Lan Xiue’s home was relatively close to Zhao Ying’s and was situated just one alley away. Both her parents were craftsmen and the family lived together under one roof. Because of this, the elders weren’t too fond of Lin Jin’s unannounced visit.
After all, it was too late at night.
They knew of their daughter’s dream as well but they felt that she was over-reacting. It was just a dream. Who wouldn’t get nightmares? How could they take it seriously?
“Sigh, our child is young and ignorant, why do you guys have to play along with her?” Lan Xiu’e’s father said the moment he opened the door.
Being a shy girl, Lan Xiu’e’s head lowered even more as she pinched the corners of her upper robe as if she had done something wrong. Zhao Ying was annoyed but said nothing. Instead, she began comforting Lan Xiu’e as if she was her elder sister.
Lin Jin smiled and said, “This won’t take long.”
Then, he pulled Lan Xiu’e’s father aside and whispered something to him.
The older man immediately had a change in attitude and saluted at Lin Jin. “So that’s how it is. Then please take your time. I’ll be in another room with her mother. Just call out to us if you need anything.”
Having said that, he cheerfully returned to his room.
Zhao Ying couldn’t help but be awed by this. She wondered what Lin Jin had said to Lan Xiu’e’s father that made him change his attitude so abruptly.
After she asked, Lin Jin answered, “It’s nothing. I just told him that I agreed with his thoughts. I said I think it’s a dream too and I’m just here for show. Once his daughter’s worries have been cleared, everything would return to normal. He thinks that we’re on his side, so of course, his attitude changed.”
Zhao Ying listened with admiration, thinking she had learned yet another trick.
However, Lan Xiu’e got anxious and said, “Appraiser Lin, it… it’s not a dream. It’s real.”
“I know!” Lin Jin’s face looked grim as he stared darkly at her room.
There was clearly something off with that room.
To be frank, Lin Jin couldn’t put it into words, but he had a hunch. As he went over and surveyed the room from the outside, he didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
“Come, let’s take a look inside,” Lin Jin said as he entered the room.
This was Lan Xiu’e’s private bedroom.
Lan Jin glanced around and reached out a hand to touch the walls. Zhao Ying and Lan Xiu’e watched as he worked, not daring to ask what was wrong with the room.
“Zhao Ying, take Xiue back with you and let her stay with you for tonight,” Lin Jin suddenly said.
Zhao Ying was stunned.
“Master Lin, what about you?”
“Me?” Lin Jin smiled and sat down on a chair. “I’ll just put up with the night like this.”
He said nothing else.
He couldn’t tell them the truth.
This trouble Zhao Ying’s friend came across was far worse than what they had imagined. And this wasn’t Lin Jin’s words but a warning shown by the Museum of Deadly Beasts.
Of course, it was merely a warning and it’s not like there wasn’t a solution provided. Moreover, the current Lin Jin was no pushover so he had ways to deal with the situation.
As for why he decided to help, one was because Zhao Ying had asked him. The second reason was because of his own will.
He wanted to let the Museum of Deadly Beast record its first monster type beast. If he had to be honest, Lin Jin was currently itching for some action.
Beautiful in appearance and clever in mind, Zhao Ying didn’t ask more unnecessary questions. She whispered a few words to Lan Xiue before taking her away.
With that, only Lin Jin and Xiao Huo remained in the room.
Once the light was extinguished, Lin Jin closed his eyes to rest on the chair while Xiao Huo stayed beside him.
Time trickled away as it got deeper into the night.
Almost everyone was asleep by now. It was dark outside but there was still a bit of moonlight. The leaves on the tree outside rustled in the cool breeze.
From the windows, one could see the shadows of the branches swaying.
Lin Jin was sleeping soundly inside the room.
So many things had happened today and he was exhausted. Just then, he seemed to have heard something. Xiao Huo’s ears perked up and he bared his fangs.
A dark silhouette suddenly appeared, slithering across the window.
It looked like a snake.
Xiao Huo immediately got up while Lin Jin opened his eyes.
He was sleeping lightly so a faint rustling was more than enough to wake him up.
“He’s here?” Lin Jin yawned. At the same time, the tightly closed door suddenly opened on its own and a large black shadow crept in.
However, that silhouette seemed to have immediately sensed something wrong and was about to retreat.
“Xiao Huo, get him!” This was the moment Lin Jin had been waiting for so he had Xiao Huo pounce on the target immediately.
Meanwhile, Lin Jin got up slowly and stretched himself before heading outside.
Xiao Huo was currently having a standoff with a large creature in the yard.
That large creature was a huge black snake that was thick as a water pail. Shrouded in a dark aura, it was raising its head with confusion and fury clear in its eyes.
It didn’t seem like a regular beast.
Xiao Huo’s aura was pressuring, even more so than his opponent. This made the black snake act with caution. A hint of brilliance flashed across the snake’s eyes, and opening its mouth, it shot out a black cloud of smoke before slithering out of the yard.
With a flick of his tail, the dark cloud immediately dispersed and Xiao Huo darted out of the yard in hot pursuit of the reptilian home-invader.
Lin Jin remained indifferent. He didn’t need to worry with Xiao Huo around, and that was how confident he was allowed to be by owning a powerful pet beast. If he didn’t have Xiao Huo, or if Xiao Huo wasn’t at Rank 3, Lin Jin would never have gotten involved in this matter.
He shut the door behind him. Sensing his blood contract, he started to chase after the two creatures.
After passing through quite a few alleyways, he arrived at a rather secluded place within Maple City.
This used to be a temple, housing the God of Land. But after a recent fire destroyed this temple, it became a wasteland without anyone renovating it. Not many people would pass through during the day, what more to say of nighttime.
By sensing his blood contract, Lin Jin knew that Xiao Huo was nearby.
He suddenly sighed. Had he known, he would have brought Goldy along as well. It would definitely be much safer with two Rank 3 pet beasts around.
But that’s okay. After a perfect evolution and mastering part one of the Beast Energy Formation, Xiao Huo’s strength had already reached a terrifying level.
So far, they had yet to come across a formidable opponent that Xiao Huo could take on with full strength.
Except for Goldy after its evolution.
Hence, Lin Jin was quite relaxed.
So what if it was a monster?
If its rank was lower than Xiao Huo, the creature still had no choice but to surrender.
The abandoned temple’s main hall was reduced to ruins. Upon entering the premise, it felt like he had arrived at Satan’s hall instead with the fallen statues all dark and frightening.
Making his way around, Lin Jin came to the yard where he heard sounds of battle and saw the flames Xiao Huo was emitting.
When he got closer, Lin Jin saw a physically enlarged Xiao Huo enveloped in flames as it battled strenuously with the massive black snake.
The black snake was quite powerful as well. Not only was it covered in black aura, but it could also control water.
Lin Jin was confused. Where did the water come from?
Extending his neck a little, he noticed a well in front of a large tree.
This well had obviously been here for a while judging from its aged appearance. This was probably where all the water was coming from.
Seeing how the black snake could hold its ground against Xiao Huo, Lin Jin came to realize that they were in the black snake’s territory, giving the latter an upper hand.
He swiftly cast the ‘Berserk’ spell.
After forming a blood pact with a pet beast, it didn’t mean a human should rely completely on his companion. At times, the pet beast needed to count on its owner’s blessing spells, like right now. After receiving the ‘Berserk’ blessing, Xiao Huo’s body grew a size larger, emitting a tempestuous aura while its strength increased by twenty percent.
Flames covered its razor-sharp claws, as Xiao Huo slashed at the snake.
