Chapter 243

Chapter 243: The Monster Selling Donkey Milk Speaks

Only then did Ji Huan and his companion head towards the sofa.

They sat down, one on each side of Hei Dan, their gaze shifting to the television screen. Currently, a program about magical creatures was airing.

The main character was none other than the Donkeys they had ridden that day. True to its reputation as the northern region proficient in taming magical creatures, even an ordinary TV show revolved around the care and breeding of these beasts. Perhaps it was due to their recent experience with the Donkeys that Hei Dan had chosen to watch this particular program.

On the television, the magical creature was preparing food for the Donkeys. Amidst the heavy snowfall, he scooped green leafy vegetables from a large barrel at his side into the feeding troughs in front of the Donkeys, who began to devour the food eagerly.

Ji Huan watched for a while and soon spotted what Hei Dan had pointed out: when the monster grabbed its fourth handful of vegetable leaves, he noticed that among them was the "beautiful green leaf" that Hei Dan had found before!

It seemed to have accidentally mixed in with the other leaves. The primary feed for the Tuo Tuo creatures was another type of leaf, but occasionally, this particular green one would slip in unintentionally.

This small discovery was astonishing enough!

They had searched for half a day without any clue about the origin of the green leaf, and it turned out to be mixed within the Tuo Tuo's feed. No wonder the eastern magic beast merchants were unaware – firstly, their magic beasts were mainly carnivorous, and secondly, this leaf didn't appear to originate from the east; it was most likely a species unique to the north!

However, the scene of the feeding only lasted a moment. Soon, the magic beast began to stand beneath the Tuo Tuo's abdomen... milking it...

Indeed, it was about milking.

He managed to fill an entire bucket with milk.

In the end, the magical creature, holding the massive bucket with a grin, said warmly, "100% natural, from the healthy, green-leaf-fed Dottas. Would you like a cup?"

Then, a slogan appeared on the screen.

Turned out this wasn't a magical creature breeding program but an advertisement for Dotta Dairy products.

The creature's raised finger, the heavy bucket at its side, the colossal Dotta behind it... even the store address and phone number reflected in Ajin's dark eyes.

Ajin raised his eyebrows slightly, turned his head, and asked Hei Dan with a slight tilt, "Hei Dan, do you want to drink the milk from a Dotta that eats green leaves?"

Hei Dan nodded vigorously.

Ajin looked up at Ji Huan with a smile and said, "Then let's go have some milk."

Startled by the term he used, Ji Huan was momentarily stunned. By the time he regained his composure, Ajin had already helped Hei Dan put his coat back on.

"Let's go have some milk, then enjoy delicious food, and finally, we'll relax in hot springs."

Hei Dan was ecstatic: "Milk! Milk!"

The little monster held an adult's hand with one tiny claw, chanting their mantra as they ventured out.

In a place abundant with various magical beast meats and strong liquors, the owner's nocturnal activity was taking their child out for milk – it was utterly inconceivable to the housekeeper, yet upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

While lamenting the added complications of having a little monster, he efficiently arranged the guards' shifts.

This trip, the boss had left his family behind, giving them freedom to roam, but out of professional duty, the housekeeper still meticulously planned everything, limiting the alcohol consumption for each monster and scheduling their outings and return times. He himself would stay put at the lodgings, acting as a guardian.

Thus, Ji Huan's family eventually found themselves at the milk shop advertised on television.

Surprisingly, the shop was situated in a very secluded area, with few customers. When Ji Huan and his companions arrived, the sole patrons were just leaving. Spotting them at the entrance, the proprietor was momentarily stunned, only recovering when Ji Huan stepped inside. A radiant smile, identical to the one seen on TV commercials, lit up the owner's unassuming face.

"Welcome!" Indeed, this monster was the same one who had promoted their shop on television.

After Ji Huan's group was seated, the owner promptly presented them with the menu.

Dubbed a menu, it actually featured only one item: Tuo Tuo Milk.

The proprietor promptly attended to their request, and soon, four steaming cups of Tuo Tuo Milk were placed before them.

Hei Dan blew on the drink, picked up his cup, and began sipping at the creamy concoction in small gulps. As a monster who had grown up on milk powder, he had always adored the taste of milk.

In contrast, Ajin was somewhat indifferent to dairy products. After the Tuo Tuo Milk was served to him, he made no move to touch it. Eventually, seeing how eagerly Hei Dan was drinking his, Ajin silently pushed his own cup towards Hei Dan without a word. Meanwhile, he engaged the proprietor, who was tidying up a nearby table, in casual conversation.

"We saw the advertisement at the inn, and our little monster couldn't resist. He insisted on coming here to try the Totta milk," Ajin said with a demure smile to the proprietor by his side.

It was you who couldn't resist the ad, wasn't it? Ji Huan thought silently, sipping his own milk. To be honest, the Totta milk had an incredibly rich and creamy taste. In the West, there was a similar dairy drink called Kek, which also had a milky flavor, but it had a slightly astringent aftertaste. Apparently, Kek didn't come from actual milk but derived from the roots of a certain plant.

The variety of magical creatures in the West was not as diverse as in the Northeast, and their breeding wasn't on a large scale. There weren't many magical creatures that produced milk suitable for their tastes. Speaking of which, the milk that most resembled actual cow's milk that Ji Huan had tasted since arriving here... was indeed the cup in front of him.

Sipping his milk delicately, Ji Huan listened to Ajin's conversation with the shop owner, curious to see how he would steer the topic towards those leaves.

Upon hearing Ajin's words, the shopkeeper's face lit up with delight. "That advertisement really works!"

"I was worried that the advertising fees were a waste!"

"However, I don't have much money on hand. I could only afford three ads, and this one today is the last. I won't be able to pay for more advertisements after this..." The shop owner spoke with a tinge of melancholy. The neighboring table was already wiped clean, so he decided to sit there.

Ajin started a conversation with him:

"You've seen how much our little monster enjoys milk. I wonder if you have any donkeys for sale here? I'd like to buy one to bring home for him."

"Buy a donkey?" The shop owner was taken aback. "You can purchase directly from me—" As if he suddenly remembered something, he gave Ajin a closer look and nodded. "Right, you're a monster from afar, it wouldn't be convenient for you to buy milk from me."

"However... Donkeys are herbivores. Although they're easy to raise, they have a preference for plants that grow in the north. Although the climate in the east is also cool, the plant species are different from ours. I can't guarantee that there will be suitable food for a donkey where you live."

"By the way, which city's monster are you from in the east?" The shop owner couldn't resist asking an extra question.

Ajin shook his head. "I'm not from the east, I came from the west."

Upon hearing this, the shop owner's mouth dropped open. He scrutinized Ji Huan and the others from head to toe, his face filled with excitement. "The west? You mean the west beyond the eastern snow mountains?"

"My goodness! It's been years since we've had a monster come over from there!"

"Oh?" Ajin slightly raised his eyebrows. "For quite a few years? So there were monsters coming from the west before?"

"I had a tough journey here. Among the monsters who set off at the same time, only my group has safely arrived."

The shop owner chuckled. "Indeed! The snow-capped mountains in the east are treacherous. Rumor has it that on the other side of those mountains lies a scorching desert. Even if we monsters can climb over the mountains, we'd be helpless in the desert."

"The last time I saw a monster from the west was more than fifty years ago. It's a coincidence, but that monster had a cup of Tuo Tuo milk in my shop! After tasting our milk, it wanted to take a Tuo Tuo back to the west, saying it had many young ones at home!" At this point, the shop owner wore a gossipy expression. "I heard that monster had over forty young ones! Are all monsters in the west so fertile?"

Ajin smiled. "Not really. Monsters with dozens of young ones are very rare. In all these years, I've only known one. Most monsters, like us, have just one child." As he spoke, he stroked Hei Dan's small head.

Having finished his own cup of Tuo Tuo milk, Hei Dan was now sipping Ajin's!

"That monster you mentioned might be someone I know…" Ajin continued smiling, his dark eyes devoid of any light.

"Ahh, ahh, ahh! Let me think…" The shop owner fell into deep thought.

"…That monster… had brown hair, a beard on its chin, wasn't tall but very muscular, and its name… its name was…"

"Trug?!" The shop owner called out uncertainly.

Ajin chuckled. "Not Trug, but Trudeau, right? It seems we're talking about the same monster."

With a shared understanding of the creature, their conversation flowed more smoothly.

"The Mr. Trudeau was here for a business dealing involving magical beasts. He must be quite a prominent one, as he had quite a few bodyguards with him! When he left, his entourage was even larger, accompanied by several magical beasts."

"He also tried to buy our pack beast, but I told him they can't survive in the scorching west, so he didn't pursue it further."

"However…" The shopkeeper furrowed his brow. "When he left, I went to watch, and I saw that there was still a pack beast in his group."

"It was a very young and robust pack beast! Too bad…"

"Pack beasts can't survive in hot regions, so such a fine beast must have perished on the journey." Shaking his head, the shopkeeper let out a long sigh.

"A true lover of raising pack beasts would never do such a thing. To sell a pack beast to a monster unsuitable for them must be someone from the Kalaxi family." With a hint of complaint, the shopkeeper mentioned a name.

Inadvertently glancing at the shopkeeper's face, Ajin lifted his head. "Oh? The Kalaxi family?"