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

Some say that the crying of the youngest son of the Liu family attracted the bird demon, which killed Liu the scholar and then killed Master Qian who came to the door.

The suspicion fell on the bird demon because the child was gone. Recently, the matter of the bird demon has been widely discussed. But what is most puzzling is actually Master Qian. Everyone really can't figure out what this old man was doing in someone else's yard in the middle of the night with three young servants. Seeing Madam Liu's body, they can only guess that this woman was trying to murder her husband.

The old Taoist priest surnamed Lin from the south of the city squeezed through the crowd to the Liu family's courtyard. The body had already been taken away, but the bloodstains were still there.

The Taoist priest, Lin, was quite old. His hair and beard were all white, but his complexion was ruddy and radiant. Although he didn't possess the youthful appearance often associated with the elderly, he looked much more energetic than ninety percent of young men. His body was still robust, and he exuded an air of otherworldly grace. Strangely, he was accompanied by a ten-year-old monk serving as his attendant.

Using the name of the bird demon, he's made quite a bit of money lately. He's been making a fortune selling talismans for three copper coins each and three talismans for ten copper coins each. Even so, people still believe in his abilities; otherwise, he would have been kicked out of Peach Blossom Town long ago as a charlatan.

Frowning at the devastation in the courtyard, the old Taoist priest sighed.

There's a demonic aura in the courtyard; it's most likely the work of that bird demon.

Upon learning that the child had been taken away, the Taoist priest shook his head, saying, "It's retribution, I suppose."

The young monk, puzzled, looked up and asked, "Master, was it really made by a monster?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding residents also turned their attention to this place, wanting to know whether the bird demon was responsible.

The Taoist priest did not answer immediately, and after a while he slowly spoke, "As far as I can see, it was not the work of the bird demon."

Upon hearing this, everyone around breathed a sigh of relief. If it was the bird demon who did this, it would be terrifying. It meant that she not only stole children but also killed people.

Before Lin finished speaking, he added, "You don't need to come to me to buy any talismans anymore. The bird demon won't come back."

Leaving everyone around them bewildered, the old Taoist priest led the young monk away.

·

Having another baby won't affect Bai Qingyu's life; she can raise as many babies as she wants.

It has been two years since I adopted that child.

In a valley somewhere in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The area is filled with birdsong, fragrant flowers, and babbling brooks. The stream flows from south to north through this flat land, surrounded by wildflowers and shrubs. Not far away, there is an ancient jujube tree that has stood for countless years. Looking around, it is like a paradise carved out of the mountains.

In the heart of the valley, a sizable wooden house has just been completed. It may not look particularly beautiful, but the materials used must be sturdy enough. The Ten Thousand Mountains are not lacking in good timber, and there are ancient trees everywhere. This wooden house was painstakingly cut down tree by tree by the bird demon.

The last plank sealed the roof completely. Bai Qingyu wiped the sweat from her forehead, lightly leaped into the air, and nodded in satisfaction as she looked at her newly built house.

This is all her hard work.

She gave up her bird's nest for the sake of her child's healthy growth.

Upon landing, he called out to the two little ones not far away, "Dongqing, don't bully your little brother, come and see how our new house is."

As soon as the voice fell, the pretty little girl with her hair in a bun, who was catching shrimp by the stream, raised her head and replied in a childish voice.

"Okay, Auntie!"

Thank you everyone for your votes!

*Sob sob* (hint)

Volume 1: Chapter 13 Both the Righteous Sword Master and the Villainous Demon Lord are My Sons

The babbling brook was clear and icy cold, with fish, shrimp, and crabs hiding on the rocks, and occasionally small fish would dart by. Barefoot, Dongqing stood in the shallow part of the brook, the water reaching from her calves to her knees. She held a shrimp in her hand, her eyes scanning every corner of the bottom. Finally, she spotted a shrimp crawling towards her and pounced, but the shrimp had already sensed her and disappeared with a flick of its tail.

"Heave-ho, oh dear, it got away again, how annoying."

Her light gauze dress was completely soaked and clung to her body, and her hair was wet from the stream. Holly stood up from the stream, and the few small bells hanging from her waist jingled crisply, just as lovely as she was.

"Oh no, that shrimp got away too." The little girl pouted as she looked at her empty little hands.

She lost the shrimp she had caught instead of catching them, and she felt so wronged. She was also soaking wet, and her aunt would definitely scold her when she saw them. Dongqing stepped out of the stream, stood to one side, and wrung out her skirt with both hands. Water trickled from between her fingers, but her clothes were still wet and uncomfortable against her skin.

She turned her head and saw her younger brother sitting on the ground under the old tree by the stream, leaning against the trunk, his eyes closed, whether asleep or thinking about something, she couldn't tell.

Upon seeing this scene, Bai Dongqing's big, dark eyes darted around. She put on her little embroidered shoes and, with gentle, careful movements and a crouched posture, walked step by step toward the little boy under the tree, just like a little kitten trying to catch a bird but not daring to make a sound.

Dongqing took a few steps to the little boy, then suddenly jumped over, raised his hands into tiger claws, and cried out in a childish voice, "Wow!"

Under the tree, the little boy silently opened his eyes, his face expressionless. His small, palm-sized face held a surprisingly "aloof" air, even though he was only three years old. Seeing his older sister's adorable, rather than frightening, expression, he continued to close his eyes and rest, not forgetting to say something.

"Sis, if Auntie sees that you've gotten your clothes wet, she'll definitely punish you. I won't say a word for you."

Upon hearing this, Dongqing pouted, "You idiot Changsheng, I'll definitely drag you down with me when I get punished!"

The little boy named Liu Changsheng opened his eyes again helplessly. "I clearly told you to go catch bugs, but you insisted on going into the water to catch shrimp. Don't blame me."

Before Dongqing could say anything more, he suddenly felt a shadow fall behind him; it was as if someone had blocked the sunlight.

A chill ran down Dongqing's spine; she had a bad feeling. She stiffly turned around and saw her aunt standing behind her, her eyes filled with a somewhat "fierce" look. Dongqing's heart sank to the bottom, and she thought to herself, "My life is over."

“Dongqing, if I remember correctly, I clearly told you that new clothes should not be soiled.”

Bai Qingyu's aura at this moment could not be described as frightening, but rather as somewhat "selective in his prey".

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Dongqing tried to argue, "No, Auntie, it's just, it's just, um... I wanted to eat shrimp for lunch, and I saw that Auntie was working too hard, so I didn't want Auntie to suffer, and that's why I went downstairs."

He turned around and lowered his head, his attitude of admitting his mistake was quite good, but the little look in his eyes when he occasionally looked up at Bai Qingyu's expression was too cunning.

Bai Qingyu was also helpless. You tell me about this three-and-a-half-year-old kid?

That's a bit too clever for his own good!

It's more like something a five or six-year-old child could do.

I don't know if it's because I fed the two kids too much demonic power when they were little that they are so smart. You know, the essence of demonic power is the essence of heaven and earth's spiritual energy. It's just that it comes from my body after being labeled with the mark and aura of a bird demon. So it's called demonic power.

"So where are the shrimp you caught?" Bai Qingyu asked, grabbing Dongqing's fishbone braid that was hanging down her back.

The little guy looked embarrassed and didn't know what to say. Yes, where are the shrimp?

"This afternoon, memorize the poem I copied for you yesterday, then copy it ten times. Otherwise, you'll have to squat in a horse stance for an hour." Bai Qingyu showed no pity for her son and didn't make an exception for him because of his excuses.

Upon hearing this, Bai Dongqing's face immediately fell, and she looked like she was about to cry. "I know, Auntie."

Before Dongqing could finish speaking, Changsheng stood up behind her. "Aunt, it was actually my idea for my sister to go into the water to catch shrimp. I only said it to tease her."

"Oh? In that case, you can help her share half the burden."

"Yes, Auntie."

"Alright, let's go back and eat. Dongqing, go change your clothes later." With that, Bai Qingyu turned and left. When she turned back, her eyes softened. She didn't want to spoil her child too much. She would reward him when he deserved it and punish him when he needed to be punished.

Watching Bai Qingyu's retreating figure, Liu Changsheng patted the mud off his backside and was about to leave when he heard Dong Qing whisper, "Thank you."

"I'm not trying to help you. I just... just want to copy the poem your aunt gave you." Changsheng turned his head away.

"Hehe, I know, you silly Changsheng."

·

After lunch, the afternoon was so harmonious and beautiful. Birds chirped incessantly on the branches, but Bai Qingyu casually picked up a small clod of dirt and knocked the cicada off the tree trunk. She didn't like the cicada's chirping; it lasted too long and was too loud, which was really annoying.

Downstream, she soaked the clothes her cub had changed out of the day before on the rocks, then used her wings to grab a stick and beat and rub them. Over the years, she had long been used to using her wings as hands. Although her transformed wings were not as flexible as human hands, they could still grasp things. The wooden house not far away was made with these wings, and washing clothes was a piece of cake for her.

Not to mention washing clothes, over the years she has even learned needlework. Four years ago, she would never have dared to imagine that she would have such a day.

Imagine how incredible it is that a bird demon could sew clothes, quilts, do laundry, cook, carry one cub on its back, and hold another cub in its arms while still managing to do all these chores.

Bai Qingyu felt that she was becoming more and more like a "bird mother". To put it this way, whether it was Dongqing or Changsheng, the clothes that the two babies were wearing were basically made by her. Although they were not very good-looking, they were durable. When she bought carpentry tools, she bought a lot of fabric so that she would rely less on human society in the future.

Showing your face in public too much is too dangerous; you never know when someone might target you.

Sitting by the stream, washing clothes while watching the two kids reciting their lessons under the shade of a tree, Changqing was able to concentrate, while Dongqing was easily distracted by various things, such as ants on the ground or small insects.

Bai Qingyu shook her head and smiled, but then suddenly remembered something, and her feelings became complicated.

She knew all along that she could see her son's greatest talent, which was also the most suitable profession for him.

Take Dongqing, for example. Her greatest talent lies in cultivating the sword, specifically the righteous sword path. With proper training, she is destined to become a great sword immortal in the future.

But that's where the problem lies.

Dongqing is a sword immortal, but Changqing is quite the opposite.

If Dongqing is a righteous sword immortal, then Changqing is the path of evil.

Yes, he is a demonic being, and possesses exceptional talent. He is the kind of old devil who believes his fate is in his own hands, instigates a great war, and is ultimately defeated by the righteous protagonist.

"Alas, fate is unpredictable; who knows what the future holds?"

Please vote for me, sob sob sob.

It's upside down.

Note: Dongqing and Changsheng are just siblings and will not develop any romantic feelings beyond kinship.

Volume 1: Chapter Fourteen - The Child's Fortuitous Encounter

As the sun sets and the stars fade, weary birds return to their nests. The dim light in the wooden cabin casts a long shadow on Bai Qingyu. The night wind is chilly. She sits by the window, still awake because her son can't memorize his lessons. She is currently helping him untangle his hair and has already boiled water for him to wash up.

Sitting in Bai Qingyu's lap, Dongqing looked at herself in the bronze mirror, then at the gentle mother bird sitting behind her. Suddenly, as if something had come to mind, she asked, "Auntie, what is the outside world like? Do the people outside the mountains live like us?"

Bai Qingyu paused, "The outside world isn't much better. Although it's lively, it can't compare to where we are. Wherever there are people, there's a world of intrigue. The backstabbing and scheming outside isn't suitable for us. As for life..."

“With me here, life is better than that of most people outside. All living beings suffer. Many people outside can’t even get enough to eat, and when disaster strikes, people die in droves.”

The little girl nodded thoughtfully, "They are so pitiful. It must be awful to be hungry."

"Yeah, that's why you often get up in the middle of the night to sneak a bite."

"Hehe, no, Auntie, I just couldn't resist eating the desserts you made because they smelled so good."

Bai Qingyu didn't say anything. After combing the little girl's hair, he rubbed her head and said, "Go wash up and get ready for bed."

"Uh-huh!"

The bathing area is in the small house at the back, which is usually used for cooking, and where the two kids take turns bathing at night.

The room quieted down. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Bai Qingyu looked up at the long sword hanging on the wall and felt a pang of emotion. She often felt conflicted. She didn't want her children to be exposed to the outside world, yet she often told them stories about humans and bought them books to study.

If you're just living in the mountains, the key is more about identifying poisonous mushrooms and herbs, finding prey, hunting, and surviving in the forest than about classical Chinese literature. You don't need to be cultured to live in nature and avoid contact with outsiders.

Holly was not yet four years old. Normally, this age is the time for playing and having fun, and learning knowledge would be a matter of two years later.

Just as I was pondering this, the little girl returned after taking a bath, her hair still wet and hanging down her back, wrapped in a bath towel that Bai Qingyu had personally cut.

"aunt."

"Yes, come and sit for a while."