Chapter 5: The Genius Summoner's Beloved

What could Lu Ningshi possibly say?

She certainly couldn't tell the truth—that she didn't care in the slightest whether the Green Vine was tired or not, and that she simply liked that flower bud and wanted to toy with it for a while.

"You're truly annoying."

Lu Ningshi cast the first stone, adding with a cold snort, "I really didn't want to form a pact with someone like you."

Yu Xuan’s lips remained in a flat, straight line, but his hands, gripping the steering wheel, slowly tightened, and the stern, chilling aura surrounding him grew even more intense.

Lu Ningshi felt incredibly stifled, completely unaware that the temperature in the cramped space had dropped by several degrees.

***

Within the pocket dimension, beneath the pitch-black night sky.

The Green Vine stood on the grass, blinking, and looked down at the lollipop in its hand. It tentatively peeled off the wrapper and shoved it into its sharp, jagged mouth.

As the sweet and sour flavor exploded in its mouth, the Green Vine, having tasted human food for the first time, began to tremble with excitement from head to toe.

"Is it good?"

A massive tiger's head emerged from the bushes, its two fierce, large eyes filled with curiosity.

The Green Vine guardedly stuffed the white plastic stick further into its mouth.

"Why are you hiding it? I wouldn't snatch it from you."

The White Tiger looked at it with disdain; it had no interest in anything covered in slime.

After a brief pause, it asked as if casually, "What did you do out there? Why would the Master give you something?"

The Master currently had six contracted beasts in total: the Polar Ice Wolf, the Flame Bird, the White Jade Spider, the Green Vine, and itself. As for the most recently contracted one, it had yet to meet her.

As the Master’s first contracted beast, it had been with him the longest. The Master only summoned them for training and combat; he never gave them human food. This was the first time such a thing had happened. It didn't want to care, but its eyes couldn't stop darting toward that little white stick.

"The Master didn't give it to me."

The White Tiger locked eyes with it, waiting for the rest of the sentence.

But the Green Vine opened its mouth only to stop, which made the White Tiger scratch the ground with its claws, feeling incredibly anxious.

"You’re usually so swift and decisive in battle; why are you so dawdling now?"

"It was given to me by Big Sister, the Master's sixth contractor," the Green Vine replied tersely.

"You've met her?"

"What kind of spirit beast is she? Is she easy to get along with?"

"Green Vine, did you ask her why she doesn't return to the pocket dimension?"

"Is she powerful? How does the Master treat her?"

Who said spirit beasts aren't gossips? They were absolute gossips.

***

The three other beasts, who had been hiding in the shadows eavesdropping, scurried out from various corners, surrounding the Green Vine to pry for information about the sixth beast.

Yu Xuan felt the restlessness within the pocket dimension and slightly furrowed his brows. Why were all his contracted beasts agitated at the same time?

Lu Ningshi had been feeling incredibly bored these past few days.

She kept acting out at home, yet Yu Xuan remained completely unmoved. Even when she used his personal items and broke them, he wouldn't get angry; he would simply place a silent order to buy two more—one for him, and one for her.

His temper was so good that she was starting to find it difficult to keep up the act.

Lu Ningshi rolled over and sat up. "It seems it's time to run away from home."

Having made up her mind, she stuffed a cucumber-flavored potato chip into her mouth, chewed it with a loud "crunch, crunch," and swallowed with a determined look in her eyes.

Golden sunlight, like a thief, sneaked through the gaps in the window and crept into the house.

Yu Xuan returned from outside holding the singles tournament rankings. The moment he opened the door, his movements faltered, and he stood in the doorway, motionless.

The house was too quiet.

The noise from the television was gone, the scattered trash had vanished, and the floor was as clean as if he had just finished scrubbing it. Most importantly, the person who usually lay on the sofa and would give a very perfunctory "You're back" without lifting her head when he returned, had disappeared.

Yu Xuan was very familiar with this scene. Before Lu Ningshi arrived, he had lived this kind of cold, silent life all along.

The place that had been lively for half a month had returned to its usual stillness. He should have been happy, but his heart sank to the bottom.

Yu Xuan masked the dark, heavy look in his eyes, walked to the guest bedroom, and knocked on the door. "Xiao Man."

His cold voice rang out, and after it faded, the room fell into an eerie silence.

Without hesitation, he turned the handle. What met his eyes was an empty, messy bed.

Yu Xuan stood there watching for a long time, unaware that the door handle was slightly deforming under his grip.

***

At the video game arcade.

On one screen, a character holding an M416 rode a motorcycle, fighting its way through a horde of zombies.

"The Summoner's Tournament starts the day after tomorrow. You're actually not training and came here to play games instead?" a man's voice suddenly rang out from behind.

"In the team competition, no one is a match for our Ghost Guild."

The arrogant remark made the questioner chuckle. "It's fortunate that Yu Xuan is only participating in the singles tournament; otherwise, how could you be as relaxed as you are now?"

"Yu Xuan?"

The man snorted with disdain. "He's nothing but trash that we discarded."

"Hey, what’s this about Yu Xuan being discarded?"

The man turned his head and saw a woman with wine-red curly hair, wearing a jade-green cheongsam that accentuated her alluring curves. His eyes lit up.

He squinted at her, not forgetting to flirt, "Are you a fan of Yu Xuan? Instead of being a fan of his, why not be a fan of mine? I promise to be especially passionate toward you."

"I'm asking you a question. One more word of nonsense, and see if I don't rip your mouth apart," Lu Ningshi threatened impatiently.

"Spunky. I like it."

Not only was the man not afraid, but he also laughed even more ostentatiously.

"If you want to know the reason, you have to pay a little something."

He stood up, one hand in his pocket, and slouched his way over to her. He leaned down and tapped his own cheek. "How about you give me a kiss, and I'll tell you?"

Lu Ningshi's eyelid twitched as he leaned in, and she swiftly threw a punch at his face.

Watching his head snap to the side from the impact, she sneered, "A strike is a kiss. If you want to be 'kissed' so badly, I'll make sure you're satisfied."

"You're feisty. You talk so much—later, I'll make sure you talk until you've had enough."

The man licked his lips, staring at her with a dark, venomous gaze.

"Do you know? Talking tough only makes you die faster."

Lu Ningshi scoffed.

She looked down at him like an ant on the ground, holding her head high, completely fearless.

"Hmph, you're courting death!"

The man was furious and lunged forward quickly.

Lu Ningshi stepped back with her right foot, blocked in front of her with both hands, and took a fighting stance.

The moment they clashed, Lu Ningshi suddenly vanished before their eyes.

"A contractor?"

The man was stunned for a moment.

The other man, who had been standing to the side with his arms crossed, watching the show with interest, was surprised for a second by Lu Ningshi's sudden disappearance. When he turned to look at the man, his expression shifted abruptly.

"Ji Shen, why are your lips purple?"

"What?"

After the man channeled his internal energy, he said anxiously, "This is bad, I've been poisoned. Take me to a healer, quickly!"

Lu Ningshi stood in the living room, her posture unchanged.

From the video game arcade to being surrounded by five spirit beasts in the dark, and then, before she could even react, being transported back to the bright hall.

Switching from white to black and back to white in the blink of an eye, Lu Ningshi blinked her eyes, and after the irritation, tears began to stream down her face.

Yu Xuan was sitting upright on the sofa, his face cold, just about to demand where she had gone, but when he saw her suddenly burst into tears, his heart surged with panic.