Beast Taming Star Journey

My heart sank. Damn it, I'd been spotted! In a split second, I darted behind a pile of junk, my heart pounding. He scanned the surroundings warily, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce the darkness, searching for my trace. "Come out!" he barked again, his voice full of threat. I held my breath, not daring to move, terrified of being discovered.

He slowly approached the pile of junk where I was hiding. I could even hear his heavy footsteps; each step felt like it was pounding on my heart. I clenched my fists tightly, my palms sweating. Just when I thought I was about to be discovered, he suddenly stopped, turned, and left.

I let out a long sigh of relief, feeling like I'd just escaped death. Only after he was far away did I carefully crawl out of the pile of debris, my whole body aching. It seemed this golden-robed beast tamer was indeed suspicious, and extremely vigilant; I had to be even more careful.

Over the next few days, I continued to track the golden-robed beast tamer and discovered that he frequently visited secluded places, always alone, and his movements were shrouded in mystery. He seemed to be deliberately avoiding crowds, always choosing quiet alleyways or abandoned buildings to appear. I became even more convinced that he was secretly engaged in some nefarious scheme.

However, I found it difficult to approach him. He was always surrounded by mysterious figures protecting him in the shadows. These people were highly skilled in martial arts and moved with great speed, and my attempts to get close to him all ended in failure. They were like shadows, always maintaining a certain distance from the golden-robed beast tamer, yet constantly vigilant about everything around them.

Once, I followed the golden-robed beast tamer to a grove of trees outside the city. He seemed to be meeting with someone. I hid at a distance and observed. I saw a man in black emerge from the depths of the woods and speak in hushed tones with the golden-robed beast tamer. I wanted to get closer to hear what they were saying, but suddenly I felt a powerful aura lock onto me.

A chill ran down my spine; I immediately realized I'd been discovered. I dared not linger and turned to run. However, the aura pursued relentlessly. I felt as if I were being watched by a ferocious beast, ready to be torn to shreds at any moment.

I ran for my life and finally shook off my pursuers. This experience made me realize even more clearly that the power behind the golden-robed beast tamers was immense, and I had to be much more careful, otherwise I could very well put myself in danger.

I returned to the inn and told Su Yao about my discoveries over the past few days. After listening, Su Yao frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "It seems that this golden-robed beast tamer is indeed suspicious. We must find out his identity and purpose as soon as possible."

Just when we were at our wits' end, there was a knock on the inn's door. I opened it and saw a strange young man standing outside. He was thin and simply dressed, but his eyes held a resolute look. "Excuse me, are you Nong Yu, Brother Nong?" he asked.

I nodded. "I am... and you are..."

“My name is Silverwind,” the boy said. “I have some information to tell you about the Golden-Robed Beastmaster…”

I nodded. "I am... and you are..."

“My name is Yin Feng,” the boy said, his voice trembling with nervousness, his hands gripping the hem of his clothes tightly. “I have some news to tell you about the Golden-Robed Beast Tamer…” I quickly ushered him into the house. Su Yao also came over, her gentle gaze falling on me, silently offering me support and strength. In that instant, I felt much of my weariness dissipate.

Silverwind took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage. "I...I saw someone sneakily put some strange things into the Golden Beastmaster's room," he said hastily. "Those things looked like...like cult offerings!"

A cult sacrifice? Su Yao and I exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. If the Golden Beastmaster was truly connected to a cult, then things were far more complicated than we imagined.

"Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?" I asked seriously.

Yin Feng nodded firmly, "I'm sure! I saw it with my own eyes! That person was acting suspiciously, and I felt something was off, so I kept watching from the shadows. After he left, I sneaked in for a look and found those things placed in a very hidden corner, with some strange runes on them."

A thought flashed through my mind, and I immediately recalled the strange aura I had sensed from the Golden Beastmaster. Could it be... could it be that he was truly framed?

"Can you describe what that person looks like?" Su Yao asked, her voice still gentle, but with a hint of sharpness that was barely perceptible.

Yin Feng tried hard to recall, "That person wasn't tall, wore a black cloak, and had a mask covering his face, so I couldn't see his features. But..." He paused, "I remember he was missing a little finger on his left hand."

A missing little finger? This is a very obvious feature, and perhaps it can be used as a clue to find that person.

“Silver Wind, thank you for telling us this,” I said gratefully. “This information is very important to us.”

Yin Feng smiled shyly, "I just wanted to do my part."

After seeing Yin Feng off, Su Yao and I fell into deep thought. The information Yin Feng provided undoubtedly gave us a new direction for our investigation, but it also made us more puzzled. If the Golden Beastmaster was truly framed, then who framed him? What was their purpose?

“It seems we need to re-examine the whole thing,” Su Yao said, her eyes gleaming with wisdom.

I nodded, a strong premonition rising within me that a huge conspiracy must be lurking behind this. I took out the information I had previously collected about the Golden Beastmasters and carefully read through it, hoping to find some clues.

Suddenly, my gaze fell upon a slip of paper. This was the slip of paper I had found in the Beastmaster's room earlier; it was covered in strange symbols. I hadn't paid it any attention then, but now it seemed these symbols might hold the key to solving the mystery.

I handed the note to Su Yao, "Take a look at this."

Su Yao took the note and examined it carefully, her brows gradually furrowing.

“These symbols… I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before…” she murmured to herself.

Just then, a rapid knocking interrupted our thoughts. A chill ran through me; a sense of foreboding washed over me. I walked to the door, took a deep breath, and slowly opened it… Standing outside was…