The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 30

Thanks to Lord Yin Bao’s mouse underlings quietly keeping watch in the dark, Yi Xian was able to catch her breath for a bit. Even so, the two of them had been running for days on end, and exhaustion was beginning to take its toll.

The one who struggled the most was Duanmu Ya. He had developed a high fever while fleeing, and between the dizziness and lack of strength, he was a source of endless headaches for Yi Xian.

“Didn’t you claim to be a fourth-tier alchemist?”

“Alchemists are still human.”

Everyone gets sick. Especially someone as delicate and pampered as Duanmu Ya. He lay slumped against a tree, too weak to move. “I’m starving. I haven’t had meat in days. Those motherless bastards dared to starve me. Just wait, I’ll make them pay.”

Yi Xian shook her head helplessly. At least he still had the energy to curse.

Duanmu Ya looked at Yi Xian, who stood tall and straight beside him. “Aren’t you tired?”

Tired. Of course, she was tired.

Even with the help of Lord Yin Bao’s mice, Yi Xian remained constantly alert. One slip, and her life could be over. “If you’re hungry, I’ll find you something to eat.”

For days, they had been foraging for fruit and hunting water sources. The combination of running, hiding, and hunger had pushed their bodies to the limit.

“No, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone.” He tried to stand but collapsed back down with a plop. “If only I still had my storage pouch.”

“What does it look like?”

“Hm?”

Yi Xian thought for a moment. “Describe your storage pouch. Maybe I can find it.”

Duanmu Ya’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Yi Xian didn’t dare make promises. Especially not when his eager eyes were fixed on her, full of hope. The pressure was real. “I can only try. Whether I find it depends on luck.”

Immediately, Duanmu Ya began flailing with excitement, describing every detail with passion. He seemed convinced Yi Xian could recover it. “On the back, there’s a red flame symbol, palm-sized. On the front, the character ‘Ya’ is embroidered with golden thread.”

Yi Xian nodded. She waited until he had fallen asleep before slipping into the darkness to speak with Lord Yin Bao. The little lord had been ready to act all haughty, but after a few mocking words from the madwoman, it stormed off in a sulk.

Sometimes Yi Xian found it all rather amusing. Unintentionally, the madwoman and Lord Yin Bao seemed to balance each other out. That uneasy balance spared her from worrying too much about the issue of her destined beast companion. Still, she wondered how long it would last. What would she do once it broke?

When Duanmu Ya awoke, he saw his storage pouch lying before him. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be dreaming. Then he jumped up like a child and cried out excitedly, “Wow! You really found it for me! My mother made this just for me. It has so many precious herbs and pills inside. Yi Xian, you’re amazing!”

Yi Xian scratched her head awkwardly. The credit belonged to Lord Yin Bao. She had not expected the little lord to find it so quickly. “Check inside. Is anything missing?”

Duanmu Ya replied, “No need to check. Those muscle-brained beasts couldn’t open it.”

Later, Yi Xian learned that storage pouches carried a trace of their owner’s consciousness. Unless someone more powerful than the owner erased that mark, the pouch could not be opened. Of course, that was a lesson for another day.

Like a miser showing off his treasure trove, Duanmu Ya immediately pulled out a mountain of bottles and jars. “Yi Xian, these are all pills I refined, including bl00d-clotting, energy-boosting, soul-nourishing, and bone-washing ones. You can have them all.”

Yi Xian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She declined, saying she had nowhere to store them. Duanmu Ya, however, was unfazed. “No worries. Once we get back, I’ll have someone make you a storage pouch. I’ll keep these safe for now.”

The madwoman had plenty to say about Yi Xian’s response, as expected.

Along the way, Yi Xian got a firsthand taste of the benefits of a storage pouch. Duanmu Ya took out a white porcelain bottle, swallowed one pill, and in less than half a day, he was back to his lively self. His fever was gone, and his strength restored. That pill might as well have been a miracle.

After days of fleeing, they finally enjoyed a proper meal.

There were phoenix wings, codfish meatballs, beggar’s chicken…

The scent nearly lured the cub out from its hiding place in the tree hollow. Thankfully, Lord Yin Bao and a dozen mice clung desperately to its tail, dragging it back and holding it down so Duanmu Ya wouldn’t notice anything.

Yi Xian set aside some food. Once Duanmu Ya had fallen asleep, she fed the cub. Watching the poor thing gobble it down, her heart ached a little.

Three years old.

When she had been three, what was she doing? At the very least, she had food, water, and the luxury of napping whenever she wanted.

She looked closely at the cub again. It had lost weight. Its once-clean fur was now tangled and matted, mixed with mud and leaves. The golden coat had lost its shine. Patches of black and green stained its body. It looked no better than a stray cat. But those clear blue eyes still stared at her with unwavering trust.

Yi Xian saw her own reflection in those blue eyes, and she knew she wasn’t in any better shape. Her face was blackened, her clothes were stained with dried bl00d and dirt, and she reeked. It was a small miracle the cub, with its sensitive nose, hadn’t recoiled like the beastmen.

Laughing softly, she pulled the cub into her arms, buried her face in its fur, and giggled. Then she lifted her head and stroked its back. “Good girl. Go play with Lord Yin Bao.”

The cub nuzzled against her affectionately. After being coddled for a while, it finally ran off to play with the mouse underlings. Since meeting Lord Yin Bao, the cub had found more companions to play with. It didn’t even get upset when it forgot to bring Purple Yuanxiao along. Clearly, Lord Yin Bao made for an excellent babysitter.

Several days passed. They soon arrived at the edge of Elfa Forest. The entrance was unlike any forest Yi Xian had ever seen. The trees on both sides bent slightly inward. Their tips touched, forming a natural archway.

As Yi Xian and Duanmu Ya drew closer, they saw that each tree had a human-like face. Eyes, nose, and mouth, all appeared lifelike.
Their drooping branches looked like beards. It was all incredibly realistic. Yi Xian had seen gardeners sculpt trees into special shapes before, even trim them to resemble currency notes. So although the sight startled her, it didn’t strike her as completely unnatural.

Duanmu Ya suddenly shouted, “I-I think I saw one move!”

Yi Xian had not been particularly startled, but his outburst made her jump. She looked where he pointed. The trees stood just as before, unmoving. “Stop spooking yourself. Just tell me about the herb you’re looking for. Describe it. We’ll search together.”

Duanmu Ya nodded. “It’s called Di Huang Jing. Entirely yellow. Looks like a little person. It can run.”

“It can run?”

Duanmu Ya pulled out a porcelain bottle from his pouch, confident. “Good thing we found the storage pouch. Otherwise, we might have waited here for weeks without catching it. But now, with this, I guarantee it’ll show up. Yi Xian, help me catch it when it does.”

Their entire journey had been for this herb. But based on Duanmu Ya’s description, it sounded more like a rare creature than a plant.

“What is that?”

“This is Bao Hua Jade Dew. Di Huang Jing’s favorite treat.”

Yi Xian slowly pieced together everything he had said. The herb could run. That meant it would be difficult to catch. “You know roughly where to look, right?”

Duanmu Ya scratched his head, clearly unsure.

Yi Xian was beginning to lose faith in him. As they walked and talked, they failed to notice that the trees behind them were slowly straightening their bent trunks. Smiling faces appeared on their bark. If the two of them had turned around just then, they might have run screaming.

Moments after Yi Xian and Duanmu Ya disappeared into the forest, a pack of wolf beasts arrived at the entrance. The lead wolf sniffed around the edge, clearly tracking something. Then it lifted its head and howled. Dozens of wolves stepped cautiously into the forest, eyes scanning the surroundings.

The old trees on either side twitched their eyebrows. Their long beards swayed in the breeze as troubled expressions appeared on their bark.

“These irritating beastmen. How dare they enter Elfa Forest without permission? Should we inform the Elders?”

An ancient voice replied, “It’s only a few wolf cubs. No need to alarm the Elders. They should be preparing for the second evolution. We must not disturb them. Let us observe for now.”

The trees shook their leaves in agreement.

Just then, with a loud crash, a golden lion beast fell from the sky. Its heavy body made the ground tremble. Lan Tong appeared at the forest’s edge. She sniffed the air inch by inch, even digging into the soil. She caught a trace of a familiar scent that carried a hint of bl00d. Other smells were mixed in as well. She shifted into human form and frowned. “Wolves.”

The trees on both sides grimaced.

Lan Tong swept her gaze across their faces. “I’m looking for someone.”

The old tree that had spoken before opened its wooden lips. “Two humans did pass through here just now.”

Lan Tong nodded, satisfied, and walked forward.

The trees all sighed in unison. “A golden lion has entered the boundary. We should inform the Elders, just in case.”

…

Yi Xian had no idea the trees had been so expressive. She also had no idea the beastmen were already so close. She had been calling for Lord Yin Bao for ages with no reply.

Meanwhile, Duanmu Ya was lying on his stomach in the grass, carefully opening the porcelain bottle. He placed it in the center of a red string loop, and a fragrant, floral scent spread through the air like perfume.

After everything was in place, he retreated to Yi Xian’s side and stared intently ahead.

Yi Xian was still doubtful about his simple trap, but to her surprise, a small yellow figure barely ten centimeters tall appeared before their eyes.