56: Mother and son contracted source beasts

Chu Shengyuan shook his head and went to call his parents and sister.

A moment later, Chu Qinhui and the others appeared in the Main Hall, their gazes constantly shifting back and forth between the three small snakes on the table.

Upon learning that the small snake curled up inside the egg was somewhat Innate deficient, their gazes all landed upon it with great pity.

Chu Jingyu's gaze swept over his Family members in turn, finally fixing on Chu Shenghan; he bent down slightly to meet Xiao Han's eyes levelly.

He took Xiao Han's hand and led her to the table, asking softly, "Xiao Han, are you afraid of them?"

Perhaps because she was close to the two snakes, Chu Shenghan's body stiffened slightly; the grey-green and pink-white snakes curiously approached her on their own initiative, their bodies twisting as if they wanted to crawl onto her.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then said with a slightly trembling voice, "Grandfather, I am not afraid."

Seeing Chu Shenghan's reaction, Chu Jingyu knew that she was saying one thing while meaning another; he sighed lightly and extended his finger to push the two snake hatchlings that had crowded over to the side.

"Xiao Han, it's fine; if you don't like them, you don't like them. Let your mother and younger brother contract these two for now, and later we will go to town to choose one you like."

Chu Shenghan lowered her head in shame, "I'm sorry, Grandfather, I..."

"There is no need to apologize. Everyone has things they fear, but it is fine to be afraid or to dislike them. Promise Grandfather that, in the future, when you face them, you will have the courage to battle them."

Chu Shenghan clenched her fingers tight and nodded firmly.

Chu Jingyu led Xiao Han to the side, "The grey-green one is for Xiao Yuan, and the pink-white one is for Jiang Nian. You two, mother and son, hurry up and sign the contract with them."

Jiang Nian looked at the pink-white snake; there was no fear in her eyes, only the feeling that this little snake looked rather exquisite and cute.

Chu Shengyuan had long been impatient; he leaned his body toward the table, and a point of spiritual light was drawn from between his brows, landing on the [Green Forest Giant Python].

The [Green Forest Giant Python] twisted its body in discomfort, then rolled its eyes, as if falling into a deep sleep.

On the other side, Jiang Nian did the same, but the [Pink Rock Crystal Python] was much more obedient; after the spiritual light entered its body, it lay docilely on the table and fell into a deep sleep.

A few minutes later, Chu Shengyuan opened his eyes.

He extended his palm in front of the [Green Forest Giant Python], which had opened its eyes. Perhaps because the contract had been concluded, the [Green Forest Giant Python] obediently wound its way up Chu Shengyuan's small arm.

In a short while, it reached his shoulder and pressed against his face. The cold sensation of the snake's skin and scales stimulated his skin, causing Chu Shengyuan to shake his head in discomfort.

On the other side, the [Pink Rock Crystal Python] was resting peacefully in Jiang Nian's hand, raising its head to curiously watch the others, looking like a new member joining a big Family.

"Qin Hui, Xiao Han, the two of you accompany me to town."

Chu Jingyu pointed to the snake egg with a crack on the table and said to Xiao Yuan, "I will leave this little snake in your care."

Chu Shengyuan held down the [Green Forest Giant Python] that was rubbing against his face and patted his chest vigorously, "I guarantee I will complete the mission."

Chu Jingyu was very satisfied with the little guy's enthusiasm. After tidying up briefly, the three of them—grandfather and grandchildren—set off for town.

At the Medicine Heart Hall, Sun Chunchen looked at the [Golden Scaled Dragon Fish] scale that had reappeared before him and shook his head with a chuckle.

"Brother Chu, you don't intend to keep this as a foundation?"

"No one in our Family has contracted a fish-type Source Beast. Such Source Beasts are only common in areas with many lakes or near the sea, where there are many Contract Masters. Although it is precious, it is of no use to our Family in the short term. It would be better to exchange it for some Origin Rune Stones and resources that can help the children grow quickly; that would be more useful."

Sun Chunchen clapped his hands lightly and sighed, "Brother Chu is truly broad-minded. I have seen too many people stubbornly holding onto treasures they cannot use, only to drag their Families down. With a mindset like yours, Brother Chu, why worry that the Family will not flourish?"

"Then, Brother Sun, are you willing to accept this scale?"

Sun Chunchen waved his hand, "I am alone now, and this scale is of no great use to me. I suggest you take it to the Treasure Pavilion for auction; that way, you can maximize its value."

The grandfather and two grandchildren followed Sun Chunchen's advice and made a trip to the Treasure Pavilion.

Upon entering the Treasure Pavilion, Chu Qinhui did not run into that Qing Luo from yesterday, but he found a counter with a consignment sign and placed the golden scale on the table.

"We would like to consign this scale at your auction house. Would that be possible?"

Seeing that it was only a single scale, the middle-aged man behind the counter was initially indifferent, but after hearing Chu Qinhui's words, his eyes lit up instantly, and he picked up the scale to examine it repeatedly.

He was somewhat unsure of the scale's value, so he smiled at Chu Qinhui, "Forgive my lack of discernment; I cannot tell which Source Beast this comes from. Might you be able to enlighten me, honored guest?"

"It is a scale of a Golden Scaled Dragon Fish. It carries Dragon Qi and can guide other low-rank fish-type Source Beasts to evolve toward the Dragon species."

This was said by Chu Jingyu, and at the same time, he slightly released some of his own exclusive Intermediate Alien Tier Aura, ensuring the middle-aged man would take his words seriously.

Sure enough, upon sensing Chu Jingyu's Realm, a smile of apology appeared on the middle-aged man's face, "Please wait a moment, honored guest; I need to find someone more professional to appraise it."

The man picked up a jade pendant and said something in a low voice. A few minutes later, an old man leaning on a cane arrived at the counter.

Ignoring everyone, his sharp gaze instantly locked onto the golden scale on the counter. He raised his cane and tapped it lightly on the ground.

The scale floated up, and a beam of light shot from the cane, enveloping the scale. The old man seemed to have obtained some information he wanted from that light.

Then he extended his palm and caught the scale, "Not bad, it is indeed a scale of a Golden Scaled Dragon Fish, and it has Dragon Qi attached to it."

Only then did his gaze turn to Chu Jingyu, who had the highest Realm here, "Are you sure you want to sell it at our shop?"

The old man before them had a demeanor similar to Sun Chunchen's; he was clearly a Spirit Rank Contract Master, so it was perfectly normal for him to have ignored Chu Jingyu and the others just now.

Hearing his question, Chu Jingyu nodded, "Yes, the children in my Family need to contract Source Beasts, so I have no choice but to sell this treasure in exchange for funds."

The old man gently rotated his cane, "Very well. We have two ways of selling it here. One is a fixed price: seven thousand Origin Rune Stones to sell it to our Treasure Pavilion. The other is to place it in an auction, where our Treasure Pavilion will take a five percent commission. Which one do you choose, Your Excellency?"

"Seven thousand Origin Rune Stones?" Chu Jingyu said subconsciously.

The old man thought Chu Jingyu was dissatisfied with the price, so he explained, "Although this scale has Dragon Qi, it is only Spirit Rank itself. It can only allow Mortal Rank and Uncommon Rank fish-type Source Beasts to absorb the Dragon Qi on it. Moreover, whether the evolution is successful still depends on luck. Furthermore, once the Dragon Qi is completely absorbed, this scale will lose its value, so its price is not as terrifying as you might imagine. If you had a whole set of Golden Scaled Dragon Fish scales, our Treasure Pavilion would not dare to auction such an item; we would at least have to send it to the Prefecture City. At that point, it would truly be priceless."