"What? A eting? Seriously? At this hour... Alright, alright, I’m on my way. What could be so urgent..."
Zhou Shengfa hung up, looking utterly dejected.
Liu Junpo quietly picked at his food. "Peng Kai used to say that a school’s crappiness is directly proportional to how often it holds etings..."
"Just eat."
Zhou Shengfa gave him a light punch.
"I have to go back for the eting. You all carry on without ! Once the city league is over, we’ll go to an even bigger restaurant and eat our fill!"
"Bye, teacher!"
The two classes of students he had taught waved goodbye to him.
He was a strict teacher in most people’s eyes, but he was often a completely different person with students he truly cared about.
And then...
"Shengfa’s gone! Now we can really get wild!"
"Eek, Piao, no being naughty~"
"Hey, Sister Yue is getting flustered. Let tell you guys, don’t be fooled by how harmless she looks. She’s actually the naughtiest one of all..."
"Ah?! Shut up!! Shut your mouth!!!"
"It’s true. She often discusses which female teachers have the best butts with the guys. One ti, the teacher even overheard her and dragged her to the office for a good talking-to..."
"Ugh! Du Gang, you too?! With your thick eyebrows and big eyes, I thought you were an honest one, but you’ve backstabbed too!"
"Ahahahaha~"
Once Old Ban left, the topics of conversation at the table instantly got several degrees spicier.
It was like the difference between a class group chat with the teacher in it and one without—two completely different vibes...
The students from both classes were deep in heated discussion, while the Pet Beasts gathered to eat in an open space next to the dining table.
Restaurants near Beast Taming High School usually offer food for Pet Beasts in addition to regular als for humans.
So high-end restaurants even have private dining rooms just for Pet Beasts, complete with Pet Beast waiters.
This wasn’t just for show. So clever Pet Beasts would even bring their own money to treat themselves to a al.
They might even order so... special services... ahem.
If they were caught by the Holy Order Alliance’s patrol Pet Beasts, the Pet Beast’s Tar would be fined and given a lecture.
Of course, Pingding Restaurant wasn’t that fancy. It just had so Pet Beast food and a large blanket for them to rest on.
That was all, but it was enough.
The Nether Fla Spirit, Cyan Cloud Group, and Short-tailed Sparrow gathered together, eating and reminiscing about old tis.
The Thunderbolt War Falcon and two other senior Pet Beasts ford another circle, eating together and catching up.
Once their Energy Value reached Two-star, Pet Beasts could shrink or grow their bodies within certain limits. Right now, they were the sa size as Yu Bao and the others.
The three junior Pet Beasts, however, each had their own unique style.
For example, Xue Li was curled into a ball, her neck extending and retracting as she ate the dried fish from her bowl.
"Quack~"
With every fish she ate, she would give a comfortable little shake of her feathers, and it seed the entire duck grew a little rounder.
’Pingding Restaurant’s dried fish~’
’So good!’
Yu Bao squatted to the side, curiously watching Xue Li eat her dried fish.
’He always has to stick his whole head in his bowl to eat his kibble. I didn’t know Xue Li had it so easy; she just has to stretch her neck.’
"Quack?" Xue Li blinked.
’Why are you looking at , quack?’
"Woof." Yu Bao waved a paw, indicating it was nothing.
Then, he picked up his own little bowl of raw at and bones and brandished it at Xue Li.
’They’re toasting. Let’s have a toast too!’
Xue Li tilted her head. She thought it seed pretty interesting, so she picked up her own little bowl of dried fish and clinked it against Yu Bao’s.
"Woof!" "Quack!"
Cheers~
"..." Xiaoyue crouched in a corner, trying her best to not attract the dog’s attention.
The elegant and noble Huajing Cat watched this scene with a pained expression as she ate her jerky mixed with dicinal herbs.
’Sigh, another Pet Beast has been assimilated by that silly little dog.’
"Quack."
After their toast, Xue Li put her little bowl down and continued eating her fish.
Just as she was about to take a bite, Yu Bao reached out a paw and pushed her bowl a little further away.
Xue Li tilted her head. "Quack?"
’What is it now, quack?’
"Woof." Yu Bao gestured, trying to explain that having the bowl too close was bad for her neck; he was just helping her adjust the distance.
Xue Li nodded in sudden understanding. ’I didn’t think the silly little dog would be so considerate, quack. Though I thought the original distance was fine...’
Xue Li went back to munching on her dried fish.
Yu Bao nodded thoughtfully.
’Her neck really did get longer!’
’I wonder if it can go even longer?’
"A-woof!"
Yu Bao put on a surprised expression, as if he had seen sothing.
"Quack?" With a half-eaten fish in her beak, Xue Li curiously turned her head to follow his gaze.
Then, Yu Bao seized the opportunity to move her bowl even farther away.
When Xue Li turned back, she paused for a mont. ’Does the bowl seem... farther away?’
’But it’s not a big deal.’
Watching Xue Li eat by stretching her neck even further without moving a single step, Yu Bao felt like he had discovered a new continent.
So he moved the bowl a little farther.
Sure enough, Xue Li’s neck stretched out again.
So Yu Bao moved it farther still...
"Quack!" Xue Li stomped her little foot and refused to play along.
’You’re asking for it, you little punk, quack!’
Realizing his intentions were exposed, Yu Bao didn’t waste any more ti with her. He just snatched her bowl and ran.
"Quack! Quack! Quack!" Xue Li chased after him with a PITTER-PATTER of her feet.
’Give back my fishy, quack!’
Using Skills was forbidden inside the restaurant, so to catch up with Yu Bao, Xue Li stretched her neck as far as it would go.
And now, Yu Bao finally knew just how long her neck could stretch.
’The pursuit of knowledge is truly fascinating!’
He ran, she chased, and the little blanket suddenly beca a lively scene.
Xiaoyue, looking as if she had lost all will to live, buried her head in the corner.
...
After chatting for a while, Liu Junpo went to the restaurant’s backyard and sat down alone.
Huai City First Middle School was built against a mountain, and Pingding Restaurant was located at its foot. Out the back door, one had a direct view of the lush, green mountain forest that had been deliberately preserved.
The night sky was pitch-black. Looking up from the base of the mountain, the line between the peak and the sky was blurred, as if one could reach the stars just by climbing higher.
"Squeak."
Wanzi floated over to his side with a SWOOSH and landed next to him.
A smile crept into Liu Junpo’s eyes as he rubbed Wanzi’s big, fluffy forehead.
"Senior!" Just then, Su Zhi ca over, holding his phone.
"This is the final version. Could you look it over one more ti?"
"You’ve got to be kidding , man. We’re at a dinner party and you’re still grinding?"
Liu Junpo shook his head and chuckled, taking the phone. "You’re the ultimate king of the grind. Even Du Gang can’t compare to you."
"Hehe, I’ve already finished the revisions. If I don’t have you look at it right away, I feel like I have ants crawling all over ."
This ti, after looking it over, Liu Junpo, for the first ti ever, had no further suggestions. "It’s good."
He handed the phone back to Su Zhi, his smile filled with imnse relief and satisfaction.
"At least to , I can no longer see any flaws in this Skill System."
Su Zhi was ecstatic. He clenched his fist and pumped it in the air.
But when his gaze fell upon Liu Junpo, he suddenly felt a wave of sadness.
"Um... Senior, I still feel like I have a lot of shortcomings. Can you teach more?"
"Unfortunately, I can’t."
Liu Junpo chuckled. "You’re very smart, and you learn quickly. I have nothing left to teach you. From now on, you have to walk your own path."
"Congratulations, Su Zhi. You’ve officially graduated from my tutelage!"
Su Zhi’s eyes stung with tears, and he bowed deeply.
"Thank you for all your guidance, Senior! I’ll keep moving forward in the future!"
"That’s the spirit."
Liu Junpo looked up at the stars and sighed softly.
"No matter how far you go, always stick to your own path... That’s the last thing I can teach you."
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