I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Martial Continent, Yang City, Yang Mansion.

"Brother Yang, I’ve traveled a great distance at your summons. What business might you have?"

Within the grand hall of the Yang Family Mansion, Yang Pengju sat ramrod straight, personally receiving his guest. He poured a pot of tea and, upon hearing the man’s words, replied with a faint smile:

"What’s this? Can’t old friends, long separated, meet just because they miss one another? I know you have the great Spirit Dragon Sect to look after, Brother Jiang, but surely you can spare a moment."

The visitor was none other than the Sect Leader of the Spirit Dragon Sect, Jiang Tiancheng.

Jiang Tiancheng fell silent for a moment, his brow furrowed as he watched Yang Pengju. He suddenly let out a soft sigh. After a long pause, he shook his head and spoke in a grave tone, "Since it was you who invited me, Brother Yang, there was no question of my not coming. And yes... it has been too long."

Pausing for a moment, Jiang Tiancheng looked up, a hint of guilt on his face. He produced a Storage Pouch and offered it to Yang Pengju, speaking apologetically:

"I am heartbroken by Cheng Xu’s death. He was a prodigy of my Spirit Dragon Sect, and my failure to protect him was a dereliction of my duty. I have already punished Mu Yongxian. This contains some compensation from the sect, as well as from me personally. Please, accept it."

With that, Jiang Tiancheng placed the Storage Pouch on the table. He traced the rim of his teacup, his expression a mixture of apology and grief.

"..." Yang Pengju’s fingers stiffened, and a look of pain crossed his face. He fell silent, paying no mind to the Storage Pouch on the table. After a long moment, he gave a low sigh, closed his eyes, and waved a hand dismissively, his voice heavy. "Enough. It wasn’t the Spirit Dragon Sect’s fault. Whoever killed my son needs to pay with their life. That’s all there is to it. As grieved as I am, I won’t make a scene over this."

Jiang Tiancheng nodded at his words, his expression relaxing slightly. He clapped Yang Pengju on the shoulder, his gaze firm as he offered comfort. "Rest assured, the killer will pay with their life. No matter what, on this matter, I stand with you."

"After all, Cheng Xu was a disciple of the Spirit Dragon Sect. I could not possibly sit by and do nothing."

"Is that so?" At these words, Yang Pengju looked up, giving Jiang Tiancheng a humorless smile. After a moment, he let out a soft breath and slowly shook his head.

"The Purple Rainbow Sect is a powerful and established institution. Qing Zhu is a Purple Mansion True Monarch, a figure of immense status. How do you propose to get revenge?"

"This..." Jiang Tiancheng’s expression suddenly froze, but it returned to normal in an instant. He looked at Yang Pengju with a meaningful gaze.

"How to get revenge? Haven’t you already decided, Brother Yang?"

"Speaking of which, the ’honored guest’ you mentioned to Mu Yongxian that day should have arrived by now."

Just as Jiang Tiancheng finished speaking, a deep and slightly hoarse voice suddenly echoed from the back of the hall.

"Sect Leader Jiang. It has been a long time."

Jiang Tiancheng raised an eyebrow and looked toward the source of the voice.

The owner of the voice wore white-gold robes embroidered with a five-clawed golden Flood Dragon. The creature was depicted baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, its horns prominent and its form so lifelike it seemed to ripple with the wind. The man himself was tall with mature features, and he exuded a subtle, domineering aura. His expression was serene, yet his presence was like that of a sharpened sword. Without any deliberate effort, he radiated a dignity so profound that one dared not look at him directly.

What was most striking, beneath his long, black hair, were his eyes—they were not like an ordinary person’s, but were faint golden irises that held an innate authority.

In the Cultivation Realm, many races possessed long hair and golden eyes, but the one nearest to the Martial Continent was the Qingzhou Imperial Family.

After his initial surprise, Jiang Tiancheng’s expression quickly returned to one of calm. He looked at the newcomer, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and spoke evenly:

"So it is King Dongyou. I never thought your people would approach the Yang Family."

King Dongyou’s cultivation was at the Golden Core Ninth Layer. Although he wasn’t on the same level as Yang Pengju and Jiang Tiancheng, his expression was unconcerned, showing not the slightest timidity. He stepped forward on his own accord, nodded lightly, and spoke in a placid tone:

"Indeed. Patriarch Yang is a man who understands the bigger picture. As for you, Sect Leader Jiang... for years, my Qingzhou Imperial Family has supported your Spirit Dragon Sect with no small amount of resources. That is the only reason you were able to rise so quickly. You would do well not to forget that."

Jiang Tiancheng shook his head, his expression unchanging. He cupped his fist in a bow toward King Dongyou. "Of course not. Should the need arise, the Spirit Dragon Sect will certainly cooperate."

"Excellent. I summoned you today primarily to give you two a chance to get on the same page. My identity makes it inconvenient for me to move freely within the Martial Continent’s borders. Your arrival here provides a plausible reason and won’t arouse suspicion."

After this brief explanation, King Dongyou looked at Yang Pengju and Jiang Tiancheng. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he spoke:

"By now, I have a firm grasp of the Martial Continent’s border defenses. In the Southwest, your Yang Family holds a certain amount of sway, which makes it a suitable point for a breakthrough."

"The only problem is, our main army is currently pinned down. Furthermore, the Southwest border is guarded by a Purple Mansion True Monarch from your Martial Continent’s very own Purple Rainbow Sect. I need you and the Yang Family to create chaos within the Martial Continent, to distract and scatter the primary forces of the various sects. Only then will my side be able to find an opening to strike a fatal blow."

Jiang Tiancheng remained silent, but Yang Pengju bowed his head and cupped his fist, asking in a low voice, "As you command. What are your instructions?"

"Do as we did in the old days. Hunt the young prodigies of the sects. Remember, if you can, leave them half-alive. If you can’t, then kill them and do everything you can to preserve their True Spirit bloodline. I have a great use for it."

King Dongyou spoke in a low, haunting tone, his gaze landing on Jiang Tiancheng as he finished.

Jiang Tiancheng’s brow furrowed slightly, but it smoothed out after a moment. He let out an imperceptible sigh, cupped his fist, and said, "Yes. I will make the arrangements as soon as I return."

"Mm," King Dongyou withdrew his gaze and nodded in satisfaction. A smile touched his lips, hinting at a distant memory. He lightly tapped his forehead with a finger and suddenly began to speak: