I Have a Golden Crow

Ever since Master Qing took up residence in the Sea Realm, Du Yu’s life had become a lot more regular.

Not daring to slack off toward his own Immortal Master, he made sure to deliver three meals a day, brew tea, and bring fruit, doing his best to take care of Master Qing.

But under Master’s instructions, three meals were cut down to just one.

Yang Qingqing really didn’t need to eat much, and also didn’t want to be disturbed while cultivating.

Du Yu could only obediently comply, not daring to say a word.

Come to think of it, a woman who eats only one meal a day, and that’s just boiled veggies...

Actually, pretty easy to support, huh?

Soon it was August. Even while serving Master Qing, Du Yu hadn’t been idle.

While waiting for the final exam results to be publicly posted, he was also helping Bai Yujing and the Desolate Silver Lynx cultivate their Fire Attribute.

The video of this final exam would be broadcast on several provincial TV stations, shown to the entire public.

Once the fifteen-day public announcement period was over, unless anyone raised an objection, Du Yu’s first-place result would be confirmed, and he could go claim his reward at the Bookhouse.

As for the Bookhouse handling things this way, Du Yu was already used to it—after all, it was the same drill during last semester’s final exam.

Students from the four provinces were really suffering; broadcasting the recording was basically a public execution!

And a repeat execution at that...

Du Yu, on the other hand, was doing just fine. He wasn’t the team leader, so he wasn’t mainly responsible for any poor decisions, and on the other hand, he had plenty of highlight moments.

As for Du Yu being the first to scale the city wall and securing first merit, the only ones who got hurt were the Ancient Desolate Soldiers, so no big deal.

But all Du Yu’s other highlights basically came accompanied by the eliminations of Yang Mingyu, Liu Chuang, and Xiang Ying.

Honestly, Yang Mingyu and Xiang Ying weren’t bad; in their intense fight with Du Yu, both their words and skills showcased their own style.

The one who got it the worst was Liu Chuang!

Du Yu became the arrow itself, defeating his opponent in a single shot.

Liu Chuang got eliminated swiftly and cleanly each time, setting off Du Yu’s superb skill perfectly.

I stood up,

And got one-shotted by an arrow, what’s there even to say?

Yeah...there’s really nothing left to say. Here’s hoping there’s no God Yu in the next exam room~

Du Yu also realized something—the Bookhouse had taught a lesson to the hundred contestants, and the broadcast served as a warning to everyone watching.

Especially that last part, when Lin Shiwei transformed into the Sand Giant and led the Ancient Desolate Corps back from the ashes, shot from every imaginable angle by the Bookhouse and played over and over again.

Stomping the city into ruins, destroying heaven and earth.

Even people watching at home could feel a crushing sense of pressure and deep helpless despair.

After this fight, you have to wonder—would General Lin become ”the one who makes children stop crying at night”?

Even Du Yu, who had actually been there, felt deeply shaken watching the video.

After all, he’d only watched from a distance back in Ancient Wilderness City.

But now, from shot after shot at a low angle, Lin Shiwei’s body appeared as vast as the sky, and with a single stomp, houses were shattered and the ground trembled...

The first-person feeling of immersion was just too strong.

Because of this, Du Yu even called Lin Shiwei, intending to comfort the girl; unexpectedly, his Third Sister had already sorted out her mood.

She even said something that left Du Yu at a loss for words: ”In the future, I hope I really have that kind of power.”

Uh...

Let’s hope so.

The stronger the people close to you, the better—as long as she’s stomping on someone else by then~

The whole exam thing only slightly distracted Du Yu’s energy.

His main focus was still on cultivating his Demon Pets.

Once Bai Yujing and the Desolate Silver Lynx wrapped their Demon Skills in Fire Attribute, Du Yu could use his Demon Soul and Contract to unleash their Divine Skills.

At that point, Du Yu would truly take off!

Take off, in every sense of the word!

Bai Yujing’s Demon Skill·Wind Dance would let Du Yu be wrapped in wind under his feet, soaring high and low like Master Qing.

How awesome would that be?

But what he wanted most—besides Wind Dance—was the Desolate Silver Lynx’s Demon Skill·Mountain Earth Concealment.

Wind Dance would let him fly; Mountain Earth Concealment would let him burrow into the ground.

Isn’t that what ”heaven above and earth below” really means?

Actually, Du Yu was looking forward to Demon Skill·Twin Desolate Lynx, since it could create a clone.

But Du Yu also knew his limits.

Only supportive-type Demon Skills were manageable for him. No matter how much weaker the cast effect became, the nature of the Demon Skill wouldn’t change.

But Twin Desolate Lynx was clearly more about offense.

The clone Du Yu conjured, with the Demon Skill’s effect being much weaker, might just end up as a dumb, stiff ”wooden dummy”?

Probably couldn’t even walk straight, let alone fight.

...

In Prince Du’s Mansion, the living room floor was blanketed with golden leaves.

An elegant and noble Dust Spirit Deer sat there, eyes shut, deeply savoring something.

There was a gentle breeze still winding around her snow-white hooves.

Ever since Wind Dance was upgraded to Xuan Platinum Quality, whirlwinds could scatter to her snow hooves, letting Bai Yujing walk on air.

”That’s right, Xiaobai, just like that!” Du Yu lounged on the sofa, hugging Xiaoyan, watching as Xiaobai trained diligently in the living room.

Faintly, Du Yu saw that around the deer’s hooves, a subtle red fireglow was starting to appear.

The color was so faint that even sharp-eyed Du Yu had to look extra hard to spot it.

”Ying~” Xiaoyan snuggled in Du Yu’s lap, softly cooing.

Her golden-brown fox eyes occasionally glanced at Bai Yujing’s feet, also keeping an eye on Xiaobai’s cultivation progress.

Prince Yan was hoping Xiaobai would succeed soon—for Du Yu’s sake, of course.

The problem, though, was that Du Yu was way too focused!

He hadn’t paid any attention for ages to the charming Fire Fox in his arms.

Even though Du Yu’s hand was gently kneading one of the fiery tails,

Xiaoyan knew—this was just an absent-minded motion, definitely not affection!

”Ying!” Suddenly, another long tail slid up, its golden tip nudging Du Yu’s cheek, turning his head toward her.

”What is it?” Du Yu had no choice but to look away and glance at the Fire Fox in his arms.

”Ying~” Xiaoyan, instead of meeting his eyes, buried her fluffy head in the crook of his neck, rubbing gently.

Du Yu: ”...”

These two, fox and deer, have been competing for attention since they were small—now both are Spirit-level Divine Beasts, and still not one bit more tolerant.

Not even willing to budge a little?

As a Demon Tamer, Du Yu’s ”carrying water” skill had leveled up fast, mostly thanks to Fox and Deer.

”Shhh, don’t bother Xiaobai.” Du Yu lifted the tail by his face to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss.

But as soon as he kissed one tail, there was a second one...then a third...

After four kisses, Du Yu thought he was off the hook.

But Xiaoyan switched things up, making Du Yu start from the right side and kiss them all again...

”Are you giving me a permutation and combination test here?” Du Yu laughed, ruffling Xiaoyan’s head.

”Nai~” A gentle deer call came from the center of the living room.

Bai Yujing’s voice was very soft, as if worried she’d disturb the neighbors below.

Holding on to the fiery tail, Du Yu turned to look—and couldn’t help but exclaim, ”Whoa!”

His heart leaped in delight—twelve days of nourishment and training, was Xiaobai finally making it?

Bai Yujing hovered in midair, her snow hooves five or six centimeters off the golden leaf carpet.

The whirlwind at her hooves was still transparent, but now there were flickers of firelight mixed in.

At this moment, Bai Yujing definitely couldn’t be compared to the Wind Witch Demon in the Bottomless Pit.

That Wind Witch Demon, no matter what Wind Demon Skill she used, displayed the Fire Attribute flawlessly.

Just like the Divine Ghost Firefly’s Demon Skills, wind and fire standing side by side, equally matched.

But what Bai Yujing was showing right now was already a qualitative leap!

So long as the Fire Attribute could be blended into Wind Demon Skills, it didn’t matter how much Fire Element was there—Du Yu and Bai Yujing could combine to unleash Demon Skills together!

”Haha, it worked!” Du Yu leapt up, hurried past the coffee table, reaching forward as he raised his hand.

”Nai~” Bai Yujing looked at Du Yu with a beaming smile.

She floated gently down, lowering her snowy deer head to wait for her master’s embrace.

With Xiaoyan in his left arm and Xiaobai in his right, Du Yu looked like a real winner—but...

In his excited joy, Du Yu didn’t notice his two beloved Demon Pets looking at each other in his arms.

Enchanting Yan Ruyu, elegant Bai Yujing.

The atmosphere between fox and deer was a little strange.

The story that got left hanging between them seemed to be continuing again, thanks to a single Contract...

No doubt about it, the Contract was the core reason.

The bond between human and pet was no longer just emotional—it was a real, invisible thread. Now, within Du Yu, Bai Yujing even had her own home.

And that home used to belong to Xiaoyan.

”Come, come back for me to try something.” Speaking, Du Yu focused his mind and withdrew Bai Yujing into the Qi Sea Acupoint.

Unbeknownst to him, this unthinking move broke the staring contest between deer and fox.

”Ying~” With Bai Yujing gone, Xiaoyan sprawled contentedly in Du Yu’s arms, comfortably curled up, her four long tails swinging loosely.

All of Du Yu’s Contracts and Demon Soul were Fire Attribute.

When human and pet worked together to cast Demon Skills, Xiaobai’s Wind Demon Skills obviously couldn’t walk the ”flame path.”

But now, with sparks safeguarding the wind, Demon Skill·Wind Dance finally had passage rights!

Bai Yujing form·Wind Dance!

Wind swirled beneath Du Yu’s feet—but dissipated instantly.

”Hmm.” Du Yu frowned, but didn’t get discouraged.

In the Qi Sea Acupoint, Demon Soul Du Yu embraced the deer head, slowly guiding Xiaobai to cast Demon Skills again.

second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...

The breeze rose, swirling around Du Yu’s feet. Sparks leapt and scattered down onto the golden leaf carpet.

Slowly, Du Yu began to float up.

This king...is finally becoming immortal?

Du Yu tried to check his excitement, but was still over the moon; he lost focus for a moment and let his feet drop, landing on the golden leaf carpet.

”Haha!” Du Yu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

With lots of practice, there would definitely be no problem!

The Du Yu in the living room, and the Demon Soul Du Yu in the Acupoint Home, moved in perfect sync.

He hugged the fox’s head and the deer’s head, leaning in close, landing a resounding kiss: ”mua~”

Left not a trace of scumbaggery behind.

”Ying~”

”Nai~” The fox and deer both responded, sensing their master’s happiness.

”Come on, let’s go to Shatang Mansion and see how Big Cat’s doing in training!” Du Yu said excitedly.

Yan Ruyu: ”...”

Bai Yujing: ”...”

”Buzz~ Buzz~”

Just as Du Yu lifted the Illusory Mountain and Sea Bell in his palm, he heard the phone vibrate.

He looked over—the Golden Leaf rolled the phone off the coffee table and helpfully delivered it to him.

”Senior Brother Li Jing?”

Staring at the caller ID, Du Yu’s heart sank.

No need to explain what a call from Senior Brother Li meant.

But since he’d joined the Twenty-Ninth Bureau, Du Yu was already prepared to be summoned or sent into battle at any time.

The Bureau’s missions were always sudden—never giving anyone time to prepare.

Too bad,

He’d been hoping to put in a few more days of hard practice and really master his Demon Pet skills, but now it was getting interrupted.

Du Yu sighed quietly, the Mountain and Sea Bell in his palm fading away, as he answered: ”Senior Brother?”

Li Jing’s voice was stern, getting straight to the point and hammering five simple words into Du Yu’s ear:

”We have a mission!”