I Have a Golden Crow

After hastily finishing lunch, Du Yu and Lin Shiwei temporarily bade farewell to Master Qing and set off for the North Suburb Twin Tree Realm.

The journey to find Xiaobai went exceptionally smoothly, perhaps because of Master Qing’s contract summoning. When the two arrived at the northern canyon of Zone Five in the Twin Tree Realm, a herd of Immortal Deer was already waiting on the opposite side of the canyon.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, the group of snow-white Immortal Deer shimmered with a faint mist, standing at the edge of the northern cliff, gazing into the distance in anticipation.

Such a beautiful scene made Du Yu wish he could take a screenshot for his computer desktop... Well, fine, he didn’t have a computer.

But it didn’t matter. Even if he didn’t have a desktop, he could still have the beautiful scenery it contained.

”Over here, over here, Xiaobai!” Du Yu stood at the southern cliff’s edge, face alight with joy, waving repeatedly.

”Nai~~~” From afar, a Little Immortal Deer leaped high from the herd, soaring as if riding clouds and mist, then gently fell back down.

Witnessing such a sight, Lin Shiwei couldn’t help but sigh softly, silently savoring this beauty.

By coincidence, far away at their home in Xishu Garden, Yang Qingqing, standing on the balcony, slowly closed her eyes, idly rubbing a flower petal between her fingers.

Faintly, a gentle smile appeared on the woman’s face, sensing the genuine emotion from the other end of the contract.

Her Demon Pets were all too powerful, and had long passed their juvenile stages. She hadn’t felt the taste of reliance in a very long time.

Suddenly, the blooming flowers on the balcony, the leaves sprawling everywhere, swarmed around her.

Petals brushed gently against the hem of her nightgown; leaves fluttered past her hair, sharing the waves of emotion surging in their master’s heart...

Du Yu cupped his hands around his mouth and called toward his face, ”Want to come home with me?”

”Nai!” Xiaobai jumped high again; this time, the mist swirling around her was richer.

A Dust Spirit Deer assembled from mist quietly appeared, running towards them from afar.

Unyielding Silver· Dust Fog Assault.

This time, it truly was ”soaring on clouds and mist”!

The little deer, pieced together from Immortal Mist, ran from the opposite canyon cliff, crossing the chasm and galloping through the air.

Even though she was flying, her running movements remained perfectly lifelike.

The dreamlike mist-shadow Little Immortal Deer dashed all the way up to Du Yu’s side.

”Whoa... whoa!” Du Yu stumbled backward repeatedly as the mist-shadow Immortal Deer plunged right into his arms.

His Demon Breath Battle Robe trembled fiercely; as he staggered backward, he ended up tumbling to the ground.

The mist-shadow Little Immortal Deer stepped right over his body, then quietly shattered... ”Puff~”

”The Demon Skill’s quality has leveled up. In the last battle, it was still Heroic Bronze.” Lin Shiwei commented softly, walking up to Du Yu and reaching out her hand.

The Dust Fog Assault Demon Skill quality was easy to distinguish: just now, that mist-shadow Immortal Deer was significantly larger, almost the same size as Bai Yujing.

Du Yu grabbed the hand she offered and, as he got up with her help, pulled Lin Shiwei aside: ”Careful.”

Lin Shiwei was pushed sideways for several steps, just as a snow-white figure darted from her side and dove straight into Du Yu’s arms.

This time, it was the real one.

”Nai!”

Du Yu, caught off guard, tripped and toppled to the ground again.

But Xiaobai wouldn’t let him go, lowering her little head and gently nudging Du Yu’s chest with the small antlers she had just grown: ”Nai~Nai!”

She seemed to be blaming Du Yu, asking why he had come for her so late.

”My bad, my bad.” Du Yu replied. After Xiaobai had nudged him a couple more times, she poked her little deer head close to his face and stuck out her soft pink tongue, licking his cheek.

”Nai~”

”Hehe.” Du Yu giggled under the ticklish licks, unable to dodge, and simply hugged her deer head, rubbing her fur.

Unlike when they parted, her snow-white coat now bore faint markings. The markings were white as well, almost indistinguishable from her fur’s color—only visible on close examination.

”Nai~~~”

”Nai!” From the distant canyon, a mellow deer cry rang out, as if bidding Xiaobai farewell.

Xiaobai wriggled free from Du Yu’s embrace, turned her head to look back—at her kin, at her family.

”Don’t be sad, we’ll come visit all the time.” Du Yu said softly, soothing Xiaobai, then glanced at Lin Shiwei.

The girl seemed to sense something and looked down at Du Yu: ”What is it?”

Du Yu: ”If we pass the Tower Trial, Xiaobai and I’ll come with you again, let’s give it a try together.”

”Mm...” Lin Shiwei nodded gently, and as she looked once more at the Dust Spirit Deer herd, her eyes grew a little hazy.

She was an All-Elemental Demon Tamer, but such multi-attribute tamers usually specialize in one or two types—three attributes at most. After all, one’s energy is limited.

Due to her family’s positioning, Lin Shiwei had chosen Wood and Fire Dual Cultivation. But if the opportunity came to contract with a Dust Spirit Deer, who could possibly refuse?

”Let’s go, time to head back.” Du Yu got up and waved energetically across the canyon.

Amid the lingering, mellow deer calls, Xiaobai gazed deeply at her mother.

The tall doe, snow-white antlers covered with iridescent flowers, was the first to turn away, her form melting into the herd.

”Nai~” At last, Xiaobai was willing to turn her head, bounding and skipping after Du Yu.

”Come on, let’s go home and eat some Firethorn.”

”Nai!”

...

By afternoon, the two of them and a deer returned home, but the spacious hall was empty of people.

Changing shoes, Lin Shiwei called, ”Aunt Qingqing, we’re back!”

No one replied, but the Firethorn Tree was already eagerly stretching its branches forward, perhaps hoping to collect a bit of ”entrance fee.”

”Nai~” Xiaobai chirped cheerfully, poking her head out from Du Yu’s arms and peering around.

With a swoosh, the Firethorn Branches instantly retracted, scampering away at blazing speed!

Du Yu could barely keep from laughing out loud; his heart felt immensely satisfied!

Fantastic~ just fantastic!

”I’ll go upstairs and let Aunt Qingqing know we’re back.” Lin Shiwei said, walking towards the stairs.

However, as soon as she reached the second floor and took only a few steps into the living room, she froze in place!

On the open balcony upstairs, dense flowers and leaves were wrapped around a person!

Feeling the surging waves of Wood Demon Breath, Lin Shiwei’s face changed, and she reflexively took a step back.

This... is she about to break through!?

Low-level Demon Tamers would do anything to rank up, but high-level ones were different.

”Step by step towards godhood” sounds tempting, but also entails dangers the average person cannot imagine!

If Yang Qingqing broke through here, without a doubt, both Du Yu and Lin Shiwei would die on the spot.

Even this building, the entire Xishu Garden District, might go down with them!

”A-Aunt...?” The ever-calm Lin Shiwei actually stammered her words.

”Don’t be scared.” A cool, clear voice replied, as the flood of leaves swept away, revealing Yang Qingqing’s graceful back.

Cautiously, Lin Shiwei asked, ”Aunt, are you about to break through?”

”Mn... It’s getting hard to suppress.” Yang Qingqing replied softly, ”No matter if tomorrow’s Tower Trial succeeds or not, I’ll need to find a place to advance.”

If it was just her own cultivation, that’d be one thing. The key is, constraining herself for so long, her Demon Pets would really start to protest.

For Demon Tamers, each major Stage means an unimaginable power surge for their Demon Pets.

Lin Shiwei stepped onto the balcony, her voice barely above a whisper: ”Congratulations, Aunt. Another milestone on your path of cultivation.”

”No need to envy me. You’re a Paper Crane Disciple—it’ll be your day, sooner or later.” With a casual wave, Yang Qingqing shaped some leaves into a chair for Lin Shiwei beside her.

But Lin Shiwei didn’t sit down. Instead, she said, ”Aunt, I want to ask you a favor.”

”Go ahead.”

Lin Shiwei pursed her lips and spoke softly: ”Could you take me on as your disciple?”

”Hm?”

Yang Qingqing’s surprise was due to a Lin Family rule, somewhere between a hard-and-fast rule and an unwritten law.

Lin Family juniors are not allowed to take family elders as masters.

It’s not because they worry the master would go easy on a family child. After all, each Divine Demon Tamer stands in communion with the world itself, and even their own kin can be dealt with harshly.

The real reason is, it’s the Lin Family’s way of ”branching out and spreading leaves.”

Apprenticing to other powerful Demon Tamers can expand the family network and bolster the clan’s influence.

Whether written or tacit, the younger Lin generation obeyed this rule.

Considering Lin Shiwei’s abilities and potential, she’d likely be taken under the wing of a powerful master, thereby forming a high-quality relational link. Her wanting to study under a family senior was truly difficult.

Yang Qingqing asked, a bit puzzled: ”No teachers have submitted a request for you?”

Lin Shiwei shook her head quickly: ”They have. Lots. I just haven’t accepted any yet.”

After all, for many teachers, a Lin Family child was a precious prospect. Building connections worked both ways.

Yang Qingqing raised an eyebrow; as if realizing something, she smiled slightly: ”So, is it me you have your eye on as a Master, or is it Du Yu?”

Lin Shiwei blushed and lowered her head: ”Both. If I joined another school, once I started one-on-one classes or carrying out missions, Du Yu and I would hardly have a chance to grow up together.”

The balcony was silent except for the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze.

After gathering her courage, Lin Shiwei spoke: ”Aunt, you know I was never supposed to be a Demon Tamer. Everything is Heaven’s extra favor.

I was never meant to be here, speaking to you at all. My life should have gone down some other, ordinary path.

But since all of this was Heaven’s gift, I’m willing to trust destiny. I’ve thought it through—since fate led me to Du Yu, I want to seize this chance and accept this blessing.”

Listening to the girl’s words, Yang Qingqing’s heart softened: ”So you see him as a kind of gift.”

After a moment’s silence, Lin Shiwei nodded firmly: ”To strive and grow together with someone like him, to face the Demon Taming World—win or lose, I won’t regret it.”

”Alright.” Yang Qingqing looked out the window. ”I’ll think about it.”

”Thank you, Aunt!”

”Tell me what just happened.”

”What just happened?” Lin Shiwei asked, puzzled. ”Do you mean bringing back the Dust Spirit Deer?”

Yang Qingqing nodded slightly, her face tinged with a faint smile: ”It’s been a long, long time since I’ve felt this way. Give me all the details.”

”Yes.”

Meanwhile, in a guest room on the first floor.

Du Yu sat cross-legged on the bed; to his left lay Bai Yujing, to his right, Yan Ruyu sprawled on the floor.

Only Little You Ying hovered in his lap, puffing firefly light at Du Yu while curiously watching her master’s two Little Demon Pets.

Du Yu wore a serious, grave look: ”We’re friends, and teammates for future battles. We need to respect and love each other, support one another.”

”Nai~” Xiaobai nudged her head forward. Maybe it was her newfound strength, or maybe she’d grown a little.

With Du Yu’s relentless matchmaking, she finally leaned forward and sniffed Xiaoyan.

”Ying~” Xiaoyan wagged her two long tails, gently stroking Xiaobai’s cheek. She lifted her little head and looked at Du Yu.

Is this what you wanted to see?

Du Yu nodded furiously, sending waves of messages through the contract: Thank you so much, my mighty Prince Yan!

If you two didn’t get along, my journey as a Demon Tamer would end right here.

If I can’t manage three Demon Pets, how could I dream of forming a Divine Pet Corps?

Three, I say, but really, it’s just two!

After all, Little You Ying is carefree, a mischief-maker, always scheming new ways to puff at me...

Only with peace at home can I face tomorrow’s Tower Trial without distraction!

Once I gain a bit more Spiritual Qi, advance a Small Tier, and learn a couple Fire Spirit Techniques—tsk, just thinking about it feels great!