Chapter 28: The Phoenix Relics
Although extremely unwilling, Long Ling was still dragged out by his phoenix.
As soon as they stepped outside, he transformed back into a small black dragon and burrowed into Su Muluo’s pocket.
“Roar.”
He didn’t want the people from the Extraordinary Bureau to see him in his human form.
He disliked them.
Su Muluo didn’t stop him; since this little dragon didn’t like the Extraordinary Bureau, staying in his pocket was fine.
But every time they went there, it seemed like nothing good ever came of it.
So, he comforted the little dragon by patting its small head and led it away.
At the Extraordinary Bureau, Liu He, as usual, waited for Su Muluo at the entrance. Upon seeing him, he quickly walked over and said, “Mr. Su, the people from the bird clan are currently in the director’s office. Please come with me.”
Su Muluo had no objections and said, “Thank you for your trouble.”
Liu He smiled awkwardly and said, “It’s no trouble at all, Mr. Su. Rest assured, we believe you were dragged into this. However, the people from the bird clan are quite agitated and might ask you a few questions.”
Only the high-level members of the Lin City Extraordinary Bureau and a few people at headquarters knew Su Muluo’s identity. Because of this, they believed Su Muluo would have no reason to target a bird clan elder. However, the bird clan was unaware of this. Given the involvement of the True Dragon, the Extraordinary Bureau could not reveal Su Muluo’s identity to them.
So after the bird clan elder’s incident, the Extraordinary Bureau’s role was to have Su Muluo come over, mediate, and find a solution to the matter.
On the way to the office, Su Muluo asked, “How did Feng Xuan die?”
Liu He’s expression grew serious at the mention, “We are still investigating. So far, we have found that he went to your coffee shop yesterday, then returned and instructed his subordinates to find three people. After that, he stayed in the hotel and didn’t come out—when his subordinates found him again, he was already dead in his room.”
The little black dragon popped its head out from Su Muluo’s pocket and let out a fierce “Roar.”
Liu He was startled and thought the True Dragon might breathe fire at her again, so she stepped back immediately.
Su Muluo calmly pushed the little black dragon back and said, “Don’t come out again later.” Then he said to Liu He, “He just said that no matter how you think about it, Feng Xuan’s subordinates are the most suspicious.”
Liu He thought to herself that Mr. Su was truly impressive, understanding even such trivial talk, but maintained a serious face and said, “We initially thought so too, but after investigation, Feng Xuan’s strongest subordinate had only been around for 250 years, while Feng Xuan himself was a 500-year-old bird demon. They simply couldn’t overpower him.”
She paused slightly and added, “Moreover, those subordinates had been with Feng Xuan for hundreds of years and had always been loyal, maintaining a good relationship with him.”
So, after all the twists and turns, Su Muluo, the last stranger Feng Xuan had interacted with, remained the most suspicious.
Su Muluo fell silent. He hadn’t expected Feng Xuan to die unexpectedly. Moreover, before their separation, Feng Xuan had promised to find out the identities of the bird demons who had attacked him… Could the issue lie here?
During their conversation, the two had already reached the office. Liu He knocked on the door, and after receiving a response from inside, she led Su Muluo in.
The office was spacious. The director of the Extraordinary Bureau, Zheng Hechun, sat in the main seat, with several people on either side, all looking cold and unfriendly.
“Mr. Su,” Zheng Hechun’s attitude was quite gentle, “please have a seat.”
Su Muluo calmly sat on the sofa. Liu He did not return to Zheng Hechun’s side but stood behind him.
This was a signal, indicating the Extraordinary Bureau’s attitude towards Su Muluo. The few bird demons exchanged glances, and their expressions subtly changed.
“Mr. Su,” said a man leading the bird demons, “yesterday my master came to see you, and he ended up dead in the hotel that night. How do you explain this?”
Su Muluo knew he was referring to Feng Xuan’s disciple, Mu Ge, a 250-year-old bird demon, and replied, “There’s nothing to explain. I only spent a short time with him and haven’t been in contact since.”
“However, before my master was killed, he had only seen one unfamiliar person—namely you!” Mu Ge said. “What did he say to you? After returning, he instructed us to investigate if there were any anomalies within our clan?”
His tone was somewhat sharp, but Su Muluo remained calm and replied, “He mistook me for the illegitimate child of the former bird clan leader and asked me to return and inherit the bird clan.”
Zheng Hechun: “…”
Liu He: “…”
“Illegitimate child of the bird clan…” Mu Ge repeated the phrase, and his expression toward Su Muluo changed slightly. “So, after my master left, where did you go?”
Su Muluo: “I went to my shop.”
Mu Ge: “And after closing the shop? Surely you didn’t stay there the whole night!”
Su Muluo calmly said, “Then I went home and spent time with my boyfriend.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the pocket started moving as the little black dragon inside wriggled furiously.
Su Muluo reached into the pocket to hold down the little black dragon, which then clung tightly to his fingers.
And even bit him.
Su Muluo: “…”
Meanwhile, Zheng Hechun and Liu He both looked surprised when they heard “boyfriend,” while the bird clan members remained unmoved and said, “Since you say you were with your boyfriend, where is he? Let him come out and testify!”
Su Muluo: “That’s not possible. He’s still asleep at home.”
Another bird demon sneered immediately and said, “Are you trying to deceive us? Are you planning to go back and find your boyfriend to make a run for it?”
Su Muluo raised an eyebrow slightly. The bird demon continued, “Why aren’t you speaking? Are you feeling guilty?”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Liu He spoke up at this moment, “You have no evidence to prove that Mr. Su is the killer. We only asked him questions—now that the questions are answered, Mr. Su can leave.”
“Impossible!” the bird demon said. “He’s a suspect in the elder’s murder. He cannot be let go!”
Liu He glanced at Zheng Hechun, maintaining her calm demeanor, “As I said, you have no evidence, and Mr. Su has no motive to kill Elder Feng. However, the Extraordinary Bureau will assist the bird clan in investigating until the true culprit is found.”
She then added with a slight smile, “Moreover, if we are talking about suspicion, you were the last to contact Elder Feng, so… your suspicion might be a bit higher than Mr. Su’s?”
The bird demon: “You—”
Just as he was about to get angry, Zheng Hechun roared from behind his desk, “Xiao Liu! What nonsense are you talking? Apologize immediately!”
Liu He quickly bowed her head and obediently said, “I misspoke. I’m sorry!”
With her apology, Zheng Hechun smiled at the bird demon and said, “She’s young and doesn’t know better. I’ll discipline her more in the future. Please forgive us.”
The bird demon: “…”
With the exchange of words, the bird demon couldn’t say much more. Mu Ge glanced at them faintly and said, “In that case, we’ll trouble the Extraordinary Bureau.”
After their brief stay, they left. Subsequently, Su Muluo also departed.
“Mr. Su,” outside the office, Liu He said, “You might need to be more cautious these days. The bird clan hasn’t lifted their suspicion of you and might send people to keep an eye on you.”
Su Muluo nodded, “Thank you for the reminder. I’ll be careful.” He understood Liu He was kindly warning him not to let the bird clan know he had a True Dragon, as the existence of a True Dragon should be kept as hidden as possible.
The two walked out of the Extraordinary Bureau. On the way, Liu He mentioned Feng Xuan again.
“Elder Feng had extremely keen senses and could detect the presence of familiar people. If a familiar person had contact with a stranger, he could even sense that familiarity on the stranger.” Because of Feng Xuan’s incident, Liu He also learned the bird clan’s purpose in Lin City. “He might have sought you out because you had contact with the bird clan’s illegitimate child. If you encounter someone like that, please inform the Extraordinary Bureau immediately.”
Su Muluo fell silent upon hearing her words.
Perhaps being an outsider gave Liu He a different perspective… a perspective completely different from before.
He had always thought that Feng Han had the bloodline of the Phoenix clan, which made Feng Xuan sense a similarity in their auras. But the truth might be that Feng Han didn’t have Phoenix blood at all. Instead, he had unknowingly come into contact with Feng Han’s illegitimate child, and thus had a trace of that aura, which Feng Xuan, with his acute senses, detected.
If that was the case, he must have indeed met that illegitimate child and seen him many times. Many people could meet this condition… such as the frequent customer who regularly paid in cash and had a peculiar aura.
Suddenly, many faces flashed through Su Muluo’s mind, finally settling on one.
The young man who often paid in cash, wore an ear stud, and always had an odd aura about him.
Could it be him?
While Su Muluo was deep in thought, Liu He continued, “And there’s one more thing you shouldn’t tell others. I just heard it from the director.”
She looked around to ensure no one was nearby and whispered, “The reason the bird clan came to Lin City to look for the former clan leader’s illegitimate child is not only because they need a new clan leader but also because they suspect that the lost treasure of the bird clan might be with that illegitimate child.”
Su Muluo asked, “Bird clan’s treasure?”
Liu He nodded, “That treasure has been missing since Feng Han disappeared. It might have been taken by him or could still be with the bird clan… I’ve heard it’s a relic left by the Phoenix clan and has been part of the bird clan’s heritage for a thousand years.”
Su Muluo: “…”
What?
A relic of the Phoenix clan?
Had he been too reclusive? It seemed… he had never heard of such a thing.
Liu He added, “However, the existence of this treasure has always been kept secret by the bird clan and never disclosed to outsiders. Only because they need to cooperate with the Extraordinary Bureau this time did they reluctantly inform the director—who told me, and I’m telling you. Please don’t tell a third person.”
This explained why the outside world knew nothing about this treasure. Su Muluo felt reassured and didn’t think he was overly reclusive. He said, “Okay, I won’t say anything.” He might just mention it to a dragon later.
After that, the two parted ways at the Extraordinary Bureau. Su Muluo didn’t return to his rented apartment but went to his coffee shop.
Liu He’s reminder was correct. As soon as he arrived at the shop, he noticed many more eyes on him. So he used a concealment spell and took the little black dragon out of his pocket.
The little black dragon nestled in Su Muluo’s palm, clinging to his hand like a phoenix, twisting and turning with delight.
It’s calling me its boyfriend!
Boyfriend!
The little black dragon was so thrilled it almost tangled itself up again, but it reacted quickly, untangling itself and wrapping its tail around Su Muluo’s wrist, happily giving his fingertip a little peck.
Su Muluo was amused by its small gesture and soon fell into deep thought.
He had thought that if Feng Hen didn’t have phoenix blood, it wouldn’t concern him. But he didn’t expect that the bird clan would have a phoenix relic, and it might even be in the hands of Feng Hen’s illegitimate child.
And that illegitimate child is currently in Lin City.
Su Muluo patted the little black dragon’s head and said, “What do you think this phoenix relic is, and how did the bird clan obtain it?”
The little black dragon, happily rubbing against the phoenix’s finger, nudged it for a few seconds before shaking its head to indicate it didn’t know.
Su Muluo scratched its chin, pondering, “They have a phoenix relic but never tell anyone about it. They keep it so secretive—are they afraid of attracting envy?”
Or is there something else going on?
The little black dragon looked at its phoenix and gave a small “aow” in response.
If the phoenix wants it, it will help the phoenix get it.
Su Muluo said, “There’s no need. Even if it’s a phoenix relic, it might be something left to them by other phoenixes, not mine… I just want to take a look.”
According to Liu He, the phoenix relic might be with the bird clan or with that illegitimate child. Either way, he needed to meet this illegitimate child and see what the legendary phoenix relic really was.
With some luck, he might even catch a glimpse of some hidden truths from the past.
Thinking of this, Su Muluo said to the little black dragon, “Do you want to go to the Abnormality Bureau again and use the Trace Mirror?” He hadn’t had the little black dragon use the Trace Mirror before because it wouldn’t transform into its human form then. Now that it had, it was time to give it a try.
The little black dragon: “……”
Aow!
It didn’t want to go to the Abnormality Bureau again!!!
Su Muluo said, “Alright, alright, I understand.”
Although he said this, he was still thinking about finding a day when the little dragon wasn’t paying attention and taking it to the Abnormality Bureau.
Today, the café opened earlier than usual, with no customers at first. Su Muluo wasn’t in a hurry. He wasn’t aiming to make money by opening early; he was waiting for the young man with the ear stud.
While waiting, the little black dragon clung to Su Muluo’s fingers, spinning around in his hand, chasing its own tail.
Su Muluo watched it play with itself for a while and couldn’t help but laugh, “You look like a little puppy.”
The little black dragon: “?”
Su Muluo added, “Little puppies also chase their tails and spin around.”
The little black dragon: “???“
The little black dragon never expected that, after the mud eel spirit and the little mouse, its phoenix would now label it a “puppy.” It immediately lifted its head and let out a loud “aow.”
It was not a puppy!
It wanted an apology!
“Not at all,” Su Muluo said, “I didn’t say you are a puppy, I said you look like one.” He then added with a grin, “Given how black you are, a little white dog might be cuter than you.”
The little black dragon: “……”
The little black dragon suddenly bit Su Muluo’s finger.
Su Muluo: “?”
He shook his finger and said, “Let go.”
The little black dragon didn’t let go.
Su Muluo shook his finger again and said, “Alright, you’re not a puppy. Can you let go now?”
The little black dragon still wouldn’t let go.
Su Muluo pleaded, “I’m sorry, I was wrong. Please let go!”
The little black dragon just wouldn’t let go.
Su Muluo: “……”
The little black dragon didn’t bite hard or hurt its phoenix, but it just wouldn’t release its grip.
It even looked at him with a triumphant expression.
Su Muluo: “…………”
Moments later, a small pot of hot water was boiling, with the little black dragon suspended above it, tightly holding onto Su Muluo’s finger and making a commotion.
“Aow!!”
T/N: Hello hello! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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