The brothers had assumed the shockwave was aimed at the audience, and were still considering how to help those in its path and assist with evacuation. But the fireball did not linger on anyone else along the way—it was aimed precisely at them.
A Jun and Xiao Xi exchanged a glance. Immediately, they moved Little Sweet Girl to safety. Then, looking at the fleeing crowd, they did not hesitate. They prepared to cooperate to lessen the threat of the attack. After all, they were to become guardians. Following A Jun's idea and their joint decision, Xiao Xi stood at the front, focusing his energy to defend, while A Jun positioned himself at the exit, imitating the administrators by helping to direct, evacuate, and calm the people—methodical and composed.
But this time, the Tyrannosaur's power was overwhelming. The entire arena shook, the tremors growing closer. A Jun felt his whole body trembling—whether from the shockwave's force or from some abnormal reaction in his body, he could not tell. Even the blade at his waist quivered slightly.
Fortunately, Xiao Xi stood firm, steady as a mountain, confident—because he knew of Ai's presence. Just then, three figures appeared before the children. A Jun recognized them—they were the small beasts who had competed earlier, for they had long been aware of A Jun's presence. Among them, a winged beast circling in the air belonged to the contestant who had activated the cube. Unlike the others who had hidden, this contestant did not think of his own safety in the crisis. He stood up bravely, commanding his beast. With the aid of two others—one from the sea, one from the land—they acted together, untrained yet instinctively coordinated, exerting their full strength to save lives.
The winged beast spread its wings, releasing two tornado-like shockwaves directly at the fireball. This ability was extraordinary—A Jun remembered clearly, it was the same move that had defeated the Spirit Dragon Beast earlier. Then, the other two beasts, ignoring their masters' calls, joined in, merging their powers into the tornado. The sea beast's water ability countered the fire's damage, while the land beast, sharing the fire attribute, added more force to the bird's attack.
Of course, their combined strength was still a drop in the bucket. No matter how skilled or coordinated, the small beasts could not match the rampaging dinosaur. They only weakened and slowed the fireball slightly. The shockwave pressed on relentlessly. A Jun glanced at Xiao Xi. The two exchanged a look and rushed to stand beside their beastly allies, ready to fight shoulder to shoulder, even if it was futile.
But just then, the woman from the judges' stand—who had vanished earlier—suddenly appeared before the children. To A Jun, her figure seemed familiar. She used a technique he had seen before: a massive shield of earth surged up from the ground, blocking the fireball's path. Yet as the Tyrannosaur roared from the center, the shockwave did not dissipate. It pressed harder, straining to break through the earthen shield.
A Jun and Xiao Xi looked at each other, unsure how to help. They saw the elder sister before them straining with both hands, yet her lips curved in a confident smile. The fireball's energy seemed to be absorbed, while the earthen mass gradually dried and hardened. It reminded A Jun of the process of making porcelain. Soon, the flames were fully converted. With a final push, the woman fixed the shape of the clay, forming an exquisitely glazed round plate—a hardened shield that absorbed the last of the shockwave's power.
From behind her, A Jun clearly saw the faint lines on her arms—the same as during the battle with the bear monster—like circuits in physics. The meridian lines were like wires: when current flowed from the shoulder down to the fingers, the "bulbs" along the path lit up. Fascinating. This time, however, it was different. Though still a three-star skill, she used both arms at once, doubling the power of a single meridian channel. It was like a parallel circuit, with more lights glowing, more current flowing, and the effect magnified.
Guardian techniques—the manifestation of meridians was the foundation, and the nodes along them represented skill levels. One node meant one star, the most basic ability. Each of the Five Counties' clans had different numbers of nodes, but all shared one trait: different nodes produced different effects. As proficiency grew, more nodes could be activated, and combinations of nodes created countless variations. By combinatorial logic, the possibilities were endless, though the difficulty increased accordingly. The three-star skill she displayed was already difficult with one hand—using both arms was far more advanced. Clearly, in A Jun's eyes, this familiar elder sister was already a First Rank Guardian, among the top tier of young heroes.
As the saying goes, men and women in harmony—while the woman blocked the terrifying strike, the man acted as well. He had already subdued the rampaging dinosaur once more. From afar, he glanced at her, then activated his cube to capture the offender. The Tyrannosaur's eyes gradually returned to normal.
At that moment, A Jun locked eyes with the little dinosaur. Its gaze was weak, filled with regret, as if apologizing for its loss of control, confessing its inner pain. A Jun's heart ached, emotions swirling—an unexpected thought arose within him…
"Wow, this porcelain shield is so beautiful—it's practically a work of art!"
At that moment, Xiao Xi suddenly exclaimed in admiration, his attention quite different from A Jun's. The woman who had come to their rescue turned around, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and sighed. Her expression shifted instantly from serious and stern to warm and approachable, basking in the adoration of her little fan. After all, this was her own invention, a skill she was proud of—both aesthetically pleasing and effective. As someone with strict standards of beauty, being praised was indeed delightful.
"Hm? The texture really rivals Jingdezhen's?"
Xiao Xi tapped and examined it, muttering to himself: "Yeah—if we used this at home, we could save a fortune. My mom would be thrilled!"
The woman and A Jun looked at Xiao Xi, who seemed completely unaffected by the battle and lost in his own delight. They shook their heads helplessly, then exchanged an awkward smile.
Nearby stood another contestant, a young man slightly older than A Jun. His hair had clearly been neatly styled, he wore glasses, and he looked scholarly—though his eyes seemed unusual, something A Jun noticed easily. After finishing his task, he gathered up his small beast, praised it with a few words, perched it on his shoulder, and politely saluted the woman before preparing to leave. At that moment, the other two beast handlers arrived, looking angry.
They too saluted the woman politely, then turned away with sour expressions, fastening collars on their beasts without a word. They shot the young man a glare before dragging their beasts away. The elder sister watched the two departing victors and sighed with emotion. Then she turned back to the young man before her, offering him an approving smile and a few words of small talk.
After a while, the young man also left with his partner. From their conversation, A Jun learned that this winner, who had earned the "Third Place Scholar" title, was a local resident of the town and apparently acquainted with the judge-sister. Of course, his advancement was entirely due to his own strength, seemingly tied to some family ability, and his recognition from the leadership came from his own character.
"Big Sister—it really is you!"
After confirming her identity, A Jun finally voiced his thoughts.
"You are—"
The woman was surprised, but quickly realized, smiling: "Oh, it's you, good child. We meet again—what a coincidence! What brings you here? Traveling…?"
Meeting someone familiar, she became more casual, asking many questions. A Jun didn't quite know how to respond.
"You're awfully relaxed—"
Just then, the man, having finished his task, joined them. He glanced at the woman and snorted coldly: "Even now, you can still find time to chat!"
"Oh, you're here—"
The woman ignored his sarcasm, kept her enthusiasm, and pointed at the child as she introduced him: "Perfect timing. This is the little guardian I told you about—the one who helped me save people in Sunan City."
The man said nothing. He looked at the boy beside him, grasped the woman's hand, and directed her toward A Jun, giving her a cold look.
"Ha-ha—" The woman glanced at the child, smiled knowingly, then turned to glare at the man.
"Oh, right—child, what's your name?"
The man looked at the frail A Jun with some surprise, as if recalling something, but the woman cut him off.
"I forgot to ask before—you do look a bit familiar, don't you?" She exchanged another glance with the man, adding a curious remark.
A Jun bowed in gratitude: "Thank you, Big Sister, for saving me again! My surname is Zhuge, given name Jun. Please, just call me A Jun." In front of familiar and kind people, A Jun felt more at ease, answering truthfully without hesitation.
"The Zhuge clan—ah!"
Suddenly, the woman seemed to realize something. She turned to the man excitedly: "See? See? I should have thought of it earlier—"
The man, long used to such shocks, remained calm. He looked at the boy, said nothing, but nodded in confirmation.
"You must know Feishuai, right?"
After exchanging glances with the man, the woman turned back with a confident smile. Seeing A Jun's confusion, the man added a word: "Yi."
Then A Jun understood, replying with some puzzlement: "Yes, he's my brother-in-law."
"Wow, the world is really small—you've grown so much, haven't you?"
The woman looked at the man, then back at A Jun: "We're good friends with your brother-in-law. When you were little, he always showed us your photos. His phone is full of them…"
The woman went on reminiscing, but A Jun didn't take in much—he was starting to feel homesick. The man seemed to notice, patted the woman's shoulder, and after greeting the children, prepared to leave—he still had to pick up his child from school, go home, and cook. The woman nodded in understanding, smiled at the children to ease the mood, then suddenly remembered something and called after him: "Tonight I want braised pork—"
"Your—weight—doesn't deserve it—" The man looked her over expressionlessly, bluntly reminding her.
"Hmph—" The woman glared, retorting angrily: "Fairies don't gain weight—"
The man sighed, shook his head helplessly, then gave the children a small smile before walking away.
"Oh, right—we haven't introduced ourselves properly. Ahem, let me do it formally. My name is Dong. You can call me Sister Dong. As for that man…"
Her earlier excitement cooled, and she grew more composed and kind, getting acquainted with the children. At that moment, Little Sweet Girl could wait no longer. She rushed in from the safe zone outside and threw herself at A Jun, clearly worried about him.
The elder sister watched with amusement. Such a cute girl—this boy was truly fortunate.
"She's your girlfriend… right?"
"Big Sister, you think so too?"
Little Sweet Girl, delighted by the recognition, happily confirmed with the woman, then turned to A Jun with a smile. A Jun, however, felt conflicted. If he didn't explain, it might affect his junior sister's reputation. But how could he explain? Would the elder sister even believe him? Wouldn't it sound like a clumsy denial? Hesitating, he responded with an awkward smile, gently pushing Little Sweet Girl aside. She looked puzzled, but being carefree, she simply turned, clung to his side, and pulled him close again. The elder sister smiled faintly and quickly changed the subject.
They chatted for a while longer. During the conversation, A Jun realized this elder sister was quick to draw inferences—she often answered his questions before he even asked them. It felt as if Sister Dong could read his thoughts. The conversation was light and pleasant. Sister Dong and the man from earlier were husband and wife, both working at the Beast Management Bureau, serving as deputy heads of the town's management center. Both were local residents.
Then, the elder sister warmly invited the children to explore the town. It was a rare visit, and they had even met acquaintances. A Jun checked the time on his wristband and hesitated, but under Little Sweet Girl's pleading and Xiao Xi's encouragement, he nodded, though still mindful of the day's schedule.
As they prepared to leave the arena together, A Jun suddenly noticed that the massive, sturdy porcelain shield had developed a crack. Could it have been from Xiao Xi's tapping earlier? Unlikely. Xiao Xi adored the piece too much to strike it hard—he had even half-jokingly asked the elder sister for it. Sister Dong had laughed, reminding him it wasn't portable, then generously promised to give him a finer porcelain set later. She was also a professional ceramic artist in her spare time, with countless works at home. This delighted Xiao Xi.
A Jun thought it best to let her know—such a large object collapsing could be dangerous. Sister Dong seemed to have noticed as well. Following A Jun's gaze, she looked at the shield, praised the boy, but her expression turned slightly anxious. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. With a practiced command, she directed the administrators to secure the arena's safety. Then, she led the children out for a stroll through the town.
The layout and architecture of the town were quite unusual—designed, it seemed, specifically for humans and strange beasts to live together. Everything had two forms of design. The place was bustling, filled with an atmosphere of harmony. Xiao Xi appeared to have already forgotten yesterday's incident, happily dragging Little Sweet Girl from stall to stall, tasting and buying. For children, food was the best cure for worries—and they seemed to have very few worries indeed.
A Jun, however, followed along while pondering deeply. The situation he had encountered in the town earlier left him conflicted and resistant. Sure enough, the small beasts caught his scent. One by one, they broke free of their masters' restraints and gathered around the children again. A Jun felt a bit happy, but also uneasy and troubled. Some of the town's beasts lived freely—walking hand in hand with people, lying in their arms, or perched on their shoulders. But those before A Jun were bound by special devices, their fur rubbed bare by the restraints.
Sister Dong explained to A Jun that these small beasts were mostly combat-type Qi Beasts, uniformly bred by the management center. They had a certain degree of offensive power, so the trainees who adopted them had to use such protective measures for safety. The free ones, on the other hand, were ordinary beasts, harmless. Their equal coexistence with humans was possible because their owners—like her—were local residents of the town, whose views differed from those of the Bureau.
As she spoke, Sister Dong clenched her fist, gazing at the beasts ahead with the same sighs and thoughts as A Jun. Soon, as A Jun had expected, a crowd began to gather again—spectators, administrators, and townsfolk. But today, there were fewer hostile faces, fewer whispers. The atmosphere was more harmonious. A Jun was surprised, but he understood—after all, with this elder sister by his side, people had to be polite. The small beasts now faced little obstruction, happily interacting with A Jun and his companions.
Wherever A Jun walked, they followed.
When A Jun admired the scenery, they admired it too.
When A Jun ate, they drooled.
Then, at Little Sweet Girl's suggestion, he, Xiao Xi, and Sister Dong bought top-quality meals from the town's only remaining beast restaurant for the small beasts. Everyone ate, and they were overjoyed—though they looked as if they had been starving. It cost a lot, but for Xiao Xi, money was no issue. Still, his mother quickly called to scold him. Fortunately, A Jun explained, and her attitude changed immediately—she praised the children for doing the right thing.
Of course, the group was not just A Jun, his friends, and the beasts. Behind them trailed a band of unwilling followers, their faces twisted. Within this temporary procession, two opposite scenes unfolded—A Jun's group was like a sunny day, joyful and harmonious, even the elder sister watching with approving eyes. The followers, however, were like storm clouds, gloomy and resentful. Suddenly, someone in their ranks began to stir trouble, calling A Jun a jinx, warning others to be careful. The mood darkened, as if rain had begun to fall. Some even slipped away quietly.
Looking over, A Jun saw the source of the commotion. At the center of the crowd, one man was loudly spreading his "black material." A Jun recognized him—an older fellow townsman, certainly not a friend. Now he was a trainee at the management center. It made sense—someone from his hometown would know about A Jun and his abilities. The man whispered about A Jun's past, mixing in subjective opinions and villagers' views, warning of potential dangers. After all, this town was already full of beasts, and it was close to the protected zone. People understood the implications.
But not everyone believed him. Some townsfolk and curious onlookers, as well as those with clearer insight, thought differently. To them, A Jun's unusual qualities and actions aligned with their own ideals. Like Sister Dong, they saw in him the potential to change the current situation. After all, this was Beast Town—it was meant to be a shared home for humans and beasts. That had been its founding purpose. But with the Bureau's growing interference, beasts were now treated like thieves to be guarded against.
Yet for A Jun, happy times were always short. Right on schedule, according to his plan, he bid farewell to the small beasts, Sister Dong, and the elder brother who had come. Under two very different sets of gazes, he once again passed through the magical gate of Beast Town, pulling along Xiao Xi—still chattering about food—and Little Sweet Girl, pouting with reluctance, as they set off on their journey once more.