Under the arrangement of the senior police officer, they moved into the settlement behind the police station.
Most residents here were family members of the police officers from the station, or some retired officers, and there were also some houses specially vacated for temporary use.
After settling their living situation, Chen Xing's family went to the hospital to see Chen Lingya.
However, they couldn't stay long in the intensive care unit, and after seeing the state of Chen Lingya's spirits, Liu Yuzhen also let go of the worry she had been holding in her heart.
"Sister, our house is being renovated and it might take some time before we can return. If you're discharged, come to our place. Your room has already been prepared, so you can move in right away, and it's even bigger than the one you had before."
Chen Xing told Chen Lingya their new address.
Upon hearing that someone had gone to their home, Chen Lingya tensed, "That person went to our house? You all weren't hurt, were you?"
"Right, maybe he didn't dare to come because the security around here is too strong. We weren't hurt. The senior police officer is really powerful; his second Beast Taming must have evolved, overpowering that assassin with tactics and strength."
"That assassin had two Beast Tamings, one of which, the grey mist rat, belonged to a Beast Taming that had undergone one evolution."
Chen Lingya thought of the assassin who had attacked her.
Indeed, Beast Taming in the evolution phase is much stronger than in the growth phase. It is said that there is a comprehensive enhancement during the evolution.
But she was close too. Once Chi Yu reached the species limit in energy level, she could start preparing for evolution. After evolving, she would also be able to tame a second Beast Taming.
"I understand, but there shouldn't be any more trouble in the future," Chen Lingya said with a narrowed smile, rubbing her younger brother's head.
That night, lying in bed, Liu Yuzhen tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Her sleep quality had been poor for the past two years, and the day's events had only aggravated her insomnia.
Hearing the restless sounds beside her, Chen Guohai suddenly spoke, "Wife, I have a matter to discuss with you."
Liu Yuzhen stopped moving, "Did I disturb you? I'll go sleep in the living room outside."
"Not that," Chen Guohai said with a bitter smile. "There really is something I want to discuss."
Liu Yuzhen stayed silent, choosing to listen.
Chen Guohai continued, "It's... what if I stop treatment?"
Liu Yuzhen's breathing quickened.
"I mean, my illness is incurable anyway, and just dragging it out is no solution. You've had a slightly easier time in the early years with me, but these past years have been too hard for you."
Chen Guohai opened up, speaking candidly, "Actually, I've wanted to stop treatment for a long time. As a man, I can only lie at home every day, unable to do anything, while having my wife work several jobs to support the family—I really feel awful about it."
"Right now, we need money everywhere at home. Lingya is promising, she's always had good grades, she even went to a private high school and got the tuition waived, but that's not our world. The more outstanding she is, the more isolated she becomes."
As Chen Guohai spoke, his voice became choked up, "This child has been strong-willed since she was young, not liking to talk about her grievances at home. I know she doesn't want to worry us. Now that Xiao Xing is in high school, save the money for my treatment every month and buy some nutritional supplements for the two of them instead."
"Seeing them grow up in these years is satisfaction enough for me. Yuzhen, you don't need to work so hard every day, quit the extra jobs. With the children's bright futures, you can enjoy some peace later on. My life... well, there's no need to struggle anymore."
Chen Guohai, as if arranging his final affairs, rambled on for a long time.
Liu Yuzhen didn't know if she had taken it in, but she hadn't moved since Chen Guohai started speaking; she just lay with her back to him, and it was a long time before she softly said she was going to sleep.
...
Three days passed, and because his sister was recuperating in the hospital, Chen Xing didn't have the chance to farm skill Fragments from Chi Yu.
So it took him three days to gather enough Fragments for one Skill Point, and after combining them, he had 3 Fragments left over.
Looking at the fresh Skill Point, Chen Xing couldn't wait to light up the [Beast Taming Linguistics].
A tickling sensation filled his ears, and the sounds around him seemed to have changed slightly.
Amidst the noisy sounds, there seemed to be a mixture of something else.
After distinguishing for a while, the sound was finally confirmed to be coming from Taotie, who was chowing down on food with fervor in a bowl at the corner of the room.
As Taotie devoured its meal, it hummed and murmured with its mouth full.
The sound reached Chen Xing's ears, turning into a crisp and tender murmuring to itself.
"Delicious, delicious, delicious, delicious, delicious...."
"Is it really that delicious?"
Suddenly, Chen Xing's voice appeared out of nowhere by Taotie's ear.
Unable to help itself, Taotie responded, "Yeah!"
After answering, Taotie froze mid-action, suddenly lifting its head in panic to look at its master, not knowing when he had approached.
Was it just its imagination? Was the master speaking to it? The master had never understood its speech before.
"If it's delicious, eat more."
Chen Xing reached out and tapped its forehead with a finger.
Taotie's little brain capacity vanished in an instant, forgetting about why the master could understand its speech.
To it, nothing was more attractive than eating.
After Taotie finished eating, Chen Xing held it in his arms and murmured to it in the room.
Now, Taotie's body length had completely exceeded one meter, but its weight wasn't very heavy, only seventeen kilograms. Despite that, it wasn't skinny; its limbs were covered with a fine layer of pleated skin armor, puffed and inflated. This primary carnivorous pet's meal seemed to have a certain plastic effect; Taotie's body proportions were not the kind of skinny and elongated.
"Do you like your master?"
"Like."
"How much do you like?"
"Super like."
"How much is super like?"
"...." The little crocodile's brain crashed; this question was clearly not one it should be answering at its age, and being not too bright, it stared with wise eyes and gave a standard answer, "It's like super super like!"
Chen Xing's lips couldn't help but curl upward.
"I'll give you an extra meal tomorrow!"
Hearing about an extra meal, the little crocodile's eyes lit up!
Suddenly, a wave rippled over the little crocodile's body, and droplets of water condensed on the surface of its armor.
Chen Xing felt the hands holding it become moist.
It seemed like...
an Awakening Skill?
It was said that the first time Beast Tamers awoke a skill, this kind of thing would typically happen; the body containing no skills previously and never having released any energy, the energy that had been gathering inside from birth would stimulate the awakening genes in the bloodline when it reached a certain peak, inheriting a skill.
It only remains to be seen what skill Taotie will awaken.
Placing Taotie on the floor, the droplets gathering on its body became more plentiful, eventually pooling into a puddle on the ground.
Suddenly, as it lay on the ground, Taotie's body gradually faded, its wet carapace seeming to blend into the color of the surrounding floor.
This obvious change, even without checking its status, Chen Xing felt like he could guess what skill it had awakened.