Chapter 96: Count Me In

(Sorry for not updating yesterday. Our electricity got oof and only returned today.)Training days were monotonous, but only for Yabao.

In the shade of a tree by the Liugan Creek, Qiao Sang and Little Treasure were leisurely enjoying popsicles.

"You're still young, don't eat too much cold stuff." Qiao Sang said after taking a bite of her popsicle.

"Xun~"

Little Treasure cheerfully responded and promptly shoved the entire popsicle into his mouth, shivering as his eyes turned into crescents.

Seeing this, Qiao Sang sighed inwardly. Little Treasure was getting cheekier by the day.

Ever since the pretending-to-sleep incident, Little Treasure’s true nature had become more and more apparent.

In the past, if she had told him to eat less ice, he would have obediently put down the popsicle right away.

But now, he would still agree verbally while his body behaved quite differently.

Meanwhile, Yabao focused on sensing the energy inside his body, opening his mouth.

In the next moment, an energy ball the size of a baby’s fist floated in front of him.

With his mouth still open, Yabao maintained the energy ball, trying to make it more solid.

"Go, Yabao! Keep it up!"

"Xun! Xun!"

Qiao Sang and Little Treasure cheered from the side, like two enthusiastic members of a cheerleading squad.

Yabao kept his attention on the energy ball. Once he felt the internal structure was stable, he raised his head, launching the energy ball into the sky.

Qiao Sang kept her eyes on the energy ball's trajectory.

As expected, the energy ball soared to about four meters high before plummeting, headed straight for the creek.

Boom!

A loud splash followed, water spraying everywhere.

Soon after, a fish flipped onto its side and floated to the surface.

"Little Treasure." Qiao Sang called out.

"Xun~"

Munching on the popsicle, Little Treasure Ghost responded in a muffled voice.

He stretched out his two stubby fingers, blue light emanating from its body, with the beads around his neck glowing faintly in response.

The fish in the water was drawn over under his control.

Qiao Sang placed the fish into a plastic bag she'd prepared in advance.

This was the seventh fish to fall victim since Yabao started training with energy balls.

Fortunately, the fish in Liugan Creek were wild, otherwise, they’d have to change training grounds again.

"Yap."

Yabao had grown accustomed to failure. Undeterred, he continued sensing the energy inside his body.

Ten days had passed since he started practicing energy balls. From initially forming a ball the size of a fingernail, it had now progressed to one the size of a baby’s fist.

For a beginner beast, this progress was quite fast.

The only issue was that the internal structure of the energy ball wasn't solid enough, causing it to lose control after reaching a certain height or even explode mid-air.

Qiao Sang checked the time.

5:01 PM.

Ever since using the F-grade energy recovery potion, Yabao had been training daily until dinner time.

Qiao Sang considered herself relatively hardworking, but without pressure, she felt she couldn’t be as diligent as Yabai.

Having such a self-motivated beast was truly... satisfying!

Most of the new beastmasters who graduated from junior high along with her were still figuring out how to bond with their beasts.

Let alone training, sometimes they even had to coax and cajole their beasts into mastering skills they already knew.

The five recommended beasts for new beastmasters might have good temperaments, but good temperament didn’t always equal diligence.

Just the other day, Fang Sisi texted her, frustrated that her Cottonbug refused to spin silk.

Qiao Sang suggested she either search online or consult a beast nurturer.

A day later, Fang Sisi sent her the nurturer’s diagnosis.

Although the report was long, it could be summarized in one word: Lazy.

Qiao Sang contentedly watched as Yabao formed another energy ball, casually finishing her popsicle.

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5:56 PM.

At the dinner table.

Third Aunt took a bite of the braised fish and sighed, "The fish Qiao Sang brings over is always so delicious."

Qiao Sang, scooping some rice, said, "It’s because you cook it well, Third Aunt."

"You sweet child." Third Aunt smiled.

"By the way, Ranran, how did your blind date go today?"

In the ten or so days that Qiao Sang had been staying at home, Ye Ranran had already gone on three blind dates.

Qiao Sang, having no stake in the matter, was all ears for the gossip.

While Qiao Sang kept her head down, eating her meal, her ears were perked up, listening intently.

Ye Ranran looked around the table before her gaze settled on Qiao Sang.

“Why do I feel like you’ve gotten darker?”

Qiao Sang: !

Getting darker or gaining weight were sensitive topics for any girl, and Qiao Sang was no exception.

She had been spending a lot of time outdoors lately. Even though she stayed in the shade, the blazing sun and her lack of sunscreen made it quite likely she had tanned.

"I just bought some Ming Frost Coral powder. You should try soaking it in water and drinking some." Ye Ranran said.

Ming Frost Coral powder could visibly improve skin tone, and its effects were immediate after consumption. It was highly regarded in the current beauty market.

Qiao Sang nodded repeatedly. "Sure, but how did your blind date go today?"

Ye Ranran: …

"No good. The guy supported Klika during the Instellar Cup." Ye Ranran said, exasperated.

The Instellar Cup had ended just a few days ago, but many people were still caught up in it.

Klika was the one who had beaten Lin Ya.

His strength was clearly superior to Lin Ya’s, and he fought his way into the top three.

Although Klika was strong, most people in Dragon Nation supported Lin Ya.

Even those who weren't beastmasters knew what Lin Ya represented to the country.

Differences in support during the Instellar Cup could easily cause rifts in relationships.

Statistics showed that during each Instellar Cup, divorce rates rose by 9%, and breakups due to arguments over the competition were commonplace.

"That’s definitely a deal breaker. What kind of people are they introducing to you?" Third Aunt complained.

It was clear Third Aunt also supported Lin Ya.

As dinner was wrapping up, Third Uncle, who had been quiet, finally spoke up, "Ah Sang, we’re still short a person."

Qiao Sang blinked, remembering the marathon relay Third Uncle had mentioned some time ago.

Third Uncle had lived in town for a long time, yet he couldn’t find enough people for a three-person marathon team?

Could it be Third Uncle’s social skills were lacking, or was he being ostracized by the beastmasters in town?

For a moment, Qiao Sang's imagination ran wild.

"But Little Treasure was just born not long ago. I’m afraid I’ll hold you back." Qiao Sang said worriedly.

Since Third Uncle wanted to compete, he must be aiming for a decent ranking.

A marathon is a grueling event, and the beasts that participate are typically well-trained with good speed and endurance, both physically and mentally.

It would be fine if it were just a three-person relay, each sending out one beast. But if they had to send out two beasts, Little Treasure clearly wasn’t suited for this.

"No worries, we just need you to make up the numbers. In addition to the overall team rankings, they also calculate individual rankings for each beast in the relay. I’m mainly aiming for the individual scores." Third Uncle explained.

Qiao Sang instantly felt relieved.

If it wasn’t about winning the team rankings, it didn’t matter if Little Treasure could only run 100 meters before dropping out.

"Alright, count me in. Who’s the other person?" Qiao Sang asked. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Ye Ranran paused, putting down her chopsticks. "That would be me."

Qiao Sang: …

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