You Think You're Better Than Who?!

Wind God Falcon stretched out a claw and prodded Liang Shixian, who was still unconscious.

"When will this guy wake up?"

"Um... probably not for a while."

Ji Ruo wasn't sure, either.

Wind God Falcon raised her right wing and stroked her handsome head, letting out a clear cry. "I saw that this human fainted only after noticing me. Do you think I'm ugly?"

"No, no, no! Auntie, how could you be ugly?" Ji Ruo shook his head repeatedly and gave her a thumbs-up. "My companion fainted because your appearance was too perfect. He felt so ashamed of his own inadequacy that he couldn't bear the pressure and passed out. He was embarrassed, not scared."

[Diplomatic Spokesperson] activated! 20% increase to persuasive power!

Wind God Falcon froze for a moment. "Is that so? Then why didn't you faint?"

"Ah, well..."

Only then did Ji Ruo realize he'd dug himself into a hole. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and stammered, "Auntie, I'm different from him. When I see something beautiful, I can't help but take a few extra glances.

"I was so ashamed I nearly fainted, too. But when I thought that if I passed out, I might never see your perfect face again, I couldn't bring myself to faint."

[Diplomatic Spokesperson] activated!

[Immersion Sense] activated!

"Heh. You sure know how to talk."

Wind God Falcon was clearly very pleased with Ji Ruo's explanation. She shook her wings and said, "Then our deal is settled. Don't worry, I'm not like those stingy fellows on the mountaintop. You can eat whatever you like in my Nest. All you have to do is make delicious food for us after my chicks hatch."

Holy crap!

Free food and lodging!

Ji Ruo glanced at the mountains of high-tier Monster Beasts stored in Wind God Falcon's Nest, along with all the high-tier Spirit Plants and medicinal treasures whose names he didn't know, and nearly jumped for joy.

He'd struck it rich!

However, Ji Ruo was a little puzzled. This was the third time Wind God Falcon had mentioned a "deal."

And when she said the mountaintop, did she mean that humans were working with the Demon Monsters up there?

That couldn't be right, could it?

Ji Ruo had been in this world for less than three months, but he already knew that humanity had an incredibly strong sense of collective honor.

They shouldn't be doing something like working with Demon Monsters!

Besides, Ji Ruo vaguely remembered Wind God Falcon mentioning something about the terms of the deal earlier. Something like, "Humans provide food, and they let humans live in their Nests"...

What did that mean?

Ji Ruo was utterly baffled and wanted to ask.

Suddenly—

Rosie's tiny head poked out of Ji Ruo's filthy school uniform. Her eyes were misty with tears as she asked, "Master, are we going to die? When will we die? Rosie's so scared..."

The little one had been terrified by the demonic aura Wind God Falcon gave off. Her innate Illusion ability had kicked in, hiding her inside Ji Ruo's clothes, and she'd been trembling there ever since.

From the looks of it, she couldn't stand being so scared any longer and had come out to ask when she was going to die.

Ji Ruo rubbed Little Rosie's head and comforted her. "Don't worry, we don't have to die this time. Auntie Wind God Falcon is a very nice Monster."

"Wind God Falcon?" Auntie Wind God Falcon raised an eyebrow. "That's the name of my species. All Wind God Falcons are called Wind God Falcons. It's not distinctive at all, and I don't like it. Don't call me that anymore!"

"...All right." Ji Ruo opened his mouth, then asked, "Then what should I call you?"

Wind God Falcon frowned and pondered for a moment. "I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when I have. I'm going to pick myself a pretty name!"

Ji Ruo clicked his tongue. "All right."

[Immersion Sense] was a continuous-status skill. At its current level, it could give Ji Ruo a fifty percent boost to his identity bonus.

Wind God Falcon wasn't going to kill him for the time being. She had no killing intent, and the earlier events had earned him a little goodwill (not romantic goodwill!). So [Sense of Immersion] remained in effect. As long as his identity seemed reasonable, it gradually made Wind God Falcon accept him.

Wind God Falcon suddenly leaned closer, her sharp eagle eyes fixed on Little Rosie in Ji Ruo's arms.

"You have a cat, too."

Perhaps Rosie was just too weak, or perhaps Wind God Falcon hadn't been paying much attention to her. Combined with the effect of Ji Ruo's [Sense of Immersion] and Rosie's own Illusion talent, Wind God Falcon hadn't noticed the little one before.

"A-Auntie, she's my pet. She's not a bad cat," Ji Ruo stammered.

"Relax, I won't do anything to her. She's skinny and black as soot. She doesn't look tasty at all." As she spoke, Wind God Falcon felt a little surprised.

What kind of cat was this little weakling? How had she managed to slip past her senses?!

Wind God Falcon had almost wondered whether this was the cat that the group on the mountaintop was looking for.

But this cat was clearly much weaker, as different from that cat demon—which could barely rival the Great Demon on the mountaintop—as heaven and earth.

Besides, this was a Black Cat.

She'd considered saying something, but after thinking it over, decided against it.

The ones who had a grudge against that cat were the group on the mountaintop. What did that have to do with her, Wind God Falcon?

Her little babies were about to be born!

Hearing that, Ji Ruo felt a little relieved. He'd honestly been worried Wind God Falcon might suddenly decide to make a snack out of Rosie.

She was his pet, after all. What kind of sense did it make for another demon to eat her less than a day after he'd adopted her?

Was he some kind of pet jinx?

But while Ji Ruo was thinking that, Rosie wasn't happy at all.

He didn't know whether she'd borrowed her courage from Sister Liang, but she actually waved her short little paws at Wind God Falcon and bared her teeth. "Who are you looking down on?! You're the one who doesn't taste good! Rosie's delicious!"

Ji Ruo was horrified. He hurriedly pushed her head back into his clothes and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "A-Auntie, she's just a child. Children say all kinds of things!"

Wind God Falcon froze, then suddenly laughed. "You humans are really interesting. You can actually communicate with two different kinds of creatures at the same time."

In the conversation just now, Ji Ruo had spoken like a human, Wind God Falcon had cried like an eagle, and Rosie had meowed like a cat.

Yet Ji Ruo had understood them all and chatted with them without any trouble. How strange!

"Heh heh."

Ji Ruo chuckled and changed the subject. "By the way, Auntie, about when will your chicks be born? I can get started on the food ahead of time."

At that, Wind God Falcon shook her wings, sending two small, visible blue whirlwinds flying out.

Then the blue whirlwinds shrank and solidified, turning into two watermelon-sized giant eggs with blue currents of air swirling over their shells.

Wind God Falcon gazed tenderly at her two children, still inside their shells, and said softly, "In five—"

Ji Ruo breathed a sigh of relief.

He'd be back in Great Xia in five days. And during those five days, Wind God Falcon needed him and Liang Shixian to help make delicious food, so he'd be safe until he returned.

"...four, three, two, one."

"Crack-crack~"

Both giant eggs made a crisp cracking sound at the same time, and a pair of tender eagle cries rang out.

Ji Ruo: "???"

Was the hatching time accurate down to the second?