90:

  “Come in,” Beast Master Zen’s muffled voice sounded out from inside his cabin as Xiao Feng and Lianhua stood right outside the door, with the former having raised his hand to knock.

  Xiao Feng’s eyes narrowed, his gaze turning to Liulian who lay nestled on the porch, the umbral fang keeping one open eye trained upon him and Lianhua as she rested.

  Have you ever met a Beast Master in combat? Xiao Feng thought, his eyes gleaming with interest as he pulled away from the umbral fang’s gaze.

  “I have met Spiritual Beasts on the battlefield. Ferocious Tier 2 Shadow Bloodhounds that ripped through our ranks without fear of injury or death, a feral viciousness to them that would see my throat ripped open even at the cost of it’s own life. The Demonic Path undoubtedly has a way to control beasts, to over-ride their natural survival instincts, yet I do not believe it to be the work of a Beast Master. Their methods are tainted, a desecration of the natural order.”

  Do you think Beast Master Zen is looking through his Umbral Fang’s gaze right now? At us, I mean, Xiao Feng asked his predecessor.

  “He did mention that to be a part of his capabilities, but if I recall his words correctly, it is not easily accomplished.”

  Umbral fangs are known for their stealth, right? If Beast Master Zen can see through Liulian’s eyes while she’s covered in Darkness Qi, wouldn’t that make him the perfect assassin? Xiao Feng thought, as he sucked in a breath of air. He had known that Beast Master Zen was strong, but he hadn’t quite thought about how his bond could be used in combat.

  “You have an active imagination,” His predecessor replied, a note of amusement audible in his tone.

  Am I wrong? Xiao Feng asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

  “No, you are not. Your Beast Master is likely much more dangerous in comparison to average cultivators at his stage and layer, though it is hard to say much more without seeing his abilities in action.”

  Why doesn’t the Frontier Sect train Beast Tamers for the war? Xiao Feng wondered, not having fully considered the advantages a bonded beast could offer a cultivator up until now.

  “You know the answer to that,” His predecessor replied simply.

  Gaining enlightenment over the soul is difficult? Xiao Feng guessed. And it’s not really something that can be taught, not methodologically atleast. Which is inconvenient when you need soldiers for a war in the here and now.

  “Difficulty in training is only an impediment, not a reason,” His predecessor replied. “Your Beast Master was not lying when he claimed that most cultivators are unfit to enter into a true bond. I myself would almost certainly fail if asked to enter into a bond of equals with a Spiritual Beast. Over the years, I have cultivated for many different reasons, whether it be to improve my standing in the frontier sect so I can better choose the battles I am called upon to fight in or to simply improve my own strength so I am granted more cultivation resources by the Elders, but the fact remains that my reasons have been for my own self.”

  Xiao Feng listened intently to his predecessor’s words as Lianhua pushed open the door to Beast Master Zen’s door and stepped inside.

  “If lies are not permitted in what your Beast Master calls the Realm of Yul, then I do not believe there will be any beast willing to bond with me. I can see spiritual beasts as valuable assets on the bad days and loyal pets on the good ones, but never as equals. When the tribulation comes, a cultivator challenges the heavens on his lonesome— that is what I have been taught, how I have been raised. I am not one to bleed for a spiritual beast, let alone die for one and I believe that is the reason why Beast Masters are seldom found on battlefields.”

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  Because they care for their partners as equals, they will not risk them on the battlefield, Xiao Feng’s breath quickened in realization, as the full gravity of a true bond settled on his mind.

  His predecessor added no more insights as Xiao Feng focused on the present as he let go of the door and fully stepped inside the lodge.

  The interior of the lodge was far less flamboyant than he had envisioned a Beast Master’s residence to be, but in all fairness Xiao Feng didn’t really have a clear image of what he was expecting. To his left, pressed against the top corner of the room, was a humble single bed adorned with a crisp sheet of white cloth that was neatly tucked in. That was where the mundanity ended, as he discovered a workbench next to him that was placed opposite to the bed, it’s double layered surface cluttered with tools and three half-open tomes that had been planted face down onto it’s lacquered wooden surface . From an ornate-looking blowpipe to a set of four manacles that were easily double the width of his wrist, with multi-coloured vials that were placed on the upper layer, a jar full of sharp bone needles, a set of alchemist’s tools, a gold-rimmed crystal monocle making up the inbetween among other tools and perhaps even artifacts, Xiao Feng was not disappointed.

  Taking a step forward, his gaze swept past the expectant beast master who was seated on a diwan, with one leg crossed over the other as he studied him, a bookmarked tome placed to his left.

  Xiao Feng’s gaze was enamoured by the cabinets lining the cabin’s perimeter, each packed to the brim as they served different purposes. Directly behind Beast Master Zen’s diwan, there were two bookshelves that were packed tightly, barring rows which had one or two missing tomes. There was a display cabinet with a set of glass doors that stored all manners of preserved ingredients, a majority of which seemed to be extracted from beasts, ranging from vials of blood to organs preserved in an amber gel, from what looked like an oversized heart to the poison sac of a Qilong Viper, a description Xiao Feng read directly off the labelled jar. But Xiao Feng’s gaze came to a halt when he took in the display case next to it, it’s sides lined with translucent packets full of azure coolant, at least if the layer of frost coating the display suggested anything, it’s surface packed with much less visually disturbing beast products, which included bottles of bi-horn milk— feed for spiritual beasts, in all likelihood.

  “Little Li, I was not made aware that you were coming,” Beast Master Zen finally banished the silence blanketing the lodge, his eyes focusing on the small, cloth-covered basket in Xiao Feng’s right hand even as he addressed her. “I would have prepared some refreshments had I known,” He added, as he snapped back into the moment.

  “Uncle Zen…,” She trailed off in exasperation, clearly not thrilled about his use of the pet name before her student. “Nevermind. I believe we were here for a purpose.”

  Xiao Feng took a deep breath in as he nodded, steeling himself for disappointment as he replied, “Yes.”

  “Move over to my workbench and leave the egg there,” Beast Master Zen hurriedly replied, his anticipation leaking into his tone as he rose.

  Xiao Feng complied and just a few moments later, he was watching as Beast Master Zen opened one of four drawers that had been crafted into his workbench, retrieving a cushioned tray and tongs that had their tips wrapped in a layer of thick cloth.

  Pulling away the cloth that was concealing the egg’s form, Beast Master Zen drew in a sharp breath of air, his eyes widening as he took in it’s shape and form.

  Then he delicately gripped the beast egg with the specialized tongs and placed it on the cushioned tray.

  Beast Master Zen’s gaze was solemn as he reached for the crystal monocle he had noticed earlier and brought it up to his right eye. Now that Xiao Feng was observing closely, he noticed a small button that had been shaped into the rim, gently protruding from the monocle’s left side.

  “It’s still alive,” Beast Master Zen declared, which caused Xiao Feng’s gaze to sharpen. The monocle was definitely a valuable artifact, even though Xiao Feng didn’t quite know how it had ascertained life yet.

  Then Beast Master clicked on the button and the monocle was tinted a deep crimson, much to Xiao Feng’s surprise.

  The inspection carried on for minutes as Beast Master Zen continued poring through the red crystal, his findings his own.

  Then, he set down the monocle and frowned deeply, his entire expression warping in an angry confusion.

  “It’s damaged quite heavily,” Beast Master Zen stated. “The egg clearly does not have any armored defenses to shield itself from such damage, neither is there a layer of Qi shielding it. Yet, it is enduring somehow. Have you been feeding it?”

  “I have,” Xiao Feng replied. “Well, I have been pouring bi-horn milk over it and I’ve been hoping the Beast Bonding Pill will fix the damage to it.”

  “And it is absorbing the Bi-Horn milk?”

  “As far as I can tell. It sizzles.”

  The frown on Beast Master Zen’s face grew even deeper. Finally, Xiao Feng couldn’t resist any longer.

  “What is it?” He asked. “The Beast Egg, I mean. What species does it belong to?”

  “I… am not certain.”

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