Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion

"So, did you win?"

Fang Qingyuan recalled the previous battle, then nodded.

"I guess you could say I won. At any rate, the other guy didn’t get the upper hand."

Jiuyan was about to ask another question when the sound of footsteps came from outside, followed by a voice.

"You there, Fang Qingyuan. Someone’s here to bail you out. Come with me."

Hearing this, Jiuyan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. ’This guy has been in here for less than half an hour! All he’s done is beat me up and chat for a bit, and now he’s already getting out?’

He, on the other hand, had been locked up for almost three days, and no one had even come to ask about him yet. The contrast was enough to make Jiuyan’s spirit crumble.

Jiuyan stared wistfully at Fang Qingyuan, desperately wishing he were the one leaving.

Fang Qingyuan stood up and walked to the cell door. As it opened, he saw a group of people standing outside. Cao Jie was among them, but he had lost his usual carefree air. He was following meekly behind a Golden Core Female Cultivator, looking exceptionally well-behaved.

The woman’s dress was rather conservative in style, a black silk gown. She looked to be in her twenties or thirties, with a tall, voluptuous figure that was utterly stunning, and a face that was both charming and beautiful.

And yet, her eyes were like drops of black lacquer—dark and glistening—and the gaze she fixed on Fang Qingyuan was tinged with a faint chill, completely devoid of the kindness her features might otherwise suggest.

’This must be the ’sister’ of Cao Jie’s that the Qi Yun Defense Leader mentioned,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. ’Worthy of her prestigious family, a true daughter of a great house. Her appearance and bearing perfectly match my image of a young lady from a Nascent Soul Clan.’

As for why the woman held a slight animosity toward him, Fang Qingyuan guessed she had probably mistaken him for one of Cao Jie’s good-for-nothing friends.

Fang Qingyuan wasn’t about to explain himself right now. He stepped out of the cell and waited for the guards to remove the restrictions on his body. He then received his storage pouch, gave it a cursory glance, and put it away.

Although the storage pouch contained some spirit stone materials, they were merely for show. Fang Qingyuan would only ever keep his truly valuable possessions in his Immortal Mansion; he would never leave them in a storage pouch.

Therefore, even if he were to accidentally lose the pouch, Fang Qingyuan wouldn’t feel much of a loss.

Once that was done, Fang Qingyuan looked back at Jiuyan and gave him a nod before following Cao Jie and his group outside.

CLANG! The cell door shut once more. Jiuyan stared at the solid door, wondering, ’Why did that guy nod at me just now?’

...

The group exited the underground prison of Qi Yun City. Standing outside and taking in the view, Fang Qingyuan felt a great sense of relief.

Although it had only been for half an hour, it was an experience of being completely at someone else’s mercy, and one that Fang Qingyuan had no desire to repeat.

Just then, Cao Jie came up to Fang Qingyuan and whispered:

"Qingyuan Brothers, I have to head back to the mountain. I’ll probably be grounded for half a month this time, but it’s no big deal. While I’m gone, if you need anything, just talk to these brothers here. It’s all the same. As for that Array, I’ll personally hand it over to you after this half-month is up."

Cao Jie’s attitude toward Fang Qingyuan now held a new level of sincerity. Apparently, fighting a battle together and doing time in the same jail cell was a surefire way to accelerate a bond between men. Whether they were Cultivators or mortals, they couldn’t escape their basic nature.

Fang Qingyuan nodded, then glanced at Cao Jie’s sister in the distance. Cao Jie noticed his gaze, and a mischievous thought struck him. He grinned and said teasingly:

"You’ve got your eye on my sister, too? Bro, I’m telling you, be careful. That old hag has a weird temper. Anyone who dares to pursue her has to be able to survive a bout with her first. Otherwise, getting beaten half to death just isn’t worth it.

"By the way, you really made us look good back there. You should have seen the look on Shangguan Yanzi’s face—you almost beat him to tears... Hey, hey, go easy on me!"

As Cao Jie was speaking, his body abruptly shot backward. Fang Qingyuan then saw his sister grab Cao Jie by the neck and haul him away, flying off into the distance.

Once the two of them were out of sight, the other "second-generation immortals" behind him came forward to chat with Fang Qingyuan.

"Qingyuan Brothers, Cao Jie’s sister is no joke. She’s fierce. But if you really decide to go after her, we’ll definitely support you."

Fang Qingyuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How did a single glance turn into this situation?

It was all that kid Cao Jie’s fault and his weird way of thinking. ’Looks like he really does want someone to tame his sister for him.’

"Let’s drop the subject. I really have no such intention. Oh, right. I met a friend in the cell earlier. What’s the procedure for bailing him out?"

...

「The next day」

Jiuyan walked out of the cell in a daze. After passing through the main gate, he saw Fang Qingyuan standing not far away and was startled.

’We’re not related, and we’re hardly friends. Why would he go to the trouble of helping me?’

At this moment, Jiuyan’s emotions were a complex mix, but seeing Fang Qingyuan waiting for him, he had no choice but to approach.

"Thank you, fellow Cultivator, for your help. Jiuyan is eternally grateful. In my next life, I will surely repay this kindness, even if I must do so as an animal."

Fang Qingyuan chuckled, looking at the smooth-talking Jiuyan, and then began to tally up the costs.

"Bailing you, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, cost me fifty top-grade Spirit Stones. On top of that, I had to compensate the victim with another one hundred top-grade Spirit Stones to settle the matter. You think you can get away with just a few sweet words?"

When Jiuyan heard the price, he immediately balked:

"Why so expensive? You just paid whatever they asked? I couldn’t earn that much money in twenty years! I might as well go back and serve another two years in that cell."