Setting Out Early and Choosing Mounts

After the meal, Ning Xiu sat in a bamboo chair in the courtyard, leisurely closing his eyes to clear his mind. He listened to the bamboo swaying and the wind stirring the bells hanging in the yard.

He had to admit, the residence the Demon Subduing Bureau had assigned him was in a truly lovely setting.

It was quiet and peaceful, far better than the courtyard he'd lived in before. If his old place had been a tenement, then this one was a little villa.

In two words: blissfully comfortable.

"Excuse me, does Ning Xiu live here?"

Just then, a familiar voice sounded outside the courtyard. Ning Xiu immediately opened his eyes and looked toward the gate.

Ren Qianxing, Monk Zhengwu, and Ren Qianxing's two puppets were peering inside. Ning Xiu's gaze met theirs.

"It's you two. What brings you here?" Ning Xiu hurried to his feet and greeted them with a smile.

After wolfing down his meal at the restaurant, Ning Xiu had learned from the owner that opening his Martial Aperture had taken a whole day.

According to the date he'd agreed on with Monk Zhengwu, they were supposed to set out tomorrow. He hadn't expected the two of them to come looking for him in person today.

"You moved without warning, so you weren't easy to find. I asked the official in charge of the Demon Subduing Captains' residences and only then learned you'd been promoted to Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain and moved here to Bamboo Court Garden." Ren Qianxing clasped his hands and smiled. "Congratulations, Brother Ning. From now on, I'll have to call you Lord Ning."

"Come now, Brother Ren, don't be so formal. It makes my ears itch. Let's keep calling each other what we did before." Ning Xiu shook his head.

"Benefactor Ning, when I saw you at Three Saints Hall last time, you were at Martial Dao Seventh Rank. After just one day, you've reached Martial Dao Fifth Rank. Such astonishing progress—could you be the one who triggered the triple breakthrough phenomenon the day before yesterday?" Monk Zhengwu asked curiously.

Hearing this, Ren Qianxing immediately noticed the blind spot he'd missed.

Good heavens! In just two days, Ning Xiu had gone straight from Martial Dao Seventh Rank to Martial Dao Fifth Rank. Even the Martial Saint Ancestor from several centuries ago might not have accomplished something so astonishing.

A thought suddenly surfaced in Ren Qianxing's mind. Could Brother Ning be a Martial Saint in the making?

"It was me. I hope you two will keep this secret, so it doesn't cause any unnecessary trouble." Ning Xiu nodded.

Ren Qianxing and Monk Zhengwu's expressions instantly grew complicated. They both said, "Of course. We'll keep our lips sealed."

News that someone in the Demon Subduing Bureau had triggered a triple breakthrough phenomenon while advancing through ranks had already spread throughout the entire bureau.

Everyone was curious about who it was, and Ren Qianxing and Monk Zhengwu were no exception.

"What brings you two here today? Weren't we supposed to set out for Cloud Mist Mountain tomorrow?" Ning Xiu asked.

Ren Qianxing explained, "Plans have changed. A Demon Subduing Captain just returned from an assignment with news that a landslide blocked the Official Path to Cloud Mist Mountain a few days ago. The entire road is buried under the collapsed rocks. We'll have to take a long detour to get there now, which will waste a lot of time. So I thought Zhengwu and I should come tell you that we're leaving today."

"So that's what happened..." Ning Xiu was taken aback.

But natural disasters were unavoidable and impossible to predict; there was nothing to be done. Ning Xiu had no urgent business anyway, so leaving a day or two early made little difference.

He went inside to fetch his Startling Thunder Hammer and the bundle containing his spare clothes, then left with Ren Qianxing and the others.

"For this trip to Cloud Mist Mountain, we've also asked two friends to join us. One doesn't work for the Demon Subduing Bureau, but will meet us along the way. The other is already waiting at the Beast Taming Workshop."

As they walked, Ren Qianxing introduced their companions.

"The Beast Taming Workshop? There's a place like that in the Demon Subduing Bureau?" Ning Xiu asked, puzzled. He'd never heard of it before.

"You've never handled an assignment in another prefecture, so it's only natural you haven't heard of the Beast Taming Workshop.

"A regular horse can only manage a few hundred li a day at most. A thousand-li horse can cover a thousand li, but it lacks stamina and isn't much use. It's only suitable for assignments in Jingzhou, where Chaotian Capital is located.

"To travel more efficiently, the Demon Subduing Bureau established the Beast Taming Workshop one hundred and sixty years ago. They capture unusual beasts with extraordinary constitutions that haven't yet gained intelligence and become Demonic Creatures, then bring them back to be tamed.

"They serve as mounts for Demon Subduing Captains on assignments in other prefectures. Traveling on unusual beasts is several times faster than on horses.

"Cloud Mist Mountain is in Yunze Prefecture. These beasts will help us get there much sooner," Ren Qianxing explained patiently.

Although Ning Xiu was a Martial Dao Fifth Rank expert, he'd only recently joined the Demon Subduing Bureau and knew very little about it.

Having someone like Ren Qianxing explain things to him would save Ning Xiu a lot of time learning about the bureau.

It was worth mentioning that Ning Xiu should technically have called Ren Qianxing "Senior Brother," since they were both Champion Camp trainees. Ren Qianxing had simply been selected a year or two earlier.

The Beast Taming Workshop was a large compound in the northwestern corner of the Demon Subduing Bureau.

Aside from its gate, the entire compound was enclosed by iron bars as thick as a person and three people tall. It looked as if they were meant to keep something inside from escaping.

"Roar!"

"Ugh!"

"Moo!"

"Baa-aah!"

"Aaah!"

Before they even entered the Beast Taming Workshop, Ning Xiu could hear all kinds of strange cries coming from within.

Some sounded like lions and tigers, others like cattle or sheep, and some were impossible to identify.

"Most of the unusual beasts in the workshop are descended from rare creatures that our predecessors captured in dangerous places across the prefectures when it was first established. They've been bred for generations and have no wildness left. If you come across a wild unusual beast while on assignment in the future, you can bring it back to the workshop if you don't mind the trouble. It'll earn you merit at the end of the month."

Ren Qianxing led the way inside. They crossed a broad path, and the three of them reached the heart of the workshop.

It was a world unto itself. At the end of the path, Ning Xiu saw an iron bridge leading to the opposite bank.

Below it lay a vast pond blanketed in dark green duckweed. Its depth was impossible to tell.

Dragonflies skimmed low over the water, sometimes dipping their wings against the surface, sometimes resting on a lotus leaf for a moment.

Ning Xiu couldn't help wondering just how much land the Demon Subduing Bureau occupied in Chaotian Capital.

As he was about to cross the bridge, ripples suddenly spread across the water to his left.

A giant green crab surfaced, its shell alone as large as a square banquet table—not even counting its legs.

Then its whole body rose above the water, and it strode across the pond as if walking on dry land. It was an extraordinary sight.

But before Ning Xiu could voice his admiration, the creature suddenly plunged beneath the surface. In its place, a vast shadow appeared.

As it rose from the water, Ning Xiu saw that it was a giant tortoise, over two zhang long.

"These are aquatic unusual beasts. They're used to eliminate demons and banish evil spirits in rivers, lakes, and seas. I believe there are also two kinds of giant snails and a red-armored toad down there, though they're rarely seen."

Ren Qianxing and Monk Zhengwu clearly weren't visiting for the first time. Neither of them showed the slightest reaction to the giant tortoise or the green crab.

Ning Xiu marveled inwardly, eager to find out what kind of unusual beasts they'd be riding on this trip.

They crossed the iron bridge and entered a hall. A tall woman in Mysterious Silver Lock Armor immediately came over to greet them.

She had bright almond-shaped eyes and slender brows, and carried herself with a spirited air. Even in the same Mysterious Silver Lock Armor worn by every Demon Subduing Captain, her long legs drew the eye.

"What took you so long? I've been waiting here forever," the tall woman complained.

"Sorry for the wait, Senior Sister Xia. We got held up a little on the way. Let me introduce you: this is Ning Xiu, our newly promoted Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain." Ren Qianxing pointed to Ning Xiu.

"Martial Dao Fifth Rank! Your subordinate, Xia Yunsi, pays her respects, my lord." The tall woman hurriedly saluted.

"No need. You're Brother Ren's friend, so just call me Ning Xiu."

Although Ning Xiu was now a Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain, with a higher rank than Ren Qianxing and the First Rank Iron Horse Demon Subduing Captains like Xia Yunsi, he didn't like people he knew addressing him as "my lord" all the time. It felt awkward.

"Senior Sister Xia, have you picked out your beast yet?" Ren Qianxing asked.

"I picked one ages ago. I chose a black tiger. We can set out as soon as you've picked yours."

Ren Qianxing nodded. "Then Zhengwu and I will take Black Wind as usual. Brother Ning, what kind of unusual beast would you like?"

Ning Xiu didn't care. As far as he was concerned, any unusual beast would do. There wasn't much difference between them, so he said, "I'll take the same kind as you. Let's not waste time picking."

At that, Xia Yunsi shot him a look of admiration, though her expression turned strangely hesitant.

She seemed about to say something, but then held it back.

"Good. This way." Ren Qianxing led everyone to the rear entrance of the hall, where all the unusual beasts used for travel on land were kept.

When Ning Xiu saw the three unusual beasts locked in the iron cages, his expression and mood grew complicated. Suddenly, he wasn't so keen on this long journey.

"Oink! Oink!"

"Oink!"

Inside the cages were three wild boars, their black coats sleek and glossy.

Their eyes gleamed, their legs were powerfully muscled, and their tusks were as sharp as spears.

But these were... a far cry from the majestic unusual beasts he'd imagined before coming here.

Ren Qianxing, you call these things "Black Wind"? Does your conscience not hurt?

"Don't be fooled by the fact that Black Wind is a wild boar. They're clever, excellent at galloping and charging, and have amazing stamina. They can travel thousands of li a day without tiring. They're also easy to feed; all they need on the road is carrots and clean water. Zhengwu and I always choose them for our assignments," Ren Qianxing said proudly.

"Oink!" The three wild boars immediately sat on their haunches and propped themselves up on their forelegs. At Ren Qianxing's praise, they dutifully raised their heads, looking proud.

Then they even shot Ning Xiu and the others a genuine, flirtatious wink.

"Demonic Creatures? These have to be Demonic Creatures. What kind of wild boar winks at people?" Ning Xiu pointed at them in astonishment.

Ren Qianxing gazed at the three wild boars with a look of deep satisfaction. "Don't worry, Brother Ning. Black Wind is clever and eager to learn. I taught them that move. Don't you think it makes them especially charming? They know other moves too. Black Wind, flex those muscles."

As soon as he spoke, the three wild boars stood up and flexed their bodies. Their muscles swelled like balloons being inflated, every bulging contour clearly visible.

Thump!

The three wild boars bumped rump to rump, producing a powerful, solid thud.

The sight was, well... truly hard to describe.

Still, being able to teach wild boars such well-trained moves was impressive. Ren Qianxing really was a man of talent.

"Brother Ren, I've changed my mind. I'll... I'll take the one in that cage over there." Ning Xiu pointed at an iron cage a short distance away.

The unusual beast inside was curled into a ball. Its black-and-white fur made it hard to see what it looked like.

But surely it would be more normal than those three wild boars trained by Ren Qianxing.

Ren Qianxing turned to look at the cage Ning Xiu had pointed to. When he saw the creature inside, he immediately advised, "Brother Ning, I'd suggest you not choose that one. It's quiet, dim-witted, and bulky. It travels at a decent speed, but it's not a good choice for a mount. Look over here instead. I'll tell you about some of Black Wind's other strengths."

"Mm?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the unusual beast, which had been motionless, lifted its round head. It stared at Ning Xiu and the others in a daze.

Black ears, a snowy white head, dark circles around its eyes...

"Isn't that the giant panda..." Ning Xiu exclaimed.

"That's right. It's an Iron Eater Beast," Ren Qianxing said.

Good heavens, they'd even caught one of those jail-for-life beasts and made it a mount.

Ning Xiu hurried over and examined it through the bars.

This Iron Eater Beast was clearly much larger than a giant panda. Its back was just the right size to carry one person.

Judging from its sturdy back and powerful limbs, it should have no trouble carrying Ning Xiu and his Startling Thunder Hammer.

"Brother Ren, I've decided. I'll take this one." Ning Xiu pointed to the Iron Eater Beast in the cage.

"Mm." The Iron Eater Beast sat up and stretched. Leaning against the cage, it casually grabbed a bamboo stalk from the ground beside it and began to chew. It watched Ning Xiu with a wooden expression, looking utterly at ease.

Ren Qianxing had been right: it was quiet and dim-witted.

Once everyone had chosen their mounts, staff from the Beast Taming Workshop came to fit their beasts with specially made saddles and reins, making them easier to control on the journey.

They mounted their respective beasts, quickly left the Demon Subduing Bureau through the passage reserved for them, and charged straight out of Chaotian Capital toward Yunze Prefecture.