There are too many female protagonists with deceased husbands in the Qin Dynasty's Past Books.

However, this one in front of us...

Chunlan looked up at the scarlet-breasted parrot that seemed to be circling aimlessly in the air. While she was quite intrigued by its bright and dazzling appearance, her expression couldn't help but become somewhat solemn.

The more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it often is.

These are life lessons that the Baiyue people learn from childhood.

The colorful butterflies fluttering among the flowers and the vibrant mushrooms sprouting from the corners all look so tempting.

Yet it was also exceptionally deadly.

However, I've never heard of any bird being poisonous...

At most, birds like crows and vultures are considered unpleasant and are often seen as omens and symbols of bad luck.

The brightly colored parrot in front of me clearly does not belong to this category.

Instead, it is more like a divine bird that brings good fortune from heaven, attracting countless people to become fascinated by it, and even the highest-ranking monarchs are determined to possess it.

But such a wondrous creature is not so easily captured.

Especially birds that are naturally free and can easily soar through the sky.

To be honest, Chunlan wasn't entirely confident she could succeed; she wanted to wait patiently for the right opportunity.

For example, when the parrot got tired, it landed on a treetop in the yard to rest.

Unfortunately, she didn't seem to have such good luck. After circling around the courtyard for a while, the parrot not only didn't stop to rest, but flew higher and higher.

"!"

Seeing this, Hu Meier looked nervous. Her delicate fingertips pinched the bait, and her originally rosy skin had unknowingly turned a little pale from the excessive force.

She didn't say anything, but her frequent glances at Chunlan were full of urging.

Well, even if we can't get it, it's better than just watching it fly away. If we're lucky, we might be able to capture it easily.

Chunlan had no choice but to take action in the end.

My destined Gu is Apricot Blossom in Light Rain!

There were no surging flames, no twisted and frantic silkworms dancing wildly, and no blood-red roses blooming recklessly across the mountains and fields.

This caused Jiang Mo's natal Gu to suffer a great loss, so he kept a very low profile.

After activation, there were no dazzling light and shadow effects, and even the fluctuations in aura were negligible, with only a slight ripple carrying a hint of moisture spreading out.

The apricot blossom rain threatens to dampen my clothes, while the willow breeze is gentle on my face.

Although this catchy and timeless verse has not yet been published, the "apricot blossoms in light rain" curse seems to have already captured its essence.

Like spring rain, it nourishes things silently.

But what it brings is not nourishment, but fatigue.

Jiang Mo, who was used to being active at night and sleeping during the day, was originally very energetic in the cold and rainy night. However, after accidentally falling into the trap of "apricot blossom drizzle", he suddenly felt an indescribable fatigue.

I wish I could just collapse and sleep right there, letting the torrential rain pour down on me.

That kind of weariness that creeps into the body without you even realizing it is more deadly than ordinary mind-altering drugs, and can even affect your mind.

So much so that when Jiang Mo realized something was wrong, even biting his tongue hard couldn't keep him awake.

It was only after being hit by an arrow that his sense of crisis overwhelmed him, and he realized he couldn't stay any longer. He fled for his life from Fire Rain Manor.

In other words, Chunlan prioritized Hu Meier's safety and did not pursue her recklessly.

Otherwise, if Jiang Mo had been caught off guard and continued to be exposed to the apricot blossom drizzle, he might have actually stayed there that night.

However, the situation is completely different today.

Spring orchids silently activated the "apricot blossom drizzle," but before it could last long, the circling parrot seemed to immediately become alert.

It immediately flapped its wings and flew towards the front yard.

"They still managed to escape... Wait, they didn't seem to get away. Quick, let's chase after them!"

Seeing the parrot flap its wings and fly away, Hu Meier couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh. But before she could finish speaking, she saw the bird, which was about to fly away, suddenly fall dizzily downwards.

He couldn't help but take a step and chase after them.

Overcome with excitement, she nearly tripped over the hem of her skirt, giving Chunlan a textbook example of a flat-ground fall.

Before long, the two successfully caught up with the parrot, which was staggering as if drunk.

With no intention of clipping its wings to prevent it from escaping, Hu Meier carefully held it in her arms and gently stroked the red-breasted parrot's head with her delicate fingers.

Perhaps feeling reassured, the parrot, which had been somewhat restless, immediately became much calmer.

It tilted its head and stared intently at Hu Meier, seemingly captivated by her stunning beauty, remaining motionless for a long time.

It wasn't until Hu Meier tried to carry it to the backyard that it suddenly opened its mouth and cried:

"Thief, you stole the Fire Rain Agate!"

Chapter 5 Driving Birds and Taming Beasts

"Steal everything!"

Like reciting poems and composing songs to express its aspirations, its long, bright red beak, adorned with ivory, opens and closes, uttering a tone that is both singing and chanting, quite melodious and gentle to the ear.

However, Hu Meier and Chunlan had no time to appreciate the parrot's talent show.

The two looked at each other, both seeing a look of astonishment on each other's faces.

The parrot spoke very clearly, and the two of them heard it perfectly, especially the key words "steal" and "fire rain agate," which were hard to ignore.

Was that really the bird that was calling just now?

Chunlan stared at the brightly colored parrot in Hu Meier's arms, still finding it hard to believe. She had heard that some animals made sounds that sounded like humans, for example, a cat meowing incessantly in the middle of the night could sound like a baby crying.

But those sounds just now didn't sound like human voices anymore.

He was clearly speaking!

Is this bird some kind of spirit?!

Thinking of this, Chunlan's expression immediately turned serious. She stared at the parrot that had obediently landed in Hu Meier's arms, her body tense, her natal Gu ready to be unleashed.

Upon seeing Chunlan's posture, Hu Meier couldn't help but feel nervous.

She was very familiar with Chunlan's demeanor; from childhood to adulthood, whenever Chunlan displayed this attitude, it meant there was no room for negotiation. Even if it turned out to be a misunderstanding and she would be punished by Hu Meier, Chunlan would absolutely not hesitate to take action.

Eliminate any danger that may threaten your lady.

Not long ago, on a rainy night, Hu Meier teased the thief, which prompted Chunlan to adopt this driving posture.

They haven't appeared in the last few days.

Fearing that Chunlan would again grind the parrot in her arms to dust, Hu Meier blurted out what was on her mind without hesitation:

"There is a bird in Huangshan that looks like a parrot, with blue feathers and a red beak. It has a human tongue and can speak."

"what?"

This passage from the Classic of Mountains and Seas is quite obscure and difficult to understand. Hu Meier spoke it in a hurry, which left Chunlan stunned, completely unable to understand what her young mistress was saying.

"It means that parrots are birds that are born with the ability to learn to speak like humans."

Hu Meier was clearly quite knowledgeable. Not only could she recite the records in the Classic of Mountains and Seas off the top of her head, but she also had some research on parrots, which are relatively rare and exotic animals. At least she knew that they were just mimicking human speech, rather than taking the literal meaning of the words and thinking that parrots could speak human language.

Learn to speak, and learn to speak well.

The difference between the two is huge.

Toddlers often say things that are both funny and absurd, but adults just laugh it off. However, if a mature person says the same thing, it has to be taken seriously.

To prove her point, Hu Meier gently patted the parrot in her arms as she explained.

"Learn how people speak, and be good at learning how to speak."

Whether it truly understood Hu Meier's meaning or triggered the underlying code of a repeater, the parrot flapped its wings twice and clearly recited the explanation Hu Meier had just given.

"I see, that's really strange."

"That's really strange!"

Chunlan seemed to be deep in thought, and subconsciously muttered something to herself. Unexpectedly, the parrot opposite her immediately repeated it after hearing it.

Even the tone of his muttering was imitated remarkably well.

However, being a bird with a melodious song, the sounds it makes are naturally quite different from those of ordinary people, making the words it imitates inevitably take on a somewhat comical quality.

This made Chunlan smile slightly.

The tense atmosphere that had been tense immediately dissipated, and the parrot that was trying to mimic human speech was no longer seen as a ghost or evil spirit.

"Imitating human speech..."

Seeing that Chunlan had abandoned her plan to take action, Hu Meier breathed a sigh of relief, but the expression on her pretty face still appeared somewhat solemn:

"So what we just heard, was it also someone imitating someone's speech?"

While not drunk, Hu Meier clearly deserved the praise of being quick-witted and capable. While Chunlan still regarded "parroting" as a funny joke, Hu Meier had already noticed something was amiss.

"Good parrot, repeat what you just said?"

She gently stroked the parrot's feathers in her arms, coaxing it in a tone as if to a child, to repeat the words that had previously terrified the two of them.

"A fine parrot, stealing fire rain agate."

"Steal everything, steal everything!"

The loud sound produced by the abdominal resonance echoed in the room, and the exceptionally clear enunciation made it clear to everyone that the words were meant to convey.

Looking at the parrot hopping back and forth on the table, everyone in the room couldn't help but look serious.

"Mei'er, do you mean that someone plotted to steal a new batch of Fire Rain Agate, but this bird overheard it and accidentally let the news slip?"

Huo Yugong stared at the parrot, then turned to look at his daughter, and began to sort out his thoughts.

Even with his extensive knowledge and experience, upon hearing such a bizarre claim, his rather plump face couldn't help but show an expression of disbelief.

They even couldn't help but wonder if they should ask the shamans from nearby villages to come and take a look.

If not possessed, how could one so seriously take the words of a bird to heart? We must know that even human words should not be readily believed, let alone those of beasts.