Beast Tamer: I can extract blood

Chen Jiuge wasn't entirely sure what the Yue family's true intentions were in inviting him.

However, it is a fact that the Yue family has declined; at least, the Yue family is far from being a match for the Yun family.

Although the Yue family was a behemoth to him, since they had sent an invitation, he figured there wouldn't be any danger.

After all, even if they wanted to get rid of him, they would have to do it secretly, otherwise it would be another slap in the face to the Yun family, and the Yue family is now the least worthy of the Yun family.

The following evening, Chen Jiuge changed into a rather luxurious outfit, boarded a carriage, and headed to the banquet venue—Swan Lake!

Speaking of Swan Lake, we must mention an interesting little story.

Originally, Swan Lake was just an ordinary lake, but its environment was quite nice and it was loved by some residents on the outskirts of the lake. However, one day, an injured black swan landed in Swan Lake.

No one knows what kind of ferocious beast this black swan is. All that is known is that since the black swan appeared in the lake, the concentration of spiritual energy in this area has been increasing, the energy of the underworld has been suppressed to the extreme, and various different species of swans have begun to appear in the lake.

These swans are top-notch in both appearance and taste.

Subsequently, the land was purchased by a mysterious force within the inner circle, and the first Swan Tower was built on the lake.

However, compared to the name Swan Tower, others prefer to call it Swan Lake.

"That's quite an interesting little story!"

A hint of doubt flashed in Chen Jiuge's eyes.

Twilight City is one of the ten major cities in the Twilight Realm, and its protective formation is the most advanced in the entire Twilight Realm. It is already incredible that an injured black swan could appear in the outer lake without any warning!
"So what exactly is that black swan?"

While I was pondering, we arrived at Swan Lake.

A light mist rises from the lake, giving one the feeling of being in a fairyland.

The occasional calls of swans are crisp and melodious, making it hard not to be captivated by them.

"Good evening, sir!" The beautiful maid wore a formulaic smile, which was sweet but too stiff.

After handing over the invitation, the maid's smile became much more genuine!
"So you are the distinguished guest invited by Lord Yue. Please follow me!"

Following behind the maid, watching her swaying, beautiful figure, Chen Jiuge had no interest in anything else; instead, he was somewhat surprised: "Lord Yue?"

"Could it be that the Yue family bought Swan Lake?"

Chen Jiuge was somewhat puzzled. The black swan that could only come to the outer lake without disturbing the city's protective formation was clearly not an ordinary ferocious beast, and its strength far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.

The Swan Lake where they settled must be extraordinary. How could the Yue family, a once-powerful clan that has declined so much, possibly manage to take it all on its own?
Or perhaps the powerful clans within the inner circle of the black swan had figured it out and found it to have no special value, which is why they gave it to the Yue family.

"Sir, here we are!"

The maid bent slightly, revealing a glimpse of her snow-white chest, indicating that they had arrived at their destination.

"Thank you!"

Pushing open the door, Chen Jiuge expected the banquet to be very lively, but there was only one person inside!

With his half-black, half-white hair and refined appearance, Yue Zexuan stood up to welcome him, saying, "Master Chen, I've heard so much about you. Meeting you for the first time, you are indeed extraordinary!"

Chen Jiuge was somewhat speechless. Was this considered extraordinary?

With his handsome features and white robe, he could be described as a dashing young man, but for someone from a prominent family like Yue Zexuan, he should be quite ordinary!
"You're too kind!"

“Master Chen, my name is Yue Zexuan. I invited you here today because there are some small matters we need to discuss,” Yue Zexuan said with a smile.

"Little things?"

Chen Jiuge pulled out a chair, plopped down, and said, "The Yue family is looking for someone because of the Hundred Beasts Pavilion, right?"

"Master Chen is indeed wise!"

Yue Zexuan put away his smile and asked, "What does Master Chen think of this Swan Lake?"

Although he didn't know what Yue Zexuan meant by those words, Chen Jiuge said truthfully, "From a scenic point of view, it is a tourist paradise; from a commercial point of view, it is a treasure trove!"

"A very fair assessment!"

Yue Zexuan said with a serious expression, "Master Chen is very capable. Even the Chen family, which has been entrenched in the ferocious beast industry for many years, I believe they cannot find many beast tamers who can compare with Master Chen!"

"I believe that Master Chen has been in Twilight City for so many years and should have some understanding of the situation. The Yun family is not a good place for Master Chen."

Chen Jiuge frowned slightly and said, "Could it be the Yue family?"

"At least it's more suitable than the Yun family, isn't it?"

“But as far as I know, the Chen family has more research on ferocious beasts than the Yue family, and the Yue family’s power is not comparable to either the Yun family or the Chen family!” Chen Jiuge retorted calmly.

"But isn't it all the same for Master Chen?"

"Whether it's my Yue family, the Yun family, or the Chen family, none of them are beyond Master Chen's comprehension!"

"Master Chen, your abilities are indeed quite impressive, and you can bring huge profits to your family, but how can they compare to the main industries that each family has cultivated for many years?"

“Before, with Yunyan’s protection, you could be a beast tamer in peace, but now Yunyan is gone. As far as I know, she is trapped in a small world. I don’t know the specifics of that small world, but Yunyan was in the third batch of teams to enter. The first two teams were completely wiped out, their life souls extinguished, and not a single piece of information was sent back!”

"I know you may be harboring some unrealistic hopes, but the chances of Yunyan returning safely are very slim!"

Hearing news about Yunyan for the first time, and that it was bad news, made Chen Jiuge feel quite unhappy.

"What does 'Yue family' mean? Are they trying to recruit me?"

"That's right!"

Yue Zexuan nodded and said, "Although my Yue family has declined a lot, it is still a family that has existed since the beginning of the city. The foundation of the family is beyond your imagination!"

"At least recruiting and protecting you is still quite simple!"

"As for the terms, whatever the Yun family offers you, our Yue family can provide double. And as your abilities grow stronger in the future, our Yue family can offer even more!"

Yue Zexuan's sincerity was very strong, or rather, the Yue family's sincerity was very strong. Chen Jiuge admitted that he was tempted, but when he thought of Master Yun Qi who had been watching him, Chen Jiuge couldn't help but fall silent.

Shaking her head slightly, Chen Jiuge refused, "No way!"

Although he refused verbally, his fingers quickly left a line of text on the table.

Yue Zexuan's pupils contracted slightly: "What a pity. This is my message. Master Chen, you can let me know when you've come to your senses!"

"No need, I will never betray the Yun family!"

After saying that, Chen Jiuge turned and left, leaving Yue Zexuan with a livid face.

After a long while, the gate closed.

Yue Zexuan's expression returned to calm, but a hint of confusion appeared on his refined face: "Is someone from the Yun family watching him?" "That shouldn't be the case. The Yun family mainly researches bio-armor and doesn't study ferocious beasts. Why would they be watching him?"

"Could it be that"

Thinking of a rumor from hundreds of years ago, Yue Zexuan couldn't help but shudder: "Could it be that the Yun family has really developed biological implants?"

Bio-armor was a research project of the Yun family back then. Bio-armor is actually a kind of strange magic weapon that can greatly enhance the individual strength of cultivators and even allow them to fight across levels.

The effect was already quite astonishing, but the biological implant proposed by the Yun family was even more outrageous.

Not only does it have a stronger amplification effect, it also allows the implant to cultivate like a living person, and can even nurture another clone of the cultivator. Even if the main body perishes, it can be resurrected on the implant!

However, this outrageous biological implant was not successfully researched, and even a major accident occurred. Yunyan's parents suffered an accident at that time, which damaged their foundation and prevented them from continuing their cultivation, which led to Yunyan's birth.

"Right, bio-armor must be made of living things, so aren't ferocious beasts the most suitable candidates?"

Thinking about the impact of the Yun family's research on bio-engineered equipment, Yue Zexuan felt a chill run down his spine. This was an extremely terrifying thing for the Yue family, and even for other aristocratic families. Twilight City could not afford to have another top family.

"Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I still need to report what needs to be reported!"

"Reaching a cooperation agreement with Chen Jiuge can be considered a good start!"

As an elder who had been assigned to the outer circle for many years, Yue Zexuan decided to let the old folks in the family worry about these troublesome matters, and he only needed to take care of Swan Lake.

The carriage slowly drove along the road, and pedestrians scrambled to make way, even the seemingly unruly hunters.

"My lord, you haven't been wronged, have you?" Lie Guang asked cautiously.

"Huh?" Chen Jiuge was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "What kind of grievances could I possibly encounter!"

"That's good. I noticed that the adult didn't look too good after he came out!"

"It's nothing, I just ran into some troubles."

"By the way, Lieguang, do you know who's behind Swan Lake?"

Lie Guang shook his head and said, "This subordinate does not know, sir. You know that I was just an ordinary person in the inner circle before. This prosthetic body modification was done with a loan. How could I possibly know about the outer circle?"

"Too."

The third floor of the Hundred Beasts Pavilion.

Lying on the soft bed, Chen Jiuge, unusually, did not engage in cultivation and chose to empty his mind.

Over seven years, Chen Jiuge broke through from level three to level six. Although a lot of resources were used to assist his cultivation, his own efforts were also indispensable.

"Should we seek refuge with the Yue family?"

Chen Jiuge was actually quite tempted. The conditions offered by Yue Zexuan were very attractive, and the Yue family was indeed a very good choice for Chen Jiuge.

The Chen family are experts in ferocious beasts, with many powerful beast tamers. Over the years, they have accumulated countless powerful ferocious beasts, which is something Chen Jiuge cannot shake in just a few years.

The Yun family is the complete opposite of the Chen family. They have no research on ferocious beasts at all. Although Chen Jiuge's joining fills a gap in the Yun family's knowledge, the Yun family will not pay too much attention to Chen Jiuge.

No, it's more accurate to say that most people don't pay much attention to Chen Jiuge. But Yun Qiye from Yuncheng is different; his attention to Chen Jiuge is extraordinary.

Only the Yue family, a family that is on the decline, is the most suitable for Chen Jiuge.

"Putting everything else aside, although Yunyan can't come back now and the chances of her coming back in the future are slim, she is still alive. If I switch allegiance to the Yue family now, I will not only be met with hostility from Yuncheng, but it would also be a troublesome matter if Yunyan really comes back."

As for the Yue family's claim that they could protect him, Chen Jiuge was somewhat skeptical.

The Yue family definitely believed that the Yun family wouldn't go to great lengths for a mere beast tamer. This essentially meant putting their life in the Yun family's hands, which Chen Jiuge couldn't accept.

If direct reliance on them is not feasible, then cooperation is the only option.

"Cooperation shouldn't be a big problem, but it needs to be kept within a reasonable range. We can't let cooperation cause damage to the Hundred Beasts Pavilion's business."

"On the premise of stabilizing the business of the Hundred Beasts Pavilion, we will cultivate some more ferocious beasts for cooperation with the Yue family!"

Chen Jiuge's thoughts gradually became clearer.

"drop"

Activating the Mechanical Heart, Chen Jiuge began researching the Yue family's information.

The beast industry is one of the main pillars of the Yue family, and simple information can be found directly from the Mechanical Heart, which is quite convenient.

"moonlight?"

"The ferocious beasts bred by the Yue family primarily absorb the essence of moonlight? Are they suitable for nighttime combat?"

Chen Jiuge now understands why the Yue family was willing to offer such great benefits to get him to join them.

Because the flaws and advantages of the ferocious beasts bred by the Yue family are too obvious.

Suitable for nighttime combat, but with average frontal combat power, it is suitable for surprise attacks. On the contrary, the Blood Dragon cultivated by Chen Jiuge is best suited for group combat and frontal battles, which can perfectly make up for the Yue family's lack of spirit beasts.

"However, I can't cooperate with the Yue family like this, or it will be easy for others to notice something is wrong."

"I can enhance the existing abilities of the Yue family's beasts, focusing primarily on stealth and speed."

Thinking of this, Chen Jiuge couldn't help but place an order on Mechanical Heart, purchasing ten of the ferocious beasts that the Yue family was currently selling—Moon Shadows!
Moonshadow is one of the best-selling ferocious beasts in the Moon family, and the strong rise of the Hundred Beasts Pavilion has not had much impact on it.

The reason is that the Moonshadow is a humanoid ferocious beast with snow-white skin and delicate features. Apart from the tail behind its rear end that is like a sharp blade, the Moonshadow is not much different from humans!

Most of the buyers were wealthy men, but Chen Jiuge didn't know, nor did he want to know, their reasons.

"The Moonshadow's main ability is to launch surprise attacks. They are very fast, and even faster under the moonlight. Their stealth ability is also good. However, their lethality is slightly lacking. They are suitable for assassination, but not suitable for assassination."

"If I could enhance the Moonshadow's already extremely fast speed, or increase its lethality, the Moonshadow would be even more popular."

"And those who already spent a lot of money to buy the Moonshadow will probably not miss out on the upgraded version of the Moonshadow."

"Let's treat Moonshadow as an experiment. If the Moon family is truly willing to cooperate, we can also gain more resources."

Besides guarding against Yuncheng, another purpose of cooperating with the Yue family was to gain more resources and cultivate their own subordinates.

Despite the respectful attitude of Lie Guang and the others towards Chen Jiuge, they are ultimately just members of the Yun family. If things really break down between them, they won't stand on his side.

“The Cold Serpents are loyal to me, but the Yun family has also done them a great deal of favor. Although they can be trusted, they cannot be completely trusted.”

"Oh right, there's one more person!"

A glint of light flashed in Chen Jiuge's eyes, and he suddenly remembered someone he hadn't seen in a long time.

"If it's him, he must harbor considerable resentment towards the Yun family, which could be exploited." (End of Chapter)