Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion

Fang Qingyuan was among them. He had to go along to witness this first batch of output and then fight for his share of the profits.

When they arrived at Celestial Gate Mountain, Zhao Liangde was in charge. Lechuan had accepted an invitation from another Beast Taming Sub-Sect to attend a ceremony, so once Lechuan left, Zhao Liangde was the one calling the shots at Celestial Gate Mountain.

Seeing that Zhao Liangde was in charge, Fang Qingyuan was overjoyed. Over their years of dealings, he had come up with a few key strategies for handling Zhao Liangde, all of which could now be put to use.

This first batch of Crimson Iron Spiritual Materials was worth twenty thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones and weighed just a hundred tons.

It might not seem like much, but this was only half a month’s production. And as Shen Wulei’s crew became more experienced, the output would gradually increase. In the future, they could probably produce Crimson Iron equivalent to one hundred thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones every month.

This was a business worth over a million Spirit Stones a year. After observing for all this time, Fang Qingyuan had figured out the ins and outs of the operation. This was why he had shamelessly stayed behind when Shen Wulei had initially told him to leave—it was all for this moment.

When Fang Qingyuan found Zhao Liangde, the latter was going over the accounts. Seeing Fang Qingyuan approach, he put down what he was doing and said,

"I knew you couldn’t sit still, you brat. The moment there’s some output, you rush right up here to claim your benefits, afraid you’ll be shortchanged."

Fang Qingyuan put on a fawning smile and said flatteringly,

"As expected, nothing gets past you, Uncle Zhao. I did indeed come for the Crimson Iron mine. I was the one who discovered this vein, after all. And this land still technically belongs to Yuanling Mountain. Now that the sect is mining it on a large scale and reaping the benefits, you have to give us a little something, right?

"You have to understand, we at Yuanling Mountain have been having a hard time lately. The mortals can’t even get enough to eat or wear. They’re counting on these Spirit Stones to survive! If I can’t bring any Spirit Stones back, how can I face everyone?"

Fang Qingyuan rambled on about his many difficulties until Zhao Liangde grew tired of listening. He waved a hand to stop him.

"Alright, alright, stop crying poverty to me. I never planned to short you. If contributions go unrewarded, would anyone else follow your example in the future?"

Seeing Zhao Liangde’s reaction, Fang Qingyuan’s face lit up with joy as he said,

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao! I have always admired your character. I just wonder, what percentage will you be giving to Yuanling Mountain?"

Hearing Fang Qingyuan’s words, Zhao Liangde’s eyes widened as he stared at him and said,

"A percentage? You’ve really got some nerve, kid. If I gave Yuanling Mountain that many Spirit Stones, could you even protect them?"

’We’re not afraid.’

Fang Qingyuan desperately wanted to shout those words, but reason told him that saying it now would only earn Zhao Liangde’s ridicule. With only five Cultivators currently at Yuanling Mountain, they truly didn’t have the standing to speak so boldly.

If Yuanling Mountain had hundreds of Cultivators and several at Foundation Establishment, Fang Qingyuan could have said it. But for now, he could only hide his feelings behind a smile.

Seeing Fang Qingyuan fall silent, Zhao Liangde gave a comforting smile and said,

"Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Yuanling Mountain only has a few Cultivators. Giving you too many Spirit Stones will easily cause discontent among our other sect members. How about this: in consideration of you discovering the mine, I’ll give you a personal share of five-thousandths. And since this mine is near your Yuanling Mountain, I’ll give Yuanling Mountain a share of three percent."

After Zhao Liangde finished, Fang Qingyuan found it hard to accept. Such a massive mine, and the "landlord" only gets this much? If not ten percent, then surely seven or eight percent was warranted.

So, Fang Qingyuan tried to argue his case,

"Have mercy, Uncle Zhao, three percent is too little! It’s not easy for us at Yuanling Mountain. Our Uncle Jiang doesn’t even have a full set of Magical Artifacts. For many years, she’s been using the same ones she had during her Qi Refining days..."

Seeing Fang Qingyuan pestering him, Zhao Liangde said impatiently,

"That’s enough. Three percent isn’t a small amount. You get that many Spirit Stones for free, without having to do any of the production or sales. If it weren’t for the fact that we’re fellow sect members, I’d just toss you a few Spirit Stones and send you on your way. Don’t be so ungrateful.

"Besides, do you think all these Spirit Stones just fall into our pockets? The sub-sects have to pay tribute to Zongshan every year. Whoever pays more gets a higher ranking. Our Southern Border Beast Taming Sect has been at the bottom of the list for years. Every time Master Le goes to Zongshan, he can’t even hold his head high. You need to understand the sect’s difficulties too."

Fang Qingyuan understood what Zhao Liangde was saying, but he still couldn’t accept it. He pestered Zhao Liangde for a long time until Zhao Liangde finally relented and waived Yuanling Mountain’s Spirit Stone ore tax for the next two years.

In those two years, Yuanling Mountain was supposed to hand over forty thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones, which was now waived. However, the five-thousandth share he’d been granted was non-negotiable—not a single stone less.

After Fang Qingyuan left Zhao Liangde’s residence, he looked back at the manor, feeling dejected. ’Without enough strength, you can’t even speak with confidence. Some benefits are right in front of you, but you don’t have the guts to ask for them.’

At this thought, Fang Qingyuan lost all interest in browsing the Marketplace. He took Jinbao, mounted Yinbao, and hurried back toward Yuanling Mountain.

...

At the Red Iron Mine, the digging was proceeding with fiery intensity. The roar of the operating Array carried far into the distance. In the Wilderness Forest, several Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts hid themselves, observing the scene before them.

After a long while, a dispute broke out among the Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts. After a brief fight, the defeated beast remained behind to continue observing, while the victor flew rapidly toward the depths of the Wilderness Forest.

The victorious demon beast was a pangolin named Fen Shui Yi. This beast was already at the Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, but as it moved and leaped through the Wilderness Forest, it still did so with caution.

Fen Shui Yi traveled for the better part of a day, covering two hundred li, before finally arriving at a deep pool in a mountain gorge. Many demon beasts lived here, but the majority were turtles and tortoises.

Upon arriving, Fen Shui Yi went to a large, smooth boulder, prostrated itself on the ground, and waited quietly.

A quarter of an hour later, a massive whirlpool appeared in the deep pool, and a giant turtle, thirty feet in circumference, surfaced. The giant turtle was draped in algae and other floating debris. It opened its drowsy eyes, looked down at the kneeling Fen Shui Yi, and spoke faintly,

"What happened that made you come disturb my cultivation? If you don’t have a good reason, you’re going to become my next meal."

At these words, Fen Shui Yi’s body trembled slightly. But after it explained with a flurry of gestures, the giant turtle’s expression turned troubled. It murmured,

"Humans from the outside have come to mine? This is no good. If they disturb Lord Guiyuan’s slumber and His Excellency awakens, we’ll all be in for it. No, I have to go take a look."

After analyzing the situation for itself, the giant turtle looked at the still-kneeling Fen Shui Yi, opened its mouth, and spat out a stream of Spiritual Light.

When the Spiritual Light faded, a Top-grade Spirit Stone appeared before Fen Shui Yi. Seeing it, the pangolin quickly snatched it up and began kowtowing endlessly.

The giant turtle pulled its body out of the deep pool and said to Fen Shui Yi,

"Lead the way. I’m going to see who has the gall to dig up Lord Guiyuan’s food."

Hearing the command, Fen Shui Yi turned and trotted ahead to lead the way. This time, with the Golden Core Stage giant turtle following behind, Fen Shui Yi was no longer cautious as it had been on the way here. Instead, it ran brazenly forward. Everywhere it passed, beasts scattered in a panic, fleeing for their lives.

An hour later, the turtle arrived at the edge of the Wilderness Forest. It raised its head and looked toward the Red Iron Camp in the distance. After observing silently for a while through the obstruction of the Array, it ordered,

"You lot, split up and inform the Sealing Mountain King, the Flying Eagle King, and the Water Drawing King. Tell them what’s happening here. Say that I want to discuss this with them. If they don’t want to face Lord Guiyuan’s wrath, tell them to come find me at Dan Ya Mountain."

The few Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts received their orders and scattered in different directions. After all the beasts had left, the giant turtle stared coldly at the Red Ore Camp thirty li away for another moment before quietly turning to leave.

It was at this very moment that Fang Qingyuan was just leaving Celestial Gate Mountain, rushing back toward Yuanling Mountain.