Chapter 4 Zi's Power (4)_1
"I don't know how Beastmen are created either. They are said to be a combination of humans and beasts, and some are purely beasts. On the Ryuzakinus Continent, Beastmen are the race closest to Magical Beasts, naturally warlike with extremely powerful strength. If it weren't for their lack of skill in magic and the suppression by the three great human empires of the north, they would have probably invaded the inland areas of the humans long ago. Now, they can only live in the bitterly cold Northernmost Wilderness. Because the three empires that border the Northernmost Wilderness are strong and have been at peace for decades, the Beastmen can only trade some specialties of the Northernmost Wilderness to human countries in exchange for food and daily necessities. I did not expect them to come to the more southern Bo Pang," Zi mused deep in thought.
For Yin Zhu, the Beastmen were undoubtedly novel, having never seen such a race before, he couldn't help but take a few extra looks out of curiosity. At that moment, the gaze of the Lion Man fell upon him, sweeping over his body before landing on Zi. When he saw Zi, the golden mane on his head bristled, fierce light erupted in his eyes, and he strode purposefully towards Zi and Yin Zhu. A faint green Douqi circulated among his golden fur, barely visible unless one looked closely. Only a Mage like Yin Zhu, who had cultivated spiritual power, could easily sense it.
Zi suddenly looked up, meeting the Lion Man's gaze. The Lion Man paused for a moment, faced Zi's cold eyes, then nodded slowly before immediately returning to his group.
Yin Zhu didn't understand what had happened, looking back and forth between Zi and the Lion Man. Zi sighed and said to Yin Zhu, "I'm sorry, Yin Zhu, I'm afraid I can't accompany you to Milan."
"What?" Yin Zhu was shocked. "Zi, why? You said…"
Zi grasped Yin Zhu's shoulders with a wistful smile, "I'm sorry, I did promise to go with you. But I have some matters to attend to now. Keep the map safe, follow the directions it shows, and you'll reach the Milan Magic Martial Academy. If you're unsure of the way, just ask around for directions, and I'll look for you at the academy once I've dealt with my affairs."
Yin Zhu took the map from Zi and instantly felt a sense of loss flooding his heart. For ten years, he had never been apart from Zi. Now that Zi suddenly said he was leaving, and his eyes were so resolute, Yin Zhu felt indescribably sad, as if a vital part of his heart was suddenly empty, as though he had lost something most precious.
"Zi, you seem to have many secrets, but you don't wish to tell me. If you need my help, could you tell me? I'm your brother!" Yin Zhu said anxiously.
"Brother." Zi's profound eyes blazed with twin flames of passion as he patted Yin Zhu's shoulder hard, "That's right, we are good brothers. Yin Zhu, you go to the Magic Martial Arts Academy first. I won't take too long; I will definitely come to find you there—that's my promise to you. Remember, do not easily trust anyone on the way, and always try to conceal your true strength. Never let outsiders know the extent of your real power. That's the best way to protect yourself. Do you understand? Take this, wear it when you need to do something you don't want others to know about. Also, since we had a conflict with Bo Pang's Heavy Cavalry on the road, it's better for you to leave here as soon as possible to avoid trouble." As he spoke, Zi pulled something from his chest and handed it to Yin Zhu, then turned and walked towards the direction where the Lion Man had disappeared without looking back.
Not until Zi's silhouette had completely vanished did Yin Zhu retract his gaze. Even though the streets of Roel City bustled with life, he felt a sense of desolation in his heart, with traces of loneliness and helplessness. Now, he truly was alone.
Looking down at the last thing Zi had given him, he saw a mask made of an unknown material, soft and comfortable to the touch. He carefully tucked it into his chest, thinking to himself, "Zi, you'd better come to find me soon! Now I really can depend only on myself. First, I'll go buy a Unicorn, then head straight to Milan Magic Martial Academy to wait for Zi."
With that thought, the desolation in Yin Zhu's heart began to fade. After asking someone on the street, he learned that Unicorns were sold near the northern gate's slave market, and he hurried in that direction, full of excitement. Zi had told him that on the Continent, Gold Coins were the universal currency across all nations, with one Gold Coin equivalent to a hundred silver coins. Generally, silver coins were the main currency for people's use, and an entire family's monthly expenses were only about a dozen silver coins or so. Buying a Unicorn would only cost a few Gold Coins at most.
On the Ryuzakinus Continent, nearly every human city had a slave market, an indispensable presence. The class system was incredibly rigid, and the slave market was where slaves, the lowest class among humans, were traded. With the development of the Continent, the scope of the slave market had expanded to include slaves of various races and Demon Beasts. Of course, the Demon Beasts typically sold were of low rank, never exceeding the Third Rank.
On the Ryuzakinus Continent, Demon Beasts are categorized into ten ranks. Those below and including the Third Rank are considered Low-rank magical beasts; ranks four to six are Advanced-rank Magical Beasts; and any above the sixth rank are termed Intelligent Magical Beasts. Low-rank magical beasts are generally docile by nature, and even the more hot-tempered among them don't possess great destructive power. However, the Advanced-rank Magical Beasts are much more terrifying. As for the Intelligent Magical Beasts of ranks seven to ten, they are exceptionally fearsome entities. A Tenth Rank Magical Beast is also known as a Divine Beast, but they exist only in legends.
Among the Magical Beasts, the two known strongest races are the Behemoth Tribe from the Northernmost Wilderness and the Dragon Clan that lives in the secretive Dragon City among the Eight Human Nations. Both true Dragons and true Behemoths are exceedingly rare, having never, in the history of the Continent, numbered in the four digits, yet their strength is immensely powerful, and even the weakest among them possess power above the seventh rank. But the Dragon Clan has an advantage that the Behemoth lack: they have many close relatives, which is largely due to the Dragons' naturally promiscuous nature. After thousands of years of proliferation, the number of true Dragons remains scarce, but the number of Sub-Dragons is quite substantial. Some of these have been successfully domesticated by humans, becoming various Dragon Tamers. Although they cannot compare to the true Dragon Clan, having Dragon blood means even the weakest Dragon Tamers hold power above the Third Rank, with the strongest even comparable to true Dragons. It is precisely because of these domesticated Dragons that the human nations possess such formidable strength, enough to contain the Beastmen of the Northernmost Wilderness, preventing them from breaking out of that frigid land. Naturally, humans would not attempt to invade a world unsuitable for human habitation.
"I'm so pitiful! My mother died when I was three, and my father abandoned me at ten. Oh, kind masters and mistresses, take pity on me. Gift me a few Gold Coins so that I can eat."
It was with some difficulty that Yin Zhu found the entrance to the slave market. Just as he arrived, he saw a little beggar crying pitifully at the door of the slave market. The small beggar was thin and ragged, his unkempt appearance and the layers of grayish dirt completely obscured his features, while his clothing consisted of nothing but torn fabric and gaping holes. In front of him sat a broken bowl as he wailed, pleading with the passing pedestrians.