“We’re here.” Wu Chang suddenly said, looking down below.

Yabao, still in the air, was gleefully striding along.

Ever since his energy levels had increased, and he realized it wouldn’t exhaust his energy and fall from the sky, he had developed a liking for walking in midair.

“Stop, stop! We’re here already!” Qiao Sang had to pat Yabao’s back to get his attention.

“Yap!” Yabao came to a screeching halt.

“This is a cemetery?” Qiao Sang turned her head and hesitated as she looked down.

“Yeah.” Wu Chang scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

“It’s been staying here all along. No matter what I say, it refuses to leave this place. I can’t do anything about it.”

“Understandable, probably social anxiety.” Qiao Sang commented casually.

As they spoke, the two landed on the ground.

It had to be said, the atmosphere in the cemetery was vastly different when viewed from above versus being inside it.

By now, the sky had turned dark. Xenon lamps hung on both sides, emitting a white-yellowish glow.

One couldn’t help but question the logic of the cemetery management. A place already eerie in nature, and they had to use dim, yellow-tinted lights that only heightened the sense of unease.

A cold breeze blew past, prompting Qiao Sang to wrap her arms around herself in her school uniform.

“Yap...”

Yabao tensed up completely, his expression vigilant as he glanced around.

“Relax, there are no ghosts here.” Sensing Yabao’s anxiety, Qiao Sang stroked his fur to soothe him.

Yabao, despite his previous experience in a haunted house, had only grown slightly braver. He was still far from being able to laugh in the face of such an eerie setting.

“Yap...”

Under his trainer’s gentle strokes, Yabao’s body gradually relaxed.

“Xun!”

At that moment, Little Treasure suddenly appeared, dangling upside down and making a ghostly face in front of Yabao.

“Yap!”

Startled, Yabao reflexively slapped down with his paw.

"Xun!”

Little Treasure cried out pitifully as he tumbled to the ground, rolling several times.

Qiao Sang: ...

This must be what it feels like to have a mischievous child.

Feeling exhausted, Qiao Sang stepped forward and picked up Little Treasure.

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure whimpered tearfully in her arms, pointing an accusatory paw at Yabao.

I was just playing! How could you hit me like that?!

“Yap!”

Yabao tilted his head back, snorting with displeasure. That’s what you get for scaring me!

"Xun! Xun!”

Burying his head in Qiao Sang’s chest, Little Treasure cried even louder.

Watching the commotion, Wu Chang hesitated before commenting, “Your Flame Hound and Treasure-Seeking Demon seem... very lively.”

No need to force a compliment... Qiao Sang was about to reply when the lights flickered ominously.

Little Treasure immediately stopped crying.

“Yap...”

Yabao’s body, which had just relaxed, tensed up again.

Amid the alternating light and shadow, a bespectacled, slightly curly-haired middle-aged man with a refined face suddenly appeared beside a tombstone.

“Holy crap!”

“Yap Yap!”

Both Qiao Sang and Yabao jumped back in sync.

“Xun...”

Little Treasure covered his face, looking mortified. How are my trainer and big bro so cowardly...

“Uncle Zhang!” Wu Chang exclaimed joyfully, addressing the man.

At his words, the flickering lights steadied, their glow returning to normal.

“Yap...”

Yabao relaxed slightly, but when his eyes met Little Treasure’s, his body stiffened again. Straightening his posture, he puffed out his chest, trying to maintain the dignity of an elder brother.

That scared me to death.

Relieved that the man wasn’t a ghost, Qiao Sang forced herself to remain composed. Pretending nothing had happened, she curiously asked, “Is that your uncle?”

“That’s Uncle Zhang.” Wu Chang explained.

“He’s the one I mentioned who’s been really good to me and even wanted to introduce me to it.”

Qiao Sang glanced at the middle-aged man approaching them and whispered, “Why would your uncle be here so late at night?”

People usually visited cemeteries in the morning or afternoon, not under the cover of darkness.

Wu Chang was briefly stunned before shrugging.

“I don’t know either.”

By then, the middle-aged man had reached them.

“Wu Chang, so you really were here.” Zhang Rongtang said with a smile.

“I made dinner and waited for you, but you didn’t come home. I figured you might be here, so I came to check.”

He then turned to Qiao Sang.

When he noticed the ghost-type pet in her arms, his eyes flickered for a moment.

“And who’s this?”

“This is Qiao Sang. She’s here for the competition.” Wu Chang introduced.

Zhang Rongtang nodded, unsurprised, as he was aware of the influx of students from other schools for the beast-taming contest. What he didn’t expect was for Wu Chang to make a friend so quickly and even bring her to the cemetery.

“Hello, Uncle.” Qiao Sang greeted politely.

“Hello.” Zhang Rongtang replied with a smile.

“You’re a lovely young lady. Would you like to join us for dinner? I’ve made plenty.”

“No, thank you. I’ve already eaten.” Qiao Sang declined politely.

“Yap?”

Yabao, looking puzzled, walked over.

Eaten? When did that happen?

Zhang Rongtang’s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the red-and-white beast. He seemed about to say something but hesitated when his gaze fell on the ghost-type pet again. Smiling once more, he said, “Alright then, I won’t intrude. Wu Chang, come home soon; the food won’t stay warm forever.”

“Okay, Uncle Zhang.” Wu Chang nodded.

As Zhang Rongtang’s figure disappeared into the distance, Qiao Sang remarked, “Your uncle really seems to care about you.”

Given Wu Chang’s earlier story, it was clear this man wasn’t a blood relative. For someone unrelated to go out of their way to cook dinner and search for him in a cemetery, something didn’t quite add up.

“Did you not bring your phone?” She asked suddenly.

“I have it.” Wu Chang pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Did he call you?”

Wu Chang checked his phone and shook his head.

“Nope.”

Qiao Sang raised an eyebrow.

“Normally, wouldn’t he call first?”

“Maybe he didn’t have his phone on him.” Wu Chang speculated.

“He rarely carries it around. There are times I can’t reach him at all.”

Qiao Sang didn’t say more.

Zhang Rongtang was just a side note. Her real purpose here was to meet the mysterious creature supposedly responsible for Wu Chang’s unbelievable luck.

If she had initially been skeptical, Wu Chang’s stories had solidified her suspicions.

The two approached a tombstone.

Wu Chang called softly into the still air, “Yun Yun! Yun Yun!”

Silence.

Qiao Sang stood before the tombstone, glancing back at the spot where Zhang Rongtang had appeared earlier. She suddenly realized he’d been standing right where she was now.

She asked a seemingly unrelated question: “Is Uncle Zhang a Beast Tamer?”