250. Inheritance

As Chen Ren searched for the inheritance of Xuan Mo on the eighth floor, Zi Wen was still on the seventh. Unlike Chen Ren, his days had been far less chaotic.

Ever since he arrived on this floor with Little Yuze and Whiskey, a sharp-eyed butler from the Great House of Long had taken one look at him and decided where he would be most useful.

The stables. More specifically, the beast enclosures.

His task was simple—care for the wild beasts the house captured, tame the ones that could be tamed, and help heal the injured ones that arrived from hunts or expeditions.

Zi Wen had accepted the role without complaint.

After all, Sect Leader Chen had already explained what the seventh floor would be like before they even entered the pagoda. Serving the nobles of the Long family was one of the safest paths to reach the lift.

Still, even Zi Wen hadn’t expected the scale of the stables.

The Great House of Long didn’t merely keep horses. Their grounds were filled with creatures of every size and temperament.

Massive ironback roars snorted inside reinforced pens. Sleek stormmane wolves paced along the edges of their enclosures with restless energy. In the larger yards, towering sandhorn lizards rested under stone shelters, their thick tails lazily dragging through the dust.

All of them were excellent mounts. And all of them had terrible tempers.

But Zi Wen followed the Dao of Taming. And that path had taught him something important. A beast’s anger was rarely the real problem.

Most of them were simply misunderstood.

Even when a creature bared its teeth or tried to snap at him, Zi Wen knew how to approach it without triggering its instincts. Sometimes it only took patience. Other times it required knowing the right pressure points, the right tone of voice, or the right scent to calm them.

Fortunately, he wasn’t relying on instinct alone.

He still carried the bestiary Chen Ren had given him before entering the pagoda. Many of the creatures housed here were species he had already encountered on the fifth floor.

For those beasts, Zi Wen knew exactly how to deal with them. And for the ones he didn’t recognize… The Great House of Long had something even better.

A library dedicated entirely to beasts.

At first, the guards had refused to let him borrow any of the books. A mere climber wasn’t supposed to touch such materials.

But everything changed after Zi Wen impressed the man who oversaw the stables.

An old beast tamer named Old Master Qiao.

The old man had watched q calm a furious stormmane wolf that had nearly mauled two servants earlier that day. After that display, the old tamer simply laughed and waved his hand.

“Let the boy borrow whatever books he wants.”

And so Zi Wen had.

With the knowledge from those texts—and his own experience—he had slowly begun winning the beasts over.

Some of them were tamed through special meals he prepared himself using herbs and meats suited to their temperament.

Others only needed proper care.

There were also beasts that refused to calm down no matter what Zi Wen tried. Some creatures were simply too aggressive. For those, Zi Wen used the most straightforward method of taming.

He fought them. Or more accurately, he beat them until they stopped trying to bite his head off. Little Yuze helped a lot with that.

The beast had no patience for stubborn animals and would happily leap into a pen and wrestle with anything that challenged Zi Wen.

To outsiders, it might have looked like brute force, as if Zi Wen was simply forcing the beasts into submission through fear.

But that wasn’t how Zi Wen saw it.

To him, the fight was not about domination. It was about mutual respect. He would face the beast head-on, endure its claws and fangs, and push back until neither side could clearly overpower the other. And most importantly even when he had the chance to kill the beast, he never did.

That moment mattered. When a beast realized that the opponent standing before it could have ended its life but chose not to, something changed in their instincts.

They began to see him differently, not as a prey, or a predator, but something closer to an equal. Once that understanding formed, taming them became far easier.

Zi Wen used that approach with every aggressive beast he encountered.

And within just a week, the results were obvious. By the seventh day, beasts followed him wherever he walked inside the stables. Stormmane wolves lay calmly near his feet, ironback boars snorted lazily beside the feeding troughs. Even the temperamental sandhorn lizards no longer lashed their tails whenever he approached.

At times, Zi Wen almost felt like his Dao of Taming was advancing simply by standing here. But he knew better than to become comfortable. He hadn’t entered the pagoda to run a stable.

His goal was to climb because Sect Leader Chen needed him.

And on the eighth morning, when Zi Wen woke and stepped into the central yard of the stables, he found someone waiting for him.

The old beast tamer of the Long family.

The man stood quietly near the feeding posts, leaning slightly on a thick wooden staff.

He was tall but thin, his back slightly hunched from age. Long grey hair was tied behind his head with a leather cord, and a weathered beard reached almost to his chest. Deep wrinkles ran across his face but his eyes remained sharp—bright and observant.

His robes were simple compared to the nobles of the Long family, but they were stained with dust, fur, and dried blood from countless beasts he had handled over the years.

This was Old Master Qiao. The man who oversaw every creature inside the Great House of Long.

He slowly looked Zi Wen up and down as they stood in the middle of the stables.

All around them, the beasts Zi Wen had trained were resting calmly.

Behind Zi Wen stood Whiskey and Little Yuze, both watching the surrounding beasts carefully to make sure none of them stepped out of line.

In the past week, the two had helped Zi Wen make one thing very clear to the entire stable—Who was in charge.

For a long moment, Old Master Qiao simply observed the scene. Then he finally spoke.

“Zi Wen,” he said, stroking his beard. “Honestly, when I first got you, I didn’t expect much. Taming beasts has gotten harder these days. And climbers…” he snorted lightly. “Most of them only know how to kill beasts, not understand them.”

He looked back at Zi Wen.

“But you exceeded my expectations. You sure you don’t want to stay here and take over this place so I can finally retire?”

Zi Wen smiled politely and shook his head.

“No. That’s generous of you, but I’m not here in the pagoda to stay in one place. You know that well.”

Old Master Qiao nodded slowly. “I do.” He sighed softly. “It’s still a shame.”

The old tamer looked around again at the beasts sitting quietly across the yard. “Honestly, you did everything that was asked of you days ago when you tamed all these mounts. The knights will be very pleased once I send them out. And I’ll make sure to explain how to take care of them properly.” Then he looked back at Zi Wen. “Do you wish to climb the pagoda?”

Zi Wen nodded immediately. “Yes. You mentioned yesterday that some climbers already moved ahead. I don’t want to fall too far behind.”

Old Master Qiao nodded. “I’ve heard of three who have already advanced.” He paused before adding, “But more will soon satisfy the members of the house and move upward as well.”

“Then I want a head start. There’s still a lot for me to explore in this pagoda.”

The old man looked at him for a moment. He seemed a little disappointed, but he eventually nodded. “Alright then.” He turned and gestured with his staff. “Follow me.”

Zi Wen stepped forward, letting Little Yuze and Whiskey follow behind him. But the moment he approached the exit of the stables, several beasts suddenly rushed toward him.

A stormmane wolf, a stubborn ironback boar, and a towering sandhorn lizard quickly moved in front of him, blocking his path.

Old Master Qiao paused, surprised.

Zi Wen simply sighed.

He gently pushed the wolf’s snout aside, nudged the boar back with his knee, and placed a calming hand on the lizard’s neck until it settled.

Then he looked down at them with a faint smile.

“You all should behave.”

The beasts reluctantly stepped back. Zi Wen gave them one last glance. “I’ll come back to visit you all.”

At that, two of the beasts slowly lowered their heads. The wolf let out a low whine, while the sandhorn lizard blinked slowly, its long tail dragging across the ground.

But the ironback boar snorted loudly and growled, clearly not believing Zi Wen’s words. Zi Wen chuckled softly and reached down to pat the beast’s rough head.

Then he turned and followed behind Old Master Qiao, who had already begun walking.

The old man glanced back once before saying, “They sure seem to like you.”

Zi Wen shrugged lightly. “They tried to form a bond with me.” He paused before adding, “But I didn’t allow it. They haven’t given up yet.”

Old Master Qiao hummed. “That’s pretty rare.”

Zi Wen smiled faintly. “I’m happy they think I’m capable enough for that.”

He wasn’t being humble. Every one of those beasts had already reached the foundation establishment realm. If Zi Wen had accepted their bonds, his combat strength would have skyrocketed.

With multiple beasts fighting beside him, he could challenge opponents far above his own realm simply through sheer combined power.

Different beasts also carried different abilities–that variety was exactly what made powerful beast tamers so terrifying on the battlefield. But Zi Wen had no intention of doing that here. These creatures belonged to the Great House of Long.

Stealing their mounts through bonding would be the fastest way to offend the entire household and lose his chance of reaching the next floor.

And Zi Wen had no intention of ruining his path in the pagoda for a moment of greed. The two continued walking.

For a while, silence filled the space between them.

Old Master Qiao calmly led the way through a maze of stone hallways and spiraling staircases inside the massive castle.

Zi Wen looked around curiously as they moved. In the past week, he had barely left the stables.

Now he finally saw more of the castle. And everything around him felt… overwhelming. The halls were enormous.

The floors were polished stone that reflected the light of hanging qi lamps. Decorative banners lined the walls, embroidered with symbols of the Long family. Sculptures of ancient warriors and mythical beasts stood in alcoves along the corridors.

Everything looked expensive.

For someone who had spent most of his life in a small village, it felt like stepping into an entirely different world.

For a brief moment, Zi Wen almost felt out of place here. But then he noticed something strange.

Old Master Qiao had slowed slightly. The old man was looking at him with a serious expression.

Zi Wen blinked in surprise and asked, “Are you okay?”

The old man didn’t answer immediately. He walked for several more steps before finally replying. “Yes. I’m just thinking about something.”

“About what?”

Old Master Qiao didn’t hesitate. “About you.”

Zi Wen chuckled softly. “I already told you. I can’t stay behind.”

The old man shook his head. “I know that. I’m not asking you to. I’m thinking about something else.”

They continued walking until they reached the bottom of a staircase. The hallway here was quieter, the air cooler, and the sounds of the castle faint above them.

Old Master Qiao finally spoke again. “Zi Wen.” His voice carried a seriousness that made him pay attention immediately. “How serious are you about the Dao of Taming?”

Zi Wen looked at him calmly before answering. “As serious as one can be. It’s the path that suits me best. And it’s the path I chose for myself. And I will walk it until the day I die.”

Behind him, Little Yuze let out a low approving grunt, clearly satisfied with the answer. Zi Wen smiled faintly before asking, “Why do you ask?”

Old Master Qiao exhaled through his mouth. “Because true tamers are rare.” He glanced sideways at him. “Tamers who can actually reach the peak of their Dao are even rarer. I used to think I might be one of them.”

Zi Wen frowned at the distant look on the his face. “You are a good tamer.”

The old man laughed. “Not as good as you. And maybe that’s why I never became anything more than the man who runs the stables.” He shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong. I like it. I enjoy it. But I never went beyond that.” Then he looked at Zi Wen again. “But I think you could.”

“What do you mean?”

Old Master Qiao only smiled. “I’ll tell you when we reach the lift.”

And so they continued walking.

Down another corridor, through a narrow passage until eventually they reached a smaller lift that slowly carried them down into the underground level of the castle.

When the doors opened, Zi Wen finally saw it.

The floor lift.

Several armored guards stood around it, watching the area silently.

Aside from them, the underground chamber was completely empty. Zi Wen immediately turned toward Old Master Qiao.

“Alright. Now tell me.”

Old Master Qiao chuckled softly. “You’re eager, huh?” He tapped his staff lightly against the ground. “Well, it’s something worth being eager about.”

Zi Wen waited.

“What I’m about to tell you might change how you look at your Dao. That is… if you’re able to acquire it.”

The more the old man spoke, the more Zi Wen’s curiosity grew. Finally, he sighed and said plainly,

“Just tell me. You know I don’t like riddles.”

Old Master Qiao nodded as if he had expected that response. He stepped closer to the lift platform and said, “I think you should go to the fourth floor.”

Zi Wen immediately frowned. “Why? There’s nothing there but cold. Even Little Yuze doesn’t like that place. And Whiskey nearly got buried under snow the last time we were there.”

At the mention of it, both beasts behind him gave small agreeing sounds. Old Master Qiao chuckled.

“I understand. The fourth floor can be harsh. But harsh places often hide the greatest secrets. One of those secrets… is the inheritance of a Beast Master.”

Zi Wen froze. His eyes sharpened instantly as he looked at the old man. For a moment, he tried to see if this was some kind of joke.

But Old Master Qiao’s expression was completely serious. Zi Wen had heard about inheritances before.

Sect Leader Chen had explained that the pagoda contained many of them, left behind by powerful cultivators of the past. And sometimes the residents of the floors knew where they were hidden.

But Zi Wen had never imagined he would personally stumble upon information about one. And not just any inheritance. A Beast Master’s inheritance.

A cultivator who had reached the very peak of the Dao of Taming.

“The inheritance is on the fourth floor?”

Old Master Qiao nodded. “Yes. It’s hidden there. I’ve known about it for decades.” He gave a small bitter smile. “But only climbers can obtain it.” He sighed softly. “And you know I’m not one of you.”

His gaze drifted briefly toward the lift platform before returning to Zi Wen. “But I always thought that if I ever shared what I know, it should be with someone who could tame beasts better than I ever could.” He looked straight at Zi Wen. “You are that someone.”

Zi Wen opened his mouth, unsure what to say. But before he could respond, Old Master Qiao reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a folded parchment. He pressed it into Zi Wen’s hands.

“It’s the map you’ll need.”

Zi Wen looked down at it.

Old Master Qiao continued, “It leads to the inheritance. Go to the fourth floor first and retrieve it. Trust me. You’ll need it.”

Zi Wen tightened his grip on the map. When he looked back at the old man, only two words came out of his mouth. “Thank you.”

Old Master Qiao simply smiled and pointed toward the lift. “Go. You shouldn’t waste time.”

Zi Wen nodded.

Without another word, he stepped onto the lift platform with Little Yuze and Whiskey beside him.

He pushed his qi into the lift and thought of the fourth floor.

The lift began to descend immediately.

As it moved, Zi Wen unfolded the parchment and studied the map carefully, memorizing every mark and direction drawn onto it.

He was so focused that he only looked around when a familiar cold wind brushed against his neck.

The lift slowed and the platform touched down.

Zi Wen lifted his head and saw the icy world of the fourth floor again. Snow stretched endlessly across the frozen landscape, the cold air biting against his skin.

Several climbers nearby turned in surprise when the lift appeared. Some of them stared at the massive wolf standing beside Zi Wen.

But he didn’t spare them more than a glance.

Instead, he patted Little Yuze on the neck and climbed onto the wolf’s back while Whiskey settled comfortably on his shoulder.

Zi Wen looked toward the frozen horizon.

“Let’s go.”

Little Yuze immediately leapt forward.

Heat surged through the wolf’s legs as it ran, melting the snow beneath each powerful step.

And just like that, they began their journey to claim the inheritance of the Beast Master.

***

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