One simple sentence instantly turned the atmosphere icy.
And that chill certainly did not come from Su Ping alone. Most of it came from Qin Xiaoxue, who already had a bellyful of resentment.
Trash Forest Wolves?
Miss Qin's Wooden Head was among those Forest Wolves!
Besides, Forest Wolves were not trash!
The corners of Miss Qin's lips lifted into a smile Su Ping had never seen on her face before.
Even with sunglasses on, her beauty far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Here in Linzhou City, that might not mean much. But at the Demon City Advanced Beast Taming Academy, any student who saw that smile would run as far as their legs could carry them-unless they were a freshman who had only just enrolled.
Because it meant this young lady was truly angry.
Seemingly sensing his master's emotional shift, Wooden Head instantly covered himself in wooden armor. A moment later, the enormous Forest Wolf appeared in front of Zhou Shuchen, the wooden spikes on his extended claws barely half an inch from the boy's heart.
An indifferent voice rang out in the icy atmosphere:
"What kind of class president are you? Didn't Mr. Yang tell you when you enrolled that there are no truly weak Pet Beasts, only Beast Tamers who haven't found the right path to develop and raise them?"
Staring at the enormous wolf whose eyes brimmed with cold killing intent, Zhou Shuchen instinctively backed away, nearly falling on his backside. He looked toward Su Ping, who had spoken:
"Su Ping, have you lost your mind...?"
Just then, a figure hurried down from the bus and turned toward Qin Xiaoxue, who had made the move:
"Who are you? Don't you know you can't let your Pet Beasts attack people at will? Do you have any respect for the Beast Tamer Association?"
The voice was strong and resonant, belonging to a middle-aged man in his thirties.
Su Ping froze slightly when he saw him.
It was none other than Director Zhang of Sixth Middle School, Zhang Guowei.
An unfamiliar young man followed beside him. His expression was haughty, but the sight of the Forest Wolf and Qin Xiaoxue before him brought surprise to his face.
Qin Xiaoxue shifted her gaze to the righteous-looking Zhang Guowei and smiled again.
Then a light flashed, and a figure Su Ping had never seen before appeared beside her.
Su Ping froze at the sight. So did Zhang Guowei, Zhou Shuchen, and everyone who had stepped off the bus.
It was a tree a full three meters tall.
Its foliage was lush and green, and an endless aura of life swirled around it, yet there was something indescribably eerie about it.
On its trunk, an aged, peculiar face watched the people before it impassively.
A special plant-type beast with Monarch Rank racial potential: the Life Ancient Tree!
No! Something's wrong. Looking at the Life Ancient Tree, Su Ping instinctively sensed something off.
This was definitely no ordinary Life Ancient Tree!
Before, Su Ping would not have been able to say what was wrong. But after contracting Xiao Qing and gaining a deeper understanding of Pet Beasts like this, he could sense it.
This Life Ancient Tree was different from the usual ones. It was a mutated Life Ancient Tree!
It carried other traces and auras.
A bloodline mutation!
This was a beast of Monarch Rank potential. Just how valuable would its mutation be?
Su Ping was not the only one stunned. Everyone was dumbfounded. Some knowledgeable onlookers had even begun retreating, no longer daring to stay and watch.
In any era, there were always people separated from ordinary folk by a gulf as vast as heaven and earth.
Even an ordinary beast with Monarch potential was beyond what any average Beast Tamer could imagine, let alone a mutated one.
Commander and Monarch might seem only one rank apart, but the difference was that between clouds and mud!
At the sight of the Life Ancient Tree, Zhang Guowei was dumbfounded too.
What the hell was this?
"Go tell the Beast Tamer Association right now. Have them send someone to deal with this, and see whether they'll do anything!"
Qin Xiaoxue approached slowly with graceful steps. Only one phrase could describe her words: utterly unrestrained!
Still, she soon continued:
"The Beast Tamer Association established this rule ages ago: every beast within the Dragon Nation's Beast Tamer community has basic rights, provided it isn't a vicious beast with a powerful urge to attack and slaughter humans!
"At a certain rank, Pet Beasts possess intelligence as well as innate limitations. No Beast Tamer may provoke or insult a Pet Beast to its face. Otherwise, they bear the consequences themselves! Do I really need to explain that to you? Never mind that I haven't even attacked you—if these Forest Wolves killed you, you'd deserve it. What utter nonsense!"
Zhang Guowei's expression turned exceedingly ugly, while Zhou Shuchen went deathly pale.
He was merely a student who had just graduated. With a starting point his peers could scarcely imagine, he had momentarily let success go to his head. What did he know of the dangers and terrors of the outside world?
Naturally, Zhang Guowei could not actually contact the Beast Tamer Association or any security department.
Quite apart from the fact that Qin Xiaoxue was telling the truth.
Even if she had been lying, the appearance of that Life Ancient Tree had made him understand that, when it came to certain people, right and wrong meant very little.
Just then, Su Ping finally spoke:
"Forget it. Teaching him a lesson is enough."
Qin Xiaoxue glanced at Su Ping. Clearly, she had also realized that he knew these people, and that this blind fool had most likely been targeting Su Ping alone.
Qin Xiaoxue gave a cold snort, and the enormous Life Ancient Tree slowly vanished.
She returned to the wolf pack with Wooden Head.
Su Ping's expression showed no change or agitation. Instead, he even smiled under Zhang Guowei's complicated gaze.
"Director Zhang, everyone, I'll take the Forest Wolves to the beast battle arena first. Once you've checked into your rooms, come find me and we can catch up! I'll be around."
Everyone watched as the two figures passed them and headed toward the enormous arena ahead.
Su Ping was not angry in the slightest. Although he had already left the group chat and had no intention of cultivating close ties with these classmates or teachers, there was no need to act like some petty upstart, putting on airs and ignoring his former classmates.
Qin Xiaoxue, on the other hand, still looked rather displeased.
Before the two could get far, however, hurried footsteps came running after them.
"Godfather, wait for me~"
Sure enough, Su Ping turned to see the thick-browed, bright-eyed Li Shu eagerly running over. He threw his arms around Su Ping, though his eyes remained fixed on Qin Xiaoxue.
This fellow's beast was also a plant-type, but it was only a Falling Seed Pine with Elite Tier potential. Compared with the Life Ancient Tree, one was in the heavens and the other on the ground.
Still, the reason Su Ping got along reasonably well with him was clearly his unparalleled ability to treat strangers like old friends.
"Hello, beautiful. My name's Li Shu. Li as in the character made from 'wood' and 'child,' and Shu as in 'a pear tree's blossoms press down upon the crabapple.' I'm Brother Ping's godson, and I'm skilled in the six arts of a gentleman. If you need anything, beautiful, just come to me."
Qin Xiaoxue gave the thick-browed, bright-eyed fellow a doubtful look.
The six arts of a gentleman? And she could come to him if she needed anything?
Was he also a Breeder with some special talent?
But that made sense. Someone who got along with a genius Breeder like Su Ping, someone who could befriend a hidden dragon like him in this little pond, surely had something extraordinary about him too?
At that thought, she belatedly nodded.
She had hardly heard of this, though. It seemed a little different from specialized beast-taming paths such as Breeders, mechanics, and necromancers?
Still, it was probably some fairly remarkable ability, wasn't it?
Meanwhile, black lines had already appeared on Su Ping's forehead.
The six arts of a gentleman: cracking up, laughing, quoting classics, getting mad, playing the filial son, and going numb.
They were hailed as the ultimate secrets of keyboard warriors. Master any one, and you could surf the internet undefeated. With all six at your fingertips, you could sweep across the web with no one able to stand against you!
Clearly, though, a Beast Tamer with a fulfilling real life like Qin Xiaoxue knew nothing of this. If she really approached Li Shu about it someday, Miss Qin would not be so good-tempered when she learned she had been fooled. Su Ping would have a hard time explaining, too, so he could only cover his face and say helplessly:
"Don't mind him. Sometimes his brain doesn't work too well, just like yours."
Qin Xiaoxue nodded. "Oh, I see."
It took another three seconds before she caught on and glared furiously at Su Ping:
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"..."
Before you continue