Baili Town

The jade talisman was specially designed by the Beast master Bureau for Beast masters like Leon, who were under a guilty sentence. It came as a pair, known as the "Parent-Child Talisman." Leon carried the Child Talisman, while the Parent Talisman remained at the Bureau.

The Parent Talisman could sense the Child Talisman's location and, when activated, would send a signal to summon people like Leon to report for missions—tasks they had to complete to atone for their crimes.

"By my count, it's been seven or eight days," Leon muttered.

He grabbed a needle, pricked his fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall onto the Child Talisman on his chest. The talisman absorbed the blood and instantly quieted down.

That was merely a response. Now, Leon had three days to report to the nearest branch of the Beast master Bureau. If he failed, he would be deemed a fugitive.

Glancing at the darkening sky, Leon quickly ate something and lay down to sleep.

Even the most energetic young man needed proper rest after several days of intense work to replenish his energy.

The next morning, Leon woke up early. To avoid causing concern over his sudden absence, he informed Bernal before grabbing a map and leaving Mo Family Village.

After crossing a few mountains, he stopped at a relatively tall one.

It was "relatively" tall because its summit was flat and unnaturally barren, clearly shaped by human hands. On one edge of the expansive flat area stood a conspicuous small tower.

"This should be the place," Leon said.

He compared the red circle marked on his map with the prominent tower nearby and then tucked the map away.

The branch he was registered at was in Yanmen City, a hundred miles from Yandu. Known as "the Gateway to Yandu," Yanmen was not as prosperous as the capital but was still a major hub, home to numerous powerful beast masters. There was no need for minor players like Leon there.

If they couldn't handle the problem, Leon certainly wouldn't be of any help.

Instead, Leon's destination was a small city called Baili Town, the only town in the vast mountain range surrounded by small villages.

The name "Baili Town" came from its unique geographical location—it was no more than a hundred miles from any nearby village.

Even so, covering dozens of miles was already a daunting distance for Leon.

Walking was out of the question, and relying on Titan wasn't practical either.

Not only was Titan too small to serve as a mount, but the thought of burning through spirit stones made Leon wince.

This otherworld had its own methods, though.

Leon took out a fire starter, climbed the tower, and lit a brazier at the top.

He wasn't sure what fuel the brazier contained, but once ignited, it produced thick black smoke that rose straight into the sky without dispersing.

Leon stood on the tower, waiting.

He had timed his awakening precisely, so he didn't have to wait long. Soon, a black dot appeared on the horizon, rapidly growing in Leon's view.

As it drew closer, Leon saw that it was a giant raptor, its body stretching over twenty to thirty zhang. Its eyes were sharp, and its sleek, black feathers gleamed like steel, covering vast distances with each beat of its wings.

Leon: …

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Leon was still at a loss for words.

As a former noble in Yandu, he was familiar with common spirit beasts.

The bird in the sky was an Ironfeather Roc, a high-tier spirit beast with a sixth-grade strength upon reaching adulthood. It had a significant chance of breaking through its bloodline limitations to reach the seventh grade, capable of crushing most spirit beasts.

Judging by its size, the Roc was clearly fully grown, its sharp gaze surveying the land, exuding the air of a sovereign of the skies.

However...

"Two spirit stones!" The Roc landed, and a middle-aged man on its back looked at Leon expressionlessly. "Three if you want a round trip."

A sixth-grade spirit beast... running a passenger service?

Leon's lips twitched. With a heavy heart, he handed over two spirit stones and climbed onto the Roc's broad back. The Roc let out a resonant cry, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky, stirring up powerful gusts.

"I think I underestimated how costly it is to be a beast master…"

Seated on the Roc's back, amidst the clouds, Leon raised his brows as he glanced at the driver—a fellow beast master.

Even a sixth-grade beast master had to resort to such gigs to make a living.

The Spirit Province was more competitive than he had imagined. He needed to complete his atonement quickly, regain his freedom, and work on crafting a stronger mecha if he wanted to secure a foothold.

Still, the transportation cost was outrageous…

Leon looked into his storage pouch—four regular spirit stones and one fire-attribute spirit stone left.

Two spirit stones alone could sustain a village for half a year.

After roughly half an hour, the Ironfeather Roc made several stops to pick up other passengers before finally reaching Baili Town.

Nestled in a valley, this ancient city had walls that, though not towering, stood over ten meters tall. Its scale dwarfed that of small villages like the Mo or Liu family villages by several hundred times.

"Leon, over here!"

As soon as the Roc landed outside the city gates, Leon spotted Beard in the distance.

There was no mistaking him—the man was both rotund and conspicuous, with a monkey perched on his head. Behind Beard stood a young woman in red, whom Leon vaguely recognized as a former inmate of the Bureau's women's prison. Her name, however, escaped him.

The girl had a jet-black cat with three tails trailing behind her.

Leon searched his memory but found no information on this cat, suggesting it was either rare or a bloodline-mutated spirit beast.

"Leon, this is Petty. Her spirit beast can use illusions, and she wants to join us for some missions. I didn't want to decide alone…"

"I'm fine with it," Leon said without hesitation after hearing about the beast's illusion ability.

Low-tier spirit beasts typically had weak mental resistance, making them susceptible to illusions. With such a beast on their team, they could attempt more challenging tasks.

"Thank you."

Petty, who didn't seem to talk much, gave Leon a deep look and nodded.

The trio quickly formed their team and headed to the Beast master Bureau's branch in Baili Town. Along the way, Leon noticed Petty sneaking glances at him, only to hastily look away whenever their eyes met.

Was this the so-called love at first sight?

Leon touched his face and sighed softly.

Whoever said being handsome meant a life without worries?

"See those people in blue robes? They're disciples of the Beast master Bureau. Avoid provoking them…"

Meanwhile, Beard, acting like a local guide, explained the ins and outs of Baili Town to Leon and Petty.

After temporarily regaining his freedom, Beard had nowhere else to go, so he stayed at the town's most expensive inn, living it up over the past few days.

According to Leon's memory, that inn charged one spirit stone per night, not including food or other expenses—an exorbitant sum.

Yet Beard showed no signs of distress over the cost.

Leon also observed Beard's Golden Spirit Monkey, which had grown noticeably stronger in just a few days. Its fur appeared denser and more vibrantly golden, suggesting it had been well-fed.

Beard…

A ridiculously wealthy fat man!

Leon glanced at his storage pouch, then raised his head with firm resolve.

This is a friend worth keeping!