Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion-Chapter 36: Desperate Measures

In the great hall, the original banquet had been cleared away and temporarily converted into a formal hearing. Fang Qingyuan sat in the main seat; this time, he didn’t refuse. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Lao Bai stood behind Fang Qingyuan like a great divine statue, protecting him.

To his left were the cultivators of the Liu Family, now glaring furiously at the woman who had come forward. The woman, meanwhile, was on Fang Qingyuan’s right, all alone, her body trembling uncontrollably.

With Lao Bai, a Foundation Establishment Spirit Beast, present, the Liu Family cultivators, though glaring daggers at the woman, didn’t dare use any sinister methods to secretly take her life.

This was Fang Qingyuan’s first time acting as a Sea Patrol Envoy, and he had no experience. However, drawing on the plots of stories from his past life, he opened his mouth and said:

"Woman, what is your name? Why have you come forward, and who do you wish to report?"

Hearing Fang Qingyuan’s question, the woman took a moment to compose herself before speaking:

"My name is Huo Xiaolan. I wish to report the Patriarch of the Liu Family, Liu Siwu, for forcibly marrying a mother and her two daughters from his own clan, an act that violates all principles of morality and ethics. I implore the Sea Patrol Envoy to investigate thoroughly."

Hearing Huo Xiaolan’s words, Fang Qingyuan glanced at Liu Siwu. ’I didn’t think a simple, honest-looking fellow like you would play such wild games.’

So, he asked aloud:

"Patriarch Liu, is what Huo Xiaolan says true?"

His affair exposed, Liu Siwu looked completely unconcerned. He replied in a booming voice:

"It is true. However, my three wives are all outside the five degrees of mourning for me. We share no blood relation. How can you use the ethics of a Confucian Family to govern the conduct of a Daoist Family!"

After Liu Siwu finished, Fang Qingyuan had to admire his thick skin. ’Never mind whether the matter was taboo or not; it was rare to see someone so brazenly self-righteous.’

But Liu Siwu had a point. Fang Qingyuan was a disciple of Beast Taming Mountain, and Beast Taming Mountain wasn’t a purely Taoist Sect. Strictly speaking, if one traced the origins of the Beast Taming Sect, it was closer to the shamanistic traditions.

The Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues were a concept of the Confucian Family, and Beast Taming Mountain didn’t concern itself with such things. Thinking of this, Fang Qingyuan had Liu Siwu summon his three wives. After questioning them personally and learning that Liu Siwu had not coerced them, he said to Huo Xiaolan:

"Patriarch Liu has a point. My Beast Taming Sect truly cannot interfere in this matter."

At these words, the Liu Family cultivators were all delighted. They then stared viciously at Huo Xiaolan. Only Liu Tongshu showed a look of pity.

This accusation had failed. However, Huo Xiaolan acted as if nothing had happened; in fact, her expression grew even more determined.

She then continued:

"I also wish to report Liu Siwu for indulging his clansmen in the practice of demonic arts, using young women as cultivation cauldrons to advance their cultivation."

’What audacity!’ Fang Qingyuan was growing angry. Some cultivators, stuck at a bottleneck for a long time or wanting to use external aids to speed up their practice, would resort to unorthodox and sinister methods. Among these, dual cultivation techniques were the most rampant.

’To think the Liu Family would also resort to such methods.’ Fang Qingyuan looked at Liu Siwu, waiting to see how he would defend himself.

Liu Siwu’s expression was as calm as before. He said slowly:

"Fang Sea Patrol Envoy, please see the truth. My clan’s disciples have never used mortal women as cultivation cauldrons. It is always consensual. Our disciples transfer their own Spiritual Power to the mortal women to improve their constitutions, merely hoping to increase the chances of them giving birth to offspring with Spirit Roots."

Before Fang Qingyuan could speak after Liu Siwu finished, Huo Xiaolan cried out in anger:

"Nonsense! I saw it with my own eyes! The sisters you summoned passed away not long after returning! And you still claim it wasn’t because of this evil technique?"

Hearing Huo Xiaolan’s accusation, Liu Siwu gave a disdainful smile. He then took out a silk cloth from his storage bag and said to Fang Qingyuan:

"This is a Dual Cultivation Secret Technique I obtained from the Hehuan Sect. The original is right here. Fang Sea Patrol Envoy, you will know the truth with a single look."

Fang Qingyuan raised an eyebrow. He had Lao Bai inspect it first, and only after confirming there were no tricks did he take it in his hand to examine it closely.

A quarter of an hour later, after finishing reading the secret technique, he had Lao Bai probe the young Liu Family cultivators who had practiced this technique. He found that the Spiritual Qi in their bodies was not chaotic, a clear sign they had not been absorbing the vital essence of mortal women.

So, Fang Qingyuan sighed and said to Huo Xiaolan:

"This is indeed the Dual Cultivation Secret Technique from the White Mountain Hehuan Sect. I’ve given it a brief look and find its principles to be quite noble. It is by no means one of those selfish, harmful arts from the unorthodox paths. You don’t understand cultivation. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding here."

Two accusations, and neither had managed to damage the Liu Family. On the contrary, it made the Liu Family cultivators even more pleased. Several of them looked at Huo Xiaolan with cruel gazes, likely planning to wait for Fang Qingyuan to leave before subjecting her to a fate worse than death.

Fang Qingyuan looked at Huo Xiaolan, his heart filled with pity. He knew that as soon as he left, she would certainly not meet a good end. But there was nothing he could do. ’If you’re going to make an accusation, you have to be prepared to bear the consequences of failure.’

Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, Huo Xiaolan gave a cruel smile and softly uttered a single sentence:

"The third matter: I wish to report Liu Siwu for stealing infants..."

"Do it!"

"Lao Bai, save me!"

In an instant, Liu Siwu’s furious roar, Fang Qingyuan’s cry for help, and Huo Xiaolan’s accusation all mingled together.

Even more chaotic than the words was the situation in the hall. Several Liu Family cultivators who had reacted instantly pulled out all sorts of Talismans, activated them, and hurled them straight at Fang Qingyuan.

Blinding light, lightning, thunder, and Sword Qi—all sorts of attacks threatened to overwhelm Fang Qingyuan. At that very moment, a figure flashed before his eyes as Lao Bai’s broad back shielded him.

"ROAR!"

Lao Bai roared in fury, baring his ferocious fangs. The might of the Foundation Establishment Stage swept out in all directions as he took the full brunt of the incoming Talismans.

Half a breath later, Fang Qingyuan was scooped into Lao Bai’s palm and held protectively against his chest. Having taken so many hits, Lao Bai grimaced in pain, his body half-crouched, ready to leap.

But just then, Fang Qingyuan shouted:

"Save that woman!"

The first wave of attacks had all been aimed at Fang Qingyuan. Huo Xiaolan, a mere mortal, had been subconsciously ignored. Perhaps in the eyes of the Liu Family, as long as Fang Qingyuan was dead, they could deal with Huo Xiaolan anytime.

Although no one had targeted Huo Xiaolan directly, she couldn’t withstand the aftershocks of the clash. She now lay limp on the ground, her eyes shut tight and blood trickling from her seven orifices, her life hanging by a thread.

Hearing Fang Qingyuan’s command, Lao Bai ignored it and leaped straight up, instantly crashing through the roof of the great hall and soaring a hundred meters into the air.

"Lao Bai, you idiot! Without the witness, we took that beating for nothing!"

Fang Qingyuan was endlessly frustrated. The Liu Family’s attack on him wasn’t a capital crime; at the very least, the Beast Taming Sect wouldn’t execute the entire Liu Family over it.

Assaulting an officer was serious, but it didn’t warrant the execution of the offender’s entire family. Fang Qingyuan’s position as a Sea Patrol Envoy wasn’t that of an Imperial Envoy; at most, he was a minor official.

If the Liu Family pulled some strings and paved the way with Spirit Stones, this attack on him might truly be swept under the rug. It was more likely they’d offer him some compensation afterward to shut him up.

But with a witness, things were different. With a witness in hand, Fang Qingyuan was confident he could nail the Liu Family and make them pay a heavy price.

Just as Fang Qingyuan was grumbling about Lao Bai, the next moment, Lao Bai shot him a look. Its tail stretched forward from behind it, revealing Huo Xiaolan wrapped within.

Seeing Huo Xiaolan, Fang Qingyuan was overjoyed. He took her and quickly checked her injuries, discovering she had been knocked unconscious by the shockwave and her life was in grave danger.

Fang Qingyuan took out a Healing Spirit Pill issued by the sect and stuffed it into Huo Xiaolan’s mouth to keep her alive for now. Then he ordered Lao Bai:

"Back to Celestial Gate Mountain, quickly! The Liu Family is desperate now. They’ll definitely try to surround and kill us at any cost. Even though you’re at Foundation Establishment, there’s no need to fight a whole family of cultivators to the death."

The Liu Family was renowned for its Talismans. They were bound to have a few trump card-level Nine Radiance Talismans. And for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, a Nine Radiance-level Talisman was a huge threat.

Talismans could be used just by tearing them open. If a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator used a Nine Radiance-level Talisman against a Foundation Establishment War Beast like Lao Bai, who lacked any special Divine Techniques, Fang Qingyuan didn’t think he could win easily.

’The key is, if I let Lao Bai fight the Liu Family to the death, who would protect me—a total noob—and the witness? Even if Lao Bai won, if I got killed by the Liu Family, what would be the point?’

Thus, a wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. It was true that Lao Bai could fight, but it wasn’t necessary. This was not the time for reckless bravado, which was why Fang Qingyuan was so frantically telling Lao Bai to run.

’Once we’re back on Celestial Gate Mountain, I’ll call in the big guns and crush them with overwhelming power. That’s how I like to do things.’

Lao Bai didn’t hesitate. It sensed nearly twenty streaks of Escape Light rapidly pursuing from below. It immediately stomped down hard, creating a massive barrier in the air, and used the recoil to shoot instantly toward Celestial Gate Mountain.