The entrance to the city was densely crowded. Shi Yu shuffled forward along with President Song and the others. Not far away came the rhythmic clanking of armor. She looked up to see a squad of fully armed guards patrolling the street. Their faces were stern and solemn, faintly emitting a scent of blood, bestowing an oppressive aura as they marched past.
Pedestrians stepped aside one after another, and even the surrounding clamor quieted down significantly. Shi Yu's eyes fell upon the armor on the guards' chests, noticing the insignia of the City Lord's Mansion embedded upon it.
Low conversations murmured around them: “With the Alchemy Exchange Conference approaching, the guard patrols have become much more frequent lately.”
“This is a decennial grand competition, after all. Figures from all walks of life are gathering here—there's going to be quite a show to watch.”
Shi Yu withdrew her gaze and saw President Song heading toward a massive shop nearby. Looking at the signboard hanging outside, she realized it was actually a beast stable.
Having never seen such an establishment in Lingtai Prefecture, Shi Yu felt a sense of novelty and followed close behind President Song.
Master Ji explained from the side, “Flying is also forbidden within Hengze Prefecture's capital city, and the city itself is immense. If you want to get around conveniently, renting a few riding beasts is the most practical option.”
Shi Yu nodded, then glanced around. Noticing that no one on the streets seemed to be riding any beasts, she asked in confusion, “Why don't I see any riding beasts on the street then?”
Master Ji chuckled. “There are too many pedestrians on the main thoroughfares, so riding beasts wouldn't have room to maneuver. The city has dedicated roads specifically for riding beasts.”
A separation of pedestrians and beasts—like the difference between a highway and a local street? Shi Yu nodded in understanding.
Following him into the beast stable, she found the interior spacious and bright, with elegant and fresh decor. It was kept exceptionally clean, completely free of any foul odors typical of gathered beasts.
There were quite a few customers in the main hall, along with many attendants bustling about to receive them. One of the attendants, wearing a dark blue robe, eagerly came over to greet President Song's group upon seeing them enter. After recording their names, rental duration, and other details, he led the group toward the courtyard in the back.
Passing through several archways, the attendant said, “This is the Myriad Beasts Garden. With the Alchemy Exchange Conference right around the corner, there has been an extraordinarily high demand for rental beasts lately—we almost ran out. But you've come at just the right time. Early this morning, a batch of top-tier riding beasts arrived, perfect for getting around town.”
“Besides riding beasts, we also have many fine-quality spirit beasts. If any of you are interested, feel free to take a look.”
The group followed him into the garden.
In an instant, waves of beastly roars echoed through the air, rising and falling in succession.
Lush trees filled the garden, within which numerous nests were arranged. The domesticated riding beasts rested inside their nests, tethered by dark metal chains inscribed with restrictive seals.
Shi Yu glanced at the wooden signs posted outside the nests. The prices of these riding beasts varied depending on their quality and rarity. Beyond rentals, this beast stable also conducted sales.
However, wealthy cultivators looking to purchase, tame, and nurture a spirit beast for the long haul usually preferred ones with superior bloodlines. The riding beasts here, while decent, lacked potential in their bloodlines. As for cultivators who were less particular, they might not necessarily be able to afford the price of a fully domesticated beast.
Consequently, most people opted to rent, and very few chose to buy.
The attendant led them deeper inside and asked with a smile, “May I ask what requirements you distinguished guests have for your riding beasts? I can make a few recommendations.”
President Song said casually, “Just pick a few that are fast, have good stamina, and possess docile temperaments.”
The attendant nodded. “In that case, how about these Purple Lightning Steeds? They are exceptionally fast and very intelligent, capable of understanding human speech to an extent. The Moonlit White Deer are also fine choices—they run as steady as a mountain and have mild dispositions...”
President Song looked them over and picked out a few spirited ones to distribute among the group.
Most of the riding beasts were quite large, fitted with multiple saddles on their backs, making it more than enough for several people to share one.
Seeing the deal finalized, the attendant beamed with joy. After President Song paid the deposit and rental fee, the attendant fetched a beast tamer, who instructed them on how to steer and care for the beasts.
Finally, the attendant cautioned, “If you fail to return them on time or if a beast is injured, spirit stones will be deducted from your deposit depending on the circumstances.”
President Song waved his hand. “Understood.”
The attendant then politely led them through the Myriad Beasts Garden toward the dedicated road for riding beasts.
Just at that moment, Shi Yu heard a faint, sorrowful cry. She paused and looked toward the source of the sound, spotting a palm-sized spirit beast curled up inside a small cage.
It was a luan, crimson all over, save for its tail feathers, which displayed five distinct colors and looked exceptionally gorgeous.
Seeing her stop, the attendant followed her gaze and scratched his head. “That Five-Color Luan has an extraordinarily fierce and proud temperament. Capturing it took immense effort, and even with several beast tamers working together, we couldn't tame it.”
The Five-Color Luan retained a trace of the bloodline of the Phoenix, an ancient divine beast. Even though that bloodline had been diluted ten-thousandfold, its proud nature remained, rendering it naturally unwilling to be captured and turned into a human pet.
Shi Yu noticed its dull feathers and how it lay curled in the cage, virtually silent, its body covered in wounds and grime. “It's injured.”
The attendant sighed, expressing some regret. “It was severely wounded under siege when we captured it. After bringing it to the Myriad Beasts Garden, the beast tamers tried to treat its injuries, but the luan was far too ungrateful and aggressive. No one could even get close.”
Shi Yu frowned slightly. “So you're just leaving it like this?”
The attendant was sharp-eyed and could tell that although Shi Yu had been quiet along the way, she was held in high regard by the group. Thus, he patiently explained, “With a disposition like that, even if cured, it would be impossible to tame. Besides, its origin source has been damaged—it's truly beyond cure. We can only wait for it to die, then pluck its feathers to craft spirit robes, salvaging a bit of our loss.”
“What's wrong, girl Yu? Are you interested in this luan?” President Song asked.
Master Ji added, “The Five-Color Luan is indeed a spirit beast with remarkable bloodline potential, but this one...”
“I find it quite to my liking,” Shi Yu said, stepping forward.
The attendant paled in alarm. “Miss, step back! Even though this luan is critically injured and near death, its aggressiveness hasn't diminished—”
Before he could finish his sentence, however, Shi Yu squatted down in front of the cage.
Sensing someone approaching, the Five-Color Luan opened its beak slightly to spit fire, but upon perceiving Shi Yu's aura, it opened its weak eyes, and the flames in its beak flickered out.
Seeing this, the attendant thought to himself, Is this luan about to die? It can't even spit fire anymore.
In the past, whenever anyone drew near, it would spew a ball of scorching fire that deterred everyone. Facing the scene before him now, the attendant merely assumed the luan could no longer hold on and was at death's door.
Shi Yu gazed at the palm-sized bird and asked, “How many spirit stones to buy it?”
The attendant was startled and asked in surprise, “Miss, you want to buy it?”
Coughing softly, he realized that since the luan was difficult for even the beast tamers to handle and didn't have long to live with its origin source damaged, it would actually be a good thing if someone were willing to buy it.
Worrying about potential trouble down the line, he still cautioned her, “Are you sure, Miss? If you truly wish to purchase it, its future life or death will have nothing to do with our Myriad Beasts Garden.”
Shi Yu nodded.
The attendant then quoted a low price: “Five thousand low-grade spirit stones. If you want it, you may take it with you.”
An ordinary Five-Color Luan was a very rare spirit beast with immense potential and growth capacity, worth far more than that amount. However, just as the attendant said, this one had suffered damage to its origin source, causing its potential to plummet. Coupled with its proud and unapproachable nature, it would likely die in a few days, which was why he quoted such a low price.
Because she ran a shop that brought in considerable monthly revenue, Shi Yu had tens of thousands of spirit stones on her person. Finding the price quite reasonable, she accepted and directly pulled out five thousand spirit stones.
The attendant cheerfully collected the payment and handed her a key.
Shi Yu took the key, opened the cage, and carefully lifted the luan in her hands.
As her fingers gently stroked its feathers, Shi Yu felt a subtle stir deep within her bloodline. The luan hazily rested its head against her palm, looking not at all like the wild, fierce creature the attendant had described.
Seeing this, the attendant found it strange, but merely assumed the luan was on the verge of death and no longer had the strength to resist.
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