Bai Ling and Lu Linsheng arrived near Shenmu Mountain and could see a huge paulownia tree on the mountain from afar. Arriving here meant that they would soon be able to enter the habitat of the Phoenix clan.
The demon that brought them here ran wildly on the road. If it slacked off for a moment, Lu Linsheng would pinch its long tongue and pull it tight, causing it to go crazy in pain. The demons with intelligence were not like monsters, and they would be willing to be driven by people. He would fight back at any time, but Lu Linsheng didn't care how fierce he was. He tore off a piece of skin from the mad demon and pretended to tear off the flesh underneath. The demon was so painful that it became obedient.
Bai Ling was speechless every time she saw Lu Linsheng doing this. The harmless appearance was really deceptive. She always forgot that Lu Linsheng was not really a weak scholar. Even his ferocious appearance of devouring monsters was beautified in her memory as "too hungry, eating a little hurriedly, the food was a little special, but actually very harmless and very cute when smiling".
After racing for a few days, when they were almost at the destination, Lu Linsheng finally let go of the demon's long tongue.
"Once we're here, the demon can't get in. The sacred tree of the Phoenix clan is pure. Ordinary demons will turn into ashes if they get close to it." As he spoke, he pulled Bai Ling and jumped off the demon's back.
The demon stood up and roared to the sky, then turned and rushed towards the two of them, apparently wanting to avenge his previous humiliation. Then Bai Ling watched as Lu Linsheng's entire body turned into a ball of black silk threads, like a big open mouth, catching the demon that rushed over and wrapping it in the black silk threads. The next moment, he turned back into a human form, smiled at her, and then said, "So we will walk on our own for the rest of the way, and we may meet the Phoenix people."
Bai Ling: "No, I've thought about it several times. You never chew these thoroughly, right?"
When she was a child, she liked to swallow her meals whole and didn't like to chew. Her grandmother always scolded her, saying that it was difficult to digest and insisted that she chew a mouthful of rice more than ten times before letting her swallow it.
"Isn't it hard to digest if you eat like this?"
It's easy to digest. A monster like this can be digested in two or three times. But Lu Linsheng didn't say that. He said, "I'm a little hungry. I didn't pay attention. I will chew it before eating next time."
Bai Ling felt that he was wronged when she heard this. They had been rushing on the road these days and hadn't let Lu Lin eat many monsters. He looked so hungry. It must be because he had suffered too much in the past.
"Is there anything you can eat around here? Otherwise, let's go find something to fill your stomach?" Bai Ling asked.
Lu Linsheng shook his head obediently, "No, let's go to the Phoenix Clan first. If I'm hungry, I'll go find something to eat. Don't worry, I won't eat anything carelessly."
Bai Ling once again had the illusion that Lu Linsheng was pitiful and well-behaved.
When they reached the foot of Shenmu Mountain, Bai Ling saw two demons in brightly colored feathers waiting for them. After seeing them, she said with a smile, "The Phoenix King is waiting. Come with us."
Bai Ling led Lu Linsheng forward. They did not stop Lu Linsheng, but just looked at them curiously. After going up the mountain, many bird monsters appeared. There were not many people in the Phoenix clan now, but they were the king of birds. There were not only Phoenixes living on Shenmu Mountain, but also many bird monsters. Halfway up the mountain, a large settlement appeared. Those houses were strange and beautiful, woven into various shapes. Most of the men and women who came and went wore colorful feather clothes and decorations, which was quite lively.
Compared to the current human world, this place is more like a paradise. Bai Ling also saw several children playing around, with soft yellow feathers on their heads and two orange blushes on their cheeks, which were particularly cute. There were bird fairies selling things at stalls under the trees, mostly selling beautiful jewelry. They were good at weaving and handicrafts, and the things they made were beautiful. Bai Ling couldn't help but take a few more glances.
As they passed through the bustling settlement and approached the giant sycamore tree in the middle, things gradually became quiet. One of the two people who led the way entered the palace under the tree, and the other waited outside with them.
Bai Ling heard a burst of music coming from above her head and looked up. On several branches, a young man in phoenix feather clothes was playing a musical instrument. The music was light and ethereal, and occasionally mixed with a little humming, which was also very pleasant to the ear. The man was good-looking, but Bai Ling lowered her head after taking a few glances.
No, he's sitting too high and it makes me dizzy.
The bird demon beside them proudly introduced him to them: "That is our Phoenix King's only son, Lord Fengchi. His playing of the phoenix harp is unique in our tribe and is rarely heard! Whenever he plays, the females in our tribe flock to him and the birds sing along."
Bai Ling was not interested, as she knew nothing about musical instruments, but she still politely praised it. Lu Linsheng raised his head and looked at the phoenix pond on the tree for a while. When Bai Ling called him, he looked away and smiled at her.
The two went to see the Phoenix King. The Phoenix Clan leader of this generation was the Phoenix King, a woman who looked like a young girl, but was about the same age as Bai Ling's father, the old White Dragon King.
"I already understand your purpose of coming here." The Phoenix King looked majestic, but his attitude was gentle. "I have had dealings with your parents before, so we can be considered friends. However, the Demon Dragon is about to escape, and I'm sure you know your situation very well. I want to protect you, but the Phoenix clan is gradually declining, and now they can only hide here. I can only protect this side, and I really don't dare to provoke the Demon Dragon and bring disaster to the clan. I'm really sorry."
Bai Ling had actually guessed this result before she came, and she was not disappointed when she heard it, and said generously: "Your Majesty, you don't have to apologize. If you are willing to help me, I will naturally be grateful, but if you don't help me, it is also natural. I also want to thank Your Majesty for being willing to see me."
If they really didn't give her face, they might just drive her away from the mountain. She had seen many such people in her previous life. After her grandparents passed away in her previous life, she was alone and helpless, and she was a big trouble that all relatives were unwilling to take care of. To some extent, the current situation is very similar.
When the Phoenix King heard her say this, his eyes were full of pity and sigh, "Since you have come here, I can't let you go back empty-handed. I would like to ask you and your friends to stay here for two days. I want to give you a gift."
Because of what the Phoenix King said, Bai Ling and Lu Linsheng stayed here temporarily. Bai Ling herself was not anxious, because it was useless to be anxious. Only the old shell was crying and crying out a bunch of pearls. Bai Ling picked them up and took Lu Linsheng to see the places where their tribe sold things. She was still interested in shopping.
She squatted on the stall and looked at the various blades on display. Most of them were sharpened bone knives. She didn't know what kind of monster's bones they were made of, but they were hard and sharp, and were not inferior to cast swords. There were also a few green wooden knives, which were used for decoration. While she was looking at the knives, Lu Linsheng was attracted by the gemstone and feather jewelry on the stall next to her.
The demon selling things on the stall was wearing a dazzling array of ornaments. Various gems reflected light, making people feel their eyes hurt at a glance. All they could hear was his soft and thin voice, "Look at this gem, it was picked up in Nanyu Mountain. Look how shiny it is. Females all like this kind of shiny things!"
When Lu Lin devoured demons alive, he would occasionally get some of their memories, from which he would know a lot of things. For example, he now found a vague memory that said that the dragons all loved those shiny things. He looked at the shiny gems and walked over.
There were two male demons buying jewelry in front of the stall. They were talking about the females in their families, arguing about everything from what kind of jewelry they would like to their status in the family.
A male demon in red feathers said, "My wife gives me money every month. I have saved it for a long time. I originally wanted to buy something I like, but when I saw this, I wanted to buy it for her. It looks good, but it's too expensive."
Another male demon in yellow and black feathers laughed at him: "You don't even have any private money at home, how pitiful! I secretly saved up my private money, enough to buy two gem necklaces like this for my wife!"
"Of course I have some private savings, but it's not much!"
The colorful male demon who was selling things said to them, "Oh, you two are both good male demons who love their wives. When it comes to loving our wives, no other race can compare to our Shenmu Mountain Bird Tribe!"
The two smiled proudly when they heard this. The Wucai boss asked Lu Linsheng, who had been standing aside for a long time, "This customer is from outside, right? What do you want to buy? Look at this kind of gemstone. Many people have bought it recently. It is very popular. They buy it for their females. It is considered a specialty here. I see that you came here with the customer over there. Why don't you buy her a few?"
Lu Linsheng looked at it for a while, and then he thought that he had given all his money to Bai Ling, and he would not be willing to exchange it for pearls, so he said, "I don't have money to buy it."
The red-feathered male demon couldn't help but say, "Brother, you are too pitiful, even more pitiful than me. At least I can still afford one."
The yellow and black feathered male demon asked him, "Yeah, brother, you don't have any private money, right?"
Lu Linsheng: "What is private money?"
Male demons: “…” Lost! Lost to a foreign demon!
Bai Ling gestured with two bone knives and walked towards Lu Linsheng, "What are you looking at?" Seeing the various gems on the stall, she was stunned, "Do you like these?"
Lu Linsheng likes this kind of shiny gem? Damn, this is too cute!
"You can choose any of them you want. I'll give them to you." Bai Ling said, and handed him a bone knife in her hand. "I saw this bone knife over there. It's sharp enough. I'll give it to you to play with."
Male demons: “…” The wife at home also lost!
There are few outsiders in Shenmu Mountain. Everyone lives on the same mountain and is almost familiar with each other. So when Bai Ling and Lu Linsheng came here, although the bird monsters of all sizes did not show any curiosity in person, they spread this new thing behind their backs. In less than a day, almost most of the bird monsters knew that the two guests were a couple. The male monster named Lu Linsheng was still being doted on by his wife at home, which made the male monsters on and off Shenmu Mountain envious.
"That's the dragon clan, right? How come they are a pair with a little demon with such little demonic aura?"
"The dragons have never cared about these things. In the past, there were dragons here who came to pursue people. There is nothing that the dragons dare not do, whether it is flying in the sky, crawling on the ground, or swimming in the sea."
Bai Ling didn't notice what the bird demons were chirping behind her. She liked this beautiful place very much. It would be even better if the guest room she was assigned wasn't on a high branch. The custom of treating guests here is that the more distinguished the guest, the higher the room. Bai Ling started to feel dizzy when she stood on the second branch, not to mention going up a few floors. She could only ask to sleep in the room below.
The room at the bottom was exquisite and small. Moonlight could be seen shining down while she lay inside, and she could smell the fragrance of flowers outside. Bai Ling lay down and rested for a while. Then she felt a shadow swaying outside, so she stood up, opened the door and took a look.
Lu Linsheng sat on a chair made of vines outside, holding a strange-looking musical instrument in his hand.
Bai Ling opened the door and walked out, coming to his side: "Aren't you going to rest? What is this? I seemed to see someone playing this on that tree this morning."
Lu Linsheng showed her the instrument in his hand, "This is a phoenix harp. You said it sounds nice, didn't you? I went to learn from that guy, and he said I have talent, so he gave me a harp."
It was a musical instrument that looked like a full moon, with a short handle wrapped with colorful ribbons, and twelve strings stretched on the full moon-shaped wooden surface. Bai Ling plucked the string on the side and it broke with a bang.
Bai Ling: “…”
Lu Linsheng: "It's okay, it's okay. The string is indeed too thin. It will break if you use a little force. It breaks too easily."
Bai Ling cursed herself in her heart, I told you to touch it without permission! It must have broken! She knew at a glance that he didn't sleep in the middle of the night, sitting at the door with this thing in his arms, just wanting to play it for her, now it's broken, how can I play it!
Lu Linsheng: "Although one string is broken, it should still be playable. Would you like to listen?"
Bai Ling immediately clapped her hands to show her respect: "Hit! Bounce, bounce, bounce!"
When she was silent, sitting in the moonlight, she looked like a fairy. Of course, in Lu Linsheng's eyes, she was still a fairy when she spoke.
After Lu Linsheng finished playing a piece, Bai Ling asked him, "Are you really talented?"
Lu Linsheng: "My piano teacher said I was too good and he couldn't teach me anymore, so he gave me the piano and told me to practice more on my own."
Bai Ling: "What the hell are you talking about? I really dislike you!"
The smile on Lu Linsheng's face slowly faded, and he lowered his head and slowly played the guitar twice.
Bai Ling: "Forget it, I don't dislike you, just practice slowly, you will definitely play better than that person in the future."
The author has something to say: But what? The last story will tell.