Chen Ye Reappears

The first meeting of the New Cloud Alliance only lasted for half a day before it ended. Tie Liuyun, without taking a break, went straight to find Sect Leader Kang Da to discuss matters after the meeting.

For the Spirit Stone Mine to be mined properly, the initial preparation and investment are far greater than those required for the Blue Silver Mine; it cannot be rushed.

Moreover, there's always some bickering between the different groups, each wanting to take more and give less. With the gleaming Spirit Stone in front of them, few cultivators can maintain their sage-like demeanor of detachment and indifference; they all look eager and calculating.

There are plenty of people anxious about the Spirit Stone mine right now, so Tie Liuyun and Kang Dabao are busy with the mining of the blue silver vein.

After all, although the Spirit Stone mine was an important matter entrusted by the state court, Commander Tie had not received a single Spirit Stone. This blue silver mine was Tie Liuyun's own business.

"Never compromise your own interests for the benefit of the public." This is the code of conduct for most officials in the current Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Sect Leader Kang Da was being pulled by the hand by Commander Tie as they settled accounts. The latter spoke in a warm tone, just like a kind and benevolent elder.

"Well, even at the very least, we'll need 12,000 Spirit Stone in the early stages. Da Bao, your family will take 60%, so that's 7,200 Spirit Stone," Tie Liuyun said, counting on his fingers.

"So much is needed?" Kang Dabao was somewhat surprised.

He thought he would just sit back and collect money before he arrived, but he didn't expect that he would have to put money in first.

The Chongming Sect has already spent a lot of Spirit Stone over the years, Double Brightness Trade Market is still under construction with no income. Seven thousand two hundred Spirit Stone is indeed a considerable sum.

The Sect Leader Kang Da now possesses a considerable number of valuable items, including the Primordial Gourd, Foundation Establishment Pill, and the flying Solemn Autumn —all rare treasures that are difficult to acquire even with Spirit Stone.

But when it comes to Spirit Stone, I'm really short on them.

Selling his belongings? Good things are hard to buy back once they're sold. Sect Leader Kang Da is a hamster by nature, and no matter how old and worn the bottles and jars he's collected are, he's really reluctant to part with them.

He then turned to look at the Daoist Black Shoes, whose face first showed surprise, then paused for a moment, before shaking his head helplessly and pointing out only a meager seven or eight Spirit Stones: "I'm really out. I used up a lot at the exchange meeting."

"Well, this martial uncle is really stingy." Sect Leader Kang Da thought to himself, wondering what good things the Daoist Black Shoes had found at the exchange meeting.

Tie Liuyun didn't get a single piece of the eighty acres of First-Tier Superior-Grade spirit fields that the Huo Household head had used as betting for the third arena match. Kang Dabao, who had put in a lot of effort, didn't even get a single piece of land. It was all converted into Spirit Stone by the Daoist Black Shoes at the exchange meeting and given to others.

"If that's not enough, you can sell me some of your shares, and I'll give you Spirit Stone in return." Tie Liuyun's eyes gleamed, unlike his usual fierce demeanor; he had a cunning look about him.

"It's hard to part with charity, "Sect Leader Kang Da, who naturally objected upon hearing this, nearly shaking his head off.

"This is two thousand Spirit Stone. The sect's treasury also has seventeen mid-grade Law Artifact and fifty-nine low-grade magic Law Artifact, which can be roughly converted into two thousand Spirit Stone. And there are four heads left."

Under Tie Liuyun's slightly astonished gaze, Kang Dabao finally exchanged the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household that he had kept in his Storage Bag for many years for Spirit Stone.

The reward amount from the White Sand County Demon Correction Office has finally been received today.

"Good lad, I thought it was the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household who killed Bai Bian and the others and fled to another place in Jingnan back then, but I never thought they would fall into your hands. Not bad!"

Tie Liuyun praised him, his eyes showing appreciation.

There are many ruthless and Evil Cultivators. Even though the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household are considered outstanding figures among Rogue Cultivator, there are countless people in Jingnan Prefecture who are more wicked and vicious than them, and the Demon Correction Office has no time to deal with them.

The fact that several Middle Qi Refinement Refining cultivators ended up on the Demon Correction Office's wanted list, with a bounty of two thousand Spirit Stone, was naturally for a reason.

The cause was that the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household harmed someone they shouldn't have. That family wasn't particularly powerful, but their ancestors had a past connection with the Tie Household. If it weren't for this connection, how could the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household have made it onto that Evil Cultivator List?

Having personally witnessed the execution of the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household, Commander Tie felt a slight surge of joy, finally able to give his old acquaintance an explanation.

"So, my senior brother went to Jingnan Prefecture back then to find the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household!" Jiang Qing took a deep breath upon hearing this. He never imagined that his senior brother, the sect leader, had taken such a great risk back then. He felt the Seven Luminaries Heart-Slaying Sword on his back trembling slightly and turning red from the heat.

The Daoist Black Shoes also showed surprise. It was indeed not an easy task for Kang Dabao to bring back the heads of the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household with his weak cultivation back then.

At least among the descendants of Hemu Dao today, almost no one possesses this ability.

"Please, Commander Tie, don't tell anyone." Kang Dabao's cheeks flushed slightly at the praise.

"This is a good opportunity to make a name for yourself, so be careful. But there's no need to worry unnecessarily. These four villains have no connections, so even if I tell others, no one will come after you for revenge." Tie Liuyun readily agreed.

"Then, you promised the Kuai Household that you would buy land from them and that you would need four thousand Spirit Stone. How about two thousand four hundred Spirit Stone?" Kang Dabao glanced at the Daoist Black Shoes again, who had actually closed his eyes!

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qing stepped forward. Thanks to his exceptional skill in retrieving Storage Bag, this top swordsman of the Chongming Sect was quite wealthy.

Just take out a few dozen Storage Bag, change the contents, and as long as you work hard and run around to the markets and marketplaces to sell them, it's not difficult to gather enough money.

"My family still has some high-grade magic Law Artifact; selling them should be enough to raise the money." Sect Leader Kang Da wouldn't stand on ceremony with his own junior brother, but instead of saying it directly in front of Tie Liuyun, he used a pretext to coax him, even putting on a show of gritted teeth and reluctance.

"You lad, you're really good at managing your household, you've become so wealthy!" Tie Liuyun praised. This commander had originally planned to lend some money at interest and gain a favor, but unexpectedly, Kang Dabao didn't give him the chance.

Kang Dabao was speechless. What good was managing the household? Chongming Sect only had a few Spirit Stone earned through his own hard work.

Most of the Spirit Stone that were taken out were earned through killing and robbing over the years.

"Regarding the Spirit Stone mine, we haven't finalized the percentage your family will receive, but we should have at least twenty or thirty thousand Spirit Stone on hand. We need to start preparing now." Tie Liuyun took the Spirit Stone, scanned them with his magic eye, checked them carefully, and then gave this reminder.

Upon hearing "two or three thousand," Sect Leader Kang Da glanced at the Daoist Black Shoes again, but this time the latter immediately turned his head away.

The Daoist Black Shoes and Tie Liuyun still had things to discuss, so Kang Dabao led his two junior brothers out and encountered Tie Xishan, who had been appointed as the Tanggu Magistrate.

From incorporating the New Cloud Alliance to appointing Tanggu Guling, it's easy to see that Tie Liuyun has firmly suppressed Huo Bing.

Even wolves from other regions are coming to steal food from your own bowl. This governor should perhaps think carefully about what will happen after he leaves this house.

Tie Xishan, who had been appointed magistrate of the previous dynasty, was overjoyed. The four of them went together to a tavern Rogue Cultivator in the city, but unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance at the door.

Haha, brother!

"Brother Kang, Brother Pei, Brother Yuan, Younger Brother Jiang." He Dezong, accompanied by several caravan guards, passed by the gate. Hearing Kang Dabao call him, a look of joy appeared on his face.

"So it's Fellow Daoist He." Tie Xishan stepped forward to greet him. He Dezong had been traveling all over the country with his caravan over the years and was a rare and extravagant figure among his peers in Cloud Horn Prefecture. He had met him before.

"Unexpectedly, Chief Clerk Tie is also here." As Tie Xishan's nephew, who has recently gained favor with Tie Liuyun, he is quite well-known in the outside world, and He Dezong, an old hand, naturally recognizes him.

In this world, the worst thing you can do is offend someone you shouldn't.

"Now you're the County Magistrate Tie." Sect Leader Kang Da chuckled and invited He Dezong and his guards into the private room.

"What brings you to Tanggu County, Brother?" Now that he was away from those Foundation Establishment, Yuan Jin was finally able to speak.

He's a lively person, and a few days ago he and the Sect Leader Kang Da had to act like good boys in front of a bunch of Foundation Establishment, which must have been incredibly frustrating.

"Nothing serious, just passing by." He Dezong looked a little awkward. He had originally wanted to say that he had heard on the way that the Huo Household had been thoroughly humiliated by the Kuai Household, so he came to see the Huo Household's misfortune.

However, he was not familiar with Tie Xishan, so he couldn't bring up these matters involving the Foundation Establishment clans and make sarcastic remarks to outsiders. He simply laughed it off.

"That's good. Stay a few more days, and we brothers will have a good drink." As soon as Kang Dabao finished speaking, Yuan Jin brought out a wine jar as tall as himself from the wine cabinet behind him.

"I'll keep you company with a good drink today, brother. Last time you left too quickly and didn't get a chance to drink properly with me. Don't rush this time."

"Haha, next time, next time, next time I'll come again to drink with you properly, my worthy brother." He Dezong clearly liked Yuan Jin's straightforward nature, but then he explained, "I really can't stay too long. This batch of goods was entrusted by a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, so we can't delay."

As he spoke, He Dezong quickly waved his hand, "I can't drink anymore, brother, please forgive me, I wouldn't dare to delay things."

When it involves Foundation Establishment cultivators, even the smallest matter becomes a big deal. Everyone was sensible enough to know that this wine was genuine and no amount of persuasion could be stopped.

Since He Dezong couldn't drink, Kang Dabao simply abandoned the wine jar as well, and instead clapped his hands to summon a group of female musicians, and then chatted with He Dezong about his recent situation.

"Oh, my nephew Yuanhe has become True Disciple of the Stone Mountain Sect in Pu Prefecture? Haha, that's truly a cause for celebration, but it's a pity we can't drink any wine." Kang Dabao clapped his hands in congratulations upon hearing this.

Even Jiang Qing glanced at him, slightly surprised.

"Just lucky, but this child hasn't given me too much to worry about." He Dezong couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"The Stone Mountain Sect has ten Foundation Establishment. Now, your son has received the True Disciple and is on track to reach Foundation Establishment," Tie Xishan said with a smile.

"Foundation Establishment is incredibly difficult," He Dezong shook his head slightly, speaking modestly. He was a Qi Refinement cultivator with some reputation in Cloud Horn Prefecture, and outsiders had been saying for over twenty years that he had a good chance of Foundation Establishment, but he still couldn't even get close to it.

I have a deep understanding of the difficulties involved in Foundation Establishment.

After saying this, he sighed, recalling that the Foundation Establishment enshrined by the He Household was over two hundred and twenty years old, with a short lifespan but many strict rules.

His personality became increasingly eccentric, and he exploited his subordinates. As a member of the He Household caravan, their lives naturally became increasingly difficult.

Kang Dabao is lucky; he doesn't have to worry about his clansmen's cultivation, he has such a powerful Foundation Establishment master uncle, and he married the legitimate daughter of the Fei Household.

Having grown up hearing praise from his elders, He Dezong never imagined that he would one day envy his sworn brother Kang Dabao. Truly, fortunes change every thirty years.

He Dezong had initially thought that even though the two families were on equal footing, he subconsciously still believed that the He Household should take the lead. But now, with the He Household's current strength, they might not be able to compete with him.

The Fei Household and the Daoist Black Shoes, these two powerful backers of the Chongming Sect, are people that even the Foundation Establishment behind the He Household treats with utmost respect.

He Dezong had other important matters to attend to, so the meal ended after only half an hour.

Upon learning that He Dezong was heading to Han City and would be passing by the Chongming Sect's blue silver mine on the way, Kang Dabao asked He Dezong to inquire about the size of the three beast herds if it was convenient for him, and the latter readily agreed.

In addition, there is news about the Moon Fern; He Dezong also said he is searching for it and seems to have made some progress.

"I'm having someone search for Hong Qin, and we should have some leads soon. I'll let you know then. But I saw Chen Ye outside Tanggu County earlier, so you need to be careful," He Dezong instructed before leaving.

"Chen Ye?" Kang Dabao murmured. This current leader of the Grass Witch Cult was ruthless and almost Evil Cultivator. Although Kang Dabao had only met him a few times and had never interacted with him, he was somewhat wary of him but not afraid.

This is because although Chongming Sect had some grudges with Hong Qin, the Shi Household, and others, in principle, Chongming Sect's side had not caused any trouble and was only acting in self-defense. Furthermore, these people were not necessarily close to Chen Ye, so the other party had no reason to seek revenge.

Unreasonable? Then Chen Ye should be worried. Now that Sect Leader Kang Da has a powerful backer, who's afraid of whom?

As one of only two Foundation Establishment forces in Pingrong County, Chongming Sect is already quite generous in not asking the Grass Witch Cult for Spirit Stone.

That's what Kang Dabao thought, but he still kept a bit of caution in his heart. For old cultivators like Chen Ye, who had no hope of Dao Path but still had decent skills and not much lifespan, ordinary Foundation Establishment would sometimes avoid them when they encountered them.

At this moment, in a teahouse outside the city, Chen Ye was talking to a male and a female cultivator.

"It's truly a pity that I couldn't pay my respects to Senior Shen this time." The female cultivator who spoke was someone Kang Dabao knew, Chen Ye's female disciple Lady Chong.

At this moment, she pouted, looking charmingly naive. The male cultivator beside her coaxed her, "Huan'er, don't worry. Your great-uncle is busy and can't find the time right now. He will definitely make time to see you next time."

Turning to Chen Ye, who was seated above, he apologized, "I'm sorry to have troubled Senior Chen with this trip."

Chen Ye replied in a deep voice, "It's alright. Senior Shen is the head of Zi Maple Valley, and he is extremely busy. It was our abruptness that we came here."

He then turned to the male cultivator and said, "Fellow Daoist Shen, I have a past connection with the Huo Shi Household. I will be visiting the Huo Household again within the next half month. If Senior Shen has the time, please let me know."

"That Huan'er," the male cultivator surnamed Shen looked at the Lady Chong's curvaceous figure with reluctance, while the latter also gave him a resentful look.

"Fellow Daoist's Daoist arts are profound; this humble disciple still needs your guidance." Chen Ye could see through the adulterous couple's passionate affair, but he ignored them and left the teahouse on his own.

The door had barely closed when the cultivator surnamed Shen abandoned his previous gentle and refined demeanor, grabbed the Lady Chong's short skirt, and went inside.

"Hiss, is it true that you and this old man had an affair back then?"

"Oh, dear brother, be gentle, be gentle, what nonsense are you talking about? That 'Keke my own master!"

"I don't believe it. I saw the way he looked at you just now. Bah, what kind of bullshit sect leader is he? He's over ninety and still thinking about Foundation Establishment. Keep dreaming. He'll be begging my great-uncle like a dog when the time comes. Haha, don't you think so?"

"Yes, yes, dear brother, be gentle, be kind."

The seductive music behind him reached the ears of the old Daoist priest in a Daoist robe outside the teahouse, but his eyes remained as firm as iron, showing no sign of wavering.

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