Outside the door stood a man dressed in an apprentice beast appraiser's uniform with a look of disdain on his face.
Lin Jin glanced at the man as memories flooded his mind.
Zhang He, Maple City's apprentice beast appraiser, used to be Lin Jin's follower. However, due to Chief Wang Ji's deliberate suppression, the man chose to betray Lin Jin at once, biting the hand that fed him.
Generally speaking, apprentice beast appraisers would be respectful and cautious towards official beast appraisers.
However, there were exceptions.
Lin Jin was one of them. Who in the branch didn't know that Chief Wang was targeting him? Anyone with eyes would know that Lin Jin wouldn't be able to stay here for long. He might even be stripped of his qualifications as an official beast appraiser due to a previous' appraisal accident '. Hence, some apprentices no longer treated him with the respect they initially had. But at least, they still kept up appearances.
However, Zhang He didn't give him any face at all.
When this man first arrived, Lin Jin had taken good care of him. Hence, he sought refuge with Lin Jin and followed him around. However, when he saw how badly Chief Wang Ji had messed with Lin Jin and how his future was bleak, he immediately cut ties with Lin Jin and sided with Chief Wang. He turned his back on Lin Jin and even bit the hand that fed him, causing Lin Jin a lot of trouble.
Zhao Ying wanted to say something but stopped herself.
Even if Lin Jin was a terrible beast appraiser, he was still an official beast appraiser. He was one rank higher than apprentices like them. It was inappropriate and inappropriate for him to be so disrespectful in public.
Little did she know that Zhang He was doing this on purpose. If he could gain Chief Wang Ji's favor by stepping on this' official beast appraiser ', of course he had to step on him.
A fallen phoenix was no better than a chicken. So what if he stepped on you?
From his memories, Lin Jin knew that this man wasn't a good person so he couldn't be bothered with him. After all, he had just transmigrated here and might never be able to return. No matter how strong he was, he would still feel hesitant, disappointed, and confused. His mood was terrible so how could he be bothered with Zhang He?
However, Zhang He wasn't willing to 'stop' just like that.
There were a few people following behind him. In their hands were two pet beasts that had yet to sign a blood contract. It was obvious that they were here to seek guidance from a beast appraiser.
Pet beasts of the same rank, attribute, and potential varied. Hence, choosing a pet beast was crucial. This was where the value of a beast appraiser lay.
Every day, an endless stream of people came to the Beast Appraisal Association to seek guidance. Just like a doctor in a hospital, experienced and famous beast appraisers were hard to come by. At the same time, there were also those who sat on the bench.
No one cared about Lin Jin now. Even if he went to appraise beasts, he would only do it for the lower classes. It was purely manual labor.
Before this, as an official beast appraiser, many people would visit him for guidance. However, ever since the 'beast appraisal accident' two days ago, the news spread like wildfire and no one came to look for him anymore.
After all, no one would risk their future.
"Allow me to introduce you. This is the famous Beast Appraiser Lin Jin. He's an official beast appraiser with a Rank 1 qualification. He's much better than an apprentice like me. Why don't you let him take a look at your pet beasts?"
Zhang He 'purposely' suggested.
News of the appraisal accident had already spread far and wide. Now, many people knew that Maple City's Beast Appraisal Association had such an unreliable and useless beast appraiser. It was like a doctor who killed a patient, who would still seek treatment from that doctor?
The same principle applied to beast appraisals.
Those people immediately shook their heads. "Appraiser Zhang, please don't joke around. We're here for you. You just have to take a look at our pet beasts. There's … no need to trouble Appraiser Lin."
They were just being polite.
Anyone in the know could tell that they didn't want Lin Jin to appraise their pet beasts because they didn't trust him.
To think that an official beast appraiser was being looked down upon. The other party was even willing to hire an apprentice beast appraiser over Lin Jin. This was blatant humiliation.
Zhang He wanted to humiliate Lin Jin.
Belittling his former mentor was Zhang He's way of elevating himself and at the same time, flattering Chief Wang Ji. He had tried this method many times before.
He knew that Lin Jin must be furious, but so what?
Lin Jin didn't have much time here anyway.
Had it been any other time, Lin Jin would have been helpless to do anything about it. But this time was different.
Lin Jin remained calm and didn't look flustered or exasperated at all. After staring at Zhang He for a long time, he nodded and said, "Although I have a lot of work to do, I can still find some time to give you some pointers, Apprentice Zhang."
Lin Jin said the word 'apprentice' loudly, clearly pointing out Zhang He's qualifications. The latter didn't expect Lin Jin to retaliate so his expression darkened. Especially when he heard the word 'pointers', his embarrassment turned into anger.
He used to learn from Lin Jin and was considered his apprentice. Later on, he betrayed Lin Jin, returning his kindness with ingratitude. He even purposely targeted and humiliated Lin Jin to erase his' disgraceful 'past.
Now that Lin Jin had brought up the past and exposed his scars in public, how could Zhang He not be enraged?
"Give me pointers? Lin Jin, are you worthy? Why don't you take a look at your current situation? You can't even protect yourself and you still have the nerve to spout such shameless words? "Zhang He shed all pretenses of cordiality. With Chief Lin backing him up, Zhang He wasn't afraid even if things got out of hand.
Lin Jin remained unfazed. In his memory, Zhang He was a hot-tempered person who would flare up at the slightest provocation. Lin Jin had purposely said those words earlier.
Unlike his predecessor, Lin Jin wasn't someone who would allow himself to be bullied. The current Lin Jin was a vengeful person and wouldn't let go of his grudges overnight.
"Zhang He, don't forget that you were once my apprentice. I was the one who taught you your beast appraisal skills. Although you've repaid my kindness with ingratitude and you've betrayed your master, I'm a magnanimous appraiser who didn't hold you accountable. It's just that after so long and seeing how you haven't made any progress, I'd like to make an exception and give you some pointers. If you're not willing, then forget it."
Lin Jin was behaving like a master, causing everyone around him to gape in awe.
Although Zhang He wasn't a good person, Lin Jin was still a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river. He hadn't even cleaned up his mess from the appraisal incident two days ago and yet he was still putting on an act? How brave did he have to be to remain so calm?
Sure enough, Zhang He's face contorted in anger. He wasn't an idiot. He could tell that Lin Jin was purposely provoking him so he couldn't let Lin Jin lead him by the nose. If Lin Jin really attacked or insulted Lin Jin, he would be in a passive position.
After all, he was only an apprentice beast appraiser while Lin Jin was an official beast appraiser.
Controlling his anger, Zhang He rolled his eyes and came up with a plan.
"Lin Jin, we all know how good your beast appraisal skills are. Let's not talk about pointers first. If you have the guts, let's have a bet. I'm just afraid you don't have the guts."
Zhang He looked provocative.
"What are we betting on?" Lin Jin asked.
"Let's take a look at these two pet beasts. As a beast appraiser, appraising a pet beast's bloodline and attribute is a basic skill. Let's compete to see who can give a more detailed and accurate assessment and give the client the correct recommendation. If you lose to me, then admit in front of everyone that your skills are inferior to me, Zhang He, and you're not allowed to mention the past ever again, "Zhang He said through gritted teeth.
Although he looked excited, there was a hint of cunning in his eyes.
No matter how one looked at it, an apprentice beast appraiser like him was at a disadvantage against an official beast appraiser. However, Lin Jin was seen as someone who only managed to pass the exam by sheer luck. His skills were mediocre and everyone looked down on him. Although Zhang He's character wasn't that great, his knowledge and skills in beast appraisal were extraordinary. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people seeking his appraisal services.
Not only that, it was mainly because Zhang He had seen those two pet beasts before and had done a deep research on them. Of these two pet beasts, one of them had a hidden bloodline which was extremely difficult to detect. Zhang He had only learned this unique beast identification technique after receiving guidance from Chief Wang Ji. In addition, he had learned from Lin Jin before so he was familiar with Lin Jin's beast identification skills. He knew that with Lin Jin's capabilities, it was impossible for him to detect the pet beast's hidden bloodline in a short period of time. Hence, Zhang He was sure to win this match.
One could imagine that when the apprentice beast appraiser surpasses Lin Jin, the official beast appraiser, his reputation would surely soar. As for Lin Jin, his reputation would be tarnished. Even if the higher-ups didn't revoke his qualification, Zhang He wouldn't have the face to continue staying in the association. If he could really force Lin Jin out, the chief would surely look at him differently.
"Zhang He, you're only talking about what happens if you win. What if you lose?" Lin Jin suddenly asked.
Zhang He smirked inwardly. 'If I lose, so what if I have to kowtow and apologize to you?'
Lin Jin shook his head. "That won't be necessary. After all, I've guided you and taught you. You've also followed me. It was only because you were bewitched by others that you went astray. I feel guilty about this as well. I'm responsible for not teaching you well and not being able to persuade you back to the right path. Initially, I was bullying you by challenging you. But to lead you back to the right path, I had to make an exception. When the time comes, you just have to lower your head and admit your mistake. Just promise me that you'll return to the right path. You can forget about kowtowing. "
This was the attitude of an elder who was looking out for his own good.
Zhang He's eyelids twitched violently. His mind was on the verge of exploding and he almost cursed.
Who went astray?
Bullying the weak?
Ptooey!
Back when he followed Lin Jin, he knew that Lin Jin's beast appraising skills were mediocre. It was sheer luck that he managed to become an official beast appraiser.
How could someone like him have the cheek to say something like this?
His skin was thicker than the city walls.
Zhang He was so angry that he started laughing. "You're talking as if you can really beat me. Lin Jin, you might be able to fool others but you can't fool me. I know your capabilities best. If I hadn't wasted a year following you back then, I would have become an official beast appraiser by now. "
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became.
Lin Jin shook his head repeatedly with a pained expression on his face. This made Zhang He almost lash out at him.
Everyone around them had odd expressions on their faces.
Even Zhao Ying who felt indignant on Lin Jin's behalf was shaking her head. Lin Jin was being too pretentious this time. Everyone in the association was now saying that although Lin Jin was an official beast appraiser, his appraisal skills were far inferior to the top ranked apprentices. This was a fact that everyone knew.
Even for a newcomer like her, the rumors about Lin Jin being a good-for-nothing had gotten to her ears. As the saying went, there would be no smoke without fire. If Lin Jin was truly capable, he should come out and prove himself, unless he wasn't confident in himself. Moreover, the beast evaluation incident from before had basically confirmed the rumors about him being undeserving of his reputation.
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