Caw!

A huge white bird with a wingspan of around 10 meters circled in the sky above the Monstrous Flame Peak. The sight of this bird alarmed every person present in the Goldheart Business Group’s Headquarters.

Feng Yan and Chu Kuang ran out, taking command of the scattered Goldheart Guardians. Ikasa also stood by the doors of the Hall of Elders  with Moony nestled in his arms.

All of them panicked when the bird began to descend towards the ground. When it came close to the ground, it abruptly slowed, landing gently in the vast area of the training grounds.

Feng Yan raised his weapon, ready to attack. Chu Kuang arranged the men in a formation surrounding the majestic bird. They kept their distance from the seemingly docile bird, but the pressure alone was enough to keep the men on their toes.

As the bird had come to a stop, they could finally observe it properly. Even when it was sitting, it still towered high over other men. A red crown adorned its head.

From its back, a scholarly man jumped down. He was immediately surrounded by Feng Yan and Chu Kuang. The white bird glared at the men who dared to surround its master.

Before the bird could impale the Sense Trainers with its long beak, the man with his hair tied in a bun calmed it down.

“It’s okay  Beautiful Bai, they mean no harm.” The youth said, patting the bird’s beak. With a meaningful gaze, he also warned Feng Yan and Chu Kuang to back off.

They held their ground but lowered their weapons. The young man finally introduced himself.

“I am He Ling, Fourth Elder of the He Family. Shouldn’t I be welcomed with food and wine instead of weapons and glares?”

His loud voice had reached Ikasa, who immediately approached the scene. Wisely, he had left Moony in the hall lest he cause troubles with the bird.

“Elder He Ling?” Ikasa asked with surprise.

He expected the Fourth Elder to be some stodgy old man, with a shrewd and cunning face. Instead, he was a young scholar in pure white robes and long silky black hair!

Ikasa quickly recovered and put on a smile as he came forward to welcome him.

“I am Ikasa, the owner of the Goldheart Business Group. We did not expect you to arrive so soon; That too on such a magnificent bird! I sincerely apologize for the actions of my men.”

The men put away their weapons and stepped back as Ikasa spoke. His compliment pleased the youthful Elder.

“My Bai Mei is indeed regal.” He said gently combing the bird’s feathers with his fingers.

Then he turned his gaze to Ikasa and looked at him with mild astonishment.

“I did not expect the creator of those incredible manuals to be so young. And yet you have surrounded yourself with these old fogies.”

He Ling spared no time to disparage the older and experienced men Ikasa had gathered with much effort. Feng Yan’s nostrils flared while Chu Kuang hid the frown on his face.

Ikasa suppressed laughter seeing the reactions of the two old men. To prevent this brash man from further insulting them, he decided to lead him inside.

“Old is Gold, Elder He Ling. Come, let’s go inside. Let me treat you to the newest dish prepared by my chef.”

He Ling quickly caught up with Ikasa and followed him to the grand dining room of the Sect.

“Don’t address me as an Elder. It makes me feel old.  We are almost of similar age. So, just call me Big Brother.”

“As you wish, Big Brother.”

Ikasa complied with the wishes of his customer. For him it was the difference between  To-ma-to and To-me-to; both were essentially the same.

Just because he called the scholarly man ‘Big Brother’ does not mean he would give him more discounts.

They entered the dining hall. The spacious room with ample sunlight made the entrants feel warm and welcomed. Tantalizing aroma from the kitchens whetted the appetite of Ikasa and He Ling.

Ikasa led the scholarly man to the central table, previously used by the Sect Master and the Elders. Once they were seated, servants brought in the jar of wine and cups.

Neither touched the wine after taking the first sip.

Ikasa’s taste buds were spoiled by the Black Daniels and Jack Dog whiskeys of the earth. He couldn’t stomach the crude wines brewed in these third tier cities.

He Ling also had higher standards for liquor. He disdained the alcohols prepared without a hint of spiritual energy. And he couldn’t detect any from the jar placed before him.

“Brother Ikasa, if you want I can send you some better Spirit wines.”

He Ling haughtily offered. His glance full of disgust towards the jar let Ikasa know what he thought of the ‘best liquor’ from the cellar of Monstrous Flame Sect.

“Haha! I am ashamed to serve you something you did not like. Next time, I will be sure to serve you something that would suit your tastes.”

Ikasa promised and waved off He Ling’s attitude.

Unlike other transmigrators, Ikasa did not have the brewing methods of various famous alcohols engraved in his mind. However,  he was confident he could procure better quality alcohols from the tier 1 Cities.

In fact he had already placed an order for a few spirit wines. Unfortunately, He Ling had arrived before them.

‘If only there was an Air mail facility that could deliver goods across the Empire…”

Ikasa lamented the lack of amenities he had taken for granted in his previous life. Suddenly, he smelled an opportunity.

‘If there is not one in place, can’t I create one?’

He thought while intently staring at the beautiful crane-like bird sitting outside. He Ling followed his gaze.

“Isn’t she gorgeous?”

He Ling asked, smiling from ear to ear. Ikasa did not miss the immense pride he took in his companion bird. Sensing a chance, Ikasa probed for information.

“She is indeed breathtaking. She should also be very powerful, right?”

Ikasa complimented, causing the smile on the fourth elder’s face to widen.

“She is a Foundation Establishment Stage Beast. I brought her from the Regal Beast Sect for 30 One-Star Spirit Coins.”

“Whoa! 30 One Star Spirit Coins?”

Ikasa genuinely exclaimed with surprise. The price He Ling paid was half of his total number of Spirit Coins in his possession!

“I must say I got quite the bargain. Usually, Red-Crowned Egrets like her cost at least 40 One Star Spirit Coins. Since Bai Mei was still in the Spirit Condensation Stage back then, I got her for 10 coins cheaper.”

He Ling explained, fondly remembering his earlier days with the Egret. Ikasa sighed at the prodigality of the young man.

He also took note of the Regal Beast Sect he mentioned. Since they sold beasts, he may have to deal with them in the future.

While they waited for the food to be served, Ikasa asked more about the profession of Beast-taming.

“Brother He, I have heard that Foundation Establishment Stage beasts are very powerful and prideful. How come your Bai Mei is so obedient?”

Ikasa had first hand experience with Foundation Establishment Beasts. His family had Moony, who was just a child right now, but still had to be treated like a little ancestor. Only people who could make him obey were Hei Ying and himself.

Even then, it was not absolute obedience. However, Bai Mei was very docile and protective of He Ling from what he had seen.

He Ling smiled at the question. He naturally understood Ikasa was fishing for information. The thing was that he did not mind providing a few snippets in exchange for building camaraderie with his potential partner.

“There are numerous ways of taming beasts. You can capture the soul of the beast in a soul shard and effectively turn them into your slave. Usually, beasts tamed this way are very resentful of their masters.”

Ikasa was not satisfied with the answer. He knew that there must be a better way since the Red Crowned Egret did not seem to be resentful of her owner.

“Brother He, I don’t think a compassionate and loving person like you would use this method. So, how did you tame your Egret?”

“Hahaha! Your words are sweeter than the sugar, Brother Ikasa!”

He Ling laughed as he took a sip of water.

“Indeed, I would never use such a barbaric method to control my Bai Mei. The Regal Beast Sect has developed another skill called Spiritual Companionship. It bonds the human and the beast on Spiritual-level. I bonded with Bai Mei using this method.”

Ikasa listened with rapt attention to his words. The entire beast taming aspect was very appealing to him. He had grown up watching Pocket Monsters with other kids in the orphanage.

In his young age, he too wished  for a Charmander or Squirtle or a Bulbasaur. Even after earning a million dollars, that wish was left unfulfilled.

However, in this world of Cultivation, it was possible. Though the beasts would not be the same as his beloved characters, they would have the superpowers and fight for him!

Ikasa’s inner child grew excited at the prospect of possibly taming a beast resembling a Charizard!

He only regretted the lack of a Pokeball!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep