Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 368 Iron-Headed Kid Steps into the Outside World Like a Fierce Dragon Crossing the River
Perhaps the Paw Patrol members, whose strength is not yet strong enough, cannot smell the strange scent emanating from Yumi, but Cola, who has just broken through to the fourth tier, can. With the added effect of [Heart Domain Wind Net], as long as Yumi shows the slightest flaw, she can be locked onto directly.

After hearing the reason why Youmi stole things, Chen Yuan looked thoughtfully at the Electric Flying Cat beside him, who had a smug look on his face as if he had seen through its true colors long ago. He then curled up a smile that was not quite a smile: "I see. It seems that the reasons why you came to Xuanhe Town in the first place are somewhat similar."

Electric Flying Cat reacted as if its tail had been stepped on, its fur standing on end. It excitedly leaped onto the table in front of Chen Yuan, loudly retorting, its paws still gesturing in the air, its electric sacs on its cheeks flashing continuously.

Different! Completely different!
I was completely forced into it at the time; I was starving to death because there was nothing to eat!

And I don't have this guy causing trouble!
"Coo-choo!"

Upon seeing the rather excited Electric Flying Cat, Youmi, who had been looking aggrieved, suddenly curled her lips into a smile, scratched her cheeks with her two little paws, and made another funny face.

I won't cause trouble!
"Electric!" Electric Flying Cat was furious. As the smartest member of the farm, it felt a blatant provocation for the first time.

Chen Yuan watched the two little ones interact, smiled helplessly, then turned his gaze to Youmi, who had curled up into a ball again, his tone carrying an undeniable air:
"Alright, now that it's happened, you have to take responsibility for your actions. I'll give you two choices: First, pay for all the losses caused by your theft; second, stay in Xuanhe Town and repay your debts through work."

He paused, then added, "By the way, if I find out you're playing pranks again, I'll have Spark teach you a lesson."

"Chirp." Spark nodded slightly, her golden-red eyes shining.

Yumi cautiously raised her head slightly, blinked her big, still watery eyes, and tilted her head in confusion: "Goo-choo?"

What is work?

Chen Yuan pointed to several busy staff members in the office—some were burying themselves in organizing documents, while others were patiently receiving beast tamers who came to consult: "Like them, they earn their living by contributing their labor, such as handling business, patrolling, or doing whatever they can, in exchange for food and lodging."

Yumi immediately shook her head like a rattle drum, even her little antennae swaying along with it: "Coo-choo coo-choo!"

Don't don't!

It sounds so tiring and boring!
I'm locked up in the house every day!

Only you poor two-legged creatures and those pets who are not thinking straight will work!
Upon hearing this, several staff members working in the office all cast resentful and helpless glances at him, followed by a series of sighs.

Meanwhile, Runrun Duck, who had been fast asleep on the back of the Fallen Horned Beast, woke up at some point and was curiously peeking over the edge of the table. Upon hearing Youmi's words, it nodded in agreement and flapped its little wings, as if it had found a rare confidant: "Quack quack quack!"

I've finally found my soulmate!

Chen Yuan almost laughed out of anger, but he quickly composed himself, put on a stern face, and said in a solemn voice, "Since you don't want to work, then come up with compensation."

Yumi blinked, then spread her hands: "Goo-hoo~"

I don't even have food, what can I offer as compensation?
Chen Yuan was silent for a moment. After thinking for a while, he quickly waved his hand and said, "This is your problem. Figure it out yourself."

You should accept punishment for doing something wrong, even if it's a wild pet.

Meeting the serious gazes fixed on it, Youmi's eyes darted around a few times. Suddenly, it seemed to remember something. It cautiously glanced at the chilling golden-red figure behind Chen Yuan's shoulder and tentatively spoke in a weak voice, "Coo-choo?"

Do you need shiny stones?

Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback: "A shiny stone? What kind of stone?"

Seeing that things seemed to be turning around, Youmi quickly started gesturing, stretching out her little paws as wide as she could.

It turns out that when Youmi was wandering in the wild, she once accidentally entered a dark cave. She flew inside for a very long time, and then her vision suddenly opened up. Inside, there were many, many shiny, glowing stones.

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

Yumi continued her narration, then suddenly lowered her voice, a hint of fear in it.

But the cave was full of ferocious and evil beasts. Youmi hid and dodged her way to the deepest part, only to find that there were also very powerful creatures there. Youmi looked at the shiny and beautiful stones and sighed helplessly. She had no choice but to slink back.

After listening to Youmi's story, Chen Yuan fell into deep thought, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the armrest of the chair, his gaze gradually deepening.

The shiny stone that Yumi mentioned sounds like some kind of steel-type nurturing resource containing pure energy, which will definitely be of great benefit to Ironhead's growth and even its advancement.

A place that can nurture a large amount of steel resources must be filled with extremely rich steel energy. The environment here is likely to meet the "land of metal gathering" mentioned in the Ironhead's advancement conditions.

Chen Yuan couldn't help but mutter to himself, "It's just like a pillow appearing when you're sleepy."

This morning I just unlocked the advancement conditions for Ironhead Baby, and this afternoon a wild Ghostly Meow appeared, along with information about a possible advancement location.

What does this mean?
This indicates that Ironhead's advancement process will be much smoother than that of the previous three predecessors.

Chen Yuan was instantly intrigued. He looked at Youmi and began to ask for more details: "Where exactly is that cave located? Besides its enormous size, what other characteristics does the guardian beast at the deepest part have? Did you see what it looked like?"

Seeing that Chen Yuan seemed very interested in this matter, Youmi's big eyes darted around, a sly glint flashing in its amber pupils. It rubbed its little paws together, trying to bargain: "Coo-choo?"

If I tell you more, could you also share some of the shiny stones with me?
Or...waive my compensation?

Seeing that this guy still dared to bargain, Chen Yuan admired its audacity on the one hand, but on the other hand, he interrupted its little scheme without any politeness, saying in a calm tone: "You are a convict, so it is only right that you provide clues to make amends for your mistakes. Don't forget, you are not in a position to negotiate now."

The spark on her shoulder glanced at Youmi, which immediately made the little guy tremble with fear.

"Ow"

Upon seeing this, Cola's eyes flickered, as if deep in thought.

It has never seen a pet that is not afraid of the Big Sister. Whether it is the little friends in the farm or the fierce and violent pets outside, they will obediently tuck their tails between their legs and instantly become docile in front of the Big Sister.

Why does this happen?

Is it just because the boss is very strong and powerful?
Cola's gaze sharpened, and he subtly bared his teeth.

Do not!
I'm happy my whole life, no less than a bird!

There must be other, deeper reasons unknown to dogs.

Once I find it, I too can become the respected elder brother of all beasts!

While Cola was lost in thought, Youmi deflated like a punctured balloon, her petite body completely drooping. She pouted sadly and had no choice but to obediently continue her explanation: "Gurgle gurgle~"

That big guy was really scary; it walked on two legs and was even taller than this big guy!
Youmi pointed at the Fallen Horned Beast, and everyone turned to look at it.

The Fallen Horned Beast was over two meters tall, and even a little taller than this one. This pet beast located deep in the cave was indeed a real behemoth.

For Chen Yuan, who had faced giant beasts head-on several times, size was not important; the key was strength.

His expression remained calm as he continued to stare at Youmi, waiting for her to recount more details.

"Goojiujiu~"

This huge creature was covered in very shiny, hard armor, which looked even harder than those shiny stones.

Moreover, it has a particularly long, sharp, drill-like silver horn on its head, a large and fierce-looking face, eyes that seem to glow red, and a thick and long metal tail that whistles through the air when it swings.

"Electric~"

Electric Flying Cat glanced sideways at Youmi and made a mocking sound.

You must have been trembling with fear!

"Coo-choo!"

Upon hearing this, Youmi's eyes widened, her short fur stood on end, and she let out a shrill cry.

No!
I just don't like being in the same place as ugly people!
Like you!

"Electricity!"

Upon hearing this, Electric Flying Cat flew into a rage, its cheeks flashing with dazzling electricity, its fierce gaze fixed on Youmi. The latter, however, grinned and spread its paws, looking as if its scheme had succeeded.

"Quack quack?" Runrun Duck looked at the two guys from left and right, then scratched its head, looking puzzled.

It doesn't understand what's the point of arguing?
Why not have some snacks?

Runrun Duck secretly swallowed a snack, then squinted its eyes in enjoyment, oblivious to the quarrels of the other pets.

It wasn't until Chen Yuan glared at the two of them that they angrily turned their heads away and each let out a cold snort.

Getting back to the main point, Chen Yuan searched his mind for pets that matched Youmi's description and quickly came up with a guess: "A body covered in silver armor, a single horn, walking on two legs, and dwelling in this kind of place, sounds a lot like a steel-type pet that commands quality—the Steel-Armored Rhinoceros."

Upon hearing this, Song Guohao's eyes flashed, and he said in a deep voice, "If I remember correctly, these pets feed on metals and high-energy ores. They have an enormous appetite and an amazing digestive ability. Their existence often indicates that there are rich mineral deposits underground."

Youmi nodded repeatedly, her little head bobbing like a chick pecking at rice: "Cluck cluck!"

Yes, yes, yes! It's gnawing on the rock, crunching and cracking, it sounds really hard!

Chen Yuan glanced at Song Guohao in surprise, then nodded: "Brother Song is right, this is exactly the behavior of the Armored Rhinoceros."

Zhang Hao laughed heartily from the side, "Brother Song is experiencing a second spring in his life. He's working incredibly hard, spending all his time on his phone learning about all kinds of pets. He's much more diligent than us."

Song Guohao smiled faintly: "I'm getting old, and I can't keep up with the learning ability of you young people. I can only try harder every day."

He paused, then added, "If I learn these professional skills well now, I won't make mistakes in my daily work and become a laughing stock."

In an instant, thunderous applause erupted inside the office.

After considering all this information, Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and finally made a decision: "Youmi, lead the way. Let's go to that cave and take a look."

"Coo-choo?" Yumi tilted her head.

now?
Chen Yuan waved his hand and said, "Yes, right now."

Since it's a day off and the little ones don't need to train, we can go check out this cave. If it meets the requirements for advancement, that would be great news; if not, we can still add this place to our list of key observation points in the Qinling Mountains. Either way, we won't lose out.

Since Zhang Hao and the others had important matters to attend to and could not accompany him, Chen Yuan left the office alone with the restless little guy and led the group of pets back to the farm.

After passing the strict inspection by Tie Touwa, once inside the farm, Youmi's big eyes couldn't take it all in. It looked around curiously, especially when it saw the spiritual plants in the spiritual plant plantation that radiated an alluring glow and were so fresh and juicy that its mouth almost watered and its little paws were itching to grab them.

"Coo-choo!"

So much delicious food!
This place is simply paradise!
If it weren't still bound by the electric grid, Youmi would have already been devouring these spiritual plants.

However, Youmi quickly met Spark's calm yet extremely intimidating gaze, and it instantly became obedient, though its eyes still occasionally glanced towards the spirit plant.

Before long, Youmi suddenly saw a family of Wood Spirit Rats using their large tails as brooms, diligently sweeping the snow in the yard.

Yumi pouted its barely noticeable little mouth, a look of incomprehension on its face, and muttered again under its breath, "Coo-choo."

These pets are so pitiful, being locked up here and forced to do hard labor.

This must be an evil human. He used that big bird to force many pets to work here, and he would beat and scold them at the drop of a hat. That big fat duck that was fast asleep was the most obvious example!
No!

I need to find a way to escape.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan smiled, then pointed to the thriving and vibrant spiritual plant garden, and said in a calm tone, "Working on the farm, as long as you complete your work, you can receive a share of these spiritual plants according to your labor."

Upon hearing this, Youmi's gaze was instantly drawn to the vibrant spiritual plants as if by a magnet. It unconsciously swallowed, its little throat bobbing as it struggled with its thoughts.

After a long silence, it finally managed to look away, its neck stiff, and stubbornly shook its head: "Coo-choo!"

snort!
Working is impossible, absolutely impossible in my life.
Even so, its gaze still uncontrollably drifted in that direction.

Chen Yuan said no more. He walked to the farm gate and found Tie Touwa, who was still sticking to his post.

Looking straight into Ironhead's semi-circular orange eyes, Chen Yuan told it about the discovery of a mine that might contain abundant steel resources and hoped that Ironhead would go with him to find out more.

Iron-Headed Baby's iron head twitched slightly, emitting a dull buzzing sound, expressing its hesitation.

But once it leaves, there will be no pet guarding the farm gate, which will force the farm's security forces to collapse and put it in a dangerous situation.

Chen Yuan was not surprised at all by Tie Touwa's reaction. Having already prepared a solution, he explained gently, "Don't worry, this time I left Cola at home. It can protect the farm well on its own."

"Yes, Duck, Electric Flying Cat, Falling Horned Beast, and Sprite also stayed on the farm."

"The cave has a complex interior environment and narrow terrain, so not too many people can go."

Upon hearing this, the duck immediately nodded in agreement, quacked twice to indicate that there was no problem, and then jumped into its own little fishpond with a splash, floating comfortably and continuing to bask in the sun leisurely.

The Fallen Horned Beast let out a low growl to indicate its understanding; the Electric Flying Cat glared fiercely at Youmi, then flapped its wings and flew towards the lobby to watch TV.

The TV series is the priority; it doesn't have time to bother with this guy.

Only when Cola heard this arrangement did it widen its bright blue eyes and look at Chen Yuan in disbelief. Then its ears drooped down, and it let out a long, aggrieved whimper, its eyes filled with resentment.

Chen Yuan coughed lightly, reached out and ruffled Cola's fluffy head, and explained earnestly, "Cola, it's precisely because you are the most capable, reliable, and trustworthy in guarding the house that I entrusted you with this most important task. Protecting our home is more important than going on adventures, and it requires even greater strength and a stronger sense of responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Cola immediately felt a great responsibility on his shoulders, and the slight grievance in his heart was instantly replaced by a sense of pride and mission.

It immediately puffed out its chest, raised its tail high again, and let out a firm and steady growl, indicating its commitment to completing the mission and protecting the farm.

Seeing that Cola was definitely staying on the farm, the stubborn kid, whose eyes were gleaming, finally made up his mind.

Its iron head nodded up and down, letting out a firm cry, indicating its willingness to go along:

"Kick!"

Seeing the boy's reaction, Chen Yuan was very pleased. He stepped forward, patted the boy on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "Not bad. You haven't left the farm for a long time. It's time to see the outside world and test the results of your training during this period."

To be more precise, ever since evolving into Steelhead Gopher, Ironhead has stayed on the farm, except for the time when it goes to town to watch the competition during the East Glory Tournament. Otherwise, it stays on the farm and never leaves.

This is a good opportunity to let Ironhead see the outside world and let it understand its strength level in the wild.

It is actually very strong; most wild pets are no match for it.

However, Ironhead was naturally cautious and always believed that the outside world was chaotic and full of dangers. If he couldn't split a mountain in two with one stroke, he should stay obediently on the farm and avoid conflicts with other pets.

Before long, an exploration team consisting of Chen Yuan, Spark, Morning and Evening Fairy, Iron Head Baby, and the invisible guide Youmi officially assembled.

Guided by Youmi with a mix of nervousness and excitement, they left the farm and headed towards the mysterious cave that might contain abundant steel resources and powerful guardians.

"Ow~"

Watching its owner and companions depart from afar, Cola couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

But when he thought of the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, Cola's eyes gleamed, he barked fiercely, and he kept patrolling the farm, looking for any hidden dangers.

With me guarding the farm, not even a fly could get in!

After finishing their work, the Wood Spirit Mouse family leaned against the gate, gazing at the departing figure of their senior, Iron Head Baby.

"call out"

Scarred Rat had two claws on its back, deep eyes, and a sighing tone.

The arrival of the Iron-Headed Child in the mountains is like a dragon crossing a river, sure to stir up a monstrous wave.

(End of this chapter)