CHAPTER 1303: CHAPTER 1304: PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENT

"Why aren’t you going to sleep? What are you doing here?"

Qi Chen looked questioningly at Feng Yuan, who was sitting on a bench in the circular garden of the promenade. It was already late at night, and even though Delian was a tourist city, it was gradually falling silent. Besides the street lamps and the faintly glowing nocturnal flowers, only a few houses still had their lights on.

Lightly stroking Xiao Ji’s feathers, Feng Yuan kept his gaze fixed on the unusual night scene and said without turning his head,

"Don’t you think Delian has a special beauty at night?"

"Come to think of it, you’re right. But aren’t we supposed to wake up early tomorrow? If you don’t rest now, are you sure you’ll be able to get up on time?"

"With Big Cat around, it’s fine~"

Glancing at Big Cat, who was playing on his phone, Feng Yuan smiled faintly and replied. Qi Chen stared at Feng Yuan and said with exasperation,

"You should go to bed early. Just don’t complain tomorrow when you’re overtired."

With that, he turned and left. If he hadn’t seen someone resembling Feng Yuan sitting in the garden outside the window while preparing to turn in for the night, he would’ve already been asleep.

"What’s there to see, anyway?"

Long Boduo asked quizzically while munching on a snack. Feng Yuan shot him a puzzled glance and asked,

"Where’d you get that food you’re holding?"

"This? Haha, there’s a small specialty snack shop nearby that’s open 24 hours. Want some?"

Long Boduo beamed as he handed the snack toward Feng Yuan, who chuckled softly and said,

"No need. But you’re good—finding shops like that. Compared to you, I’m still lacking."

"No way~ That shop’s really obvious~"

"So, you’re really not planning to sleep?"

Long Boduo looked at the peacefully slumbering city and asked in confusion. While Feng Yuan could go several days without sleep if necessary, it didn’t seem like the occasion called for it.

Feng Yuan patted Xiao Ji gently, causing the sleepy little creature to rouse and look at him quizzically after a moment. Scratching Xiao Ji’s neck, Feng Yuan said,

"Come on, let’s go back to sleep."

"Are you okay?"

The next morning, Qi Chen saw Feng Yuan energetically poring over a travel brochure and asked with concern. Feng Yuan glanced at him strangely and said,

"Why wouldn’t I be? Oh, by the way, let’s check out the shopping center later and see what’s there."

"Perfect timing. I need to pick up some souvenirs there."

Yang Hongzhi nodded in agreement. As one of the major cities in Dantia, Delian’s shopping center carried almost all of the region’s specialties. He thought it was only proper to bring back some mementos from his travels, and he also wanted to emulate Feng Yuan’s habit of picking a locally themed gift for his Spirit Beasts whenever he traveled.

"I wonder if they have any custom-made specialties. That would be ideal."

"Dantia’s specialties are mostly flowers, flower-based desserts, and perfumes. I doubt they have anything custom-made,"

Yang Hongzhi said uncertainly while scratching his head. Dou Yanlan looked at Yang Hongzhi and said,

"Not necessarily. Custom-blended perfumes could be nicer than standard souvenirs. But those might be quite pricey."

Though she wasn’t sure if such items were available for sale, she speculated that if there were anything that would suit Feng Yuan’s needs, it would likely be something like that. Custom-made desserts, on the other hand, seemed a bit odd.

"Custom-blended perfumes, huh? I wonder if Xiao Ji and the others would like that."

Feng Yuan glanced at Xiao Ji in uncertainty. He’d never really seen Xiao Ji or the others use perfume before. Would Xiao Ji actually like something like that?

Veronia thought for a moment and said,

"Perfume’s fine by me, but Little Crocodile might not be a fan. As for Xiao Ji? Its sense of smell is pretty sharp, so I’d guess it wouldn’t appreciate it."

Anything with a strong scent wasn’t likely to intrigue Xiao Ji—especially if the scent came from itself. It might even interfere with its sensitive sense of smell, making Xiao Ji dislike it.

"True enough. What a headache. Let’s just head over and check out the local specialties."

Feng Yuan sighed and shook his head in resignation. He really didn’t know what suitable gift Delian might offer for Xiao Ji.

Delian City’s shopping center was shaped like a hamburger wrapped in creeping flowers. The large glass windows, partly obscured by vines, were barely noticeable, making the building look like a small green hill from afar.

Near the entrance of the shopping center, Feng Yuan and the others found the event registration booth. Observing the spacious plaza, Feng Yuan walked up and asked,

"Where’s the venue for the Spirit Beast pageant?"

"Are you here to register? The pageant starts tomorrow. Today is the final day for sign-ups, so you’d better hurry if you want to join. Are those three Spirit Beasts on the Amu Tree yours? You’ve taken excellent care of them~."

The young woman manning the booth smiled as she looked at the three Spirit Beasts perched on the Amu Tree’s crown. Scratching his head, Feng Yuan replied,

"No, they’re his. But I just wanted to ask about the venue first, since the three of them have some issues."

Glancing at Qi Chen, Feng Yuan decided to explain the Spirit Beasts’ situation. He’d just noticed that many competitors’ Spirit Beasts looked well-groomed and refined—far better than Qi Chen’s trio. But it wasn’t surprising; other contestants likely had been caring for their Spirit Beasts for a long time, building them up to this level. With the opportunity to learn from them now, Feng Yuan wasn’t about to let it go.

"I see. That’s unfortunate. But, hmm, I can inquire with the manager to see if an arrangement can be made. As for the venue, there’s no problem; as long as they stay perched on its tree crown, they should feel safer, right?"

The staff member pondered for a moment and spoke. Seeing their blank expressions, she smiled and added,

"Actually, we designed the venue with the consideration that some contestants might bring larger Spirit Beasts. That’s why the event is being held in this outdoor plaza. Generally, there shouldn’t be any issues. The only tricky part is the stage performance—it’s limited to groups of five Spirit Beasts, and you can’t bring extras up during the showcase."

"Can we attend the event without competing?"

Feng Yuan had a thought and asked. The staff member paused briefly, then replied after thinking it over,

"If you don’t go on stage, then yes, you can be in the audience. But if you’re not officially participating, that might be an issue—otherwise, the venue could be overrun by opportunists."

"After all, Spirit Beasts are rare, so you know—there are always those people who think too highly of themselves..."

"Fair point."

Feng Yuan nodded but wanted to say more. The staff member stood up and placed a ’Be back soon’ sign on her desk, saying,

"I’ll check with the manager. Please wait a moment."

"What do you think? It seems participation without being on stage might be an option."

"As long as we can interact, that’s good enough. Plus, with the Amu Tree here, there shouldn’t be any trouble."

Feng Yuan attempted to reassure Qi Chen, who stayed quiet for a while before looking at the Amu Tree and asking,

"What do you think?"

The Amu Tree chirped at Qi Chen a few times. Before Agunas could translate, Qi Chen seemed to understand and nodded, saying,

"Okay, then we’ll register. Yanlan, uh, once we’re inside, can you help me document things in case I forget?"

Scratching his head, Qi Chen sheepishly turned to Dou Yanlan, who chuckled and said,

"Sure, you could also take notes in a notebook on the spot. I think they wouldn’t mind."

"Don’t worry. We’ll all help with note-taking—and maybe add some extras."

Feng Yuan glanced at Qi Chen mischievously and said. Qi Chen, unimpressed, shot Feng Yuan a look and replied,

"You’re better off not helping. Last time, you added pages of recipes to my notes—seriously..."

"Hehe~ I was just improving your cooking skills~"

Feng Yuan laughed unapologetically, scratching his head, showing no hint of embarrassment. Qi Chen gave him a weary stare and said,

"Really, you’re just trouble."

After a while, the staff member returned, accompanied by a man in a tailored suit. After observing the three Spirit Beasts atop the Amu Tree’s crown, he said,

"Hmm, definitely not man-made evidence. Well, I approve. During the competition, we’ll arrange something separately. You can rest assured."

"If you choose to participate, we can organize for them to go on stage together without needing to get too close to other contestants’ Spirit Beasts."

"This won’t inconvenience you too much, will it?"

Qi Chen asked hesitantly. The man smiled and said,

"The original goal of this event was to provide a good platform for Spirit Beast enthusiasts to interact. This is a small matter—don’t worry."