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It didn't take that long for the entire group to come back into the room. Sun-Mi and Jung-Su came in alongside the four elders working under the Senior Elder Sun Yong-Hik. As they arrived, they quickly greeted the Senior Elder respectfully once more. This time, he sported a very amiable smile and got up as well. He walked and went up to them, scaring them a little. To the two youths, this was a powerful man, at the top of the entire sect. It wasn't someone they should get into contact with. And that's why the next words of this man shocked them: "Jung-Su and Sun-Mi, what do you think about becoming my disciples?"

There were three types of apprenticeships under a Master. The lowest level was as a follower. It was akin to a servant. One would willingly work for the cultivator and follow him everywhere as an assistant, learning from what he saw and experienced. The second level was as a disciple. It was no longer a master-servant relationship but a teacher-student one. This was what the Senior Elder was offering them. It was something unheard of in this sect.

It was already incredibly rare for elders to take in disciples, let alone Senior Elders. And to think he would settle on them, who weren't even inner sect disciples? It was beyond what they could have ever hoped or dreamt of. Su-Min was excitedly nodding fervently. This wasn't an opportunity one could afford not to grab. As for Jung-Su, he was similarly acting first but changed as he turned towards Owl. He wanted the approbation of Owl first.

Owl was pleased with this sight. It was proof that he did not misjudge this kid. He would be able to use him well as a shield. He told him through their link: "Go for it. I negotiated on your behalf for this opportunity"

Jung-Su smiled brightly as he nodded along with the Sun-Mi. Senior Elder Sun Yong-Hik chuckled as he said good three times before he told them to wait for the official ceremony that he would organize in a few days. He warned them to remain in the sect and cultivate diligently until then. He accompanied them out of the hall along with the other four elders that remained silent throughout.

As Owl was leaving with the overjoyed young couple, he received a transmission. A spiritual message sent by the Senior Elder: "Don't breakthrough for now. I have something for you better than what you have"

Owl didn't bother returning a verbal answer as he couldn't. He waved one of his wings without turning his back as a show of him having understood the elder's words. Since he would become one of the elder's people, the elder planned to nurture him. It was obvious. The reason he was considered as a treasure wasn't for his present state but his potential in the future. Owl didn't have the slightest doubt that the Senior Elder would do his best to provide him with great valuables in order to accelerate the process. He would definitely agree to such a thing.

After he was back inside Jung-Su's house, Owl broke out in mad laughter. It didn't sound like that but more like a weird hooting fit. This frightened Jung-Su but Owl couldn't stop himself. He found it all just too funny. A critical situation was overturned so smoothly into a beneficial one, it was hilarious. And it was all because of human arrogance.

From the very start, the Senior Elder had looked at Owl as something beneath him that he could easily do anything he wished to. That man was probably thinking himself smart at the moment, not even aware of the idiocy and futility of his scheme. Everything he did had been based on his own guess that the contract was a usual taming one. Owl duped the Elder flawlessly.

The truth was that Owl could leave whenever he wished to. Discarding his contract with Jung-Su meant nothing to him! At first, he planned to make use of the kid as a shield and he did. But then, it turned out that he could also use it as a fake shackle to himself. It was simply too perfect.

So, he laughed.

…

Meanwhile, the four elders were sitting with the Senior Elder in the very same room. He was already on his third cup of tea with them… They fidgeted anxiously. From the moment they entered the room back then with the two kids, they had lost understanding of the situation. Weren't they going to investigate a murder? Since when did it become a search for disciples?

The loud clacking sound produced by the tea cup hitting the table snapped them back to reality. The Senior Elder was looking at them impassively, disappeared was the smile he gave the kids. He spoke: "The four of you will now take an oath not to ever bring up the death of the kids in the forest as well as anything and everything that you learnt and uncovered from it"

The third elder couldn't take it. This was something that they had to report to the top. There had been inside murders! And they discovered a spiritual beast with awareness through it! It was something with enough worth that the whole sect could benefit from it! He couldn't bear to let this be wrapped in such ways and began to criticize the Senior Elder.

Then, he stopped mid-speech and grabbed his neck. He brought his hand to his eyes and saw blood. Then, he fell down.

Dead.

The Senior Elder was serving himself another tea cup and asked them without lifting his eyes: "Well?"

The three left hurriedly made the oath. Who cared about the future of the sect when faced with the possible loss of their own? They didn't want to die and it seems like the Senior Elder wouldn't mind granting them an eternal slumber.

Once they were done with their oaths, the Senior Elder nodded and turned to the fourth elder: "Congratulations, Fourth, I now name you Third. Go clean the corpse of your predecessor"

"…Yes, Senior Elder…"

The newly appointed third elder took out a casket and began to place the previous third elder inside it. He had mixed feelings. He knew what the Senior Elder was trying to tell him. It was simple, really.

"Don't be like your predecessor or you will end like him as well"

It frightened him to the point that he swore never to contest the Senior Elder's words unless he had enough strength to do so. His life was the most precious to him. As he left the room, the Senior Elder spoke to the other two:

"First, you will go take care of things required for the appointing ceremony. I will take those two as my disciples. Make it happen this week"

"Yes, Senior"

"Second, go fetch me the elder in charge of the beast taming sub-occupation right away. I have a few things to discuss with him. Then, please go to the city market and buy a spiritual beast for me. I need it to be at least of the ninth stage, an owl-type and female. Understood?"

"Yes, Senior!"

"Good, then off you two go"

The two of them didn't remain a moment more than they had to. They scrambled away still shaken from the death of their friend and brother of many years. They knew the Senior was a cold-hearted man and they weren't saints at heart either but this had been savage. They didn��t expect him to not even hesitate as he took his life. Third did serve him faithfully for years inside the sect…

As they left the hall, the first elder spoke to the second: "Make sure to do things correctly. If we anger Senior again…"

The second nodded: "I know"

Meanwhile, the Senior Elder was grinning as he was slurping more tea. He had to kill one to reign the other three but with this, the case was closed and all the future benefits would be his. He began to laugh madly at the prospect.

It had been so easy to trick this beast. Bird had bird brains, how could they compare to a human, and a smart one like him? He would use this Owl until nothing was left of him. He could already see himself leading a clan of sentient beasts against his imaginary enemies.

The future was bright!