Chapter Thirty-Six: The Grand Gathering of Beasts

"Marshal, you've lost again!" Old Fu stroked his beard in excitement, laughing heartily.

"Sigh, lost again. My luck with chess is terrible today, always losing. I can't play anymore, that's enough for today!" Hu Yihu's face was full of bitterness; this was already his eighth defeat of the day.

"Heh heh, Marshal, it's not your luck but your lack of focus. If I'm not mistaken, you're thinking about Young Master," Old Fu said with a smile, slowly packing up the chessboard.

Hu Yihu's expression shifted slightly. He sighed softly and said, "Yes, Fu, I can't hide anything from you. Mo's actions lately have unsettled me. He's become far too ostentatious, and it's hard to guarantee that word won't spread. The Situ family has begun gathering support in force, and even the Huang family has joined their ranks. Situ's influence is starting to overshadow ours. His Majesty is wavering, trying to keep the balance. If Mo causes any major disturbance now, I'm genuinely worried it could affect the entire situation in Flame City."

As he spoke, Hu Yihu walked along the pond. The emerald green lotus leaves adorned the water, creating a scene pleasing to the eye.

Old Fu finished tidying the chess pieces, bent his waist slightly, and followed along with a smile. "Marshal, you worry too much. Last time, Young Master showed his skills in front of me, and from that moment, I was certain he is destined for greatness. A hidden dragon has its ways and would never act rashly. Rest assured, Young Master will find a way!"

As Old Fu spoke, his mind conjured the image of Hu Mo battling the Black Iron. That marvelous footwork was like a dance born of nature—beyond description. And the final blow he unleashed—Old Fu could sense it was a power surpassing even the berserkers.

Hu Mo had only displayed the fourth tier of battle aura, yet he used strength dozens of times greater than his own level. How could Old Fu not be astonished?

"But if you say Mo has hidden such tremendous power all these years, we've often kept an eye on him. How did he obtain such strength? His battle aura has hovered between the third and fourth tier—if he truly possesses such ability, why haven't we noticed before?" Hu Yihu was puzzled. He'd thought about this for days, but no answer came.

"Marshal, I'm just as confused. But I have a theory that might make sense. Marshal, do you think perhaps a hidden master has been secretly teaching Young Master?" Old Fu speculated quietly.

"A hidden master? That does seem possible. Sigh, I know so little about Mo. Compared to you, Fu, I—his own grandfather—know far less about him. I truly feel guilty," Hu Yihu sighed deeply, shaking his head in helplessness.

"Marshal, you speak too strongly. The bond between you and Young Master is one of flesh and blood, irreplaceable by anyone. The real issue is your temperaments—neither of you admits defeat nor shows weakness, and that's why things are as they are. Heh heh, Marshal, if you have the time, talk with Young Master more. He's just beginning to soar and needs your guidance," Old Fu said with a smile.

"Mo has grown up. If I try to guide him now, it might hinder his growth. Besides, if he has a master advising him, how could I not be at ease? I’ll just keep watch for those restless factions, and leave the rest to him. I won't interfere," Hu Yihu said with a faint smile, shaking his head as he made up his mind.

Flame City, Divine Fire Beast Arena—now bustling with crowds and lively as ever.

The Grand Beast Gathering is the greatest festival of the Skyfire Empire. The people of the Continent of Battle are born with a love for combat—not only in contests between people, but also between beasts. Beast battles are common, of course, always orchestrated by humans.

There are five major beast arenas on the continent, and the Divine Fire Beast Arena in the Skyfire Empire is the largest. The main reason is that Skyfire has the most battle beasts among the five nations, backed by the greatest beast habitat—the Sacred Fire Forest—which provides an almost endless supply of beasts.

However, the beasts used for combat in these arenas never exceed the fifth tier, which is equivalent to a human Battle King. The fifth tier is a turning point for beasts; above it, they gain true intelligence. By then, most can fight across levels—their innate power is so formidable that none could keep them confined in an arena for human amusement.

The world of beasts has its own rules. When the Continent of Battle and the Continent of Mystery were still united, humans and beasts fought together. But after the continents split, everything changed.

Beasts may be born for battle, but their nature is mostly gentle—they rarely attack humans of their own accord. Yet their numbers are overwhelming; with about forty million humans on the continent, beasts number five or six times more. Who could rest easy with such neighbors? Thus, humans launched a campaign against the beasts.

Humans used every trick and finally forced the beasts into submission. The beasts then swore never to leave their habitats or attack humans, and humans vowed never to enslave beasts above the fifth tier except through equal contracts. Peace was restored to the continent and endures to this day.

Hu Mo walked down the street, passing mostly vendors selling battle beasts. Most beasts offered were juveniles, usually second or third tier, with few of the fourth.

"Second-tier Windfire Wolf cub, with mutated wind attributes—but its potential is too low, and it's too weak."

"Third-tier Greenwood Snake cub, wood attribute, mainly used for healing. Heh, that's interesting—get bitten by this snake, and it heals you instead. Quite amusing."

Hu Mo commented as he walked, followed by a team of stern-faced guards. At his insistence, Hu Yihu had reduced his escort from two teams to one; after all, having two squads accompany him everywhere was just too cumbersome. He'd wanted to dismiss them altogether, but under Hu Yihu's fierce glare, he had no choice but to bring these hangers-on, parading through the streets as if on display.

The other few companions had already gone ahead to the Divine Fire Beast Arena, waiting for the arrival of Hu Mo—the notorious leader of the unruly youth. From afar, Hu Mo saw a wide open space at the arena entrance, where only three people stood: Lin Meng, Du Zhong, and Huang Sheng.

Hu Mo glanced at their casual, unencumbered appearance, then looked at his own long line of guards, and couldn't help but sigh, "It seems my life is indeed precious!"

"Look, Young Master Hu is here!" Lin Meng, sharp-eyed, was the first to spot the "long snake formation."

"Finally, he's come—I've been waiting so long. Didn't Hu care a lot about this before? Why does he seem so indifferent this time?" Du Zhong asked in confusion.

"If you had nothing but bad luck and were in a foul mood, what would you be interested in? See how many more guards Hu brings than us—his life is always on the line, much more tense than ours," Huang Sheng sighed, shaking his head.

"And aren't we the same? Nearly suffocated by you. Our lives hang by a thread too," Du Zhong exaggeratedly pinched his nose, instinctively leaned closer to Lin Meng, and put on a pitiful act.

Huang Sheng was so incensed by their antics that he wanted to embrace them both and suffocate them for good.

"What are you chatting about, so merrily?" Hu Mo walked over cheerfully, seeing Lin Meng and Du Zhong acting pitifully. He guessed why—these two had truly been suffering lately.

After taking Hu Mo's miraculous medicine, they'd endured much hardship, and now Huang Sheng was suffocating them all over again—of course they were miserable.

"Heh heh, nothing much. They're just enjoying my manly scent, can't help but cuddle," Huang Sheng replied, spinning a tale so surprising that Lin Meng and Du Zhong gaped, while Hu Mo was left speechless, thinking, "This guy never stops until he drives everyone crazy."

"Heh heh, Young Master Huang, you seem to enjoy your manly scent very much. I was planning to help you get rid of it tomorrow, but you seem reluctant. What a dilemma!" Hu Mo said helplessly, shaking his head in mock sorrow.

Huang Sheng's face changed instantly; he smiled obsequiously and lunged at Hu Mo. Hu Mo was ready, and dodged easily.

Unbothered, Huang Sheng pressed his large face forward, grinning, "Young Master Hu, if you can rid me of this manly scent, I don't mind being your woman."

He threw a flirtatious glance at Hu Mo, nearly making him lose his breakfast—this guy could disgust anyone if given the chance.

"Wherever your thoughts wander, take yourself that far away! You make me sick. I’ll get rid of your scent if it kills me—otherwise, how will any of us survive? Using the residue from your last medicine, I've already concocted an antidote. Come to me alone tomorrow night," Hu Mo said quietly, lowering his voice at the end.

Huang Sheng immediately understood, nodded with a smile, and suppressed his excitement.

Hu Mo smiled at Huang Sheng, his eyes shifting slightly. Suddenly, his gaze brightened, and he walked over slowly.

"Heh heh, isn't that Second Young Master Situ? Why is he running away at the sight of me?" Hu Mo asked, grinning mischievously at Situ Jie who was about to enter the beast arena, his face wearing an infuriatingly playful smile.