Free Web NovelChapter 384: Chapter 303: The Sect’s New Direction
After reciting a few short verses, Fang Qingyuan chuckled softly. He now had some new ideas about his previous dissertation on the All Things Heart Sound Pill. Seeing that it was getting late, he made his way to an inn in the Marketplace to rest for the night.
After choosing a room, Fang Qingyuan reflected on the day’s unexpected discoveries. Previously, the All Things Heart Sound Divine Techniques inherited from the Bee Queen had only allowed him to connect with the thoughts of others for the purpose of communication. But today, he had transformed his Divine Sense into a skiff and danced upon the great tide of ten thousand minds, a process that revealed several marvelous new applications.
’From now on,’ Fang Qingyuan thought, ’I can manipulate the emotions of Cultivators with spiritual souls weaker than my own. I can make the angry even angrier and the greedy even greedier. Igniting their rage, making lust cloud their judgment... there is great potential in this.’
’I could even secretly drive people to fall into the Demonic Dao without anyone noticing anything amiss. Anger, fear, greed, resentment—all these passions are a natural part of being human. Although Cultivators constantly work on self-cultivation and nurturing their temperament, they aren’t infallible saints. This is especially true for the White Mountain People, whose self-control is often even worse than that of mortals from the outside world.’
’It’s just that using my Divine Techniques this way is too insidious and malicious. It has the distinct feel of a Demonic Cultivator’s methods. I wonder if the Great Zhou Academy would tolerate it.’
’If I use this as the basis for my dissertation, won’t that mean committing to a dark path with no turning back?’
Sighing internally, Fang Qingyuan felt a sense of helplessness. ’I finally have an epiphany for my dissertation, only for it to lead me down such a strange path. Is this my destiny?’
After a sleepless night, Fang Qingyuan went to see Yinbao the next day. He hadn’t seen the creature in days, and it had grown even more massive.
From a distance, the twenty-zhang-long Yinbao looked like a veritable mountain. Its every move stirred up a tremendous commotion, making for a magnificent sight.
The members of its "harem" nearby were much smaller in comparison, only about half Yinbao’s size. Fang Qingyuan had no idea how they put up with the colossal creature.
"Huh? Why are there so many Little Manta Rays around Yinbao?"
As Fang Qingyuan drew closer, he saw seven or eight Little Manta Rays, each over a zhang long, flying wantonly around Yinbao. Faced with these rowdy little ones, Yinbao wore a helpless expression, clearly not enjoying itself.
Just then, Yinbao spotted Fang Qingyuan’s arrival. It rose abruptly, spreading its massive wings and nearly blowing everything nearby away. As the creature reached Fang Qingyuan and began to frolic excitedly out of habit, the surrounding Sect Disciples rushed over with a WHOOSH.
"Greetings, Sect Leader."
Everyone bowed, causing the other onlookers to start murmuring about Fang Qingyuan. His youthful appearance seemed so out of place for someone with his title.
"All of you, rise and return to your duties. Wan Cheng, come speak with me for a moment."
Fang Qingyuan beckoned over Shen Wancheng, the leader of the group. He was one of the children Fang Qingyuan had saved seventeen or eighteen years ago during the Loose Cultivator rebellion at the Artifact Talisman Alliance, at the cost of three Top-grade Spirit Stones. The little kid from back then was now capable of holding his own.
Shen Wancheng possessed a Top-grade Wood Spirit Root, so his cultivation speed was very fast. When he was rescued, he was already at the Second-Layer Qi Cultivation. Now, so many years later, he had entered the Late-stage of Qi Cultivation.
Such a promising talent had originally been groomed as his family’s successor. But then the Loose Cultivator rebellion happened. If it weren’t for Fang Qingyuan, Shen Wancheng would have long since become Withered Bones buried deep in the earth.
"Did Yinbao sire all these Little Manta Rays?"
Fang Qingyuan watched the Little Manta Rays flying about chaotically, some even bumping right into Yinbao’s face. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the new father.
Shen Wancheng, who was tall, slender, and handsome, nodded, unable to suppress a smile.
"Indeed. Elder Yinbao sired them all. Two years ago, one of Elder Yinbao’s mates became pregnant, and a year after that, she gave birth to all these Little Manta Rays. I reported the matter to the sect, but for some reason, Sect Leader Mao never issued any instructions. He just told us to maintain the status quo."
Fang Qingyuan’s expression remained unchanged as he listened to Shen Wancheng. He immediately guessed the reason. ’Since this involves Yinbao, my Companion Beast, Mao Cheng wouldn’t have dared to make a decision on his own. He must have wanted to ask my opinion, but I wasn’t seeing anyone back then. That’s why the matter was delayed.’
But there was no need to inform Shen Wancheng of these underlying reasons. So, Fang Qingyuan just smiled faintly, changed the subject, and began asking about the caravan’s affairs.
"Elder Yinbao’s size is immense, so he can pull a great deal of cargo at once. He’s very popular with the merchant caravans around here. But the more he pulls, the more he eats. A large portion of the Spirit Stones we earn goes right into Elder Yinbao’s stomach, which means we don’t make much of a profit."
After hearing Shen Wancheng’s report, Fang Qingyuan looked at the well-fed, sturdy Yinbao and could easily picture the creature gobbling down its food. ’This guy,’ he thought, ’has been an out-and-out glutton since the day I first met him.’
"The Little Manta Rays can’t stay here any longer. Send them and their mother back to the sect and have Mao Cheng assign people to raise them. With so many people and so much cargo coming and going, this isn’t a suitable environment for them to grow up in."
Fang Qingyuan gave the order, and Shen Wancheng nodded in agreement. It was true; the environment at the docks was chaotic and nowhere near as peaceful as the Qingyuan Sect’s grounds.
Having settled these matters, Fang Qingyuan was about to dismiss Shen Wancheng so he could spend some time alone with Yinbao. But then he saw Shen Wancheng hesitate, looking as if he had something more to say. His Voice of All Things immediately sensed the young man’s thoughts, so Fang Qingyuan addressed them directly.
"It’s not time for revenge yet," he said. "Once you reach Foundation Establishment, it won’t be too late to discuss this again."
Shen Wancheng was taken aback for a moment, then he silently excused himself. He did, indeed, want revenge. He had been about ten years old when his family was attacked, old enough to understand exactly what was happening.
