Chapter 174: Reunion with the Scorpion-Lion
“Flight 275 is about to land at the Yunhai Base airship landing field. Passengers whose destination is Yunhai Base, please disembark in a timely manner.”
After two days and one night of flight, the airship finally landed at Yunhai Base, and the gentle reminder from the broadcast inside the airship sounded accordingly.
However, at this moment, Zhou Ming’s attention was focused on his own phone.
Mobile communications within the Alliance could only be maintained within the same base, as well as within the safe zone extending ten kilometers around the base.
Even if the energy pulse communication technology developed by Lei Yuan were to be promoted across the Alliance in the future, it would only ensure smooth communication between various bases. Communication outside in the wilderness would still have to rely on other means. The fundamental reason was naturally that it was impossible to establish base stations in the wild.
According to the Alliance phone’s settings, once one entered a certain base, if someone in the contact list was also in the same base, an automatic notification would be triggered.
Zhou Ming had not expected that the Scorpion-Lion he had met back in the Green Mist Jungle would also be at Yunhai Base.
However, thinking about it carefully, given the background the other party had revealed, he was most likely not from an ordinary medium-sized base either.
At the same time, within the inner city of Yunhai Base, inside a manor covering dozens of mu and filled with various rare trees and vegetation.
The Scorpion-Lion who had once cooperated with Zhou Ming was fiddling with his phone. Naturally, he had also seen the automatic notification message on the phone at the first moment.
“Why did this guy Ten Thousand Snakes run to Yunhai Base?”
Although they had only cooperated once, his impression of Ten Thousand Snakes had been quite good. Their cooperation could be said to have been very successful.
After pondering slightly, the Scorpion-Lion still took the initiative to dial the phone.
On the other side, just as Zhou Ming walked out of the airship landing field, he heard his phone ring.
“I thought you didn’t plan to contact an old friend anymore.”
Seeing that it was a call from the Scorpion-Lion, Zhou Ming teased him first before pressing the answer button.
“Scorpion-Lion, after six years, I didn’t expect to run into you again.”
“Ten Thousand Snakes, I thought you had died in the wilderness.”
The voice coming from the phone instantly made Zhou Ming’s expression stiffen. The other party’s tone had not changed at all.
“How could that be? They say good people don’t live long, disasters last for a thousand years. I still want to live a bit longer.”
“Hmph, a thousand years? Don’t tell me you want to advance to a Legendary Saint? I think even advancing to a Professional Beast Tamer would be very difficult for you.”
“That’s not necessarily the case. Come out and meet me. You, the local snake, might be able to help me.”
“I knew you coming to Yunhai Base wouldn’t be for anything good.”
Regarding Zhou Ming’s proposal, the Scorpion-Lion did not refuse. The two soon agreed on a meeting location.
Flagging down a taxi at random, Zhou Ming headed toward the agreed meeting place, the Haoting Grand Hotel in the inner city of Yunhai Base.
The Scorpion-Lion hung up the phone and immediately gave instructions to a subordinate beside him.
“Uncle Leng, help me reserve a spot at the Haoting Grand Hotel. I’m going to receive a friend.”
“Yes, young master.”
Behind the Scorpion-Lion, an elderly man dressed like a butler immediately left the room to make the arrangements.
Half an hour later, Zhou Ming arrived at the Haoting Grand Hotel, a thirty-story building decorated in a lavish and magnificent style.
“Sir, do you need any assistance?”
A hotel hostess with a graceful figure slowly walked over to Zhou Ming and asked if he needed help.
“No need. My friend is already waiting for me over there.”
As soon as he entered the hotel, Zhou Ming spotted the Scorpion-Lion in the corner of the lobby. Simply declining the hostess’s goodwill, he walked straight toward him.
“Scorpion-Lion, we haven’t seen each other for years. I didn’t expect you to have successfully advanced to a Professional Beast Tamer.”
Looking at the Scorpion-Lion before him—wearing fragmented bangs and casual clothes that exuded a luxurious aura, resembling a noble young master—Zhou Ming immediately noticed the changes in the other party.
What secretly surprised Zhou Ming, however, was the elderly man who looked like a servant standing behind the Scorpion-Lion. He was actually also a Professional Beast Tamer.
“Didn’t you succeed as well? But why have you become a bit effeminate?”
At this moment, the Scorpion-Lion was also surprised by Zhou Ming’s changes. Back then, Zhou Ming had even asked him for class advancement materials and meditation techniques, clearly indicating that he had been an ordinary Beast Tamer without any background.
“Young master, the two of you should go to a private room to chat.”
Uncle Leng behind the Scorpion-Lion reminded him in a low voice.
Perhaps because the Scorpion-Lion’s status was not ordinary, there had already been people secretly paying attention. Now that they saw him suddenly receiving the unfamiliar Zhou Ming, the scrutinizing gazes increased even more.
Hearing Uncle Leng’s reminder, the Scorpion-Lion swept his gaze around before nodding in agreement.
“Uncle Leng, stay here first. Ten Thousand Snakes and I have some private matters to discuss in the private room.”
“Yes.”
Zhou Ming, who had been observing from the side, felt somewhat curious but did not ask further. Instead, he followed the Scorpion-Lion through a private elevator to the top-floor private room of the hotel.
“Scorpion-Lion, I didn’t expect your background to be so extraordinary, even having Professional Beast Tamers as subordinates.”
While sizing up the luxurious private room, Zhou Ming probed the Scorpion-Lion’s background in a joking tone.
“That’s an elder who watched me grow up.”
“In essence, there’s no difference.”
Hearing this, the Scorpion-Lion did not continue to dwell on the matter with Zhou Ming, but instead asked about Zhou Ming’s purpose for coming to Yunhai Base.
“Ten Thousand Snakes, you didn’t come to Yunhai Base just for sightseeing, did you?”
The Scorpion-Lion, who was opening a bottle of red wine, raised his head to look at Zhou Ming, as if trying to discern the truth in his answer.
“To attend an auction. If I can’t get what I want, I’ll have to use some small tricks.”
Seeing that the other party’s identity was not simple, Zhou Ming also wanted to borrow the Scorpion-Lion’s strength, so he briefly revealed his purpose for this trip.
“The Golden Pavilion Grand Auction?”
“You know about it? That makes sense. As the local snake, it’d be impossible for you not to know about this auction.”
“It’s my family’s.”
The Scorpion-Lion poured the red wine and directly gave an answer that shocked Zhou Ming.
“The Golden Pavilion Grand Auction is your family’s? That means the Golden Pavilion Building is also your family’s property. You’re from the Duanmu Family of Yunhai?”
Upon learning that the Golden Pavilion Grand Auction belonged to the Scorpion-Lion’s family, Zhou Ming immediately guessed the origin of his background.
The Duanmu Family was the foremost of the five great families of Yunhai Base. What distinguished them from other ordinary top-tier forces was that the founding ancestor of the Duanmu Family had been a War Knight.
The family’s Beast Tamers mainly controlled lion-type beasts and possessed a complete set of inheritances from the Beast Knight system.
Although the Duanmu Family’s ancestor had passed away a hundred years ago, the family still had over a hundred Professional Beast Tamers, as well as more than a dozen high-tier professional Beast Tamers.
In addition, the Duanmu Family also had deep connections with the Hunter Guild.
“Then your name is…”
“Duanmu Lingyuan. Ten Thousand Snakes isn’t your real name either, is it?”
“Zhou Ming.”
Only at this moment did the two truly get to know each other.
After that, Zhou Ming did not continue to hide anything and directly told the Scorpion-Lion about killing Qi Shouwu, as well as a series of events involving his cooperation with the Han Family.
He also hoped that the other party would withdraw that high-tier Calming Spirit Potion from the auction, so it would not fall into the hands of the Han Family.
Of course, Zhou Ming naturally did not mention certain things that should remain concealed.
“You didn’t expose your identity, yet you were still willing to stay at Qinghui Base and even cooperate with the Han Family. This doesn’t seem like your style.”
“Ten Thousand Snakes, you must still be hiding something from me.”
Hearing the Scorpion-Lion’s words, Zhou Ming suddenly felt that the red wine in his hand—worth hundreds of thousands—didn’t seem quite as pleasant to drink anymore.
How had he become so smart? Had his intelligence increased after being fooled last time?