21: Chapter 21 Almost Lost a Million?! A Friendly Reminder!

"Brother, I'm going home first!"

At the school gate after class.

Jiang Yunyun, carrying a pink Beast Tamer backpack and holding a dozing Sky-Swallowing Rabbit in her arms, waved to him: "Mom said she made your favorite Spirit Mushroom Soup tonight! Remember to come back early!"

"Okay, I know. Be careful on your way."

Jiang Yun ruffled his sister's hair and watched her skip away until she disappeared around the street corner.

After confirming Jiang Yunyun had gone far.

He turned and walked in the opposite direction from home.

Beast Tamer Mall.

As a Core Student of the school, Jiang Yun received a monthly Spirit Stone subsidy, but it was merely a drop in the bucket for the Fire Dragon Fish, which required a large amount of fire attribute energy.

Let alone using it to exchange for federal currency to buy items.

Fortunately, he had won against Xiao Ling in the morning, and the five hundred thunder attribute spirit stones the other party reluctantly handed over.

Although thunder attribute spirit stones could not be used to enhance the strength of the Fire Dragon Fish.

However, exchanging these rare Spirit Stones for federal currency would also be a considerable income, which could be used to purchase the reserve items he and his sister needed for tomorrow.

The Beast Tamer Mall is located in the most prosperous Central District of C City.

From a distance, the entire building resembled a giant metal bird with spread wings, its exterior walls pieced together with glazed bricks that changed with the light, now shimmering with a colorful halo under the setting sun.

Two man-high Beast Tamer statues stood at the entrance of the mall.

On the left was a roaring Thunder Lion, and on the right was a Spirit Fish spouting water and pearls. The eyes of each statue were inlaid with genuine high-grade Spirit Stones, emitting faint energy fluctuations.

Even the security guards standing at the hall entrance were Silver-rank Beast Tamers.

"As expected of C City's most famous Beast Taming trading center."

Jiang Yun praised inwardly.

This was his first time visiting such a high-end Beast Tamer shopping venue.

After all, he didn't have much money and probably couldn't afford to spend in such a place, but this time it was different.

He was carrying five hundred Spirit Stones, which counted as a huge sum of money.

Stepping inside the mall, Jiang Yun couldn't help but hold his breath.

A huge energy sand table floated in the center of the twenty-meter-high hall, displaying the distribution of Vicious Beasts around C City and bounty information in real-time; in the surrounding display cabinets, various Spirit Stones shining with different lights, bottles and jars of Beast Taming potions, and Beast Taming equipment covered with runes were dazzling, each marked with astronomical prices.

The air was filled with a faint fragrant scent of energy, mixed with the aura of different attribute Beasts, making him, a 'country bumpkin' visiting for the first time, somewhat overwhelmed.

"Sir, do you need help?"

A female Beast Tamer wearing a professional suit skirt and a 'Sales Associate' badge walked over with a smile. A small Fluorescent Bird stood on her shoulder, curiously observing Jiang Yun.

It seemed this Sales Associate was also a Beast Tamer.

"I want to exchange Spirit Stones for federal currency. Where can I do that?"

Jiang Yun directly stated his purpose.

"This way, please. Spirit Stone exchange is on the third floor, you need to take the elevator."

The Sales Associate guided him to a circular elevator emitting a soft white light: "The third floor is the Common exchange area, and the fourth floor is for rare Spirit Stones and valuable item transactions. Judging by your appearance, it seems like your first time, so I recommend going to the third floor first to familiarize yourself with the process."

"Thank you."

Jiang Yun entered the elevator, watching the floor numbers quickly jump from '1' to '3'.

The moment the elevator doors opened, a mixed scent of metal and energy wafted over.

There were significantly fewer people on the third floor than on the first, but everyone's aura was more composed.

Jiang Yun walked to the exchange window marked "No. 12," where a middle-aged man with a goatee and reading glasses sat, idly wiping a water attribute Spirit Stone.

"To exchange money."

Jiang Yun placed the box Xiao Ling had given him on the counter. As the box opened, five hundred Spirit Stones glowing with a faint purple thunder light emitted an alluring aura.

The goatee boss glanced up, a flicker of imperceptible shrewdness in his eyes behind the spectacles, but he quickly returned to his lazy expression: "Common attribute Spirit Stones, one thousand federal currency each, five hundred... five hundred thousand federal currency."

He picked up an abacus, his fingers rapidly moving, as if this was just an ordinary transaction.

Jiang Yun frowned.

Although he wasn't very clear about the specific price of rare Spirit Stones, he knew that thunder attribute spirit stones should belong to rare attribute Spirit Stones. How could they be the same price as Common attribute Spirit Stones?

Clearly, this boss saw he was young and was trying to rip him off!

Just as Jiang Yun was about to argue, he heard a clear voice from behind: "Boss, your abacus is really precise."

Jiang Yun turned around and saw a girl about his age standing behind him. She wore a neatly tailored white outfit, a belt inlaid with blue gems around her waist, and her dark hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, revealing a smooth forehead and a pair of lively almond eyes.

The girl held a Beast Egg, the size of a casserole and covered with golden patterns, in her hands, looking at the goatee boss behind the counter with a half-smile.

The goatee boss's face stiffened, and he coughed twice: "Young Miss, you shouldn't speak carelessly. My exchange prices are all according to mall standards."

"Oh? Standards?"

The girl stepped forward, picked up a thunder attribute spirit stone, and gently twisted it between her fingers. A faint electric arc immediately flashed across the surface of the Spirit Stone: "Common gold, wood, water, fire, and earth attribute Spirit Stones are indeed one thousand federal currency each, but these thunder attribute spirit stones... Boss, how much did you say just now?"

The goatee boss felt uncomfortable under her gaze and mumbled: "Thunder attribute... naturally more expensive, three thousand each."

"Oh? Then how much should this Little Brother's five hundred thunder attribute spirit stones be?"

The girl raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to Jiang Yun, "Little Brother, you need to look carefully, don't let someone take advantage of you without knowing it."

Jiang Yun was startled.

Three thousand each?

Then five hundred would be one million five hundred thousand federal currency! If calculated as Common Spirit Stones, he would have lost a full million! He immediately understood why Xiao Ling's face was so ugly when he handed over these five hundred Spirit Stones... this was no small sum.

"You..."

The goatee boss didn't expect a Cheng Yaojin to suddenly appear, and a girl who looked like a rich Young Miss at that, making him unable to back down: "I didn't see clearly just now, I thought they were Common Spirit Stones..."

"Is that so?"

The girl sneered and placed the Spirit Stone back on the velvet cloth: "Hurry up and compensate him, don't let people say your Beast Tamer Mall bullies newcomers who don't know the ropes."

The goatee boss glared venomously at the girl, but under the gaze of other exchangers, he could only reluctantly recalculate: "Five hundred thunder attribute spirit stones, three thousand each, totaling one million five hundred thousand federal currency."

He took out a golden Federal Bank Card from the drawer, "The password is six zeros, go check it yourself."

Jiang Yun took the bank card and bowed gratefully to the girl: "Thank you, otherwise I would have lost a lot."

If the girl hadn't revealed its true value, he might have continued to be fooled... "It was nothing."

The girl waved her hand, sizing up Jiang Yun, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes: "To be able to produce so many rare thunder attribute spirit stones, your identity, Little Brother, is not ordinary. How do you not even know the value of thunder attribute spirit stones?"

Jiang Yun smiled awkwardly, not explaining.

He couldn't very well say that these Spirit Stones were won from a bet with a rich second-generation, could he?

His gaze fell on the Beast Egg in the girl's hand. The Beast Egg looked lustrous and smooth, with golden patterns flowing, clearly of considerable value.

Jiang Yun then changed the subject.

"Are you also here to exchange Spirit Stones?"

"No, I'm here to buy a Beast Egg."

The girl gently stroked the Beast Egg in her arms, her eyes full of anticipation: "I just awakened my Beastmaster Talent not long ago. My elders at home helped me choose this 'Golden-Patterned Thunder Eagle' egg, saying its Aptitude is excellent."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun subconsciously activated his Entry Manifestation ability, his gaze falling on the Beast Egg.

The next second, the data entries of the Beast Egg gradually manifested.

When he saw the information.

His pupils constricted slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes:

[species]: Golden-Patterned Beast · Beast King Cub (Holy Light Attribute)

[Aptitude]: diamond rank peak

[Status]: The Vicious Beast cub inside has been dead for three days, maintaining surface vital signs by relying on its Beast King Bloodline.

[Hint]: The Beast Tamer cub is already dead, but the Beast King Bloodline can be extracted to evolve other Beast Tamer Bloodlines.

"A Beast King-level Beast Tamer cub with diamond rank peak Aptitude! What a pity! It's already dead..."

Seeing this information, Jiang Yun couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

Jiang Yun thought that this Beast Egg must be very valuable.

Considering that the girl had just helped him, reminding her to return it might allow her to cut her losses in time, which would be a way to repay her.

So Jiang Yun spoke up to remind her: "Young Miss, this Beast Egg of yours..."

The girl looked at him in confusion: "What's wrong?"

"I think... the cub inside this egg seems to be dead."

Jiang Yun carefully chose his words: "Just now I saw a trace of abnormal black Qi in the cracks of the eggshell, it might be my illusion, but you'd better find a reliable Appraiser to check it again."

He didn't directly state the detailed information and situation, after all, he wasn't an Appraiser, and being too detailed would make him seem too suspicious.

Upon hearing this, the smile on the girl's face faded slightly, clearly displeased: "Student, you shouldn't speak carelessly. This egg was personally chosen by my family, how could there be a problem?"

She hugged the Beast Egg tighter, her tone carrying a hint of wariness: "Are you seeing that I just helped you and want to thank me, so you're just saying something to fool me? There are many ways to thank someone, your way is really unique..."

Seeing this, Jiang Yun knew it was useless to say more.

The other party clearly didn't believe a word from a strange young man.

He shrugged helplessly: "I'm just giving a kind reminder, believe it or not."

Now that he had reminded her.

What she chose to do was no longer his concern.

With that, Jiang Yun turned and left.

He still needed to buy the items he and his sister needed for tomorrow.

Now with one million five hundred thousand federal currency, he could also spend some federal currency to buy some fire attribute or water attribute Spirit Stones for the Fire Dragon Fish, helping it continue to improve its strength and make ample preparations for tomorrow's combat training.

Just as Jiang Yun had left.

The mall elevator doors opened with a "ding," and four white-haired elders in black robes rushed out.

The leading elder saw the girl and immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his tone carrying a hint of reproach: "My Young Miss, why did you come to the third floor? We've been looking for you for a long time!"

The other three elders also gathered around, their faces full of worry: "Yes, Young Miss, the border town is a mixed bag, what if something happens?"

"I just came down to look around."

The girl waved her hand impatiently: "I just helped a Little Brother, he almost got scammed by a crooked merchant."

She pointed at Jiang Yun's retreating back, but didn't mention the Beast Egg.

The leading elder then noticed Jiang Yun, his gaze sweeping over him with a hint of scrutiny and disdain: "Young Miss, it's best to have less contact with villagers from these remote cities in the future, lest you get into trouble. Your identity is special, not just anyone can approach you casually."

"Got it, got it."

The girl waved her hand impatiently again: "Let's go."

Before leaving, she couldn't help but look back in the direction Jiang Yun had left, her expression complex...