I'm Just a Beast Tamer

Chapter 6: Chapter 6: New Mission

"Sir, how much for this Beast Tooth Necklace?"

Jiang Zuo asked, picking up the necklace.

This was the Mortal Marketplace, not a marketplace in the Cultivation Realm; there was no need for all the scheming.

So, Jiang Zuo didn’t bother with pleasantries and asked the price directly.

"Ah, this one! This is a ritual object from one of the Alien Races. It contains a powerful Blessing Divine Power. Placed in your home, it will ward off evil and protect your household. Worn on your person, it will bring you heavenly blessings. It’s a truly fine item. You have a good eye, young man!"

"It’s not expensive. Just ten taels of silver, and you can take it home!"

The stall was run by an old man. The moment he saw a customer, he immediately launched into an extravagant sales pitch.

"Fifty copper coins."

Jiang Zuo calmly made a counteroffer, as if he hadn’t heard a word the man said.

One tael of silver was equivalent to a thousand copper coins. Jiang Zuo’s counteroffer had slashed the price to the bone.

"Young man, it seems you know your stuff. Fine, I won’t waste my breath. The item itself isn’t worth much, but I had to haul it all the way out here, and I need to make a living. One tael of silver. Take it or leave it. If you don’t want it, you can wait until my next visit. If it’s still here, we can talk again."

Upon hearing the offer, the old man looked Jiang Zuo up and down before speaking again.

He was the sort of vendor who sold curios, preying on customers with a little extra money to spend. His wares didn’t sell in high volume, so to make ends meet, he had to sell them at inflated prices.

If this Beast Tooth Necklace hadn’t been sitting in his inventory for so long, he never would have dropped the price so readily.

"One tael... Fine. I’ll take the necklace."

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Zuo wasted no more time and handed over a tael of broken silver.

"A straightforward young man! See anything else you like? I’ll give you a good price!"

the old man said with a wide grin.

"Nothing else."

Jiang Zuo shook his head, took the Beast Tooth Necklace, and walked away.

He had already glanced over the other wares at the stall; they were all ordinary items.

With no desire to browse the market any further, Jiang Zuo turned into a deserted alley. His fingers trembled slightly as he pinched the special porcupine tooth on the necklace.

[Do you wish to absorb the Obsession Relic ’Porcupine Tooth’?]

’Absorb!’

A line of text floated before his eyes, and Jiang Zuo responded in an instant.

Instantly, one of the teeth on the Beast Tooth Necklace vanished.

At the same time, Jiang Zuo felt a change within his Beast Taming System.

Name: Jiang Zuo

Profession: Novice Beast Tamer (56/100)

Race: Human Mortal (Holds one opportunity to change Race)

Lifespan: 16/104

Beast Taming Reputation: 23

Attributes: Strength 15.7; Physique 14.9; agility 15.1

Beast Taming Talent: Learning LV1 (52/100)

Cultivation Beast Cage (1/1): Great Black

Obsession Relic: Porcupine Tooth

—Porcupine Tooth: A Tier-1 Obsession Relic. This tooth contains the lingering, intense desire of a porcupine for a good meal. It died without ever eating well, a regret it could never forget. Offer it a delicious meal to obtain the Beast Soul Power contained within.

Beast Soul Power: 0

Active Quests: 1. Successfully cause one Pet Beast to undergo a Mutation.

2. Resolve the Beast Soul Obsession of one Obsession Relic.

Current System Time:

13:36

...

Jiang Zuo scanned down the list, immediately spotting the changes.

At the bottom of his status panel, new categories for "Obsession Relic" and "Beast Soul Power" had appeared, and there was a new quest in his quest log.

’A Tier-1 Obsession Relic, so it’s the lowest level. I wonder what this Beast Soul Power is for... But wanting to eat delicious food? That’s right up my alley. Fulfilling this porcupine’s obsession shouldn’t be too difficult, and I can complete the new quest at the same time!’

Jiang Zuo’s spirits lifted as he finished reading.

Over the past decade, aside from his skill at raising the Great Black hounds, his greatest improvement had been in his cooking.

Especially over the years, as he raised one Great Black after another, not only had his lifespan and three main attributes increased, but his senses of taste and smell had also grown much sharper.

He had become a natural in the kitchen.

’This porcupine never ate anything good in its life. Resolving its obsession will be a piece of cake for me!’

He had to go to Blacksmith Li’s place next, so Jiang Zuo suppressed the eager impulse to rush home.

He passed through the alley and onto another street.

Both sides of the street were lined with shops selling various sundries and daily necessities, with a fair number of pedestrians coming and going.

However, it was much quieter compared to the main street of the marketplace.

Jiang Zuo arrived in front of a shop from which waves of heat radiated.

"Jiang!"

In front of the shop, an eight-year-old girl was squatting on the ground, washing a large wooden platter. When she saw Jiang Zuo, her eyes lit up, and she called out happily.

"Xiangtao, where’s your grandfather?"

The little girl’s name was Li Xiangtao, and she was Blacksmith Li’s granddaughter.

"Grandpa’s in the back, smithing. I’ll take you to him!"

"Grandpa, Jiang is here!"

Li Xiangtao led Jiang Zuo, running toward the shop’s backyard.

The smithy had a sizable backyard where Blacksmith Li and his apprentices spent most of their time forging various iron goods.

"I know he’s here! No need to shout!"

a deep, impatient voice boomed. It was clear Blacksmith Li was not in a good mood.

Jiang Zuo didn’t take it to heart; he knew Blacksmith Li’s foul mood had nothing to do with him.

In fact, for the past year or more, Blacksmith Li had never been in a good mood.

The story was not a complicated one.

About a year and a half ago, Blacksmith Li’s only son, Li Tianci, had abandoned his daughter, who was just over six at the time. He and his wife took a large sum of money from the shop and fled, leaving behind a note saying they were going off to start a business.

After having three daughters in a row, Blacksmith Li was in his early thirties when Li Tianci was born. In this world, that was considered having a son late in life.

Blacksmith Li was a skilled artisan. By the time Li Tianci was born, he had already been running his smithy in Red Fox Town for a decade, so the family was quite well-off.

Li Tianci was the only son, with three older sisters, and his mother doted on him. Blacksmith Li felt his son should start training early to eventually take over the smithy.

But at home, with his mother and three older sisters catering to his every whim, Li Tianci had long since become lazy and spoiled. Whenever Blacksmith Li assigned him a task, he would do a shoddy, half-hearted job.

By the time Blacksmith Li realized something was amiss, it was already too late.

Blacksmith Li could only arrange a marriage for him, hoping that getting married and having a child would change his ways.

Li Tianci did manage to produce a lovely granddaughter for Blacksmith Li soon enough, but his personality didn’t change in the slightest.

With no other choice, Blacksmith Li hardened his heart and tried to force Li Tianci to learn the trade, resorting to the rod when he refused.

Blacksmithing was grueling, physical labor with no shortcuts. Someone with Li Tianci’s physique and temperament could never endure it.

In comparison, making money as a merchant seemed so much easier and more pleasant.

So finally, a year and a half ago, when Blacksmith Li wasn’t looking, Li Tianci had grabbed a large sum of money from the shop and run off to become a traveling merchant.

The day he read the note Li Tianci left behind, Blacksmith Li nearly died of rage.

He was so furious that he fell gravely ill and remained despondent for two months before starting to recover.

To this day, he still had no idea where that unfilial son of his had ended up. It would be a miracle if he were ever in a good mood.

"Jiang Zuo," Blacksmith Li said, his expression softening slightly. "Here to work on that iron block of yours again?"

"Yes. I fried some sweet potato chips. For you and Xiangtao to try."

Jiang Zuo nodded, handing a small, oil-paper-wrapped parcel to the blacksmith.

"Fried sweet potato chips? Isn’t that a waste of oil?"

Blacksmith Li took the parcel, looking skeptical, while Li Xiangtao peered over with curiosity.

Jiang Zuo had started frying chips for himself a long time ago, but this was the first time he’d ever brought them to share with others.

It wasn’t that he was stingy; he just hadn’t wanted to attract too much attention too soon.

In fact, it was only in the last two or three years that he had become truly well-known for his meat buns and for raising the Great Black hounds.

Seven years ago, when Jiang Zuo had raised his first Great Black, he’d had to go door-to-door to several wealthy families before he managed to sell it.

It wasn’t until he sold the fourth Great Black that he began to make a small name for himself.

Before that, only a small handful of people in Red Fox Town even knew that he raised dogs for money.

By the time he was raising the fifth Great Black, people were already paying in advance to reserve it.

Starting with the sixth Great Black, demand had surged so much that Jiang Zuo had to resort to selling them via silent auction.

By then, his reputation had grown considerably, which was when Jiang Zuo decided to start selling his meat buns as well.

Now that his dog breeding and his meat buns were quite famous, he didn’t need to be so cautious about introducing a new snack.

The biggest reason for his confidence, however, was that he himself had grown much stronger.

Even several ordinary thugs together couldn’t get near him now.

"It smells so good!"

Li Xiangtao had a keen nose. Smelling the aroma, she couldn’t stop her little hand from grabbing a chip and stuffing it into her mouth.

Blacksmith Li did the same, popping a piece into his mouth.

An unprecedented flavor exploded in their mouths, bombarding their taste buds.

As he ate, Blacksmith Li looked at Jiang Zuo with a complicated expression. "Jiang Zuo, your cooking skills are getting better and better. With a talent like this, you’ll never have to worry about your livelihood."

Watching the dazed little boy he once knew grow into a capable young man all on his own, and then thinking of his own worthless son, Blacksmith Li was overcome with a mix of emotions.

After a moment of hesitation, Blacksmith Li told Li Xiangtao to stay put and enjoy the chips, then pulled Jiang Zuo into a small, empty room off to the side.

After making sure no one was eavesdropping outside the door, the blacksmith lowered his voice. "Jiang Zuo, there’s something I think it’s finally time to tell you. Your parents... they might still be alive!"

"My parents are still alive?"

Jiang Zuo was stunned.

"That’s right."

Blacksmith Li nodded, the faces of a young couple flashing through his mind.

About fourteen years ago, a young couple had come to Blacksmith Li’s shop with their little boy.

The husband was composed and well-built, the wife graceful and beautiful, and their little boy followed quietly at their side.

The couple’s speech and bearing suggested they were scholars, yet they had come to Red Fox Town as hunters, visiting his smithy to buy iron arrowheads.

After several visits, Blacksmith Li learned that the quiet, well-behaved little boy was not what he seemed.

The boy hadn’t cried or fussed after he was born. For a time, they thought he was mute, but they later discovered that wasn’t the case; he would speak on rare occasions.

They had hoped he would grow out of it.

But as he got a little older, they discovered their son seemed to be afflicted with a kind of stupor. He was often lost in thought, his reactions were always a beat behind, and if left alone, he could simply stare into space for an entire day.

The couple could only take him from one doctor to another.

After two years, his condition hadn’t changed, but they had received one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.

The good news was that their son didn’t seem to be feebleminded. His mind and cognitive abilities were perfectly fine; he even showed flashes of great intelligence. He was just very slow to react, often in a daze, as if a part of his soul was missing.

The bad news was that ordinary doctors couldn’t treat his condition. Only the legendary Immortal Masters could help, or they would have to wait for the day he might "awaken" on his own.

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