16: I want to be a salted fish

As a newly rich family in Jianghuai City, the Zhao family, especially Zhao Xingrong, had always been proud.

Not to mention the luxurious lifestyle on the surface; the most important thing was that no matter where she went, others would look up to her, treating her politely.

Until Zhao Xingrong entered the First High School of Jianghuai City, the best provincial key high school in the entire Jianghuai City.

Only then did Zhao Xingrong realize that in the same school, in the same grade, there were still many people with wealthy backgrounds like hers.

Some of these people had good relationships with her, while others were like water and fire.

Among them, Song Yu and Huang Jiayan were the two people she used to dislike the most.

The former was not worth mentioning, but the latter was truly a deep-seated enemy!

She could overlook being outperformed in academic performance, but not long after, Huang Jiayan snatched away the senior that she had secretly admired!

Moreover, Huang Jiayan didn't cherish him, causing the high-performing senior to only be admitted to a second-tier university in the end!

Of course, these were not the most important things! The crucial point was that this woman dared to splash dirty water on her brother?!

How could she endure that?

If she didn't knock out the two big front teeth of the Huang family's surname, she wouldn't be surnamed Zhao!

Left hook, right raised leg...

The military boxing taught by the school was thrown by Zhao Xingrong with great momentum.

Zhao Xingrong kicked with her right foot, viciously hitting Huang Jiayan's calf. Then, she grabbed Huang Jiayan's right arm, raised her hand for a hook punch, and just as it was about to hit Huang Jiayan's abdomen...

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"

Suddenly, three figures rushed over from the side!

The angry brain instantly sobered.

Unconsciously, Zhao Xingrong's arm slowed down by half a beat, and she immediately thought that things were bad.

Finished! How could she forget the warning in the school broadcast?

What did the broadcast say just now?

—Fighting for the Beasts on the scene is not allowed!

—Violators will be banned from raising Beasts for life and prohibited from participating in the college entrance examination for ten years!

Zhao Xingrong: "??!!"

Oh no! How did she forget that fighting would result in a ban from the college entrance examination and raising Beasts?

Three figures rushed over, making quite a commotion.

Huang Jiayan also saw the three people with the corner of her eye.

The three figures approached them, getting closer and closer...

Twenty meters, ten meters, three meters...

"Swoosh!"

Zhao Xingrong and Huang Jiayan, both released their hands, which were grabbing each other's hair and collars. They both cursed in their hearts.

"What's wrong with you two?!"

"Did you just fight for the Beasts?"

"Show me your ID cards, come with me to the isolation area. You two won't need to participate in this year's initial Beast contract, and your grades will be recorded as zero!"

The education bureau staff had a serious face, raised his hand, and asked Zhao Xingrong and Huang Jiayan for their ID cards.

Zhao Xingrong and Huang Jiayan, like twin sisters possessed by spirits, instantly had a tacit understanding.

Both covered their shoulder bags, shook their heads simultaneously, and said in unison, "Teacher, we were just playing! We didn't fight for the Beasts!"

Zhao Xingrong forced a smile, put her left hand, which had just grabbed Huang Jiayan's hair, on Huang Jiayan's shoulder, pretending to be intimate, "Teacher, look at our good relationship. We used to be best friends in school. We often practiced in physical education class and just happened to do it. Teacher, we really didn't fight for Beasts."

Huang Jiayan fake-smiled, using the right hand that had just punched Zhao Xingrong's cheek to tightly hug Zhao Xingrong's slender waist, "Teacher, we really just casually practiced a bit. Who knew everyone would misunderstand... Look at our good relationship, how could we possibly fight? My grandfather and her grandfather have a great relationship; they're old friends."

Education Bureau Staff: "..."

Hey hey hey! Don't treat me like a blind person!

Those panda eyes you have from being beaten by each other don't match your words!

The education bureau staff lifted his eayelids, swept his gaze, and even saw several clumps of hair on the grass, torn off in different colors.

"Cough!"

The education bureau staff cleared his throat, preparing to take the two away and announce that they wouldn't have to take the college entrance examination for the next ten years.

However, two other school teachers nearby glanced at each other, then quickly grabbed the education bureau staff.

Teacher A whispered, "Sir, you know, kids nowadays have it tough. They've been going to school and studying since the age of 6... Punishing them so severely all of a sudden, isn't it a bit too much?"

Teacher B quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, you see, these two kids are fine. They didn't lose any limbs or need to go to the hospital. Punishing them with a 10-year ban on the college entrance exam will ruin their future, won't it?"

The education bureau staff raised an eyebrow, somewhat moved but still standing there without saying a word.

Seeing this, Zhao Xingrong and Huang Jiayan hurriedly approached, pleading and expressing that they really didn't fight for the Beasts.

Seeing the situation, Teacher A lowered his voice and pleaded again, "Sir, you don't know, this girl with dyed yellow hair is one of the few A-level Tamer Space owners in our school this year. It's a pity if she can't become a professional Tamer."

Teacher B added, "I heard that the level of the high school students in the neighboring Jiangzhou City is strong this year. In case there's a youth Tamer competition between the two cities in the future, if it falls short by just a bit, wouldn't that be a loss? We're considering the future of Jianghuai City."

The two teachers from Jianghuai City High School spoke one after another, finally persuading the education bureau staff, who decided to give these two another chance.

However, since they fought, there had to be a punishment.

"After today's event, the two of you will stay and clean the playground together until it is fully restored tonight."

The education bureau staff stared at them and said seriously, "Since you have the strength to fight, you should have the strength to clean and take out the trash, right?"

Zhao Xingrong: "..."

Huang Jiayan: "..."

The two of them silently looked at the vast playground, with an area of fifty to sixty thousand square meters, the size of six or seven football fields.

They also looked at various basic facilities around - a small beach, a small forest, a small desert, small rocky areas, and those trees that were five to six meters high.

However, if a tree fell during the cleaning of the playground, both of them would get dizzy with a fractured rib.

It was easy for teachers with Beasts to help, but what about them? Wouldn't they die?!

Although Zhao Xingrong and Huang Jiayan were eager to go back ten minutes and scold themselves, 'Are you an idiot?', they still squeezed out a grateful smile on their faces.

At a young age, Zhao Xingrong and Huang Jiayan had already learned the exaggerated and insincere courtesy.

With a smile, they said in the sweetest tone, "Thank you so much, teacher. We will definitely clean up properly!"

Both of them: "We will make the playground spotless!"

After a series of pleasantries, Zhao Xingrong and Huang Jiayan finally breathed a sigh of relief. They remembered the most important thing now - the Beast contract!

Even though they both claimed that they didn't fight for the Beasts just now, the main reason for the fight was, in fact, that Blood-Toothed Pig cub.

Thinking of this, both of them quickly turned around and looked at the Blood-Toothed Pig cub.

But at this moment, they saw the little pig covered in green fur and blood-red tusks, with shining eyes and a joyful nose, running happily towards a familiar figure in the crowd!

That person was - Song Yu!

And in Song Yu's hands, she was clearly holding two items with extremely strong attraction to Beasts!

Huang Jiayan widened her eyes, "???"

Zhao Xingrong shivered, "????!"

Damn! The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!

Huang Jiayan was so angry that her face turned green!

Zhao Xingrong was equally shocked and indignant.

What's going on? Didn't we agree not to snatch? Did Song Yu use a trick to fool them?

She trusted Song Yu so much before! This was too much.

Thinking of how she had taken out the Green Feather Leaf earlier, and the other party pretended not to know, she became even angrier!

The two things in the other party's hands were obviously more attractive to the Blood-Toothed Pig cub than the Green Feather Leaf.

Huang Jiayan and Zhao Xingrong stomped their feet and ran towards Song Yu.

Both of them were determined not to let Song Yu contract the Blood-Toothed Pig cub before them.

But they never expected that, on the other side, when Song Yu saw the Blood-Toothed Pig cub running towards her, she widened her eyes, her buttocks felt like they were on fire, and she turned and ran towards the area with other fire-type Beasts! She looked more panicked than them, treating the Blood-Toothed Pig cub as if it were a ferocious beast, even more anxiously than they were!

Huang Jiayan: "..."

Zhao Xingrong: "...?"

They didn't understand, but they were greatly shocked.

 

*****

 

Seeing several wood-type Beast cubs stumbling towards her.

Song Yu was startled, handed the energy fruit to Song Qi, and grabbed her younger brother, heading to the fire-type Beast area on the opposite side.

Song Qi, full of confusion, subconsciously followed his sister.

But after running for about a hundred meters, Song Qi grabbed Song Yu's arm and frowned, "Sis, just now several wood-type Beasts came towards us. It means the energy fruit and Hundred Flowers Honey have a great attraction to them. Why run to the fire-type Beast area? Anyway, we can only contract one Beast today. If you really like fire-type Beasts, you can wait until we go to the Beast base next time to buy."

Song Qi frowned and murmured softly, "Did the contracted beasts resist because they felt a decline in their cultivation resources and were deceived?"

However, on one side were high-talent, high-potential but disobedient contracted beasts, and on the other side were ordinary-talent, obedient contracted beasts...

Song Qi's mind couldn't turn around for a moment, and he couldn't figure out how to choose.

In fact, Song Qi, who had been led into the pit by Song Yu, hadn't thought about it at all.

As long as the training was proper, through about half a year of adaptation, most contracted beasts, which were initially a bit naughty and disobedient, would become obedient with proper command.

If this didn't work, the contracted party could consider contracting a second Beast, which was currently the mainstream method of contracted cultivation.

Song Yu and the others stood still, attracting too much attention.

Especially with Song Qi's nearly 1.9 meters of height and the bold white hedgehog head, it was even more likely to catch people's eyes as they passed by.

Before Song Qi could figure it out, the staff member who had let Song Qi and the others in saw that they had stayed for too long and urged them like chasing away chicks, "Hey hey hey! I said, little student, I let you in with good intentions because you were delivering things to your sister. But now that you've delivered them, why aren't you leaving?"

The staff member continued, "Since you're not a senior student and haven't awakened the Beast Space, don't stay here. Hurry up and leave with me!"

Song Yu was surprised. They came in, and now they were being driven out?

Was this a windfall from heaven?

If she had known earlier that she could have the staff member kick Song Qi and the others out of the field, she wouldn't have had to act so hard.

Afraid that Song Qi would see the surprise in her eyes, Song Yu pinched her thigh to dispel the smile that was about to overflow from her cheeks.

She pretended to be full of righteousness, like a captain marching onto the battlefield with guns and cannons. She patted Song Qi's shoulder like a commanding officer, and with a solemn tone, she said, "Xiao Qi, go back... I won't contract a Beast that doesn't value me as a person. I am different from those who like to contract dozens or even hundreds of Beasts."

"Whether their potential is high or low, as long as I contract them, I will wholeheartedly nurture them, regardless of their aptitude!"

Song Yu gestured grandly, speaking with a sense of righteousness, even convincing herself, "Choosing a Beast is a mutual choice—only such a mutual bond between human and beast is the most perfect combination!"

"The evaluation of talent and potential is not important to me! Even if the road ahead is difficult, we can still work together to break through the levels. But if we can't be connected in heart and soul, share our destiny, and breathe together after contracting, how can we be true partners?"

"If that's the case... how am I different from those unscrupulous capitalists who deceived ancient serfs into signing lifetime contracts?" Song Yu's words sounded more and more like that, her eyes becoming red, and even she herself was moved by her own grand and righteous speech.

Sure enough, as she glanced at her younger brother from the corner of her eye, she found him in a state of shock after hearing her speech.

Song Qi stood in place with his mouth wide open, seemingly stunned by an earthquake, unable to recover for a long time.

"Clap clap clap clap!!!"

Applause suddenly erupted.

That staff member who wanted to drive away Song Qi began clapping, looking at Song Yu with a smile, "I didn't expect such insight from such a young student."

"Our education bureau and the Beast Master Guild have emphasized mutual devotion and bonds in recent years. We have been saying that there is no strongest contracted beast in the world, but there is the most suitable contracted beast." The staff member's gaze softened, sweeping over every high school student present, and continued, "A suitable contracted beast, when interacting intimately with the Beast Master, can greatly boost combat power during cooperation. Conversely, the combat power may sharply decrease... Sometimes it might even harm the Beast Master."

The surrounding students who were eavesdropping with ears erect also felt that these words were resonant.

Several students who had extended their arms, eager to stuff fire-type energy ores directly into the mouths of the contracted beasts, slightly stiffened their backs. They quietly withdrew their hands, hiding them behind their backs, and looked at Song Yu with admiring eyes...

The staff member clapped and said loudly, "Only those who truly care about their contracted beasts, treating them as partners, can gain their wholehearted devotion!"

Song Qi: "..."

Song Qi silently looked around at the people present and then glanced at the education bureau staff who were cheering for his sister.

He was deeply immersed in reflection...

Was it because he had treated contracted beasts as tools for future ascent before?

Ah~

Song Qi felt deeply guilty.

He decided that two years later, on the day of the initial Beast distribution, he would learn from his sister!

And he had to treat his contracted beast a little better, even better.

"Clap clap clap!"

"Clap clap clap clap!"

Suddenly, someone in the crowd started clapping.

Many students around looked at each other and immediately joined in clapping.

Some even shouted out the words Song Yu had just said, whistling.

"Heart to heart, shared destiny, and synchronized breathing!"

"Heart to heart, shared destiny, and synchronized breathing!"

As the applause surged higher and higher, and more and more students around joined in, even many teachers and professional Beast Masters who had heard Song Yu's speech also clapped, some even giving a thumbs-up to Song Yu.

Song Yu: "..."

Song Yu was bewildered and almost collapsed.

She stood in the midst of the enthusiastic crowd, looking at the suddenly excited classmates and teachers on the field, her eyelids twitching frantically.

No, she just casually made up a story; how did it turn into this in just a few minutes?

Teacher Zhou Tao, the homeroom teacher, didn't know when he had stood next to Song Yu. He pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed deeply, "I didn't expect that after teaching for more than twenty years, I still can't understand you."

Song Yu's throat was dry, "..."

No, teacher, I was just making things up. I didn't expect you all to take it seriously.

You see, in the original novel, the male protagonist prefers to attract a large number of high-potential Beasts by using various natural treasures and spiritual materials.

At least half of the contracted Beasts in the original novel had this situation.

But in the end, he still broke through and became the strongest Beast Master in the world!

So...

Fifteen minutes later.

Song Yu stood awkwardly in place, watching many classmates happily put away the "money-making" natural treasures into their backpacks, storing them in crystal boxes, and running happily to contract Beasts. Her eyes were complicated, struggling to speak.

Could it be that she accidentally misled these people? What if the potential values of the contracted beasts are low?

It shouldn't be. How did these simple words turn into such a situation?

What Song Yu didn't know was that in this world without philosophy or political thought classes, the phrase "Heart to heart, shared destiny, and synchronized breathing" was truly inspiring.

 

*****

 

On the other side.

Hearing the applause and commotion, Bai Yuhan remained silent for two seconds...

He silently put down his left hand that was just about to reach into his backpack.

In his backpack was the intermediate-grade gold-element energy ore he had worked hard to buy in the past few years, saving up two years' worth of wages.

"Do you want to contract with me?"

Bai Yuhan extended his fair and slender right hand towards a black little lizard about thirty centimeters in size in front of him, earnestly explaining, "Actually, although this gold-element energy ore can accelerate the condensation speed of your gold-element abilities, your most suitable path should be a body tempered through thousands of trials, like steel... If you contract with me, even if you don't have the gold-element energy ore to eat, I will sell this ore and buy many training tools for you to become stronger."

"So, do you want to contract with me?" Bai Yuhan paused for a moment, then added earnestly, "I will treat you well in the future, just like my own brothers and sisters."

The little lizard with a dark appearance tilted its head and looked at Bai Yuhan, blinking its eyes...

Just when Bai Yuhan thought he was about to fail, the little lizard wagged its tail, "Ya-hoo!" and jumped up, burying its head in Bai Yuhan's palm! It looked extremely cheerful.

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