Beastmaster of the Ages

”Anyway, just keep an eye out. They don’t have to be exactly like Elder Bloodtower. Let me know if you find other ways to make money,” Tianming said.

He had originally planned to return to the sun to retrieve cosmic artifacts to sell to the Fiendhunt King, but realized that he still couldn’t afford a grade-four order fragment after estimating the value of those artifacts. They were resources for the people of the sun.

”There are... other ways... to make... money money,” Yin Chen said.

”Why didn’t you say anything?” Tianming glared at it.

”Because it’s... dangerous dangerous,” Yin Chen replied.

”What do you mean?” Tianming asked.

”You’ll have... to treat... other people... for xeno... fatigue fatigue,” Yin Chen replied.

Tianming froze. That was his biggest trump card here in the Xenoabyss, but it was also a most dangerous one!

”I healed Auntie Hua’s xeno fatigue just to give it a try, and I helped the Qi Family because I needed soulstones. I healed Mister Gu because I had no way out at the time....” Those people all had something in common: they were either good people or people Tianming could control.

He had also been very cautious when dealing with Zi Zhen in the beginning. Mister Gu in Commonsky City, who had his own secret, and those in Creektown appeared to have been keeping their promise for the time being.

”News spreads quickly in Antiquitas Capital. Being able to cure xeno fatigue will cause a great sensation once it’s revealed and top experts will be fighting for me as soon as they find out. Although it comes with opportunities, it’ll be extremely dangerous.”

Since he could use Yin Chen to obtain order fragments from people like Elder Bloodtower, Tianming didn’t want to use his unique ability under risky circumstances unless he had to. However, Zi Zhen’s survival was in question. Gritting his teeth, he came to a precarious decision.

”Tell me more.”

”How will... you catch... the tiger... cub if... you don’t... enter the... tiger’s den?” Yin Chen retorted as it turned into a silver scorpion before him.

Tianming smacked its head. ”You keep me guessing when you can’t even speak properly? Give me a suitable target and don’t spare any details. Let me be the one to decide if it’s too dangerous.”

”The shrine... master of... the New... Shrine he’s... a foundationeer!” Yin Chen replied.

”The shrine master? How daring of you to propose I cure a foundationeer! You must have xeno fatigue too.”

Although the New Shrine was an institution for registration, it was also an official body of the Antiquitas Mortis in the Ninth District and had great authority. Mu Ying, the antiquitean who was the shrine master and controlled the Ninth District, was most likely one of the most powerful experts in the Xenoabyss.

”He’s not... sick, but... he’s very... rich! He... has order... fragments fragments!” Yin Chen said.

”How can I get his soulstones and order fragments if he doesn’t have xeno fatigue?” Tianming asked.

A while later, he finally understood the situation. In fact, the shrine master was in a similar predicament as Qi Huan from Creektown. He himself didn’t suffer from xeno fatigue, but his beloved daughter had been afflicted with it a hundred years ago. The beautiful, genius antiquitean had continuously grown weaker over the past hundred years and hadn’t seen anyone for a long time. Once a celebrated figure, she was now almost forgotten. She was rarely mentioned and considered to be dead.

However, Yin Chen told Tianming that Shrine Master Mu had never given up all this time. He would rather lose all of his fortune so his daughter would live more comfortably, so he had been taking care of her for the past hundred years. There were many parents like him in the Ninth District. The difference was that Shrine Master Mu was a top expert, rich and powerful, which made him the perfect target.

”Judging by how much he loves his daughter, I should be able to ask for several top-grade order fragments if I get rid of his daughter’s xeno fatigue. He’s the shrine master. He must have a lot of order fragments! The problem is, he and Qi Huan aren’t the same kind of people. Qi Huan is kind and charitable, while Shrine Master Mu kills without batting an eye. He’s respected in the Antiquitas Capital. If I go to him, he might believe me, but he won’t allow me to leave after seeing what I’m capable of.”

As an antiquitean, Shrine Master Mu was bound to send Tianming to the antiquitean imperials, or even their monarch. If that were to happen, his life would be under their control and he wouldn’t have the freedom to act on his own.

”That path leads to quick wealth, but I might also lose everything!” There would be no way out after falling under the control of someone else, so he needed a safe way to take a bite out of Shrine Master Mu.

”Zi Zhen’s life is at stake. I have to take the risk!” Tianming couldn’t be sure when Qi Hao and Jin Zichuan would compromise.

The motley crew began analyzing their options.

”Just like how you dealt with Gu Tianyue, there can’t be anyone else around you when you’re healing her—only you and Shrine Master Mu’s daughter.” Ying Huo was the only one who would strategize with Tianming. Meow Meow, Lan Huang, and the others either slept or fooled around.

”Let his daughter take a grade-four order fragment and leave her alone with me? The only way that’s possible is if Shrine Master Mu trusts me. But the problem is, who’s going to believe that I can heal her xeno fatigue if I don’t show up? I’ll look like a fraud,” Tianming said.

”Steal the girl and the goods,” Ying Huo laughed.

”Stealing’s fine, but I won’t abduct her. Shrine Master Mu’s daughter is probably over a thousand meters tall,” Tianming said, shaking his head.

”So she might taste better than Auntie Hua.”

”Scram!” Talking to Ying Huo would only infuriate him, so he might as well brainstorm on his own.

After thinking for a long time, Tianming still couldn’t find a way to get Shrine Master Mu to trust him or come up with a suitable environment from which he could escape unharmed after healing his daughter.

”Before that, I have to find someone I can control who’s also known to Shrine Master Mu alone.” Tianming’s eyes lit up.

Zi Zhen was a success story, but he couldn’t present her to Shrine Master Mu.

”Yin Chen, find me a suitable patient!”

It had to be someone Shrine Master Mu knew was suffering from xeno fatigue, and one that Tianming could control at that. It was best no one else knew about it. Of course, that would only be possible if Shrine Master Mu agreed to keep it a secret.

Tianming had treated quite a few people, but Shrine Master Mu was his most risky target by far. News would most likely spread after he was done healing his daughter. However, after much thought, he decided to give it a try.

”I need someone for a ‘case study’ first.” Otherwise, it would be absolutely impossible for Tianming to get Shrine Master Mu to send his daughter to him with a grade-four order fragment worth more than five billion without any evidence. He needed solid proof to convince Shrine Master Mu.