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Chapter 409: The Beast Garden Office
🕑 Added 2024-10-28 16:39:04 +0000 UTCThe news of Lingxian Sect recruiting new disciples quickly spread like wildfire.
In just a few days, nearly everyone in Hufang Province had heard the news. Neighbors would now skip the usual pleasantries like "Have you eaten?" and instead exchange secretive whispers:
"Hey, have you prepared your son?"
"What? What are you preparing your daughter for? Tell me so I can make my rascal learn it too."
"Heh, my daughter’s just a girl. What can she prepare for? Anyway, it’s getting late, I’d better head back. We’ll talk another time."
After only a few sentences, they would eye each other like rivals, hurrying back to give their children more advice and instructions.
...
Scenes like this played out in towns and villages everywhere.
While news still spread slowly, the fact that it had reached this level of influence within Hufang Province in such a short time was remarkable. However, the news hadn’t yet spread beyond the province. Even so, those who were particularly attentive to such information, even from neighboring provinces or countries, quickly caught wind of it and began making their way to Lingxian Sect.
At the heart of this excitement, the Lingxian Sect itself was bustling with activity.
"Elder Xiaoluan, please, have mercy! We’re really running out of meat at the Spirit Food Hall!"
Next to the Beast Garden, in a grand hall adorned with brightly colored feathers and a crooked sign that read "Beast Garden Office," a boy of about eight years old was clinging to Xiaoluan’s large wings, pleading earnestly.
Since becoming the head of the Beast Garden three years ago, Xiaoluan had completely transformed from the lazy bird it once was. It now spent its days managing the affairs of the Beast Garden, training its disciple Datou, and cultivating diligently while holding onto the demon core of the Silver Frost Python.
Now, Xiaoluan had advanced to the early Solid Core stage, equivalent to the Golden Core stage for humans.
Its body had also grown considerably, now standing as tall as an adult.
As the child, Jiang Chengtian, clung to its wings, Xiaoluan shook its head firmly, like a drum:
"No way! The Level 1 beasts haven’t matured yet! No meat for you!"
Jiang Chengtian, disappointed, slumped against Xiaoluan’s wings, sticking close to it.
"Elder Xiaoluan, if I return without any beast meat, my senior sister will laugh at me. Please help me out, won’t you?"
Jiang Chengtian was Jiang Youfu’s nephew. Two years ago, at the age of six, he had developed a fondness for sticking close to his uncle in the Spirit Food Hall, eventually becoming interested in cooking. Seeing his enthusiasm, Jiang Youfu had taken him on as a disciple.
Now, at eight years old, he had already gained two years of experience working in the Spirit Food Hall.
Despite his age, Jiang Chengtian had already reached the late Qi Refining stage in cultivation.
Xiaoluan looked down at the child, its claws itching to kick him away like it did with its disciple Datou to show its resolve. But it held back.
It wasn’t because Xiaoluan felt sorry for him, but because this kid was a master of crying.
Years ago, when Jiang Chengtian was about five or six, he had pestered Xiaoluan so much that the bird, out of frustration, lightly knocked him over with one wing. It hadn’t used much force, knowing that human children were fragile, and only meant to scare him off.
But Xiaoluan hadn’t expected that this small scare would lead to a full day of relentless wailing.
The crying had driven Xiaoluan so mad that it had nearly swallowed its Silver Frost Python demon core just to end the torment.
Since then, Xiaoluan had done its best to avoid Jiang Chengtian whenever possible.
But now, to its horror, the Spirit Food Hall had figured out its weakness and sent the child to request beast meat!
How despicable!
Xiaoluan glanced down at the child leaning on its wing, and its claws tightened, leaving scratch marks on the stone floor beneath it.
Jiang Chengtian looked up with innocent, hopeful eyes, patiently awaiting Xiaoluan's response.
After what felt like an eternity, Xiaoluan finally sighed, pulling its wing free from under the boy’s head. With a huff, it raised one of its feathers and said:
"Fine, you can have one beast, but no more!"
"Elder Xiaoluan, you’re the best!"
...
After sending the annoying child away, Xiaoluan collapsed into its nest. It retrieved a small notebook from its storage ring, heartbroken as it crossed out the one Level 1 beast it had just given away.
At that moment, a slightly smaller spirit chicken came running into the office, its neck draped with dozens of storage bags, panting as it hurried in.
This chicken was none other than Datou.
Over the past three years, although Datou had not been granted more of the demon core that had awakened its intelligence, it had worked hard in cultivation. By now, it had reached the early Core Formation stage (equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage for humans).
Datou unloaded ten of the storage bags from its neck and placed them on Xiaoluan’s desk.
"Cluck cluck cluck."
Xiaoluan quickly went through the bags, extracting a pile of notebooks. It checked everything thoroughly, then nodded in approval.
Though the sect had now acquired enough wealth to afford storage rings, those rings required contribution points to obtain. Storage bags, being easier to craft, were still commonly used for transporting supplies.
After Datou saw Xiaoluan nod, it removed the remaining dozens of storage bags from its neck and placed them on the desk.
"Cluck."
These bags were filled with fresh feed from the spirit fields for the beasts.
Xiaoluan didn’t bother inspecting them this time. Instead, it stood up and flapped its wings, gesturing for Datou to gather the bags.
"Cluck cluck cluck!"
Come on, I’m going to test you!
Datou obediently slung the storage bags back around its neck, its head hung low as it followed behind Xiaoluan out of the Beast Garden Office and into the Beast Garden itself.
Today, Xiaoluan was going to teach its slow-witted disciple the proper techniques for feeding the spirit beasts.
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