My best friend asked me if I was still doing system tasks.

Tao Man scratched his head, looking somewhat nonchalant as he strolled around with his hands behind his back: "Even if you were born with it, it's impossible for a spirit beast that recognizes you to want to come near you."

“Exactly!” Nan Huachao stood with her arms crossed. “We have signed contracts with spirit beasts. How could a spirit beast possibly like anyone other than us, its masters?!”

Fu Yuanzheng bowed to Tao Man and said, "Elder, I contacted Elder Xu. Elder Xu said that when Qingqing first met Ruan Chayan, she also felt very close to her, as if she had seen a kindred spirit."

Qingqing is Xu Hengzhi's spirit beast, that green python.

Ruan Chayan anxiously adjusted her cuffs, looking quite intimidating and exuding a confident aura: "Since I am a beast tamer, what's so strange about my cultivation of beast taming making spirit beasts feel close to me?"

If every spirit beast avoids me like the plague, how am I supposed to control them?

Nan Huachao seized on the loophole in Ruan Chayan's words: "So you're admitting that you've been practicing evil and heretical methods?"

"I really don't know what you mean by 'heretical and crooked ways' by Senior Sister Nan."

Ruan Chayan's gaze swept over everyone present. "What did I do to make you think I'm guilty? I'm not making excuses, talking back, or pretending to be confused. I really don't understand."

Xie Qiongfang chuckled and smoothed things over: "Junior Sister Ruan used to be a rogue cultivator, with no one to teach her, so perhaps she really doesn't know."

There's nothing wrong with you cultivating beast taming techniques, but you beast tamers cannot use inferior methods to lure and capture spirit beasts on a large scale, including those that already have owners. That's unethical.

Ruan Chayan cursed inwardly for digging a huge pit for her, but she stubbornly denied it, claiming that she had not used any dishonorable means.

Xu Hengzhi arrived late, his gaze towards Ruan Chayan filled with coldness: "Since that's the case, my dear disciple, do you dare to let the Discipline Hall examine your Qiankun bag to prove your innocence?"

Now they're checking the Qiankun Bag, probably to see if there's anything inside that contradicts their constant talk of benevolence and morality?

If there's nothing wrong with the Qiankun Bag, then it's probably the person who's the problem.

Ruan Chayan thought to herself, and said calmly, "Of course." She took off the Qiankun bag from her waist, wiped off the divine sense imprint, and threw it on the ground.

Xie Qiongfang received a signal from Tao Man, who beckoned with his finger, and the Qiankun bag flew into his hand.

As Ruan Chayan looked at Xie Qiongfang, she put her hands together and gently touched her index finger through the folded cuffs of her sleeves.

They were wearing storage rings produced by the system, and no one but the two of them could spot them.

Back in Yicheng, to prepare for the day when the storage ring could no longer be kept secret, she and Luo Hanying bought an extra Qiankun bag and put in things that were easy to reveal and worthless, so that they wouldn't be stolen and could also cover up the existence of the storage ring when taking things out.

She never expected that her cunning would come true here. She had previously thought that Shiren Sect was like a paradise, but now it seems that she had been too idealistic.

What difference is there between cultivators and ordinary people? They just consider themselves noble because they can cultivate with their spiritual roots.

Sure enough, where there are many people, there are many troubles. If it weren't for the need to survive, she would rather spend her whole life in the deep mountains and forests.

Just as Ruan Chayan was lost in thought, Xie Qiongfang had already looked through the contents of the Qiankun bag twice and found nothing suspicious. So the problem must lie with Ruan Chayan herself.

The gatekeeper's voice drifted into the hall: "Which peak are you a disciple from? What brings you to our Discipline Hall?"

"I am Yue Shu from Xinglin Peak. I have heard about what happened here and have come to report the truth." It was at this moment that Yue Shu awkwardly stepped into the Discipline Hall, attracting everyone's attention.

Ruan Chayan thought to herself, "What do you know about the truth?"

But Le Shu's words left Ruan Chayan bewildered: "Chayan, this is all my fault. You don't need to cover it up for me. Just tell me the truth."

Ruan Chayan: ? Huh? What are you talking about? Oh my god, you're not trying to trap me, are you?!

Ruan Chayan: "Wait..."

"The reason why the spirit beasts are attracted is all due to the incense in this incense burner."

Le Shu held a small bronze stove in her hands, her expression a mixture of fear and earnestness. "I found this in the secret realm."

Because Chayan saved my life in Yicheng before, I was grateful and offered her a gift as a token of my gratitude, but she refused. So I used this incense to scent her clothes, thinking that since she's a beast tamer, she would definitely need the incense's effects.

The people present looked at each other in bewilderment. Nan Huachao hesitated to speak, while Xie Qiongfang took the initiative to step forward, take the bronze stove, and hand it to Tao Man.

Tao Man moved closer to Xu Hengzhi, and the two secretly communicated to explore the mysteries of the bronze censer and incense.

Le Shu spoke sincerely: "Cha Yan didn't say anything because she was afraid you would blame me, but in the end, I was wrong, and I am willing to accept the punishment."

She bowed her head to the ground, appearing ready to accept any punishment.

Nan Huachao couldn't help but sarcastically remark, "You're on Xinglin Peak, which is miles away from the Discipline Hall, yet you're so well-informed."

Le Shu kowtowed: "It was just a coincidence. If I hadn't overheard the commotion Cha Yan caused at Yuexin Bridge, my sincere feelings would have been misplaced, and I would have let Cha Yan suffer for me in vain. Wouldn't that have been a betrayal of her life-saving grace?"

Ruan Chayan couldn't bring herself to kneel before everyone she met. She bowed and said, "This disciple knows her mistake. This disciple should not have deceived the elders and fellow disciples."

Ruan Chayan didn't know where Le Shu came from or how she happened to know about her situation and show up to save the day, but since there was a ready-made excuse, she might as well use it. It was better than letting these people know about the cultivation technique she practiced.

Xu Hengzhi gestured to Xie Qiongfang to experiment and see if the incense was as effective as Le Shu had said.

Tao Man said a few polite words and told the two to reflect on their mistakes in the Discipline Hall. He then discussed their punishment with the Second Elder, Jiang Shiren, and Xu Hengzhi.

Jiang Shiren, the second elder of the Discipline Hall, had been handling affairs in the back hall, but his divine sense was also present in the front hall, listening to their movements.

Tao Man and Xu Hengzhi entered the inner hall and activated the formation, after which their conversation could no longer be heard outside.

Jiang Shiren looked at Xu Hengzhi: "Elder Xu, what do you think of today's matter?"

Xu Hengzhi retorted, "How can I see it? What can I possibly see it? In short, neither of them are good people."

Jiang Shiren then asked, "So, what do you think we should do with your personally taught disciples?"

Xu Hengzhi waved his hand irritably: "Stop pretending with me!"

I took her in because she was indeed talented, because the Daoist Master said she was fine, and because the sect leader asked me to check on her.

Now that she's in the wrong, it's better to err on the side of caution and punish her accordingly, especially since she was the one who did wrong in the first place.

Jiang Shiren turned his gaze to Tao Man.

Tao Man knew that his old partner was overly cautious, so he slowly said, "Elder Xie said that the trouble started from the west. We don't know who is right and who is wrong. Maybe they are both wrong?"

Qiongfang hasn't returned yet. Let's wait and see what she says, and see if the incense really works as Leshu said.

After a short wait, Xie Qiongfang returned to the Discipline Hall with the experimental results.

Incense can indeed make spirit beasts feel comfortable and even want to get closer.

Everyone's faces looked grim.