"Do you need something?" Qiao Sang had to stop and ask.
"If you hadn’t wasted so much time, I wouldn’t have come here for nothing today," the girl complained.
Qiao Sang frowned slightly. "I remember you didn't show up when your number was called."
The girl perked up, "If you hadn’t rushed over so fast, it would have been my turn. Did you know if you had just sat down for two seconds, I would have been there by now!"
Qiao Sang was somewhat speechless.
Is this girl out of her mind?
Qiao Sang turned to leave but the girl quickly stepped in front of her again, asking, "Why are you leaving?"
Qiao Sang looked at her calmly and asked, "Do you want to fight?"
If a problem can be solved with actions, she wouldn't waste words.
Arguing with a brat seemed pointless, but giving her a good beating could be worthwhile.
"What?" It was now the girl’s turn to be stunned.
"Let’s go outside if we're going to fight; if not, then step aside." Qiao Sang glared with her slightly upturned eyes, usually calm and pleasant, but when she focused intently on someone without a smile, she had a way of intimidating.
The girl blinked a few times, confirming Qiao Sang’s school uniform before glancing at the Fire Tooth Dog and the Plump Dove beside her. Gritting her teeth, she declared, "Okay, let’s fight!"
After arriving at an open area behind the Hanggang Beastmaster Center, they found a place not too big and not too small, with a few people scattered around training with their beasts.
Qiao Sang looked around and was a bit surprised. "Isn’t this a bad place? Shouldn't we find somewhere deserted?"
The girl smiled mockingly. "What, are you scared?"
Qiao Sang raised an eyebrow, "I’m not worried about you losing face. If you want to fight here, then fine."
"Let’s go!" The girl stepped to the side.
Seeing the girl getting ready, Qiao Sang placed the Fire Tooth Dog off to the side.
The girl raised her hands, but before she could form any seals, a leg swept towards her face. She instinctively ducked and covered her head, crouching down.
A whoosh of wind whizzed past her head.
"What are you doing!" Xu Linglan exclaimed, drenched in cold sweat.
She quickly hopped back a couple of steps, still shocked, unable to believe that the girl who looked younger than her had actually kicked at her head!
That kick would surely have given her a concussion!
Qiao Sang looked innocent. "Didn’t you want to fight?"
Who said this was a fair fight?
Xu Linglan was utterly speechless. She felt the girl was doing this on purpose, but she had no proof.
"Beast Masters always use their beasts to fight! Have you ever seen a Beast Master throw the first punch themselves?" Xu Linglan shouted at Qiao Sang.
Qiao Sang paused for a moment before replying, "But I’m not a Beast Master yet."
Xu Linglan: “…”
Indeed, she had heard that.
But that was just an official acknowledgment; she had already contracted a beast, so could she really claim she wasn’t one?
Without wasting any more words, Xu Linglan quickly made a hand gesture. A white star formation suddenly lit up on the ground, and a white figure appeared within the array.
Seeing her beast, Xu Linglan felt steadier. "I’m a Beast Master, of course I’ll fight with my beasts. Are you too scared to fight me with your beast?"
Clearly, this fierce girl was still a beginner Beast Master. The Plump Dove was an intermediate beast—it couldn't possibly be hers. That Fire Tooth Dog, looking still underdeveloped, was likely her contracted beast.
Her White Sand Fox had just evolved into a Desert-Tailed Fox yesterday.
What could this girl use to fight back? The Desert-Tailed Fox was a gentle evolution of the White Sand Fox, and its tail had grown to over two meters long—five times its body length. That tail was a source of great strength.
Looking at the Desert-Tailed Fox with its amber eyes, Qiao Sang’s mind automatically recalled its details, having just studied it yesterday.
The Desert-Tailed Fox was an intermediate beast, while the Fire Tooth Dog was still less than a month old and had yet to undergo any training.
She concluded she wouldn’t let the Fire Tooth Dog go up against that.
"Plump Dove, you take over." Qiao Sang turned to the Plump Dove that had been quietly standing nearby.
"Cooh."
The Plump Dove flapped its wings, accepting without objection, and stepped forward to face the Desert-Tailed Fox.
Xu Linglan mocked, "That’s not your beast, is it?"
Qiao Sang nodded, not bothering to deny it.
"Ha! So it’s just a Plump Dove. I’ll win anyhow." Xu Linglan didn’t stop her.
Directing someone else's beast was nothing like working with one you raised yourself. Xu Linglan, confident in her abilities, didn’t think she would lose to an intermediate beast.
"Desert-Tailed Fox, Quicksand!" Xu Linglan commanded assertively, ready to make the first move.
"Meow."
The Desert-Tailed Fox raised its head, its over-two-meter long tail swaying slightly, starting to exude a sandy sheen.
"Plump Dove, take off!" Qiao Sang remained calm.
Just as the Plump Dove spread its wings to fly, a red figure zipped across and collided with the Desert-Tailed Fox, interrupting the Quicksand formation before it could be fully unleashed.
The Plump Dove forgot to take off, its plump little head filled with confusion.
Wasn’t it supposed to be fighting?
It was the Fire Tooth Dog, and Qiao Sang blinked at the unexpected red figure.
"Ya!"
"Yaya!"
The Fire Tooth Dog barked in discontent, looking at Qiao Sang.
Qiao Sang could clearly sense the dog’s anger and its sense of grievance.
The Fire Tooth Dog was very unhappy!
Wasn’t it her contracted beast? Why was it letting someone else do the fighting?
Qiao Sang felt a lump in her throat at its frustration, about to speak when—
"How despicable! You sneak attacked and are going 2-to-1!" Xu Linglan shouted angrily.
Her White Sand Fox might have evolved into a Desert-Tailed Fox, but her brain domain was only developed to 7%, far from achieving a second awakening in the Beastmaster Codex, and could not contract a second beast.
The Desert-Tailed Fox was indeed an intermediate beast, but the Plump Dove was too, and as a flying beast, it had a natural advantage against the Desert-Tailed Fox.
As for the Fire Tooth Dog, although it was a lower-level beast, being fire-type gave it strong offensive power. If it was 2-on-1, she would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage!
Xu Linglan gritted her teeth as she glared at the girl, younger than her.
Not only was this girl fierce; she was also despicable!
Qiao Sang paused for two seconds, feeling a light bulb go off in her head.
2-on-1?
Why hadn't she thought of that earlier!
This was a fight, not a competition! Winning was what mattered, and there were no rules against it.
Perfect! The Fire Tooth Dog wanted to fight, and she could see how it performed and test her thoughts.
Looking at the agitated little dog, Qiao Sang smiled. "Fire Tooth Dog, come here."
(End of Chapter)