Beast Taming: My System is Bugged

Gu Ming followed the stream of people into Lanqi Park, and the festive energy instantly enveloped him.

The park was brightly lit and bustling with voices.

All sorts of Pet Beasts followed at their masters’ sides, some hovering low in the air, others darting by their feet. Together with the boisterous crowd, they formed a vibrant, living tapestry.

In the night sky, hundreds of Celestial Lanterns had already risen like specks of starlight, slowly ascending and adorning the night sky in a dreamlike, fantastical display.

He found a quiet corner on slightly higher ground with an open view.

From his Beast Taming Space, he took out a plain white Celestial Lantern.

By the distant light, he focused his concentration, lifted his brush, and solemnly wrote the simplest of wishes on the lantern’s paper surface.

"May my family be safe and well in the coming year."

The tip of his brush carried his concern, and even more so, his hopes for the future.

He lit the candle beneath the lantern, and hot air filled its paper shell.

The Celestial Lantern left his hands, gracefully joining the sea of lanterns that filled the sky.

Countless points of light floated in the air, gathering and dispersing.

Gradually, they seemed to form a winding, swimming dragon of Celestial Lanterns, each scale woven from the lights of thousands of homes.

Gu Ming stared at the lights stretching toward the horizon. In a daze, he seemed to see a magnificent, illusory dragon give a nod amidst the stars.

"Cyan Treasure, Ah Kun, Ah Ji, did you guys feel that?" Gu Ming asked.

The three Pet Beasts all looked up at the sky. They saw nothing at first. But as their Breathing Technique flowed through their Qi Refining Qi Groups, causing the Dragon Pattern Tripod to resonate, each of them separately perceived a faint dragon silhouette floating among the lanterns in the sky.

Seeing this, Gu Ming’s heart stirred, and he quickly asked his family beside him, "Did you see it? There’s a dragon in the sky..."

His family followed his pointing finger but only saw a sky filled with splendid Celestial Lanterns.

Mr. Gu shook his head with a smile.

"What dragon? The lanterns are just flying high and clumping together. Your eyes must be playing tricks on you."

"No, have the Black and White Long-Armed Ape and the Hidden Mist Butterfly use the Dragon Pattern Tripod to look again."

Seeing Gu Ming’s insistence, his parents no longer hesitated and had their own Pet Beasts try to perceive it.

After a moment, their two Pet Beasts also separately saw the faint dragon silhouette floating in the sky.

This surprised his parents.

"Could it be? Is a real dragon coming to bestow its blessing this year?"

Hearing this, Gu Ming thought to himself.

’In previous years, when the Dragon’s Blessing appeared, the entire city could see it. But now, only Great Dao Foundation Cultivators connected to the Dragon Pattern Tripod can perceive it. Could this be a precursor to the Dragon’s Blessing, or can only those with a destined connection witness it?’

Just as he was lost in thought, an enthusiastic voice called out from behind him.

"Gu Ming!"

He turned around and saw that it was Lu You’s parents, who had also brought their children to the park.

The Lu Family’s parents enthusiastically grabbed Gu Ming’s hand to exchange pleasantries.

Lu You, meanwhile, quietly followed behind them, her head slightly lowered, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the bustling, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd.

Her social anxiety was on full display amidst the surging tide of people.

Gu Ming smiled and exchanged a few brief words with Lu You’s parents.

Soon, his gaze fell upon Lu You, and he asked naturally, "Lu You, have you released a Celestial Lantern yet?"

Lu You gently shook her head.

When Lu You’s parents heard this, their faces lit up, and they quickly urged her.

"Well, what are you waiting for!"

"This is a perfect chance to ask Gu Ming for some advice on making a wish."

"Well, you young people can take your time and chat. We won’t disturb you."

With that, she gave Lu You a gentle push toward Gu Ming and turned to chat animatedly with his parents.

For a moment, a silence fell between the two of them, suddenly left alone.

Gu Ming looked up at the illusory dragon of light in the night sky, which had not yet dissipated but was growing fainter to his eyes, showing no sign of solidifying.

’This might be a rare opportunity,’ Gu Ming predicted, ’one that won’t come again if I miss it.’

He spoke up.

"It’s too crowded here. How about..."

Gu Ming had intended to take her somewhere quiet.

But in Lanqi Park, where could they possibly find a place to chat in peace?

"Should we just release the Celestial Lantern right here?"

The suggestion was a little abrupt.

But he believed Lu You would understand what he meant.

Although Lu You was a little confused—releasing a Celestial Lantern right after meeting seemed a bit sudden—she still nodded obediently without asking why.

When she took the brush to write her wish, its tip hovered for a moment.

A thousand thoughts flashed through her mind, finally condensing into a simple yet sincere line of text on the lantern’s surface.

"What are you writing?" Gu Ming asked, leaning over to get a peek.

But Lu You deliberately shifted her position, turning her back to Gu Ming.

"May I be able to keep up with his pace in the coming year."

In the night sky, two new Celestial Lanterns slowly rose.

Carrying their different wishes, they joined the brilliant river of light together.

Drifting far away into the deep night sky.

Gu Ming looked up at the sky but didn’t use his Divine Sense to pry into her privacy.

After the Celestial Lantern ritual was over, he subconsciously glanced around for his family, only to find they had vanished into the bustling crowd at some point.

Just as he was feeling confused, his phone screen lit up with a text from his mother:

"We’ve gone down the mountain to get a late-night snack. You and Lu You take your time and have fun."

Gu Ming couldn’t help but smile. ’It’s a big holiday,’ he thought, ’shouldn’t a family be together?’

Lu You, standing behind him, had clearly guessed where the adults had gone but was considerate enough not to say anything.

She secretly clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and mustered all her courage, speaking in a voice slightly louder than usual:

"Speaking of the New Year... have you ever heard of a very special kind of Pet Beast?"

Her taking the initiative to start a conversation so suddenly took Gu Ming by surprise.

Given Lu You’s introverted personality, it was no small feat for her to start a conversation. She must have summoned all her courage.

Besides, he was also quite interested in the topic:

"You’re talking about the Nian Beast, right?"

The two words "Nian Beast" seemed to hold a certain magic.

On this night of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, the legends and taboos surrounding it were indeed the most fitting and imaginative topic of conversation.

The two strolled through the park with the flow of the crowd. Although the human tide was immense, with a little patience, one could always find an empty spot in a mountainside pavilion.

Gu Ming led Lu You into one such pavilion, and they sat down near the edge.

Looking out from there, they could see the sea of lanterns in the night sky, vaguely gathered into the phantom shape of a swimming dragon that seemed to be gracefully flying off into the distance.

"Look," Gu Ming said, pointing to the sky. "Doesn’t that illusion of light look like a dragon?"

Lu You nodded gently and replied in a low voice, "It does look a bit like one..."

To Gu Ming’s surprise, she seemed to have perceived the hazy dragon shape directly, without relying on the power of any Pet Beast.

The conversation paused.

Their corner of the pavilion fell quiet once more.

Meanwhile, the other visitors in the pavilion were still chatting away boisterously, creating a stark contrast of fire and ice compared to Gu Ming’s quiet corner.

Seeing the atmosphere grow cold and guessing she was probably stuck, Gu Ming brought up the legend of the Nian Beast again.

"Although the Nian Beast is a legendary creature, and no one has ever verifiably seen one in real life... from an academic perspective, it’s classified as a ’Fantasy Species.’ That is, a type of Pet Beast constructed from humanity’s collective imagination."

"It only appears around the New Year, is afraid of firecrackers and red couplets, and flees long before anyone can get close, which is why no one has ever seen a trace of it."

In academic circles, some scholars argue that the Nian Beast hides in the wilderness outside the city and should thus be sought in sparsely populated areas.

Others, however, believe the exact opposite: that the Nian Beast is active among crowds.

Otherwise, why would the traditional stories mention driving it away with things like firecrackers and lanterns?

The academic community remains divided to this day, with no definitive conclusion.

After discussing these theories about the Nian Beast, Gu Ming suddenly turned his head and asked:

"But why did you suddenly think to bring up the Nian Beast?"

Lu You tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and answered softly,

"It feels... a bit like we’re telling ghost stories."

"’Ghost stories?’"

Gu Ming murmured the phrase to himself, lost in thought for a moment.

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