Chapter 295: Take Me as Your Master

“Speak, did Ji Mo send you here?”

After scolding the Howling Heaven Beast, Zhang Xuan approached the leader.

These fellows were still tough at first, but when he produced poison and forced them to swallow it, they realized that the man before them was not only a painter and a martial artist but also a poison master!

Unable to hold out any longer, they confessed everything in detail.

“Young Master Ji Mo didn’t order you to kill me, but to strip me naked, hang me from a tree, and record it with a recording crystal?”

Hearing their purpose, Zhang Xuan was speechless.

But after a moment’s thought, he understood.

As a three-star painter, if he were humiliated, he would surely be too ashamed to speak of it and would suppress the matter himself.

If they killed him, the Painter Guild would investigate thoroughly. Since they had just clashed, it wouldn’t be too hard to trace it back to him.

If a one-star or two-star painter were killed, the guild might not care much, but if he, a three-star painter under twenty, were killed, even the Ji family might not withstand the ensuing wrath.

As for recording with a crystal, that was even simpler. With that in hand, they would hold the trump card and the initiative. Knowing he had been humiliated, he would never dare to take excessive action against the Ji family for fear of the leak.

Admittedly, this Young Master Ji Mo seemed reckless but had actually thought things through quite thoroughly.

Unfortunately, he underestimated Zhang Xuan’s strength, leaving these five men in such a miserable state.

Knowing their purpose, Zhang Xuan’s eyes flickered, and he kicked each of them.

“No matter what method you use, strip this Young Master Ji Mo naked, hang him from a tree, and record it with a recording crystal in exchange for the antidote. Otherwise, within five days, you’ll suffer from burst intestines and rotten bellies, and die of poison! Don’t bother seeking help from other poison masters; the poison I’ve placed on you is my exclusive formula—even a three-star poison master can’t cure it!”

Returning the favor in kind.

Didn’t you want to humiliate me?

Fine, let your own subordinates use your method on you and see how it feels.

As for the so-called exclusive poison, it was merely injecting Heavenly Dao true energy into their bodies. But this, aside from him, no one could cure, which was true. With a thought, it would explode deep in their acupoints, killing them on the spot.

He wasn’t lying.

“Yes, yes!”

Feeling the deadly poison planted in them, the men’s mouths twitched.

Poison masters were always terrifying, killing without a trace; offending them meant waiting for death.

If only they had known that the man their young master wanted them to find was so fearsome, they would have directly disobeyed orders and fled, rather than coming to court death.

“Get lost!”

Having arranged everything, Zhang Xuan paid them no further heed.

“Yes!”

The five men struggled to their feet, supporting each other as they quickly left the forest.

As soon as they returned to the royal city, they looked at each other.

“What do we do?”

The most severely injured Zhang Qing looked over weakly.

“What else can we do? We have to follow his orders. At worst, after it’s done… we leave the Tianwu Kingdom forever and never return!” the leader gritted his teeth.

Though they were under the Ji family’s command, it was only for money and resources. Compared to their lives, the latter was more important.

Besides, if not for this Young Master Ji Mo’s willfulness, how could they have offended such a formidable figure? And ended up in such a miserable state?

They had long hated him to the bone.

“We need to plan this carefully, finish it within five days…”

Having made their decision, the five swore an oath, and dragging their limping bodies, they first found a place to heal.

…

No longer concerned with the five beaten men, Zhang Xuan was about to return to the city to find the Tianwu Academy when he heard a commotion from the nearby mountain range, as if a battle was underway.

“Let’s go check it out!”

With a leap, he mounted the Howling Heaven Beast’s back. With a roar, the beast soared into the sky, flying through the night toward the source of the sound.

…

Tianwu Inn.

“You say… Teacher only finished the painter examination tonight?”

Zhao Ya and the others looked over, their faces full of excitement.

They had thought it would take Teacher a while to reach the royal city, but he had arrived even earlier than them.

“I heard from someone at the Painter Guild that a man named Zhang Xuan successfully passed the three-star painter exam. As for whether it’s him… Uncle-Master, I’m not too sure,” Lu Xun said.

After finishing the apprentice exam, he immediately returned to tell everyone the news.

“It must be him. Who else could create a five-realm painting and be named Zhang Xuan? That’s too much of a coincidence,” Huang Yu said from the side.

She had personally seen Zhang Xuan paint—fast and brilliant, his skill breathtaking. It wasn’t impossible for him to make a splash by painting a beast.

“Since Teacher finished the exam less than an hour ago, he can’t have gone far. Let’s search nearby; we might run into him!”

“Yes, I want to find Teacher too!”

…

Upon hearing that the teacher was nearby, Zhao Ya and the others could no longer sit still and rose one after another.

"Alright, go out and take a stroll. If you can't find him within two hours, all of you come back!"

Liu Shi found it hard to refuse and gave the instruction.

"Okay!"

Zhao Ya and the others could no longer contain themselves and hurried out one by one.

...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

True qi filled the air, energy streams crisscrossed, as a man and a beast fought deep in the mountain forest.

"A Grandmaster realm expert and a Grandmaster realm savage beast?"

Standing on the back of the Howling Heaven Beast, Zhang Xuan watched the two sides in battle, slightly surprised.

The one fighting below was actually a peak Grandmaster expert, while his opponent was a late Grandmaster Red-Scaled Tiger.

The Red-Scaled Tiger, similar in size to the Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard he had tamed before, had tough hide and immense strength.

This one was clearly stronger than the Iron Coin Leopard; every kick and claw seemed to tear the air.

At the battle site, trees shattered and rocks turned to powder, as if they could not withstand the impact of their power.

Although the Red-Scaled Tiger was only at late Grandmaster, it could fight above its level. The peak Grandmaster expert, despite having many techniques, could do nothing about it. The man and beast fought fiercely, neither able to harm the other.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

After fighting for a while longer, knowing it was futile, the Red-Scaled Tiger flicked its thick tail and turned to leave.

Seeing it go far, the peak Grandmaster expert also breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to leave, his pupils suddenly contracted as he looked up and saw the Howling Heaven Beast flying in the air.

Though it was night, the Howling Heaven Beast was not flying high. During the battle, he might not have noticed it, but after the fight, with such a powerful life form appearing above, if he didn't notice, he might as well kill himself.

"I wonder which senior has arrived? I failed to welcome you; please forgive me!"

He quickly cupped his fists.

To tame a half-step至尊 savage beast, one's strength must likely reach the至尊 realm. Although he was a peak Grandmaster, he dared not be arrogant.

"Senior?"

Originally, Zhang Xuan wanted to leave after watching their fight, but now that he had been discovered, an idea struck him.

"Right, wasn't I looking for someone to thank? Since this guy mistook me for a senior, I can just bluff him. Maybe I'll gain something!"

Just as he was worrying about where to find someone, this guy appeared, perfect for a try.

"But my current appearance is too young. If he finds out, he'll definitely be suspicious... Better take on Master Yang's appearance."

With a mental command, his disguise ability activated. Zhang Xuan's muscles and bones changed, and he once again took on the appearance of "Yang Xuan."

Anyway, he was now on the back of the Howling Heaven Beast, and it was night. Even if someone sensed his presence, they couldn't see his face clearly.

Whoosh!

He gave a command, and the Howling Heaven Beast shook its body, slowly descending.

Upon reaching the ground, he saw that this peak Grandmaster was also a middle-aged man, dressed in tight-fitting clothes, full of energy.

Having gone through the experience of impersonating Master Yang before, he handled it with ease. Standing on the back of the Howling Heaven Beast, hands behind his back, expression indifferent and calm as still water, he said, "No matter. I was just passing by and stopped to watch your fight with that Red-Scaled Tiger. Were you trying to tame it?"

There are many ways to tame savage beasts; catering to their preferences is just one. Fighting like this is another.

Although the man and beast fought fiercely earlier, if they had truly been fighting for their lives, blood would have been drawn long ago. Letting the beast leave directly probably meant he intended to tame it.

Moreover, from their fight, they seemed to know each other well. This kind of battle probably wasn't the first or second time.

"You are perceptive, senior. I do indeed have the intention to tame it."

The middle-aged man cupped his fists.

He had just probed and found that the other party was as calm as water, completely undetectable in terms of cultivation. Achieving this, aside from having purer true qi, could only mean... his cultivation far surpassed his own!

Having a half-step至尊 Howling Heaven Beast as a pet, and with cultivation he couldn't see through, it seemed that this person before him was truly a至尊 expert!

Thinking this, his expression grew more cautious, and he looked at Zhang Xuan with even greater respect.

"The Red-Scaled Tiger, king of the mountain forests, has a proud and aloof nature. Taming it is extremely difficult. Relying on a few fights to achieve that is impossible!" Zhang Xuan said calmly.

As a two-star beast tamer, he might not know much about rare beasts like the Lava Beast, but he knew quite a bit about the Red-Scaled Tiger.

The Red-Scaled Tiger, king of the mountain forests, possesses peak Grandmaster combat strength as an adult. This one was only at late Grandmaster, meaning it was still some distance from adulthood.

Such naturally powerful savage beasts rarely submit to humans. Taming one through a few fights is highly unlikely.

"I know, but... I'm a bit greedy!"

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly.

He also knew how difficult it was to tame this creature, but the thought of the benefits taming it would bring made it hard to suppress his desire.

"I can teach you the method to tame it," Zhang Xuan said.

"Senior can teach me?"

Just as he was worrying about how to tame it, hearing this, the middle-aged man's pupils contracted, and his face flushed with excitement: "Does senior need any help from me? If I can do it, I will spare no effort!"

Knowing there was no free lunch in the world, though happy, he did not lose his composure.

"I don't need your help, and with your strength, I wouldn't bother using you. However... the method should not be passed on to others. Since we've met, it's fate. I can teach you the method, but you must become my disciple!"

Zhang Xuan looked at him.

"Become your disciple?" Thinking the other party would have some request, the middle-aged man was stunned upon hearing this, his face full of bewilderment.