15: Frostwolf

Luo Chen arranged the system rewards he had obtained, placing three mystic spirit grasses on the first floor, three upstairs, and prepared to take the remaining three home.

Unlike the vibrant nightlife of his previous life, by nightfall, the streets of Qingyang City were already mostly deserted.

After waiting a little longer and seeing that no more customers were likely to arrive,

Luo Chen closed the shop and headed home, which was just two streets away.

As soon as he arrived home, Xiao Maoqiu gracefully leaped into its exclusive little cat bed, comfortably squinted its eyes, and began to doze off.

"Luo Yang?"

Not seeing Luo Yang or Chi Yan on the first floor of the house,

Luo Chen, familiar with the routine, went upstairs, knocked on Luo Yang's door, and prepared to enter.

He tried the doorknob, but it didn't turn. Only then did Luo Chen belatedly realize Luo Yang had locked it from the inside.

"Wait a moment."

A slightly flustered voice came from inside the room.

Then came the sound of rummaging through drawers and cupboards. After about two minutes, the door was finally opened from within.

Luo Chen leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, and raised an eyebrow. "Growing up, starting to have secrets now?"

Luo Yang gave an awkward smile but didn't argue. "Brother, what did you need me for?"

He stepped aside, implicitly inviting Luo Chen to come in and sit down.

Luo Chen waved his hand. "I won't come in. I'm not an unreasonable parent; kids deserve some privacy.

I came to ask for your help. Tomorrow I need to go to the Beast Master breeding farm to pick out some beasts. Can you watch the shop for me?"

Luo Chen looked into Luo Yang's eyes and asked, "You should have time tomorrow, right?"

"Ah, yes, of course I do."

Getting a positive answer, Luo Chen decided not to disturb him further. "Good, that's all. You can go back to... whatever you were doing."

With that, Luo Chen disappeared around the corner, and the sound of footsteps descending the stairs echoed in the stairwell.

Luo Yang locked the door again and opened the wound medicine he had just hidden.

Lifting his shirt, he continued applying the medicine to the gruesome wound on his abdomen. White medicinal powder scattered over the wound, which was still oozing a little blood.

Luo Yang couldn't help but let out a soft hiss. Seeing the cold sweat on the young man's forehead, one could imagine the considerable pain he was enduring.

After finishing with the wound, he opened his terminal, composed a message, and sent it.

Chenyangs Light: Tonight's activity is canceled.

It seemed to be a small group chat, as right after Luo Yang sent the message, a continuous stream of 'Received' notifications popped up in the message box.

...

Luo Chen woke up very early the next day. Without disturbing Luo Yang, he first went to the shop alone.

He placed Xiao Maoqiu, along with one remaining Fragrant Rabbit, two Radiant Hounds, and one Lightning Rat, all into the nurturing pool on the second floor for a bath.

After today's bath session, the information for the several beasts showed changes to varying degrees.

The Fragrant Rabbit had broken through to Fierce Beast Four-Star. The two Radiant Hounds had successfully broken through to Fierce Beast Three-Star. The Lightning Rat had broken through to Fierce Beast Four-Star.

Xiao Maoqiu had also advanced from its original Fierce Beast Four-Star to Fierce Beast Five-Star.

This wave of promotions was quite a pleasant surprise for Luo Chen. It was probably due to yesterday's system upgrade, which also enhanced the effects of the nurturing pool.

Furthermore, the six mystic spirit grasses in the shop increased the ambient energy concentration, making these promotions a normal occurrence.

Regardless, Luo Chen's mood brightened considerably because of these beast promotions.

The information section for the Radiant Hounds was adjusted to Fierce Beast Three-Star, and their price was logically revised to twenty-eight thousand spirit coins.

The price for the Lightning Rat was adjusted to sixty thousand spirit coins.

Then, the Fragrant Rabbit was moved from the south-side cage to the north side. The south-side cages were for beasts for sale, while the two rows of cages on the north side were for beasts boarded here.

So now, there were only three beasts available for sale in the shop, not even meeting the minimum quantity for the second task.

Around eight in the morning, Luo Yang finally arrived at the shop.

There wasn't much to explain, really. Luo Chen just instructed him to sell the beasts according to the prices listed.

Not giving Luo Yang a chance to ask anything, Luo Chen said a few more words and then left.

This time, however, Luo Chen didn't take the bus. After all, he was someone who could earn money now, and spending a little on such things was acceptable.

Qingyuan Beast Master Breeding Center.

A familiar place, familiar reception staff.

Zhang Ya, the staff member who had assisted Luo Chen before, clearly hadn't expected him to return to the breeding center so soon.

She asked somewhat nervously, "Was there some problem with the batch of beasts purchased last time?"

Luo Chen smiled and shook his head. "Business is quite good. I'm here again to select beast cubs. Please take me to have a look."

Hearing that there were no issues with the previous batch and that Luo Chen was here to buy more beasts, a brilliant smile blossomed on Zhang Ya's face.

"Of course, please follow me."

Just like last time, after Luo Chen chose the types of beasts he wanted to purchase, Zhang Ya took him to different breeding centers to make his selections.

This time, Luo Chen again chose four Fragrant Rabbits first, and then selected a new type of beast: the Frost Wolf.

The Frost Wolf was considered a relatively high-tier beast among Fierce Beasts and possessed a complete, already-developed evolutionary path to King Beast.

It was a beast quite popular with middle-class families in Qingyang City. Of course, its price was also on the higher side; a single cub cost upwards of eighty thousand spirit coins.

Suppressing his heartache, Luo Chen purchased two Frost Wolf cubs. Along with the four Fragrant Rabbits and their feed, the total came to 210,000 spirit coins.

Having closed another big deal, Zhang Ya happily threw in an extra half-month's supply of feed for the Fragrant Rabbits for free.

For the return trip, he hitched a ride back on Qingyuan Breeding Center's delivery truck.

By the time they arrived at Chenyang Pet Store, it was already two in the afternoon.

Seeing Luo Chen return with the purchased beasts, Luo Yang came out of the shop to help carry them inside.

After everything was settled, Luo Chen keenly noticed that one beast was missing from the shop. Of the original two Radiant Hounds, only one remained.

Opening the system panel, he indeed saw that the sales task quota had changed to 1/6.

He patted Luo Yang's shoulder with some surprise and encouragement. "Well done, kid."

Luo Yang gave a wry smile. The sale of the beast didn't seem to have much to do with him. A customer came in, looked around, and took a liking to one of the Radiant Hounds.

It was probably meant as a companion for the six-year-old son he was leading. Seeing that the family wasn't short on money, the deal was concluded swiftly.

The shop was still open for business, so there were naturally a few other customers. Watching the newly purchased beasts being placed into the empty cages on the south side,

The relatively more handsome-looking Frost Wolves naturally attracted the customers' attention.

"Shopkeeper, how much for these two Frost Wolves?"

Someone quickly identified the species. Luo Chen looked at the speaker: a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, with a rugged appearance and various scars on his exposed skin.

His gaze was sharp and aggressive. Judging by the aura he exuded, Luo Chen could infer he was a Spirit Rank Beast Master.

An adventurer who often roams the wilds? Luo Chen wondered to himself.

"These Frost Wolves were just purchased and haven't undergone any nurturing yet. If you're interested, I'll sell them to you at cost price. Just eighty-five thousand spirit coins."

Luo Chen truly wasn't trying to make a profit from him. Eighty-three thousand was the base price for the Frost Wolf, and the remaining two thousand was for its feed.

The inquiring man became more interested. "If they were nurtured by you, Shopkeeper, what would the price be then?"

"At that point, the pricing would depend on the level of nurturing. If nurtured well, it could potentially reach one hundred fifty or one hundred sixty thousand."

Luo Chen didn't give a direct answer regarding the Frost Wolf's price after nurturing.

Hearing Luo Chen's reply, the man laughed heartily, seeming to be of a rather straightforward character.

"Then I'll buy this Frost Wolf at the original price now. I'll come back later to see how the other one turns out after your nurturing. If it's better than what I could manage myself, I'll definitely consider your boarding services, Shopkeeper."

Luo Chen's primary goal wasn't really about making money; it was just to complete the system's task.

In any other beast shop, even for a simple resale, the price of this Frost Wolf would likely have been marked up by at least ten thousand spirit coins.

A swift card swipe, payment completed.

The man then grabbed the Frost Wolf cub by the scruff of its neck and walked off, carrying it. Throughout, the cub offered no resistance.

Truly a perceptive beast. It clearly sensed the formidable aura emanating from the man.