Taking a Master

Less than a month after Sect Leader Kang Da and his fellow disciples secretly returned to the Chongming Sect, before he could even properly organize the Cultivation Method he had looted from the Grass Witch Cult, two pieces of news, one good and one bad, arrived.

The bad news is that Jia Wenze, who fled back to the Book and Sword Gate midway, succumbed to his injuries. Even though his sect leader Ye Zhen, obtained top-quality medicine from the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, he still died vomiting blood.

This Foundation Establishment, who had only been at the Foundation Establishment stage for less than twenty years and was already in his eighties, was considered quite young among his peers. It's such a pity that he passed away so young.

In this way, the small Grass Witch Cult, relying solely on a group of Qi Refinement cultivators, actually managed to kill two promising Foundation Establishment cultivators from the New Cloud Alliance.

That would be absolutely unbelievable!

This news caused several nearby forces to laugh incessantly, and even the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, which had brokered the formation of the New Cloud Alliance, lost face.

It is said that Tie Liuyun was also scolded, so he no longer cared about Huo Bing's feelings. He directly inspected his troops and led a group of officers and soldiers into Cloud Horn Prefecture to hunt down the remnants of the Grass Witch Cult, causing a great uproar in all the counties.

During this period, many dirty secrets hidden by small families and factions over the years were also dug up, and most of them who did not have strong backing did not fare well. They were severely punished by the Commander Tie with a dark face, who confiscated their property and wiped out their entire clan.

This created a climate of fear among everyone.

After all, in this wretched place of Cloud Horn Prefecture, apart from virtuous families like the Chongming Sect, how many families could claim to be without any shady dealings? Besides, most families were practically covered in dirt, so it was only natural that Tie Liuyun, on a whim, would give them a good beating.

If that's the case, then what's the point of discussing whether it's a case of injustice or not?

The good news is that the Daoist Black Shoes has caught evidence that the Auspicious Brocade Gate Sect leader was secretly sabotaging the New Cloud Alliance's efforts to apprehend the criminals.

After several Qi Refinement Refining cultivators were easily captured by the Daoist Black Shoes, the Foundation Establishment of the Auspicious Brocade Gate, who had arrived upon hearing the news, relied on their superior numbers and, after a brief standoff with the Daoist Black Shoes, started fighting.

In this battle, the Daoist Black Shoes fought alone against six Foundation Establishment from the Auspicious Brocade Gate, successively killing the Auspicious Brocade Gate leader, the sect leader's wife, the Grand Elder, and the Grand Elder's wife.

The remaining two lucky ones (single dogs) managed to survive only after the belated intervention of the Yue Household's Foundation Establishment cultivator, and after paying a heavy price.

The once-powerful Auspicious Brocade Gate was a prominent force in Pu Prefecture, but in this one adventure, its six Foundation Establishment True Cultivator were almost wiped out by the Daoist Black Shoes with a single sword strike. It was truly a tragic story.

This incident immediately swept away the New Cloud Alliance's decline, greatly enhancing its prestige and forcing the state court to quietly regain its dignity.

Chongming Sect, who was closest to the Daoist Black Shoes, naturally also benefited.

After the news spread, Sima Fei sent a close nephew with gifts to visit. Kang Dabao also told the Fei family about the Spirit Stone mine. The Fei Household was even more delighted. Not long after Sima Fei's nephew left, someone from Green Lotus Courtyard sent over a Second Tier weapon crafting manual, which was just what Yuan Jin needed.

Even Xue Hu, the head of the Xue Household who hadn't left the house in a long time, came to pay his respects despite his illness, his words filled with deep subservience.

Since Xue Hu was injured by Shi Xiao last time, his injuries have not healed. Several elders of his family who were the pillars of the clan were also seriously injured in the battle with Shi Xiao. When Chongming Market was destroyed by the Three Incense Cult's beast attack, several key members of the Xue Household also died.

Not to mention the key member of the clan who had previously learned business with Lu Xun, the head of the Lu Household, in the He Household's caravan. After losing his arm, his strength was greatly diminished, and he had been out of the caravan for some time.

As a result, in just a few short years, the Xue Household Zither Leaf Forest, which was once the most prosperous of the four nearby families, not only could not compare with the Chongming Sect, which showed signs of revival, but it could not even compare with the Lu Household, which Xue Hu had always looked down upon.

Not only is their strength far less than before, but their family can no longer participate in the series of wealth-generating initiatives spearheaded by the Chongming Sect.

Seeing that Chongming Sect was becoming increasingly prosperous with the backing of the tall and strong Daoist Black Shoes, the old fellow Xue Hu seemed to have come to a realization and asked to be recruited by the Chongming Sect to humbly serve them.

However, although Xue Hu had come to his senses, Sect Leader Kang Da did not agree directly and dismissed him hastily with just a few words.

Xue Hu was a proud old man. After all, the Xue Household family had been established for a long time, and his family had almost produced Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early years. Therefore, he believed that he was not one of those insignificant Lineage with no inheritance.

The Xue Household was indeed stronger than the Lu and Ye families, and had long been a prominent family in Pingrong County. After all, they had once been under Xie Fu's control over the taxed silk cloth.

Now that the Sect Leader Kang Da is powerful, and with the Daoist Black Shoes Chongming Sect his backer, the Chongming Sect really doesn't look down on the little Xue Household anymore. Opportunities to curry favor are fleeting, and once they're gone, they're gone forever.

If the Xue Household were willing to swallow their pride and become a nominal vassal of the Chongming Sect like the Kuai Household, Kang Dabao might give it a second consideration.

However, if they wanted to maintain a more cooperative relationship like before, even one with a clear distinction between master and servant, Sect Leader Kang Da was not so willing.

The Chongming Sect now needs to associate with more influential forces to avoid losing face.

No sooner had Xue Hu left than the He Household brothers arrived.

"Senior Black Shoes has become famous throughout several states. It's truly a pity that we cannot pay our respects to him today." After chatting for a long time, He Dezong took a sip of spiritual tea, frowned, and showed a look of regret.

"Yes, yes," He Degong echoed sincerely.

"Haha, definitely next time, definitely next time." Kang Dabao looked somewhat smug. After all these years, my sworn brother has finally come to envy me, Kang Dabao!

"To be honest, besides paying my respects to Senior Black Shoes, there's another matter I've come here for," He Dezong glanced at his teacup, then put it down and turned to a pale-faced boy of about eleven or twelve standing behind He Degong, saying, "Reporting to you, my son, I pay my respects to your Uncle Kang Household."

"He Yuanbing to Uncle Kang."

"I already paid my respects when we met before, nephew. There's no need for such formalities," Kang Dabao said, surprised.

"I was paying my respects to my uncle earlier, but this time I have something to ask of my elder brother." Before He Dezong could speak, He Degong stood up with a smile and walked to Kang Dabao's side.

Sect Leader Kang Da didn't quite understand and remained silent for a moment, but words couldn't be left unsaid, so He Dezong spoke up at the opportune moment, "My son has been taught by his elder brother since childhood, but in recent years, Senior Lang has entrusted me with many important tasks, and I really can't get away. Although there are some elders in the clan, they are old and frail, and I'm afraid they might hold my son back. After much thought, I think it would be best to find a good teacher for him."

"Oh, Brother, you have such intentions." Hearing this, Kang Dabao sounded somewhat surprised. How many years had it been since Chongming Sect had had a cultivator from a well-known, outside Lineage become his disciple?

The last time was probably when my master had just taken over the position.

"Old man, did you see that! Your disciple is the ancestor of the restoration!" Sect Leader Kang Da was overjoyed, but on the surface he still had to put on airs and make a slight excuse.

"Brother, I'm afraid you should reconsider. After all, our sect is just a small one, and I'm afraid it might hinder your Dao Path," Kang Dabao said sincerely, forcing a troubled expression on his face.

"Brother, do you perhaps think Bing'er's aptitude is lacking?" He Dezong was also a shrewd man, and pretended to be displeased.

"Not at all, not at all." Kang Dabao quickly waved his hand, indicating his agreement.

"Why haven't you paid your respects to the sect leader yet?" He Degong patted his son on the back, He Yuanbing bowed deeply once again.

Kang Dabao smiled and picked it up, then bestowed two more mid-grade magic Law Artifact that had been refurbished by Yuan Jin. These things were now extremely rare in the Chongming Sect.

Wait, no, this is for settling debts with Tie Liuyun soon, damn it!

Sect Leader Kang Da quickly concealed his distressed expression. The two families discussed the matter briefly and finally decided to have He Yuanbing become Jiang Qing's disciple.

Jiang Qing drank the tea offered by He Yuanbing with a blank expression. Although he was still somewhat angry with He Degong, he could not refuse out of respect for He Dezong.

Back when Kang Dabao was struggling to make ends meet with his two junior brothers, He Dezong took good care of Jiang Qing. He Yuanbing was his nephew, so Jiang Qing naturally wanted to reciprocate.

Jiang Qing treated He Yuanbing very well. Right after they finished tea, he bestowed upon him several suitable magical Law Artifact. After all, the Chongming Sect's treasury was almost empty, but Jiang Qing's Storage Bag were not lacking for the time being.

Afterwards, Jiang Qing asked a few more questions and then asked He Yuanbing pay his respects to his father and uncle. He then handed over a black-handled silver brush and asked Pei Yi to write it down. Pei Yi, as the Transmission Elder, filled in the sect's roster for He Yuanbing. From then on, He Yuanbing officially became a disciple of the Chongming Sect.

The two families then gathered for several more days of feasting. After everyone had enjoyed themselves, the He Household brothers gave He Yuanbing a few words of advice on "respecting teachers and valuing the Way" before bidding him farewell.

On the return journey, the He Household brothers each rode a six-legged steed, walking side by side in silence.

"What, are you still blaming me for not sending Yuanbing to the Stone Mountain Sect?" He Dezong glanced at his younger brother and spoke first.

"Yes, there is some resentment." The two are brothers from the same father and mother, so there's nothing to hide. He Degong was only slightly taken aback when he heard his brother's words before nodding in agreement.

"Even if we don't send them to the Stone Mountain Sect, we should at least send them to a major sect like the Purple Mountain Sect or the Zi Maple Valley, which are both Chongming Sect Foundation Establishment Sect have just Qi Refinement Refining stage, and I'm afraid that it will delay their Yuanbing." He Degong simply spoke frankly.

"Senior Lang's old servant has come to deliver another message, and he wants to bring up the usual practice again." He Dezong didn't answer He Degong's question, but instead brought up another matter, saying it casually.

"If I remember correctly, in just the past sixty years, Senior Lang has already increased seven times. And now, just a few years later, he has increased again!" He Degong exclaimed in surprise, forgetting about his son's apprenticeship and focusing on this matter instead.

This "Senior Lang" is the biggest backer of the He Household caravan. Starting from He Dezong's father's generation, the He Household family has been supporting him for nearly a hundred years.

He is not only a rare Foundation Establishment cultivator among the rogue cultivators in Yunjiao Prefecture, but also a rather rare late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This Senior Lang is exceptionally talented. If he hadn't taken too many wrong turns when he entered the Daoist path, delaying the best time for cultivation, he might not be able to achieve the Golden Core False Core.

It's a pity that Senior Lang's lifespan is nearing its end, and there is almost no hope left.

Perhaps for this reason, Senior Lang's exploitative methods have become increasingly blatant and undisguised over the years.

"I've done a rough calculation, and if we don't open up some new trade routes, there's hardly any profit to be made." Thinking of this, He Dezong couldn't help but sigh. Without resources, how can we even talk about having any hope of Foundation Establishment?

All for the sake of the family's caravan, I don't know how many years I've been delayed.

The dozens of He Household cultivators all depended on these few trade routes for their livelihood. If there was no income from these routes, just thinking about the faces of his brothers and uncles in the clan made He Dezong's expression gloomy.

But He Dezong had no other choice, after all, this family's reputation and power could not be maintained by him alone.

"Damn it, this life is definitely not as enjoyable as Kang Dabao's!" He Dezong cursed inwardly.

"The elder in charge of foreign affairs at the Stone Mountain Sect told me that older Lineage members are hard to manage and their aptitude is not outstanding. This is the number required to join the sect." He Dezong changed the subject, gesturing with his hand to show a number that left He Degong speechless.

"Other Foundation Establishment sects are much the same. Yuanhe used the money I had saved up myself when he became an apprentice. I can't afford that much money when Yuanbing wants to become an apprentice."

He Degong fell silent upon hearing this. Thanks to the He Household and his elder brother, he was relatively wealthy compared to ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators. A few years ago, he would have made Kang Dabao envious, but he certainly couldn't afford that much.

What else is there to say? It's only natural for a father to pay for his son's education; I've never heard of forcing an uncle to pay.

"What's the point of joining Foundation Establishment sect? Climbing the ranks from outer disciple to inner disciple to True Disciple, First Tier First Tier Spirit Stones. Even after thirty or fifty years, you might not be considered one of our own. You can't even consider your Lineage's interests, ending up pleasing neither side. It's much better to go to the Chongming Sect. At least those Chongming Sect brothers there will genuinely look after Bing'er out of respect for our elder brother."

Realizing he couldn't possibly produce those Spirit Stones, He Degong tried to console himself with a thought, then added, "My elder brother still needs to prepare resources for Foundation Establishment. Right now, the various branches of the clan are constantly fighting amongst themselves; they can't be relied upon! We, the eldest branch, have to rely on ourselves!"

He Degong was no fool. He understood the situation at that moment, and his resentment towards his elder brother gradually dissipated.

"There's no need to worry too much. Senior Lang also said that he brought up the usual practice this time only because he is at a crucial stage in his cultivation of a Cultivation Method. After some time, it will naturally come down." He Dezong saw his younger brother scoff at this and smiled bitterly to himself. That old servant of Senior Lang is so arrogant; he never bothers to come up with a reason for his words. Who can believe him?

"I'll give it a try regarding the new trade route."

"Huh?" He Dezong was surprised to hear these words coming from his own younger brother.

"Even an old man like Lu Xun dares to do it, so there's no reason for me, a member of the He Household, to be inferior."

"How many years has it been since I've seen the Second so spirited?" He Dezong asked with a smile, but inwardly he was afraid that the second son was just having a sudden whim and had changed the subject again.

"Younger Brother Jiang is exceptionally talented. Now that Senior Black Shoes is taking care of the Chongming Sect, he will surely reach the Foundation Establishment in the future. At that time, Chongming Sect will also be a major Foundation Establishment sect. Bing'er will be outstanding." Seeing that his younger brother had resolved his inner conflict, He Dezong felt much more relieved and offered further words of comfort.

He Degong nodded in agreement, but in his mind he was already planning how to integrate the caravans and open up trade routes. This was definitely a dangerous task, and even though he had been handling administrative affairs for many years and had gained some experience, he still had little chance of success.

There are plenty of desperate people in the world who are willing to risk their lives. In the process of opening up a new trade route, you will encounter countless vicious bandits like the Black Mountain Bandits, and many people will die!

He Degong, preoccupied with his own thoughts, remained silent, He Dezong also said nothing. The two brothers walked along the road in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Foundation Establishment is promising.

When will I be able to truly Foundation Establishment?

Thank you to Brother Wuhuang Lei for the Extended Net Moon.

Thanks to readers 1491966811514626048 and Bear Rolling in the Ice and Snow for their two monthly passes.

Thank you to reader 20170518000948391 for the monthly pass.

Thank you all for reading, subscribing, voting, and commenting!

(Many readers have mentioned the slow pace, and I'm wondering if that's the reason, as my reading speed has indeed decreased recently. Please feel free to share your opinions and discuss this. I'll consider revising the outline; Lao Bai flies. Actually, I've already planted quite a few clues during the Qi Refinement stage.)