Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion-Chapter 34: The Minshan Liu Family

After sealing their pact with a high-five, Fang Qingyuan sat back down on the White Ape’s shoulder. The relationship between them was now a bit more harmonious than before.

In the untamed forest, the White Ape still moved quickly, but without the great commotion from before.

Along the way, Fang Qingyuan wanted to build a better rapport with the White Ape, so he began to ramble on:

"Listen, I can’t just keep calling you Senior, can I? Do you have a name?"

Sensing the White Ape shake its head, Fang Qingyuan racked his brain. After thinking for a long time, he finally came up with something:

"How about I call you Lao Bai? You can just call me Qingyuan. Ah, I forgot you can’t talk. My apologies."

Lao Bai shot Fang Qingyuan a sidelong glance before ignoring him again. But Fang Qingyuan kept talking, asking about all of Lao Bai’s likes and dislikes...

Over the next two months, Fang Qingyuan visited seven or eight Qi Cultivation Clans one after another, and his storage bag filled with no small amount of "tribute." If Fang Qingyuan tried to refuse these gifts, the families would insist, so he had no choice but to graciously accept them.

One day, two months later, Fang Qingyuan and Lao Bai set out to visit the next family on their list.

Fang Qingyuan sat on Lao Bai’s shoulder, munching on a Spirit Fruit he had received as tribute. A gentle breeze rustled by, making for a perfectly pleasant moment. Lao Bai’s fur rippled in the wind, like waves on an ocean.

Suddenly, Lao Bai came to an abrupt halt. His enormous eyes turned cold, staring at a spot up ahead. Fang Qingyuan frowned, his gaze following Lao Bai’s.

"Which Fellow Daoist is there? This is Fang Qingyuan, Southern Sea Patrol of the Beast Taming Sect’s Tianshan Villa. Please, show yourself and let us speak."

The words had barely faded when another voice responded:

"Liu Tongshu of Minshan greets the Sea Patrol Envoy."

As he spoke, a middle-aged, late-stage Qi Refining cultivator materialized from that spot and bowed to Fang Qingyuan with his hands clasped.

’What a brilliant concealment technique.’ Seeing the man, Fang Qingyuan felt a surge of relief. ’It’s a good thing I got Lao Bai from Lechuan. If this man had intended to ambush me, I would’ve been too clueless to even notice.’

After his initial reflection, Fang Qingyuan began to cross-reference the cultivator before him with the information in his head. Before leaving the mountain, he had collected some files on the cultivators of the south from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

The files had been handed over to the Beast Taming Sect by the Wei Family, but they weren’t very detailed and contained many errors and omissions. It was hard to say whether this was due to the Wei Family’s carelessness or if it was deliberate.

Liu Tongshu: Eighth-Layer Qi Refining cultivator, Water Spirit Root, skilled in Talismans, shrewd by nature, a disciple of the Minshan Liu Family.

After recalling the man’s file from memory, Fang Qingyuan smiled.

"So it’s Fellow Daoist Liu. I’m the new Southern Sea Patrol. The Villa Head has tasked me with managing relations with the many Cultivator Clans south of Celestial Gate Mountain. Since I just took the post, I thought I’d wander around and familiarize myself with everyone. If I don’t know anyone, how am I supposed to do my job?"

Liu Tongshu didn’t doubt Fang Qingyuan’s words. For one, Fang Qingyuan was dressed in the robes of the Beast Taming Sect; for another, the White Ape Spirit Beast at his side exerted an immense pressure.

’For a cultivator at only the Qi Refining Fourth Level to possess a Foundation Establishment Stage Spirit Beast... he must be from the Beast Taming Sect. A filthy rich powerhouse like them, no doubt.’

And so, Liu Tongshu adopted a respectful tone.

"Fang Sea Patrol Envoy, your arrival is a great fortune for my Liu Family. If I may be so bold, I would like to invite you to be a guest at our home, so that we may offer you some hospitality and you can wash away the dust from your journey."

Seeing Liu Tongshu’s invitation, Fang Qingyuan readily agreed. ’I was planning on heading there directly anyway,’ he thought. ’Having a guide saves me the trouble of sending a formal announcement.’

"Excellent. Then I’ll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Liu. Please, lead the way. I will follow."

Liu Tongshu had no objections to this arrangement. He took out a flying sword, stepped onto it, and soared into the air.

But when he saw Fang Qingyuan riding the White Ape through the forest below, he immediately lowered his altitude, flying just above the treetops.

In truth, as a Foundation Establishment Spirit Beast, Lao Bai could fly. But his elemental affinity was Earth, and he simply disliked flying. Compared to being in the sky, Lao Bai much preferred the feeling of the ground beneath his feet.

Furthermore, without a unique anatomy or specific Divine Techniques, the Spiritual Power consumption for a land-based Spirit Beast to fly is immense. In order to conserve energy and be ready for potential dangers, few land-based Spirit Beasts chose to fly while traveling.

Of course, a Golden Core Spirit Beast wouldn’t have this problem. For them, the Spiritual Power consumed by flight was negligible.

After following Liu Tongshu for about fifteen minutes, Fang Qingyuan was startled to see a group of a dozen or so cultivators flying toward them in a dense formation.

A moment later, however, he realized that this group of cultivators wasn’t there to cause trouble, but to welcome him.

As they drew near, Fang Qingyuan saw a cultivator with an aged face step out from the crowd. He bowed deeply to Fang Qingyuan and said respectfully:

"Liu Siwu, along with the disciples of the Liu Family—thirteen of us in total—greet Fang Sea Patrol Envoy."

Seeing this, Fang Qingyuan quickly hopped down from Lao Bai’s shoulder and returned the bow.

"Patriarch Liu, you are too kind. I am merely thirty years of age, and my cultivation is not profound. Please, there is no need for such a grand gesture."

As Fang Qingyuan helped him up, Liu Siwu continued:

"Ever since our Liu Family broke away from the Wei Family, we have felt lost and adrift. Now that the main sect has finally remembered us, this old man is truly overjoyed. Please, Fang Sea Patrol Envoy, stay for a few days and allow our Liu Family to show you our hospitality."

’Fang Qingyuan had to suppress a laugh. ’Lost and adrift? More like they were overjoyed. Free from the Wei Family’s exploitation, they had finally enjoyed a few months of peace, and now the Beast Taming Sect had shown up.’’

’This Liu Siwu must loathe me to his very core.’ Of course, such thoughts were best left unsaid. So, Fang Qingyuan simply smiled in response.

"Then I am grateful for Patriarch Liu’s generous offer. However, as I’ve just taken up my post, I still have to visit every corner of these Southern Mountains. I’m afraid I cannot impose on you for more than a few days."

Liu Siwu also laughed, his old, wrinkled face blooming like a flower.

"It’s no trouble at all. Stay as long as you like, Fang Sea Patrol Envoy. It’s getting late; let us adjourn to my humble home for some tea."

...

Minshan, the mountain where the Liu Family resided, was no tall or famous peak. From a distance, it looked no different from the surrounding mountains, and was in fact even less steep and majestic than some of its neighbors.

However, deep beneath the mountain, a Spirit Vein surfaced as it passed through the area, creating a Tier One Middle Grade Spiritual Land suitable for cultivation.

A Spirit Vein naturally held great value. Cultivator Clans were as numerous as stars in the sky, but cultivatable Spiritual Lands were finite. The Liu Family’s ability to monopolize Minshan was partly due to the Southern Border being newly opened and sparsely populated.

But the Liu Family also had its own unique skills. They were good with Talismans and proficient in leatherworking, which allowed them to live a comfortable life.

Whether by purchasing Magical Artifacts, hiring experts for protection, or bribing cultivators from the Wei Family, they had managed to hold on to their foundation in Minshan all these years.

’Now, with the Wei Family gone and the Beast Taming Sect taking over, the political landscape had shifted. The question was, could the Liu Family hold on to what they had?’

These were the thoughts running through Fang Qingyuan’s mind on the way. By the time he walked into the heart of Minshan, a banquet was already prepared and waiting.

The banquet was conducted with the formality of the Zhou Li, with guests seated at individual tables. After declining the seat of honor, Fang Qingyuan took the first seat on the left.

Across from him sat Liu Tongshu. Lao Bai also had its own spot and was currently hugging a charcoal-roasted ox, gnawing away at it with great delight.

Apes are omnivores by nature. At Celestial Gate Mountain, Lao Bai hadn’t always been able to eat to his heart’s content. Now, with the Liu Family trying to curry favor with Fang Qingyuan, they naturally took excellent care of his companion.

Fang Qingyuan paid no mind to Lao Bai’s table manners. He sipped the Spirit Wine from his goblet, listening to the speeches from Patriarch Liu at the head of the hall, and began to ponder how he would make his opening move.