52: Chapter 52 If you want me to treat you, then follow my rules!

Another Saturday.

Outside Mo Fan Pavilion, it was a sea of people.

Ever since Lin Fan saved that dying Red-Striped Cat in public and evolved it into a Flame-Striped Cat last week, the name "Mo Fan Pavilion" had spread like wildfire throughout the Breeder circle in Dongyun City.

More and more people were coming to ask Lin Fan for help evolving their Armor Spirits on weekdays.

However, Lin Fan only accepted standard evolutions; those with difficult or strange cases had to come early on Saturdays.

This was his rule, and no one was an exception.

Even so, Lin Fan was still making a fortune.

With the support of money, his speed to Cultivate naturally did not lag.

He was now a Rank 17 Armor Warrior, and his source energy had unknowingly accumulated to nearly 700 points.

He wasn't far from opening his fourth armor aperture.

At two in the afternoon, when Lin Fan opened the door, the queue already stretched to the street corner.

Ye Qing stood at the entrance, holding a registration book, looking at the long line with some worry.

"Lin Fan, there are so many people, but only three spots. Won't the rest tear down our shop?"

Lin Fan sat behind a small table, sipping tea leisurely.

"They won't. Rules are rules."

Ye Qing rolled her eyes.

"Can't you take a few more cases?"

Lin Fan shook his head.

"Rules are rules. Once a precedent is broken, there will only be more trouble in the future."

Ye Qing thought about it, felt he was right, and didn't say anything else.

She picked up the registration book and walked toward the queue.

"The first three in line stay; the rest can disperse and come back next week."

A chorus of groans immediately erupted from the line.

Lin Fan remained unmoved.

Ye Qing also hardened her heart, keeping the first three people and politely persuading the others to leave.

The first two cases went very smoothly.

One was a blocked Meridians issue in an Iron-Backed Turtle, and the other was an old injury on the horn of a Frost-Horned Rabbit.

Lin Fan was experienced and handled them one by one, finishing each in an hour.

By the time the third case started, it was already 4:30 PM.

Just as Lin Fan was preparing to call the third guest forward, a commotion suddenly came from outside the crowd.

"Make way, make way."

Several burly men dressed in black parted the crowd, forcibly squeezing out a path.

Ye Qing frowned.

"What are you doing? Go line up!"

The leading burly man glanced at her without speaking, just stepping aside.

Then, Zhou Yuan walked out from behind.

He was dressed very formally today, in a suit and leather shoes, with a half-smile on his face.

"Ye Qing, long time no see."

Ye Qing's expression changed slightly.

"Zhou Yuan? What are you here for?"

Zhou Yuan ignored her and walked straight toward Lin Fan.

Lin Fan sat behind the small table, looking at him with an unchanging expression.

"Yo, Boss Zhou, what brings you to my small shop today?"

Zhou Yuan smiled.

"Boss Lin, what a thing to say. We are neighbors; shouldn't I come to visit you?"

He paused and looked back.

"Besides, I didn't come empty-handed today. I'm here to patronize your business."

Whispers arose in the crowd.

"Zhou Yuan? Is that the young master of the Zhou family next door?"

"He's here to patronize the business? What kind of joke is that?"

"He's here to cause trouble, right?"

Lin Fan remained seated, not even standing up.

"Patronize the business? Boss Zhou has three Intermediate Breeders in your shop; do you really need to come to mine?"

Zhou Yuan's smile deepened.

"Those three pieces of trash, how could they compare to Boss Lin?"

He clapped his hands.

Outside the crowd, a middle-aged man in grey clothes walked in.

He was holding an Armor Beast in his arms.

It was a canine Armor Beast, pitch black all over and not small in size, but at this moment, it lay limp in the man's arms, motionless.

Its fur was dull and lusterless, its body so thin it was just skin and bones, its eyes half-open with cloudy pupils, and its breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible.

What was even more terrifying was that its body was covered in wounds of all sizes, some festering, some still oozing black liquid.

A stench of rot filled the air.

The crowd automatically took a few steps back.

"What is that thing?"

"It stinks..."

"Can that thing still live?"

Lin Fan looked at the Armor Beast, his left eye heating up slightly.

[Race]: Shadow Hound [Aptitude]: Mysterious Spirit Low Grade [Rank]: Rank 22 [Current Status]: Dying. Dark attribute spirit power inside the body has completely run wild, Meridians damage reached 90%, multiple organ failure, systemic poisoning, severe wound infection. Estimated survival time: No more than six hours. [Cause]: Suspected of being artificially infused with various conflicting, potent Materials, causing the spirit power System to completely collapse. The perpetrator's methods were extremely vicious, with no intention of letting it live. [Treatment Difficulty]: Cannot be treated with conventional methods. The following methods can be used to treat... [Hidden Information]: This Armor Spirit hides a trace of an extremely thin Abyss Bloodline, but it has been completely suppressed by the rampaging spirit power and is very difficult to activate.

Lin Fan's gaze lingered on the line "Cannot be treated" for two seconds.

Then he withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan was looking at him with a smile.

"Boss Lin, I went to great lengths to find this Shadow Hound."

"I heard you specialize in difficult and strange cases, and you can handle what others can't... Then you should be able to handle this one, right?"

He paused, raising his voice so everyone around could hear.

"I've already been to three shops with this Shadow Hound, and no one dared to take it. It fits your conditions perfectly."

He looked at Lin Fan, smiling broadly.

"Boss Lin, you wouldn't refuse, would you?"

The whole place went quiet.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Lin Fan.

Ye Qing turned pale.

Even a blind person could tell by the look of that Shadow Hound — that thing simply couldn't live.

Zhou Yuan was doing this on purpose!

He found a dying Armor Spirit, wanting to make Lin Fan make a fool of himself in public.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Lin Fan spoke first.

"Accepted."

One word, light as a feather, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

The crowd was in an uproar.

"He's really taking it?"

"Can this thing live?"

"Is he crazy? This is obviously someone here to cause trouble!"

Ye Qing turned her head sharply, looking at Lin Fan.

"Lin Fan! Are you crazy? This dog simply cannot live!"

Lin Fan didn't look at her, only at Zhou Yuan.

"Boss Zhou, I will accept it. But..."

Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"But what..."

Lin Fan pointed to the third person waiting for their Armor Spirit to be treated.

"Queue up first."

"I only accept three people a week; it's really unfortunate, but this week is already full."

Lin Fan shrugged.

"Please come early next week."

Zhou Yuan's expression darkened.

He hadn't expected Lin Fan to pull such a move.

Queue up?

Given the current state of this puppy, it would be good if it could hold on through today, let alone another week.

He stared at Lin Fan, wanting to see something on that face.

Was it intentional, or was he really planning to use this excuse to push it away?

Lin Fan's expression was normal; he even picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Boss Zhou, rules are rules."

"My shop is small, and I don't have enough staff; I can only take three difficult cases a week. The quota for this week is already full; please come early next week."

He said it politely, but the meaning in his words was crystal clear.

If you want me to treat it, follow my rules!