Chapter 267: Outcompete Like Ya Bao!

In the pouring rain, a pet beast appeared in the courtyard — its body a pale blue overall, shaped like a fox, a sapphire rhombus gemstone set in the middle of its forehead, snowflake-shaped ears, with translucent white fur on its tail fins, neck, and four limbs, deep, dark eyes, and an aloof air about its entire body.

Ice Luqiya…

Qiao Sang silently recited the unfamiliar species name, then suddenly realized she hadn't given Water Luqiya a name yet.

"Ya…" Like Ya Bao had followed over at some point without her knowing, and stared at the unfamiliar-looking little companion before her with a shocked expression.

Its fur clearly hadn't been shaved yet…

Sensing Like Ya Bao's presence, Ice Luqiya flicked its tail and walked over with an aloof gait, not stopping, but passing proudly by Like Ya Bao's side.

"Ice Luqiya!" Qiao Sang called out.

"Lu." Ice Luqiya turned its head.

"How about I call you Lu Bao from now on?" Qiao Sang asked.

Ice Luqiya stared at Qiao Sang for a moment, flicked its tail, and turned to head inside.

Just as Qiao Sang thought Ice Luqiya disagreed, it gave an aloof cry.

"Lu."

Qiao Sang laughed.

Although its personality had changed quite a bit, the tsundere trait seemed to have lingered.

"Ya ya?"

At that moment, Like Ya Bao looked up at Qiao Sang with wet, glistening eyes.

Since this fellow had already evolved, did that mean its fur didn't need to be shaved?

Qiao Sang rubbed Like Ya Bao's head and laughed, "Of course, congratulations — your fur is saved."

"Ya!"

Qiao Sang turned back to the living room and sat on the sofa, beaming as she looked at Yang Du and asked, "Why did Water Luqiena suddenly evolve?"

Yang Du was stunned. "How would I know that? I was about to ask you. I got a real shock when it evolved — there wasn't the slightest warning sign."

"How could there be no warning sign?" Qiao Sang explained. "Water Luqiena has to go through heartbreak, then evolve using the emotional power generated within. Something must have happened at the time to make it heartbroken."

Yang Du was caught between laughter and tears. "How can there be such a perverted way of evolving?"

"Tell me about it," Qiao Sang agreed.

Yang Du recounted what had just happened in the courtyard and said, "That's all we talked about, and then it evolved."

Qiao Sang had never been in a relationship her whole life, so she couldn't possibly understand Lu Bao's state of mind at the time.

After thinking about it for a long time and still not figuring out why it had become heartbroken, Qiao Sang decided to stop thinking about it — the important thing was that it had become heartbroken!

Meanwhile.

Lu Bao stood before a full-length mirror looking at its brand-new appearance, and after gazing at itself for a while, it showed a satisfied smile.

But unless the camera zoomed in for a close look, no one would have been able to tell it was smiling at all.

"Xun~"

Little Xunbao watched from the side with keen interest, sizing it up over and over.

"Lu lu?"

Suddenly, Lu Bao cried out.

Is Like Ya Bao prettier, or am I prettier?

Little Xunbao froze, looked left and right, then pointed at itself with a paw.

"Xun?"

Me?

"Lu."

Lu Bao nodded.

Little Xunbao looked left and right again, saw that Like Ya Bao wasn't around, and answered decisively.

"Xun!"

Of course it's you!

"Lu."

Lu Bao showed a satisfied smile.

This time, the smile was a little wider.

Qiao Sang and Yang Du were still chatting.

"Does this count as the mission being complete?" Yang Du asked.

Qiao Sang nodded. "Of course."

Wild joy flashed in Yang Du's eyes. He asked impatiently, "Do you have anything else going on tonight?"

Qiao Sang thought for a moment and said, "I still have three assignments I haven't done."

Although she hadn't gone to school today, the assignments had still been notified by the head teacher that afternoon.

Yang Du's surging excitement immediately dampened a little.

Qiao Sang went on, "But my school is having a sports meet the day after tomorrow, so it doesn't matter if I don't finish the assignments today. If you're in a hurry to get to the hospital, I can go with you right now."

Yang Du looked at Qiao Sang seriously and said, "Thank you!"

Qiao Sang waved her hand. "This is itself the reward for your mission — there's nothing to thank me for."

One rainfall and you get a chance to cure an incurable disease — no one in their right mind would think that was something they deserved… Yang Du's heart was a little complicated, but he didn't say too many sentimental things.

Without needing much preparation, Qiao Sang slipped on a pair of shoes and sat on a large flying-type pet beast Yang Du had summoned, and they set off for the hospital.

After flying for nearly five minutes or so, Yang Du suddenly asked, "Oh right, why did you post this mission?"

Normally, the person accepting a mission should have a sense of boundaries and basically wouldn't casually ask such a question, but Yang Du's question at this moment clearly blurred those boundaries, making it feel as if the distance between them had closed considerably.

"I just forgot to mention it," Qiao Sang replied. "For Lulu Yana to evolve, besides a heartbreak, it has to be raining at the time of the heartbreak."

"Rain doesn't fall every day, so I was thinking of finding a beast that can summon rain to follow me around 24/7."

Yang Du's body stiffened abruptly. He fell silent.

Qiao Sang noticed something was off and asked, "What's wrong?"

Yang Du laughed awkwardly. "Nothing, I just suddenly remembered I left the Deep Sea Marsh Monster at your place."

Qiao Sang: "……"

To forget something like that, what a talent…

Yang Du waved his hand. At the same moment, the Deep Sea Marsh Monster, which had been silently summoning rain in the yard, vanished on the spot.

……

Hanggang Brain Hospital.

At this hour, most of the doctors had already gotten off work; the people coming and going were all from the emergency department or the inpatient department — doctors, patients, and family members.

Yang Du was clearly very familiar with the layout here. With a definite goal, he headed toward the sixth-floor neurology inpatient department's intensive care unit in the east building.

He pushed the door open.

"Lili."

A beast with a body of alternating pink and milky white, and ears with wavy curves on either side of its head, was sitting on a stool. Seeing them, it stood up, nodded, and gave a soft call as a greeting.

Qiao Sang was no stranger to this beast — a Talico. She had often seen them in hospital scenes on TV dramas.

Because it possessed exceptionally outstanding hearing, it could use subtle sounds like radar to gather information about its surroundings. The antennae on its ears could also touch a person and read their condition and mood from their heartbeat. Combined with its gentle temperament, it had long been deeply loved by many patients' family members.

Family members who had no time to look after their relatives basically all wanted to find a Talico at the mission center to serve as a caretaker.

Even so, Talico sightings were still rare in real-world hospitals.

The fundamental reason was still that caretaker fees were too expensive… unaffordable.

"It's her, please!" Yang Du came to the bedside and said solemnly.

Qiao Sang stepped forward and saw the woman lying on the hospital bed with her eyes closed, her complexion pale. Even without makeup, it wasn't hard to tell she was pretty.

If she hadn't known beforehand that the woman's brain region had suffered severe damage, judging from appearance alone, aside from looking a bit pale, there really wouldn't be any sign of a brain injury.

Qiao Sang didn't look any longer. She formed hand seals with both hands and summoned Ice Lulu Qiya.

"Lu Lu Lu, use Healing Light on her." Qiao Sang held Ice Lulu Qiya, facing the woman on the bed.

Yang Du stood at the side, so nervous his hands were clenched tight.

Ice Lulu Qiya didn't heal right away. Instead, it looked around, then wagged its tail once, turned its head toward Qiao Sang, and posed the ultimate soul question.

"Lu Lu Lu?"

Who's stronger, Ya Bao or me?

Qiao Sang: "……"

Qiao Sang only froze for an instant, then said without changing expression: "Of course you're stronger."

"Lu."

Ice Lulu Qiya contentedly turned its head back.

The next second, a dazzling blue light shone from the azure diamond-shaped gem on its forehead.

When the blue light faded, the woman on the bed slowly opened her eyes.

……

At night, Qiao Sang finished washing up, lay in bed, and began checking the Beast Codex.

【Name: Ice Lulu Qiya】

【Attribute: Water, Ice】

【Level: Intermediate (1001/)+】

【Traits: First Trait: Water Fusion

Level: b (1229/2000)+, Status (Useful), Description (Can cause cellular changes to merge itself into water)

Second Trait: At Ease in Water

Level: c (67/1000)+, Status (Usable), Description (On rainy days, speed doubles)

Third Trait: Rain Sense

Level: c (811/1000)+, Status (Usable), Description (Can sense rain in advance through the absorption of moisture from the air by its ears and tail)】

【Skills: Healing Light (Ultimate Art/)+, Water Gun (Proficient 455/500)+, Foam Ray (Proficient 341/500)+, Water Tail (Proficient 392/500)+, Water Mist (Minor Success 1677/2000)+, Water Jet (Beginner 36/100)+, Freezing Wind (Beginner 1/100)+, Light Snow (Beginner 1/100)+, Ice Claw (Beginner 1/100)+】

【Points: 0】

Three more skills.

Freezing Wind, Light Snow, Ice Claw… Qiao Sang looked at the three new skills and quietly calculated in her heart.

These three skills were all ice-type. Although they weren't as freakishly powerful as the skills Ya Bao gained when it evolved, for an intermediate beast they were still pretty good. At the very least, they allowed both ranged and close combat, and the attack forms weren't single either…

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At the same time.

In the yard.

"Lu Lu Lu!"

Ice Lulu Qiya gritted its teeth, gathering energy that was nearly exhausted from training.

At this hour it was usually resting in the pool, but today it was still training hard.

For no other reason than to out-grind Ya Bao to death!

……

The next day.

September 29th, sunny.

The sports meet at Sacred Water Middle School was held on this day.

Qiao Sang sat atop Like Ya Bao with Little Xunbao perched on her head, setting off for school full of fighting spirit.

Along the way, Qiao Sang kept saying motivational words.

"Little Xunbao, what have we been preparing all this time for? It's exactly for the arrival of this day! And now, we've finally waited for it!"

"Xun!"

"Do you have confidence!"

"Xun!"

"Tell me! What is our goal!"

"Xun xun!"

"That's right! It's the gold hand—pfft! It's first place!"

"Xun!"

Class 1, Grade One.

Even though there was no class, all the classmates had arrived early.

Everyone was chatting about the sports meet events.

Qiao Sang sat in her seat, giving Little Xunbao a full-body massage.

Little Xunbao kept flexing its claws, its gaze resolute.

Jin Feifan watched from the side for a long time, hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help asking: "Qiao Sang, what are you doing?"

"I'm helping Little Xunbao warm up its body. Isn't there a competition coming up soon?" Qiao Sang didn't stop the movements of her hands.

Jin Feifan was stunned for a moment: "You mean the bare-handed tile-breaking?"

Qiao Sang nodded: "That's right."

Jin Feifan was silent for a moment: "You didn't come yesterday, so you might not know—the bare-handed tile-breaking is tomorrow."

Qiao Sang: "……"

PS: Aaah! Considering I've added extra chapters, can you please let me get back into the top ten on the monthly ticket rankings!