My lord, spare his life!

Zhang Dagu raised his wings and cooed twice.

Zhang Yang remembered that Zhang Da Gu and Zhang Dami were both Star Beasts. Although they were different species, the language barrier was definitely not as great as it was between him and them: "Da Gu, do you know why Dami is like this?"

Zhang Da Gu tilted his head, looking bewildered, innocent, and confused.

Zhang Yang sighed: "Looks like you don't know either."

She bent down to straighten the bamboo basket, cupped the huddled chicks and ducklings in her hands, and placed them back in the basket. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and Zhang Yang exclaimed, "Could it be postpartum depression?"

Zhang Dami didn't give birth, but she took care of the baby.

A previous batch of chickens and ducks that were almost ready for maturity had unexpectedly died, so it had been taking extra extra care of this batch. Perhaps due to excessive mental stress, or perhaps due to the heavy workload, it had lost its mind. Thinking of this, Zhang Yang's expression softened considerably.

For once, he showed a rare tenderness towards Zhang Dami.

Zhang Dagu listened with his head tilted to the side.

As a highly socialized star beast, it is far superior to Zhang Dami, a country bumpkin tiger with potential, talent, and strength who has always stayed in the mountains and ruled as king. Its former master was Guan Si, the leader of the Hundred Ghosts Guard, the nightmare of the Eastern Bandits, who spent 360 days a year looking for trouble with the Eastern Bandits. The latter raised and trained it for many years, making it extremely intelligent.

It could not only understand Zhang Yang's words, but also knew the reason for Zhang Dami's anger. However, it couldn't speak and had no obligation to explain for Zhang Dami. Seeing Zhang Yang's actions, Zhang Da Gu also carefully picked up the chicks and put them back in the bamboo basket, earning praise.

"Great job, Big Gu!"

Zhang Dagu flapped its wings and straightened its chest, a gesture that won Zhang Yang's smile, earning it a handful of birdseed as a reward.

Zhang Yang entrusted a basket of chicks and ducklings, along with the chickens and ducks Zhang Dami had abandoned, to his subordinates, gave them a few brief instructions, and went to take a bath. Hearing the splashing water inside, Zhang Da Gu flapped his wings and flew high into the sky, instantly locking onto the country tiger that had run to the vicinity of the city gate.

From a bird's-eye view, you can see that there is another person next to Zhang Dami.

Du Fang never dreamed he would become Shan Jun's "close confidante." Not long ago, he received news outside the city that Lord Zhang had returned, and since he needed to see him, he returned to the city immediately. Near the city gate, he bumped into Mi Jun, whose face was streaked with tears—forgive his lack of knowledge, but he could truly read endless grievances on the face of this large insect, truly deserving of the name "tears like pear blossoms in the rain."

The large, tear-streaked tiger saw him as if he were family, and pounced on him like a swallow returning to its nest.

Du Fang: "..."

If he hadn't failed to detect any murderous intent, he would have truly suspected that this giant insect was a villain in disguise. He barely managed to maintain his composure, dismissed the tense guards who rushed forward, and quietly inquired about the source of Mi Jun's unusual behavior.

Zhang Dami shook her snotty nose.

It made a series of grunts of varying pitches, and would occasionally gesture, sometimes jumping to the left to demonstrate something, sometimes jumping to the right to whimper with its head in its hands, and sometimes standing up and crawling on its two front paws. The content looked quite interesting.

Du Fang: "..."

Logically, if a star beast's keeper and the star beast have reached a certain level of understanding, the former should be able to understand the latter's expressions. Mimi is Lord Zhang's star beast, so why is it coming to me instead of Lord Zhang? Unless, one of the three parties is Lord Zhang himself?

Did Mi-jun only come to me because she had no other choice?

Du Fang frowned, trying to analyze the information.

Before long, as if sensing something, he looked up at the sky.

A lithe and beautiful eagle perched lightly on the upturned corner of the roof, its gaze clearly fixed on him, its posture disdainful. A flash of inspiration struck Du Fang, and he instantly understood who Zhang Dami's portrayal of the three parties represented. With this clue, the rest of the interpretations were also deciphered.

"Mi-kun, are you saying that Lord Zhang has raised another star beast?"

Zhang Dami nodded vigorously.

Du Fang then asked, "Is that the star beast?"

He pointed to the eagle-like star beast perched on its hind legs.

Zhang Dami nodded again.

Du Fang connected all the clues and asked, "It bullied you, so Mimi doesn't want Lord Zhang to keep it?"

Zhang Dami's eyes widened, tears welling up in her eyes.

Yes! Yes!

That's it!

[The bird is bad, the tiger is good; the bird is bad, the tiger is good!]

The feud between Zhang Dami and Zhang Dagu dates back a long time. Zhang Yang and Fan You fled, leaving Zhang Dami, a tiger, behind to face the madman Guan Si. Zhang Dami sensed the same danger emanating from this human as from Zhang Yang, and without a word, turned and ran. Guan Si didn't kill it outright, but he didn't let it go either, sending his pet hound, Qingfeng.

Zhang Dami was originally a country tiger from the deep mountains and forests. One day, a dying man fell from the sky and died shortly after the fall. The man's corpse emitted a halo of light, which Zhang Dami devoured. Later, driven by hunger, Zhang Dami ate the man as well. It was only through trial and error that Zhang Dami became a star beast—a self-taught one. Qingfeng, on the other hand, was raised from a fledgling by Guan Si. The two were on completely different levels.

Qingfeng is cunning, scheming, and skilled in military tactics.

Zhang Dami was completely fooled.

Tiger's fur was pecked, its head was stunned by the other's claws, and it was even grabbed and flung into the air. Zhang Dami could only rage helplessly. In the end, Qingfeng had had enough and let it go.

now--

When enemies meet, their eyes blaze with hatred.

Zhang Dami can accept that the enemy bird is Guan Si's Qingfeng, but she cannot accept that the enemy bird is Zhang Yang's Zhang Dagu, and that the owner is it!

Doesn't this wretched bird have its own keeper?

Du Fang further speculated: "Lord Zhang doesn't understand you and has misunderstood you, so—Mi-jun wants me to help relay a message?"

Zhang Dami's tiger eyes suddenly lit up. Actually, it hadn't expected to ask Du Fang to relay the message. But since Du Fang had offered, it felt this was exactly what it needed right now. It had to let its owner know just how wicked this two-faced bird really was! A bad bird! A bad bird!

Zhang Dagu clearly understood the conversation between the man and the tiger.

I didn't care at first; I was just watching the show.

Until Du Fang uttered those reckless words, its eagle eyes suddenly sharpened, its body swelled, and it pinned Zhang Dami's head under its claws, while staring at Du Fang with a sinister gaze. The color of its feathers, which were originally light yet tough, now had a metallic sheen, and they looked less like feathers and more like steel wings made of stacked blades.

The tips of the knives were all pointed at Du Fang.

It emitted a low, menacing threat.

Du Fang: "..."

Zhang Dami was stunned at first, then wriggled its body like a large worm. Du Fang didn't move, and Zhang Dagu thought the intimidation was effective, so he lowered his head and gurgled at Zhang Dami for a long time. As the negotiations progressed, Zhang Dami gradually quieted down.

Du Fang saw Mi Jun's tail drooping in humiliation.

The tiger and the falcon must have reached some kind of deal.

Du Fang witnessed all of this and felt inexplicably restless. He only regretted that he had never raised a star beast and couldn't understand what the two were saying.

The commotion attracted the attention of nearby commoners, who watched with a mixture of curiosity, worry, and fear. Du Fang was at a loss for words—if they were afraid, they should disperse quickly; why were they still watching the spectacle? Did they really think the Star Beast War was child's play?

The problem is that Mimi is too approachable; ignorance breeds fearlessness.

Fortunately, the two didn't fight.

"I'm going to see Lord Zhang. Would you two like to come along?"

Zhang Dagu loosened its claws, returning to its normal size, and flapped its wings, hopping onto Zhang Dami's head. Both the bird and the tiger looked towards Du Fang.

Du Fang: "..."

When the man, the bird, and the tiger arrived, Zhang Yang had already finished taking a bath.

Her long, damp hair was draped over her shoulders, her head was covered with a cloth, and she had changed into a white robe with gold plum blossom patterns, carefully sewn by an embroiderer. The cuffs and collar were decorated with exquisite details, and she wore a belt around her waist. Her feet were bare, and she was sitting idly outside the door, basking in the sun.

"Dongsu has arrived."

"You two have made up?"

The first sentence was addressed to Du Fang, and the second sentence was addressed to Zhang Da Mi and the other beast.

Du Fang asked, "Should this humble general avoid the situation?"

Zhang Yang glanced down at himself: "No need, sit down."

Du Fang found a place to sit down, and Zhang Yang had already taken out a bag of freeze-dried food from his game backpack. Zhang Da Gu's eyes lit up and he was about to jump forward when his beak was pushed away by a hand: "It's not for you, it's for Dami. I forgot how hard it is for you to raise your children."

You've worked too hard; you need to eat more nutritious food.

Du Fang: "..."

Zhang Dagu: "..."

Zhang Dami was overjoyed. With a flick of its tongue, it snatched all the freeze-dried food from Zhang Yang's hand. Zhang Yang rubbed its tiger-like head, stuffed a corner of the bag between its teeth, and patted its shoulder: "Go on, take the rest to the kitchen, we'll make you some goat milk."

Zhang Dami snuggled into her arms contentedly.

The unpleasantness from not long ago has vanished.

As expected, it is still the owner's most beloved eldest beast!

That wretched bird was always kept in the outer room!

Hmph, for now it needs to endure humiliation and bear the burden. Once it has fully grasped the opponent's abilities, it will definitely pluck out every single feather of this wretched bird!

The bird and the tiger left one after the other.

Du Fang felt sorry for Zhang Dami, and only after making sure the two of them were far away did he speak: "Is this the Lord's new favorite pet?"

"You mean Big Gu?"

"Dagu?"

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "Yes, I named it Zhang Dagu. Its owner was mean and poor, and abused it for many years, never feeding it properly. Poor Dagu never knew what it felt like to be full. So I rescued it and kept it by my side."

Du Fang: "I never imagined that Gu Jun's background would be so bumpy."

But a question arose in my mind.

When Zhang Dagu suppressed Mi Jun just now, his actions were decisive and complete, clearly indicating that she was a star beast on the verge of maturity. A star beast of this caliber couldn't have been raised through abuse. Star beasts have excellent memories and are petty; they hold grudges for a lifetime. If her former master had truly committed countless evil deeds and could save herself without the Lord of the Underworld's intervention, that former master would be long dead. Something's strange.

Du Fang had doubts in his heart but did not voice them.

Zhang Dagu was too clever, and having temporarily reconciled with Mi Jun, he feared that if she found out about his complaint, it would cause unrest in the household. At this time, Zhang Yang was also curious about Du Fang's purpose. Du Fang was the county magistrate of Weiyin County; any matters should be handled by Xu Jin.

If someone bypasses the proper procedures to contact you, there must be something wrong.

"Could there be some mishap with the land reclamation?"

A smile appeared on Du Fang's cold face: "The land reclamation is progressing smoothly. The reclamation of wasteland has been completed, and even waterwheels are being used. However, many of the grain seeds given by the Prefect have never been seen before, and there are no records of them in the county's household registration office. We don't know how to take care of them."

Putting everything else aside, these grain varieties are truly excellent.

The germination rate can reach 99%.

The remaining amount was due to improper operation.

Such a high survival rate left even Du Fang speechless.

The military settlements cultivate common, filling crops, and these will remain the main crops in the future. A small amount of land will be used for other purposes. Currently, it is still in its initial stage, and they also need to cooperate with the county government's policy of caring for farmers, prioritizing the preservation of crops for seed so that they can benefit the people.

In order not to disappoint this sentiment, Du Fang became even more cautious.

Zhang Yang frankly admitted, "Actually, I don't understand either."

Du Fang: "..."

This was the first time he had ever seen someone who could speak so confidently about not understanding agriculture. You see, in the past, those scholars who obtained their titles through absurd stories of filial piety would read a few agricultural books and spout pedantry to make themselves seem knowledgeable, even if they didn't understand farming.

Zhang Yang: "I'll go with you to take a look."

Du Fang: "..."

Little did they know, this was not entirely Zhang Yang's fault.

Zhang Yang had subtly inquired with the observed subjects, who said that planting in the homestead involved simply scattering seeds in the fields, and harvesting them when the time came. Even if there were pests or insufficient fertilizer, players could ask the NPC steward to take care of them or simply leave them unattended.

Even if we slack off, it will only reduce production by a small amount.

Pastoral idyll, it's that simple.

However, what Du Fang said was clearly not reassuring.

Fortunately, Zhang Yang was prepared.

She pulled out another stack of notebooks from her game backpack, taking out the thickest one, hoping it might contain the answers. Under Du Fang's puzzled gaze, she explained, "These are my notes."

As mentioned earlier, each survivor base has a library of varying sizes, filled with books collected by the survivors. By donating unrecorded books to the library, players can earn base contribution points and reputation points. Once these are maxed out, players can purchase hidden accessories and title pets. In addition, the library also offers some rather tedious tasks.

For example, a weekly task is to copy a book.

Players need to submit the sets of books they have copied.

Of course, players wouldn't actually copy by hand; they just needed to hold a blank notebook and wait for the loading bar to load, but this took time. For more game time, players who didn't have the patience would buy the notebooks from others, and Zhang Yang also did this kind of business.

The library requires you to choose one of three sets of books to submit.

Zhang Yang still has the game backpacks that haven't been sold.

This includes the care and cultivation of homegrown crops.

Du Fang was delighted, Du Fang accepted it, and Du Fang was puzzled.

Aside from the pictures, I can't understand anything else.

Zhang Yang also realized this.

"I'll take it back and translate it, then I'll give it to you."

I don't know what the game designers were thinking, the text on the main game map is different from the text on the side quest maps. Because of this, she was once mistakenly thought to be illiterate by Uncle Yan and Uncle De.

_ (: 3 "∠) _

Zhang Yang wanted to refute, but lacked the confidence to do so.

Because she had never actually gone to school.

The game world has a school as an institution, and there are student NPCs in the school, but unfortunately, Zhang Yang is modeled as an adult.

No one can help with this translation work.

Zhang Yang: "..."

She hurriedly pulled out the character recognition booklet Fan You had compiled for her, scratched her head, and looked somewhat listless. She had been extremely lazy, and had only learned two or three hundred characters so far. This knowledge was clearly insufficient to properly translate "The Care and Cultivation of Home Crops," especially with the tight schedule. Then, someone passed by the window.

"Jiuge, you've come at the perfect time."

Shi Xu, who was passing by delivering official documents, was seized by the collar of his fate.

??＿|￣|●

This story establishes that star beasts can transform into humans, and later, characters who are both civil and military figures transformed from star beasts will also appear. _(:3」∠)_