Just as planned, the second group of customers were ready when he returned with the third group of pets. After sensing four individuals—three men and a woman-standing outside, Su Ping unlocked the door and told them to come in.

He expected the customers to question the reliability of his training, which indeed happened. He wasn't going to waste his breath explaining though. Letting them see their pets for themselves would be enough.

After being released from Su Ping's temporary contract, the pets dashed into their owners' arms like bunnies set free. Even one that wasn't so friendly before was nudging its master as if its life depended on it.

One of the customers, a young man wearing riches from head to toe, gave Su Ping an angry look. “What did you exactly do to my pet? You have some explaining to do, sir.”

This man was at the ninth place on the academy's power ranking list. Seeing him questioning Su Ping, the other three followed suit by staring at him. Without speaking, Su Ping remotely ordered the young man's pet to use the newly learned skill—Earthly Prison.

This pet was a supportive, plant-type Phantom Sika with a seventh-rank potential, and was usually good at using illusions and healing. While it was still enjoying the reunion with its master, Su Ping's will invaded its mind and rekindled its worst nightmare, causing it to unleash Earthly Prison right away. It didn't know why it listened to a stranger's order, and it didn't care.

The floor and walls of the shop started quaking, before a large number of thick vines came shooting out of random spots and filled up the room like spider webs, trapping everyone in a narrow s.p.a.ce.

The customers watched the amazing and dangerous display with great surprise. The vines could easily squeeze them to death if they grew any further.

Lu Pengfei, as the master of the deer, knew better than anyone what his pet was capable of. Earthly Prison was a very useful and large-scale crowd control skill, while his deer was mainly a “healer” pet. There was no way it could use Earthly Prison unless…

“Mister Su? Did you teach my pet that skill?”

“Why would it be otherwise?”

Lu Pengfei trembled in excitement upon hearing that answer. Within a day, his pet deer had mastered a middle-rank skill used for effectively trapping enemies.

This guy is a master trainer, if not the best one I've ever heard of!

They all realized that the rumors about this shop were true. As long as they paid, their pets could become as strong as Su Yanying's Lightning Rat.

The woman with a pointy jaw asked next, “I can see his deer has grown. But what about our pets?”

Su Ping ordered two of the remaining three pets to show off their new skills, who obeyed him immediately.

Those skills were all common middle-rank ones, though the result was more than good since the pets had only gone through one training session. Su Ping looked at the last customer whose pet had yet to do anything. “Your Ice Gecko learned the 'Tidal Wave' skill, so I can't show inside the store. Try it somewhere else and come back if you have any questions.”

The Ice Gecko was of the lower third-rank. Tidal Wave did not help it reach the same level as Su Yanying's Lightning Rat, but it was quite enough as an improvement.

No one doubted Su Ping's words. There was no reason to.

“Can you keep training my pet, sir?” asked Lu Pengfei, as he gave Su Ping a yearning look.

“Only once per day. You can come again tomorrow.”

“Sure, sure!” Lu Pengfei scratched his head when he remembered his oppressive stance toward Su Ping moments before. “Please forgive my previous att.i.tude. I really shouldn't have done that.”

“Hmph.”

Lu Pengfei was visibly stressed out because he thought Su Ping had not forgiven him.

Oh fu*k. I should have stayed quiet back there and let another one ask the question! Me and my big ego!

The truth was, Su Ping didn't mind Lu Pengfei's rudeness at all. It was just that, saying “hmph” with his nose was quicker and easier than saying “it's okay.” “Heh heh… Sir, please accept this 50,000 coins. Consider it my apology,” Lu Pengfei said as he handed some more cash to Su Ping. It was the only solution he could think of.

Su Ping took the money without much of a thought. Extra money was always welcome.

The other three people copied Lu Pengfei's move since they didn't want to fall behind and lose their chances of hiring Su Ping's services again.

“Mister Su, take this as a token of grat.i.tude…”

“Me too!” “And this!”

An extra 30,000 deposited.

Su Ping on the other hand, did wish that the customers used the money to buy his service instead, since getting paid this way didn't help him get more energy points.

These students' finances seemed to be tight. He didn't want to see them go broke too soon.

“Just this once. If you want to spend more money, do it for your pets.” “Of course, sir!” The customers had just realized that what they paid Su Ping in extra meant nothing to a master trainer who could easily earn millions from big clients. Su Ping was already doing them a big favor by offering a cheap service.

“Mister Su, can I buy that special training for my pet?” asked Lu Pengfei. “Like the same one you gave the Lightning Rat. How much is it, a million?”

Su Ping silently asked the system whether he could accept the order. He could offer the Celestial Pig a special training because of a new mission issued by the system.

“Specialized training is only available to a level 3 pet shop. Please reach that level first.”

Su Ping wasn't too disappointed by the answer. Without a “free ticket” to high-level cultivation planes and free deaths, it was already difficult to raise the Celestial Pig's level to be a match for the Lightning Rat. He probably was unable to handle another special training order anyway.

“Not now,” he rejected.

“Oh… Can you do it later then?” “That's a yes.”

Lu Pengfei almost jumped in delight. He happened to need some time to gather a million and decide which pet to focus on.

Four people stepped out of Su Ping's shop while thanking him non-stop.

Su Ping called the next group of customers and decided to sit down and wait for them this time. He had spent 72 hours inside cultivation planes. Even speaking was a taxing thing to do right then.

Once again, he had to stop the customers from badgering him with questions by ordering their pets to display their skills. A while after, the terrified pets nudged their masters with fervor, hoping that they'd never be sent to that dreadful place again.

Su Ping saw two more customers enter the store. He was slumped on his counter and was feeling too lazy to move, though he still sat up when he recognized who was coming.

It was the Vice Princ.i.p.al, Dong Mingsong, and Luo Guxue. Those two seemed to have come together.

Luo Guxue was there to help with his business, after he saved her life the other day. As for the Vice Princ.i.p.al, the old man probably had some kind of business to discuss.

“This is your shop, huh?” Luo Guxue looked around; she wasn't expecting such a small place. She believed Su Ping was more than capable of renting a bigger place. Maybe he never intended to be serious about his job? she thought. She had been wondering if the ferocious Lightning Rat and Little Skeleton had both emerged from this shop. But on second thought, the place would have been packed with waiting customers if that were the case. However, it looked almost abandoned.

Dong Mingsong was thinking along the same lines but without showing it. He only checked the shelves briefly before speaking to Su Ping with a kind smile. “What a cushy little place you have, Mister Su! It has everything you need for a master trainer, without being too showy. I mean, look at this chair and how it is placed along the wall. Such… masterful taste.”

Su Ping felt too embarra.s.sed to listen to such drivel, so he quickly stopped Dong Mingsong from keeping that up. “Is there anything you need?”

Luo Guxue spoke, “Mister Vice Princ.i.p.al invited me to come, saying that we might have the honor of meeting a master trainer.”

She looked excited when speaking, which was reasonable, because a “master trainer” was generally more respected than t.i.tled battle pet warriors in this world.

“Perhaps,” said Su Ping.

Su Ping had once heard about how master trainers from the Federation worked. He knew he could reach that level, if not better. There was no point denying his skills.

Both Luo Guxue and Dong Mingsong looked thrilled upon hearing his words. “Can-can we ask this master to train our pets?”

As an advanced battle pet warrior herself, Luo Guxue knew she should admire or even fear a master trainer. She would act as carefully as possible.

Behind her, Dong Mingsong showed a surprised look but quickly hid it.

After their meeting at the academy, Dong Mingsong summoned all available hands to investigate Su Ping and learn everything they could find, down to the last detail. They had learned which hospital he had been born in, which nurse handled him and even the color of her underwear, just to make sure they left nothing to chance.

However, Dong Mingsong knew something was off after reading the files he collected. Unlike his original a.s.sumption, Su Ping was not from a rich and famous clan. On the contrary, Su Ping came from an average family and was not born with astral abilities. No one knew when Su Ping's astral power was awakened, because he only showed it until recently.

Apart from admiring Su Ping's great talent, Dong Mingsong also grew a little fearful of what Su Ping could achieve at this rate. A common genius was nothing to be afraid of because they still needed time and proper study to fully display their capabilities. But Su Ping was different. He hid his potential from everyone during his entire teenage years.

Only the G.o.ds knew how many more amazing things he had in stock.

Since Su Ping was not born rich, Dong Mingsong was inclined to consider another theory: a fateful encounter. Su Ping might have received the gift of a master trainer who somehow decided to bestow everything upon him, probably because of a powerful enemy's pursuit and not having much longer to live. At least this was how TV dramas usually played out.

Su Ping's response just told Dong Mingsong that there was indeed a hidden master somewhere in the vicinity. He was more than eager to meet such a master right then.

“Training your pets is not a problem,” said Su Ping, “However, the shop has a full schedule today. I'm afraid you have to come tomorrow.”

“Full schedule?” Luo Guxue quickly realized that a master trainer should have rules after all. “All right, that's what I'll do.”

Dong Mingsong also stepped up. “Mister Su, the main reason I'm here is that I want you to teach a lesson at the academy at your earliest convenience.”

By this, he meant to tell Su Ping that his visit was unrelated to the shop's affairs.

Su Ping trusted him. Though he still had questions about the reminder. “Our agreement said one lesson per week, right? Do I have to hurry?”.

Dong Mingsong easily saw that Su Ping was complaining. “I didn't mean to go against the agreement, Mister Su. It's just that, the Elite Pet Warrior League is starting soon, and the students will have their winter vacation in half a month. We have several talented students such as Su Yanying and Ye Hao, who can try their luck in the league and get a good score. The remaining two weeks represent the last chance we have to a.s.sist them. Apart from you, the other four advanced teachers will present two lessons each week. Of course, we'll compensate you for the extra work.”