Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion

"What about the fresh sprouts you promised me? Where have you run off to these past few days?"

The Moon Rabbit planted herself in front of Fang Qingyuan, looking quite fetching. Her lips moved without pause as she rattled on at him.

Nearby, Tu Dai'Er watched with great interest. Fang Qingyuan was quite thick-skinned; in her experience, it was rare to see him cornered like this.

Fang Qingyuan felt helpless. In a fit of indignation, he had recklessly leaped out of Celestial Gate Mountain and charged into the Barbaric Wilderness, completely forgetting his promise to the Jade Rabbit. He hadn't delivered the daily bag of fresh sprouts he had promised her.

Now that the Jade Rabbit had learned of his return to Celestial Gate Mountain, she had appeared in a flash to block his path up the mountain.

Seeing the Jade Rabbit trying to reason with him despite her anger, Fang Qingyuan broke out in a cold sweat. 'If her temper gets the better of her and she kicks me into critical condition, I'll be a laughingstock.'

So, Fang Qingyuan hurriedly took out several storage bags containing the fresh sprouts he'd prepared earlier.

The Jade Rabbit snatched the bags and inspected them, her expression softening slightly. It wasn't that she needed the food, but the fact that Fang Qingyuan had dared to slight her had only deepened her impression of this little Golden Core Cultivator. Not everyone had the nerve to stand her up.

'Who is she? That scent is familiar… I think I've smelled it somewhere before.'

Popping a few sprouts into her mouth, the Jade Rabbit's interest shifted to Tu Dai'Er, who stood beside Fang Qingyuan. Her delicate nostrils twitched, as if she'd caught a scent of some significance.

Before Fang Qingyuan could explain, the Jade Rabbit spoke to Tu Dai'Er.

"Are you a disciple of Tu Wuzhao? How has your master been lately?"

Tu Dai'Er curtsied before replying:

"Everything is fine. Thank you for your concern, Senior."

The Jade Rabbit chuckled softly, then her gaze fell back on Fang Qingyuan, her expression shifting. Her attitude suddenly grew colder. Glancing at the storage bags in her hand, she tossed them back to him.

"Nothing special."

Fang Qingyuan caught the storage bags and watched the Jade Rabbit's figure retreat, a sense of helplessness washing over him.

'Now that I'm aligning myself with Black Wind Valley and seeking Tu Wuzhao's support, it's only natural that the Jade Rabbit and Yue'e Ancestor no longer see me as one of their own.'

It was true that the Beast Taming Sect and Black Wind Valley were allies, but even alliances had varying degrees of closeness.

The Jade Rabbit had been willing to chat and laugh with a minor Golden Core Cultivator like Fang Qingyuan out of a certain fondness. But with Tu Dai'Er's appearance, she had lost all interest. A few bags of fresh sprouts were not worth the effort of hiding her true feelings.

Given the Jade Rabbit's reaction, Fang Qingyuan could guess how Di Yuanpu and Xiong Youde would respond.

"What's wrong? Are you having second thoughts?"

Tu Dai'Er asked solemnly, noticing his troubled expression.

"Do I have any other choice? I could have ignored Bear Wind, gone back to being a sect leader, and lived a carefree life. That might have seemed like the most rational choice, but I simply can't stand by and do nothing."

Tu Dai'Er felt a surge of admiration for Fang Qingyuan's conviction. Not every sect leader would be so willful as to risk everything for an Ancient Beast of the Wilderness.

Any other sect leader would have been overruled by their own disciples the moment they proposed such an idea. It was only because the Qingyuan Sect's entire strength rested on him alone that Fang Qingyuan could make such a monumental decision about his sect's future without consulting anyone.

One could only imagine how the established sects of White Mountain would treat the Qingyuan Sect once it lost the backing of the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect.

"Let's go. At this point, I have no path of retreat. As long as I can secure Bear Wind, a Nascent Soul Ancient Beast, the other major sects of White Mountain will have no choice but to treat me with even greater respect."

After his calm analysis, Fang Qingyuan took the lead. Tu Dai'Er pondered for a moment and realized he was right. In the White Mountain Territory, all Nascent Soul Cultivators were sequestered in cultivation atop White Mountain, unable to descend. Under these circumstances, a mid-stage Nascent Soul Ancient Beast that could be deployed at any moment was an incredible trump card.

In terms of mobility, it was far more convenient than the White Mountain Sects, which needed a Bronze Oil Lamp as a catalyst to summon their Nascent Soul Ancestors.

'The only question was whether the Master of White Mountain would permit a being with Nascent Soul Battle Power to roam the foothills instead of ascending the mountain.'

.....

Inside the Quiet Chamber, Di Yuanpu stood before a Yellow Sand Talisman Disc. It displayed a miniature, panoramic view of Awakening Lion Valley, dotted with six small, black flags. Each flag represented a Nascent Soul Ancient Beast.

In a Water Mirror to one side, a colossal Barbaric Giant Crocodile was whining to Di Yuanpu.

"Master, when are you going to bring me home? It stinks here, the food is gross, and the other Ancient Beasts of the Wilderness are all morons who can't even talk! It's sooooo boring! I want to go back to the Zongshan Crocodile Pool! Get me out of here, quick!"

The Barbaric Giant Crocodile spoke with the voice of a seven- or eight-year-old girl. Its massive body thrashed about in a pool, sending up huge splashes that terrified the surrounding demonic beasts into stillness.

Seeing his Companion Beast in such a state, Di Yuanpu's face filled with sympathy. He quickly soothed it,

"Very soon. The Ancestor has already arrived, and the plan to develop Awakening Lion Valley is moving forward. You'll be out of there before you know it. When the time comes, I'll give you a few years off so you can have a nice, long rest."

After placating his Companion Beast with the promise of a far-off vacation, Di Yuanpu asked,

"Do you have any updates on that Ancient Beast of the Wilderness I asked you to investigate?"