"Of course I know!" Xu Ke's voice held a note of pride. "I told you, Senior Brother Lu Ya is a good person. When he brought me to the Beast Taming Sect, he knew I was mischievous and liked to run about. The place is huge, so to make it easier to find me, he gave me this jade token. It allows him to sense my location at all times. And the function works both ways, so I’ll always know where he is too."
He chuckled. "Actually, I know the real reason Senior Brother Lu Ya left this token with me. He was worried I'd get bullied, being a new disciple and all."
As he responded, Xu Ke showed Li Fan the jade token hanging on his chest. The token's design somewhat resembled that exotic beast with a human face and tiger body that Lu Ya had ridden before.
But seeing Xu Ke's smug expression, this body of his couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation for some reason.
He coldly shot back, "Since the token works both ways, Senior Brother Lu Ya will definitely know you're coming. He's with Mister Bai right now, and he didn't want you to meet Mister Bai before. So this time, he's bound to avoid you."
Xu Ke wasn't bothered, grinning foolishly. "You're overthinking it, Little Xuan. That’s definitely not going to—" But before he could finish, he suddenly froze. "What's going on? The connection really did just vanish?!"
The Azure Luan Bird beneath them hadn't caught on yet, still dumbly flying in the direction Xu Ke had originally indicated.
Xu Ke's face fell, and he began complaining, "Little Xuan, you're such a jinx. Good things never come true when you say them, but bad things happen as soon as you mention them..."
Li Fan gave him a cold smirk and swatted him with a claw.
Xu Ke rubbed his head but didn't give up on finding Lu Ya. His eyes lit up with an idea. "Little Xuan, since you're the legendary Heaven’s Will Xuan Bird, you must have great abilities, right? So, can you help me find where Senior Brother Lu Ya and Mister Bai are right now?"
Li Fan raised his head slightly, an expression of haughtiness on his face.
Seeing this, Xu Ke immediately showered him with flattery and promised to find three stalks of Thorn Cordyceps for him.
The memory of that divine flavor from the red cordyceps was still deeply etched into the Xuan Bird's soul.
Tempted by the promise of delicious food, and because Li Fan genuinely wanted to see if he could meet the enigmatic Mister Bai, he gave a little hop, landing on Xu Ke's head. He activated his innate divine ability, gazing into the distance.
Both Lu Ya and Mister Bai surely had providence that differed from that of ordinary people. Within the Beast Taming Sect, it should be exceptionally conspicuous.
That's what Li Fan thought, but the result was somewhat unexpected. Not far away, he did indeed see a brilliant, blue glow of providence, strikingly vivid. But beside that blue radiance, there was nothing.
Has Mister Bai already left the Beast Taming Sect? Or does this conspicuous providence not belong to Lu Ya? Li Fan was puzzled, but he still mentally marked the location for Xu Ke.
Xu Ke was extremely excited and hurriedly urged Little Qing to speed toward the target.
The Azure Luan Bird was also remarkably obedient to this little boy it had just met, carrying him diligently as it accelerated.
Lu Ya seemed to be in a small hut atop a mountain peak. Just as Xu Ke and the others were about to get close, a gaunt figure flew out from the mountain peak and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Yet Li Fan could faintly sense that the person had, for a moment, seemed to glance toward Xu Ke's location.
"Mister Bai!" Xu Ke exclaimed in surprise.
Li Fan, however, grew serious. For he had seen clearly that above Mister Bai's head, there was no trace of providence whatsoever.
Perceiving providence is a divine ability innate to the Xuan Bird lineage. What level of cultivation could render even a Heaven’s Will Xuan Bird incapable of observing him?
Within the inherited memories of this Xuan Bird Li Fan now inhabited, even its ancestors never seemed to have encountered such a situation.
Xu Ke stood dumbly for a moment, staring in the direction Mister Bai had disappeared. Then, still conflicted, he urged Little Azure to fly toward the hut at the mountain top.
As they reached the peak, Xu Ke leapt down impatiently with Li Fan in tow and rushed toward the cottage.
"Senior Brother Lu Ya!" Xu Ke pushed the door open excitedly, only to be shocked to find someone else inside the room besides Lu Ya.
The man had a thin face, with white eyebrows and a white beard. An aura of inherent authority emanated from him, causing Xu Ke's body to freeze stiff on the spot.
The white-bearded elder and Lu Ya cast a single glance at the brash intruder before resuming their previously interrupted conversation, making no effort to hide it from him.
"Since you've already agreed to his terms, proceed as he requested," the white-bearded elder said. "Though it was something he forced, it may not be entirely a bad thing."
Lu Ya's face showed a flicker of surprise. "Senior, what have you foreseen?"
The elder did not answer directly, instead asking with a smile, "Lu Ya, do you believe what Mister Bai says?"
Lu Ya fell abruptly silent.
The elder shook his head. "Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, openly admitting one's error is no disgrace."
Lu Ya, however, stated bluntly, "I only believe what I see with my own eyes."
"Often, what you see may not be the whole truth," the elder sighed softly. But he seemed to know Lu Ya was not so easily swayed, so he did not press the point further.
Instead, he shifted topics. "The great calamity approaches. Our Beast Taming Sect will likely not be spared. Yet amidst the pervasive gray decay, I have glimpsed a thread of vitality.
"This thread of vitality is connected to Mister Bai's task. And it is also connected to this young friend here." The elder's gaze turned to Xu Ke, who stood frozen and utterly confused.
"Him?" Lu Ya turned to look at Xu Ke, his expression inscrutable.
"Indeed," the elder nodded.
Lu Ya shrugged. "Senior, though you are hailed as The Sagacious Beast, the all-knowing Sovereign Tapir Tertius, to say the sole hope of the Beast Taming Sect rests on this boy... it seems a bit too fantastical. Frankly, I don't believe it."
Sovereign Tapir Tertius did not argue, simply smiling as he said, "Who dares claim to know the River of Fate in its entirety? This 'all-knowing' title is but a misunderstanding others have of me.
"However..." Sovereign Tapir Tertius paused. "This boy barging in today, his connection to Mister Bai and to you—these are threads woven by fate.
"It only makes me more confident in my judgment. After all, I too only believe what I see with my own eyes."
The smile vanished from Sovereign Tapir Tertius's face, replaced by an expression of utmost seriousness.
Seeing this, Lu Ya could only give a slight nod.
"Anyway, there's still time before Mister Bai... Before his task is due. Enough for that boy to grow.
"But what about those causing trouble in the sect right now? Are we really just going to ignore them? Our Beast Taming Sect isn't done for already, is it?" Lu Ya frowned, his tone displeased.
Sovereign Tapir Tertius, however, showed no trace of anger. "Let those who wish to leave, leave. When the great calamity descends, sheltering each additional disciple will require that much more effort.
"Using this opportunity to streamline our ranks isn't such a bad thing."