I'm Just a Beast Tamer

Chapter 36: Chapter 334: Damaged Beast Pattern

From then on, Jiang Zuo’s daily routine included a new task: Beast Pattern Drawing.

Beast Pattern Drawing consumed Spiritual Power. However, Jiang Zuo usually failed on the very first stroke, so it didn’t use up much. This meant he could practice at home whenever he had a spare moment.

In addition to increasing his drawing proficiency and boosting his Spiritual Power, it also let him test his understanding of the Beast Patterns he studied.

However, as he continued his daily practice, Jiang Zuo came to understand that this was a task requiring patience and persistence. It couldn’t be rushed.

’There is a shortcut, of course. I could add points to my Beast Pattern Drawing skill to level it up. My comprehension of the patterns would deepen, and my Spiritual Power would also get a boost.’

Unfortunately, he had already squeezed out just about all the Beast Taming Reputation he could when he caught those thieves from the Ding Family.

Over the past three years, he had only been gaining about ten points of Beast Taming Reputation per year.

Of course, this wasn’t a small amount compared to before.

In all the years prior, he had only accumulated a little over twenty points of Beast Taming Reputation.

So Jiang Zuo wasn’t dissatisfied. He took it in stride.

Subai and Granny Mei still hadn’t returned.

One day, Jiang Zuo finally wrote the ending to *Cat Cat Cultivation Chronicles*—the feline epic he had been working on for three years—and offered it to the Night Cat’s Eye. A long-awaited notification appeared before him.

『The lingering will of the Night Cat’s Eye has vanished!』

『Obtained Beast Pattern "Night Cat’s Eye"!』

—Night Cat’s Eye: A Tier 2 Beast Pattern. Permanently increases vision, allowing the user to see in the dark as if it were day, just like a Night Cat.

A Tier 2 Beast Pattern!

Compared to the Tier 1 Porcupine Roar, its biggest difference was that it was a passive ability that didn’t require active use.

’I can’t even successfully draw a Tier 1 Beast Pattern, so a Tier 2 is out of the question. Besides, the Night Cat’s Eye requires a different kind of Beast Blood Ink. Still, I could try using it for observation. It might be more effective for increasing my Spiritual Power.’

Jiang Zuo pondered as he looked at the Night Cat’s Eye.

If his only goal was to successfully draw a Beast Pattern, sticking to the observation of a single pattern would be the best approach.

’But the root of the problem is my insufficient Spiritual Power,’ Jiang Zuo thought. ’Improving that is the real key.’

Once his Spiritual Power reached a certain level, drawing Beast Patterns would come naturally.

Jiang Zuo then switched his daily observation subject to the Night Cat’s Eye.

The Porcupine Roar Beast Pattern was a roaring boar’s head, while the Night Cat’s Eye Beast Pattern was a cat’s eye with a hint of coldness.

It was just like the first time he’d observed the Porcupine Beast Pattern—no, it was even worse.

Jiang Zuo merely glanced at the Night Cat’s Eye Beast Pattern and immediately passed out.

It wasn’t until more than three hours had passed that Jiang Zuo woke up.

And this was despite his Spiritual Power being much stronger now than it was when he first observed the Porcupine Beast Pattern.

However, after a few days, Jiang Zuo felt his Spiritual Power had noticeably improved.

The most direct indication was that the time it took for him to wake up after passing out was gradually decreasing.

’It seems observing a High Tier Beast Pattern is much more effective for improving Spiritual Power.’

In addition to the benefits of the Tier 2 Beast Soul, the Night Cat’s Eye had granted Jiang Zuo a total of 120 Beast Soul Power, four times the amount from a Tier 1 Beast Pattern.

Jiang Zuo’s total Beast Soul Power now reached 240 points. He finally had a small reserve.

With the Night Cat’s Eye’s lingering will gone, Jiang Zuo no longer had to write for it every day. He suddenly had a lot of free time, and for a while, he couldn’t help but feel a bit out of sorts.

After writing for over two years, his skill with a brush had improved significantly, to say nothing of his storytelling.

In his free time, Jiang Zuo focused on practicing Beast Pattern Drawing.

Beast Pattern Drawing didn’t consume much Spiritual Power. As long as he didn’t overdo it, a short rest would allow his Spiritual Power to recover quickly.

Subai, his next-door neighbor, still came over to freeload meals from time to time. Jiang Zuo had no idea what the little girl—who was probably a Cultivator—was doing in Red Fox Town.

He never saw her cultivating; she just wandered around everywhere.

Jiang Zuo vaguely recalled that she often went to the local academy to read.

Jiang Zuo’s impression of the Red Fox Town academy was neither good nor bad.

After the Rampaging Bear incident, Jiang Zuo had been young, helpless, and in need of care.

No one wanted to adopt such a handful, and the County Magistrate at the time couldn’t just abandon him. He was ultimately placed in the academy, left in the care of its servants.

Jiang Zuo was basically left to his own devices in the academy. Other than calling him for meals, they mostly ignored him.

Back then, Jiang Zuo would often run to the large marble slab at the academy’s entrance and sit there, dazed, for an entire day.

The academy wasn’t far from the blacksmith’s shop, and when Blacksmith Li passed by, he would occasionally give him some food.

Sometimes, when he saw other children from the academy bullying him, he would angrily shout at them and chase those brats away.

That was also why Jiang Zuo later became close to Blacksmith Li.

In Jiang Zuo’s memory, there was nothing special about the Red Fox Town academy. He couldn’t figure out what Subai was doing there.

As for the learning environment, the academy was mediocre at best.

’After all, it was established by the County Magistrate’s Office, making it the equivalent of a public school from my past life.’

The fees were low, and students could come and go as they pleased. It wasn’t a place suitable for serious study.

Those who truly wanted to pass the imperial examinations and earn an official position would hire private tutors.

But Jiang Zuo wasn’t a curious person, so he didn’t investigate further.

If Subai really was a Cultivator, Jiang Zuo did have some questions he wanted to ask her.

But Subai was clearly hiding her identity—the name Su Qiaoqiao was likely an alias. Their relationship hadn’t progressed to that point, and Jiang Zuo had no idea what the consequences would be if he were to blow her cover.

So Jiang Zuo just kept the thought to himself and never asked, continuing to treat Subai as nothing more than the ordinary little girl next door.

「Another half-year passed.」

This day, Jiang Zuo was practicing Beast Pattern Drawing as usual.

But as he made a stroke, Jiang Zuo felt a significant chunk of his Spiritual Power suddenly drain away.

The brush tip danced, and a boar’s head pattern materialized on the talisman paper.

’Did it work?’

Jiang Zuo was very surprised.

This was the first time he had ever successfully drawn a Beast Pattern, and it had happened without any warning.

Jiang Zuo reached out. The talisman paper dissolved into ash in his hand, and a change appeared in the ’Held Beast Patterns’ section of his status panel.

Held Beast Patterns: Night Cat’s Eye, Porcupine Roar, Porcupine Roar (Flawed).

—Porcupine Roar (Flawed): A flawed Porcupine Roar Beast Pattern. It can unleash a portion of the original’s power. Engraving it onto a Pet Beast will greatly increase the burden on the Pet Beast.

’A flawed Beast Pattern? That’s possible?’

Jiang Zuo looked over, a little surprised.

But it made sense. He hadn’t felt any certainty of success; it felt more like a lucky fluke.

Jiang Zuo looked at the experience for his Beast Pattern Drawing skill again: "1/500".

’Good. I gained 1 experience point.’

’Even though it’s a flawed Beast Pattern, getting experience is what matters!’

This way, as long as he spent the time, he could slowly grind up the level of his Beast Pattern Drawing.

’I wonder what this flawed Beast Pattern does?’

Jiang Zuo didn’t dare to use up the original Porcupine Beast Pattern.

But as for this flawed Beast Pattern he had drawn, Jiang Zuo had no such reservations.

Jiang Zuo went to town and bought a few fish.

Beast Pattern Engraving!

Facing one of the fish, Jiang Zuo chose to engrave the flawed Porcupine Roar Beast Pattern onto it.

POP!

An invisible force landed on the fish.

In the next instant, the fish’s body suddenly exploded.

Fortunately, since it was in water, the sound was mostly muffled by the splash.

But the entire basin was instantly dyed blood-red.

Jiang Zuo was silent.

’The burden from this flawed Porcupine Beast Pattern is immense.’

Beast Pattern Engraving also consumed Spiritual Power. Jiang Zuo felt about a third of his Spiritual Power disappear in an instant.

But what really frustrated Jiang Zuo was that when he checked his Beast Pattern Engraving skill, the experience value was still 0.

’In other words, just like with Beast Pattern Drawing, failure grants no experience points.’

Another day passed, and Jiang Zuo once again drew a flawed Beast Pattern.

This time, Jiang Zuo chose not to absorb it into his status panel.

Gazing at the Beast Pattern on the talisman paper, Jiang Zuo pondered for a long while.

’The tadpole-like script forming the Beast Pattern looks a lot like the writing on the stone tablet buried in the vegetable garden. What would happen if I brought this Beast Pattern into contact with the tablet?’

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