Chapter 15: The True Form of the Demonic Bird

Tao Yaoye asked, "Since the demon bird is looking for Zhang Guanjia, have you tried to make them meet?"

The village head sighed deeply, "We don't need to make the demon bird and Zhang Guanjia meet. A few days ago, the demon bird flew directly to Zhang Guanjia's house, shouting 'Monster! Monster!' at him, then flew out the window, disappearing towards who knows which household."

"We were at a loss for what to do when you two esteemed immortals arrived."

Tao Yaoye pondered for a moment, then speculated, "Is Zhang Guanjia a monster? Is the demon bird warning you to be wary of him?"

Among the demon race, there are many benevolent beings who either take human form or reveal their true selves to warn people of impending disaster.

For example, the great demon king Zhuyan, in popular legends, was believed to bring chaos wherever it appeared, thus it was considered an inauspicious demonic beast.

The immortal sects, however, knew the truth was quite the opposite. Zhuyan didn't cause the chaos; it foresaw the coming turmoil and specifically traveled from the demon realm to the Central Continent to warn humanity, acting purely out of goodwill.

Of course, Zhuyan bore some responsibility for this popular misconception—it was socially awkward and afraid to speak.

A taciturn demon, coupled with a fearsome appearance, made it difficult for people to believe it was a benevolent creature.

Perhaps this demon bird was similar, coming to warn the people of Taiping Village that Zhang Guanjia was a powerful shapeshifting demon.

At this, the village head seemed troubled. He didn't want to contradict the beautiful immortal from the immortal sect, but he couldn't disregard the facts and insist Zhang Guanjia was a demon.

"Zhang Guanjia grew up in Taiping Village, and the elders can confirm that. He also has two younger brothers, Zhang Guanyi and Zhang Guanbing, and the three brothers share a deep bond. He now runs a private school, teaching children Confucianism and cultivation. He is one of the few teachers in Taiping Village."

"If we were to say he's a monster, I'm afraid..."

Tao Yaoye disagreed with the village head's view: "Demons have long lifespans. Many immortal beings will stay in one place for decades, allowing themselves to age gradually, indistinguishable from mortals. Once they've seen all there is to see in that place, they feign death to escape, emerge from their graves, and start anew elsewhere."

The village head opened his mouth, but lacking Tao Yaoye's extensive knowledge, he didn't know how to respond.

Lu Yang gently shook his head, pointing out a flaw in Tao Yaoye's speculation: "If Zhang Guanjia were a demon, he would undoubtedly be a powerful shapeshifting one. How could a powerful shapeshifting demon tolerate a small demon bird spouting nonsense? Most likely, the bird would have been eliminated by Zhang Guanjia before it even had a chance to speak."

Tao Yao didn't retort; what Lu Yang said was indeed true.

Lu Yang stood up. "That being said, we still need to meet Zhang Guanjia."

The village head quickly led the way. "This way, esteemed immortals."

Along the way, Lu Yang pointed out an error in the village head's address: "We are all cultivators, striving for immortality. Even if we weren't merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, even Integration True Monarchs or Tribulation Transcenders, who are the closest to achieving immortality, are not qualified to be called 'esteemed immortals'."

"Village head, you may call us 'Daoist Masters'."

The village head chuckled awkwardly. He dared not treat Lu Yang and his companion as ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. Less than one in ten Foundation Establishment cultivators could advance to the Golden Core stage; those were common cultivators. Disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect, however, were guaranteed to reach the Golden Core stage, and their future achievements were beyond his imagination.

"It's just that no one has actually become an immortal, and there are only vague legends of immortals."

Hearing this, Lu Yang simply smiled and said nothing more.

Soon after, the three arrived at Zhang Guanjia's residence.

"Old Zhang, visitors are here, open the door."

The wooden door creaked open, revealing Zhang Guanjia, who stood blank-faced behind it.

"Let me introduce them. These two are disciples of 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 monster. You can't just believe whatever the demon bird shouts. The bird also shouts 'Come play, grandpa!' Why don't you send some grandpas to play with it?"

The village head chuckled awkwardly, "We were just strolling around, and it happened to lead us here."

The village head was diligent and widely regarded as a good official. With his words, Zhang Guanjia had no choice but to open the door and welcome the three inside.

Zhang Guanjia's home was a two-courtyard residence, which felt empty with only one person living there.

Zhang Guanjia was over forty and still unmarried.

The conversation inevitably revolved around the demon bird. Zhang Guanjia grumbled, "I've never seen that demon bird before. Heaven knows why it keeps calling my name."

"I've never left Taiping Village in my life. The furthest I've been is Quhe County. How would I even know a demon bird?"

"Every day, students ask me, 'Teacher, teacher, are you a monster?' Some are even afraid I'll eat them, so they complete their homework on time every day!"

"Even my neighbors have approached me, saying they have a Foundation Establishment enemy in Quhe County, asking if I could secretly eliminate them, with the price negotiable!" Zhang Guanjia spoke through gritted teeth, wishing he could fight the demon bird to the death to clear his name.

As an ordinary person, he was labeled a demon just because a bird opened its mouth. It was utterly unfair!

After their conversation, the three didn't gain any useful information, only listening to Zhang Guanjia complain for two hours about how much the demon bird had affected his life.

Fortunately, Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye quickly expressed their commitment to slaying demons, eliminating threats to the people, and eradicating the demon bird to bring justice to Zhang Guanjia. Only then did Zhang Guanjia stop complaining, seemingly satisfied.

"The demon bird is here again!" Someone outside the residence shouted, fleeing in panic, keeping their distance from the bird.

Hearing the commotion, Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye immediately cast aside their casual attitude, readied their magic artifacts, left the courtyard, and prepared to face the demon bird.

"Daoist Masters, please be careful!" The village head hushed the villagers, urging them to stay further away from where the demon bird had appeared.

Lu Yang gripped his sword hilt. If the demon bird showed any intention of attacking people, it would be met with a flash of cold light, splitting it in two.

Tao Yaoye took out her red paper umbrella, her innate magic artifact, the Thousand Illusions Umbrella. When opened, the umbrella created a dreamlike illusion, causing enemies to drown unknowingly within the mirage.

Lu Yang carefully made a gesture, indicating he would scout ahead. Tao Yaoye nodded.

The demon bird had landed on a civilian's house. Lu Yang moved like a cat, silently and stealthily, creeping closer to his prey.

Lu Yang was on high alert, his muscles tensed, ready to draw his sword and fight at any moment.

Optimistically, the demon bird was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, which would be the best outcome. In the worst-case scenario, it was a demon at the late Foundation Establishment stage, in which case the fight would not be easy, and defeating it would require considerable effort.

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

Its dark green feathers were incredibly vibrant and lustrous, with large patches of red extending from its eye corners to its neck, creating a striking red and green contrast.

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

It was a parrot.