Chapter 290: Singing Actually Works?!

Three years?

Qiao Sang was shocked.

Most beast masters who board their pets at a pet training hall do day-boarding, week-boarding, or at most month-boarding—she had never heard of year-boarding!

And a three-year boarding at that!

Three whole years!

How many three-year stretches does a person even have?

For a beginner pet beast, there aren't even that many three-year stretches!

If Lu Bao hadn't evolved back then, it would have had at most two three-year stretches plus one year—directly taking up half of its short life!

No normal beast master would do something like this!

"Hasn't come to visit even once in three years?" Qiao Sang couldn't help asking carefully.

"Mm." Liu's father nodded and said, "To be precise, it's actually been almost three and a half years. The boarding fee has been paid every year, but the person hasn't come by even once during that time."

Great, even longer than three years.

"Could it be that the person is no longer around?" Qiao Sang guessed.

From her perspective, apart from the person being gone, she really couldn't think of any reason that would make a beast master not come see their pet for three years.

Hearing this, the corner of Liu's father's mouth twitched, and he said, "He's still very much alive, living at Tianjing No. 1 just two kilometers away. He actually comes back every New Year, just never came over to see Sharp Battle Kid."

The moment Qiao Sang had asked, she realized she had been overthinking it.

If a beast master were gone, no matter how far apart—ten thousand miles or eighty thousand—the contracted pet would definitely sense it immediately. Sharp Battle Kid wouldn't still be standing here foolishly waiting for its beast master like it is now.

Originally, Qiao Sang's second guess had been that Sharp Battle Kid's beast master might have run into some trouble outside and couldn't come back, but she hadn't expected him to actually come back every year.

This left Qiao Sang a bit unable to comprehend. She furrowed her brow, then asked, "Why?"

Perhaps it was because the girl before him didn't carry the air of an immature Gao Zhongsheng, and after a round of conversation, Liu's father momentarily forgot she was still a minor.

Besides, he himself wanted to vent.

Liu's father was silent for a moment, then said, "The beast masters who board their pets here are basically residents living nearby. Although I haven't really come face to face with Sharp Battle Kid's beast master, I've occasionally heard people who come here mention him."

"That guy made something of himself a few years ago—contracted a fairy-type pet beast in a secret realm, so he put all his energy into that pet beast and basically stopped paying attention to the ones he'd contracted before."

"I heard from others that the fairy-type pet beast doesn't get along with Sharp Battle Kid. Later, Sharp Battle Kid got injured and sick from a battle and wasn't treated in time, leaving it with aftereffects. Even after recovering, it's hard for it to do high-intensity training, or the condition easily relapses."

"So that guy sent Sharp Battle Kid here. Judging by the way he hasn't come to see it for over three years, Sharp Battle Kid has probably been abandoned."

"Some people are like that—once they have more pets and develop a favorite, the others start to feel a bit redundant."

"But once contracted, there's nothing to be done about it. If they don't want to spend the energy taking care of them, they send them somewhere."

"Like here." The more Liu's father spoke, the more his emotions seemed off: "Anyway, as long as the pet being alive doesn't affect them, that's fine. If it evolves, even better—it's just a matter of spending money. They never once thought about what a beast master means to a pet beast after the contract!"

Qiao Sang said nothing, only tightened her arms slightly around Lu Bao.

Lu Bao showed an uncomfortable expression, but it didn't struggle free or make a sound to protest. It simply looked up at Qiao Sang, who seemed lost in thought, and cleared its throat.

"Lu Lu Lu…"

"Xun Xun!"

Little Xun Bao beside them immediately showed a terrified expression. It quickly tugged twice with its paw at its beast master's hair on her head.

Stop spacing out! Something big is happening!

Qiao Sang came back to her senses, rubbed the spot on her head that had been tugged, and said in pain, "What's wrong?"

"Xun!"

Little Xun Bao pointed a trembling paw at Lu Bao and cried out.

The moment it finished calling out, Lu Bao had already opened its mouth:

"Lu~ lulululu~ lulu~ lu~ lulu~"

"Xun!"

Qiao Sang: "!!!"

Holy crap! Why are you suddenly singing?! And why does it sound even worse than yesterday?! Qiao Sang instinctively covered Lu Bao's mouth with her hand.

Please, I beg you! Stop singing!

"Lu…"

Lu Bao was forced to stop singing.

It didn't struggle, but looked up at Qiao Sang and blinked.

Qiao Sang caught the meaning in Lu Bao's eyes and said, a little uneasy:

"Wait until I let go before you sing."

Lu Bao nodded.

Only then did Qiao Sang feel reassured enough to lower her hand.

"Lu?"

Once the hand was lowered, Lu Bao called out once. Its expression was as coolly aloof as ever, but on closer look, one could detect a serious emotion within.

Feeling better now?

Qiao Sang was stunned. "Feeling better about what?"

"Lu."

Lu Bao called out once.

Mood.

The moment she realized what Lu Bao was asking about, Qiao Sang suddenly discovered that the chest-tight, uncomfortable feeling she'd had a minute ago had completely vanished.

Qiao Sang was dumbfounded.

Holy crap?!

Singing actually works?!

Healing Sound Wave has been mastered?!

If Little Xunbao knew what its own Beast Tamer was thinking, it would probably get so angry it'd have a heart attack on the spot.

"Xun…"

Little Xunbao let out a feeble cry from the side.

It had no idea how its own Beast Tamer was doing, but right now it was definitely not doing well at all…

At that moment, Liu's Dad looked at Lubao's pale face and asked: "What kind of pet beast is this? Why did it suddenly use a sound wave attack?"

"Yan yan!"

The pet beast that had barely had any presence, steadily doing a one-handed handstand, lost its balance for the first time today because of Lubao's singing and started swaying violently.

Qiao Sang: "…"

"Lu!"

Before Qiao Sang could answer, Lubao turned its head and glared at Liu's Dad.

What sound wave attack? This was Healing Sound Wave! A healing skill!

"It's a Bingluqiya, a pet beast from the Ancient Mist Region," Qiao Sang introduced.

The moment she finished speaking, Liu Qijia and Yongli Monkey walked in carrying three chairs.

"Dad, Qiao Sang is the person I told you about, the one who beat me in the bare-handed tile-splitting using a Treasure Seeker," Liu Qijia said, putting down a stool next to Qiao Sang. "You still didn't believe me. She's here this time, let her Treasure Seeker split some tiles for you to see."

After saying that, Liu Qijia shot Qiao Sang a look in the direction his dad couldn't see, signaling that everything depended on her from here on out!

Qiao Sang was stunned for a moment, then remembered the purpose of her visit.

Good lord, she almost forgot about the Gold Glove!

"Is this real?!" Liu's Dad looked utterly shocked, as if some deeply held belief had been violently shaken.

As for that kind of expression, Qiao Sang indicated she was numb to it.

"Mm." She nodded calmly and said evenly: "Uncle, can I split some for you right now? I still need to hurry home and do homework."

"Xun!"

Little Xunbao floated forward, stretched both claws, and showed an expression that said "I'm ready."

"Lu."

Lubao looked at Qiao Sang, then at Little Xunbao, then toward the door.

After staring toward the door for three seconds like that, Lubao jumped down from Qiao Sang's arms and walked toward the door.