Wang Changxue

When Wang Changsheng had studied cultivation knowledge under the Clan Elder, he had learned a Restriction that allowed Spirit Beasts to acknowledge him as their master.

Because he had been short on money, Wang Changsheng had never raised a Spirit Beast. This had always been a regret of his. Today, having unexpectedly encountered this Demon Rat, Wang Changsheng wanted to make it acknowledge him as its master, adding a little fun to his monotonous life.

His wrist jerked, and the Demon Binding Cord yanked the Yellow Rat into midair.

The Yellow Rat let out a series of "squeaks," its four limbs writhing incessantly.

Wang Changsheng squatted down and began muttering incantations. After a while, a dazzling Yellow Light lit up in both his hands. He pressed them against the ground, and two dazzling rays of Yellow Light followed his hands and sank into the earth.

In the next moment, the ground rapidly petrified. The originally soft soil turned into hard gray stone, and a stone slab roughly ten feet across suddenly took shape.

Wang Changsheng took out a porcelain bowl and began muttering incantations. A large amount of Blue Light appeared from thin air and transformed into clear water amid the sound of the spell.

He cut open his wrist with a dagger and let his blood flow into the porcelain bowl filled with clear water.

Wang Changsheng dipped his finger into the bloodied water and drew an intricate pattern two feet long and wide on the stone slab. He struck the intricate pattern with a Hand Seal.

The intricate pattern immediately shone brightly. After spinning rapidly, it flew off the stone slab and vanished in a flash as it sank into the Yellow Rat's body.

Wang Changsheng felt that he had established some kind of special connection with the Yellow Rat. The sensation was like an extension of his own hands and feet.

After it acknowledged him as its master, Wang Changsheng changed his Hand Seal, and the Demon Binding Cord released the Yellow Rat. The Yellow Rat immediately charged toward the hole in the pool.

Wang Changsheng formed a Hand Seal with one hand, and the Yellow Rat immediately let out a miserable cry before collapsing to the ground.

Wild Demon Beasts retained their wild nature even after acknowledging a master and had to be slowly tamed.

After hesitating briefly, Wang Changsheng took a wooden jar from his Storage Pouch. When he opened it, a rich rice fragrance wafted out. Inside the wooden jar were some crystalline blue grains that gave off a strange scent.

The Yellow Rat sniffed several times, then turned around. Its tiny eyes, narrowed into slits, stared at the wooden jar in Wang Changsheng's hand.

Wang Changsheng smiled calmly and poured the last bit of blue rice from the wooden jar onto the stone slab. After hesitating briefly, he picked up twenty grains and put them back into the wooden jar, then said to the Yellow Rat, "Be obedient and listen to me. From now on, I'll give you some Azure Moon Spirit Rice to eat every month."

The Yellow Rat did not understand Wang Changsheng's words, but it could not resist the exotic fragrance given off by the Azure Moon Spirit Rice. After hesitating for a moment, it ran toward Wang Changsheng.

Azure Moon Spirit Rice was First Rank Mid-Grade Spirit Rice, which ripened once every three years. There were twelve grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice on the stone slab. Yes, twelve grains.

A son traveling far from home always worried his mother. Every so often, his mother, Liu Qing'er, would use the Spirit Stones she had saved by scrimping and saving to buy some Azure Moon Spirit Rice, then entrust someone to deliver it to Wang Changsheng.

Wang Changsheng only ate a small bowl of Azure Moon Spirit Rice porridge once every ten days or half a month. His days were extremely impoverished. If not for taming this Spirit Rat, he would not have been willing to take out twelve grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice!

The Yellow Rat polished off the twelve grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice in three quick bites.

The twelve grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice did not fill its stomach. It actually stood up on its hind legs like a human and began squeaking, as if trying to express something.

Through their spiritual sense connection, Wang Changsheng clearly sensed the longing emotion transmitted by the Yellow Rat.

"I gave you half of what I had, and you're still not satisfied. What a glutton!"

Wang Changsheng chuckled and took out ten grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice, placing them in his palm.

The Yellow Rat could not reach them. After hesitating briefly, it climbed up Wang Changsheng's body along his trouser leg, leaped into his palm, and ate the ten grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice.

"Squeak!"

The Yellow Rat obediently lay in Wang Changsheng's palm, its tail swishing back and forth. Wang Changsheng could sense how happy it was.

"You little fellow must have eaten plenty of good things. Just look at how fat you are." Wang Changsheng grabbed the Yellow Rat's plump body and chuckled.

"Squeak!"

The Yellow Rat kept squeaking, seemingly protesting Wang Changsheng's mockery of its weight.

"All right, it's getting late. Come home with me first." Wang Changsheng stuffed the Yellow Rat into his clothes and turned to walk outside.

He would be leaving this place in another year, so he would have no use for this section of Spirit Vein. Even so, he still cast the Earth Wall Technique and blocked the cave entrance.

After leaving the cave, Wang Changsheng moved his lips a few times. A White Cloud appeared beneath his feet from thin air, carrying him slowly into the sky and flying toward the distance.

After returning to Lotus Island, Wang Changsheng once again resumed his monotonous life of bitter cultivation.

He practiced magic techniques in the morning and meditated in cultivation in the afternoon and evening. His days were rather dull, but with the Spirit Rat as his companion, life was somewhat better than before.

Among the Hundred Crafts of Cultivation was the art of Beast Taming. However, Wang Changsheng had come out to work two years early and did not know much about Beast Taming.

He did not know what the Spirit Rat was called. He only knew that it loved to eat.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Early one morning, Wang Changsheng was having breakfast while the Spirit Rat sprawled across the table, relishing a yellow croaker.

Every time he ate, Wang Changsheng would give the Spirit Rat some food. Little by little, he won its trust.

Now, even when Wang Changsheng tried to drive it away, it refused to leave him.

Just then, Wang Qiusheng suddenly walked in. Before he could speak, he saw the Spirit Rat on the table, and his expression changed. He hurriedly said, "Ninth Uncle-Grandfather, please forgive me. Your grandson was negligent and actually let a rat get inside. I'll catch it and take it away right now."

With that, he strode toward the Spirit Rat.

The Spirit Rat seemed to sense something. It squeaked several times and darted onto Wang Changsheng's shoulder in just a few movements.

This frightened Wang Qiusheng badly. Before he could even apologize, Wang Changsheng spoke up. "There's no need to make such a fuss. This is my Spirit Rat. I've been eating more lately, and it's eaten most of the food."

"A Spirit Rat! So that's what it is." Wang Qiusheng breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Your grandson thought it was some rat that had run in from somewhere! But now that you mention it, Ninth Uncle-Grandfather, your Spirit Rat looks quite similar to a Treasure Sniffing Rat."

"A Treasure Sniffing Rat? Tell me about this Treasure Sniffing Rat!" Wang Changsheng immediately became interested.

"Treasure Sniffing Rats, also known as Golden-Eyed Spirit Rats, are mutated moles. They have plump bodies, pointed snouts, and are good at digging holes. Their sense of smell is extremely sharp, allowing them to easily locate rare medicinal materials. Experienced herb gatherers will raise Treasure Sniffing Rats to search for medicinal herbs. Our family deals in medicinal herbs and raises several Treasure Sniffing Rats. The physical features of this Spirit Rat are quite similar to theirs. If Ninth Uncle-Grandfather hadn't reminded me, I definitely would have caught this rat and taken it back when I saw it. An experienced Treasure Sniffing Rat is worth several thousand taels of silver on the market!" Wang Qiusheng explained in detail.

Wang Changsheng suddenly understood. No wonder this Spirit Rat had been able to dig through the pool. It turned out that it was naturally skilled at digging holes and searching for spiritual herbs.

"Right, you came rushing in here in such a panic. Did something happen?"

"Second Aunt-Grandmother has arrived. She's outside."

A bright light flashed in Wang Changsheng's eyes, and he asked eagerly, "Second Sister is here? Where is she? Hurry and take me to see her."

"There's no need, Ninth Brother. I can come in myself." A clear, melodious woman's voice rang out.

As soon as the voice faded, a woman wearing a yellow dress walked in.

The woman was around twenty years old. Her black hair was swept up high, her features were delicate, and a hint of heroism showed between her brows. Her eyes were bright as stars.

The woman was none other than Wang Changsheng's cousin, Wang Changxue.