Chapter 19: Three Years

The next day, under the guidance of the Silver Fox, Long Yin quickly reached the source of the stream. Gazing at the silvery waterfall before him, with its myriad splashes, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, Long Yin could not recall ever seeing such a scene before and could only ignore the persistent feeling that circled in his heart.

Glancing back at the path he had taken, Long Yin had to admit that this was indeed a shortcut; following the stream upstream had merely led him along endless detours. In the end, Long Yin promised the Silver Fox that, no matter how desperate for food he became, he would never eat it. The Silver Fox, elated, took its leave.

Ever since arriving at this place, Xiao Chui had been unusually quiet, though Long Yin wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. After nearly three months, they had finally reached the stream's source. Through the hazy water, Long Yin could vaguely see the shapes of fish swimming below. He pulled Xiao Chui in front of him, ready at last to put a long-standing idea into practice: “Xiao Chui, try giving a roar. If you can scare up a few big fish, I’ll treat you to a special meal tonight!”

Xiao Chui’s round eyes brightened for a moment but immediately began to shake his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

“Aw-aw~” — No roaring!

No? With a sudden thought, Long Yin asked, “Is there something stronger than you in the lake?”

Xiao Chui nodded emphatically.

“How strong?”

“Aw-aw~” — Very strong!

Well, it was probably impossible for Xiao Chui to explain in detail; perhaps it was just the beast's instinctive sense of danger. Long Yin considered for a moment and asked, “Would it attack us?” If so, wouldn't they be in danger?

“Aw-aw~” — No.

Long Yin understood: the presence in the lake was indeed powerful, but it would not attack them, or perhaps considered them too insignificant to bother with. Yet should these insignificant beings provoke its authority, things would certainly be different; who could bear a provocation from an ant?

“What a shame about my fish soup,” Long Yin said with regret, watching the fish swim back and forth.

As long as they did not provoke that existence, the place was absolutely safe in another sense. But with his dreams of fish soup dashed, Long Yin lost all interest in staying. Though the scenery was pleasant and the rare clear sky tempting, he was already thinking of moving on—perhaps he could catch a fish or two elsewhere.

Long Yin left, with Xiao Chui trailing behind and frequently glancing back at the lakebed. On the water’s surface, a streak of blue surged. In Xiao Chui’s eyes flashed a trace of fear and reverence; he lowered his body in a respectful bow to that blue shape, his demeanor no different from those low-grade card beasts who submitted to him. Xiao Chui hurried to catch up with Long Yin, a hint of relief on his face—thank goodness the lord wasn’t angered.

Only after Long Yin and Xiao Chui had disappeared into the distance did Kalanen rise from the lake, shifting into human form and sitting lazily on a rock, one leg curled. He gazed in the direction they had gone, lost in thought, then the corners of his lips curved in a faint smile: “How interesting! To think you could make the Chui Mountain Bear couple willingly give up their son as your pet.”

Lying on the cold stone, basking in the only patch of sunlight to reach this place, Kalanen absently played with a lock of his blue hair.

It seemed this little nephew was even more remarkable than he had imagined.

His very first attempt had produced a four-star energy card; it seemed card-making was an innate talent for him. It appeared that the Long family was destined not only to produce formidable card cultivators but also a genius card-maker! How far could this little one go?

Perhaps his unreliable father had never thought that his own grandson, upon coming to the old ancestor’s domain, would suffer no attacks at all, apart from the troubles he brought upon himself. For every branch of the Long family who ever trained here, it had always ended up requiring the card beast branch to mediate. There were only two branches: the card beast and the human, both consisting of very few people, yet each one extremely capable. In their generation, the card beast branch even controlled the Sacred Lake.

Each time he learned more about this human nephew, Kalanen was surprised anew: the first meeting, the discovery of his card-making gift in the little cabin, his effortless taming of an eighth-rank Chui Mountain Bear royal as a pet...

The reason the little nephew had suffered no attacks from card beasts above the eighth rank was due to the Sacred Lake’s protection. But beasts below the eighth rank, with less intelligence, would normally attack. Yet, not a single one had touched him; every night, low-grade card beasts gathered around the little cabin, some even sneaking inside, but every time they saw the sleeping boy, they would turn away, unable to bring themselves to do harm. After watching for days, even the most violent storm wolves could not lay a paw on him. Kalanen surmised that his nephew possessed an extraordinary affinity with card beasts—perhaps more than he had yet discovered, but even so, it was a terrifying ability.

For all beasts below the eighth rank to be so reluctant to hurt him—such a discovery astonished Kalanen. Though he himself could exert such pressure with ease, commanding even ninth-rank beasts, that was only the natural advantage of high over low; it was nothing compared to the boy’s affinity.

But this rendered any training effect pointless. Kalanen sighed helplessly; this nephew’s abilities were truly remarkable.

Later, seeing the boy finally step outside the cabin, Kalanen decided to kidnap a newborn royal cub from the Chui Mountain Bear clan. For various reasons, he had chosen the royal cub; with another species, war would have broken out at once. But the Chui Mountain Bears, though angered, would not start a fight immediately. He only wanted to cause his nephew a little trouble, not put him in real danger, so the newborn royal cub was the perfect target.

He tossed the cub outside his nephew’s tent and hid in the shadows to watch what would unfold. But things quickly went beyond his expectations. The royal cub seemed to like his nephew very much, and after tearing open the tent, it circled him constantly. Even the Chui Mountain Bear couple who came in pursuit were stopped by their own child’s roar. Though naturally mild-tempered, they were not to be trifled with—someone had dared kidnap their precious cub, and they would launch a war if necessary. But when they arrived, they were stunned: their precious was safe, yet refused to return with them. No amount of coaxing would change its mind. It actually wanted to be a human’s pet! The couple’s patience was at its end—their child, born an eighth-rank beast, destined to be king, wanted to serve a human? What a joke! But just as their anger peaked, they found that they could not bring themselves to harm the sleeping little human. Their child insisted, so in the end they could only compromise. Perhaps it was just a passing whim?

The Chui Mountain Bear couple left without causing any disturbance. The nephew had gained a valuable eighth-rank beast pet, and seeing the two little ones getting along so well, Kalanen was left speechless.

Kalanen gave up, and even the bear couple soon did the same. Every day, they would secretly check on their precious son; even when bullied, the cub always wore a silly grin. The couple wept inside—he was an eighth-rank beast, the future king, was this really okay? Every day they came with high hopes and left in disappointment, and even Kalanen began to feel a little sorry for them.

After a certain strange morning, the Chui Mountain Bear couple finally gave up completely. As long as their son was willing, serving a human was perhaps not so bad—after all, humans lived only a few centuries at most. That morning had truly frightened them—their son had tried to roast himself as food for the boy! Fortunately, it was only a threat, and when they saw the unusual cunning their son displayed, so unlike the Chui Mountain Bear’s honest nature, they were left speechless. They began to pity the little human instead. They would often bring food for their son, but he always rejected it, claiming it tasted awful and only ate the human’s food.

Well, their son was growing fast; it showed that he was thriving with the human. After that, their visits became less frequent. With the years, they learned to let go; sending their son to train for a few centuries was perhaps the best. With that temperament, he was unlikely to suffer losses.

The Chui Mountain Bear couple’s retreat made Kalanen reevaluate his nephew anew.

The sunlight grew harsher. Kalanen lazily opened his eyes, having understood one thing—these next three years would be incomparably peaceful.

Yes, incomparably peaceful.

Three years passed in a flash.

Long Yin could now come and go freely in the vast forest. By the second year, he was already able to draw five-star energy cards. In the final months of the third year, feeling his S-rank spiritual power reaching its limit, Long Yin went mad—practicing day and night, ceaselessly save for meals and necessities. He lost count of how many five-star cards he produced, but at last, he broke through, reaching SS-rank spiritual power.

At the moment of breakthrough, Long Yin devoured three roast rabbits and four roast chickens, then slept for three days straight. He only woke on the fourth morning, feeling thoroughly refreshed in both mind and spirit. Noticing Xiao Chui was absent—likely out somewhere—Long Yin didn’t mind and lazily strolled to the stream. He stripped off his clothes, letting the clear water reflect his thin figure. He had come here at a little over four years old; now, three years later, he was seven. He wasn’t yet a meter tall. With a sigh, he admitted that, compared to other children his age, he was already considered tall. Wading into the stream, he splashed the icy water over himself, sighing in pleasure. After washing, he felt invigorated.

Whenever he caught his own reflection while dressing by the stream, Long Yin couldn’t help but frown. His features were becoming more and more striking—not feminine, but too exquisitely beautiful, too eye-catching. With a kick at the water’s surface, he turned away, unwilling to look at his own appearance—a troublesome thing.

In his previous life, he had a more masculine, handsome face. Now, his features were so delicate, his brows and eyes like a painting, he felt uncomfortable. Brushing the hair from his temples, Long Yin let out a soft sigh—if this continued, his face would soon become unpresentable.

Returning to the cabin, Long Yin was surprised to see Cassano, who was smiling at him.

“Grandfather?”

“Yes, yes, come here, dear boy, let me have a look at you… You’ve grown so tall already…” Cassano looked at Long Yin with a face full of excitement.