After Becoming a High-Risk Master, I Flipped the Script Chapter 105

The Third Elder’s eyes flickered, and he immediately changed his tone. “Young Master Mo, please don’t misunderstand. You’ve defeated this old man, so of course you’re qualified to stay in the Azure Flame Courtyard. However, as for the gentleman beside you—Young Master Mo’s elder brother—he may not meet the requirements. It’s not that we’re looking down on anyone, but we have our own rules. If we start bending them just because of you, how could we explain ourselves to other honored guests? After all, the spiritual energy in that courtyard is limited—the more one absorbs, the less remains for others.”

Hearing that made Mo Xuanli even more displeased.

Gu Baiqing laughed lightly. “So what you’re saying is that the right to stay here depends on one’s cultivation level and status? From what I know, most beast tamers’ cultivation isn’t particularly high. Wouldn’t that mean the majority of your own disciples aren’t qualified to live in your best courtyard?”

That hadn’t been in the original script at all. Normally, guests from Zixiao Sect were received without anyone making such a fuss about the Azure Flame Courtyard. If it truly was that special, Gu Baiqing wouldn’t mind taking advantage of it.

“If one can tame a high-level spirit beast, it proves their spiritual sense is strong enough. Naturally, such a person would be qualified. We’re only thinking of your safety—if your spiritual sense isn’t strong enough, cultivating in a place with excessive spiritual energy could backfire. I think it’s best if the two of you stay separately. The courtyards are a bit apart, but each is suited to your individual levels.”

At those words, the others fell silent—even Yu Yingwan didn’t speak.

It sounded reasonable, but the intent was obvious. They’d already offended the Third Elder, and now he wanted to separate them—clearly looking for a chance to get revenge and take them down one by one.

Mo Xuanli seemed to sense the same thing. He stepped forward, face dark, shielding Gu Baiqing behind him.

The air grew cold again.

Then Gu Baiqing suddenly spoke: “Three Bean.”

Mo Xuanli instantly understood, lips curling into a smile as he stepped back.

Everyone watched as the little cat lounging on Gu Baiqing’s shoulder suddenly stood up and spoke. “What?”

“Are you a high-level spirit beast?”

“I guess so… our kind’s pretty rare anyway.” Three Bean stretched lazily, then narrowed its pupils and bared its tiny fangs at the Third Elder. “There isn’t one like me in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest—or in your Beast-Taming Manor either.”

There were many spirit beasts that could take the form of cats, even tri-colored ones, so no one had thought much of it before—they’d just assumed it was an ordinary pet.

But now—

“Don’t tell me that’s… a Tricolor Illusion Cat!” Yu Yingwan, who usually showed more interest in beasts than people, actually looked surprised.

The Tricolor Illusion Cat wasn’t known for brute strength, but it was an exceedingly rare illusion-type beast. Once fully grown, it could instantly drag even a top expert into its illusion domain. As long as the victim harbored any inner desire, no matter how strong their cultivation, they would struggle to escape—akin to being trapped in a heart-demon trial. Illusion-type beasts were notoriously difficult to handle and even harder to capture or contract.

In the entire Beast-Taming Manor, there were only a handful of tamers with illusion-type contract beasts—let alone a king among them, like the Tricolor Illusion Cat.

And the one before them, though still young and not yet in its true form, could already speak—a sign of extraordinary talent within its species.

Everyone stared at Gu Baiqing in astonishment and envy, unable to believe that this seemingly frail-looking man was the master of such a creature.

The Third Elder’s expression turned green and white by turns. “You’re a beast tamer?”

Gu Baiqing smiled, serene and unreadable. “Do I have the qualification now?”

The Third Elder almost coughed up blood on the spot.

Gu Baiqing figured this cannon-fodder character would probably die of rage before he even made it to the later parts of the plot.

Then a young man walked out from within the gates and said, “Disciples as outstanding as those of the Zixiao Sect—and at such a young age, already a beast tamer—are naturally esteemed guests of our Beast-Taming Manor. Of course you’ll stay in the Azure Flame Courtyard.”

Yu Qing’s eyes lit up, and he hurried forward. “Brother!”

The man smiled warmly and introduced himself politely to Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli.

At that point, Mo Xuanli had finally sorted out everyone’s relationships.

Yu Yingwan was the manor lord’s daughter. The man, Yu Chun, and Yu Qing were grandchildren of the Second Elder. The Third Elder seemed closer to the siblings, while Yu Yingwan, though standing with them, appeared more like an outsider. But from what Mo Xuanli could sense, Yu Yingwan’s strength far surpassed the two siblings.

However, the entire manor treated Yu Chun with greater respect—clearly regarding him as the young master.

Yu Chun, at least, treated them cordially, and the Third Elder, seeing that, had no choice but to swallow his anger.

“Little Sister Wan, leave these two guests to me. Go and inform the manor lord,” Yu Chun said, gesturing invitingly to Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli.

Given that Yu Chun was of the same generation and showing such humility, Mo Xuanli had no reason to refuse. He turned toward his master—

Only to find his master gazing at Yu Chun with a faint, unreadable expression.

But soon, Gu Baiqing moved first, walking calmly inside.

Once the two followed Yu Chun away, the air at the gate instantly turned tense again.

Yu Yingwan turned to head back inside.

But the Third Elder finally lost his temper. “Stop right there! What’s the matter with you?”

“What instruction does Third Grandfather have?” Yu Yingwan asked coldly.

“At the city wall just now—why didn’t you defend your own people? Why side with outsiders at every turn?” the elder snapped, his face twisted with fury.

“Perhaps Third Grandfather hasn’t realized,” Yu Yingwan replied evenly. “If I hadn’t arrived in time, you would’ve lost even more disgracefully. You think his whip was merely wrapping around you? That was only the start of his attack.”

“What? Impossible—how could he dare?” the Third Elder roared.

“Why wouldn’t he dare? He’s Elder Luofeng’s personal disciple. Even if he really injured you, the worst that would happen is a formal apology. Do you think Zixiao Sect would actually punish him? Especially when it was you who struck first. He merely responded in kind. Our manor’s elder isn’t even qualified to call himself his senior. Besides…” Her tone softened slightly, “I don’t know why, but at that moment, he seemed anxious—he wanted to end the battle quickly, not restrain you. That was the fastest way to finish it.”

Yu Yingwan said coldly, “It’s just as well the fight didn’t continue. He already had absolute confidence he could defeat you. The only reason he dragged it out wasn’t to give you face — he was simply curious about our Beast-Taming Manor’s techniques, wanting to gain firsthand experience fighting against us and gauge our overall strength. After all, since this is our territory, he knew better than to go too far. And since you conveniently delivered yourself to him, why wouldn’t he take advantage of it?”

“Cousin, is he really that powerful? It was Third Grandfather who challenged him first. Why do you make it sound like he had everything under control from the start?” Yu Qing asked in surprise.

“It’s just a matter of choosing the most advantageous approach when faced with a situation,” Yu Yingwan replied. “He’s different from those other sect disciples we’ve met — you mustn’t underestimate him. Ranked second in the Void Spirit Secret Realm, a man capable of forging a immortal-grade artifact — how many in this world can do that? So why should Third Grandfather make an enemy of him? His future is boundless; he’s not the kind of trouble we can afford to provoke.”

Yu Qing’s cheeks flushed as her eyes turned slightly. Such a powerful, outstanding man… if she could— She thought of the men who had come to Beast-Taming Manor with marriage proposals lately. None of them could compare to Mo Xuanli.

The Third Elder, however, was still indignant — his humiliation too deep to think clearly about gain or loss.

Yu Yingwan couldn’t be bothered to continue and left, heading toward the manor lord’s cultivation chamber to request an audience.

“Manor Lord…”

“In private places, you still don’t call me ‘Father’?” the manor lord said slowly, opening his eyes. Two high-ranked spirit beasts lay quietly at his feet.

The room was filled with dense spiritual energy. For Yu Yingwan, who had just stepped into the Golden Core stage and whose cultivation was still unstable, it was almost suffocating.

She called him “Father” and briefly reported the situation.

“Yes, it’s indeed about time for the Zixiao Sect to repair their barrier again,” the manor lord said with a hint of mockery. “That obstinate sect is truly troublesome. But I must admit, the disciple they’ve trained is quite remarkable — to defeat Third Elder so easily, a mere Golden Core against a Nascent Soul… that’s no ordinary strength.”

Then he asked abruptly, “Wan’er, what do you think of him?”

Yu Yingwan’s expression stiffened. “What is Father trying to say?”

“You’ve reached a marriageable age,” the manor lord said calmly. “Rather than forming ties with some mediocre sect, wouldn’t it be far better to seize this chance and connect ourselves with the Zixiao Sect? That disciple seems unmatched among their younger generation — he might very well become their next sect master. If you could become the sect master’s wife one day, it would be a tremendous advantage for both you and Beast-Taming Manor.”

Yu Yingwan’s face darkened. Her voice turned cold. “Manor Lord, someone like him, a disciple held in such esteem by the Zixiao Sect — so talented and extraordinary — why would he ever look twice at a woman from a small sect like ours? Even if we threw ourselves at him, he wouldn’t care.”

The manor lord frowned. “My daughter is beautiful and talented. There’s no woman in the entire Beast-Taming Manor or even Longan Port who can surpass you. Why belittle yourself? And even if he doesn’t look your way… making it happen here in our own manor wouldn’t be difficult.”

“Manor Lord, I am not a courtesan!” Yu Yingwan snapped, her voice like ice.

The manor lord flinched, realizing he had angered her. He quickly raised a hand in appeasement. “I was only speaking hypothetically. If you don’t wish it, I won’t force you. I only want what’s best for you — for your future. You yourself praised him earlier, didn’t you? And besides, I have only you left now… shouldn’t I think about your prospects?”

“Don’t make it sound so noble,” she said sharply. “In the end, you simply don’t think I’m fit to inherit the manor lord’s position. No matter how capable I am, because I’m not a man, you still think Yu Chun is better suited. You just want to marry me off where it’ll bring the greatest benefit. But I won’t give up — that position belonged to my eldest and second brothers, and Yu Chun has no right to it.”

With that, Yu Yingwan turned and strode away.

The manor lord watched her retreating figure in silence, then sighed softly. “If only she were a man, she would be second to none… But since she’s a woman, she’ll never surpass Yu Chun. Why bother fighting fate…”

In a sect like theirs, they could claim they were different from the common world, free of “favoring sons over daughters” — yet in truth, to thrive, the sect had no choice but to favor men. Even as the manor lord, he had to pin his hopes on his nephew Yu Chun. No matter how exceptional his daughter was, it made no difference.

Fuming, Yu Yingwan stormed back to her own courtyard. The instant she stepped inside, her spiritual power flared with her anger — frost rapidly spread across the ground, coating the entire courtyard in a sheet of ice.

Suddenly, a soft yelp came from the corner. “Ah!”

Startled, Yu Yingwan quickly withdrew her power and turned toward the sound. There, at the corner, a young servant boy was shivering violently, frozen by the sudden cold. He was dressed in plain servant clothes and had apparently been feeding the small spirit beasts she kept in her courtyard.

When he saw her, his eyes widened in shock, as if struck speechless.

Thinking she had frightened him, Yu Yingwan said, “Are you all right?”

The boy stared blankly at her, his eyes gradually reddening.

“Are you hurt?” she asked, her voice still carrying its usual chill — she was never good at comforting others.

“N-no… I’m fine, Miss,” the boy stammered.

Yu Yingwan frowned. “You’re a new servant? What’s your name?”

“Just… just call me Little Yezi, Miss,” he replied, his words halting and uncertain.

Yu Yingwan nodded. “If you’re injured, go see a healing cultivator. And be more careful when serving here.”

Little Yezi nodded quickly. As she turned to leave, he instinctively reached out, as if to stop her. But Yu Yingwan reacted immediately, stepping back and frowning in displeasure.

Realizing what he’d done, Little Yezi blushed furiously and stammered, “N-no, Miss, it’s just that… your clothes… they’re torn.”

Yu Yingwan froze, then looked down — a tear had opened along the side of her skirt.

When did that happen?

She frowned slightly, then remembered — during her exchange with God Nine Transformations. When he appeared to retreat, he had actually flicked out a blade of wind as he withdrew, striking her without a sound.

“Hmph, truly impressive,” Yu Yingwan said coldly, ignoring Little Yezi entirely as she turned and walked straight back into her room.

Little Yezi could only stare blankly after her, dazed for a moment before a faint smile curved his lips. Turning toward the little spirit beasts, he said happily, “I’ve found her. Finally found her. What they said was all wrong — she’s definitely a good person.”

Elsewhere, Yu Chun was already leading the master and disciple to the Azure Flame Courtyard. The courtyard was situated high on the mountain, and the concentration of spiritual energy was far greater than Gu Baiqing had expected — even Mo Xuanli looked slightly astonished. If they had been invited here without any ulterior motives, Gu Baiqing would have truly believed their hosts were sincerely treating them as honored guests.

If they could actually cultivate here in peace, Mo Xuanli might even be able to break through to late-stage Golden Core. But…

Gu Baiqing couldn’t quite bring himself to smile as he looked at Yu Chun, who was eagerly guiding them around and explaining the area’s layout.

“In any case,” Yu Chun said warmly, “please take some time to rest. These two courtyards are right next to my own, so if either of you need anything, you can come find me easily.”

Mo Xuanli was just about to nod when Gu Baiqing suddenly spoke up, “No need for such trouble, Young Master Yu. My younger brother and I can share a room.”

At those words, Mo Xuanli looked at Gu Baiqing in surprise, his heartbeat stuttering for a few seconds. Then he quickly steadied himself, thinking his master probably didn’t trust this place and simply felt it safer for them to stay together.

“How could that be?” Yu Chun said with a charming smile that didn’t reach Gu Baiqing’s eyes. “You’re both honored guests. How could I let you be so cramped together?”

Gu Baiqing replied evenly, “My brother and I often practice together. Sharing a room is more convenient.”

Mo Xuanli nodded in agreement. “Yes, we’ve always shared one.”

Since both insisted, Yu Chun pretended to look regretful. “Of course, as you wish. I only hope our hospitality doesn’t fall short. Ah, by the way—Brother Xuanli, you seem to have been accidentally injured by my Third Grandfather earlier. I happen to be well-versed in medicine; why don’t I take a look at your wound? I can guarantee a full recovery.”

Mo Xuanli had indeed been hurt — a spirit beast had clawed his back, tearing his robe, though it was only a surface wound.

He frowned slightly. The other man’s overly familiar tone, when they barely knew each other, made him uncomfortable. Still, there were always people like this — forward, presumptuous. So he said directly, “No need to trouble yourself. I practice medicine myself and can handle it.”

“Brother Xuanli, a sword cultivator so powerful and yet skilled in medicine as well — remarkable,” Yu Chun said admiringly. “But surely you can’t tend to your own back? The wound came from one of my Third Grandfather’s spirit beasts — they’re trained to carry a trace of venom. Without detoxification, it will cause you great pain.”

As he spoke, he reached out as if to examine Mo Xuanli’s injury, his hand moving toward Mo’s back.

Mo Xuanli’s eyes flickered; he was about to dodge when suddenly an arm wrapped firmly around his waist. The familiar spiritual aura left him no time to react before a gentle but unyielding force pulled him aside — right into someone’s chest.

Slap! Yu Chun’s hand was brushed away.

Yu Chun looked over, startled.

Mo Xuanli turned his head, stunned. Though Gu Baiqing wasn’t holding him tightly, his entire body was leaning against him. The faint scent of cold plum blossoms surrounded him at such close distance that his heart pounded wildly — he nearly blurted out “Master.”

“Apologies,” Gu Baiqing said with a polite smile. “I was worried you might touch Xuanli’s wound. But rest assured, Young Master Yu, I’m here. There’s no need for anyone else to trouble themselves with his injuries, don’t you think?”

His tone was mild, but the chill in his eyes was an unmistakable warning.

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