Beast Taming: the More the Better

Chapter 603: Chapter 278: The Egg of the Five Saints! He managed to get it after all!_3

“But, whether it’s the hatching or the subsequent cultivation, it’s all very troublesome. Besides, that’s just the theoretical upper limit. When it actually hatches, it might not necessarily reach the true Spirit Saint Level!”

It was rare to see his unreliable old dad speak so seriously.

Su Ping chuckled. “It doesn’t matter. I never intended to contract that so-called Egg of the Five Saints as my own Contracted Beast anyway!”

Su Ping wasn’t lying. He hadn’t even considered it; that kind of Pet Beast didn’t align with his cultivation philosophy.

Su Anyong was taken aback. “You don’t plan to contract it, so you don’t want it anymore?”

“Just because I’m not contracting it doesn’t mean I don’t want it. I’ll take it home and raise it for now. Who knows, maybe later I’ll want to contract it or find some other use for it?”

Su Anyong looked skeptical. Does he even hear what he’s saying? That’s a Pet Beast egg that could potentially reach the Spirit Saint Level, not some Forest Wolf he can just raise however he pleases!

However, Su Ping didn’t respond to him but suddenly said, “Su Anyong, tell me the truth. What Realm are you at now?”

Su Anyong raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask? I’m definitely stronger than you, that’s for sure.”

Su Ping gave this old coot an unfriendly look.

Well, whatever. This old coot was as secretive as an unmarried maiden from ancient times. After all these years, he hadn’t revealed a thing, leaving Su Ping completely unaware of what this old coot’s Contracted Beasts were.

After a pause, Su Ping continued, “In that case, I’ll raise it for now. When you break through to your next Realm and gain more Contracted Beast slots, you can contract it then.”

“I…”

Su Anyong opened his mouth; he hadn’t expected Su Ping to come out with such a statement.

“You…”

Su Ping directly interrupted him. “Su Anyong, has the Rong Family treated you well? Considering your personality, even so many years after Mom’s death, you still seem to be in contact with the Rong Family and on pretty good terms.”

Su Anyong fell silent, then nodded, a trace of reminiscence on his face. “Indeed, they were good. The Old Master wasn’t against your mom and me. Back then, your dad was just a simple soldier, with a status worlds apart from your mom’s.

“To be honest, the first time I visited your mom’s family, I was indeed a bit nervous. I was even prepared to say things like ’fortune changes over thirty years.’ But the Old Master was always supportive.

“After your mom passed away unexpectedly, he was also very supportive of me. He felt apologetic and guilty that I was implicated by the Rong Family and had to leave the Legion.

“Actually, the Old Master has always been good to you. The reason he hasn’t contacted you all these years was also to prevent the Rong Family from affecting your future, as it did mine.

“But this has nothing to do with you. You don’t have to accept the Old Master’s gift just because of me, nor do you need to get unnecessarily entangled with the Rong Family beyond our blood ties…”

Su Ping, however, didn’t seem concerned. “What kind of entanglement is that?”

Su Anyong sighed. “You’re like a newborn calf that doesn’t fear the tiger. Back in those days, the suppression by the various great families, the rise of every new faction in the country—they all climbed up over the corpses of powerful aristocratic families!

“If it weren’t for your Second Master’s connections with Ximo, let alone other matters, it would have been questionable whether your dad could have even kept his military rank, or indeed, his life…

“Nowadays, many people have risen to power through such means. If your appearance becomes linked with the Rong Family, it might stir up talk of an aristocratic resurgence! For you, this could tarnish an otherwise promising future.”

Su Ping smiled. “Let alone what Leng Ye said about times being different now compared to decades ago. Even if it were decades earlier, so what? Dad, let me ask you, if you were a Saint Spirit-level Beast Tamer at that time, would your connections with the Rong Family have affected you?”

Su Anyong was stunned, then became furious, slamming his hand onto the table. “You little rascal, still trying to put on airs with your old man? Are you trying to tell me that you’re now a Saint Spirit-level Beast Tamer? Are you implying that the reason your dad is such a screw-up and got entangled with the Rong Family is purely because he’s incompetent and always looking over his shoulder?”

Just as Su Ping had mustered his youthful arrogance and vigor, Su Anyong slapped it all away. Su Ping instinctively shrank his neck. “That’s more or less what I meant.”

“So that’s what you meant! You little brat, you’re incorrigible! Anyway, I’ll speak to the Old Master and have him revoke his decision. If you don’t want to contract that Egg of the Five Saints, why insist on getting involved in this mess?”

Finding that appealing to emotion and reason was useless, Su Anyong decided to take a hard line.

Su Ping let out a long sigh. “Su Anyong, didn’t you give me Xiao Qing from the Rong Family in the first place? So, if I accept this Egg of the Five Saints and give it to you to contract, wouldn’t that be perfectly reasonable?”

“’Reasonable my foot! A mutated Forest Wolf comparable to the Egg of the Five Saints? Enough of this nonsense. I’m going to find the Old Master.”

“Indeed, they’re incomparable. Perhaps Xiao Qing is even more precious to me. Hey! Don’t go! Wait a minute!”

Su Ping called out to Su Anyong, who was cursing and about to get up, and directly asked him a question, “Su Anyong, let me ask you something. You have to answer me truthfully, swearing on your conscience and on Mom’s spirit in heaven!”

As expected, Su Anyong stopped, his gaze turning hostile as he looked at Su Ping.

“Do you currently lack a Contracted Beast? Or, to put it another way, for Mom’s sake, do you want to contract one of the Rong Family’s patrimonial Five Saints?”

Do I need a Contracted Beast? For Ah Chun’s sake?

Su Anyong fell silent for a moment before he finally said, “In a while, I should be advancing to Emperor Level. As an Emperor-level Beastmaster, I indeed haven’t decided on my fifth Pet Beast yet. Your mother was strong-willed. However, in her era, the Egg of the Five Saints hadn’t yet appeared. Ah Chun once told me that even if she couldn’t become the Beastmaster for an Egg of the Five Saints, she wanted you to… Bah, forget it! She only said that because she’s gone now. If she were still here, she’d never agree to let you get involved in this mess. Alright, I won’t waste my breath on you!”

Su Anyong headed straight for the door. However, just then, Su Ping narrowed his eyes and spoke up again, “Emperor Level… Su Anyong, you’ve hidden it deep, haven’t you?! You’re part of the Legion, right? If you’re with the Legion, you’re a Legion Beast Tamer, which means you’re a soldier. And soldiers must obey their superiors, correct?!”

“Hmm?” Su Anyong looked dubiously at Su Ping, whose expression had turned serious. This kid, my superior? Don’t tell me he’s planning to use Leng Ye to pressure me?

Soon, this puzzled and muttering father of his went from surprise to utter shock.

This was because Su Ping, as if performing a magic trick, took something out from his coat.

It was a golden badge.

The badge featured a coiled Five-clawed Golden Dragon, and an indescribable majesty accompanied its appearance.

Su Anyong stared, dumbfounded, as his son pinned the item to his chest. Then Su Ping spoke, “Su Anyong, as the holder of the Dragon Emblem, I order you: stop looking for trouble! I’ve already said I’m leaving that Egg of the Five Saints for you to contract. Just obey the order and don’t be ungrateful!”

He looked at his smirking son.

Then he looked at the golden badge on his son’s chest—the very same emblem he had only ever seen on the Second Master or in restricted photographs.

Su Anyong was bewildered and confused.

But he knew that despite all his precautions, he hadn’t prevented it.

In the end, this little rascal had still managed to show off.