10: Chapter 10 The Meaning of Family

The Beast Tamer Patrol Team from Yuntai Town arrived.

The leader was a sturdy man in his thirties, wearing a dark gray uniform with a Bronze Rank Beast Tamer badge pinned to his chest. He was followed by three team members and a Blood-red Giant Wolf that stood half as tall as a man.

"Where is the vicious bird? Was the child saved?" the man asked in a booming voice, his sharp gaze scanning the area.

"Captain Zhang, the bird has already been brought down!" A townsman pointed to the corpse of the Demonized Flying Eagle still twitching nearby. "It was the Qin boy who saved him, using his pet beast!"

The patrol captain, addressed as Captain Zhang, was stunned and looked in that direction.

When he saw the eagle's corpse with its three-meter wingspan, and then looked at the Qingluan in Qin Ce's arms that was only half a meter tall, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face: "This little bird... killed the Demonized Flying Eagle?"

He couldn't be blamed for his doubt; the difference in their sizes was simply too great.

"Captain Zhang, it's true!" Aunt Wang stepped forward holding her child, excitedly recounting the battle. "Thanks to Xiao Ce, otherwise my Little Bao would have..."

Captain Zhang squatted down to examine the eagle's corpse. When he saw the slash wound on its neck, his pupils constricted slightly.

Precise and lethal—this was a highly sophisticated one-hit kill.

This boy is a talent!

He stood up and sized up Qin Ce again: "Student, what's your name? Which academy are you from?"

"Qin Ce, Fengling City Second Beast Taming High School, just graduated," Qin Ce replied calmly.

"A graduate? Just formed a contract?" Shock intensified in Captain Zhang's eyes, followed by a smile. "A hero comes from the youth; impressive. I wonder if you have..."

Just as he was about to say something, the Blood Wolf behind him suddenly became restless, growling as it walked toward the eagle's corpse with longing in its eyes—the desire for flesh and blood in a Blood Wolf is the strongest among all low-rank pet beasts.

"Xiao Erzi, stay!" Captain Zhang hurriedly pointed at the Blood Wolf, about to call it back, when a sudden change occurred.

The Qingluan in Qin Ce's arms suddenly lifted its head, its blue-gold pupils staring coldly at the Blood Wolf as it let out a short, majestic cry.

"Chirp!"

The Blood Wolf felt as if it had been struck by lightning; its limbs went soft, nearly collapsing to the ground as it let out a fearful whimper.

Captain Zhang's expression changed abruptly.

His Blood Wolf was a Black Iron High-grade pet beast that had experienced dozens of battles. How could it be scared like this by a single bird's cry?

Unless...

Captain Zhang suddenly remembered a rumor he had heard this morning: at the Armory, a freshman had contracted a pet beast from the unappraised zone, and during the contract ceremony, a single cry had made all the pet beasts present tremble.

He heard that the big shots from the academy and the military even came to blows over this student. He didn't know if it was true.

"Your name is Qin Ce?" Captain Zhang asked tentatively. "Was it you who contracted a pet beast with Gold Rank or higher potential at the Armory yesterday?"

"It was me, Captain Zhang," Qin Ce nodded.

"It really is you!" Enthusiasm instantly replaced the look on Captain Zhang's face. "Oh! So it's little brother Qin Ce! My apologies for the lack of respect! I've heard of your great name long ago! I didn't expect your hometown to be our Yuntai Town! Good! Beautifully done! You've rid the people of a menace!"

He slapped Qin Ce heartily on the shoulder, then looked at the Qingluan, clicking his tongue in wonder. "No wonder, no wonder! Scaring off my old wolf with a single glance—this pet beast of yours is extraordinary! A limitless future! Little brother, are you free tonight? I'll host a dinner and treat you to some wine to thank you on behalf of the town's folks!"

Qin Ce wanted to politely decline; he hadn't been home for a long time, and he wanted to eat this first meal with his family.

At this moment, Qin Jian squeezed through the crowd, pulling her mother along.

Su Wan's face still carried anxiety and worry, but she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Qin Ce was unharmed.

She then understood Qin Ce's intention and said warmly to Captain Zhang, "Captain Zhang, Xiao Ce just got back, and dinner is already ready at home."

When Captain Zhang saw her, he quickly smiled and said, "Big Sister Su! You've certainly raised a fine son! Alright, alright, your family reunion is more important. We'll have wine another day—I'll treat you another time!" He then said to Qin Ce, "Little brother, if you ever need anything in town, feel free to come find me!"

Qin Ce thanked him politely.

Then, under a crowd of envious and admiring gazes, the three members of the Qin family returned to their small courtyard with their spoils of war.

However, Qin Ce's deeds in the city spread through the town via Captain Zhang's mouth.

Qin Ce's reputation began to grow in Yuntai Town.

Qin Ce didn't have time to worry about any of that at the moment.

Because after he returned to the small courtyard, the system notification sounded.

[Ding! The host has successfully saved a child and killed a mature Black Iron Low-Grade vicious beast 'Demonized Flying Eagle'. Triggering over-rank bonus. Battle Evaluation: Excellent. Experience Points +300, Refined Food *500.]

As the system notification sounded,

The Qingluan's experience bar instantly became: 300/100.

Buzz—

A warm and pure energy surged into the Qingluan's body through the contract. Its body glowed with a faint light, and its aura climbed and stabilized at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Its entire body stretched out, growing to one meter in size right before his eyes.

Its level skipped the infancy stage and directly entered Black Iron Low-Grade.

This was a full three months faster than an average person.

"It leveled up!" Qin Ce rejoiced.

At the same time, he felt a faint, even purer wind energy feedback from the contract, nourishing his body and spirit. This was the feedback effect of being a Beast Tamer. Although the effect wasn't obvious since he hadn't formally started practicing a cultivation technique, he could clearly feel a slight improvement in his physical fitness.

After leveling up, the Qingluan's feathers had a more lustrous sheen, and its eyes became even sharper and more spirited. It looked down at its "spoils of war," then up at Qin Ce, a hint of longing in its eyes—a longing for energy.

"Go ahead," Qin Ce nodded. Vicious beast flesh was a great tonic for pet beasts, especially if it was of the same attribute or a higher rank.

The Qingluan let out a joyful cry and flew to the corpse of the Demonized Flying Eagle. Its sharp beak easily tore through the fur and skin, and it began to consume the essence of the flesh and blood, which was rich in energy.

"Oh dear, this is all raw and hasn't been prepared yet." Su Wan blocked the Qingluan's head and picked up the Demonized Flying Eagle, heading toward the sink.

The Qingluan didn't get to eat and, knowing who this was, looked back at Qin Ce with a resentful gaze.

Qin Ce shrugged; he couldn't afford to offend her either.

The processing was very quick.

However, when Su Wan skillfully sliced open the eagle's abdomen, an irregular spherical crystal about the size of a fingernail appeared at the position of the eagle's heart. It was dark red throughout, and there seemed to be a faint airflow circulating inside.

"A crystal core!" Qin Ce's eyes lit up. "And it's wind-attributed with quite pure energy. If we take this to the trading house in the city, it can be exchanged for quite a bit of money. Mom, it's enough to cover the family's expenses for three months."

"Chirp! Chirp chirp!"

Seeing the crystal core, the Qingluan immediately flapped its wings and flew to his mother's hand, its little head rubbing against her wrist. Its black pearl-like eyes were full of longing, with a hint of acting spoiled.

Su Wan was amused and looked at Qin Ce: "It wants to eat it?"

Qin Ce nodded: "Yes, it consumed a lot in this battle and just leveled up. This crystal core is a great tonic for it."

Through the contract, he could clearly feel the Qingluan's intense desire for this crystal core.

"But it would be the same if it eats the flesh, this is still..."

"Then give it to him." Su Wan handed the crystal core to Qin Ce without the slightest hesitation.

"A pet beast is family, a partner who shares life and death with you out there. Use the good things for it; when its strength grows, you will be safer." Her tone was gentle, yet it carried the wisdom of someone who had experienced the world.

"Xiao Ce, remember, in this world, things like money and status are all superficial. Only the strength held in your own hands is the foundation for making a living. It is a blessing from the heavens that you were able to awaken and have the fate to gain such an extraordinary partner. You must cherish it."

"Mom, I understand."

Qin Ce solemnly took the crystal core and fed it to the already impatient Qingluan.

The Qingluan swallowed the crystal core in one gulp, let out a satisfied cry, and then a faint green light appeared around its body. It lay down on the soft cushion Qin Ce had prepared for it and began to digest the pure energy.

Su Wan then began to cook the remaining eagle meat. Vicious beast meat contained energy and was beneficial to the constitutions of both Beast Tamers and ordinary people, but it had a gamey taste and required skill to process.

His mother was clearly very good at this. She quickly categorized and processed the meat, marinating part of it and preparing the rest for cooking.

When it was time to eat, the table was unusually abundant.

With the eagle meat as the main ingredient, his mother had carefully prepared several dishes, plus Qin Ce's favorite dumplings.

Although the seasoning was simple, the vicious beast meat was tender and firm, and the energy it contained made the whole family feel warm all over.

Having finished digesting the crystal core, the Qingluan was full of energy and was also given a large piece of cooked meat, which it ate with great relish.

At the dinner table, Qin Ce talked about his successful awakening, his contract with the Qingluan, and how he had shocked everyone.

Xiao Jian chirped excitedly, describing her brother's heroic appearance in battle.

Su Wan listened quietly, a gentle smile always on her face, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes filled with pride.

"Mom, Xiao Jian," Qin Ce put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Don't worry. I will work hard to cultivate at the Battle Academy and reach Bronze Rank as soon as possible. Outstanding graduates of the Battle Academy are eligible to apply to have their immediate family members move to the main city. When the time comes, we'll move to the city, live in a safer house, and Xiao Jian can go to a good school there."

Xiao Jian clapped her hands and cheered: "Yay! Big brother is the best!"

Su Wan stroked her daughter's head and looked at her son, her eyes showing both gratification and a trace of imperceptible worry: "Mom knows you are filial and capable. But things in the city might not always be smooth sailing; you must be careful in everything. Cultivation is important, but your health and safety matter more. Don't push yourself too hard."

"Yes, I know," Qin Ce nodded heavily.

All in all, this meal was both warm and satisfying.

Qin Ce did not waste the next seven days of vacation. Every day, he took the Qingluan to relatively safe areas near the town for training.

On one hand, he continued to refine the combat tacit understanding between him and the Qingluan, practicing various tactical coordinations.

On the other hand, he began to consciously guide the wind-based energy that the Qingluan fed back into his body, trying to circulate and control it, becoming familiar with the feeling of this extraordinary power flowing within him and the boost it brought to his speed, agility, and even perception.

He clearly felt that his physical constitution was steadily improving, his reactions were faster, his jumping ability was stronger, and he had become much more sensitive to subtle changes in airflow.

This was the benefit of a Beast Tamer strengthening in sync with their pet beast in the early stages.

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

Before the end of the holiday, Qin Ce also received his assignment notice from the Battle Academy.

First Battle Academy Elite Class!

Qin Ce bid farewell to his reluctant mother and sister, and with a simple bag and the Qingluan—which had grown stronger and more in tune with his mind—he boarded the bus to report to the First Battle Academy in Fengling City.

His goal was clear and firm: work hard to improve at the Battle Academy, graduate with excellent grades, reach Bronze Rank, obtain the qualification to settle in the city, and bring his family into the city to give them a stable life!

...