Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion

Fang Qingyuan first swept the burly mortal with his Divine Sense. After confirming he was just a butcher who, despite the strong smell of blood, carried nothing unclean, he shifted his attention to Lou Yuan.

The teenager was only at the First-Layer Qi Cultivation. Though he could use Magical Power to levitate objects, he couldn’t maintain it for long. Sure enough, once out of the butcher’s sight, Lou Yuan frowned, withdrew his Magical Power, and chose to carry the half-side of pork on his own back, trudging silently ahead.

’Why didn’t he use a storage pouch?’

Clearly, with his current finances, Lou Yuan couldn’t afford one. A single one-meter storage pouch cost around fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones. As a First-Layer Qi Cultivation disciple, if he relied only on the sect’s stipend, it would take him a very long time to save up for his own.

Fang Qingyuan searched his memory. None of the disciples who chose to help him found the Qingyuan Sect had the surname Lou, nor did any of the war orphans he had rescued.

’It seems Lou Yuan comes from a mortal family, with no powerful clan to back him. That’s why he doesn’t even own a storage pouch.’

Realizing this, Fang Qingyuan’s gaze toward Lou Yuan softened. Of course, Lou Yuan couldn’t feel it. With Fang Qingyuan’s current cultivation, if he deliberately concealed his presence, no one in the entire Qingyuan Sect could possibly detect him.

Lou Yuan walked for a long time with the pork on his back, occasionally using Magical Power to levitate it and lighten his load. Finally, just as darkness fell, he reached his destination.

"Xiaoyuan’s back! His father, quick, come lend a hand."

"Big Brother Xiaoyuan! Wow, pork!"

It was a small mountain village with a population of barely a hundred people. The moment Lou Yuan appeared, Fang Qingyuan realized he had been mistaken. ’I thought he bought the pork to feed some kind of Gu worms, but who would have thought it was to give his family a better meal.’

Seeing Lou Yuan so happy and at ease with his family, Fang Qingyuan felt a pang of emotion. He then returned with Jinbao to the Sect Leader’s Quiet Chamber on the summit.

He ordered the disciple attending the door to summon Liu Xun. When he arrived, Fang Qingyuan asked directly:

"You’ve been in charge of the sect’s Ascension Ceremonies for years. Was there ever one named Lou Yuan?"

Liu Xun was completely baffled. He didn’t understand why Fang Qingyuan was suddenly asking about this, but he didn’t dare hesitate and immediately replied:

"Yes, there was an Immortal Seedling named Lou Yuan. He’s from Lou Family Village in Xihua Town. He participated in the Ascension Ceremony nine years ago and was recorded as having a Lower Grade Wood Spirit Root. His background is clean. His father moved here thirteen years ago. They were originally mortals from around White Mountain Artifact City. They fled here as refugees after Qi Wushuang’s death caused the city’s situation to collapse. His mother is from the Liu Family in a nearby village. Lou Yuan also has a younger brother and two younger sisters. Their names are..."

Liu Xun rattled off Lou Yuan’s information as if reading from a script. Seeing this, Fang Qingyuan grew more impressed with him.

’It’s one thing to remember a disciple with such a poor Spirit Root, but to also recall his family history and the background of his mortal parents... that shows real diligence. A Cultivator’s mind is sharp, but not to the point of perfect, photographic recall.’

After a moment, once Liu Xun finished his report, Fang Qingyuan felt he had a clearer picture of the boy. ’Humble birth, poor aptitude... his cultivation path must be incredibly difficult. But it seems he’s stumbled upon some kind of lucky opportunity.’

’This opportunity is probably nothing major. Maybe he caught a mutated Gu worm, or perhaps he stumbled upon some fragmented legacy.’

Fang Qingyuan would never use force to pry into the personal opportunities of his sect’s own Cultivation Immortal Seedlings, even one with poor aptitude.

Thus, Fang Qingyuan’s positive impression of Lou Yuan now outweighed his curiosity about the boy’s lucky chance. That scene of Lou Yuan so happy with his family had made Fang Qingyuan feel a bit like a villain, so he decided not to rush things.

"I have an assignment for you. Observe Lou Yuan discreetly. Find out what this opportunity of his is, and then we’ll decide whether to help him."

After saying this, he seemed to think of something and added a reminder:

"Remember, there’s no need to rush. We have plenty of time."

Liu Xun nodded in acknowledgment. He then took the opportunity to ask several difficult questions he had about his cultivation. Since Liu Xun had only just reached Foundation Establishment, his questions were naturally no challenge for Fang Qingyuan, who answered them all thoroughly.

Who would have thought that even after receiving his answers, Liu Xun would still seem unsatisfied. He boldly ventured a suggestion:

"Sect Leader, have you considered finding time to hold a public lecture? For all these years, our Qingyuan Sect has relied solely on the Teaching Magistrates, and the disciples’ rate of progress is quite slow. Among the handful of us at the Foundation Establishment stage, how many truly cultivated from the beginning right here in our sect?"

Liu Xun’s words struck a chord with Fang Qingyuan. He thought it over and realized it was true. Jiang Wanqin had built her foundation at Yuanling Mountain. Chen Huicheng had reached Late-stage Qi Cultivation at the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect before joining them. As for Liu Xun himself, he had only been here ten years, and his cultivation was thanks to the Primordial Spirit as well.

Fang Qingyuan did a quick mental tally. All of the Qingyuan Sect’s few Foundation Establishment cultivators had laid their foundations elsewhere. ’I’ve been far too hands-off as a Sect Leader.’

At this, Fang Qingyuan’s face flushed with a hint of embarrassment. He gave Liu Xun a firm commitment:

"You’re right. Very well. In half a month, I will hold a public lecture. Go and make the necessary preparations. Have all the disciples who are free attend."