Nine in the morning, under a vast, clear sky.
The tour bus pulled to a stop before a dense forest.
"We’re here! Let’s get off the bus, Su Baby!"
"Don’t call me Su Baby."
Su Zhi shot back reflexively as he followed Shao Ya off the bus and scanned his surroundings.
It was different from what he’d imagined. The small plaza by the parking lot was surprisingly well-equipped, offering a complete range of services including food, clothing, and lodging.
A small stone path extended from the center of the plaza, winding its way into the dense jungle ahead. In the distance, a colossal tree grew at the jungle’s heart, so prominent it could be seen at a glance even from outside the forest.
Unlike a wilderness training zone, the Ancient Jing Forest was positioned more as a tourist attraction. It was bustling and lively, filled with tourists taking pictures. There were even many people who weren’t Beast Tamers.
Huajing Cats, snow-white with light-green-tipped tails and paws, ambled through the jungle, accepting pats from humans. They would occasionally wander out to the parking lot, looking utterly content.
"MEOW~"
A slender Huajing Cat with bright eyes padded over, crouched down, sniffed Xiaoyue, and then nuzzled him with its head.
"WOOF."
Yu Bao leaned in and whispered into Su Zhi’s ear.
That cat has the hots for Big Brother Xiaoyue! She’s confessing her love to him!
Though Yu Bao had no experience with romance, he was a Wise One. After meticulous, precise, and rigorous calculation, he decided there was a real shot!
"MROW."
Expressionless, Xiaoyue extended a paw and pushed the little she-cat away.
The little she-cat pouted, hung her head, and padded away, Bling Bling.
Su Zhi: "..."
Yu Bao: "..."
Xiaoyue ignored the stares of the human and dog, licked his paw, and shot them an icy glare.
’Women only slow the speed at which I draw my blade—’
"Come on, let’s go to the altar!"
"MEOW~" Xiaoyue cried sweetly, leaping into the girl’s soft embrace and giving her a nuzzle.
’—but a rich one won’t.’
And so, the two humans and their two pets entered the jungle, making their way along the path.
Whenever they came across a scenic spot, Shao Ya would stop, and Su Zhi would obligingly raise his phone to take her picture.
If they wanted a photo together, they’d just ask one of the little kitties in the forest—the Huajing Cats here were so clever, snapping a photo was a piece of cake!
"ARF..."
Yu Bao was a bit stunned watching the Huajing Cat skillfully hand back the phone after taking their picture.
’This cat’s got some real skills. To think it’s on my level, a Wise One, when it comes to intellect.’
"The Ancient Jing Forest is a prime example of a symbiotic region for humans and Pet Beasts! Humanity and the Huajing Cat clan made a pact: the Huajing Cats entrusted the Ancient Jing Forest to humans for development as a tourist destination, and in return, humans provide the cats with all sorts of amenities, like medical care, food, and opportunities for a certain number of their clan to form contracts each year!"
"Also, the altar in the Ancient Jing Forest is one of the few places that can help a Huajing Cat achieve a stable evolution. Every year, tons of Beast Tamers who have contracts with Huajing Cats come here to evolve them. That’s why the Huajing Cat is recommended as one of the top ten best Pet Beasts to contract with~"
Shao Ya expertly reeled off the facts for Su Zhi, raising her eyebrows slightly—she had been preparing this for a long time.
"Wow, so there really is such a magical place!" Su Zhi said, nodding and smiling in agreement.
In reality, he had already looked up a great deal of information before coming. While he couldn’t claim to know the Ancient Jing Forest like the back of his hand, he had a solid grasp of the general details.
But seeing the girl’s proud and happy expression, Su Zhi decided to just play dumb and let her explain.
"WOOF," Yu Bao chimed in.
’He knew all about the top ten most suitable Pet Beasts for a contract; he was one of the ten!’
’He even remembered the reasons for the recommendation: simple-natured, honest, and easy to raise!’
’Easy to raise is true, but simple-natured and honest? Forget about it...’ Su Zhi thought, giving a resigned smile as he looked at the little guy’s smug expression.
...
...
At seven in the evening, the two humans and two pets arrived at the base of the ancient tree they had seen when they first got off the bus.
’We finally made it...’ Su Zhi felt like he was about to cough up blood.
The ten-or-so-hour walk had nearly killed him.
No, if he hadn’t stopped for lunch with Shao Ya, he’d already be dead on his feet.
The tree hadn’t seemed so far away when they got off the bus; who would have thought the actual distance was this ridiculous? What was that old saying? ’A mountain in sight can run a horse to death...’
Still, now that he had actually finished the journey, Su Zhi felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
Only then did he realize just how massive the tree was. He tilted his head back and could only see a fraction of the roots.
Compared to the jungle’s periphery, the Huajing Cats here were much more numerous. The entire tree seemed to be full of shimmering green eyes.
A cat lover would be in heaven; someone with trypophobia would probably die on the spot.
If one looked closely, one could also see a small treehouse built upon the massive roots, blending harmoniously with the tree as a whole.
Just then, an Alliance Member in a light-gray uniform jumped down from the treehouse, waving as he walked toward them.
"Welcome, young friends, you’ve come a long way! I am Hua Renshan, the resident Beast Tamer of the Ancient Jing Forest!"
The young Alliance Member bowed in greeting. He had a gentle, kind smile on his face, giving him the distinct vibe of a protagonist from a Japanese anime.
A core habitat for an Exotic Beast clan, like the Ancient Jing Forest, isn’t under the direct jurisdiction of the Common Defense Alliance; it’s more like an autonomous region.
The Common Defense Alliance usually stations a resident Beast Tamer in such places, who serves as the Alliance’s "ambassador."
You could tell this guy, Hua Renshan, was genuinely happy to see them. Since no vehicles could enter the jungle, very few tourists ever walked this far. Most people just snapped a photo of the ancient tree from the edge of the forest and left.
"I presume you two are here to evolve a Pet Beast?" Hua Renshan’s gaze landed instantly on Xiaoyue, who was right beside Shao Ya.
"Yep," Shao Ya nodded. "We’ll be counting on you to guide us, Senior!"
"Don’t be so formal. Just come with me."