Chapter 14: The Banquet of Time

“Caw! Caw!” Several staff members passed through the corridor, no longer surprised by the red parrot flying overhead as it headed straight into the office.

It was free—for the moment.

Yuan Jing accompanied Xu Mingsong to the evaluation department, and the parrot followed the two lively companions all the way to the laboratory before daring to fly back to report to its immediate superior.

Before entering, it flicked the cigarette clenched in its beak into midair. The half-smoked cigarette spontaneously ignited, but this flame was unlike any normal fire; it burned with an eerie glow, scattering sparks without leaving a trace of ash.

The red parrot flew inside and finally perched upon a wooden carving on the desk.

The desk was spotless and orderly, all thanks to Ji Lin. The team captain of the Fourth Squad and his self-proclaimed deputy were notorious for their capriciousness. To maintain the office’s appearance, a lowly secretary grumbled about how the office’s image reflected the team’s image, and thus kept everything meticulously arranged.

Zhu Ming leaned back in the boss’s chair, casting a vast shadow that enveloped the trembling red parrot on the desk. His slender eyes narrowed, and his oppressive aura was hundreds of times stronger than Yuan Jing’s.

“Sir.”

His voice was unexpectedly steady, even carrying a husky magnetism—imagine a refined and handsome gentleman.

Yet beneath the parrot’s feathers, muscles twitched subtly at its neck. Something seemed to be pushing outward, growing more intense, until the outline of what looked like a second head gradually took shape.

Zhu Ming glanced at it calmly, his black eyes serene, and the parrot shook its head slightly, the strange transformation subsiding.

He sighed deeply.

“I have concealed this 'Temporal Feast' incident for him, as per your instructions.”

Zhu Ming picked up Xia Zhuyi’s staff file and spoke without looking up. “Have you finished reviewing it? What do you think?”

“Quite promising,” the parrot answered truthfully, then recounted its observations to Zhu Ming.

The intelligence reported was half-truth, half-falsehood, deliberately omitting the most critical part—the age-restricted gluttonous banquet.

If the evaluation department of the Demon Affairs Bureau knew, the boy’s loss of control would be immediately escalated to the highest level, and within thirty minutes he would go from novice to corpse. Tomorrow’s papers would report the tragic drowning of some high schooler, accompanied by a token compensation and a memorial, while his parents would never lay hands on his ashes.

“He devoured five of the bug parasites; the last one was cut down by the girl and remains uneaten.”

“Temporal Feast, Temporal Feast... it’s been ages since I’ve seen such a scene,” the red parrot lamented.

“The more they study their techniques, the more conservative they become, moving further away from the demons’ innate instincts. The awakened they create have some merits, but always lack that... well, the most primal essence.”

The parrot’s eyes widened slightly, its pupils heterochromatic—one blue, one red—constantly contracting and expanding.

“Survival of the fittest, the winner takes all.”

At this point, the parrot chuckled darkly. Then it asked, “Still, I can’t figure out what path he’s really on?”

“Since he can engage in Temporal Feast, he must be either a devotee or a traitor. To be a devotee, a demon master must lead him. As for a rebel... have the ashes in the grave somehow reversed time to rise as skeleton soldiers? And did he hunt a great demon’s skeletal remains? Who led him down this path?”

This was an unusual case, even with his extensive demonic experience, he could find no precedent.

The red parrot shook its head vigorously—mainly because it couldn’t track any leads!

Where was this boy’s guide?

He couldn’t have just mixed random ingredients like a cat and mouse game, accidentally throwing in a great demon’s remains, and blindly stumbled into the path of demonic blood?

Or perhaps on some day in some place, a naturally born stone suddenly shattered midair, spawning a self-taught stone child?

“The medicine was bought from me,” Zhu Ming tapped the desk lightly, his finger resting on Xia Zhuyi’s résumé. It recorded her life from joining the Demon Affairs Bureau at eleven to now at seventeen. This young woman was a veteran employee of six years, a rising star in demon hunting.

Very good—everything was excellent. Truly a talent in the spotlight.

The latest update on her file was “Dispatched to investigate the Sixteenth Celestial Cave in the Northern Territory,” and she was currently on a mission, with no further news.

“Oh, that explains it...” The red parrot suddenly slapped its forehead, muttering to itself. After a few seconds, it looked up quietly and asked, “Then I’m even more curious—why exactly do you pay special attention to him?”

Zhu Ming stuffed a pastry into her mouth. Compared to the parrot’s ignorance, she seemed simply indifferent.

She said casually, “To pass the time.”

The red parrot paused, then burst out laughing heartily.

“Yes, yes, just as you said.”

…

Awakened, Polluted.

They meant the same thing.

Those tainted by demonic blood.

“This blood grants us power, but also carries a curse.”

At Yuan Jing’s signal, Xu Mingsong winced as a vial of his blood was drawn. The man in the worn lab coat, clearly weathered by years, chatted with him while staring intently at his handsome young face, causing Xu Mingsong to inwardly wonder if they were all just lusting after his looks.

“So young?” The man glanced at Yuan Jing, who shrugged helplessly.

“That’s not my concern. But since this kid has already jumped into our world, if you don’t care for him, do you intend to let him fend for himself?”

Letting me fend for myself wouldn’t be a big deal—it’s just that next year, we might both end up dead.

Leaving the lab, Xu Mingsong thought to himself that he finally found the organization he was looking for!

This was also a major reason he didn’t resist; he hadn’t forgotten his ultimate goal was to survive the catastrophic disaster coming next year, and he hoped to use the Demon Affairs Bureau’s power to investigate. But such matters, though almost on his lips, he silently suppressed, thinking this was never the right time.

“When will the results be ready?”

“Tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. Your blood is sent for testing, then they analyze it—elements, factions, specialties—then clarify your direction and arrange your training. I think it starts with teaching you how to use a gun... or not? And coursework? Oh, that thing...”

Yuan Jing counted off the steps on his fingers.

“Coursework?” Xu Mingsong raised his voice in disbelief.

“Why surprised? Even police officers undergo centralized training... but you’re lucky—the coursework was tested for a while and proved ineffective, so it’s discontinued now.”

Yuan Jing clapped his hands and turned to Xu Mingsong.

“By the way, what faction are you? I mean, which path of the Five Elements do you belong to?”

In Xu Mingsong’s eyes shone the clear innocence of a college student.

Yuan Jing scratched his head. “My memory’s terrible. Okay, okay. You’ll also need a newcomer’s handbook—you’re moving too fast; you haven’t even got that yet...”

These privileged folks just sneak in the back door smoothly, while those of us unlucky ones have a lot more to worry about.

“I’ll get the materials for you. Stay here; don’t wander off.”

Damn it, he suspected this guy was taking advantage of him!

Standing in place, Xu Mingsong killed time by chatting with an older colleague nearby. When asked, “Which team are you with, kid?” he shook his head in confusion, then recalled Yuan Jing’s name and mentioned it.

“Yuan Jing?” The man was stunned. “Fourth Squad?”

His expression shifted to something complicated as he stared at Xu Mingsong’s handsome face and sighed.

He whispered, “If you can transfer, best to jump ship as soon as possible.”

Xu Mingsong was alarmed. “What do you mean?”

But when pressed, the man glanced around furtively, patted his shoulder, and said, “Take care of yourself, young man,” then quickly walked away, leaving Xu Mingsong bewildered.

Why did he feel like he had walked into a den of thieves?

They’re all colleagues—can’t they at least gossip behind each other’s backs? Is that such a grievous crime deserving the death penalty?

“Come help me out—”

From the corridor’s end came Yuan Jing’s voice. Xu Mingsong looked and saw Yuan Jing emerging from the elevator, half his face obscured by a stack of books. The top one, as thick as a math workbook, wobbled precariously as he slowly approached.

Xu Mingsong stepped forward curiously. “Isn’t that the newcomer’s handbook? Why so many books?”

“Aren’t you a pure, 100% newbie?” Yuan Jing lifted his chin, gesturing for him to move the books piled near his cheek. “Newbies are the hardest—knowing nothing means there’s a lot to learn... I could give you a quick overview, but one-liners don’t stick well. I’d recommend pairing it with history and case studies.”

“So... all this is here.”

“I just stopped by the library. These books are useful. Take them home and read—they won’t hurt. You might find references if trouble arises.”

Well, he should also consider his buddy is still in high school!

Xu Mingsong thought to himself as he begrudgingly accepted the mountain of books, equivalent to textbooks plus problem sets for every subject. Then he asked Yuan Jing, “Bro, which team am I joining?”

“Where else but mine?” Yuan Jing raised an eyebrow, as if to say, now that you’re here, you’re not running away.

His eyebrows waved like ocean waves. “With me, the Fourth Squad.”

“...Can I transfer?”

“Ha! Look at you saying that. If you could transfer, would I still be here to lead you?” Yuan Jing slapped Xu Mingsong’s shoulder hard, laughing heartily like a wolf coaxing a lamb. “Alright, alright, I’ll take you to meet our captain. She specifically asked for you by name!”

“Today’s truly a day of celebration—we’ve got two newcomers in the squad.”

Speaking of newcomers, Xu Mingsong reacted quickly—hadn’t that guy in the interrogation room called Xia Zhuyi a ‘newbie’?

“By the way, what about the other newcomer? I saw Ji Lin taking her to learn the duties just now. Or did the boss handle it personally? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

Yuan Jing mumbled, then suddenly pushed open the office door with such force that it slammed against the frame with a booming thud, startling Xu Mingsong.

“Hello, Sister Ming—”

That familiar greeting made Xu Mingsong’s eyes widen in disbelief as he stared at the boss’s chair behind the desk.

There stood a red parrot.

Yes, the same red parrot perched on the chair, grooming its feathers with its beak.

“Caw!”

It let out a sharp, deliberately teasing cry.

“The captain’s run off again! The captain’s run off again!”