Ten days later, Qingyang County Town, the rear courtyard of Xinghua Meng Pavilion.
Three Spirit Beast cubs of varying sizes ran back and forth before Meng Haoran.
Ever since Meng Xiaoran had handed his Thunderfire Tiger over to him that day and, following Meng Haoran's instructions, bought three Spirit Beast cubs from West Market, the three cubs had remained here.
Meng Haoran had moved out a chair and sat upright outside his room, watching the three Spirit Beast cubs frolic without pause, though no one knew what he was thinking.
At that moment, the Thunderfire Tiger he had raised for so long slowly emerged from a nearby room and approached the three Spirit Beast cubs.
Whether because Little Tiger was larger than the three cubs or for some other reason, the moment they saw it approach, all three obediently flattened themselves against the ground, utterly motionless.
Their formerly lively, bouncing manner vanished without a trace.
Little Tiger's limbs were powerful and sturdy as it leisurely circled the three Spirit Beast cubs once, as though displaying its majesty. Only then did it raise its tiger head, pride written all over its face, and slowly depart.
Seeing this, Meng Haoran could not help but chuckle softly. "Hehe, this little fellow! It actually has a trace of tiger's might now!"
Among all beasts in the world, tigers were kings. Within the mountains and forests, a single tiger's roar could shake heaven and earth.
In ancient times, the Thunderfire Tiger had been a hybrid breed born from the Spirit Beast Fire Tiger and the Spirit Beast Thunder Tiger. The tiger's might in its blood surpassed even that of its ancestors.
Moreover, over these past days, Meng Haoran had fed it Spirit Stones every day for it to devour and absorb. The power of thunder and fire had long since formed within its body.
The Cauldron Liquid produced by the Heavenly Cauldron within Meng Haoran's body was also silently and imperceptibly transforming every function of the Thunderfire Tiger's beast body.
The reason Meng Haoran had asked Meng Xiaoran to purchase these three Spirit Beast cubs was that he had formed a suspicion from the two Thunderfire Tigers he had bought with clan uncle Meng Bohai at the Black Market.
Those two Thunderfire Tigers had both consumed the Cauldron Liquid produced by the Heavenly Cauldron within him, and each had undergone different changes.
Meng Haoran suspected that the Cauldron Liquid within the Heavenly Cauldron had produced certain effects on those two Thunderfire Tigers.
To verify whether his suspicion was correct, Meng Haoran had asked Meng Xiaoran to buy these three Spirit Beast cubs from West Market.
"The Spirit Flame Cat did not use any Cauldron Liquid, the Jade Pattern Eyed Monkey consumed half a bowl, and the Purple Cloud Sable consumed an entire bowl. The results are plain for all to see!"
Meng Haoran looked at the Spirit Flame Cat. Over the past ten days, he had only raised it according to normal methods for feeding Spirit Beasts, and there had been no obvious changes either inside or outside its body.
As for the Jade Pattern Eyed Monkey, it had consumed half a bowl of Cauldron Liquid. Its body was slightly larger than the Jade Pattern Eyed Monkeys previously raised by the Meng Family, and although the monkey eye in the middle of its forehead remained tightly shut, a faint gleam already flickered from it.
Once that Jade Pattern Eyed Monkey opened the monkey eye in the middle of its forehead, it would mean that it had advanced to the higher stage of a first-rank Spirit Beast!
The Purple Cloud Sable, a Spirit Beast whose entire body was violet, had not changed noticeably in size. Yet judging by its aura, it was far stronger than the Purple Cloud Sables kept in captivity by the family.
Furthermore, when the Thunderfire Tiger Meng Haoran had raised approached it just now, although the Purple Cloud Sable had lain prone on the ground, a trace of defiance had been hidden in its beast eyes.
Thinking of this, Meng Haoran said in a low voice, "It seems the Heavenly Cauldron truly was responsible. If not for the Heavenly Cauldron, these Spirit Beasts, Thunderfire Tiger included, would never have undergone such changes!"
"If that is truly the case, then the Heavenly Cauldron's effect is simply immense!"
Meng Haoran said gravely, "The Heavenly Cauldron can help me cultivate, and it has also played a decisive role in the Spirit Plant Field. Now it has shown exceptional results in raising Spirit Beasts as well. It seems I must properly master and understand this Heavenly Cauldron in the future!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Xiaoran hurried in from the front hall.
"Brother Haoran! This is bad!"
Meng Haoran raised his head and asked, "What is it? What happened?"
Meng Xiaoran said resentfully, "Yesterday, we thought the Lin Family had withdrawn from Qingyang County's talisman market because they could not compete with our Meng Family. Who would have thought they had left themselves a hidden move!"
Meng Haoran frowned slightly and asked, "A hidden move? What hidden move? The Lin Family's talisman market has already been swallowed up by minor families like ours. What waves can they possibly stir now?"
"Hmph! They really have stirred up some waves!"
Meng Xiaoran gave a light snort and said, "They somehow acquired a batch of Spirit Beasts, all of superior quality, and they are selling like wildfire in West Market. Most of the Spirit Beasts are selling for seven or eight hundred Spirit Stones each, while some have even sold for a thousand Spirit Stones apiece!"
Meng Haoran slowly clenched his hands and replied, "The Lin Family only has one Xinghua Lin Pavilion in Qingyang County Town, with no other distribution outlets. Moreover, Xinghua Lin Pavilion has always dealt in talismans, spirit plants, and other cultivation goods. I have never heard of the Lin Family having any channels for selling Spirit Beasts."
Suddenly thinking of something, Meng Haoran asked in surprise, "The Chen Family! This must be connected to the Chen Family!"
"The Chen Family? Xinghua Village Chen Family? Brother Haoran, what relationship do the Lin Family and the Chen Family have?"
Having only recently arrived in Qingyang County Town, Meng Xiaoran did not yet fully understand the information regarding the primary businesses of the various minor families.
Meng Haoran replied, "The Chen Family and the Lin Family have been on good terms for ten years. The Chen Family patriarch's cultivation path is connected to raising Spirit Beasts. I think Lin Qingbai must be stirring up trouble behind the scenes!"
Meng Xiaoran asked in confusion, "Lin Qingbai?"
"Yes! Lin Qingbai may have been stripped of all authority by the Lin Family because of the earlier Lin Family Five Elements Defensive Talisman incident, causing him to grow closer to certain members of the Chen Family."
Meng Haoran continued, "It is highly likely that Lin Qingbai wants to sell Spirit Beasts and earn a large number of Spirit Stones in order to return to his former position in the family!"
Hearing this, Meng Xiaoran nodded lightly, silently accepting Meng Haoran's explanation.
Turning to Meng Xiaoran, Meng Haoran asked, "Xiao Ran, where is Clan Uncle Luohai?"
"Clan Uncle Luohai went to the county office. He should be discussing some matters with the county magistrate right now, so he probably will not be back anytime soon!" Meng Xiaoran answered.
Meng Haoran nodded. "Since Clan Uncle Luohai cannot get away, the two of us will go take a look and see exactly what tricks this Lin Family is up to!"
With that, Meng Haoran and Meng Xiaoran headed together toward West Market.
The Meng Family had only just managed to use the Spirit Taming Talisman to successfully squeeze out the Lin Family's market share. If the latter wanted to return through the Spirit Beast business, how could the Meng Family possibly let the Lin Family have its way?
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