Chapter 44: Have a Good Thing to Eat

"Ha ha, I spent time training Firefang, didn't I? Otherwise, how could I have topped the special admission exam? Firefang, what do you think?" Qiao Sang chuckled awkwardly and patted Firefang, who was by his side.

Now that graduation is over, explaining to the homeroom teacher is no longer important; what matters most is explaining to his mother.

"Fire."

Firefang nodded seriously, responding cooperatively.

Before his mother could speak, the homeroom teacher said, "To top the special admission exam is really impressive."

He smiled at Qiao Sang but was speaking to his mother, "Qiao Sang's mom, how are you feeling?"

Qiao Sang's body stiffened; the homeroom teacher was definitely doing this on purpose!

His mother glanced at Qiao Sang with a knowing look and turned to smile, "I'm doing pretty well."

"Mom, Auntie called me, I'll go over there first." Seizing the opportunity when someone from another table called her, Qiao Sang quickly excused herself and left.

"Auntie, you called me?" Qiao Sang breathed a sigh of relief as she approached the nearby table.

Most of the people at this table were relatives from her mother's side.

Her mother had three brothers and one sister.

Apart from her third uncle, who stayed in this area, the other two uncles and her aunt had moved to other provinces.

Her third uncle lived not in Hanggang City but in Qitang Town, about 90 kilometers away from Hanggang City.

Qitang Town, Qiao Sang's hometown, where her mother was born.

Her third uncle had stayed in this small town all his life, not for any other reason but to take good care of her grandparents. Her third aunt had stayed with him as well.

They had two children, and even though their eldest son was in college, they had never had a proper vacation.

For Qiao Sang, the relatives on her mother's side were closer, especially those in her third uncle's family.

After all, they were in the same province, and they would visit each other during holidays.

"Qiao Sang, do you want to come over during the summer? Your grandparents miss you. If it weren't for their poor health, they would have come to see you this time," her third aunt said with a smile.

Her third aunt was not a Beastmaster and did not have the benefits of a Beast Codex or a pet beast's support, so the signs of age were more evident on her face.

"Sure, I'll come over in mid-July," Qiao Sang replied, giving a specific date.

Actually, she had already planned to spend the summer in her hometown.

Qiao Sang's home was on the sixth floor, and training Firefang in the neighborhood was not convenient.

As a fire-type pet beast, Firefang could easily damage the neighborhood's greenery with a slight burst of flames.

Qitang Town was different.

Qiao Sang's home in Qitang Town had a large yard at the back.

There was also a small forest near Tanan Township, which was a very suitable place for training.

Qiao Sang had calculated the time. In a few days, on June 30th, there would be an F-level Beastmaster competition in Hanggang City, which she could sign up for. She could participate in the competition and then return to her hometown.

For Qiao Sang, the competition was not a competition but a naked point system!

"Great, I'll be waiting for you then," her third aunt said with a smile, her gaze shifting to Qiao Sang's arms. "Is this your contracted pet beast? It's so cute."

She reached out to pet it.

Firefang closed its eyes in comfort.

Qiao Sang felt relieved; sometimes, whether a pet beast likes you or not is really a mystery.

...

After the banquet, Qiao Sang's mother went shopping with her third aunt, and Qiao Sang returned home first.

She didn't dare to ask Firefang for help and cleaned the house thoroughly by herself.

Only when the house looked spotless did Qiao Sang feel a bit relieved.

Now that the high school entrance exam was over and she had been admitted to Shengshui High School, everything that needed to happen had happened.

Even if she had taken nearly two weeks off without her mother's knowledge, seeing such a clean house when she returned home, her mother probably wouldn't say anything...

Qiao Sang brought Firefang to the neighborhood and wanted to start the usual speed training.

"Fire."

Firefang shook its head, unwilling.

It had just dressed up so nicely; wouldn't training and sweating ruin everything?

"You seem to have an idol's burden," Qiao Sang squatted down and patted Firefang, smiling.

Firefang usually initiated training, but this time, to maintain its appearance, it was rare for it to be unwilling to train. Qiao Sang naturally did not force it.

"Fire~"

Firefang hesitated.

"I'll take you to have a good thing to eat," Qiao Sang said, picking up Firefang.

"Fire?"

Firefang called out in confusion.

Didn't we just eat?

Eat again?

It turned its head and thought for a moment.

Actually... it's not impossible...

Firefang followed Qiao Sang to a local snack shop without resistance.

"Boss, three super spicy wings, please."

"Sure thing!"

Qiao Sang found an empty seat and sat down with Firefang.

"Fire?"

Firefang blinked its wet eyes.

Are three skewers enough?

"Enough," Qiao Sang smiled and continued, "After we finish eating, you'll try to release sparks, compressing the energy into a single point before releasing it."

The purpose of this trip was not to eat but to test her hypothesis about skill development.

Qiao Sang had a golden finger and didn't need to worry about skill proficiency, so she had been thinking about how to teach Firefang new skills recently.

She couldn't afford the herbal baths recommended by the vice-principal of Shengshui High School.

She also couldn't afford to send Firefang to a specialized skill training institution, and there were no elders with fire-type pet beasts around to teach her.

So, the development of new skills could only rely on her own efforts.

There were many skills that a beginner fire-type pet beast could learn, but Firefang currently only knew Fire Fang and Sparks.

A few days ago, Qiao Sang had already asked Firefang to try compressing the energy when releasing sparks.

However, apart from a slightly greater power, there was no substantial difference.

The sparks were still the same.

Qiao Sang thought of the super spicy wings.

The spicy oil used was not ordinary; it was extracted from the seeds of the plant-type pet beast, Jiaomoteng.

Even non-fire-type pet beasts might be able to breathe fire after eating it.

So, wouldn't a real fire-type pet beast be able to mobilize all its energy after eating it?

At that time, compressing and releasing the energy would definitely have a different effect.

Although Firefang didn't understand its Beastmaster's actions, compressing and releasing sparks was not a difficult task for it, not even breaking a sweat.

Since it wouldn't affect its appearance, Firefang nodded without refusing.

Soon, the super spicy wings were served.

The wings, coated in red oil, were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, emitting a fragrant aroma.

Firefang's appetite was instantly whetted, and it reached out to grab a skewer.

Qiao Sang quickly picked up all three skewers.

"Fire?"

Firefang was puzzled. Didn't you say we were eating?

"We'll eat outside," Qiao Sang said.

How could they practice compressing and releasing skills in someone else's shop?

If Firefang lost control and breathed fire, they might have to stay to wash dishes and pay off the debt.