The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 5

Yi Xian ate heartily. She then looked at the little one and Lan Tong, who were gulping down their meat like wolves. They didn’t even glance at the wild greens. It seemed that to them, anything that wasn’t meat was simply not food.

Yi Xian helped herself to the remaining greens, eating with visible satisfaction. Rather than worry about parasites in raw meat or deal with the constipation that comes from eating too much of it, it was safer and better to have cooked food.

After their meal, all three turned their attention to the purple yuanxiao. The little one still held it tightly even while eating. She would occasionally pat it with her tiny hands. Yi Xian had already pinched and squished it earlier. It was soft and cool to the touch, silky and elastic. There really was no better candidate for a pet toy.

Yi Xian leaned closer and used the chance to poke the yuanxiao to also pat the little one’s head. The child glared with those lovely blue eyes, full of silent protest. Yi Xian found it amusing and gave her a couple more teasing pokes before asking, “What is this?”

Lan Tong replied, “It’s a Rainbow Light Orb Beast.”

She went on to explain that the Rainbow Light Orb Beast was a creature that lived on the floor of Crescent Lake. It fed on small shrimp and fish at the bottom of the lake and usually rested deep below the surface. Only on sunny days with pleasant weather would they rise to bask in the sunlight.

It was by taking advantage of this behavior that Lan Tong had managed to capture one.

Because Yi Xian’s inherited memories were incomplete, her knowledge of the Jiuxi Continent was limited to what any regular human would know. The Rainbow Light Orb Beast was entirely new to her. She poked the yuanxiao again and muttered with some annoyance, “So I’ll have to feed it from now on.”

Raising a pet came with its share of trouble. Not only did you have to stop it from running away, you had to care for every part of its life.

Lan Tong nodded.

That reminded Yi Xian of something. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then spent some time crafting a fishing hook and a net. One would be used to catch shrimp, while the other would be used for fish. She even caught a few insects and kept them in a small jar.

The little one had been sitting on the bed, playing with the yuanxiao. She watched as Yi Xian came and went from the house. Her tiny nose twitched a few times, and she followed the tangy-sweet smell. She found Yi Xian hard at work crushing fruits and dripping their juice into containers. Yi Xian also pushed the pulp into another jar.

Yi Xian tasted the mixture. Her eyebrows instantly scrunched up like two fat caterpillars. That sour punch was unforgettable.

No wonder Lan Tong had said it was inedible.

“Geh geh.”

“Hmm?”

Yi Xian turned around and saw the little one peeking out from behind the door, giggling. She must have seen Yi Xian’s reaction to the taste and found it funny. When Yi Xian looked her way, she hurried back to her small bed and sat down quietly, trying to appear well-behaved.

Yi Xian separated the juice from the pulp and then planted the two qianghuo roots she had transplanted earlier outside the door. After watering them, she finally turned to the child and said, “Lan, let’s go catch some shrimp and fish for the purple yuanxiao. Shall we?”

The little one’s long lashes fluttered twice. She tightened her grip on the yuanxiao nervously.

Yi Xian poked the creature and explained gently, “If it doesn’t eat, it will starve. Then it won’t be able to play with you anymore. Can you bear to let your friend starve?”

The yuanxiao’s face obligingly changed to a pitiful expression.

Yi Xian pointed at it quickly. “Lan, look. It wants to go.”

The little one’s eyes widened. She even tilted her head and gently stroked it. The yuanxiao’s face shifted into a smiling expression.

Yi Xian put a finger to her lips. “This is our secret, okay?”

Thanks to the yuanxiao’s help, Yi Xian successfully lured the child outside. The two of them strolled hand in hand through Kus City, drawing curious stares. After all, Yi Xian had quite the fierce reputation. In truth, she was simply lost.

Lu Nan was airing herbs she had collected during a recent outing with Qin Rong. Her beastman would get injured from time to time, so she needed more bleeding vine grass than most. It had taken much begging for her to get this extra batch from Qin Rong.

“Excuse me,” Yi Xian approached a human who seemed friendly enough. Most humans in Kus City wore shackles as thick as two fingers. They clanked like bells when they walked. Lu Nan, however, was clean and unchained. More importantly, she looked familiar.

Lu Nan jumped at the sound behind her and turned to see Yi Xian. She felt immediately uncomfortable. Just a moment ago, she had been thinking about Yi Xian. Speak of the devil.

If not for the child beside her, Lu Nan might have bolted. “W-what is it?”

Yi Xian remembered now. Lu Nan had once been one of the few friends her original body had. After being sold by traffickers, it was Lu Nan who had taken care of her. Even when she had considered aborting the child, it was Lu Nan who had comforted her.

Lu Nan was naturally cheerful. No matter what hardships she faced, she bounced back like an indestructible bug. Put nicely, she was optimistic. Put bluntly, she was naive. She asked for very little. As long as she could survive, she was content.

“I want to know if there’s a river nearby.”

“Why?” Lu Nan grew cautious the moment she saw the child. Qin Rong had warned her about Yi Xian. She stepped in protectively. “Don’t do anything foolish. If Lan Tong finds out you hurt her child, she’ll kill you.”

Yi Xian said nothing.

It seemed the original host’s reputation was beyond saving.

Still, it surprised her that Lu Nan, despite everything, spoke from her perspective.

Yi Xian narrowed her eyes. “If you’re worried, you can come with me. Otherwise, who knows what I might do?”

Lu Nan was stunned.

So, their party of two became a party of three. Lu Nan followed behind, nervously advising her not to do anything reckless. She went on and on. Yi Xian felt her ears going numb. Even the child gave Lu Nan a sidelong glance now and then, as if she too was overwhelmed.

Thankfully, the river wasn’t far from the city. When they arrived, a group of cubs was splashing into the water. Those who hesitated were yanked in by their tails. Their wails rang out as if entering the water was a death sentence.

Yi Xian picked a spot far from them and asked, “What are they doing?”

Lu Nan glanced at the group but kept her focus on the child. She truly feared Yi Xian might toss the little one into the river. “They’re training. Hu Chun says they must learn to overcome their fear of water.”

Yi Xian laid out her clothes as a cushion for the child and handed her a fishing rod baited with worms. Then she went to cast a net nearby. Once everything was set, she leaned back beside Lan, both watching the water intently.

Lu Nan watched them for a while. “What are you doing?”

Yi Xian hushed her, still focused on the river. If she had known those cubs were training, she would not have come here. She just hoped they could catch a few fat fish.

The scent of water stirred the yuanxiao in the child’s arms. It wriggled restlessly. Then it suddenly leapt away, rolled across the ground, and with astonishing speed, splashed into the river.

In that moment, Yi Xian clearly saw its expression change to a panicked emoji.

The child stood frozen in shock, then burst into distressed cries, pointing at the rippling surface of the water. Her panic nearly brought tears to her eyes. The sounds of other cubs falling into the river seemed to echo her distress.

Yi Xian gently patted her. “Lan, don’t worry. Mama will get it back for you.”

Lu Nan was speechless, stunned by the yuanxiao’s sudden escape. When Yi Xian waded into the river to retrieve the net, Lu Nan muttered, “It can move?”

The net was heavy. Yi Xian had to tug several times before realizing there was probably a big catch inside. She called out, “Help me!”

The child also rushed to help, nearly falling in the process. Together, Yi Xian and Lu Nan pulled the net ashore. Somewhere along the way, the sounds of the training cubs had faded.

They stared at the bulging net full of fish. Right in the center, wedged between them, was the purple ball. Yi Xian grabbed the child and planted two kisses on her cheek. “Lan, look! It got caught in its own trap.”

The child didn’t understand but laughed anyway when she saw the yuanxiao’s miserable face.

The yuanxiao’s face read, “table flip.”

Yi Xian used the child’s happy mood to sneak in a few more hugs. Once she and Lu Nan hauled the catch back, she finally let the yuanxiao out. Without water, it reverted to its ball form.

Yi Xian warned, “Lan, hold it tight. Don’t let it run off again.”

The yuanxiao’s face puffed up in frustration.

The child squeezed it so hard it changed shape.

When Lan Tong returned, she found a heap of flopping fish outside the house. Yi Xian was busy cleaning them. Lu Nan helped, while the child stood guard beside the net. Whenever a fish tried to escape, she would grab it and slam it against the ground until it stopped moving.

Once the fish was stunned, she would giggle.

Yi Xian called out, “Lan, go play inside. Mama will make fish soup tonight.”

Lan Tong had clearly been ignored. She stepped in front of Yi Xian. Still focused on the fish, Yi Xian said nothing. It was Lu Nan who finally nudged her.

Without looking up, Yi Xian muttered, “I caught them. Ask her if you don’t believe me.”

Lu Nan nodded quickly. She even gestured how they threw the net into the water and caught lots of fish.

Yi Xian piled the cleaned fish on the table. Some she gave to Lu Nan. Then she grabbed her by the arm. “I need a favor.”

There is a saying. When you take someone’s help, you owe them.

Lu Nan had helped drag the net and now had a dozen fat fish. Of course, she agreed without question.

Yi Xian distributed the rest of the fish to the humans she had bullied in her original self. It was her way of apologizing. As one of those victims, Lu Nan was especially moved. She grabbed Yi Xian’s hand. “I knew you didn’t mean it.”

News of Yi Xian’s change of heart quickly spread across Kus City.

That night, for some reason, Yi Xian found herself pinned to the bed again and thoroughly ravished.