58 Encounter 5 - Disturbance (2/2)
He can only concede to the logical argument, since he himself would not let go of an opportunity such as that.
”Ah, by the way, can you accompany me for the next few days. I need someone to verify if the money and the contract I will receive are legitimate.”
”? From what transaction was it from?”
”Remember about the incident on the entrance, that was because of a mercenary trying to take advantage of the fact I was visiting for the first time, he didn't knew I was a Cultivator so I threatened them to give me compensation. Since this is my first contract, I need someone who can verify it, they might lie to me or pay-less than the agreed price.”
”Alright, anything else?”
”Hmm, is it possible to bring a Heavenly Beast here? I left it outside since it didn't like to come here for some reason, it's still a newborn so leaving it outside is making me worry.”
”Hmm, a newborn, its possible as long as you attach a talisman, deeper in the market there is a shop that sells them with the condition of selling any Heavenly Beast captured alive. I just happen to have one from a long time ago, since I wanted to sell what I could find when I got here. Unfortunately, my group only found a bunch of small fry or beast too powerful for us to handle at the time.”
The slave market is not only limited to selling humans, though they are powerful and large in numbers, the majority of clan chose not to have a powerful Heavenly Beast under their control unless they enough experts to handle it. Between a Cultivator and a Heavenly Beast, the former was stronger by a wide margin.
Since humans only learned how to use Zen Energy and need to cultivate it, there are still inferior to Heavenly Beast who have been born with Zen energy, so their a natural affinity to Zen energy is higher.
Though slow, between the humans that need years for them to cultivate and need to waste endless treasures; Beast only need to eat, sleep and kill higher leveled beast in large quantities to get stronger. But unlike Humans that try to get strong in order to gain fame and wealth for personal gain, Heavenly beast only want to get stronger for far more simpler reasons or desires, like protecting their family or claiming a territory to live in peace.
So the Heavenly Beast they are trying to sell here are all within the lesser Tiers like the wolves that Stigma had met. But the prices of these beast are only available to those who have enough to live in luxury; in other words, only those at the level of the Top four merchants can buy them in bulk.
But newborn Heavenly Beast are high in demand, newborns are hard to find since they are always protected by older kin. Befriending one without forcing, threatening or injuring it is considered a sign of trust for the Heavenly Beast, so Stigma who used the pet owner approach is considered the correct outcome.
As Stigma would protect Kirin without a second thought, Kirin would do the same, since it considers Stigma family or a close companion.
”I have to admit it Stigma, you must be loved by heavens to find and befriend one so easily. The reason why newborns are sought after by all, was due to their nature of forming trust so easily. If you asked a full grown one, then you would need to make tribute to it by making a very disadvantageous deal depending on their level of strength.”
”? Really, I just named mine for the sake of familiarity, I've been on my own so it's nice to have a companion. Is there a difference if you don't name it.”
”Well, naming is like a contract to Heavenly Beast but we call them familiars, they are strong creatures to begin with and the older they become the more they develop in intelligence. Having a contract to them is like a sign of equal footing, they trust you enough that they would risk their live for the bond they shared with you. If you die then the contract is severed and the Heavenly Beast is free to choose a different master.”
Like making an example Felix picked up a shattered cup on the ground and continued with his explanation.
”Also you can't name a beast and make a contract without its consent. If you force it, then...”
Under the continuous pressure of his grip, the cup he held started cracking and eventually shattering into a thousand pieces.
”You get a backlash, is that correct.”
”Exactly, making a contract with a powerful Heavenly Beast is possible for lower Tier Cultivators. But those carry large risk, like angering it when you don't meet the minimum requirements it want's or you might have tiy Zen Energy drained until its satisfied.”
”Like training a with Heavenly Beast Core for Cultivation.”
”!!! Stigma! How did you...did they tell you how to use it.”
”One of my employers told me, don't worry, I know you must have reasons as to why you didn't tell me. If you want, I can sell you the Second Tier Core.”
While shrugging his shoulder, Stigma told him what the older sister told him. The sudden news had Felix silent is information like that is circulated in the underworld then clans are involved. Eventually heaving a sigh of relief, he can't change what happened but at the same time relieved that Stigma didn't held a grudge against him, he wanted to asked what Stigma should do but withheld it for a opportunity to bring Stigma to their side first.
”Stigma here's my offer, I can tell you everything you want to know and get paid at the same time for working for my clan. If you follow me and repeat your process of healing to my clan, then everything will be explained but the clan leader must have a say one this matter before we can proceed.”
”...Alright, but let's talk to my employer first....” Before Felix could say anything, they both overheard someone talk about a disturbance in the forest.
”I'm serious! The forest is dangerous to venture right now!”
????
With the noise coming from outside, Felix heightened his sense while Stigma, whose skill leveled up to the point he can at least see a silhouette of a person, to find out what was going on outside. Both can see one obese man wearing an extravagant blue robe talking to another man holding on to a set of scrolls as he rubbed his chin.
”Listen brother pig, that is just gossip you keep hearing, you and I along with other merchants have yet to venture outside the valley since the first day. All your doing is giving in to the 'group mentality', some risk their lives to earn a living while others choose to exploit others accomplishment or failure for their own amusement. So cease this, you already look like clown wearing those clothes, do you want others to believe your crazy too?”
”I'm serious Senior! I saw it with my own eyes when a hunter told me about a rare find I followed him into the forest at night, near the border was a beast clad in lighting in the forest! Out of a desperate attempt the hunter tried to shoot it but it was too fast! After a few moments it disappears into thin air, but that's not what had me panicked; inside the cave it was living in, we saw a bunch of bodies. We examined each one and found identity tags issued by the top, they were the hunters and merchants that have gone missing for the last few days, the worst part was that we have yet to find out where the other are.”
”...If that's true then we have to report this to the top and send in all the Cultivators to handle it. But to not spread panic among the masses you are to keep your mouth shut, until all of this is confirmed is that to be understood. We don't want to losses anymore profit like the time ofthe storm, so don't you dare be reckless because of you delusions, and that hunter will questioned. Until then, you are to keep your mouth shut, understood.”
”O-of course Senior.”
Eventually their conversation died out, but the sudden news shocked Stigma so he checked his stats and scrolled down to the familiar list. The next thing he saw had caused Stigma's back to shiver, without a second thought he ran out the tent with a mad dash.
”Stigma! What's wrong, where are you going!”
Felix was confused from his sudden departure and followed Stigma who was running at top speed to the entrance. It only took a moment, but Felix saw Stigma's expression that was in great panic, eventually he had missed the guard post telling him to slow down. Felix took the responsibility of paying the guards for both of them by throwing a sac of gold to the captain telling him that he will explain later and ran after Stigma.
'I hope I'm not wrong about this, and I hope I make it in time.'
The reason for the Stigma's sudden departure wasn't due to panic from the realization and description of the beast that match, but from seeing that one of the names listed among his familiar's had turned red, and the name was Kirin's.