Chapter Twenty-Two: The Patriarch of Beast Taming (Please bookmark, vote for a monthly ticket, and recommend)

After finishing the introduction, Meng Fan’s mouth twitched, and only one thought crossed his mind: he had struck gold! Good heavens, so this is what "Gathering Beasts and Commanding Birds" truly means! It is even mutually reinforcing; one could say that in Meng Fan’s heart, the value of this jade plaque rivals the Eight Extraordinary Skills—no, even they cannot compare.

What delighted Meng Fan most was that the first method of "Commanding Birds" in the technique was exactly the "division and manipulation" internal cultivation method that his master, Yue Huyang, had been desperately seeking. It is truly a case of the expert seeing the light, while the layman dismisses it as weak!

As he carefully stroked the beast-headed jade plaque, Meng Fan discovered a line of tiny, fly-like characters at the bottom: "Since receiving the teachings of the Heavenly Venerate and comprehending the art of commanding beasts and birds, I have taken only one or two registered disciples, passing on only the rudimentary methods of beast-gathering. Of the four skills, only one has been imparted. Now, as I mobilize my troops for Xiqi, my heart is filled with great unease. To prevent my Daoist arts from fading into obscurity, I leave this plaque behind for those who may hear of it."

Upon reading this, Meng Fan’s brow furrowed. A bold guess suddenly took root in his mind. Could it be that Mo Lishou was the founding ancestor of the Beast Master lineage? Had he truly inherited the authentic legacy of the Beast Masters?

Hiss! At this thought, Meng Fan’s heart burned with excitement. I knew the Beast Master lineage couldn't possibly be as weak as people thought—the inheritance had simply been lost at the ancestral level! After Mo Lishou’s Flower-Fox Marten was killed by Yang Jian, and he himself was pierced through the heart by Huang Tianhua’s Heart-Piercing Nail, his entire legacy had vanished without a trace.

Looking up at the statue of Mo Lishou in the Heavenly King Hall, Meng Fan noticed the statue of the Flower-Fox Marten was gone, replaced by one holding a dragon and a snake. Meng Fan bowed to it and said, "Ancestor, please bear witness. Your disciple of the Beast Master lineage is here to pay respects. Since I have received your mantle, I will certainly carry forward the Beast Master lineage, spread its fame, and recreate the heroism of your era."

"I hope your spirit in heaven will protect me. If you have truly been canonized as a god, then I have someone on the inside in the Heavenly Court. You must look after your only remaining seedling." Having received someone’s grace, it was only natural to show some gratitude; Meng Fan was not an ungrateful person. Besides, worshipping gods is primarily about finding peace of mind; there was no need to overthink it.

After stepping out of the Heavenly King Hall, Meng Fan returned to where Old Meng was. He hid to the side to watch, but seeing that there had been no progress for a long time—with Old Meng stuttering and scratching his head, not even daring to hold her hand—he couldn't help but feel anxious for his own father.

Blushing? What on earth are you blushing for!

Be braver! If he weren't so young, if it were his previous life… well, in his previous life, he was a "Chu Lan" himself. Meng Fan felt that without his assists, his father wouldn't stand a chance of winning over Auntie Luo for another two or three years. *Sigh*, how exhausting!

***

In the blink of an eye, three more years passed. With Mo Lishou’s inheritance, Meng Fan’s progress in the Beast Master lineage surged forward uncontrollably. During this time, relying on the "Gathering Beasts and Commanding Birds" technique, he trained a few crows and a hive of bees, serving as his aerial surveillance. It wasn't that he didn't want to train more, but he was truly powerless due to one reason: strict regulations. He had no access to rare or dangerous beasts.

Crows and bees were manageable; they could disperse throughout Chang'an City without causing a stir, and their low appetite meant Meng Fan didn't have to bear much of a burden. Beyond his initial plans, he leveraged his advantages to tame many stray cats and dogs, turning them into his "informants." Whatever happened in any household, he knew it clearly through his communication with the animals.

Gradually, a vast biological network began to weave itself across Meng Fan’s neighborhood, including—but not limited to—insects, cats, dogs, birds, and even the mice in the shadows. Nothing could escape Meng Fan’s eyes, and he often took on "missions" from his neighbors using this convenience. For instance, if someone’s cat went missing, Meng Fan would issue a "Jianghu Kill Order" to the stray cats! He would have them chase the lost cat until it had no choice but to return home for shelter, realizing that the small house was its only permanent sanctuary. Only then would the strays let it be.

Slowly, Meng Fan built a reputation. On Fengyuan Road, who didn't know Meng Fan? While other children had their own cliques, Meng Fan spent his days leading a squad of cats and dogs, sweeping the streets and keeping the market clean, becoming very familiar with the aunts and uncles at the vegetable market. With a few sweet calls and his cute face, paired with the pitiful meows of the cats behind him, who could resist their overflowing sympathy and provide some food for the little animals? Most of the scraps and leftovers would end up in the bellies of these strays. Furthermore, Meng Fan begged Old Meng to spare some money to open a cat café, which brought in some extra income.

Every time a new cat joined, Meng Fan would inevitably give it a "lesson." Here is a scene from the internal training at the cat café:

The cats stood in a row, looking at Meng Fan with big, sparkling eyes. Meng Fan sat in front, pointing out the path, earnestly lecturing: "If you don't let the customers pet you, our performance won't improve. We are running a business, and the goal is to make a profit. There’s no shame in that!"

"Your attitude disappoints me. When you were wandering the streets eating trash, who brought you back and gave you a home?"

"Me!"

"When you had feline distemper, who stayed with you day and night, selling off everything to save your life?"

"Me!"

"Medical care for cats is expensive, and I’ve even arranged jobs for you, but you won't work hard!"

"Where is your conscience? Did a dog eat your conscience?"

Dog: "Woof? (We didn't eat it!)"

Meng Fan held his forehead: "I’m not talking about you!"

Meng Fan continued training the cats: "Think about it carefully. Being a cat isn't done the way you’re doing it. The customers just want to pet you, there are no other demands, yet you all hide far away."

"If you won't even let them pet you, will customers still come? Can I still run this business?"

Cat: "Meow! (But that girl is so scary! Her wide-open mouth looked like she wanted to swallow me!)"

Meng Fan: "I’m talking, don't interrupt!"

"The customer is God. Also, you need to learn to stimulate customer spending. Boost the performance! If you can eat canned food, don't eat those cat strips. Canned food is tastier and has a higher unit price."

"I collect the money, you eat the canned food, and the customers are satisfied. It’s a win-win-win situation, so why not do it?"

"Just like silly dogs, you just lie there relying on ticket sales. Is that enough to feed you? I can see it now—even though you’re cats, you’re acting like real dogs!"

Dog: "Woof?! (We dogs aren't taking the blame for that!)"

Meng Fan: "Hey, dog! Don't interrupt!"