Tang Dynasty: Starting with Dimo, he was targeted by Li Shimin.

Chapter 27 The Great Chase in Chang'an

the same day.

afternoon.

The commotion caused by the water-soaked shells on Zhuque Street has not yet subsided—

Another incident occurred on the other side of Chang'an.

The cause of the matter is this.

After the morning court session this day, Yuchi Gong returned to the Duke of E's residence.

He placed the swallowtail otter's ball on the desk in his study and went to change into his court robes.

Logically speaking, the sprites should be very safe inside the Goo-Goo Ball—they won't run out or cause trouble.

But Yuchi Gong forgot one thing.

Swallowtail otters don't like staying in the Gulu ball.

To be precise—since its evolution, it has developed a subtle resistance to the Gulu Ball.

It's probably because my body has gotten bigger and the ball is too crowded.

It could also be because it's becoming more opinionated.

Anyway-

Yuchi Gong had just stepped out of the study.

Back foot—

"Buzz."

The Gulu Ball lit up briefly.

"Bang."

The swallowtail otter hopped out on its own.

Its streamlined body, over half a meter long, landed steadily on the desk, its deep blue mane shimmering slightly in the sunlight.

It patted the table with its large, swallow-like tail.

"hiss."

It raised its head and sniffed the air—

far away.

A very far place.

It smelled a certain scent.

A familiar scent, a scent unique to water spirits, belonging to the same kind.

And there was more than one.

Several.

In the direction of West Market.

The swallowtail otter's eyes lit up.

companion.

A companion has arrived!

It hasn't seen any other water-type spirits in this world for a very long time—

If we don't count Shui Lanlan (Shui Lanlan is too small; it considers her a younger sister, not a companion).

There are actually several Water-type Pokémon gathered near West City?

It's something we absolutely have to go check out!

then--

The swallowtail otter jumped off the table and pushed open the study window with its paws.

Taking a leap—

They disappeared outside the walls of the Duke of E's mansion.

Before leaving, it didn't forget to pick up a pebble from the table.

Just in case I run into a friend on the road and need to give them a gift.

Fifteen minutes later.

Chang'an City East Market.

"Monster!!!!"

A deafening scream came from the restaurant in the East Market.

Immediately afterwards—

"Splash—!!"

A window was smashed open, and a dark blue figure shot out from the second floor.

It did a beautiful somersault in the air and landed steadily on the street.

The swallowtail otter landed with half a braised carp still in its mouth.

It smelled the aroma of fish when it passed by this restaurant just now—

Then I couldn't resist climbing in through the window.

Then I couldn't resist taking a fish from the steamer in the kitchen.

Then the cook discovered it.

Then the cook screamed.

Then it ran away.

now--

Six people chased after them.

A cook held a cleaver, a waiter held a broom, and a manager held an abacus.

Three other diners were carrying chair legs—they were eating, but were so frightened that they decided to "eliminate the scourge for the people."

"Catch it!! That big blue rat stole my fish!!"

The swallowtail otter, carrying a fish in its mouth, kicked its four legs rapidly and ran westward.

Where it ran, it left a trail of wet paw prints on the ground—

Because its body naturally possesses water-based magic, it makes everything wet wherever it goes.

"Why is there water everywhere that big rat ran through?!"

"Could it be that it's become a spirit?!"

More and more people are chasing after it.

Passing by a fabric store—

A swallowtail otter darted past the cloth shop, its tail accidentally swishing onto a bolt of white silk hanging outside.

Once the water magic is gone—

The white silk was instantly soaked.

"My silk!!!" The fabric shop owner joined the chase.

Passing by a cosmetics shop—

The swallowtail otter hopped across the doorway, its paw landing on the rouge box placed there.

The box overturned, spilling rouge all over the floor.

A girl who was picking out rouge was so frightened that she screamed three times.

"That blue monster spilled my rouge!!" The proprietress rushed out carrying a feather duster.

Passing by a rice shop—

A drop of fish soup fell from the fish the swallowtail otter was carrying in its beak onto the rice bag at the entrance of the rice shop.

The rice shop owner saw a large blue otter throwing fish soup in front of his shop, and his blood pressure spiked on the spot.

"You owe me back my rice!!!"

The number of people in the pursuit team increased from six to more than twenty.

Some carried kitchen knives, some carried brooms, some carried abacuses, some carried feather dusters, some carried steelyards, and some carried rolling pins—

A group of Chang'an citizens, carrying various household items, chased a half-meter-long blue otter all over the street.

This scene—

This was arguably the most outrageous urban management enforcement scene in the third year of the Zhenguan era.

Σ(°Д°;)

The market supervisor of the East Market—the person responsible for maintaining market order—rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

"Stop!! Stop right there!! What's going on?!"

He stopped the cook who was leading the group.

"My lord! There's a monster!! A huge blue otter! It stole the carp from my restaurant!!"

"What? A blue otter?" The market supervisor looked incredulous.

"Really!! Wherever that thing ran, there was water!! It must be a water sprite that has come to life!!"

"And another thing! It spilled my rouge!"

"It got my silk wet!"

"It's made my rice dirty!"

More than twenty people were making accusations all at once.

After listening for a while, the market supervisor's expression changed from disbelief to confusion, and then from confusion to annoyance.

"Alright, alright! Take me to see it!"

He joined the pursuit team.

The number of pursuers has risen to thirty.

The swallowtail otter had no idea that it had caused such a huge mess.

It just wanted to hurry to the Magical Artifacts Shop in the West Market to find its water-type companions.

But Chang'an was too big, and there were too many roads.

It ran and then went astray.

We've gone astray—

The direction of the Vermilion Bird Gate.

In the direction of the Imperial Palace.

"stop!!"

The guards at the Vermilion Bird Gate saw from afar a large group of people chasing after a blue object as they rushed towards them.

He immediately drew his sword.

"What are you doing?! This is the forbidden area of ​​the royal palace!!"

"Sir! There's a monster!!" the lead cook gasped, "A huge blue otter has gone inside!!"

The guard looked down—

Beneath the crack of the Vermilion Bird Gate, there was indeed a trail of wet, steaming claw marks extending inwards.

But he didn't believe in any "blue monster" at all.

"Nonsense!! Disperse! Disperse! Anyone who doesn't leave will be punished for 'intrudement into the Forbidden City'!!"

The crowd was driven away.

But the swallowtail otter—

They're already inside.

Inside the palace.

The guards initially didn't take it seriously—they thought it was just a stray cat or dog that had wandered in from somewhere.

Until a palace maid came running down the corridor screaming—

"There's...there's something!! Blue!! It jumped out of the pond in the Imperial Garden!!"

"It even sprays water!! It sprayed water all over my face!!"

Immediately afterwards—

"My God!! It's eating His Majesty's koi fish!!"

"They moved three of the artificial rocks from the Imperial Garden!!"

Several young princes and princesses playing in the royal garden spotted a swallowtail otter.

Wow!! What a huge blue dog!!

"It's not a dog! It's an otter!"

"Whatever it is! Grab it!!"

A group of mischievous kids joined the chase.

The number of pursuers surged again inside the palace.

Guards, palace maids, eunuchs, gardeners in the imperial garden, young princes, and young princesses—

They all joined the army to "capture the blue otter".

The swallowtail otter was chased and ran wildly all over the palace.

I ran from the Imperial Garden to the covered corridor, from the covered corridor to the side hall, from the side hall to—

The direction of Taiji Hall.

now.

Inside the Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin had just finished a long court session and was discussing the details of disaster relief and grain allocation with several important ministers.

The atmosphere was very serious.

Just then—

"hiss--!!!"

A blue figure shot in through the gate of the Taiji Hall!

Its streamlined body, over half a meter long, drew a perfect arc in the air.

Its deep blue mane fluttered, and its large, swallow-like tail splashed water in the air—

"Smack!"

The swallowtail otter landed steadily on the floor tiles in the very center of the Taiji Hall, using only its four paws.

He still had half a braised carp in his mouth.

It was still clutching three pebbles that had been brought from the Imperial Garden in its paws.

He was soaking wet, and water droplets dripped from his mane onto the ground.

It looked around, panting.

The courtiers stared at it.

It glared at the assembled courtiers.

"hiss?"

Oh wow.

It seems I've gone to the wrong place.

There was a five-second silence.

Then everyone's eyes—

They all turned to look at Yuchi Gong.

Among those present, Cheng Yaojin recognized it, Fang Xuanling recognized it, and Li Shimin recognized it even more—

That iconic swallow tail, that deep blue mane,

And that flaw that can never be changed—

He picks up pebbles wherever he goes.

Isn't this the water-type spirit of Duke Yuchi Gong of E?

Li Shimin slowly turned his head.

Looking at Yuchi Gong.

Their eyes said it all:

Respect for virtue.

Explain this to me.

Yuchi Gong's expression at this moment—

It can be described in four words—

I have no will to live.

(꒪⌓꒪|||)

The swallowtail otter was completely unaware of the enormity of the trouble it had caused.

It saw Yuchi Gong.

It happily wagged its tail.

I ran up to him.

He put the half-eaten braised carp he was eating on the ground.

Then he picked out the roundest pebble from his claws and handed it to Yuchi Gong.

"Hiss~"

Give you.

Yuchi Gong looked down at the pebble in his hand.

He looked again at the half-eaten fish on the ground.

I looked up again at Li Shimin's face, which was etched with the words "You're finished"—

He slowly closed his eyes.

Today is probably the most thoroughly socially bankrupt day of his life.

(；ω；)

……