Daily Leisure

Luya and the others had been here for a long time, but they basically hadn't gone out for any recreational activities. They just played mahjong and cards or watched TV in the zoo.

But now Zhu Feng had arrived. He had descended to the Human Realm with a vacation mindset and had been building a house for Duan Jiaze recently. Duan Jiaze felt bad seeing how hard he was working.

Moreover, Duan Jiaze himself had been a bit tired recently and hadn't had any vacation. Seeing that the restaurant had stabilized and the Aquarium wasn't overwhelmingly busy yet, he decided to invite everyone out to have some fun and relax for a change.

Since they still had to work during the day, they could only go out at night. Duan Jiaze intentionally only brought along those who had been dispatched, not even people like Hu Dawei, to avoid blowing their cover.

Duan Jiaze also gave everyone a few hundred yuan in cash, saying, "If you see anything you like, please don't turn leaves into fake money to pay for it. Earning money isn't easy. If this isn't enough, just come to me, and I'll pay with a QR code."

Everyone looked at Duan Jiaze with contempt. "Turn leaves? You've watched too much TV, haven't you?"

Duan Jiaze: "...No? Then what do you use to conjure it?"

"We don't need to use anything to conjure it. Even if we did, rest assured, it would be more real than real money and would never turn back into leaves."

Yousu said this while grabbing Duan Jiaze's hand, complaining, "I've heard there are a lot of human traffickers in society. Zoo Director, let's hold hands. What if someone tries to target me?"

Everyone: "..."

Jingwei's human form looked fourteen or fifteen years old, already past the category of a child, while Yousu still looked like an adorable loli.

Therefore, although Yousu's words seemed logical on the surface, just thinking about how this loli was a Nine-tailed Fox—and the very one who toppled the Shang Dynasty—was enough to make one speechless.

—The ones who should be worried are the human traffickers!

Holding Yousu's soft little hand and seeing her trust, Duan Jiaze couldn't help but say guiltily, "No, big sis, holding my hand is useless. You should hold Little Bear's or the Daoist Lord's hand. That would be more intimidating."

Xiong Siqian gave Yousu a silly smile.

Luya, on the other hand, rolled his eyes.

...Of those two, Yousu didn't want to hold either of their hands.

Duan Jiaze was helpless against this ancestor, so he held her hand and said, "Alright then, let's go catch the last bus..."

The massive Lingyou Zoo had yet to buy an official vehicle. They had previously rented a minibus for a short period to transport the monks, but they didn't renew the rental after buying them electric scooters for commuting.

And so, Duan Jiaze, in this incredibly awesome manner, led a group of great deities to take the public bus——

After this bus reached the city, they still had to transfer to get to one of the most bustling commercial areas in the urban district, Longmen Square.

Duan Jiaze, Luya, Yousu, Bai Suzhen, Xiao Qing, Xiong Siqian, Zhu Feng, and Jingwei made a group of eight. This procession was very eye-catching. Duan Jiaze walked at the front, holding Yousu's hand. Following them were either handsome men and beautiful women, or astonishingly built figures like Xiong Siqian and Zhu Feng. The rate at which heads turned was extremely high.

Finally getting a night to relax, everyone agreed with Duan Jiaze's suggestion to experience human life. So, Duan Jiaze followed a conventional plan: first, he would take them to dinner, then to a movie, and finally for some barbecue.

It was peak time, and they had to wait for a table everywhere. Duan Jiaze took a number and told everyone to sit down and wait.

Yousu said with a smile, "Thank you, Zoo Director. I've never had to wait for a table before."

Duan Jiaze: "..."

...He couldn't tell at all whether Yousu's tone was complimentary or critical.

Just then, two beautifully dressed girls walked over, looking a little embarrassed. They shyly looked at Luya. "Excuse me for bothering you, but... could I have your WeChat ID?"

In their group, there were only three girls: Bai Suzhen, Jingwei, and Yousu. Bai Suzhen looked rather mature and stood very close to Xiao Qing. Jingwei looked like a middle school student, and as for Yousu, who was holding Duan Jiaze's hand, there was even less to say.

The two girls sized them up for a long time before mustering the courage to come over and hit on him.

This situation wasn't unexpected. Luya's appearance was outstanding, and his aura was imposing, making him particularly conspicuous in a crowd. He usually stayed at the zoo, but just that one time he made a public appearance, countless girls had flirted with or hit on him. Many people had been staring at him on their way here as well.

Now that someone had bravely come to hit on him, everyone watched with interest. Most of those present had never seen how Luya would handle it.

But Luya was completely unromantic. Without even glancing at them, he said coldly, "No."

One of the girls, unwilling to give up, tried again in a slightly coquettish tone, "Really? Why not? Handsome, don't be so cold."

Luya said impatiently, "No. You are merely ordinary members of the Human Race."

The girls: "............"

The two exchanged a look. They hadn't expected that after finally meeting a super handsome guy, he would turn out to have a severe case of chuunibyou. They walked away with complicated expressions.

......

Duan Jiaze almost laughed until he cried. He said to the others, "As expected of the Daoist Lord."

Yousu said with great (apparent) respect, "He did achieve the Dao early, after all."

Luya shot them a fierce glare but couldn't find anything to retort with, so he snorted coldly to show his disdain.

When it was their turn, the waiter led them to their seats. Seeing Duan Jiaze holding Yousu's hand, the waiter smiled and said, "Is this your daughter? She's so cute."

Duan Jiaze & Yousu: "..."

This was truly an awkward misunderstanding. Duan Jiaze quickly said, "No, this is my younger sister."

"My apologies," the waiter said quickly. "I made a mistake. But your sister is really pretty and cute. She looks just like you."

This was a blatant lie. Duan Jiaze didn't think he and Yousu looked alike at all, but he still replied casually, "Thanks."

The eight of them sat in a private room. It was the busiest time, so the waiter put down the menus and left, telling them to call when they were ready to order.

As soon as they were seated, Luya said with schadenfreude, "Fox, Duan Jiaze looks like your father."

His tone was practically asking for a beating. The Daoist Lord always fired shots recklessly, relying on the fact that no one could defeat him.

Yousu was also a little frustrated. This was a consequence of her young-looking human form. The advantage was being free from harassment by adults; the disadvantage was being easily taken advantage of in situations like this. But Yousu didn't let it show on her face. She patted her chest and said with seeming innocence, "Good thing I was holding the Zoo Director's hand. Otherwise, according to the Zoo Director's suggestion, wouldn't that mean..."

As she spoke, she revealed an expression of hidden disgust.

Luya, Xiong Siqian: "..."

Duan Jiaze was speechless at Yousu's willingness to acknowledge him as her father just to take a jab at Luya. He coughed dryly twice. "Later, we're going to watch a 3D movie. The Immortal Realm doesn't have this, right?"

This did pique everyone's interest, and the topic shifted at once as they began to discuss it.

Actually, the Immortal Realm was also very advanced; they had things like the internet. But movie theaters were something they really didn't have. After all, since no one even made movies, there was no way for related technology to develop.

However, everyone was quite dismissive of the special effects Duan Jiaze described. Effects of that level actually needed to be faked?

During the movie, they were split into two rows. Yousu sat to Duan Jiaze's left, and Luya sat to his right. Everyone was quite serious about observing human technology.

But even this special effects blockbuster had a romantic subplot, especially at the end when the male and female leads shared a passionate kiss. It was such a sloppy kiss that their lips wouldn't part for a long time.

Duan Jiaze saw other parents covering their children's eyes and wondered if he should do the same. So he turned to cover Yousu's eyes.

Yousu dodged him. "Thank you, but there's no need."

'At least pretend for a moment,' Duan Jiaze thought. But when he sat back down, he saw Luya looking down one moment and then at the screen the next, fidgeting restlessly. He seemed to have the air of being too ashamed to look directly, yet even more ashamed of his own shyness...

'I didn't expect the Daoist Lord to be so innocent,' Duan Jiaze mused. Very considerately, he used both hands to cover Luya's 3D glasses, blocking his view, and said with a grin, "I'll let you know when this part is over."

The tips of Luya's ears turned red. "You... you... you..."

Duan Jiaze hadn't thought much of it at first, but Luya's reaction made him feel as if he had just flirted with someone... It felt kind of gay.

But letting go now would seem like he was trying to hide something. So Duan Jiaze awkwardly kept his hands there, thinking, 'Thank goodness the Daoist Lord can't see my expression.' He waited until the main characters finished kissing before sheepishly letting go, pretending nothing had happened.

Luya had probably never encountered such a situation before. After stammering a few words, he neither hit nor cursed him. Instead, he fell silent and didn't say a word until after the post-credits scene was over.

......

After the movie, Duan Jiaze dragged everyone from Longmen Square to Haibin Road for barbecue. This road was by the sea and had many late-night snack shops. It was also a popular spot for dates and strolls on weekends and in the evenings.

As soon as Jingwei saw the sea, she said, "You guys go ahead and eat. I'm going to fill the sea for a while."

Duan Jiaze sweat-dropped. "...Alright, go on, but come back soon."

Duan Jiaze used to hang out with his classmates a lot during college, so he expertly led the group to a late-night snack shop and ordered food. It was Monday, so it wasn't too crowded. They sat at an outdoor table, and the evening sea breeze was very pleasant.

Thinking of Jingwei, who had just gone to skip stones, Duan Jiaze suddenly asked, "Daoist Lord, Jingwei looks a lot like a crow. So, does she count as a crow or not?"

Luya: "She doesn't."

Duan Jiaze: "She doesn't? Then what's the difference between a Three-legged Golden Crow and a regular crow? Is there reproductive isolation?"

Luya: "..."

Duan Jiaze: "Aren't you the last Three-legged Golden Crow? If you're reproductively isolated from all other bird species, does that mean... you've lost the ability to reproduce and are functionally extinct?"

Luya said, annoyed, "You're such a pervert, always asking these kinds of questions."

'Is this question really that perverted?' Duan Jiaze hurriedly raised his hands to clarify to everyone, "I'm not. This is the first time I've asked him this kind of question. I'm just having an academic discussion. After all, among everyone here, you're the rarest, Daoist Lord."

The way the Daoist Lord said it, if he didn't clarify, everyone might think he was always asking lewd questions.

Yousu said leisurely, "The Zoo Director just wants to know why the Daoist Lord is still single. Actually, after cultivating a Dao body, one's origins no longer matter. Of course, it's certain that a second pure-blooded Three-legged Golden Crow can never appear in the world again. In short, the Daoist Lord is single because he is the Daoist Lord, not because he is a Three-legged Golden Crow."

Duan Jiaze: "..."

This Nine-tailed Fox was truly terrifying; she had guessed his true intentions in an instant. He did indeed remember Luya bullying Yue Lao, and Luya had been so innocent at the movie theater, which made him wonder if Luya had some issues with romance and was taking it out on others. That's why he had asked in such a roundabout way.

And the Nine-tailed Fox's answer was truly brilliant. She was saying that Luya was single not because there were no others of his kind, but because this bird was too...

Let everyone fill in the blanks themselves. Anyway, it could be interpreted in any way.

But Luya wasn't an idiot. He could hear the implication in Yousu's words. He pointed at her and said, "You damned fox..."

Duan Jiaze quickly tried to smooth things over, thrusting a glass of beer into Luya's hand and changing the subject. "Come on, let's all have a toast. Everyone has worked hard during this time."

Luya looked at Duan Jiaze, reluctantly accepted the beer, and shot a hateful glare at Yousu, who had dared to gossip about him.

After a few glasses of beer, the food started to arrive. Duan Jiaze said, "By the way, is Jingwei still skipping stones? She hasn't come back to eat yet. Can someone go get her?"

Bai Suzhen stood up, her cheeks flushed. She had had several glasses and seemed to be a lightweight. She said, "I'll go wash my hands and then find Jingwei."

Duan Jiaze: "Okay, thank you, Sister Bai."

......

By the shores of Donghai at night, a beautiful girl of fourteen or fifteen sat on a large rock on a deserted beach, smashing small pebbles one by one. The sea breeze billowed her long skirt, making it rustle.

She was so focused that she seemed completely unaware of the three sleazy-looking adult men approaching her from behind.

The three men got closer and confirmed that she was indeed alone. One of them cleared his throat and said with a smirk, "Little sister, what are you doing here all alone?"

The girl continued smashing the small pebbles as if she hadn't heard him.

Getting closer, the three men could see the girl's pretty face clearly in the moonlight, and they couldn't help but drool.

The three of them were out-of-towners who had met in Donghai. Two had prior records, and they had bonded over their shared "hobby." They had recently committed a string of indecent assault cases. Today, they had come out specifically to commit another crime despite the risks, and they felt incredibly lucky to have found a pretty girl who was all alone.

The three experienced men immediately spread out to block her escape routes, preparing to "take down" the girl.

"Scram." The girl glanced at them and uttered a single word. Her cold gaze actually startled the man directly facing her. But in a flash, afraid of losing face by backing down, he took two big steps forward instead.

"Scram? I'll make you scram to your heart's content in a moment."

Jingwei had taken form due to vengeance. Her usual impassiveness didn't mean she had a good temper, nor that she couldn't recognize others' malicious intent.

Seeing their lack of remorse, the girl had no intention of wasting words. She stood up, jumped off the large rock, reached out, and pulled the entire five-meter-long stone out of the ground. She held it with ease, as if it were a piece of foam.

The hooligans: "?!!"

They could hardly believe their eyes. They looked around to see if anyone else was there, wondering if this was a long-planned prank. The giant boulder and this girl, whose thighs were thinner than their arms, simply didn't match!

But with the sand and gravel falling from the rock, and the motion of it being plucked from the ground, it really didn't look like a fake rock.

One of the hooligans muttered, "Impossible..."

At that moment, the girl lifted the giant boulder over her head—

The hooligan who had just said "impossible" immediately turned and ran, which showed that he subconsciously believed it.

The girl hurled the giant boulder, accurately hitting the back of the man who had first hit on her. The man instantly fell face down on the ground, not even making a sound. He was pinned under the rock, his condition unknown.

The remaining two looked back and saw the girl looking at them in the darkness. Her fair face was expressionless, and her eyes were frighteningly cold. They let out a terrified, ghostly shriek and ran even faster.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit..." One of them kept repeating "holy shit," unable to express the shock in his heart.

The other wasn't much better. His mind was filled with: What kind of monster is this? She's not going to chase us, is she? This is terrifying, and there's no one around to stop her...

The man had completely forgotten that they were the ones who had deliberately sought out secluded places to find lone women.

The two ran under a streetlight and saw the bustling storefronts not far away. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief. They looked back and were glad she hadn't followed.

They were still shaken, not expecting to have run into such a ruthless one this time. Not only did she possess monstrous strength, but she also threw things at people without hesitation, showing no regard for life. They didn't even know if their accomplice was dead or alive.

The group only had the guts to indecently assault women. Faced with someone who dared to kill, they immediately chickened out.

One of them touched his back. "Holy shit, I'm covered in sweat."

The other said, trembling, "Don't say it... I already peed a few drops..."

Supporting each other, the two went to the public restroom nearby to pee first, otherwise they would really wet themselves completely.

The door to the men's restroom was closed. When they pushed it, it felt like someone was leaning against it from the inside. The hooligan who had already peed a few drops grew anxious and slammed into it with all his might. "Fuck, who the hell is blocking the door!"

With his push, the door opened halfway, and they hurried inside.

As soon as they entered, the two hooligans froze: a giant, giant, giant white python was coiled inside the restroom, occupying almost the entire space. Its head had been pressing against the door just now. At this moment, its head was raised, coldly staring at the two humans who had just entered. It flicked its tongue and opened its blood-red maw...

The two hooligans: !!!

Under consecutive shocks, they had no extra reaction. They didn't even have time to scream before their eyes rolled back, and they fainted on the spot. A dark patch spread across their crotches.

......

Half a minute later, a beautiful lady in a white suit walked out of the men's restroom, leaning on the wall. Her face was flushed with embarrassment. Seeing no one outside, she hurried into the women's restroom on the other side. Before entering, she even looked up to confirm the sign: Yup, this is the right one this time.

......

Duan Jiaze saw Bai Suzhen returning with Jingwei from a distance and waved at them. "Come, come, Xiao Wei, I saved some oysters for you."

Jingwei sat down. "Thank you, Zoo Director."

Duan Jiaze: "Haha, where were you hiding and skipping stones? I couldn't even see you."

Jingwei: "In a more secluded place."

Duan Jiaze: "Oh, a secluded place is better. No one can find you, haha."

Xiao Qing asked casually, "Big sis, why were you gone for several minutes?"

Bai Suzhen said calmly, "It's nothing, I was just touching up my makeup in the restroom."

Under the brilliant starlight, Duan Jiaze was the first to raise his glass for a toast. He said sincerely, "Come on, Xiao Wei is back too. Let's all have another toast. Thank you, everyone. I think you are all really good people. The future development of Lingyou will still depend on everyone's support. I hope we can work together to turn Lingyou into a first-class zoo in the Three Realms."

Yousu teased, "The Zoo Director's goal seems to have been upgraded."

Duan Jiaze said, embarrassed, "It's because you all are here, so the standards have to be a little higher... Besides, the other realms don't have zoos anyway."

Everyone burst into laughter, saying that the Zoo Director was too cunning.

After finishing her drink, Yousu jumped off her chair. "I'm going to the restroom too."

Duan Jiaze waved his hand. "Alright... I won't accompany you then." He joked, "Be careful not to run into any bad guys."