King of Beasts

Chapter 158: The Best Village Under Heaven

The sky was just starting to lighten.

Lu Ran found his way to the house of the current village chief.

He gently knocked on the door, and immediately, the barking of a mastiff could be heard from inside.

Listening to the annoying noise, Lu Ran released his fierce beast breath. Even through the door, the noise abruptly stopped.

“That’ll shut you up,” Lu Ran muttered, a fierce expression on his face.

“Who’s there?”

After a moment, the door opened. A sturdy man, standing at six feet three inches tall and covered in muscles, exuding a fierce beast-like aura, pushed the door open.

“Village Chief Lu Yan?” Lu Ran asked upon seeing him.

The man looked puzzled, but then Lu Ran removed his mask and met his gaze.

While the elderly and children of LuJia Village might not recognize Lu Ran, the current village chief certainly would. After all, it was like a small village producing a True Dragon.

His deeds would be prominently recorded in the family genealogy and revered by future generations.

“It’s me,” Lu Ran confirmed. “Village Chief Lu Yan, may I come in and talk?”

“Of course, come in, come in,” Lu Yan said, still in shock. He never expected Lu Ran to suddenly show up in LuJia Village. “Lu Ran, Nephew, why didn’t you let us know you were coming back to the village?”

“You see, the village isn’t prepared at all. I’ll go organize a welcome banquet for you right away!”

“There’s no need for that, really,” Lu Ran quickly replied.

“How could there be no need? If it weren’t for you supporting Lu Bing and others, who in turn supported the other beastmasters in the village, the casualty rate among the fourth-generation beastmasters in LuJia Village would be much higher by now.”

“That’s what I should do. We’re family, after all,” Lu Ran responded with a smile. Following Village Chief Lu Yan, he entered the house. As they stepped inside, the mastiff in the yard was still cowering in a corner, staring at Lu Ran in terror, a puddle of urine beneath it.

“Lu Yi and Lu Bing have both gone to the breakthrough secret realm. They didn’t tell me you were coming… this bunch of people.”

“I didn’t tell them either,” Lu Ran replied. “This time, I’m here specifically to discuss something with you, Village Chief Lu Yan.”

“Hmm???” Lu Yan was taken aback. “To discuss something with me?”

“Yes, Village Chief Lu Yan. It seems you’re not a beastmaster?” Lu Ran inquired.

Lu Yan’s eyes dimmed, and he chuckled, “No, actually, I did receive the black card, but I decided against becoming a beastmaster.”

“My son was one of the first-generation beastmasters, but… he died in the secret realm.”

“Now, I’m the only pillar left in the family. If I were to take on such a dangerous role, what would happen to the elders and my wife at home?”

Lu Ran sighed, “My condolences.”

Village Chief Lu Yan was indeed a man of great responsibility. He had resisted the allure of supernatural power.

“It’s fate,” Lu Yan said. “We’re all people with hard lives.”

Lu Yan looked at Lu Ran. It seemed like Lu Ran didn’t recognize him at all, but Lu Yan had seen Lu Ran before. During the funeral of Lu Ran’s grandparents, young Lu Ran had briefly returned to LuJia Village.

As for Lu Ran’s parents… they passed away suddenly, and no funeral was ever held. After learning about their accident, LuJia Village should have taken Lu Ran back to care for him. But with no news, Fang Lan’s family got to him first.

After all, Lu Ran grew up in the city and was likely more familiar and closer to Fang Lan’s family compared to LuJia Village.

Later, the villagers went to visit Lu Ran, but at that time, he was always depressed, isolating himself from the world.

Now… Lu Ran had clearly stepped out of the shadows.

Who would have thought that Lu Ran, in the blink of an eye, would become the strongest fourth-generation beastmaster on the blue star, becoming the focus of global attention?

Fate is indeed a wondrous thing, Lu Yan mused.

“Lu Ran, are you interested in returning to LuJia Village?” Lu Yan asked. “Honestly, ever since I gave up on becoming a beastmaster, I knew I wasn’t fit to be the village chief of LuJia Village.”

“I’ve discussed it with the Village Committee, and we decided that we need someone from the fourth-generation beastmasters, someone with both strength and responsibility, to lead and integrate us into the new era.”

“However, the general consensus, including the majority of the fourth-generation beastmasters, is that they want you to come back and take on the role of village chief.”

“After all, you’re Lu Hai’s grandson and have done so much for LuJia Village. No one is more suitable than you. I understand that you might not see much value in a small village like ours and might even see it as a burden. But being alone out there, you can’t handle everything yourself. Some minor tasks and dirty work can be handled by the beastmasters of LuJia Village.”

“Lu Yan, we’re all family. No need to be so distant,” Lu Ran replied. “Actually, the reason I came to see you this time is precisely about this matter.”

“I came back intending to run for village chief and lead the village’s development.”

“Really??” Lu Yan was overjoyed. If it were ten years ago, he might have cared about the position of village chief, but ever since his son died and he gave up the black card, Lu Yan had only one conviction left.

He considered all the young people in the village as his own children, hoping they would fare better and not fall like his son did on the path of beast taming.

Now, with Lu Ran agreeing to return and develop LuJia Village, it was a monumental event for the village. Given Lu Ran’s current status at the forefront of the Age of Beast Taming, having him lead would make it hard for LuJia Village to fall behind.

“Yes.”

“Great!” Lu Yan exclaimed, invigorated. “There won’t be any issues. I’ll notify the Village Committee right away. We won’t need any elections, hunting competitions, or anything like that. We’ll transfer the position immediately, and no one will oppose it.”

“Let’s keep it simple,” Lu Ran said, waving his hands with a bitter smile. “Besides, I won’t be able to stay in LuJia Village all the time. The reason I want to be the village chief is to implement some reforms in the village.”

“Reforms?”

“Can you gather all the villagers? I plan to speak to everyone together,” Lu Ran said seriously. “This concerns the crucial development of LuJia Village for the next hundred years!”

“No problem.” Lu Yan was momentarily stunned but chose to trust Lu Ran and nodded firmly.

…

Moments later, the village loudspeaker blared.

“Attention all villagers, attention all villagers.”

“Except for the elderly and children who have difficulty moving, please gather in front of the Village Committee courtyard for an important announcement.”

“This concerns the transition of the village chief and the development of LuJia Village for the next few decades and even centuries. Everyone must be present.”

Before long, almost all the villagers, except for the elderly with mobility issues, had gathered outside the Village Committee courtyard.

“What’s going on?”

“No idea.”

“A new village chief? I thought it wasn’t time for an election yet.”

Hundreds of villagers gathered, still unclear about why they were summoned so urgently.

It was early in the morning, and some people hadn’t even had time to change, showing up in their shorts.

The elders of the Lu Clan were even more confused, wondering why Lu Yan was making such a fuss so early in the morning.

A new village chief? How could that be?

Once the crowd had mostly gathered, Lu Yan stood on the high platform, holding a megaphone, and shouted, “Everyone, please calm down and be quiet!”

“I have an important announcement to make. From today onwards, I will no longer be the village chief of LuJia Village.”

“Now, I would like to invite the new village chief to say a few words.”

“Lu Yan, what are you doing?” Some of the elders, holding walking sticks, were about to rush the platform, but as Lu Ran took the stage, the crowd fell into a sudden silence.

Especially the younger people, all staring wide-eyed.

“Holy crap, it’s God Lu.”

“Is that really Lu Ran? The real Lu Ran?!”

“It’s him, the legendary figure from LuJia Village, now the strongest fourth-generation beastmaster on the blue star!”

“I have a treasured photo of him by my bedside. I’ve looked at it many times. No mistake.”

“He actually returned to the village.”

“Wait a minute, could it be that the new village chief Lu Yan mentioned is…”

At this moment, the appearance of Lu Ran caused a sensation no less than that of a national superstar appearing in the crowd.

Facing over a thousand villagers, Lu Ran felt a bit uneasy. As he stepped up, he began, “Hello, uncles and aunts, elderly ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters. I am Lu Ran.”

“My grandfather is Lu Hai, the former village chief of LuJia Village. Some of you probably knew him.”

“Just now, I discussed with Village Chief Lu Yan, and I will be taking over as the village chief of LuJia Village. Does anyone have any objections?”

“Holy crap…” After Lu Ran finished speaking, the young people were in an uproar. Objections? Not a chance.

Previously, the biggest desire in LuJia Village was to have Lu Ran return as the village chief.

Now that their wish had come true, they were beyond thrilled. The elders, meanwhile, lowered their walking sticks, staring at Lu Ran in disbelief… Had they really managed to bring back the impressive grandson of Lu Hai?

“No objections!!!”

“Screw it, anyone who objects, I’ll steal their chickens.”

“Lu-Ge, if you go east, I’ll never go west. Can you take me through a secret realm like you did with Lu Bing? Just once.”

“Do you have any autographs? Any autographs?”

“I want a photo with you, and with the Gale Sword Dog.”

“Has the Gale Sword Dog considered breeding?”

Amid the cheers of the young people, villagers of other age groups had no chance to speak.

Lu Ran chuckled awkwardly. Was he really this popular?

“Actually,” Lu Ran said, “I want to come back as village chief to lead everyone forward because someone asked me to.”

Uh…

This statement from Lu Ran suddenly stunned the villagers.

Beside him, Lu Yan was also slightly taken aback.

Lu Ran continued, “I wonder if you all remember the legend of LuJia Village. In ancient times, there was a divine deer that protected our clan.”

How could the villagers of LuJia Village not know? Almost every elder loved to tell children the story of the divine deer. Of course, everyone treated it as just a myth.

Except for the older generation, who actually believed it?

“If I told you that the divine deer… is real?” Lu Ran’s tone and expression were extremely serious.

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene fell into sudden silence. Some of the elders even widened their eyes.

Compared to the young people born in the new era, those who grew up in the old times were more sensitive to such matters. Back then, the village still had offerings for the divine deer…

“After the resurgence of spiritual energy, I came into contact with some secrets. The main reason I want to help develop LuJia Village is that I received a dream from the divine deer. The divine deer exists somewhere.”

“In ancient times, the situation of LuJia Village was beyond your imagination. We were one of the top ten super tribes in the world. However, over time, we have fallen into decline. But now that the divine deer is about to awaken, the revival of LuJia Village’s past glory is not a dream.”

“Years ago, due to some unforeseen events, the divine deer was gravely injured while protecting LuJia Village and fell into a deep sleep.”

“But now, with the resurgence of spiritual energy, the divine deer is close to returning. Before its awakening, it granted me some resources in a dream, hoping I could lead LuJia Village back to its peak.”

“This is the main reason I returned to LuJia Village. Thanks to the divine deer’s blessing, every member of the Lu Clan will receive abundant resources every month!”

“Beastmasters will receive beast taming skills, trait crystals, top-quality young pet beasts, and a large number of crystal coins.”

“Non-beastmasters will receive a large amount of cash, and soon everyone will become millionaires. There will also be supernatural nutritional supplements that can extend life and cure diseases available…”

“Let’s set a small goal first: to become The Best Village Under Heaven. Believe me, we can achieve it.”

After Lu Ran finished speaking, the young people and elders, despite the speech sounding like a sales pitch, clutched their wildly beating hearts and widened their eyes in disbelief.

However, the person who said this was Lu Ran, the Strongest Fourth Generation on the blue star, making it almost impossible to doubt its credibility!

Lu Ran had no reason to deceive them! Only Manager Ying was secretly jumping up and down, thinking, “You really can bluff!”

“I knew it, I knew the divine deer must exist.” Suddenly, an elderly lady in her seventies began to weep and knelt on the ground, startling Lu Ran. He quickly said, “Help the elderly lady up. Everyone, please calm down.”

“What I’m saying is true. From now on, as long as you’re part of the Lu Clan, you will all receive the divine deer’s protection.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just acting on behalf of the divine deer. Also, keep this to yourselves. If word gets out, LuJia Village will never have peace again.”

“Anyone who dares to leak this information will be permanently expelled from LuJia Village and the Lu Clan!” At this moment, an elder tapped their cane and said with red eyes. This older generation was the most devout believers in the divine deer’s existence.

The elderly looked at Lu Ran in amazement… Was he the divine deer’s envoy?

Faced with the excited villagers, Lu Ran could only smile wryly. “If you want to thank someone, thank the divine deer, not me.”

“Especially to our fellow beastmasters, the divine deer also said it would choose some clan members who make significant contributions to the village to receive legendary blessings. Make the most of this opportunity. If you receive the divine deer’s blessing, the future Strongest Fourth Generation on the blue star might not be me, but one of you. Everyone has a chance.”

“All for the village!”

“Next, as the new village chief, my first reform is to establish a Divine Deer Festival in the village. We will hold this festival several times a year to regularly worship the divine deer, with the non-working elders presiding over the ceremonies.”

“For the young villagers who are beastmasters, continue to team up and train in the secret realms of the infinite city.”

“For those who are not beastmasters, I will invite professors from the beast taming university, who are experts in pet beast breeding and spiritual plant cultivation, to help transform our village’s industries, turning LuJia Village into a Beast Taming Village.”

“Everyone will engage in the cultivation of supernatural beings and spiritual plants to develop our village.”

“I hope that with our collective efforts, LuJia Village can regain its former glory.” Lu Ran smiled slightly, though his heart ached.

The divine deer didn’t actually provide any resources. All the investment for LuJia Village would come from him alone, and he still had to make the villagers thank the divine deer… to provide the Power of Faith.

It was tough, but considering the divine deer antler, Lu Ran accepted it.

After all, the population of LuJia Village was small, and the place wasn’t big, so it wouldn’t bankrupt him.

“The Best Village Under Heaven!!!”

“The Best Village Under Heaven!!!!!”

Today was destined to be an exceptionally exhilarating and exciting day for LuJia Village.

Many young people, inspired by Lu Ran’s speech, shouted with enthusiasm.

In life, one of the greatest joys is discovering that you have a billionaire father.

For the people of LuJia Village, discovering that their village was truly under the protection of a divine beast brought immense happiness.

Soon, following Lu Ran’s suggestion, the villagers began summoning back those who had gone out to work or study.

…

“Ah Bing, come back!!! The village is handing out gold bars!!”

“Son!! Are you still at that lousy job? So what if you became a manager? Get back here now!!”

“Brother, my dear brother, come back quickly, the village is giving out succubi.”

On this day, the fourth-generation beastmasters of LuJia Village, upon returning home, did the first thing: they consulted the elders for more myths and legends about the divine deer, listening to them as if they were sacred texts.

For them, simply receiving resources wasn’t enough. They longed for the divine deer’s blessing, to become super-strong beastmasters like Lu Ran, and to lead the era.

Believe in the divine deer! Contribute to the village’s development!

LuJia Village, already a tightly-knit clan village, now had a unified belief that bolstered its cohesion, showcasing extraordinary vitality.

At the same time, faint points of light in the village gathered in the sky, merging into the deer spirits of faith that only Lu Ran could see…

“This…” Lu Ran was dumbfounded. “I haven’t even distributed the resources yet, and the Power of Faith is already surging. Well, it makes sense. Even gods who offer nothing have plenty of followers; not to mention, this ‘God Lu’ is actually planning to distribute wealth.”

“Could it be that in the end, LuJia Village will truly become The Best Village Under Heaven, where every villager is incredibly powerful?” Lu Ran touched his chin, ignoring the twitching expression of Manager Ying beside him, and said, “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. All for the general deer.”