Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion

Chapter 287 - 229: Planning a Way Out

Fang Qingyuan traveled on, returning to Yuanling Mountain without incident. After emerging from his seclusion, he made a few public appearances before retreating back into his Quiet Chamber.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, Fang Qingyuan released Jinbao and the young bird from the Immortal Mansion.

Watching the two energetic and boisterous Spirit Beasts, Fang Qingyuan’s mood was anything but pleasant.

The information he had learned through telepathy back in the Wilderness Forest made Fang Qingyuan realize that he was being targeted.

The inspectors from the Great Zhou Academy were like hyenas. Especially when it came to Demon-possessed Cultivators, these investigators would surely latch onto him and never let go.

’The matter with Huo Hu has been leaked.’ Fang Qingyuan had no idea where he had slipped up. ’Could it be that I was recognized when I had Huo Hu deal with Jia Changqing and his brothers?’

’No, the timing doesn’t add up. Huo Hu dealt with the Jia Changqing brothers a month ago, but Ji Yuanjian started targeting me even earlier than that.’

’Could the Artifact Talisman Alliance have leaked the information?’

’Qi Wushuang has no reason to betray me. It must be Kuai Tong.’

’Kuai Tong defected to the Spirit Wood Alliance, so he definitely knows about Huo Hu becoming demon-possessed. However, Kuai Tong probably doesn’t know the role I played in it.’

’Otherwise, Ji Yuanjian wouldn’t need to come here to collect evidence. He could have just had Kuai Tong testify, and that would have been enough to convict me.’

Fang Qingyuan slowly untangled a thread of the situation, but he still couldn’t understand what role Zhao E Lian—an abandoned pawn exiled to the fringes—was playing in all of this.

And if Zhao E Lian had the energy to scheme against the Southern Border, then the chances of Lechuan’s trip ending in failure were even higher.

’It seems I need to plan an escape route for myself. The banner of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect might really have to change.’

Thinking of this, Fang Qingyuan sighed. In his eagerness to break the deadlock back then, he had set his sights on Huo Hu. ’Looking back, I was too hasty.’

But even without the Huo Hu incident, his situation wouldn’t be much better if Zhao E Lian came to power.

For the expansion war in a few years, Fang Qingyuan had originally planned to be a logistics officer, simply handling the logistical operations for the main army.

But if Zhao E Lian was calling the shots, he would probably be thrown to the front lines as the first wave of cannon fodder.

Given Zhao E Lian’s temperament, he was absolutely capable of doing such a thing.

And Lechuan, having lost his position as the head of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect, would have little say in the matter. He might not even be able to protect himself.

’Huo Gan, oh Huo Gan, you truly disappeared at the worst possible time.’

Inside the Quiet Chamber, a dark glint flickered in Fang Qingyuan’s eyes. A moment later, he abruptly stood up and headed toward the place where Jiang Kui was cultivating.

....

"Senior Sister Jiang, it’s me!"

Standing before the array at Jiang Kui’s residence, Fang Qingyuan announced his presence. A few breaths later, the array silently opened, and Fang Qingyuan stepped inside.

Ever since taking the Elixir Pills Fang Qingyuan had found for her, Jiang Kui had devoted most of her energy to cultivation.

Jiang Kui’s innate talent was not that of a heaven-sent genius; she merely possessed a Top-grade Water Spirit Root.

A Top-grade Spirit Root offered some advantage during the Qi Refining stage, but after entering Foundation Establishment, her cultivation speed became average.

Moreover, she had been delayed for nearly twenty years after being poisoned. After so much time wasted, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator had only so many twenty-year periods in their life.

These days, there was nothing on Yuanling Mountain that required Jiang Kui’s attention. In the years she had been away, Yuanling Mountain had developed its own system of operation.

Jiang Kui also disliked worldly affairs, so she had rarely appeared before outsiders since returning to Yuanling Mountain. Devoting herself to bitter cultivation, she was now on the verge of advancing to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.

Jiang Kui’s house was not much different from before. Looking at the familiar surroundings, Fang Qingyuan felt as if he had returned to the old days.

But under the perception of his Divine Sense, the image of Jiang Kui inside the house was so clear in his mind that it served as a constant reminder that he could never go back.

Jiang Kui wore a black Daoist robe. Her movements were languid in front of Fang Qingyuan. Leaning back in a jade chair inside her house, she spoke upon seeing him,

"What made you think of coming to see me?"

Over the past few years, Fang Qingyuan and Jiang Kui had not met often. For one, Fang Qingyuan was busy with cultivation and other matters. For another, he subconsciously avoided getting more involved with her.

Unlike him, Jiang Kui did not have numerous cultivators protecting her, nor did she have many trump cards. Fang Qingyuan had always kept the threat of the Spirit Wood Alliance in mind.

If he became too entangled with Jiang Kui, Fang Qingyuan feared she would become a weakness that could be exploited.

Fang Qingyuan did his best to avoid such a situation, because he worried that when the time came, he would have to have a heart of stone.

"It has been a long time. I thought I’d take this opportunity to visit you, Senior Sister, and tie up some loose ends."

Listening to Fang Qingyuan’s tone, Jiang Kui’s lazy smile slowly faded, and her expression turned serious.

"Did you run into some kind of trouble?"

After saying this, Jiang Kui seemed to snap out of it and laughed at herself.

"You’re already the head seat. I can’t help you with any trouble you might face. Just pretend I didn’t say that."

Fang Qingyuan stared at Jiang Kui for a few breaths, then said slowly,

"Senior Sister, back then, you took me under your wing and brought me to Yuanling Mountain. Now that I’ve become the head of the Miscellaneous Affairs Peak, it’s best to sort out some of our assets to stop people from wagging their tongues."

After Fang Qingyuan said these distant words, Jiang Kui’s mood soured. She turned her head away, no longer looking at his face.

Seeing that Jiang Kui didn’t respond, Fang Qingyuan continued on his own.

"I plan to transfer the income from the red iron mine to Yuanling Mountain’s name. That’s a sum of two Top-grade Spirit Stones per year.

As for Yuanling Square Marketplace, I’m planning to give Zhang Yuan thirty percent of the shares. You’ll take twelve percent. The ten percent share in Jiuye Square will also be transferred to Yuanling Mountain.

Additionally, over the past few years, the vassal families of the sect have presented me with various assets as tribute. Take whatever catches your eye. If there’s nothing you fancy, I’ll just sell it all."

At first, Jiang Kui didn’t want to listen, but as Fang Qingyuan’s words grew more and more pessimistic, she couldn’t help but ask,

"Why does it sound like you’re arranging your last affairs? You’ve already become the head of the Ministry of Affairs. What trouble could you possibly be in?"

Gazing at Jiang Kui’s fair face, Fang Qingyuan considered for a moment, then decided to selectively reveal a few details about Zhao E Lian’s impending rise to power.

He didn’t reveal a single thing about Huo Hu or the Great Zhou Academy.

After a long moment, Jiang Kui finally accepted this fact. She then sighed helplessly.

"Internal enemies are more terrifying than external ones. I never thought that before the Spirit Wood Alliance could even make a move, a problem would arise from Zongshan."

After she finished speaking, the two of them looked at each other, speechless.

...

Half a day later, Fang Qingyuan emerged from Jiang Kui’s residence. His steps were much lighter now, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

「The next day.」 Fang Qingyuan led the Camel Ray Beast Array toward Celestial Gate Mountain.

Two months later, Lechuan returned from Zongshan, but the news he brought was not optimistic.

Inside Lechuan Mansion, Lechuan’s expression was grim. After he recounted his trip to Zongshan, everyone fell silent.

Heiye was also present, crouching in a distant corner, its tail wagging restlessly, clearly agitated.

Huo Bai also frowned, but his expression was blank. He was powerless in a struggle that involved high-level Nascent Soul Cultivators.

Lechuan had taken Yu He’s token to Zongshan, but upon arriving, he hadn’t rushed to find Yu He. Instead, he first visited other Nascent Soul Cultivators.

After some intelligence gathering, he had obtained several crucial pieces of information.

First, Zhao E Lian’s Golden Silk Silver-backed Manta Ray had successfully advanced to a Nascent Soul Spirit Beast. As a result, Zhao E Lian’s status within the sect had risen with the tide.

Unlike Lechuan’s Companion Beast, which was disobedient, Zhao E Lian remained the dominant party in his relationship with the Golden Silk Silver Back, even after it reached the Nascent Soul realm.

Second, this scheme was not orchestrated by Zhao E Lian alone. Another Nascent Soul Cultivator was the main driving force, and most troublingly, this cultivator had originally been from the same faction as Huo Gan.

Huo Gan’s absence over the years had sparked dissatisfaction among the other Nascent Soul Cultivators. A matter as important as the expansion war was still less important in Huo Gan’s heart than his own Companion Beast, the Spiritual Crane.

Since Huo Gan refused to take responsibility, and with the expansion war drawing ever closer, the other Nascent Soul Cultivators simply decided to replace him. And Lechuan, the banner-man who followed Huo Gan, had lost his usefulness.

He had even become an obstacle to them dividing the merits.

If the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect achieved great merit in the expansion war, the credit wouldn’t go to Lechuan. If Lechuan excelled, it would only make Huo Gan look like a man with good judgment in the end.

Meanwhile, Zhao E Lian had managed his own territory and courtyard with great success in recent years. Coupled with his past grievances with Lechuan and the Huo Family, he became the perfect replacement.

Even more terrifying, behind all of this was the tacit approval of the true backer of Huo Gan’s faction: the Master of Moon Peak.

With that, the matter was already set in stone.

Hearing all this, Fang Qingyuan felt a wave of powerlessness. In this upheaval, even Golden Core Cultivators were nothing more than disposable pawns.

’As a mere Junior Cultivator in the early-stage of Foundation Establishment, I’d better think more about my own plans.’

’It seems I need to sell off my remaining shares in Yuanling Square Marketplace as soon as possible.’