952 The Real Identity of the Rare Animal (1/2)

What? There were 11 kinds of imperial, decorative animals in the eaves of the roof?

Zhang Zian was stunned for a while, but he seemed to understand something. He told Old Time Tea, ”Grandpa Tea, I said it just now and perhaps you didn't hear it clearly—there are ten types of decorative animals on this roof. The leader is a fairy that rides a chicken. If you count the chicken as one, then there are indeed 11 kinds.”

”Ga ga! A fairy riding a chicken? Is it riding its own chicken or someone else's chicken1?” Richard did not care about how many types of decorative animals there were. It was only suddenly attentive upon hearing the word ”chicken.”

”Ride you!” Zhang Zian glared at it.

”Ga ga! I also want to ride a chicken!” Richard flapped its wings and landed on his head.

Zhang Zian was so humiliated he was just about to pull it down and pluck all of its feathers off, but heard Old Time Tea spoke again. The doubts in its voice remained unchanged. ”That's not right. I counted again, and there are still 11 types. If we count the fairy riding a chicken, that's 12 types of rare animals.” Zhang Zian was stunned again.

It could not be, right? Could it be that the Baidu Encyclopedia was wrong?

That was possible, after all. The Baidu Encyclopedia had not always been very reliable… But was it possible for something so important to be wrong and no one noticed it?

”Zian, I counted as well. Excluding the fairy that is the leader, there are indeed 11 kinds behind it,” Famous added.

What was going on? There was really an extra one?

If it were one or two fewer than expected, that was easier to explain. It could be that the wind blew them over or that they were spoiled because of some reason and had been taken down to be fixed… but what the heck. How could there be an extra one?

”Ga ga! I know! Isn't there a saying, 'Five backbone and six beasts?' Since it is five backbone and six beasts, then five plus six is of course 11!” Richard called out, thinking it was very smart.

There were a total of only ten kinds of imperial, decorative animals, and according to the ancient Emperor's rules, only the eaves of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Imperial Palace could be filled with all the ten kinds. Only odd numbers could be placed anywhere else, and dragons and phoenixes could hardly be used.

That meant that, in the whole world, it was only at the Hall of Supreme Harmony that one could see the gathering of all ten beasts.

Now that there was one more, could it be that one was a freebie that came along with the other ten?

Zhang Zian hurriedly lifted his head and looked towards the eaves.

He thought that if there really were 11, then perhaps it was going to be some great discovery. If he told the Imperial Palace workers, then perhaps he could get a big sum of reward money.

”One, two, three, four… ten.” He raised his head and slowly counted. ”That's not right. There are obviously ten types. Where's the eleventh type? Did you all count incorrectly?”

”Idiot!” Richard raised its wing and hit his head. ”You are all counting different eaves!”

Zhang Zian turned his head to look. Old Time Tea and Famous were staring at the eaves on the right while he was counting the eaves on the left.

He recounted the number of decorative animals on the right eaves.

”One, two, three… ten… eleven! F*ck! D*mn it. There really are 11!” Zhang Zian could not help but curse continuously. The discovery was too shocking.

”Is it that two of them developed feelings over a long time and had a small animal?” Richard cried out mischievously. ”It must be very lonely squatting on the eaves the whole day.”

”Do you think it's you?” Zhang Zian scolded.

If something went wrong, there had to be a demon. He could not be bothered to listen to what Richard was saying and looked at the decorative animals carefully.

It was a sunny day. The sun was very strong, and the sun shining on the roof of the glazed tile produced a strong reflection, affecting his line of sight.

”Ga?”

”Meow?”

”Woof?”

”Zhi zhi?”