The morning sun rose in the east.
It added another measure of scorching heat to the already climbing temperature.
A breeze rustled through the woods, bringing a rare breath of cool air to the summer morning.
Sitting in the wicker rocking chair Su Anyong often lounged in, Su Ping still held Xiao Qing, who had grown a size larger, in his arms. Xiao Qing gazed excitedly at everything ahead.
The sight before Su Ping was truly spectacular.
Outside the woods, in the shade of the canopy and before the manor's path, Forest Wolves of all sizes stood before him.
Like well-behaved pet dogs, they sat in place, their bright green eyes fixed firmly on Su Ping.
At a rough count, there were more than twenty.
Among them were seven adult Forest Wolves that had reached Elite level or above.
One had reached Elite tier nine, making it the highest-level Forest Wolf in the base apart from Old Sha.
The remaining wolves, just under twenty of them, were all still at Ordinary level.
Most were young wolves that were still growing.
Yet in the Wood Heart Pet Beast Breeding Base as it stood now, these young wolves were actually the most valuable.
Under normal circumstances, customers buying pet beasts would choose young ones to raise as their first companions.
Newly awakened Ordinary Beast Tamers could not form contracts with Forest Wolves that had reached Elite level.
And Beast Tamers who had already advanced to Elite level generally would not buy adult Forest Wolves whose limits were obvious and whose potential was negligible.
Thus, these seven Elite-level Forest Wolves largely served as breeding stock.
In front of the pack stood Old Sha, watching Su Ping with a wary expression.
Clearly, judging by that apprehensive gaze, Old Sha was still thinking about Su Ping's attempt yesterday to poison a wolf by feeding it shit.
Sure enough, after Old Sha had gathered all the Forest Wolves, Su Ping took out that bottle of dark green liquid.
Su Ping slowly turned to look at Old Sha.
"Old Sha!"
Old Sha shuddered, then gave Su Ping a deeply aggrieved look.
In the end, however, Old Sha did not turn tail and run as before.
A wolf pack had its own rules.
Old Sha possessed the abilities of a Wolf King and could command these wolves. Old Sha's attitude toward Su Ping would determine the pack's attitude toward him.
Su Anyong had entrusted the Woodheart base to Su Ping, so Old Sha had to lead by example and establish Su Ping as the "king" these little fellows would follow and obey.
Thus, even if the young master intended harm, Old Sha would not back down now.
But when Su Ping actually pulled the vessel filled with dark green liquid from his clothes, Old Sha's body still trembled slightly.
Then, under the curious gazes of all the Forest Wolves, Old Sha stepped forward on trembling legs.
Su Ping was speechless at that pleading look. Was this really necessary?
If Xiao Qing had not been too young, forcing him to test the potion's effects on the other Forest Wolves first, he would not have needed to go through all this trouble, would he?
Su Ping stroked the stiff fur around the temples of Old Sha's lowered head, then said softly:
"Old Sha, you have to trust me! I'm doing this for your own good."
Old Sha glanced at Su Ping, then at the potion. Though it had cooled, once the cap was unscrewed, it still retained some of yesterday's smell. Old Sha looked back at Su Ping.
Those bright green eyes plainly said:
Trust you? Like hell I will!
In the end, though, Old Sha nodded.
After all, Old Sha was nearly twenty-four years older than this young master and possessed intelligence that rivaled a human's. Naturally, Old Sha understood what the young master was actually doing.
Making a Magic Potion.
Su Anyong had tried a few times in his youth, and Old Sha had even taken some. But as for the results...
The young master had only just graduated and suddenly taken over Woodheart. Naturally, he had ambitions to try out the ideas in his head.
So, after a night of careful consideration, Old Sha knew that even if this meant being poisoned to death, the young master's self-esteem had to be protected. He could not be allowed to give up like that unreliable Su Anyong and squander all the old man's hard work!
"Awooo..."
And so, Old Sha closed those eyes, letting out an utterly mournful howl.
All that was missing were tears spilling from the corners.
That solemn, self-sacrificing look, as though a pet had no choice but to die if its master commanded it, left Su Ping-who had already poured out the Magic Potion-thoroughly exasperated.
He simply stopped wasting words and glanced at Old Sha, whose eyes were shut and mouth wide open, waiting for the young master to feed it shit.
He poured the dark green Woodheart Magic Potion, a jelly-like substance resembling herbal jelly, straight into Old Sha's mouth.
Old Sha stretched out a steaming tongue and swallowed it straight down without even properly tasting it, like someone gulping down a delicacy without savoring a bite.
Old Sha opened those eyes, looked at the now-empty Magic Potion bottle, then glanced at the young master watching so expectantly.
The light instantly faded from those eyes, as though the whole world had suddenly turned gray.
Then Old Sha came to Su Ping's side and began whimpering softly.
Although it was wolf language, Su Ping could roughly understand some of the meaning:
Take good care of the Wood Heart Pet Beast Breeding Base you've inherited.
Make our Forest Wolf breeding operation bigger and stronger!
Don't let Grandpa's hard work and trust go to waste.
Develop an even more powerful evolution path for Forest Wolves!
And...
Work hard to become an even greater Beast Tamer, you little brat!!!!
On and on it went, as though Old Sha were delivering some last words.
It also felt like an elder on the deathbed, imparting one final earnest lesson to a younger family member.
For a moment, outside the sunlit woods, the atmosphere became unbearably tragic and heroic.
Even the other Forest Wolves sitting a short distance away, watching without understanding what was happening, began letting out mournful howls.
It was as though they were bidding farewell to their Wolf King, who was also their elder.
Had Su Ping not known what was really going on, he might genuinely have been swept up in the mood.
But what the hell did any of this have to do with anything?
I'm feeding you a Magic Potion, not poison!
Fortunately, Su Ping did not have to wait long. Suddenly, Old Sha's utterly calm expression, as though death had been accepted without fear, changed.
The low whimpering stopped abruptly.
Su Ping's expression also turned intensely serious as he watched Old Sha's reaction.
At that instant, flecks of emerald light appeared across Old Sha's gray-green fur, as though a faint green shroud of light had suddenly enveloped the wolf.
The air outside the woods seemed to become exceptionally clear. At the same time, shoots broke through the earth in the nearby woods and beneath Old Sha's feet, growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile, a faint pulse of aura spread outward.
Su Ping's eyes went wide.
The Forest Wolves behind Old Sha reacted even more strongly. Their legs trembled, and they prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to confront their Wolf King's aura in the slightest.
The process lasted only a minute.
The next moment, all those extraordinary phenomena vanished, replaced by a piercingly clear, soaring wolf howl filled with indescribable joy!
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