Beast God City, Beast God Academy

The people of the Beast God Continent were not only wild in their attire but also fiercely bold in their customs.

Upon entering Beast God City, one could hear constant quarrels echoing from all directions, each voice booming loudly.

Whether men or women, their temperaments were all the same.

Beast God City lived up to its reputation as the largest city in the Beast God Continent and the home of the Beast God Academy. Beastmasters could be seen everywhere on the streets.

It seemed as though anyone without a demon beast by their side would stand out awkwardly.

"This… why does it feel like everyone here is a Beastmaster?"

"There are so many of them!" Gu Fengyao exclaimed in surprise, finding this quite different from the rumors.

In the outside world, people believed that while the Beast God Continent had Beastmasters, their numbers were not overwhelming. Chen Chang'an and his companions had initially thought the same when they first arrived.

After all, they had barely seen any Beastmasters before. But upon reaching Beast God City, that notion was completely overturned.

So many!

Far too many!

Beastmasters packed the streets?

"Wow, what a cute dog!"

Suddenly, a little girl, no more than five or six years old with delicate features, looked at Da Huang with excitement.

The girl wore her hair in twin ponytails that swayed as she ran, making her appear utterly adorable.

"Big brother, is this your dog?"

"Can I pet him?"

The little girl glanced up at Chen Chang'an with a sweet smile.

Chen Chang'an had never been particularly fond of children, but he didn't dislike them either.

Yet, there was something irresistibly charming about this little girl's smile—it made one want to pinch her chubby cheeks.

"His name is Da Huang. He doesn’t bite. Go ahead," Chen Chang'an said with a chuckle.

"Thank you, big brother!"

"Da Huang, you're so cute."

Da Huang lay sprawled on the ground, resigned to the girl's affectionate pats.

He wasn’t exactly thrilled, but he wasn’t annoyed either.

After all, wasn’t that what dogs were for?

"Big brother, did you come from outside?"

"Are you leaving soon?"

After petting Da Huang for a while, the little girl looked up at Chen Chang'an and his companions.

Though young, she could tell from their attire that they weren’t from the Beast God Continent.

"Not sure. We might stay for a while."

Hearing this, the girl’s eyes sparkled. "Then where will you be staying?"

"Can I come play with Da Huang?"

"He’s so cute. We don’t have any dogs here."

Chen Chang'an wasn’t surprised by the lack of dogs. In Beast God City, demon beasts were far more common than ordinary animals.

But if there were no dogs, how did this little girl recognize one?

"The dogs I’ve seen were all strays, and they were really mean!" the girl pouted.

Ah, so she had encountered wild dogs before.

"Qiqi, it’s time to go home. Don’t bother the guests."

Just then, an elderly man not far away sighed and called for Qiqi to return.

"Oh, Grandpa, I’m coming."

Qiqi pouted in disappointment, her gaze lingering reluctantly on Da Huang.

"My name’s Qiqi. You can come find me to play too!"

"I live at—"

"Qiqi, don’t tell strangers so much. Come back."

"Sorry, big brother. Grandpa won’t let me say. I have to go now, hehe!"

With a giggle, Qiqi dashed off on her short little legs toward her grandfather.

"That little Qiqi is seriously adorable. I’ve never seen such a cute kid before," Gu Fengyao gushed, her eyes practically glowing.

"Yeah, she really is," Gu Xian'er agreed with a nod.

"Adorable my tail! She nearly plucked all my fur out," Da Huang grumbled.

"You looked pretty content with your eyes half-closed just now," Chen Chang'an teased.

"Hmph! I was just being the bigger person and not arguing with a brat."

"So, where to now? Find an inn first?" Da Huang swiftly changed the subject.

An inn?

Chen Chang'an pondered for a moment. Beast God City was massive, and since they weren’t sure how long they’d stay, an inn might not be the most convenient option.

"Buy a house!"

"Let’s just buy one here."

"Don’t forget, the two of us still need to join the Beast God Academy. Owning a house won’t raise suspicions."

"Plus, it’ll give Xian'er and Fengyao a quiet place to cultivate."

Da Huang nodded in approval. Buying a house was indeed a solid plan.

"Young Master, aren’t the two of us going?" Gu Xian'er asked, surprised.

"You two focus on cultivation. The academy matters can be handled by me and Da Huang."

"Too many people would draw unnecessary attention."

"Alright."

Seeing Chen Chang'an’s resolve, Gu Xian'er and Gu Fengyao could only agree. For them, cultivation was the priority.

While house-hunting, Chen Chang'an also inquired about the Beast God Academy.

As an academy, he wasn’t sure about its admission requirements, standards, or whether there were specific enrollment periods.

"Hey, are you here to buy my house or just gather intel?"

"Are you buying or not?"

"Let me tell you, this place is in high demand—just one street away from the Beast God Academy!"

"Plenty of people want it."

"If you—"

Chen Chang'an listened calmly to the seller’s spiel, smiling faintly but remaining unmoved.

While Beast God City did have its share of outsiders, most came for the academy, and very few bought property.

As for locals?

Didn’t they already have homes? Who’d need to buy one?

The seller rambled until his throat dried up, only to see Chen Chang'an completely unfazed. Deflated, he sighed.

"Fine, I’ll be straight with you."

"Back then, I noticed a lot of outsiders wanting to join the academy, so I took a gamble—bought and built houses all around this area."

"And guess what? Hardly anyone bought them!"

"I sank all my money into this."

"Brother, life’s been tough. My wife nags me every day when I get home."

"Do me a solid, buy it. At least then I can hold my head up at home, eh?"

Chen Chang'an found it amusing. The man had some business sense—bold and enterprising—but he’d misjudged Beast God City’s dynamics.

This city might be the biggest hub for outsiders, but most would only stay in inns initially.

After all, they didn’t know if they’d get into the academy. If they failed, they’d leave.

And if they succeeded? They’d move into the academy dorms. Buying a house? Pointless.

Chen Chang'an’s reasons were simple: he wasn’t short on money, and Gu Xian'er and Gu Fengyao needed a stable place to cultivate.

"Buying is fine, but shouldn't we discuss the price a bit?" Chen Chang'an asked with a smile.

"Bro, after all I've shared with you—just think about how much I've told you about the Beast God Academy—don’t you think you should show some appreciation?"

"How about this? I’ll knock twenty percent off the price. That’s as low as I can go."

"Deal!"

"Wahhhhh!"

"You—you’re such a saint, a true saint!"

Holy crap!

Seriously?

The moment Chen Chang'an handed over the payment, this nearly two-meter-tall, brawny man actually dropped to his knees and started bawling.

"Ten years!"

"Finally, I see some damn money coming back my way!" The man wailed as if the heavens were collapsing.

Watching the scene, Chen Chang'an could only sigh helplessly and mutter, "Truly, even the mightiest hero can be brought low by a single coin."