"But your Earth Beast really doesn't look like the jelly it used to be."
"It's not so weak anymore..."
"Of course not." Yan Huan casually brushed off the surrounding chatter as he watched Tuozi diligently pull the cart, with Tribbie on it smiling like a flower.
A strange sense of accomplishment spread through his heart, as though a piece of uncut jade he had painstakingly polished was finally beginning to emit a gentle glow.
I really am a teaching genius!
Yet in that warm moment, no one noticed a concealed gaze fall upon Tuozi from a corner of the bustling market crowd.
That gaze carried scrutiny, along with a trace of barely perceptible greed.
Tuozi seemed to sense something. Its cart-pulling motions paused slightly, and it turned uneasily to look in that direction.
But all it saw was a crowd of strangers. It tilted its head in confusion, then continued running forward under Tribbie's direction.
The flatbed cart creaked along, carrying laughter and cheerful voices as it slowly blended into the clamorous backdrop of Marble Market.
Yan Huan seemed to sense something. He frowned slightly and turned back to scan the bustling market.
"?"
"What is it, sir?" Castorice noticed his movement and asked curiously.
"Nothing. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me." Yan Huan withdrew his gaze.
Not long after they left, two enormous figures draped in gray cloaks slowly emerged from the shadows in the corner where that hidden gaze had been.
Their attire clashed starkly with the lively market around them, and they had deliberately concealed their auras.
"Did you see it clearly?" a slightly hoarse voice asked softly.
"Mm, there's no mistake. Though it's still small, that faintly flowing earth aura, and the intelligence in its eyes... it far surpasses an ordinary Earth Beast cub."