Chapter 223: Chapter 156: Mr. Xiong and the Bear Cub Searching for a New Home

October 20th, Monday.

Overcast.

Perhaps due to the gloomy weather, Chen Yuan felt that the little ones’ spirits weren’t very good, all looking sleepy and droopy-headed.

Just like when he used to stay overnight at an internet café and then was forced to sit in class listening to a hypnotic math lesson.

When you’re really sleepy, you can even fall asleep standing.

"What’s wrong with you guys?"

Chen Yuan suspiciously looked at the little ones.

Run Run Duck didn’t respond; it had already fallen asleep on the ground, and even if a fried little fish was placed in front of it, it wouldn’t open its eyes.

Although... maybe not necessarily.

"Dian Dian..."

Electric Flying Cat yawned and wobbled back to the little tree house, shutting the wooden door with a "bang," showing no more activity.

Well, no need to count on Electric Flying Cat to go into the mountains together.

Chen Yuan looked at the half-asleep Cola and couldn’t help saying, "Go back to the Pet Beast space and sleep for a bit."

"There’s no point in forcing it."

Cola obediently listened and returned to the Pet Beast space to rest.

Fortunately, Spark and Fallen Meteor Horned Beast weren’t like this; they were full of energy, waiting for Chen Yuan to give the departure command.

On the other side,

Mr. Xiong’s spirit was decent, but the Bear Cub’s spirits were rather poor.

Chen Yuan said helplessly, "Let’s have some breakfast first and let them rest."

Breakfast was simple, but considering Mr. Xiong and Bear Cub had come a long way, Chen Yuan specially prepared two steamed little fish.

Mr. Xiong swallowed one whole; such a small amount was just a starter for it.

Chen Yuan placed the other little fish in front of Bear Cub, but the enticing aroma didn’t make it open its eyes. Instead, Mr. Xiong reached out his paw, snatched it rudely, and tossed it into his mouth.

Truly like father, like son.

By 9 AM, once the little ones slightly regained their spirits, Chen Yuan packed his bags.

This time, there was no need for Cola to carry things; Chen Yuan attached two saddlebags to the sides of Fallen Meteor Horned Beast and put all the stuff inside.

This way, both Chen Yuan and Cola were relieved, and this weight didn’t affect Fallen Meteor Horned Beast.

"Let’s go!" Chen Yuan waved his hand grandly, leading the little ones on their journey.

The lineup for this mountain trip consisted of Chen Yuan, Spark, Cola, Twin Flower Concubine, Fallen Meteor Horned Beast, Bear Cub, and Mr. Xiong.

The lineup was unprecedentedly strong, enough to sweep the surrounding area.

But since Fallen Meteor Horned Beast hadn’t fully matured, Chen Yuan decided to minimize the load and didn’t choose to ride it continuously.

Slivers of sunlight pierced through the heavy clouds, shining into the forest filled with dry branches and fallen leaves.

"Woo woo~"

For the first time, Cola was very excited to have so many companions going into the mountains together. Instead of chasing butterflies as usual, it played around with Bear Cub along the way.

The two little ones attempted to find a beehive but were caught by Chen Yuan: "Business first."

But before attending to business, they had to visit the Flame-tailed Fox.

Last time they ventured into the mountains focusing on finding the tribe for Little Star Moon Deer, they forgot to visit the Flame-tailed Fox.

Chen Yuan was already familiar with the surroundings, and it wasn’t long before he reached the familiar Blazing Fruit Tree.

"Sha..."

As usual, Chen Yuan prepared to shout the Flame-tailed Fox’s name, only to see a fiery red figure swiftly dart out, charging straight at him, making the second word he intended to say get stuck in his throat.

Then, Chen Yuan smiled and opened his arms, allowing the Flame-tailed Fox to leap into his embrace, gently stroking its smooth fur.

"Whimper..."

Flame-tailed Fox also sighed in relief, grateful Chen Yuan didn’t manage to call out its name, or it would have lost face in front of its companions.

"Woo~"

The snow-white Ice Fox stepped out from behind the tree, its demeanor more relaxed compared to its tense and worried state during their first meeting.

But as Mr. Xiong’s formidable and fierce figure met its eyes, the Ice Fox’s eyes narrowed, emitting a startled cry while swiftly turning around, hiding behind the tree at the fastest speed, its petite body trembling uncontrollably.

Chen Yuan looked at Mr. Xiong: "Seems like your new home needs to be far away from humans and other Pet Beasts."

"Otherwise, other Pet Beasts would live in constant fear and might even relocate."

Luckily, after the little ones explained for a while, plus Chen Yuan laid out some snacks on the ground, Ice Fox eventually cautiously stepped out from behind the tree and slowly approached the snacks.

However, it took a step and paused a step, glancing at Mr. Xiong nearby, seemingly worried that Mr. Xiong might suddenly open his big mouth and swallow it whole.

"Roar."

Seeing Ice Fox’s reaction, Mr. Xiong impatiently let out a low growl but then silently retreated several steps, running to a nearby big tree and lifting its head as if checking for a beehive.

Afterwards,

The two reliant little ones squatted on the ground, feasting on the pile of snacks before them.

Given the arduous nature of this mountain task, Chen Yuan didn’t plan to linger too long; after briefly petting them, he got up, ready to leave.

"Whimper!"

However, the Flame-tailed Fox suddenly bit Chen Yuan’s pant leg, making him stop and look over in confusion.

"Is there something?"

"Yip yip yip~"

The Flame-tailed Fox tilted its head towards a direction, extending its paw, gesturing frantically.

"Woo woo..."

The Ice Fox’s cheeks were puffed full with snacks, mumbling as it joined the Flame-tailed Fox’s story.

It turned out that the two little ones, while wandering around, discovered a mysterious cave, very deep, and they didn’t know where it led.

They planned to enter to investigate, but suddenly heard a multitude of strange sounds from inside, so after careful thought, they retreated.

However, seeing the shifty-eyed Flame-tailed Fox, Chen Yuan realized they probably didn’t retreat after careful thought but instinctively fled in a hurry.

Chen Yuan asked, "So you want me to go with you into that cave?"

"Yip yip yip." The Flame-tailed Fox nodded repeatedly.

"How far is that place from here?" Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and inquired.

"Yip yip yip..."

The Flame-tailed Fox couldn’t describe the exact distance, so it said reaching there with the Ice Fox takes the time of eating two meals’ worth of snacks.

"That’s not too far." Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully and then asked an unrelated question, "Is there a beehive nearby?"

"Yip?"

The Flame-tailed Fox didn’t understand why Chen Yuan asked this but nodded obediently.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan turned his head to look at Mr. Xiong not far away, "How about it, want to go and take a look?"

He once asked Mr. Xiong and the Bear Cub what kind of habitat they needed, and they said only three conditions had to be met.

First, it must be a cave they can stay in during the day to snooze.

Second, there must be ample beehives nearby.

Third, it has to be far from humans.

The place the Flame-tailed Fox mentioned barely met the first two conditions, but whether it is hidden enough, and whether Beastmasters often pass by, remains unknown.

If there are Pet Beasts already living inside, it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s deep and long enough, the cave can house multiple Pet Beasts.

Hmm... Mr. Xiong could also possibly drive those Pet Beasts out.

But in any case, Chen Yuan waved his hand, deciding to let the Flame-tailed Fox lead the way, and then they’d go check out the cave together.

If suitable, Mr. Xiong and the Bear Cub could move in right away.

At the same moment,

two Beastmasters stood in front of a deep, dark cave.

"Shall we go in?"

"Seeing a cave and not exploring, you must be extraordinary."

"Then let’s go in, I’ve heard that caves usually house Rock Type and Earth Type Pet Beasts, exactly the attributes I want to contract with."

"If we’re lucky, we might even discover Spirit Plants."

After a brief discussion, the two let their Pet Beasts lead the way, turned on their headlamps to illuminate the path ahead, and began exploring the cave.

In this dark and quiet semi-enclosed environment, both eagerly conversed to dispel the nervousness and unease within their hearts.

"I watched that video you recommended yesterday, and the Advisor Chen from your city is really impressive; I guess he’s considered a top-tier Beastmaster." The Beastmaster speaking was named Zeng Hui, from the neighboring Yu City.

"Of course." As a local of Baokun City, Wu Peng was very grateful for Chen Yuan’s presence, making him proud in front of outsiders.

The two had chatted last night because of Chen Yuan and discovered they were staying in the same inn on their way back, so they struck up a conversation and agreed to train in the mountains together.

"Such a remarkable Beastmaster not participating in the main competition but rather in an exhibition match is quite a pity." Zeng Hui was utterly puzzled by Chen Yuan’s choice.

Wu Peng said, "Perhaps in Advisor Chen’s eyes, the truly great Beastmasters don’t need the main competition to prove their strength."

"But there are rewards for the main competition champion." Zeng Hui was still puzzled.

"Hmm..." Wu Peng also couldn’t figure this out; he too wondered why Chen Yuan didn’t participate in the main competition, yet when faced with Zeng Hui’s puzzled expression, he could only muse, "Maybe Advisor Chen doesn’t lack those rewards."

With a slight pause, he jokingly said, "Doesn’t the inn we’re staying at have a Luminous Fruit Tree? Maybe Advisor Chen’s family has dozens of Luminous Fruit Trees, so he doesn’t care about the main competition rewards."

During the conversation, they gradually delved deeper into the cave.

"I feel something’s not right." Wu Peng suddenly stopped, looking around with dark eyes, his brows tightly furrowed.

"What’s not right?" Zeng Hui looked around, only seeing the headlamp-lit uneven rock walls, noticing nothing amiss.

Wu Peng solemnly said, "It’s too quiet."

"Too quiet?" Zeng Hui looked puzzled.

Wu Peng became more alert, lowering his voice, "We’ve been inside the cave for some time now; normally the Pet Beasts inside would have discovered us."

"But..."

"Not a single Pet Beast has appeared; I find it very strange."

Hearing this, Zeng Hui’s pupils contracted as he recollected the Beast Taming knowledge, murmuring in a low voice, "In such a situation, either there’s a powerful Pet Beast already occupying the cave."

"Or... a Pet Beast has silently followed us, lurking in the dark."

As the words just fell, Zeng Hui instinctively raised his head, only to see pairs of eerie green eyes emerging in the darkness.

A large transparent net had unknowingly ensnared them.