At this moment, Song Yuan, who had just finished looking at the photos, walked over and said, “The fire-eyed dog looks great! It has a good sense of the camera.”
The fire-eyed dog wore a look that seemed to say, “Of course it does.”
Everything was for it and its little brother to eat and drink their fill; naturally, it had to take things seriously.
Before Qiao Sang could humbly respond, Song Yuan continued, “Remember to send me your Super Blog account later. I’ll get the online shop to follow you, and when the photos are ready, make sure to post them.”
Super Blog was similar to what people called Weibo in a past life, where trending topics and such were often seen.
Qiao Sang nodded; this was already mentioned in their contract.
“By the way, make sure to verify your account as the champion of the Baixin Competition,” Song Yuan instructed.
“Sure,” Qiao Sang replied with a nod.
Song Yuan glanced at the fire-eyed dog and the treasure-seeking ghost, unable to help but ask again, “Have you decided which training center you’ll be going to during the summer?”
Most middle school graduates with recently contracted beasts aim to get ahead by sending their beasts to specialized training institutions before entering high school. However, this could weaken the bond with the beasts, which could be a serious issue for new Beast Masters whose contract time was still short, especially when dealing with temperamental fire-type beasts.
Song Yuan thought that since Qiao Sang now had two beasts, she would likely entrust the fire-eyed dog to some training center. She wanted to remind her out of kindness.
“Training center? No, I’m planning to go back home for the summer,” Qiao Sang answered.
Song Yuan was taken aback. “…”
She had worried for nothing…
Leaving the Jin Yu Building, Qiao Sang took the little treasure-seeking ghost along to the Beastmaster Center for household registration.
Throughout the process, passersby frequently turned their heads, making her the center of attention in the hall.
Last time she brought the fire-eyed dog, she hadn’t received such treatment.
Qiao Sang considered herself a low-key person.
But the fire-eyed dog preferred being out in the open.
The baby treasure-seeking ghost had just been born, and it felt wrong to leave it in the Beastmaster Codex all day long.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the registration for the little treasure-seeking ghost was finally completed.
…
July 8.
At 9:20 AM.
Qiao Sang, with a backpack on her back, was heading home with the fire-eyed dog and the little treasure-seeking ghost.
Qitang Town wasn’t far from Hanggang City, only about 90 kilometers apart, and the high-speed rail only took half an hour—quicker than traveling within Hanggang City.
Now that she had money, Qiao Sang bought two tickets without hesitation.
On the high-speed train, the fire-eyed dog and the little treasure-seeking ghost were seated by the window.
Their little heads were pressed together, excitedly watching the scenery outside and occasionally pointing with their paws at something they found interesting, engaged in animated discussions.
Watching them, Qiao Sang felt an inexplicable sense of peace and contentment.
The bond between her two beasts was much better than she had anticipated.
She had thought that given the fire-eyed dog’s wariness of the ghostly-type beast, it would take a while for it to accept the little treasure-seeking ghost.
Yet, only two nights had passed, and their relationship had made significant progress.
Just as she took out her phone to snap a photo of her two beasts from behind, her phone buzzed in her hand.
Glancing at the screen, Qiao Sang wasn’t surprised and answered, “Hello, Mom.”
This was the third call since her mother left for work that morning.
“Where are you now?”
“Just got on the train about 7 or 8 minutes ago.”
Qiao Sang understood well why her mother was calling so frequently.
Since she contracted her second beast, the little treasure-seeking ghost, her mother’s concern, though unspoken, lingered in her heart.
If not for work obligations, she would probably want to accompany Qiao Sang home for a few days. “Don’t forget to feed the little treasure-seeking ghost every three hours, okay?” her mother reminded her. “Also, I put a bag of red glutinous fruits in your backpack. If the fire-eyed dog gets hungry on the way, remember to give it some.”
“Mom, you’ve already said that several times,” Qiao Sang replied helplessly.
There was a brief silence from the other end of the line before her mother spoke again.
“Cough, do you still remember Aunt Wang from next door?”
After thinking for a while, Qiao Sang recalled who her mother was talking about.
Aunt Wang had known her mother since childhood; they had grown up together, but after both got married, their relationship had faded a bit. They only gathered during festivals, mostly discussing their children.
They were of a similar age, and their kids were around the same age too.
But after each conversation, her mother would often end up feeling a bit unsettled.
Because Qiao Sang was not doing well in school, while Aunt Wang’s son was a top student.
“I remember, why?” Qiao Sang asked.
“I called Aunt Wang to tell her about you. She didn’t believe me, so make sure to take the fire-eyed dog and the little treasure-seeking ghost to her house for a visit,” her mother instructed.
Qiao Sang was speechless. “…”
Before she could reply, her mother continued, “If you forget, it’s fine. I put some Hanggang specialties in the little treasure-seeking ghost’s ring; remember to take some to grandma and your third aunt.”
“Sure,” Qiao Sang replied.
She glanced at the little treasure-seeking ghost.
It seemed her mother had been getting along quite well with the little ghost; she had no idea when it happened...
“By the way, I think I might have bought too much. You can help me take some to Aunt Wang,” her mother added.
Qiao Sang could only sigh. “…”
…
Qitang Town is located in the Jiajin County under Hanggang City.
Although it belongs to Hanggang City, the number of Beast Masters here is drastically less.
Being a rural town, the proportion of Beast Masters is low compared to cities, and whenever someone awakens as a Beast Master in town, they often prefer to move to more developed areas.
The remaining Beast Masters in the town can be categorized into three types.
Some have made little progress in their Beast Master journey, some are older and have come back for a peaceful life, and others are Beast Masters who have passed the local civil service exams.
Qiao Sang’s cousin, Ye Ranran, belongs to the last group.
As soon as she got off the high-speed train and exited the station, Qiao Sang saw a beautiful woman with honey-colored skin approaching her. Beside her was a wind sculpture around two meters tall.
The wind sculpture’s feathers were blue and white, and its tail was fan-shaped, with the white feathers gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.
Its wings were unusually large, and its eyes were piercingly sharp, making it a standout among its kind.
As the wind sculpture stood majestically in front of her, a work badge hung from its neck.
Unnoticed by anyone, the little treasure-seeking ghost gazed intently at the feathers on the wind sculpture's tail.
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. I can’t believe you actually contracted two beasts, the fire-eyed dog and the little treasure-seeking ghost,” Ye Ranran exclaimed.
Without needing to ask, Qiao Sang knew that her mother had shared the news.
“I didn’t think today was a weekend. What brought you here?” Qiao Sang asked.
“Don’t mention it! A colleague introduced me to her nephew, and everyone teased me about it. When the boss walked by and overheard, he granted me leave to go on the blind date,” Ye Ranran replied.
“Isn’t it still too early for that? You haven’t met yet, right? Have you seen the pictures? What do you think?” Qiao Sang asked, teasingly, though her heart had other thoughts.
Her cousin worked at the local police station as a grassroots officer.
The fact that her boss granted her leave so easily suggests that the local security must not be an issue…
While they were talking, the little treasure-seeking ghost floated in front of the wind sculpture and skillfully removed its ring, pulling out a bottle of milk and offering it.
The first to notice this was the fire-eyed dog.
(End of Chapter)