Da Mu'er was enthralled, Sikong Wei even more so.
His face was red, like boiling water, making it seem as though he was about to burst with excitement:
"There are also Beast Soldiers in the form of musical instruments. If a 'musician' could earn their favour and successfully establish a contract, there would be no need to talk about the rate of their power's growth. They would undoubtedly shoot up to greater heights. While their peers are still stuck at lower levels, they could already be looking towards higher levels. How can the gap between the two be bridged?"
"If there are Beast Soldiers in forms like cleavers, chopping boards, oil jars, spatulas, and chopsticks, 'pastry chefs', 'chefs', 'cuisine masters', 'tea masters'... could certainly prepare magical food with much stronger effects. This, in turn, would strengthen the Fond Spirits, creating a cycle of perfection and reciprocity!"
"Right, even if the Beast Soldiers' forms are regular and their abilities just average."
"As long as they possess a certain level of attack power, occupations like 'hunter' can generally adapt."
"Paired with agile attack-type or strong attack-type Fond Spirits, neither prey on land nor at sea would manage to escape!"
Da Mu'er and Sikong Wei are straightforward, their shock is hard to hide.
As the owner of the collection, Tu Long seems silent, But the brightness shining in his eyes has already betrayed his turbulent emotions.
All these occupations are excellently compatible with Beast Soldiers.
His 'Weapon Master' role, of course, is no exception.
If he could get a Beast Soldier in the form of a hammer, he would have strong combat capabilities and could also double his efficiency in the forging process.
If the hammer Beast Soldier also has a fire attribute, that would be even more terrifying. The cumulative advantages could allow him to leap through the ranks.
"Oh, the deceased Beast Soldiers..."
"What a pity..."
After a while, Tu Long heaved a sigh.
He, who once again carefully examined the Blood-Sucking Dagger as he held it, was looking at it as if it was a broken priceless treasure, his eyes filled with remembrance and longing.
"Is Master Tu willing to part with it?"
Ye Hanjun asked calmly and respectfully.
Revealing the true identity of the Blood-Sucking Dagger undoubtedly raised the value of the collection.
If Tu Long, being infatuated with smithing, wanted to use it for research and no longer wanted to give it away, Ye Hanjun would understand.
"If you have some free time, lend it to me for a bit of fun."
Tu Long did not hide his love for it but he shook his head and returned the Blood-Sucking Dagger back to Ye Hanjun.
"Having a treasure while not knowing its worth proves that I am not worthy of possessing it."
"My young friend, I value promises very highly, so consider this dagger yours."
"Thank you, Master Tu."
Ye Hanjun smiled, his opinion of Tu Long raised yet another notch.
"You're very knowledgeable, possessing an understanding that surpasses your peers."
Tu Long stroked his beard, eagerly saying:
"Forging Blue Gold...is within reach!"
"Do notify me in advance, Master Tu. I will be sure to assist you with my full capabilities."
Ye Hanjun clenched his fist, bowed slightly, and made a promise in return.
Tu Long responded with a grunt, suddenly hiding his smile and instructing Sikong Wei and Da Mu'er:
"Once you leave, don't reveal anything about the corpse of the Beast Soldier."
"If anyone asks, just say that the Blood-Sucking Dagger is a superior weapon that I forged... understood?"
"Yes, Master Tu."
Sikong Wei and Da Mu'er exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.
Though it's just a corpse, it is far less valuable than a living Beast Soldier.
But this is still a Beast Soldier, a rarity in its own right, definitely attracting the attention of curious and greedy parties.
Master Tu is protecting Lord Han, else with his many studied books but poor combat skills, he would surely attract unwanted attention.
"This old man is quite a bit friendlier than Mr. Jiang," Ye Hanjun said, slightly surprised.
To be honest, even if it's a living Beast Soldier, unless it's particularly suitable for his profession, it would not be as valuable as Pure Beasts in his eyes.
Considering the world of Fond Spirits, the former can be sought by many means, and is therefore labelled as 'rare'.
However, the latter is truly something that one either has in their fate or not, labelled as 'super rare'.
So, even if Tu Long wouldn't give it up, Ye Hanjun wouldn't mind.
After all, it is only a defensive weapon he received as a gift; he could just switch to another one.
But Tu Long not only gave it up, he also considered Ye Hanjun's position, reminding Ye of the dangers of attracting attention with valuable possessions. It made Ye feel indebted to him.
Ye Hanjun kept this in mind, and said, "Master Tu, I was seriously injured today. I'm going back to soak in medicinal wine and recover."
"Hmm," Tu Long nodded, "I have a class three days from now."
"Remember to gather at the smithy before eight in the morning."
"Okay." Ye Hanjun once again clasped his fist towards Sikong Wei and Da Mu'er, and was about to leave when he suddenly asked:
"By the way, I have something I want to inquire about."
"Apart from places like the Chick House in the Canghai Pavilion, where else can I find suitable Contracted Fond Spirits?"
Tu Long pinched his beard and shook his head, saying:
"I am wholeheartedly focused on smithing, so I rarely pay attention to these matters concerning beginners."
"You could check out Cross Old Street,"
After some thought, Sikong Wei helped with the response,
"This place is at the southwest side of our North Campus District and it was bustling when the campus was first established."
"Now, with the college teeming with talent and many elite students going out hunting, the spoils from their hunts are brought back for sale."
"The trading volume of this old street has rapidly declined due to lack of competition in price and quality."
"However, I often visit the place to purchase Fond Spirit hair. Some shops are quite good and with some patience, you can find excellent-quality Fond Spirit cubs."
Da Mu'er made a suggestion,
"For trying your luck, Blind-Box Commerce is also a good choice."
"There's a dedicated Fond Spirit section in there where you can randomly collect Mud-cast fetus Fond Spirits, both cubs and mature beasts, at very friendly prices, giving you a real chance to turn a small investment into substantial returns."
"Speaking of which, there was a new student last month who drew a fully-grown Ghost-Faced Moth. After he made the contract, many people were envious."
"Ghost-Faced Moth?" Ye Hanjun immediately thought of an insect-type Fond Spirit with a wingspan of two meters and a abdomen pattern resembling an evil ghost.
This type of Fond Spirit is in the lower ranks, close to the top tier, and indeed has commendable aspects.
It has a signature racial skill called 'Scare Powder'."
If the recipient does not have sufficient poison resistance or spiritual resistance, they would fall into a state of fear, losing the ability to continue fighting.
The Ghost-Faced Moth is also skilled at flying, and by maturing into a Mud-cast fetus · Great Completion, it would be capable of carrying an adult human weighing less than 200 pounds, moving at a not-so-slow speed.
Furthermore, given Da Mu'er's description of it being "fully grown", it means the Ghost-Faced Moth has already completed its metamorphosis from larva to pupa to adult, thus completing a whole set of metamorphic development.
Such a Fond Spirit is already on the verge of maturity rather than being a cub.
A new Patron could contract with it, and as long as he could manage it, it would definitely be a top-notch choice.
In a contest of the same rank, it would be easy to strive for an advantage, thereby becoming a standout among one's peers."
But... Ye Hanjun was just admiring it.
He completely lacked the faint sense of envy in Da Mu'er's tone.
Even if a wild Ghost-Faced Moth appeared before him, begging him on the ground, Ye Hanjun would not choose to form a contract with it.
Compared to short-term strength, he focused more on future potential and team coordination after contracting with multiple Fond Spirits.
"Is there anywhere else?" Ye Hanjun continued to ask, hoping to get more suggestions.
Sikong Wei thought for quite a while with furrowed brows and then hesitantly said,
"The Disabled Fond Spirits Assistance Centre, that's also an option."
"Compared to Cross Old Street, Blind-Box Commerce, this place doesn't require spending Spirit Stones, its nature is somewhat different."
"It was founded by a deceased mentor and later taken over by a new mentor. It has assistants, contracted workers, and a group of compassionate students who participate in volunteer activities regularly."
"There's such a place?" Ye Hanjun's eyebrows slightly lifted, showing some interest.
Sikong Wei added, "As you know, the Path of Controlling Spirits is fraught with danger. Even the most talented Patrons with the most powerful contracted spirits can still meet with accidents."
"Two-thirds of the Fond Spirits at the centre previously had masters."
"And those masters could very likely be students of Canghai Pavilion."
"Some people leave the academy and return to their homes due to severe disabilities, losing their original powers and being forced to terminate their contracts."
"The worse ones die on the spot, and only their Fond Spirits, by sheer luck, manage to survive..."
Seeing that Ye Hanjun wanted to hear more, Sikong Wei continued,
"Fond Spirits that lose their masters, depending on their degree of bonding, may suffer different levels of backlash."
"Once the people at the assistance center find out, they would try to bring them back, provide food, offer treatment, and help them recuperate."
"Then, the Fon Spirits who still maintain their wild nature and survival abilities would be set free."
"The remaining ones, particularly the demons who are fond of human beings and those who develop feelings for them, either leave with their surviving old masters or stay in the center, waiting for their fated ones."
Ye Hanjun was contemplative. Such a cost-ineffective rescue model was quite innovative in this world of survival of the fittest.
Such deeds in the territories of one's family were simply unthinkable, sounding like fairy tales from an alien world.
"Excluding the possibilities of accidents befalling their masters, the remaining one-third are probably Fond Spirits encountered in the wild."
"They got injured for a variety of reasons, but weren't hunted as prey, and through various channels, they were eventually transferred to the assistance center."
Sikong Wei paused for a moment, unsure as he continued,
"I've heard that while the majority of them are of common breeds, there are some individuals with exceptional potential."
"Some freshman would choose to adopt from the assistance center in order to obtain their contracted Spirits."
"Of course, you'd better not get your hopes up too high. Fond Spirits of exceptional potential that haven't developed any lingering diseases and are of high quality would have been chosen long before."
"Those left basically all have irreversible defects, such as missing a wing or a leg... or they may have been severely mentally traumatized and tend to go berserk, hurting people..."
"I have heard of similar incidents as well."
When this topic was brought up, Da Mu'er brought up a past memory and couldn't help but share,
"Eight years ago, a daring freshman Patron took a liking to a Fond Spirit with an extremely strong combat power but unstable mind at the assistance center."
"While it was under sedation, he managed to complete the contract-signing ceremony."
"But, the next time I heard about him was only half a month later."
"I heard that the second time he took his Fond Spirit out hunting, it lost control and immediately pulled off the Patron's head, resulting in a horrifying scene of his head separated from his body..."