Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion

Chapter 282 - 225: Soul Contract 2

"Fellow Daoist Jia, I told you I gave you a chance."

The cultivator on the ground was Jia Changqing. Upon seeing Fang Qingyuan, he immediately cried out to him:

"Fellow Daoist Fang, save me! I was foolish and offended you before. Please, be magnanimous and overlook my transgressions. Just let me go."

Jia Changqing wailed, completely devoid of the dignity expected of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. In that moment, he was no different from a common street ruffian.

But Jia Changqing was a pragmatic man who knew when to yield. Hailing from the Outer Sea, he was incredibly flexible; pride was the last thing on his mind.

He had been targeted by Huo Hu and pursued relentlessly. No matter what tricks he tried, he couldn’t shake him off. In the end, he was tossed here like a dead dog.

Fang Qingyuan paid little mind to Jia Changqing’s wailing pleas, instead turning his gaze to Huo Hu, who stood nearby.

An entire arm had vanished into Huo Hu’s stomach in just a few bites. Gazing at the bloodstains on Huo Hu’s lips, even Fang Qingyuan felt a little unnerved.

But Huo Hu was still lucid. He glanced at Jia Changqing on the ground and spoke slowly:

"There are two more. I remember their scent. Give me half a month, and I’ll bring them back to you."

"Then I’ll be relying on you. This is your payment. Please, accept it."

Fang Qingyuan tossed out a storage bag. After Huo Hu caught it, Fang Qingyuan added:

"The Clear Heart Calming Pills can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. You should start thinking about a long-term solution."

"Don’t worry. I’ll do more for the Huo Family while I’m still lucid. If I can no longer control myself, I’ll find a place to live out the rest of my days."

After saying this, Huo Hu tucked the storage bag away. Then, in a flash, he vanished without a trace.

After Huo Hu was gone, Fang Qingyuan crouched down and spoke to Jia Changqing.

"You heard all of that. It seems I’ll have to silence you to truly be at ease."

Jia Changqing was on the verge of a breakdown. ’I didn’t want to hear any of that! And I don’t even know what it all means!’

But anyone who could cultivate to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment was no fool. Jia Changqing struggled and said:

"I am willing to serve under you, Elder Fang! I will be at your beck and call, I only ask that you spare my life."

Fang Qingyuan chuckled dryly. He took a prepared Soul-Grabbing Centipede from his storage bag and placed it in front of Jia Changqing.

"This Soul-Grabbing Centipede is an excellent tool our Beast Taming Sect uses to control unruly Spirit Beasts. No matter how wild and untamable you are, once you ingest it, you will be forced to submit. Of course, if you’d rather die than yield, then the centipede is useless.

But since you want to live, eat it."

Jia Changqing looked at the ink-black centipede, squeezed his eyes shut, and swallowed it. The moment it reached his stomach, however, it immediately began to burrow toward his brain.

Jia Changqing panicked. However, the Soul-Grabbing Centipede only reached the surface of his brain, where it dug its dozens of pairs of pincer-like legs into the tissue.

After the wave of excruciating pain passed, Jia Changqing was drenched in a cold sweat. But it wasn’t over. He then saw Fang Qingyuan produce a contract scroll from his storage bag.

"A Soul Contract. Quite valuable. If you weren’t a Perfect Foundation Establishment Cultivator, I would have been reluctant to use this. Sign it, and we’ll be family."

Jia Changqing’s vision went black, and he nearly passed out. With the Soul-Grabbing Centipede, he could at least entertain the thought of finding a way to remove it someday. But once a Soul Contract was signed, there would be no hope of ever breaking free.

"From your expression, you don’t seem too willing. Oh well. I don’t like forcing people. Let’s just forget about signing it."

"No, wait! I’ll sign, I’ll sign! Elder Fang, please help me up. With only one arm left, I can’t get up on my own."

Huo Hu had sealed Jia Changqing’s entire cultivation base. Relying on physical strength alone, even sitting up was a struggle.

Fang Qingyuan unfurled the scroll and spread it out in front of Jia Changqing for him to inspect closely.

This was a mandatory step; the terms of the contract could not be concealed from any party involved.

Even if a cultivator could not read the text, the true meaning of the contract would become clear once they probed it with their spiritual sense.

The moment Jia Changqing signed his name, a pointy-headed, spectral figure materialized out of thin air beside them.

This was the Ghost of Justice, also known by the cultivators of this world as the ’Contract Ghost’.

The origins of the Contract Ghost were unknown, but every cultivator in this world knew that whenever a Soul Contract was signed, the Contract Ghost would invariably appear to bear witness.

The Soul Contract did not require a signatory to use their true name. This was because, at the moment of signing, they had to embed a wisp of their soul into the Contract Scroll anyway.

If anyone were to violate the terms of the contract, the Contract Ghost, having witnessed the agreement, would reap the soul of the transgressor.

Soul Contracts were incredibly valuable, as only the Great Zhou Academy could produce them. All Soul Contracts circulating on the market were released by the Great Zhou Academy.

After appearing, the Contract Ghost gave Jia Changqing a single, cold glance before vanishing back into the void.

That one glance from the Contract Ghost sent a chill through Jia Changqing’s entire body, and he felt a heavy weight settle upon his very soul.

"Why didn’t the Contract Ghost scrutinize you?"

Having seen the ghost inspect him alone while ignoring Fang Qingyuan entirely, Jia Changqing’s question was sharp with agitation.

Fang Qingyuan looked at him as if he were an idiot. ’How could I possibly sign my name to a Soul Contract like this? You are one party, but the other is a Foundation Establishment Elder from the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect.’

It was a known fact that for a Soul Contract to be valid, the two signing parties could not be too unequal in status. Otherwise, the contract would be void, the Contract Ghost would not appear to bear witness, and the Soul Contract would have no effect whatsoever.