The Beast Market Bazaar was a first in Dà Tián Shòuyì School and the city of Dà Tiánchéng. Held in the school's back garden, the usually quiet space—filled with towering trees and fragrant, blooming flowers—had transformed into a bustling marketplace. Lanterns dangled from branches, casting a warm glow over countless stalls, turning the area into a lively night bazaar.
"Look, Sister Ruòxī! I told you this place would be amazing!" Hán Xiǎoyún squealed, darting between stalls selling accessories. "So many cute things! And yet we travelled all the way from Wàn Huā Céng just to practice swordsmanship? Seriously?"
A vendor grinned as she approached. "Miss, you have an excellent eye. This hairpin is brand new—top quality, elegant design, and a perfect match for your beauty. You'll have a thousand admirers in no time."
"Really?" Xiǎoyún beamed, easily swayed by flattery. "I'll take it!" She paid without hesitation.
"Hmph. Foolish," Jiàn Ruòxī scoffed. "Sellers will call anyone beautiful if it means making a sale, no matter how ugly they are."
Xiǎoyún pouted but quickly broke into laughter. "Oh, Sister Ruòxī, don't be so grumpy. Someone's bound to compliment you too—just wait and see! Hehehe!" She dodged just in time as Ruòxī reached to pinch her in annoyance.
Then—
Thud!
"Ow!" Xiǎoyún yelped as she collided with someone, stumbling backward and landing hard on the ground.
Jiàn Ruòxī rushed forward, her sharp eyes scanning the scene as she reached Hán Xiǎoyún. "Xiǎoyún, are you hurt?"
Chén Lìqiù was right behind her, silent but swift, assessing the situation with her usual efficiency. Unlike Ruòxī, who voiced her concerns immediately, Lìqiù preferred action over words. Even her Giant Chameleon, still tucked inside her shoulder bag, craned its head slightly as if sharing its master's curiosity.
Xiǎoyún rubbed the back of her head with a wince. "Oww… that hurt…"
Meanwhile, the teenage boy standing in front of her—equally dazed—suddenly snapped to attention. His back had taken the brunt of the impact, but seeing Xiǎoyún on the ground, he hurriedly stepped forward.
"I'm so sorry, Sister Xiǎoyún!" Yán Shèngxīn blurted, his face filled with guilt. "I wasn't paying attention and stopped in the middle of the road—are you okay? If you're injured, we should go to the clinic immediately!"
Jiàn Ruòxī's expression darkened. Quick to defend her friend, she shot him a glare. "Be careful next time! Why were you standing there like an idiot? What if someone actually got hurt? And in a mountain village like this, where do you think we'll find a good doctor?"
Lǐ Wěi, the class president of the second grade, immediately stepped forward and bowed. As a host, he understood the importance of taking responsibility, no matter how small the incident. "Please forgive us, Miss Ruòxī. We will take full responsibility."
He turned to Zhao Qing, the vice president, and motioned for him to assist Hán Xiǎoyún, who was starting to shake off the dizziness from her fall.
Before Zhao Qing could help, however, Chén Lìqiù had already offered her hand. Xiǎoyún took it and slowly stood up. "Thank you, Lìqiù. I'm fine now." She turned down Zhao Qing's outstretched hand with a polite shake of her head. "Sorry, but I can manage. Thank you."
Jiàn Ruòxī remained unconvinced. "Are you sure? You should still go to the clinic, considering how hard you hit the ground."
Xiǎoyún hesitated for a moment. Then, instead of answering Ruòxī, she turned her sharp gaze toward Yán Shèngxīn. "Brother Shèngxīn… was it you I bumped into?"
Shèngxīn immediately lowered his head in guilt. "I'm truly sorry, Sister Xiǎoyún. If I've caused you harm, I'm willing to compensate you."
Xiǎoyún studied him carefully, her eyes sweeping from head to toe. Something felt… off. Shèngxīn was acting awkward—his hand absentmindedly scratching the back of his head, though it was clear there was no itch.
Chén Lìqiù noticed it too.
Without a word, she mirrored Xiǎoyún's scrutiny, her gaze running over Shèngxīn just as thoroughly.
Shèngxīn's posture stiffened. The unease in his eyes deepened as both girls silently examined him.
Because they knew.
Xiǎoyún wasn't just any girl. She was a highly trained fighter. There was no way she could have been sent flying several meters and momentarily dazed just from bumping into an ordinary person.
Unless… Yán Shèngxīn was far stronger than he let on.
Gǔ Tiān Ān'nà, known as Ān'nà, growled inside the Summoning Space. "Two flirtatious women! Why are they eyeing Young Master like that? Haven't they ever had their eyes gouged out before?"
SìSì yawned lazily before narrowing her eyes. "Really? Maybe one of them is interested in Master. What do you think, Sister?"
"Look at them! Staring at Young Master like that, shameless!" Ān'nà continued, huffing indignantly. "If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have saved that girl when she almost fell into the river."
Tú Yòu chimed in with a knowing tone. "I recognize the second girl. She's the one who owns that transparent Chameleon—the one that spied on Young Master during the potion-making class."
Ān'nà and SìSì exchanged glances, their expressions shifting. The realization hit them at the same time.
This wasn't just harmless curiosity.
They were suspicious of their Master's strength.
"Master! Be careful! They might have figured something out!" both of them warned Yán Shèngxīn simultaneously.
Yán Shèngxīn exhaled slowly, suppressing the irritation bubbling inside him.
"I already knew before you two started bickering. That's why I'm acting like a fool."
Scratching the back of his head and grinning awkwardly, he played his part well. If Xiǎoyún, Chén Lìqiù, or Jiàn Ruòxī had even the slightest suspicion about his true strength, he needed to throw them off now.
Jiàn Ruoxi immediately pinched her two friends, "Is your brain working, Xiǎoyún? You too Liqiu, are you once again fascinated by someone's handsomeness so that your analysis is wrong again?"
Jiàn Ruoxi spoke while bending over to cover her mouth while gradually directing her gaze at Yán Shèngxīn who was still acting like a Fool who now looked weak and powerless.
She then got up and said firmly to Zhao Qing, "It's okay, Miss. Sorry I don't know your name. But, thank you for your offer of help, Class President Lǐ Wěi. I'm sure this careless girl has learned her lesson. She just lacked sleep. Not the slightest bit injured."
Lǐ Wěi immediately bowed in respect, "Thank goodness. We are allowed to continue the patrol immediately. Let's go, Sisters!" he said while forcing Shèngxīn to bow in apology and immediately pulled her arm to walk again.
After the three of them left, Jiàn Ruoxi couldn't hold back her curiosity about Hán Xiǎoyún and Chén Lìqiù 's behaviour earlier. "What's wrong with you guys? You're embarrassing a woman by looking at a guy like that! You're degrading a woman's dignity! I didn't think you were that low."
Hán Xiǎoyún and Chén Lìqiù immediately blushed.
Han Xiǎoyún, who was braver, immediately defended the two of them, "Forgive us, Sister Ruoxi. You must know that I couldn't have been thrown and half-conscious just because I collided with someone."
Chén Lìqiù chimed in, "Unless, he's very strong!"
"What do you mean? Very strong?" Jiàn Ruoxi asked in confusion.
"I'll give you an example." Hán Xiǎoyún then pointed to the back of the road where they were. "Let's go back to the road together."
Jiàn Ruòxī's eyes widened slightly as the realization settled in. Her sharp mind pieced together the details.
"But that fool—he didn't even stagger when you hit him, Xiǎoyún," she muttered to herself, her fingers still adjusting the sleeves of her clothes. "Even though you were thrown back and dazed for a while."
Hán Xiǎoyún nodded. "Exactly. Thinking back, it felt like colliding with a very, very strong Beast!" Her voice carried an undertone of both disbelief and excitement. "That's what made me feel like I had lost my soul for a moment."
Jiàn Ruòxī's brows furrowed as she fully grasped the implications.
"Could it be… he's the person we've been searching for all this time, Sister Ruòxī?" Xiǎoyún asked, her tone almost breathless.
Chén Lìqiù muttered, almost in a trance, "The owner of the mysterious Beast…"
She remembered her own encounter with Yán Shèngxīn—she had also collided with him before. At that time, she hadn't fallen, but she had felt an unexplainable dizziness afterward. It was different from Xiǎoyún's experience, but equally unnatural.
Suddenly, Jiàn Ruòxī's expression turned determined.
"Quick! We have to find him. If necessary, we will follow him everywhere today." Her voice was unwavering, full of purpose. "I have to confirm whether he's really the one. If he's our savior, then we cannot let anyone else take him!"
Hán Xiǎoyún was momentarily stunned but quickly grinned as she grabbed Chén Lìqiù's wrist, pulling her forward.
"Then let's go!" Xiǎoyún urged.
Lìqiù, usually slow to act, now nodded firmly.
The three of them immediately took off, their steps quick and determined—because if Yán Shèngxīn was really the one they'd been searching for, they couldn't afford to lose sight of him now.
Not long after, they immediately found the figure of Yán Shèngxīn who was observing the cages of beasts that were being sold in one of the caravans.
"Master, you are being watched. It turns out that they are suspicious of your strength," Ān'nà warned from the Summoning Space.
Shèngxīn, who had already noticed, snorted in annoyance. "Hmph… I helped, and it was wrong. I did nothing, and that was wrong too. Now, I'm being watched like some caged beast put on display. How amusing."
Suddenly, a teenager around the same age as Shèngxīn appeared—Yán Ruòzhēn, his ever-so-beloved cousin, striding over with his usual flock of admirers, both male and female.
"Cousin Shèngxīn," Ruòzhēn called out, his tone dripping with mock politeness, "what exactly are you doing here? Why the constant glancing around? Are you lost, or are you making sure no one sees you?" His lips curled into an unmistakable sneer.
One of the female students by his side immediately giggled behind her sleeve. "Brother Ruòzhēn, he must be checking if anyone is watching him buy a cheap beast."
The others burst into laughter, the sound filled with undisguised mockery.
"Ah, but why should he be embarrassed?" another chimed in. "It's not like he has a reputation to protect."
Ruòzhēn sighed theatrically, shaking his head in feigned sympathy. "Cousin, let's be honest here. Do you even have money? Enough to afford a beast? If not, I suppose I could be generous. Grandpa was kind enough to give me extra pocket money—since, of course, our family doesn't have to waste resources on a failure who still doesn't have a beast in second grade."
Ruòzhēn's words were dripping with honey, yet the insult slashed like a blade. The audience smirked, nodding along, waiting for Shèngxīn to crumble in humiliation.
But instead of embarrassment, Shèngxīn responded gently, almost lazily, as if Ruòzhēn's taunts were nothing more than distant buzzing. "Oh? Thank you for your overwhelming kindness, Cousin. You're so thoughtful," he said smoothly. "I do realize my pocket money isn't as abundant as yours. But don't worry—Grandpa also gave me extra money for a beast. Méi Líng is carrying it for me."
Ruòzhēn's smug smile stiffened for a fraction of a second. His eyebrows twitched, barely perceptibly lowering—a telltale sign of a split-second flash of irritation. His teeth clenched, an involuntary reaction as he bit back his frustration.
"Hah! That useless waste still has Grandpa's favor? Why?! He should've been left beastless, expelled from school, and tossed aside in shame!"
Ruòzhēn forced his grin back into place, masking his anger. "Ah, I see! What a relief!" he said over-enthusiastically, quickly slipping back into his "gracious older cousin" act. "I was prepared to be even more charitable if your funds turned out to be lacking, you see. I wouldn't want you settling for some… pathetic, weak creature just because of a budget issue."
His words were laced with undeniable condescension, the implication clear—no matter what Shèngxīn bought, it would never be impressive enough.
Before anyone could respond, a sharp, annoyed voice cut through the air from within the caravan.
"Hey! What's with the ruckus?! Do you brats want to fight right in front of my shop?! If you're not buying, GET LOST! You're scaring away my customers!"
Before they had time to leave, sudden cries of distress erupted from several beast merchants across the bazaar.
"Rats... rats... why are there so many rats here?!" protested a merchant specializing in cat-type beasts.
His stall housed various feline creatures: the Munchkin Short Hair Cat Beast, a large-bodied feline with a round face, enormous eyes, and ridiculously short legs; the Serval Cat Beast, a sleek, slender predator with a fierce, piercing gaze; the Maine Coon Cat Beast, an enormous giant capable of stretching its upper body to intimidating lengths; and finally, the White Bengal Tiger Beast, known for its near-immunity to magical attacks.
As expected, rats were natural enemies of cats—though in modern times, many domesticated housecats had grown timid, even fearing sewer rats. But these were not ordinary rats.
When dozens of Sumatran Bamboo Rat Beasts infiltrated the cat beast cages, the reaction was instantaneous and violent. The cat beasts snarled, hissed, and clawed ferociously at the intruding rodents, rattling their enclosures in a frenzy. This reaction was expected—after all, the Sumatran Bamboo Rat Beast was the largest rat species in the world. Fully grown, their bodies stretched over three times the length of an incense stick, making them a terrifying sight. Against their natural instincts, the cat beasts automatically entered battle mode.
Then—
CRACK!
A cage snapped open, unable to withstand the feral rage of the Siberian Tiger Beast inside.
The moment it broke free, the massive tiger lunged at the invading bamboo rat beasts, its powerful paws slamming into the ground as it tore into its prey. The sheer force of its attack toppled several neighboring cages, sending them crashing to the ground.
Doors flew open.
More beasts escaped.
Chaos erupted.
Feline and rodent beasts clashed viciously, hissing, screeching, and tearing into each other. Merchants shouted in panic, scrambling to regain control of their creatures, but it was too late—the entire section of the bazaar was engulfed in disorder.
And then, as if orchestrated by some twisted will—
The insect beast bazaar fell into chaos, too.
Right where Yán Shèngxīn had just been mocked by Yán Ruòzhēn, another disturbance broke out.
This time, the culprits were an army of Sewer Rat Beasts and Etruscan Rat Beasts.
The Sewer Rat Beasts—huge, black-furred creatures with razor-sharp incisors—began gnawing at the flimsy cages of a nearby caravan. The cages were constructed from a cheap iron-wood blend, clearly unfit to contain such relentless creatures.
CHOMP. CRACK. SNAP!
One by one, the cages broke open. But instead of devouring the creatures inside, the Sewer Rat Beasts did something strange.
They left.
With eerie precision, they scurried away, leaving their handiwork behind.
And then—
The Etruscan Rat Beasts poured in.
Unlike their sewer-dwelling counterparts, these rats were the smallest in the world—tiny creatures no bigger than a human's palm. But what they lacked in size, they made up for in numbers.
They swarmed the now-open cages, devouring the defenseless insect beasts inside. The merchants, still preoccupied with the cat and bamboo rat chaos, failed to notice until it was too late.
The air thickened with tension.
And then—
FIRE.
A new wave of screams rippled through the bazaar.
Lanterns were falling.
The grand main stage, once adorned with brilliantly colored lanterns, was now an inferno.
The cause?
The same Sewer Rat Beasts had gnawed through the wooden pillars and rope bindings supporting the hanging lanterns. One by one, the flaming decorations plummeted onto the wooden stage, setting cloth and timber ablaze.
"Brother Ruòzhēn, we need to leave! NOW!"
A shrill voice broke through the cacophony of chaos.
One of the female students—one of Yán Ruòzhēn's devoted admirers—clutched his sleeve, her face pale with horror.
"It's too dangerous! There are tiger beasts, panther beasts, and—ugh!—rat beasts everywhere!" she cried.
Another girl shuddered violently, clutching her arms. "I already hate rats at home… But these?! They're huge! Black! Disgusting! And they're everywhere!"
Yán Ruòzhēn hesitated.
His gaze flickered toward the beast caravans, then toward the insect stalls, both in utter disarray.
He wanted to help. He wanted to prove himself.
But then—
Screams of pain.
Students—his peers—were being attacked by the very beasts they once admired.
A low, unpleasant chill crawled up his spine. Could he really fight them?
He was strong, but—was he strong enough?
Doubt crept into his heart.
"Come on, Brother Ruòzhēn! Why bother?!" A male student—another member of Ruòzhēn's inner circle—stepped forward, speaking with urgent pragmatism. "There's a rescue team for this! Senior Beast Tamers are trained for security—look! They're already coming!"
And indeed, from all corners of the bazaar, elite tamers in official security garb rushed forward, their powerful summoned beasts materializing alongside them.
The rescue team had arrived.
Screams, snarls, and the brutal clash of fangs and claws filled the air. Guards were fighting desperately, but the big cat beasts had the advantage. Their sleek bodies lunged and twisted, moving too fast for the overwhelmed security force to handle.
A deep, guttural grunt came from the owner of the insect beast caravan.
"Ngroookkk, brother, these security guards are indeed strong, but against that many level 40 big cat beasts, they will definitely be overwhelmed soon."
"You pig! Shut up! Watch your speech, ngik—"
A growl—low, deep, and filled with unmistakable fury—rumbled through the Summoning Space.
Wǎng.
His thick fur bristled. His dark, reddish-black skin tightened over his massive muscles. His heavy club trembled in his grip. His fangs bared.
"Mmm... Umm... M... Monkey! Monkey!"
SìSì froze.
Her three tails puffed up, fur standing on end.
Wǎng was never like this.
Something was wrong.
SìSì usually saw Wǎng as the first brother who was quiet and very calm, now was surprised by Wǎng's voice. Usually, SìSì slept on Wǎng's belly which was thick with fur. Although Wǎng was actually a ghost in human form, his physical appearance was like a herd of giant beasts like a tall eastern gorilla, his body covered in thick hair and reddish black skin. However, since being tamed by the human clan including Yán Shèngxīn, he reduced his hobby of playing around and also his mischievous nature towards humans and was very obedient to human orders.
If GǔGǔ's arch enemy was a bird-type beast that ate caterpillars, insects, and snakes, for Wǎng, his arch enemy was none other than his fellow Beast, the Monkey Beast.
As the tamer of them, Yán Shèngxīn's eyes also narrowed.
Something was wrong.
Not far from him, Shèn Zhēngkāi was shocked.
Wǎng's growl and grumble inadvertently burst out and surprised Shèn Zhēngkāi, the Monkey King Beast who was standing not far from Yán Shèngxīn. And this was not anticipated at all by Yán Shèngxīn because he also did not know that Shèn Zhēngkāi was disguised as a human. As we all know, the monkey king beast had indeed learned 72 forms of transformation and he was also very good at doing it so that it was difficult to reveal his disguise. It was different from the Pig King Beast who was nearby. His wide ears and pig nose, as well as his pig's voice, were seen or heard clearly several times.
At first, he did not really realize the power of the creature hiding inside the young student in front of him. He only thought that the creature was of the same race as him because of its growling and grumbling sounds that were similar to those of the ape race. However, when Wǎng and Shèngxīn showed their strength, he immediately realized that their strength was much greater than his.
Zhēngkāi did not attack.
Instead, he bowed.
"I apologize, little friend." His voice was calm, smooth, unwavering. "I did not mean to disturb the peace here. And we are also not the perpetrators of the chaos caused by these rat beasts."
Yán Shèngxīn's heartbeat pounded in his ears.
His instincts screamed at him.
Inside the Summoning Space, his voice cut through the air like a blade.
"What do you mean, Wǎng?! Who is this person?! Do you recognize him?!"
Wǎng lowered his head.
"Monkey King."
Yán Shèngxīn's breath hitched.
"Monkey King?!" His pulse raced. "But why is he in human form—?"
Wǎng's voice was low. Absolute.
"Demon."
Yán Shèngxīn's body locked.
His muscles tensed. His eyes sharpened. Power rushed through his veins.
In the Summoning Space, Wǎng stood ready, waiting for his master's command.
Tension crackled in the air like a storm about to break.
And if one wrong move was made—
Blood would spill.
Zhēngkāi was truly shocked this time.
At first, he did not really realize the power of the creature hiding inside the young student in front of him. He only thought that the creature was of the same race as him because of its growling and grumbling sounds that were similar to those of the ape race. However, when Wǎng and Shèngxīn showed their strength, he immediately realized that their strength was much greater than his.
Trembling, he then said, "Friend, we ..."
Through the Summoning Space, Wǎng grumbled again, "Friend? Grandpa Ancestor!" This time his sentence was a little longer.
Shèngxīn then returned Zhēngkāi's attitude with a respectful bow like a young person to an older person, "Uncle Zhēng, allow me to call you that, why are you here?"
Shèngxīn tried to be as friendly as possible because he still felt the presence of three female students from Bǎi Wàn Shòuyì who were hiding not far from them—Jiàn Ruòxī, Hán Xiǎoyún, and Chén Lìqiù. If they fought there, Shèngxīn would immediately be known as a strong student. Not only strong, but it would also be known that he had ghosts as the summoned creatures, as well as SSS level-beasts.
Not only the three female students, but the group of fans of Yán Ruòzhēn and Yán Ruòzhēn were also still there. Shèn Zhēngkāi's attitude alone made them wonder. Moreover, if Zhēngkāi and Shèngxīn summoned Wǎng to fight, his true identity would be revealed immediately. Zhēngkāi's fate would be no less bad if his disguise was discovered. As a Demon, he was clearly in the most dangerous position. He would be attacked by a number of powerful figures in the Dà Tián Shòuyì school at that time.
Being one of the smartest demons, Zhēngkāi immediately realized that Shèngxīn was also hiding his true identity. He immediately invited Shèngxīn into the tent in front of his caravan to avoid their conversation being heard by everyone.
Ān'nà immediately warned Shèngxīn, "Young Master, don't go in. I'm afraid it's a trap."
Shèngxīn ignored the warning and went in anyway, "Calm down. This demon doesn't show any killing intent. He doesn't seem to mean any harm here."
"Hm... strange! So, what is he looking for?" asked Ān'nà who was actually the smartest among all the ghosts and beasts in Shèngxīn's summoning space.
Pretending to show the insect beasts in each cage that they sold, Zhēngkāi slipped his explanation in between their conversation.
"Young Master, this is the largest mantis beast in the world that we, Shèn Zhēngkāi the Monkey and Tún Tǔyún the Pig, can bring," said Zhēngkāi while inserting an introduction of their true identities.
"Wow, the mantis you brought from the black country far away from Dà Tiánchéng. Come here just the two of you?" asked Shèngxīn while disguising his curiosity about the Demon's activities.
"Yes, Young Master. There are only two of us. Well, this is a Tomcat beast, a type of insect beast that can make human skin blister. Tomcats are indeed small insects, but this Tomcat beast can grow as big as a Maine Coon cat beast," Zhēngkāi answered again.
Shèngxīn pretended to nod as if he was satisfied with the explanation about Tomcat. However, he then moved to the cages of other insect beasts while slipping in questions.
"You two are selling these insect beasts? All the way from your country. After this, you're going straight home with these beasts?" asked Shèngxīn again.
Zhēngkāi's expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of something unreadable in his golden eyes. He stroked his chin before answering, "Not necessarily, Young Master. Business is unpredictable, and sometimes, opportunities arise that require a change of plans."
Tún Tǔyún nodded, his round face unreadable. "That's right. It all depends on how the market moves and what kind of... offers come our way."
Shèngxīn let out a light chuckle, pretending to be amused. "I see. So, you're not in a hurry to leave, then?"
Zhēngkāi smirked slightly. "Oh, Young Master, the world is full of unexpected turns. One must always be prepared for a longer stay... if the circumstances demand it."
The world outside their words was burning.
Hell had broken loose.
The air reeked of burnt flesh and blood, screams of agony swallowed by the ear-splitting roars of beasts. Security forces were barely holding their ground, slashing, burning, dying. Bodies were flung into the air like ragdolls as the big Cat Beasts tore through the barricades, their claws ripping through steel and bone alike.
At the same time, the Sewer Rat Beasts flooded the bazaar like an unrelenting tide. Small, fast, vicious. They dodged sword swings, latched onto throats, and tore into flesh with sickening crunches. One soldier dropped to his knees, his face frozen in horror as dozens of the creatures burrowed into his gut, devouring him from the inside.
Yán Ruòzhēn snarled. The tide was overwhelming. Too fast. Too many.
"Come forth, White Lightning Bear!"
A deafening thunderclap erupted as blinding light split the sky. The White Lightning Bear materialized—fur crackling with raw electricity, golden eyes burning with fury.
"Destroy them!"
The beast let out a roar that shook the ground. A surge of lightning tore through the rat beasts, frying them mid-leap. Their screeches turned into wet, meaty pops as their bodies burst apart. Sparks ignited the dry canvas tents, turning them into raging infernos.
But the rats adapted.
They darted between the flashes, their movements faster than the strikes. In a blink, they were upon the students.
One disciple screamed as a Sewer Rat Beast latched onto his face, its fangs tearing through flesh, ripping his nose clean off. He staggered back, clawing at the creature, but the rats didn't kill for sport. They killed to consume.
And they were still hungry.
At the main stage, the fire had already spread. Smoke billowed thick, suffocating. Security forces were overwhelmed, weapons slipping from burned and bloodied hands.
And yet—
Yán Shèngxīn still sat there.
Chatting. Unfazed.
Ignoring the slaughter.
"We deliberately came together without telling anyone," Zhēngkāi's voice remained calm. "Not our current King. Not the Rat Demon King. They must not know we're here."
Behind them, a dying security guard gargled, blood pooling from his open throat.
Tún Tǔyún spoke too freely.
"We actually came here to find out if it is true that our previous king was held captive here."
Zhēngkāi stiffened.
You brainless pig. His glare was razor-sharp. You just told them.
Shèngxīn's grin widened.
"I've never heard of this," His voice was light, amused. "But if such a place existed, it would be under heavy guard. Strange, isn't it? No one has ever spoken of it." He tilted his head, gaze sharp enough to skin flesh from bone. "I wonder how you know about this."
The screams of the dying still filled the air.
The metallic scent of blood, burnt fur, and charred flesh mixed with the heavy stench of the Sewer Rat Beasts. Bodies littered the ground—some whole, most not.
Yet amidst the chaos, Yán Shèngxīn still didn't move. His expression remained unreadable, his posture relaxed. Not a single muscle tensed as a severed arm rolled past his feet.
From a distance, a sharp, frantic voice cut through the madness.
"Brother Shèngxīn, what are you doing?! Quickly help us!"
Hán Xiǎoyún's cry was desperate, but there was no time to wait for a response. Her Sky Hawk Beast swooped down, claws ripping through the Sewer Rat Beasts below.
Jiàn Ruòxī, wielding twin daggers, slashed through a group of beasts, panting from exertion. Her face twisted in frustration.
"Hmph! Why ask him for help, Xiǎoyún? We can handle these disgusting rat beasts and capture those big cats ourselves!"
A maddened howl tore through the battlefield as one of the big Cat Beasts crushed a man's skull beneath its claws. His brain matter splattered across the dirt.
Jiàn Ruòxī barely spared a glance.
"Besides," she spat, dodging a lunging rat beast, "I don't believe your stupid theory. You really think that indifferent bastard is the mysterious hero who saved us?"
She jerked her chin toward Shèngxīn, who was still calmly chatting, completely ignoring the massacre happening around him.
"Just look at him! He doesn't even care!"
Chén Lìqiù grunted as she struggled to restrain a massive Bengal Tiger Beast, veins bulging from her arms. Her Chameleon Beast flickered between visible and invisible, tail lashing as it tried to help.
"If he was that hero, why doesn't he just summon his beast already? My Chameleon Beast would recognize him immediately!" She hissed, barely holding the tiger in check. "But he just stands there, talking! What the hell is so important?!"
A gurgled scream erupted as a student was dragged down by a swarm of Sewer Rat Beasts, their razor-sharp teeth sinking into his flesh.
He clawed at the ground—a desperate, futile attempt to live.
His body convulsed. Then stilled.
His torso ripped open like rotten fruit.
Hán Xiǎoyún, still airborne with her Sky Hawk Beast, laughed.
"That, Sisters," she said between commands, her beast ripping through a cluster of Sewer Rat Beasts, "is what separates a hero from ordinary people."
Jiàn Ruòxī spat blood. "What?!"
Xiǎoyún's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"We panic. We rush to fight. But a hero? A hero is calm. They know that these beasts are nothing but pests, easily crushed underfoot."
Her Sky Hawk dove, snatching up a struggling rat beast and tearing it in half with its talons.
"If Brother Shèngxīn thinks the fight is trivial, that only means his conversation is more important."
Hán Xiǎoyún's breath hitched. A dark realization crept into her chest.
"...Then who the hell is he talking to?"
A gust of wind carried the scent of burning fur and spilled entrails.
SìSì's voice echoed through the summoning space, urgent but composed.
"Master, we must act immediately. I predict that the human army and your friends will not last much longer without our help."
Yán Shèngxīn exhaled slowly. He had known this moment was coming—the exact moment where intervention became necessary.
His gaze flickered toward the battlefield.
The bloodied ground, the corpses, the screams—all of it was irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was timing.
He turned and bowed deeply to the two disguised demon kings.
"The two uncles, we'll continue our conversation after this matter is settled. I must assist them."
Shèn Zhēngkāi smiled, his sharp gaze gleaming with approval.
"To prove our sincerity, we offer the Young Master an extremely rare beast—one that will certainly be useful for someone who prefers to remain unnoticed."
Yán Shèngxīn's expression didn't change, but his mind sharpened.
A gift? From the Demon Kings?
Shèn Zhēngkāi gestured to Tún Tǔyún. "Fetch the cage of that dangerous insect."
Tún Tǔyún disappeared into the caravan. Moments later, he emerged, carrying a small cage wrapped in a tightly woven net.
At first glance, there was nothing inside. But the Cheat Skill System suddenly flashed in Yán Shèngxīn's mind.
[New Task: Pay and Tame Dú Mèng Yíng at Any Price.]
[Bonus Reward: Map of the Mysterious Dungeon. Directly place at your summoning space]
Shèngxīn's fingers twitched.
This was no simple offering. The system had never directly ordered him to pay before. It was clear—he wasn't meant to accept this gift freely.
A favor given was a favor owed.
He stepped forward, bowing once more.
"Second Uncle, thank you for your kindness. However, I must insist on paying—so that my friends and family do not misunderstand the gesture."
His words were careful. A gift from a Demon King was a chain. A purchase was ownership.
He produced several stacks of local currency, pressing them into Tún Tǔyún's hand.
Shèn Zhēngkāi's eyes narrowed slightly. "This—"
"Please," Shèngxīn interrupted, his voice polite but firm. "If I do not pay, I cannot accept it."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, Zhēngkāi exhaled in amusement.
"Enough. This money is sufficient."
The transaction was complete. The invisible strings of obligation were severed.
Zhēngkāi motioned toward the cage. "Now, place a drop of your blood inside. It will seep through and bond with the beast."
Shèngxīn took a small blade and pressed it against his palm.
A single drop of dark red blood fell onto the cage.
It seeped into the mesh.
Nothing happened.
Shèngxīn's eyes narrowed.
Another drop.
Still nothing.
A third. A fourth.
By the fifth drop, a flicker of movement stirred inside.
Something twitched.
Shèngxīn pressed his lips into a thin line. What kind of beast required this much blood just for a contract?
His fingers curled. A deeper cut. More blood.
Six. Seven. Eight drops.
The cage shuddered violently.
A faint, high-pitched buzz filled the air.
Then, suddenly—
The Cheat Skill notification flashed.
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully tamed Dú Mèng Yíng, the Tsetse Fly.]
[Skills Acquired: Multiplication, Short Sleepy Attack, Long Sleepy Attack.]
Shèngxīn lifted his gaze, pretending to study the cage with mild curiosity.
"What kind of beast is this?"
Zhēngkāi smiled.
"A tsetse fly, Young Master. A creature capable of putting both humans and beasts to sleep. Thanks to its duplication ability, it can do so on a massive scale."
Shèngxīn tilted his head slightly, lips curling upward. "Cool."
Inside, he was already calculating just how much destruction this 'tiny fly' could unleash.
Jiàn Ruòxī clenched her fists as she fought off the last of the big cat beasts, her white-winged tiger growling beside her.
From the corner of her eye, she had seen everything—Yán Shèngxīn taming a beast.
And it infuriated her.
He dripped his blood into that cage. The moment was brief, but her sharp eyes didn't miss it.
"Taming? That guy?!"
Ruòxī bit her lower lip, annoyance flashing in her violet eyes.
She had spent years training to form contracts with powerful beasts. Why did it feel like Shèngxīn had just casually acquired one?
But her irritation quickly turned into something else—confusion.
Not long after, Yán Shèngxīn deliberately positioned himself in front of the caravan.
He lifted the small, seemingly empty cage and, in one smooth motion, opened it.
Several students saw him, including his cousin, Yán Ruòzhēn.
Ruòzhēn's face darkened instantly.
"Tch! Damn it! He managed to get a beast. That means his expulsion is canceled!" she growled, her hands crackling with lightning as she struck a sewer rat beast.
One of her devoted followers chuckled beside her. "Relax, Brother Ruòzhēn. What can his beast even do? That caravan only sells insect beasts. Can an insect beast fight against sewer rat beasts, Etruscan rat beasts, or even big cat beasts?"
Ruòzhēn snorted in disdain.
"Exactly! What a joke. His beast is nothing but a tiny bug!"
And to their eyes, it seemed true.
The moment Shèngxīn opened the cage, nothing happened.
There was no dramatic burst of light, no roar, no flash of power.
No visible beast.
Just… nothing.
Ruòzhēn smirked, crossing his arms. "Pathetic."
Then, the first beast fell.
A massive spotted feline, perched on a thick tree branch, suddenly slumped forward—fast asleep.
Another collapsed in the middle of a pounce, crashing into the ground.
One by one, the powerful big cat beasts—the same ones that had been giving the students and security forces so much trouble—dropped into a deep, unnatural slumber.
The transformation was subtle at first. A few drowsy blinks. A swaying stance. Then—collapse.
But soon, it was undeniable.
"Huh? What's going on?!" one of the uniformed security officers blurted out.
He was a beast master himself, and yet he had never seen anything like this.
The beasts weren't injured.
They weren't dying.
They were just… asleep.
And not just one or two—all of them.
The big cat beasts on the ground were sprawled over each other. The ones in the trees tumbled down, limp and unconscious.
Jiàn Ruòxī's white-winged tiger twitched, ears flicking anxiously.
Chén Lìqiù, the elegant student from the neighbouring country, glanced around, her grip on her staff tightening. "Strange…"
Ruòxī's sharp eyes snapped toward Shèngxīn, who remained calm.
This was his doing.
But how?
As the big cat beasts finally stopped attacking, the security guards and students shifted their focus back to the rat beasts.
"Finally! Now we can deal with these damn rats without getting clawed at!" a security guard exhaled, his grip on his weapon loosening slightly.
"Right?! Those cats jumping everywhere made it impossible to land a clean hit," a student muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Another guard grunted, tightening his gloves. "Less complaining, more fighting. These rats aren't gonna get rid of themselves."
Just as their battle regained momentum, reinforcements arrived.
"Oi! What took you so long?!" a security officer called out as students from Jiàn Yú Gǎng Shòuyì and Dà Huáng Shā Shòuyì appeared.
"We had to make sure we weren't stepping into even more chaos," one of the students shot back. "Alright, Jiéyuán—go!"
Zhì Jiéyuán's giant blue whale beast released a deep, rumbling cry before blasting a powerful surge of water forward.
"Watch out! Incoming wave!" a student yelped, jumping back as the water swept over a horde of sewer rat beasts, drenching them completely.
Right behind it, Hù Yàoyuán's sand turtle stomped its massive feet, sending a thick cloud of sand into the air.
"That should slow them down!" another student called out.
With the flames being extinguished and the rats struggling to move through the wet sand, the battle shifted.
"Chén Hào, cover the left flank!" Sūn Míng shouted.
"On it!" Chén Hào responded. His Poison-Feathered Eagle soared into the sky, spreading its wings before releasing a rain of venomous feathers onto the rat beasts below.
Sūn Míng's Blakiston's Fish Owl dived in next, its sharp talons snatching up one of the disoriented rats before tossing it aside.
The rats, overwhelmed, began to scatter.
"They're running!" a student called out.
"Then don't just let them escape! Herd them away from the merchants!" a security officer ordered.
With more rat beasts driven off, the merchants wasted no time securing their big cat beasts.
"Hurry up! Collect the cats before they wake up!" one of the merchants barked.
Several handlers rushed to the fallen beasts, checking their breathing and nudging them gently.
"They're just asleep," one confirmed. "Must've been some kind of taming trick."
"Who cares how it happened? Just get them back in the cages before we lose any profits!" another merchant snapped.
Men and women hurriedly dragged the drowsy cats onto reinforced carts, locking the cage doors one by one.
"How many do we have?"
"Counting now! Make sure none of them rolled under the trees!"
Several students helped, using their smaller beasts to push the sluggish cats toward the enclosures.
As more rat beasts disappeared and the last of the flames were extinguished, the battlefield finally calmed.
The medical teams moved in, tending to the injured. Security officers assessed the damage, reinforcing weak structures and checking for anything out of place.
The chaos had settled.
Seeing that the situation had finally calmed down, Jiàn Ruòxī, Hán Xiǎoyún, and Chén Lìqiù exchanged glances before making their way toward the caravan where Yán Shèngxīn had been.
However, as they approached, their steps faltered.
"Huh? Where is he?" Ruòxī frowned, scanning the area.
"The uncles are gone too," Lìqiù muttered, her brows knitting together in confusion.
Xiǎoyún exhaled slowly, then spoke in a knowing tone, "As the saying goes, a true hero does not wait for recognition."
His two friends turned their heads toward him, unimpressed.
"Could you stop being cryptic for once?" Lìqiù sighed.
Ruòxī, however, wasn't listening to their banter anymore. Her gaze drifted toward the lively crowd where Yán Ruòzhēn's followers were enthusiastically showering him with praise.
She had no interest in their noise.
Instead, her eyes shifted toward the dense forest beyond the marketplace, a thoughtful expression settling on her face.
"Brother Shèngxīn... A hero who helps and disappears without a trace."
Her lips curved slightly.
"I really need to get to know him better before returning to Wàn Huā Chéng."
-------------------------------- End of Chapter 19 ---------------------------------