**Chapter 44: Oh No! The Divine Beast Has Recognized Its Master!**
Walking on the iron cable bridge, the cold wind howling through the cliff valley gradually faded away, and the mist swirling around him slowly dissipated like a veil being lifted.
In the distance, the green hills were lush, with majestic palaces, and the Zhen Ting Hall was situated at the peak of the mountain, accompanied by the soft sounds of incantations carried by the breeze.
In front of the main hall was a bay of water, untouched by the gentle breeze, the still water’s surface looked like a bright mirror, clearly reflecting the green hills and temples. Among a cluster of emerald green lotus leaves by the pond, half-opened lotus flowers revealed hints of pink.
The scenery was beautiful, but Luxianbei felt no inclination whatsoever to appreciate it.
d*mn it, the Ancestor only mentioned how he was first beaten up by the divine beast, and later how he beat the divine beast himself. He never mentioned that the mountain guardian beast had to do this sort of thing!
If I had known there was such a link, I should have found out what the mountain guardian beast likes to eat, brought it a meal or something to bribe it, maybe I could have gotten through this.
What should I do? Maybe I should just sneak away? I don’t necessarily have to enter Dachunyang Palace through the front door, I’m not exactly a decent person, going in through the back door wouldn’t be a problem.
Thinking of this, Luxianbei quietly said to Fu Xinyi, “Um… Senior Sister? I think I’ll skip going in with you. This is my first time at Zhenwu Mountain, and I just want to explore the scenery.”
“Besides, I have social anxiety and don’t like to interact with too many people!”
Recalling the scene in Tangcheng, where he left Professor Hou speechless, Fu Xinyi shot him a smile and raised an eyebrow slightly, “You? Social anxiety? Is it that your social skills are terrifying?”
“It’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! Haven’t you heard of external social anxiety?” Luxianbei explained, “It’s the kind where just seeing a crowd makes you anxious, and you can’t control what you say.”
“Eh? There’s such a thing?” Fu Xinyi asked in surprise.
“Yeah!” Luxianbei said earnestly, “It’s like talking non-stop until the other person can’t take it anymore and walks away… Well, if you can’t fix the anxiety, you just have to deal with the people causing it, you know?”
“…” Fu Xinyi pondered for a few seconds, unable to discern if Luxianbei was telling the truth. She pouted and said, “I don’t care, I think you’re just scared of the divine beast!”
“Come on, don’t be so timid!” she continued. “Hurry up, you go ahead.”
As she said this, she passed around him and gently pushed him forward.
Luxianbei, “…”
My fear isn’t quite the same as the one you understand, okay?
I’m undoubtedly scared of the mountain guardian beast, but it’s not out of worry…
“Roar——!”
Just as Luxianbei was secretly troubled, a low growl suddenly issued from the depths of the pond ahead, interrupting his thoughts.
Like thunder, the low growl rumbled, and the water surface of the pond suddenly roiled, followed by a massive whirlpool appearing at the center. In an instant, waves churned, and a powerful figure leapt out from the pond.
Amidst the falling splashes of water, like a curtain slowly descending, Luxianbei finally saw the silhouette of the divine beast… no, the mountain guardian beast.
It resembled a steed, but it was even grander and more robust than any known breed of horse, covered in shimmering cerulean scales, with thick limbs and muscles rippling beneath a silky, light golden sheen, extending from its head down to the powerful tail.
It exuded an aesthetic that blended power and swiftness seamlessly.
It shook its body, splashing water everywhere, yet the droplets appeared to defy gravity, swirling around it, sparkling in the sunlight. Occasionally, bluish arcs of electricity would flicker, resembling a brilliant nebula.
Luxianbei stood rooted to the spot, reluctant to make a move. The moment his gaze met that of the mountain guardian beast, his heart skipped a beat.
Having confirmed the intensity of its gaze, it seemed to be coming towards him.
The mountain guardian beast, its deep-set eyes locking onto him as if it were humanly contemplating, turned its head left and right. Suddenly, its eyes brightened, and with an excited snort, it began to trot towards him.
Terrifying fluctuations of spirit energy and a heavy, humid aura surged toward him.
Seeing this, Luxianbei’s heart jumped, just as he wanted to sneak away, a hand quietly landed on his shoulder, pressing him in place as if it had sensed his intention to flee.
“Don’t be afraid, Junior! That’s our Dachunyang Palace’s mountain guardian beast. How cool and imposing is it?” Fu Xinyi said with a proud smile, “You’re in luck today! If you weren’t with me, the divine beast might not even have shown itself!”
“Let me share a little secret with you; the divine beast really likes me!”
Luxianbei looked at Fu Xinyi, a series of question marks popping up in his mind.
Wow! So it was you who brought the beast over here?
d*mn, Fu Xinyi, I can’t even stand to share the same sky with you!
Luxianbei muttered a curse in his heart while silently retreating behind Fu Xinyi, gripping the strap of the metallic box, legs slightly apart, preparing for both combat and escape.
At this moment, the mountain guardian beast suddenly quickened its pace, transforming into a swirling mist, moving faster than lightning, drawing near while emitting a series of excited snorts, indistinguishable between excitement and agitation.
Oh no, there’s no time to escape! Luxianbei thought to himself.
In that split second, he had envisioned being “tamed” by Dachunyang Palace, spending his days alongside the divine beast, squatting at the mountain gate, desperately living out his miserable life of recruiting students.
Just as he lost focus for a moment, the divine beast had already reached in front of him, halting its steps.
Its massive head, tall as over three meters, loomed over him, looking down with an air of authority in its deep, piercing eyes.
In the next moment, as if under some illusion, Luxianbei seemed to catch a hint of joy in its eyes, immediately followed by its jubilant demeanor.
With the soft sounds of hoofbeats, it began to prance around Fu Xinyi and Luxianbei, tongue lolling and head nodding.
Something feels off! Is it because of this guy? Luxianbei glanced at Fu Xinyi out of the corner of his eye, the tension easing from his brows, letting out a small sigh of relief.
It seems the divine beast really likes her…
It can’t possibly like me, right?
The Ancestor used to beat it up all the time, and I’m just an urban legend. The fact that it didn’t go wild and bite me was already quite fortunate.
He was lost in thought when the divine beast curled its legs, bowing its massively large head before Fu Xinyi, its thick and powerful tail sweeping along the ground, thumping loudly, presenting an inviting posture, as if saying, “Come on, hop on for a ride!”
Luxianbei, “……”
Why does this divine beast act so dog-like?
And why is its head bald? Is it the stress of the recruitment work causing its hormones to go haywire?
Is it possible to report Dachunyang Palace for animal cruelty to an animal protection association?
Fu Xinyi had never seen the mountain guardian beast display such behavior. After realizing this, she froze for a few seconds, and upon coming to, understood the divine beast’s intentions, her expression turning enlightened, and tentatively reached out her hand towards the beast.
“Oh no! The divine beast recognizes its master!”
“Quick report, quick report, Fu Xinyi has created another miracle!”
“The mountain guardian beast actually bowed down before Sister Fu Xinyi, willingly allowing her to mount! Truly a once-in-a-century talent, truly an idol I admire!”
As soon as Fu Xinyi’s delicate white hand touched the divine beast’s head, a sudden round of exclamations erupted from afar.
Looking towards the source of the noise, several youths dressed in moon-white robes rushed towards the depths of Zhen Ting Hall.
Hearing the shouting, Fu Xinyi’s face turned pale and she swiftly turned to Luxianbei, “Oh no, they saw it!”
“Those guys?” Luxianbei asked, confused.
“How to put it…” Fu Xinyi sighed, “It’s a bit embarrassing to say… but every time I come back from outside, a few junior brothers, occasionally some junior sisters, voluntarily organize to come and see the excitement.”
“I get it, I get it!” Luxianbei nodded, understanding from the slight redness on Fu Xinyi’s face, “They are your admirers, right? Just like a fan club, right?”
After all, Fu Xinyi was indeed a once-in-a-century talent at Dachunyang Palace.
Plus, she was beautiful, with a great figure, kind towards others, and of good temperament. Not to mention she worked very hard and was ambitious.
It was only natural for her to have some admirers.
There’s nothing wrong with being a fan. At least she wouldn’t make others “put up with” anything.
“Probably… something like that!” Fu Xinyi sighed silently, then gritted her teeth and said, “Forget it, I need to go chase them, or they’ll go around spreading rumors and cause me trouble.”
She already bore too much on her shoulders, constantly gritting her teeth and hanging on, teetering on the edge of collapsing.
If the elders found out that the mountain guardian beast had actually shown her a gesture of submission, they might add more classes for her!
Just thinking about this gave her a headache.
“Junior Luxianbei, come with me. Once we catch up with them, I’ll find someone to take you to a place to rest.”
As Fu Xinyi spoke, she turned and called to the staff member carrying Fang Ji, “Brother Li, could you please take him to the Qing Nang Herb Cottage for treatment? I’ll take this friend to find a place to stay.”
“Alright, don’t worry!” Brother Li smiled in response and quickly carried Fang Ji along a winding path of white pebbles towards the Qing Nang Herb Cottage, soon disappearing from sight.
After watching the staff leave, Fu Xinyi led Luxianbei in pursuit of the distant Dachunyang Palace disciples towards Zhen Ting Hall. They hadn’t gone far when they heard a prolonged snort from behind.
“Phew——!”
Heeding the sound, Luxianbei turned to look, only to find the mountain guardian beast standing up, its front hooves scratching the ground restlessly, unwaveringly staring at him.
Seeing Luxianbei glance over, it excitedly wagged its tail and then…
Gave Luxianbei a flirtatious look, as if saying, “Hey, come play again when you have time!” which sent a shiver down Luxianbei’s spine.
Turning back around, Luxianbei pondered for two seconds before quietly asking Fu Xinyi, “If you don’t mind me asking, is the mountain guardian beast male or female?”
Fu Xinyi slightly parted her lips, thought for a moment, and said seriously, “Probably male? I’m not too sure, why do you ask?”
Noticing Fu Xinyi’s peculiar gaze, Luxianbei hastily explained, “Uh, don’t misunderstand, I’m not into furry companions, just asking out of pure curiosity.”
Fu Xinyi, eager to chase after her older male and female admirers, didn’t pry further, shrugged her shoulders, and continued forward.
Luxianbei followed behind her, walking a bit away before glancing back at the mountain guardian beast lingering by the pond, slightly furrowing his brows, and quickly withdrawing his gaze.
Projecting a sense of indifference!
Even though he had realized that the divine beast’s earlier reaction was likely due to him, since everyone assumed it was Fu Xinyi who made the divine beast react that way, he felt it was best to let this charming misunderstanding persist.
He was planning to stealthily make off with things from Dachunyang Palace, and bringing unnecessary attention at this juncture due to the mountain guardian beast would be quite disadvantageous for his actions.
This kind of situation was akin to sneaking into a police station and, just as you were climbing over the wall, encountering a police dog trying to win you over.
If he got entangled with the mountain guardian beast, it would be a huge headache.
Thus, it was better to let Fu Xinyi take the blame!
After all, she was already a once-in-a-century talent at Dachunyang Palace. No one would find it strange if she performed a great feat, right?
If necessary, he could also help solidify her reputation as the one who tamed the divine beast.
Oh right, speaking of watermelon…
He would have to find that old man later to perform the act of eating watermelon, Luxianbei thought.
———
At the back mountain of Dachunyang Palace, by the Cold Pond, on an abruptly protruding boulder.
Huasang was sitting cross-legged on the boulder, munching on a fresh salted chicken, and within a moment, the bones were scattered all over the ground.
After finishing the salted chicken, she wiped her oily hands on her robe, muttering to herself, “EMM, not bad at all, returning to the mountains makes everything feel so comfortable.”
As she spoke, she pulled out a black iron ruler from her pocket, while rummaging through the chicken bones, selecting a piece still containing some meat, tying it with a long red string to connect the ruler and the chicken bone, and then casually throwing the end tied to the chicken bone into the Cold Pond.
Having fished for turtles here for many years, she was already familiar with their habits. The refined bait and herbs rich in spirit energy cultivated at Qing Nang Herb Cottage didn’t work at all.
She had asked Qing Ji previously; to catch turtles, one must use earthly flavors!
As for what constitutes earthly flavors, Huasang understood it as food and dishes from the kitchen. So before every fishing trip, she would sneak some food from the kitchen.
However, using dishes directly felt somewhat wasteful, so she would plan to use the leftovers in advance, and whatever remained would be used for fishing.
It was often leftover vegetable leaves, sometimes fish heads, and sometimes chewed chicken bones.
What to use as bait primarily depended on the main dishes prepared in the kitchen that day.
After quickly preparing for turtle fishing, Huasang stretched, inserting the ruler into a crevice of the stone beside her, then laid back on the boulder, sprawling her limbs and shutting her eyes to start napping.
After lying there for a while, seemingly to ensure that the sunlight fully and evenly warmed every corner of her body, she turned around, face down, resting on the boulder.
Immersed in the serene pleasure of “returning to nature,” Huasang was completely oblivious to a white-bearded old man wearing a white tank top and straw hat approaching her quietly, his face filled with anger.
Zhang Hainan stood beside Huasang, staring at her for a few seconds before grabbing the ruler from the crevice and targeting her perky backside, delivering a barrage of whacks.
As the ruler fell, the wind howled, faintly echoing thunder, shaking the boulder beneath Huasang, stirring up clouds of dust.
“You lazy girl, driving me mad! I told you to stop slacking off!”
However, aside from initially jumping at the first whack of the ruler, Huasang hardly reacted. After a couple half-hearted screams, even her cries lost their vigor.
“Ah… so painful, it hurts me to d*ath… my b*tt is blooming…”
Hearing Huasang’s weak, colorless cries, Zhang Hainan felt less relieved and only grew angrier. He angrily tossed the ruler aside, stating, “You lazy girl, why did you leave Luxianbei down the mountain?”
“Is this how we, the disciples of Dachunyang Palace, treat our guests?”
Huasang flipped over, reordering her disheveled hair, and said in surprise, “I didn’t! I sent my brother to pick him up! With my brother’s pace, it would only take five minutes to reach the foot of the mountain. He wouldn’t have waited more than five minutes, would he?”
“Nonsense, your brother didn’t go to pick him up at all!” Zhang Hainan countered. “I’ve asked your master, your brother went down the mountain early to handle some affairs in Shizhou City!”
“But…” Huasang argued, feeling a bit wronged, “I clearly saw my brother!”
“…” Upon hearing this, Zhang Hainan seemed to suddenly remember something, fell silent for a moment, and frowned as he asked, “Really?”
“Really, would I lie to you?”
“Have you not lied to me before?”
“This time I honestly haven’t.” Huasang replied sincerely.
“…” Zhang Hainan fell silent again for a while before handing the ruler back to Huasang. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, just keep fishing! If you catch anything, roast it well and bring it to me. You know where to deliver it, right?”
Huasang rolled her eyes, receiving the ruler and waving her hand, “I know, I know. Hurry up and leave! With you here making a fuss, the turtles will get scared away!”
“Hmph!” Zhang Hainan snorted coldly, turning away. With a light step, he leapt into the air, his figure flashing several times before disappearing into the forest.
———
On the other side.
Inside Zhen Ting Hall, in a certain long corridor.
Fu Xinyi crossed her arms, a puzzled expression on her face as she looked at Luxianbei, who was sitting on the railing. “What’s going on with you? Suddenly collapsed to the ground and started twitching. Are you feeling unwell?”
“I…” Luxianbei opened his mouth, then sighed silently, “Never mind, I’m fine. You should hurry up and chase after your admirers, right?”
Am I supposed to tell her that my b*tt suddenly hurts? Like I just got hit?
How do I even say that?
Moreover, this situation might be caused by that strange connection with Huasang.
d*mn it, what is she doing? My b*tt hurts… It didn’t look like she was indulging that much! Luxianbei thought.
