Chapter Summaries

Xu Ran completed his first grooming session at his pet beast shop, earning enough pleasure points to finish his beginner quest. After claiming his reward, he discovered that his new system skill, Fur Plucking, could let him obtain skills from pet beasts while grooming them.

• Xu Ran carefully washed and massaged Su Xiaoxiao's Blazing Fox, earning pleasure points as the beast relished the grooming.
• Su Xiaoxiao left the shop with her refreshed Blazing Fox, which looked back at the storefront and wanted to stay.
• Xu Ran claimed the reward for completing his first grooming quest and opened the system's mystery box.
• Xu Ran learned that Fur Plucking could let him obtain a pet beast's skill while grooming it and teach that skill to his contracted pet beasts.
• Xu Ran reconsidered his opinion of the Pet Beast Boarding System and praised it.

Xu Ran considered how to complete his next system quest and unlock a new feature, then encountered a hungry stray cat that seemed to understand his offer of a bath and canned food. The cat tugged at his trouser leg, and Xu Ran agreed to take it to his shop.

• Xu Ran studied the Fur Plucking quest and decided to use the skill ten times to earn the Drugging skill.
• Xu Ran learned that 1,000 delight points would unlock a new feature and realized one more grooming session might be enough.
• Xu Ran went to lunch and noticed a thin stray cat watching his food from a wary distance.
• Xu Ran set meat on the ground for the cat, which cautiously sniffed it before eating quickly.
• Xu Ran offered the stray cat a bath and canned food, and it approached, tugged his trouser leg, and prompted him to take it to his shop.

Xu Ran groomed a stray kitten, using calming spray and a full bathing and coat-care routine to transform her into a clean, fluffy white cat. The system revealed that ownerless creatures could not provide pleasure points, and the kitten chose to stay at Xu Ran’s shop as he waited for another customer.

• Xu Ran introduced the kitten to running water, then used feline beast calming spray to keep her calm during the bath.
• The system warned Xu Ran that he could not use Fur Plucking on ordinary creatures and could earn pleasure points only from beasts or pets owned by someone else.
• Xu Ran washed and groomed the kitten, removing the grime and ear mites and revealing her white coat and mismatched yellow and blue eyes.
• Xu Ran fed the kitten three cans of cat food, but his pleasure points remained unchanged.
• The kitten decided to stay at Xu Ran’s shop, and he let her settle on the counter while he hoped a customer would arrive.

Liu Gu and his Wind Lion Dog returned from a successful battle outside Qingzhou City, and the dog insisted on getting groomed to win back its sweetheart. Liu Gu brought it to Xu Ran’s boarding shop, where Xu Ran prepared to groom it and earn pleasure points.

• Liu Gu and his Hunting Squad helped repel a supernatural creature attack on Qingzhou City and collected materials from their defeated enemies.
• After selling their materials, Liu Gu promised the Wind Lion Dog a new companion and offered to buy it a treat.
• The Wind Lion Dog explained that it wanted grooming so it could look better than a neighbor’s pet and reclaim its sweetheart.
• Liu Gu agreed to take the Wind Lion Dog to a nearby boarding shop for grooming.
• Xu Ran greeted Liu Gu at his shop, agreed to make the Wind Lion Dog look its best, and used the system to appraise its grooming needs.

Xu Ran groomed Liu Gu’s Wind Lion Dog, transforming its filthy coat into elegant pale green fur while the dog blissfully enjoyed the session. Liu Gu left the shop amazed by his pet beast’s new appearance, while the Wind Lion Dog looked back reluctantly.

• Liu Gu initially balked at the 26,666-yuan grooming fee, but the Wind Lion Dog persuaded him to pay.
• Xu Ran brought the Wind Lion Dog to the grooming room, where the dog eagerly accepted the bath and grooming.
• Xu Ran washed and massaged the Wind Lion Dog, earning growing pleasure points as the dog howled in delight.
• Liu Gu rushed into the grooming room after hearing the Wind Lion Dog’s strange howl, then left reassured when Xu Ran explained the dog was enjoying himself.
• Xu Ran brought out the freshly groomed Wind Lion Dog, and Liu Gu stared in disbelief at his pet’s elegant new appearance.

After unlocking the system’s lucky draw, Xu Ran spent pleasure points to obtain a cat teaser and an Awakening Stone. He used the stone to awaken the shop’s kitten into a Lightning-Chasing Cat and decided to make it his first contracted pet beast.

• Xu Ran checked his system panel and discovered that reaching 1,000 pleasure points had unlocked the lucky draw.
• Xu Ran made two single draws, winning a high-quality cat teaser and an Awakening Stone.
• Xu Ran used the cat teaser to draw the returning kitten into his arms, then pressed the Awakening Stone to its forehead.
• The kitten awakened as a lightning-attribute Lightning-Chasing Cat, and Xu Ran decided it would become his first contracted pet beast.
• The Lightning-Chasing Cat rubbed against Xu Ran and agreed to stay with him.

Xu Ran contracted the kitten, named her Purple Cloud, and inspected her detailed status through the system. He tested her three skills and confirmed he could teach her new ones, leaving him ready to try teaching Claw Edge.

• Xu Ran used his contract power to bind the kitten to him and gained a boost to his physical abilities.
• Xu Ran named the kitten Purple Cloud and checked her updated system panel, which showed her growth, species rank, and skills.
• Xu Ran tested Purple Cloud's Electric Spark, Electric Arc, and Bite, learning how each skill worked and increasing their proficiency.
• Xu Ran prepared to teach Purple Cloud the skill Claw Edge.

Xu Ran taught Purple Cloud the Claw Edge skill, and she demonstrated its cutting power before they reopened the shop. At school, Su Xiaoxiao learned that her Blazing Fox’s appearance and aloof temperament could hurt her chances in an important pet quality assessment, while rival Duan Anxun boasted that her Rainbow Cloud Parrot would take first place.

• Xu Ran taught Purple Cloud Claw Edge, and she used it to slice a hard bone into smooth pieces.
• Xu Ran reopened the shop, while Purple Cloud lounged beside him at the counter.
• Su Xiaoxiao arrived at class for a pet quality assessment that could determine who represented the school in Qingzhou City's Young Beast Tamers' Pet Beauty Contest.
• Lin Yue encouraged Su Xiaoxiao, but Du Ting mocked her Blazing Fox’s patchy fur and aloof temperament.
• Duan Anxun arrived with her Rainbow Cloud Parrot and declared that Su Xiaoxiao had no chance of winning first place.

Su Xiaoxiao and Lin Yue faced off against Duan Anxun during their class’s pet beast appearance assessment. After Duan Anxun earned an impressive score, Su Xiaoxiao stepped into the arena to begin her own demonstration.

• Duan Anxun and Du Ting bragged about spending two thousand on grooming, while Su Xiaoxiao admitted she had spent 6,666; Lin Yue vowed to help her get a refund after school.
• Duan Anxun performed a three-minute routine with her Rainbow Cloud Parrot, Little Rainbow Cloud, and earned 97.4 points.
• While Duan Anxun’s performance drew the students’ attention, Su Xiaoxiao communicated with her Blazing Fox, Little Flame, who was lounging at home watching a show and eating her snacks.
• Lin Yue demonstrated with her Azure Wind Eagle and scored 86.3 points.
• Su Xiaoxiao promised Little Flame another grooming session if it performed well, then entered the arena as the next student to be assessed.

Su Xiaoxiao’s newly groomed Blazing Fox impressed the judges and earned her the top score, qualifying her for Qingzhou City’s Junior Beastmasters’ Pet Beast Beauty Contest. Lin Yue brought her Azure Wind Eagle to Xu Ran’s shop for grooming, while the system warned him against grooming Su Xiaoxiao’s Blazing Fox again so soon.

• Su Xiaoxiao’s Blazing Fox performed in perfect harmony with her and earned a score of 99.2, securing her place in the city contest.
• Su Xiaoxiao and Lin Yue returned to Xu Ran’s shop, where Lin Yue decided to pay for grooming for her Azure Wind Eagle.
• Xu Ran appraised the Azure Wind Eagle and agreed to groom it for 6,666 yuan after Lin Yue refused to wait for a discount.
• Su Xiaoxiao asked Xu Ran to groom her Blazing Fox again, but the system warned that frequent grooming could harm its coat.
• Xu Ran refused Su Xiaoxiao’s request and took Lin Yue and her Azure Wind Eagle into the grooming room.

Xu Ran groomed Lin Yue’s Azure Wind Eagle while Su Xiaoxiao’s Blazing Fox grew jealous of her attention to Purple Cloud. After the Blazing Fox challenged Purple Cloud to a spar, Xu Ran agreed to arrange one once he finished the grooming session.

• Xu Ran began grooming Lin Yue’s Azure Wind Eagle, which responded with growing pleasure as he washed and treated its feathers.
• Su Xiaoxiao admired Purple Cloud, and the Blazing Fox became jealous when she praised the cat.
• The Blazing Fox expressed a desire to fight Purple Cloud, and Su Xiaoxiao asked whether they could spar.
• Purple Cloud accepted the challenge, and Xu Ran agreed to the spar after he finished grooming the Azure Wind Eagle.

Xu Ran finished grooming Lin Yue’s Azure Wind Eagle, then faced Su Xiaoxiao and her Blazing Fox in a sparring match against Purple Cloud. The battle began with Purple Cloud’s Electric Spark exploding against the Blazing Fox’s Flame Wall.

• Xu Ran completed the Azure Wind Eagle’s grooming, and Lin Yue was thrilled by its transformed appearance.
• Su Xiaoxiao stayed behind to spar with Xu Ran, while Lin Yue joined them at the Tianhong Arena.
• The referee started the match, and Purple Cloud and the Blazing Fox prepared to fight with lightning and fire.
• Purple Cloud rushed forward with Electric Arc, but the Blazing Fox blocked its approach with Flame Wall.
• Purple Cloud hesitated at the heat until Xu Ran ordered Electric Spark, which it fired into the wall of flames.

Xu Ran and Purple Cloud lost a spar to Su Xiaoxiao and the Blazing Fox, but Xu Ran reassured Purple Cloud and reviewed their mistakes. He left determined to use his system to improve, while Purple Cloud looked forward to training and fighting again.

• Purple Cloud charged through the dust at Xu Ran's command, but the Blazing Fox used Flame Eyes to spot it and Flame Dance to engulf it in fire.
• Xu Ran carried the injured Purple Cloud to Tianhong Arena's Medical Room, where a healing pet beast restored it within minutes.
• Su Xiaoxiao declined to stay after Purple Cloud recovered, saying she would recommend Xu Ran's grooming service to her classmates.
• Xu Ran told the discouraged Purple Cloud that they had both made mistakes and promised to do better together.
• Xu Ran checked his system panel and considered whether his next prize draw might give him combat experience.

Xu Ran fed and studied with Purple Cloud before opening the Starfire Foster Shop the next morning. Liu Gu returned with a newly summoned Sea Wave Flower that urgently needed grooming.

• Xu Ran gave Purple Cloud canned food and shared his dinner with it, then promised to buy suitable pet-beast supplies the next day.
• Xu Ran read Beast Taming Basics while Purple Cloud settled under the quilt beside him.
• The next morning, Xu Ran opened the shop and continued studying while Purple Cloud lounged on the counter.
• Liu Gu arrived with his Wind Lion Dog and asked Xu Ran to groom another pet beast instead.
• Liu Gu summoned a Sea Wave Flower, and Xu Ran's appraisal showed that it urgently needed grooming.

Xu Ran groomed Liu Gu’s aloof Sea Wave Flower and discovered that cleaning it brought the pet beast immense happiness. Liu Gu waited in the lounge, puzzled by the strange sounds from the grooming room, while the Wind Lion Dog knew exactly what was happening.

• Liu Gu brought his newly contracted Sea Wave Flower to Xu Ran for grooming, hoping the experience would help it warm up to him.
• Xu Ran received grooming knowledge about water-type and special-type pet beasts from the system and learned that Sea Wave Flowers hid grime inside their bodies.
• Xu Ran soaked and scrubbed the Sea Wave Flower, earning repeated Happiness Points as it enjoyed the cleaning.
• Liu Gu heard the Sea Wave Flower making strange sounds from the grooming room, and the Wind Lion Dog reassured him while wishing it could be groomed instead.

Xu Ran finished grooming Liu Gu’s Sea Wave Flower and helped Liu Gu understand that the pet beast’s aloofness came from irritation over being dirty. After discovering that Liu Gu’s visit had coincided with lucky system rewards, Xu Ran prepared to teach Purple Cloud Self-Healing and set out with a revised plan.

• Xu Ran returned Sea Wave Flower to Liu Gu, who washed his hands and happily hugged them when they allowed him to touch them.
• Xu Ran explained that Sea Wave Flower had been irritable because grime inside their body bothered their cleanliness, and Liu Gu apologized for misunderstanding them.
• Xu Ran saw that grooming Sea Wave Flower had earned him the teachable skill Self-Healing and more Happiness Points.
• Xu Ran secretly used two draws while touching Liu Gu’s shoulder and received two Stamina Potions, each granting a pet beast three hours of inexhaustible stamina.
• Liu Gu told Xu Ran that Wind Lion Dog had suggested bringing Sea Wave Flower for grooming, and Xu Ran recognized the visit as a lucky accident.
• Xu Ran chose to teach Purple Cloud Self-Healing and prepared to leave with them.

Purple Cloud learned Self-Healing from Xu Ran and became convinced that he worked hard grooming other pets for its sake. Xu Ran bought food suited to Purple Cloud’s lightning element and took it toward the training grounds.

• Purple Cloud learned Self-Healing and eagerly asked Xu Ran to teach it another skill, but he had no more skills to offer.
• Xu Ran told Purple Cloud that they would train and encouraged it to help attract more customers so he could teach it new skills later.
• Purple Cloud mistook Xu Ran’s early shop closing for a sacrifice made so he could train it.
• Xu Ran took Purple Cloud to a pet supply store, where the owner offered it lightning-type feline food to sample.
• Purple Cloud enjoyed the food, and Xu Ran bought a week’s supply for thirteen hundred before heading with it to the training grounds.

Xu Ran brought Purple Cloud to the Long River Pet Beast Training Center to train its Electric Spark, Electric Arc, and Self-Healing skills. Purple Cloud began a three-hour session, but was injured when it attacked its first target and had to heal while continuing to dodge.

• Xu Ran explained skill training and chose Electric Spark, Electric Arc, and Self-Healing as Purple Cloud’s priorities.
• Xu Ran paid for a Basic Custom Training Room and configured it to fire red attacks and generate moving green targets.
• Xu Ran fed Purple Cloud a Stamina Potion and started the training session.
• Purple Cloud dodged the red attacks and hit a green target with Electric Spark, but two red streaks struck it while its attention was diverted.
• Xu Ran told Purple Cloud to use Self-Healing, and Purple Cloud began healing its wounds while dodging more attacks.

During Class 6’s monthly skill assessment, Lin Yue’s Azure Wind Eagle showed extraordinary improvement in two skills despite her training seeming ordinary. Lin Yue suspected the grooming it received the previous day might have caused the change, and she exchanged a startled look with Su Xiaoxiao.

• Zhao You explained the importance of skill training and announced that he would assess the students’ pet beasts’ progress.
• Zhao You called Lin Yue forward after catching her whispering during his lesson.
• Lin Yue summoned her Azure Wind Eagle, whose changed appearance surprised the class.
• The Azure Wind Eagle’s Wind Rend penetration improved from 9.3 to 11.3 centimeters, and her Feather Blade count and depth rose sharply from the previous month.
• Her Keen Eyes result remained normal, leaving Zhao You puzzled about her improvement.
• Lin Yue wondered whether the Azure Wind Eagle’s grooming had caused the change and met Su Xiaoxiao’s shining gaze.

Lin Yue and Su Xiaoxiao’s pet beasts showed striking improvement after grooming at the Starfire Foster Shop, drawing Duan Anxun’s interest and leaving Zhao You wondering if grooming helped their training. At the Long River Pet Beast Training Center, Xu Ran ended Purple Cloud’s three-hour training session and checked its improved stats.

• Lin Yue and Su Xiaoxiao suspected grooming had improved their pet beasts and planned to thank the Starfire Foster Shop owner.
• Duan Anxun watched Su Xiaoxiao’s Blazing Fox score major gains in its Flame Wall and Flame Dance tests, then became interested in the mysterious shop.
• Zhao You noticed the Blazing Fox’s grooming and briefly wondered whether grooming had boosted its training, but dismissed the idea.
• Xu Ran stopped Purple Cloud’s training after three hours and explained that its potion-fueled stamina had run out.
• Xu Ran gave Purple Cloud purple candy beans and checked its panel, which showed its growth rank at Transcendent Rank (147/500).