Setting Out

"I took this book, 'The True Cultivator of Beast Taming in the Mountain, Volume One,' out of Ying Bi's Storage Bag and looked at it. It's quite interesting. You can let your honest disciple study it. If he has good fortune, his future achievements shouldn't be too much worse than Brother Qing's."

The next day, as soon as Sect Leader Kang Da entered the Daoist Black Shoes's meditation room, the latter took out a blue Jade Slip and handed it to Kang Dabao.

Sect Leader Kang Da bowed and accepted it. He had planned to do this long ago, but he hadn't expected that before he could even ask his uncle for it, the other party would have already packed it up and sent it over.

This kindness is truly growing heavier and heavier; I wonder if I'll ever be able to repay it in this lifetime. Before he could even express his gratitude, the Daoist Black Shoes continued.

"The matter of the Spirit Stone mine in Tanggu County has come to an end. Tie Liuyun, along with Gun Shide and Buse, led the Xiezhi Iron Guard and the state court soldiers to eliminate all the remaining Demon Beast."

I don't know what promises the Three Incense Cult Sect received from the Two Elements Two Instruments Sect to warrant such fervor, but at least half of their current disciples have been lost, and they've incurred Kuang Liuting's wrath. Their main branch in Pu Prefecture might not be able to survive."

Kang Dabao was startled and asked in surprise, "Although the Earl of Nan'an is nominally the 'military and civilian affairs officer of the four prefectures of Feng, Ding, Pu, and Yun,' he hasn't even settled Cloud Horn Prefecture yet, and he's already sending troops to Pu Prefecture. Doesn't this violate the taboo of the Two Instruments Sect?"

"It is true that a taboo was broken, but it was the Two Instruments Sect that broke the taboo first." The Daoist Black Shoes paused at this point. "The Two Instruments Sect previously sent disciples of the Three Incense Cult to manipulate beast hordes to destroy markets and neighborhoods related to the Yue Household. The state court did not react to this, and was happy that the Yue Household's prestige had plummeted so that it could take over the commerce of various counties in Cloud Horn Prefecture."

This matter was originally just a matter of both sides trying to put pressure on the Yue Household, who were wavering between the two sides. Apart from some small families whose interests were harmed, the state court gained benefits and the Two Instruments Sect gained face. There was a tacit understanding between them.

However, the Two Instruments Sect's dispatch of a Foundation Establishment from the Three Incense Cult Sect, manipulating a swarm of rats led by Second Tier Gold-Devouring Rat, to attack and kill two to three hundred cultivators in Tanggu County was a serious breach of taboo.

At this moment, Sect Leader Kang Da understood and thought to himself, "So that's how it is."

Normally, if two equally matched factions in the cultivation world have a conflict, it should be a matter of soldiers fighting soldiers and generals fighting generals. If both sides send out high-level cultivators to indiscriminately slaughter low-level cultivators, wouldn't that create chaos?

Generally speaking, the lower-level cultivators should first engage in a symbolic fight, and then the higher-level cultivators should have some friendly sparring.

However, the life-and-death struggle among low-level cultivators is of little significance. Even if one side has won, if the high-level cultivators above lose, then the victory is not a real victory. At most, they can only ensure that their own side can retreat unscathed.

The actions of the Two Instruments Sect were indeed taboo. Kuang Liuting, having found an excuse, took this opportunity to stir up trouble in neighboring Pu Prefecture, which wasn't entirely excessive.

Although this lord is widely recognized as a fine and promising member of the Immortal Dynasty's royal family, he hasn't yet Core Formation. Are the Golden Core of the Two Instruments Sect just going to let him pluck his beard like this?

After thinking for a while, Sect Leader Kang Da stopped thinking about it, feeling that this was truly a case of the porridge drinker worrying about the meat eater's problems.

What these important figures are planning to do is beyond the comprehension of a mere Qi Refinement cultivator like himself. He shouldn't waste his time worrying about such trivial matters. He only hopes that when the Earl of Nan'an sends out a large army again, he won't conscript his own men.

Kang Dabao put aside these thoughts and explained the arrangements for Chongming Market and his own plans to the Daoist Black Shoes.

The latter simply nodded slightly and offered no comment.

Just pay a little attention to these mundane matters, but remember not to get too caught up in them. Once Foundation Establishment, you'll feel a sense of boundless freedom, and all sorts of problems will naturally be solved.

Kang Dabao nodded in agreement. After bidding farewell to the Daoist Black Shoes, he was about to travel alone when Jiang Qing arrived. The Sect Leader Kang Da thought that Jiang Qing had been staying in the sect recently but had nothing to do, so he didn't send him away. The two brothers traveled light and simply, and then set off.

It's good to bring them along. If we encounter those brainless bandits who insist on robbing us, we can pick up a few Storage Bag to alleviate the pressure on the sect's Spirit Stone.

The world has been in a bad state lately, but for some rogue cultivators and Evil Cultivator, it is a rare good time.

For this reason, Lu Xun led the long caravan of pack animals along the main road from Fish Mountain Market to Tanggu County with great caution.

He Dezong arranged for them to join a medium-sized caravan, which was larger than the caravan Jiang Qing had first traveled with He Degong, with about thirty or forty cultivators and two or three hundred martial arts masters.

The leader of the He Household members was not highly skilled, only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, but the guards in the caravan were two elderly men at the Late Qi Refinement, one dressed in black and the other in blue, both of whom had been favored by the He Household for many years.

Logically speaking, within the territory of Cloud Horn Prefecture, a caravan with this configuration should be able to protect itself by traveling along familiar trade routes.

However, the market is currently unstable, especially since many small families suffered heavy casualties recently due to the conscription by the state government, and the promised compensation has not been paid.

Consequently, many originally law-abiding cultivators began to harbor wicked thoughts, forming small groups to engage in some risk-free business.

Therefore, the monks in the caravan were all on high alert. These bandits, who had temporarily banded together, were different from the established bandits with stable territories. They had no connection with the caravans that had been traveling with them for years, making it difficult to negotiate a price, which was extremely frustrating.

Before long, the listless procession walked along the main road to the front of a mountain pass.

The He Household member leading the group was a seasoned businessman. He immediately raised his hand to stop the caravan, lit a yellow talisman, and sent up a plume of smoke.

Before long, several bandits, who had stopped their Breath-Concealing Art and were holding Law Artifact, suddenly emerged from the shadows of the mountain pass.

Although it wasn't the first time he'd seen this scene, Lu Xun was still secretly shocked.

Many of these bandits were only at the Early Qi Refining Stage, yet he hadn't noticed them before they appeared.

This shows that while their other Technique Method may not be profound, their mastery of the Breath-Concealing Art Technique is quite impressive.

If a caravan without a strong foundation comes here, and is also weak, it will definitely be ambushed.

"Wow, I was wondering who else these days has the resources to assemble such a large caravan? Brother, you were truly blind not to recognize that this is Brother He Household's merchant caravan."

Upon seeing the leopard flag flying at the head of the He Household family caravan, the bandit leader immediately put on a smiling face and said...

The bandits of Cloud Horn Prefecture and merchants like the He Household were not natural enemies, but rather had a symbiotic relationship.

The bandits controlled the trade route passes. Rather than fighting to the death and causing heavy casualties to make a profit, they could obtain relatively stable road taxes and relatively cheap spiritual materials from the caravans. This steady and long-term business was much better.

Of course, these bandits were not good people. If a caravan that lacked strength and capital broke in, it would naturally be swallowed up and devoured clean.

This inadvertently helped large merchant caravans like the He Household eliminate some potential rivals. Not to mention, the He family itself was also one of the caravans' trading partners.

"Greetings, sir." He Household dismounted, smiled, and bowed respectfully, as if visiting an ordinary fellow traveler, without the slightest hint of disrespect.

"Young Master He Household, please." The leader of the small group returned the greeting respectfully. He was just a small leader here and far from deserving the title of "head of the family." He was genuinely pleased to hear the He Household's flattery.

"The master of Ma Household Stockade has changed. A month or two ago, a few ruthless and powerful individuals came from Pingrong County. The Ma Household Stronghold was even brutally murdered by one of the female cultivators. They are quite vicious in their actions, and our village chief has gone there several times without getting away with anything. Young Master He Household, please be careful when you pass by."

The leader took the Spirit Stone pouch from He Household and found that there were five or six extra fragments of spirit stones inside. He was overjoyed and, seeing that He Household was about to leave, immediately reminded him.

"Oh, thank you very much, sir." He Household sharpened upon hearing this. He mounted his mount, nodded in thanks, and gave a wink to Du Qing, who was carrying the flag beside him.

The latter immediately tilted its head back and exhaled a stream of pure air, which manifested on the He Household's leopard flag, making the ferocious leopard on the flag even more lifelike and eye-catching.

Lu Qing, who was leading the pack caravan, naturally knew that this was to warn the newcomers to see clearly that this was a merchant caravan from the He Household, and that it was best for everyone to make money together and live in peace.

"Silence, let's go."

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