Beast Tamer

Chapter 5

Li Jun was shocked because of the handsome man's sudden reaction. He didn't know what to do so he just let himself get dragged out of the dimension. Once out Zhang Wei took him to a somewhat secluded corner to wait for the other disciples' exit. The place outside is also filled with people; clan members, sect elders and masters each waiting for their disciples' safe return. Li Jun was quite baffled to see all of these powerful individuals in one place, either checking on youngsters' health, gossiping in between each other or discussing the current political climate.

"Do you recognize anyone?" asked Zhang Wei, still shamelessly holding onto Li Jun's hand.

Li Jun shook his head 'no', absentmindedly looking around and missed the surprise on the taller man's handsome features. Zhang Wei was asking whether he could recognize any family members or servants for that matter, but based on the curious glint in the youth's eyes and the way he's looking around, sight not even lingering a while on the famous powerhouses that usual young cultivators idolize and revere was like...he doesn't even recognize them. Zhang Wei looked thoughtful and then tentatively tried again

"Is there anyone to receive you?"

Li Jun looked up at him with his enchanting amber eyes and shook his head again. Zhang Wei nodded and stayed silent.

Only then did Li Jun notice their still connected hands. Zhang Wei thought he'll shake off his hand and dejectedly awaited the youth's exaggerated reaction and the painfully awkward silence that follows. He himself didn't know why he's still tightly holding on to the youth's smooth hand, but the physical contact made him feel peaceful, as if a gentle current was running through his limbs relaxing his muscles and subduing the rampant energy coursing through his meridians and demanding dominance. Unexpectedly though, Li Jun looked surprised at first then silently gazed at their connected hands deep in thought.

"You..." sounded Li Jun's voice weak enough to rival a whisper." What ...are you?"

Zhang Wei's pupils contracted. He took his hand back abruptly, taking Li Jun by surprise, the pull almost made him fall head first.

Li Jun looked up, only to be met with the man's dangerous eyes, fixedly staring at him with a mixture of indecipherable emotions. He messed up. He was only thinking to himself and hadn't intended to actually ask the question out loud; it's just that Zhang Wei's touch puzzled him greatly.

He doesn't know whether it has something to do with his special ability, which seems to have evolved ever since he transmigrated, but when coming in contact with living things, he is able to perceive a certain feeling or a vibe coming from them. It's like he could sense the complexity of their emotions.

Plants barely have any emotions to begin with, it's either healthy and content or dying and distressed making their complexity rate insignificant.

Animals and beasts alike have a higher rate of emotional complexity, but those emotions are crisp, raw and direct as any instinctual being. There is no self-deceit or fakeness, just bold, glaring emotions proving their simple and gullible one-track mind. Even when it comes to higher leveled mystical beasts, although their IQ is comparable to humans, it doesn't take away from their innate, typically fixed pattern of emotional response to certain stimuli.

As for humans, their emotional complexity rate is so high it's scary. It quite a painful experience trying to focus his awareness on humans. It makes him dizzy and disoriented. Li Jun even suspected that it's just a defense mechanism on their part, trying to block his invasion. It ironic though, considering he has a very low EQ, even his one chance at understanding his fellow humans was wasted.

Zhang Wei's case is very weird though. He didn't block him at all, but he still couldn't pick up any of his emotions as if they're greyed out. And so he unintentionally blurted out such a rude question:" what are you?" who even asks that?