NOVEL WEB Chapter 002 – Lord Yaoguang
Jinshi Island had vast land and few people, with each household having a large yard. In the summer, the villagers were accustomed to eating in their yards.
Da Linzi's house was a few streets away from the small inn. The front featured five local-style tile-roofed rooms, and the yard's black wooden door was wide open. Two dishes were already set on the table under the pergola.
As soon as they entered the gate, Da Linzi's second aunt, Qin Yunmei, came out to greet them.
Qin Yunmei carefully observed her eldest niece, whom she hadn't seen in almost three years, and found that the girl looked even better than before.
Under the yellow light in the yard, she was dazzling at first glance...
Her features hadn't changed much, still with large, phoenix eyes, a high nose bridge, and skin that was almost glowing white.
But she seemed different from before, perhaps having matured, looking even more beautiful than three years ago. Her entire demeanor had changed.
It seemed that the spiritual aura of the three generations of the old Xiong family had all concentrated on her alone!
Qin Yunmei, having no daughter of her own, had no other thoughts, only feeling that Zhao Zhao was much prettier than the daughter Qin Qing had later.
Thinking of Qin Qing's constant flaunting, Qin Yunmei couldn't help but feel a bit smug. Your flaunting can't compare to my eldest niece.
She and Zhao Zhao's mother were from the same village, and though not closely related, they were indeed distant relatives. They often interacted when she visited her parents' home.
These myriad thoughts passed in an instant. Qin Yunmei quickly came over, warmly holding Zhao Zhao's hand and asking about her well-being.
In truth, Zhao Zhao could barely stand her second aunt's exaggerated enthusiasm, and she finally managed to escape into the main room.
Lifting the curtain, she saw a young man lounging and eating watermelon.
"Brother Jin is home too," she greeted first.
Xiong Jin responded casually, inviting her to sit, without much enthusiasm.
He wore flip-flops, beach shorts, and a top sports brand T-shirt, costing at least five or six hundred yuan. He was dressed much better than Da Linzi, who helped at home without any income.
Thinking of her silly brother who couldn't even save up 199 yuan...
Zhao Zhao's eyes darkened momentarily as she heard Da Linzi outside, repeatedly calling his father to see his treasure.
Da Linzi had found a clean spot to display and admire his new treasures: a diving suit, an oxygen tank, flippers, a respirator, goggles, diving gloves, a weight belt, a diving bag, and even a watch and a knife.
He exclaimed in surprise at each item he took out, and Zhao Zhao found her silly brother particularly adorable.
"There's an oxygen machine at the inn. In a few days, I'll take you diving in the sea. Don't go by yourself for now."
Da Linzi agreed to everything Zhao Zhao said.
Xiong Jin came over to take a look, flipping through the items. "This kind isn't available in town. It must be expensive, and it's foreign-made." She smiled without saying a word.
Her second uncle grumbled about her wasting money, recognizing that the high-quality equipment was not cheap, but Qin Yunmei was just as happy as Da Linzi upon hearing its value.
Taking the opportunity, Zhao Zhao informed them that she wouldn't be leaving the island for a while and hoped to reopen her grandfather's small inn. She suggested that if Da Linzi had no chores at home, he could help her out.
While Da Linzi was delighted with this idea, the others didn't quite understand her decision.
Qin Yunmei and Xiong Jin remained silent, but her second uncle considered it carefully before advising, "Zhao Zhao, you graduated from a good university and could find a respectable job, right? The number of tourists to the island has been declining every year. Nowadays, visitors to the geological park head back to Changshan Island after their tours. The Dragon King Temple area is bustling with tourism, but our guesthouses remain empty even during peak seasons. If your grandfather were still here, he wouldn't want you to take over the inn. He'd want you to go out and live a good life."
Zhao Zhao wasn't upset by his words; instead, she felt happy. He was one of the few elders left who would say such things to her.
Perhaps her little aunt would, too, but she lived too far away to visit often.
"Second Uncle, happiness is what makes a good life. I love the sea, and my grandfather is here. This is my home. Wandering aimlessly outside can't compare to being at home."
Xiong Haitao pondered for a while longer. His brother's only child, his father's treasured granddaughter, was indeed beautiful. Keeping her under the watchful eyes of their clan felt safer. While the outside world might offer more money, it also came with risks.
Weighing the pros and cons, he decided that as long as she was happy, that was what mattered. With a prestigious university degree, she wouldn't starve.
He gave up on persuading her otherwise.
After dinner, Xiong Haitao escorted her to the door, reminding her to let Da Linzi know if she wanted any vegetables. They had plenty in their backyard.
Thanks to her sharp senses, Zhao Zhao noticed her second aunt rolling her eyes in the dark. It took all her effort not to laugh out loud.
Life at home felt so vibrant!
Back at the small inn, Zhao Zhao settled in. Just as she lay down, a large white bird, about a meter and a half in length, fluttered out from her bracelet.
Zhao Zhao wasn't startled; she was used to it.
She sighed, "Yaoguang, I've told you before, white cockatoos aren't this big. Shrink down a bit."
The white parrot spoke in a voice like a seven or eight-year-old boy, "This is the minimum size I can manage. Any smaller, and I wouldn't look majestic."
"Then transform into a macaw. Macaws are this size." She opened a search engine to show it pictures of macaws.
The white bird leaned in, "Aren't there any white ones? I used to be white."
Zhao Zhao was speechless.
"You're a spirit artifact; you can be any color. You need to refine your aesthetics, Lord Yaoguang!"
The first time she met this creature, she had been genuinely frightened.
This white parrot, Yaoguang, was the spirit of the blue bracelet on her wrist.
To explain, her grandfather had left her this bracelet on his deathbed, claiming it could repel water.
She hadn't believed him at the time, thinking he was delirious.
It was a simple-looking bracelet, like a mix of platinum and blue sapphire. Intricate silver-white inscriptions wrapped around a blue stone, giving off an aura of mysterious elegance.
As her grandfather's relic, she would have treasured it even if it were plastic. After his funeral, she had worn it continuously.
For several months, nothing unusual happened. Then, one day, while she was alone in her dormitory, the bracelet spoke.
Still mourning her grandfather, Zhao Zhao initially thought she had lost her mind.
Whenever she was alone, the bracelet wouldn't stop talking, babbling about fantastical things, urging her to become its master and unlock an ancient realm to start cultivating and achieve greatness.
With such a lively companion, she couldn't stay depressed for long.
According to Yaoguang, her grandfather had found it at sea. Zhao Zhao, possessing a water spirit root, had awakened the bracelet's spirit, Yaoguang, by wearing it continuously.
The spirit claimed a strong connection with her and her grandfather, eagerly trying to get closer.
Only by being recognized as its master by someone with a water spirit root could the spirit of Yaoguang escape its confines.
Regardless of her belief, Zhao Zhao couldn't discard her grandfather's keepsake due to its noisiness.
In the end, she followed the talkative spirit's advice, deciding to give it a try.
She smeared her fingertip blood on the third line of inscriptions on the bracelet, binding herself to the so-called treasure.
From that moment, her belief in science was forever altered.
When the blood touched the inscriptions, her surroundings instantly transformed into a lush, verdant world.
Prepared for the unexpected and coming from the coastal Jinshi Island, Zhao Zhao wasn't shocked by the sudden change. However, she was startled by the monstrous creature that flew toward her.
A massive white furball with a large mouth and no other features.
What kind of monster was this?
Instinctively, Zhao Zhao turned and ran, hearing a familiar voice behind her, confusedly asking why she was running, claiming to be Yaoguang.
Zhao Zhao found the creature's appearance rather pitiful, even feeling a bit of sympathy.
Later, she learned that it was Yaoguang's own aesthetic choice. Bigger meant more imposing, and having a mouth to speak was enough. Other facial features were deemed unnecessary.
As a spirit, Yaoguang had no fixed form and could transform at will.
Zhao Zhao couldn't stand its practical yet jarring appearance, so she suggested it turn into a talking bird—a parrot. That way, it wouldn’t have to avoid talking to humans in the outside world.
Who knew that once Yaoguang turned into a parrot, it would still favor being large!
“Pick a species; you need to fit into the outside world’s logic. A macaw is beautiful! How about the red-and-green macaw? When it spreads its wings, it looks like a phoenix.”
Yaoguang seriously examined the phone and commented, “Doesn’t it have more blue feathers? Why isn’t it called a red-and-blue macaw?”
Yao·The-Source-of-Endless-Questions·Guang was online.
It turned its bird head towards Zhao Zhao and asked, “What’s the point of resembling a phoenix? Why can’t I just become a phoenix?”
Zhao Zhao shook out her quilt, dislodging it, and lay down, exasperated. “If that happens, not only will I be unable to protect you, even if your former master came back to life, they might not be able to. Times have changed; can you cultivators’ physical bodies withstand fighter jets or nuclear missiles?”
Upon hearing this, Yaoguang found a new angle to persuade its master to work hard. It excitedly said, “And you still have the nerve to sleep? Get up and practice your cultivation so you can protect Lord Yaoguang properly! You’ve been at the Foundation Establishment level for three years after eating the Di Mai fruit. Even a dog would progress faster after eating it!”
“Fine, I’ll get a dog tomorrow and you can try supervising it.”
With a thud, Lord Yaoguang fell to the foot of the bed, splaying out dramatically.
The drama didn’t last long. It soon gave up, flew up, and transformed into a red-and-green macaw. Its expression was lively and elegant, its appearance identical to the image on the phone.
It admired its left wing, then the right, then twisted its head to inspect its long tail feathers, appearing very pleased.
Before closing her eyes, Zhao Zhao reminded it, “You can’t just keep a macaw in China. If the police ask, you’re a wild, ownerless bird. Got it?”