Entrusting the Orphan

"Young man, it's been a long time since you've come, hasn't it?" Commander Tie was still dressed in military uniform. He glanced at the visiting card briefly and then casually put it down.

"These are trivial matters; it would be inappropriate to disturb your meditation." Kang Dabao remained as respectful and humble as ever.

Commander Tie sneered after hearing this, "Since you came here for the Ming Household's sake, it doesn't count as an intrusion, does it?"

Turning to the truth, he added, "If you're willing to sell me the Azure Stone vein that Gun Shilu promised you at market price, I wouldn't mind sparing the Ming Household."

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao's face instantly showed a bitter smile. He hadn't expected that Tie Liuyun would find out about the arrangements made by the Acting Sima Gun just a few days later. He could only shake his head and sigh.

"Commander, you should know that I wouldn't dare to do that. Besides, even if I were to take over this mine, what harm would it do to you?"

Commander Tie's sneer remained unmoved by Sect Leader Kang Da's words; he simply said in a cold voice:

"Hmph, don't try to fool me with those words! You're clinging to your old man's father right now, completely forgetting about me, your patron. You'll probably end up being my pawn to harm me in the future."

Kang Dabao could tell that Commander Tie was quite resentful, and he thought that the talks were unlikely to succeed. Just as he was about to change his approach, Commander Tie waved his hand and said:

"I've already explained the plan to you. If you want to help, then agree readily. If you don't want to help, I'll have the kitchen prepare a grand feast. After you've eaten, mind your own business and go back to taking care of your precious daughter and baby!"

Since Tie Liuyun had already said so much, Sect Leader Kang Da could not say anything more.

I have done my best, but I am powerless to change anything. Since I cannot change anything, I have no choice but to give up and go home. I can't risk my life to save the Ming Household.

As for the Daoist Black Shoes Daoist, he had left a message at his uncle's door before leaving. After reading it, his uncle had his own plan. Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't interfere with these matters.

However, Kang Dabao was going to attend Tie Liuyun's banquet. Now that Commander Tie had become a favorite of the state court, the banquet's standards would naturally be high.

Taking advantage of the toasting opportunity, Sect Leader Kang Da gulped down quite a few bottles of precious spirit wine. Commander Tie, of course, didn't mind and ordered his servants to bring over even more wine, saying with a smile, "You lad, you haven't developed even a trace of nobility."

"Commander, you flatter me," said the Sect Leader Kang Da, changing the subject halfway through his drink. "Have you ever heard of the Azure Firmament Spirit Root?"

"Azure Firmament Spirit Root? You, the eldest son-in-law of the Fei Household, are truly knowledgeable. With just a casual remark, you mentioned a high-level Spirit Plant that I have never heard of in my hundred years of cultivation." After drinking, Commander Tie seemed to be in a much better mood, his tone light and no longer as serious as before.

Kang Dabao ignored the teasing in Tie Liuyun's words and frowned slightly.

No wonder no one reported the news that Uncle Black Shoes had offered a reward for the Azure Firmament Spirit Root in the New Cloud Alliance.

Given Tie Liuyun's knowledge, he had never even heard of the Azure Firmament Spirit Root. There were certainly very few cultivators in Cloud Horn Prefecture who, let alone had seen it, even knew of it.

Sect Leader Kang Da hadn't expected this item to be so hard to find. Despite his disappointment, he asked again, "May I ask, Commander, do you know the whereabouts of any spiritual items that can replenish one's foundation?"

"Oh, so you know." Tie Liuyun's face showed a hint of mockery. "You haven't given up yet, have you? You're still thinking about getting your sword cultivator junior brother to reach the Foundation Establishment? His Dao body is already damaged. Even if he gets the Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill that the Earl bestowed upon him, the probability of Foundation Establishment stage won't exceed 20%."

If you fail to Foundation Establishment, it will just be a waste of superior resources. Why bother? You're already progressing quite quickly; in just one cycle, you'll be able to use those good pills.

Even if you yourself Foundation Establishment, your chances will be much higher than your junior brother's. That Foundation Establishment Pill was originally a gift from the Earl to your family; as the sect leader, you should naturally use it. Why bother with this?"

Kang Dabao remained silent for a moment, head down, without answering.

Looking at his appearance, Tie Liuyun thought for a moment before speaking, "The Han City Yue Household is holding a high-profile Foundation Establishment auction next month, where there may be many good items, perhaps including the spiritual object you are looking for."

If your Daoist Black Shoes wants to go, give him this invitation. If he doesn't want to go, sell the invitation; even an ordinary Foundation Establishment would be willing to spend a hundred or so Spirit Stone to buy it.

The Sect Leader Kang Da carefully accepted the document and put it away. This matter concerned Jiang Qing's Foundation Establishment and could not be taken lightly.

Therefore, he still thought that after returning, he would shamelessly beg the Daoist Black Shoes to go to Han City.

The meal was only halfway through when the doorman came to report, "Commander, He Dezong from the Hong County He Household has come to pay a visit with a letter from Senior Lang. What do you think?"

Tie Liuyun's eyebrows twitched, he shook his head, and said to Kang Dabao, "Brother, you're so ignorant. Do you think just anyone can see me?"

Just as Sect Leader Kang Da was about to plead for He Dezong, Tie Liuyun continued, "What is Lang Yi anyway? If he were to come in person, I might even give him a proper welcome. A letter, a junior scholar, ha!"

Although Commander Tie's tone was arrogant, Kang Dabao didn't think he was being presumptuous; the man certainly had the right to act that way.

The high-ranking official's expression clearly darkened with displeasure, and he said bluntly, "Young Kang, after you've eaten, take your family and brothers back home. I have important business to attend to and cannot keep you company any longer."

Sect Leader Kang Da was not an ignorant person. After respectfully seeing Commander Tie, he tactfully left the magnificent mansion. He was then led out through a side gate by a gatekeeper and saw He Dezong looking embarrassed.

Kang Dabao was not surprised that the Ming Household would send a letter to the He Household.

The mothers of the two brothers, He Dezong and He Degong, and Kang Dabao's teacher's wife were sisters from the same mother, both being legitimate daughters of the Xue Lin Shan Ming family.

The Ming Household was He Dezong's maternal family, and in terms of relationship, he was even closer to them than the three Kang Dabao brothers. As the most outstanding junior among the next generation, it was perfectly normal for the Ming Household to ask him for advice and solutions when they encountered difficulties.

However, Kang Dabao had not anticipated that He Dezong would actually go straight to Commander Tie to plead for mercy.

"Brother, let's go." Sect Leader Kang Da pulled He Dezong away. The latter didn't say anything else, mostly because he had been ridiculed by the gatekeeper after showing Lang Yi's letter and was somewhat ashamed.

It was clear that He Dezong was anxious, so Kang Dabao didn't keep him in suspense and explained his conversation with Tie Liuyun in a straightforward manner.

Upon hearing this, He Dezong was filled with mixed emotions. While worrying about his maternal family, he also felt a complex mix of feelings towards his sworn brother, Kang Dabao.

He himself, the dignified head of the Hong County He Household, couldn't even get in the door despite holding a letter from Lang Yi, True Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment. On the other hand, look at Kang Dabao; Commander Tie not only jokes with him but also hosts a banquet for him.

Within Cloud Horn Prefecture, this is a treatment that even some down-on-their-luck Foundation Establishment True Cultivator not be able to obtain.

Seeing his younger brother, who had always been worlds apart from him, now a guest of honor of a high-ranking official in the state, He Dezong suddenly felt a little dazed.

He, once considered a "refined figure" among his peers, now seemed like a joke. This made him silently chant in his mind, "Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment, any later and it will be terrible."

"Hmph," He Dezong, being a role model among his peers, remained silent for a moment before speaking again:

"I've made a fool of myself in front of you, my dear brother. After my maternal grandfather passed away, he had a hard time managing the household affairs, and my mother always asked me to be more filial. Yet this still happened. My mother is very worried and urged me to seek out Elder Lang, which I know. But... alas!"

"Brother, what are you saying?" Kang Dabao could see the weariness in He Dezong's eyes, and after hearing He Dezong's words, his previous surprise was dispelled.

He had been wondering how He Dezong could act so rashly, given his usual way of doing things. But now he realized that He Household's aunt had forced him to come, which made sense.

The two brothers returned to Learning Forest Mountain in silence.

Second Master Ming learned that Kang Dabao had returned and He Dezong had also come to visit, he was quite pleased and invited the two of them into his quiet meditation room.

During this conversation Second Master Ming no longer worried about the other heads of the Ming Household. After listening to Kang and He recount the events in detail, Second Master Ming was already full of worry.

Although Second Master Ming had already known that this pass would be difficult to pass, he couldn't help but harbor some wishful thinking, believing that Commander Tie would not simply be trying to take advantage of the situation.

After taking back everything the Ming Household shouldn't have eaten or taken, even if the Ming Household is severely weakened, they will still be able to continue their lineage.

Unexpectedly, this Commander Tie showed absolutely no mercy.

That makes sense. In Commander Tie's eyes, the Ming Household, this so-called Qi Refinement clan, had no regard for sentimentality whatsoever.

"My maternal grandfather has a close friend who works in the Demon Correction Office. He also mentioned that the Demon Correction Office has been busy fabricating charges against some people recently."

Before Second Master Ming's expression could recover, he heard more bad news from He Dezong, which made him even more anxious.

Officials have two mouths; whatever they say goes. If they've framed someone, so be it. Do you Ming Household, a force that can't even reach the Foundation Establishment, would dare utter a single word more?

Even if they did speak up, who would care? A mere clerk in the Demon Correction Office Bureau could easily carve a few strokes on Jade Slip and ruthlessly plunder countless lives from the Ming Household and their forces.

After He Dezong finished speaking, the three of them fell silent. Second Master Ming tapped the red-hot teapot lid with his finger, making a tinkling sound.

The crisp sound abruptly stopped, and then Second Master Ming said, "Alright, let's stop here for today. The two young men have had a long and tiring journey and deserve a good rest. We'll continue our discussion tomorrow."

As guests follow the host's lead, the two of them went back to their respective rooms to rest, as their elders had suggested.

About half an hour after Sect Leader Kang Da returned to his room, Second Master Ming knocked on the door and asked, "Has Brother Bao retired for the night?"

Kang Dabao respectfully welcomed Second Master Ming into the room. After Second Master Ming sat down, he carefully examined Kang Dabao again, and sighed inwardly, lamenting that he had failed to recognize talent back then.

If they hadn't done that thing about severing ties with their family back then, they might still have the nerve to ask Kang Dabao to beg the Daoist Black Shoes for help.

Few in Cloud Horn Prefecture are unaware that the Daoist Black Shoes treats Sect Leader Kang Da more favorably than his own son. If Kang Dabao were to ask for his help, and given that the Ming Household is also Sect Leader He Yue Household's in-laws, the Daoist Black Shoes might actually come to Tie Liuyun's door to discuss this matter.

What's done is done. While it's true that Second Master Ming was short-sighted, he wasn't entirely ignorant of reason. To be honest, given the Ming Household's past practices, the fact that Kang Dabao was willing to come and help Ming Household at this critical time already showed him great gratitude.

They have already done their utmost, and since the Ming Household's crisis cannot be resolved for the time being, it is not appropriate to keep Kang Dabao any longer.

To avoid a terrible day falling too soon, and if they were there then, would they be willing to help or save me?

"When my elder brother was alive, he mentioned that he wanted you to be engaged to Eleventh Lady. At the time, I couldn't object, and although I agreed, I was still unhappy. Who would have thought that my nephew-in-law would pass away soon after, and the matter was delayed."

Later, my elder brother brought up the matter several times, but your family became increasingly impoverished. I stopped responding to him, and eventually, he stopped mentioning it altogether. Now it seems he was right to have a good eye for people."

When Second Master Ming brought up the past, his tone was frank, and what he said was all true. Although the meaning behind his words was not as pleasant as when they first met, Kang Dabao did not feel resentful after hearing them.

He recalled the kindness shown to him and his fellow disciples by the Ming Household elder, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart. He immediately replied, "I will forever remember your kindness, elder."

Seeing Second Master Ming Kang Dabao's words were sincere and not insincere, and hearing that he only mentioned the kindness of his deceased elder brother and did not mention marriage at all, Master Ming knew that Kang Dabao must have some resentment in his heart.

However, when he brought up their past friendship, it wasn't to ask Sect Leader Kang Da to beg the Daoist Black Shoes to intervene.

After a pause, Second Master Ming spoke according to his prepared remarks, "Brother Bao, to tell you the truth, I never expected you to come. I was blind to know you were such a loyal and affectionate child. Since that's the case, I'll get straight to the point. Please listen carefully to what follows."

If you can agree, the entire Ming Household will be eternally grateful; if you find it difficult to agree, please do not force yourself, and the Ming Household will not have the slightest reason to blame you.

"Second Master, you flatter me. Please speak."

"Firstly, my grand-nephew has only been cultivating for five years Triple Spirit Root of metal, fire, and wood. He's barely capable of being cultivated. I intend for you to take him in this time and have him join the Chongming Sect for cultivation. What do you think?" As soon as Second Master Ming finished speaking, he looked at him intently.

Kang Dabao had no idea that this first matter was so important, so he had to lower his head and think for a while before nodding in agreement.

"The second matter is that the Ming Household may face extermination in the future. If the Chongming Sect has the resources in the future, please protect some of the Ming Household's descendants."

Sect Leader Kang Da pondered this matter for a longer time before finally agreeing, but added, "So that Second Master may know, although I have agreed, this is not in my capacity Double Brightness Chongming, but as a disciple of my late master."

Second Master Ming looked at Kang Dabao again, nodded, and then said softly, "Good, very good."

Seeing that Sect Leader Kang Da had agreed to both requests, Second Master Ming finally smiled, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"To be honest, I haven't even told He Household Dalang about these things. Since you've agreed, you can take these items with you."

This time, without waiting for Kang Dabao's reply, he took out several items and placed them on the table.

"I saw this book, 'Ten Discourses on Qingfuzi's Sword Classic,' when Brother Qing was a child, but I had my own selfish reasons and never passed it on to him. Although the predecessor who compiled this book did not achieve the False Core, his Swordsmanship had already grasped the True Intention. Most of my skills come from this book."

However, I am dull-witted and burdened by my family. I failed to find a Higher Vehicle spiritual object for Foundation Establishment in my early years, so I gave up the idea of breaking through to Foundation Establishment. In the end, I wasted half my life and still could not understand the True Intention of the book.

Now, Brother Qing's swordsmanship is probably already superior to mine, and he is in the prime of his youth. He might even be able to reach a higher level with this book. The Ming Household is now full of mediocre talents and has no use for it. You take it back.

These are the deeds to two shops, both located in the corners and alleys of Xuanwei City. My elder brother earned them by risking his life for the Huo Household back in the day. Don't underestimate the location; every inch of land in Xuanwei City is precious, and these shops are worth some Spirit Stone.

Now both shops are rented out to outsiders, and they can earn about one or two hundred yuan a year in rent.

Also, this is an estate that my branch of the family opened in Pingrong County many years ago. It was originally intended as a dowry for your master's wife, but we realized we couldn't find any property in Hong County to give to your aunt in the He Household, so we gave up on that idea.

This estate is quite famous; I'm sure you know where it is—it's located in Clear Stream Mountain. The estate has thirty acres of First-Tier Lower-Grade spiritual fields, which were initially entrusted to the family's younger members for management. However, they were all heartless and managed the land to the point of being unable to make ends meet.

So I simply rented them all out. I had signed a ten-year contract with the Green Bamboo Gang, and it would expire in a few months. You can rent them back or rent them out as you see fit. Consider these one or two items as my nephew's tuition fee."

To be fair, in the past, given the Ming Household's influence, sending a disciple into the Chongming Sect would have been a great honor. If Kang Dabao had heard this news in the past, he would have been overjoyed, and he wouldn't have even dreamed of receiving any tuition fees.

If his family had been willing to give away this pile of things as tuition a few years ago, and if the disciple they were sending was a talented person with Triple Spirit Root, he probably wouldn't have had any problem directly becoming inner disciple of a major sect like the Stone Mountain Sect Foundation Establishment in Pu Prefecture.

But now, they have to use the friendship between the two families to bind Kang Dabao before they can send him into the Chongming Sect.

A sudden wave of emotion washed over Kang Dabao. Despite his usual greed, he surprisingly pushed the items back one by one, saying, "Second Master, there's no need for this."

"Take it. You bear such a great responsibility for the Ming Household; these things are still a bit too little."

Second Master Ming Sect Leader Kang Da was still trying to decline, Master Ming changed his tone, adding a hint of admonition, "Brother Bao, it's good that you value relationships, but a person who manages a household shouldn't be too sentimental. A little harder on the heart will allow you to manage this household better. It's not just about being hard-hearted when managing a household; it's also about cultivation."

Having heard that Second Master Ming had gone to such lengths, Kang Dabao decided to stop arguing. To continue would only make him seem hypocritical.

First, put the "Ten Discourses on Qingfuzi's Sword Classic" in the most important place in the Storage Bag. The former Sect Leader Kang Da had heard Jiang Qing mention this sword manual before. Even if it can't help Little Sanzi replenish his vital energy, it should at least make him happier.

Considering that the once-prosperous Ming Household is now sacrificing so much of its wealth in an attempt to preserve its bloodline, it's hard to believe they're willing to cut their losses and survive.

Just like his elder brother He, Sect Leader Kang Da unconsciously began to mutter to himself, "Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment, it can't be delayed!"

So they went back and stayed with Little Sanzi, not coming out again until he reached the Foundation Establishment!

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