Chapter 20: The Shang Family

Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

The reality proved that not every talking creature is a demon beast; it might just be a parrot.

“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.”

As for the parrot escaping directly from the Luodi Commercial Chamber , that was absolutely impossible.

Lu Yang further inquired: “The bird has been circling Taiping Village for twenty days and hasn’t gone anywhere else. Perhaps its owner is here. Village head, do you have any thoughts on this?”

After pondering for a while, the village head replied: “Everyone in the village knows about the demon bird. If there’s someone who might not know, it would be the Shang family to the east.”

“The Shang family rarely goes out and avoids talking to people. I heard it’s because the head of the Shang family is also a cultivator. After suffering setbacks in his youth, his cultivation plummeted, and since then, he has lost his passion for cultivation and lives in seclusion here.”

“The Shang family is also quite wealthy, the richest in the area. It would make sense if they bought the parrot from the Luodi Commercial Chamber .”

“Then let’s go and ask the Shang family.”

Taiping Village isn’t big, so Lu Yang, Peach Blossom Leaf, and the parrot quickly arrived at the Shang family’s doorstep.

After a round of knocking, the door was quickly opened by a middle-aged man with a goatee, dressed in a Confucian robe and appearing quite refined.

“So it’s the village head. May I know who these two are so I can inform the master?” the man with the goatee said.

Lu Yang, holding the parrot’s wing like he’s carrying a chicken to be slaughtered for the New Year’s visit, said, “We happened to find this parrot and thought it might belong to the Shang family, so we came to inquire.”

The man with the goatee was initially surprised by Peach Blossom Leaf’s beauty, having never seen such a beautiful woman before. Then, he noticed the green parrot and smiled joyfully, “Ah, I see. Thank you, young heroes. This must be our young lady’s parrot. She’s been gloomy ever since it went missing, causing us servants quite some trouble.”

“Our young lady will be so happy to know that her parrot has been found.”

The village head whispered to Lu Yang and Peach Blossom Leaf, “He’s the steward of the Shang family, surnamed Zhang. Every time I come to the Shang family, he’s the one who answers the door.”

Steward Zhang hurried to report, and soon got a response.

“The master invites you three inside.”

Passing through the screen door, walking through the outer courtyard, passing the second gate, the corridor, and then the main house, they finally met the head of the Shang family.

The head of the Shang family was a portly man, with a sullen look on his face that kept people at bay. He didn’t like talking much, but he seemed quite happy to see the village head.

“Huang, my old friend, it’s been a long time since we last met.”

The village head’s surname is Huang.

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)