Red Dragon vs. Parrot

That sharp voice was like a chisel, stabbing violently into Li Quanfeng’s ears. He felt as if his eardrums were being pierced and his brain was being stirred with brute force.

His balance wavered instantly. He leaned against the wall to keep from falling and looked up, only to see a plump parrot with messy feathers flying toward him in a rage.

The parrot cursed as it flew, spewing filth so vile that even a brothel madam would be shocked. It dove toward the display stand, extending its two claws to snatch the red jade pendant.

“Roar!”

The nearly-formed Red Dragon twisted its body and let out a draconic roar at the parrot. The space rippled and turned into waves under the force of the roar, surging toward the parrot with unstoppable momentum.

“Why the f*ck are you yelling so loud!” the parrot shrieked back. It halted mid-air and flapped its wings. Instantly, a small tornado manifested before it and collided with the draconic shockwave. The clash sent out massive ripples, causing the entire building to shake several times as if an earthquake were hitting.

Li Quanfeng huddled in the corner, watching the Red Dragon and the parrot trade blows. His mouth hung open wide enough to fit an apple. Both of these monsters had the power to kill him instantly. Yet, one was a construct Lin Shao had casually created using the room’s layout, and the other was a pet he kept for entertainment.

Just how terrifying was Lin Shao himself?!

“An earthquake?!”

A startled cry suddenly came from upstairs, followed by the thumping sound of someone running down the steps. Hearing this, the Red Dragon visibly faltered, its head turning toward the stairs. The parrot, however, showed no mercy. Seizing the gap, it increased the intensity of its attack, using a massive gale to knock over several flower pots on the shelf. Deprived of the formation’s support, the Red Dragon dissipated on the spot.

“Is that it? That’s all you got? I thought you were a big shot, but that’s it?” The parrot struck a haughty pose, flying onto the shelf to spit at the now-dim red jade pendant.

At that exact moment, Lin Shao came down from the second floor. He scanned the shop and saw several flower pots lying shattered on the ground. His fat parrot was perched on the shelf, using the internet slang he had taught it to insult the red jade pendant. Not far away, Li Quanfeng—who should have left—was curled up in a corner, trembling.

‘Is there no earthquake?’ The shaking had stopped at some point, and it was eerily quiet. There were no panicked screams from people outside. Lin Shao scratched his head. ‘Did I wake up from a dream?’

He walked over to the shelf and bent down to pick up the broken ceramic shards. These were high-quality pots with clear patterns; seeing them shattered pained him. He looked up and saw the fat parrot still cursing incessantly, looking for all the world like a petty villain who had won through dirty tricks.

‘Most likely, this fat bird lost its mind in the middle of the night and crashed into the shelf, knocking everything over. I was half-asleep and mistook the sound of breaking pottery for an earthquake.’

Considering the reality of the situation, this was the most logical explanation. Hearing the fat parrot using “truck-kun” to greet the jade pendant’s ancestors, Lin Shao felt both angry and amused. He stood up and slapped the bird on the head.

“Shut up, you fat bird! You broke so many of my pots. I’m stewing you tomorrow!”

The fat parrot whimpered as if in pain and didn’t dare talk back. It let out a baby-like wail and flew toward the second floor. Lin Shao didn’t even need to chase it to know the bird was going to hide in Mu Li’s arms. If he tried to hit it there, the bird would just dive into her clothes, making it too awkward for him to pull it out.

Lin Shao didn’t know why this parrot was so human-like; perhaps it was just a quirk of this Great Thousand World that parrots were exceptionally smart.

He kicked the ceramic shards aside and walked toward Li Quanfeng, wondering why the man was still here.

As Lin Shao approached, Li Quanfeng’s heart hammered against his ribs. The shock of the battle between the dragon and the bird hadn’t faded. He opened his mouth to greet Lin Shao, but his tongue was frozen, leaving him stuttering incoherently.

Lin Shao found Li Quanfeng’s terrified look somewhat funny. He hadn’t expected such a robust middle-aged man to tremble like this.

Although Li Quanfeng’s talkativeness had annoyed him during the day, he didn’t actually dislike the man. The rambling was just a result of being thorough; anyone who could memorize the origin of every plant and table in the room clearly put in a lot of effort.

‘It’s not easy to earn money to support a family, especially for a pillar of the household like him.’

“I… I… am s… sorry.” Li Quanfeng used his stiff mouth to apologize first. In his mind, given Lin Shao’s status, the man must have seen every move he made, including his return tonight. Perhaps that dragon formation was set up specifically for him.

An apology? It took Lin Shao a moment to realize what Li Quanfeng was saying. He stared at the man for a while and then reached a conclusion.

‘Showing up in someone else’s house in the middle of the night… what else could he be but a thief?’

Li Quanfeng must have come back to steal. There were so many valuable things in the shop; as a worker, taking just one or two items would equal several days’ wages.

As for why he didn’t steal during the day, there might have been people around or he hadn’t arranged for someone to buy the stolen goods yet.

Lin Shao sighed. He thought Li Quanfeng had a righteous look about him, almost heroic; it was a shame he had turned to theft. But seeing how scared he was, this was probably his first time, which explained why he was so clumsy after getting caught.

Lin Shao squatted down, looking at Li Quanfeng, and asked:

“Do you have parents and children?”

At the mention of his family, a surge of courage rose within Li Quanfeng. He nodded and forced his stiff tongue to speak clearly.

“A man should bear the consequences of his own actions. I beg Senior to spare my family!”

‘Involving family? Is this a family business?’ Lin Shao thought. One person steals, another sells—a whole family production line. Lin Shao let out a breath and gave a light laugh.

“I see that you can still be saved. Stop doing this. Take your family and do something else.”

Seeing that Lin Shao didn’t intend to take his life or move against his relatives, Li Quanfeng was moved to tears. Then, he carefully pondered Lin Shao’s words and felt a jolt in his heart. ‘Senior said I can be saved… take my family and do something else…’

‘This is a warning to stop being an official in the capital and leave with my family immediately!’

‘The Emperor’s purge includes me!’

Li Quanfeng hurriedly scrambled up and kowtowed twice to Lin Shao before anyone could stop him. After standing up, he whispered:

“I will never forget Senior’s life-saving grace. If there is a next life, I am willing to serve you as a horse or an ox!”

‘The ultimate empty promise: “in the next life.”‘ Lin Shao’s lips curled up slightly, but he didn’t say much. His intent was merely to steer the man back to the righteous path; he didn’t expect a reward.

Watching Li Quanfeng leave, Lin Shao carefully locked all the doors and windows this time. He checked everything once more before finally heading upstairs to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Lin Shao was sleeping soundly. Since transmigrating, he always slept like a log.

His bedroom door was pushed open noiselessly. Mu Li stepped inside. The room was pitch black, yet she walked as naturally as if it were broad daylight.

Reaching Lin Shao’s bedside, she moved the thin blanket covering him. She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it to the sides, exposing his chest and abdomen. She pressed her right hand onto his lower abdomen and moved it clockwise, slowly pushing upward with extreme deliberation—from the lower abdomen to the stomach, then to the chest. Finally, she used both hands to massage his chest, pushing from the ribs toward his neck.

Gripping his neck lightly, she used her tongue to pry open Lin Shao’s lips and teeth. Mouth to mouth, she slowly sucked out the object she had pushed from his dantian to his throat.

As she did this, the fat parrot perched by the bed, waiting with an expectant look.

Finally, Mu Li sucked out the desired object. Her cheeks puffed out as she turned her head and gently exhaled. It was a wisp of mottled mist that seemed to contain every color imaginable. The mist hovered in the air, refusing to dissipate.

The parrot’s eyes lit up. It took flight, inhaling all the mottled mist into its beak. It let out an expression of extreme satisfaction, flapped its wings, and flew down to sleep soundly.

Mu Li stood dazed for a moment. She re-buttoned Lin Shao’s shirt, pulled the blanket back over him, and slowly exited the room, closing the door silently.

As if nothing had happened, the night continued.