Parrot Spy

After dinner, Huang Shaojie returned to his own small courtyard.

Once night fell, he planned to sneak into Cao Manor and keep watch on Cao Renqi, to see whether he could uncover any evidence of wrongdoing.

As for the daytime, he would have his three Banner Chiefs take turns watching Cao Renqi.

At the first quarter of the Hour of the Dog, the night was dim.

Huang Shaojie changed into a black night outfit, covered his face, and prepared to head out.

"Oh no, Young Master is going out to be a thief!"

The parrot flapped its wings and flew over, circling before Huang Shaojie as it cried out at him.

"Damn Eight Lord, what are you squawking about!"

Huang Shaojie leaped up and reached out to grab Eight Lord. Eight Lord was incredibly nimble, desperately beating its wings as it flew upward.

"Heh, you damn Eight Lord, your wings have gotten tougher again lately, haven't they!"

Huang Shaojie laughed as he cursed, using Catching Wind and Shadows to swiftly seize Eight Lord.

After several swift leaps and turns, Huang Shaojie grabbed Eight Lord in one hand.

"You still want to run in front of this young master?"

Huang Shaojie extended a finger and flicked Eight Lord on the head.

He had bought this parrot over two months ago and named him Eight Lord.

Because it prattled like an old busybody, yet was male, he had named it Eight Lord.

A month earlier, at Eight Lord's vehement request, Huang Shaojie had stopped keeping him in a birdcage and allowed him to fly freely around the manor.

At first, Huang Shaojie had worried that Eight Lord would fly away and never return. To his surprise, this cheap bird had no intention of escaping. Though it flew around outside all day babbling nonsense, it always returned to the manor punctually for its three meals.

It could eat exceptionally well too. It could devour half a jin of meat in one meal, and no one knew how this cheap bird digested it all.

Fortunately, Huang Manor was wealthy, and Huang Baiwan also liked this sweet-talking cheap bird. Thus, he instructed the servants every day to feed Eight Lord all kinds of fish and meat.

When they first bought it, this cheap bird had been skinny as a rake, with nothing left but its shameless beak.

After two months of being raised at Huang Manor, it had become plump and sturdy, its feathers sleek and glossy. Its flying speed and agility surpassed even a swallow's.

Otherwise, even with Huang Shaojie's current Ninth Level of Innate Realm cultivation, it would not have been so easy to catch it using the Lightness Skill Catching Wind and Shadows.

Eight Lord had now become a valuable helper in guarding Huang Manor. Whenever a thief tried to sneak in, Eight Lord would always spot him first and immediately cry out, scaring the thief away on the spot.

Just like now, Huang Shaojie had been discovered by Eight Lord when he tried to slip out of the manor in his night outfit.

"Young Master, spare my life! Let me go quickly, and I won't tell Master that you're going out to be a thief."

Unable to move in Huang Shaojie's grasp, Eight Lord hurriedly begged for mercy and made his promise.

Huang Shaojie flicked its head again and scolded with a laugh, "This young master is so rich. Do I need to become a thief? You stupid bird!"

Eight Lord cried, "Going out with your face covered means you're definitely going to be a thief. Even if you're rich, who's to say you aren't going out to be a Flower Thief..."

Huang Shaojie was both angered and amused, nearly wanting to squeeze this cheap bird to death.

"This young master is going out to investigate a case. What Flower Thief? Keep talking nonsense, and this young master will squeeze every bit of shit out of you."

"Young Master, this bird wants to investigate the case with you too."

Eight Lord cried out excitedly.

Huang Shaojie flicked it. "Taking you, you cheap bird, out there to squawk nonstop would only ruin this young master's important business."

Eight Lord cried, "I won't squawk recklessly. This bird will obey Young Master's commands in all things."

Huang Shaojie's heart stirred. If he had Eight Lord watch Cao Renqi, not only would no one discover it, but he himself would also be spared the trouble.

With that thought, Huang Shaojie said to Eight Lord, "Help this young master watch someone. Report every move he makes to me. If you do this well, this young master will reward you."

Eight Lord cried, "What will you reward this bird with?"

Huang Shaojie said, "How about rewarding you with a few pretty little female birds to play with?"

Eight Lord spat, "How could those ordinary birds possibly be worthy of this divine bird? This divine bird has no interest in them!"

Huang Shaojie asked with a smile, "Then what reward do you want?"

Eight Lord tilted its head and thought for a moment, then cried, "Reward this bird with some elixirs and spiritual fruits?"

Huang Shaojie knocked it on the head. "You cheap bird, you want to eat elixirs and spiritual fruits too? Are you trying to cultivate into a spirit?"

Eight Lord said, "My previous master once gave me an elixir. From then on, I gained intelligence. I can learn any words after hearing them once, and I understand what everything means."

Huang Shaojie said in surprise, "No wonder you cheap bird are so smart. So you ate an intelligence-awakening elixir. Hey, who was your former master? And how did you later end up being sold at the market by that old man?"

Naturally, Huang Shaojie did not believe that the old man selling birds had been Eight Lord's previous master.

Eight Lord's former master must have been an expert.

Eight Lord said, "My former master was a Daoist priest. Later, I don't know where he went. He never returned, so I flew everywhere looking for him, but I couldn't find him. Instead, I was caught by someone, sold from hand to hand several times, and eventually sold to you, Young Master."

Huang Shaojie came to a realization. "So that's how it was. Then what elixirs do you want to eat now?"

Eight Lord said, "This bird wants Qi Refining Elixirs, Body Tempering Elixirs, and the like."

Huang Shaojie chuckled. "Looks like you cheap bird really do want to cultivate!"

Eight Lord said, "Just tell me whether you'll give them to me or not."

Huang Shaojie laughed loudly. "That depends on whether you can complete this surveillance task properly. If you keep a good watch, this young master will buy you a few elixirs to eat."

Some martial sects refined elixirs and opened shops in the city to sell them, earning silver to maintain the sects' expenses.

Of course, those elixirs were generally mid- or low-grade. Those sects would not put superior-grade elixirs up for sale; they kept them for themselves.

If Eight Lord could truly track and watch Cao Renqi well, Huang Shaojie would not mind spending dozens or even a hundred taels of silver to buy it a few elixirs.

One man and one bird flew out of Huang Manor, gliding over the rooftops under cover of night.

Before long, they arrived at a large locust tree outside Cao Manor.

Pointing at Cao Manor, Huang Shaojie said to Eight Lord:

"The person I want to watch is the owner of this residence. His name is Cao Renqi, and he is a court official. Keep your eyes on him at all times. You must report to me everywhere he goes from morning till night, everyone he meets, every gift he receives, and everything he does. Understand?"

"Understood, understood."

Eight Lord cried softly.

This fellow truly deserved to have eaten an intelligence-awakening elixir. It was indeed clever as a ghost!

Huang Shaojie was very reassured.

Then, using the Lightness Skill Catching Wind and Shadows, he flew into Cao Manor.

Eight Lord followed him inside as well.

With Huang Shaojie's Lightness Skill, naturally none of the people in Cao Manor would discover him.

Using the cover around him, he swept through the air to the outside of Cao Renqi's side room.

Inside, Cao Renqi sat drinking wine while two beautiful maidservants kneaded his shoulders and massaged his legs. He looked utterly content.

Huang Shaojie pointed at Cao Renqi inside the room, indicating to Eight Lord that he was the person to watch.

Eight Lord understood human nature well and grasped Huang Shaojie's meaning. It nodded its bird head to show that it understood.

Huang Shaojie took Eight Lord back to the large locust tree and whispered, "This young master is going back to sleep now. Stay here and keep a close watch on the man in that room just now. Come back tomorrow morning and report to this young master."

Eight Lord nodded. "Understood. Young Master, don't forget to buy this bird elixirs to eat afterward."

With that, it flapped its wings and flew back toward Cao Manor.

A smile curled at Huang Shaojie's lips. Then he swept through the night toward Huang Manor.