I Tame Beasts by Feeding

As the first rays of dawn lit up the ancient city, all life began to stir. And it wasn’t just the animals that were restless—it was the people, too.

"Hey, did you hear? Someone really did see traces of the Cyan Luo Beast on Red Lake Mountain last night!"

"I heard! Because of the previous fight to capture it, the Cyan Luo Beast is weak. Its combat strength isn’t even a tenth of what it used to be."

A large crowd had been gathering at the foot of Red Lake Mountain since the previous evening, and they were now chattering away in small groups.

"Those people over there are from the Huo Family, and over there are the Lin Family. Neither family is native to Dongyang City, but their strength is not to be underestimated."

"The ones leading them are their Patriarchs, both of whom are Foundation Establishment Powerhouses."

Yu Changao stood beside Yu Changsheng, observing everyone from the corner of his eye as he quietly introduced them to him.

"Oh?"

Yu Changsheng followed Yu Changao’s gaze. The members of the Huo Family, a group of about six, stood together. Their leader, Patriarch Huo, was a middle-aged man with long hair coiled at his waist. A faint trace of Evil Qi lingered between his brows. He was at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, while the other five were all at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

As for the other side, the Lin Family also had six members, led by their Patriarch. Their configuration was the same as the Huo Family’s: aside from their Patriarch at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, the rest were all at Late-stage Qi Refining.

While Yu Changsheng was discreetly observing the two families, their two Patriarchs also noticed him. After a slight frown, they shot him a smile and nodded in greeting.

Slightly surprised, Yu Changsheng nodded back, considering the greeting exchanged.

’It seems these two aren’t completely clueless about me. They’ve been paying attention.’

Yu Changsheng was lost in thought. His gaze shifted to another group, where the Tang Family was also present, led by their Patriarch, Tang He. After looking at Yu Changsheng, Tang He broke into a gentle, amiable smile and even took the initiative to walk over.

"You must be Yu Changsheng. A fine talent indeed, a dragon among men. Perhaps there have been some misunderstandings in the past. If you have the time, would you care to be a guest at my estate?"

Tang He spoke warmly, chuckling as he extended a hand toward Yu Changsheng. You would never have known there had ever been any friction between them.

’This old fox really knows how to put on an act,’ Yu Changsheng mused. He returned the warm smile, extended his hand to shake Tang He’s, and said with a laugh:

"You flatter me, Patriarch Tang. This youngster may have caused you much offense, for which I ask your forgiveness. When I have the chance, I will certainly visit your estate in person to apologize."

"Excellent. Then I wish you a successful venture, young friend. If you need anything at all, just say the word."

Tang He smiled faintly, a flash of deep meaning in his eyes. After withdrawing his hand, he gave Yu Changsheng another slight nod, then turned and returned to his group.

The moment he turned, from an angle Yu Changsheng couldn’t see, a cold glint appeared in his eyes, vanishing in an instant.

"So that’s Yu Changsheng. For that old fox Tang He to treat him so seriously, he must be more than he seems."

In the distance, Patriarch Huo and Patriarch Lin had put their heads together, watching the scene with mixed expressions.

"Isn’t he just a young brat? The way I see it, Tang He has gotten soft. He’s lost his edge completely. He’s not fit to rule Dongyang City."

Patriarch Lin curled his lip, his disdain for Tang He clear whenever he was mentioned.

As outside powers in Dongyang City, the Lin and Huo Families were actually closer than most people realized, having joined forces to contend with the behemoth that was the Tang Family.

However, the Tang Family was an old, established clan in Dongyang City with deep roots. They weren’t a force the other two families could easily dislodge. For now, the best they could do was barely hold their own against them.

After all, in terms of high-level Foundation Establishment combatants, the Huo and Lin Families combined only had four, while the Tang Family alone already possessed three.

"That’s not the way to look at it. You know how cunning that old fox Tang He is. How could he possibly allow himself to suffer a loss so easily?"

Patriarch Huo shook his head and said slowly, "For him to go so far as to release the information about the Cyan Luo Beast, he must have done it to lure Yu Changsheng out."

"To harbor such deep-seated hatred and still be able to act so calmly... I have to admit, Tang He’s cunning runs deep. I’m almost ashamed of how I compare."

Patriarch Huo clicked his tongue in amazement, and a peculiar look appeared in Patriarch Lin’s eyes as well.

"I’ve made some inquiries. This Yu Changsheng is no simple character. An Inner Sect Disciple of the Wanxiang Sect, he climbed eight thousand steps of the Celestial Ladder and even killed Huang Suyu, a Foundation Establishment Third Layer disciple from Sword Control Peak..."

Patriarch Huo swallowed. Recalling the facts, his own eyes filled with utter disbelief.

"Anyone who treats him like a regular Qi Refining Disciple is bound to suffer a great loss. It’s no wonder Tang He is on such high alert."

"Is that so?" Patriarch Lin’s pupils constricted at the words, his disbelief and shock palpable.

"Mmm, there’s no mistake. But if Tang He dares to make a move, he must be completely sure of himself. This time, even if Yu Changsheng is brilliant, he’s destined to be just a flash in the pan."

Patriarch Huo nodded, his expression darkening as he seemed to ponder something.

"If that’s the case, why don’t we give him a reminder? It could help us keep Tang He in check."

A glint flashed in Patriarch Lin’s eyes as he spoke in a low voice.

"No need." Patriarch Huo shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"The Wanxiang Sect values its Inner Sect Disciples greatly, and this kid’s master, in particular, seems to be quite formidable.

Imagine, if Yu Changsheng were to die at the hands of the Tang Family, and we just so happened to have proof..."

"When we report it to the Wanxiang Sect, do you think the Tang Family will have any hope of survival?"

Having said his piece, Patriarch Huo turned to look at Patriarch Lin, who was dawning with realization. They looked at each other and shared a knowing smile.

"So you see, Tang He thinks his plan is flawless, but his petty schemes were seen through long ago. We don’t need to concern ourselves with Yu Changsheng. On the contrary, if he really does die at Tang He’s hands, that would be a great thing for us."

...

Yu Changsheng was oblivious to the two Patriarchs’ scheming. He watched Tang He’s retreating figure, then glanced down at the hand that had shaken his. He sneered inwardly.

’This guy. Did he really think I wouldn’t notice the trace he secretly left on me?’

Yu Changsheng shook his head to himself. He nonchalantly wiped the right hand that had shaken Tang He’s, but he did not erase the trace upon it.

The trace had a single, simple purpose: tracking. It was incredibly faint, and an ordinary person would never have been able to detect it. However, before Yu Changsheng’s Divine Sense—which was comparable to a Golden Core’s—such petty tricks had nowhere to hide.

Besides the Cultivators led by the three great families, the area had naturally attracted many Loose Cultivators who had arrived after hearing the news over the past few days. Most of them were at the Qi Refining stage; Foundation Establishment cultivators were few and far between.

The few who were here were only Low-Tier Foundation Establishment. And the earlier scene of Yu Changsheng shaking hands and conversing with Tang He had naturally fallen under their gaze. Though they didn’t understand the context, they began to pay close attention to Yu Changsheng.

However, two of the Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators had a different look in their eyes, and they sneered to themselves.