Lei Gong glanced at the Kun Tu, then back at Yuan Ming, his face a knot of conflict, but his mouth slightly opened, and ultimately, he didn't dare to speak up for Yuan Ming again.

"Brother Kun Tu, when I came over here, I had registered my task with the Execution Hall. Trying to do something without anyone noticing will probably be difficult, right?" Yuan Ming stopped in his tracks, turned to face Kun Tu, and revealed a smile that flashed his pearly white teeth.

"I suspect someone has ill intentions and covets the sect's spirit beast. I need to thoroughly investigate all suspicious persons. Before this is settled, you cannot leave," Kun Tu said, the threat gleaming in his eyes as they narrowed.

"By the way, the task I took up is to take care of the Three Cave Masters' Fire Mink," Yuan Ming smiled and said, emphasizing the words 'Three Cave Masters' heavily.

Lei Gong was unaware of the backstory, but seeing Yuan Ming's demeanor, he couldn't help thinking, "Too rash, too rash..."

Kun Tu was taken aback upon hearing this.

He was well aware that the Three Cave Masters took Yuan Ming under their wing, most likely because of that Fire Mink, which made him consider whether Yuan Ming's presence was also at the behest of the Three Cave Masters.

As this crossed his mind, he inevitably began to hesitate.

Naturally, he wouldn't be foolish enough to commit acts of murder within the sect. Originally, he had wanted to humiliate Yuan Ming before sending him away, but now, fearing the Three Cave Masters, he changed his mind.

At least, he could not act so openly and blatantly before understanding the full situation.

He didn't want to offend a significant elder in the sect over an insignificant figure like Yuan Ming, especially not when he had just entered the Inner Sect and had yet to secure his footing. That would be a loss not worth the gain.

"Hmph, I have urgent matters to attend to today and can't be bothered to argue with you. Mo Lu, remember this person well. If he dares to step into our Beast Taming Hall's territory again, throw him out. If anything happens on our turf and gets linked to me, you will answer for it," Kun Tu said to Mo Lu, giving orders before turning with Wulu and the others to leave.

"Yes, yes, Brother Kun Tu, rest assured, it will be done accordingly. Have a good journey, brother!" Mo Lu bobbed his head obsequiously towards Kun Tu's retreating figure.

Throughout the process, Lei Gong clearly saw the discord between Kun Tu and Yuan Ming, hence he kept his head down, standing beside Mo Lu, not saying a word.

Yuan Ming watched the scene with a detached eye, not surprised by the turn of events.

Through his experiences over the past days, his knowledge about Biluo Cave was no longer as lacking as before.

Within the entire sect, the most revered were naturally the Three Cave Masters, followed by the Master Elders of the various halls, like Elder Meng Shan, whose renown he had heard of many times.

Beyond them, there were also Inner Elders whose status was elevated not by their managerial roles but by their formidable strengths. These elders generally ascended from the ranks of Inner Sect Disciples.

This class of elders, at the very least, started from Early-stage Foundation Establishment and were not numerous. More common were figures like Mo Lu, ordinary deacons whose rank was slightly above Registered Disciples, usually promoted from that level.

They were responsible for the sect's miscellaneous affairs, occasionally exploiting Registered Disciples, and dared not commit the slightest impropriety in front of Inner Sect Disciples and elders. The so-called Elder Hu Huo mentioned earlier belonged to this group.

"You lad, aren't you leaving yet? Talk about bringing bad luck!" Mo Lu straightened up after Kun Tu walked away, stroked his goatee, scolded Yuan Ming and also shot Lei Gong a harsh glance.

Yuan Ming turned back to them and, with a cold snort, left the grand hall.

He descended the mountain, planning to try his luck at the Gui Cang Pavilion that Lan Ke had mentioned—if there was a record of his mission in the books of the Execution Hall, maybe he could slip through unnoticed.

But not long after he had left the territory of the Beast Taming Hall, a gray bear came thundering up behind him.

His brow furrowed, Yuan Ming placed a hand on the sword at his waist and turned to look back.

Lei Gong was seen riding the gray bear, waving at him from a distance.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming's expression relaxed slightly, though he did not let go of his sword hilt.

When Lei Gong caught up, he jumped down from the bear, looked at Yuan Ming with some awkwardness, and said, "I'm really sorry about earlier. That Kun Tu is now one of Elder Meng Shan's favorites, and he's someone I can't afford to provoke."

"Senior Brother worries too much; I'm already very grateful for the help you provided earlier," Yuan Ming finally relaxed his grip on the sword, replying.

"Sigh, here in Biluo Cave, especially our Beast Taming Hall, might makes right, and the weak have no say. I didn't chase you down just to apologize, though. My main reason was to tell you that to learn about taming and raising beasts, you don't need to come specifically to the Beast Taming Hall. Gui Cang Pavilion has books on the topic; you can go there to borrow and read," Lei Gong said with a wave of his hand.

"I've also heard, and I was planning to go over there to see for myself. Thanks for the heads-up," Yuan Ming nodded and replied.

"Just be aware that sorting through and discerning the right materials in Gui Cang Pavilion will take a lot of effort on your part, but given your current situation, it's the only option. Alright, I won't bother with pleasantries. This should repay the favor I owed you, and from now on, we can act as if we don't know each other. If not, my days in the Beast Taming Hall will become difficult," Lei Gong said with a wry smile.

"I understand, Senior Brother, take care," Yuan Ming responded with a clasped hand gesture.

As Lei Gong was about to leave, he lowered his voice and added a warning, "Kun Tu is the vindictive type; be careful of him."

After saying this, he rode his gray bear spirit beast back to the Beast Taming Hall.

Yuan Ming, on the other hand, made straight for Gui Cang Pavilion.

...

Gui Cang Pavilion was located in the central region of the sect, amongst the circular cluster of buildings on the second-tier terrace.

By the time Yuan Ming found Gui Cang Pavilion, the sky had already darkened.

He immediately walked towards the pavilion's entrance, but as he was about to cross the threshold, someone bumped into him head-on.

The two exchanged glances, first halting in their tracks, and then both revealed a look of surprise in their eyes.

"Eh, Yuan Ming..."

"Senior Brother Zhao Tong." Thisversionwassourcedfrom*.

The one coming out from inside was none other than Zhao Tong, who regularly did business in Toad Valley.

Yuan Ming sized up Zhao Tong and saw that he was holding several books in his arms, seemingly just having borrowed them from Gui Cang Pavilion.

"What brings you here?" Zhao Tong glanced at Yuan Ming's outfit and, beyond his surprise, was also quite puzzled.

"It's a long story..." Yuan Ming was momentarily at a loss where to begin.

"No hurry, let's find a place. You can explain everything to me," Zhao Tong's curiosity was piqued.

"But I still have things to do. I want to go to Gui Cang Pavilion to borrow some books," said Yuan Ming with some difficulty.

"Borrowing books? Are your contribution values ready?" asked Zhao Tong.

"I've just been accepted as a disciple, and I won't receive the sect contribution value until the beginning of next month, but I have an Execution Hall task to complete and need to consult some materials. I want to ask if there could be some accommodation," Yuan Ming replied.

"Then that settles it. You don't even have any contribution value, so you can't even enter the doors of Gui Cang Pavilion. Who would accommodate you? Better to satisfy my curiosity first, and I'll think of a way for you," said Zhao Tong, as he pulled Yuan Ming without further ado to a nearby round pavilion with a bizarre design and sat down.

Left with no other options, Yuan Ming recounted the experiences he had been through recently, picking only what he could tell to Zhao Tong.

"I must say, you've really struck lucky, going from being a Fur Beast Slave to a Registered Disciple. I'm not exaggerating when I say that since I've entered the sect, you're the only one I've seen accomplish that," Zhao Tong said incredulously after listening.

"I suppose it's a blessing in disguise," said Yuan Ming with a wry smile.

Finishing his story, he gazed at the emblem on Zhao Tong's chest and couldn't help but reveal a peculiar look in his eyes.

In the past, Zhao Tong always wore ordinary clothes in Toad Valley, or at least Yuan Ming had never seen him dressed in the attire of a Biluo Cave Disciple. Only today did he realize that what Zhao Tong wore was unmistakably the garment of a Law and Regulations Hall Registered Disciple.

"Senior Brother Zhao, are you a disciple of the Law and Regulations Hall?" Yuan Ming inquired.

Looking down at his chest, Zhao Tong replied, "What about it? Is that strange?"

"Why would a disciple of the Law and Regulations Hall run off to Toad Valley to do business?" Yuan Ming asked somewhat curiously.

"Cough, don't get the wrong idea. I am overtly fulfilling a task from the Execution Hall; there's nothing odd about it," Zhao Tong said, looking slightly embarrassed as he spoke somewhat dismissively.

Yuan Ming watched him, saying nothing, but his expression clearly read, "Do you take me for a fool?"

"Alright, normally a disciple of the Law and Regulations Hall wouldn't take on such low-paying and thankless tasks. I really didn't want to stay there, so I went to Toad Valley for some peace and quiet. There, I could read undisturbed," Zhao Tong commented, shaking the book in his hand.

At the mention of this, Yuan Ming glanced again at the books Zhao Tong was carrying.

One glance revealed that the topmost book's cover bore the title "Golden Book of Desire" in Central Plains script—hardly a fitting title for a respectable book.

"Since you don't like staying at the Law and Regulations Hall, why did you join it in the first place?" Yuan Ming withdrew his gaze and asked.

"In all the world, there are few with excellent Spirit Roots, and the majority are Loose Cultivators. To be accepted into a sect is already a blessing from the heavens, naturally you stay where you're assigned," Zhao Tong retorted with a roll of his eyes.

Yuan Ming heard this and nodded in acceptance of the answer.

"By the way, why have you come to Gui Cang Pavilion? What kind of books do you wish to borrow?" Zhao Tong changed the subject, asking.

"Books on spirit beast husbandry," Yuan Ming replied.

"You're a disciple of Fire Refining Hall, and instead of practicing your craft, you delve into spirit beast husbandry? Are you even less dedicated to the proper work than I am?" Zhao Tong frowned.

"I plan to take on a task of caring for a spirit beast and want to learn some basic knowledge," Yuan Ming explained.

"The Fire Mink belonging to one of the Three Cave Masters?" Zhao Tong, having heard Yuan Ming's story about being accepted as a disciple, knew about "Huo Chan'er," and inquired.

"Yes, that Fire Mink and I seem to share a bit of fate..." Yuan Ming continued, recounting the encounter at the volcanic crater with the Fire Mink once again.

Hearing this, Zhao Tong's face lit up with surprise and envy. "The Fire Mink belonging to one of the Three Cave Masters is no ordinary spirit beast. It's still in its juvenile stage, so it doesn't show much of its extraordinary nature yet. Wait until it reaches adulthood, tsk tsk... The fact that it has taken a liking to you is a tremendous stroke of luck."

"That's why I have to learn some beast husbandry knowledge," Yuan Ming nodded.

"If you wish to browse at Gui Cang Pavilion, you need to have contribution values, which will be deducted as you enter. Once you're inside, you can borrow various books. There are bookshelves where you can pick out books on your own. Typically, you can't take the books outside; you have to read them in the reading area inside and put them back in their original place after. Of course, if you're willing to pay a price, it's not impossible to make copies," Zhao Tong explained, inadvertently touching the "Golden Book of Desire" in his hand.

"Oh, so any book can be borrowed?" Yuan Ming's interest was piqued as he asked.

(Fellow Daoists, this book will officially be on the shelves at the start of January ^^)