Chapter 904: Cluster Flower Street

Coming out of the Public Assessment Office, Qiao Sang headed toward the Beast Hall to meet up with Teacher Mikayla.

“Finished picking up the task?” Mikayla asked.

Qiao Sang hummed in reply.

“They said over at Cluster Flower Street, some flowers have been lying on the ground for a while without being absorbed, so I was told to resolve it.”

“Could it be that the Scent-Eater Ants there had some problem?” Mikayla guessed.

Qiao Sang immediately looked impressed.

“Teacher, you even know that!”

While they talked, the two of them had already exited the Beast Center.

Mikayla smiled.

“When we were in the air just now, I noticed quite a few Scent-Eater Ants feeding on petals below. They were all wearing work tags, so I figured they must be the ones responsible for that job.”

She gestured with her eyes.

“Look, there are two over there.”

Following her gaze, Qiao Sang saw two ant-type beasts, each about twenty centimeters long, their earthy-yellow bodies covered in green circular patterns, with tube-like mouths and work tags hanging from their necks. They were sucking up the petals on the ground.

A voice in the same tone as Little Treasure suddenly rang beside her:

[Let me check… Scent-Eater Ant, beginner-level ground-type pet beast. Loves eating anything that smells fragrant. If, during the beginner stage, it consumes enough fragrant plants, it has a chance to evolve into a Grass/Ground dual-attribute Grass-Eater Ant at the intermediate stage. Not very intelligent, sometimes gets lured toward fragrant pet beasts, mistaking them for food, and tries to feed on them. But since its strength is low, it usually ends up being beaten up.]

[Master, such a weak and dumb pet beast, I really don’t get why—]

Little Treasure hurriedly shut it off, and the identifier device’s voice cut off abruptly.

Qiao Sang gave him a gratified glance.

At least he knew the second half shouldn’t be heard aloud.

“Xun xun…”

Little Treasure, oblivious to his Beast Master’s look, focused on putting the beast identifier back into the ring.

“So, where are we going shopping?” Qiao Sang remembered their purpose and asked.

“Cluster Flower Street.” Mikayla answered.

Isn’t that where the task is…

Qiao Sang froze, then felt moved.

“Teacher, if we agreed to shop, let’s just shop. You don’t have to purposely pick the place where I have to work.”

Mikayla also froze.

“I just saw that it’s one of the top recommended tourist spots.”

Qiao Sang: …

All that sentiment for nothing…

Mikayla added, “Since we’re shopping, just shop. Don’t think about the task.”

Qiao Sang: “…Got it.”

---

Cluster Flower Street.

One of Huantian City’s most famous sights, stretching about two kilometers. Not only were petals of all colors always drifting down from above, but rare flowering trees that couldn’t be seen elsewhere lined both sides of the street.

Flying-type and Grass-type beasts often came here to play.

A well-known film once shot a scene here:

It told of a Flying-type beast and a Grass-type beast falling in love at first sight here. But because their Beast Masters were only passing through, they soon parted.

The two beasts pined for each other. Sixty years later, when the Flying beast’s master died, it remembered this place. It crossed the sea, traveling for nearly a year, and finally returned here

When it passed the spot where it first met the Grass beast, it glimpsed a shadow of that familiar figure in the form of a now-huge Grass beast.

Seasons passed, but the Grass beast was always there.

One day, when the Flying beast realized it was nearing its end, it struck up a conversation out of curiosity.

Only after talking did they realize, they were the very ones they had been waiting for all along.

The Grass beast’s master had died twenty years ago, and ever since, it had come here and stayed.

But both had evolved, their forms changed, and they no longer recognized each other.

In the film’s ending, the Grass beast accompanied the Flying beast through its final days before leaving the street.

After the movie’s release, Cluster Flower Street became a popular tourist attraction.

Many people chose it for proposals and confessions.

When Qiao Sang arrived, she found nearly everyone on the street was paired up.

Petals covered the ground almost to ankle height.

Street performers with pet beasts played music.

With the background music and atmosphere, the entire street was filled with romance.

“Xun xun!”

Little Treasure happily darted among the flowering trees.

A sudden gust lifted heaps of petals into the air.

This is really beautiful

… Qiao Sang couldn’t help but take out her phone and snap a picture.

Suddenly, a voice ahead called out: “Darling, will you marry me?”

The street musicians abruptly quickened their rhythm.

Onlookers cheered.

Qiao Sang was about to watch when she sensed Qing qing heading in that direction.

A gust of wind blew, carrying petals onto the couple.

It should have been romantic, but beneath the fresh top layer of petals lay days-old ones, wilted and reeking. The smell instantly ruined the atmosphere.

The woman’s smile froze, turned awkward.

“Maybe next time,” She said, then walked off, ending the proposal.

The crowd dispersed.

“Qing qing…” Qingbao’s wistful voice sounded.

Didn’t expect it to end like that…

Qiao Sang hesitated.

“That gust of wind just now, was that you?”

“Qing qing.”

Qingbao nodded.

Qiao Sang sympathized with the rejected man for about 0.1 seconds.

Mikayla said calmly, “It’s better she refused. In that kind of setting, if she agreed, it might have been impulse.”

Qiao Sang suddenly thought of something.

“Teacher, are you married?”

“I was.”

“And…”

“He died.”

Qiao Sang fell silent.

“Truly dead.” Mikayla said heavily.

“When you become strong enough, you must accept that those around you will leave, one after another. The only ones who will always stay with you are your beasts.”

The mood turned heavy. Qiao Sang’s eyes darted quickly, trying to change the subject.

Soon, she spotted a beast and brightened.

“It’s a Scent-Eater Ant!”

Mikayla followed her gaze.

“This one has a work tag,could it be one of the ants responsible for clearing petals here?”

Without waiting for a reply, Qiao Sang said, “Teacher, wait, I’ll go ask!”

She hurried off.

Mikayla’s train of thought broke.

Didn’t she say she wouldn’t think about the task…

“Hello, are you in charge of clearing petals here?” Qiao Sang crouched beside the ant.

“Scent.” The ant looked up, startled, then nodded.

She didn’t need a translation, its nod was enough. She quickly asked, “Then why haven’t the petals been cleaned recently?”

“Scent…”

The ant lifted a foot and tried to walk away.

Qiao Sang grabbed its tail.

“Wait, you haven’t answered me.”

The ant shuddered, struggling wildly.

Qiao Sang let go.

The ant turned back, angrily chittering complaints about being grabbed.

“Yap…” Yabao bared his teeth from her arms.

The ant instantly shut up.

“Sorry.” Qiao Sang said.

“I just want to know why the petals aren’t being cleaned.”

The ant clearly didn’t want to answer, but after a glance at the terrifying Yabao, it gave in.

“Scent.”

Because it didn’t want to work anymore.

“Gang Zhan.” Gangbao’s translation echoed in her mind.

Qiao Sang blinked.

“Why not?”

The ant was about to reply when a hurried voice called behind them: “Xiao Xiang! Where are you?”

The ant froze, then bolted.

The breakthrough was right there, Qiao Sang couldn’t let it escape. “Bring it back.”

“Yap!”

Yabao’s eyes glowed blue.

The ant uncontrollably stumbled backward.

“Scent?”

The ant looked utterly confused.

“We’re not done talking.” Qiao Sang said.

“Scent.…”

Realizing something, the ant’s face turned panicked.

A delighted voice rang out nearby: “Xiao Xiang! So here you are, you scared me!”

Qiao Sang turned. A young woman with long black hair, in her twenties, hurried over and scooped the ant up.

The ant wriggled in her arms.

“Hello, is this Scent-Eater Ant yours?” Qiao Sang asked.

The woman glanced at Yabao, froze, and her grip loosened.

The ant leapt free and fled.

The woman snapped out of it, chasing after.

“Xiao Xiang!”

Qiao Sang easily kept pace and asked again, “So is it yours?”

“No, it belongs to a breeding base. I’m just the caretaker.” She answered while running.

Qiao Sang stopped.

“Bring it back.”

“Yap!”

Blue light flashed. The ant was dragged back again, looking utterly defeated.

The woman ran back, picked it up, and said gratefully, “Thank you!”

Qiao Sang said bluntly, “Actually, I received a task. It’s about why the petals here haven’t been absorbed lately. Since I ran into you, can you tell me what’s going on?”

The woman hesitated, then sighed.

“Not long ago, the ants were cleaning normally. One day, a Sweetfruit appeared on the street. One of the ants mistook it for food and tried to feed, but got beaten up. The others tried to help, but its Beast Master summoned a pet to thrash them too.

“That wasn’t too bad, they just sulked. Three days later they were willing to work again. But by then, the piled petals had already gone rotten. The ants refused to eat them. Now they’re on strike.”

She added, “Don’t worry, we’ll fix this soon.”

So that’s it. Not a huge issue.

Qiao Sang asked, “Roughly how long?”

If she reported back with just “

they’ll handle it

,” her task wouldn’t pass. She had to wait until the petals were actually cleaned.

The woman apologized.

“I’m not sure of the exact time. We can only say it’ll be handled as soon as possible.”

Uh oh. “As soon as possible” was the world’s second-biggest lie…

Qiao Sang’s heart sank.

For those in charge, a day or two was

soon

, but so was a month or two.

It probably wouldn’t take that long for a tourist spot, but still, she wanted it resolved tomorrow, if possible.

After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Could we exchange contacts? If needed, I can help.”

The woman’s eyes lit up. Glancing at Yabao, she quickly pulled out her phone.

“Of course!”

They exchanged info.

Back with Mikayla, Qiao Sang happily shared, “Teacher, you won’t believe it, that ant was one of the workers for this street...”

She babbled the whole story.

Mikayla listened, then said quietly, “Didn’t you say you’d just shop and not worry about the task?”

Qiao Sang: …

“But this is just your style. Maybe that’s why you’ve become who you are today.” Mikayla finished with a smile.

“Come on, now we can really enjoy shopping.”

She strolled into the flowers.

Qiao Sang blinked, then hurried after.

“Xun xun~”

Little Treasure, at some point, had gathered a pile of colorful flowers. He teleported to her side, offering them like a gift.

“They’re all beautiful.” Qiao Sang praised.

“Xun xun~”

Delighted, Little Treasure tucked one flower into his Beast Master’s hair.

Then another onto Yabao’s head.

“Yap yap…”

Yabao removed it, studied it, then stuck it back.

“Xun xun~”

Little Treasure floated to the backpack, offering a blue flower.

Lubao peeked out, silently reached a paw, and accepted it.

“Xun xun~”

He didn’t forget his

little brother

, selecting a purple flower for Gangbao, tucking it into her feathers.

Gangbao: …

“Qing qing~”

Qingbao drifted over happily, wind swirling faster than usual.

The gust scattered the flowers from Little Treasure’s claws.

“Xun xun!”

Fifth child!

“Qing qing!”

It wasn’t on purpose!

Qiao Sang watched Little Treasure furiously chasing after the wind and couldn’t help but laugh.

Sometimes, shopping was nice, even if you didn’t buy anything.