The Master of Beasts
Chapter 31 Neighbors

Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Neighbors

"Is this Junior Brother new here?" Chen Jiuge was in the midst of fury when a handsome young man with a smiling face appeared beside him.

Suppressing the anger on his face, Chen Jiuge forced a smile and asked, "May I ask who Senior Brother is?"

"According to worldly relations, we should be neighbors. My cave mansion is about thirty li behind yours, by the small river," the young man replied with a smile.

"I see. I’ve taken up residence but haven’t yet visited Senior Brother. My apologies," Chen Jiuge said, cupping his hands in a bow.

"Hey, Junior Brother, saying that makes us sound like strangers. I didn’t come over for that reason. I wanted to tell you that your Spiritual Beast is very interesting. When you’re not around, it plays ’Sheep Battle’ in there all day; it’s very lively," the young man chuckled.

A thought flashed through Chen Jiuge’s mind: This is utterly mortifying.

"Senior Brother, rest assured, I will handle it properly," Chen Jiuge said through gritted teeth.

"Ah, Junior Brother, that’s not what I meant. Well, you handle it first, and I’ll come over later," the young man changed his tune upon seeing his Junior Brother’s displeased expression.

The young man flashed back to his own cave mansion. Looking towards Chen Jiuge’s cave mansion, he chuckled softly, "Interesting Junior Brother, interesting Spiritual Beast. A Moon Rabbit and a Hellhound, huh? Truly interesting."

「...」

"So, an explanation?" Chen Jiuge, arms crossed, looked at the disheveled Red Flame Sheep in the Spiritual Beast Garden, speaking softly to the trembling Yue Meng and Black Eye. Meanwhile, the newly released War Song stood to one side, snickering.

Head bowed, Yue Meng was trying to think of an excuse and subconsciously glanced at Black Eye, only to become even more frustrated. The sight of that spineless creature groveling on the ground, looking utterly remorseful and ready for punishment, truly shamed all Spiritual Beasts.

"Actually, I can explain," Yue Meng mustered its courage and muttered softly.

Chen Jiuge’s sharp gaze fixed on Yue Meng as it spoke, "Alright, you explain."

"Um, well, Master, haven’t you noticed that our family’s Red Flame Sheep are particularly tasty and lively?" Yue Meng’s little head spun rapidly, trying to come up with an explanation.

Chen Jiuge chuckled mirthlessly, "And you think that’s your doing?"

"Forget it. Why should I get angry with you two? Just clean up the flock for me. As for punishment, Black Eye, all the Spiritual Beasts War Song was supposed to watch are now your responsibility. And you, Yue Meng, that thing you asked me to buy before I left? Confiscated." Chen Jiuge wasn’t actually that angry.

Yue Meng and Black Eye, as Spiritual Beasts, were forcefully refined by the Golden Finger. This process sped up their maturity compared to naturally born juveniles but resulted in noticeable deficits in their Spiritual Wisdom. However, their Spiritual Wisdom wasn’t greatly impacted because the Golden Finger had already been used on their Spirit Beast Eggs for a significant Bloodline enhancement. This, in turn, led to their quirky personalities. Chen Jiuge wasn’t sure if their strange natures were due to the Golden Finger or simply their inherent temperaments.

As for War Song, the Fighting Demon Ape’s Bloodline was rare, with only a handful of such infusions having been performed. Consequently, there was minimal impact on its development, and its combative nature was simply a characteristic of its species.

After dismissing the two Spiritual Beasts, Chen Jiuge went to the Secret Realm. There, he observed a blood-red fog extracted from his Sea of Consciousness, within which a vague Ming Snake could be faintly seen moving. _{fre\e(w)ebn ov.e l\. co.m}

The Ming Snake Bloodline, a Disaster Beast... Chen Jiuge stared blankly for a moment, then retracted it back into his mind. The Ming Snake isn’t suitable for me right now. The Spiritual Beast Garden isn’t large enough, and its appearance would cause droughts. This problem must be solved before I can consider releasing it.

After sorting out the chores in the Spiritual Beast Garden, two hours had passed. Indeed, raising creatures is exhausting, no matter the world.

After spending a quarter of an hour cleaning up the courtyard, Chen Jiuge planned to visit the Senior Brother he had just met. I can’t just wait in the courtyard for him to visit, can I? I should observe basic etiquette. After all, I’m no chosen one from some prestigious family; even my Cultivation is inferior to his.

"About thirty li from here... is this the place?" Chen Jiuge looked at an exquisitely beautiful bamboo building not far away, its walls covered with various climbing Spirit Plants.

Not far from the bamboo building was a small sea of flowers, vibrant and colorful. Many Spiritual Bees were busily gathering nectar, and hanging under the eaves at the top of the bamboo building was a beehive about a meter tall.

This Senior Brother seems quite refined, and he’s even a Spiritual Plant Master, Chen Jiuge thought silently to himself.

"Senior Brother, your Junior Brother has come to visit." There were no restrictions outside the bamboo building, but Chen Jiuge stopped outside and called out.

"Oh, Junior Brother, have you finished handling things on your end? I was thinking of visiting you later, but I didn’t expect you to come directly," the Senior Brother said in surprise, holding a teapot.

"I still don’t know how to address my Junior Brother. I am Ye Chenghai, your Senior Brother," Ye Chenghai said with a smile as he led Chen Jiuge into the spacious hall on the first floor of the bamboo building.

"Chen Jiuge, Senior Brother Ye." Even now, I don’t understand why this Senior Brother suddenly sought me out. Thirty li isn’t considered ’neighboring’ in the Mortal World, and the term ’neighbor’ rarely appears in the Cultivation World anyway.

After pouring Chen Jiuge a cup of tea, Ye Chenghai gestured for him to try it and said, "I’m someone who enjoys drinking tea, especially sweet tea and floral tea. It’s even better when both are combined."

"How does it taste, Junior Brother?" Ye Chenghai asked, watching Chen Jiuge after he had taken a sip.

The tea entered his mouth with a rich floral fragrance. A hint of sweetness as it slid down his throat prevented the scent from being overpowering. He felt a slight increase in his Mana, which told Chen Jiuge that this sweet floral tea was likely something valuable.

"Senior Brother, this is wonderful tea," Chen Jiuge complimented.

"Junior Brother, I won’t hide it from you. The main reason I came to your door is that the two Spiritual Beasts at your place caused quite a commotion, and it just so happens that it’s only the two of us here," Ye Chenghai said, putting down his teacup.

"Senior Brother, I’m so sorry for the disturbance. If there were any damages, please let this Junior Brother know," Chen Jiuge said with an anxious expression.

"Junior Brother, what do you mean by that?" Ye Chenghai appeared slightly displeased.

"Am I, Ye Chenghai, that kind of person? I noticed that your two Spiritual Beasts are a Moon Rabbit and a Hellhound, correct? These two types of Spiritual Beast Bloodlines are rare in the entire Myriad Beasts Sect. I was wondering if you, Junior Brother, have any particularly rare Spiritual Beasts. I can offer a high price," Ye Chenghai stated bluntly.

Relieved, Chen Jiuge responded, "Senior Brother, this Junior Brother has indeed nurtured some Spiritual Beasts for combat. However, regarding the rare Spiritual Beasts you mention, I am not very knowledgeable in that area. If Senior Brother has time, you could accompany me to the Spiritual Beast Garden to take a look."

"That could work. How about tomorrow then? Since you’ve come to visit me today, Junior Brother, I should play host," Ye Chenghai replied graciously.

"Senior Brother, I’m afraid that will have to wait until next time. I’ve just returned home from a mission, and there are still quite a few tasks to handle in the garden. I only managed to take care of some urgent matters earlier," Chen Jiuge said with a wry smile.

"Alright, then I won’t keep you any longer, Junior Brother. It’s settled then; tomorrow I will come to your place, and then we can come here together. Let this Senior Brother properly host you," Ye Chenghai said.

"Senior Brother, you’re too kind. Let’s agree that I will host tomorrow. It’s settled. Senior Brother, I need to get back to my tasks now," Chen Jiuge said, hurrying off before Ye Chenghai could object.

On the way back, Chen Jiuge slowed his pace. I still don’t quite understand why this Senior Brother, whose Cultivation is clearly much higher than mine, would ask to buy Spiritual Beasts from me. Could it be like Senior Brother Lin En? But Senior Brother Ye doesn’t seem that unreliable... If I can’t figure it out, I’ll just wait until tomorrow. Anyway, we’re both Inner Sect Disciples. Even if our Cultivations differ, our status is the same.