Early in the morning, the Fire Fang Dog was rummaging through its backpack, trying to find its favorite pair of sunglasses. After searching for a long time, it still could not find the stylish pink shades it was looking for. Pausing its frantic movements, it tilted its head in confusion. It clearly remembered that the flashy pink sunglasses were in its bag.
Not wanting to dwell on the issue, the Fire Fang Dog swiftly turned to find Qiao Sang. When there's a problem, it was always best to seek help from its Beast Master.
With the backpack in its mouth, it trotted over to Qiao Sang, who was busily tying her hair into a ponytail.
“Ya!”
“Ya ya!”
Qiao Sang calmly secured the last rubber band and said, “Oh, that pair? I can’t remember where I put it. Just wear those red sunglasses instead. They’ll match your fur color and look great on you.”
Nearby, the little Treasure Seeker paused in surprise, moments away from taking off its round-shaped accessory. Didn’t its Master just give her the pink sunglasses last night?
Looking over at her, the little Treasure Seeker caught sight of her winking at it. Suddenly, it understood.
Its Master was being playful.
“Xun…”
Without realizing, the little Treasure Seeker covered its mouth in shock. So, this was a secret!
Upon hearing Qiao Sang’s words, the Fire Fang Dog immediately forgot about the pink sunglasses and began searching for its red triangle shades instead, putting them on with excitement.
“Ya!”
Swinging its tail, it barked happily at Qiao Sang.
“Looks great!” Qiao Sang complimented sincerely. Compared to the pink heart-shaped glasses, any pair looked good.
“Ya.”
The Fire Fang Dog's tail wagged even more joyously. If only it had a full-length mirror like back at home, it would definitely want to check itself out.
…
Having participated in a formal competition before, Qiao Sang felt no pressure about the upcoming marathon relay. After all, she was just there for fun…
However, upon arriving at the venue, she was taken aback by the sheer scale of the event.
Ping Yang Street—the starting point of the race.
On both sides of the street, people stood shoulder to shoulder from the beginning to the end. Looking up, she noticed that a cloud track made by flying-type pets stretched from the west to the east, disappearing into the horizon.
Dozens of Beast Masters could be seen riding on their flying pets, but whether they were staff or simply spectators was hard to tell.
With the bustling crowds before her, Qiao Sang's suspicions grew—was everyone in Qitang Town here to watch?
The little Treasure Seeker perched on Qiao Sang's head blinked its eyes, curiously observing the surrounding. This was its first time seeing so many people.
Before long, it caught the eyes of several individuals, who all smiled back at it.
The little Treasure Seeker was taken aback, feeling a bit confused.
“Xun?”
Normally, when others made eye contact with it, they would look away in fright. Why was this time different?
“Ah Sang, come here to pick up your gear,” Ye Ranran beckoned from a spot marked for contestant check-in.
“Who knew so many people would come,” Qiao Sang remarked as she walked over.
“Probably everyone from the town. There aren’t many entertainment activities around here, so hardly anyone would miss an event related to Beast Masters,” Ye Ranran explained.
Qiao Sang nodded. In the city, there were many Beast Masters and numerous competitions. Even small contests that lacked promotion went mostly unnoticed. The Bai Xin Race was a prime example of that.
In contrast, there were few Beast Masters in the town, and even a whiff of a competition could spread quickly without the need for advertising.
“Ah Sang, don’t get nervous. Just stay calm,” her Third Uncle suddenly chimed in.
Qiao Sang: "..." Although surprised by the crowd, she didn’t feel nervous. It wasn’t like she was the one running…
“Ya Bao, are you nervous?” Qiao Sang leaned down to ask.
“Ya.”
The Fire Fang Dog, wearing its sunglasses, coolly wiggled its short middle toe.
“Third Uncle, we’re not nervous, so you don’t need to be either,” Qiao Sang reassured.
“... Okay,” he replied.
Qiao Sang lined up and collected two race numbers, tying them on the Fire Fang Dog and little Treasure Seeker. The Fire Fang Dog bore number A071, while the little Treasure Seeker’s number was C166.
The letter at the start of each number denoted their track: A for land, B for water, and C for sky. These race numbers not only marked individual contestants but also contained timing chips that tracked their times as they passed specific points in the race.
“I’ll head to the second track first. Your Third Aunt and Jingwen will be over there waiting for you. We’ll all meet up later,” Third Uncle said.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine here,” Ye Ranran replied.
Qiao Sang nodded in agreement.
Third Uncle’s competing beasts were the Roaring Marsh Crocodile and the Ink Fish, both assigned to the second track.
After he left, Ye Ranran said, “I'll have Aunt Lin drive you to Jingsong Village. You know Aunt Lin, the one who went with me to Huang Ming Mountain last time. She really likes you and has been talking about you to me a lot lately.”
Ye Ranran's Desert-tailed Fox was running the first leg of the race, while Qiao Sang's Fire Fang Dog was responsible for the second leg, which was a distance of 10 kilometers from the starting point to Jingsong Village.
“No need, I can manage on my own. It wouldn’t be kind to trouble others, especially with so many people on the street today. Driving wouldn’t be easy,” Qiao Sang refused.
“Alright, then I’ll call you when Ah Mo gets close to Jingsong Village,” Ye Ranran said, not pushing the issue further.
…
Thirty minutes later, Qiao Sang regretted her decision.
This was her first time participating in such a competition, and she had no experience.
Who could tell her why the distances between the first and second legs were so far apart!?
Frantically, Qiao Sang pedaled her bicycle, racing down the street.
Had the race already begun?
Surely it had...
She couldn’t let the Desert-tailed Fox reach her while she was still on the way!
“Ya!”
“Ya!”
The Fire Fang Dog in the bicycle basket barked excitedly, cheering her on.
The little Treasure Seeker gripped Qiao Sang's hair tightly, its round eyes squinting against the wind.
As Qiao Sang rode, her heart raced with anxiety.
How nice it would be to ride along with someone…
Why did she have to pedal a bicycle?
Now it seemed, what she thought would be a simple stroll turned into a difficult challenge…
“Hey there, want a ride?”
Qiao Sang looked up excitedly.
A large Swift-winged Sparrow was flying above her, carrying two men and a woman on its back.
The man at the front looked to be in his forties, while the younger duo seated behind appeared to be in their twenties.
As Qiao Sang pedaled, she shouted, “I’m headed to Jingsong Village. Is that on your way?”
The Swift-winged Sparrow flew alongside her on the right.
The middle-aged man, hearing her words, smiled, “It’s on the way! They’re also heading to Jingsong Village. I’ll charge you 800. Shall we go?”
The two young passengers exchanged knowing glances; it seemed they were planning to take advantage of this kid.
They were only charging 600 each and had the audacity to quote 800 to a child.
While Qiao Sang didn’t personally pay for flights, she had grown up watching her mom, who was a professional at flying.
Even though she led sightseeing tours, she still knew a thing or two about the pricing.
“How about 400 for the ride?” Qiao Sang called out.
The middle-aged man responded without hesitation, “Deal!”
The two young ones were momentarily stunned. They were the ones getting played here?!
(End of Chapter)