136: Hunting Party

On the morning of August 14th, Luo Chen and Luo Yang arrived at the Qingyang City Lord's Mansion together.

Today was the day for the three Breeders and ten Beast Masters who had won the competition in Qingyang City to go to Liuguang City for the next round of competition.

In the square in front of the City Lord's Mansion, many young Beast Masters, either teenagers or young adults, stood in small groups, bidding farewell to their families.

Luo Yuheng did not come to see them off, as he had already left for Liuguang City a few days prior; they would meet there.

Luo Chen scanned the crowd for a few moments, then pulled Luo Yang directly towards Ban Mo, who looked a bit lonely.

"Hey, we meet again."

Luo Chen's question startled Ban Mo from his thoughts. He looked at Luo Chen and forced a stiff smile,

"Shopkeeper Luo, good morning."

It seemed that only Ban Mo still called him by that name now.

Luo Chen asked casually, "I wonder, have you contracted a second beast yet?"

Ban Mo's smile was a little helpless. Ever since treating his Shadow Bat had cost him all his funds, he no longer had any spare money to buy a new beast.

"Not yet."

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, having naturally anticipated this outcome.

"To be honest, Mr. Ban, the pet egg you left in our store last time hasn't found a suitable owner yet. I wonder if you're still interested in it?"

Hearing Luo Chen mention the pet egg, Ban Mo's face revealed a hint of excitement. He looked at Luo Chen sincerely,

"Shopkeeper Luo, what are your conditions?"

It seemed that while Ban Mo was a man of few words, he was quite perceptive.

"The conditions aren't that difficult. It's just that after Mr. Ban finishes the competition, you'll work for Chenyang Pet Store for a period of time."

"Could you elaborate on what exactly that entails?" There was a certain apprehension in Ban Mo's words.

Being cautious was a good thing. Asking this showed he was tempted.

"Chenyang Pet Store wants to form its own exclusive hunting squad, and you're the first person I've asked.

You were specifically involved in hunting before, so I don't need to explain the work content of a hunting squad to you, do I?

Besides receiving a fixed monthly salary of 10,000 spirit coins, each time the hunting squad enters a secret realm, they can draw an additional 10% of the hunting value as remuneration.

Additionally, if a beast chooses to evolve within Chenyang Pet Store, they will receive a 20% discount."

10,000 spirit coins a month—this salary level was absolutely rare in Qingyang City, not to mention the additional share they could draw each time they entered a secret realm.

Ban Mo's face clearly showed his struggle.

"Shopkeeper Luo, this remuneration, even in Liuguang City, would probably have Spirit-Rank Beast Masters lining up to compete for it.

It wouldn't even be impossible to recruit a King-Rank Beast Master with a not-so-powerful King-Ranked Beast.

Why would you choose a Beast Master like me, who only has one Spirit Rank beast?"

Luo Chen raised his left arm and placed it on Luo Yang's shoulder.

Luo Chen had grown quite a bit in the past two or three months. Now, even without standing on tiptoes, he could easily rest his arm on Luo Yang's shoulder.

He was probably still about five or six centimeters short of being as tall as his 185 cm younger brother.

"I believe in fate. Chenyang Pet Store naturally has its own standards for recruiting people. We may not be interested in those who are strong, but we are very interested in those who are special.

For example, I'm very interested in your Beast Master talent."

Ban Mo looked at his hands, then sighed softly, "Shopkeeper Luo, I agree to your terms."

Luo Chen withdrew his arm from Luo Yang's shoulder and extended his right hand towards Ban Mo.

"Then, the Chenyang Hunting Squad welcomes your joining, its third member."

"Third? Who are the other two?" Ban Mo was a little curious; hadn't Luo Chen just said he was the first?

"Right in front of you. I'm the first, my brother is the second, so you're naturally the third."

Before Ban Mo could say anything, Luo Yang exclaimed in surprise, "When did I join?"

Luo Chen shot him a glance, the meaning of which was self-evident. Under the light gaze, Luo Yang, as expected, backed down first.

"Alright, alright, I was the second to join, I forgot, hehe."

Luo Yang reluctantly bid farewell to his high school friends in his heart. He thought he should still have opportunities to take them out of the city to play a few times in the future.

Sneaking out, his brother was so busy, he probably wouldn't notice.

Ban Mo watched their brotherly interaction, a look of envy in his eyes.

"Alright, please guide me in the future."

Although Ban Mo was the oldest, his Beast Master realm was not. Yesterday, Luo Yang had successfully advanced to King-Rank Beast Master with Luo Chen's help.

So currently, in their three-person squad, only Ban Mo was not a King-Rank Beast Master.

Luo Chen summoned the Overturning Sea Cloud Whale and retrieved the Thousand Tribulation Beast egg, which had been stored in the store for a long time, from its personal space.

It still had its previous dusty appearance. Luo Chen placed it in Ban Mo's arms.

Having lost the egg for nearly two months and now getting it back, Ban Mo couldn't sort out the complex emotions in his heart—whether it was more joy or more nostalgia.

However, since he didn't know how to hatch this egg, it could only serve as a memento to remember his parents. He still needed to find a second beast to contract as soon as possible.

Otherwise, he feared he wouldn't last long in the Chenyang Pet Store's hunting team.

Who knew that at this moment, Luo Chen suddenly spoke up,

"Oh, right, I've figured out how to hatch your egg. This time, consider it a welcome gift for your first entry into the hunting team, free of charge."

Then Luo Chen told Ban Mo the name of the egg, how to hatch it, and all its pros and cons as it grew.

After listening to Luo Chen's detailed introduction, Ban Mo let out a soft breath and then thanked him solemnly, his gratitude towards Luo Chen deepening even more.

If not for Luo Chen, he probably would never have been able to hatch this beast in his lifetime.

However, even after learning about the significant drawbacks of this beast egg, it did not deter his resolve to hatch and contract it.

After all, this should be one of the few things his parents left for him in this world.

But now was not the right time to hatch it. Ban Mo suppressed his excited heart and placed the pet egg in the necklace he wore.

Luo Chen reminded him to be sure to call him when he hatched it; Luo Chen really didn't want to miss such a scene of a beast being born.

Ban Mo naturally wouldn't refuse Luo Chen's request, as having a Breeder present during such a hatching was incredibly reassuring.

After some more time passed.

A bird-type beast, larger than an airplane from Luo Chen's previous life, descended from the sky and landed in the square in front of the City Lord's Mansion.