Xu Dongyou was deeply moved, his eyes reddening slightly. “Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad.”
“What are you thanking us for? We’re family,” his mother replied.
However, she was curious about one more thing. “But you still haven’t told us who this person you like is. Do your dad and I know him?”
Xu Dongyou blushed and said, “It’s the person you asked me to thank today.”
Father Xu and Mother Xu fell silent.
They exchanged a glance, suddenly feeling a strange sense of having sent their son right into the lion’s den.
At the same time, they had a realization. No wonder their son had taken so long to understand his feelings—after all, that man was incredibly handsome, with an extraordinary aura that commanded respect.
Just one look at him and you could tell he wasn’t ordinary.
It also dawned on them why that person had appeared so suddenly at the critical moment. After all, their son had been in a life-threatening situation; of course, the man would be anxious.
With this understanding, Xu Dongyou’s parents no longer felt uncomfortable, as if their son had been “taken away.” At least that person genuinely cared about Xu Dongyou and had been willing to risk his life to save him.
Mother Xu then asked for more information about Zhu Yuan.
Xu Dongyou explained that Zhu Yuan had no parents, so it would just be him coming over tomorrow.
Xu’s parents nodded and began making preparations. The next day, when Xu Dongyou brought Zhu Yuan over, even though Zhu Yuan had subdued his natural aura, Xu’s parents were still momentarily overwhelmed by the sense of pressure, before quickly inviting him inside.
Zhu Yuan behaved very politely and appeared easy to get along with, but Xu Dongyou’s parents couldn’t help feeling a natural sense of restraint, as if Zhu Yuan was more like their elder.
Mother Xu forcefully suppressed this feeling, trying to discreetly learn more about him. When Zhu Yuan went to help bring out the food, Xu Dongyou’s parents couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of being honored and even slightly nervous.
The strange feeling in their hearts deepened.
It wasn’t until after Xu Dongyou saw Zhu Yuan off that Mother Xu dared to ask what was going on.
Xu Dongyou couldn’t yet reveal Zhu Yuan’s true identity to his parents, so he could only say that Zhu Yuan was extremely powerful.
Only then did his parents realize and become even more satisfied with Zhu Yuan. After all, having a strong partner was crucial when their son faced danger.
As the days passed, online discussions about Zhu Yuan would still pop up occasionally, but so far, no one had managed to uncover any specific details about him—just that he was incredibly powerful.
At the same time, Xu Dongyou’s own power continued to grow, especially as his exposure increased through livestreams. He was always on the front lines, but the audience hadn’t seen that mysterious man from before.
In reality, as Xu Dongyou’s strength grew, he became capable of handling most situations. The most important thing was that Zhu Yuan couldn’t always be around him, to avoid drawing the attention of the Lord of Darkness.
So, after repeated persuasion from Xu Dongyou, Zhu Yuan reluctantly gave up the idea of constantly staying by his side. Xu Dongyou carried a piece of Zhu Yuan’s dragon bone within him and as their relationship deepened, the power of their pact reached a second stage of transformation.
This meant that Xu Dongyou’s power grew even stronger. In critical moments, the pact’s power would quickly protect him from harm and could even rebound any damage back to the attacker.
Over time, Xu Dongyou dealt with several incidents involving resentful spirits and monster attacks. Then, one day, Xu Dongyou felt as if something far away was calling to him.
He drove for five hours, arriving in another city, and eventually stopped at a forest.
His heart raced uncontrollably. A strange, indescribable feeling lingered in his mind. First, he started a livestream, then carefully got out of the car and approached the forest.
The forest gave off an unexplainable sensation, making Xu Dongyou feel the urge to relax, transform into his original form, and fly freely through the sky.
He tried to suppress the feeling, but as he gazed at the familiar yet mysterious forest, he couldn’t help but relax, staring in a daze at the scenery before him.
It felt like the answer was just behind a thin veil. But no matter how hard he tried, Xu Dongyou couldn’t remember why this place seemed so familiar and relaxing.
Suddenly, the ground started to shake, and two eyes appeared, staring directly at Xu Dongyou.
Everything happened too quickly, and since Xu Dongyou had been in a relaxed state, he was startled and immediately transformed into his original form. He shot out of his clothes and flew straight up into the treetops.
The live stream equipment captured the entire scene clearly, and everyone watching the live stream was stunned, almost unable to believe what they had just seen.
That same Xu Dongyou who had been promoted to captain of the 9th squad in the Anomaly Handling Bureau; that same Xu Dongyou who had become a globally famous idol that everyone knew; that same Xu Dongyou who was powerful and had solved numerous supernatural incidents, had just turned into what looked like a bird—one that resembled a small, round dumpling with wings—and flew off!
How was this possible?!!!
A giant question mark appeared in everyone’s minds. The people in the Anomaly Handling Bureau were even more shocked, immediately reporting the situation to their superiors and asking if they should cut the live stream.
To their surprise, they received an urgent command from headquarters: the livestream should continue as normal.
The lower-level handlers could only comply, though they were filled with confusion. Everyone in the bureau knew that some supernatural beings existed, but they rarely showed themselves.
But now, the fact that Xu Dongyou, the idol of many new recruits and captain of the 9th squad, had turned into a bird was like a glaring revelation: an unbelievable truth.
Xu Dongyou—he might not be human!
At home, Xu Dongyou’s parents were watching the live stream as well, completely dumbfounded. Their son had just turned into a bird and flown away!
Xu Yangchen, who had been watching the live stream on mute in class, jumped up and shouted, “That’s impossible!” when he saw his brother turn into a bird and take off.
The teacher immediately looked over but Xu Yangchen could no longer focus on anything happening in class. He dashed out of the room and ran straight home.
His subconscious urged him to find his parents as quickly as possible.
The ground swelled up and formed something resembling a human face. It stared at Xu Dongyou, its mouth moving in a halting manner, emitting broken and stuttering sounds, “Who are you!”
It looked up at Xu Dongyou, perched on a branch, its gaze fixated on the familiar tuft of hair on his head. The sight made it so excited that the whole earth beneath it began to tremble violently.
Xu Dongyou suppressed his frustration and, with his mind, turned off the livestream. Though he knew that countless people had already seen him revert to his original form, including his parents and younger brother.
He wasn’t sure how to face them. His only option now was to focus on the unknown creature in front of him, which could very well spark a battle at any moment.
Seeing that Xu Dongyou didn’t respond, the creature became even more agitated, transforming from the earth into a human-like figure that rushed toward him.
Xu Dongyou swiftly flapped his wings and dodged, thinking it was going to attack, but he held back from retaliating for the moment.
The creature couldn’t speak, yet this human-shaped figure made from earth could. This gave Xu Dongyou a theory.
He vaguely recalled Elder Chen once mentioning that as his aura grew stronger, it might naturally cause certain creatures to become sentient.
More young beings of the demon race would be born.
The earthen figure before him seemed to match what Elder Chen described—a naturally born spirit.
Suddenly, the mud figure stopped and began stomping the ground, creating a rumbling noise that spread outwards. Xu Dongyou grew even more confused and remained on high alert, carefully watching the figure’s next move.
In the next moment, four white shadows appeared, flying toward him at high speed—round, soft, and fluffy, resembling winged dumplings. They were adorably cute, with black patches on their backs that made them look like dumplings with leaking filling.
Xu Dongyou blinked in surprise.
The appearance of these four figures seemed to stir long-forgotten memories within him.
It felt like a distant past, back when he hadn’t yet gained sentience. He was the last long-tailed tit to hatch from his eggshell. Every day, his parents would leave early and return late to find food for them.
His older siblings would always affectionately keep him nestled in the middle to protect him. The four figures in the distance seemed to overlap with the family from his memories.
Xu Dongyou was nearly speechless as the memories in his mind finally broke free. He remembered!
Overwhelmed with excitement and disbelief, Xu Dongyou quickly flew toward the four figures, joining them. The two larger long-tailed tits chirped anxiously, their eyes revealing an unmistakable, human-like excitement.
Xu Dongyou was momentarily confused. He couldn’t understand what they were saying, but from their eyes, he could sense the familiar emotions.
The father long-tailed tit chirped gently at the mother, signaling Xu Dongyou to land on the mud figure. Then, the father opened his beak and spoke, “Daidai, do you still remember us?”
Instinctively, Xu Dongyou chirped a few times, but he quickly realized that, unlike his father, he couldn’t speak human words in his bird form. He could only wave his wings around, signaling for them to wait. Using his powers, he pulled his clothes over from behind the tree, transformed back into his human form, put on the clothes, and stepped out.
The four long-tailed tits froze instantly.
Their little Daidai had turned into a human!!
His siblings’ eyes widened as they flew circles around Xu Dongyou, chirping in amazement. Then they clumsily expressed in human language, “Brother! Daidai! Human!”
The other two long-tailed tits landed as well, and their father said, “Daidai, you can turn into a human?”
Xu Dongyou hesitantly nodded but softly asked, “Excuse me, are you calling me Daidai?”
His mother chirped urgently, “Daidai, don’t you remember your mother?”
Xu Dongyou, a little flustered, waved his hands quickly and said, “No, no, I just wanted to confirm.”
His father nodded understandingly and sighed, “I see. Do you remember this place? This is where you were born. You are the youngest of the family. Ever since you hatched, you’ve always had that tuft of hair on your head, so we’ve always called you Daidai.”
Xu Dongyou: “…”
His sister found a place to land and nodded earnestly, saying, “Daidai, don’t you remember your sister? I always gave you the best and biggest bugs to eat.”
Xu Dongyou was lost in thought again; he seemed to recall that his sister always shared the best bugs with him. He said, “Isn’t it true that our home was in that tree by the cliff and then we moved here? There was also a little dirt mound nearby that looked a lot like a person.”
The memories kept flooding back and his brother flapped his wings excitedly, “You loved to play on that little dirt mound; you were so mischievous.”
“Yes!” Xu Dongyou couldn’t help but smile, then suddenly realized something and looked at the mud figure, “So, you…”
“Daidai’s good friend,” the mud figure nodded excitedly.
It was indeed the little dirt mound from back then.
All the details matched up. Xu Dongyou didn’t know how to express the excitement bubbling inside him. He had always thought his parents might have passed away since long-tailed tits had short lifespans.
But he never imagined that his parents, siblings, and even his childhood friend—the little dirt mound—had all become sentient!
Just as the family was about to share more, a red light suddenly appeared, transforming into a human figure. It quickly scanned Xu Dongyou to ensure he was unharmed. Only then did it relax slightly, though still looking quite excited.
It then turned to see the four fluffy long-tailed tits, their aura mirroring Xu Dongyou’s.
They were clearly family.
Zhu Yuan immediately understood and suppressed all his energy, but even so, the four long-tailed tits and the mud figure trembled in fear, looking at Zhu Yuan with terrified eyes. Only the father sensed that Xu Dongyou and the intimidating human were friends, mustering the courage to ask, “Who are you?”
Xu Dongyou hurriedly replied, “He is my…” then firmly added, “the partner I want to be with for the rest of my life.”
The family collectively gasped, looking at Xu Dongyou with incredulity, as if to say, “You’re actually with him?”
Xu Dongyou couldn’t help but blush, whispering to Zhu Yuan, “Can you step away for a moment?”
His parents and siblings still couldn’t accept the aura that Zhu Yuan emitted.
He also wanted to discuss more details to prove he was the “Daidai” they mentioned.
Zhu Yuan nodded and, before leaving, said, “I sensed the same aura from you; you truly are a family.”
Hearing this, Xu Dongyou’s eyelashes fluttered, and he replied, “Thank you.”
Zhu Yuan shook his head, transforming into a red light and vanishing. At the same time, the spiritual energy watch on Xu Dongyou’s wrist began receiving messages from the director, the chief, and other staff members.
Xu Dongyou quickly sent a unified reply, assuring everyone he was fine and not to worry.
Only then did everyone relax. The Anomaly Handling Bureau immediately released information through official channels, stating that Xu Dongyou was safe and to not be overly concerned. As for Xu Dongyou transforming into a long-tailed tit, they would provide a public explanation later.
Indeed, when Xu Dongyou turned into a bird, someone had already confirmed the bird species based on his appearance.
He was the most beautiful among birds.
As those who had recovered from the shock of Xu Dongyou turning into a long-tailed tit grew excited, they began to speculate wildly.
Some suggested that Xu Dongyou might not be human; otherwise, why had no one else in the Anomaly Handling Bureau transformed into an animal? More importantly, if other staff could change forms, why would the bureau need to explain this later?
Clearly, something was amiss!
Others excitedly argued that since there were already evil creatures and even ghosts in this world, the emergence of demons seemed reasonable!
Was it possible that Xu Dongyou was actually a demon?
This theory quickly gained widespread agreement and everyone awaited the bureau’s response. Meanwhile, the Anomaly Handling Bureau was urgently discussing whether to reveal the existence of demons in the world.
However, they still needed to wait. Before long, they received a message from Zhulong, stating that Xu Dongyou had found his biological parents and that more sentient demons would soon appear in this world.
At this point, there was no need for further discussion. The Anomaly Handling Bureau immediately contacted the demon clan and conveyed this information. Elder Bai quickly provided an answer: “Announce the existence of the demon clan in this world and inform the public that more naturally sentient beings will appear in the future. If seen, please report to authorities and do not harm them.”
After all, the cubs were the treasures of the demon clan.
But before the announcement, the general director of the Anomaly Handling Bureau personally sent Xu Dongyou a message, asking if he could accept the disclosure of his identity.
After thinking for a long time upon receiving the message, Xu Dongyou replied, “Go ahead and announce it.”
Soon, the Anomaly Handling Bureau released a statement, first explaining Xu Dongyou’s identity: he was indeed not human but a member of the demon clan with his true form being a long-tailed tit.
However, he had grown up among humans and was no different from them. They hoped the public would not harbor any negative opinions about Xu Dongyou because of this.
The statement further indicated that the world was undergoing constant change and that more naturally sentient beings like Xu Dongyou would appear in the future. They urged the public to report any sightings while ensuring their own safety, assuring that someone would come to take the naturally sentient beings to the demon clan.
At the end, it noted that humans and demons had cooperated for thousands of years and that the public could live safely today thanks to the efforts of certain individuals and the demon clan, emphasizing that they would continue to coexist harmoniously as before.
After the statement was released, the Anomaly Handling Bureau prepared for any potential backlash. They anticipated that this might shock the public, but they were unprepared for the wave of excitement and understanding that followed, with many expressing their support.
Only a small minority expressed their rejection of the demon clan, hoping the bureau would capture Xu Dongyou. After all, they believed that outsiders must have ulterior motives and that humans should not trust monsters.
However, the Anomaly Handling Bureau immediately provided overwhelming evidence, stating that without the demon clan, humans would have been exterminated by ancient beings long before civilization had formed.
This silenced the dissenters, leaving them speechless.
Meanwhile, Father and Mother Xu, along with all of Xu Dongyou’s friends, were struggling to digest the shocking news that he was not human, but a demon.
Yet, no matter how they recalled the past, they could not find any trace of Xu Dongyou being related to demons—he truly seemed no different from humans.
Finally, Xu Dongyou’s parents began to recover from the shock and Xu Yangchen had returned as well. The three of them sat in silence for a long time.
Father Xu reflected on many things, realizing that the reason Xu Dongyou was not swaddled as a baby was likely because he had transformed for the first time, rather than being intentionally abandoned or killed.
Xu Yangchen’s mind was filled with the thought: My brother is actually a demon? My brother is actually a demon! This is incredible.
Father Xu and Mother Xu exchanged glances, both understanding each other’s stance. Regardless of whether Xu Dongyou was a demon or a human, they could not deny that he was the child whom they had raised.
On the other side.
Xu Dongyou had talked a lot with the long-tailed tit family and eventually brought up the most crucial question.
“When did you all become sentient? How have you been all these years?” Xu Dongyou asked.
The long-tailed tit father replied, “Back then, a mysterious light appeared around you, enveloping us and the little dirt mound. From that moment on, our family felt like we had become smarter.”
Then they noticed that Xu Dongyou seemed to grow even more intelligent, until one day, when he suddenly disappeared while learning to fly and they never saw him again.
The long-tailed tit family and the little dirt mound began searching for Xu Dongyou, but they only looked for similar birds and found nothing for over twenty years.
They suspected that Xu Dongyou might have died but were unwilling to accept that reality, so they remained in the place where they last saw him, waiting for his return. Every year, the long-tailed tit father would leave for half a year, searching for his child.
Only now did he realize that he couldn’t find his child because Xu Dongyou had long since turned into a human—how could he possibly be found?
Xu Dongyou felt a mix of emotions, touched that his parents had always been searching for him. He thought there would never be a time more fulfilling than today.
Both the long-tailed tit father and mother were very concerned about how Xu Dongyou had survived all these years. Xu Dongyou explained honestly, saying he had accidentally transformed into a human and was taken in and raised by human parents.
It was only this year that he unexpectedly transformed back and learned about his true identity as a demon.
As for his transformation into human form, Xu Dongyou expressed his desire to take them to see the demon clan, which the long-tailed tit family readily agreed to.
However, before that, they wanted to meet Xu Dongyou’s adoptive parents to express their gratitude.
Xu Dongyou nodded in agreement.
Soon, he had his parents and the little dirt mound get into the car to return to Fengnian City. During the ride, he also contacted the general director to discuss his situation.
At the same time, Xu Dongyou reached out to his adoptive parents to inform them that he had found his biological parents and was on his way back.
When they arrived at the community, Xu Dongyou returned home with his family, including the little dirt mound, which had now shrunk to the size of just one hand. Many residents of the community noticed Xu Dongyou, their expressions a mix of curiosity and hesitation, but ultimately, no one approached to disturb him.
Xu Dongyou stood at the door and knocked.
Father Xu and Mother Xu immediately opened the door, their gaze instantly falling on the several long-tailed tits beside Xu Dongyou, their faces lighting up with smiles and warmth.
However, since it was their first encounter with demons, they felt a bit nervous and at a loss until the long-tailed tit father waved his wings and politely said, “It’s our first meeting and it may seem abrupt. We just wanted to see you right away to express our gratitude.”
Father Xu and Mother Xu quickly shook their heads, indicating that there was no need for thanks.
After their initial conversation, the two families gradually became more talkative, sharing details about each other.
Father Xu and Mother Xu learned that Xu Dongyou’s biological parents had not abandoned him; they had been searching for him all along, unaware that he had turned into a baby.
Father Xu and Mother Xu mentioned that they had been waiting for someone to come looking for Xu Dongyou, but for so many years, there had been no news.
It turned out that this misunderstanding was the root of it all.
The two families tacitly avoided discussing where Xu Dongyou truly belonged, as it was unnecessary.
Now that Xu Dongyou had grown into adulthood, he could see himself as having two families, free to go wherever he wanted.
Mother Xu even invited the long-tailed tit family to stay overnight, saying there was no need to be polite since the house was a reward from the Anomaly Handling Bureau for Xu Dongyou. As his biological parents, they had the right to stay here.
However, the long-tailed tit father declined, saying his family needed to visit the Anomaly Handling Bureau to discuss some matters.
Mother Xu nodded with some disappointment, not pressing further. She expressed the hope that the two families would keep in touch.
The long-tailed tit father naturally agreed.
Next, Xu Dongyou took the long-tailed tit family and the little dirt mound to the Anomaly Handling Bureau, where they met Elder Chen, the general director, and the head of the main bureau along with several other elder demons.
After testing and analysis, it was determined that these demons, who could not yet take human form, simply lacked transformation skills. In fact, their magical power was still quite sufficient, especially the long-tailed tit father’s, which was the strongest. He could conceal his form and the others each possessed their own unique abilities.
Next, they stayed on the top floor with Elder Chen for training, hoping to transform into human form as soon as possible.
Xu Dongyou felt even happier, having two sets of parents and the person he loved.
Elder Chen and the other elder demons also felt a sense of happiness, as if they could see a future filled with cubs everywhere.
The demon clan no longer had to worry about extinction.
People were also delighted because their beloved Xu Dongyou turned out to be a demon—a round creature whose human form looked very different. No matter how you looked at it, he was adorable!
They almost wanted to scream and shout, “So cute!”
It was this overwhelming affection that led to another surge in Xu Dongyou’s powers. Meanwhile, Elder Chen informed him that his parents would soon be able to take human form, but his siblings would need about a year.
Xu Dongyou felt completely satisfied.
About a month later, Elder Chen called Xu Dongyou over and he saw his biological parents walking out of the room. His father looked cultured and refined, while his mother was stunningly beautiful.
In the end, he took his parents to meet Father Xu and Mother Xu. The two families finally enjoyed a proper meal together and chatted for a while. Although both families wanted to invite Zhu Yuan, his overwhelming presence made them feel unprepared, so Father Xu set aside some dishes for Xu Dongyou to take to Zhu Yuan.
When Xu Dongyou went to see Zhu Yuan, he graciously finished all the food. Looking at Xu Dongyou, he seemed to smile. Xu Dongyou couldn’t help but show a faint smile in return.
He loved this kind of life.
![Dressed as an Abyssal Dragon Hatchling [Holographic]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/9041f207edc0d485.jpg "Dressed as an Abyssal Dragon Hatchling [Holographic]")
