Li Junyue encountered this situation for the first time.
To avoid disturbing his wife and children during his meditation at night, he specially cleaned the storage room today, and ended up discovering an old Jade Pendant inside.
He remembered this Jade Pendant.
It was the first time he traveled with his wife, and he spotted it at a glance at the antique market.
The Jade Pendant wasn't expensive, just fifty yuan, yet it witnessed their journey from student days to the present.
Li Junyue didn't actually like wearing jade pendants or necklaces, but tonight he inexplicably put on the Jade Pendant and began to meditate.
Holding his breath and focusing his mind, just as he entered a meditative state, he was completely unaware that the Jade Pendant emitted a soft glow like flowing water, covering the entire storage room.
The next moment, his vision was engulfed by the glow, and he heard a voice, distant yet near: "A newcomer?"
In a gray misty space, Li Junyue regained his sight, looking around in terror and confusion. His years of professional habits led him to take deep breaths, and after a while, he finally calmed down.
Seeing the two dazzling spots in his vision, he initially wanted to probe by saying something, but his rich experience made him suppress the impulse and remain silent.
"Relax, we mean no harm."
The unfamiliar voice paused, with a hint of laughter in it: "We're just the lucky ones chosen by the Jade Pendant."
A lively female voice chimed in: "Yep, yep, I can testify, I'm one of them."
Frowning, Li Junyue glanced down at the Jade Pendant on his chest and tentatively asked, "Jade Pendant?"
"Let me explain." Jiang Wenning took the initiative to explain to the newcomer, speaking quickly, as Li Junyue's expression gradually changed from bewildered to thoughtful.
"It's truly magical." Li Junyue grasped the cold Jade Pendant, having largely believed Jiang Wenning's account.
As a grassroots police officer, he could roughly distinguish between truth and falsehood.
He took another deep breath, calming his excited emotions, and actively asked, "Are you all Beastmasters?"
His voice was deep and filled with the fatigue of a corporate worker, lacking the energy and vitality of a young person.
"Of course." Jiang Wenning answered swiftly, her voice sweet.
"Can you tell me what kind of initial Pet Beast should be contracted?" Li Junyue hesitated repeatedly, eventually asking.
"Uh..." Chen Yuan couldn't answer this question.
After all, in his time the conditions were limited, and there was only one Extraordinary Creature nearby to contract with, no other options.
"Try to choose one that matches your personality." Jiang Wenning, worthy of being a first-term student at the Beast Taming Academy, responded without hesitation, "A Beastmaster's personality will determine their style in breeding, training, and combat. Choosing an initial Pet Beast that aligns with your personality will yield twice the result with half the effort."
"Thank you for your answer." Li Junyue's eyes flickered as he sincerely thanked her.
After a slight pause, he politely asked, "How should I address you two?"
"Jiang Wenning."
"Chen Yuan."
Li Junyue was momentarily stunned, hesitant to speak: "Those are your real names? Won't that be..."
If it were him facing this situation, he definitely wouldn't reveal his real name.
"I understand your concern, I too have considered this issue." Chen Yuan spoke up at the right moment, "It's fine for now, but if more newcomers join in the future, there are bound to be some with ill intent."
"Using our real names seems a bit risky."
Li Junyue nodded silently.
"How about we all use codenames to address each other?" Jiang Wenning's eyes sparkled with excitement, visions of many mysterious organization's codenames flashing in her mind.
Chen Yuan nodded: "Okay."
"We could use names of liquors, like Tequila, Pisco..." Jiang Wenning suggested excitedly, listing off several codenames.
Chen Yuan quickly waved his hand: "Those codenames sound ominous."
"Then..." Jiang Wenning tilted her head in thought, suddenly her eyes lit up, "How about using fruits?"
Without waiting for them to respond, she decided: "I'll be Pomelo."
Chen Yuan wasn't too concerned about this, shrugging: "Then I'll be Orange."
"Watermelon." Li Junyue said succinctly.
"Great!" Jiang Wenning suddenly stood up from the bed, an amber-eyed pale-blue cat glanced at her, then quickly looked away, "From now on, we're members of the Fruit Factory."
Chen Yuan laughed wryly: "Alright, you're the boss."
"How does Uncle Watermelon feel about it?" Jiang Wenning asked.
A vein popped on Li Junyue's forehead as he gritted his teeth: "I'm only thirty, don't call me Uncle!"
Then, he exhaled lightly: "You probably aren't over 20 yet, right?"
Jiang Wenning giggled: "Wrong guess, I'm 22, just graduated recently."
Li Junyue couldn't help but recall the evaluation of college students—clear and naive, so he muttered to himself: "No wonder..."
"By the way, Jiang... Pomelo, do you know how to cultivate Spirit Plants?" Chen Yuan suddenly remembered something.
"Cultivate Spirit Plants?" Jiang Wenning was stunned.
"Yes, I accidentally obtained a type of Spirit Plant, and I plan to plant the remaining seeds at home, wondering if that's feasible?" Chen Yuan explained briefly.
"It should be fine, I think?" Jiang Wenning's tone was uncertain as she pondered for a moment with her right hand on her chin, then continued, "After the Spiritual Energy Revival, the soil also contains a certain amount of Spiritual Energy, so the vegetables and fruits planted taste better and are more nutritious than before."
Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully.
"If you're in a hurry, I can look up relevant information tomorrow." Jiang Wenning added.
"I'd appreciate it."
"No problem, I'm just curious whether the Spirit Plant is targeted at Pet Beasts or Beastmasters?" Jiang Wenning asked out of curiosity.
Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback: "There are ones targeted at Beastmasters too?"
"Of course." Jiang Wenning explained, "Some Spirit Plants can enhance a Beastmaster's Spiritual Power, as well as physical fitness."
Chen Yuan unconsciously nodded, his eyes suddenly bright: "Speaking of which, I caught a Golden Crucian Carp today, after eating it I felt both my body and Spiritual Power improved somewhat."
Li Junyue, who had been frowning all along, suddenly widened his eyes.
"That's a type of Spirit Fish, I'm not exactly sure what species, but it's a great supplement for both Beastmasters and Pet Beasts."
After saying this, Jiang Wenning blinked with a hint of envy in her voice: "You're really lucky, having both Spirit Plants and Spirit Fish, you've encountered all the good things."
She sighed: "Unlike me, although I have money, without the right channels, I can't buy these things now."
Chen Yuan: "...."
Li Junyue: "..."
After a long time,
Li Junyue, exiting the meditative state, sat dazedly in the storage room, staring at the ceiling above for a long, long time, before finally exhaling a deep breath and tiptoeing back to the bedroom.
Amidst the darkness,
He gently kissed his wife's forehead, his voice tinged with restrained excitement: "Honey, life will get better and better."
"I promise you."