Chapter Thirty: The Peculiar Goat

[Insightful Epiphany: Through constant observation of the flock while herding, you have finally grasped the true technique of shepherding. It requires not constant, hands-on labor, but the ability to identify and manage the special individuals within the flock. You have thus unlocked the skill: Beast Identification.]

[Beast Identification (Scholarship Skill)
Usage: Maintain focus on a beast and attempt to retrieve relevant information about it.
Skill Description: A skill mastered by shepherds through long-term interaction with animals. It allows one to understand a beast’s abilities and social status within its herd through observation. It is said that beasts, like humans, have social hierarchies, and different individuals possess vastly different talents and capabilities. Thus, identifying beasts has become a necessary prerequisite skill for taming them.]

This... Xiao Jie was speechless. What kind of useless skill was this? Where was the beast-taming ability he was promised?

However, upon reflection, it made sense. His primary focus while herding today had been identifying the lead ram. He sighed helplessly. Though he could continue herding, he had a faint feeling that "epiphanies" were not something that could be triggered infinitely. One professional field likely offered only one such opportunity. Still, gaining a skill was a gain nonetheless.

He decided to test it out. He used Beast Identification on a goat. The skill required no stamina; one simply had to maintain focused observation for a few seconds. Soon, a line of data appeared above the goat’s head.

[Male Goat (Beast), Level 3, HP 40.
Taming Difficulty: Beginner.
Skills: Mountain Climbing LV2, Ramming Charge LV2.]

He tried another.
[Female Goat (Beast), Level 2, HP 30.
Taming Difficulty: Beginner.
Skills: Mountain Climbing LV2, Ramming Charge LV1.]

And another.
[Small Goat (Beast), Level 1, HP 20.
Taming Difficulty: Beginner.
Skills: Mountain Climbing LV1, Ramming Charge LV1.]

He continued, this time targeting the largest lead ram.
[Goat Leader (Beast), Level 5, HP 80.
Taming Difficulty: Average.
Skills: Mountain Climbing LV3, Ramming Charge LV3, Herd Leader LV1.]

Tsk, it even had an aura skill; it truly deserved to be the leader. Xiao Jie tried one more.

[Strange Goat (Beast), Level ?, HP 128.
Taming Difficulty: Untamable.
Skills: ??????
Note: Target level is too high; you cannot read further information.]

Huh? Xiao Jie blinked, thinking he had misread it. He looked again. Indeed, the level and skills were question marks, though the health bar was visible. 128 HP—that was half again as much as the herd leader. What kind of origin did this "Strange Goat" have to be so outrageous?

He moved closer to observe it carefully. At first glance, it had no special features; its size was standard, neither the miniature form of a kid nor the robust physique of the leader. It looked no different from the average billy goat.

The only difference—Xiao Jie suddenly noticed that the pupils of this goat were circular, much like a human's. Ordinary goats had rectangular pupils, which was a unique trait among animals. But the eyes of the goat before him were completely different. This subtle detail would be impossible to spot from afar, and under normal circumstances, Xiao Jie would never have noticed it. If not for the strange data provided by Beast Identification, he would have missed it entirely.

Now that he had noticed the discrepancy, the details made him feel a chill. The goat seemed completely unaware of Xiao Jie’s shock, continuing to graze as if nothing were amiss. Xiao Jie drew his knife.

"Are you a deity? Or a demon?" he asked tentatively.

The goat continued to chew the grass. Xiao Jie suddenly smiled. The goat’s hunger level was at 100%, yet it was still grazing; it was clearly hiding something. This goat was definitely suspicious. If it didn't have some special background, it was at least a rare elite, and killing it might yield good loot.

"Hey, give me some reaction, will you? If you don't speak, I'm going to take action."

The goat kept its head down, grazing. Xiao Jie, determined, began to charge his blade. After all, the worst that could happen was paying a penalty of 200 copper coins; he could afford that.

Panic finally flickered in the goat's eyes, and it suddenly spoke in a human voice.

Strange Goat: "Baa, little brother, I have no grudge against you. Why must you push me so hard?"

The moment the goat spoke, Xiao Jie was startled, followed by a surge of excitement. Ha! It really did have a story.

"Ha! You should have spoken sooner. Tell me, what are you? A deity or a demon? Why are you hiding in this flock? Speak the truth, or don't blame my blade for having no eyes." As he spoke, he took two steps back to maintain some distance.

Such a strange goat might pose a threat, but judging by its HP, it shouldn't be insurmountable. He could be careful and handle it. If all else failed, he could call for help, though he preferred not to draw attention unless necessary.

The goat sighed with a look of helplessness.

Strange Goat: "If you kill me, Old Man Yang will never let you off."

"Heh, don't worry about that. I'll just pay the fine."

Strange Goat: "Hmph, don't be arrogant. Do you really think you can beat me?"

It bowed its front hooves, aimed its horns at Xiao Jie, and prepared to charge. Xiao Jie wasn't nervous. Ramming Charge, was it? He had seen that move plenty of times; as long as he dodged in time, it posed no threat.

"Even if I can't beat you, I can call others. I'm quite curious: if everyone knew of your existence, would they treat you as a demon and chop you up for mutton skewers?"

Hearing this, the goat immediately wilted. It hurriedly pulled back its horns. "Baa, little brother, don't go shouting nonsense. I'll tell you, won't I? To be honest, I am no demon. I was a goat in these mountains, nourished by the spiritual energy of this valley. I finally gained a spark of intelligence and hoped to one day cultivate into a demon and achieve immortality.

"Who knew that a great disaster would descend, with evil spirits running rampant? As a mere goat who hadn't achieved the Dao, I had nowhere to go but to hide in Ginkgo Village to survive. Thanks to the Ginkgo Immortal Tree in the village, I’ve survived to this day. The Yang family has herded sheep for generations, and I have hidden among them, changing my identity until today."

Xiao Jie said in surprise, "Then you've lived for five hundred years?"

Strange Goat: "In the mountains, one loses track of time, and the same goes for this sheepfold. I don't remember exactly how many days have passed, but that sounds about right. As I said, I am no demon, and I have no magical powers; I simply have more wisdom than the average goat. For five hundred years, I have never harbored any intent to harm, so please, warrior, do not tell others of me, or I shall not live another day."

Xiao Jie didn't agree immediately, calculating what benefits he could gain from this encounter.

Seeing this, the goat added, "I am not ungrateful. If you agree, I have a reward to offer."

Xiao Jie’s eyes lit up. "Let's hear it. Is it a demon core? A cultivation technique?"

The goat gave a bitter laugh. "I am not even a demon; how would I know such things? A core is but a pipe dream. But having lived five hundred years, I have learned a few trivial tricks that might be of interest to you. I have three master skills I can teach you. However, you must swear a vow that you will never tell a soul about me, or you shall suffer heavenly condemnation."

[System Prompt: Encountered special event "The Goat's Vow."]
[Task Description: You have discovered a strange goat in the flock that can speak human language. To prevent you from exposing it, the goat is willing to teach you its skills, but you must swear a "Heavenly Condemnation Vow" as a guarantee of secrecy.
Note: The Heavenly Condemnation Vow is a special game mechanic. Once sworn, violating it will trigger a "Heavenly Tribulation." The more severe your betrayal, the higher the level of the "Heavenly Tribulation" triggered.]

Xiao Jie’s expression turned solemn. Heavenly Tribulation sounded dangerous. As a Level 2 player, triggering one would surely mean certain death. He had to choose carefully.

"Let me see what skills you have first."

Strange Goat: "As you wish. My three master skills are extraordinary. If you can learn even one, you will benefit endlessly. Behold—"

A dialogue box popped up before Xiao Jie’s eyes.

[Option 1: Ramming Charge (Combat Skill). Mimics a goat’s combat technique, charging at the enemy to deal 20 points of blunt damage and stun for 1 second. Requirement: Strength 15.]
[Option 2: Mountain Stepping (Mastery). Master the technique of climbing mountains, allowing you to move freely in mountainous terrain without being hindered. Requirement: Agility 15.]
[Option 3: Beast Speech (Arcane Art). Allows you to grasp the language of beasts, enabling communication and interaction with animals. Requirement: Intelligence 15.]

Two of the three skills were greyed out, as he didn't meet the attribute requirements. Only Beast Speech was available. Xiao Jie studied the three skills and realized Ramming Charge was a trash combat skill, and Mountain Stepping had some value but was limited. Only Beast Speech seemed truly interesting. Being able to talk to animals? That would certainly be fun in the real world.

"Fine, I promise. I will never reveal any information about you to anyone. In return, teach me this Beast Speech."

Xiao Jie decisively chose Option 3.

[System Prompt: You have sworn a "Heavenly Condemnation Vow."]

The strange goat let out a bleat, looking visibly relieved. "Very well. Listen closely; this is how Beast Speech is used..."

[System Prompt: You have learned the new skill "Beast Speech (Arcane Art)."]

"Thank you, little brother. Now that I have taught you, we shall never see each other again. We are strangers from this moment on."

"That goes without saying," Xiao Jie replied. As soon as he finished speaking, the goat turned its head and vanished into the flock. Xiao Jie’s vision blurred, and when he looked again, he could no longer find the goat.