The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 38

Duanmu Ya moved with incredible speed. The moment Yi Xian confirmed her decision to join Qingshan Sect, Duanmu Ya completed all the departure arrangements within a day, throwing the entire Duanmu household into chaos.

Yi Xian had not expected such commotion, especially not enough to draw out Duanmu Ya’s mother, Cong Yao.

“Mother, I should have brought Yi Xian to see you earlier. It was wrong of me to make you come in person.”

“You? I have talked myself hoarse, and yet you stubbornly refused to cultivate at Qingshan Sect. I was very curious to meet this friend who managed to change your mind with just a few words.”

As they spoke, they walked toward the small courtyard. Inside, a warm white glow flared occasionally. A snow-white little pony had its head lowered, launching light spheres from its slightly grown spiral horn toward Yi Xian. Yi Xian either dodged them with agility or responded by gathering larger light spheres to toss back at the pony.

One woman and one pony played their game, chasing and countering, so focused that they did not notice two more people had entered the courtyard.

Just as Duanmu Ya was about to call out, she was stopped by Cong Yao.

“Unicorn.”

“Unicorn? What unicorn?”

“Among the Light Spirits, it is regarded as the most sacred phantom beast. Only those of noble conduct and pure hearts are acknowledged by them. And your friend has not even signed a life contract but a soul contract.”

“Wait, isn’t it just a little pony?”

Duanmu Ya blinked, then grinned smugly. “Mother, didn’t I tell you I have a good eye for people? You believe me now, don’t you?”

Cong Yao chuckled and stuffed a newly embroidered storage pouch into Duanmu Ya’s hand. “Xiao Ya, bring your friend to meet me again before you leave.”

Later, Yi Xian learned that Duanmu Ya’s mother had visited the courtyard that day and left without saying anything. However, the pouch now bore the character ‘Xian’ embroidered in golden threads curling like drifting clouds. Yi Xian held it in stunned delight. “It’s beautiful.”

Duanmu Ya pulled out her own fire-colored pouch and placed the two side by side, giggling like a fool. “Now, don’t these look like a pair of sisters?”

Yi Xian smiled along. “They do.”

Duanmu Ya grinned even wider, alternating between touching the character ‘Ya’ and then ‘Xian’. “If anyone mistakes us for sisters because of this, you must not deny it.”

Yi Xian teased, “You are a fourth-tier alchemist. I’m clearly taking advantage.”

Duanmu Ya suddenly turned hesitant. “Yi Xian, before we go to Qingshan Sect, will you come with me for a test?”

Yi Xian looked at her curiously. “What kind of test?”

Duanmu Ya scratched her head, embarrassed. Then she seemed to decide on the spot. She tugged Yi Xian along and rushed off to the Alchemist Guild.

Unlike the relaxed atmosphere of the Mercenary Guild, the Alchemist Guild was far more formal. They had barely stepped inside before being stopped.

Only after Duanmu Ya presented her alchemist guild emblem were they allowed to proceed. The emblem bore a flame symbol with three lines across it. Yi Xian gave it a quick glance before looking away.

“I am here for a test.”

“May I ask what tier alchemist you wish to challenge?”

Duanmu Ya glanced nervously at Yi Xian and mumbled, “Fourth-tier.”

After verifying Duanmu Ya’s name and alchemist tier, the attendant led both of them to the testing room. He then turned to Yi Xian. “And this esteemed guest, does she need to—”

Duanmu Ya quickly cut in. “She is my friend. I want her to stay.”

The attendant hesitated but agreed. “Very well. Please wait while I summon the elders for the assessment.”

Yi Xian looked around. The room they were in led to a smaller chamber, about twenty square meters in size. From the outside, everything within could be clearly seen.

“You’ll be tested in there?”

Duanmu Ya nodded. Seeing that Yi Xian did not question her earlier fib, she secretly stuck out her tongue.

Before long, three elders arrived. Upon seeing Duanmu Ya, one of them asked familiarly, “Are you ready this time? Are you sure?”

Duanmu Ya replied irritably, “Enough chatter. Let’s begin.”

The three elders exchanged amused glances and watched her enter the chamber. Then they began to murmur among themselves.

“She looks confident this time. Maybe she’ll pass.”

“It has been three years. Not easy.”

The third elder rolled his eyes. “You’re all too impatient. She is still young. Three years is nothing. Some people do not break through even in thirty.”

“Let’s not get our hopes up. What if the pill she refines is still—”

“Sigh.”

From their chatter, Yi Xian picked up on bits of Duanmu Ya’s history. At seventeen, she had become the youngest third-tier alchemist on the Jiuxi Continent. Her talent had once dazzled the alchemy world. Then she fell ill, and when she woke, her wood spiritual root had weakened severely. Since then, her progress in alchemy had stalled. Every year, she came to retest, but her pills never even reached third-tier quality, let alone fourth.

The elders of the Alchemist Guild were full of regret over her situation.

Yi Xian remembered Duanmu Ya mentioning that her wood root had been half-crippled. She had thought it had always been like that since awakening. With a thoughtful glance at the test room, she decided to slip away to the snack shop they had visited before and bought two of Duanmu Ya’s favorite iced sugar cakes.

By the time she returned, Duanmu Ya’s attempt at refining a fourth-tier pill had concluded. The three elders were examining the pill closely, muttering among themselves. Their furrowed brows made it seem like they faced a great dilemma.

Duanmu Ya was clearly on edge, pacing anxiously like a criminal awaiting sentence.

Yi Xian knew nothing about alchemy, so she stepped forward and stuffed one of the cakes into Duanmu Ya’s mouth. “Eat this.”

With her mouth full, Duanmu Ya mumbled, “You bought this for me? When I came out and didn’t see you, I thought you left.”

Yi Xian didn’t enjoy sweets, but she believed that eating something sweet helped ease nerves. She put on a pained expression. “Yes. It cost several copper coins. With all I own, I can only afford two more.”

Duanmu Ya beamed.

The elders cleared their throats loudly, finally drawing the girls’ attention. The lead elder frowned and spoke sternly. “You passed. This was your fourth attempt. About time.”

Duanmu Ya rushed over and grabbed his beard. “If I passed, why glare at me like that? Hmph. You should have said so earlier.”

Another elder added, “The pill’s color is decent, but the heat control was lacking. Train harder. Do not slack off. Do you hear me?”

Duanmu Ya pouted. Then she hugged Yi Xian and jumped up and down like a child. “Yi Xian, I am a fourth-tier alchemist now. I really passed!”

Yi Xian laughed and handed over the second sugar cake. “Good thing I came prepared. This one is to congratulate you. More rank tests await you in the future.”

Duanmu Ya nodded enthusiastically and received the fourth-tier alchemist badge, along with the benefits and subsidies it entitled her to. As they walked, she ground her teeth in satisfaction. “With this badge, let’s see who dares to mock me now.”

Yi Xian thought, At twenty years old, a fourth-tier alchemist is rare. Who would dare laugh at her now? She herself needed to train harder.

The news of Duanmu Ya achieving fourth-tier alchemist status stirred the entire Duanmu household, especially Cong Yao. Upon hearing the news, she held her daughter in her arms and cried with joy. Duanmu Ya was the first to notice Yi Xian nearby.

“Mother, Yi Xian is still here.”

Yi Xian looked away. “Shall I step outside for a bit?”

Duanmu Ya grabbed her. “How could you? If not for what I experienced in the Beast Tribe, I might never have broken through.”

Cong Yao took Yi Xian’s hand gently, her expression kind. “Yi Xian, I won’t say much to thank you. But before you head to Qingshan Sect, there are a few things I need to tell you in private.”

Duanmu Ya cried out, “Mother, is there something I cannot hear?”

Cong Yao smoothed her hair. “Be good. Go prepare some of Yi Xian’s favorite tea and snacks.”

Yi Xian, unfamiliar with dealing with elders, felt her heart flutter at such warmth. This was the first time someone treated her so kindly.

“Auntie, if you have any requests, please say them.”

Cong Yao studied her gently. “Just some heartfelt words. Don’t be nervous.”

Yi Xian nodded.

Cong Yao smiled warmly. “Xiao Ya told me you have no family and remember nothing of your past. If you do not mind, from now on, I would like to take you as my adopted daughter. Like Xiao Ya, you may call me Mother.”

Yi Xian was stunned and did not know what to say.

Cong Yao continued, “You do not want to? I understand. This must be sudden. I should have had Xiao Ya ask you first—”

Yi Xian interrupted, “No, it’s not that. I just… I feel unworthy. I am merely an escaped slave from the Beast Tribe.”

She exhaled softly. Duanmu Ya’s cheerful, innocent nature must have come from her mother. They both had this ability to open their hearts to others without reservation.

Cong Yao gently patted Yi Xian’s head. “That is all behind you now. Let it go. From today forward, you are the third young miss of the Duanmu family. Does that sound good?”

Meeting her soft, water-like eyes, Yi Xian felt a warm current rising within her. From this day on, she was no longer a runaway slave of the Beast Tribe. No longer a wandering orphan with no home to return to. Now, she belonged to a family.

No one was more delighted about the newly established familial bond than Duanmu Ya. She even kept teasing Yi Xian by repeatedly calling her “Big Sister.” But once they compared their ages, Duanmu Ya instantly shrank back like a quail and never brought up the sisterly titles again.

On the day they set out for Qingshan Sect, the head of the Duanmu family finally made an appearance. According to Duanmu Ya, however, it was only to see off her beast-tamer sister, Duanmu Jie. Compared to her, an alchemist who only knew how to refine pills, a beast tamer had more potential to uphold the family name and succeed as the next head.

Even so, as the newly acknowledged adopted daughter of the Duanmu family, Yi Xian still paid her respects with proper etiquette.

“You never told me Duanmu Jie was coming too.”

“Tch, isn’t it obvious? She got jealous because Brother Ming Feng is escorting us.”

Duanmu Ya hated walking, so aside from Ming Feng’s mercenary group and Duanmu Jie, they were also accompanied by a walking beast specifically meant to carry Duanmu Ya.

“Yi Xian, hop on. You’re still not fully healed. You need to rest properly; you can’t travel like this.”

“No need.”

Yi Xian was starting to understand why Duanmu Ya attracted so much resentment. Everyone else walked on their own feet, yet this foolish girl insisted on bringing a bulky walking beast just for a bit of comfort. The drawbacks far outweighed the convenience.

Among the mercenaries in Ming Feng’s group, a few looked familiar to Yi Xian. Most vividly, she remembered the brute who once threatened to kill Little Lan. That very incident had forced her to expose her vital points when death was imminent.

Yi Xian rarely wasted time harboring grudges, but it was precisely this type of person, born of hatred, who had nearly gotten her killed.

“Miss Yi.”

“Hmm?”

Ming Feng noticed the murderous look in her eyes and offered her his water flask. “What are you thinking about? Just now, you looked like you wanted to kill someone.”

Yi Xian noticed both Duanmu Jie and Duanmu Ya glancing over. She didn’t accept the flask but thanked him politely. “I was just thinking that sometimes, seemingly insignificant people end up playing a crucial role, altering the outcome in ways no one expects.”

Ming Feng frowned slightly. “Do you see that as good or bad?”

Yi Xian was silent for a while before speaking. “If these people are pieces on a chessboard, then it depends on what the player aims to achieve. Good and evil, right and wrong are often just a single thought apart.”

Ming Feng nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right.”

Duanmu Ya, ever curious, bombarded Yi Xian with questions about what she and Ming Feng had just discussed, nearly making Yi Xian’s head spin. Noticing that Duanmu Jie was still glancing their way, Yi Xian finally understood what Duanmu Ya had meant earlier. “You both like Ming Feng?”

Duanmu Ya quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. “Yi Xian! What nonsense are you spouting? Everyone here has sharp ears. Do you want me to die from embarrassment?”

Yi Xian was baffled. “Then why are you so curious about what he and I talked about?”

Duanmu Ya huffed, “Can’t I be curious? I just don’t want Brother Ming Feng and Duanmu Jie to end up together. I know she likes him.”

Seeing her looking so smug and triumphant, Yi Xian couldn’t help but offer a kind reminder. “Be careful or you’ll get burned.”

Duanmu Ya whispered gleefully, “If I know what Brother Ming Feng said to you, I won’t tell Duanmu Jie. That’ll drive her crazy.”

Isn’t this the kind of game only children play?

Yi Xian ignored the sisters’ various ways of vying for Ming Feng’s attention. She spent most of the journey with her eyes closed, absorbing light energy. A soft glow radiated from a thumb-sized orb in her dantian.

The little pony sometimes joined her in cultivation but was too lazy to walk. It preferred to emerge and sunbathe when the group stopped, only to retreat back into Yi Xian’s consciousness when the journey resumed.

Such obvious laziness.

“Why are they taking so long to fetch water?”

“Yeah, it’s been almost two incense sticks worth of time since the captain and Miss Duanmu left. Could something have happened? Should we split up and look for them?”

“Hey now, don’t jump to conclusions. What if the captain just wanted some alone time with a beautiful woman?”

“Impossible. The captain has always been proper. Don’t say that in front of him unless you want trouble.”

A few mercenaries had gathered, whispering among themselves. Yi Xian hadn’t paid much attention to their conversation until Lord Yin Bao suddenly yelled in her consciousness, “Run! Thousands of fire ants are heading this way!”

Yi Xian didn’t even have time to ask what fire ants were. She simply repeated Lord Yin Bao’s warning. The mercenaries looked doubtful, but she couldn’t be bothered to explain. She left them with a single phrase.

“Run.”

Before Duanmu Ya could react, Yi Xian had already grabbed her and taken off toward the direction Lord Yin Bao had pointed.

“Ahhh, Yi Xian! Slow down!”

“Do you want to die?”

Yi Xian urged her to look back. The place they had just left was now engulfed in a sea of red. The walking beast Duanmu Ya had insisted on bringing was instantly devoured by the fire ants, leaving behind only a skeleton.

Duanmu Ya’s scalp tingled in terror, but somehow found the strength to run ahead of Yi Xian.

Yi Xian, both amused and exasperated, asked, “Any ideas?”

Lord Yin Bao leapt onto her shoulder, panting. “This is my first time in this region. I’m unfamiliar with the terrain. But I sensed the same energy on them as that pretty-faced guy.”

“Fire spirit?”

Lord Yin Bao nodded fervently. Having bumped into too many walls since arriving, it had returned bloodied more times than it could count, constantly crawling back to Yi Xian for healing.

“Duanmu Ya, any ideas?”

While gasping for air, Duanmu Ya wracked her brain. Eventually, she resorted to tossing every insect- and beast-repelling concoction she had in her storage pouch as they fled.

Sadly, none of it worked. The fire ants scorched everything in their path.

“Xiao Ya, try fire?”

“Huh? Fire?”

Without even looking, Duanmu Ya flung fireballs behind her. One of them grazed Yi Xian’s shoulder, nearly hitting Lord Yin Bao, who scolded her loudly while standing on Yi Xian’s shoulder.

Yi Xian turned to look. The fire ants burned under the flames but quickly broke through the fire line and surged forward even more fiercely.

“Ah! It’s useless.”

“Maybe they need water?”

There was no water to be found. Yi Xian tried using her light spheres. They managed to trap some of the fire ants, limiting their movement, but there were too many. She would deplete her light energy before stopping them all.

Duanmu Ya screamed, “We’re doomed! This is the end!”

Just then, a figure burst out of nowhere. She grabbed Duanmu Ya by the collar and planted ten sticks into different points around them. A flash of light followed, and a protective energy shield formed around them.

The fire ants rammed into the shield mindlessly, piling on top of one another before crashing down. Soon, they were completely surrounded by a sea of fire ants.

Yi Xian’s scalp tingled. Duanmu Ya collapsed to the ground, staring at the bumbling ants with disbelief. After a while, she confirmed they couldn’t break through and lay flat on the ground.

“I’m exhausted.”

Yi Xian hadn’t expected to encounter such a thing in the forest. She shifted her gaze to the woman who had just saved them.

She was about Yi Xian’s height, dressed entirely in black. Her face was plain, and she watched the fire ants intently.

“How did you end up provoking these things?”

“No idea.”

“What are fire ants?”

Neither Duanmu Ya nor Yi Xian knew. Yi Xian had assumed the forest would be less dangerous without those hulking beastmen. But it seemed her guard had merely dropped.

Seeing their blank expressions, the woman filled them in.

Fire ants were low-grade phantom beasts infused with fire spirits. They typically lived near lava zones and almost never appeared in forests unless someone had deliberately lured them there.

Yi Xian frowned and looked at Duanmu Ya. “What could lure them here?”

The woman replied after a moment of thought, “Millennium Flame Velvet Grass.”

Even low-grade phantom beasts could be deadly. Their combat power could rival or even exceed fourth- or fifth-tier beasts. They were not to be underestimated.

Yi Xian watched as the ants surged forward like waves, then gradually retreated.

After some time, the woman pulled out the tree branches, and the energy shield disappeared.

“What was that?”

The woman smiled. “If you agree to let me travel with you, I’ll tell you.”

Duanmu Ya eyed her warily and shuffled closer to Yi Xian. “Travel with us? How do you know where we’re going? Where are you headed?”

Yi Xian noted that the sticks the woman discarded looked no different from any ordinary branches.

The woman smiled faintly. “Of course I know. You’re heading to Qingshan Sect. What a coincidence. So am I.”

Yi Xian was surprised. Duanmu Ya, however, immediately started spinning nonsense. “Don’t lie! We’re heading to Dongsheng Academy in the Silver Moon Empire. Dongsheng is far superior to Qingshan Sect.”

The woman looked amused but didn’t argue. “Sure, wherever you’re going, I’ll tag along. Let’s go.”

Duanmu Ya was so enraged by her shameless attitude that she nearly exploded.

Yi Xian could tell this woman intended to latch onto them using the debt of gratitude. Whether she was a friend or foe remained to be seen.

“Let’s find Ming Feng and the others first. Then we’ll decide.”

Duanmu Ya huffed, “You still haven’t told us what that was just now.”

The woman glanced back at her. “Don’t be mad. Smile for me. Give me a smile, and I’ll tell you.”

Duanmu Ya puffed up like a pufferfish in sheer frustration.