Change jobs, pet beast!

"Young master, he mentioned Kujing Village..."

Although it was He Zhifeng's first time setting foot on Green Crow Ridge, he was quite old and knew more than Jiang Mo based on hearsay.

Green Raven Ridge is located on the far western border of the Great Xiao Dynasty, near the Western Xia Chi Ze, and is mostly covered by forests and swamps.

Even in a favorable habitat, the ecology of pet animals is extremely complex, and human exiles, upon their arrival, naturally face numerous difficulties.

However, after hundreds of years of development, the exiles could not have been completely wiped out. They had already established three villages as safe havens for their fellow human beings.

"One of the three villages, is it called Dry Well Village?"

"I was just wondering how to get into the village, and this is perfect timing..."

He Zhifeng was moved.

Whether it's the master or the contracted pet, the injuries are serious and cannot be faked.

At this point, whether to help or refuse is entirely up to them, so there's no need to worry too much.

"Old Crane, taking a risk is worthwhile!"

Jiang Mo was even more tempted. A second wish had fallen from the sky. If he didn't give it a shot, how could he get over that mental hurdle?

"Young Master, let the trolls go first. Without a pet to protect you, relying solely on the bathhouse attendant's level 2 abilities isn't safe!"

Seeing that the young master also supported saving people, He Zhifeng had no more worries. He took a step forward, gripped a dagger tightly in his right hand, and grabbed a handful of soul seasoning in his left hand, ready for battle.

"Whoosh!"

The firehound disappeared at the cave entrance.

It charged toward the rock-hoofed lion at an extremely fast speed.

at the same time.

The culprit who hunted down the rockhoof lion and the male villagers has revealed his true form.

Those were a group of "Iron-tailed Porcupines," their long tails, covered in hard bony armor, swung violently, the sound of them tearing through the air splitting rocks and piercing the clouds.

The leader was particularly burly and robust, with four short, thick fangs protruding from its body. Its joints were wrapped in tattered bandages, and its fierce eyes glared angrily, exuding a murderous aura.

[Race]: Iron-tailed Porcupine (Wild)

[Bloodline Rank]: Mountain and River Beasts (Lower Grade)

[Life Cycle]: Maturity Stage

[Attribute]: Gold

[Pet Position]: Young and Dangerous (One Star)

[Work Experience]: 17%

"Trolls, don't confront it head-on, it has a duty!"

He Zhifeng hadn't finished speaking.

The rock-hoofed lion roared and turned to kick fiercely.

Amidst the flying rocks, the most robust iron-tailed porcupine, not to be outdone, ploughed the ground with its iron tail, lashing the rock-hoofed lion's face like a steel whip.

"Bang!"

Both beasts flew backwards at the same time.

A half-meter-long gash hung on the rock hooves' cheek, the muscles twisted and hot, grayish-red blood dripping down its mane.

The iron-tailed porcupine was about the same size, but its side was dented, and blood kept flowing from the corner of its mouth.

"Woof—Woof!"

The Fire Hound leaped above the Rockhoof Lion, its light red fur suddenly covered with a layer of flames. The hound arched its body, its chest and abdomen contracted violently, and the scorching fire element gathered wildly at its throat.

The next instant, it suddenly opened its canines, and a red fireball the size of a basketball, engulfed in flames and thick smoke, crashed down on the Iron-Tailed Porcupine.

One-Star Magic Apprentice - Fireball!

The moment the fireball exploded, a scorching shockwave sent dust flying and a pungent, burnt smell permeated the air.

"Snoring! Snoring!!"

The Irontail Porcupine leader was blasted to the ground and, due to its bulky size, was unable to get up immediately.

The underlings gathered around it, who were originally quite aggressive, as if they were about to launch a collective charge.

Suddenly without their leader, they could only growl in low voices, restless and uneasy.

"Torque sprayers, breathe fire, drive them away!"

At the old crane's command, the fire hound let out a low growl, and sparks flew from its mouth and nose.

As a thick, long pillar of fire continued to erupt, the heat waves rolled in layer upon layer, creating a suffocating pressure that forced the Iron-Tailed Porcupine leader, who had stood up again, to keep retreating.

"Young master, this guy's underlings are all incompetent fools, nothing to worry about."

"Although this guy is a 'gangster,' he bullies the weak and fears the strong, and can't unleash his true abilities. If you go up and show off your skills, you might be able to completely force them to retreat."

After assessing the situation, He Zhifeng cleared the entrance to the cave, signaling Jiang Mo to proceed boldly.

Jiang Mo nodded and walked forward slowly, showing no sign of impatience.

When the distance to the leader of the Iron-tailed Porcupines is thirty meters.

Jiang Mo could already feel the heat wave hitting her face.

A strange aura rose from his body, and he raised his arms, his palms instantly expanding and growing larger.

His once fair hands were suddenly covered with dense black animal fur.

His knuckles were as thick as iron pestles, and every inch of them exuded the brute force to split stones and shatter monuments.

His veins bulged and twisted like a dragon, and an indescribable wild pressure enveloped the surroundings bit by bit.

"Beast-like palms!"

He Zhifeng's eyes shone brightly.

This is the exclusive ability unlocked after the "Bathhouse Scrubber" reaches level 2.

When activated, bathhouse attendants will receive a double boost in strength and stamina.

Equipped with adjustable-sized, sturdy paws, its primary purpose is to assist with bathing—after all, many large pets have claws, serrated teeth, or are as hard as metal or stone, and human hands can easily scratch them.

Instead of its primary purpose, it intervenes in battle—like now, just by smelling its scent, the Iron-tailed Porcupine would never mistake Jiang Mo for a human, but only for a savage beast in ape form!

"Hah!"

Jiang Mo raised two beastly paws, comparable to giant shields, and pressed forward step by step like a moving wall.

Although the Fire Hound was not his contracted pet, they were perfectly in sync. With a slight adjustment of their angle, they immediately increased the output of their flames, creating a powerful synergy between them.

"Snoring..."

The leader of the Iron-Tailed Porcupines slunk away.

The remaining underlings scattered in a ruckus.

The somber atmosphere that was visible to the naked eye suddenly dissipated.

However, the male villager who was struggling to hold onto the rock hooves lion's neck couldn't even utter a complete "thank you" before suddenly collapsing to the ground, his crimson blood soaking the cracked yellow earth.

"Have you reached your limit? No! You have to live!"

Jiang Mo sensed something was wrong and immediately withdrew his beast-like palms, instead conjuring a stream of clean water to cleanse the man's body and wounds.

"Hiss... Young Master, we've worked for nothing."

"This guy was seriously injured; the fact that he's lasted this long is a sign of his dying breath..."

He Zhifeng crouched down and carefully turned the man over.

Upon seeing the penetrating wound on the other person's chest and abdomen, which was as thick as three fingers, his eyebrows furrowed like a twisted rope, and he couldn't relax them.

"roar……"

The rock-hoofed lion, who wields the power of "labor" and is incredibly strong at resisting fatigue, is now limp on the ground, trying to get up again and again, only to fail each time.

It's clear that it's as intelligent and perceptive as a fire hound.

Sensing that its master's life force was growing weaker and weaker, it looked at the old crane with bloody tears in its eyes, almost pleading, hoping that he could lend a helping hand.

"He's injured like this, we can't save him."

He Zhifeng gently shook his head, his pitying gaze revealing a hint of indifference born from having seen life and death many times before.

When you're away from home, you have to bear the consequences of your own life and death; this is part of the spiritual practice.

Besides, they were just strangers who met by chance.

They were already more than generous in repelling the Iron-tailed Porcupine.

Surely they wouldn't sacrifice their last Dragon-Tiger Tendon-Regenerating Pill for some random stranger whose name they don't even know? He and the young master aren't wealthy tycoons, indiscriminately kind people, or fools and idiots; how could they possibly be so selfless…

"Old Crane, can I talk to you about something?"

Jiang Mo pursed his lips, took out a porcelain bottle with his right hand, shook the pills inside, and said with a shy smile:

"I want to use this Dragon-Tiger Tendon-Regenerating Pill to extend his life. What do you think?"