I'm Just a Beast Tamer

’What’s going on?’

Jiang Zuo stepped out of his wooden cabin and saw a huge crowd in the distance, marching toward him with great momentum.

No one, aside from the Yu Family Siblings, had dared to offend a Grandmaster like Lu Shengyuan to come and warn Jiang Zuo.

Jiang Zuo was completely baffled. He had long forgotten a person named Lu Shengchun even existed.

However, Jiang Zuo naturally felt no fear.

During his sixteen years on Fire Mist Island, Jiang Zuo had raised three Seated Mountain Eagles annually. Each eagle brought him roughly three points of Strength and Physique.

That amounted to nine points of Strength and Physique a year, which meant nearly one hundred and fifty attribute points over sixteen years.

Although his displayed attributes were still capped at 999 due to the system limit, Jiang Zuo’s strength was still continuously increasing.

But Jiang Zuo’s own improvement was actually nothing special.

The real boost came from Xiaoqing.

After upgrading to the intermediate-level Spirit Garden, Xiaoqing could increase her Strength and Physique by about 60 points per year on average.

The intermediate-level Spirit Garden had been upgraded for about fifteen years. Compared to fifteen years ago, Xiaoqing’s Strength and Physique attributes had soared by over eight hundred points!

Now, Jiang Zuo’s attributes looked like this:

Strength: 999 + 1066

Physique: 999 + 1378

Agility: 999 + 73

Furthermore, the bonus stats provided by Xiaoqing were much more powerful than Jiang Zuo’s own attributes.

If Jiang Zuo were to face the two cultivators at the Perfection of Qi Cultivation, Zhu Laoqi and Zhu Shaoqing, now, he couldn’t say he could shatter their Shield Techniques in a single punch, but it would only take a few more.

Therefore, even if the strongest Innate Martial Artist in the world had come, Jiang Zuo would not be the least bit afraid.

"You are Qianhai?"

Lu Shengyuan stopped thirty or forty meters away from Great Black.

His gaze swept over the flock of Seated Mountain Eagles in the sky, fell upon Great Black, and finally landed on Jiang Zuo.

Jiang Zuo was only thirty-one years old, and his Grandmaster Cultivation made him look even younger.

But looking at the young Jiang Zuo, Lu Shengyuan felt a sense of unease.

It was an intuition he had developed after his promotion to Grandmaster.

Looking at Great Black, he could faintly sense a trace of threat emanating from the dog.

’A big black dog can actually make me feel threatened?’

Lu Shengyuan found it somewhat absurd.

But to his surprise, the moment he saw Jiang Zuo, that feeling grew even stronger.

Lu Shengyuan’s expression immediately became incredibly grave.

If it were just Great Black, it might have been a delusion.

But it was impossible for a delusion to occur twice in a row.

’This young-looking Beast Taming Master and that big black dog... I probably can’t afford to underestimate either of them!’

"I am. Who are you, and what business do you have with me?"

Jiang Zuo nodded.

"Qianhai, this is Grandmaster Lu Shengyuan! The matter of you killing Gang Leader Lu Shengchun has come to light. Grandmaster Lu is here to make you pay with your life!"

A former member of the Earth Dragon Gang couldn’t help but shout sternly.

"Lu Shengyuan... Lu Shengchun... So it’s about Gang Leader Lu. My apologies for the lack of respect."

Jiang Zuo said with an air of sudden realization.

The Earth Dragon Gang had taken several of his Seated Mountain Eagles without paying, so Jiang Zuo naturally knew a thing or two about them.

’Qianhai learned that Lu Shengyuan is a Grandmaster, yet he shows no fear at all?’

’Could it be that he wasn’t the one who killed him?’

Zhou Ruhai and the others were seasoned veterans of the martial world; they could tell if a person had a guilty conscience with a single glance.

And in their eyes, Jiang Zuo showed not a single shred of fear at Lu Shengyuan’s arrival.

"Master Qianhai, I came here only to ask you one question. Did you kill my younger brother, Lu Shengchun?"

Lu Shengyuan got straight to the point, asking in a flat tone.

"No."

Jiang Zuo shook his head.

"Is that so? But from what I know, it was this big black dog of yours that killed my brother."

Lu Shengyuan looked toward Great Black.

"That is correct. It was the one who killed Lu Shengchun."

This time, Jiang Zuo admitted it.

"What do you mean by that? Don’t think you can pin this on a dog, let me kill it, and then wash your hands of the matter, do you?"

Lu Shengyuan’s gaze turned cold as he spoke in a hostile tone.

In his view, Jiang Zuo was just trying to argue his way out of it and avoid taking responsibility.

But unfortunately for him, such sophistry would do nothing but infuriate him further.

"That’s not it at all. You’re overthinking it, Grandmaster Lu."

"But as they say, one must take responsibility for one’s own actions. My Great Black may not be human, but he is a responsible dog."

"I have no objection to you killing me to avenge your brother. But my Great Black won’t agree. If you want to kill me, you’ll have to beat him first."

"If you can’t even defeat him, then killing me is naturally impossible."

Jiang Zuo waved his hand, indicating he wasn’t trying to shirk responsibility, but that there was another reason.

’What does Qianhai mean by this?’

The crowd that had followed Lu Shengyuan was enormous, and everyone was stunned when they heard Jiang Zuo’s words.

Lu Shengyuan was a Grandmaster. How could a Grandmaster not be able to defeat a big black dog?

But Qianhai would never spout nonsense at a time like this.

Doesn’t that mean...

’Could it be... that big black dog has already reached the Grandmaster Realm?’

Zhou Ruhai and the others stared at Great Black in utter horror.

That was the only possibility that could explain what Qianhai had just said.

But how was that even possible?

A Grandmaster! That was a Grandmaster!

Even for the most talented Martial Artist, ascending to the Grandmaster Realm was an incredibly difficult feat.

But now, to be told that someone’s pet dog had already reached the Grandmaster Realm... how could they possibly believe it?

"Impossible! Qianhai must be bluffing! How could it be so easy to reach the Grandmaster Realm!"

"That’s right, it must be fake!"

"I think he’s desperate and trying to trick Grandmaster Lu to find a way out of this deadly situation!"

For a moment, the crowd was in an uproar, but almost no one believed a dog could ascend to the Grandmaster Realm.

"Senior Great Black has really become a Grandmaster?"

"It’s very likely. Master Qianhai said back then that Senior Great Black would become a Grandmaster. More than ten years have passed since then, so it’s not impossible."

The Yu Family Siblings, however, had just arrived in time to hear Jiang Zuo’s speech.

After a wave of excitement, their hearts pounded, unable to calm down for a long time.

A big black dog in the Grandmaster Realm... how heaven-defying!

"A big black dog in the Grandmaster Realm? I’ve never heard of such a heaven-defying dog in this world. If it’s true, it would be the number one dog of our time!"

"Then let me see for myself just how formidable a dog in the Grandmaster Realm truly is!"

Lu Shengyuan didn’t argue with Jiang Zuo. After what Jiang Zuo had said, there was no point in arguing further.

If it was a lie, this big black dog would fall in a single move.

If it was true...

An inexplicably astonishing aura erupted from Lu Shengyuan’s body.

In the next instant, his figure flickered, and he shot towards Great Black.

"Grandmaster Lu is making his move!"

"Be careful, don’t get too close! If you get caught in the crossfire, you could be killed!"

"Quick, look at that big black dog!"

"My god, what terrifying pressure!"

"Is that still a dog? It’s too horrifying!"

As Lu Shengyuan charged, Great Black also activated the Blood God Skill at full power.

An incredibly dense wave of Blood Qi instantly shot towards the sky.

Great Black’s body swelled in size, making him look like a Demon God standing on the shore.

Facing the charging Lu Shengyuan, Great Black just stood there quietly.

The onlookers didn’t know what Great Black was planning and were just starting to feel puzzled.

Just then, Lu Shengyuan arrived in front of Great Black.

Only then did Great Black’s figure suddenly move, flashing a dark shadow before Lu Shengyuan’s eyes.

’What is that?’

The thought couldn’t help but flash through Lu Shengyuan’s mind.

In the next moment, Lu Shengyuan felt a sharp pain in his chest.

BANG!

His charging body was sent flying backward by a single swipe of Great Black’s paw.

SPLASH!

Lu Shengyuan was slammed directly into the sea, kicking up a massive spray of water.

’The victor was decided in a single move?’

The crowd stared blankly at the scene, unable to believe their eyes.

That was a Grandmaster! He couldn’t even withstand a single move from this big black dog?

The scene fell deathly silent, leaving only gazes of shocked disbelief.

"COUGH, COUGH..."

In the seawater, Lu Shengyuan clutched his chest, coughing up blood as he walked out step by step.

Everyone could see clearly that Lu Shengyuan had been severely injured in that single exchange.

"What... what level of Cultivation does it have?"

Staring silently at the imperious Great Black, Lu Shengyuan asked with difficulty.

He had trained painstakingly for decades, promoted to Grandmaster, and was basking in limitless glory. His good life had just begun.

But in the end, he couldn’t even last a single move against a dog.

How could he possibly accept this?

"Hmm, probably a Huajin Grandmaster."

Jiang Zuo said, stroking his chin.

Great Black had been a Grandmaster for nearly ten years. With Jiang Zuo’s guidance and the help of the purple Jade Stone for his Cultivation, he could break through about three acupoints a year.

He had now broken through about thirty acupoints, making him a solid Huajin Grandmaster.

A Huajin Grandmaster!

Lu Shengyuan gave a bitter smile.

He had only been a Grandmaster for a little over a year. How could he possibly compare to a Huajin Grandmaster?

The fact that this big black dog hadn’t killed him with a single swipe of its paw probably meant it wasn’t even using its full strength.

"A Huajin Grandmaster?"

"My god, how on earth did it manage that?"

"But it must be true! Didn’t you see Grandmaster Lu was defeated in a single blow!"

Learning that Great Black was a Huajin Grandmaster, the onlookers were completely and utterly stunned.

It would have been one thing if it had just barely scraped into the Grandmaster Realm.

But it turned out to not only be a Grandmaster, but a Huajin Grandmaster at that.

With Innate masters in seclusion, a Huajin Grandmaster was practically invincible in the current age.

Calling this big black dog the number one dog in the world was no exaggeration at all!

"To die at the hands of a Huajin Grandmaster... I have no more regrets in this life. Please, do it!"

Lu Shengyuan said with resignation.

Dying to a Huajin Grandmaster meant his skills were inferior. He had no complaints.

Great Black bared its teeth, ready to pounce.

"Great Black, come back." But Jiang Zuo called him off.

"Grandmaster Lu, you may go. Let’s consider this matter settled."

Jiang Zuo said to Lu Shengyuan.

"You’re not going to kill me?"

Lu Shengyuan was astonished.

If he were in Jiang Zuo’s shoes, he would never let a Grandmaster-level enemy leave alive.

’Kill you?’

’Why would I kill you!’

’Not only will I not kill him, but if someone else tried to kill Lu Shengyuan, I might even have to step in and help him!’

The reason was simple. Lu Shengyuan wasn’t a boss; killing him wouldn’t drop any good loot.

On the contrary, he was a Grandmaster—a Grandmaster who couldn’t even last one move against Great Black!

’From now on, wherever he goes, people will talk about Great Black, the Dog Grandmaster, and by extension, they’ll talk about me, the Beast Taming Master!’

’He’s basically a walking, talking reputation-booster for me!’

’How could I possibly bear to have him killed!’