Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

Wang Yiding rushed forward excitedly.

Ever since he saw Qiao Sang’s Flame Hound and Treasure-Seeking Ghost teleport during the opening ceremony, he and his whole family had been utterly shocked.

Remembering that Qiao Sang had mentioned she was a sparring partner at the Hongying Beast Battle Club, he had dashed over as soon as school ended to book a session with her.

That booking had led to this moment.

"Master Qiao, do you remember me? The guy whose Crowned Meow ran away from home last time? You’re the one who helped me find it!" Wang Yiding said, trying to butter her up.

"I was so shocked when I saw you at the opening ceremony! I had no idea we’d both end up at Shengshui High School."

"I remember." Qiao Sang nodded.

With someone who spent money as lavishly as he did, it was hard to forget.

"Are we starting the sparring now?" She asked.

Scratching his head, Wang Yiding said sheepishly, "I actually didn’t come for sparring. I wanted you to teach my Crowned Meow how to teleport."

Qiao Sang: ...

She had already taught him online and even talked about it with Crowned Meow in person.

Both times, it hadn’t worked out. And now he wanted to learn in real life? Was this a joke? Qiao Sang glanced at Crowned Meow out of the corner of her eye, about to turn him down.

But just then, Wang Yiding spoke up, "As long as it learns, money is no issue!"

Qiao Sang’s expression turned serious.

"Then you’ve come to the right person. Both my Flame Hound and Treasure-Seeking Ghost can teleport. I’m fully confident I can teach your Crowned Meow."

"I knew it!" Wang Yiding exclaimed happily.

He trusted Qiao Sang implicitly.

These days, Master Qiao was a legendary figure at Shengshui High School. Even though she was a first-year student like him, her reputation spanned the entire campus, from freshmen to seniors.

For example, right after the high school entrance exams, she had joined a beast battle competition and won first place.

In junior high, she had slept through every exam but somehow managed to ace the entrance exams after only a few days of actual studying, securing a spot at Shengshu High School.

Her Treasure-Seeking Ghost, a ghost-type beast, not only mastered Brick Breaking, a move usually reserved for fighting types, but could easily overpower any fighting beast in the school.

She had even declared her intention to dominate the brick-breaking challenge in the upcoming sports meet.

She also had some mysterious connection to the enigmatic vice principal, who always helped her out whenever she needed a leave of absence.

In short, in Wang Yiding’s eyes, Qiao Sang was a force to be reckoned with.

Qiao Sang crouched down, looking at Crowned Meow with a smile. "We meet again."

"Crown!" Crowned Meow looked at her for a moment, then jumped back a step, its usual lazy expression replaced by a wary look. Clearly, it remembered her.

Seeing his Crowned Meow’s reaction, Wang Yiding quickly reminded it, "Crownie, we agreed beforehand that you would try your best to learn!"

"Crown…" Crowned Meow’s body stiffened, and it reluctantly took a step forward.

Qiao Sang was a bit surprised.

She wondered what Wang Yiding had said to make Crowned Meow compromise.

After all, the last time, it had run away from home rather than practice teleportation through… that method.

Qiao Sang considered asking and started, "Did you-"

But Wang Yiding interrupted at the same moment, "Master Qiao, how did you get both of your beasts to learn teleportation?"

Qiao Sang closed her mouth immediately.

She suddenly realized that he still didn’t know how she taught teleportation.

And Crowned Meow, though it had heard her mention it once, had likely forgotten.

Qiao Sang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Trade secret. I can’t share it."

"Crown." Crowned Meow eyed Qiao Sang warily.

It hadn’t forgotten that this human once explained teleportation to it in a very… specific way. But its beastmaster had assured it that whoever was teaching it would not use that particular method.

And it chose to believe its beastmaster.

Wang Yiding chuckled, "You even said at the opening ceremony that if I beat you, you’d give me the secret technique for teleportation. But I get it. No more questions. As long as Crowned Meow can learn, that’s all that matters. I actually tried a training center before, but their teacher couldn’t teach it after a long time. That’s why I thought of asking you."

"Oh, right, Master Qiao, what were you going to say just now?"

Qiao Sang thought about it and replied, "I was going to say you have good taste, thinking of me to learn teleportation."

Wang Yiding paused, momentarily unsure who Master Qiao was praising.

"Wait here for a second." Qiao Sang walked off a few meters to create some distance.

Making sure he couldn’t overhear, she called, "Little Treasure."

"Xun~"

Her Little Treasure materialized.

Lowering her voice, Qiao Sang asked, "Did you hear all of that just now?"

She didn’t actually know how to teach teleportation herself, she only knew that her Little Treasure had learned by following a… certain method. The real teacher would have to be Little Treasure.

But since Little Treasure would be teaching, it was practically the same as her teaching. No big difference.

"Xun~" Little Treasure nodded.

Lowering her voice even further, Qiao Sang continued, "You remember Crowned Meow, right? The one we trained with before?"

"Xun." Little Treasure spread his paws in resignation.

Of course he remembered. He had even lost his sausage because of that guy.

"Good," Qiao Sang said sincerely. "Crowned Meow ran away from home just to avoid practicing teleportation through… that method. When you’re teaching, don’t be too blunt. Use indirect terms."

"For example, call it internal energy or pressure release instead."

"Xun…" Little Treasure frowned in reluctance.

That guy was such a hassle.

"Work is like this." Qiao Sang sighed.

"Xun…" Little Treasure sighed as well.

Seeing this, Qiao Sang pretended to sigh as well.

"If you don’t work well and earn enough, there won’t be money for energy pills. Then you’ll have to eat my cooking again."

"Xun xun!" Little Treasure yelped, panicked.

He immediately reassured her he would teach well.

Qiao Sang: ...

Though her ultimate goal was achieved, seeing Little Treasure react so strongly to the idea of her cooking left her a bit deflated.

Fifty minutes later…

In the front row of the training field, Wang Yiding watched Crowned Meow practicing teleportation with Little Treasure and suggested, "Master Qiao, I’ll go straight to the front desk after this to sign up for a monthly package. Do you think you could spare a bit of time every evening for lessons? I’ll pay for both the sparring and the teleportation training."

Qiao Sang checked the time on her phone.

"It’s only been fifty minutes or so, but Crowned Meow’s teleportation posture is already coming along well. I doubt it’ll take a full month."

Thinking about Crowned Meow’s posture, Wang Yiding glanced at his own Crowned Meow.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the stance looked more like… constipation.

In the center of the training field…

Crowned Meow had its tail stiff, all four legs tense, its face red with strain.

After about ten seconds, it let out a sigh and relaxed.

"Crown."

"Xun xun!" Little Treasure scolded it, exasperated.

Keep going! How can you be this clueless?

Big Brother Yabao learned this in no time!

"Crown!" Crowned Meow looked up at Little Treasure, doubt evident in its expression.

Could releasing all its energy and pressure from inside really lead to teleportation?

"Xun!" Little Treasure nodded vigorously, promising he could.

That’s exactly how he had learned!

"Crown?" Crowned Meow asked, curious.

Why did the energy and pressure have to be released in such an undignified way? Couldn’t it be directed somewhere else?

"Xun Xun!"

Little Treasure immediately channeled all his energy and pressure into his right paw, attempting to demonstrate why this wouldn’t work.

Unexpectedly, when all the energy gathered in his right paw, a thick white energy formed.

"Xun…"

Little Treasure stared at the energy in surprise, instinctively swinging his paw downward.

Wham!

A fine crack appeared on the ground.

Watching from the sidelines, Qiao Sang’s eyes widened as she shot to her feet.

Holy-!

Brick Breaking!!!