Striving for Science C100 pt2

Shen Chang'an: "Why are you afraid to say it in front of Dao Nian?"

"The bird clan committed a grave error seventeen years ago, and we are filled with remorse." Kong Ying knelt before Shen Chang'an, "We know our sins are deep, and we don't ask for your immediate forgiveness, Mr. Shen, but we beg for a day when you might spare us."

"Seventeen years ago?" Shen Chang'an was startled by Kong Ying's sudden kneeling, and now, hearing him mention seventeen years ago, his expression darkened, "What do you mean by that...?"

"Back then, your father died in the line of duty, and my clan's young ones, their spiritual awareness just awakening, didn't understand good from evil. They actually fed on your father's remains. Thankfully, the Sir arrived in time and stopped them from causing further disaster. For this, I am deeply sorry." Kong Ying remained kneeling, "Sir were furious, Mr. Shen, and punished our bird clan for decades, forbidding any bird from transforming into human form. Kong Ying dares not complain…"

"If you have no resentment, then why are you here?" Shen Chang'an interrupted Kong Ying, his expression emotionless as he asked, "You say you're sorry, yet you deliberately chose to come when Dao Nian wasn't here. Isn't that because you think I'm easy to talk to?" Shen Chang'an stood up, looking down at Kong Ying kneeling before him, "Did you come here on your own initiative, or was it the elders' instructions?"

"This was my own idea, it has nothing to do with the elders of my clan." He had been unaware of this matter, and only learned from the elders a few days ago that the eagles who had gained sentience back then had consumed the remains of Shen Chang'an's father.

No wonder those eagles were later punished severely. To be able to nurture someone like Shen Chang'an, who is bathed in golden light of merit, his previous life must have been that of a great benefactor.

He was furious with those eagles. Cultivation was not easy, and they had finally gained sentience, yet they dared to eat human flesh. Who gave them the audacity?

"I guess so too." Shen Chang'an mocked with a smile, "They're smarter than you."

Kong Ying looked up at Shen Chang'an.

"Actually, I still don't know who touched my father's body after he died." Shen Chang'an's face was as cold as ice. No wonder the City God told him that his father's soul was incomplete after his death, and that it was nurtured slowly in the underworld before he was able to be reborn.

He suddenly remembered that in the letter his father left him, he mentioned a hawk. Was the hawk his father saw the one that wanted to eat him after he died?

And Dao Nian...

So, seventeen years ago, Dao Nian had already helped his father, allowing him to be reborn peacefully?

Shen Chang'an couldn't describe his current feelings. His eyes were still fixed on Kong Ying, but his thoughts had already flown far away.

"Chang'an, Chang'an." Shen Tu saw that Shen Chang'an was silent, and his heart sank. "Don't listen to this bird's nonsense." "This bird has been a bit slow-witted since it was a chick, and its words are always jumbled up. No one takes its words seriously.

Sir is just a panda, no matter how powerful, he can't decide how many offspring in a species will awaken their spiritual intelligence, right?" Shen Tu chuckled dryly, "Who would believe such illogical talk?"

"Yeah, how could a panda possibly manage all that?" Shen Chang'an nodded slowly, then suddenly asked, "So, when my dad died, was it Dao Nian who found him about to be eaten by hawks?"

"Well... I don't know." Shen Tu's tongue almost tripped over itself as he changed the subject so abruptly.

"Panda? Who's a panda? Sir is not…"

Shen Tu reached out and pressed Kong Ying's face onto the carpet, preventing him from finishing his next words: "Chang'an, don't pay any attention to this rambling fellow, I'll drag him out."

"I..." Kong Ying hadn't had time to explain before his throat went silent. He turned his head to look at Shen Tu. Did he cast a silencing spell?

What was Shen Tu trying to do, why wouldn't he let him speak?

Noticing that Kong Ying's mouth was wide open but he couldn't speak, Shen Chang'an turned his head, pretending not to see anything, and asked a crucial question: "Shen Tu, did my father's body really almost get eaten by the hawks back then?"

The room fell silent.

Fei Ying, perched on the birdcage, wished she could fly over and slap Kong Ying to death. She never imagined that Kong Ying would be so stupid.

At this time, running to Shen Chang'an and saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry, although my juniors almost ate your father's body, luckily your boyfriend saved him in time. Do you want to choose a day to forgive us?"

Who wouldn't be angry after hearing such words?

Not only Shen Chang'an, even she wanted to smash his walnut-sized brain.

"Chirp chirp chirp." The little phoenix, oblivious to everything, was still flapping its wings to attract Shen Chang'an's attention, waiting for him to come over and hold it.

Fei Ying was so worried that her feathers were falling out. Was this a good time to be cute?

Originally, Shen Chang'an was in a bad mood, and thinking about the two birds he was fostering in the house, he threw them out the door with Kong Ying in a fit of anger. In the end, they would be the ones who suffered.

The big one was not easy to deal with, and the small one was no better.

Fei Ying stretched out her wings and boldly pressed the little phoenix back into the bird's nest.

Little ancestor, shut your beak now!

Shen Tu didn't know how to answer Shen Chang'an's question. He turned his head and looked at the birdcage, pressing down on Fei Ying, the little phoenix who was curled up in a ball, and sighed, "Chang'an, this happened seventeen years ago."

"I understand, it seems this is true." Shen Chang'an nodded, "I'll ask Dao Nian when he comes back…"

"What do you want to ask me?" Dao Nian strode into the room, seeing Kong Ying there, he frowned, "How did he get here?"

Shen Tu quickly used the sound transmission technique to tell Dao Nian what had happened.

Dao Nian fell silent.

How could he make Chang'an believe that although he was just a panda, he was a panda who could shake the heavens and move the earth?

Shen Tu looked at Dao Nian with sympathy. He thought that even if Chang'an liked the master and had a natural trust in him, it would be too difficult for the master to deceive him again with Chang'an's intelligence.

Thinking about this, Shen Tu glanced at Kong Ying. Was this brainless bird deliberately trying to cause trouble?

Dao Nian felt a little guilty and didn't dare to look at Shen Chang'an. He turned around and pointed a finger at Kong Ying's forehead: "Are you clear-headed now?"

"I..." Kong Ying regained his senses, dazed and confused. He patted his head, "What was I doing just now?" He inexplicably felt that if he told Shen Chang'an everything, he would be forgiven, and the phenomenon of no young birds in the bird race opening their spiritual intelligence for nearly twenty years would be improved?

Now that he had come to his senses, he was sweating profusely.

Was he crazy just now? How could he do such a thing?

Thinking of the elders' hard work and efforts, which might be reduced to ashes because of his momentary impulse, thinking of the future of the bird race, Kong Ying's face instantly turned pale. He knelt before Dao Nian, speechless, unable to utter a word of defense.

Shen Tu also sensed something was wrong. Although Kong Ying was a bit slow-witted, he wasn't so stupid as to do this: "He's been cursed?"

"Someone is controlling his mind, making him lose his reason." Dao Nian sneered, "It seems this person is very dissatisfied with the current situation and thinks that the bird race's little thing should be raised by them."

Otherwise, why would they go to such lengths to stir up trouble?

Hearing Dao Nian say this, Kong Ying's face turned even paler. He had implicated the entire bird race...

He hurriedly raised his head, looking at Shen Chang'an, wanting to speak but stopping himself. In the end, he chose silence. He had brought things to this point, what could he say, what could he do? It was all futile.

"Chang'an…"

"Let him go out first, I don't want to see him now." Shen Chang'an turned his head, his emotions seemed a little low.

Shen Tu took Kong Ying away, and the room became quiet again. The sunlight outside was lying on the curtains, adding a few bright colors to the room.

"I..." Dao Nian didn't know how much Shen Chang'an knew. He walked to Shen Chang'an's side, reaching out to hold Shen Chang'an's hand. Chang'an didn't pull away.

"There are some things I don't know how to tell you." Dao Nian hesitated for a moment, "This is the first time I've felt scared, I'm always worried that if I say some things, you'll leave me…"

"Wait." Shen Chang'an interrupted Dao Nian, he patted Dao Nian, "Squat down."

Dao Nian squatted down, puzzled.

Shen Chang'an immediately jumped onto his back: "Let's go to the room and talk, don't let anyone else hear, even the bird can't listen."

Fei Ying: "..."

She's a bird, why is she being forced to eat dog food?

With someone on his back, Dao Nian was much more careful. He used his hand to support Shen Chang'an's butt, and asked with a serious expression: "Chang'an, are you acting cute?"

"Yeah, in front of a thousand-year-old panda, I'm still a baby." Reaching out to hook Dao Nian's neck, Shen Chang'an dragged out his voice, "A little baby is acting cute, you're not going to coax him, what do you want to do?"

Dao Nian: "..."

Want to do it, do you.

He carried Shen Chang'an slowly up the stairs, taking his time. The slower his pace, the further away he would be from Chang'an's anger, or even his displeasure.

Pushing open the bedroom door, Dao Nian placed Shen Chang'an on the bed.

"Come." Shen Chang'an patted the empty space beside him. "Sit down and tell me slowly."

Dao Nian hesitated for a moment, but chose to sit obediently.

"Panda?"

Dao Nian shook his head, transforming into a panda and leaping into Shen Chang'an's arms. Maybe Chang'an would let things slide, turning a big issue into a small one, if he saw him as a cute panda?

"Did you learn to be cute all by yourself?" Shen Chang'an hugged Dao Nian, rubbing his fur repeatedly. "Dao Nian, you're getting spoiled."

"Men are more likable when they're a little bad." Dao Nian kicked his legs, looking like an innocent baby panda.

"Oh?" Shen Chang'an poked the short panda tail, "But I prefer honest and reliable men, you know."

Dao Nian's cutesy act froze, and after a while, he slowly said, "Actually, I'm not a panda spirit."

"Hmm." Shen Chang'an nodded while continuing to rub the panda's ears.

"I'm not just a thousand years old." Dao Nian asked very seriously, "Would you mind the age difference?"

"As long as you truly love each other and have the ability to discern right from wrong, then everything else is not a problem." Shen Chang'an pulled on the panda's chubby cheeks.

“Even though I’m not a panda, I can transform into anything you like. Would you dislike me?”

"Heh," Shen Chang'an raised an eyebrow, "Continue."

"From the moment I was born and became aware, it's probably been hundreds of thousands of years…"

"Then there's quite an age gap between us."

Dao Nian: "So you still dislike me for my age?"

"Should I explain to you, or should you explain to me?" Shen Chang'an rubbed the fur on Dao Nian's body, reluctant to pat him hard. "Tell me, then we still have to go to Uncle Zhang's house for dinner."

Dao Nian: "..."

Actually, Heavenly Dao's age is something you can't ask about.