After everyone had departed, Lin Feng found himself alone in the courtyard. With no 'senior brother' assigned to guide him, he had no choice but to make his own way to the rear mountains.
Regarding the 'job' he'd been assigned, after the initial shock, he'd accepted it with a measure of calm—protesting would be useless anyway.
He strongly suspected Xue Ziqi had offered Di Xuan some kind of bribe, prompting Di Xuan to single him out for such a troublesome assignment. He hadn't expected Xue Ziqi to seek 'revenge' in this particular manner.
He still didn't know exactly what 'tending spirit beasts' entailed. Figuring he'd learn the specifics once he arrived, Lin Feng set off.
Fortunately, the path to the rear mountains was straightforward. Following the mountain trail and asking a few 'senior brothers and sisters' he happened to meet along the way, Lin Feng soon arrived at the location of the Spirit Beast Garden.
Upon arrival, however, Lin Feng saw only a small, crudely built wooden hut. He double-checked the dilapidated sign hanging beside the door. Sure enough, the characters for 'Spirit Beast Garden' were inscribed upon it. Puzzled, he stepped inside.
Inside was a roughly six-meter-square main room, sparsely furnished with ordinary tables, chairs, and stools. To the right stood a larger writing desk, piled with jade slips and booklets. A figure was hunched over the desk, sorting through something.
This person wasn't tall—perhaps less than 1.7 meters—but his width was staggering, easily exceeding a meter. His Daoist robes were stretched taut over his immense frame, looking ready to burst at any moment and release a cascade of pale, quivering fat. Lin Feng had never seen a cultivator so profoundly obese.
The moment Lin Feng entered, the man looked up, revealing a round, fleshy face. Recognition flashed in his eyes, which were nearly lost within folds of fat. A broad, welcoming smile spread across his features as he hurried forward.
"Haha! You must be Junior Brother Lin Feng, here to take over, right?"
Lin Feng was momentarily taken aback, then nodded. "Yes, that's me. And you are, Senior Brother...?"
"Heh heh... easy does it. Fei Biao's the name. Everyone calls me Fatty Biao. Feel free, Junior Brother, I don't mind!" The portly man gave a friendly cupped-hand salute, seeming quite amiable.
Lin Feng returned the gesture. "So it's Senior Brother Fei. My respects. As a newcomer, I'll be relying on your guidance from now on."
Fei Biao waved a dismissive hand, his chins wobbling. "Too polite, too polite! Truth be told, there's not much 'guidance' needed. I've organized everything. Just go through the logs and records, and you'll pick it up quick. Don't worry, one person handles it just fine."
"Uh... me alone?" Lin Feng blinked, confused. "Senior Brother Fei, you mean... you won't be staying? I'm not here to assist you?"
He had assumed, like any new assignment, there would be a senior disciple overseeing him, likely doing the grunt work initially. But Fei Biao's words suggested otherwise.
"Not at all! Didn't the senior brother who sent you explain?" Fei Biao looked equally surprised. "This place is yours to manage now. I've been reassigned elsewhere. Relax! I handled it solo before you. It's perfectly manageable..."
Lin Feng frowned slightly. "But... I don't even know what my specific duties are yet."
"No problem," Fei Biao reassured him. "Like I said, I've documented everything. A quick read-through will tell you all you need. Essentially, it boils down to delivering 'feed' to the spirit beasts. That simple."
"Feed?" Lin Feng started to ask, but Fei Biao suddenly leaned in, his jovial expression turning serious.
"However, Junior Brother Lin," he said, his voice lowering conspiratorially, "before I leave, I have a piece of advice for you..."
"Advice?" Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. That familiar sense of foreboding returned.
Fei Biao tried to sound nonchalant. "When you're feeding them... best not to get too close. And whatever you do, never try to get 'friendly' or pet them." He shuddered slightly. "My predecessor thought he'd gotten chummy with the Sect Leader's Verdant-Horned Rhino. Tried to pat its head. Lost an arm..."
Lin Feng: "..."
Seeing Lin Feng's face pale, Fei Biao quickly added, trying to sound reassuring, "Of course, that was an extreme case! Generally, as long as you don't deliberately provoke them, they usually won't harm you..."
Lin Feng's eyebrow twitched. "'Generally'? 'Usually'?"
Fei Biao shifted uncomfortably, looking embarrassed. "Well... uh... sometimes, if they're in a foul mood, they might lash out without reason. But they won't go too far! If you're quick on your feet, you can usually dodge..."
As he spoke, he seemed to recall something unpleasant. The fat on his face trembled, and his right hand unconsciously rubbed his backside.
Lin Feng: "..."
Seeing Lin Feng's expression darken further, Fei Biao clearly worried he might scare off his long-awaited replacement. He hastily cupped his hands again.
"Right then, Junior Brother Lin! Must report to my new post. Can't linger! Familiarize yourself with everything here. I'll take my leave..."
Without waiting for a response, Fei Biao pivoted with surprising agility. His immense bulk seemed to roll out the door at astonishing speed. It was hard to imagine such a heavy frame could move so fast—perhaps honed by the very skill of dodging he'd mentioned moments earlier.
In the blink of an eye, Fei Biao was gone.
Lin Feng stared at the empty doorway for a long moment, speechless. Finally, he sighed heavily, the sound heavy with resignation, and turned towards the writing desk.
A knot of apprehension twisted in his gut. Just what kind of nightmare job have I landed? This sounds terrifying...
The desk held several jade slips and booklets. Lin Feng's eyes immediately caught the title on the topmost booklet: Verdant-Horned Rhino. Beside the large characters, a smaller line read: Sect Leader's Spirit Beast.
He moved that booklet aside. The next cover read: Violet-Crowned Thunder Crane - Vice Sect Leader's Spirit Beast.
Beneath that: King Kong Savage Bear - Grand Elder's Spirit Beast.
Then: Nethershadow Demon Wolf - Elder Guo's Spirit Beast.
Armor-Piercing Crocodile - Elder Lu's Spirit Beast.
Emerald Mandala Python - Elder Zhou's Spirit Beast...
...
Six booklets in total. With each title, Lin Feng's sense of dread deepened. The Lingyue Sect keeps this many spirit beasts?!
And now... they were all his responsibility?
The Verdant-Horned Rhino and Violet-Crowned Thunder Crane were one thing. But the King Kong Savage Bear and the Nethershadow Demon Wolf were infamous for their savagery! Rumors even claimed the Nethershadow Demon Wolf preferred the flesh of cultivators... That such ferocious beasts could be subdued and tamed by the elders of Lingyue Sect was astounding.
The thought of living alongside these 'spirit beasts' and 'tending' to them made Lin Feng's eyelids twitch violently. A profound sense of unease washed over him, chilling him to the bone.