Chapter 274 - 204: On the Agenda
Huai City, Fengyun Arena.
Yan Dingyi and Peng Kai sat side by side, with Wu Bao lying across from them.
"Hahaha! So that’s what happened!" Yan Dingyi stroked his chin and roared with laughter after hearing Peng Kai’s story about fighting alongside each other in the wild.
Wu Bao’s head drooped, its front legs tucked under its body. The light vanished from its eyes as it trembled pitifully.
’I’m so stupid, I really am.’
’I only knew Peng Kai was in the wild, I didn’t know he was at Fengyun Arena too. I was halfway through a drink when I was suddenly caught red-handed.’
’The bug in question now regrets its actions. Very much so...’
"Don’t be nervous. Su Zhi is a good friend of ours, and you’re his Pet Beast. We’re not going to do anything to you."
Peng Kai waved his hand with a smile, then asked curiously, "You still haven’t formed a contract with Su Zhi? I heard his Beast Taming Space is already Tier Three, isn’t it?"
Yan Dingyi chimed in from the side, "The one Su Zhi contracted should be that Flash Gold Sparrow you mentioned."
"Huh? But I thought the Flash Gold Sparrow was his third pet..."
"Wu!"
This talk had Wu Bao wide awake! It whipped out a tablet, connected a keyboard, and began to eloquently recount its series of adventures with Su Zhi in the Ancient Jing Forest.
The short, two-thousand-word account was well-paced with perfect foreshadowing, its emotional beats expertly timed to build maximum suspense. The parts where Yu Bao messed up and Wu Bao had its moment to shine were especially highlighted, delivering a concentrated blast of satisfaction.
Peng Kai read through the whole thing with practically no effort, his breathing growing heavy. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed:
"Update faster! I won’t be able to sleep tonight!"
Seeing Wu Bao’s tiny eyes, he remembered that this was just its description of an event, not an actual web novel. He froze for a moment, then scratched his head and laughed.
"Interesting. Su Zhi’s Pet Beasts are really something else! For a second there, it reminded me of that bastard Gou Mao."
"Wuu~" Wu Bao waved its front legs, a little embarrassed.
"..." Yan Dingyi’s mouth twitched. He was having a hard time keeping up with the thought processes of the younger generation.
’Then again, do normal Pet Beasts carry keyboards around when they go out? Heck, not even many humans do that...’
"No wonder you haven’t formed a contract yet. So that’s what happened."
Peng Kai muttered to himself for a moment, then looked at Wu Bao with a hint of a smile. "Do you regret it? You clearly waited for so long. And you were clearly here first."
"Wu." Wu Bao shook its head without hesitation.
"Why?"
Wu Bao typed a few words on its tablet with a SWISH SWISH and showed it to him.
["Because we’re family."]
"Is that so... Just what I’d expect from one of Su Zhi’s Pet Beasts."
Peng Kai was silent for a moment, then broke into a brilliant smile and raised his glass to Wu Bao.
"Wu!" Wu Bao raised its own glass to clink with his.
After downing the drink, Peng Kai revealed his true intentions. "Are you coming back this afternoon? Since you’re here already, how about a sparring match later?"
Wu Bao was dumbfounded. "Wu?"
’I’m not even sure if I’m coming back this afternoon, so how did we fast-forward to ’since you’re here already’...’
While Wu Bao was still thinking, Peng Kai had already summoned his Pet Beast. A faint purple Beast Taming Light Array flickered, and a mass of purplish-red flame appeared in the air, vaguely surrounded by rectangular, fiery runes.
[Pet Beast: Diya (Purple Flame Demon Spirit)
Attribute: Fire, Telekinesis Element
Race: Low Level Commander
Real-time Energy Value: 3709]
"Sa?"
The flame opened its eyes and blinked. A few wisps of fire floating beside it morphed into claws and scratched its head.
’Isn’t that the Black Fighting Emperor who’s all chummy with Yu Bao? How come I don’t see that bum Yu Bao anywhere?’
"Wu?"
Wu Bao also scratched its head with a front leg and its butt with a middle leg, a thoughtful expression on its face.
’This one’s name is Diya, I think. We briefly worked together last time when we ganged up on the Earth-necked Dragon... Ugh, although it seems that collaboration left Diya with a ton of bad memories.’
"Diya just recently finished evolving and hasn’t been tested in a real battle yet. Since you’re here, how about you practice with Diya a bit?"
"QAQ Wu!" Relying on its beastly instincts, Wu Bao took a tactical retreat.
’Are you kidding me?’
’Diya’s Real-time Energy Value is so much higher than mine, and its Attributes counter mine. There’s no way in hell I can win!’
"Oh... I thought you’d just charge right in. Aren’t all Fighting Element types fierce and warlike?" Peng Kai’s lips curled into a smirk. "Don’t worry, it’s definitely not a normal, no-holds-barred match. I’ll have Diya only use an Energy Value equal to yours, so we can focus on honing skills and tactics."
"Sa." Diya rolled its eyes at Peng Kai.
"Wu." Wu Bao poked its front legs together awkwardly.
’But it’s getting late... Papa Su Zhi is gonna call me home for dinner soon...’
Peng Kai held up two fingers. "Twenty thousand. Consider it me buying you a bottle of water."
"Wu!"
Wu Bao immediately raised a front leg, its expression righteous and solemn.
’Diya is Yu Bao’s good brother, and I am Yu Bao’s good brother.’
’My good brother’s good brother is also my good brother. My good brother’s business is my business!’
’How could a mere bottle of water possibly contain the weight of our friendship?’
Of course, to put Peng Kai and Diya’s minds at ease, Wu Bao decided it would definitely accept the "water money," and would not hypocritically refuse.
Diya: "..."
’This is starting to sound a lot like Yu Bao and Su Zhi.’
Peng Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He snapped his fingers at Diya. "See you this afternoon, then!"
"Wu!" Wu Bao waved goodbye to the man and his pet, then trotted off toward home.
Its size meant it couldn’t take the bus, and few taxis dared to pick it up. Since it couldn’t ride a bike either, walking was its only option...
·
Pearl Harbor Training Venue, the cafeteria.
"Cheers!"
"Woohoo!""Woof!""Chirp!"
Five glasses clinked together. Shan Bao and Yu Bao couldn’t hold glasses, so they rested their feet on Su Zhi’s arm, letting him toast for them.
Xiaoyue sat in Shao Ya’s arms with its paws tucked in, watching the two of them with a deadpan expression.
’So childish. Can’t you all be a little more mature, like me?’
Shao Ya nudged Su Zhi with her elbow. "You’re the host. Get up and say a few words."
Su Zhi shrank away. "But I don’t really want to..."