Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

Chapter 79: Returning to Hometown

At that moment, Song Yuan, who had finished looking at the photos, walked over and said, "Yabao is great! Its sense for the camera and coordination is excellent."

Yabao wore a smug expression, as if to say, Of course.

Everything was done so that both his and his little brother could eat and drink their fill. Naturally, he had to take things seriously.

Before Qiao Sang could modestly respond, Song Yuan continued, "Don't forget to send me your account on Chaobo later. I'll have the online store follow you. Once the photos are selected, make sure to post them."

Chaobo was similar to Weibo from her past life, a platform where people checked trending topics and such.

Qiao Sang nodded. This was already part of the contract.

"Also, don't forget to verify your account as the Champion of the Bai Xin Competition." Song Yuan reminded her.

"Got it." Qiao Sang agreed.

Song Yuan glanced at Yabao and the Treasure-Seeking Ghost, then couldn't help but ask out of concern, "Have you made plans to join any training institutes this summer?"

Most diligent middle school graduates who had just contracted with their pet beasts would try to get a head start before high school by enrolling them in half-day or full-day programs at specialized training centers.

However, this approach often weakened the bond between the beast and its master, which was a serious issue for new Beastmasters, especially when they had not long formed their contract.

This was particularly concerning for those with fiery-tempered pets like Fire fang dog.

Song Yuan figured that since Qiao Sang now had two pet beasts, she would likely leave Yabao with a training center. She wanted to offer some advice, out of goodwill.

"A training institute? No, I'm planning to go back to my hometown for the summer." Qiao Sang replied.

Song Yuan: ... She had clearly overthought it...

After leaving Jin Tower, Qiao Sang stopped by the Beastmaster Center to register the Treasure-Seeking Ghost.

The process attracted a lot of attention from passersby, making her the center of attention in the hall.

The last time she brought Yabao, she hadn’t received this kind of treatment.

Qiao Sang considered herself a low-key person, but Yabao liked being outside, and since the Treasure-Seeking Ghost was newly born, she couldn’t bear to leave him inside the Beastmaster Codex for too long.

Despite the stares, she managed to register the Treasure-Seeking Ghost.

---

July 8th, 9:20 AM.

Qiao Sang, carrying a bag, set off for her hometown with Yabao and the Treasure-Seeking Ghost.

Qitang Town wasn’t far from Hanggang City, just over 90 kilometers away. It only took about half an hour by high-speed train, which was faster than traveling across the city.

Now that she had money, Qiao Sang boldly bought two seats.

On the train, Yabao and the Treasure-Seeking Ghost sat by the window, their little heads close together, excitedly watching the passing scenery.

From time to time, they pointed with their paws, energetically discussing what they saw.

Watching them, Qiao Sang felt a peaceful contentment.

The two beasts were getting along much better than she had expected. She had assumed that given Yabao’s wariness of ghost-type beasts, it would take a long time for it to accept the Treasure-Seeking Ghost.

But in just two nights, their relationship had improved significantly.

As she took out her phone to capture a backview photo of her two pets, the phone buzzed in her hand.

Glancing at the screen, Qiao Sang wasn't surprised. She answered, "Hello, Mom."

This was the third call from her mother since she had left for work that morning.

"Where are you now?"

"Just boarded the train, been on for about 7 or 8 minutes."

Qiao Sang knew why her mother had been calling so frequently.

Although she hadn’t said it aloud, her mother was likely still worried about her contracting a second pet beast, especially a Treasure-Seeking Ghost.

If work hadn’t kept her tied down, she might have insisted on spending a few days with Qiao Sang back in their hometown.

"Make sure to feed the Treasure-Seeking Ghost a bottle of milk every three hours, don’t forget." Her mother reminded her.

"Oh, and I put a bag of red rice cakes in your bag. If Yabao gets hungry on the way, give them to it."

"Mom, you’ve told me this several times already." Qiao Sang sighed.

There was a moment of silence on the other end before her mother’s voice came through again.

"Hey, do you remember Aunt Wang from next door?"

Qiao Sang thought for a moment and recalled who her mother was talking about.

Aunt Wang had known her mother since childhood, practically growing up together.

After they both got married, they had drifted apart a bit, only meeting up during New Year’s. Their conversations were mostly about their kids.

They were the same age, and their children were around the same age too. But every time they talked, her mother would be a bit unhappy because Qiao Sang was an underachiever, while Aunt Wang’s son was a top student.

"Yeah, I remember. Why?" Qiao Sang asked.

"I called her and told her about your achievements, but she didn’t believe me. When you have time, stop by her house with Yabao and the Treasure-Seeking Ghost."

Qiao Sang: ...

Before she could respond, her mother continued, "If you forget, that’s fine. I put some local specialties from Hanggang in the Treasure-Seeking Ghost’s ring. Don’t forget to give some to Grandma and Aunt San."

"Okay." Qiao Sang replied.

She glanced at the Treasure-Seeking Ghost.

Apparently, her mother and the ghost had bonded quite well. She hadn’t even noticed when her mother had put the gifts inside.

"Oh, and I may have bought too much. Why don’t you take some to Aunt Wang as well?" Her mother added.

Qiao Sang: ...

---

Qitang Town, located in Jiajin County, under the jurisdiction of Hanggang City, had far fewer Beastmasters.

Living in a rural area meant that Beastmaster numbers were already lower than in the city.

Plus, anyone who awakened as a Beastmaster would typically choose to move to a more developed place.

Those who stayed fell into three categories: either they hadn’t made much progress as a Beastmaster, they were older and looking for a quiet life, or they had become local civil servants.

Qiao Sang’s cousin, Ye Ranran, was in the third group.

As soon as she got off the high-speed train and exited the station, Qiao Sang saw a tan-skinned, attractive woman walking toward her, accompanied by a Wind Eagle about two meters tall.

The Wind Eagle’s feathers were a mix of blue and white, and its fan-shaped tail gleamed brightly in the sunlight. Its wings were wide, and its eyes sharp, making it one of the fastest beasts of its tier.

Standing upright, the Wind Eagle also had an ID badge hanging from its neck.

Meanwhile, the Treasure-Seeking Ghost was staring intently at the Wind Eagle’s tail feathers.

"I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. You’ve really contracted two pet beasts, and they’re Fire fang dog and a Treasure-Seeking Ghost." Ye Ranran remarked.

No need to ask, Qiao Sang knew this news came from her mother.

"Isn’t today a workday? How do you have time to come pick me up?" Qiao Sang asked.

"Don’t even get me started. A coworker tried to set me up with her nephew. Everyone was teasing me about it, and when the boss overheard, they gave me time off to go on a blind date." Ye Ranran explained.

"It’s still early. You haven’t seen his photo yet, right? What do you think?" Qiao Sang teased, though her thoughts were elsewhere.

Her cousin worked at the local police station as a junior officer. The fact that her boss was so quick to give her time off suggested the local crime rate must be low...

As they talked, the Treasure-Seeking Ghost floated in front of the Wind Eagle, expertly took out a bottle of milk from its ring, and handed it over.

Yabao was the first to notice.