Chapter 615 - 422: Returning to the Sect, Handover, Twitching

Seeing Bear Wind’s eager expression, Fang Qingyuan tactfully nodded. ’We’re all on the same side now,’ he thought. ’If Golden Core Demon Beasts like Qiqi and the Confusion Insect can grow stronger, it will only benefit the Qingyuan Sect in the future. This is no time to haggle.’

Furthermore, the most valuable parts of the Ancient Elephant Remains were the two tusks. Nascent Soul Ancient Beasts instinctively refine the parts of their bodies they use for combat, an instinct born from their youthful struggles. For instance, Bear Wind refined his fleshy paws, while this deceased Bone Elephant had refined its tusks.

In the eyes of human Cultivators, this pair of tusks was even more valuable than all the other Ancient Elephant Remains combined. The tusks could be forged into a magical treasure, while the pile of bones could, at best, only be used as ingredients for medicine.

In Bear Wind’s eyes, however, the pile of bones was what he valued most. Thanks to this difference in values between humans and the Ancient Beasts of the Wilderness, both Fang Qingyuan and Bear Wind were delighted with how the spoils were divided.

In the end, Fang Qingyuan gave two-thirds of the Ancient Elephant Remains to Bear Wind. He himself kept the corpses of eight Golden Core Demon Beasts, a pair of Nascent Soul Sacrificial Ivory tusks, an unknown vine capable of absorbing the Ink Flood Dragon’s remnants from the black soil, a Crystal Stone containing a drop of the Ink Flood Dragon’s essence, one-third of the Nascent Soul Ancient Elephant Remains, and the golden lotus he had taken from Gui You.

This half-year’s haul, if measured in Top-grade Spirit Stones, was worth at least tens of thousands. Furthermore, Fang Qingyuan believed the vine and the Ink Flood Dragon Crystal Stone were simply priceless.

Once the spoils were divided, a delighted Bear Wind insisted on celebrating with a round of drinks with Fang Qingyuan.

The drinks were top-quality Monkey Wine, the fruits were Tier Two and Three Spiritual Objects, and there was certainly no shortage of various demon beast meat dishes to eat.

At the banquet, Jinbao feasted heartily, while Fang Qingyuan drank and kept a careful watch on the Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern in his left hand.

He had to continuously channel Magical Power into it to reinforce the consciousness-isolating Array. Otherwise, with Gui You’s powerful divine sense, he could very well probe outside the Palace Lantern and discover Bear Wind’s faction—a possibility Fang Qingyuan had to prevent at all costs.

「One day later.」

The lively banquet dispersed. Fang Qingyuan circulated his Magical Power through his body, instantly forcing the residual intoxication out.

At the Golden Core Realm, it was difficult for a cultivator to get drunk unless they were consuming Tier Four Spirit Wine.

With the goods handed over and the feast concluded, Fang Qingyuan prepared to leave with Jinbao. But before his departure, Bear Wind surveyed the messy aftermath of the banquet—the scattered cups and plates, the few Golden Core Bear Beasts passed out drunk—and spoke with a touch of melancholy.

"This feast... it’s truly our last. When you return to the human world, you’ll have to deal with that business concerning the Returning Ancient Lineage of the Great Zhou Academy. They promised to send word about the proof within half a year, but it’s already been longer. I imagine you’ll have to handle it as soon as you get back, which means my time here is short."

Fang Qingyuan nodded. He could empathize with Bear Wind. It was hard to leave one’s homeland, and leaving home often meant losing one’s standing. This was a truth that applied to both humans and demon beasts alike.

But it was an unstoppable process. In the face of the grand tide set in motion by the Beast Taming Sect, the wishes of Fang Qingyuan and Bear Wind were utterly insignificant.

As Fang Qingyuan departed with Jinbao, Bear Wind watched their retreating figures. He silently raised his wine cup in a toast to the surrounding land, then drained it in a single gulp.

...

The journey back to the sect was uneventful. Inside the Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern, Gui You had resigned himself to his fate after witnessing how Fang Qingyuan had utterly obliterated Blood Saber.

When he had first been trapped in the Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern back in the Abyss of Black Soil, Gui You had still harbored thoughts of breaking out and turning the tables. Now, however, he felt that staying put like this wasn’t so bad.

And so, Gui You remained quiet for the entire journey. He had come to a realization: this human Cultivator who called himself "Liu Yu" was most likely no champion of righteousness.

’Since he didn’t kill me on sight,’ Gui You reasoned, ’it’s unlikely this Liu Yu went to all this trouble just to drag me back to the human world to stand trial.’

He mulled over Fang Qingyuan’s earlier words. ’Someone wants to see me. That means they want something from me, which is something I can use to my advantage.’

When Fang Qingyuan stepped through the gates of the Qingyuan Sect, the sect’s leaders felt like crying with relief when they heard the news.

’It’s been over half a year! Does anyone know how we’ve survived this long?’

The Spirit Wine stock had run out three months ago, causing an uproar in the market. Even their allies were making a huge fuss about it.

As for the farmed insect beasts and the Spirit Rice, the Cultivators in charge of those operations were getting extremely anxious as well.

Most importantly, with Fang Qingyuan gone, the sect lacked its high-level combat strength. A few Foundation Establishment Cultivators were not enough to secure such a large territory.

So, when Fang Qingyuan finally appeared, he was greeted by the sight of a crowd of his disciples, their eyes welling with tears.

"What’s all this?"

"Sect Leader, you’re finally back! We have several groups of guests staying at the sect, and they’ve all been asking to see you specifically. They have powerful backers, so I didn’t dare make any decisions on my own. I’ve just been stalling, but I’m about to run out of excuses."

As the Vice Sect Leader, Liu Xun immediately launched into a list of grievances. Just as he was about to begin a long-winded explanation, Fang Qingyuan cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Save it for later. They’ve waited this long, another day or two won’t matter. Go and invite Fellow Daoist Tu. I have important matters to discuss with her."

For some reason, hearing Fang Qingyuan’s words dispelled all of Liu Xun’s panic and feelings of being wronged. He straightened his back, regaining the dignified air befitting a leader of a sect.

"You finished already? I thought it would take you a year or two."

Tu Dai’Er’s expression was unreadable, but Fang Qingyuan guessed she had probably hoped he would take longer. That would have given her more time to stay at the Qingyuan Sect and slack off.

Fang Qingyuan sometimes pitied Tu Dai’Er. After all, her master, Tu Wuzhao, would forcibly possess her body at a moment’s notice, a process that she would later realize consumed her own lifespan. Anyone would find that unbearable.

Once Fang Qingyuan’s task was complete, there was no telling where Tu Dai’Er would be dispatched to next.

"Half a year is a long time. If I hadn’t come back soon, my sect would have descended into chaos."

"That’s your own problem. I’ve never seen a sect that’s so dependent on its Sect Leader."

"Heh, let’s drop the subject. We should talk about the mission. Am I speaking with you, or with your master?"

Fang Qingyuan gently stroked the Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern in his hand. Tu Dai’Er could tell that the target her master wanted was inside it.

She reached out with her fair, slender fingers, apparently intending to take the lantern, but Fang Qingyuan stepped back and frowned.

"You can have the person, but the lantern isn’t part of the package. If you don’t have the ability to take him away yourself, I can help, but the price won’t be the same as we discussed. You’ll have to pay extra."

Tu Dai’Er glared, annoyed. Just as she was about to argue, the whites in her eyes rapidly shrank, transforming them into orbs of pure, starlit black.

"Hah. Haggling with me now, are you? Fang Qingyuan, you’ve got quite the nerve."

Fang Qingyuan quickly bowed. "This junior greets the Black Heaven Bodhisattva."

The will controlling Tu Dai’Er’s body was no longer her own; her master, Tu Wuzhao, had descended.

Tu Wuzhao merely crooked a finger, and Fang Qingyuan tactfully presented the Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern.

"A decent little item. An ambitious design, but the resources needed to fully refine it will be considerable. If you need anything in the future, feel free to ask. After all, we at Black Wind Valley never treat our contributors poorly."

After saying a few words to put Fang Qingyuan at ease, Tu Wuzhao turned her attention to Gui You inside the lantern.

"Excellent. It is indeed the Ghost Cultivator who managed to survive all those years ago. You handled this capably; I am very pleased. Here is your merit tablet. It records your contribution points. Whatever you need, you can use this tablet to make an exchange with any Black Wind Valley affiliate. I’ll be taking the person now. That will be all."

The moment she finished speaking, Tu Dai’Er’s full figure trembled violently before collapsing limply to the floor.

When Tu Dai’Er’s consciousness regained control of her body, she was shocked to find that she didn’t have a single shred of Magical Power or physical stamina left.

It turned out that Tu Wuzhao had just extracted Gui You from the Eight Sceneries Palace Lantern from a distance. The price for performing such a difficult spatial transfer was the entirety of Tu Dai’Er’s Magical Power and physical energy.

"Ugh, what are you staring at! Aren’t you going to help me up?"

Sprawled on the ground, Tu Dai’Er couldn’t help but vent her frustrations at Fang Qingyuan, her beautiful face flush with anger.

But to Tu Dai’Er’s surprise, Fang Qingyuan simply sneered and took a few steps back.

"Are you ordering me around? Remember your status and your place. Here, *I* am the one in charge. What kind of attitude was that?"

’I, on the other hand, have Jinbao, Bear Wind, a sect, and my own strength. Which of these things would Tu Wuzhao not value? And you, Tu Dai’Er, you fail to see your own position and still put on such a high-and-mighty act. Do you really think you’re the embodiment of Tu Wuzhao’s will?’

For her to dare use such a commanding tone with him now showed she had no clear understanding of her own standing. Fang Qingyuan merely sneered to make his position clear. The fact that he didn’t walk over and slap her to teach her who was boss was already a sign of immense restraint.

"You!?"

Tu Dai’Er was in disbelief. ’I’m a Divinity Transformation Disciple! How dare you treat me this way?’

Fang Qingyuan couldn’t be bothered to deal with this brainless woman. He walked straight out of the Quiet Chamber, leaving Tu Dai’Er to struggle on the floor alone.

The floor was cold, the room empty and silent. A devastatingly beautiful woman was twitching and struggling on the ground.

A long time after Fang Qingyuan had left, Tu Dai’Er finally managed to push herself into a sitting position. By now, she had calmed down. As she replayed the recent events in her mind, an unnatural flush crept across her face.

"Fang Qingyuan," she hissed, "you’ve successfully caught my interest. I swear I will have you crushed beneath my heel. Let’s see how arrogant you are then!"