Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion-Chapter 110 - 108: Obedient Senior Sister
’Jiang Kui reached Foundation Establishment?’
Fang Qingyuan wasn’t particularly surprised when he heard the news. When he thought about it, more than half a year had passed since Jiang Kui disappeared last year. So, she had gone off to find her Foundation Establishment Opportunity.
Jiang Kui had always been exceptionally talented, possessing a top-grade Spirit Root. Though she was only a few years his senior, he was still messing around at the Sixth-Layer Qi Cultivation, while she had already been a late-stage Qi Cultivation Cultivator four or five years ago.
In recent years, since the Elder Dean had passed away, Jiang Kui had also freed herself from the distractions of mundane duties to focus solely on cultivation. It was only logical that she had now become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
But with Jiang Kui’s successful breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, he could no longer call her Senior Sister. He would have to call her Foundation Establishment Uncle.
’But why was Zhang Yuan now spouting nonsense about Foundation Establishment Uncle Jiang Kui wanting him to marry into her family? If he became Jiang Kui’s cultivation partner, would he call her Senior Sister or Foundation Establishment Uncle?’
’And that brat Zhang Yuan... wouldn’t he have to start calling me Foundation Establishment Uncle too?’
For a moment, Fang Qingyuan’s mind was filled with all sorts of nonsense. But after a few seconds, he saw the grin Zhang Yuan was struggling to suppress, and it all clicked.
"Why you little... Zhang Yuan! You dare make fun of your senior brother? Show some respect! You’re asking for a beating, you know that?"
Seeing that Fang Qingyuan had caught on, Zhang Yuan quickly apologized. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
"My apologies, Senior Brother. I was just kidding. But while Jiang Kui didn’t mention you marrying in, she did say she wants us to go and help her. Senior Sister Jiang Kui is still single, with no cultivation partner. If you spend enough time with her, you know what they say—the one in a favorable position gets the prize first. Sooner or later, you’ll win the fair lady’s heart."
Hearing Zhang Yuan’s nonsense, Fang Qingyuan shot him an irritated look before opening the Five Elements Reversed Illusion Array. He stepped into his small courtyard, leaving Zhang Yuan hanging at the entrance.
Zhang Yuan watched the Array close before him, a look of chagrin on his face as he muttered to himself:
"Crap, I’ve done it now. A few too many drinks and I can’t control my own mouth. Senior Brother must be furious with me. He’s not going to fly into a rage from embarrassment, is he?"
As Zhang Yuan muttered nonstop at the entrance, Fang Qingyuan, who had gone into the courtyard for a moment, walked back out with Jinbao and the Silver Treasure Bat. He looked at Zhang Yuan and said:
"What are you mumbling about? Get on, quickly."
Zhang Yuan’s face lit up, realizing Fang Qingyuan wasn’t truly angry with him. He quickly climbed onto the Silver Treasure Bat’s back. With a single flap of its wings, the bat flew off in the direction of Celestial Gate Mountain.
On the way there, Zhang Yuan began to tell Fang Qingyuan the details of Jiang Kui’s breakthrough. Apparently, sometime during the winter before the new year, Jiang Kui had been perusing jade slips in the Scripture Pavilion when she came across a piece of information that made her sense her own Foundation Establishment Opportunity.
In this world, once a cultivator reaches Qi Cultivation Ninth-Layer Perfection, they will, at some point, sense a single Foundation Establishment Opportunity. If they can seize it, they become a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator. If they fail, their only option is to slowly and painstakingly grind away at their cultivation realm.
When their realm can no longer advance, their only choice is to consume a Foundation Establishment Pill and attempt to force a breakthrough. However, the success rate for this method is much lower than for those who break through by seizing a naturally-sensed opportunity.
Jiang Kui was truly fortunate. After sensing her Foundation Establishment Opportunity, she told no one. The very next day, having prepared her Elixir Pills and Magical Artifacts, she set out alone. Now, more than half a year later, she had finally returned to the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect after stabilizing her new realm.
Fang Qingyuan was happy for Jiang Kui. By taking this step, her lifespan would instantly double, giving her an expected two hundred and forty to two hundred and fifty years of life.
’At this rate,’ Fang Qingyuan thought, ’she could even aspire to the Golden Core Realm someday.’
But his happiness was followed by a sobering thought: now that Jiang Kui had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, her position might become even more awkward than before.
As a late-stage Qi Cultivation disciple, Jiang Kui hadn’t been important enough for Lechuan to notice. He had never sent her to fight in the two major battles, likely out of concern for his own reputation. If she were to die in battle, word would get out, and it would look bad for him.
The circumstances surrounding Dean Jiang’s death were already suspicious. If Jiang Kui also died, the original faction would be completely wiped out. The damage to Lechuan’s image wouldn’t be worth it.
That’s why Jiang Kui had kept a low profile for the past few years, staying out of Lechuan’s sight. Over time, Lechuan had likely forgotten all about her.
But now she had made a stunning return as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Lechuan could no longer pretend she didn’t exist.
The Southern Border Beast Taming Sect now had six Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Jiang Kui was the seventh, and the very first of the sect’s original, homegrown disciples to reach this stage.
How Lechuan would deal with Jiang Kui was now a matter of great concern to everyone.
After considering all this, Fang Qingyuan asked:
"You said Senior Sister Jiang Kui wants to recruit us. For what, exactly?"
Zhang Yuan took a swig of wine and said lazily:
"What else could it be? To have us help her out, of course. If Senior Sister Jiang Kui doesn’t want to stay at Celestial Gate Mountain, her only choice is to strike out on her own. I doubt Lechuan wants her involved in managing the sect’s core affairs anyway. Right now, everything in the sect, big or small, is in the hands of the people from Zongshan. It’s hard for original disciples like us to get ahead."
A sense of gloom settled over Fang Qingyuan as he listened. In the past, when Lechuan had mobilized disciples to help the Wei Family, most of them had been the sect’s original members. The disciples he’d brought with him from Zongshan, however, had suffered minimal losses.
The more astute members had seen it for what it was—Lechuan was replacing the sect’s old blood with his own. But seeing it didn’t mean they could do anything about it. All the original disciples combined were no match for Lechuan. Under these circumstances, whatever Lechuan decided to do, they had no choice but to endure.
The other six Foundation Establishment Cultivators were all based at Celestial Gate Mountain. Jiang Kui, the newly minted one, would perhaps be the first to strike out on her own.
Striking out on one’s own didn’t mean leaving the sect. It was more like an external assignment—you were responsible for your own profits and losses, and simply had to pay an annual tax to the sect.
The upside was greater freedom; your earnings depended entirely on your own abilities. The downside was being far from the center of power. You wouldn’t get a share of any benefits, as they would be carved up by those remaining within the sect.
Within the sect, he and Zhang Yuan had been the closest to Jiang Kui over the past few years. It was only natural that she would think of them now.
’But if Jiang Kui wants me to join her... should I go?’
’Putting aside Zhang Yuan’s ridiculous theory about gaining an advantage through proximity, if I went, would my prospects for advancement really be any better than they are now?’
’The war at Celestial Attraction Mountain is over now. The Wei Family, the Artifact Talisman Alliance, and the Luo Family have all signed a pact. The days ahead will be peaceful, so I don’t have to worry about my safety. I can just focus on my cultivation. Is it really necessary to follow Jiang Kui and strike out on my own?’
’Besides, if I choose to follow Jiang Kui, the relationship with Zhao Liangde that I’ve so carefully cultivated with Spirit Stones would all be for naught. If I get on Zhao Liangde’s bad side, mending that bridge later would likely be even more expensive.’
For a moment, Fang Qingyuan’s mind was a whirl of conflicting thoughts, and he couldn’t reach a decision. The Silver Treasure Bat, oblivious to its master’s worries, leisurely flew on until it reached the foot of Celestial Gate Mountain.
"Senior Brother, we’re here."
Zhang Yuan’s voice broke Fang Qingyuan from his reverie. He realized they had arrived at the foot of the mountain. He recalled the Silver Treasure Bat and, with Jinbao and Zhang Yuan in tow, stepped through the mountain gate.
Once inside the sect, Fang Qingyuan learned that Lechuan had already decided on Jiang Kui’s assignment. Just as everyone had expected, she was not to remain within Celestial Gate Mountain but was being transferred to Yuanling Mountain.
Yuanling Mountain was a second-rank, mid-grade Spirit Mountain, a respectable grade more than sufficient for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s needs.
The only issue was its remote location, bordering the Southern Wilderness Forest. From time to time, wild beasts would stray from the forest and attack passing Cultivators.
Furthermore, numerous Demon Cultivators and Ghost Cultivators lurked at the forest’s edge, posing another major threat.
Of course, if there were only disadvantages, it would make Lechuan look intolerant. While the area around Yuanling Mountain was unstable, one feature more than made up for the drawbacks: there was a mine nearby.
And it was a Spirit Ore mine. With a single lucky scoop of the shovel, one could unearth seven or eight Spirit Stones. That was more lucrative than any business.
Normally, Lechuan would have been loath to part with such a cash cow, but he had his reasons. According to an intelligence report, the mine near Yuanling Mountain was already on the verge of depletion.
It could be mined for another seven or eight years at most, yielding less than three or four hundred thousand Spirit Stones in total. Knowing the inside story, Lechuan decided to do Jiang Kui a "favor," silencing any critics while also shuffling her away. It was a perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone.
Jiang Kui, of course, was unaware of these hidden details. To her, it didn’t matter whether it was Yuanling Mountain or Celestial Gate Mountain. Her ambitions reached far beyond such things.
When Fang Qingyuan and Zhang Yuan arrived at Jiang Kui’s courtyard, she was in the middle of a bath. A moment later, she emerged fully dressed, and the sight of her left them both momentarily stunned.
Fang Qingyuan had always thought Jiang Kui was exceptionally beautiful, but now, after her breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, her charm had risen to a whole new level.
It was an evolution of her very Life Origin. The leap from Qi Cultivation to Foundation Establishment was a vast chasm, and she had undergone a fundamental transformation, inside and out.
Jiang Kui let out a light laugh, then looked at the two of them and said:
"What’s the matter, you don’t recognize me? Aren’t you going to properly greet your Foundation Establishment Uncle?"
At her words, Fang Qingyuan’s expression froze. Just as he was about to bow, Jiang Kui reached out and stopped him.
"I’m just teasing," she said. "From now on, you can just keep calling me Senior Sister."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Yuan, who was still stuck in a deep bow, piped up.
"Then why didn’t you stop me too, Senior Sister?"
Jiang Kui threw him a sidelong glance without a word, turning instead to take out a box of Spirit Leaves and brew some tea. Zhang Yuan looked sheepish. Recalling his earlier big-mouthed comments, he felt a pang of apprehension.
’Can Senior Sisters at the Foundation Establishment Stage read minds?’
Once the three of them were seated, Jiang Kui’s expression turned serious.
"You two probably know the general situation," she began. "I was wondering if you would be willing to come and help me."
Fang Qingyuan took a sip of tea, savoring the fragrant Spiritual Power as it unfolded in layers across his palate. Then, he spoke slowly.
"Senior Sister, how many people are you planning to take with you? Besides the two of us, have you asked any other sect disciples? Also, how much is the annual tax you have to pay to the sect? And will you be allowed to recruit your own disciples?"
Fang Qingyuan laid out all his questions at once. After listening, Jiang Kui’s expression froze. She raised her teacup to her lips and mumbled:
"I... I haven’t had time to consider all that yet. Lechuan only decided the broad strokes. I still need to negotiate the specifics with Zhao Liangde."
Hearing this, Fang Qingyuan slapped the thigh of the person next to him—Zhang Yuan. Ignoring his friend’s pained grimace, he declared:
"This needs to be handled sooner rather than later! We just need to go over and ’feed’ Zhao Liangde until he’s satisfied. Delays only invite complications. If one of the other Foundation Establishment Uncles decides to throw a wrench in the works, the cost in Spirit Stones could become astronomical. Senior Sister, we’re going right now."
Jiang Kui was taken aback, then said:
"Now? But I just met with Lechuan and Zhao Liangde. And I haven’t even had my Foundation Establishment ceremony yet."
Fang Qingyuan shot Jiang Kui a look, his presence suddenly intense as he stood up and declared:
"I may not be your equal in cultivation, but when it comes to this sort of thing, you’ll have to listen to me, Senior Sister."
