Chapter 63: Chapter 61: Niu Fenjin
That night.
The Adventurer’s Bar next to the Pet Beast Market.
Chu Xiran and Zhu Bingqing, a pair of stunning beauties, appeared.
Their arrival instantly drew the attention of many.
Especially from the young men who, despite their dapper appearances, were anything but gentlemen.
You could tell at a glance they were up to no good.
Especially a young man with dyed-blond hair.
The blond-haired young man walked straight up to the two women. "Hey beauties, how about you do me the honor and have a drink with me?"
Many onlookers watched with disdain.
’A stunning woman with her kind of class would never give a punk like him the time of day.’
Just as everyone expected the blondie to get shot down and retreat in disgrace, reality dealt them a harsh slap in the face.
But one of the women, the one who looked rather cold and aloof, simply licked her red lips and replied, "Two Fiery Fire Rainbow Clouds."
Fiery Fire Rainbow Cloud was a notoriously strong spirit at this Adventurer’s Bar.
It was also notoriously... expensive!
Two glasses of Fiery Fire Rainbow Cloud would cost around a thousand.
Almost every Beast Master in the bar could afford it. But being able to afford it was one thing, being willing to drink it was another, and being willing to buy it for someone else was something else entirely.
Many of the young male Beast Masters in the bar watched, surprised and more than a little envious.
’It’s just two Fiery Fire Rainbow Clouds. I’m not short on cash, either.’
He snapped his fingers, called a waiter, and ordered two glasses of Fiery Fire Rainbow Cloud. The blond young man then asked, "So, beautiful ladies, what brings you here all of a sudden?"
"As a matter of fact, there is something." Zhu Bingqing pointed to an open private booth inside the bar.
Moments later, inside the booth, she took a sip of her drink and continued the conversation. "You’ve heard about what happened at Taoyuan Villa a couple of days ago, haven’t you?"
"Mhm." The blond young man nodded.
"What’s your take on it?" Chu Xiran asked.
The blond young man shrugged. "What’s my take? I’m taking it sitting down. What else am I supposed to do?"
"Niu Fenjin, stop fooling around. This is serious," Chu Xiran said, frowning. Her tone became grave. "The Mechanical Desecration Association has always operated exclusively in major cities. This time, their products have found their way into Lingshui City."
"If it’s just a coincidence, that’s one thing. But if they have ulterior motives, we’re in trouble."
"Don’t tell me they’re after the Sealed Land?" Hearing this, the young man named Niu Fenjin couldn’t help but frown.
Zhu Bingqing and Chu Xiran were silent.
Clearly, that was exactly what they were thinking.
"Better safe than sorry," Chu Xiran reminded him. "In any case, we have to take this seriously."
"And how do we do that?" Niu Fenjin’s brow remained tightly furrowed. "If this is really just the Mechanical Desecration Association testing the waters, coming down on them with full force could backfire. It might just confirm whatever they’re trying to find out."
"Let’s just watch from the shadows for now."
Chu Xiran sighed. "If we discover their target is indeed the Sealed Land, we’ll have to report it to the clan immediately."
"After all, this is the place where our ancestors once fought..."
"We can’t let anything happen to the place they died to protect."
At this, Zhu Bingqing’s gaze turned frigid. "Those damned Cultists. Sooner or later, we’ll tear them out, root and stem."
Niu Fenjin was also filled with righteous anger.
A thought suddenly struck him, and he asked, "By the way, have the Federation and the Beastmaster Association been notified?"
"I’ve already notified them," Zhu Bingqing said with a nod. "In fact, they should be the ones most on edge about the incident at Taoyuan Villa."
"Let’s hope they take it seriously too," Chu Xiran said, a hint of worry in her voice.
They chatted for a while longer until they had more or less settled the matter. Then, Zhu Bingqing suddenly changed the subject, a smile playing on her lips. "Hey, Little Bull, I hear you’re quite skilled with Arrays..."
"You two know exactly what I’m capable of." Niu Fenjin rolled his eyes at Zhu Bingqing, then said firmly, "And how many times have I told you not to call me ’Little Bull’? I have a name! It’s Niu Fenjin!"
"Okay, Cow-Dung!" Zhu Bingqing replied sweetly.
"You..." Niu Fenjin almost let a curse fly.
He considered that a gentleman doesn’t argue with a lady.
More importantly, he considered that he’d never won a war of words with her anyway. He decisively chose to cease fire and turned his gaze to Chu Xiran.
’Xiran is so much better,’ he thought. ’Quiet, gentle... a proper lady.’
’Not like Zhu Bingqing. She looks all cold and elegant, but deep down, she definitely has the makings of a Witch.’
Seeing Niu Fenjin red-faced and speechless with anger, Chu Xiran shook her head helplessly. "Alright, you two, stop fooling around. Actually, I’m the one who needs a favor this time."
"What is it? Just say the word. Anything you need, consider it done."
Hearing this, Niu Fenjin immediately leaned in, all attentiveness.
The difference in his treatment of the two women couldn’t have been more obvious.
Ignoring Niu Fenjin’s fawning, Chu Xiran spoke in her usual tone, revealing the second purpose of their visit. "Besides the matter with the Mechanical Desecration Association, there’s something else I need your help with."
Without pausing, she continued, "I have a student..."
Chu Xiran then briefly explained Li Qian’s situation.
Of course, she didn’t reveal that he was the one who had figured out the evolution method from Koi Carp to Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon.
She only said that her student needed his help to learn the Frostfire Array.
"The Frostfire Array?" Niu Fenjin fell silent for a moment, considering her request. "That’s a bit tricky."
Zhu Bingqing immediately seized the opportunity to taunt him. "So, can you handle it or not, Little Bull?"
"Setting up a Frostfire Array is a little tricky, but it’s not a big deal for me," Niu Fenjin said, shooting a glare at Zhu Bingqing. He added with a proud sniff, "But that’s only for a genius like myself. An ordinary person with no foundation would probably find it very difficult to master."
"Just teach him. Whether he can learn it or not will be up to him," Chu Xiran said with a nod, not demanding any guarantees.
Besides, she was well aware that with Li Qian’s talent, learning it shouldn’t be difficult at all.
He’d already mastered a far more difficult evolution method; learning a single Frostfire Array, if not quite effortless, wouldn’t be far from it.
After giving Li Qian’s contact information to Niu Fenjin, the three of them prepared to leave.
Just as they were leaving, Niu Fenjin eagerly approached again. "Hey, Xiran, let me drive you back to the school."
"No need. We drove," Zhu Bingqing said, dangling a set of keys with a smug look.
Chu Xiran gave him a faint, appreciative smile, but still politely declined his offer.
...
「Three days later. Cultivation Base.」
Li Qian looked at the blond-haired guy in front of him, a doubtful expression creeping onto his face.
’The person recommended by Ms. Zhu and Ms. Chu... seems a little sketchy.’
’I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but this guy... His whole vibe just screams street punk.’
’This guy knows how to set up a Frostfire Array?’
