I Have a Golden Crow-Chapter 578 - 419 The Lost Bamboo

The battle of the deep valley gradually drew to a close.

The people of the Purple Lion Corps and their demon pets were killed or scattered in flight, with none of their past arrogance and wantonness remaining.

What no one expected was that the last demon beast to fight until the end turned out to be the Mountain Giant of the Two Lions.

This stone man, made entirely from fragments of rock, had a head of stone as well. Perhaps it wasn't very clever, or perhaps its heart was as steadfast as granite.

Either way, under the combined attack of the Heaven Returning Wood and Rose General Spirit, this huge stone man finally crumbled into a pile of rubble.

That Demon General·Yue Mountain Lion naturally didn't escape his fate either.

Demon beasts with such great strength and matured intelligence, once they resolve to fight to the death, simply can't be taken as one's own.

With the Rotten Wood Dragon Fish's overwhelming might, Yue Mountain Lion was finally beheaded.

"Come back, you've worked hard." Yang Qingqing gently patted the tree trunk with one hand.

"Shasha~" The Heaven Returning Wood shook its tattered, chaotic branches and leaves, its giant body dissolving into endless Wood Demon Breath that surged into Yang Qingqing's body.

By her side, the Rose General Spirit also extended a flower vine, lightly brushing the woman's palm.

"Puff~"

As rich demon breath poured into her palm, the woman weighed the dagger in her hand and handed it to Du Yu.

Du Yu accepted the exquisite dagger, looked at the lightning groove on its hilt, and immediately said, "Bu Gu also has one, but his is set with blue gemstones, also a thunder element demon soldier."

Yang Qingqing didn't care much, just tilting her head up to look at the Rotten Wood Dragon Fish blotting out the sky.

After a while, she spoke: "Big Lion is still nowhere to be found. Be careful."

Du Yu: "That old fellow ran off?"

"Rose didn't catch him. Let the lynx look for him."

Du Yu hesitated for a moment, but decided not to let sand and dust sweep through the bamboo forest, summoning Bai Yujing instead.

"Nai~" Linked in mind, Xiaobai let his mist drift outward.

Gradually, Du Yu seemed to notice something.

So in the vision he'd seen, the "miasma" lingering in the bamboo forest was actually the celestial aura of the Dust Spirit Deer clan…

He waited patiently for a moment, then spoke: "Master Qing, there are no living beings left in the bamboo forest. That old man must have run far away."

Yang Qingqing nodded; that elder loved his life too much and couldn't possibly hide here waiting to be killed.

Du Yu continued: "There's a courtyard in the bamboo forest."

"Let's go."

Du Yu called Xiaoyan back, turned his head and shouted, "Baojun, find us when you finish absorbing the demon crystals."

"Meow~"

From a distance came Lord Baojun's satisfied, drawn-out screech.

Bai Yujing moved through the bamboo forest for a long while. As Du Yu squeezed his legs on the deer's flank, the mist surrounding them thinned somewhat.

Within the purple bamboo courtyard stood only a single house, though it was fairly spacious.

Du Yu swung down from the deer and strode forward, kicking the wooden door open with one foot.

Inside, the room was cluttered and chaotic, making Yang Qingqing's brows knit slightly.

A messy house was nothing strange.

But messy and depraved mess showed a very different character.

Du Yu was a bit stunned as well—not so much because of the mess itself, but because the place was stuffed with one thing: bones!

All kinds of bone artifacts, in bewildering variety, nearly made Du Yu's eyes cross.

If Bu Gu collected gold, jewels, demon crystals or demon weapons, that would make sense to Du Yu, but collecting bones?

"Clatter~"

As he searched, Du Yu accidentally brushed against some hanging bone wind chimes. The fragments knocked together, giving off a series of rattling sounds.

Du Yu couldn't help but grimace. What kind of kink is this…

"On the wall." Yang Qingqing spoke softly.

Du Yu looked up and saw two bone sabers hanging crossed above the bed's headboard, mounted on the bamboo wall.

Damn~

Didn't they worry while cozied up together in bed that a bone saber might fall and chop them both up?

Du Yu raised his left hand, and a swirling wind-and-fire vortex spun outward.

The bone sabers on the bamboo wall trembled, then instantly flew toward Du Yu.

"Pa!" Du Yu caught one, flicking the other great saber into the air in passing.

This snowy white great saber was pure as ivory, with not a speck of discoloration—wholly made of bone.

On its hilt, there was a web-like network of hairline cracks.

This was actually a demon soldier?

And an earth element demon soldier at that.

Du Yu's finger glided along the two-meter blade as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Jingle, jingle~" Yang Qingqing summoned over the other bone great saber, looking it up and down.

Du Yu: "Master Qing, according to Bu Gu, these two sabers were made from the remains of the Yue Mountain Lion.

There's an earth element demon soldier array embedded above; they can split boulders and rend the earth. Their effect is about the same as the Demon Skill · Earth Splitting Palm."

In the Shadow Gu Tower, Bu Gu was no longer the hard man he'd been when his body was cut down.

Under the "tutelage" of the Shadow Gu Tower, the former Purple Lion Corps leader had turned into a blabbermouth good boy.

"Mm." Yang Qingqing casually tossed the bone great saber to Du Yu. "Anything else?"

"Nope." Du Yu's expression was a little odd. "Bu Gu says he's got another mountain elsewhere, with over a hundred guards devoted to protecting his countless treasures…"

Yang Qingqing waved this off. "We're here for the Tai Sui Bamboo, not to wipe out bandits.

Once we have the Tai Sui Bamboo, we're leaving—delay invites trouble. This is our most important, and only, mission."

Du Yu: "Uh…"

"Let's go." With that, Yang Qingqing headed outside.

Du Yu tossed the two bone great sabers into the Sea Realm with a flick of his wrist.

He stared around at the room of bone artifacts, and after confirming for the third time that everything was mortal grade, he finally left.

To be honest, never mind the bone sabers hanging above the bed—even the dagger Bu Gu carried, Du Yu had never seen him actually use.

Clearly, compared to demon soldiers, the demon tamers of the Purple Lion Corps put more faith in the power of their demon pets than their own martial arts.

"Swish~"

Du Yu drew the ruby dagger from his waist, flipping it in his hand, secretly lamenting.

The bone sabers were earth demon soldiers, and the red-and-blue gem double daggers were thunder demon soldiers.

As for me, all about pure fire—

What use do I have for these, huh?

Yang Qingqing turned slightly, catching a glimpse of Du Yu fiddling with the dagger, just like a kid with a new toy.

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Du Yu's growth was visible to the naked eye.

This was a truly brutal battle, and in it, Du Yu's performance would have shocked anyone.

Looking over the field, every enemy was above general level.

Yet Du Yu kept his head crystal clear, making flawless use of his strengths.

Riding the momentum of his earlier "snowball," he could even eliminate enemy troops and handle a situation well above his own level—like it was nothing.

As for Du Yu's strength and skills, Yang Qingqing had no doubts whatsoever.

The key was Du Yu's attitude.

He seemed… almost too calm?

He wasn't overly excited or joyful, nor did he revel in conquest and slaughter.

You have to understand, most demon tamers in the world get obsessed with the feeling of lording over life and death once their desire for conquest is sated.

But Du Yu… hmm, he seemed more interested in his new toys.

He was exactly as he'd said before: I know who my enemies are, and I know what I'm doing. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Yang Qingqing even realized that Du Yu's emotional ups and downs in this fight were far milder than the swings he'd had back on the bus!

That too was a kind of growth.

His mind was ever more mature…

Or maybe, this time, nobody insulted his master?

Lost in thought, Yang Qingqing couldn't help but feel a little odd.

"The bamboo, Master Qing!" Du Yu's voice suddenly broke her reverie.

Yang Qingqing looked up and saw a stalk of bamboo, far thicker and taller than the others, standing in the distance.

With a tap of her toes, the woman's figure drifted lightly down in front of the giant purple bamboo.

Du Yu hurried after, finally grinning with genuine delight.

Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo!

Even with this whole stretch of purple bamboo here, making it clear the long-lost Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo was nearby—

To see its true form appear before him still filled Du Yu with elation.

The sense of accomplishment from recovering the Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo far overshadowed anything he'd got from finishing off Bu Gu himself.

Yang Qingqing pressed her hand against the huge purple bamboo: "You've been away from home a long time."

"Shasha~"

The giant purple bamboo swayed gently, its leaves whispering high above, as if replying to the lady.

She lifted her head, gazing up at the lofty purple cane. "We come from Great Xia, to bring you home."

"Buzz!!!"

The Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo started to vibrate, humming loudly!

In an instant, currents of electricity crackled through the purple bamboo forest.

Yang Qingqing's lips curved in a faint smile. With a sweep of her hand, a Chi Bear appeared silently beside her.

Du Yu had thought the Forbidden City would be overjoyed to the point of flying around.

But unexpectedly, the Forbidden City lowered her head before her master, eyes brimming with guilt.

"Hm?" Yang Qingqing glanced at her beloved pet, easily sensing her mood.

She lifted a hand, lightly patting the Forbidden City's furry cheek, and soothed gently, "You're still young.

The battle just now wasn't one you could join in. Don't blame yourself."

The Forbidden City hung her head, clutching her big bear paws tight.

Watching the response, Du Yu suddenly understood.

Actually, the Forbidden City was no small fry by now.

She was a Spirit Level warrior, already respected by her tribe, strong enough to be called a great force in her own right.

Yet…

In searching for the main body—Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo—she hadn't been able to help at all.

She could only stay obediently in the Acupoint Home, not daring to show up rashly, afraid to disrupt her master's fighting rhythm or become a burden by accident.

Yang Qingqing's tone was gentle, as she ruffled Forbidden City's face. "Work hard when we get back.

For now, say hi to the Thunder Bamboo. I'll put you both into the Jiangshan Map in a bit."

"Wuu!" Forbidden City lifted her head, looking at the Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo. She stretched out both bear paws, pressing them to the purple bamboo joint.

"Crack!"

A sudden bolt shot from the purple bamboo!

But instead of blasting the Forbidden City away, it enveloped her completely?

"Whew~"

The giant Thunder Bamboo suddenly shrank, like an ancient spiritual artifact, fusing instantly into Forbidden City's body.

Du Yu: ???

Yang Qingqing was caught off guard as well.

This was…

The Tai Sui Bamboo is a demon soldier?

And a divine weapon at that, comparable to the Mountain Fire Saber, able to be kept in an Acupoint Home?

Wait, that's not right.

The Chi Bear, as a beast race member, shouldn't have an Acupoint Home.

And there'd been no contract between bear and bamboo; the Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo simply went straight into Forbidden City's body.

So what is the true relationship between Tai Sui Bamboo and the Chi Bear Race…

"Geez." Du Yu scratched his head.

To put it indelicately, the grand Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo was just like a fledgling swallow returning home…

This was really a reunion with kin—

Really, it just missed home!

"Woooo~!" Forbidden City was wrapped in crackling lightning, and she roared skyward, shaking the purple bamboo forest.

The two teachers and students waited patiently until Forbidden City finally calmed down.

Following the feelings flowing through the contract, Yang Qingqing nodded lightly. "Alright, come on back. Let's take the bamboo home."

"Puff~"

Forbidden City laid a big bear paw on the woman's shoulder, melting into rich demon breath that merged into Master Qing's body.

And right then, Yang Qingqing's body abruptly seized up.

Her beautiful eyes widened a little, as countless arcs of electricity flickered across her irises.

"Whoosh~" The wind and waves surged!

Du Yu shielded his face and staggered back again and again.

Electric light blazed in Yang Qingqing's eyes as she flailed with a hand, sliding sideways until she caught hold of a purple bamboo stalk.

The Tai Sui Thunder Bamboo within her seemed to be expressing gratitude?

Utterly pure thunder energy washed through her body, as if awakening every cell within her.

Du Yu grit his teeth against the swirling gusts, even finding it hard to breathe. "Master Qing, are you about to break through?"

Without thinking, the woman unconsciously squeezed the piece of purple bamboo in her palm to splinters. "Mmm… mn."

So,

The opportunity I've been searching for has been here all along.