Chapter 22: Complete Submission
Outside the side hall of The City Lord's mansion.
Seeing that the City Lord actually allowed the young man to try to tame the Cangback Eagle and had brought them all out, Adviser Liao could no longer hold back. "City Lord, you don't really believe that immature boy can tame the Cangback Eagle, do you?"
Yu Longqing shook his head. "He's just a groom and hasn't trained in cultivation. I observed him earlier. He knows very little about beast taming. It's almost impossible for him to succeed."
Adviser Liao was stunned. "Then why did you leave him alone with the Cangback Eagle...?"
Yu Longqing looked over. "Do you have any other solutions?"
"I... don't," Adviser Liao said, looking dejected. "After over half a month of effort, the eagle's will is incredibly strong. If I can't tame it, there's no way that kid can. He's just a fraud trying to make a name for himself."
Seeing Adviser Liao constantly belittle Zhang Xuan, Yu Xiaoyu couldn't hold back anymore. "No, Zhang Xuan really did tame Su Shang, and it's very obedient!"
"Miss..." Adviser Liao was about to explain the vast difference between taming a horse and a Source Beast when a guard rushed up to them.
Yu Longqing was slightly surprised but then nodded. "Let her in."
The guard left and soon returned with Mo Yanxue, who looked flushed and breathless. She quickly approached and bowed. "Greetings, City Lord!"
"Xue'er? Why are you here?" Seeing her usually composed friend looking so anxious, Yu Xiaoyu walked up curiously.
"I..." Mo Yanxue hesitated and then cautiously asked, "Has Zhang Xuan started helping the City Lord tame the beast yet?"
"He has already started," Yu Xiaoyu nodded.
"He... started?" Mo Yanxue's vision darkened, and she swayed slightly.
"What's wrong?" Yu Xiaoyu asked, puzzled. "Don't worry, Zhang Xuan is very reliable. He even kicked us out just now, saying he needed to communicate with the Cangback Eagle alone."
Mo Yanxue felt even more distressed.
"Yanxue, is there something wrong?" Yu Longqing noticed her unease and frowned.
"Reporting to the City Lord, there's nothing wrong. I'm just worried that our groom's taming methods might be inappropriate and could offend the City Lord..." Mo Yanxue's face flushed red as she bit her lip and bowed.
"Oh?" Adviser Liao seemed to catch a hint of something and stepped forward. "It seems Miss Mo is quite familiar with Zhang Xuan's taming methods. Could you explain in detail?"
"This..." Mo Yanxue hesitated.
"He's Adviser Liao. He's been helping my father tame the Cangback Eagle these past few days!" Yu Xiaoyu quickly introduced, afraid her friend wouldn't recognize him.
"Greetings, Adviser Liao!" Mo Yanxue bowed. "Actually... I don't know much about Zhang Xuan's taming methods. I just learned how he tamed Su Shang before leaving the academy and worried he might use the same method, which could be offensive to the City Lord."
"Oh?" Yu Longqing was intrigued. "I heard he tamed Su Shang in half a day. What method did he use? Don't worry, since you came to inform us, I won't hold it against him."
"Thank you for your generosity..." Mo Yanxue breathed a sigh of relief and bit her lip. "Zhang Xuan tamed Su Shang by beating it up and even stabbing it in the belly..."
"Beating it up?"
"Stabbing it?"
Yu Longqing and Adviser Liao exchanged glances, both of them staggering slightly. Especially Yu Longqing, who had spent countless resources and efforts to capture this eagle. He had thought Zhang Xuan had some proper taming technique, but now he was being told... it was just stabbing?
This had to be a joke!
"Xiaoyu say Su Shang was very obedient after he tamed it. Stabbing it?... isn't that just provoking it?" Yu Longqing couldn't hold back anymore.
Mo Yanxue blushed. "Su Shang was indeed very obedient, so obedient that it died! Its body is lying outside..."
"..." Yu Longqing's body trembled, and his mind went blank. "Let's go see it quickly!"
Adviser Liao's taming methods had failed, and Yu Longqing had hoped that even if Zhang Xuan didn't succeed, the outcome wouldn't be too bad. But he never expected that this guy would treat a living horse as a dead one!
If he really beat and stabbed the Cangback Eagle, with its proud nature, it would rather swallow gold or drink poison, or even jump off a cliff than ever accept taming!
"I told you, we shouldn't trust such an unreliable person..."
Adviser Liao shouted coldly, rushing towards the side hall door, pushing it open. Yu Longqing, Mo Yanxue, and Yu Xiaoyu followed closely behind.
As they burst through the door, the scene inside came into view. Zhang Xuan, who had confidently claimed he would tame the beast, was half-kneeling on the ground, his right knee pressing down on the Cangback Eagle's body, his left hand gripping its neck, while his other hand repeatedly slapped its face...
It looked like he was slapping a pillow.
"???" Yu Longqing.
"???" Adviser Liao.
They had treated this Source Beast with the best food and drink, spoken countless kind words, all to no avail. They had tried to outlast it, treating it with utmost respect. And here was Zhang Xuan, taming it by riding on its head and beating it...
Was this called taming?
This was a complete offense, utterly destroying any chance of taming it!
Not only were Yu Longqing and Adviser Liao stunned, but Mo Yanxue was also shaking, her eyes about to pop out of their sockets. She had rushed here, worried that Zhang Xuan's methods might be inappropriate, but never imagined they would be this absurd...
Even Yu Xiaoyu, who was usually slow to react, was in shock, feeling like she might break apart.
"Let go of that Cangback Eagle..." Adviser Liao couldn't hold back and shouted.
"Why are you all here?"
Zhang Xuan was in the middle of slapping the Cangback Eagle when the group suddenly burst in. Confused, he stood up and kicked the eagle in the chest. "I'll give you one more chance. Will you submit or not?"
"You... you... This is ridiculous. If taming a beast was just about beating it, beast pets wouldn't be rare and sought after. This is utter nonsense..."
Adviser Liao was about to explode with anger. He wanted to rush over and teach Zhang Xuan a lesson for his absurd behavior. But then, they saw the Cangback Eagle under Zhang Xuan's foot release a pink light from its forehead, and a drop of blood floated into the air, shining brightly.
"This is... a soul sacrifice, complete submission?"
Adviser Liao and Yu Longqing were both stunned, completely taken aback.