Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion-Chapter 54: Marketplace Mishap

A crisp, feminine voice called out from inside the room. It was Xiaowu.

"All you do is rush me! You could at least lift a finger to help."

Hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately retorted:

"I’m the boss, how could I possibly do it myself? Pick up the pace, and don’t keep Fellow Daoist Fang waiting."

Hearing the shopkeeper’s words, Xiaowu stormed out, stared at him, and started to argue:

"Three Low-grade Spirit Stones a month, and I do all the hard labor while you just sit there. This is outrageous!"

Hearing Xiaowu’s complaints, the shopkeeper felt a bit embarrassed in front of Fang Qingyuan. He quickly tried to comfort her in a low voice, and in the end, they worked together to deliver the Spirit Wood Fang Qingyuan needed to the docks at Black River Square.

Once at the docks, watching Xiaowu unload the cargo, the shopkeeper secretly asked Fang Qingyuan:

"I see Fellow Daoist Fang is approaching thirty. Have you given any thought to settling down? Finding a Daoist companion to support you in your cultivation is surely better than being all alone, don’t you think?"

Fang Qingyuan glanced at the shopkeeper and immediately saw through his little scheme. ’He must have seen that I’m a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect and thinks I have a promising future, so he’s testing the waters.’

’If I show any interest in finding a Daoist companion, he’ll be ready to introduce Xiaowu to me. If not, then this is just idle chatter.’

Fang Qingyuan watched Xiaowu in the distance, using her Spiritual Power to move the logs of Spirit Wood into the warehouse. He noticed that although she was young, she had an innocent and carefree personality. She was also pretty and very capable in her work—truly a good candidate.

Fang Qingyuan couldn’t help but ask himself, ’Do I really need a Daoist companion?’

’On the path of cultivation, having a companion for mutual support, someone who knows you inside and out, would be one of life’s great blessings.’

’However, for me, that will likely be an impossibility in this lifetime.’

’But with a secret like the Immortal Mansion, I don’t dare get close to anyone. A companion is with you day and night—what secret could be hidden for decades, let alone a century? The moment someone else knows, there’s a risk of it being exposed.’

’With an opportunity as monumental as a Blessed Land Grotto Heaven, I can’t possibly count on someone else’s loyalty. I even hide it from my own Spirit Beast. Yinbao has been with me all this time, yet I’ve never once used the Immortal Mansion in its presence, always taking things from my storage bag instead.’

’It’s the same this time. The whole reason I had the shopkeeper deliver the Spirit Wood to this warehouse was to avoid prying eyes, wasn’t it?’

’I’m wary even of my Spirit Beast, so how could I not be of a living, breathing person? That’s why I’ve never even considered finding a Daoist companion. If I really need one in the future, it’ll have to wait until I’m a Golden Core or Nascent Soul Cultivator. Then I can just take a few Qi Refining-level concubines. That would be the safe approach.’

His mind made up, Fang Qingyuan smiled and said:

"My aptitude is mediocre. I’m only at the Fifth-Layer Qi Refining right now, but I still have ambitions on my cultivation path. So, I won’t be considering a Daoist companion until I’m at least sixty or seventy."

Hearing Fang Qingyuan’s words, the shopkeeper let out a dry laugh. He was about to say something more, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a blinding flash of light coming from within the Marketplace.

The flash of light was accompanied by the sounds of battle cries, and soon after, the entire Marketplace descended into chaos.

Fang Qingyuan noticed this as well and was startled. He didn’t know what was happening in the Marketplace, but he knew one thing for sure: he had to get out of there, now.

’The Cultivation World isn’t like my past life,’ he thought. ’You can’t just stand by and gawk at a fight like a curious bystander. Here, a moment of inattention as a spectator could cost you your life.’

Hearing the sounds of battle drawing closer, Fang Qingyuan no longer cared about the Spirit Wood. He whipped out his Magic Sword from his storage bag, leaped onto it, and flew off in the direction of the Beast Cage.

Ever since Yinbao had advanced in rank, its flying speed was even faster than that of a typical Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator. Escaping on Yinbao was definitely more reliable than flying on his Magic Sword.

However, Fang Qingyuan had only been flying for a few moments when he noticed the shopkeeper and Xiaowu following him. They probably figured that since he was a disciple of Beast Taming Mountain, it would be safer to stick with him.

At a critical moment like this, Fang Qingyuan couldn’t be bothered with what others were doing. As long as they didn’t slow him down, he had no time to care.

Thankfully, the Beast Cage was right next to the docks. When Fang Qingyuan arrived, he rushed inside without a second thought and released Yinbao.

But just as Fang Qingyuan got onto Yinbao’s back, he was surrounded by a dozen or so Cultivators, all pleading loudly:

"Fellow Daoist, take me with you! Price is negotiable!"

"Fellow Daoist Fang, I’ve ridden your beast-ferry before! I’m a regular! You can’t just leave me here to die!"

Hearing the crowd’s pleas, Fang Qingyuan’s first instinct was to ignore them. But on second thought, he realized if he tried to force his way out, these Cultivators would probably kill him themselves before the attackers even arrived.

So, Fang Qingyuan decided to speak up:

"The Manta Ray has limited space and can’t carry too many people. Only eight can come aboard. I’ll say who gets on, and they get on. The rest of you, figure it out for yourselves."

After speaking, without waiting for the crowd to react, Fang Qingyuan pointed to the three Cultivators in the crowd with the highest cultivation levels and said:

"You three, get on. If anyone has a problem with it, you deal with them."

These three were all Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators. By calling them up first, Fang Qingyuan was taking out an insurance policy.

As the three boarded the Manta Ray, Fang Qingyuan pointed to two Qi Yun Sect Cultivators.

"You two, get on as well."

These two were disciples of the Qi Yun Sect. Although their cultivation levels weren’t high, they had powerful backing. The Qi Yun Sect was one of the super-sects, so while the people nearby were dissatisfied with his choice, no one dared to immediately object.

Five people had now been chosen. Only a few moments had passed, and there were three spots left. Fang Qingyuan looked at the hopeful gazes in the crowd and announced:

"Each of you, name a price. The three highest bidders get on."

The moment Fang Qingyuan spoke, the crowd below had mixed reactions. Some shot him a hateful glare, glanced at the three Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators already on board, then gritted their teeth and flew off toward the outskirts of the Marketplace on their own.

Other Cultivators, however, immediately started shouting their bids:

"I’ll offer three Middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"One Tier One Middle Grade Magical Artifact, plus two Middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Ten Middle-grade!"

The one who shouted "Ten Middle-grade!" was none other than the shopkeeper. He had run his business in Black River Square for many years and had built up a small fortune.

The rest were Loose Cultivators, and the prices they were shouting were likely everything they owned.

A few moments later, Fang Qingyuan had collected the Spirit Stones from the bidders and announced:

"You three, get on. To the other fellow Daoists, my apologies."

But as the other two people boarded, the shopkeeper gritted his teeth and pushed a dazed Xiaowu toward Fang Qingyuan. Then, he himself turned and flew back into the Marketplace.

Seeing that Xiaowu was still in a daze, Fang Qingyuan yanked her onto the beast and signaled for Yinbao to take off.

Instantly, the building-sized Flying Manta Ray beat its massive, bat-like wings and soared into the sky. In a matter of moments, the increasingly chaotic, fire-ravaged Black River Square was left far behind.