Another Trip to Xuanwei

Duan Anle's task of helping the Xue Household transport people didn't last long. As soon as he returned to the sect, before he could even rest, he was assigned another task by Pei Yi, the sect's chief elder in charge of transferring skills.

He Muxian, the clansman of the former headmaster of White Ram Monastery, has passed away. As the only remaining disciple of the sect, Duan Anle is required to visit White Ram Monastery to pay his respects and to assess whether the successor chosen by He Muxian is suitable.

It is said that this was decided by He Muxian before her death, but like Chongming City, the abbot of White Ram Monastery Temple is, as is customary, a relative of the current sect leader.

He Muxian has been holding onto her position for so many years because Sect Leader Kang Da was too lazy to deal with things before.

However, none of the He Household have his seniority and experience, so there's no reason for them to continue as the abbot.

Therefore, even if He Muxian was reluctant to give up the position of abbot that had been passed down through generations in the He Household, she had to hand it over.

It just so happened that the Kang Household branch in Pingrong had been quite resentful because the position of Chongming City had fallen to Kang Dahou, who came from the main branch. So Kang Dabao simply had someone from the minor branch recommend someone to take the position of abbot.

As one of only two immortals in the Pingrong Kang Household, Kang Rongquan naturally had to step forward. So he temporarily stopped working in the spirit field and went with Duan Anle.

Kang Rongquan will turn twelve this year. He has been a disciple for six years and Third Layer of Qi Refinement. This speed is comparable to that of Jiang Qing back then.

Besides the fact that Chongming Sect's finances are much more abundant now than they were back then, Kang Rongquan's Triple Spirit Root are indeed something that his fellow disciples can only envy.

This chubby boy not only made great progress in his cultivation, but also excelled in his relationship with Master Jia.

If Zhou Yixiu's decision to marry her daughter to Kang Rongquan was somewhat of a joke back then, now, with the daily improvement of her apprentice Jia Shi's skills, Zhou Yixiu is starting to seriously consider whether to marry Zhou Xinran to this chubby boy.

Descendant of the sect leader, disciple of an elder, possessing Triple Spirit Root, and a master of farming.

Objectively speaking, Kang Rongquan is indeed an excellent candidate to be a son-in-law. It's just a matter of waiting until he gets a little older before we can start making arrangements for this.

Kang Rongquan was unaware of these things. Having not been able to leave the sect for a long time, he was somewhat excited and was riding a Desolate Ox, "Galloping away." It was only when Duan Anle stepped forward and grabbed the Desolate Ox's nose ring that Kang Rongquan was stopped.

Seeing Duan Anle's serious expression, Kang Rongquan realized his mistake, chuckled awkwardly, dismounted from the Desolate Ox, and turned to look at the Gray Spirit Falcon perched on Duan Anle's shoulder, his large eyes revealing a hint of envy.

"Beastmasters are much more impressive than farmers." This Gray Spirit Falcon was handpicked by He Dezong back then; it was incredibly powerful, and Kang Rongquan really liked it.

However, apart from Duan Anle, no one else was allowed to get close to the Gray Spirit Falcon. Only after receiving instruction from Duan Anle would Kang Rongquan allow him to touch its feathers a few times with his chubby, short, and thick hands.

Kang Rongquan was already envious of just one Gray Spirit Falcon, but Duan Anle brought more than one spirit beast with him this time; he also brought out the golden-haired old donkey as his mount.

Han Yundao returned from Double Brightness Trade Market a while ago. In addition to bringing back a lot of popular snacks from the market for his junior brothers and sisters, he also brought back a bottle of pills for the old donkey.

The pills were charred black and had a strange taste, so the younger generation naturally wouldn't eat them. The old donkey, however, wasn't picky about food. After ten days or half a month, it ate them all up and then slept for a full seven days before waking up.

Upon waking, the old donkey's fur became even more lustrous, like gold, and his cultivation level increased significantly. He also comprehended a unique fire-breathing technique.

If we consider the cultivation levels of Qi Refinement cultivators, the old donkey before taking the pill might have only Qi Refinement Fourth Layer Refining, but after waking up from the pill, it would have already Qi Refining Fifth Layer or even sixth level of Qi Refining.

Even Ye Zhengwen was amazed after hearing about this, after all, he was now the most accomplished cultivator in the Chongming Sect when it came to spiritual observation.

Even he, after examining the pills obtained by Han Yundao and Pei Que, couldn't say anything convincing about their properties.

It's safe to say that the elixir is harmless and won't kill any large animals. We can let the old donkey try it.

Regardless of what happened in between, the golden-haired old donkey, now awake, is much better looking and stronger than before. The Duan Anle can ride such a mount shows that he is truly a trustworthy person in the eyes of his superiors.

After arriving at White Ram Monastery, the two had nothing major to do. All the ceremonies had been prepared. They only met with the local mortals and powerful figures for a while before serving as the chief officiant at He Muxian's funeral.

Kang Rongquan had little interest in the new abbot of the White Ram Monastery, who was of the same clan.

After listening to the other person's affectionate words, the chubby boy felt his ears were itching badly, and after the funeral ended, he hurriedly pulled Duan Anle away from the cemetery.

Kang Rongquan had the latter take him back to the small courtyard where he had discovered the big locust tree years ago, and they strolled around the neighborhood with great interest.

Now, under the care of Zhou Yixiu and Kang Rongquan, the large locust tree is growing very well and has become an important source of wealth for the Chongming Sect.

Therefore, Kang Rongquan wanted to try his luck again. If he could find one or two more Spirit Plant to take back, even if they were not of the same grade as the previous large locust tree, he could still make a name for himself in front of the elders.

As Duan Anle had predicted, Kang Rongquan's efforts yielded nothing.

The chubby boy seemed to have forgotten that it was Zhou Yixiu who brought him back to transplant that big locust tree. Even if there were other Spirit Plant here that Duan Anle and Han Yundao had overlooked, Zhou Yixiu, with his experienced wisdom, would not have missed them.

The well next to the big locust tree was sealed tightly by He Muxian and her men before her death, and it has never been opened again. The courtyard was swept very clean, and there was no trace of the bloodshed that had once taken place here.

It's likely that not many people still remember that the well in the corner of the courtyard once contained the remains of twelve beautiful young girls.

The Yin Qi atmosphere of the past was gone, and the scorching sunlight beat down on him. Even Duan Anle, who was used to helping the weak and needy, seemed to have forgotten much about it.

The new abbot wasn't far behind Kang Rongquan before he personally led a group of people to wait outside the courtyard with tea sets and snacks.

He had heard from Sect Leader Kang Da, through Little Wu Meng, that the incident of the female ghost haunting White Ram Monastery years ago was mentioned.

Although He Muxian has no hope of becoming an immortal due to the lack of Spirit Root, she has already achieved considerable skill in cultivating the Daoist Virgin Boy Skill. In theory, she could live for another seventeen or eighteen years without any problem.

If it weren't for the female ghost draining my life force and causing me physical and mental trauma, I wouldn't have died so young.

The new abbot learned his lesson. Little Wu Meng, who relayed the message from the sect leader, said that if the same dirty deeds were to happen again in the White Ram Monastery Temple, he, the abbot, would be beaten to death on the spot in the main hall where the patriarchs of the past generations were enshrined.

The newly appointed abbot, realizing this, trembled in fright. He then saw Kang Rongquan and Duan Anle emerge looking dejected, and hurriedly went to greet them.

"You two immortal masters must be a little tired. Please have some simple tea."

Duan Anle thanked him, took the teacup, and drank it without any change in expression. Kang Rongquan, whose palate had been spoiled by the spiritual tea grown by Zhou Yixiu, immediately frowned and put the teacup back on the tea tray.

"Huh?" Kang Rongquan noticed a snow-white jade tablet, about the size of a baby's finger, on the tea tray. It emanated a faint spiritual aura and seemed to be placed there as a decoration.

The chubby boy suddenly remembered that when he last met his great-uncle, Sect Leader Kang Da seemed to have been wearing the same jade tablet on his waist!

"Where did this come from?" Kang Rongquan unceremoniously stuffed the jade tablet into his hand and then asked curiously.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, I don't know either, but an old Daoist priest told me that this tea set was bestowed upon us by Patriarch Zhang when he established the White Ram Monastery, so it must be nearly two hundred years old."

"Oh, then this thing is mine. I'll trade you a Spirit Stone." The new abbot dared not accept the immortal master's Spirit Stone and naturally declined. Only after he could no longer refuse did he happily put the Spirit Stone away.

Duan Anle watched from the side and gently shook his head. This master's clan did indeed lack some foundation. It was surprising that such a person could be publicly recommended as the abbot of White Ram Monastery. Hopefully, nothing bad would happen in the future.

Having obtained the jade tablet, Kang Rongquan lost all interest in talking to his clansman. He pulled Duan Anle and tried to head to Double Brightness Trade Market to find Kang Dabao, but the latter stopped him.

"Junior brother, don't worry, Master is probably not in Double Brightness Trade Market right now."

"Does Senior Brother know where Grand Uncle went?"

"There are some matters at the Blue Silver Mine; he went to Tanggu County to find County Magistrate Tie."

Tanggu County

Duan Anle didn't actually know what Sect Leader Kang Da was going to do in Tanggu County.

It's true that several mine shafts in the Blue Silver Mine were attacked by Demon Beast, but thanks to Kuai En's efficient work, by the time Sect Leader Kang Da arrived, the Kuai Household, along with the several cultivators they had hired, had already taken care of most of the matter.

Since the younger sister of the Kuai Household married into the Chongming Sect, Kuai En has become much more confident in his actions, and even dared to recruit four or five live-in sons-in-law among the Rogue Cultivator to do his bidding.

The Kuai Household has had good fortune in recent years, with three more promising talents emerging, much to the envy of Sect Leader Kang Da. It seems that once they grow up, they will be able to help Kuai En protect the spiritual land of Dantong Cliff.

Kang Dabao did not stay at the Kuai Household for long. Even when he did stay, he sought instruction from Kuai En on the cultivation of the "Long Breath Art," much to the disappointment of the two young ladies who had almost gotten together with Sect Leader Kang Da last time.

The Long Breath Art Cultivation Method is quite strange. Kang Dabao once showed it to the Daoist Black Shoes, but even the latter, who was considered to have the most outstanding talent in Cloud Horn Prefecture, couldn't master it. Chongming Sect, the entire Chongming Sect couldn't master it either.

It's quite puzzling that Kuai En, despite his obviously inferior aptitude, has been cultivating so smoothly.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da to seek advice was in vain. If it weren't for Kuai En's seemingly genuine, almost tearful appearance, Kang Dabao might have actually suspected that he had been deceived by this burly man.

Since there was no progress, Sect Leader Kang Da did not linger at the Kuai Household for long. Instead, he went to the official temple in Tanggu County to catch up with Tie Xishan.

After enjoying the feast of female musicians arranged by Tie Xishan, they traveled for another two days on their Black Blood Colt before finally arriving Xuanwei City.

He came here because he had another letter to deliver to Buse on behalf of Tie Xishui.

Even if you searched the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture, you wouldn't find many Qi Refining cultivators like Sect Leader Kang Da who dared to delay the matters entrusted to them by Foundation Establishment True Cultivator Qi Refinement so long.

It wasn't that Kang Dabao was particularly bold; it was just that Tie Xishui had said there was no rush and they could go later. Sect Leader Kang Da simply couldn't find the time, which is why it was delayed until now.

"County Commandant Kang, please!" Since Xuanwei City changed hands, the armored cultivators guarding the city gate have become even stronger than before. The ordinary gatekeepers are all at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and in terms of cultivation, they are only slightly inferior to Sect Leader Kang Da.

The title of an official appointed by the Immortal Dynasty wasn't entirely useless; at least one could enter the city without queuing and without paying an entrance fee. Not only would the gatekeepers greet one politely, but even the officials on duty on the city tower would come down to greet them.

"I am Gun Qiushou, and I humbly serve as the Assistant Magistrate of the Xuanwei West City. I have long admired the esteemed name of the County Magistrate Kang."

"It was Pass Deputy Gun in person. May I ask about Guan Cheng, Military Commandant Gun, and Guan Lushi?"

"You two are indeed my uncles," the white-faced Guan Cheng paused, then smiled and said, "I am also the son-in-law of the Fei Household. May I ask what brings you to Xuanwei City? If you have the time, please come upstairs for a chat."

"That's exactly what I wanted." Kang Dabao thought to himself, "So they're brothers-in-law."

This was the first time in his life he had met such a kind and approachable young master from a prominent Aristocratic Clan. Tie Xishui's letter was already so late, what difference would a little more time make? Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't think of a reason to refuse for the time being, so he agreed.

Gun Qiushou laughed and grabbed Kang Dabao's arm, leading him up the steps. After passing two more guards, they finally entered a spacious pavilion.

He had been to Xuanwei City many times, but this was his first time climbing the city gate tower, which made the country Sect Leader Kang Da look on with a curious expression.

"Good heavens, this decor is more luxurious than any of the restaurants in Linghe Market."

After the guests and hosts took their seats, a group of scantily clad maids brought two cups of hot wine, eight plates of spiritual fruits, and sixteen kinds of dried fruits and pastries. All of them were full of Spiritual Qi and were not ordinary items. With the limited knowledge of the Sect Leader Kang Da, he could not even name many of them.

Four of the most beautiful maids remained, and they expertly bent down to massage the feet and backs of the two women, their skillful techniques clearly indicating they had received training.

The massage made Kang Dabao feel completely comfortable, but he had to force himself to remain calm and straighten his body, not daring to make a sound or embarrass himself.

"My family is pressing me hard this time, and I haven't brought many of my good maids with me. I only have these few clumsy girls with me. I apologize for neglecting you, my dear brother."

Gun Qiushou bowed and apologized with a sincere expression, which did not seem like a humble remark, but it made Kang Dabao even more envious.

"Brother Gun, you are mistaken. We are brothers, there is no need for such formalities." Kang Dabao didn't know how he had become a virtuous brother, but since polite words didn't cost Spirit Stone, the Sect Leader Kang Da was naturally willing to say them.

"Haha, I misspoke, brother. I shall drink this cup to the brim." Gun Qiushou laughed heartily, picked up the cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

But as soon as he put the cup back on the table, the wine vessel automatically refilled with the clear, refreshing spirit wine.

Kang Dabao was amazed. "Even ordinary wine vessels in this wealthy family are engraved with mustard seed arrays." But then he thought, "Damn it, was this kid faking it just now?"

After exchanging toasts for a while, Gun Qiushou put down his wine cup and finally revealed his purpose for the day. "I, your foolish brother, have received Your Majesty's order to abandon my family and career and rush to Cloud Horn to serve as the king's vanguard. In the future, on the battlefield, I will need to look after you, my virtuous brother."

Kang Dabao realized that his battle skills had been exaggerated after the battle at the Five Aspects Sect, and the busybodies in Cloud Horn Prefecture had practically made him out to be Zhou Yu reincarnated.

These people are very talkative. If someone questions them, they just need to mention that they married the eldest daughter of the Fei Household, and the questioner will usually have nothing to say.

That was the legitimate daughter of the Fei Household, who had always only married into noble families. Now she was marrying a peasant. It would be strange if this peasant Rong wasn't a genius of his time.

After breaking through the Grass Witch Cult, his strategy of surrounding the enemy from three sides and controlling one side solidified his reputation as a military strategist.

Kang Dabao did try to catch two talkative people to ask them questions. He was also curious why they would be so kind as to spread these rumors for him, since there wasn't a single spirit fragment to be gained.

But you wouldn't believe it until you asked; what you found out was astonishing – this family actually did possess Spirit Stones!

From then on, Sect Leader Kang Da was so terrified that he dared not investigate any further, and could only watch helplessly as his reputation soared from the level of Zhou Yu in the world to that of Zhuge Liang reborn.

He casually agreed, knowing that he would definitely avoid going into battle as much as possible in the Sect Leader Kang Da.

Gun Qiushou was overjoyed to see Kang Dabao agree so readily without any hesitation.

The Gun Household has officials and clerks in various key government offices throughout the prefecture, and their information network is far superior to that of the Sect Leader Kang Da. The prefecture is about to launch a major operation, and this time it will not be something that can be resolved by simply destroying one or two Foundation Establishment sects.

He, Gun Qiushou, didn't emerge from the bloodshed of his ancestors like his fathers. If he were to actually go into battle, he probably wouldn't have any outstanding skills.

This man surnamed Kang has caught the Earl's eye; how bad could he be? Today's meal is just a simple feast, nothing special. But if one can forge a good relationship with him, perhaps one can benefit from it on the battlefield in the future?

He drank until the pretty maid's legs went weak, then Kang Dabao excused himself, saying he needed to pay his respects to the Buse senior.

By this time, the sun was already setting. Gun Qiushou, having given up his wine cup and pretty maid, personally escorted him to the foot of the city tower before reluctantly bidding farewell to Sect Leader Kang Da.

This courteous treatment made the Sect Leader Kang Da, whose mouth was still full of the aroma of wine, sigh somewhat. After spending so many days in this realm, he had suffered countless scornful looks in the first half of his life. Was it really only after his wedding that he had finally encountered kind people?

He understood. Acting Sima Gun had shown him some goodwill last time, and Gun Shide had even given him gifts.

Since they both acted this way, most of the younger generation, like Gun Qiushou, had probably received some instructions from him. After all, he was Fei Household's son-in-law, so associating with him wouldn't be a loss of face.

Putting these thoughts aside, Kang Dabao arrived at Buse's official residence after a short while. However, after presenting his visiting card, the novice monk guarding the gate bluntly stated that his master was not at the official residence but was a guest at Tie Liuyun's house.

Sect Leader Kang Da didn't want to delay any longer. He had a good relationship with Tie Liuyun, and it wouldn't be considered impolite or presumptuous for him to pay a visit.

After walking for about half an hour, Kang Dabao arrived at Tie Liuyun's newly acquired residence in Xuanwei City. The original owner of this residence was a close relative of the Niu Household who had reached the Foundation Establishment, and the area was even larger than Master Qi's house.

After handing over the visiting card, another nephew of Tie Liuyun came out to greet him. He had a leopard-like head and piercing eyes, and was not good with words.

Without giving his name, Kang Dabao silently followed along, passing through several pavilions and terraces, before finally seeing Tie Liuyun face to face.

"Da Bao is here. I heard you came to see Buse? Unfortunately, he just left a stick ago to go back to his official residence." Tie Liuyun invited Kang Dabao to sit down. At this moment, he had removed his armor, had a smile on his face, and was wearing a brocade robe, looking every bit the wealthy man.

"Hey, what a waste of time." Sect Leader Kang Da almost sighed when he heard this, but since he had just arrived, he couldn't just leave, so he chatted with Tie Liuyun for a while longer.

"But after you entered the city, didn't you linger at that kid Gun Qiushou for a while?"

"Even Commander Tie knows this."

"My lord recently asked me to rebuild the Demon Correction Office Cloud Horn Prefecture. How many major or minor events in Xuanwei City can escape my notice? Besides, you never intended to hide anything from me." Tie Liuyun was beaming when talking about his new job.

After all, apart from Fei Nanying, who came to Cloud Horn Prefecture from the capital with Kuang Liuting, there is no other Foundation Establishment cultivator in the local area who is loyal to the prefectural court and can rival him.

He continued, "The Gun Household is merely an insignificant surname in the capital region, of low social standing, and not worth mentioning. It's only because Gun Shilu is shameless enough to desperately curry favor with the Fei Household's She Mountain Hall. You must not get too involved with them and must safeguard your status as the Fei Household's legitimate son-in-law."

"Thank you for the reminder, Commander." Kang Dabao agreed verbally, but in his heart he was thinking, "You Tie Liuyun, a mere Foundation Establishment from a border state, have quite the big mouth after climbing up to Kuang Liuting. You even look down on the powerful families in the capital."

After the founding emperor of the Immortal Dynasty established order throughout the land, he divided the Aristocratic Clan cultivators into six ranks: Noble Families, Elite Clans, Wealthy Families, Powerful Families, Good Families, and Humble Families.

Even powerful families like the Dingnan Niu Household of Dingnan, who dominated Cloud Horn Prefecture for a century, could at best be considered Liang families in a remote border prefecture. They were incomparable to powerful families like the Gun Household in the capital region.

Before Commander Tie's Tie Household Foundation Establishment in Tie Xishui, they didn't even have a single member who had achieved multiple Foundation Establishment. They probably couldn't even be considered poor and humble in the border regions, and could only be described as an unrankable, earthy family.

"Just how much of a pie did Kuang Liuting promise this man?" Kang Dabao was slightly surprised. Logically speaking, Tie Liuyun had always been a high-ranking official of the Immortal Dynasty known for his pragmatism and down-to-earth approach in the surrounding provinces. Why did he seem so frivolous today?

They've gotten too big for their britches!

"Haha, I won't keep you any longer. The matter of the Spirit Stone mine has been settled, and there will be news in a few days. I will then tell Fellow Black Shoes." A sound transmission talisman shot into Tie Liuyun's hand. Tie Liuyun's face lit up with joy, and he served tea to see the guest out.

Kang Dabao sensibly took his leave, and as he stepped outside, he saw a group of female musicians filing into the Tie residence through the main gate. Standing at the entrance of the Tie residence, Kang Dabao was slightly surprised by this scene. No wonder it was already mealtime, and they hadn't even bothered to provide a hot meal.

"Those are the female musicians that Commander Tie recently purchased at a high price from the Mandarin Duck Hall in Feng Prefecture," a middle-aged cultivator in brocade robes said, bowing slightly. "Brother, how have you been?"

Thank you so much, Miaoming Qingzhenyao, for the 100 coins! (I forgot yesterday -_-||)

Thanks to the two gentlemen, "Give Me a Name" and "Book Friend 20220326173013000," for their Extended Net Moon.

Thanks to Brother Bujie Haokanshu for the Extended Net Moon.

Thanks to Pirate Yang Fan, Hashimoto Evil, Hamburger Not Full, Book Friend 20220511124811275, Book Friend 20240422035131558, Book Friend 20210301105262635998, and Black Cloud Guest for their monthly tickets.

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