Seeing Bao Ye, the Iron-Eating Beast, looking at them, Xiao Jin and Xiao Hei knew they couldn't hide it any longer. Xiao Jin nudged Xiao Hei, saying, "Hei Zi, go spar with him."
Xiao Hei stepped forward and said to Bao Ye, "Three lotuses bloom before the Buddha."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Bao exclaimed, "I've found my people!" and quickly responded, "Spring arrives, willows are planted with a few branches."
Hearing the reply, Xiao Hei hastily retreated, standing on its hind legs. It clenched its front paws into fists, crossed its arms, and extended both thumbs upwards, pointing them at the sky, saying, "Friends on the 'He' character, state your surname (Friends of the underworld, what is your surname)."
Xiao Hei's movements stunned Yu Longyan and the other two. The Black Dragon King stared blankly and said, "Holy cow, boss, when did turtles start striking such poses? What does that kid Lin usually teach these two little brats?"
Xiao Bao, seeing Xiao Hei's posture, quickly responded, adopting the same pose: "Combined, suspended. A hero of the greenwood (A seasoned turtle, my surname is Xiong)."
Xiao Hei returned to all fours and turned to Lin Zhan, saying, "Boss, this bear is a good ha ta zanr liang (This bear is skilled and understands the ways of the world)."
"Greenwood Ying, this is our top boss. From now on, we're brothers fighting side-by-side," Xiao Hei added to Xiao Bao.
"Great leader, Xiao Bao will follow you from now on. Through wind and frost, ice and snow, riding horses and flying dust, he'll break through the sky without batting an eye," Xiao Bao declared his loyalty to Lin Zhan.
Lin Zhan saw that the giant panda was so understanding and recalled Yu Longyan's earlier mention of its fondness for drinking. He immediately said, "Come, brother, let's have some spirits first and then chat."
The four, one person and three beasts, sat down. Lin Zhan brought out several large jars of potent liquor, and they began to drink and talk.
Yu Longyan and the Black Dragon Emperor, seeing this, were furious. They walked over and kicked the four, sending them flying.
Each of the three elders grabbed a wine jar and said, "You brats didn't even consider us elders, did you? You started drinking on your own, as if we weren't even here."
"How could that be? Esteemed ancestors, please sit. I have more good wine here," Lin Zhan quickly brought out several more jars.
The Black Dragon King looked at Lin Zhan's actions and said, "That's more like it."
After a couple of sips of wine, Yu Longyan came to his senses. "That kid Lin led me astray! We still have important business to attend to."
He then said to Lin Zhan, "Quickly sign a contract with Xiao Bao, and then the elders will brand you with totems."
Lin Zhan immediately signed a bloodline soul contract with the panda Xiao Bao. The drunken bear Xiao Bao was now officially part of Lin Zhan's group.
"Boss, Xiao Bao is new. I won't say much, it's all in the wine. I'll drink first," Xiao Bao said, downing three jars consecutively.
He then turned to Xiao Jin and said, "Brother Snake, we don't care about age, only seniority. Don't look at Xiao Bao's age. Strictly speaking, those thousands of years he was sealed by our ancestor don't count, right? From now on, when we rob and plunder, we'll do it together. Xiao Bao drinks first." With that, he drank three more jars.
Xiao Bao's actions deeply moved Lin Zhan and the other two. Xiao Jin turned to Lin Zhan and said, "Boss, Xiao Bao is a good brother. The bear is honest and sensible."
"From now on, we're all brothers sharing the same pot," Lin Zhan agreed.
Xiao Bao then went to Xiao Hei. "Brother Hei, I've said what needs to be said. The rest is in the wine. I'll drink first." With that, Xiao Bao raised his wine jar again.
"Bang... Clang." The Black Dragon King walked over to Xiao Bao and kicked the drunken bear away.
"You three dimwits, what are you drinking for? Can't you see this bear cub is just using this as an excuse to drink? And you're all getting so touched. Are you stupid?" the Black Dragon King berated Lin Zhan and the other two.
"Second brother, check if those children have finished their inheritance. Send them out once they have. Seeing these disappointing brats makes me angry," Yu Longyan said, covering his face.
Xiao Bao, with his thick skin, shook his head and walked over. "Boss, although Xiao Bao loves to drink, what I said just now was from the bottom of my heart. Heaven and earth are witnesses. By the way, Boss, do you have any more wine? I've been holding back for thousands of years."
Lin Zhan glanced at the cunning national treasure. "Bao, what's your current strength? Our gang... pfft, you almost made me go off track. The treatment in our Lin family is tied to strength."
"Boss, although my level is Golden Beginner, I can still kill Platinum Intermediate as if they were nothing. Also, my ancestor left me some means, so anyone who dares to provoke me will be crippled," Xiao Bao enthusiastically promoted himself.
"Most importantly, I have strong backing. My ancestor is still alive, so who would dare to touch a single hair of my bear?" Xiao Bao said, his eyes shining. "By the way, Boss, does this strong backing increase my benefits?"
"Xiao Bao, stop bragging about your backing. None of these three have weaker backing than you. That dragon cub has the bloodline of the Golden Dragon Emperor, Jin Ao. That little turtle has the bloodline of my fourth brother, Xuan Wu."
"As for this kid Lin, he's the successor of Yan. The two elders of the Yu Long clan are his backing, aren't they? Moreover, this kid is a direct descendant of the God of Fire, E Bo (Ziqi, also known as 'E Bo'. He was an ancestor of Shang Tang, the founder of the Shang Dynasty. He was later revered as the 'Ancestor of Shang' and the 'God of Fire'). You bears haven't died yet, do you think these old guys will?" the Black Dragon Emperor explained to Xiao Bao.
"Holy cow, boss, are we this awesome? With this kind of backing, why are we still struggling out here? We should just go to the Human Royal Court and eat and drink whatever we want," Xiao Bao said to Lin Zhan, his eyes glowing with excitement.
Lin Zhan looked around and found that Yu Longyan wasn't paying attention. He said to Xiao Bao earnestly, "Bao, listen to your boss's advice. Isn't it good to just live well? Do you know that just two hours ago, Yu Longyan, that old coot, almost killed me? Do you really think these old guys take us seriously? Even if we all die, won't they just have more?"
After hearing Lin Zhan's words, Xiao Bao's bear eyes were filled with disbelief. He shook his big head and thought carefully. "Holy cow, boss, what you said makes a lot of sense. Thinking about it, it really is like that. Look at how healthy these old coots are. Crushing us is like crushing ants. And having a few more babies seems even easier than crushing ants."
"So, Bao, just listen to your big brother. We have food and drink, and when we're bored, we can do some kidnapping and robbery for some pocket money. Let's not mess with these old guys. These ancestors have endured since ancient times and are definitely holding back their ultimate moves. We little guys shouldn't get involved."
With the cultivation of Yu Longyan and the other two, Lin Zhan and Xiao Bao's conversation was not hidden from them. The three looked at Lin Zhan and had the same thought: this kid is truly a talent.