Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1
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Qiao Sang fell silent.
Indeed, no matter how much a city developed, the ones who benefited first were always those at the very top.
“But… I don’t have a pet beast that can purify air.” Qiao Sang finally said.
At that moment, she understood why the middle-aged man who had taken this task earlier had been so furious.
Being told to purify air without a beast skilled in air purification, wasn’t that simply making things difficult on purpose?
“It’s fine if you don’t have one.” The examiner smiled.
“You can just find a pet beast that can purify air and let it do the work.”
That works too?! Qiao Sang’s eyes widened.
The examiner waved a hand.
“Actually, many beast masters who sign up for the Regional Tournament seek help while doing missions. Each city’s examiner has their own standards. For me, as long as someone can purify part of the air, that’s enough.”
She paused, then added: “No matter who that someone is.”
As she spoke, she smiled.
“That man just now couldn’t figure it out. But you’re so young and already this strong. Even if I didn’t tell you, I believe you’d quickly realize it yourself.”
No, I absolutely wouldn’t have thought of that… Qiao Sang went quiet for a moment, then said seriously: “This is my first Regional Tournament. I’d prefer to complete the task through my own effort.”
Thinking it through, it wasn’t necessarily a problem if she lacked a direct purification skill.
With Lubao here, if they couldn’t purify directly, they could do it indirectly!
No matter how strong she was, she was still just a child… The examiner handed her an ID card and Beast Master badge with a smile: “I’ve already issued your task. The target area is above the Likang Factory.”
“I understand.” Qiao Sang rose, accepted the card and badge, and left the assessment office.
---
One hour later.
Above the Likang Factory.
Smog and haze almost completely filled the area. The air reeked with a choking stench, making it hard to breathe.
A turbulent wind kept swirling, refusing to blow downward.
“Maybe you should wait here?” Qiao Sang looked toward the wind and asked.
The air was foul, yes, but she had already endured worse back in Secret Realm No. 88, so she could manage.
“Qing qing…”
Qingbao appeared, covering her nose and shaking her head with a cry.
No, she wanted to go together.
“Alright, then together.” Qiao Sang patted Gangbao’s back.
Gangbao spread her wings, preparing to descend.
“Qing qing!”
Qingbao covered her nose, eyes wide in panic, calling out to wait!
Gangbao halted.
Qiao Sang looked at Qingbao.
Truthfully, she understood. Qingbao loved fresh air and had high standards for it. Being here must be very difficult for her.
“Do you want to enter the Beast Codex first?” Qiao Sang asked.
“Qing qing…”
Qingbao hesitated, looking conflicted.
“Xun xun~”
Just then, Little Treasure appeared, wearing a white mask. Thoughtfully, he held out another mask to Qingbao, chirping that wearing it would make the smell less unbearable.
“Qing qing.”
Qingbao blinked, then gratefully accepted the mask with her paw.
Little Treasure was very pleased with himself. Helping Fifth child like this at such a key moment, surely she’d recognize him as boss in the future!
“Yap!”
Yabao barked suddenly, demanding a mask too.
“Xun xun!”
Little Treasure snapped out of his daydream, hurriedly dug into his ring, and obsequiously handed one over.
Gangbao turned her head away, a little embarrassed to watch.
“Let’s go.” Seeing Qingbao and Yabao masked, Qiao Sang gave the word.
Qingbao settled on Gangbao’s back.
Because of the mask, she didn’t dissolve into wind as usual.
Gangbao spread her wings and descended.
On the way down, Qiao Sang’s gaze quickly fixed on a river about two hundred meters from the Likang Factory.
---
Likang Factory.
An elderly man with dark skin loaded goods onto a truck.
Beside him worked a one-meter-tall, earth-yellow pet beast with four arms. It carried five stacked crates at once.
Nearby, a newcomer youth hauled goods and asked: “Uncle Li, is that your pet beast?”
The old man grunted in reply.
“You’re already so old, why keep working? Just let your Arm Strength Monster handle it.” Yhe young man said bluntly.
“I don’t have long to live anyway. Might as well earn a little more while I can.” The old man coughed as he spoke.
The youth frowned.
“Isn’t that exactly why you should be resting?”
He paused, then kindly added: “If you really want to live longer, you shouldn’t be working here at all.”
Everyone knew, even outsiders,mthat the air pollution near the factory was the worst in Tianfu City.
“My Arm Strength Monster is close to evolving.” The old man’s eyes softened as he watched his beast carrying crates.
He lowered his voice: “If I earn just a bit more, I can buy a Dark Stone. Even if I pass away, maybe it can still have a good future.”
Arm Strength Monsters had two evolution paths. With a Dark Stone, it could evolve into the rarer Black Crystal Monster.
The youth fell silent.
“Arm strength!”
“Arm strength!”
The Arm Strength Monster worked diligently, ignoring the conversation.
It only knew,mif it worked more, its master could work less.
After a pause, the youth hefted another crate and grinned.
“If you want that, wouldn’t it be better to hope for air purification here soon? Once the air clears, maybe your health will improve, you’ll live longer, and you can earn enough money while still being around to accompany your Arm Strength Monster away from here.”
The old man just smiled quietly and kept working.
Suddenly, cold rain began to fall from the sky.
Workers rushed to drag the unfinished cargo inside to avoid it.
“Arm strength!”
The Arm Strength Monster dropped its load, hoisted the old man onto its back, and ran inside.
“How did it start raining with no warning?” The youth grumbled, shaking water off as he entered.
The old man, set down by his beast, looked out at the downpour and sighed.
This job paid by the piece. Now that it was raining, who knew how much time would be wasted.
Suddenly, a fierce wind howled, driving the rain all in one direction.
“Uncle Li, you sit inside a while. When it stops, I’ll call you.” The youth suggested.
“Alright.” The old man nodded and went in, his Arm Strength Monster following.
About an hour later, the rain stopped. Cheers erupted outside. The old man rose quickly and stepped out.
“Ahh! I haven’t breathed such fresh air in ages!”
“I’m taking leave! How can I keep working in such air, it’s a crime!”
“Finally, the government remembered us!”
Workers inhaled deeply, chattering in delight.
“Uncle Li! The air’s purified! They just purified the air here!” The young man shouted, excited.
“Arm strength!”
The Arm Strength Monster pointed up, eyes shining.
The old man stepped outside and saw the long-lost clear sky.
He froze, then cautiously inhaled. Freshness filled his lungs, his eyes lit up, and he drew deep breaths again and again.
---
By the riverside, two hundred meters away.
“Lu Di…”
Lubao looked weary.
“Qing qing…”
Qingbao hovered nearby, gazing at her in admiration.
“Xun xun…”
Little Treasure watched uneasily, a bad feeling rising.
Qiao Sang lifted her head at the bright blue sky.
First, let Lubao summon rain to dissolve the harmful substances in the air. Then Gangbao stirred fierce winds. Then Qingbao guided the winds to drive the rain toward the river. Finally, Lubao kept purifying the river water. That way, the air was cleansed indirectly.
Surely, the air here would stay fresh for quite some time…
Qiao Sang smiled.
“Task complete. Let’s go.”
“Yap!”
“Lu Di.”
“Xun xun~”
“Gang Zhan.”
“Qing qing!”
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Ack- my heart- I got way too invested in a character who appears for only a few lines.....
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