The Eve of the College Entrance Examination

Gu Xuan stood there with a trace of bewilderment on his face after being scolded by Zhu Ping'an.

For the first time, he felt a sliver of doubt about his worldview—what the hell was wrong with this world?

Listen to that. Ordinary siblings without blood ties? Was that something a carbon-based lifeform could even come up with? Was that a relationship that should exist in normal human ethics?

It wasn't scary enough that he'd made up this kind of relationship—what was terrifying was that someone actually believed it!

"Simps really are something else..."

Watching Zhu Ping'an stride away, Gu Xuan let out a heartfelt sigh.

Every trade has its master, and if you could simp as hard as this guy, you'd be the king of simps.

After Zhu Ping'an returned from outside the city, the College Entrance Examination was about to begin.

For the past month, everyone in Green City had been busy as hell.

In this world, the College Entrance Examination was the most important thing—everything had to make way for it.

Walking through the streets of Green City, motivational exam slogans were plastered everywhere.

[The road to Qingbei is paved with fists!]

[The sky at five in the morning is dark, but you, becoming a Martial Artist, are truly dazzling!]

[Never give up easily—there was once a man who rode an Iron Mountain Lean to fame for seven years!]

[Before the outcome is decided, we're all ox... dark horses!]

The entire city of Green City was completely immersed in the exam atmosphere.

Zhu Ping'an first returned to the Martial Artist Association, turned in the task of hunting the Fire Cicada Snake Gall, then went to pay respects to the Yin and Yang Elders before heading home.

"Ping'an, you're back?" Xia Yue glanced at him and couldn't help asking. "Where did you run off to? Why are you so dirty?"

"I went outside the city for a bit." Zhu Ping'an grinned.

"What? You went outside the city?" Xia Yue's voice shot up eight pitches. "How could you not tell the family about something this big? Do you know how dangerous it is out there?"

Feeling Xia Yue's anger, the smile on Zhu Ping'an's face grew even brighter. It had been a long time since he'd experienced what it felt like to have someone care about him.

"Mom, I'm back now, aren't I? It's fine. I even brought you all gifts."

Zhu Ping'an pulled out the newly hatched Fire Cicada Snake King from behind him. Keeping this Fire Cicada Snake King cub by his side wouldn't do much good—its growth rate probably couldn't keep up with his own leveling speed.

It was better to leave it with his parents and younger sister, so if anything happened, the Fire Cicada Snake King could protect his family.

The little thing was only a little over thirty centimeters long, its body tender pink, not even scales grown yet—like a skinned lizard, lazily lying on Zhu Ping'an's hand.

"Ah!!!"

Xia Yue let out a sharp shriek and kicked Zhu Ping'an straight out the door, slamming it shut with a bang.

"Take your disgusting pink freak and get the hell out of this house!"

"Mom, what was that noise?" Zhu Kaixin's voice came from behind the door.

Xia Yue: "Nothing, Kaixin. Starting today, you're an only daughter~"

Zhu Kaixin: "???"

Outside the door, Zhu Ping'an rubbed his nose awkwardly. He'd only thought about the Fire Cicada Snake King protecting his parents and forgot that this thing's appearance wasn't exactly something normal people could accept.

He didn't get back into the house until Zhu Jianghua came home. The whole family sat around the Fire Cicada Snake King cub, discussing what to do with the little thing.

After a long silence, it was Zhu Jianghua, the head of the family, who spoke first.

"How about... steaming it? Keep the original flavor, add a little wasabi and soy sauce—it'll definitely be sweet and fresh."

"Dad! The snake is so cute, how can you steam it?" Zhu Kaixin reached out and patted the Fire Cicada Snake King cub's head. "If you ask me, we should coat it in breadcrumbs and fry it until golden on both sides!"

"Disgusting! Throw it out now! And you actually want to eat it!" Xia Yue's face was full of revulsion.

Zhu Ping'an's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

"Uh, family, is there any chance we're here to discuss how to handle this Fire Cicada Snake King, not how to cook it?"

"Oh, right?" Zhu Kaixin wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. "Then what do you think, big brother?"

"What I think is, we should move to a bigger place with a yard. The location can be a bit out of the way, because when the Fire Cicada Snake King grows up, its body length will exceed five meters, and with its tail, it'll be over ten meters long. This house definitely can't keep it."

Zhu Ping'an thought for a moment before speaking.

"That way, your safety is guaranteed too. After all, when this little thing grows up, its combat power can rival a Third Rank Martial Artist. Even if no one bothers us, we can use it as a free heater."

The Fire Cicada Snake King's body was blazing hot, even in heavy snow—perfect for warming hands.

"So that's it. I thought you brought back some exotic creature from outside the city for us to snack on." Zhu Jianghua suddenly understood.

Zhu Ping'an: "..."

Some things were truly carved into the bones of Great Xia's people—like seeing something and immediately wondering if it could be eaten, or automatically learning how to plant crops once you hit a certain age.

After some explanation, Zhu Jianghua and the others finally accepted that a Fire Cicada Snake King would be living with them from now on. Since Xia Yue was repulsed by its appearance, after some discussion, they decided to let Zhu Kaixin raise it.

Zhu Kaixin was thrilled and named the Fire Cicada Snake King Zhu Baofu.

With the Fire Cicada Snake King matter settled, Zhu Ping'an grabbed a quick bite and went to sleep. After all, tomorrow was the day of the College Entrance Examination, and he needed to be well-rested.

The night was deep and still, not a sound to be heard, with scattered stars dotting the sky.

In the dead of night, Zhu Jianghua quietly got up for some unknown reason. He fumbled in the dark to open Zhu Kaixin's door and walked straight in...

After a moment, Zhu Jianghua emerged carrying a dark shadow. By the faint starlight, one could barely make out that what he held in his hands was none other than the Fire Cicada Snake King's hatchling.

Zhu Jianghua carried the Fire Cicada Snake King hatchling back to his own bedroom.

"Honey, do you think that fool Ping'an is genuinely stupid or just pretending? This Fire Cicada Snake King hatchling has clearly bonded with him as its master. With the Fire Cicada Snake King's intelligence, once it grows up, it'll probably eat the both of us."

Xia Yue glanced at it, her face full of disgust.

"Why did you bring that thing over here? It's disgusting, take it away, take it away! Your son may be a bit foolish, but he does have a filial heart. What, are you suspecting your son wants to harm you?"

"It's not that serious, and it couldn't hurt me anyway. I'm just afraid this little thing might accidentally injure Kaixin. I'm trying to figure out how to handle it safely without breaking our son's heart." Zhu Jianghua rubbed his chin, pondering.

"Whatever, your old lady here has mahjong to play tomorrow. You deal with this yourself." Xia Yue lay down on the bed with a face mask on.

"What a headache. How about placing a beast contract on this hatchling? Damn it, putting a beast contract on a Third-Tier Mutant Beast—no matter how I think about it, it feels like a loss!"

Zhu Jianghua muttered to himself. As he chatted with Xia Yue, the Fire Cicada Snake King's hatchling curled up in his palm, trembling in terror, its panicked state as if it had encountered a natural enemy...