Chapter 404 268: Earthquake Beast

The three of them were getting a little tired from bowing for so long. Seeing that Su Zhi remained silent, the middle-aged man spoke tentatively, "...Lord Beastmaster?"

"Ah, COUGH COUGH."

Su Zhi coughed twice, giving Yu Bao and Shan Bao a look that said, 'Follow my lead.'

Yu Bao understood instantly, putting on an expressionless face and sitting up straight and proper.

Seeing Yu Bao's posture, Shan Bao copied it, not noticing that one of its paws was still unconsciously tucked into its fur. Its attempt to look serious was actually rather cute.

'No, that's not what I meant. I wanted you two to go scout the area...' Su Zhi's mouth twitched, but he said calmly:

"My name is Su Zhi. Thank you all for coming to my aid just now. I will remember this kindness."

"Not at all, not at all..." All three of them looked overwhelmed by the praise. "Even without us, a Lord Beastmaster of your skill would surely have escaped danger. We were the ones who acted rashly!"

'The title "Beastmaster" should only exist in the Classical Era. It seems the historical period here is different from my own...' Su Zhi silently filed this piece of information away.

Seeing that he seemed approachable, the youngest man looked up and asked, "We haven't had any outsiders in these parts for many years. How did Master Su come to be here?"

'Good question. I'd like to know that too...' Su Zhi smiled at him, giving him a look that said, 'Figure it out yourself.'

The white-haired, pale-faced old man was taken aback for a moment before quietly chiding him, "The Lord Beastmaster must be here on important business. Why would he so easily tell you?"

"Ah! I'm sorry, Master! I was out of line!" The young man paused, then hurriedly bowed in a flustered apology.

"It's not a big problem... COUGH COUGH, I mean, it's fine."

Su Zhi smiled and waved his hand. "There's no need to call me 'Lord' or 'Master.' Just use my name. And how should I address you all?"

The middle-aged man immediately took a step forward. "I am Wang Shichuan of Jinshi Village. This is my father, Wang Yichuan, and this is my nephew, Wang Baichuan. We're all from Jinshi Village, out gathering medicinal herbs."

Su Zhi nodded thoughtfully. "I'm new here and not very familiar with the area. Could you tell me where Jinshi Village is located within Hundred Rivers?"

The three generations of the family looked at each other in confusion.

Finally, the youngest, Wang Baichuan, spoke up. "Jinshi Village... is just Jinshi Village. What sort of place is this 'Hundred Rivers'?"

'They don't even know about Hundred Rivers? And here I thought your name, Baichuan, was a reference to it...'

"It's like this: our village rarely gets outsiders, and our own people seldom venture into the outside world. What little we know of it comes from the Lord Beastmasters who have come here."

Seeing Su Zhi's curious expression, Wang Yichuan clasped his hands in a gesture of respect. "But this is indeed Jinshi Village, not this 'Hundred Rivers.' It's possible you've come to the wrong place, my lord."

Su Zhi feigned a look of understanding and nodded. "I was originally traveling with my companions, but we ran into some trouble along the way and I accidentally ended up here. I only learned this was Jinshi Village from you."

"Well then, do you have a place to go next, my lord? We've finished our hunt and are about to head back to the village."

Wang Baichuan's eyes sparkled. "If you don't have anywhere to go for now, my lord, why not come back to the village with us? My house is quite big; we can sleep together tonight."

'So I get to be a freeloader now, huh...' Su Zhi struggled to hold back a laugh.

Wang Yichuan looked at his grandson with a troubled expression. "His Lordship is a dignified Beastmaster. How would it be proper for him to stay in a commoner's thatched hut...?"

Su Zhi smiled and waved his hand. "It's alright. For those who practice Beast Taming, braving the elements is a part of daily life. I'm already grateful that you're willing to offer me a place to stay."

Wang Shichuan lowered his head, looking overwhelmed. "Not at all, not at all. It is our honor that you are willing to stay with us, my lord..."

"Then, shall you lead the way?" Su Zhi patted Wang Baichuan's shoulder.

"You got it!"

Wang Baichuan nodded excitedly, but his gaze swept to the sun, which was already beginning to set in the west. His smile vanished, and he broke into a jog to take the lead.

"It's getting late. We need to hurry, or we'll run into trouble with 'those things'... My lord, please follow me!"

'Those things?'

Su Zhi's eyes narrowed with interest.

·

Fuguang Lakefront.

After the rescue efforts in the city were properly organized, Selena personally brought Shao Ya to Fuguang Lakefront.

Even Alliance Leader Chopper had arrived on the scene, accompanied by the Flying Shadow Alliance's Rescue Team One.

A short while ago, they had just coordinated their efforts with the Divine Strategy Alliance.

It was then that Selena and Chopper learned that shortly after the seismic waves were detected, the Golden Sand Flowers at the bottom of Fuguang Lake had entered an activated state. This prevented them from being pushed out of the tectonic fissure by the strong earthquake, which stopped the disaster from escalating.

At the same time, a massive amount of Earth and Gold Element Energy had counteracted the seismic waves generated by the same type of Energy, greatly weakening the earthquake's intensity and saving the lives of tens of thousands of people in Celestial Paradise and the surrounding cities.

And the person who had caused the Golden Sand Flowers to enter their activated state was none other than Su Zhi.

After hearing this, numerous Flying Shadow Alliance Members volunteered to join the rescue mission. A tall stack of written requests to be deployed had piled up in Chopper's temporary office.

Even Grand Alliance Leader Shen Zechuan stated during a video conference:

"Su Zhi is a hero of the earthquake relief effort. We must do everything in our power to ensure his safety!"

"Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Selena dismounted from Xue Mei and softly comforted Shao Ya.

Shao Ya nodded. "Mm-hmm... I believe in him."

Seeing her pitiful little expression, Selena sighed.

Although that's what she said out loud, the call had been cut off so abruptly that it was hard for anyone not to imagine the worst.

In reality, everyone, including Shao Ya, had a pretty good idea of the situation. Su Zhi's lineup of Pet Beasts was more than enough to ensure he escaped unscathed. The prevailing feeling wasn't one of worry or fear, but an impatient eagerness to see him again...