Qi Qian truly felt like he had been deceived by Qin Liuxi. Just look at her—how many times did she claim to be frail? Yet, behold, a giant eagle weighing dozens of pounds perched on her wrist without seeming to weigh it down even slightly, as steady as solid ground.
She must have some misunderstanding about the word "frail," right?
"Is this a hawk trained by a master? No wonder it looks so majestic and not to be trifled with," Huo Lang exclaimed in surprise, admiring the glossy black feathers and the sharp gaze of the eagle, clicking his tongue in appreciation.
Qi Qian gave him a sidelong glance.
Meanwhile, Qin Liuxi pulled the Flying Eagle into the carriage, removed the small bamboo tube tied to its ankle, took out a rolled-up note from inside, and began to read it leisurely.
The Flying Eagle seemed dissatisfied, giving her arm a gentle peck and letting out a cry. Doesn’t a courier like itself deserve some reward?
"Be quiet, you good little thing," Qin Liuxi chided, pinching its sharp, pointed beak and patting its head.
The obedient eagle withdrew its neck a little, seeming aggrieved, but sat down as docile as a lamb. If Huo Lang and the others could see this, they would be dumbfounded; the sovereign of the skies, as docile as a sheep.
Seeing this, Qin Liuxi pinched its neck and accepted the snacks Chen Pi handed to her, placing them in her palm and offering them to the eagle’s mouth.
The good little eagle pecked at them immediately, its eagle eyes squinting in contentment.
"Young Master, do you need to write a reply?" Chen Pi asked.
"Yes," Qin Liuxi said, "No need to grind the ink, just bring me the charcoal pencil."
Chen Pi then handed over a finely sharpened charcoal pencil and some paper.
Qin Liuxi merely wrote a few brief words, then rolled them up and stuffed them back into the small bamboo tube, fastening it again on the obedient eagle’s leg. She stroked its head and fed it a handful of snacks and water.
The affectionate eagle nuzzled her arm before taking off into the sky, circling once above the carriage while crying out, and then vanished into the horizon.
Qi Qian’s carriage rattled over, and he leaned against the door to speak with her: "Qi Qian has a question he’s quite curious about. Does Doctor Qin have a misconception about the term ’frail’?"
Blinking innocently, Qin Liuxi responded, "I have read too few books and genuinely do not know. Could Young Master Qi enlighten me?"
He looked at Qin Liuxi with a sideways glance and said, "Seeing how Doctor Qin trains such fine hawks for messaging, I would have thought a master like Doctor Qin, who can communicate with the heavens, the earth, and spirits, would use something invisible, a Yin Object, for sending messages."
Qin Liuxi retorted sharply, "Young Master Qi, such thoughts of yours must absolutely not be allowed. Do you think I possess the ability you speak of? We are living people, dwelling under the sunlit dust of the world. When communicating with others, we must use Yang Objects, not enslave ghosts and spirits—wouldn’t that scare people and be a grave sin? Besides, the Yin Objects you refer to have dignity too. How can one casually enslave them? I am not that kind of person."
Hehe, she definitely would not admit that the ghosts she had enslaved would hide at the sight of her.
See, it’s exactly that solemn pretense of ignorance, yet still he finds himself unable to do anything about it.
Meanwhile, the Ghost King awoke from a nightmare, his brow covered in cold sweat, his soul almost scattered. His newly acquired seventy-eighth concubine snuggled up to him bonelessly, cooing, "Great King, what’s wrong?"
The Ghost King stared blankly into the Void, saying, "It’s nothing, just that... Seventy-eight, do you think it would be good for this King to be reborn?"
Seventy-eight turned pale with fright: "Great King, isn’t it good to be a ghost? Why these thoughts of despair?"
The Ghost King mournfully declared, "It’s just that I suddenly remembered the days when I was crushed."
The days when he was dominated and enslaved by Demon Qin—those truly were too miserable to recall!
And just now, he had dreamt of Demon Qin, seemingly harmless, smiling and waving at him—that was truly the smile of a devil!