CHAPTER 471: CHAPTER 96

Raising a Spiritual Beast was a time-consuming and relaxing affair.

Lying on the soft back of the Taiji Deer, Chen Jiuge rested his head on his hands and looked up at the two suns in the sky, muttering, "Two suns, truly magical!"

"The stronger the world, the stronger its ability to adjust. It is said that during the Chaos Era, the True Realm had ten suns," Yu Niang said with a light laugh as she leaped onto the Taiji Deer’s large head.

Sitting up straight, Chen Jiuge looked surprised and asked, "How did you get here? Didn’t that Jiang Family fellow look for you?"

Yu Niang’s expression faltered. A Green Jade Table and a set of purple teaware appeared in her hands. While making tea, she complained, "That guy clings like gum, impossible to shake off."

"Hehe, that just shows how charming you are," Chen Jiuge joked.

Yu Niang said resentfully, "And didn’t someone reject me?"

Chen Jiuge’s expression stiffened. He quickly changed the subject, "Let’s have some tea, just tea."

"By the way, it’s been almost a century since we arrived. When can we return?"

Yu Niang said, sounding troubled, "We could have returned earlier, but His Majesty issued an imperial decree. Once we go back, we’ll be caught up in a major upheaval. The Clan Leader advised me to delay our return."

A hundred years ago, Qingming Zhao issued an Exploration Order. All princes who had reached the True Immortal Realm had to participate, and the prince who made the greatest contributions during the exploration would inherit the throne.

"Is the King really planning to abdicate?" Chen Jiuge asked curiously.

"Of course, it’s true. One term lasts thirty thousand years, and our current King has already ruled for twenty-seven thousand years."

After chatting briefly, the two of them fell silent for a moment.

The crisp call of a deer rang out. A powerful Taiji Deer rapidly shrank in size, transforming into an adorable Yin Yang Deer before their eyes.

Yu Niang stood up, embraced the little creature, and returned to her seat, saying, "Amazing! How did you do it?"

Chen Jiuge shook his head silently.

"Stingy! It must be that unique Spiritual Beast nurturing ability from your world."

"Such innate abilities... one can’t help but love and hate them!" Yu Niang gritted her teeth.

Over the past hundred years, this modified pasture had produced countless Yin Yang Deer and Taiji Deer, bringing extremely substantial profits, even though the Yu Family only received thirty percent of it.

"I’ve always had a question. Besides the Yu Family, me, and Snow Concubine Hall, who else benefits from the Yin Yang Deer and Taiji Deer?" Chen Jiuge asked seriously.

Yu Niang sighed. "Haven’t you guessed already?"

"It really is that person, huh!" Chen Jiuge gestured towards the sky.

"Who else could it be? He’s stepping down soon. After that, he’ll only receive an annual stipend. The ladies of the harem will have to provide for themselves, and he’ll need to secure his own cultivation resources," Yu Niang explained.

"What about Wu Yao?"

When the cooperation was discussed, Wu Yao was present.

"Him? He was the original choice, but then His Majesty intervened. He was compensated with the Taiji Deer from your Qingfeng Garden."

Chen Jiuge asked, somewhat uneasily, "Then isn’t my ten percent share too much?"

Both sides have Heavenly Immortal experts backing them, he thought. What right does a little guy like me, not even a True Immortal, have to take a ten percent share of the profits?

"You underestimate your abilities far too much," Yu Niang said, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

A Beast Master who could cause the most common Spiritual Beasts to undergo atavistic reversion to their ancestral forms was immensely valuable. Yu Niang couldn’t understand why the Qingming Family hadn’t simply imprisoned Chen Jiuge and raised him in captivity.

A mournful cry of a deer sounded, drawing their attention.

In the distance, a Taiji Deer’s neck was snapped by a gigantic tiger, its sweet-scented blood dripping continuously.

"Is this your Netherworld Tiger?" The bloodthirsty look in its eyes made Yu Niang shiver.

Chen Jiuge nodded silently. The tiger was indeed the Netherworld Devouring Tiger from years past. However, it had mutated multiple times, and its appearance was now vastly different, so Chen Jiuge had renamed it.

The massive Taiji Deer, over three meters tall and ten meters long, was quickly swallowed by the Netherworld Tiger.

"What a terrifying Fierce Beast!" Yu Niang lamented. Over the years, while most Taiji Deer were sold, some with exceptional potential were kept. The unfortunate Taiji Deer just now, for instance, had a cultivation level as high as the True Monarch Realm.

Its crimson tongue licked its dagger-like teeth as the Netherworld Tiger’s form rapidly shrank. It then leaped lightly into Chen Jiuge’s arms.

Watching the little tiger roll around in Chen Jiuge’s arms, Wufu, hidden in his long hair, quickly crawled out, its small paw extending five blood-red claws.

Sensing Wufu stirring restlessly in his hair, Chen Jiuge said helplessly, "Don’t fight."

A look of envy appeared on Yu Niang’s face. "Such wonderful Spiritual Beasts."

"They are exceptions," Chen Jiuge responded lightly.

Yu Niang just nodded perfunctorily, clearly not believing his words.

「A hundred years later.」

It was enough time for the princes of Qingming Ancient Country to make some significant moves.

Clad in black armor adorned with golden dragon patterns, Qingming Ye led his thousand Black Dragon Guards slowly into the City Lord Mansion of Jiangshui City.

The rotund Huo Tian, sweating profusely, hurried out of the City Lord Mansion. He stopped ten meters from Qingming Ye, dropped to his knees, and slid forward until he was right before him, trembling as he asked, "Third Prince, what brings Your Highness here?"

Seeing the disheveled Huo Tian, Qingming Ye let out an enigmatic laugh and dismounted leisurely from his Black Dragon Steed. "You are Huo Tian, the City Lord of Jiangshui City?" Qingming Ye’s voice was very gentle.

Huo Tian’s portly figure trembled uncontrollably. He nodded repeatedly, too frightened to utter a word.

"To think," Qingming Ye mused, his voice still gentle, "that Jiangshui City, once on the brink of ruin, could recover and even nurture such a portly City Lord."