I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

Seeing that the female ghost was about to leave, Bai Qingyu quickly said, "Miss, please wait. May I ask if the Li Lang you are waiting here is Li Zhou, the son of the Li family in the town at the foot of the mountain?"

Bai Qingyu was familiar with the name Li Lang. Zhen Tian called out to him, and the female ghost called out to him too. There wasn't a single person in the town who didn't know the Li family's esteemed official. To have achieved this level of success as a scholar was truly remarkable. Chang Sheng's biological father was also a scholar, but compared to Li Lang, they were worlds apart.

Of course, I'm referring to a status acquired through connections, not one's true nature.

Upon hearing this, the female ghost turned around. Her face was terrifying, as if she had been hit by a stone, and her expression was unclear. Bai Qingyu subconsciously felt that this female ghost was not a vicious ghost, but the fact that she could still appear during the day showed how deep her obsession was.

Bai Qingyu led Dong Qing by the hand and walked up the mountain. She casually found a clean, large rock to sit on, let the little girl sit next to her, and then put Zhen Tian down.

The female ghost floated beside him, and Bai Qingyu said softly, "Tell me your obsession, and perhaps I can take you home to see Li Lang."

"Really?" The female ghost was overjoyed, but dared not approach Bai Qingyu due to his aura, and only dared to stand three meters away from him.

"Really, tell me, what happened between you and this Li Lang?"

If the female ghost had a normal face, Bai Qingyu imagined that her expression at this moment would be pitiful, with tears streaming down her face, as she recounted the many evil deeds of this heartless man.

It turns out that Li Zhou had already become the top scholar when he met Zhen Tian. During that time, he was just waiting for the capital to bestow official titles and ranks upon him. Besides that, he had another matter to deal with upon his return. That was the female ghost named Zhang Yan in front of him.

Before meeting Zhen Tian, ​​Li Zhou was just an ordinary, poor scholar. His family was extremely poor and he didn't even have the money to study, let alone take the imperial examination. Zhang Yan, on the other hand, was born into a well-off family, if not extremely wealthy.

The Zhang family only had this one daughter, Zhang Yan, who was a typical sheltered young lady.

Then, a dramatic scene unfolded. One day, Zhang Yan ran away from home and, while being chased by the servants, accidentally fell into a small pond. Just then, Li Zhou happened to be passing by on his way back from gathering herbs. Upon seeing a young girl fall into the water, he jumped in without hesitation to save her.

The person was rescued, and Zhang Yan was taken back by the maids and servants.

When a man and a woman look back at each other across the distance, it's as if an eternity has passed in a single glance.

Li Zhou carried a basket on his back, not even having time to tidy his clothes. He followed them from a distance and realized that they were Zhang's daughter. From then on, he remembered that Zhang Yan would recite poems and sing in front of Zhang Yan's small courtyard every day and meet with Zhang Yan secretly through the wall.

The truth eventually came out, and Li Zhou and Zhang Yan's affair was exposed. It turned out that this kid was quite capable, managing to fool Zhang Yan's parents so much that they spared no expense in spending money to support his studies, hoping that he would pass the imperial examinations and return in glory to marry their daughter.

On the day before he left for the imperial examination, Zhang Yan tearfully saw him off and even offered herself to him. Li Zhou then made a solemn vow and wrote a marriage certificate.

He set off with the generous sum of money prepared by the Zhang family, and soon he passed the imperial examination with flying colors and enjoyed immense prestige.

The Zhang family was overjoyed and preparing for their child's wedding. Little did they know that Li Zhou, who was used to the prosperity of the capital, looked down on his poor and remote hometown. As for taking the two families' elders and Zhang Yan to the capital, that was wishful thinking. The daughter of a minister was far more attractive than Zhang Yan.

After some deliberation, he realized that if Zhang Yan took the marriage certificate he had written to the capital, he would be doomed. So he gritted his teeth and had someone tie Zhang Yan up on a mountain and humiliate her. Then he would come out and say that Zhang Yan was unchaste and a slut, and then stone her to death and bury her.

"I just want Li Lang to come and pick me up. I want to see my parents one more time, sob sob sob..." Zhang Yan cried, covering her face.

At this point in the melodramatic story, Dongqing was no longer afraid and, filled with righteous indignation, cursed Li Lang thoroughly.

Zhen Tian was stunned for a long time. She never expected that Li Lang, whom she trusted, was such a person. In fact, she had already realized that when Li Lang found her, he was not there to gather herbs but to end his fiancée's life.

Looking back now, there are indeed many suspicious points: going up the mountain to collect herbs without a basket and covered in blood.

Bai Qingyu's thoughts were simpler. She would rather see this girl as a master at seducing scholars, and after Li Lang left, she would take out a notebook, write down names, and say that this was the hundredth scholar she had sent away.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. Reality is often more dramatic than the stories in books. There's no limit to how cold people's hearts can get. It can only be said that Zhang Yan is too naive and kind, and Li Zhou is full of sweet talk and doesn't tell the truth at all.

"I understand. Li Zhou will be back in two days. You just wait for me here. I'll bring this kid over, and you can tell him what you need to say then."

Bai Qingyu stood up, picked up the wooden umbrella, and scooped Zhen Tian up and placed him on her shoulder, like a large, living vest.

"Don't go out these next few days. I know you're very determined. Don't worry, these are the last two days."

"Thank you, benefactor, thank you, benefactor." Zhang Yan knelt down and kowtowed to Bai Qingyu's back, tears streaming down her disfigured face.

On the way down the mountain, Bai Qingyu, guided by Zhen Tian, ​​made a turn. She was on her way to retrieve the golden feather that Zhen Tian had hidden there.

She didn't use it herself, but gave it to Shinten.

"Humans are the most complex creatures. I always think it's best to stay away from them, whether they are good or bad, because you can't afford to gamble with them."

"Auntie, what if that ghost lies to us? Don't you always say 'ghost talk' instead of 'lie'?" Dongqing turned around and was still looking in Zhang Yan's direction.

"No, this ghost can be believed. Such a deep obsession and such a tragic experience did not turn her into a vengeful ghost to harm people, which shows how kind her heart is."

Please vote for me, sob sob sob.

Volume 1: Chapter 47 True Heaven Transformation

I'd always heard of ghosts haunting the mountains, but never of vengeful ghosts harming people. Seeing this today, I understand why. Zhang Yan, this female ghost, never intended to harm anyone. Her obsession was so deep that she could appear during the day, yet she was still not a vengeful ghost. This alone explains a lot.

Whether or not she can come down the mountain, people occasionally go up the mountain and encounter her. If she were a vengeful ghost, someone would have died tragically here long ago.

“Zhen Tian, ​​actually I’ve always wanted to say this: don’t have too high hopes for Li Zhou. How should I put it? When I first heard about him from you, I had a feeling he wasn’t a good person.” Bai Qingyu shrugged.

"Now that you know the truth, I'll tell you more. This Li Zhou is much smarter than you think. Do you know why he released you and is still so good to you? It's because you are a demon, and you can come to him to repay him after you transform into human form in the future."

Besides providing Li Zhou with a female demon to do intimate things with, repaying a debt of gratitude has many other uses. As an official, he inevitably has to contend with others openly and secretly, and raising a demon can save him a lot of trouble, allowing Zhen Tian to come and assassinate his opponents directly.

Anyway, it was made by a demon, what does it have to do with me, Lord Li?

Do you have evidence that I did it?

Then, one can learn some demonic arts through Zhentian, become immune to all diseases, and even plot for immortality. Once he obtains what he wants, he will sell Zhentian to a cultivator.

Not all cultivators are as detached from worldly desires as those in Tianyang Palace. Cultivators are also human beings with desires. Who wouldn't want to experience a forbidden love between a human and a demon with a beautiful, obedient, and sensible demon? Then, when the time comes, they can indulge in a secret love affair whenever they want.

The monk got a new toy, and Mr. Li got a benefit; it was a win-win situation.

As for the true heaven?

She's just a demon; no one cares about her thoughts. If she disobeys, she's beaten; when they're tired of her, she's given away to someone else.

Not to mention that the heavens can produce golden feathers, few can resist such temptation.

Overall, Li Zhou has some vision, but not much.

She subtly conveyed her thoughts to Zhen Tian, ​​who remained silent, only letting out a sigh.

I'm glad I met Bai Qingyu, but I'm also saddened that I haven't found a home yet. This home is as illusory as a bubble, and it will burst at the slightest touch.

Bai Qingyu remained silent. It was clear that Zhen Tian had indeed felt differently about Li Zhou before this. All that could be said was that Li Zhou was a complete scoundrel, deceiving both humans and demons. Bai Qingyu even suspected that he himself had spread the story about the golden feather, and that those hunters were actually his men.

When Zhen Tian is captured, he will play the hero and save the beauty, directly winning the beauty's heart—no, winning the beautiful demon's heart.

How big is a golden feather? As a high-ranking official, he can offer something far more valuable than a golden feather to win people's hearts.

The hunter was happy that a piece of gold could buy such an obedient and gentle demon, and Li Zhou, who had won the beautiful demon's heart, was also happy.

After wandering around, they arrived at an old jujube tree. Zhen Tian pointed to an area under the tree and said, "I buried eight golden feathers there. Sister Bai, you can take them all."

Zhen Tian is kind and innocent, even more so than Zhang Yan in some ways. She gave away eight golden feathers without hesitation, and Bai Qingyu wanted to see what she was thinking.

They started digging, and sure enough, they found golden feathers after only a short time. These were no ordinary feathers. After digging out the eight golden feathers and washing them with water, they were as good as new, radiating a faint seven-colored halo, which was extremely beautiful.

"If I'm not mistaken, you can absorb these golden feathers yourself. You absorbed them, didn't you? Sigh, you never listen to me. Sometimes, basic wariness of others is necessary, even for me, you understand?"

Bai Qingyu handed all the golden feathers to Zhen Tian and patted her head.

How long have she known this real genius? Does this girl really trust herself that much?

Bai Qingyu felt like he had sold her out and she would still have to help him count the money.

"But, but Sister Bai is different."

"No, Sister Bai is the same. Have you forgotten that we've only known each other for a few days?"

"Hmm..." Zhen Tian held the golden feather, somewhat embarrassed, and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

To be honest, she really hates the golden feathers. More than once at night, she lamented that it would be better if she didn't have these golden feathers. This sentence has almost become her catchphrase.

She wasn't truly without vigilance; if she were so easily fooled, she would have been captured long ago. When she said Bai Qingyu was different, she genuinely felt that Bai Qingyu was trustworthy.

Thinking about it carefully, over the years she has only truly trusted two people: Li Zhou and Bai Qingyu. If you really want to count, there are also Dong Qing and Chang Sheng.

Finally, after Zhen Tian hesitated and declined, Bai Qingyu reluctantly accepted the two golden feathers. There were two main reasons for this: firstly, Zhen Tian had absorbed all six golden feathers in front of her, and his demonic power was so high that it was impossible for him to absorb the seventh and eighth feathers.

Another reason is that Zhen Tian said Bai Qingyu wouldn't need it, but the two children would. Changsheng and Dongqing are both in the basic stage of Qi Refining, and a golden feather could save them a lot of time, making it easier for them to overcome this hurdle.

Even if one doesn't leap directly to Foundation Establishment, one can at least reach the Qi Refining Perfection stage.

To put it bluntly, the golden feather is like a rare and precious treasure, a great opportunity for the two children.

Zhen Tian lay on Bai Qingyu's body, her head spinning. The sudden surge of power was too much for her to process. Bai Qingyu had no choice but to find a rock to sit on, hold her in his arms, and use his demonic power to slowly help her digest the power of the golden feathers.

Zhen Tian's talent was quite remarkable. In the following days, Zhen Tian's body grew almost visibly, from a mere three meters to more than four meters, which took a day and a night.

As night fell, Bai Qingyu had no choice but to hold Dongqing and Zhentian in her arms, providing warmth while helping them digest the power of the golden feathers together.

Fortunately, Changsheng was not there and stayed in the inn to cultivate, otherwise he would have had to use the sky as his blanket and the ground as his bed.

Bai Qingyu would definitely be worried if he left Dongqing alone at the inn. Changsheng was different. Not to mention anything else, when he possessed the Demon Sword, he killed the rebels in the county town without batting an eye.

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye, and Zhen Tian, ​​whose body was already five meters tall, looked at Bai Qingyu with an embarrassed expression.

When you're three meters tall, it can be worn as a vest, so now should it be worn as a scarf?

Fortunately, she now has enough demonic power to transform into human form, otherwise she would truly be a celestial scarf.

"Shinten, do you feel like you're about to take human form?"

"Mmm." Zhen Tian nodded obediently.

The golden feathers were far more powerful than she and Bai Qingyu had imagined; six golden feathers were enough for her to transform into human form.

"You shouldn't need to undergo tribulation. Go in peace, I'll protect you."

"Thank you, Sister Bai."

Volume 1: Chapter 48 We're all female birds, so everything should be fine, right?

Born in this mountain forest, and having undergone its first transformation as a bird, it was a kind of destiny. Bai Qingyu watched from more than ten meters away as Zhentian flapped its wings and flew into the air; this was the first time she had ever seen Zhentian fly.

Zhentian has wings with a considerable wingspan, which are quite wide when spread out. The main reason she has difficulty flying is because of her serpentine body.

A snake's body is good for crawling, but it would be difficult for it to fly. As we all know, a bird's tail is just as important as its wings. It can fly without a tail, but how does it control its direction when it takes off? In addition to controlling direction, the tail also plays a role in maintaining balance to a certain extent.

Zhen Tian only had a snake's body and tail. After flying into the sky, it looked like a dragon with wings and feathers soaring into the air. It twisted its body and looked not only not terrifying but also somewhat sacred.

To be fair, Shinten's appearance is truly beautiful. Apart from her slightly terrifying human face, the rest of her body is like a work of art. Her pure white snake scales and feathers that transition from white to blue and finally to purple shimmer with a faint purple hue under the sunlight.

Especially those wings, which made Bai Qingyu a little envious.

Her wings were also a gradient, but it was a black and white gradient, and they didn't look as beautiful as the feathers of the sky.

Then look at her golden feather, which stands out so conspicuously among the white and purple, like a small patch of black ink splashed on a perfect painting, making people frown.

It's not that the golden feathers aren't beautiful enough; it's just that they're too jarring and conspicuous on the already beautiful feathers of the heavenly being.