The rustling of leaves broke the stillness of the forest. From between the trees, a middle-aged man stepped into the clearing as he stopped two young men. "Hello there. Do you know where I can find Yuan?"

Two young men, startled by the sudden appearance of the stranger, instantly drew their swords and stood in defensive posture. Sudden appearance of a middle-aged man deep in the forest with no one around was definitely a sign of suspicion.

The taller of the two, tightly gripping the hilt of his blade, glared at the man with suspicion. "Who are you?"

Zhao Guan was taken aback by their hostile response, but it wasn't his fault. He hadn't meant to startle them, but after wandering in the forest for hours in search of Yuan, their presence lit a ray of hope in him. In his excitement, he momentarily forgot his manners.

He quickly stepped back, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"I am Zhao guan, outer sect deacon of Golden Crane Sect." Deacon Zhao introduced himself as he pointed toward the crane emblem stitched on his robes.

The young men hesitated for a moment, their swords still raised but the tension in the air loosening slightly. The taller of the two studied Zhao Guan's crane symbol, recognition dawning on his face. His attitude took 180 degrees turn. His hostile stance softened immediately.

"Oh, a deacon from the Golden Crane Sect?" He put away his sword, his voice taking on a more humble tone. "Apologies for the hostility, Deacon Zhao. We didn't recognize you. What brings you here?"

Deacon Zhao waved his hand and nodded. He didn't care about their attitude right now. "Do you know where can I find Yuan?" His voice was edged with urgency.

Young man frowned at the mention of Yuan's name. "Yuan?" He exchanged a glance with his companion, clearly puzzled. "Sorry, Deacon Zhao. We don't know anyone by this name" tall young man shook his head.

Zhao Guan's face changed, his patience reaching the tipping point as his frustration rose. "How can you not know him?" He raised his voice, but the anger wasn't meant for them. "I've been searching for him everywhere. I was told he's quite famous in this area."

The two young men faces turned pale. Deacon Zhao was a lot stronger than them and a casual attack from him would spell death for them. The elder cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. "Sorry, we—"

But before he could complete his sentence, shorter of the two interrupted, his voice trembling "Can me you tell me about his appearance? Maybe we have seen him but didn't know his name?"

Zhao Guan hesitated for a moment, his expression softening as he considered the question. "He's about twenty years old. He's... a beast tamer, I think. From the Menghao Beast Pavilion."

At the mention of the Menghao Beast Pavilion, both young men stiffened, then shared another look—this time with an almost knowing look of distaste.

"That maniac"

"That useless idiot!"

Both young men said simultaneously.

Zhao Guan blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't expected such harsh words. [What is going on here? Who is this Yuan? One calls him useless idiot and other call his maniac.]

So, he immediately inquired, "Wait, what? Maniac? Idiot?"

The taller one sighed, as if finally resigning himself to explain. "That Yuan is the only son of Pavilion Master of Menghao Beast Pavilion." He began, his voice bitter. "But…his meridians are inherently blocked. He can't cultivate. He is useless garbage, a joke really. On top of that, he is obsessed over beasts. And for this, he spends all his time collecting knowledge about them—fighting them, but never killing them."

Zhao Guan stared at the young man in disbelief. "That can't be right," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He felt he was cheated by the person who told him about Yuan.

"You said he's famous," the shorter man added, his voice bitter. "But that's because of the reputation of Menghao Beast Pavilion and him being a useless garbage, not because of anything he's done. If you're looking for someone of value..." He shook his head, turning his gaze to the ground.

Zhao Guan's face darkened. He had come a long way, only to be led here on a wild goose chase? Still, there was no point in turning back now. His mission was clear.

He took a breath, trying to steady himself. "Where can I find him?"

Young man pointed to the east and said, "About a 1000 meters away that way is the entrance of Monkey Valley. He should be there."

By the time young man finished, Deacon Zhao had already disappeared in the forest. Both young men watched him go, their faces finally relaxing in relief

****

10 minutes later, Deacon Zhao arrived at the entrance of the valley, a place where the air felt thick with primal qi. He cautiously stepped into the valley.

"Bang"

As soon as he entered the valley, he heard sounds of the unmistakable thud of fists meeting flesh. He curiously followed the sound and soon arrived at an open area behind a cluster of lush tress in the valley.

In front of him, a young man, with a confident yet battered expression, was locked in combat with a large, two-meter-tall black monkey with his bare hands. The beast was ferocious, its muscled arms swinging with power.

Despite his apparent weakness, the young man was still holding well against the monkey. What shocked him more was that young man, though without cultivation, was clearly a skilled fighter, dodging the monkey's blows with practiced ease. Even though that monkey was only Tier 1 beast but it still spoke volume.

Despite the monkey's size and strength, he was neither afraid nor retreating, and his stance was perfect for fighting stronger opponent than himself, not showing any opening.

This young man was none other than our MC, Yuan. He was 6-feet tall, handsome young man with sharp features. His skin was tanned, obviously because of being out in the sun for a long time.

Zhao Guan was taken aback by the sight. [Wasn't he supposed to be weak?] his earlier attitude of being cheated disappeared like a smoke in the wind.

Feeling the gaze on himself, Yuan eyes flicked toward Deacon Zhao and for a moment, he got distracted. But it was enough for Monkey to take advantage and its massive fist landed squarely in Yuan's chest, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.

"Boom!" Yuan crashed into a tree, the force of the impact reverberating through the air.

For a moment, it looked like the young man wouldn't get up. But to Deacon Zhao shock, after a few seconds, Yuan slowly pushed himself up, brushing dirt off his clothes as if the blow hadn't even landed on him.

[He really is a maniac] Deacon Zhao confirmed the opinion of two young men from earlier.

Yuan glanced over at Zhao Guan, his expression slightly irritated. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice steady. "Why are you sneaking around here?"