Chen Yuan turned his head and saw Lan Yingdan staring intently at the Twin Flower Concubine, and immediately understood her true intentions.
Turns out she couldn’t bear to part with the little creature.
Chen Yuan did not refuse Lan Yingdan’s goodwill, and nodded: "Then I’ll leave it to you."
As a Poison Specialized Beastmaster, Lan Yingdan might be able to provide great help in the search for the Eternal Silence Sand Flower.
Moreover, the Twin Flower Concubine can take this opportunity to exchange poison insights with the Blood Thorn Rose.
Upon hearing Chen Yuan’s request, Lan Yingdan’s eyes curved into little crescent moons: "Sure, I have another Poison-type Pet Beast, which is even more proficient in poison skills."
"I’ll leave it to you then." Chen Yuan placed the Twin Flower Concubine on the ground.
Then, Lan Yingdan’s eyes concentrated, and a dazzling white Summoning Array appeared in front of her, from which a long pet beast wrapped in white light gradually emerged.
Chen Yuan stiffened, lowered his head, and his lips formed a somewhat unnatural curve: "Is this... your second pet beast?"
"Yes." Lan Yingdan extended her right hand, and a small snake, only about half a meter long, crawled up her arm.
This little snake was entirely covered in fine, smooth, and subtly pearl-lustered pink-purple scales. Its rounded head featured a pair of big, bright eyes that wandered curiously and innocently around.
The most striking feature was the fluffy end of its tail, which resembled a warm cotton candy, quivering slightly with its body’s gentle movements.
Fur-tailed Pink Snake, poison attribute, naturally born quality as Commander.
Compared to other ferocious-looking, terrifying snake pet beasts, the Fur-tailed Pink Snake was cute, docile, and well-loved by female Beastmasters, considered one of the best ornamental pet beasts.
However, Fur-tailed Pink Snakes are scarce, usually dwelling in remote barren areas, and few Beastmasters have the fortune to encounter them.
Hence, the market price for Fur-tailed Pink Snakes has always been high.
But for Chen Yuan, there was no difference between a ferocious long snake and a cute little snake; he silently stepped back half a step, instinctively averting his gaze.
Yet, the Fur-tailed Pink Snake sensed the unfamiliar presence, elegantly coiled its slim pink-purple body around Lan Yingdan’s right arm, then raised its upper body, curiously extending its rounded pink head towards Chen Yuan, uttering soft "hiss" sounds while its large, bright eyes stared unblinkingly at him.
"Ow..."
At this moment, Cola alternated glances between the friendly Fur-tailed Pink Snake and the silently retreating master, pondering deeply.
Should it drive away this little snake?
But it seems to have no malicious intent.
Just as Cola was torn, the Fur-tailed Pink Snake suddenly crawled along Lan Yingdan’s arm, cautiously extending its body towards Chen Yuan.
Its gentle and slow movements carried the tentative and longing vibe of a small animal, and its sapphire-like eyes were filled with a hopeful radiance.
But just as the front end of its cool scales was about to touch Chen Yuan’s body, the latter silently retreated another half-step.
Chen Momo temporarily went offline.
Plop.
At that moment, time seemed frozen.
The Fur-tailed Pink Snake’s extended head halted mid-air; it appeared entirely unprepared for this outcome, and the anticipation, innocence, and intimacy previously filling its eyes vanished rapidly as if whisked away by a gale.
The little head originally held high slowly drooped, softly resting on Lan Yingdan’s arm, and the entire pink-purple body shriveled up, as if shrinking a circle.
"Hiss..."
If you looked at the Fur-tailed Pink Snake face-to-face, you’d see a thin layer of mist instantly enveloping its large eyes, its pink scales seeming to lose luster, producing faint whimpering sounds.
Actively approaching Chen Yuan only to be cruelly rejected, the Fur-tailed Pink Snake was completely heartbroken.
"Ow..."
Witnessing the Fur-tailed Pink Snake’s reaction, Cola glanced at its bewildered master and shook its head.
"This..."
Observing the Fur-tailed Pink Snake’s reaction, Chen Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words.
Could it be that the snakes are receiving much love despite his fear of snakes?
Who would believe it if said aloud?
But would such a heartless rejection towards this little creature be unkind?
He was supposed to overcome his fear of snake pet beasts.
For a moment, Chen Yuan furrowed his brow, falling into deep contemplation.
Anyone with common sense could discern Chen Yuan’s abnormal reaction to the Fur-tailed Pink Snake; Lan Yingdan’s eyes slightly flickered as she smiled and said, "Actually, not every snake is frightening; they can be cute and gentle, even more obedient than many pet beasts."
After speaking, she touched the rounded head of the Fur-tailed Pink Snake: "Isn’t that right?"
"Hiss..."
The Fur-tailed Pink Snake slowly raised its head, first nodding gently, then casting a resentful glance at Chen Yuan.
"Cough... cough..."
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Chen Yuan coughed lightly, then exhaled a long breath, making an important decision contrary to his nature: "Should I give it a try?"
Then, he cautiously extended his right hand.
The Fur-tailed Pink Snake seemed to sense the hard-won courage, its rounded pink-purple head tentatively rubbed against Chen Yuan’s extended fingertips— the icy, slippery touch instantly made Chen Yuan’s arm hair stand erect, his body tightened suddenly, and his muscles even quivered slightly.
[First time collecting Fur-tailed Pink Snake, Source Point +5]
[Race: Fur-tailed Pink Snake
Attribute: Poison
Level: 21 (Third order)
Favorability: 61
Skills: Venom (Proficient 0.5/7)+
Sweet Fragrance (Proficient 4.1/5)+
...
Quality: Commander
Promotion to Morning Star Quality Condition: Insufficient Source Points]
From obtaining the system till now, never had collecting Source Points been so difficult for Chen Yuan.
But the melodious sound of Source Point acquisition somewhat eased his inner agitation; he inhaled shallowly, closely observing the Fur-tailed Pink Snake’s every move, realizing its rounded head and slender body were not as scary as imagined.
Moreover, the Fur-tailed Pink Snake’s body was very smooth, touching it felt like stroking a soft piece of fabric, oddly pleasing to the touch.
As this thought crossed his mind, a smile gradually appeared on Chen Yuan’s face: "It’s not as frightening as I imagined."
At that moment, although he still couldn’t accept letting the Fur-tailed Pink Snake crawl on him, he was already less resistant.
At least he wouldn’t silently retreat at the sight of snake pet beasts.
"Ow ow!"
For this historic moment, Cola cheered exuberantly, circling Chen Yuan nonstop.
"Tweet."
The Fire-breathing Bird, which seemed to lack combat power from Lan Yingdan’s viewpoint, nodded slightly, its eyes revealing a hint of relief.
"See? It’s actually quite simple to get along with snake pet beasts," Lan Yingdan chuckled softly and then continued, "My friend contracted two snake pet beasts; if there’s a chance, I’ll introduce you."
"Interacting with them more will naturally conquer your fear."
Chen Yuan’s expression froze, and he lightly coughed: "Next time for sure."
Then, Chen Yuan glanced at his watch and shifted the topic: "It’s getting late; let’s seize the time to search for the Eternal Silence Sand Flower and the Eternal Night Poppy first."
After saying this, Chen Yuan mused aloud: "Could there be some connection between them?"
The names share certain similarities, and they both have poisonous attributes, possibly appearing on the same island.
According to past experience, when many similarities gather together, one cannot attribute it to mere coincidence.
With this thought, Chen Yuan looked at Lan Yingdan and asked, "Do you know how to find the Eternal Night Poppy?"
Since records related to the Eternal Silence Sand Flower are not detailed, Chen Yuan roamed aimlessly like a headless fly during the search, having to rely on vague luck and the keen observational skills of the little creatures.
Of course, there’s also assistance from that swarm of Highly Poisonous Winged Bees, possibly increasing the probability of success somewhat.
But if Lan Yingdan knows how to find the Eternal Night Poppy, it might lead them to the Eternal Silence Sand Flower.