Chapter 424 - 278: Radiant Gold Battle Shield

"So, my young friend, you only need to press this ’phone’ a few times to record my voice?" Tuoba Jing asked curiously, glancing at the device.

Su Zhi nodded. "Exactly. If I’m able to leave, I can take what you’ve just said to the Beast Tamers of the Current World."

Tuoba Jing chuckled wistfully. "Technology is truly advancing by leaps and bounds."

Tuoba Jing recounted the events of the disaster relief to Su Zhi in great detail. While there were no major new leads, these were small details never recorded in the official accounts, making them incredibly valuable.

This was the personal recollection of a historical figure. Its credibility and validity were maxed out!

Of course, to facilitate a full exchange of ideas, Su Zhi also told Tuoba Jing about the speculations he and his group had made at the village ruins.

Tuoba Jing’s eyes narrowed. "You mean to say some entity was deliberately contributing to the high mortality rate of the Yu Dian Dogs?"

"It’s just an unsubstantiated guess on my part. I haven’t found any evidence yet."

Su Zhi cupped his hands. "Considered individually, each battle or mission might not seem problematic. But according to the statistics compiled in later eras, the mortality data for the Yu Dian Dogs is indeed anomalous. It doesn’t look like a natural rate of attrition from combat."

Tuoba Jing nodded thoughtfully. "My young friend, your words have enlightened me... Yu Dian Dogs are loyal by nature and quite capable in combat. In our era, they did indeed serve as the main force for Beastmasters and were replaced frequently. We never considered that this frequency itself might be the problem..."

"But even if that theory holds true, what would be the motive for targeting Yu Dian Dogs? They’re common mutts, found everywhere. Logically, there’s nothing special about them."

Su Zhi gave a wry smile. "That’s the part of my theory that doesn’t add up..."

"A-wooo!" Yu Bao, who was beside them, suddenly lifted his head.

’Of course, it’s because the Yu Dian Dog has the potential of a Great Emperor!’

’My ultimate form is the Yu Dian Emperor Dog, a being that dominates the ages!’

Profound Yellow, also a Yu Dian Farm Dog, lay nearby with a deadpan expression, giving Yu Bao a look one might reserve for a dim-witted child.

’Is this what our kind is like two hundred years in the future?’

’Alas, what a tragedy for the Yu Dian Farm Dog breed...’

Though Yu Bao was just trying to show off, his outburst actually made Su Zhi and Tuoba Jing stroke their chins with great interest.

"Interesting... that gives me an idea. Senior, do you recall when the earthquakes in Hundred Rivers started becoming frequent?"

This was a matter of common knowledge. Tuoba Jing answered without hesitation, "Hundred Rivers has always had major quakes, but they suddenly became unprecedentedly frequent around the Eleventh Year of Hongqi."

Hongqi was one of the reign titles from the early Classical Era. The Eleventh Year of Hongqi was not long after the formation of the nine great Beastmaster alliances, the predecessors to the Common Defense Alliance.

Su Zhi looked at Tuoba Jing. "Senior, do you recall any other major events that happened around that year?"

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Jing took a moment to think, then his eyes slowly widened. "At the start of the Eleventh Year of Hongqi, Shao Jiguang, the first Alliance Leader of the Flying Shadow Alliance, was besieged by Abyssal Exotic Beasts. He fell after succumbing to grievous wounds, but not before single-handedly slaying nine Four-star Exotic Beasts."

Su Zhi nodded.

"And Lord Shao’s Main Pet was a Yu Dian Emperor Dog..."

Tuoba Jing shot his head up. "My young friend, are you suggesting the great quakes of Hundred Rivers are connected to Lord Shao’s fall? And that the abnormal casualty rate of the Yu Dian Dogs is related to his Pet Beast?"

"Yes. I’d been thinking about it for a long time with no luck. It was only after our conversation that I made the connection to the Eleventh Year of Hongqi."

Su Zhi sighed. "Then again, this is just a sudden flash of inspiration. I’m connecting these things purely on intuition. You could call it conjecture; there’s no evidence to support it."

"Not at all. Your words, my young friend, have been a sudden enlightenment. I feel as if a great weight has been lifted."

Tuoba Jing chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "Our situations are complementary opposites, it seems. You have a theory but no evidence; I have a few clues but couldn’t make sense of them. Now, it seems they might be connected to your theory after all."

Su Zhi’s curiosity was piqued. "I’d be honored to hear them!"

"That’s a long story. If you’re free another day, my young friend, come visit me in town. We can discuss it at length then."

After speaking, Tuoba Jing looked at Su Zhi with renewed interest.

"As it happens, I’m quite interested in your Pet Beast as well. We could have a friendly spar, let Profound Yellow see for himself the prowess of a future Yu Dian Dog!"

"..." Profound Yellow glanced at Yu Bao, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes.

Yu Bao, thinking the senior was showing him favor, flashed back his signature bright and sunny smile.

’Thank you, Senior! I’ll keep up the good work!’

’You really have a knack for fanning the flames. Now I have no choice but to agree...’ Su Zhi could only cup his hands, unsure whether to laugh or cry. "It would be rude to refuse."

Su Zhi had assumed people from ancient times would be more refined and gentle. He now realized that the martial spirit was a legacy passed down from this very Classical Era.

Perhaps it was because they were surrounded by Exotic Beasts, born into a life of combat... or perhaps it was because life then was as fleeting as the morning dew, leaving no time for subtleties and modesty.

Tuoba Jing smiled faintly, glanced at the sun hanging low in the sky, and rose to his feet, cupping his hands in a salute. "All good things must come to an end. I must head back to town now. Let us meet again another day."

Su Zhi asked, "How will I find you then, Senior?"

"Simply come to town. Zi Lu will be there to welcome you on my behalf."

Zi Lu gently flapped her broad wings, sending a light breeze, fragrant with the scent of her feathers, toward Su Zhi’s Envoy’s Pet.

A Pet Beast like the Thunderbolt War Falcon was quite elegant, so long as it kept its mouth shut.

"Well then, I shall take my leave."

"Yes, take care, Senior!"

Su Zhi watched as Zi Lu took flight, carrying the figure in the beige Beastmaster robe until they quickly vanished from sight. Only then did he turn his gaze to the messy table, a lingering feeling of wanting more from the conversation.