My Pet Beast is Super Fearsome

Chapter 148: Chapter 147 A New Beginning (Two in One)

The following morning.

Shao Zifeng bid farewell to his mother and boarded the bus back to Su City. Before leaving, he asked the Chasing Moon Dog if it wanted to come with him.

The Chasing Moon Dog pondered seriously for a moment, then shook its head and retreated to his mother’s side.

Waving through the bus window, to his surprise, Qiqi was the one who cried the most. It wiped its tears with its small paws, tugging at his mother’s pants, leaving Shao Zifeng dumbstruck.

Watching Dragon City County shrink in the distance, he could vaguely see his mother wiping the corners of her eyes before waving her arms vigorously.

Well.

How should I put it…

Besides feeling a little reluctant to leave,

Shao Zifeng felt a slight sense of secret joy inside. Indeed, his mother really did care about him.

As the scenery whizzed by in reverse, the bus entered a road flanked by dense forests, fully obstructing the view of Dragon City County. Shao Zifeng turned around and fiddled with the ring on his right hand, the blue glow slowly rotating in his peripheral vision.

[Name]: Lynx Ring

Shao Zifeng: …

It’s exactly like you, maintaining a style of naming that is as straightforward and brutal as ever.

He silently critiqued the ‘cheat’ within himself for a moment before continuing to read.

[Variety]: Jade/???

[Attribute]: Ghost

[Quality]: ★★★★

[Condition]: Perfect

[Effect]: Host Spirit: Can store a mutant creature with an Elemental Body/Ghost Body/Illusion Body for nurturing. (1/1)

Spirit Control: A mutant creature with an Elemental Body/Ghost Body/Illusion Body that hasn’t signed a contract will be temporarily controlled, with the judgment criteria depending on the quality and power of the opponent. Contracted Elemental Bodies/Ghost Bodies/Illusion Bodies will also be affected to a certain extent.

Soul Transformation: When the ring stores a mutant creature with an Elemental Body/Ghost Body/Illusion Body, it will actively protect the wearer from one instance of elemental attack, with the upper limit of protection determined by the nurtured mutant creature. (Tier II)

[Description]: This ring harbors an extremely ancient aura and seems to conceal some secrets. Currently, it contains a Ghost Cat of the lynx variant.

Tsk, I really underestimated this ring before – I didn’t expect it could store even such a mutant creature.

That it could store the lynx was surprising enough for him, but what really caught him off guard was that the Soul Transformation effect was also activated.

The reason for his surprise was that this lynx was quite special; it wasn’t a real Ghost Body, nor was it a lynx that had undergone group evolution.

He rubbed the mottled grey ring that matched the lynx’s fur with his finger, and continued reading.

[Name]: Mutant Lynx

[Growth]: Growth Stage

[Condition]: Healthy, Ghost Body

[Strength]: None

[Phylum]: Chordata

[Class]: Mammalia

“`

[Order]: Carnivora

[Family]: Felidae

[Property]: Ghost

[Potential]: ★☆☆

[Talent]: Ghost Cat: Can switch body form at will, toggling between corporeal and incorporeal states. In the Ghost Body state, it can enhance its own strength by absorbing the life force of its target utilizing its talent skill.

[Skills]: Soul Absorption (talent skill), Stealth, Cute

[Description]: Sold here after being identified as not a species-evolved lynx and thus abandoned, it underwent mutation and evolution at the boundary of life and death. Ghost Cat, there are rumors abroad that the lynx is in fact a Ghost Cat.

After reading, Shao Zifeng rubbed his nose bridge; the past few days of hassle had left him somewhat fatigued, and he hadn’t slept well the night before.

It was the lynx’s ability to switch between flesh and Ghost Body purely through talent that surprised Shao Zifeng, never expecting it to still be encompassed by the ring.

Besides, another part caught Shao Zifeng’s attention. The description of this lynx corroborated his previous speculation when he saw Qiqi’s talent, suggesting that individual mutation and evolution might indeed be related to the common rumors.

Unlike ancestral evolution, these rumors did not directly refer to a mythical beast from folklore. They were about an entire species, such as the common saying in Daxia that cats have nine lives, yet no creature called the Nine-Life Cat ever appeared in serious legend.

As for the lynx in the ring, he decided to just use it for now. Although it seemed somewhat pathetic, you never know when it might come in handy. And a one-time second-tier Elemental Shield also sounded tempting. He just didn’t know how long the cooldown for the dissipation was…

…

“Classmate, classmate, we’ve arrived!”

Shao Zifeng opened his bleary eyes to see a middle-aged man in a blue uniform standing next to him, staring for a good while before realizing that he must be the coach driver.

Shao Zifeng looked around in bewilderment, noticing that the other passengers had already vanished, smiled apologetically at the driver, got up, and retrieved his luggage from the storage compartment.

He waved to the driver and headed towards the exit.

The passenger transport station in Su City was originally in the eastern district. It had to be temporarily repurposed to the old, abandoned station due to severe damage from disasters causing numerous buildings to collapse.

Exiting the station led into a ticket hall filled with an air of bygone days. With few passengers, several dispirited staff members chatted behind the counter, giving Shao Zifeng only a brief glance before resuming their gossip with colleagues.

Stepping out of the rundown station, it was past eleven in the morning, and there was only one taxi parked at the dilapidated roadside.

The driver had kicked off his shoes, resting his legs on the steering wheel, his head covered with a newspaper, fast asleep.

The progressively hotter weather made Shao Zifeng break a slight sweat. He approached the taxi and knocked on the window: “Driver, are you taking passengers?”

The driver removed the newspaper shading him, wound down the window, yawned nonchalantly, and said, “Sure, no meter. It’s 150 to carpool, but we have to wait for more people. If you’re in a hurry, it’s 200, and I can leave right now.”

Shao Zifeng: …

He turned and walked away. Talk about an obvious rip-off. Even though he wasn’t short on cash at the moment, he didn’t want to get taken advantage of like this.

Watching Shao Zifeng’s retreating figure, the driver sneered. With the sun beating down and the distance from the downtown area, he doubted the slender-looking college student could walk far.

He’d seen this sort of thing several times over the past few days, and in the end, they all ended up climbing into his cab, money begrudgingly in hand.

Just then, another taxi drove up from behind and stopped beside Shao Zifeng.

“Brother Shao, you’re back!”

Surprised, Shao Zifeng turned around to see a familiar face through the taxi window.

The boy was around eighteen or nineteen, with delicate features and a pair of black-framed glasses on his nose. He wore an ill-fitting, old-fashioned shirt, probably a hand-me-down from an elder.

Shao Zifeng studied the familiar face for a moment.

Hmm… so familiar.

What was it again?

Then Shao Zifeng thought hard again.

He fell into deep thought…

The other person felt uncomfortable under Shao Zifeng’s gaze, a blush appearing on their face as they slightly lowered their head.

Looking at this familiar, puzzled blush, Shao Zifeng slapped his forehead and exclaimed in surprise, “Li Yiming?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Hearing Shao Zifeng call his name, Li Yiming nodded rapidly and then opened the car door, reaching out to take the luggage from Shao Zifeng’s hand, “Big Brother Shao, get in the car first, I’ll take you wherever you need to go… hey, hey, hey.”

If Shao Zifeng looked rather simple, then Li Yiming was truly simple.

The moment he took Shao Zifeng’s travel bag, he almost didn’t catch it, quickly grasping the straps with both hands, another blush spreading across his face.

The travel bag wasn’t very big, but it was filled with miscellaneous items like Elemental Ore, so it was quite heavy.

Seeing this, Shao Zifeng’s mouth twitched, “Should I do it instead?”

Li Yiming shook his head without saying a word, struggling to put the travel bag in the trunk, then hurriedly opened the car door for Shao Zifeng to get in.

As the taxi started, Li Yiming’s delicate face was flushed red; he quietly wiped off the sweat beading on his forehead and stole glances at Shao Zifeng through the rearview mirror.

“How come you started driving a taxi?” The scenery flew by quickly, and as Shao Zifeng watched the occasional ruins passing by the window, he asked casually.

Hearing Shao Zifeng’s question, Li Yiming sat up straight, nervous, and then said softly, “The school hasn’t started yet, and the uncle from the neighbor’s house broke his leg, leaving the taxi at home. The company was short on staff, so he asked me to cover his shift.”

He seemed not too keen on talking about this, and before Shao Zifeng could say anything, he quickly changed the subject, “By the way, Big Brother Shao, where are you heading? I remember the apartment complex you rented was also damaged, if you have nowhere to stay, you can stay at my place…”

No sooner had Li Yiming spoken than he regretted it. There was already a bit of a squeeze with just him and his sister living at home, and if Big Brother Shao…

Shao Zifeng smiled and shook his head, “No need, I have a place to stay.”

As he spoke, he pulled out the address Chen Zhenglong had given him from the pocket of his hoodie and handed it over.

Taking advantage of a red light, Li Yiming glanced at the address and said somewhat enviously, “Bishui Star City…” then he fell silent.

As the vehicle started again, Shao Zifeng watched the scenery silently from the window, while Li Yiming occasionally stole looks at him through the rearview mirror. Neither of them were the type to make small talk, so the atmosphere became a bit silent for a while.

After a long pause, Shao Zifeng suddenly said, “By the way, do you know where our class teacher lives?”

Screech!!

“Ah!” Startled by his attempt to sneak a peek at Shao Zifeng, Li Yiming nearly swerved off the road but managed to hit the brakes in time.

After a long pause and seeing no particular reaction from Shao Zifeng, Li Yiming quietly patted his chest and said softly, “He should be living in the teacher’s residence arranged by the school, um, if you want to go there, I can take you.”

Shao Zifeng shook his head, “Let’s head to Bishui Star City first, I’ll go to the teacher’s residence in the afternoon.” After saying this, Shao Zifeng added, “I can’t always trouble you, I’ll just take a taxi in the afternoon.”

“It’s no trouble, no trouble at all, business is slow anyway, just call me directly, I might even earn a little extra income,” Li Yiming hurriedly shook his head, with a cheery smile on his handsome face, looking a bit silly with his black-framed glasses.

Shao Zifeng laughed at this remark, finding the guy quite amusing.

As Li Yiming drove without further conversation, he casually asked, “Big Brother Shao, were you looking for Mr. Sun Qiang to ask about the regional competition?”

“Hmm? You know?”

Shao Zifeng had learned about the regional competition through Chen Zhenglong and was surprised that other students knew, as he had thought that no one else was aware.

“Yeah, the teacher announced it in the group. Didn’t Mr. Sun notify you?” Li Yiming asked, puzzled.

Shao Zifeng: …

Well, this is awkward.

He had never bothered to join any class group since transferring to the combat training department, and Sun Qiang had never invited him, so he essentially overlooked the role of the class group.

“Big Brother Shao, are you thinking of participating in the competition?” Li Yiming didn’t mind, and after halting the car to let a pedestrian pass, he continued to ask.

“Yes,” Shao Zifeng nodded, then casually said, “You should participate, too. I saw your rooster’s competition last time; it was pretty impressive.”

Upon hearing Shao Zifeng’s compliment, a pleased expression spread across Li Yiming’s face: “Really? I’m still far from being on Big Brother Shao’s level, but… I’ll definitely join, hehe.”

For the rest of the drive, Li Yiming remained cheerfully, which left Shao Zifeng feeling somewhat puzzled.

…

The taxi stopped at the entrance to Bishui Star City, and Shao Zifeng got out, surveying the neighborhood in front of him.

Li Yiming grunted as he helped remove the travel bag and suitcase from the trunk.

Seeing this, Shao Zifeng hurriedly took his luggage and said apologetically, “Do you want to come in and sit for a bit?”

“Really? Can I?” Li Yiming, who was wiping his sweat, brightened up and then glanced at his baggy, worn shirt, repeatedly waving his hands and saying, “I still need to go home to cook. Don’t forget to call me this afternoon, Big Brother Shao, so we can sign up together.”

As he watched the taxi drive away, Shao Zifeng shook his head and entered the residential area with his luggage.

As one of Su City’s top neighborhoods, Bishui Star City boasts exceptional landscaping, which is said to have been fostered by specialized gardeners.

These so-called gardeners serve high-end neighborhoods, cultivating non-combat mutant creatures from earth, stone, wood, and water to landscape the area.

A top gardener, it is said, can create a beautifully scenic hill in just a year.

Although Bishui Star City is a high-end neighborhood, it cannot compare with the international metropolises of the capital or Shanghai. The gardeners here have merely sped up the growth of many trees, with each independent villa surrounded by varieties specifically chosen by the owners.

Following the address to the central area of the neighborhood, Shao Zifeng passed through a dense bamboo grove and arrived in front of an independent villa.

Among the tall bamboo, the white walls, black tiles, and curving eaves presented a typical Hui-style architecture, which had been innovatively constructed—keeping its traditional characteristics while still appearing simple and atmospheric.

Pushing open the wooden gate, Shao Zifeng was greeted with a delicate courtyard. Down the steps, a cobblestone path wound its way through, framed by lush flowers and grass, the long leaves gently touching the water surface of the small artificial lake below.

The man-made stream flowed with the help of the system, constantly refreshing the lake’s water, although the clear pond was devoid of any living creatures.

The whole courtyard was verdant and full of life, with the scent of flowers and grass filling the air. If the deer and Lingling were here, they would surely love it.

A few steps down the cobblestone path was a small arched bridge. To the left of the bridge was a cooling pavilion built over the artificial lake, and to the right lay the main building of the villa.

The main building, situated by the water, featured an observation deck on the right side. Sitting in the leisure chair there, one could take in the full view of the courtyard.

Passing through the main hall of the building led to a lawn the size of two basketball courts at the back. This spot seemed quite suitable for Qiuqiu, though there was a fear that the grass might turn into a desert if it stayed there for too long.

After checking the villa inside and out, front and back, Shao Zifeng found a whole box of fire attribute energy potions and a savings card on the nightstand of the master bedroom. Chen Yixin had left a note saying it was Qiuqiu’s salary.

It had to be said that this woman was quite generous.

Having toured the villa, he sat alone on the observation deck’s leisure chair, staring blankly at the clear artificial lake, feeling as if something was missing.

Logically, such a setting should have made him feel joyful, yet he felt an emptiness instead.

Suddenly, something stirred in his sea of consciousness.

Shao Zifeng’s vision blurred for a moment, and he seemed to see Lingling flying over the lake, her little feet tapping the water’s surface as she let out happy giggles.

The deer was lying on its side among the flowers and grass, nibbling away, its peaceful eyes sneakily glancing at his hair.

Qiuqiu rested its much larger head on his thighs, just like when it was younger, humming and whining for affection.

Moments later, Shao Zifeng, who had been lost in a daze, came back to reality and muttered to himself, “It’s still lacking a bit of life after all.”