Change jobs, pet beast!

Eel soup... Jiang Mo smacked his lips, savoring the delicious taste.

Like the popular salad, this is also a one-star wonder food.

If eating loach alone yields a 100% nutritional benefit, then cooking it into this dish easily raises that figure to 200%.

Especially suitable for the developmental stage of pet cubs.

When humans consume it, it strengthens their constitution, nourishes their vital energy, and fortifies their muscles and bones.

However, the ingredients are incomplete and the process is quite complicated, so I can forget about it for the next few days. I have to go back to Kujing Village to get it done.

"Old Crane, it's getting late, we should find a place to spend the night."

"I was just about to say something, but my stomach is growling. Let's go camp and roast some venison..."

All night without incident.

The next morning, Jiang Mo and He Zhifeng packed their bags and set off again.

As noon approached, a moss bird flew overhead, and Jiang Mo gazed at it with a slightly burning look in his eyes.

"Dual elemental affinity for earth and wood, moderate bloodline, and the ability to fly—it's hard not to be tempted."

"It's a pity that the shotgun can't fly, and it's impossible for it to accurately hit its target with a fireball," the old crane lamented.

"Yeah, it's all the trolls' fault," Jiang Mo said with a laugh.

"Waaah..."

Firehound's eyes widened. "You're just taking advantage of me because I can't talk. The day I get stronger, my fire will turn into wings and I'll make you eat shit!"

"Hmm, a new candidate has appeared. Lurking in the mud, with a small horn on its head and sunken eyes... Could it be a 'One-Horned Blind Snake'?"

Because the silt was too thick, completely obscuring the pet, the data panel was not displayed in Jiang Mo's pupils.

However, in the three-dimensional image mapped from the mind's perspective, the pet's body structure and true size are clearly visible.

Jiang Mo took out a topographical map, drew a second stroke heavily, pondered for a moment, and still chose to leave.

There's no need to alert them.

Jiang Mo had already thought it through. He would spend the next three days searching, noting down any targets that met his criteria, and then make a formal decision on the fourth day.

"The fog has lifted; it looks like the whole afternoon will be sunny."

"Young master, look over there! A huge group of mud penguins are chattering away, it's quite a lively scene."

Jiang Mo looked in the direction of the sound and saw a stretch of dark brown and dark yellow mud on the soft, wet swamp. A group of mud penguins huddled together, varying in height, rubbing against each other, like a bunch of moving yellow mud balls.

The older penguins shielded their chicks with their bodies, their muddy bellies pressed together, looking utterly adorable.

The little penguins, slightly larger than chicks, stomped through the soft mud, splashing mud everywhere.

Some children playfully slid down the slightly higher mud slopes, their fuzzy yellow bodies leaving trails of varying depths as they skimmed across the mud. They would roll around on the bottom, pushing and shoving each other, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

[Species]: Mud Penguin (Wild)

[Bloodline Rank]: Mountain and River Beasts (Lower Grade)

[Life cycle]: infancy stage

[Attribute]: Earth/Water

[Job Title]: Unemployed

[Work Experience]: Not currently employed

After gazing into the distance for a while, Jiang Mo's lips curled up slightly, like a breeze caressing the surface of a lake, a gentle and serene smile.

These little creatures are carefree and innocent, seemingly untouched by the turmoil of the world. This simple and pure way of life is sometimes truly enviable.

"Young master, why does that penguin on the far right seem to be isolated? No little penguins seem willing to play with it?"

He Zhifeng stroked his beard and watched with a smile, then suddenly let out a soft exclamation, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Jiang Mo slightly shifted his gaze and quickly locked onto the target.

Indeed, there was a little penguin that was clearly not yet an adult, standing all alone on the edge of the soft mud a little further away, looking particularly lonely even as the wind swept by.

Its companions, embracing and playing, passed by it, ignoring it completely, as if they couldn't see it.

Happiness has nothing to do with it.

The liveliness has nothing to do with it.

The little guy, seemingly forgotten by the world, occasionally glances up and watches the penguins of the same age rolling around and rubbing their feathers together, his eyes filled with envy.

But it can only hide by the mud and grass, drooping its small fins and curling up its tiny body, slowly playing with the wet mud under its feet to kill the boring time.

"That shouldn't be the case. Mud penguins are always united. There's no reason for them to bully a baby."

"This little guy is a whole size bigger than the other penguins, and doesn't look sick at all, but he's so dirty, his feathers are all covered in mud..."

Jiang Mo also found it strange.

Individually, mud penguins belong to the weakest tier of the lower classes; they would be unable to survive in nature without living in groups.

Why isolate this little guy?

Could it be from another group? That's possible. I've heard that mud penguins don't easily accept chicks from other groups; they're quite inflexible...

With nothing else to do, Jiang Mo focused his attention once more on the isolated mud penguin.

[Species]: Mud Penguin (Wild)

[Bloodline Rank]: Mountain and River Beasts (Superior)

[Life cycle]: infancy stage

[Attribute]: Earth/Water/Mysterious

[Job Title]: Unemployed

[Work Experience]: Not currently employed

Jiang Mo: "?"

What's going on?

He was just a little curious, and with a casual glance, what did he see?

Mountains, rivers, and wild beasts—superior quality!

Attributes: Earth, Water, Mystery!

"Young master, we can still walk at least five more miles before dark. How about we explore in that direction?"

He Zhifeng had already turned his attention away and stopped paying attention to the mud penguins.

In his view, while it's pitiful for the isolated and unfortunate, what does it have to do with them?

In any case, the mud penguin could never be a potential contract target for the young master.

The young master's safety net plan is at least the level of the Spiny Mud Crab and the Unicorn Blind Snake.

If luck comes his way and he can find a top-tier one... then he will bring his trolls and spare no expense to help the young master subdue him!

"Old Crane..."

Jiang Mo moved her lips, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

He couldn't possibly expose his special abilities on his own initiative—not that he didn't trust Lao He, but this was a world of the extraordinary, and rashly revealing his abnormality would not only fail to protect him, but would also drag those around him into danger.

"Old Crane, I'm a little interested in this mud penguin. Let's get closer and observe it for a while longer, there's no rush to leave," Jiang Mo said tactfully.

He Zhifeng was surprised, and immediately changed his words: "Young Master, I will do as you say."

Jiang Mo nodded, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

Then, like thieves, they stealthily approached the mud penguins' territory.

Just then—

The sky above the swamp suddenly darkened, and a ferocious black shadow tore through the sky, crashing down with a gust of wind.

The cheerful chirping abruptly ceased, replaced by a chorus of startled cries and mournful wails.

Whether they were big penguins or little penguins, they all stumbled and scattered in all directions, turning their warm and huddled group into chaos in an instant.

"cracking!!"

The attacker flapped its wings and howled, its broad wings sweeping across like heavy whips, overturning countless mud penguins to the ground, causing the mud to churn and panic to boil over.

A little mud penguin, who had just been hiding under its father's feathers, preening itself and enjoying the warmth.

Its wings swept diagonally, its sharp beak darted like a stab, its round eyes were filled with fear, yet it couldn't even utter a mournful cry, and was swallowed whole alive.

"Goodness, a giant skuas, what a murderous intent!"

"Young Master, let's hide here and not go any closer, it's too dangerous over there!"