196: Chapter 196 concludes here.

Ignoring the shame and indignation of Professor Qi Yao and his Disciple, Yue Yun suddenly stepped forward, shoving the old man and the young man two meters away.

Zhang Xiuwen stumbled back, barely steadying himself as he glared angrily at Yue Yun, who had turned to close the door.

Professor Qi Yao, that old bag of bones, had it much worse.

The physical fitness of a Five-Star Beast Tamer was limited, and his condition had declined significantly due to age; he fell to the ground easily.

Closing the door, Yue Yun looked at the two with a playful smirk and suddenly stomped his foot, the heavy thud echoing through the apartment building.

What is he doing?

Doubt immediately arose in the minds of the master and Disciple.

"Help! Someone, help!" Yue Yun suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs and rushed into the hallway without delay.

The loud cry echoed throughout the building. Before Professor Qi Yao and his Disciple could figure out what was happening, they felt countless Pet Beasts rushing out of the hallways, charging toward them with clear purpose.

Doors opened in every household as neighbors either summoned their Pet Beasts or grabbed whatever tools they had and rushed over.

"Oh no!"

Realizing the situation, Professor Qi Yao's eyes widened.

Yue Yun's shout had alerted the residents. They were closing in and would soon surround the place, trapping the master and Disciple.

Zhang Xiuwen, the student, didn't matter much, but he, a dignified professor at Modu Beast Taming University, still had his reputation to consider.

If news got out that he was surrounded by residents, it would be incredibly humiliating. Within half a day, his entire lineage would become the laughingstock of the academic world.

Professor Qi Yao's face flushed red from urgency. He quickly pulled Zhang Xiuwen and ran toward the roof of the building: "Let's go!"

Faced with the threat of a ruined reputation, the old man Qi Yao moved quite fast, dragging his useless Disciple as they panted and climbed upward.

Zhang Xiuwen gradually realized the gravity of the situation and began climbing on his own instead of being pulled, not daring to look back once.

Although they could have broken into a room to hide, if they were discovered by a resident, it would be impossible to explain.

If Yue Yun were still there, they might have been able to argue their way out, but that little brat was incredibly clever; he had run off as soon as he made a scene.

If the residents asked, no one would believe their side of the story, even if they told the truth.

Ultimately, since Yue Yun wasn't on the scene, who knew what methods the master and Disciple had used to make him disappear?

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

A resident upstairs saw his Guardian Dog scratching at the door and barking wildly outside, and he suddenly understood.

He turned back to the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and carefully peeked through a crack in the door, only to see Professor Qi Yao and his Disciple panting as they climbed up.

"Even old men are becoming kidnappers these days?"

The resident wondered to himself.

Observing the flushed faces of the old man and the youth, and noting that their Contract Power fluctuations weren't very strong, he deduced they weren't Elite Beast Tamers, but Three-Star Beast Tamers at most.

With that thought, the resident stepped forward, cleaver in hand, and stood at the stairwell, blocking their path.

Having just been intimidated by a handgun, Professor Qi Yao and his Disciple didn't care about a small cleaver at all.

As long as they didn't hurt the residents of the community, no one would make a huge deal out of it and refuse to let them go.

Yue Yun, the only one who knew the truth, probably wouldn't do that either.

Thinking this, the two covered most of their faces with their clothes in a silent agreement and charged forward without a word.

"Instead of running away, you're actively approaching me?"

The resident gave a playful smile.

Powerful Contract Power unfurled fully, purple halos rippling out in layers. Intertwining phantoms warped the space, collapsing inward to construct a wide and solid passage.

"Roar!"

The moment the loud lion's roar sounded, the temperature in the hallway spiked, instantly drying Zhang Xiuwen's soaked undershirt.

A massive fireball appeared. As the actual flames dissipated, it revealed the mountain-like, robust form of a Blazing Mad Lion. Its body was golden-red like flowing lava. Most spectacular was the mane extending from its neck and shoulders to its chest, burning fiercely with a mix of brilliant white, golden yellow, and orange-red colors, billowing with every breath it took.

Professor Qi Yao and his Disciple looked terrified. They stumbled and fell headfirst, rolling backward like wheels.

The two tumbled down to the stair landing before finally stopping, immediately crying out in pain.

"Ouch!"

The Blazing Mad Lion's four giant claws, like red-hot iron blocks, extended, and its molten-gold eyes seemed capable of igniting the air.

The temperature rose as the Blazing Mad Lion approached. Its Three-Star level made the pet-less Zhang Xiuwen tremble.

While Professor Qi Yao was still aching from the fall and debating whether to force his way through, the residents from downstairs caught up from behind, trapping them in the stairwell.

Seeing the aggressive crowd, Zhang Xiuwen feared their blades and clubs would come for him and immediately raised his hands in surrender.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

...

"Brother Wu, that's how it happened. You can head over and make the arrest now... Mm-hmm, thanks for the hard work!"

As a law-abiding citizen, Yue Yun wouldn't be foolish enough to handle everything alone. After leaving the residential area, he decisively called Wu Di from the Administration Bureau.

After hanging up, Yue Yun rushed to Jianghai Second Middle School and saw Xu Qingfang and the others who had been waiting there for a long time.

Xu Qingfang and Mo Yu were dressed alike, both in black trousers and white shirts. Their neatly trimmed short hair was just right, showcasing the youthful exuberance of teenage boys.

Yue Yun's outfit wasn't much different from theirs, except his trousers were light brown. With the fluffy Miao Sang perched on his shoulder, his upright figure approached slowly in the sunlight.

Su Lixia wore a white dress with a blue jacket. Her lively, bright eyes blinked, her gaze soft like flowing water.

Rarely seen without sportswear, Xue Qin had changed into a beige dress. She and Su Lixia were beautiful in their own ways, each displaying a completely different style.

"You're here so late?"

Xu Qingfang tossed an iced cola toward Yue Yun, which landed precisely in front of him and was caught steadily.

Yue Yun unscrewed the cola and took a big gulp: "Professor Qi Yao and Zhang Xiuwen went to my house. I spent some time figuring out what they were thinking and caused a bit of trouble for them along the way."

Thinking that the master and Disciple should have already been taken to the Administration Bureau, Yue Yun couldn't help but reveal a mischievous, pleased smile.

Xu Qingfang and the others nodded in realization. They weren't worried about Yue Yun getting the short end of the stick; after all, in a battle within a cramped apartment building, Yue Yun was practically a god of war.

"Where's Pan Zi?"

Yue Yun hadn't forgotten that they were here to take a commemorative photo today.

Pan Xuan was a very dedicated and responsible teacher who had always looked after his students. He had even guided Yue Yun to find his future path, truly earning the title of a mentor.

Today was the scheduled time for the Three Heavenly Kings and the two girls, Su Lixia and Xue Qin, to take a group photo with Pan Xuan, so it naturally couldn't be missed.

Everyone remained silent, just looking at Yue Yun.

Yue Yun suddenly understood and nodded gently, his expression calm as he curled his lips into a faint, wry smile.

"Ahem!"

Pan Xuan's voice sounded behind Yue Yun, and a broad, powerful hand rested on Yue Yun's shoulder, squeezing firmly without mercy: "Brother Yun, we've all been waiting just for you!"

Xu Qingfang and the others immediately burst into hearty laughter.

The camera was finished being set up amidst the laughter.

The five of them quickly took their positions without a word, standing on either side of Yue Yun in silent agreement.

On the left, Xu Qingfang and Mo Yu looked confident; on the right, Su Lixia and Xue Qin were full of youthful energy. In the middle, Yue Yun stood tall and capable with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a sharp edge in his eyes.

In front of Yue Yun sat a chair—an ordinary office chair—but with the five of them framing it, it looked like the seat of a grandmaster, commanding such presence that one dared not look at it for too long.

Pan Xuan sat firmly upon it with a bold posture, leading the five behind him as they proudly looked toward the camera.

The breeze blew past, freezing this moment in time.