20: Chapter 20 The Name of Beast Tamer Appears for the First Time!

Two months — it wasn't long, but it wasn't short either.

The market, however, had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Since the eight small Qi Refining clans under the jurisdiction of Hongtian City moved in, the small Cultivator market, which originally had only two streets, had forcibly expanded by half an alley on both sides, growing significantly larger.

The Feng Clan, skilled in forging, set up an ironware shop.

They specialized in low-tier Magical Artifacts; although their prices were much higher than Sun Tieshan's, their Artifact Refining methods were leagues ahead of his.

The Chen Clan were old hands at growing spirit rice, so they opened a grain stall in the general goods area. They weighed spirit rice by the catty, honest with all customers and following the rules.

The Xu Clan knew a bit of crude Formation Plate engraving. Although it was only at the First Grade Low Grade level, it was stable, and the demand was quite broad.

All eight families paid twenty percent rent, settled monthly without fail.

Feng Shoude still had that same deadpan Face. Once the iron shop opened, he buried his head in work. Aside from showing his Face at the market management office on rent day, he couldn't be bothered to say a single word on regular days.

However, his iron shop had the best business.

Many Loose Cultivators made a living by hunting Yao. Damage to Magical Artifacts was a common occurrence. Whenever someone passed through Hongtian City to rest, three out of ten would need their artifacts repaired.

The Feng Clan's craftsmanship was indeed solid. Sun Tieshan would watch them from time to time or try to strike up a conversation, attempting to steal a move or two...

Sun Boan, for his part, didn't feel any jealousy regarding this.

The Old Ancestor had said that what the market needed was popularity, not Face. The more Feng Shoude earned, the more rent he would naturally pay. There was nothing to say if one's skills were inferior to others.

But what truly kept Sun Boan awake at night was the general store!

...

Over these two months, the general store had received another seventy-three batches of goods.

Most were miscellaneous spiritual materials from Loose Cultivators, worth only a few Spirit Stones each, but once they piled up, the volume was quite considerable...

Among them, there were three batches of goods that even made Sun Boan's eyes light up!

The first was a nest of Spirit Bees.

The seller was a solitary Loose Cultivator, looking disheveled and covered in dust. He had found a nest of First Grade Spirit Bees in the southern mountains and brought them back, queen and all, packed in a sealed spiritual wood box.

Spirit Bees were treasures from head to toe if raised well.

The honey could be used to make Spirit Honey Cakes, Spirit Meals, be added to Pill Formulas, or offered to the Old Ancestor. The bee venom could refine poison pills, and the beeswax could be used as a base for talisman paper.

However, raising Spirit Bees required a field of spiritual plants as a nectar source; not everyone could afford to keep them.

That Loose Cultivator couldn't raise them himself but was reluctant to throw them away. Hearing that the Hongtian City market accepted such miscellaneous goods, he brought them over to try his luck.

Sun Boan paid sixty Spirit Stones, and the man left with a thousand thanks.

The second item was three spirit fruit tree saplings.

The seller was an old woman at the third layer of Qi Refining. She claimed she had secretly dug them up from the ruins of the destroyed Zhao Clan and was selling them at a low price for fear of bringing trouble upon herself.

Sun Boan couldn't identify the species, so he sent them to the back mountain overnight for Shi Jian to appraise.

Shi Jian took a sniff and recognized them: "Green Heart Fruit, a First Grade Medium Grade spirit fruit. They are quite good; they can bear fruit in two or three years. The fruit helps Qi Refining Cultivators condense their spiritual power."

"How much did you buy them for?"

"One hundred and twenty Spirit Stones for all three."

"Not a bad deal then."

Shi Jian yawned, showing little interest. "Plant them by the edge of the spiritual fields and let Sun Caiya manage them. It can be considered a source of livelihood."

"These spirit fruits will be quite good for nurturing the younger generation."

But the third batch of goods was the most interesting.

It was a tattered Jade Slip containing a Cultivation Technique!

The seller was a young Loose Cultivator who acted suspiciously, likely having obtained it through illicit means. Recorded inside was a fragmented First Grade beast-taming Legacy.

Named the 'Beast Attraction Art,' it only contained the first five layers of the Mind-Cultivation Technique and some taming methods.

Everything after that was cut off.

Sun Kezheng purchased it for thirty Spirit Stones and delivered it to the back mountain that very night.

Shi Jian flipped through it and spent the night reading the contents.

It was a bit fragmented, but the foundation wasn't bad. The core idea was to use a Cultivator's spiritual power to simulate the fluctuations of a beast's aura, establishing a mental link to tame Yao and turn them into spirits.

Shi Jian memorized this fragmented piece and, comparing it to his own Yao Race instincts, silently filled in several key gaps.

He completed the version, but he also twisted part of its essence...

He changed the concept from enslaving Yao Beasts to equal symbiosis with them, and even left some hidden flaws. In the future, when Sun Clan disciples practiced this art,

They would not only be able to achieve a mental connection with their Spirit Beasts,

But also use this art to briefly borrow the other's power to enhance their combat strength. This was the completed Legacy. As for the hidden flaws,

They were Shi Jian's countermeasures to prevent anyone from having malicious intentions in the future.

At the same time, this technique gave Shi Jian a very important inspiration: there was profit to be made in the Dao of Beast Taming!

Half a month ago, Elder Rat had reported something to Shi Jian.

"Old Ancestor, that litter of Yao pups of mine has produced another litter." Elder Rat squatted by the giant rock, his tail curled around a grain of spirit rice as he nibbled:

"Including the previous ones, there are now thirty-seven large and small rat pups near the back mountain that have gained intelligence. I estimate they will all turn into Yao in a few years."

"This breeding speed is too fast, I'm almost unable to control them. Old Ancestor, what do you think..."

Shi Jian didn't say anything at the time, but his mind started working. Thirty-seven rat pups — although they hadn't condensed Yao cores yet, they had already developed spiritual wisdom.

They were in the transition period from wild beasts to Yao Beasts, a sort of Pseudo-Yao.

They already possessed the embryonic form of a First Grade Yao Beast.

But rats were different from dogs. A dog Yao could serve as a Dao-protecting Beast, possessed decent combat strength, and was obedient and docile; it was clearly valuable.

While these Pseudo-Yao with spiritual wisdom weren't as precious as dog Yao, they were still decent Spirit Pets, especially for Loose Cultivators who explored deep mountains and old forests.

This kind of rat Pseudo-Yao was not only cheap and understood commands, but also suitable for scouting and searching!

Dao-protecting Beasts were too expensive for Loose Cultivators to afford.

But what about an obedient Spirit Pet rat that could scout and provide early warnings?

The price didn't need to be high; twenty to thirty Spirit Stones would be enough, roughly the price of a Low Grade Magical Artifact.

Cheap, practical, and easy to raise!

Spirit Pet rats could just eat spirit rice, or if raised poorly, even mortal food would do. Their consumption was extremely low and didn't take up resources. Ten Spirit Pet rats would be a business of two to three hundred Spirit Stones — that was not a small amount...

And the cost was extremely low.

Since Elder Rat gained intelligence and became a Yao, there were nearly a hundred thousand rats within Hongtian City, and there were even six or seven rat Yao existences.

A few Pseudo-Yao with wisdom would appear every year.

Once the numbers went up, there would only be more and more Yao rats in the future. At that time, with a bit of management and neutering all the Yao Beasts sold,

It could clearly serve as a long-term livelihood!

...

Soon, the news was released...

A new shop opened in the market: the Spirit Pet Shop. The storefront wasn't large, and three Spirit Pet rats were displayed at the entrance. Their fur was glossy and bright as they squatted in small bamboo cages; some were nibbling on spirit rice, while others were washing their Faces with their paws.

When they saw people coming, they would even stand up, tilt their heads, and bow with their paws joined.

On the first day, no one bought any.

Most Loose Cultivators passing by snorted in disdain. Who would spend Spirit Stones to buy a rat?

On the second day, Sun Boan had the manager set up a wooden sign outside the shop:

"Spirit Pet Scouting Rat: Can detect ley lines, find spiritual items, and warn of danger. Tested to provide precise warnings within half a mile. Buy one, die one less time!"

"If not satisfied, return within three days for a full refund of Spirit Stones."

On the third day, a Loose Cultivator at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, with the mindset of giving it a try, gritted his teeth and spent thirty Spirit Stones to buy one...

Five days later, that Loose Cultivator returned.

"Give me two more!"

He slapped down sixty Spirit Stones, his Face glowing with excitement. "These rats of yours are damn useful!"

"The other day when I was exploring the deep mountains, I almost missed a First Grade High Grade Blood Lingzhi. This little thing squeaked from half a mile away!"

"A single High Grade Blood Lingzhi sold for thirty-five Spirit Stones just on its own. I made my money back in one go and even earned a few extra Spirit Stones."

These words were overheard by several Loose Cultivators nearby. That afternoon, the remaining Spirit Pet rats were sold out.

Someone even asked, "When is the next batch arriving?"

Sun Boan stood behind the shop, looking at the empty bamboo cages, the corners of his mouth visibly curling upward. In just a few short days,

Ten Pseudo-Yao beasts had earned three hundred Spirit Stones, and the cost was almost zero!

From this single incident, the Sun Clan's reputation for beast taming was thoroughly established. In the not-so-distant future, Spirit Beasts produced by the Sun Clan...

Would become objects sought after by countless Cultivators!