「Early morning.」

Fang Han slowly withdrew from his deep state of cultivation. As he opened his eyes, a faint cyan gleam flashed and vanished.

He took out his Identity Jade Token and channeled a sliver of Inner Qi into it. A faint light swirled across the Jade Token’s surface, revealing the number "50."

"Fifty points..."

Fang Han muttered to himself, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

This month, he had once again collected his thirty basic benefit points, but he had spent ten on Peiyuan Pills for his cultivation.

The effects of a single Peiyuan Pill could last for three days, so he needed to consume ten of them a month.

The remaining twenty points, added to the thirty left over from last month, totaled fifty points.

His cultivation of the Xunfeng Swordsmanship was just a step away from Perfection, and the need to exchange for a Middle Grade Sword Technique was becoming urgent.

But a Middle Grade Sword Technique required at least a hundred Contribution Points, leaving him with a shortfall of at least fifty.

’I have to do tasks to earn Contribution Points!’

Fang Han took a deep breath, a glint of resolve flashing in his eyes.

Zhao Qianjun’s threat was like a sword hanging over his head, but the lack of Contribution Points was also hindering his growth.

He had to find a way to earn Contribution Points, even with the threat of Zhao Qianjun looming.

’But I have to be careful when choosing a task. I must pick one that gives Zhao Qianjun no opportunity to strike.’

However, he wasn’t sure if he would even come across such a task. He decided to go to the Task Hall and try his luck.

After straightening his robes, Fang Han pushed open the door, and the cool morning air rushed to greet him.

He walked steadily out of the Sub-Branch, his gaze sweeping around casually.

Sure enough, under an old tree in the distance, the servant Li Shan was holding a broom, pretending to sweep, while his gaze darted furtively in his direction.

Fang Han sneered inwardly but remained expressionless, acting as if he hadn’t noticed a thing as he walked straight toward the Task Hall.

The moment his figure vanished around a bend in the road, Li Shan immediately threw down his broom and sprinted toward the Yin Courtyard.

...

「Inside Room B-13 of the Yin Courtyard.」

Zhao Qianjun was sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat, his brows tightly furrowed. The fluctuations of Inner Qi around him were somewhat restless and agitated.

’It’s been a month!’

’Ever since that brat Fang Han accepted that one task, he hasn’t taken another. He just stays in the Sub-Branch all day, leaving me with all these plans but no way to execute them.’

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! A series of urgent knocks rang out.

Zhao Qianjun’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. "Come in!"

Li Shan pushed the door open and entered, his face a mixture of sycophantic eagerness. "Senior Brother Zhao, that Fang Han just left the Sub-Branch and headed for the Task Hall!"

"He’s finally going to take another task!"

Zhao Qianjun shot to his feet, his gloomy expression instantly clearing into a joyful one.

He snatched the longsword from the table, tossed a heavy piece of silver to Li Shan, and said,

"Good work!"

With that, he rushed out of the room in a flurry and hurried toward the Task Hall.

...

The Task Hall was bustling with people.

Fang Han carefully scanned the hanging wooden task plaques, searching for a suitable task.

After a long while, he finally found a suitable task.

"Guard Zone 9 of the Beast Garden. Stationed for one month. Reward: sixty Contribution Points..."

Fang Han’s gaze fell upon this task.

Sixty Contribution Points for a whole month averaged out to only two points a day, far less than the medicinal herb escort task he had taken before.

The advantage, however, was that the Beast Garden was located within the Qingxuan Sect, so there was no need to leave the Sect’s grounds.

No matter how bold Zhao Qianjun was, he would never dare to attack him within the Sect.

’There’s another benefit: the time is flexible!’

After reading the full task description, Fang Han discovered that although it was a long-term assignment, it offered a great deal of freedom.

After the routine daily patrols, the rest of the time was his to manage as he pleased, as long as he didn’t leave the Beast Garden.

’This is the one.’

Without further hesitation, Fang Han walked to the registration desk and presented his Identity Jade Token.

"Steward, I’d like to accept the task of guarding the Beast Garden."

The registering Steward took the Jade Token, swiped it over a black, inkstone-like device, and handed it back after recording the information.

"The task duration is one month, starting today. You can go and report for duty now."

"Thank you, Steward."

Fang Han took back his Identity Token and the task voucher, turning to leave.

Just as he turned, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure hurriedly stepping through the entrance of the Task Hall—it was Zhao Qianjun.

The moment Zhao Qianjun entered the Task Hall, his gaze swept around like a hawk’s, quickly locking onto Fang Han.

Seeing Fang Han standing alone near the registration desk, apparently having just completed a transaction, his heart first leaped with joy:

’He really is alone! Here’s my chance!’

He suppressed his excitement and casually approached, wanting to see what task Fang Han had accepted.

When his eyes swept over the task voucher in Fang Han’s hand, which was marked with the words "Beast Garden," the joy in his heart instantly froze, replaced by disappointment and anger.

’Guarding the Beast Garden? The task location is inside the Sect?!’

Zhao Qianjun nearly ground his teeth to dust as he cursed inwardly.

’This brat... he’s a real turtle, taking a task that keeps him cooped up inside the Sect. How many Contribution Points can he even get in a month? I really don’t know what he’s thinking!’

He had waited a full month, only for it to end like this.

The Sect was full of experts. Making a move inside the Sect was practically suicide.

Overwhelming disappointment made his expression turn ugly. He shot a sinister glare at Fang Han’s back before turning and leaving.

Fang Han quietly observed Zhao Qianjun, noticing the fleeting look of disappointment on his face.

A barely perceptible smile touched the corners of his lips. Without looking back, he walked straight out of the Task Hall.

...

Following the map’s directions, Fang Han soon arrived at the Beast Garden, located in the rear mountain area of Qingxuan Mountain.

The Beast Garden covered a vast area, divided into multiple zones enclosed by tall ironwood fences as hard as steel. From within, the faint roars of beasts and cries of birds could be heard, and the air was filled with the faint, foul smell of animals mixed with the scent of grass and trees.

He reported to a small hut at the entrance of the Beast Garden, where a Steward named Zhang Qian gave him a simple briefing.

"Zone 9 houses relatively docile, weaker, herbivorous Demon Beasts. Your job is to patrol once in the morning and once in the evening, check if the ironwood fences are damaged, and keep an eye out for any abnormalities among the Demon Beasts."

"If all is well, you can arrange your own time, but you are not permitted to leave the Beast Garden premises. This is your temporary access Token and a signal whistle. Blow the whistle in case of an emergency."

"I understand."

Fang Han accepted the Token and a bone whistle. Just as he had expected, the task offered a high degree of freedom.

After being assigned to a simple stone house in Zone 9 as his living quarters, Fang Han began his first patrol.

The environment in Zone 9 was quiet and serene, with lush grass and trees. A herd of Cyan-horned Deer, which resembled elk but had a single horn on their heads, was leisurely grazing on specially prepared fodder, while a few Colorful Feather Chickens with brilliant plumage strolled through the woods.

Everything seemed peaceful and serene.

After completing his patrol, Fang Han returned to the stone house and began to cultivate without distraction.

The place was simple, but its greatest advantage was the quiet.

He consumed a Peiyuan Pill, circulated the Xunfeng Technique, and felt his Inner Qi steadily growing from its foundation at the Middle-stage of the Ninth Grade.

The days passed one by one, and Fang Han’s life fell into a very regular pattern: patrol, cultivate, patrol again, cultivate again.

Occasionally, he could hear the roars of ferocious beasts from other zones, but Zone 9 always remained peaceful.

His Contribution Points accumulated slowly, but the upside was that it didn’t interfere with his cultivation. With each passing day of practice, his Xunfeng Swordsmanship had already touched the bottleneck of Perfection, and he could break through to the Perfection level at any moment.

...

「That night, the moon and stars were hidden, and dark clouds gathered.」

The rumble of distant thunder grew closer, and the air filled with the damp, earthy smell of impending rain.

In the dead of night, Fang Han was sound asleep in his stone house when he was suddenly jolted awake by a frantic knocking and a servant’s panicked shouts:

"Senior Brother Fang, Senior Brother Fang, wake up! Something’s happened!"

Fang Han was instantly wide awake. He rolled out of bed and opened the door.

Outside stood a young servant, soaked to the bone and his face etched with panic. Rainwater was streaming down from his hair.

"What’s wrong?"

Fang Han asked in a low voice, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

The servant gasped for breath, pointing toward the depths of the East District with a trembling voice:

"A Demon Bull got spooked by the lightning, broke through the ironwood fence, and escaped!"

"A Demon Bull broke through the ironwood fence? Where? Lead the way, quickly!"

Fang Han’s expression changed, and he urged the servant to lead the way at once.

The night was black as ink, and the rain poured down in sheets.

In the distant sky, ghastly white serpents of lightning occasionally tore through the darkness, briefly illuminating the mountain forest. They were followed by the deep rumbles of thunder that made one’s eardrums go numb.

Fang Han followed the young servant, dashing into the downpour. The cold rain instantly soaked his Disciple’s Robe, clinging to his skin and sending waves of cold through him. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"It’s just ahead, in the woods near the edge of the East District!"

The young servant’s voice was broken and intermittent amidst the wind and rain.

Fang Han remained silent, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s, piercing through the curtain of rain to scan the dark woods ahead.

The air was thick with the heavy smell of earth, the fresh scent of plants, and a faint, musky odor unique to Demon Beasts.

After crossing a slope, the scene ahead came into view—

Several ironwood fence posts, as thick as bowls and as hard as steel, were snapped in two. The splintered ends were jagged, clearly broken by immense force.

Inside the fence, the once-orderly enclosure was in shambles. The frightened Cyan-horned Deer were huddled in a corner, letting out uneasy cries.

And outside the fence, in a clearing near the edge of the forest, a massive black figure was anxiously pawing the ground, its breath coming in heavy pants that formed white clouds of mist.

It was the escaped Demon Bull!

This bull was nearly half again as large as an ordinary ox. Its entire body was covered in a thick, dark cyan hide, with knotted muscles that rippled with explosive power.

Most striking was the pair of curved, jet-black horns on its head. In the occasional flash of lightning, their tips gleamed with a cold, metallic luster.

Its eyes, as large as bronze bells, were bloodshot, filled with the frenzy and violence of a startled beast.

’Cyan Wood Demon Ox. An adult’s strength is roughly equivalent to the Middle-stage of the Ninth Grade...’

The description he had read in a miscellaneous book from the Library Pavilion flashed through Fang Han’s mind.

This type of Demon Beast was relatively docile and known for its brute strength and defense, but it became extremely dangerous once startled and enraged.

"Se-Senior Brother Fang... it’s right there!"

The young servant, hiding behind a tree, pointed at the Demon Bull with a trembling voice, all the color drained from his face.

"I see it. You get back!"

Fang Han nodded slightly, his gaze locked on the Demon Bull, his eyes calm.

A Middle-stage Ninth Grade Demon Beast. With his current cultivation at the Middle-stage of the Ninth Grade, combined with his Xunfeng Swordsmanship at the Great Success Level, killing it in a direct confrontation wouldn’t be difficult.

The difficulty, however, was capturing it alive.

This Demon Bull was raised by the Sect and was considered its property. Naturally, it couldn’t be killed at will; it had to be captured alive.

The tricky part was that Fist and Foot Techniques were most suitable for a live capture, but he was not proficient in them.