Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion-Chapter 50: Sect Reform
After taking stock of his assets, Fang Qingyuan sighed. He had to admit that sometimes, the gap between people was wider than the gap between a person and a dog.
In his previous life, Fang Qingyuan had been a man of average talent. Now in the Cultivation World, he was still a man of average talent. Fang Qingyuan had never enjoyed the treatment reserved for a genius.
After a brief moment of reflection, Fang Qingyuan prepared to head out. He needed to make a delivery to Qinghe Square.
Fang Qingyuan was now supplying Spirit Fruits like the Red Lotus Fruit to several Marketplaces around Celestial Gate Mountain. The other powers that sold Spirit Fruits didn’t bother competing with him over this small business, seeing as he was an Inner Sect Disciple of Beast Taming Mountain.
As a result, Fang Qingyuan had managed to establish a preliminary monopoly on the Red Lotus Fruit supply in these few Marketplaces. Of course, it was limited to a few low-end varieties like the Red Lotus Fruit.
He couldn’t get involved with the high-grade, highly profitable Spirit Fruits right now. If he dared to recklessly meddle, others wouldn’t care that he was a disciple of Beast Taming Mountain—they would chop his hands right off.
Fang Qingyuan was self-aware enough to know this. But while the Red Lotus Fruit was low-end, the combined sales from several Marketplaces could still bring him an income of two to three Middle-grade Spirit Stones per month.
This was much easier than the arduous work of running the ferry every day. It was one of the benefits of his elevated status. Before, when Fang Qingyuan was an Outer Sect Disciple and the Wei Family hadn’t left yet, people were polite to him at best. But when it came to their actual interests, no one would have taken him seriously.
Now that the Beast Taming Sect was in charge of Celestial Gate Mountain and Fang Qingyuan had become an Inner Sect Disciple, his status had risen accordingly. He was looked upon with respect wherever he went.
When one man achieves greatness, all his connections rise with him. Fang Qingyuan had certainly caught a lucky break.
However, just as Fang Qingyuan was leaving his home, he saw Zhang Yuan hurrying toward him. Zhang Yuan said:
"Senior Brother Qingyuan, there’s news from the sect recently. They’re talking about making some reforms. Do you know anything about it?"
Hearing Zhang Yuan’s words, Fang Qingyuan was baffled. He had been cultivating at home for the past few days and hadn’t gone out. ’Did something happen in the sect?’
Seeing Fang Qingyuan’s confusion, Zhang Yuan didn’t keep him in suspense and said directly:
"I heard it from Senior Brother Zhao, so don’t tell anyone else. Senior Brother Zhao is a Core Disciple who works in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall. He said that Dean Lechuan wants to upgrade our Tianshan Villa into the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect, so he’s planning a series of drastic reforms."
"These reforms will affect both of us. Senior Brother Zhao said we’re going to start following the ways of the Beast Taming Sect’s Main Mountain. After hearing that, I didn’t know what to think, so I came to you for advice."
Zhang Yuan said it all in one breath, leaving Fang Qingyuan a bit stunned. ’I knew this day would come, but it’s happening too fast.’
It had been less than a year, yet Lechuan was already eager to elevate the sect’s status. He had only just taken over Celestial Gate Mountain and things were far from settled, yet he was already shaking up his own foundation. ’Isn’t he being a bit too hasty?’
Fang Qingyuan thought that if it were him, he would have laid low for at least three to five years, first winning the allegiance of the surrounding smaller sects and Cultivator Clans before even considering upgrading to a branch sect.
’Perhaps the allure of upgrading the sect is just too great.’ In the hierarchy of the Beast Taming Sect’s Main Mountain, the Tianshan Villa was like a remote, small county within a province in his previous life. Now, it was being upgraded to a county-level city—no, wait. The Southern Border Beast Taming Sect would be a proper, full-fledged city.
No wonder Lechuan was so anxious. Of course, there were many inside details Fang Qingyuan didn’t understand, but he was sure of one thing: his peaceful days were probably over.
Fang Qingyuan had heard that the Beast Taming Mountain sect operated on the principle of survival of the fittest. It encouraged disciples to fight amongst themselves, establish rankings, and determine seniority, completely lacking the etiquette of the Confucian Family and the non-action of the Daoist Family.
The previous dean had come from the Central Plains, and his style emphasized both Confucian and Daoist principles. Everyone had gotten used to that over the years. Now that they were to follow the ways of the Beast Taming Sect’s Main Mountain, who knew how much chaos would ensue.
As Fang Qingyuan digested this information, Zhang Yuan added:
"Senior Brother Zhao said there are many parts to the reforms, but the one that affects us the most is the sect-wide competition. They’re going to rank all the disciples at every level."
"Those with high rankings will enjoy more cultivation resources, while those with low rankings will have their current subsidies reduced or even canceled. I’ve gotten used to being lazy... what am I going to do?"
Zhang Yuan was the type who could rest for half a year after completing a single mission. Now, with the sect’s reforms, he was truly starting to panic.
But Fang Qingyuan was hardly any better. After the infant-stealing case, all he wanted was to cultivate in peace, slowly improving his aptitude and cultivation level. As for this sect competition, ’Whoever wants to join can go right ahead.’
Having made up his mind, Fang Qingyuan comforted Zhang Yuan, saying:
"There’s no need to panic. The sect competition is a great opportunity for those ambitious disciples, but for people like us, as long as we don’t try to compete, life can go on as usual."
Who would have thought that as soon as Fang Qingyuan said this, Zhang Yuan would say agitatedly:
"You don’t understand! In the competition, the top two Inner Sect Disciples will be directly promoted to Core Disciples, but the bottom two will be demoted to the Outer Sect!"
Huh? Fang Qingyuan was instantly dumbfounded. ’So Lechuan is even using a last-place elimination system.’
...
For the next half a month, the disciples of Tianshan Villa were like spinning tops that had been whipped, whirling about without end.
Fang Qingyuan was no exception. For the past two weeks, he had been traveling back and forth to the surrounding Marketplaces to buy suitable Talismans. Ever since he had easily killed the Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator Liu Tongshu with two High-Tier Talismans, he had fallen in love with the joy of arming himself with Spirit Stones.
For this sect competition, Fang Qingyuan didn’t hope for a high rank; he just wanted to avoid being demoted to an Outer Sect Disciple.
There were currently thirty-five Inner Sect Disciples. Fang Qingyuan felt that ranking somewhere in the twenties would be fine. If that wasn’t possible, staying around thirtieth place would also work. In any case, he just couldn’t be in the bottom two.
It wasn’t a high bar to clear. To that end, Fang Qingyuan made a detailed list of his advantages. After thinking for a long time, he realized that his greatest advantage was simply that he had some money.
Back then, in order to live a few more years and choose something that matched his Spirit Root’s attribute, Fang Qingyuan had chosen to cultivate the Cyan Wood Technique. This Cultivation Technique was indeed good, but it offered no special advantages in combat.
Besides this Cultivation Technique, the other arts Fang Qingyuan knew, like the Stone Skin Technique, Xuan Water Seal, and Molten Fire Shield, were only at an elementary level due to his Spirit Root. In a real fight, they couldn’t be relied upon.
As for the Wood Element Techniques he was skilled in, such as Tree Prison, Poison Vine Python, and Wood Spirit Rejuvenation, he was proficient in them, but they were merely support skills. They couldn’t be relied upon for a decisive offense.
If he couldn’t even break through his opponent’s defenses, how could he win? ’Am I supposed to compete by seeing who can turtle in their shell better, who can endure more?’
Hmm, maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. Fang Qingyuan’s thoughts shifted. He did possess a Second-Order Lower Grade Magical Artifact, the Turtle Shell Spirit Shield. Even if he couldn’t break through his opponent’s defenses, as long as he protected himself well, he could at least fight to a draw.
If he could get a few draws, his ranking certainly wouldn’t be at the bottom. At this thought, a look of delight appeared on Fang Qingyuan’s face. He felt like he had this in the bag.
