No advanced classes demanding constant focus, no Secret Realm explorations requiring total concentration, and no Pet Beast battles demanding one’s all.
Nor was there any trembling in fear while being fought over by the bigwigs...
Tonight, there was only the evening breeze, the bright moon, and a bustling commercial street teeming with life.
The tension was just a brief interlude; relaxation and joy were the main theme.
Yu Bao had been a total coward in the Battle Hall. Those Four-star titans were all ruthless characters; a single fart from one of them could probably kill him.
But once he was out of the Battle Hall, Yu Bao was back to his old self. He excitedly clung to Xiaoyue, recounting how the big shots had fought tooth and nail to recruit him and Su Zhi...
Xiaoyue walked on with a deadpan expression, nodding from time to time to show he was listening.
Yu Bao actually knew Xiaoyue wasn’t listening, so he would talk for a bit, then pause.
To cover up the fact that he wasn’t listening, Xiaoyue would use his paws, with their little pink pads, to pat Yu Bao’s head and pretend to praise how amazing he was.
That way, Yu Bao could score some free pats from Xiaoyue.
’Heh, got him right where I want him!’
"It’s already ten-thirty and they haven’t closed up. Did they change the curfew?"
Shao Yun glanced at the time and scratched his head in curiosity.
"Maybe there’s a special event today? This is the Divine Strategy Alliance, after all. They’re the most unpredictable of the Nine Great Alliances."
Shao Ya skipped along beside her father, glancing at the young man next to her with a mischievous smile.
"Maybe they extended the hours just to keep Su Zhi happy!"
Su Zhi replied, "Well, I must be a pretty big deal then..."
Still, having learned from the Alliance Leader’s grand experience, he didn’t set any flags, like promising to ’do a handstand and wash my feet in drag if it’s true’...
"Haha, who cares! If they’re not closing, we’re not stopping!"
Shao Yun laughed and clapped the two kids on the shoulder, then suddenly grew sentimental.
"It’s actually nice without a curfew. Strolling around until midnight before heading back... it’s just like being in a city outside the Alliance Headquarters."
Su Zhi asked curiously, "I’ve never really understood. Does a place like the Alliance Headquarters really need a curfew? Is there something here we need to be protected from?"
"Ah, Xiaosu, you’re still so young."
Shao Yun smiled. "In your mind, what is the Alliance Headquarters’s role in relation to Blue Star?"
"The center?" Su Zhi mused. "It gathers all of Blue Star’s top Beast Tamers and talents."
Shao Yun shook his head. "Yes and no. Think again, Xiaosu. What is the greatest threat to Blue Star?"
"All kinds of high-risk Exotic Beasts..." Su Zhi answered instinctively.
Whether it was the Hundred Rivers Earthquake or the unusual Leo Group he had encountered during his trials, the shadow of a powerful Exotic Beast was always looming behind them.
Ever since the dawn of Beast Taming civilization, the struggle between humans and Exotic Beasts—and even among Exotic Beasts themselves—has never ceased.
Seeing that Shao Yun wasn’t satisfied with his answer, Su Zhi thought for a moment before it dawned on him. "Secret Realms!"
"Exactly. Secret Realms are the source of all Exotic Beasts. In the Classical Era, Secret Realms were scattered far and wide. You could find them in any region.
"Back then, the entire world was shrouded in panic, constantly under attack by Exotic Beasts from the Secret Realms... It wasn’t until the modern era that Secret Realms gradually faded from the public eye.
"Generations of pioneers sacrificed everything, and after millennia of effort, they managed to gather and move the entrances to nearly all the Secret Realms into one location.
"The general public was thus freed from the terror of Exotic Beast attacks and could live in peace, which is what led to the rapid advancement of technology that followed."
Hearing this, Su Zhi’s head shot up. "You don’t mean that place is..."
"That’s right. The Common Defense Alliance is the center—the center of every single Secret Realm entrance."
Shao Yun stamped his foot on the ground.
"The Common Defense Alliance was never meant to be a symbol of prosperity. It’s a fortress built on the front lines.
"The age of all-out war with Fierce Beasts may be over, but the Alliance Headquarters has maintained its millennia-old tradition of a curfew to remind every Beast Tamer—
"We are the top Beast Tamers on Blue Star, but we are also the Great Wall, the first line of defense against any invasion.
"This is the very reason the Common Defense Alliance and every single Alliance Member exists."
Su Zhi listened in silence, then after a moment, gave a slight nod.
"Thank you, Uncle. I understand now."
"Ah! Look at me go... I’m so used to giving pep talks that I get carried away! My bad, Xiaosu!"
"Oh, it’s no problem at all! It was a great speech, Uncle!"
Shao Yun laughed and slapped his own head, then headed for a takoyaki stand, planning to buy the two kids another treat as an apology.
He was halfway through the line and almost at the front when his expression turned grim as he looked at his phone. He stepped out of the line.
"Um..."
Looking at the two kids waiting for him a short distance away, Shao Yun clenched his fists, struggling to find the words.
"It’s okay, Dad. Go on!"
Shao Ya tilted her head and gave a small smile. "I’m so proud of you!"
"...Yeah!"
Shao Yun nodded forcefully, said a quick goodbye to the two, and then jogged off, leaving the commercial street behind.
The white-haired, blue-eyed girl stood in front of the stall, watching her father’s back disappear into the distance. The smile she had put on slowly faded.
Under the cover of the evening breeze, the girl let out a soft sigh.
She turned her head, but Su Zhi was gone.
Turning back, she saw him by the takoyaki stand. He had finished queuing and was now walking toward her, holding two steaming-hot snacks.
"Here!"
After a moment’s consideration, Su Zhi handed the one with Thousand Island dressing to Shao Ya.
Shao Ya took it but didn’t eat. She just looked at him, her sapphire-blue eyes blinking.
"Er, I remember when you took me to the snack street, you got Thousand Island dressing on your grilled cold noodles... Have your tastes changed?"
A look of unexpected embarrassment crossed Su Zhi’s face. He tentatively offered his own portion. "Well... want to try the sweet and spicy sauce instead?"
"Hee hee, no, it’s fine!"