15. Contracting Beast
In just three days, Meixiang's group arrived at Wei Kingdom. They landed far from Wei Kingdom's entrance gate to hide their 'mount's' presence. Shu Jinhai, the group's secretary slash mount, went inside the sacred book directly misunderstood by the others that the he's Meixiang's contract beast. Meixiang didn't mind to explain.
Walking by feet, the group arrives at the long line of people and carriages that is to enter Wei Kingdom. They almost spent an hour waiting in line. When it's their turn, Meixiang saw the posted amount needed to enter the gate.
Kingdoms are graded from F as the lowest and S as the highest (SABCDEF). Wei kingdom is an A Grade kingdom that explains the expensive entrance fee.
Mother Tian, the group's treasurer, gave the bag of golden coins to the guard. The guard inspects the gold coins, after confirming he gave them their passes.
While entering the gate, they already see the big gap of an A grade kingdom to an E grade kingdom like Long Dynasty which they came from.
Tian Ling who can't hide his amazement on his eyes is like a country bumpkin pointed at almost everything he sees with his jaw dropped. The others tried their best to restrain themselves from reacting, atleast not like a certain country bumpkin, to give face to their young miss.
Meixiang calmly look around.
True to an A grade country, from the people to the kingdom itself, they are all incomparable to their Long Dynasty. Everything in Wei Kingdom is top notch including their security in both land and aerial. This is also the reason Meixiang's group landed far from Wei Kingdom to not be noticeable having a companion with a commander level beast.
They directly find an inn and wait for their young miss' further instruction. A year ago, Meixiang set a goal and said they have to go to the capital after two years and set up a mercenary. There are still one more year and with Uncle Shi Jinhai's presence travelling for half a month is enough. Therefore they can't find a reason in going out the Mountain Feihan earlier than the planned date.
The streets are bustling, and the tourists are unending. When they entered the inn, the lounge is full with foreigners but the whole place is quiet. It is obvious these people are strong, stronger than them.
When Dan Meixiang's group entered, everyone in the room didn't look at Meixiang's group directly but observe the new comers' cultivation.
The strongest among them is a seven stage middle level magician. What shocks them all is it's young man that age 22-23. The rest's cultivation are not even worth to mention. There's even four of them who can't cultivate.
What intrigues them is how they are lead by the petite little girl that seems to age only eleven. This little girl didn't even have a fluctuation of qi on her body. The young man with the strongest cultivation get the catalog of the inn and respectfully give it to her. When they already guess the little girl is from a powerful family, she chose an ordinary manor to rent for two days. The fat lady on the little girl's side pay it with silver and gold coins giving it one by one to the employee of the inn like she really didn't want to give it away.
Meixiang's group entered and exited the lounge quietly leaving those groups of men inside in an awkward silence.
The manor Meixiang chose is indeed ordinary. Those expensive manors available in the catalog are with a reason of the location which is with abudant qi good for cultivation. Aside from the reason they didn't have much time to cultivate inside the manor, they have spiritual water and fruit, and beast cores to improve their cultivation.
After everyone picked their own room inside the manor, they proceed on their usual meeting area-the dining area.
When everyone entered the dining room, Meixiang is already sitting munching her snacks while Mother Tian with the help of Xiao Feng and Xiao Ling are already setting the dining table for lunch.
Everyone look at the sight with complicated gaze as the two puppets covered with black cloth like they are shadow guards only revealing their eyes, carefully putting the foods on the table. Their faces are more complicated when they thought the abilities of these puppets are only put in vain to do this menial works. This six months, they haven't used to this sight knowing the puppets' cultivation level.
Because Meixiang's cultivation risen in the past twelve months, these puppets can already achieve stage sixth as a martial artist and also with fire and light magic, and the rest didn't change. They also upgraded a lot in terms of the time they can use and their recovery. If before they can use up to 1hr and needs to recharge them for 3hrs, now they can already take 4hrs and only 2hrs to recharge.
These combat partners are not only good in fighting but also good in menial jobs. Mother Tian and Old Leng, who had now two puppets as assistance, are highly satisfied with their performances. Just a pity these puppets are restrained in entering other facility inside the sacred book, if they can only go to the library, Shi Jinhai would be the happiest. The books are also restrained in leaving the library so passing the secretary job to the puppets is an unachievable dream of Shi Jinhai.
Knowing Mother Tian and Old Leng have two puppets each as their assistants while all of them only have one, Bai Zihan can only sigh. Even General Tian who have three at first have only one now when they upgraded and be able to reach sixth stage of martial art peak level.
Tian Ling have the most complicated feelings among them.
Ping Lei who also didn't own a puppet didn't mind. These puppets can only do menial jobs aside from being a combat partner, they can't help him in practicing his Master Refiner.
When everyone was already seated, Meixiang, after munching the last piece of her snacks, said, "Auntie, have a seat first. Let Xiao Ling and Xiao Feng set the table." Mother Tian follow.
In a lazy manner, Meixiang calmly said, "Months from today, an Acient Beast is about to be born inside the White Forest of Wei Kingdom. Brother Ji..." she turns her head towards Xian Ji. "...you have to contract that Ancient beast."
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Xian Ji recovered first from the gaze of Meixiang, "I--if.." cough "if...Little Xiang said then--then Brother Ji will do his best."
Meixiang nodded satisfied "Good." Meixiang not caring her subordinate's weird faces continued to explain. "Contracting that Ancient Beast is not our only goal in going here. Aside from training and cultivating inside the White Forest we are going to look for powerful beasts that we have to contract with."
"Brother Ji, I said before that after you risen your cultivation to stage three I will teach you a special beast taming technique." Xian Ji nodded. "It is actually called Art of Ancient Beast Taming. Taming using this technique will increase the cultivation stage of both the person and the beast."
Everyone gasp in shock only to be confuse in Meixing's next words.
"IF. Only if the person and the beast are both dou qi base or have the same element magic."
"Miss?"
They really didn't understood Meixiang's words.
If the person and the beast are both dou qi base or have the same element magic, this new beast taming technique will help them increase their cultivation by one stage?
Isn't a person that can cultivate qi to dou qi can only contract a beast that is also dou qi base? Isn't a person that can cultivate qi to magic qi can only contract a beast that have the same element as he has? If this is the case then why would their young miss say the word 'if' in the first place if there are no other possibilities?
Meixiang smiled and raised her hand to show them her index finger. She removes the interspatial ring that covers the symbol around her index finger. Seeing this, everyone's mind is more in chaos.
Summoner?
"I mentioned before that having a summoner on your side is good but having a summoner who fully knows her advantages on your side is better."
"Everyone knows that a summoner can open a portal to the Phantom World. What everyone didn't know is becoming a summoner can also forcefully open a portal and put a person and a beast with different practice of cultivation or even without cultivation and enter them into a contract."
"But this alone will affect the person's and the beast's cultivation. It will also kill a person and a beast without cultivation to death using this method."
Everyone swallows back their amazement and gulp with fear.
"But..." Meixiang said with a smile. "...but it is different with the help of the Art of Ancient Beast Taming."
Everyone, after some seconds, realize what their young miss' words.
"Little Xiang, you mean your Brother Ling can also contract a beast?" Tian Ling excitedly asked. With Meixiang's nod he almost run to her little sister and hug her if not only with her mother's fat hands squeezing his wrist with excitment.
"Brother Feng, you are dual element magician so you can contract two beasts. I suggest a water attribute beast to you. Your cultivation on your thunder is at it's best, working with it will add your thunder's lethality. A dou qi base is also good. Your physical respond is slow, if an opponent would attack you in a short range, your magic would be too late to protect you."
"Uncle Tian, the lethality of your attacks are great not only because of you practicing dou qi but your technique gave a great damage to your opponents. But because of this technique of yours, your speed is not great. Your short range attacks will be useless if you can't close the distance with your opponent. I suggest a wind attribute beast to Uncle."
"Brother Zihan, although your techniques are lighter than before that affects the lethality of your attacks, your natural agility improved. Though these new figthing technique have lesser damage unlike before, as long as you cultivate more the lethality of your attacks will increase as your dou qi increases. Contracting a dou qi base beast tamed using Ancient Beast Taming technique will increase your cultivation, this will also increase your attack's lethality. You can also try to contract a fire, thunder, or dark magic beasts, contracting them wouldn't increase your cultivation but will add the lethality of your attacks. The latter will bring you a long term benefit."
"Brother Chen, you are a water magician. Next to light which really can't bring damage, water is next with a least lethality among the elements. On the other hand, dark magic's lethality is the best among the seven elements. Although dark magic beasts are rare we will try our best to find one. Next good candidate to be your contract beast is with a thunder attribute. Water and thunder elements are good combinations."
"Brother Lei, you can't increase your stage of cultivation for now. If you find a dark magic beast to be your contractual beast then you can contract it without taming it using the ancient beast taming technique. If you find a beast that isn't a dark attribute then it is still possible using my summoning ability and the ancient beast taming technique, you can still contract a beast. Your dark magic's lethality is already the best. You already know what's good for you."
"Brother Ling---" Meixiang seeing his Brother Ling's eager face, his both eyes are shining brightly, and his thin lips are pressed to restrain himself from talking. "---you must already have an idea of the contract beast suitable to you?"
Tian Ling when he saw Meixiang asking him he excitedly state what's in his mind, "Hehehe at first I thought of a light attribute beast so I can also have an assistant in healing patients using it but I had a second thought. Our Little Xiang is already a light attribute magician and if we encounter a problem that needs a light magic then Little Xiang will always be there. Also light magic can't protect me. Because I'm a weak young man without a protection powerful puppets like Mother's and Old Leng's then I want a dark attribute beast on its ninth stage peak level!!"
Everyone's eyes twitch. Look at how brave and shameless this dumbass!
"Hmm. Anything Brother Ling's wish."
Tian Ling nodded many times as he could and smile silly his mind full of imagination.
Meixiang turn her head and look at Xian Ji again. "Brother Ji, we will stick to the old plan. The ancient beast will be your contract beast."
Everyone's face had a crack after being reminded of this ancient beast. Especially Tian Ling.
Yes! Why didn't he think of an ancient beast? What dark magic beast! What ninth rank! In front of an ancient beast this is like an ant okay!
Tian Ling and Bai Zihan curse Xian Ji for being too lucky too many times on their heads but suddenly froze when they heard their Little Xiang's next words.
"Lastly, Auntie and Old Leng. The both of you are weak and not young anymore. Meixiang will try her best to look for a divine beast. Ancient beast is also good."
Damn it! They forget these two local tyrants with body of koi god and goddess!!!
"Hmm. These are just my suggestions but if there is a special circumstances or encounter a great opportunity then grab it." waving her hand lazily she said in a leisure manner, "Now let's eat."