GRMFBS CH25.2

After indulging in the gossip, Zhan Yan felt reassured. His father’s name had finally been cleared. As for dealing with the consequences of sudden fame? That was his old man’s problem.

He had been so busy with his work for the journalism club that he hadn’t checked the Chaofan Forum in days. When he logged in today, his inbox was flooded with messages.

After filtering out the irrelevant ones, one stood out: “Administrator Luo Wang.”

Luo Wang’s style was completely different from Ling Yu. Zhan Yan still remembered Ling Yu’s previous private message—flashy, rainbow-colored, and attention-grabbing. Luo Wang, on the other hand, simply used bolded, slightly larger text. Even the font was a plain black.

Why was the administrator of The Wen Yao Alliance reaching out to him?

Zhan Yan clicked the message open and saw that Luo Wang was offering him a mission.

Whoa! This was the first time someone had actively assigned him a task! And not just anyone—a forum administrator!

The job from Feng Pai didn’t count—that was just a basic online gig. But Luo Wang was offering an information-gathering mission. And the reward was generous!

Based on the points Ling Yu had given him before, Luo Wang was offering nearly double.

Was the Wen Yao Alliance really that much more generous than the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau?!

Normally, that wasn’t the case. The three major organizations had standardized mission evaluations and reward systems. However, Chiming Demon King had taken an interest in Approaching Science and wanted to “poach” him from the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau.

The demon king had said they needed to build rapport first, but there had to be an excuse. Since Wen Yao Alliance had never interacted with Approaching Science before, Luo Wang thought about it for a while and decided to start by offering him a mission.

This way, they would have a reason to make contact while also testing Approaching Science’s abilities. If he performed well, they’d continue working with him. If not, they’d move on.

And building rapport was easy—just offer high pay.

Luo Wang explained the plan to Chiming Demon King, who readily agreed.

“I’ll cover the extra mission payout personally,” Zhan Yunkai said, ever the magnanimous one.

He suspected that Approaching Science was one of his own little fans within the Wen Yao Alliance. Chiming Demon King was always especially kind to his devoted juniors.

Zhan Yan examined the mission details.

It was straightforward: find a missing demon.

The demon’s name was Wu Fenghe. Based on modern biological classification, he was a black eagle. Originally a nationally protected species (Category II), recent habitat loss due to human activity had pushed his status up to Category I.

Wu Fenghe was a seven-hundred-year-old great demon, undeniably powerful. Yet, two months ago, he had gone downstairs to buy some buns—and then vanished without a trace.

For a seven-hundred-year-old demon to disappear so completely was no small matter.

Zhan Yan opened his Gossip System.

[Black eagle demon Wu Fenghe, unable to endure his wife’s pressure to lose weight, decided to run away from home.]

Oh…

Approaching Science: “Check the Suoya Nanda Nature Reserve.”

Luo Wang, a seasoned forum regular who had seen all manner of bizarre situations, didn’t even bother typing out a slow, questioning ellipsis. Instead, she immediately forwarded the message to her best friend, Diao Qingyun—Wu Fenghe’s wife.

Luo Wang: “Thanks. Once the information is confirmed, I’ll transfer your reward points.”

Two minutes later, another message arrived.

Luo Wang: “Do you know why he ended up at the Suoya Nanda Nature Reserve?”

Oh—curious now, are we?

Zhan Yan recognized the telltale sign of a fellow gossip enthusiast.

No problem—gossip is best when shared!

Approaching Science: “He stopped to rest at a ranger station. The rangers saw him lying in the sun and thought he was injured. They tried to lure him with chicken, and he ate it. When they checked and found no injuries, they assumed he was just starving and kept feeding him.”

“He stayed at the station for a month and ate all their chickens. When the rangers couldn’t release him, they sent him to the nature reserve instead.”

“The reserve’s chickens are also nearly gone now.”

For a while, Luo Wang didn’t reply.

Possibly too busy laughing.

Zhan Yan happily returned to his Gossip Feed to track further updates.

Diao Qingyun wasted no time—she was already en route to capture her husband. The speed of a bird demon was no joke. Judging by her pace, she’d have results by nightfall.

Zhan Yan estimated that once Luo Wang transferred the points, he’d be close to his next purchase goal. He checked the trading section again.

Still couldn’t afford the Tianshi’s Lightning Talisman.

That talisman was too expensive. He decided to set a more realistic goal for now.

He had his eye on a high-grade protective talisman, capable of blocking A-class anomalies. As long as its energy wasn’t depleted, it could be used repeatedly and even recharged.

Although Zhan Yan didn’t know how to recharge it himself, there were tools available for purchase on the forum—several different kinds, in fact.

This talisman could also be folded and discreetly hidden in a phone case or a small accessory. Most importantly, it could automatically detect yin energy, filth, and anomalies, activating on its own—usable even by ordinary people.

Of course, it came with a hefty price tag.

Still, Zhan Yan wasn’t interested in anything lower quality. If it wasn’t effective enough, he might as well stick to the Eight Treasures Cinnabar his sister had given him.

With the incoming points from Luo Wang, he was just about to afford one!

His plan was to equip his parents first.

He and his siblings lived in Yunjin City year-round, rarely straying far from Qixia Mountain. He often saw posts about “Chiming Demon King circling over Qixia Mountain and nearby cities, bestowing divine bird blessings and ensuring regional safety.” Generally, this area was quite secure.

But his parents were a different story. His father traveled frequently for work, and his mother, as an actor, was constantly on the move for filming. They regularly left the safe zone and needed extra protection.

Closing his Gossip Feed, Zhan Yan checked his balance again, estimating how much longer he’d need to save up. Satisfied, he logged off the forum.

Once he got everyone their high-grade talismans, he’d start saving for the Tianshi’s Lightning Talisman!

That night, the next update on the Wu Fenghe case arrived.

When Diao Qingyun flew in, the reserve staff were already standing in front of the chicken coop, gazing helplessly at the black eagle circling overhead.

Seeing her approach, one ranger muttered, mouth agape, “We’re doomed. Another one’s here…”

Another ranger, smoking a cigarette, took a deep drag. “Brother Zhou, do you think our last chicken will survive?”

“Unlikely. Looks like he called a friend for backup.”

The two men looked at the coop in sorrow.

“…Wait, why are they fighting?!”

They weren’t fighting.

As soon as Wu Fenghe saw his wife, he tried to flee.

Unfortunately, he had gained too much weight and wasn’t as fast as Diao Qingyun. She caught him with one swift talon and flew off with him.

The reserve staff were dumbstruck.

“This… what… what’s happening?”

“A predator attacking its own kind? I don’t recall any records of this behavior…”

“Doesn’t look like hunting. Predators usually go for the kill—who just grabs another by the leg?”

“…Do you think they know each other? The moment that new one showed up, the chicken thief immediately tried to run.”

“Could be! And they seem pretty familiar.”

“So… is this a case of domestic violence?”

The two rangers quickly pulled out their phones, eager to document this never-before-seen behavior in black eagles.

Wu Fenghe, now hanging upside down by his legs, initially flailed his wings in panic. But when Diao Qingyun let out a sharp, warning cry, he fell silent. Dangling limply in the wind, his massive wings swayed as if he had already resigned himself to his fate.

Diao Qingyun flew him to a secluded spot, released him, and perched above him on a tree branch, sneering. “Wu Fenghe! You’ve got guts now, huh? Running away from home?!”

“Wife, I can explain!” Wu Fenghe flapped his wings, attempting to shift back into human form.

Halfway through, his face twisted in pain, and he reverted back to an eagle.

Diao Qingyun’s eyes locked onto his ankles, blazing with fury. “Oh, you’ve really outdone yourself this time! You freeloaded off humans for so long that they put a tracking band on you! Should I go back and spread the word for you?!”

Wu Fenghe’s expression changed. “That won’t be necessary, dear! I’m a seven-hundred-year-old great demon! If people find out about this… how embarrassing would that be?!”

“You still remember that you’re over seven hundred years old? But when you ran away from home, did you think about how ridiculous that looked?”

“I—I was just starving! You keep forcing me to diet—who could endure that?!”

“I’m doing it for your own good! If you don’t lose weight, do you think you can still fly?!” Diao Qingyun scolded him, utterly exasperated.

Wu Fenghe’s weight had long exceeded the limit! The only reason he could still fly was because of his demon energy—if that were sealed, he’d drop straight from the sky.

“But eating grass three times a day isn’t an option either!”

Wu Fenghe was deeply aggrieved.

“You told me to go downstairs and buy buns. And only vegetarian ones! But the person in front of me bought meat buns. Pork rib buns—seven or eight of them, each the size of a fist! Fresh out of the steamer, hot and fragrant!”

“He bought them, and then he ate them! He even tore them open to eat! That thick layer of meat! That rich aroma!”

“I—I—I was starving!

“We eagles are meat eaters by nature!!

“I want meat!!!”

He hadn’t eaten meat in six months! The only reason he was still alive was because he was a demon—an ordinary black eagle wouldn’t have lasted this long!

That bag of pork rib buns had smelled too good! He could smell it but wasn’t allowed to eat it—he felt utterly miserable and couldn’t hold back anymore. So, he flew away.

At first, he had just wanted to clear his head, but he somehow ended up near a human ranger station. Feeling weak from hunger, he lay down with his wings spread wide, basking in the sun.

He hadn’t expected the rangers to feed him meat! And they actually cared if he was full!

Wu Fenghe had lived for over seven hundred years. Back when he was most active, wildlife conservation wasn’t even a concept—what was popular back then was bow-hunting large eagles. He had never imagined that humans would treat him so well now!

So, he didn’t want to leave.

Undergoing a checkup and wearing a tracking band was a small price to pay—after all, they didn’t know who he really was. He could just quietly remove it later and toss it away.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Who would’ve thought even demons struggled with obesity?

Zhan Yan was curious and looked up why Wu Fenghe had gained so much weight.

Oh… turns out his weight gain only started in the last few decades.

He used to have a normal diet—sometimes he ate more, but as a demon, his metabolism burned through calories quickly.

But in recent years, humans had popularized fried chicken. Fast-food chains serving it were everywhere. Wu Fenghe became addicted, devouring it without restraint. Then, in the past few years, he discovered cheese-covered fried chicken, and his body size ballooned like an inflated balloon.

Seeing his condition getting worse, Diao Qingyun had finally stepped in and strictly controlled his diet, forcing him to lose weight.

In the end, the matter was settled with Diao Qingyun allowing Wu Fenghe to eat one meat meal per week—but no fried food, no dairy or cheese-based dishes, and strict portion limits.

The black eagle couple also placed an anonymous bulk order for several dozen live chickens, having them delivered to the ranger station and the nature reserve.

Wu Fenghe used demon magic to remove his tracking band—then grabbed a random black eagle and forced it to wear the band instead.

That poor eagle was now doomed to carry the blame for Wu Fenghe’s chicken massacre in human records.

Zhan Yan thoroughly enjoyed the gossip.

At the same time, Luo Wang transferred the mission points.

A few more of these tasks, and he’d be able to afford a high-grade protective talisman!

That evening, Ji Yueming returned home.

The emergency situation in Yunjin City had been resolved. In fact, thanks to recent operations, it was currently the safest time—after two days of coming up empty, the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau had called off their stakeouts. Now, their focus was on tracking down whoever was capable of creating anomalies.

That wasn’t Ji Yueming’s area of expertise, so she packed up and headed home.

When she walked in, all three of her kids were there. The rich aroma of lotus root pork rib soup filled the house.

Her youngest son came thundering down the stairs, bouncing around her like an excited golden retriever.

“MOM! You’re back! Are you hungry?!”

Zhan Suiru took all the items from Ji Yueming’s hands and opened the insulated box—there were still plenty of buns and braised meat inside. She grinned. “I’ll go heat up some braised meat rice.”

Zhan Jinli quietly took a bag of soup dumplings.

Zhan Yan stared at them in disbelief, let out an indignant huff, and crossed his arms.

“I’m hungry. I won’t have that—let me try your pork rib soup!” Ji Yueming reached out to ruffle Zhan Yan’s soft curls.

“Mom’s the best!” Zhan Yan ran excitedly to ladle out the soup.

The lotus root was soft and glutinous, the pork ribs so tender they fell off the bone with a gentle press. A few perilla leaves in the broth added a fragrant, savory depth to the aroma.

“This is delicious!” Ji Yueming praised.

The only issue was the heat control, but overall, it was excellent!

Zhan Yan nodded vigorously.

Exactly!

“You two shouldn’t be picky—Yan Yan’s soup is great, isn’t it?” Ji Yueming continued, scolding the older two.

Zhan Yan kept nodding.

Exactly!

Zhan Jinli and Zhan Suiru bowed their heads in an apologetic gesture—then resumed eating their buns and braised meat.

The pork rib soup was good, but they had been drinking it three times a day for days.

Zhan Yan’s cooking wasn’t at Zhan Yunkai’s level yet—his dad’s dishes were so good you could eat them every day for a month without getting tired of them.

After dinner, Ji Yueming called Zhan Yan over. “Come here, let me check your silver pendant.”

Zhan Yan pulled out a small silver pendant hanging from a red cord around his neck. The surface was smooth and untarnished. “No need to clean it—it’s still spotless.”

Their mother had always been particular about this. When they were little, she had bought each of them a silver pendant engraved with the word “Peace.” It wasn’t very big, about the size of a one-yuan coin, but she insisted they wear it at all times.

Zhan Jinli and Zhan Suiru weren’t fond of jewelry and would often take theirs off and forget to put them back on.

Ji Yueming would then look at them with heartbroken eyes and ask, “Do you not like the gifts Mom gave you?”

Faced with their mother’s sorrow—and their father standing beside her, smiling “warmly and kindly”—the two of them had wisely assured her that they loved the pendants and would never take them off again.

Ji Yueming checked all three pendants and, satisfied, patted each of them on the head.

These were custom-made protective charms, far more powerful than the mass-produced ones she sold on the forum. If anyone dared to harm her children, they’d be struck down by heaven’s wrath.

“When is your dad coming home?” Ji Yueming asked.

She had hidden Zhan Yunkai’s protective charm inside his wedding ring. Since he was an actor and had to take it off during filming, he would tie it to a cord and wear it around his neck or arm instead—but he would never go without it. Still, after all this time, it was best to check on it.

“No idea. I’ll ask.” Zhan Yan said as he dialed.

Meanwhile, Zhan Yunkai was still on the forum.

With Luo Wang having transferred the mission points, he decided to check in on Approaching Science’s skills.

Luo Wang: “Very capable.”

“He provides information fast. From accepting the mission to delivering results, it took less than ten minutes. If we ever need intel urgently, he’s a great choice.”

“He can also dig up detailed information, and it’s all accurate. We don’t know his full capabilities yet, but for similar missions in the future, we should definitely test him out more.”

Zhan Yunkai: Excellent! He knew he had good instincts—there was no way someone he took an interest in would be lacking in talent!

The next step was building a connection. He couldn’t just keep throwing mission points at him—he had to get him to lean toward the Wen Yao Alliance!

Luo Wang didn’t think this would be too hard.

After all, she also loved gossip.

And what better way to bond than over drama?

Zhan Yunkai logged off the forum and immediately received Zhan Yan’s call.

His wife was already home? Then he was going back too! There wasn’t much left to do here anyway.

That night, he rushed back home.

To his surprise, everyone was still awake, waiting for him.

The warmth of family instantly washed over him, and he felt deeply moved.

Under the care of his wife and children, he took a sip of the pork rib soup Zhan Yan had made—then silently put the bowl down.

Patting Zhan Yan’s shoulder with fatherly affection, he said, “You’ve gotten thinner. Dad will make you something good to eat.”

Zhan Yan: …

Right. His pork rib soup was awful!

“Dad, we have snow peas at home. I want stir-fried snow peas!”