Potion brewing and Linghuan's gratitude

The next day.

Lin Yuan woke up before his alarm even rang.

He was tremendously excited about the two ingredients for treating Linghuan that would soon arrive.

After washing up and having a simple breakfast, he began sorting through the problems left over from the previous night.

A plan gradually took shape in his mind...

Seven o'clock.

The [Courier Bird] arrived at the entrance of Yuanming Pet Food Shop right on time.

The one that came today was considerably smaller than his "old friend."

Clearly, this was a new employee, fresh out of training and only just venturing into the world.

It was far more excitable, too.

When Lin Yuan saw it, he distinctly sensed a vitality he had never felt from the older [Courier Bird].

That bird had picked up the goods he was sending to six customers just yesterday.

Why hadn't it come today?

Lin Yuan suddenly felt a pang of loss. Was it sick?

It was hardly strange for him to feel this way. For the past two years, that same [Courier Bird] had handled all his deliveries and pickups.

He hoped he was just overthinking things.

Lin Yuan gave this [Courier Bird] the water he was holding.

Its [Status] entry changed noticeably as well: Wow, a good-looking human gave me water on my very first day! This job doesn't seem anything like what my seniors described. It isn't that awful, is it?

Lin Yuan paused at the sight of that status.

New workers replacing old ones was a normal occurrence in this beast-taming world.

For the most ordinary pet beasts, such as [Courier Birds], their fate seemed to be defined from the moment they were born.

An inexplicable sense of helplessness came over Lin Yuan.

But this, too, was part of the natural order of the beast-taming world.

After collecting his goods, Lin Yuan soon turned his attention to the ingredients.

He headed into the little workshop and began processing them according to the instructions on the panel.

Preparing Zilan's evolution materials the day before yesterday had given him a little experience.

The [Red Spirit Tail] was material left behind after a low-grade Commander-quality [Red Spirit Tail Snake] shed its skin. Once processed and ground, it counted as a mid-grade Transcendent material.

It looked like foxtail grass, giving off a faint red glow.

This material had also been the core ingredient in Linghuan's first evolution. Her [Spirit Tail] trait and the red glow on her tail had both come from it.

The [Spirit Red Bright Liquid] had a soothing look to it.

It was stored in a glass bottle of about five hundred milliliters, and a faint red glow shone through the transparent glass.

This was a high-grade Transcendent material, but it had been made by mixing a single drop of high-grade Commander-quality [Spirit Red Divine Dew] with ordinary-quality [Wood Spring Water].

In other words, it was a by-product made by diluting Commander-quality [Spirit Red Divine Dew].

Even so, it was extremely expensive.

In this beast-taming world, potion-making was also quite a lucrative secondary profession. Beast tamers in this line of work could combine various pet beast products to create new ones and generate greater profits.

The other perfume shop that had wanted to discuss a contract with Lin Yuan yesterday followed precisely this processing route.

Lin Yuan carefully set the two ingredients together, then followed the preparation method he had recorded.

First, he ground the [Red Spirit Tail] into powder and divided it into fifteen portions. Then he added them to the [Spirit Red Bright Liquid], which he had likewise divided into fifteen equal portions.

He shook them until evenly mixed, then added some ordinary, mild herbs and placed them in the refrigerator. All that remained was to keep their temperature below ten degrees Celsius.

The overall process was quite easy.

It was much like some of the basic experiments Lin Yuan had performed in his previous life.

He put the ingredients into the refrigerator. In about half an hour, he would be able to apply the first dose to Linghuan's tail and begin healing her.

Half an hour later.

Holding the medicine bottle, Lin Yuan walked over to Linghuan, who was trimming the [Purple Star Vine].

"Linghuan, your last evolution left you with a lingering ailment. I've been looking into it these past few days and prepared some medicine for you." Only after finally finishing the potion did Lin Yuan tell her the news.

Her emotional condition was rather unusual. Before he could cure her, Lin Yuan hadn't wanted to give her too much hope or anticipation, which might cause severe emotional fluctuations.

Now things were different. Everything was ready; he only needed to explain it to her.

Linghuan was a little dazed.

After evolving three years ago, she had indeed felt that something about her was different. Her head buzzed every day, as though two little raccoons were arguing inside it.

One told her to work with all her might, while the other told her that she needed to express her emotions outside of work, too.

She had always thought this was normal—that everyone became like this after evolving.

Then, two years ago, after her two elderly owners passed away, the little raccoon telling her to express her emotions seemed to fade away as well.

All that remained in her mind was the impulse driving her to work.

She liked order, liked looking after her family, and liked keeping everything neatly arranged.

Yet from the day she evolved until now, she had always felt that although she was doing what she loved, it somehow wasn't being done by her own hands.

That helpless sense of being controlled made her feel as though a piece of her was missing.

Now her young owner had suddenly told her that her evolution had left her with an ailment, and everything seemed to fall into place.

What surprised her even more was that he had quietly finished making the treatment potion without saying a word!

Before Zilan's evolution, she probably wouldn't have believed Lin Yuan. But she knew that Zilan's evolution into her current form was all thanks to their young owner.

Over the past two nights, after finishing work, she had thought about how her old friend Zilan had evolved into the form she loved best.

Linghuan had already evolved once. She didn't ask for another evolution.

She only hoped to regain control of her emotions and feel that she was truly living again.

So Lin Yuan's softly spoken words left her struggling to take it all in.

Still, she gave a soft "Ying," indicating that she understood.

"I'll apply the potion to your tail. It might hurt a little," Lin Yuan said.

This time, Linghuan made no sound. She only nodded.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan slowly poured the potion evenly over Linghuan's tail, then gently rubbed it in with both hands.

Before his eyes, the red glow on her tail lit up of its own accord.

But this time, it wasn't the same vicious, uncontrolled red as before. It was a warm red.

As Linghuan felt the stinging in her tail, she also felt a new clarity in her mind.

Even her eyes brightened a little. Suddenly, the world before her seemed clearer.

Compared with that feeling of abruptly coming back to herself, the sting in her tail was utterly negligible.

She let out a few "Ying, ying" cries, her eyes growing moist.

Lin Yuan knew she was expressing her gratitude.

"Here, drink this drop of [Spirit Dew] Zilan produced. It'll ease the discomfort in your tail." Lin Yuan squeezed out a drop of floral dew and brought it to Linghuan's mouth.

Linghuan didn't refuse.

She could hardly bear to swallow this drop of [Spirit Dew]. It tasted so much sweeter than the five drops Zilan had "forced" her to drink the day before yesterday.

Only today had she learned.

She had been ill all along.

But she also knew that her young owner would soon make her well again.

Lin Yuan looked at Linghuan's panel.

[Spirit-Tailed Raccoon]

[Level]: Transcendent level 4

[Status]: Emotionally moved and filled with gratitude. Drinking [Spirit Dew] over the past two days has allowed her to advance by 1 level, and her condition has improved.

She has officially received her first treatment, with promising results. Continued use of the potion and [Spirit Dew] can cure her illness sooner.

[Evolution paths]:

[Evolution path 1: Red Spirit Raccoon, quality: Low-grade Commander, compatibility: 5%]

[Hidden evolution path 1: Unlocks after her physical and mental condition has recovered.]

[Hidden evolution path 2: Unlocks after her physical and mental condition has recovered.]

Seeing her [Status], Lin Yuan couldn't help smiling.

It seemed she really could recover sooner than expected.

Every time he looked at Linghuan's panel, he found it hard to tear his eyes away from those two hidden evolution paths.

Zilan's evolved form, the [Purple Spirit Treasure Orchid], had already set the pet food shop on a new path.

As a housekeeping beast, what fundamental transformation would these hidden evolution paths bring Linghuan?

He couldn't help looking forward to it.

At half past nine that morning.

Chen Xuanbai arrived as promised.

This wasn't his first visit to Lin Yuan's home. Just one month into Lin Yuan's first year of high school, he had noticed the boy's talent and learned about his family circumstances.

He had even made a special trip here to buy quite a few things. After that, he returned to shop every so often, though he always chose times when Lin Yuan was in class.

That was why Qin Bailing recognized him as a regular customer.

"What pet food are you buying today? Cat food again? Our [Purple Star Vine] has been excellent lately. Do you need any?" Qin Bailing asked with a cheerful smile.

Just then, Lin Yuan came out.

"Grandpa Qin, he's a teacher at my school. He's here today to discuss something about pet beasts with me."

"Oh, you're his teacher! Go right ahead, then. I won't disturb you." Qin Bailing hurriedly stepped aside to let them through.

Watching the two head upstairs, he felt a little warmth in his heart.

This teacher had visited the pet food shop at least twenty times over the past year. Qin Bailing didn't know how well he taught.

But in his eyes, he was a good teacher.

Meanwhile.

Lin Yuan saw the [Shadow Witch Cat] that had been summoned.

For once, he failed to keep his expression under control.

It really had changed color.

Not only had its body changed color, but its "soul" had become even more colorful—in the lewd sense...