Strange Goat

[Words of Enlightenment: Through constant observation of the flock while herding, you have finally grasped the true techniques of shepherding. There is no need to do everything yourself; you only need to identify and manage the special individuals within the flock.

You have thus comprehended the skill—[Beast Identification].

[Beast Identification (Academic Skill)

Usage: Maintain focus on a beast and attempt to obtain relevant information about it.

Skill Description: A skill mastered by shepherds through long-term interaction with animals. It allows one to understand a beast's abilities and its status within the herd through observation. It is said that beasts, like humans, have social hierarchies, and different individuals possess vastly different abilities and talents. Thus, identifying beasts has become a necessary prerequisite skill for Taming.]

This...

Xiao Jie was speechless. What kind of trash skill was this? Where was the promised Taming?

However, thinking about it, it made sense. His main focus while herding today had been on identifying the lead sheep.

He sighed helplessly. Although he could continue herding, he had a vague feeling that this "Words of Enlightenment" thing couldn't be triggered infinitely.

Perhaps there was only one chance for an epiphany per professional field.

Still, he had gained a skill, so it was a harvest of sorts.

He decided to test it out to see if it was useful.

He used Beast Identification on a goat. The skill required no stamina to use; he only needed to focus and observe a beast for a few seconds. Soon, a line of data appeared above the goat's head.

[Male Goat (Beast), Level 3, HP 40.

Taming Difficulty: Entry Level.

Skills: Mountain Climbing Art LV2, Rambunctious Sheep Ram LV2.]

He switched to another.

[Female Goat (Beast), Level 2, HP 30.

Taming Difficulty: Entry Level.

Skills: Mountain Climbing Art LV2, Rambunctious Sheep Ram LV1.]

He switched again.

[Little Goat (Beast), Level 1, HP 20.

Taming Difficulty: Entry Level.

Skills: Mountain Climbing Art LV1, Rambunctious Sheep Ram LV1.]

He continued switching, and this time, he set his sights on the largest lead sheep.

[Goat Leader (Beast), Level 5, HP 80.

Taming Difficulty: Average.

Skills: Mountain Climbing Art LV3, Rambunctious Sheep Ram LV3, Pack Leader LV1.]

Tsk tsk, it even had an aura skill; it truly lived up to being the leader.

Xiao Jie switched to observe another one.

[Strange Goat (Beast), Level ?, HP 128.

Taming Difficulty: Untamable.

Skills: ??????

Note: The target's level is too high; you cannot read further information.]

Hm? Xiao Jie froze, thinking he had misread it. He looked carefully twice—no mistake, the level and skills were indeed question marks, though the health points were visible.

128. It was a full fifty percent higher than the Goat Leader.

What was the origin of this "Strange Goat" to be so absurd?

He moved closer to observe it carefully. At first glance, the goat had nothing special about it. Its size was quite standard—neither the mini-stature of the Little Goat nor the robust frame of the Goat Leader—it looked no different from the ordinary male goats nearby.

If there was one difference—

Xiao Jie suddenly noticed that the pupils of this goat's eyes were round, somewhat similar to human eyes. One had to know that ordinary goats had rectangular pupils, which were quite unique among animals.

But the eyes of the goat before him were completely different.

Such a subtle difference would be impossible to spot from a distance. Under normal circumstances, Xiao Jie probably wouldn't have noticed it at all; if not for the strange data provided by Beast Identification, he truly wouldn't have discovered it.

But now that he had noticed the difference and observed it closely, the detail made him feel a chill.

The goat seemed completely unaware of Xiao Jie's surprise and continued to graze as if nothing were wrong.

Xiao Jie, however, had already drawn his knife.

"An immortal? A demon?" he asked tentatively.

The goat continued to chew on the grass.

Xiao Jie suddenly laughed. The goat's Satiety was already at 100%, yet it was still grazing; it was clearly hiding something.

This goat definitely had a problem.

If it didn't have some special background, at the very least it had to be a rare elite; killing it might just drop something good.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. Can you give me some kind of reaction? If you don't say anything, I'm going to start attacking."

The Strange Goat, however, just kept on looking at the grass as if he weren't there.

Hmph, I don't believe this.

Xiao Jie didn't waste another word, immediately charging up his strength to draw his blade. After all, the worst that could happen was paying a 200-copper fine; that was a price he could afford.

Panic finally flickered in the goat's eyes, and suddenly, it spoke in a human voice.

Strange Goat: "Baa, little brother, I have no grudge against you, so why must you push me so hard?"

The moment the goat opened its mouth, Xiao Jie was startled, followed immediately by a surge of excitement.

Haha, it really does have a background.

"Ha, why didn't you speak up sooner? Tell me, what exactly are you? An immortal or a demon? Why are you hiding in this flock of sheep? Speak the truth, or don't blame my blade for being blind."

As he spoke, he took two steps back to put a little distance between them.

This goat was so strange that it might pose a certain threat, but judging by its HP, the danger shouldn't be too great. If he was careful, he should be able to handle it.

If things really went south, he could always call for help, but he preferred not to make a scene unless absolutely necessary.

The goat adopted a helpless tone.

Strange Goat: "If you kill me, how could Old Yang let you off?"

"Heh, don't you worry about that. The worst I'll do is pay the fine."

Strange Goat: "Hmph, don't be arrogant. Do you really think you can beat me?"

With that, it arched its front hooves slightly, aimed its horns at Xiao Jie, and made a move to charge.

Xiao Jie wasn't nervous at all. Rambunctious Sheep Ram, is it? He had experienced that move plenty of times; as long as he dodged in time, it wasn't much of a threat.

"Even if I can't beat you, I can call for help. I'm quite curious: if everyone found out about your existence, would they treat you like a monster and chop you up for mutton skewers?"

Upon hearing this, the goat immediately cowered.

It hurriedly retracted its horns. "Baa, little brother, don't go shouting nonsense. I'll tell you, alright? To be honest, I'm not actually a monster. I was originally a goat in the mountains, nourished by the spiritual energy of this valley. I managed to develop a bit of intelligence and hoped to find a chance to cultivate into a demon and achieve an immortal legacy.

"Who would have known that a great disaster would suddenly descend and demons would wreak havoc on the world? A mere goat like me, who hadn't yet attained the Way, had nowhere to go and could only hide in Ginkgo Village to survive. Thanks to the Ginkgo Immortal Tree in the village, I've survived until now. The Old Yang family has herded sheep for generations, so I've been hiding in the flock, constantly changing my identity, right up to this day."

Xiao Jie asked in surprise, "Doesn't that mean you've lived for five hundred years?"

Strange Goat: "In the mountains, one loses track of time, and it's the same in this sheep pen. I don't remember exactly how many days have passed, but I suppose that's about right.

"As I said, I am not a monster, nor do I have any magical powers. I just have more wisdom than an ordinary goat. For five hundred years, I have never had the heart to harm anyone. I beg you, brave warrior, do not tell others about me. Otherwise, if the villagers find out, I won't live another day."

Xiao Jie didn't agree immediately, calculating what benefits he could squeeze out of this Serendipitous Encounter.

Seeing this, the goat added, "I am not ungrateful. If you agree, I have a reward to offer."

Xiao Jie's eyes lit up. "Let's hear it. Is it a demon core? A cultivation technique?"

The goat gave a bitter laugh. "I'm not even a demon, so how would I know such things? A core is just a pipe dream. But having lived for five hundred years, I have learned a thing or two. I have some minor tricks that might catch your eye.

"I have three unique skills I can teach you.

"However, you must swear an oath that you will never breathe a word about me to anyone else, or you will surely suffer Heavenly Retribution."

System Prompt: You have triggered the Serendipitous Encounter event <strong>[Goat's Oath]</strong>.

Task Description: You have discovered a strange goat in the flock. It can speak human language and may have a secret history. To prevent you from reporting it, the goat is willing to teach you its skills, but you must swear a <strong>[Heavenly Retribution Oath]</strong> as proof that you will keep its secret.

Note: The Heavenly Retribution Oath is a special game mechanic. By swearing to the heavens, any violation of the oath will trigger a <strong>[Heavenly Tribulation]</strong> punishment. The more severe your betrayal, the higher the level of the <strong>[Heavenly Tribulation]</strong> triggered.

Xiao Jie's expression turned solemn.

A Heavenly Tribulation sounded dangerous. As a level two newbie, triggering one would surely mean death. He had to choose carefully.

"Let me see what skills you have first."

Strange Goat: "Naturally. My three unique skills are quite extraordinary. If you can learn even one, you will benefit endlessly. Behold—"

A dialogue box popped up before Xiao Jie.

<strong>[Option 1: Rambunctious Sheep Ram (Combat Skill). Mimics a goat's combat technique, ramming the enemy with your head to deal 20 points of blunt damage and stun them for 1 second. Requirement: Strength 15.]</strong>

<strong>[Option 2: Mountain Climbing Steps (Unique Skill). Grants you the technique to scale mountains, allowing you to move freely in mountainous terrain without being affected by the landscape. Requirement: Agility 15.]</strong>

<strong>[Option 3: Beast Language (Strange Art). Allows you to master the language of beasts, enabling you to converse or interact with animals. Requirement: Intelligence 15.]</strong>

Two of the three skills were grayed out because his stats weren't high enough; only the last one, Beast Language, could be learned.

Xiao Jie studied the three skills. Rambunctious Sheep Ram was a trash combat skill, and Mountain Climbing Steps had some value but wasn't great. Only Beast Language seemed quite interesting.

Being able to talk to animals? That sounds like it would be fun to use in reality.

"Fine, I agree. I will never reveal any information about you to others. In return, teach me this Beast Language."

Xiao Jie decisively chose Option 3.

<strong>[System Prompt: You have sworn a [Heavenly Retribution Oath]</strong>.]

The Strange Goat let out a bleat, looking quite relieved. "Very well. Listen closely, this is how Beast Language is used..."

<strong>[System Prompt: You have learned the new skill [Beast Language (Strange Art)]</strong>.]

"Many thanks for your kindness, young man. Now that I have taught you this skill, we shall never see each other again. Let us be as strangers."

"That goes without saying," Xiao Jie replied. No sooner had the words left his lips than the goat jerked its head and dove into the flock. Xiao Jie felt a blur before his eyes, and when he tried to find the goat again, it was nowhere to be seen.