Chapter 127: The Trial (3)

"You didn't specify in your oath that I couldn't have someone else tame the spirit beast on my behalf."

Shen Duo stated the facts calmly. Her serious demeanor made it seem as though she weren't the one who had just defied convention by exploiting a loophole in a Heaven-Earth Pact.

Eleanor stared at her, wide-eyed. Recalling the moment she and Leo had sworn their oaths, she realized there indeed had been no explicit clause forbidding a proxy. She shook her head helplessly, struggling to fathom how Shen Duo could be so dismissive of a Heaven-Earth Pact, though upon reflection, it was entirely consistent with everything else Shen Duo had done.

"You certainly have a lot of nerve," Eleanor remarked, rolling her eyes at her.

The more she learned about this young girl, the more her own worldview seemed to crumble. "Aren't you a swordsman? How can you tame beasts? Does Linghu Yu know you're a beast tamer?"

With the immediate crisis resolved, Eleanor’s curiosity took over; she was eager to uncover every secret Shen Duo possessed. Shen Duo merely smiled at her, offering no answer.

Eleanor pouted. "You're only a teenager, yet you're so tight-lipped. How boring."

Though Eleanor was itching to put Leo in his place immediately, Shen Duo held her back. "Wait until tomorrow to reveal that the taming was successful."

If they delivered the blow now, it would be too easy to cast suspicion. Leo was no fool; if he investigated the details, it could lead to trouble. Admonished by Shen Duo, Eleanor finally settled down.

"Make the most of the day and get some rest," Shen Duo advised.

Eleanor looked disheveled and exhausted; she hadn't changed her dress in two days and was clearly in need of sleep. After finalizing their plans, Shen Duo left the taming room. At the door, she instructed Linton to bring Eleanor some food and fresh clothing.

Shen Duo, Feng Jun, and Lei Hang spent the day keeping watch at Eleanor’s taming shop. During this time, Lei Hang asked Shen Duo about her being a beast tamer, and she spoke frankly, no longer hiding it from him. Even with the full picture, Lei Hang felt a prickle of resentment, especially when he saw Feng Jun trailing after Shen Duo all day.

The next morning, before a gathered crowd, Eleanor appeared in a light purple form-fitting gown and proudly announced that she had successfully tamed the eight-star spirit beast, the Golden Python Leopard.

The rogue spirit masters waiting outside the shop erupted in gasps of astonishment. Eleanor had the beast brought out, and under the verification of other beast tamers, it was confirmed to be successfully tamed. Leo’s small eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

Amidst the crowd's cheers, Eleanor set her gaze on Leo. He was still wearing the same silver-gray spirit master's robe from the day before, his collar crooked and his eyes bloodshot—the clear result of a sleepless night spent fruitlessly attempting to tame the beast. He stared at Eleanor, his face ashen, muttering "Impossible, this is impossible."

In just one night, their fortunes had completely reversed.

Aisha stood by her father’s side, supporting his frail frame as he swayed, and glared at Eleanor. Suddenly, she shrieked, "This is absolutely impossible! With your skill, you couldn't have tamed the Golden Python Leopard in a day. You must have cheated!"

Faced with Aisha’s accusation, Eleanor remained perfectly composed. A graceful smile played on her lips. "Oh? And tell me, is there any other Tamer Master in this shop besides me?"

Indeed, in Eleanor’s shop, there were no other Tamer Masters; the others were at most high-ranking beast tamers. No one else possessed the ability to tame a spirit beast, and the old men at the Beast Tamer Guild were likely still sitting in their offices counting coins. Even if Aisha remained suspicious, she could find no flaws in the process.

Leo had investigated everything thoroughly before plotting this. He was a man who calculated before he acted; he never took risks without absolute certainty. Yet, a situation that should have been a guaranteed victory had derailed. It was only the second time in his life he had tasted the bitter flavor of life’s unpredictability. The first time had been on the "Sailing Ship," at the hands of that hateful girl!

"Lady Eleanor is not only beautiful, but her taming skills are also extraordinary. I think she could be the 'Number One Female Beast Tamer of the Tianfeng Empire'!"

"Of course! Lady Eleanor is my goddess!"

"Look at you, thick-skinned fool. I bet even a Sky Spirit Master’s skills couldn't pierce your hide. If Lady Eleanor would tame a beast for me, I’d serve her like a beast of burden for the rest of my life!"

...

The contest, once thought to be evenly matched, ended in a crushing victory for Eleanor. The reputation of her shop reached unprecedented heights, and in the following months, even the elders of the Beast Tamer Guild came to pay their respects.

Eleanor looked at the father and daughter, who were still wallowing in regret and resentment. Gone was the arrogance they had displayed when they arrived to challenge her shop; they looked like two defeated roosters.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Eleanor asked coldly.

Leo had long since lost his haughty air; he was filled with panic, remembering the promise he had made before the contest. His fingers, clutching his daughter's arm, trembled. He looked at Eleanor with clouded, pleading eyes.

He swallowed nervously, attempting a final struggle. "Eleanor, for the sake of our long acquaintance and our shared profession, I hope you can be the bigger person and spare me this once. I am willing to swear an oath to serve you forever."

Leo’s words were as worthless as air; Eleanor knew better than anyone the duplicity hidden within him. She said nothing, only offering him a cold, emotionless smile. "Leo, everyone must pay the price for their actions and their words. This is what our teacher told us back at the academy. Have you forgotten?"

With that, Eleanor glanced at the surrounding rogue spirit masters. The crowd fell silent, all eyes turning toward the mature, beautiful woman standing in the center of the shop.

"Since the outcome is decided, it is time to fulfill the pact. I, Eleanor, under the gaze of the great and noble Goddess Saint芒, demand that the Tamer Master Leo never again practice the art of beast taming for the rest of his life!"

Eleanor’s voice was low and alluring, but her words were icy and chilling. Mercy to an enemy was cruelty to oneself. In this world where strength dictated everything, Eleanor knew well that softness of heart led to a bitter end.

As she spoke, a flash of silver light shone beneath Leo’s feet; the Heaven-Earth Pact took effect. From this day forward, Leo would never be able to tame a beast again. Should he defy Eleanor’s terms, he would be cast into the abyss. For a two-star spirit master like Leo, the loss of his taming ability reduced him to nothing more than an ordinary person among the millions of cultivators on the Saint芒 Continent.

Aisha seemed unable to believe that Eleanor had truly imposed such a merciless condition on her father. The lavish, luxurious life she had enjoyed thanks to her father’s status as a beast tamer instantly vanished. If Aisha loved her father, she loved the extravagant resources his profession provided even more. Now that he had been reduced to an ordinary man, and the life she craved was no longer within reach, she could not accept it.

Aisha screamed hoarsely at Eleanor, "You wicked woman, how could you do this to my father! You are insulting the entire Beast Tamer Guild! You have destroyed an excellent Tamer Master! All the powerful spirit masters will never forgive you!"

Faced with Aisha’s frantic accusations, Eleanor remained calm. Having navigated the treacherous waters of the Zhou family's branches, she was no longer an inexperienced girl; she was well-versed in the ways of the world. Furthermore, Leo deserved this fate, and she felt no guilt.

Looking at it from another perspective, if the father and daughter had won, they surely would not have shown her mercy. To secure their footing in Luerkadan and build their reputation, they would have ground her into the dust. As for the threat of the Beast Tamer Guild or powerful spirit masters, that was impossible. The rules of such peer challenges were set by the Guild themselves; they had no right to reprimand her. And as for powerful spirit masters, she had helped far more of them tame their beasts in Luerkadan and the Zhou family capital than Leo ever had.

Aisha’s threats fell like stones into the sea. Not only that, but they invited the contempt of the bystanders. These people had been on Eleanor’s side from the start, and having witnessed her brilliant victory, they admired and favored her all the more. They certainly wouldn't speak up for the pair who had come to stir up trouble.

In an instant, Leo and Aisha became social pariahs, chased out like rats in the street.

Shen Duo and her companions watched the scene from the shadows. Only after Aisha led Leo away did she emerge to greet Eleanor.

"Shen Duo, this time, I owe it all to you," Eleanor said with a sincere smile.

Lei Hang and Linton exchanged curious glances; even knowing that Shen Duo was a beast tamer, they were still baffled as to how she had aided Eleanor. Only Feng Jun curled the corner of his lips. Back in Sha Ke City, Shen Duo had done the exact same thing; they had sworn an oath to the City Lord, only to exploit a loophole in the Heaven-Earth Pact and walk away with a River-Turning Crocodile.

Shen Duo and Eleanor exchanged a knowing look, both choosing to keep the details private. After all, exploiting a Heaven-Earth Pact was hardly a glorious feat.

"Linghu Yu will be here tomorrow. You should leave now. After this incident with Leo, my shop is sure to be the most watched place in the city."

Shen Duo agreed and nodded at her. "Then we shall take our leave."

Linton, acting on his teacher's orders, had rented a carriage to wait outside. While his teacher rested in the taming room last night, she had privately instructed him to handle many tasks. He had already found them a common tavern in a bustling district and would take them there to wait for Linghu Yu’s arrival tomorrow.

The three of them boarded the carriage. Just as the two snow-white unicorns pulled the carriage away from the shop, Aisha’s figure flashed past from a hidden alleyway.