Chapter 1 — Bought the wrong Bac Canh Vuong

After the beast man protagonist wandered into the black market, the system told me to pick up the bargain. 【After saving him, you will no longer have to work hard. He will become a powerful figure, bringing you happiness.】 But he is too expensive, I can't afford it. Unable to pick up the bargain, I left the auction floor in dismay. At the bottom of the black market, I saw another beastman locked in a cage. He huddled in the corner, a small piece of his ear missing, and a dirty bandage on his tail. Seller says:

"This dog doesn't listen, has bitten and injured several owners, no one dares to buy it. Half price today."

The system reminded me: 【He is not the mission target. Saving him couldn't change her fate.】 I stood for a long time, touching the money in my pocket. Sufficient. So I squatted in front of the cage and quietly asked him:

“Do you want to come home with me?”

The beast raised his eyes and looked at me fiercely. I was a bit scared and was about to step back. But the tip of his tail gently touched my hand.

01

The tip of his tail only touched me once. Very light. It seems like it's unintentionally scanning, but it's like it's exploring. I squatted in front of the cage, not daring to move. The beastman's ears pressed down very low. Amber eyes stared at me, filled with anticipation. However, he did not immediately withdraw his tail. A small furry tail still rests on the back of my hand. The seller waited until he got impatient and used a stick to knock on the iron cage.

"In the end, did you buy it? Even if it's half price, no one will take it. If you miss it today, tomorrow morning it will be taken to the animal arena."

The shoulder blades of the beast in the cage immediately tensed. Perhaps he had been beaten many times. Before the stick even touched him, he instinctively retreated, a low, threatening roar emitting from his throat. I quickly blocked the front of the cage.

“I buy it.”

The seller looked me up and down, seemingly not expecting me to actually buy. I poured out all the money in my pocket. Coins rolled all over the table, and next to it were a few bills that I folded neatly. That's the amount of money I saved for more than half a year. Originally, after I finished paying this month's rent, I would buy myself a thick coat. Winter in the city came very early, last year's old cotton shirt could no longer block the wind. The seller counted twice then frowned:

“Fifty short.”

I was stunned. The bottom of the bag is empty. Before going out, I had clearly calculated it, just enough. I rummaged through every compartment, finally only finding a piece of hard candy wrapped in paper. That's the candy the girl at the bakery gave me yesterday. The girl said the crumb cakes were sold out and didn't want me to make a trip in vain so she gave me a piece of candy to sweeten my mouth. The seller smirked:

“If you don't have money, don't learn from others to do good deeds.”

My face gets a little hot. The beast in the cage slowly withdrew its tail. He bowed his head and curled up in the corner again, as if he had already guessed this outcome. The system also spoke at that moment. 【Forget it.】 【He was seriously injured, had a ferocious personality, and also increased the burden of her life.】 【Your life is already not easy, you can't save everyone.】 I know. Every day I have to do three jobs. During the day, she worked at the bakery, in the evenings she went to a small restaurant to wash dishes, and at night she had to copy books for others. The rented house has only one room, and when it rains it has a roof leak. The stove in the small kitchen is also broken, I can't bear to spend money to fix it. I still have a hard time supporting myself. Bringing another injured beastman home was indeed not a wise decision. But the seller just said he would take you to the animal arena tomorrow morning. I saw an animal fight once. Those beastmen were bound in heavy iron chains, biting and tearing each other amid the cheers of the crowd. The loser is dragged out, the winner only gets to live a few more days. I pursed my lips and took off the scarf around my neck.

“Can this make up for it?”

The scarf is a relic left by my mother. It was very old, the edges were ruffled, but it was woven with very soft cashmere. The seller touched it and reluctantly nodded:

“Consider yourself lucky.”

He took the money and scarf and threw me a crumpled contract. When the cage door opened, the beast inside suddenly raised its head. The seller did not dare to come closer, brought an iron ring with a chain attached, and told me to put it around his neck.

"Don't blame me for not warning you. This beast is very ferocious. The previous buyer only touched it once and it bit off two fingers."

I held the iron ring and stood outside the cage door. The beastman is also looking at me. His face was very thin, with a scabbed wound on his cheek. Her long silver-gray hair, which should have been very beautiful, was now tangled, forming curls, falling haphazardly over her shoulders. I asked in a low voice:

“Do I have to wear this?”

The seller seemed to have just heard a joke:

"Aren't you wearing it? So just wait until it bites you to death."

I looked at the heavy iron ring. There was also a dark red blood stain on it. Finally, I put it back on the table.

“No need.”

The seller scolded me for not knowing whether to live or die. I ignored him and just held out my hand towards the beastman in the cage.

“Let's go home.”

He didn't move. I kept that position, waiting patiently for a while. After a long time, he grabbed the cage and slowly stood up. His right leg appeared to be injured. As soon as he took a step, his body staggered. I instinctively caught him. In the next second, cold claws were on my neck. The people around shouted in unison. The seller took a few steps back:

“See! I told you it would bite people!”

I froze in place. The beastman's claws pressed against my skin. With just a little more force, you could easily slit my throat. His eyes were fierce, his breathing was rapid, like a cornered wild animal. But the claws pressed against my neck trembled slightly. Suddenly I wasn't so scared anymore.

“I won't touch you anymore.”

I slowly let go of the hand that was supporting him, then held out my cloth bag containing my lunch. Inside was half a loaf of black bread.

“Are you hungry?”

He stared at the piece of cake, not accepting it. I thought for a moment, broke off a small piece and stuffed it into my mouth first.

“Not poisonous.”

The beastman's eyes moved according to my movements. A moment later, he retracted his claws and snatched the remaining cake. He eats very quickly. But after swallowing the last bite, he turned his face away, as if he didn't want me to see his struggling appearance. I pretended not to notice and bent down to pick up the contract from the ground.

“Let's go.”

“My house is a bit small, but no one will hit you.”

He paused for a moment. Then hobbled after me. When we left the black market, it was already dark. Next to me There is another beastman whose whole body is covered with injuries, whose origin is unknown. There was only one hard candy left in the bag. And five more days until the rent is due.

02

On the way home, he always kept a distance of three steps from me. I go fast, you go fast too. I slowed down, he stopped and looked around cautiously. When going to a crowded place, he will hide his ears in his messy hair, and his tail will also be pressed close to his legs. But there are still people paying attention to him. Several customers in the pub leaned against the door, drunkenly whistling.

“Newly bought beast slave?”

“It looks nice, it just doesn't seem to be very obedient.”

One of them reached out to pull his tail. The beast immediately bared its fangs. I quickly stood in the middle:

“He is not a beast slave.”

The other person laughed:

“The contract is still in your hands, isn't it?”

I clenched the paper in my hand. Beastmen sold off the black market were registered as slaves. As long as the contract still exists, he is not considered a free man. But if you want to cancel the contract, you have to go to the City Hall to pay a very large ransom, more than the amount of money I spent to buy you. I can only gently tug on his sleeve.

“Let's go home.”

He bowed his head and looked at the small piece of cloth that I grabbed. Don't throw it out. I live on the outer edge of the old neighborhood. The houses here were built a long time ago, and the walls are soaked by rainwater until they are patchy. The stone step in front of the door is missing a corner, so you have to be careful when walking, otherwise it's easy to twist your leg.