Uninvited Guests

"Oh, the Mi Household's big boss?" After hearing Duan Anle's account, Sect Leader Kang Da was both angry and frightened.

Because of his worry about Jiang Qing's Foundation Establishment, he had forgotten that the Double Brightness Caravan's trade routes had been almost entirely opened up thanks to the He Household's connections.

When people leave, the tea grows cold; when people die, it naturally cools down even more.

The consequence of this paralysis and dullness was that it nearly cost the lives of his disciples!

More importantly, after so much time has passed, the news that Kuang Liuting bestowed the foundation -Foundation Establishment spiritual object upon the Chongming Sect must have already reached the ears of many interested people.

As a tiger skin, Uncle Black Shoes has deterred countless villains with malicious intentions.

Although there are always a few self-righteous fools like Mi Household Da Dang, if the Third fails to Foundation Establishment, these troubles will surely follow.

Human nature is inherently greedy. Even if the three brands of the Daoist Black Shoes, the Fei Household, and the state court are all more powerful than each other, if Chongming Sect himself is a cowardly and sickly man, he will definitely be coveted by the wolves around him.

If they have enough patience, they can always find an opportunity to pounce and take a big bite while roaming outside.

Compared to the several senior brothers in the hall who were frowning, Jiang Qing's reaction was much more unconventional.

"Anle, lead the way." The young swordsman's voice was authoritative, and Duan Anle was about to agree subconsciously, but Kang Dabao leaned back in his chair and raised his hand to stop him.

"There's plenty of time, no rush." After the initial period of arrogance, Sect Leader Kang Da has gradually toned down his haughty demeanor.

He regained his former composure and caution, his mindset remaining exactly the same as when he was the head of a minor Qi Refinement sect.

"Third had to endure everything, big or small, before he even reached the Foundation Establishment, wouldn't that mean he wasted his time Foundation Establishment?" On the contrary, Yuan Jin's temper had become quite volatile these days. As soon as the Sect Leader Kang Da spoke, he muttered to himself.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader is right. There's plenty of time. The Mi Household Stockade isn't someone to be trifled with. We should plan this carefully." Pei Yi also felt that they shouldn't act too impulsively.

The story of Mi Household Da Dang leading three hundred shaman soldiers of Mi Household Stockade to repel two Foundation Establishment True Cultivator has truly increased his prestige.

Ordinary Foundation Establishment, unless there are major issues concerning their core interests, would not provoke forces like the Mi Household Stockade.

Although Jiang Qing has already reached the Foundation Establishment and his rank is quite high, he is still just a newly promoted Foundation Establishment. If he were to rashly confront a force like the Mi Household Stockade, even if he won, there would be a risk of something going wrong.

Sect Leader Kang Da's thoughts were similar to Pei Yi's, after all, the excuse given by the Mi Household was barely plausible.

Now that his trusted confidants have been killed and Duan Anle and his group have been released unharmed, the Mi Household's big brother has made quite a spectacle of the situation.

If Chongming Sect were to take further action, it would only make them appear unreasonable and unforgiving. However, this alone is insignificant, since the cultivation world of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty has never relied on words to reason.

However, the Mi Household Stockade is also protected by Foundation Establishment forces. Unless the Daoist Black Shoes also joins in, the current Chongming Sect may not be able to wipe out the Mi Household Stockade in one fell swoop.

According to Kang Dabao's thinking, the Chongming Sect was currently in a phase of accumulating strength and cultivating its internal power. It was to ensure that if it did not act, it would do so at all, but if it did, it would be to wipe out the entire sect and eliminate all its threats.

Only after achieving fame in one battle will those lurking mosquitoes, flies, rats, and cockroaches realize that the Chongming Sect is now untouchable; even a touch will cause injury, and a mere brush will result in death!

Sect Leader Kang Da then spoke up, "Let's put this matter aside for now and discuss it after the Foundation Establishment Ceremony. The Mi Household Stockade has been there for almost two hundred years; they can't run away anytime soon."

Although Jiang Qing has now Foundation Establishment, Sect Leader Kang Da can still verbally abuse and physically assault him in private. Although Chongming Sect has gained a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, it is still Sect Leader Kang Da's Chongming Sect authority.

Although Jiang Qing may not agree with Kang Dabao's idea, after the latter made the final decision, he still sat down as before, showing no sign of dissatisfaction.

If even Jiang Qing was like this, then the other fellow disciples wouldn't dare to say anything.

Sect Leader Kang Da didn't notice anything unusual, after all, Chongming Sect had always been like this over the years, and none of his fellow disciples had ever said they wanted to change.

"Anle, go and rest first. The caravan shouldn't set off yet. We'll discuss it again later and finalize the rules for the future trade."

"Disciple obeys." As a victim of this incident, Duan Anle harbored no resentment towards Sect Leader Kang Da for not immediately launching a revenge attack.

On the contrary, as the junior who was most often praised by his teachers for his inner talents, Duan Anle naturally understood the principle of not getting angry and starting a fight.

Sect Leader Kang Da's actions actually put Duan Anle at ease.

Mi Household Stockade was undoubtedly a behemoth to the Chongming Sect in the past, but now that Jiang Qing has Foundation Establishment, Mi Household Stockade is no longer a threat.

It seems that before long, the Chongming Sect, having already perfected its internal strength, will find it easy to wipe out the Mi Household Stockade.

After Duan Anle stepped down, the minor disturbance subsided, and the Foundation Establishment Ceremony that Chongming Sect had been preparing for Jiang Qing for a long time was finally about to begin.

--On the 26th day of the first month of the 430th year of the Qianfeng Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, the day of the Golden Chest, it was auspicious for weddings and sacrifices.

The Foundation Establishment Ceremony was not only a major event that Chongming Sect had not experienced or organized in nearly two hundred years, but also the first such lively event in the entire Pingrong County in a long time.

So, as soon as the sun rose that day, the Hemu Dao, the Lu Household, the Xue Household, and other forces with good relations with the Chongming Sect rushed over with all sorts of gifts.

Following them were the Ming Household, the He Household, and the Kuai Household. These out-of-town forces, who were close to the Chongming Sect, arrived one after another.

When Sect Leader Kang Da renovated the auditorium, he thought he had been a bit extravagant.

Based on the rate at which Chongming Sect recruited immortal seedlings at that time, it would probably take 60 years to fill all the seats.

But when you look at it now, even though there are still two hours before the Foundation Establishment Ceremony begins, most of the hall is already filled with representatives from various families who have come to give gifts.

As He Degong looked at his son, who was busy entertaining his fellow travelers, the smile on his face gradually froze, and a pang of sadness suddenly rose in his heart.

"If only my brother could come today. He and the Third are very close, and he would be very pleased." Kang Dabao walked up to He Degong's side at some point and sighed softly.

"Brother." He Degong looked much more weathered than when he met Sect Leader Kang Da at the Wondrous Cloud Pavilion back then; it seemed as if he had abandoned his past self from the inside out.

After He Dezong died, He Degong, the once carefree and dashing man, also died.

"Please forgive me, brother. We've been very busy lately. Once we're done, the Third and I will go to pay our respects to the eldest brother of the He Household." Seeing that He Degong was choked up and unable to speak, Sect Leader Kang Da could only sigh again and make a promise.

"Thank you, Brother." He Degong said in a low voice, his exhaustion barely concealed.

After the death of He Dezong, the head of the Hong County He Household, the large He Household could not find a leader with enough prestige to take charge of the family.

If Lang Yi hadn't been worried about the safety of his Spirit Stone pouch and sent his old servant to the He Household to reorganize things and appoint He Degong, He Dezong's younger brother, to continue managing the family, the Hong County He Household would probably have already fallen apart.

However, He Degong's cultivation, skills, and ability to manage the family were worlds apart from the late He Dezong. Even when He Dezong was in charge of the family, he felt exhausted. So He Degong, who was far inferior to his brother in every aspect, was even more inadequate.

Sect Leader Kang Da could see clearly that the Hong County He Household had only lost one great leader, but the fortune they had accumulated over nearly two hundred years was about to vanish into thin air.

He Degong is destined to lose this family business; sooner or later, the He Household will inevitably descend into infighting.

Learning from the mistakes of the past, Kang Dabao seemed to have gained some insight.

The two had only been talking for a short while when the voices of Ye Pingshui and Kang Rongquan, who were in charge of announcing the guests' names, suddenly rose in pitch:

"Congratulations from Master Zi Maple Valley and True Cultivator Shen Chen."

"Congratulations from Ye Zhenzhen, Head of the Book and Sword Sect."

"True Cultivator from Jade Moon Shan Household of Shan Sheng."

Three impressive Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, accompanied by their attendants, entered the Chongming Sect's auditorium and instantly occupied a significant portion of the remaining seats.

"Tsk tsk, the leaders of three Foundation Establishment sects have graced us with their presence. Senior Jiang, you have quite the clout."

"Yes, including the newly appointed Sect Leader Han of Hemu Dao, all five sect leaders of the New Cloud Alliance are present today. It's truly a rare and grand occasion."

"What do you know? These three sect leaders aren't here for Senior Jiang, a junior. Didn't any of you notice that the invitation sent by Sect Leader Kang Chongming Sect Zongkang this time also included the name of Senior Black Shoes?"

"Tch, I thought you were going to say something else. Who doesn't know about the relationship between Senior Black Shoes and the Chongming Sect? Everyone says Kang Dabao is Daoist Black Shoes's nemesis."

"Waaaaah"

The man, who was already drunk before even starting to drink, was silenced before he could finish speaking, his mouth covered by the black-robed cultivator beside him. His companion said in a harsh voice:

"You scoundrel, always so outspoken, coming here to cause trouble. You don't want to live, but I do! That's Foundation Establishment True Cultivator's own senior brother. Do you think people like you and me can say a single word about him?"

Before the cultivator in black could finish speaking, he saw Wei Gu, the person in charge of the area, turn his head and look over, which startled him so much that his legs trembled. The cultivator in black was not sure if Wei Gu had heard him, so in his haste, he could only force an awkward smile.

Seeing this scene, Wei Gu couldn't help but sigh. Back then, he was afraid of being punished for his words, so he took his family and fled from the Yuan Household's rule in Jingnan Prefecture to Pingrong County to make a living.

Seeing the black-robed cultivator's behavior, a sense of shared misfortune immediately arose in his heart.

However, despite his sympathy, Wei Gu, as a disciple of Double Brightness, could not tolerate outsiders criticizing their sect leader on their own territory.

Just as Wei Gu was about to approach the talkative group to give them a warning, he heard Kang Rongquan's voice rise even higher, and he turned to look at him.

"Congratulations, Prefectural Fei Nanying True Cultivator Nanying!"

"The prefectural governor is acting as the military commander; Gun Shilu True Cultivator congratulations!"

"True Cultivator, Tie Liuyun, Vice Commander of the State's Demon Correction Office!"

"True Cultivator from the Prefectural Sima Office, Chief Secretary Buse Zhenxiu!"

"True Cultivator, Qin Sufu, Commander of the State Sima Office!"

"Congratulations, Prefectural Treasury Clerk, Tie Xishui True Cultivator of Tiexi!"

Several high-ranking officials from the state government actually arrived together. Their aura immediately intimidated the Qi Refining Qi Refinement in the room, making them afraid to speak loudly.

Even the Sect Leader Kang Da was slightly taken aback, after all, the state court was currently very busy, and these high-ranking officials rarely had free time and couldn't spare the time.

I thought that if one or two Kang Dabao showed up today, it would be worth a little bit of my pride, but I never expected that they would all come.

This is an immense honor. Even when Zhang Yuandao founded the sect, the Chongming Sect might not have had so many high-ranking officials present.

"This humble official pays his respects." Sect Leader Kang Da was both surprised and delighted. He hurried over and was about to bow when he heard Tie Liuyun, the person in charge, laugh heartily and pull him up.

"Alright, alright, I'm here to attend your family's religious gathering. Stand up straight, stop bowing and scraping."

Commander Tie's divisive tactics were utterly clumsy in Sima Fei's eyes. The latter simply nodded to Kang Dabao, then casually chose a place to sit down and earnestly closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

However, to the slight surprise of Sect Leader Kang Da, of the remaining five people from the state court, only Acting Sima Gun followed Sima Fei.

It was only natural for Tie Xishan to follow his uncle.

Qin Sufu had received a great deal of kindness from Commander Tie in the past, so he naturally wouldn't have any goodwill towards the two Sima who had always been at odds with Commander Tie;

However, even Buse, who came from the Original Buddha Temple in the capital region to seek his fortune, chose to join Commander Tie, which surprised Sect Leader Kang Da.

It seems that, in the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court of Kuang Liuting, the two factions are not exactly irreconcilable, but they are clearly distinct.

Just as several high-ranking officials were being seated, and before Sect Leader Kang Da could even rest, Kang Rongquan announced, "True Cultivator, Yue Feng, Steward of the Han City Yue Household!"

"The Yue Household?" Kang Dabao was surprised. Apart from asking a patriarch of the Yue Household for a business license when he went to Han City years ago, he had no other dealings with the Yue Household.

Sect Leader Kang Da, felt he was not worthy of such a family, and therefore had never sent an invitation to the Han City Yue Household. He never expected that a steward from the Yue Household would come today.

"Greetings, Senior Yue!"

"I apologize for disturbing you, fellow Daoist!" Unlike the arrogant and domineering Elder Yue Lan of the Two Instruments Sect's Battle Hall, Yue Feng, who came to offer his congratulations today, was a humble and gentlemanly man.

Even when facing a junior like Kang Dabao who was only at the Qi Refinement, his tone was kind and his expression gentle.

"It is an honor to have such a distinguished guest as you!" As soon as Sect Leader Kang Da led Yue Feng to the front row, the latter approached Tie Liuyun and the others, and they sat down together for a lively conversation.

Seeing this, Kang Dabao seemed to finally understand where Tie Liuyun got the confidence to win over the hearts of the people in the state court and stand on equal footing with Sima Fei.

The time was fast approaching, and both expected and unexpected guests had arrived.

Just as Kang Dabao was about to send his disciple to invite Jiang Qing out to preach, a robust middle-aged cultivator arrived outside the archway. Without waiting for Kang Rongquan to announce his name, he strode through the gate and loudly proclaimed, "Elder Yue Lan of the Two Instruments Sect's Battle Hall, I have come uninvited; please forgive my intrusion!"

These words shocked the entire room!

Sect Leader Kang Da's expression kept changing, and he suddenly felt uneasy.

At that moment, a thought suddenly popped into his mind: the Foundation Establishment Ceremony he had been looking forward to seemed to be developing in a direction he had not anticipated.

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