Chapter 9: Shadiao
Lin Jiang finally had a chance to visit Anhua City and didn't want to go back so soon. He encouraged Lin Ying to beg Lin Die to play for one more day. Lin Ying understood and used her charm to make Lin Die agree.
Lin Die had something to discuss with Lin He, so she let them have fun on their own. She reminded them not to cause trouble and they happily ran off.
Lin Jiang wandered around Anhua City and asked about the prices. He found out that the prices in Anhua City were much higher than in Lin family's area. He made up his mind to sell the products from Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa in Anhua City to earn more spirit stones.
Spirit stones were very important for cultivators. No one would say they have too many spirit stones. Lin Jiang felt poor compared to Lin Die, who made more profit in a year than he did after several years of frugality.
Lin Jiang brought his own brewed Peach Blossom Wine and some dried meat roasted with Colorful PigIron back. He went to the big market to sell them and quickly sold out. He made more than ten spirit stones back, which boosted Lin Jiang's confidence. He believed that a big city like Anhua City offered many opportunities, and he must come here to make money in the future. He thought there was nothing promising in the countryside.
After another day passed, the three of them hurried back to the Lin family. Lin Jiang once again felt Lin Ying's contempt, and angrily thought to himself, "When I reach the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, I will definitely fly with joy. You won't even have a chance to fly with me."
After two days of travel, the three of them returned to the entrance of the Lin family. Just as they arrived, they saw a crowd gathered around a Lin family Foundation Building Stage practitioner dissecting a giant bird. It was truly a giant bird, with wings spread out over ten meters long. Lin Jiang had never seen such a big bird before.
"Third Miss, Sixth Young Master, Tenth Miss, you've arrived just in time. Come and learn how to dissect a mythical beast."
The practitioner saw the three of them and said, "Mythical beasts are precious creatures, but they require a certain level of skill to handle. If you don't learn properly and handle them recklessly, their value will greatly decrease."
"Yes, Master Zhang."
The three of them obediently stood by, learning. Lin Jiang was no exception. Although he was lying down, he wouldn't miss the opportunity to learn.
"This beast is called an Aurora falcon, a flying mythical creature. The Aurora falcon is known for its speed, one of the fastest among flying creatures. There are few that can surpass it in speed, hence its name 'Aurora' which means speed like light."
"Therefore, the most valuable thing about the Aurora falcon is its wings, which can be refined into a flying tool. Of course, if the mythical beast reaches the Third Level, then its demonic core would be the most valuable."
"The fur, bones, and blood of mythical beasts all have value. To determine the highest value, one must differentiate between different mythical beasts. In the case of the Aurora falcon, its wings are the most valuable, so it is important to focus on collecting its wings..."
Master Zhang was teaching a group of young students from the Lin family. His instructions were very detailed. After he finished speaking, he took out a sharp knife and removed the wings.
Next, he showed them the beak, claws, and even the eyes of the bird. He explained that in order to preserve the eyes, they needed to use a special liquid. He even shared the recipe for the liquid. The liquid from the eyes could enhance the vision of those who practiced immortality.
Then, he talked about the feathers. Even without refining them, they had many uses. They could be used to make arrows or even clothing.
The remaining flesh and blood had a lower value. The meat was slightly sour and didn't taste good. Many cultivators looked down on it and used it to feed pigs or other animals.
After more than four hours of class, everyone felt that they had gained a lot of knowledge. They thanked Master Zhang with a bow.
"Before you all leave, I still have two Aurora Falcon eggs here. According to my investigation, these eggs have already been incubated for a long time and are no longer edible. However, if you want, you can take them back and try to hatch them. The chances of success are quite high."
"The Aurora Falcon is extremely fast and has a fierce temperament. It will be a great help to you in both travel and battles. Do any of you need it?"
When everyone was about to leave, Master Zhang took out two eggs. He described them as very large, similar to ostrich eggs, and green in color.
Upon hearing this, everyone shook their heads. They were not naive and knew that Master Zhang was only highlighting the positives. He hadn't mentioned the drawbacks of raising mythical beasts yet.
"Me..."
"Brother, please don't."
"Why?"
"As cultivators, we rarely domesticate demonic beasts, except for specific beast-controlling families or sects. Demonic beasts level up very slowly and consume a lot of resources, which is not cost-effective."
"Is that so?"
"Really, our Lin family captures quite a number of demonic beasts every year. Have you ever seen us raising demonic beasts?"
"Aren't there those Colorful Pigs?"
"That's different, Colorful Pigs grow quickly and can be eaten. But this Aurora Falcon's meat is not edible. Raising it only yields a few bird beaks and feathers, which is really not worth it. It costs a lot to raise."
"It's fine, I'll keep it as a pet. You know, I'm bored being alone in the villa."
Lin Jiang smiled. The monster grew slowly, but it was okay. He lived a long time and consumed a lot. It was just a joke. How much could a bird eat? It was fine to let it roam freely in the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa surrounded by woods and wild animals. If you had the ability, catch one yourself. If not, you'd go hungry.
What Lin Jiang valued even more was the Aurora Falcon's flying speed. If it grew up, whether it was fighting or running away, wouldn't it be amazing?
"Master Zhang, I want this bird egg."
"Young master, sure, it will cost you one hundred spirit stones."
"What?"
"Spirit stones, Sixth Young Master, don't you think good things just fall from the sky? You definitely have to buy them with spirit stones."
Master Zhang chuckled and said, "Young man, you can't always expect to get things for free."
"Ten pieces (of spirit stone)."
"What? What did Sixth Young Master say?"
"I'll buy it with only ten spirit stones."
"Sixth Young Master, bargaining doesn't work like this. I'm offering a hundred, can't you at least lower it to eighty?"
"Ten stones. If you won't sell, I'll leave. You can keep it for yourself."
"Alright, alright. You win. It's just ten stones."
Master Zhang quickly grabbed Lin Jiang. This bird egg had been incubated by the Aurora Falcon for a long time. The birds inside had already formed, so they couldn't be eaten. That was why Master Zhang was selling it.
As for raising it himself, he hadn't thought about it. He had heard what Lin Ying said a while ago and agreed. Raising a mythical creature like the Aurora Falcon was simply not cost-effective.
Lin Jiang spent ten spirit stones to buy the bird egg. He also asked Master Zhang about the incubation process, but Master Zhang couldn't explain it clearly. He told Lin Jiang to go to the Lin Family Library Pavilion by himself. There should be some basic information about animal taming there.
After that, Lin Jiang and Lin Ying went to visit the kind-hearted old lady first. They brought gifts they bought from Anhua City. Lin Jiang couldn't see Mr. Lin Batian as he wasn't at home, so Lin Jiang left the gifts for him and went to the Library Pavilion to find the jade scroll about animal taming. He made a copy before taking it with him.
On their way back to Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, Lin Jiang studied the jade scroll about animal taming. It contained information about over a hundred species of mythical creatures, including birds.
Hatching bird eggs was quite simple. It was akin to when humans give birth, but the eggs would need some spiritual energy from time to time. Without spiritual energy, eggs from flying mythical creatures could not hatch.
When Lin Jiang arrived at Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, he had the servants make a nest for him. He put the bird eggs inside and wrapped them in cloth, keeping them close to him.
After Lin Jiang had been gone for a few days, Lin Baohua came to greet him when he returned. They talked about the things happening in Anhua City. Lin Jiang didn't provoke Lin Baohua and casually shared some information. In the end, Lin Baohua left feeling a bit disappointed. Although he had let go of his grudges, it still had some impact on him.
Lin Jiang spent about a month and a half incubating the eggs. Two little Aurora Falcons hatched from their shells. They were fluffy and looked quite cute, similar to baby chicks.
Lin Jiang asked the servants to collect bugs for feeding. He specifically requested them to catch bugs from the spiritual rice field and the Spiritual Peach trees. These two things were spiritual plants, and the bugs on them might also have some spiritual energy.
Lin Jiang treated the servants well, and they were willing to do this task. It was mainly because they didn't have to do it themselves; they could have the kids in the house do it instead.
This way, Lin Jiang could get a heap of bugs every day, and his life became more enjoyable. Feeding the little birds was a very interesting thing.
When the Aurora Falcons grew a little bigger, Lin Jiang started feeding them meat. He would cut pieces of Iron-backed Pig meat into strips and throw them out. The Aurora Falcons would jump up and catch them, which was very amusing.
Five months later, the Aurora Falcons had grown to the size of regular roosters. However, they were still in their youth and couldn't fly. Their feathers hadn't fully developed yet, but they could run quickly on the ground. Even the hunting dogs on the estate couldn't catch up to them.
Watching them run, Lin Jiang remembered a GIF he had once seen online, showing what looked like a bird running on the ground, with the caption "Shadiao (stupid bird)."
So Lin Jiang didn't care if they were falcons or eagles, and decided to name them Big Shadiao (big stupid bird) and Small Shadiao (small stupid bird).
"Big Shadiao, Small Shadiao, come here quickly!"
The young Aurora Falcons apparently didn't know that people can be dangerous, and happily hopped over and affectionately nudged Lin Jiang's leg. Lin Jiang laughed out loud and took out a piece of jerky, tossing it over. Both Shadiao grabbed onto one end of the jerky at the same time.
Neither of them wanted to let go, so they stood there glaring at each other, looking all puffed up. This amused Lin Jiang.
