Duck (Seeking Recommendations)

Hu Qi's expression shifted as he opened the message.

It was a post he had made earlier seeking Exotic Beasts.

Over the past few days, he had posted quite a few such requests.

Yet the overwhelming majority had vanished like stones thrown into the sea, without stirring even the faintest ripple.

Otherwise, there would just be a crowd babbling nonsense beneath them, trading pictures, without a shred of useful information.

But today, things had changed.

A forum user named "Shrimp Meat Doesn't Blink" had sent Hu Qi a private message.

Shrimp Meat Doesn't Blink: I have a duck at home. Do you want it?

A picture was attached below.

The scene in the picture appeared to be beside a small river.

A medium-sized duck floated on the water.

However, it was completely different from ordinary ducks with white-gray or yellow-brown feathers.

Its feathers were an unusual dark purple, crossed with several silver-gray stripes like lightning.

At the same time, its head was not round like that of an ordinary duck, but slightly pointed.

Its eyes were a vivid crimson.

The photo had been taken from rather far away, and after being compressed by the forum, its clarity had dropped sharply.

That was all he could make out.

Even so, Hu Qi could tell that this was an Exotic Beast.

That was, provided the duck truly existed and the image had not been faked through some photo-editing trick.

With that thought in mind.

Hu Qi did not hesitate to add the other party and start a private chat.

The other party replied quickly.

By coincidence, the person was also in Qirong City.

After checking their location on the map.

Hu Qi found that it was roughly thirty kilometers away.

Without any hesitation, Hu Qi quickly arranged a time and prepared to head over shortly to take a look.

The Scarlet Modification Panel was his greatest secret, as well as the foundation he relied upon to survive.

Its effects could be called heaven-defying.

But using it required Modification Points.

And as far as he knew, only consuming Exotic Beasts could provide him with Modification Points.

Moreover, before this, that method had only been a conjecture.

This was the perfect chance to verify it.

Hu Qi hurriedly finished breakfast. Before leaving, he bought a bottle of milk and several steamed buns to eat on the way.

By the time he got home, he had just finished the last bun.

After briefly washing up and changing into clean clothes.

He set off for the address the other party had given him.

Half an hour later.

West Qirong City, beside a road near the outskirts.

As a green taxi slowly came to a stop.

Hu Qi got out, carrying a backpack.

He raised his head and looked around.

Compared with the old district in the east and the core area in the south, the west side of the city seemed especially desolate.

All he could see were low gray-white buildings. Straight ahead, a massive mountain peak rose high into the sky.

Beneath the sunlight, it seemed veiled in a thin layer of green gauze.

Amid the lush mountain forest, a winding flight of bluestone steps climbed upward.

Now and then, tourists could be seen slowly ascending along the steps.

At the end of the stone stairway stood a temple.

The temple's eaves peeked faintly out from dense branches and leaves, its blue-gray tiles gleaming beneath the sunlight with an ancient, mysterious luster.

Within the temple, wisps of smoke rose faintly into the air.

It was Qirong City's famous temple. During important holidays, high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen would come to burn incense, and luxury cars often filled the space below.

Hu Qi withdrew his gaze.

He walked forward several steps and arrived at a three-way intersection.

Across from him stood a vocational college.

But since it was summer vacation, there was hardly anyone inside.

Only an old security guard stood at the gate, smoking.

"Hello! I'm here now. Yes, I'm across from Peizhi Vocational College."

Hu Qi hung up the phone in his hand.

Before long, a figure came hurrying over from the side street.

It was a thin, gaunt young man in a T-shirt and jeans, with dyed yellow hair.

Several silver studs pierced his right ear, reflecting dazzling streaks of white light under the sun.

"You're Night of Rain?"

The young man carefully looked Hu Qi up and down before asking with some uncertainty.

"That's me."

Hu Qi nodded.

"Night of Rain" was the username he had used when posting on the forum.

"Take me to see the duck. If it's real, the price is negotiable."

Hu Qi did not waste time on pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Alright, follow me."

The young man nodded and immediately led the way.

Along the way.

The two exchanged a few words.

This gave Hu Qi a rough understanding of the situation.

The young man before him was named Ding Yu, and he was a student at Peizhi Vocational College.

His home was nearby.

Normally, however, he lived on campus.

The duck belonged to his grandmother.

It was only after returning home for summer vacation that he discovered how unusual it was. Since he had previously seen Hu Qi's post online, he thought of selling it for some money.

Soon, the two followed a side path to a village.

The village was not large, with only a dozen or so households scattered sparsely about, each far apart from the others.

Occasionally, several elderly people could be seen gathered beneath the shade of trees, chatting leisurely.

Soon.

The two arrived before a two-story courtyard built from gray-white stone bricks.

Beside the entrance was a duck shed built against the wall.

It had been constructed from simple bricks, stone, and wood.

Its roof was covered in blue-gray tiles, weathered by wind and rain until it appeared slightly mottled.

Traces of mud could still be seen in the cracks.

The ground was covered with a layer of straw, while a small man-made pond sat beside it.

Several ducks were swimming and playing in the water.

Hu Qi's gaze swept over them quickly, and he soon spotted a duck near the corner of the wall.

This duck was kept alone inside an iron cage.

It was no different in size from an ordinary duck, but its feathers were dark purple. Compared with the plain gray-white ducks around it, it looked utterly out of place.

At the moment, it had its head tucked beneath its wing, seemingly resting.

Suddenly.

As though it had sensed Hu Qi and Ding Yu's arrival.

It abruptly raised its head, revealing a pair of crimson eyes that seemed brimming with aggression.

Its long, flat bill was dark black, its edges sharp as blades.

Upon seeing the two of them, it opened its mouth and let out a series of quacks.

"This is it. This duck's got a terrible temper. It bit several ducks to death before, so we had no choice but to keep it in a cage."

Ding Yu pointed at it and explained.

At that moment, an elderly man in his fifties or sixties, slightly hunched over, emerged from the courtyard beside them.

After Ding Yu gave him a brief introduction, the old man, seemingly hard of hearing, listened for quite a while before understanding what Ding Yu meant. He then waved his hand, telling them to handle it themselves.