Upon hearing this, Li Miao noticed there was now a pool of blood on the tamed beast. Closer inspection revealed it had been spat out from the beast's mouth, with traces of blood still visible at the corners of its lips.
Under normal circumstances, the bond between a beastmaster and their tamed beast is an equal contract, meaning if one party dies, the other will inevitably suffer severe damage. However, this damage doesn't result in death—it only causes the surviving party to lose a certain amount of energy. The extent of the energy loss determines the beast's level, quality, and other attributes.
As for breaking the contract…
It's not impossible, but the energy loss from termination is nearly equivalent to the damage caused by one party's death. As a result, few tamed beasts voluntarily leave their masters unless they simply cannot endure abuse or other extreme circumstances.
Masters who lose their tamed beasts also suffer consequences, such as diminished spiritual awareness, loss of feedback skills, or even a shortened lifespan.
So…
Li Miao asked, "Did the beast's master die?"
Frozen to death?
She instinctively glanced in the direction where the blue dragon's frost attack had spread.
Jia Yunwan replied, "Correct."
"I'd already noticed this person. They'd been lurking near the base ever since I arrived. Though I couldn't identify them, I could sense their hostility."
She continued, "So don't worry—people who loiter around military bases with ill intent are either spies or cultists. Dealing with them isn't an issue. Still, in cases like this, we'll need to file a report."
"Like what?"
"Like… this."
Jia Yunwan lazily pointed toward distant black dots in the sky. "See? Here they come now."
Li Miao turned to look and, sure enough, saw tiny black specks approaching, accompanied by the cries of avian tamed beasts. Soon, it became clear—
They were surrounded.
And leading the group was none other than the handsome man who had been chasing Jia Yunwan earlier—though he now looked somewhat disheveled.
"What the hell! Are you completely insane, you crazy bitch?! I told you, you can't come in here, but you barged in with your car anyway! And now you've let your beast attack the sealed mountain?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!"
Jia Yunwan smirked at the battered man and batted her eyelashes. "Oh? Aren't you the one who knows best whether I've lost my mind?"
"Besides, I was helping you."
The man scowled. "Helping? You froze an entire forest! How the hell is that helping?!"
"Well, I ran into a foreign spy, didn't I? If I hadn't dealt with them, you'd have had a much bigger problem on your hands~"
She casually flicked her hair. "If you don't believe me, go check for yourself~"
The man fell silent for a few seconds, suspiciously eyeing the frozen wasteland behind him.
"You—go check it out."
He ordered one of his men to investigate.
At the same time, Jia Yunwan raised her hand, releasing a blue-green light that spread over the frost-ridden forest.
The ice slowly melted, the cold receded, and the once lethal no-man's-land returned to normal.
The scout quickly returned. "It's not a foreign spy."
The leader instinctively looked at Jia Yunwan.
"Not a spy? Then it must've been a cultist! What's with the look? Was I wrong?"
"She isn't wrong," the scout confirmed. "The deceased was a cultist, with multiple records of previous incidents."
Hearing this, the man fell silent.
Well, there went his chance to make an issue out of this.
But—
"You killed someone without reporting it. Today, you're coming back with me—no arguments!"
Jia Yunwan frowned. "Hold on, that's not the protocol—"
"Shut up!"
The man scowled, gripping her arm. "No excuses. First, you trespassed on the base, then you recklessly froze an entire protected area with your beast's skill—"
"Today, you are coming with me!"
Jia Yunwan: "…"
Li Miao: "…"
"So, teacher… is this what you meant by 'filing a report'?"
She sat in front of the iron-barred window, facing Jia Yunwan from the other side, forcing a weak smile. "How did 'filing a report' turn into… this?"
Jia Yunwan was also questioning her life choices.
She had trampled over everyone's rules her whole life—never once suffering a defeat at another's hands.
Yet, this damn man had actually had people following her this whole time?!
Ugh!
Is he actually crazy?!
Looking at her bewildered student outside the bars, Jia Yunwan offered a comforting smile. "Don't worry, I'll be out soon. This is nothing—just a little sit-down. It'll be over in no time."
Li Miao gave her a skeptical look.
Not that she wanted to doubt her teacher, but this class advisor had shattered all her expectations.
During class, Jia Yunwan was the epitome of icy discipline, terrifying students into stiffness with just a cold glare.
But after class?
This is what she's like?!
Li Miao took a deep breath and grabbed her luggage, ready to return to the dorm.
Just then, the man from earlier stormed in, his face dark with displeasure as he shot an involuntary glare at Li Miao.
Li Miao: "?"
Wait, I didn't break any laws! Why are you glaring at me?!
"You—crazy woman, you can leave now."
Jia Yunwan raised an eyebrow and crossed her legs, smirking. "Oh? Finally decided to let me out?"
"You kept me locked up for so long—people might've thought you were trying to pull some shady power move!"
The man: "…"
"Honestly, I know I'm gorgeous, but your relentless pursuit is getting a bit excessive, don't you think?"
"…Are you mentally sound?"
The man sneered. "They say people with underdeveloped brains are prone to narcissism. I thought it was just a rumor—turns out it's true."
Jia Yunwan's eyebrows twitched.
Huh.
So she'd met her match.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Well then, mister—you've officially caught my attention.
Jia Yunwan slowly uncrossed her legs. "Maybe you're right."
"But…"
"When my brain was growing, it prioritized this instead."
With that, she cupped her chest.
The man's heart leapt as his face instantly turned beet red—right in front of her.
Jia Yunwan was stunned.
This was the first time she'd ever encountered someone this easily flustered!
Holy shit!!
Her eyes lit up as she completely forgot about Li Miao, shamelessly batting her eyelashes at the man through the iron bars.
"Hey there, handsome—what's your name? How about adding me on Carrier Pigeon? I'm twenty-six, single and ready to mingle~"
The man: "…"
Silently, he pulled out the keys, unlocked the cell, and wordlessly pushed her out.
"Someone bailed you out. Now get lost."
"Goodbye!"
"Actually, never see me again!"
Once Jia Yunwan was out, he promptly slammed the door shut and immediately crouched down, face burning as he clutched his head.
"Dammit!"
Li Miao: "…"
As much as she wanted to avert her eyes and pretend she hadn't witnessed the man's meltdown…
"U-Um… Sir? I-I'm still here."
She hesitantly raised her hand. "C-Can I… leave too?"