Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Young Hero, You Mean It’s Not Enough?

...

"BANG! BANG!"

"WHACK WHACK—"

"THUD!"

Finally, the adult Black Fighting Emperor landed a home run with its horn, brutally sending the sand wolf flying.

"(*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ) Awooo..." (I’ll be back...)

The sand wolf traced a graceful parabola through the air before crashing into a distant thicket and disappearing from sight.

Su Zhi and Shao Ya sat side-by-side, hands tucked away, and watched the entire process unfold.

[Exotic Beast: Black Fighting Emperor (Wild)]

[Attribute: Wood Element, Fighting Element]

[Race: Middle Elite]

[Real-time Energy Value: 7900]

Looking at the scan data displayed on his phone, Su Zhi gulped.

’Good thing it’s on our side.’

"Wooo—wooo."

The slightly smaller adult Black Fighting Emperor let out a low hum and touched its antenna to Su Zhi’s forehead, expressing its gratitude.

Su Zhi gave a sunny smile. "It was nothing, ma’am."

"Wooo wooo."

Yu Bao: "Woof."

The Little Black Fighting Emperor was saying that this was its father.

Su Zhi: "..."

Ahem, that wasn’t important.

"Wooo wooo. Woo?" (Thank you for protecting my child. Would you like to come to our home for a visit?)

"Of course!"

After the two Black Fighting Emperors turned around, Su Zhi and Shao Ya high-fived emphatically.

They had beaten the sand wolf senseless, earned the goodwill of the Black Fighting Emperor family, and gotten "some" Wood Magnet Crystals.

This round was a total win!

However, just as Su Zhi was eagerly about to follow, he noticed the larger of the Black Fighting Emperors staring at him with an unfriendly gaze.

Su Zhi froze.

’Did I accidentally trigger some kind of taboo for the Black Fighting Emperors?’

’Oh god, don’t tell me I just got out of the wolf’s den only to enter the bug’s mouth?’

Right after, the Black Fighting Emperor lunged with its horn.

Su Zhi instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, only to realize the attack wasn’t aimed at him, but had struck his shadow.

"SQUEAK!"

As Su Zhi’s shadow contorted, a large, half-human-sized purple rat shot out, clutching its rear with both paws.

A Dark Element, Middle Elite Race: the Ghost Shadow Mouse.

’Huh, wait a minute, doesn’t Old Ban have the same kind of Pet Beast...?’

Noticing the Ghost Shadow Mouse staring at the treetops, Su Zhi and Shao Ya looked up.

And there they saw the middle-aged man with the hairstyle of a powerhouse.

"..."

"..."

Teacher and students stared at each other for a moment.

The Ghost Shadow Mouse opened its mouth pitifully. "Squeak."

’Oh, poor little me, I totally got it in the rear.’

It dawned on Su Zhi, and he slapped his left hand with his right. "I get it! You’re here to save us!"

Zhou Shengfa: "..."

’Do you hear yourself right now? Do you look like you need saving?!’

To see what his two desk-mates were capable of, Zhou Shengfa had intentionally remained hidden.

But to ensure his students’ safety, he had his Ghost Shadow Mouse secretly hide inside Su Zhi’s shadow.

That way, there was an insurance policy in case they couldn’t handle the sand wolf.

In the end, the Ghost Shadow Mouse never got a chance to act, and just like him, it watched the whole process of the sand wolf getting pummeled with a dumbfounded look on its face.

"Um, so it’s like this..."

Su Zhi gave him the short version, explaining everything that had happened from yesterday afternoon until now.

"Leaving the safe zone without permission was definitely a breach of discipline, but now they want to host us and give us resources. It wouldn’t be right to refuse."

’So you do know you broke the rules. I’m surprised...’

Zhou Shengfa was silent for a moment, then sighed and took out his phone to type something.

"Let’s go. Just follow me when it’s time to head back," Zhou Shengfa said, putting his phone away.

Su Zhi and Shao Ya enthusiastically high-fived.

...

...

"Wooo!" (Here, kids, have some fruit!)

"Ah, you’re too kind..."

The Black Fighting Emperors’ home was a rather spacious cave located under a giant White Thorn Tree.

The cave walls had neat, orderly patterns. The thought that the Black Fighting Emperors had carved all this out bit by bit with their horns left Su Zhi feeling utterly awestruck.

Yu Bao, cradled in his arms, was also looking all around, its eyes wide with wonder.

The two Envoy’s Pets looked left and right, their head turns perfectly synchronized.

Xiaoyue was also awestruck, but because the dumb little dog was there, he pretended to be unfazed.

Seeing the dumb little dog looking at him with an expression of pure admiration, the Cultivation Cat’s lips curled into a slight smile.

Both Su Zhi and Shao Ya received White Tree Fruits from the Black Fighting Emperor family.

The fruit had the texture of a watermelon and a scent similar to an apple. Eating one on a hot day was refreshing and quenched your thirst.

By the entrance, the Ghost Shadow Mouse tugged on its master’s pant leg; it wanted to eat one too.

After getting a glare from Zhou Shengfa, the poor mouse humbly lowered its head.

At first, the group was a bit awkward, but after returning home, the Little Black Fighting Emperor suddenly became much more lively.

And Yu Bao was no slouch either!

The two Pet Beasts began their great fencing tournament again. DING DING DONG DONG, OOH-RA OOH-RA, MUDA MUDA...

Xiaoyue covered his ears, his will to live draining away.

Shao Ya took a lot of pictures. After all, opportunities to observe a wild Black Fighting Emperor’s nest from the inside were rare.

Su Zhi gnawed on his fruit, a wide smile on his face as he watched the energetic Yu Bao.

Just then, the Black Fighting Emperor mother walked up to Su Zhi, carrying something in her mouth—

"CLATTER CLATTER."

"..." Seeing the floor covered in Wood Magnet Crystals, Su Zhi and Shao Ya’s minds went blank. The half-eaten fruits in their hands fell to the ground.

The Black Fighting Emperor mother tilted her head.

’Does the young hero mean this isn’t enough?’

...

...

"Thank you for your hospitality! We’ll be heading back now!"

As noon approached, Su Zhi and Shao Ya stood at the cave entrance saying goodbye to the Black Fighting Emperor family, their own pockets stuffed to the brim.

What? These weren’t resources.

This was the weighty friendship that transcended species!

Just as they were about to leave, the Black Fighting Emperor father suddenly tugged on the corner of Su Zhi’s clothes.

"Wooo wooo?" (Could we ask you for a favor?)

The couple pushed the Little Black Fighting Emperor forward.

"Wooo wooo wooo." (You’re Beast Tamers, right? Could you let our child become one of your Pet Beasts?)

Exotic Beasts that form a contract with a human can achieve faster growth and a higher potential.

If their child could become a Pet Beast, it could surpass their own current Energy Value levels within half a year, and its future would be immeasurable.

Although they were reluctant to part with it, the young couple understood that following a human would lead to a better future.

"Woof woof!" (Yay, yay! I’m gonna get a little brother!)

Yu Bao’s eyes lit up, but it first glanced at Xiaoyue, seeking his opinion.

Xiaoyue waved a paw.

’You can have this little brother. You two seem like a good match.’

Yu Bao grew even more excited...

"I can’t," Su Zhi said, shaking his head.

"The Tier of my Beast Taming Space isn’t high enough. I can’t form a contract with you."

"Wooo..." The Little Black Fighting Emperor lowered its head, looking dejected.

"However, if you’re willing to wait for me, I can save my next contract slot for you."

Su Zhi crouched down with a gentle smile. "Are you willing to wait for me?"

The Little Black Fighting Emperor’s eyes sparkled, and it bounced up and down excitedly.

Xiaoyue frowned, sensing a key element.

’This bouncing up and down... why is it a little like the dumb little dog’s??’

"Wooo wooo?" (Then, can we pinky promise?)

The Little Black Fighting Emperor carefully extended its horn toward Su Zhi’s hand.

"Of course."

Su Zhi smiled and met it halfway.

"Work hard with your parents, and especially work on your mentality. Don’t be so timid anymore."

"Wooo wooo!"

(Mhm! I’ll work hard to get strong on my own first, and then I’ll become your Pet Beast!)

"!!!" Yu Bao was on high alert.

’It’s trying to out-compete me before we even have a contract?’

’As expected of my long-lost little bro, he’s no slouch either.’

’Looks like I’ll have to step up my training when we get back! The future number one big brother spot can only be mine!’

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