Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

However, they didn\'t seem quite right for Fire fang Dog.

That’s because they were heart-shaped and pink.

Qiao Sang remained silent for a while before tactfully declining, "It’s better not. You saw how badly Fire fang Dog’s last pair got damaged during the match. If your sunglasses get broken during the finals, it won’t be good."

"Yap!"

Fire fang Dog nodded quickly, holding up the broken red sunglasses as evidence.

Song Yuan smiled and said, "The frame of these sunglasses is made from the claws of a Nikken Lizard. I can\'t speak for other competitions, but for something like the Bai Xin Tournament, they’ll definitely hold up."

"I know what you’re worried about, but you have to trust my business sense. It\'s like a delicate girl riding a motorbike, or a stoic man going clubbing, that kind of contrast is what’s really appealing."

That reasoning made sense.

As expected from a businesswoman, Qiao Sang almost felt persuaded.

But seeing how resistant Fire fang Dog was, Qiao Sang felt it was important to respect its feelings.

"I\'m afraid Fire fang Dog may not—"

"If Fire fang Dog wears them during the finals, even if we can’t agree on a collaboration afterward, I’ll still pay you a fee, starting at five figures." Song Yuan spread out her hand, showing five fingers.

"Well, then, it seems perfect." Qiao Sang said.

"Yap?"

---

Inside the contestants\' lounge.

Wei Wenya was sitting on a sofa, while a blue, duck-shaped pet beast was doing one-handed push-ups on the floor.

"Dad, are you serious about this?"

"Of course. The prize is something your second uncle personally arranged. Why would I lie to you?" Replied the man sitting on the sofa beside her.

He had slicked-back hair, wore a sharp black suit, and his polished leather shoes shone. With his legs crossed, he lounged on the sofa like a business tycoon.

"But won’t it be obvious if Auntie misidentifies an A-grade Water Evolution Stone as a D-grade one at the appraisal center?" Wei Wenya asked, concerned.

"Your aunt is a veteran appraiser. No one would suspect her. Besides, she’s in charge of the whole thing, with no outside interference." The man replied smoothly.

"Could we ask the organizers to swap the prizes for first and second place? It’s embarrassing to lose on purpose to a middle school kid in front of everyone." Wei Wenya whined.

"You need to understand, the most important thing right now isn’t ranking or face; it’s the future growth of your Force-headed Duck. Once you have the Water Evolution Stone, I’ll find a way to get you a high-purity bottle of Azure Vital Water."

"With Force-headed Duck evolving into a higher-tier beast, you\'ll have a shot at making it onto Yong University’s team."

"And besides, the kid you’re about to face beat Hou Xiangyu. Even if you lose, it won’t be that embarrassing." The man explained patiently.

"I understand." Wei Wenya finally relented.

Their conversation didn’t distract Force-headed Duck from continuing its one-handed push-ups.

---

“Ladies and gentlemen! We’ve finally reached the finals of the Bai Xin Competition! Let’s welcome the two competitors who have fought their way to this stage: Wei Wenya and Qiao Sang!” The announcer called out passionately.

As the background music blared, Qiao Sang and Fire fang Dog stepped into the arena.

The crowd erupted into enthusiastic cheers.

"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"

"Fire fang Dog! Fire fang Dog!"

"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"

"Fire fang Dog! Fire… huh?"

The cheering crowd paused, noticing something odd about Fire fang Dog’s appearance.

On the big screen, Fire fang Dog appeared with a dead-serious face, wearing a pair of pink heart-shaped sunglasses that clashed dramatically with its tough image.

But there was no denying it, the visual impact was intense.

No wonder it had managed to defeat Hou Xiangyu\'s Scale Controller Doll.

So unique!

"Fire fang Dog! Fire fang Dog!"

In the arena, Fire fang Dog struggled to keep from smiling.

Its Beastmaster had been right after all.

Wearing these sunglasses, it looked unbelievably cool.

Usually, the crowd never cheered for it like this.

Apparently, human aesthetics were different from its own.

As the music stopped, Wei Wenya formed a hand seal, summoning her Electric Prankster Cat into the arena.

Qiao Sang was a little surprised.

Wei Wenya had caught her attention from the first day of the competition, and Qiao Sang had taken notes on her in her memo app.

Naturally, she knew that Wei Wenya had a Water-type pet beast, Force-headed Duck.

But surprisingly, Wei Wenya hadn’t opted to use her pet with a type advantage.

Perhaps she felt it wasn\'t necessary…

After all, other than its defense, Electric Prankster Cat was superior to Fire fang Dog in almost every way.

As the referee\'s whistle blew, Electric Prankster Cat grinned, its tail stretching straight out.

Suddenly, a blinding bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, aimed at Fire fang Dog’s position.

But Fire fang Dog\'s figure blurred, splitting into eight clones that attacked Electric Prankster Cat from all directions.

The two clones charging head-on were immediately obliterated by the lightning, vanishing on the spot.

The remaining six continued to surround Electric Prankster Cat.

As they got close, all six Fire fang Dogs’ fangs ignited with flames, preparing to bite down.

"Quick, dodge!" Wei Wenya ordered urgently.

If it got bitten, the match might be over.

She had intended to lose, but in a way she could control, not by being truly defeated.

Electric Prankster Cat\'s speed was its greatest advantage.

But with Fire fang Dog closing in from all sides, it hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to flee.

Finally, it leapt into the air, trying to escape the encirclement.

Its jumping power was strong, and it almost cleared the trap.

But one of the Fire fang Dogs jumped onto another’s back and propelled itself upward, its flaming fangs sinking into Electric Prankster Cat’s tail and dragging it back down.

The remaining Fire fang Dogs pounced, biting into Electric Prankster Cat from all sides.

"Prank!!!"

Electric Prankster Cat let out a pitiful scream.

When the Fire fang Dogs pulled back, Electric Prankster Cat had fainted, its eyes closed.

The referee stood in stunned silence for a moment.

He couldn’t believe the final had ended so quickly.

Recovering, he stepped over to check Electric Prankster Cat, then confirmed the match was indeed over.

"The winner is Qiao Sang!"

The audience murmured in disbelief.

"That was the final?"

"Not as exciting as the semifinals."

"It wasn\'t even as good as the pet performance earlier."

"Why didn’t Electric Prankster Cat just break through with a Thunder attack instead of dodging?"

Qiao Sang had the same question.

Wei Wenya, who had crushed opponents just as decisively as Hou Xiangyu, shouldn’t have performed this poorly.

In her previous matches, Electric Prankster Cat had ended fights with a single Thunder or Electric Shock, leaving no opportunity to gauge her real strength.

After her match with Hou Xiangyu, Qiao Sang had placed Wei Wenya on the same level of skill.

But now…

Had she gone easy?

---

In the hallway leading to the medical bay.

“Sweetheart, I told you to throw the match, but don’t you think you lost a little too quickly?” The man in the suit said sternly.

Wei Wenya: …

-----

-----