24: Parents return

Somehow, an overwhelming aura of a domineering CEO washed over him.

With a major customer speaking up, a genuine smile spread across Luo Chen's face. "Alright, packing it up right away. The total comes to three hundred and twenty thousand spirit coins."

The Rank 7 Ferocious Beast 【Azure Nether Grass】 was priced at one hundred and twenty thousand spirit coins, while the other two Rank 6 Ferocious Beasts were priced at one hundred thousand spirit coins each.

Removing the Beast Restraint Ring—this expensive, reusable item naturally wouldn't be given away for free to customers—he placed these three 【Azure Nether Grass】 plants into the same cage.

Zhang Zheng swiped his card smoothly to pay. "Three hundred and twenty thousand spirit coins have been transferred." The sound of money arriving was truly pleasant.

But even more pleasant was the message in his mind: "Task 1 completed. Reward pending collection."

After receiving the 【Azure Nether Grass】, Zhang Zheng wasn't in a hurry to leave the store. Instead, he leaned one hand on the counter, his gaze sizing up Luo Chen as he inquired,

"I wonder if the shop owner can obtain more Nether System beasts? I'd like to purchase a large quantity."

Was this a probe? Or simply a desire to buy more beasts?

Luo Chen's heart grew slightly tense, but his expression remained unchanged as he replied, "The store only has these for now. However, if the customer wants more, I can try contacting my supplier."

Hearing Luo Chen's response, Zhang Zheng's eyes lit up for a moment. "Then, shop owner, could we exchange terminal IDs? When you have goods, we can contact each other promptly?"

Luo Chen didn't refuse. After adding each other as terminal friends, Zhang Zheng finally took Zhang Heng, mounted the 【Silver Scale Horse】, and quickly left the Chenyang Pet Store.

Since the reward for Task 1 was only to increase the spiritual energy concentration of the secret realm by 50% for 1 Rank, with no external impact, Luo Chen directly chose to collect the reward in his mind.

While collecting the reward, Luo Chen was pleasantly surprised to find that the sales from the three 【Azure Nether Grass】 plants also counted toward Task 2, which involved selling ten beasts.

Luo Chen now felt the urge to call back Zhang Zheng, who had just left, and immediately sell him seven more 【Azure Nether Grass】 plants to complete the second task.

But as soon as this thought arose, Luo Chen immediately dismissed it. The Chenyang Pet Store had already attracted enough attention; it was better to proceed cautiously for now.

In the afternoon, he finally sold another 【Fragrant Rabbit】.

In the evening, a little girl came bouncing into the store. It was the same little girl who had brought the 【Fine Steel Butterfly】 for treatment the other day. She pulled out a delicate little cake from her embrace and handed it to Luo Chen.

"Thank you, big brother, for treating Little Butterfly."

Luo Chen didn't refuse the little girl's kindness. He took the 【Fine Steel Butterfly】 out of the boarding cage, handed it to her, and instructed,

"The Fine Steel Butterfly is almost fully recovered. Take it back and let it rest for a few more days, and it should be able to move normally."

【race: Fine Steel Butterfly

Rank: Ferocious Beast Four Stars

Type: Metal System

State: Grateful, (Minor Injury) Recovering Continuously

Aptitude: Common

Skill: 1. Fine Steel Body (Yellow Rank): The Fine Steel Butterfly's entire body is covered in fine steel, possessing immense strength and toughness.】

The attributes of the 【Fine Steel Butterfly】 couldn't be called outstanding, but compared to 【Fragrant Rabbit】 and 【Radiant Hound】, it was a genuine combat-Type beast, making it rarer and more uncommon.

The little girl's chubby little hand stroked the 【Fine Steel Butterfly】's silver wings. The 【Fine Steel Butterfly】 gave her a lazy glance, and seeing it was its great benefactor, it peacefully lowered its eyes to rest.

"Big brother means I can take Little Butterfly home now?"

Receiving Luo Chen's affirmative response, the little girl cheered excitedly, bowed politely to Luo Chen, then hoisted her small backpack and wobbled out of the pet store.

As evening approached, pedestrians on the street grew increasingly sparse, and customers in the store gradually vanished.

Little Brother (Chenyang's Light): Bro, come home quick.

Without any context, Luo Chen received this message from Luo Yang on his terminal.

When Luo Chen asked him what was wrong, he didn't give a straight answer, only urging him to hurry home.

"So mysterious," Luo Chen muttered unconsciously. But seeing there were hardly any customers left, he simply closed the shop. He wanted to go home and see what Luo Yang was up to.

"Mao Qiu, time to go home." Luo Chen called out. Xiao Maoqiu deftly climbed up his clothes to its designated spot—Luo Chen's left shoulder.

The 【Colorful Sound Spirit Finch】's eyes darted around. It aimed for Luo Chen's right shoulder, flapped its wings, and tried to land there.

Who would have thought Luo Chen saw through its intention and directly commanded, "Flying prohibited."

*Thud*

The slender, graceful-bodied 【Colorful Sound Spirit Finch】 tumbled awkwardly onto the shop floor. It glared fiercely, its beak wide open,

"You son of a..."

Luo Chen's sharp glare cut it off, forcing the rest of the words back down its throat. Xiao Maoqiu on his shoulder tilted its head, curiously looking at the 【Colorful Sound Spirit Finch】.

However, the 【Colorful Sound Spirit Finch】 quickly changed tactics, casting a resentful look at Luo Chen like a pitiful creature who had suffered some great injustice.

"You are the shop guardian beast. Stay here and watch the store." Luo Chen ignored its pitiful expression and instead gave it a task.

With that, he mercilessly locked the shop door from the outside and left nonchalantly.

Leaving the 【Colorful Sound Spirit Finch】 alone in the shop, hopping mad. Unable to vent its anger, it turned its gaze to the other beasts in the store, letting out a sinister chuckle.

What kind of inhumane torment the beasts in the store suffered at the 【Colorful Sound Spirit Finch】's hands, Luo Chen didn't know, for he had already arrived at his doorstep.

Opening the door, Luo Chen quickly spotted the three people conversing in the living room.

Before Luo Chen could react, he felt himself pulled into a warm embrace.

Then he heard soft sobbing. Luo Chen's body stiffened, but realizing who it was, he relaxed slightly and wrapped his arms around her in return.

It was his mother, Su Muqing, a Beast Master at the Spiritual Beast Eight Stars, a gentle yet resilient beauty.

"Chen'er, Mom thought she'd never see you again." A pleasant female voice sounded in Luo Chen's ear.

The woman holding him loosened her embrace slightly, cupped his face in her hands, and after a careful inspection, commented, "You've lost weight."

"Ahem, don't just stand at the door. Come sit." The young man sitting on the sofa coughed softly twice before speaking in his deep baritone voice.

This was his father, Luo Yuheng, a Beast Master at the Spiritual Beast Nine Stars and also a Breeder at the Five Stars of the Starlight Rank.

The support from Middle City arrived slowly, but the rescue efficiency was quite high. From morning to afternoon, they managed to get them out. Luo Chen thought silently to himself.

Su Muqing pulled Luo Chen to sit on the sofa, her eyes constantly scanning him. Seeing Luo Chen remained silent, she couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Chen'er, has the soul-separation illness flared up again?"

Snapping back to reality, Luo Chen hurriedly shook his head in denial. "No, I'm just a bit too surprised. Dad and Mom are finally back safely."

Luo Yuheng looked at Luo Chen and said, "Chen'er, I heard from your brother that you've awakened a talent and reopened the shop?"

There was nothing to hide. Luo Chen nodded.

"Come here, let me check you."

Luo Chen obediently moved closer, extending his arm before Luo Yuheng. Such examinations had been performed countless times since childhood, so Luo Chen was quite familiar with the process.

Luo Yuheng placed his hand on Luo Chen's wrist. A gentle stream of spiritual energy flowed through the wrist, conducting a comprehensive scan of Luo Chen's entire body.

After a long while, Luo Yuheng finally withdrew his hand. His face was slightly pale, but he wore a smile.

"Those old quacks! Who said Chen'er couldn't awaken a talent? They were just fearmongering."

Since childhood, Luo Chen had been a frequent guest of renowned medical masters from various surrounding cities, and he had even visited hospitals in Upper City. But most were helpless against his soul-separation illness.

He had also been declared incapable of awakening Beast Master talent and unlikely to live past twenty-five.

It must be known that traveling to Middle City and Upper City wasn't as simple as in peaceful times. Just the travel expenses and entry qualifications were difficult matters.

Moreover, his parents, despite their own exceptional Beast Master talents, had spent most of the resources they obtained on treating his illness, which was why they had never advanced in Rank.

No matter what, he felt the deep, heartfelt love of his parents in this world.

After venting his frustration, Luo Yuheng looked at Luo Chen solemnly. "Chen'er, do not tell anyone about your talent. Not even your mother and I need to know the details."

It seemed Luo Yang had told them something, but Luo Yuheng and Su Muqing clearly weren't planning to pry further. Instead, they urged Luo Chen to guard his own secret well.

"However, I am somewhat curious about the shop you've reopened."

"Then shall I take you to see it tomorrow?"

Luo Yuheng naturally agreed wholeheartedly.

Seeing the exhaustion on Su Muqing and Luo Yuheng's faces, Luo Chen knew they must have endured various hardships in the secret realm. So he urged them to rest first, saying they could discuss everything else after proper rest.

Seeing both children safe and sound, Luo Yuheng and Su Muqing's greatest worry had vanished. Now aware that they needed ample rest, they didn't refuse Luo Chen's arrangement.