: Accidentally Voted for the Opposite Team

The Way of the Knight-Errant.

From God's perspective, the referee's eyes were fixed on Xue Youyou, who was walking in the middle fork.

Xue Youyou's gait was quite leisurely, so relaxed that it didn't seem like she was playing a game.

The referee, in his spirit form, immediately floated in front of Xue Youyou and quipped, "You, you, why didn't you summon your pet?"

Seeing this persistent referee, Xue Youyou thought to herself, "It's true what they say, it's easier to avoid the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings."

Then, somewhat speechless, he asked, "Is there a rule in the competition that beast tamers must summon their pets immediately?"

Upon hearing this, the referee's imposing manner immediately diminished: "No...no, that's not true."

Xue asked softly, "What's your name?"

Although she didn't know why Xue Youyou was asking her name, the referee felt she couldn't lose face, so she put her hands on her hips and replied loudly, "I am Bao Xiaoxing, and I will never change my name or surname."

Xue Youyou said, "Okay, Referee Xiaoxing, if you follow me again, I'll report you for interfering with the contestants during the competition."

Bao Xiaoxing: "..."

Just when Xue Youyou thought she could finally have some peace and quiet, Bao Xiaoxing caught up with her again after only a few steps.

Furthermore, Bao Xiaoxing responded quite defiantly, "I'll also sue you for disrespecting the league referees!"

Xue Youyou: "...I'm warning you, if you harass me again, I really will report you."

Bao Xiaoxing: "I'm going to expose you!"

Xue Youyou: "..."

Bao Xiaoxing: "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Xue Youyou: "I'm out of ideas."

The best way to avoid being associated with mentally ill people is to avoid encountering them in the first place.

Xue Youyou couldn't help but marvel once again at how true that statement was.

All we can do now is shut up, ignore every word the other party says, and report Bao Xiaoxing after this match is over.

"Feed..."

Seeing that Xue Youyou was ignoring her, Bao Xiaoxing changed the subject and said, "I think the one who took this path from Qingyeyuan was their captain, Jiang Zhuo, the beast tamer who showed up his battle pet as the Crimson Flame Wolf King. You only have a mature-stage Snow Maiden, you're going to be in trouble later."

Xue Youyou couldn't hold back any longer.

Is this something a referee should say?

I secretly made up my mind that when I report it later, I must include the fact that I leaked information.

Unexpectedly, Bao Xiaoxing saw through Xue Youyou's thoughts and said slyly, "I know what you're thinking. If you dare to report me, I guarantee that Lanzhiyuan Team One will be disqualified from the competition for bribing the referees to cheat."

Xue Youyou glanced at Bao Xiaoxing and said, "...Everyone can see that you're the one harassing me."

Bao Xiaoxing said smugly, "I have connections in the league. If you don't believe me, you can report one and see what happens. When I was interrogated, I insisted that you bribed me. If I lose my referee job, I can just find someone else, but you'll have to wait until next year to compete again."

After hearing Bao Xiaoxing's words, Xue Youyou had to re-evaluate the intelligence of this talkative referee.

I initially thought he was just mentally ill, perhaps with some intellectual disability, but it turns out he's quite intelligent.

As Bao Xiaoxing had predicted, Xue Youyou indeed dared not gamble on how much truth or falsehood was in what she said.

After all, he had promised Meng Yanqing that he would help her win the championship.

Xue Youyou simply said, "Fine, you win."

"Hmph~" Bao Xiaoxing first smugly hummed a few times, then asked, "You're just a mature-stage pet beast, how did you become the captain with such weakness?"

Xue Youyou completely let loose, casually saying, "Our Lanzhi Academy's tradition is to rank people according to their looks. I'm the prettiest, so I'll be the captain."

Bao Xiaoxing looked enlightened and said without suspicion, "Then it's not surprising. To be honest, I, Bao Xiaoxing, rarely admire someone's looks, but you are one of them."

"Hmm, watch out, Jiang Zhuo's coming."

Xue Youyou rolled her eyes, speechless: "No need to remind me, you're the referee now."

"Then good luck, and try not to lose too badly. I'll avoid suspicion for now."

After saying his last sentence, Bao Xiaoxing immediately disappeared, returning to the perspective of God.

Although the referee's influence is invisible to the audience, it is visible to both sides in the battle.

If the players from Aonoin were to see her chatting with Yuki Yuuyu, then she'd be truly finished.

Xue Youyou stopped and looked ahead.

Soon, a wildly dressed girl came into view.

The girl had short, neat hair, wheat-colored skin, and her school uniform jacket was tied around her waist.

Upon seeing Xue Youyou, the girl grinned, revealing a small tiger tooth, looking full of energy.

This fits Xue Youyou's stereotype of fire-type beast tamers.

Xue asked softly, "Jiang Zhuo?"

"Um."

Jiang Zhuo readily admitted her identity, then countered with, "So you're Xue Youyou?"

Xue Youyou nodded.

She was originally looking forward to the match with the strongest Aonoin, but Bao Xiaoxing's joking remarks ruined her mood.

Seeing that Xue Youyou showed no intention of summoning her pet, Jiang Zhuo laughed and said, "Don't blame me for not warning you. If you underestimate Qingyeyuan and me, you'll definitely regret it."

Then, Jiang Zhuo shouted loudly, "Come out, Crimson Flame Wolf King!"

"Awooo—!"

At Jiang Zhuo's call, a Divine Martial Wolf King, nearly ten meters long and seven meters tall at the shoulder, jumped out of the pet space and stood proudly in front of Jiang Zhuo.

What is most striking is its crimson fur, which is not the usual red, but rather a deep amber red from its back, gradually turning into a dark gold flame on its belly.

With each breath it takes, flames seem to flow through its fur. Upon closer inspection, the tips of each hair gleam with an almost transparent glow, flickering in the twilight like a dying ember.

Its face is the perfect combination of time and power. A tuft of silver-white hair growing backwards on its forehead is like an eternally burning crown, motionless in the wind. Deep within its amber vertical pupils lie two clusters of karmic fire that will never be extinguished. When it squints its eyes, a faint red light appears at the corners of its eyes, as if sparks will fly out at any moment.

The four legs are long and strong, with muscle lines flowing smoothly under the fur. When the claws are retracted, they are as solid as obsidian, but when they are extended, they reveal the pale bone and the cold light of the blade.

When its fluffy long tail swirls, it leaves a fleeting fiery red afterimage in the air, like a quenched steel bar slicing through the twilight. A cluster of inextinguishable flames burns year-round at the tip of its tail, yet it is never scorched; instead, it is like an ever-burning lamp that is born to burn.

Upon seeing the Crimson Flame Wolf King, Xue Youyou couldn't help but nod secretly, praising the other party for raising it well.

The captain of Team Aonoin wasn't exaggerating; he really does have some skills.

If I hadn't met her, I probably could have gone much further.

"Your Crimson Flame Wolf King is quite well-trained, if we only evaluate it within the realm of mortals."

At first, Jiang Zhuo did not understand the meaning behind Xue Youyou's words.

Until she was horrified to witness the 140-meter-tall snow woman rise from the ground.

"roar--!"

The Crimson Flame Wolf King let out a long howl, and its fur instantly exploded, each hair turning into a leaping flame.

However, the next second, with a "poof" sound, the Snow Woman stomped him into a pulp.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment. Bao Xiaoxing, Luo Yan, Lei Ying, the short purple-haired girl, Lu Yuan, Lan Zhicheng, and the audience in Qingye City—all the beast tamers who witnessed this cruel scene—felt a sudden jolt in their hearts.

Because as long as you put yourself in Jiang Zhuo's shoes, you can empathize with and feel this indescribable despair.

This isn't a thrilling, adrenaline-pumping pet battle; it's a brutal and merciless crushing victory, even more ruthless than speedrunning.

Soon, Jiang Zhuo's four teammates simultaneously received an unbelievable message from the battlefield.

[Qingyeyuan I, Jiang Zhuo chooses to surrender]