The Demon Lords-Chapter 665 - 125 Whimpering_1

The people of Yan had a long-standing tradition of raising Pixiu. It is said that the ancestor of the Ji Family rode a Pixiu north to defend the realm on the orders of the Xia emperor.

Because of this, the Pixiu has always been a spiritual totem for the Yan people, revered as a mythical beast that defends the country. Possessing a Pi Beast was also a symbol of status and identity.

Note, a Pi Beast, not a Pixiu.

The Pi Beast is a subspecies with a trace of Pixiu bloodline. When Zheng Fan first awoke in this world, he saw Fatty Hui ride past him on a Pi Beast, which opened a new gateway to his understanding of this world.

Fatty Hui's Pi Beast resembled a warhorse, though it had scales, horns, and significantly improved stamina. Otherwise, it couldn't have carried Fatty Hui, right?

Even such Pi Beasts were extremely precious and difficult to raise.

Only true high-ranking officials—such as military generals commanding armies or civil officials who were Recruitment Envoys—qualified to be granted a Pi Beast.

A true Pixiu was even more valuable than a Pi Beast.

As far as Zheng Fan knew, only a few people in Yan possessed Pixiu. The Southern and Northern Marquises each had one, the Eldest Prince had one, and perhaps a few others did, but the number was certainly very small.

Even Li Fusheng's mount, truth be told, was not a Pixiu, but a Pi Beast.

If Pixiu were so easy to raise, Yan's heavy cavalry would have all exchanged their regular mounts for Pi Beasts, and battles would hardly be necessary.

In fact, Yan State currently did not have a single dedicated cavalry unit, not even a small-scale one, mounted on Pi Beasts. This alone spoke volumes about their rarity.

However, given Lord Jingnan's current standing, it wouldn't be difficult for him to request one from the imperial court for Zheng Fan. As long as the court had any, they would surely grant it. No matter who had previously reserved it, Lord Jingnan's word now carried more weight.

This was a tremendous honor and a great blessing. Especially since the true magnates and those with insight clearly knew with whom the young lord of Jingnan Manor was being fostered.

The moment this Pixiu was brought in, it completely solidified the relationship between Zheng Fan and Jingnan Manor. There was no longer any possibility of changing course.

In truth, even the so-called Pixiu was still leagues behind the mythical beasts of legend capable of summoning wind and rain. One might even say they were two entirely different species.

However, these were secondary concerns. For Zheng Fan, even a Pi Beast as a mount would have been satisfying enough; obtaining a true Pixiu was an unexpected delight.

Most importantly, the demonic lords under his command possessed diverse bloodlines. Entrusting the Pixiu to them for rearing, who knew if they could stimulate a further evolution of its bloodline?

Having dreams is always good. What if it came true?

When Zheng Fan saw this Pixiu, he was momentarily stunned. It wasn't very large, about the size of a warhorse.

When it was led out, there was a clear impatience in its eyes, an incredibly human-like emotion.

Its fur was silver, it had a single horn, and the hide beneath its fur was extremely tough, with broad paws.

When Zheng Fan reached out to touch it, it postured as if to bite his hand, but he didn't withdraw his hand and continued to lower it.

Seeing that Zheng Fan wasn't frightened, the Pixiu simply closed its eyes and allowed him to touch it.

Pi Beasts were generally preliminarily tamed before being taken from their cages; the Eldest Prince had informed Zheng Fan of this on the way.

Therefore, as long as one didn't deliberately provoke it, it wouldn't attack without cause.

It would be quite amusing if a Pixiu bestowed by the Yan royal family turned out to be fiercely aggressive and devoured its new master.

However, the Eldest Prince had also reminded Zheng Fan that Pixiu were proud creatures. To become its master, one could not show any fear before it.

Its fur wasn't soft, unlike the feel of petting a dog or cat; it was somewhat prickly. It was unlikely one would want to stroke it idly.

The Eldest Prince procured a chain from one of the guardsmen, looped it around the Pixiu's neck, and then helped Zheng Fan lead it outside.

Zheng Fan rode his horse, the Eldest Prince rode his own Pixiu, and the Eldest Prince led another Pixiu—the one belonging to Zheng Fan—behind his own. The two men and three mounts hurried back to the Shengle Army encampment as dawn broke.

Fanli was waiting at the camp gate; he had been in charge of the night patrol. Upon seeing Zheng Fan and the Eldest Prince return together, he shouted loudly towards the inside, "My lord has returned and brought two back!"

"…" The Eldest Prince was speechless.

Zheng Fan had to turn to the Eldest Prince and apologize, "This is one of my tiger generals. He's very fierce in battle, but his brain was addled by a fever when he was young, so he can be a bit reckless. Please don't mind him, Your Highness."

"General Zheng, you're too modest," the Eldest Prince replied. "This stalwart man has a robust physique, truly the bearing of a tiger general. May I ask his name?"

"Oh, his name is Fanli."

"Fanli? Truly, appearances can be deceiving."

"Hm?" Zheng Fan was puzzled.

"I've heard that General Zheng has a remarkably talented strategist under his command named Fanli. Seeing him today, his bearing is indeed extraordinary."

"…" Zheng Fan was speechless.

The Shengle Army made excellent arrangements for the two 'guests' General Zheng brought back.

Firstly, the Eldest Prince was immediately assigned to Jin Shuke's unit, nominally serving as one of his captains.

There were two reasons for this. First, it wasn't feasible to have the Eldest Prince constantly by his side. The Prince's identity was too sensitive, making it safer to keep him away from the command tent. The army Zheng Fan had painstakingly built had to obey him alone; he couldn't allow external interference.

Second, Jin Shuke had a track record of successfully currying favor with the Sword Saint. Zheng Fan believed that entrusting the Eldest Prince to him would make the 'guest' feel 'right at home.'

As for the Pixiu, the soldiers cordoned off a separate area for it and built a small enclosure to house it.

The soldiers from Jin land were indeed worldly-wise. Since Skybreak Mountain teemed with demonic beasts, they weren't easily surprised. They simply regarded the creature General Zheng brought back as a unique type of demonic beast from Yan. Moreover, Zheng Fan's Pixiu had only just reached adulthood, and its frame didn't seem fully developed. Compared to the mounts of the Earl of North Border, Lord Jingnan, or even the Eldest Prince, it appeared rather 'miniature.'

In contrast, Zheng Fan and the few demonic lords with him were quite excited. They crowded around the enclosure, observing the Pixiu resting inside.

"My lord, let's make one thing clear: you can't just casually name it this time," Xue Three immediately reminded him.

You named Lord Jingnan's son Tian Tian; how could you be so casual?

This creature before us is so magnificent; wouldn't naming it casually be a waste?

"Fine, you guys decide," Zheng Fan said, unconcerned.

"So, what should we call it?" Xue Three began to ponder.

At this moment, the Pixiu, seemingly annoyed at being stared at by everyone like some pet dog, stood up, craned its neck, and roared directly at Liang Cheng, who was closest to it: "ROAR!"

Liang Cheng's expression remained unchanged. He opened his mouth, revealing two fangs as his eyes turned green, and roared back, "ROAR!"

"…" The Pixiu blinked, then retreated a few steps, seemingly startled itself.

"TSK TSK TSK, little darling, you must behave," A Ming said, as if taunting a dog.

The Pixiu, possessing considerable intelligence, sensed the disdain in A Ming's tone. It immediately turned its head, opened its mouth wide, and roared at A Ming, "ROAR!"

A smirk touched A Ming's lips. His face began to pale, and his entire demeanor became eerie. The blood-red in his pupils seemed to intensify as he opened his mouth and let out a piercing shriek!

"…" The Pixiu was stunned.

This Pixiu had only just reached adulthood. It hadn't experienced battle, nor had it known a first master. In other words, it was still naive to the ways of the world.

But just now, it had been frightened twice in succession.

It suddenly felt this place was very dangerous, making it extremely uneasy.

It slowly backed away, retreating towards Xue Three. Xue Three immediately squatted down, all three of his legs on the ground, tilted his head, and observed it, wondering, How do you tell if a Pixiu is male or female?

The Pixiu suddenly felt a chill beneath it and, with a scramble of its hooves, darted away from Xue Three.

Just as it was about to back towards Fanli, Fanli was seen vigorously rubbing his face, as if preparing himself. Then, he opened his mouth, beat his chest with his fists, and let out a series of low roars: "ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!!!"

The roars were like a barrage.

It should be known that Fanli possessed a 'barbarian' bloodline. This wasn't the barbarian bloodline of this world, but rather a racial trait from a game he once knew. In that game's setting, such 'barbarians' subsisted on the flesh and blood of exotic beasts.

The Pixiu was terrified anew. It began to dash frantically in circles within the confines of the fence.

One could sense its desperation. How had the world suddenly become so terrifying?

After all, it was merely a 'newbie' fresh out of 'school' and new to 'society'; how could it endure such a 'vicious beating' from so many demonic lords right at its debut?

"Alright, stop scaring it," Zheng Fan finally said. "We just need it to be more docile. We're at war and leaving in three days. We won't take this Pixiu with us for now. Leave a contingent here to watch over it. Once this campaign is over, you can study it more thoroughly. See if you can find a way to further enhance its bloodline. Oh, and San'er," he added, "don't go carelessly feeding it your blood. If you feed it to death, I'll hold you responsible! That goes for the rest of you too; don't just give away your blood."

The Pixiu finally took notice of this 'master.'

It suddenly felt that among everyone present, only this person's aura seemed normal. In this environment, such normalcy gave it a sense of reassurance.

It actively approached Zheng Fan, making a soft whimpering sound in its throat, and even nuzzled its nose against his chest.

Zheng Fan was very pleased by the Pixiu's actions. He reached out and patted its head. "There, good boy."

WHINE…