Lan Yan picked up a small stone from the ground and tossed it towards the disciple on her left.
The disciple on the left looked at the one on the right and asked, "Did you just hit me?"
The disciple on the right shook his head, readjusted his stance, and felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. He turned angrily to the left, "What are you doing? I told you it wasn't me."
He raised his weapon and struck at the person on his left.
"What are you going crazy for? It was definitely you just now," the disciple on the left raised his weapon and began fighting him.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lan Yan sneaked into the cave where Jun Yelan was imprisoned. She didn't show herself, leaning against the adjacent wall. She drew some talismans in the air with her fingers and then waved them.
The talismans floated in, arriving before Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan sensed the aura and opened his eyes, only to see a talisman with a crying face drawn on it. He waved his hand, and the talisman dissipated. He closed his eyes again.
At the same time, he released the paper figure in his hand and said, "Go, never appear again."
The paper figure glanced pitifully at Jun Yelan before flying away.
Lan Yan, who was waiting for a response, saw the paper figure. She immediately drooped her head and murmured, "He's still mad at me." She squatted down, tapped the paper figure's head, and whispered, "Tell me, how can I get him to forgive me?"
The paper figure spun around, lowered its head, indicating that it didn't know either.
Lan Yan sighed and said to the paper figure, "Since he still doesn't want to see me, you accompany him on my behalf." She drew a smiling face on the paper figure and sent it in again.
Fearing that Jun Yelan would refuse, she called out, "Jun Yelan, I'm really leaving. You don't need to return the paper figure to me."
Jun Yelan listened to the retreating footsteps and looked at the paper figure before him. In the end, he didn't wave it away. He let the paper figure stop on his shoulder and closed his eyes.
He could not be disturbed by Lan Yan any longer. It was time to continue gathering strength. The day of his escape was not far off.
Lan Yan walked out boldly, looking at the disciples still fighting at the entrance. She said, "Hey, aren't you going to stop? The patrol will be here soon."
The two disciples finally let go. They looked at Lan Yan with surprise, "Senior Sister, how are you here?"
"I was worried, so I came to check on the situation." Lan Yan cleared her throat and said mysteriously, "Don't worry, I won't tell the sect leader. You need to guard well tonight and not let any unrelated people slip in."
The two disciples bowed, "Thank you, Senior Sister." After Lan Yan left, they stood guard at the entrance with solemn faces, but they felt something was not quite right.
Lan Yan went to the kitchen for a meal. She listlessly gnawed on the radish in her hand. Jun Yelan ignored her, making the radish taste bland.
Just then, Lin Qian also arrived. He got a plate of food and sat next to her, asking, "Senior Sister, what's wrong? You look like you've lost your beloved."
Lan Yan took a bite of the radish and murmured, "You wouldn't understand."
"Senior Sister, I've seen this look in books," Lin Qian glanced around and then lowered his voice. "Legend has it that the sect leader from generations ago, I don't remember which one, once kept company with a demonic beast."
Lan Yan's eyes lit up, and she began to listen to the gossip.
Lin Qian continued, "That sect leader also tamed a demonic beast, and they secretly fell in love. But the ending was tragic. It is said that all the sects mobilized at that time, and they were directly pierced by a thousand arrows. Even after death, they couldn't enter hell, their souls scattered."
Lan Yan frowned and suddenly didn't want to listen anymore. These people were just imposing their own beliefs on others. Sometimes, for their own selfish desires, they harmed both humans and beasts.
Take Jun Yelan, for example. He had been living peacefully in his own territory and never came to the human world. But because the things on him were like elixirs, he was captured by these cultivators, who then labeled him a fierce beast.
She clicked her tongue, her resolve only strengthening.
Seeing Lan Yan lost in thought, Lin Qian curved his lips upwards. Now Senior Sister would surely be frightened and stay away from that demonic beast. He, her junior brother, was truly too clever.
"Senior Sister, you don't need to worry. With your talent and ability, you will eventually tame this demonic beast. When that happens, junior brother will call people over to celebrate with you."
Lan Yan couldn't help but look at Lin Qian, mentally complaining, *Junior brother, if you hadn't said those things in front of Jun Yelan, perhaps you and Jun Yelan would be getting along well right now!*
"Junior brother, I'm leaving now." She stood up and left with her radish.
Lin Qian was still calling out from behind, "Senior Sister, that demonic beast is counting on you." He lowered his head and ate his food with great pleasure.
Lan Yan had already gone out and walked through the entire sect, but nothing made her linger. After walking for an unknown amount of time, she looked up and realized that she had ended up back at Jun Yelan's cave.
This time, she didn't see the disciples guarding the entrance. She frowned and walked inside. As soon as she took a step, she heard a piercing scream from within.
"It's Jun Yelan!" She quickened her pace and ran forward, only to see the Sect Leader of Ling Shan trying to extract Jun Yelan's other horn.
Jun Yelan's blood flowed from his head, drenching his entire face. Yet, he clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth to prevent himself from begging for mercy. Only when he reached the peak of his pain did he let out a cry.
The Sect Leader of Ling Shan before him was smiling, accelerating his use of magic to try and wrench Jun Yelan's horn free, causing a bloody mess.
Looking at the scene before her, Lan Yan froze. She had thought that Jun Yelan's imprisonment was already a great suffering, but to have a part of his body forcibly removed, the pain was something she could feel even herself.
She clenched her fist and, gathering her courage, said, "Sect Leader, you cannot take it. He is currently poisoned." She remembered reading from the Beast Scroll that when Jun Yelan was extremely weak, his body would emit a poison that prevented anyone from approaching him.
The Sect Leader of Ling Shan turned his head and looked at her suspiciously, asking, "Is that true?"
"You can go ask my master." The original owner's master was True Man Feng Qing, who was also the Sect Leader's junior brother. Lan Yan called out, "I was injured by him before." She pulled out her right hand from behind. Her hand was covered in scars, which she had inflicted herself just moments ago.
The Sect Leader of Ling Shan finally let go and moved away from Jun Yelan. As he passed by Lan Yan, he said coldly, "Lan Yan, you are the strongest beast tamer. Do not disappoint me and your master."
"Don't worry. After this demonic beast loses its consciousness, I will only take what is necessary. The rest will be yours to refine. Your cultivation will also advance further." He gave a smug smile and walked forward.
This demonic beast was truly annoying, and poisonous too. However, it was not he who tamed it!
Lan Yan did not answer and watched the Sect Leader of Ling Shan leave. Then she walked over and reached out towards Jun Yelan's horn, her eyes suddenly meeting Jun Yelan's.
Jun Yelan exclaimed, "Don't touch me." He then paused, seeing the tears in Lan Yan's eyes, and closed his slightly parted lips.