Chapter 54: Punish These Disobedient Pets

As evening approached, Li Taixing, accompanied by Vest and Silly Bird, finally arrived at Xiong Er's cave.

Xiong Er, who had been soundly sleeping, suddenly sensed an unfamiliar aura. Groggily, he opened his eyes, only to be met with the sight of a giant bird monster king, followed by a giant crocodile king. His bear eyes widened in disbelief.

When he spotted Li Taixing casually riding on the back of the giant crocodile king, his jaw almost hit the floor.

"Ah? Are you back already?" Xiong Er muttered in amazement.

Li Taixing let out a yawn as he dismounted from Vest's back. Glancing at Xiong Er, he casually remarked, "Xiong Er, Vest, Silly Bird—it's dinner time."

He added, "By the way, Xiong Er, meet my two new pets—Vest and Silly Bird. From now on, they're your seniors. Understand?"

Both Vest and Silly Bird nodded, though Silly Bird's eyes held a trace of sadness, clearly not as thrilled with the title. Meanwhile, Xiong Er, after witnessing Li Taixing's usual way of dealing with creatures, understood that these two had been subdued by him. Admiration for his master grew, while a sense of superiority took root. After all, he had been the first to become Li Taixing's pet.

Li Taixing sized up the three big beasts and wondered aloud, "How much can you eat?"

Realizing it was a pointless question, since none of them could speak, he waved his hand, and instantly, a mountain of roast suckling pigs appeared before them. The aroma filled the air, drifting far beyond the cave.

"Eat up, I'm going to rest for a bit," Li Taixing announced, without even a glance at the feast.

Xiong Er, thrilled at the sight of the meat mountain, immediately dove in, devouring the roasted pigs with enthusiasm. However, Vest and Silly Bird stood in stunned silence. They had never encountered a master who provided such a luxurious meal.

Tears welled up in both their eyes.

Vest sniffled, "Woohoo."

Silly Bird also let out a sad "Woohoo."

'If I had known the master treated his pets so well,' they both thought, 'I wouldn't have put up such a fuss earlier. The beatings and threats could've been avoided...'

Silly Bird, in particular, still cringed at its given name.

"Yi." Silly Bird gave a mournful cry before diving into the feast, turning its frustration and sorrow into ravenous hunger. Vest, not far behind, followed suit, both of them eating with an intensity that made Xiong Er pause mid-bite.

Xiong Er stared in shock as the two monsters devoured pig after pig at lightning speed. Vest chomped down an entire roast suckling pig in one gulp, while Silly Bird, relying on its towering stature, tossed pigs into the air and swallowed them whole.

Before Xiong Er could fully comprehend what was happening, the entire mountain of food had vanished.

Panicking, Xiong Er frantically gnawed at the last suckling pig he could get his paws on, determined not to lose face in front of the two newcomers.

When Li Taixing emerged from his rest, he found the three pets lying on their backs, bellies bulging, each one burping in satisfaction.

"It seems I gave them too much," he mused. "I'll reduce the portion size next time."

He didn't want his pets overeating and becoming sluggish during an emergency. After all, if a sudden battle broke out, these bloated idiots would be useless.

Glancing at the three, Li Taixing sternly reminded them, "None of you are allowed inside without my call. Xiong Er, you're in charge of keeping these two in line. No troublemaking. And the three of you are on door duty tonight."

Xiong Er raised a paw, indicating he understood.

Li Taixing yawned again and returned to the cave for sleep.

From her perch on a nearby tree, Wang Xuanwu watched the entire scene. She absentmindedly gnawed on a chicken leg, tears streaming down her face.

"No... I'm definitely making my apprentice repay me with hundreds of roast chickens," she sobbed quietly to herself.

---

The next morning, as the sun rose, Li Taixing stepped outside the cave and spotted his three pets sleeping in a large open space. Silly Bird was curled up against Vest, while Xiong Er used Vest's belly as a pillow. Feeling cold, Xiong Er plucked a feather from Silly Bird and draped it over himself. Silly Bird shuddered slightly but continued sleeping as if nothing had happened.

Li Taixing sighed in exasperation. 'These three are a disaster,' he thought. 'The copied pets are more reliable. These ones only know how to eat and sleep.'

With a snap of his fingers, dozens of giant bird monsters, giant crocodile kings, and bear spirits appeared.

"Go. Teach them a lesson."

Under Li Taixing's command, the summoned creatures charged toward the three snoozing beasts.

A cacophony of crashing and yelping ensued.

Before long, Vest, Silly Bird, and Xiong Er were dragged before Li Taixing, their bodies bruised and swollen beyond recognition. They resembled the roast suckling pigs they had devoured the night before.

Li Taixing towered over them, fury blazing in his eyes. "Do you know why I had them beat you?" he asked coldly.

The three pets trembled, immediately standing at attention. Even Vest managed to stand on two legs for the first time, seeing the other two do the same.

"You were supposed to be on guard duty, but instead, you huddled together to keep warm and slept through the night?"

Li Taixing's voice rose. "Did you sleep well?" He smiled darkly at Xiong Er.

Xiong Er, mistaking the smile for approval, eagerly nodded.

"Did you sleep well?" Li Taixing roared, causing all three of them to jump in terror.

"I have no choice but to punish you!" he declared, causing Vest, Silly Bird, and Xiong Er to blink in confusion. Wasn't the beating they just received punishment enough?

"Silly Bird," Li Taixing pointed, "you crawl like Vest."

Silly Bird's face turned beet red with embarrassment. "Quack!"

Vest and Xiong Er burst out laughing, but Li Taixing immediately turned to them. "Vest, you walk on two legs, like Xiong Er."

Vest's face fell. He had just mocked Silly Bird, but now it was his turn.

Xiong Er, still laughing, was caught off guard as well. "Xiong Er, since you find this so funny, you'll fly like Silly Bird."

Xiong Er looked down at his hefty paws in disbelief. Fly?

"And if any of you refuse, I'll call your 'brothers' to take care of you again," Li Taixing warned.

The summoned clones flexed their muscles, ready to strike.

The three pets stared in silent resignation.

"..."