"Superstition" and Lin Yuan's First-Meeting Gift

Lin Yuan opened the post.

He discovered it had been created five years ago.

The original poster had written: Breaking news! Huang Tao, owner of the Yellow Crane Tower Shop and the wealthiest merchant in our city, contracted a Fortune Dog that was nearly twenty years old after becoming a four-star beastmaster.

A photo was attached below. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for one of the shop's branches, a slightly aged yellow dog stood beside Huang Tao. It looked like an ordinary village dog, except that the tip of its tail seemed to curl into the outline of a gold ingot.

Most of the replies that followed were full of bewilderment. For example:

[Has he lost his mind?! He's a four-star beastmaster, and he contracted an ordinary mid-grade pet beast? I remember Fortune Dogs only live twenty-five years at most. Is he trying to ruin his own future?]

Still, Lin Yuan found some important clues among the replies.

[Word is, he brings that dog to nearly every new-store opening, major signing, and business negotiation. He's closer to it than to his other three pet beasts.]

[I've heard something even less widely known. Ever since he took over the shop, that dog has followed him to events big and small. Everyone says he's superstitious. Because the dog's name means "bringing wealth," he takes it to every important event.]

[Superstitious or not, he wouldn't ruin his future over it. I don't buy it.]

[Some say he contracted it because being contracted by a four-star beastmaster can extend a pet beast's lifespan.]

After that, the thread seemed to turn into a running record of the Yellow Crane Tower Shop's collaborations with other businesses.

Most of the updates showed Huang Tao and the yellow dog at ribbon-cuttings and launch ceremonies.

Over the past year, Lin Yuan had heard classmates say Huang Zixuan's father was "superstitious." He had never cared much for gossip, though, so he had assumed it was just a joke.

It seemed this was where the rumor had started.

Lin Yuan kept reading but found no more useful information.

Even so, he had reached a conclusion of his own.

First, he did not believe Huang Tao was "superstitious." Even in those low-resolution photos, he could vaguely make out the bond between the man and his pet.

Even if Huang Tao really was superstitious, the Fortune Dog should still give him a way in.

If Lin Yuan saw the dog at their meeting the day after tomorrow, it would mean Huang Tao truly valued this deal.

Lin Yuan spent another two hours researching at his computer.

He committed the basic information he could find to memory, then wrote down a few questions to ask when he visited Liu Xing the next day.

The next day.

Early that morning, Lin Yuan applied ointment to Linghuan and fed Linghuan Spirit Dew.

He also spent two hours doing coordination training with Baishi—the basic training through which a beastmaster and a pet beast built rapport.

After collecting the day's products, tending the pet food shop for a while, and giving Qin Bailing some instructions, he headed to Liu Xing's home.

Liu Xing lived in a villa district in central Lin Hua City.

It was not far from the Breeding Center.

The route and mode of transport were the same, but to Lin Yuan, this journey felt utterly different from the one he had made three days earlier to choose his first pet beast.

Zilan had evolved, Spirit Dew was in stock, Baishi had become his pet, and Linghuan was gradually recovering. Now he was working toward a better future for the pet food shop.

Even the wind blowing through the bus window felt livelier.

Along the way, he saw Courier Birds flying toward their destinations.

That reminded him of Grandma and the Courier Bird, the novel he had been following. It showed one unread chapter.

Pleased, he opened it...

This time, he had prepared thoroughly.

Lin Yuan arrived twenty minutes early.

Only after seeing Liu Xing's home did he understand just how wealthy the Liu Family was.

The entire villa complex belonged to them.

The building at its center resembled a small fortress, surrounded by clusters of smaller, detached villas.

Lin Yuan had looked up the Liu Family online the day before. They were one of the largest lineages in Lin Hua City, and the only one renowned for breeders.

What was more, they ranked among the top three breeder lineages in the whole Chenlong Kingdom.

Everyone in the Liu Family, it seemed, was raised with the aim of becoming an outstanding breeder.

Unlike the Yellow Crane Tower Shop, their main business was not selling goods.

Yet they were actually the wealthiest lineage in all of Lin Hua City.

The reason was simple—breeders had a unique advantage when it came to evolving pet beasts. Later-stage evolutions into high-quality, high-level pet beasts were impossible without their help.

As Liu Xing put it: his family did not need more money. They needed things money could not buy, no matter how much they had.

Lin Yuan sent Liu Xing a message, and Liu Xing soon came out to greet him, beaming.

"Lin Yuan, over here!" Liu Xing waved from a side gate about fifty meters from the main entrance.

Lin Yuan walked over and took an exquisitely woven wreath of Purple Star Vine from his backpack.

"Whoa, didn't I say all you had to do was show up? Why bring a gift?" Liu Xing said, though his hand was already reaching for it.

He could tell it was not expensive, just a thoughtful gesture from Lin Yuan. Besides, the wreath would probably suit Zizi's place nicely.

Linghuan had woven the wreaths.

Linghuan had the Crafty Heart trait and was gifted at handicrafts as well as everyday housework.

Lin Yuan's mother had taught Linghuan to weave, though Linghuan had stopped after evolving.

Now that Linghuan's condition was improving, Linghuan could spend time on personal interests again.

When Lin Yuan had woken up that morning, he had found several woven wreaths around the house, along with flower arrangements and scented ornaments.

They were all little touches his mother had taught Linghuan to make life more pleasant.

"Linghuan, our household pet beast, made it. You picked out quite a bit of Purple Star Vine yesterday, so I figured you liked it and brought you one," Lin Yuan said.

"Heh, you're a good friend!" Liu Xing rubbed his head. "The last time someone was this nice to me was... well, the last time."

"We've still got twenty minutes before the time we agreed on. Want to see my personal breeding facility? Zizi and Jinjin are both there. I'll introduce you to my pet beasts."

Lin Yuan checked the time and nodded. "Sure."

Liu Xing was a two-star breeder, after all. Lin Yuan was curious to see how the "skin-and-bones" Mist-Hiding Spider and the somewhat looks-obsessed Illusion Dream Butterfly were doing now.

Inside Liu Xing's personal breeding facility.

As soon as Lin Yuan entered, he noticed scratches all over the floor, leaving the place looking rather battered.

Then he heard a series of squeaks. Jinjin had already "skated" over to them.

The spider seemed much more adept at using the metal element to coat its body. The scratches on the floor were clearly its handiwork.

Just days ago, the Mist-Hiding Spider had hidden motionless in a corner, as if the world had nothing to do with it. Now it was this lively.

But when it realized Liu Xing had brought someone unfamiliar, it froze in confusion.

It scuttled back toward its nest, nearly slipping when it failed to control its metal-element ability.

Lin Yuan instinctively checked Jinjin's panel and saw:

[Personality]: Timid, guileless, shy around strangers

[Status]: After arriving in a suitable environment, Jinjin's true nature has emerged. Having eaten too well these past few days, Jinjin needs to release large amounts of metal-element energy to maintain balance within the body. As a result, Jinjin remains in a highly excited state and only reins in those emotions around strangers.

Lin Yuan could not help smiling. He looked at Liu Xing. "Have you been feeding Jinjin a little too well these past few days?"

"Heh, you noticed too? Jinjin's gotten much stronger." Liu Xing looked proud.

"You should watch how much you feed Jinjin. A weak body can't handle too much nourishment. The place Jinjin lived before wasn't suitable, and Jinjin probably wasn't eating well either. Ordinary breeding methods might not be right here."

"Maybe if you cut back on the good food, Jinjin will stop scratching up the floor."

Liu Xing listened thoughtfully.

As a two-star breeder, pet beast nutrition had always been his weak point. He could not help it—his family had so much money that their pet beasts could eat whatever they wanted.

His parents had told him to improve in that area, too. Breeding pet beasts did not mean feeding them the most expensive food possible.

Lin Yuan had spotted the problem after just a few glances.

Liu Xing was not surprised, though. Lin Yuan's sensitivity to pet beasts and understanding of them went beyond the ordinary; Liu Xing had sensed it the first day they met.

"I guess I've fallen into my old habits again. I really should consider what Jinjin was like before." Liu Xing scratched his head, then thought of something. "Could you take a look at Zizi, too? Maybe I've been feeding Zizi wrong these past few days. Zizi barely seems to pay me any attention..."