Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 81: The King of gluttons

"Master," Black then suddenly changed its tone, observing a slight change of expression on the little beast. Trying to salvage some dignity for the newborn, it spoke seriously. "Maybe it’s just a cub. Its current appearance doesn’t mean anything. What if it grows into a fierce tiger later?"

Zora looked down at the fluffy little creature, doubt flickering in her eyes. "Let’s hope so."

All demon beasts were adorable when newly born. At this stage, you couldn’t see fangs, claws, or dominance. Maybe this little thing really would become an earth-shaking existence one day. After all, both Black and White felt that its level was anything but ordinary.

"Do you know what kind of demon beast it is?" Zora asked.

She had seen countless demon beasts in her previous life, but almost all of them were adults. A freshly hatched one like this was outside her experience.

Black and White exchanged glances, then shook their heads together. "We don’t know."

Zora crouched slightly and asked the little beast directly, "Then what kind of demon beast are you?"

Ordinarily, demon beasts couldn’t speak human words unless they were powerful enough to take human form. However, once contracted, beast and master could communicate through spiritual awareness.

The fluffy creature tilted its head, eyes wide and innocent. "I don’t know."

The answer didn’t surprise Zora. This little one had likely been sealed almost from birth. Not knowing its own origins was normal.

"That’s fine," she said gently, touching its head. "From now on, we’re family."

"Master, give it a name!" Black suggested eagerly.

Zora thought for a moment, then said decisively, "It looked like a cute dog, but it has the power of a crown as if it were a lion... So, let’s call it Shihtzu."

Contrary to her explanation, she didn’t ponder it too much. It was just as she said, and she felt like a name like Shihtzu would suit it.

The moment the name left her lips, she noticed Black and White staring at her with deeply wounded expressions.

"Why are you two looking at me like that?" she asked.

Black’s eyes were filled with resentment. "Master, why didn’t we get names this advanced?"

White crossed his little arms, clearly offended. "Exactly. At first glance, it’s obvious we’re not your true loves. ’Shihtzu’ sounds majestic and artistic, but our names sound like something every other dog on the street has."

Black further added, almost pouting if it has such expression, "And Master chose the names for us just because of the color of our fur..."

Back then, they had dreamed that one day their names would shake the world. Now?

Black.

White.

Just thinking about it made their hearts ache.

Zora coughed lightly, lips twitching. She hadn’t expected them to hold such a long-standing grudge. "Names are just titles," she said, trying to sound reasonable.

They clearly didn’t buy it.

"Fine," she said at last, smiling slyly. "Then I’ll give you two a combined name. Something truly domineering."

Both pairs of eyes lit up instantly. "What is it?" they asked in unison.

"Black-and-White Kings," Zora declared, raising an eyebrow. "How about that? Powerful enough?"

She basically added a King to the end, and that made both the furry beasts freeze in surprise.

Then, in perfect synchronization, they turned their heads away. "Hmph. Barely acceptable."

Still, the corners of their mouths betrayed them, lifting just a little.

Zora couldn’t help but smile and shook her head. such a simpletons...

She then instructed the servants to prepare food for Shihtzu. Demon beasts were never light eaters, and this little fellow had been sealed for who knew how long.

Hunger was written all over its eyes.

The moment the food was set down, Shihtzu let out an excited cry, dashed to Zora’s feet, and buried its head straight into the bowls.

But as one person and two beasts watched its eating speed, shock slowly crept into their expressions.

"Another bottomless pit," Zora muttered, the corner of her lips twitching. "Now, I get why there was a mark of a crown on its head. This is the King of gluttons..."

Black and White already ate like starving calamities. She had thought the two of them were extreme enough. She hadn’t expected Shihtzu to completely crush their record.

She herself burned through cultivation resources like flowing water. Now she was raising three gluttons.

Even a gold mountain would disappear bare sooner or later.

Her gaze drifted to the monster cores on the table, and her thoughts quickly turned.

"These demon crystals are still valuable. There’s an auction this afternoon. I might as well refine some medicinal potions and pills and exchange them for resources."

Just as she was considering which formulas to prepare, she noticed a pair of shining eyes locked tightly onto the demon crystals in her hand.

Shihtzu had abandoned the food and padded over, tail swaying. "Master... want."

Zora raised an eyebrow. "You want demon crystals?"

"Yes!" Shihtzu nodded vigorously.

She hesitated for a moment. She didn’t know what this little fellow intended to do, but since it asked so directly, she decided to indulge it.

She picked up a demon crystal and placed it in front of Shihtzu. Black and White leaned closer, eyes filled with suspicion.

"Can it even handle that?" White asked doubtfully. "Monster’s core energy is violent. Even many demon beasts can’t absorb it safely."

Black nodded. "At this size, it shouldn’t be possible. Even if it can absorb some, it shouldn’t be much."

Zora didn’t interrupt. "We’ll know by watching."

Shihtzu’s eyes lit up the moment it saw the demon crystal. Without the slightest hesitation, it lunged forward.

Crack!

A crisp sound echoed as the surface of the demon crystal shattered.

Shihtzu extended its small red tongue and calmly lapped up the liquid essence within the crystal, then casually swallowed the remaining shell whole.

After finishing, it licked its mouth in satisfaction and trotted back to its food, continuing to eat as if nothing had happened.

Zora, White, Black: "..."

"I... what?" Black stared, stunned. "It ate the entire demon crystal. Whole."

White’s mind went blank. "I’ve... never seen that before."

Zora’s dark eyes gleamed as she stared at the fluffy little body. A slow, brilliant smile spread across her lips.

The demon crystal she had given was from a Nether Wolf. Ordinary innate-level demon beasts couldn’t even absorb its energy, let alone consume it raw.

Yet this little thing had devoured it effortlessly, without the slightest backlash.

That meant only one thing.

This creature’s starting point was terrifyingly high.

She had truly picked up a treasure this time.

Not just a demon pet.

A top-tier demon pet.

Thinking this way, Zora’s mood lifted considerably.

If this little Shihtzu truly possessed such terrifying potential, then even raising a few "money pits" was more than worth it.

Time slipped by quickly, and before she knew it, the auction was about to begin.

Zora headed straight for the Elysia Trading Hall.

The moment she appeared on the street, waves of excitement rippled through the crowd. In today’s imperial city, her name was everywhere.

In the past, the so-called three great geniuses of the capital had been Prince Philip, Luna, and Scarlett. Everyone had believed that Prince Philip stood head and shoulders above the rest, a natural chosen one.

Who would have thought that the girl once branded as a useless waste would rise overnight, her brilliance eclipsing all of them?

She had crushed every doubt with undeniable facts.

Some young practitioners now looked at Zora as an idol.

She had been trampled on, humiliated, and ridiculed for years, yet she still clawed her way back to the peak. If she could do it, why couldn’t they?

For a time, a cultivation craze swept through the younger generation. Many firmly believed that even "waste" could turn their fate around, not to mention those who weren’t truly useless to begin with.

When Zora arrived at the Trading Hall, Nigel and Rose were already there. Upon seeing her, Nigel immediately walked over with a bright smile.

"Miss Zora, you’re here."