NOVEL WEB Ch. 46
Chapter 46: An Unexpected Invitation
‘If contracting a Companion Beast can alter one’s fate, then after contracting the Golden Egg, wouldn’t my own fate also improve?’
As soon as this thought occurred to him, Chen Beiwu could no longer hold back his excitement. He wanted to rush home immediately and enter the Nine-Breath Chaos to investigate whether the fate swirling within that chaotic world had improved.
“What are you thinking about?”
Seeing Chen Beiwu zoning out, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but wave her fair hand in front of his face.
“I was thinking about something delightful,” Chen Beiwu smiled and quickly changed the topic. “Where’s Director Lin?”
“He’s probably accompanying Senior Lin Yi to choose his Companion Spirit Beast.”
Xu Ziqing casually patted the head of the Scarlet Flame Fox and enthusiastically invited, “It’s rare to come to the Spirit Beast Pavilion—want to browse around together?”
“I still have some matters to attend to, so I need to leave early,” Chen Beiwu replied tactfully. “Could you help me pass the message to Director Lin?”
Xu Ziqing was slightly stunned and, for a moment, didn’t know what to say.
Was she some kind of savage beast?
Why did Chen Beiwu want to leave the moment she arrived?
“Alright then,” Xu Ziqing nodded and watched as Chen Beiwu left.
Sun Yajing raised her delicate eyebrows, and her sweet face looked a bit sly. “What’s this? Still haven’t caught him?”
“This is my private matter—it’s none of your business.”
With those words, Xu Ziqing turned around and walked off, completely indifferent to Sun Yajing’s seniority.
“What’s wrong with being curious?” Sun Yajing muttered under her breath like a raccoon who couldn’t get the melon.
Elsewhere, Chen Beiwu hadn’t even left the Spirit Beast Pavilion’s main hall when he ran into Senior Lin Yi, who couldn’t hide his excitement.
“Junior Chen, where are you off to?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Beiwu paused his steps and greeted him politely.
“I just finished contracting a Companion Beast. Senior, would you be interested in sparring with my Flower Spirit Butterfly?” Lin Yi offered proactively.
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu looked deeply at him.
Senior Lin Yi had liked Xu Ziqing for more than just a year or two. Almost every student in Shouhe No. 2 High School’s senior division knew about it.
A spar?
It was clearly dissatisfaction—he wanted to use the guise of a spar to vent his frustrations.
Would Chen Beiwu give him that opportunity?
Of course not!
A gentleman can be tricked through righteousness, but a petty man fears power, not virtue.
Senior Lin Yi happened to be the former. Even if he refused the spar, the other party likely wouldn’t persist.
But for those troublemakers who loved to stir things up, Chen Beiwu would strike hard, making them understand who the real boss was—beating them until they dared not provoke again.
“Senior, I have urgent matters to attend to. Maybe next time.”
Waving his hand, Chen Beiwu walked straight out of the Spirit Beast Pavilion.
Watching Chen Beiwu’s figure disappear, Lin Yi felt a surge of frustration caught in his throat.
Seeing someone’s reputation was nothing compared to meeting them in person. He had wanted to test this Shouhe No. 2 High School genius for himself but hadn’t expected the outstanding junior to not even take the bait.
“Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment.” Another voice called out.
Chen Beiwu frowned slightly and stopped to look at the speaker—it was Guan Ange, whom he had briefly met at the bottom of the Four Seas Lake.
On his shoulder lay a small-sized Abyssal Water Spirit Turtle.
Chen Beiwu greeted him with proper courtesy and congratulated him on fulfilling his wish.
Guan Ange smiled. “May I be so bold as to ask a question…”
“No, I have urgent matters,” Chen Beiwu replied calmly and didn’t stop walking.
Guan Ange was taken aback but quickly caught up, getting straight to the point. “Fighting alone isn’t sustainable. The Guan Clan is currently recruiting rogue cultivators—are you interested?”
Hearing that, Chen Beiwu paused, looking at him with surprise. “The Guan Clan recruits Qi Refining cultivators as vassals?”
“???”
Although Guan Ange was a second-generation cultivator, he was no fool.
Chen Beiwu’s rhetorical question seemed calm and non-aggressive but revealed his pride and ambition.
The Fallen Dragon Guan Clan, while confined to a single prefecture, was still a well-known Golden Core Family. Those eligible to be invited as vassals were usually rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Chen Beiwu’s meaning was clear—if he wasn’t offered vassal-level treatment, he wouldn’t even consider joining.
‘How could a mere seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator be so confident?’ Guan Ange frowned, but remembering Chen Beiwu’s performance beneath the Four Seas Lake, he suppressed his irritation.
He didn’t fear proud geniuses—what he feared were incapable people pretending to be impressive.
Chen Beiwu had managed to trade with an exotic spirit turtle and obtain a rare Golden Scale, proving his wit and culinary skills.
After all, among the many cultivators at the lake bottom, only Chen Beiwu had the insight to realize the exotic turtle was a foodie and had successfully guided the interaction step by step.
Everyone knew the Golden Scale’s drawbacks. For someone as intelligent as Chen Beiwu to contract a Companion Beast without hesitation meant he must have confidence.
Thinking this through, Guan Ange took out a business card and handed it over, switching to a different approach.
“I recently opened a private kitchen named Immortal Flavor Pavilion. We need a chef skilled in preparing Spirit Fish. You’d only need to work two hours a day—your cultivation won’t be delayed. The trial period salary is fifty Spirit Yuan a month. After that, it becomes one hundred.”
Chen Beiwu accepted the card and looked at him in astonishment.
What did a monthly salary of one hundred Spirit Yuan mean?
Purely in terms of income, working at Immortal Flavor Pavilion for a month was equal to what both his parents earned together in seven months.
“I’ll reserve the spot for you. Think it over carefully.” Guan Ange waved his hand and turned to leave.
Working for someone was still working.
A monthly salary of one hundred Spirit Stones wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t trivial either.
To him, that amount might not even count as pocket change. But to a rogue cultivator, it was a rare high-paying job. Given Chen Beiwu’s family background, he likely wouldn’t refuse.
If Chen Beiwu succeeded and entered the Thirteen Immortal Sects, then Guan Ange would be praised for his foresight and timely assistance.
If Chen Beiwu failed to rise and couldn’t even enter the Seven-Nine Upper Sects, then Guan Ange wouldn’t lose out either—he’d still have hired a fine chef.
After all, the boy’s culinary skills had impressed an exotic spirit turtle.
In short, he had laid a casual yet strategic move. Regardless of Chen Beiwu’s future, Guan Ange stood to gain—only the amount would vary.
...
An hour later.
The Fuxi Train arrived at Pingchen Township Station.
Chen Beiwu disembarked and used Wind Control to rush home with eager haste.
Pushing open the door, he saw his father lying on the sofa, and from the kitchen came a savory aroma.
Iron Egg, no longer lazy, rushed to Chen Beiwu excitedly.
“Woof?”
Iron Egg sniffed and widened his doggy eyes in disbelief.
It had only been a few days, but his master was now reeking of water-attribute Spirit Beasts.
“So fast?” Chen Dong stood up in surprise and asked curiously, “Which Companion Beast did you choose?”