Wait a minute, where is my master?

After the male villager entered, the Milk Cow Demon turned around and pleasingly said to Jin Xu.

"Little Taoist, please wait a moment, once he brings that item out, my master will know I have important matters to find him."

The little Taoist nodded expressionlessly.

The two women behind him showed curious expressions.

Who knows what the spies in the Cultivation World rely on to contact their superiors?

Soon after, the male villager, taking small quick steps, ran out of his house carrying a cage.

"Sir, here's your treasure."

The villager respectfully handed over the cage to the Taiji Bull.

The Milk Cow Demon took the cage, waved at the villager, and then turned to Jin Xu with a smile.

"Hehe, Little Taoist, with this thing I can contact my master."

The little Taoist frowned upon hearing this and looked at the small cage.

Inside was a... black crow?

"Could it be some kind of spiritual bird I don't know about that can communicate over long distances, or even communicate through space? It surely can't just be using this crow to carry messages."

Jin Xu muttered to himself.

"No, this is the Nine Provinces Realm, not 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. There's no way they use crows for carrying messages here."

The little Taoist shook his head, dismissing his strange thoughts, and decided to ask how the other party intended to use the bird.

"Big Bull, how do you use this crow to contact your master?"

Before Jin Xu could speak, Yu Yaoer behind him voiced her confusion first.

"Sigh, you three don't know, this isn't just any ordinary crow."

"Hmm?"

"!?"

"???"

Doubts arose in the eyes of Jin Xu and the others.

"This is an angry crow!"

With a smug look on his simple face, the Taiji Bull began to explain this "Crow Communication Method."

Initially, his and Song Xili's method of contact was supposed to be through carrier pigeons, but as there were many villages around the academy and hunters often caught the pigeons to eat, they had to change their method.

Why choose crows then?

As everyone knows, people despise crows as bringers of bad luck, and hunters generally don't bother hunting them.

This trait greatly enhanced their safety.

Besides, these creatures hold grudges, very, very long grudges!

Mr. Song used this trait of the crows; first, he would offend the person, then capture the crow and confine it in a cage, and send it to this village. Whenever the Milk Cow Demon needed to contact him for important matters, it would just release the crow, which would then fly to the academy seeking revenge.

Whenever the windowsill of the master's room was covered with crow droppings, Song Xili knew his undercover demon servant had something important to convey.

Then, he would come to this village to meet the Milk Cow Demon.

It's worth mentioning that this method was taught to Mr. Song by Mei Shouyi.

"Old Bull here has been an undercover for dozens of years, and I've already changed eight crows. This household used to have his dad raise the crows, but five years ago, his dad passed away, and just now that lad took over his dad's job."

With a proud look on his honest face, the Taiji Bull looked at Jin Xu and the others, appearing proud of this method of communication.

"...It's a wonderful method, though it somehow feels a bit unsanitary."

The little Taoist paused for a long while and offered this assessment.

After hearing about the "Crow Communication Method," one of the women behind him appeared eager to try, while the other was considering whether this thing might be used in cooking.

"Hehe, Little Taoist, then I'm going to release this crow," said the Milk Cow Demon.

"Sure, go ahead," Jin Xu gave his nod of approval.

With Jin Xu's go-ahead, the Ox Demon opened the cage door and released the crow into the sky.

The angry crow circled a few times overhead, its black eyes sizing up the several people below, as if trying to remember something.

Then, it flew straight towards Qingmu Academy!

On the ground.

Jin Xu was walking slowly toward the village entrance with three people.

...

...

After the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, near Qingmu City.

Angry crows soared in the sky, preparing to carry out their own revenge plan.

"I am a crow, and I am now going to cleanse my own disgrace!

I remember the appearance of that human. I'm going to poop all over his window ledge!

Even though he has caught me countless times over the last five years, each time there was a horned good person who released me.

So, I will not submit..."

Accompanied by a whooshing sound, the angry crow's thoughts abruptly halted as it split in two and plummeted straight toward the ground.

In the void, the Third Elder, Yan Meishan, withdrew her palm.

She had just emerged from that mysterious space not long ago when she encountered such an unfortunate bird. Feeling already irritated, she casually cleaved the crow in two as if squishing an ant.

"Tsk, bad luck. Why are there crows in this region?"

Having said that, Yan Meishan glanced disdainfully at the ground, activated her Flying Escape Skill, and quietly flew back to the cave she came from.

...

Nightfall descended as daylight fled from the earth.

Qingmu Academy, Demon Extermination Hall.

Even though it was late, Confucian Practitioners were still coming and going at the hall's entrance.

Some of them carried demon beast heads, others toyed with their newly exchanged magical treasures, and some held rare Spirit Grass.

Others were arm-in-arm with their Taoist companions.

This hall was where Qingmu Academy usually assigned training tasks and exchanged rewards with the disciples.

Now, it had also temporarily become the headquarters for patrolling the Qing State.

In the back hall.

The Suihan Sanyou, responsible for overseeing the patrol in Qing State, sat there softly talking.

"Elder Song, I remember back in the day you sent that ox demon to be an undercover agent. Now that demon clans are causing trouble in Qing State, why don't you get some intelligence from him?"

Mei Shouyi sat unceremoniously in his chair, speaking to Mr. Song at the head of the table.

Before Mr. Song could reply, a person opposite Mr. Mei exclaimed.

"What! Didn't you tell Fairy Lan back then that after you expelled the ox from the academy, you personally killed it? It's still alive!?"

Mr. Zhu, astonished, stared at Mr. Song, who was seated at the center of the back hall.

"Yes, that ox demon is still alive. Moreover, it's said to have infiltrated a demon clan cave for ten years now. Let me tell you..."

Mr. Mei's mouth went off like a Four-Pea Shooter, rapidly sharing the details of the Taiji Bull undercover affair and the Crow Communication Method with Mr. Zhu on the other side.

Mr. Song didn't even have time to intervene and had to quickly set up a soundproof formation.

"So that's it. I was wondering why there were always crows coming to take revenge near the window of our master's room every few days. I even thought it was bad feng shui at that spot."

Mr. Zhu looked suddenly enlightened.

"Silence! Mei Shouyi! Didn't you agree to keep this a secret for me?"

After setting up the silence formation in the center of the back hall, Mr. Song used his Spiritual Sense to scan the surroundings and, finding no other masters nearby, finally relaxed.

"What's there to fear? Elder Zhu isn't an outsider. Even though he admired Mr. Lan immensely in the past, he's not going to betray you now, is he?"

Mei Shouyi appeared nonchalant and continued speaking to Mr. Zhu: "Right, Elder Zhu? You wouldn't betray Boss Song, would you?"

"..."

"Elder Zhu, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Elder Zhu?"

"Elder Zhu, where are you going!?"