parentshiftbook Chapter 14: The Secret Meeting, the Owl's Prophecy
Chapter 14: The Secret Meeting, the Owl's Prophecy
This is how Zhang Ping and Fu Huiying communicate.
The pavilion behind the martial arts school was no longer his only rendezvous spot with Fu Huiying. Caves, poolsides, and forest paths were all marked with knots of different colors. Today's meeting place was that small pool.
The peach blossoms on the back hill had long since faded, leaving only bare branches, and at their feet lay patches of withered, yellow meadow. The Cold Pool, nestled in a secluded, shady spot, was surrounded by craggy rocks and exquisitely crafted artificial hills, and all around were evergreen trees.
Before we knew it, the moon had climbed to the top of the tree, casting its cool light down. The water in the cold pool began to surge restlessly, splashing and lapping against the stone bank.
Occasionally, a few muffled sounds came from the depths of the water, but the servants on guard at a distance could not hear them clearly.
The moon travels high in the sky, finally coming to rest in the pool.
"Not again! Did you ignore what I told you last time?" Fu Huiying leaned against the cold rocks by the pool, her foxy eyes slightly raised in reproach, her willow brows furrowed.
Skin as smooth and white as jade reflected the moonlight, radiating a warm and lustrous glow.
"Didn't my wife praise me last time—?"
Zhang Ping approached, stepping on the water, and pulled her into his arms. The woman couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Stop fooling around!" she scolded playfully.
"Let's get down to business."
"Speak, it won't delay you." Zhang Ping's lips curled into a wicked smile.
Fu Huiying struggled, but to no avail, so she simply rested her head gently on his shoulder and told him in detail about Chongxin's plan to take her on a镖 (bodyguard/escort) mission.
"Escorting goods?" Zhang Ping suddenly stopped moving and frowned.
He didn't know much about the martial arts school's escort business, only that the school's headmaster, Chongxin, would lead his disciples on escort missions every year to earn money, which was one of the school's two main sources of income.
"Tell me, what exactly are the rules of this escort mission?" Unbeknownst to them, more than two months had passed, and the distance between the two had already subtly changed.
Fu Huiying frowned slightly, and then gave a detailed but intermittent account of the several escort routes that Sitong Martial Arts School usually took. Her account was clear and organized, showing that she had put in a lot of effort to investigate them.
As Zhang Ping listened, his fingertips unconsciously traced the cold, damp stones by the pool, and he fell silent.
According to her, the journeys Chongxin escorted were all quite long, with the route to the prefectural city being the most frequent. The route was not fixed, sometimes detouring through several neighboring counties. The journey was long, involving treacherous mountains and rivers, and often included wild and dangerous areas inhabited by demons.
However, based on years of experience, as long as one strictly follows the predetermined route, there are usually no major problems. The monsters encountered are mostly minor demons and monsters, which Chongxin's cultivation level is sufficient to handle.
Based on this deduction, the danger doesn't seem too great. Perhaps... we can even collect some exotic beast essences or limbs along the way? Zhang Ping's heart stirred.
......
The next day, Zhang Ping disguised himself slightly and left the martial arts school with Wang Li.
"Let's go to the bird market first." After parting ways with the purchasing team, Zhang Ping determined the direction and found the street in the city that specialized in selling ornamental birds.
A long street lined with bird shops on both sides. All sorts of novel and colorful birds were on display, while the myna, which could mimic human speech, was just an ordinary commodity here. There weren't many pedestrians on the street, mostly in groups of three or five, with the leaders being delicate-skinned young masters or ladies from wealthy families, always followed by several servants standing at attention.
Zhang Ping chuckled to himself: Sure enough, no matter which city it is, there are always these spoiled brats who ride hawks and walk their birds.
"Young master, you look kind. Are you looking for some rare birds?" As Zhang Ping walked into what seemed to be the umpteenth shop, listening to the shopkeepers' almost identical sales pitches, he couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
Do these shop owners never inquire about how their competitors treat customers? Even their explanations are so similar.
He waved his hand: "Just browsing. Can you even try it?"
"As long as you don't frighten the birds." The shopkeeper was a little old man who had been running the shop for many years and had a sharp eye. Seeing Zhang Ping's nonchalant attitude, which made him seem like a customer, he immediately lost interest, gave a lazy reply, and then curled up back in his creaky bamboo rocking chair.
Over here, Zhang Ping strolled casually among the cages, his gaze sweeping over the dazzling array of flight feathers. When he encountered an unfamiliar species, he took out a bird guidebook he had just purchased from another store and carefully compared it with the bird's image.
Ever since his accidental discovery that he could detect the materials needed to brand animal patterns by touching living creatures, he had been trying to touch all kinds of living beings. This trip was for that purpose.
Having learned from Fu Huiying that Chongxin was going to take him on a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) mission, how could Zhang Ping not make plans in advance? If he could find a beast-patterned brand with special effects, that would be the best.
"In close combat, apart from my skills not being quite polished, I have no other weaknesses. My life-saving methods include the 'Earth Dragon Regeneration' ability to recover and the 'Eagle Eye Mark' for early warning. I can handle most situations, but I'm afraid I would be outmatched if I faced a strange and powerful demon in the wilderness."
Demons are unpredictable and their methods are unfathomable. Although Eagle Eye is adept at discerning movements, how can it clearly see those demons that have no form whatsoever?
"If only I could be branded with the ability to fly and escape into the air, so I could flee in case of danger..."
A flicker of hope crossed Zhang Ping's mind, but it quickly faded: he was not born with wings, and the flight patterns of birds could not be imprinted on him, unless... he could find a different species that could soar through the heavens without wings.
As Zhang Ping strolled to the far corner of the shop and was about to leave, his gaze inadvertently swept over the wooden shelf by the window. An owl stood there, dozing with its eyes half-closed. He examined it carefully, confirming that it was just an ordinary owl, its appearance exactly the same as the ones he had seen in his previous life.
"Owl..." Zhang Ping's eyebrows twitched slightly, and all sorts of legends about this bird from his past life suddenly flooded his mind.
In the folklore of my past life, owls were shrouded in mystery and were often regarded as ominous birds that could foretell disasters. The elders said that they could sense dangers in the unseen world and warned them with their cries; there were also legends that their night cries were an omen of death, and their status was almost equal to that of crows that herald death.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a guess flashed through his head: "Perhaps... I can imprint its 'sensory' ability?"
It's a pity there are no crows here, otherwise it would be even better to try out the crows' legendary prophetic abilities.
With a hint of tentativeness, my fingertips gently touched the owl's fluffy little head.
"Beast markings, perception."
[Owl] [Danger Sense]
[Beast Mark - Danger Sense: Allows one to vaguely sense approaching danger through mysterious means.]
[Materials needed: Hollow stone, conspicuous sapling, black stone, field mouse carcass.]
Yes, it is!
Zhang Ping felt a slight tingling sensation in his fingertips, as if he had been electrocuted, and his heart trembled violently!
Danger Sense! This legendary and mysterious ability can actually be imprinted as a beast pattern?
"Could it be... that not only can the abilities of living beings themselves be imprinted, but even the abilities of these ethereal legends can be imprinted? If that's true, wouldn't all birds and beasts in the world be imprinted with their mysteries? However..."
Zhang Ping was filled with doubt and suspicion. He then tried several other birds in the shop, but they showed no reaction whatsoever.
"It seems the problem lies with this owl." He stared intently at the still-sleeping owl, his gaze intense.
This seemingly ordinary night owl actually possesses a method within its body to sense misfortune through unknown means.
After a long while, Zhang Pingfang finally suppressed the turmoil in his heart, followed by an overwhelming joy.
The materials used to imprint this "danger perception" are not uncommon. Of the four materials, the black stone and the carcass of a field mouse are readily available, found in ordinary markets and even in the mountains and forests, requiring almost no money. He did know about the hollow stone, as it was a common ingredient in pharmacies. Only that conspicuous sapling…
The bright red tree grows in the mountains and fields. When ripe, it produces red fruit as big as a fist. Although it is not poisonous, it is extremely sour and astringent, and difficult to swallow.
The wealthy families in the city did not plant it. However, in the barren area east of the city near the city wall, a conspicuous patch of trees stood out, serving as a "lifeline" for the poor during famine years.
"First find the hollow stone, then head to the east of the city!"
"Shopkeeper, I'll take this owl!"
The atmosphere inside the An family mansion was somber and tense.
"That kid has shown up. We absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes this time!" The scarred man's severed arm had been reattached, but he stood respectfully to the side with his head bowed. There were four other people standing beside him, three men and one woman.
"Master is determined to get this boy. If he fails again... he can go to the secret room in the backyard to report." The steward, An Chou, was An Qing's cousin and also An Qing's most trusted confidant.
The word "backyard" sent a chill down the spines of all four men. The backyard was the master's forbidden training ground; few of these strong men who went in ever came out alive.
The only female assassin among the five clasped her hands in agreement, her voice cold and hard as iron: "Rest assured, Steward, my Shadow Sword Technique is just missing a live target to test its moves."
"Hmm." An Chou nodded slightly. With three late-stage Skin Tempering experts and two mid-stage Skin Tempering experts, even if Zhang Pingzhen possessed superhuman strength, he wouldn't be able to escape the An family's grasp!
"If necessary, we may take his body back." An Chou added ominously at the end.
"Yes, sir!"