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Sun Lixin, a three-star, has been suffering from chronic insomnia for many years.
Just as the patrol duty ended for the day, she was intercepted by the captain. “You’ll be taking your battle pet for a check-up tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir,” Sun Lixin responded as if she had just received a new task.
Once the captain finished relaying the instructions, he walked away.
Turning around, Sun Lixin saw her partner looking at her sympathetically. “Be careful when taking your two-star Silver Wolf for the check-up. Watch out for it being kidnapped.”
Sun Lixin: ?
How could a battle pet that had formed a bond with her be kidnapped?
Seeing Sun Lixin’s disbelieving expression, her partner’s gaze was both ambiguous and profound. “I’m not joking. You’ll understand once you go.”
In a daze, Sun Lixin remembered that patrol team members had been taking turns bringing their battle pets for treatment for the past two days.
The person speaking had taken their battle pet for a check-up yesterday. Upon returning, their expression was off, as if they had suffered some kind of blow.
Sun Lixin’s initial reaction was, “Is there any danger?”
But then she thought it couldn’t be possible. How could there be a safety issue at the place they were instructed to go by the captain?
Her partner’s expression grew complicated. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but ultimately closed it wearily.
“It’s hard to explain before you go. Anyway, you’ll understand once you’re there,” her partner said.
How peculiar? Sun Lixin was puzzled and a bit curious.
***
The next day, Sun Lixin arrived at the designated location with her silver Wolf right on time. After verifying her identity, the staff led her to a bamboo house.
Before entering, she heard someone profusely apologizing, “My battle pet has a fiery temper and isn’t good at socializing with other magical beasts. If it unintentionally harms the magical beast you’re raising, I want to apologize in advance. It’s still young and doesn’t know any better. I hope you understand.”
“Not at all,” Yun Shan responded politely. “Although your battle pet is a four-star, it’s still in its youth, and its character hasn’t fully formed yet. I suggested it socialize more with other magical beasts to improve its social skills.”
“I appreciate your kind intentions. But my battle pet has a stubborn nature,” the person lamented, “Just the thought of possibly harming your beloved pet weighs heavily on my heart…”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” Yun Shan assured, “Magical beasts play and even fight frequently. Whatever happens, nobody should take it to heart.”
“It’s so good to know you understand!”
As they finished speaking, a young Clouded Leopard returned, looking a bit worse for wear, with dust on its fur, and tucked its tail, seeking comfort from its owner.
Owner: ???
After it, more than a dozen robust three-star wolfhounds chased after, menacingly eyeing the four-star clouded leopard, as if preparing for a brawl.
Several young White Falcons circled at the door, chirping and reporting to the Black Eagle.
A young White Tiger cub used the wolf pack to block its figure, pretending nothing happened, distancing itself from the scuffle.
“What… what’s happening?” Owner Fang Yancong felt a bit flustered.
It was the first time his battle pet had caused trouble with another, and he felt at a loss for words.
“Upon wandering in the yard, the clouded leopard saw the young White Falcons and playfully interacted with them. The wolfhounds saw this and took it upon themselves to play with the falcons,” Yun Shan revealed with a friendly smile, “They’re all young. Just let them be. It’s better for adults not to interfere.”
Fang Yancong: …
This was nothing like he had expected.
Upon carefully inspecting the battle pet, he realized that despite the dust, the injuries were not severe. Most were just scratches, as if it had been rolling on the ground, rather than bites or cuts.
Fang Yancong hesitated, unsure of what to do.
“Just let them continue playing,” Yun Shan directed the wolfhounds to take the clouded leopard away.
Subsequently, the clouded leopard was surrounded and taken away by the wolfhounds and White Falcons.
Before parting, it looked at its owner, filled with shock and resentment.
“Will it be okay?” Fang Yancong worriedly asked.
“It’s fine. It’s just teaching it how to properly interact with other magical beasts in the camp,” Yun Shan nonchalantly stated.
The owner’s excessive affection for the battle pet had warped its character, necessitating others to intervene and teach it properly.
“Ah, it’s all my fault for spoiling it,” Fang Yancong sighed, “When it was a cub, it almost lost its life saving me. I just can’t be stern with it.”
In fact, Fang Yancong himself was a two-star, relatively low in strength and not skilled in combat. The fact that he had formed a bond with a four-star clouded leopard was truly remarkable. As a result, he felt grateful and never imposed too many restrictions on his battle pet.
“Let it get accustomed to group life for a few days,” Yun Shan smiled.
Fang Yancong didn’t want to force his battle pet, but he also didn’t want to cause trouble for the camp residents. If his four-star clouded leopard continued to playfully tease other battle pets and provoke them, it would cause quite a bit of trouble for those around it.
Thinking this, he forced himself to toughen up, “Then I’ll trouble you, Doctor Yun Shan.”
“It’s nothing. You’re too polite,” Yun Shan replied.
The two-star Silver Wolf observed the entire process and couldn’t help but shiver involuntarily.
Sun Lixin: “This doctor’s treatment methods are indeed extraordinary. No wonder my partner warned her to be careful.”
When it was Sun Lixin’s turn, she volunteered, “My name is Sun Lixin, and I’ve been suffering from chronic insomnia.”
She then introduced her Silver Wolf, “This is my battle pet, suffering from a loss of appetite. Additionally, its sleep quality is poor, it’s always a light sleeper, and easily startled.”
Yun Shan inquired, “What do you usually feed it?”
Sun Lixin responded, “I’m busy with work, so I don’t have time to cook for it. I feed it battle pet feed purchased from a pet store. It used to eat heartily, but now… its appetite has decreased by a third.”
Yun Shan further asked, “Have you tried changing its feed?”
Sun Lixin nodded, “I have, but when fed other feed, its appetite worsened, even compared to the current battle pet feed.”
“Come here, let me have a look,” Yun Shan beckoned to the Silver Wolf.
Seeing no objection from the owner, the Silver Wolf walked over.
Yun Shan carefully examined it and then advised, “It’s getting older, so it naturally experiences aging. It should have softer foods in the future. Rest more, drink plenty of water, and pay attention to its health.”
Sun Lixin was taken aback, “Getting older?”
She looked at her battle pet, somewhat distracted.
After the apocalyptic disasters, the life expectancy of magical beasts had generally increased. Typically, the higher the level, the longer the lifespan.
The Silver Wolf was only a two-star, and it had been around for quite a few years. It seemed that it was about time to enter old age.
However, despite its agile physique and nimble movements on regular days, she had failed to realize this.
“So… it’s not sick?” Sun Lixin confirmed with the doctor.
Yun Shan nodded, “It’s not sick. It’s just getting older and needs proper rest.”
“Okay,” Sun Lixin felt somewhat relieved and then asked, “What about my insomnia? Can it be treated?”
Yun Shan replied, “There’s a calming soup in the kitchen. Drink a bowl of it. I’ll also give you a medicine packet to wear when you sleep. It will help improve your sleep.”
“Okay,” saying this, Sun Lixin got up, intending to go to the kitchen to take the medicine.
As she turned around, she hesitated upon seeing the Silver Wolf, unsure whether to take it along.
At the right moment, Yun Shan added, “I’ve prepared some snacks. I’ll try to feed it later. If it likes them, eating a bit more would be good.”
Upon hearing this, Sun Lixin agreed and said, “Thank you, Doctor.”
First, her partner’s words were unclear, and she didn’t fully understand their meaning. At times, she even suspected that her partner was intentionally making up stories to scare her.
Secondly, she was only going to the kitchen for a bowl of soup and would be back immediately, so she wouldn’t be delayed for long.
Sun Lixin: “This doctor’s treatment methods are indeed extraordinary. No wonder my partner warned her to be careful.”
As she left, she had no idea what challenges her battle pet would soon face.
Guided by a servant, Sun Lixin was led to the kitchen, where a bowl of calming soup had been prepared for her.
Sun Lixin guzzled it down and instantly felt relaxed, even a bit drowsy. She yawned, feeling her eyelids weigh heavy.
Kindly, the servant suggested, “If you’re sleepy, you can take a nap here.”
Sun Lixin’s eyelids felt bruised, as it had been a long time since she had slept well. Initially, she wanted to decline, “No, my battle pet is waiting for me to go back…”
However, the servant insisted, “It’s fine. The doctor is here.”
With every cell in her body clamoring for sleep, Sun Lixin couldn’t resist and ended up dozing off against the wall.
As she opened and closed her eyes, over an hour had passed.
When she woke up, she felt unusually energized and much more refreshed.
Groggy, she rubbed her eyes, quite puzzled, “Where am I? How did I fall asleep?”
When she remembered that she had come to accompany her battle pet for its check-up, and the Silver Wolf was waiting in the house, she abruptly stood up, hastily heading towards the bamboo house.
Halfway there, she encountered the four-star clouded leopard, which seemed dejected, lying on the ground as if it had been mistreated.
A few young White Falcons chirped arrogantly, standing on its head and body.
The clouded leopard lay motionless, looking like a forlorn creature.
The wolfhounds were playing and frolicking, happily engaging with their fellow brothers, not excessively bullying the foreign magical beasts.
Relieved, Sun Lixin slowly walked back, only to be dumbfounded upon entering the bamboo house—
The Black Panther, tricolor squirrel, and Silver Wolf were all surrounding the doctor. Whenever the doctor took out beef cubes or pork jerky, they eagerly crowded around to grab them.
Watching her battle pet, Sun Lixin really wanted to grab its shoulders and shake it. Wake up! You have a poor appetite!
Yet, as she stood by for a while, she noticed that the Silver Wolf was fiercely competing for food, showing no signs of loss of appetite.
Sun Lixin: …
In a bid to get more chances for feeding, the battle pets had even learned new skills to secure more opportunities for feeding.
The tricolor squirrel hopped onto Yun Shan’s shoulder, nuzzling her cheek and occasionally helping to groom her hair.
The black panther stepped aside and bumped foreheads with Yun Shan.
Since the Silver Wolf wasn’t good at being affectionate, it accelerated and performed flips, showcasing its skills to Yun Shan.
The owners: …
Their emotions were complex.
Xiang Yeru, the owner of the tricolor squirrel, spoke with a weary tone, “My battle pet is shy. It used to only lie on my shoulder.”
Hair grooming or anything else was completely unheard of.
Yan Qiu, the owner of the black panther, expressed helplessness, “The battle pet I raise has never bumped foreheads with me.”
Sun Lixin: “I had no idea that the Silver Wolf I raised could perform flips.”
The owners looked at each other, feeling an inexplicable sense of crisis.
Meanwhile, the battle pets looked up with bright eyes, eagerly waiting for Yun Shan to make a choice.
The scene was akin to the emperor’s concubines waiting for his favor in the harem.
At that moment, Sun Lixin finally understood why her partner had hesitated to speak. She also realized the true meaning behind her partner’s warning.
—Compared to the bonded owners, the battle pets were closer to the doctor they had just met. If it hadn’t been personally experienced, who would believe it!
Sun Lixin gestured for the Silver Wolf to come back.
However, the Silver Wolf was engrossed in a large-scale palace drama, or perhaps, it was lusting after the beef cubes, pork jerky, and ham sausages in Yun Shan’s hand, and was currently ignoring her.
Helpless, Sun Lixin looked at the other two people who were facing similar predicaments, “Are your battle pets also unwell?”
Xiang Yeru turned away, “They were unwell, but they’re getting better.”
Sun Lixin: ?
“If they’re better, why are they still seeing the doctor?”
Yan Qiu lamented, “After the last check-up, Dr. Yun Shan gave us some snacks. After two days of getting used to them, our battle pet got spoiled and won’t go back to its old diet!”
Sun Lixin: …
What to do with this growing sense of crisis?
She felt like sprinting a hundred meters with her battle pet in her arms. What to do?
The owners waited and waited, but after waiting for a long time, they saw Yun Shan had stopped playing with the battle pets.
With a twitching smile, Xiang Yeru expressed indirectly, “We’ve bothered the doctor for too long. We might be hindering your next tasks.”
How about giving out the snacks quickly, and then we can leave?
Before Xiang Yeru could finish his sentence, he heard Yun Shan nonchalantly respond, “It’s fine.”
A group of fluffy animals, how soothing!
If it wasn’t for this perk, she might have had to reconsider when she took on this job.
Xiang Yeru’s words were stuck in his throat, almost choking him.
As he turned his gaze, he saw his battle pet continuously showing affection to the doctor, making him extremely anxious!
Yan Qiu’s status as a battle pet owner was teetering, but he reflected more on himself. He earnestly inquired, trying to make amends and salvage the situation, “Does Dr. Yun Shan have any plans to sell battle pet feed? Otherwise, she could put up a listing in the trading market.”
He imagined himself successfully purchasing and feeding his battle pet and felt the future was quite promising.
If he could bump foreheads with the battle pet like Dr. Yun Shan…
Yan Qiu’s heart raced, his breath quickened, and he became visibly excited.
Yun Shan: “I don’t have time recently, but I might consider opening a store in the future.”
Seeing the owners almost rushing over to snatch their battle pets back, Yun Shan finally stopped playing around.
As usual, she took the bags, filled each one with cornbread and meat treats, and then handed them out, “If it’s not enough, come back for more.”
Xiang Yeru: …
Thank you, Doctor.
He would definitely make sure his battle pet ate sparingly.
With the battle pet feed in hand, the owners hurriedly left.
Even Sun Lixin. While saying “thank you” and “grateful,” she turned around and ran faster than anyone else.
Watching the hurried departure of the owners, Yun Shan muttered, “That’s too much.”
How could they run so fast?
Would she not see them again in the future?
The only owner who witnessed the entire process and couldn’t escape, Yan Qiu wiped his brow, “Perhaps there was an emergency…”
In any case, it definitely wasn’t because they were worried their battle pets would be enticed away by the snacks, definitely not!
In just a few days, Dr. Xia couldn’t help but smile. “It’s all Dr. Yun Shan’s fault. Her charm is too strong, and the battle pets like her too much. Everyone’s in a rush.”
“In fact, the interaction was just to better treat and soothe them,” Yun Shan justified, “It’s all for the well-being of the battle pets.”
Fluffing around and the like were just incidental.
Yan Qiu: … He didn’t believe a word of it.
***
At dusk.
The clouded leopard, accustomed to bossing others around, dragged its weary body back home, its face filled with exhaustion.
Yan Qiu worriedly inquired, “Are you okay? Is everything all right?”
The clouded leopard fumed, How dare you! Why did you take me there? Why did you leave me there without a care?
It wanted to vent its frustration by pouncing on its owner, but then it suddenly froze, ultimately refraining from doing so. Instead, it wagged its tail and gently nudged him.
Yan Qiu was particularly surprised.
His battle pet had a bad temper, and this wasn’t modesty. Sometimes, it could get really aggressive, not holding back when dealing with its owner.
Yet, after just a day at the estate and receiving treatment, it had shown significant improvement. The battle pet had learned to control its temper, had become more empathetic, and compared to before, it was more restrained in its actions.
Yan Qiu tried to console, “Dr. Yun Shan truly is a divine doctor!”
The clouded leopard: … You praise her even though she mistreats your battle pet. Something’s not right with you.
***
At the same time, at the estate.
Yun Shan hadn’t seen much of Lu Ming for several days and couldn’t help but stop Lu Liu to ask, “Where is he? Still busy?”
Lu Liu nodded, “He’s overwhelmed with official duties and will be busy for a while.”
“Oh,” Yun Shan drawled, her gaze wandering, lost in thought.
“If you need anything, I can help convey your message,” Lu Liu added.
“No need,” Yun Shan declined, “I was just casually asking.”
Lu Liu: A casual inquiry mentioned two or three times a day? I don’t quite understand what the divine doctor is thinking.
In any case—
“If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay,” Yun Shan responded, dismissing Lu Liu, feeling even more conflicted.
In the evening, upon returning home, Xiang Yeru carried the bag into the kitchen to prepare dinner. The tricolor squirrel lay on his shoulder, emitting weak and feeble sounds. Its voice was extremely faint, as if it was on the brink of weakness.
Xiang Yeru paused and handed a piece of beef jerky to his battle pet, emphasizing, “There’s not much food, you have to eat sparingly.”
The tricolor squirrel gazed at its owner pitifully, hugging its own slender body.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain again?” Xiang Yeru inquired with concern.
The squirrel lifted its face, its round eyes glistening with tears.
Involuntarily, Xiang Yeru reached into the bag and fed the squirrel a good amount of dried chicken and duck.
The squirrel nibbled on the meat, finally settling down, allowing its owner to prepare dinner.
As Xiang Yeru tore open the cornbread, he chopped up the snacks and mixed them together.
While working, he couldn’t help but wonder if his battle pet had been manipulated again…
In reality, the doctor had provided a generous amount of battle pet feed. Eating sparingly and mixing the feed could last for several days. However, the battle pet was cunning, portraying itself as miserable as soon as it returned. It seemed as if not having a bite of the snacks would cause it unbearable pain.
At times, Xiang Yeru even doubted whether the snacks given by the doctor had some intelligence-enhancing effect. How come a one-star battle pet, usually obedient and sensible, could become so devious just for a bite of meat?
But knowing that the battle pet intentionally acted miserable for the snacks, could he bear to refuse it?
He couldn’t.
As a result, the battle pet feed was quickly depleted, and within just two days, he had to visit the estate and ask for more from the doctor.
It was truly a tragedy.
“Be good. Eat one or two at each meal, it’s nutritious and healthy,” Xiang Yeru half persuaded, half coaxed.
The tricolor squirrel had quite a different opinion about it.
It believed that by selling its cuteness, it could earn a bag of snacks, making it a very profitable deal worth pursuing long-term. If its owner disagreed… then it would provide for the family.
It would work hard to ensure its owner could have the luxury of “eating snacks as much as you want”!
***
The next day, Yun Shan logged in early and began preparing for work.
First, she gathered the necessary ingredients and brewed calming soup. Then, she assigned someone to watch over the fire while she herself went into the kitchen to make snacks.
Thinking that cornbread might become monotonous, she decided to make rice balls with added meat and vegetables.
She made over fifty of them, and as she was just finishing, a servant came to report that a visitor had arrived.
“Who?” Yun Shan, busy with her work, didn’t even look up.
“The manager of the Red Maple Pharmacy,” the servant replied.
“Take her to the meeting room,” Yun Shan instructed.
Others might not need to see her, but the manager of the Pharmacy should. If there was a chance to discuss compensation, that would be even better.
After making sixty rice balls and doing a quick tidy up, she went to meet her guest.
“Why has manager Meng suddenly arrived? Is there something urgent?” Yun Shan inquired.
Manager Meng glanced at Yun Shan with a look of resignation and handed over a stack of envelopes.
Puzzled, Yun Shan opened the topmost envelope to take a look.
“My cat says the dog next door is sick, and the food there is particularly good, so it has declared that it’s also sick.”
Yun Shan: …
Declare oneself sick? Is that even possible?
She moved on to the second letter.
“My Iron Bull is hardworking, steady, and never causes trouble. But recently, it caught a whiff of the neighbor’s food and wants to break into their house. I can barely hold it back! Please, publicly sell battle pet feed, and I’ll pay for it myself.”
The third letter:
“Loss of appetite and poor eating habits are common issues among battle pets. I sincerely hope for the public sale of battle pet feed, benefiting the residents.”
The fourth, fifth, and sixth letters… all had similar requests.
At this point, the Head of the Clinic spoke, “Many battle pets suffer from mild anorexia. If changing the battle pet feed can solve the problem, it would greatly ease the burden on the owners.”
Yun Shan didn’t immediately respond, only saying, “I’ll consider it.”
“If you plan to open a store, the camp can provide various conveniences, including reduced shop rents, tax exemptions, staff employment, and more. Once the battle pet feed is produced, the patrol team will regularly purchase it at a suitable price.” Manager Meng concluded the introduction before changing the subject.
“Upon learning about doctor Yun Shan’s need for medicinal herbs, the Lord has decided to expand the herbal field area, specifically growing herbs for the doctor’s use.”
“Additionally, over a dozen talents in the camp have awakened special abilities to ripen plants. They have been assigned to work in the herb garden. We believe that in a short while, we will be able to harvest the urgently needed herbs.”
After listening, Yun Shan suddenly had a thought. Could Lu Ming be busy with these matters recently?