The doctor jumped in surprise, taking a tactical step back.
Wu Bao was now over a meter tall. Including its horns, its body stretched nearly three meters long, qualifying it as a large Pet Beast.
"Th-this is a Black Fighting Emperor? Is it your Pet Beast?"
"Uh, you could call it my prospective Pet Beast? We haven’t formed a contract yet."
Su Zhi scratched his head and smiled. "He said he wants to go in and visit..."
"Absolutely not!" the doctor refused flatly.
Wu Bao’s head drooped in disappointment.
Yu Bao patted it comfortingly.
"..." Seeing Wu Bao’s pitiful expression, the doctor couldn’t help but soften. He looked at Su Zhi with curiosity.
"The hospital doesn’t allow uncontracted Pet Beasts inside, let alone in patient rooms. How did this Black Fighting Emperor get past security?"
Su Zhi told the doctor the story of how Wu Bao gave up its contract opportunity.
"I’ve never heard of such a thing."
The doctor pushed up his glasses in disbelief, a flicker of emotion in his eyes.
Wu Bao looked up hopefully. "Ooo."
Yu Bao translated: "Woof-ooo."
Su Zhi: "He says he’ll just go in for a quick look, and then leave immediately. He won’t cause you any trouble."
"...Alright. Make it quick then."
After a long moment of silence, the doctor made his decision.
"Ooo!"
Wu Bao nodded repeatedly in thanks, then scampered into the room.
"Woof?!"
Yu Bao barked, cursing Wu Bao for its lack of Martial Virtue as it scrambled to follow.
"I’m amazed your Pet Beasts have such a great relationship. Especially giving up its own contract opportunity... it’s simply incredible."
The doctor remarked with feeling, "I’ve treated severely injured Pet Beasts from the Shanda University Affiliated School before. In that case, the kid’s other Pet Beasts were practically gloating, happy to have one less rival for resources.
"The better the school, the more distant the relationships between the Pet Beasts. I don’t like it... but I can see the logic behind how it happens.
"So, kid, how’s your performance? Must be pretty good, I imagine?"
As the doctor spoke, he looked Su Zhi up and down, paused, then took out his phone and scrolled through it. His face then lit up with surprise.
"You’re... you’re this year’s Huai City League high school division champion, Su Zhi?"
Su Zhi scratched his head. "I’m that famous...?"
"A pleasure! It’s a real pleasure! So I’ve finally met the famous ’God Su’ today!" The doctor laughed and clapped Su Zhi on the shoulder.
Then, looking left and right, he lowered his voice.
"Although... your reputation around here isn’t the greatest. It’d be better to keep a low profile."
Su Zhi’s interest was piqued. "Do tell?"
"This is the provincial capital, and the best school is the Shanda University Affiliated School. They subscribe to a test-centric educational philosophy, and they look down on students like you who forge their own path.
"A while ago, a student came in to get routine care for his Pet Beast—a Thunder Qilin Beast, so his family probably has some connections. He was chatting with his parents and brought you up, saying that your kind of approach has a low ceiling and that people should take it as a cautionary tale."
’A Thunder Qilin Beast? That has to be Chen Xinghao...’ Su Zhi nodded with a knowing smile. "That’s to be expected. He’s a ’Brother Fu’ who contracted a Thunder Qilin Beast. In his eyes, how many people *do* have a high ceiling?"
"Haha, good point."
The doctor clapped Su Zhi on the shoulder again, his eyes sparkling. "But I’m betting on you! The Shanyou Province Collegiate Team Tournament is in a few months. A guy like you, who’s practically living a protagonist’s story, is bound to put everyone in their place and rise to the top!"
’Dude, please don’t look at me with that sparkly, schoolgirl look in your eyes...’ Su Zhi scratched his head and laughed. "You bet!"
"Alright, I won’t disturb you anymore. Go spend some time with your Pet Beasts!"
With that, the doctor made his exit.
Su Zhi looked into the hospital room. The two ’Bao’s were gathered around Shan Bao’s bed, carefully and gently grooming its fur.
"Ooo!"
Wu Bao tapped Yu Bao’s paw.
*You’re being too rough! You’ll wake Shan Bao up!*
"Woof!"
Yu Bao hadn’t noticed, but now that Wu Bao mentioned it, he realized he was being a little too forceful. He instinctively pulled his paw back.
He wanted to keep petting but was now afraid he’d do it wrong. His paw hovered, extending and retracting, as he grew flustered.
"Ooo."
*Watch me.* Wu Bao raised one of its middle legs and gently stroked Shan Bao’s wing.
Shan Bao smacked its lips contentedly in its sleep.
"Ooo."
Wu Bao looked at Yu Bao, motioning for it to demonstrate.
Yu Bao nodded and eagerly lifted a foreleg, only for Wu Bao to tap it back down.
"Ooo!"
*Not the foreleg! Use a middle leg! It’s easier to control the force with a middle leg.*
Yu Bao: "..."
He was a dog; he only had forelegs and hind legs, no middle legs.
"Ooo."
*Fine, I’ll demonstrate how to do it with a foreleg. Watch closely.*
So Yu Bao sat down again, its expression more focused than if it were reading a book...
A smile touched Su Zhi’s eyes as he watched the two little guys.
After a little while, under Wu Bao’s guidance, Yu Bao finally managed to pet Shan Bao to the point of a contented lip-smack. Thrilled, Yu Bao spun around and chased its tail twice.
Wu Bao nodded with a gratified expression.
Seeing that Shan Bao was sleeping peacefully with Yu Bao watching over it, Wu Bao breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to Su Zhi.
"Ooo."
*Okay, you can take me out now. I don’t want to cause any more trouble.*
Led by Su Zhi, Wu Bao left the inpatient building through the Pet Beast passage.
Leaving the halo of light behind, they stepped into a world of pitch darkness, where tiny specks of starlight glittered like rhinestones on velvet.
"Thanks for everything today."
Su Zhi patted Wu Bao’s carapace. The area was injured and wrapped in a couple of bandages.
"If it weren’t for you today, I don’t know if we could have defeated the Demon Abyss Claw... Yu Bao is important, but you’re just as important. You’re both..."
Wu Bao: "Ooo?"
*Are we both the wings that let you fly?*
Su Zhi: "...Did Yu Bao teach you that phrase?"
Wu Bao scratched its head with a cheeky grin.
"But that’s close enough. You’re all my family! Even though Shan Bao ended up being the one I formed a contract with, that doesn’t mean one of you is more important than the other.
"You can be a bit timid sometimes, but in my heart, you’re the bravest and most responsible Black Fighting Emperor in the whole world.
"I’m sure that when Shan Bao wakes up, it will be proud to have an older brother like you."
"Ooo." Wu Bao nodded vigorously, moving to give Su Zhi a hug.
Su Zhi smiled, looked at those sharp, prominent horns, and quickly took two tactical steps back.
’Not necessary, really...’
"Oh right, Wu Bao, how about coming home with me this time?"
Su Zhi patted Wu Bao’s horn. "What happened to Shan Bao was a wake-up call. The wilds are getting more and more dangerous, and I’m not comfortable with you continuing to wander out there alone.
"After school starts, there will be lots of tournaments. You’ll get to face plenty of strong opponents in the ring, so you’ll still have opportunities to train."
"...Ooo!"
Wu Bao nodded excitedly.
’I finally get to go home with Su Zhi!’
Su Zhi smiled again. "But you’re a bit big. I don’t think my house can fit you. Until you can freely control your size, you’ll have to put up with sleeping on the lawn for a while."
Wu Bao conveyed that it wasn’t a big deal, as it often just found a bush to sleep in when it was wandering.
’Although, I heard from Yu Bao that the beds at home are really comfy... I’m still kind of looking forward to seeing the inside of Su Zhi’s house.’
Su Zhi spread his hands. "But you don’t know Doubling."
"Ooo!" Wu Bao gestured: *I can learn!*
"The threshold for Doubling is Two-star."
Wu Bao could only lower its stubborn head.
Su Zhi patted it comfortingly. "Don’t be discouraged. You’ll get there one day."
"Ooo ooo!" Wu Bao nodded and also patted Su Zhi’s shoulder.
*It’s getting late! Go see the person you need to see!*
"Why are you like this too..."
"Ooo ooo~"
Wu Bao let out a playful chirp and scampered off.
Su Zhi chuckled, shaking his head. He waved at Wu Bao’s retreating figure and hurried back to the hospital.
「Hospital, Third Floor, Room 302.」
Su Zhi gently pushed open the door. "Xiaoyue, I’m here."
"Mreow."
Xiaoyue, perched by the headboard, blinked and hopped lightly to the floor.
The young woman’s chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Her bright white hair fanned out across the pillow, the cool moonlight flowing over the strands.
She was utterly exhausted from activating her Beast Taming Talent so many times in quick succession. She would probably be sleeping for a very long time.
"You’re always treating me like a child, but I think you’re the real child here."
Su Zhi whispered, reaching out to gently pinch the young woman’s delicate nose.
Shao Ya’s brow furrowed slightly, as if she were witnessing the same scene in her dreams. Her lips moved, letting out a soft, indistinct sound.
Su Zhi chuckled lightly and gently held one of her hands.
Perhaps because of her Constitution, Shao Ya’s hands were always rather cold. In the winter, she loved to press her cold hands against his neck.
Su Zhi warmed her hand in his, his gaze sweeping over the calendar on the nightstand.
As if sensing his warmth, the young woman’s furrowed brow smoothed out, her expression in sleep becoming peaceful and sweet once more.
Su Zhi moved a little closer, seeming to hesitate.
Then, no longer hesitating, he leaned over and gently pecked the young woman’s forehead.
"You worked hard. Good night."
The young man left, his steps light as he quietly closed the door behind him.
Xiaoyue, who had already turned into a big cat, lay lazily on the windowsill, basking in the moonlight.
’I’m just a cat. I didn’t see a thing.’
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