Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion-Chapter 31: Sea Patrol Steward

In the main hall, Lechuan sat upon the main seat. Before him stood a group of Qi Refining Disciples.

Fang Qingyuan’s figure was inconspicuous among the crowd. However, Lechuan had not been speaking for long before he called him out.

"Where is Fang Qingyuan?"

Fang Qingyuan’s expression was calm and his attitude respectful. He stepped forward, bowed, and said,

"What are the Villa Head’s instructions?"

Lechuan looked at Fang Qingyuan with a smile, then announced grandly,

"This time, you tied down Swentai and bought time for Wei Tong, allowing him to eliminate a serious threat. To show their gratitude, the Wei Family wants to know if there’s anything you desire."

’I want plenty of things, but none that the Wei Family would be willing to part with. Besides, they’re probably only making this offer out of respect for Lechuan and the Beast Taming Sect.’

Fang Qingyuan was well aware of his own position and worth, so he said,

"This disciple dares not claim credit. I will leave everything to the Villa Head’s discretion."

Lechuan laughed heartily at his response. Then, he recalled,

"I remember you’re still renting that Sky-gliding Ray from the sect, right? Very well, I’ll make the decision: the ray is now yours."

Lechuan’s offer was worth three thousand low-grade Spirit Stones right off the bat—a generous sum, to be sure. But compared to the actual benefits the Wei Family had likely provided, it was nothing.

But given Fang Qingyuan’s status, this was as much as he could expect to receive. He was perfectly clear on this point.

Thus, Fang Qingyuan said joyfully,

"Many thanks for the Villa Head’s grace! Many thanks for the Villa Head’s grace!"

After hearing Fang Qingyuan’s thanks, Lechuan had him return to the crowd and moved on to other matters. With that, Fang Qingyuan’s affair was concluded.

Lechuan spoke at length, focusing on two main points. The first was the matter of compensation for the disciples who had died in battle. With four coffins laid out before them, the Wei Family could not simply ignore the loss.

Moreover, these disciples were Beast Taming Sect Members. Even in death, their lives held more value than those from other vassal families.

As for the second point, it concerned the Wei Family’s relocation.

The Wei Family had once been the hegemon of Celestial Gate Mountain, but now they were moving their entire clan to White Mountain, to the Shandu Land, to start anew. How many of their original vassal Patriarchs would be willing to abandon their ancestral lands and follow them?

If too many families left with them, the Beast Taming Sect would certainly be displeased, as they were all considered assets under the sect’s control.

And once the Wei Family was gone, the Beast Taming Sect would take over their former territory. How would the remaining Cultivator Clans and Minor Sects face their new masters? 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

This was all fraught with problems. The Wei Family and the Beast Taming Sect would definitely need to coordinate carefully.

But this coordination wasn’t something Wei Tong and Lechuan could finish with a single meeting. It had to be implemented on the ground, dealing with one specific matter after another.

This was where Inner Sect Disciples like Fang Qingyuan were needed to step in.

And so, this also meant that Fang Qingyuan’s dream of returning home to raise his turtles had gone up in smoke.

...

「Three months after the conquest of Shandu」

Near Celestial Gate Mountain, a massive Sky-gliding Ray soared through the sky, riding the wind.

Fang Qingyuan stood atop Yinbao’s head. Behind him, a group of mortals stood on Yinbao’s back. Some were trembling with fear, while others were filled with excitement.

The excited ones were mostly children. It was their first time riding a Sky-gliding Ray, and flying in the sky at that. This experience would likely be something they could brag about for a lifetime.

The hundred-odd mortals huddled together reminded Fang Qingyuan of a flock of sheep seeking warmth. Though they were of the same species and origin in appearance, their realities were worlds apart.

These mortals had been relocated from other places, brought in to populate the areas left vacant after the Wei Family’s departure.

The Southern Border was a newly opened territory and was already sparsely populated. With the Wei Family taking a large portion of the families and mortals with them, most of the mortal tribes near Celestial Gate Mountain had been left deserted.

Lechuan didn’t want to take over an empty shell, so he returned to Zongshan to ask his fellow sect members for help. He requested that they each spare some mortals, gathering fifty thousand people to populate the Southern Border.

The hundred or so mortals behind Fang Qingyuan were one such batch. They all shared the same surname and had been brought to the edge of the Southern Border by Cultivators, where Tianshan Villa then took over.

Today was the third batch. After delivering this group to their destination and handing them over to the tribe’s Clan Leader, Fang Qingyuan turned his Sky-gliding Ray and flew back toward Celestial Gate Mountain.

On the way, Fang Qingyuan thought back on the hardships of the past days and couldn’t help but sigh. ’How did I, a dignified disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, end up as a chauffeur?’

’Although I used to make a living as a ferryman, is transporting Cultivators the same as transporting mortals?’

’Well, transporting mortals pays more. Five Spirit Stones per trip. The Villa Head really is generous.’

Lechuan had also paid a hefty price these past days. Tianshan Villa originally had forty-six Inner Sect Disciples. A few died during the clash between Wei Tong and Lechuan, and another four perished in the battle for Shandu.

Now, only a little over thirty remained, and they were severely short-staffed. Out of necessity, Lechuan had even roped in Outer Sect Disciples who were still in the early stages of Qi Cultivation, barely managing to keep things afloat.

But with the arrival of so many mortals and the allegiance of new Cultivator Clans, the resulting friction and miscellaneous tasks piling up before Lechuan were an endless source of frustration for him.

Cultivators were supposed to focus wholeheartedly on their cultivation; how could they spend every day dealing with such mundane affairs? Those who were truly dedicated to the Great Dao would never enjoy the pleasure derived from others fawning over them.

However, Lechuan currently had no Cultivator by his side who could share his burdens. His own disciples were still at Zongshan, tying up loose ends.

When Lechuan first came to serve as the Villa Head, he hadn’t brought many disciples. This was because the originally appointed Villa Head was Zhao E Lian; Lechuan had only come along as a form of insurance.

He never expected to take Zhao E Lian’s place, and his disciples hadn’t followed him immediately, leaving him with no one to command.

To make matters worse, Huo Hu, the head of Precepts Peak, was still recovering from his injuries at the Wei Family’s estate, leaving Lechuan even more overwhelmed.

Therefore, as soon as Fang Qingyuan returned to Celestial Gate Mountain, he was summoned by Lechuan.

Arriving at the main hall atop Celestial Gate Mountain, Fang Qingyuan felt the dense Spiritual Qi of the Tier Three Spirit Land and couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

’The concentration of Spiritual Qi here is more than three times stronger than in my little courtyard at the foot of the mountain in Tianshan Villa. If I could just cultivate here in peace for a while, I could probably break through to the Fifth-Layer Qi Cultivation in just over half a year.’

’Unfortunately, this place is Lechuan’s private domain. If I want to cultivate here, I’ll probably have to wait until the day I become the Villa Head myself.’

Inside the main hall, Lechuan was seated on the main throne, giving instructions to a Core Disciple. A quarter of an hour later, after Lechuan had met with a few more disciples, it was finally Fang Qingyuan’s turn.

After Fang Qingyuan finished his salute, he saw Lechuan speak with a hint of exhaustion:

"Qingyuan, the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall is still in need of a Sea Patrol. I’ve noticed you’ve been quite sharp lately. I was wondering if you would be willing to take on this position?"

Hearing Lechuan’s words, Fang Qingyuan was first stunned, then said with trepidation,

"Villa Head, the position of Sea Patrol has always required a Core Disciple. I am only an Inner Sect Disciple right now. I’m afraid my qualifications are not sufficient."

...

Note: The position of Sea Patrol is responsible for investigating official business and mediating disputes.

*The Compendium of the Three Vehicles* records: "The Sea Patrol is to investigate and execute all official business. This includes overseeing the scripture and dining halls, the temple incense, and miscellaneous affairs of the living quarters, as well as handling disputes among residents and rooting out injustice. The position must be filled by one of integrity."