Su Ping's father, that unreliable old man of his, had once told him:
"Women will only get in the way of your beast-taming future."
"But rich women are different."
"A rich woman will buy you a better pet beast."
Su Ping agreed with his father's words.
As for Qin Xiaoxue standing before him, Su Ping trusted his judgment. Her background was surely anything but ordinary.
But after seeing the Forest Wolf she called "Wooden Head,"
Su Ping knew he regretted it.
He regretted turning down Qin Xiaoxue's offer to name a condition just to look cool.
Not all Forest Wolves were created equal.
Take the one following behind them, for example.
It was an enormous adult Forest Wolf, tall enough to reach Su Ping's chest.
It was magnificent, its eyes brimming with arrogance and disdain for everything around it.
True Eye gave Su Ping the most direct understanding of it.
[Forest Wolf (contracted to someone else)] [Current level: elite tier ten] [Species potential: elite tier ten] [Skills: Sunlight Absorption (proficient), Tree Vine Strangulation (proficient), Self-Healing (beginner), Accelerated Growth (proficient), Wood Armor (proficient), Wood Thorn (proficient), Forest Concealment (beginner)]
Not only had it learned every racial skill available to Forest Wolves, but it also possessed three additional skills.
Forest Concealment, in particular, was only slightly less rare than Woodheart.
What kind of fully loaded, top-spec luxury Forest Wolf was this?
The resources spent raising it would probably have been enough to buy several commander-rank Youngling Pet Beasts.
What an extravagant waste!
Still, Su Ping had figured something out. This Miss Qin certainly did not intend to stop at a Forest Wolf. She had already decided which evolutionary path she wanted it to take.
Su Ping shook his head. As he showed Qin Xiaoxue around his breeding base, he explained the remaining arrangements:
"The training should take about five days. During that time, you can only visit your pet beast once a day. If you're worried, you can stay next door for now. If you sense through your soul contract that Wooden Head is in danger, you can come over immediately."
Qin Xiaoxue nodded as she listened to Su Ping's meticulous arrangements. Still, she had always believed in trusting those she employed and not employing those she doubted.
Once the contract was signed and everything had been settled, she told Wooden Head to behave and left.
Watching the mechanical sports car she summoned vanish in a flash, Su Ping felt a little envious.
But as he looked at the proud Wooden Head beside him, a smile appeared on his face.
For him, the training would be complete as soon as he fed the pet beast the Magic Potion.
Still, having finally acquired such a test subject, Su Ping naturally wanted to run a few experiments. For instance, could he add a Forest Wolf contracted to someone else to his Forest Wolf Record?
It would not mean much, admittedly. After all, gaining experience in the future would still mainly require spending time with it and raising it.
But there was no harm in trying.
Watching the smile plastered all over Su Ping's face,
Wooden Head held his head high and cast a disdainful glance at the frail human Beast Tamer his mistress had trusted.
As Su Ping reached out a hand, he instinctively tried to dodge.
But a giant wolf possessing Wolf King's Majesty had appeared beside Su Ping at some point. Wooden Head shuddered and immediately stopped daring to evade him.
"Good boy! Behave yourself!"
Qin Xiaoxue, who had already left, clearly had no idea that her pet beast had become someone's test subject.
By now, the incredibly nimble mechanical sports car, which even floated slightly above the ground through magnetic levitation, had traveled from the outskirts of Linzhou City to its downtown district.
It stopped in front of a building in the city center.
The building occupied the best location in Linzhou, yet no one dared voice any criticism.
All because a golden divine dragon coiled around the building.
Beside it stood a large sign:
Beast Tamer Association!
Next to those large words was a line of smaller text:
Jianghai Province Branch.
After returning the mechanical sports car to her beast taming space, Qin Xiaoxue's expression turned icy. She took the elevator to the top floor, walked up to an office door, and kicked it.
Bang!
Behind the desk in the enormous office sat a remarkably well-preserved old man. The dull crash of the door being kicked open shook him so badly that tea spilled from his cup.
The spilled tea leaves filled the old man with heartache. His gaze toward the visitor brimmed with barely restrained, icy killing intent, only to soften in an instant. He coughed a few times.
"Xiaoxue, why are you back? Didn't you go to Shuhua City?"
Qin Xiaoxue sneered, sat down on the sofa opposite him, crossed her legs, and simply stared at the old man without saying a word.
Under his granddaughter's murderous stare, the old man grew uneasy, his eyelids twitching rapidly.
Finally, once the old man could no longer sit still, Qin Xiaoxue spoke:
"Qin Erlong, you've really outdone yourself this time! You're actually helping outsiders fleece your own granddaughter?!"
The old man blinked as Qin Xiaoxue suddenly stood and slammed her hand on his desk. More than half the tea leaves in his cup spilled out again, but before he could mourn the loss, he hurriedly asked:
"What happened?"
"Talk! What did that damned Wolf Den Breeding Base give you? They charged me three million, failed to teach Wooden Head Accelerated Casting, and gave him diarrhea for three days!
"Qin Erlong, if you don't give me an explanation today, I'm going back to Demon City to have Grandma settle this!"
Watching his granddaughter bristle with fury, and apparently thinking of something even more terrifying, the old man hastily put on a look of righteous indignation.
"What? What is Old Liu doing as vice president of the Breeder Association, recommending someone so unreliable? Just you wait, Xiaoxue. Grandpa will get justice for you! I'll have that damned Wolf Den Breeding Base shut down!"
With that, the old man picked up the phone, clearly about to make the call.
But Qin Xiaoxue snatched it away.
"You old geezer, do you take me for some spoiled brat who throws her weight around and bullies people? We signed a contract before the training. Your granddaughter isn't a sore loser.
"What would calling them now accomplish? If word got back to Demon City, do you want everyone to laugh me to death?"
The old man's face fell, and he asked helplessly:
"Then what do we do now? The Canopy Wolf Emperor evolutionary path you want to pursue requires a Forest Wolf to master eight skills before it can even begin. And now..."
Qin Xiaoxue gave a smug little huff.
"On my way back, I found another breeding base. They said they could develop Woodheart in my Wooden Head. Don't worry about that for now. You were the one who recommended those people, so shouldn't you at least make a gesture and compensate me for my emotional distress?"
The old man's eyelids began twitching wildly. Sure enough, Qin Xiaoxue immediately noticed the fragrant tea in his cup.
Just a whiff sharpened her senses and filled her with refreshing comfort.
"Well, well. Tea from a spirit-nourishing ancient tea tree!"
The old man gave a couple of dry chuckles and hurriedly tried to put away the jade box beside him. But faced with his granddaughter's icy stare, he finally held it out with great reluctance.
"Hmph, that's more like it. I'll let it slide this time."
Watching his granddaughter leave in satisfaction after extorting him,
The old man let out a sigh of relief, then furrowed his brow again.
What did my granddaughter just say?
She found a breeding base that could teach a Forest Wolf Woodheart?
Wasn't that complete nonsense?
After a moment's thought, the old man picked up the phone anyway.
Did Linzhou really have a breeding base and breeder like that? Why hadn't I heard of them before?
Could my hot-tempered but actually rather guileless granddaughter have been scammed?
Before you continue