Guanjia, which finally stopped his complaints.

“The demon bird is here again!” People outside the house shouted and ran away, keeping their distance from the demon bird.

Hearing the commotion, Lu Yang and Peach Blossom Leaf immediately put away their playful attitude, grabbed their magical treasures, and left the yard to confront the demon bird.

“Be careful, Taoists!” the village head advised, asking the villagers to be quiet and stay away from where the demon bird appeared.

Lu Yang gripped his sword hilt, ready to draw his sword and split the demon bird in two if it showed any intention of attacking humans.

Peach Blossom Leaf took out her red paper umbrella, her natal magical treasure, the Thousand Illusions Umbrella. As the umbrella opened, it created an illusory, dreamlike scene where enemies would drown unknowingly.

Lu Yang gestured carefully, signaling that he would scout ahead, to which Peach Blossom Leaf nodded.

The demon bird landed on a civilian’s house. Lu Yang, stealthy as a cat, moved soundlessly, tiptoeing closer to his prey.

He was on full alert, muscles tensed, ready to draw his sword for battle at any moment.

Optimistically, the demon bird was at the seventh level of Qi cultivation, which would be the best scenario. The worst-case scenario would be a Foundation Building late-stage demon, making the battle challenging, and victory would require considerable effort.

Finally, he saw the demon bird that had troubled Taiping Village for twenty days.

Its deep green feathers were incredibly vibrant and lustrous. The red patches from its eyes to its neck were striking, contrasting sharply with the green. It was an eye-catching bird.

Lu Yang recognized the demon bird’s origin at a glance. It came from deep within dense jungles, feeding on figs and berries, and was adept at mimicking human speech.

It was a parrot.

(End of the chapter)