The soft orange glow of the setting sun filtered through the windows, casting a warm light on the floor, and on the girl and her Fire Fang Dog.
Everything seemed so peaceful and serene...
"You really were too careless. Look at us now, both punished and standing here." Qiao Sang stood against the wall with her hands raised in a surrendering pose.
Fire Fang Dog stood beside her in the same pose.
"Yap, Yap." It barked.
Its Beast Master changed her mind so quickly—she had just said that as long as it was okay, everything else didn't matter.
"Both of you, quiet!" Her mother scolded, then turned back to the shattered porcelain on the floor, her heart aching.
"Mom, let me help you." Qiao Sang tried to show her obedient side.
"Don't move." Her mother said coldly.
Qiao Sang sighed inwardly. In this situation, how could she bring up the matter of her recent absence from school?
Hopefully, her teacher wouldn't call at this crucial moment...
Her mother carefully picked up a piece of the shattered vase. Seeing the signature part broken into three pieces, her eyes reddened.
Qiao Sang couldn't bear to see her like this. "Mom, it's just a signature, right? Next time I meet Wang Dian'ao, I'll get you another one."
She remembered her mother’s favorite Beast Master was named Wang Dian'ao. Just a while ago, she had seen him on TV with a female Beast Master named Luo Tang.
But her mother didn't seem too affected, still enjoying her meals and drinks, and getting excited when Wang Dian'ao appeared on TV, releasing his signature beast, the Armor-Step Ursine.
Qiao Sang guessed her mother must be a fan of his work, not just his looks.
Her mother glared at her with reddened eyes and shouted, "Wang Dian'ao? This was signed by the Sharpclaw Ursine! It's a limited edition! There won't be any more! It has already evolved into the Armor-Step Ursine!"
Qiao Sang: "..."
She decided to keep quiet and stand still.
---
Qiao Sang believed her mother was a strong woman. Even though she had lost the limited-edition Sharpclaw Ursine signature, she still called her and the Fire Fang Dog for dinner.
Though her expression wasn't exactly pleasant...
That evening, Qiao Sang was working on her homework, while Fire Fang Dog was training downstairs in the company of the Fat Dove.
This was Fire Fang Dog’s own request.
After the recent training sessions, Fire Fang Dog could clearly feel its improvement and didn't want to stop.
Qiao Sang was happy to see Fire Fang Dog so motivated. However, the evening wasn't the best time for her to study downstairs, so she asked the Fat Dove to accompany it.
With the Fat Dove, the head of the family, watching over Fire Fang Dog, she felt reassured.
Before they left, Qiao Sang even had Fire Fang Dog wear a 15kg weighted collar. The 10kg collar no longer had any effect, so it was time to increase the challenge.
Days passed in this routine, and before she knew it, it was June 15th—the last day of classes at Wencheng Middle School, just two days before the high school entrance exams.
Class 3-7.
The students were all using the last bit of time to bond with one another.
After today, the next time they'd see each other would be when the results were announced.
Once they left Wencheng Middle School, unless they got into the same high school, even close friends wouldn't see each other as often.
"Qiao Sang, have you decided which school you want to go to?" Fang Sisi asked.
"Shengshui High School." Qiao Sang answered honestly.
"Hahaha, you're so funny." Fang Sisi burst out laughing.
Qiao Sang: ...
"How about we all aim for Haomu Beastmaster High School? That way, we can look out for each other." Suggested the girl sitting in front of Fang Sisi.
Haomu Beastmaster High School was a private school. The entrance exam results weren't the only thing that mattered—if you had the money, you could get in.
"How much is the tuition per semester?" Fang Sisi asked, intrigued. If everyone could go to the same high school, she'd love to join them.
But she only knew that Haomu Beastmaster High School was expensive, not the exact amount.
"500,000 yuan." The girl in front said, holding up five fingers.
Fang Sisi looked at her hand, then quickly turned back to Qiao Sang. "So, what were we talking about?"
"You said I was funny." Qiao Sang replied.
The girl in front: ...
Just as Fang Sisi was about to continue the conversation, a boy on the other side of the classroom suddenly shouted, "What? Your dad actually shipped you a Lā'osī!"
Everyone in the class turned to look, filled with envy, including Qiao Sang.
Lā'osī, a Psychic-type beast. That alone was impressive, but it wasn't just that.
Lā'osī wasn't native to the Dragon Kingdom.
Every region had its own exclusive beasts. For example, Fire Fang Dog, Fat Dove, and Desert Tail Fox were exclusive to Qiao Sang's region—Yuhua.
There were non-native beasts in the Yuhua region, but they were rare. Some Beast Masters would travel to different regions to contract beasts during their Beastmaster Awakening, but most stayed within the country.
Getting a Psychic-type beast from another country, though? That was something rare. Qiao Sang guessed this would probably be the only one among this year's examinees in Hanggang City.
"My dad insisted on sending it to me. I told him not to, but he still did. What can I do?" The speaker was Qin Shou.
What a show-off. How could he say that so casually?
Qiao Sang clenched her fists, but she had to admit that having money did come with perks.
With money, you could contract rare, powerful beasts and have a steady supply of resources.
Without money, you had to make do with what you could find locally, and even then, you might not be able to afford to nurture them properly.
So in today’s world, most powerful Beast Masters had strong backgrounds, while grassroots Beast Masters struggled to rise.
At least she had a golden finger!
"We haven't even started the Brain Awakening yet. What if you don't awaken? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?" Guo Linze, sitting at the back, muttered jealously.
"Do you think that's possible?" Fang Sisi retorted.
Impossible.
If the second-best student in the school couldn't awaken, then he, being second-to-last in class, had no chance.
Guo Linze chose not to respond.
The last class of the day was with their homeroom teacher.
Qiao Sang looked at her teacher, feeling a bit reluctant.
He had been so considerate—despite her long absence, he hadn't called her mother to report it. Where else could she find such a good teacher?
The teacher gave a passionate farewell speech: "Class, in two days, on June 17th, we'll have our high school entrance exam, and on June 20th, we'll have our Brain Awakening."
"You are about to experience the first major turning point in your lives, ending three years of middle school and moving on to higher learning."
"Three years of hard work, three years of diligent study, three years of honing yourselves have brought you to this moment. I believe that right now, each of you..."
"...is holding back a fierce determination." Qiao Sang quietly finished.
"...is holding back a fierce determination."
Fang Sisi stared at her in surprise. "How did you know what he was going to say?"
Qiao Sang hesitated for a moment and then replied, "I guessed."
Farewell speeches were pretty standard for teachers, Qiao Sang had probably seen it online. She decided to leave her teacher some dignity.
"I believe that in a few days, you'll use your outstanding results to bring a perfect end to your middle school years."
"Finally, I wish you all smooth sailing! May you reach your dream high schools! May you fulfill your dreams this June!"
The classroom erupted in thunderous applause, with Qiao Sang clapping vigorously.
At that moment, Qiao Sang didn't care about the clichés.
The atmosphere was genuine, and so was the excitement she felt.
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