A Gluttonous Dragon Sable

The Gluttonous Dragon Sable

Bi Fan slowly approached Da Niu. Da Niu was terrified and kept backing away.

Da Niu still couldn't believe that someone thrown into the Myriad Snake Den had actually come back—and that his appearance had changed beyond recognition.

As he walked, Bi Fan said, "Da Niu, you threw me into the Myriad Snake Den. You never thought I'd make it out, did you? When I was alone, helpless, and terrified in that den, I swore to myself that if I ever got out alive, I'd repay you a hundredfold, a thousandfold, for what you did to me."

"Now I'm finally out, and you're the first one I've come to find. Today, I'll just collect a little interest."

Bi Fan's face was so grim it seemed fire might burst from his eyes.

Da Niu kept backing away, consumed by fear. He muttered, "Don't come after me. It wasn't me... It wasn't me... Steward Zhu San told us to make things difficult for you..."

Da Niu's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He was petrified.

Bi Fan ignored his pleas and walked right over, grabbing Da Niu by the arm.

"You dislocated one of my arms before. Today, I'll cripple all four of your limbs and let you see what it's like to be disabled."

Bi Fan moved swiftly, his technique practiced. Without any obvious effort, he dislocated all four of Da Niu's limbs, wrenching several joints out of place.

Da Niu passed out from the pain before he could even scream.

Bi Fan's technique came from the Blood Demon... It was a method of breaking bones and tearing tendons, a way to torture people and a means of defeating enemies.

This was Bi Fan's first time using it. With power close to the Martial Force Realm backing him up, it had worked rather well, and he was satisfied.

But he wasn't finished. Bi Fan doused Da Niu with water, bringing him around.

"Ah..." Da Niu woke up and immediately cried out in pain.

Bi Fan casually picked up a clod of dirt and stuffed it into Da Niu's mouth, silencing him.

He had woken Da Niu only so he could savor the agony.

"Da Niu, this is just the interest. I'll come for you again, so don't you dare die. And tell Zhu San I'll be looking for him." Bi Fan smiled.

With that, Bi Fan strode away. At last, he had avenged his broken arm, and he was in high spirits.

It was about time, so Bi Fan headed to the supply depot to collect his provisions.

"Another six months, and it'll be time for the annual Outer Disciple Grand Competition. Win, and you can become a Registered Disciple of the Qingyang Sect, learn how to cultivate inner breath, and even win pills and a Magic Tool if you place in the top ten."

"Too bad I've just passed thirty, so I can't compete. You're the right age, though. This is your chance to give it everything you've got."

"We're all training hard. We hope to make the top ten."

The Qingyang Sect held an Outer Disciple Grand Competition every year to select Registered Disciples. The most outstanding could even be accepted as Inner Disciples.

Under normal circumstances, one had to cultivate inner breath to become a Registered Disciple. The Outer Disciple Grand Competition was the only chance to become one ahead of time.

Put bluntly, Outer Disciples were servants and laborers, stuck doing the dirtiest, most exhausting work all day long, with no status whatsoever.

They would do anything to become Registered Disciples.

Registered Disciples could cultivate inner-breath techniques, and their strength and status both took a leap forward.

What's more, once they became Registered Disciples, they received one pill each month suited to their cultivation level.

Zhu San might swagger around all the time, but whenever he ran into a Registered Disciple, he had to tuck his tail between his legs.

Bi Fan couldn't help feeling tempted. Six months was enough time for him to reach the Martial Force Realm.

Once he entered the Martial Force Realm, he should be able to place well—not for any other reason, but for the pills, Magic Tool, and status of a Registered Disciple.

Bi Fan soon collected the provisions. There were two huge bags of them.

In the past, he would have worried about how to carry them. Now he picked up a bag in each hand and walked off with ease.

Jade Maiden Peak soared into the clouds. Even with strength close to the Martial Force Realm, Bi Fan struggled as he climbed the mountain carrying the two bags.

By the time he had finally finished the task, night had fallen.

Bi Fan returned to his quarters, washed off the sweat, and began his daily practice.

"Bi Fan really is improving fast. He managed to haul two huge bags of provisions up the mountain before dark." Yu Xiao Feng was surprised.

She had done it on purpose today, wanting to see how much Bi Fan's strength had improved.

Since Yu Si Yan had asked her to keep an eye on Bi Fan, she wasn't about to slack off. Besides, she found it rather interesting.

Bi Fan's main job each day was still tending to the spirit herbs. In the past few days, he had noticed that two or three plants went missing every day.

Looking at the marks in the soil, Bi Fan grew suspicious. "That's strange. Looks like some little animal's been here at night. What kind of animal eats spirit herbs?"

That night, Bi Fan skipped his practice and kept watch in the Medicine Garden, determined to find out what was going on.

He held his breath and stayed perfectly still. At last, deep into the night, something stirred.

He heard a soft rustling as something brushed against the leaves. Then a streak of snow-white flashed into the Medicine Garden.

Bi Fan could see in the dark, and he got a crystal-clear look at the little creature that had appeared out of nowhere.

It was a little bigger than a fist, with pure-white fur and not a spot of color on it.

It looked a little like a snow ferret and a little like a chinchilla. Its two whiskers looked just like dragon whiskers.

Its big eyes were lively and bright, and it was incredibly cute.

"Dragon Sable!" Bi Fan was shocked. He happened to know a little about Dragon Sables.

Dragon Sables had the bloodlines of both dragons and sables. Once grown, they could tear through the air. They loved food rich in spiritual energy and poisonous creatures, and were the natural bane of all things venomous.

The Dragon Sable's front paws were tiny and adorable, yet razor-sharp. It was attacking a Thousand-Year Ginseng King.

The Thousand-Year Ginseng King was one of the more precious spirit herbs Bi Fan tended. He couldn't let the Dragon Sable eat it.

Bi Fan wanted to catch the Dragon Sable. It seemed to have been born only recently, so he could tame it if he caught it.

He crept closer with great care, then lunged as soon as he was near enough.

But the Dragon Sable was incredibly quick. It shot away in an instant, and Bi Fan's pounce missed.

Even after being discovered, the Dragon Sable didn't leave. It simply kept its distance, watching Bi Fan with bright, limpid eyes.

It was obvious the Dragon Sable was hungry. It wouldn't leave without getting food.

When Bi Fan moved, the Dragon Sable moved. When Bi Fan stayed still, the Dragon Sable did too.

The man and the little Dragon Sable were locked in a standoff. Bi Fan felt helpless. He couldn't just keep wasting time like this.

Suddenly, Bi Fan's eyes lit up. He pulled up a Ten-Year Ginseng and tossed it toward the Dragon Sable.

The Dragon Sable wasn't startled at all. Instead, it shot forward and snatched the ginseng in its mouth while still in midair.

The Dragon Sable made a graceful turn in the air and landed steadily on the ground without kicking up a speck of dust.

The little creature still didn't leave. It hugged the ginseng in its front paws in an almost humanlike manner and gobbled it down, making a crunching sound as if it were chewing a giant radish.

After just a few breaths, it had eaten every last bit of the ginseng. Then it gazed at Bi Fan, eyes full of longing.

Bi Fan laughed and scolded it. "You greedy little thing!"

He pulled up another ginseng and tossed it over. The Medicine Garden was full of patches of ginseng that were over ten years old; no one would notice if a few went missing.

The Dragon Sable caught the ginseng with an elegant leap, then took off with it in its mouth.

Before Bi Fan could react, even the little white speck had vanished from the night sky. He wanted to chase after it, but he was nowhere near fast enough to catch the Dragon Sable.