Crane Spirit Mountain

After leaving Sima Fei's room, Kang Dabao was still unsettled when Tie Xishui invited him to Commander Tie's quiet room.

Sect Leader Kang Da sighed, thinking to himself that it was truly rare to see a Qi Refining Qi Refinement as sought-after as him.

"Sect Leader Kang, please have a seat." On one side, the Acting Sima Gun was pouring wine, and on the other, the Buse Secretary was serving tea. Such treatment would surely arouse envy and resentment among countless cultivators.

"Thank you, Chief Secretary," Kang Dabao accepted the gift with both hands, then sat back down, leaving only half of his head resting on the stool, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"Try it. This is Buddhist tea that I brought from the temple. Although it hasn't reached the Second Tier, it tastes quite good. Drinking it regularly can nourish your spirit and soul." Buse's fat face was full of smiles. His future and life were saved because of Kang Dabao, so he naturally felt a bit close to the latter.

Sect Leader Kang Da took a small sip, the sweet dew filling his mouth with the aroma of tea. Immediately afterward, he felt his mouth and tongue refreshed, his mind clear, and his whole being instantly invigorated.

He then looked up at Tie Xishui and Buse again, and thought to himself, "No wonder." He said nothing, but instead took another sip, and looked up repeatedly, praising, "The Chief Secretary's treasured collection is truly remarkable!"

Upon hearing Kang Dabao's praise, the three Foundation Establishment in the arena remained silent. The arena fell silent for a moment, as if Sect Leader Kang Da had been specially invited to enjoy tea and admire the moon.

Just as Sect Leader Kang Da was about to finish his tea, the door opened by itself, and Yue Feng walked in with a smile, "Thank you for waiting so long, Sect Leader Kang."

"The person in question is from the Yue Household?" Kang Dabao was slightly surprised, and stood up to greet them, saying, "Greetings, Senior Yue."

"Haha, don't be so formal with seniors and juniors. Da Bao and I are about the same age, so we should treat each other as equals." Yue Feng seemed very enthusiastic, but Sect Leader Kang Da didn't believe him and remained respectful as usual.

"Haha, Da Bao, don't be nervous. Even if Fei Sima Fei knows you're here, it won't matter. I don't mean anything by it. I've just heard from the wise men in the state that you are particularly skilled in military affairs, and that you have made great contributions in several fierce battles, and that you have even received the Earl's marriage certificate and a generous reward from the state court."

Therefore, we specially invited Commander Tie to bring you, a young and promising talent, here so that we could get to know you properly."

Yue Feng's expression seemed genuine; he wasn't satisfied with just praising him once, and went on to shower Sect Leader Kang Da, with compliments, calling him unparalleled in the world.

Kang Dabao was not misled by the boastful claims of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, nor did he lose sight of his own capabilities. He simply uttered a few more official, self-deprecating words to appease the situation.

The former was not annoyed by his behavior, but continued, "Since you have reservations, Da Bao, I will not keep you any longer. From now on, we will serve as ministers in the same court and support each other."

The Sect Leader Kang Da was completely baffled by Yue Feng's actions tonight. How could the Chongming Sect possibly support the powerful Han City Yue Household?

Although Kang Dabao was completely confused, after hearing Yue Feng's last words, he calmly bid farewell to all the Foundation Establishment before leaving the quiet room.

After Sect Leader Kang Da left, Yue Feng opened his folding fan again and gently waved it. Once the room was filled with a subtle fragrance, Yue Feng spoke, saying, "Utterly unremarkable, lacking any talent."

"This young man is merely mediocre, but if Fellow Daoist Yue can befriend him, then the Daoist Black Shoes and Jiang Qing..."

----The next morning

After seeing off the two groups of Foundation Establishment, Kang Dabao returned to his sect, feeling quite exhausted.

Jiang Qing had already packed his belongings and was watching Duan Anle and his men neatly stack the goods of the Double Brightness Caravan.

He Degong also there at this time, and he was not idle. He was working very hard to help Duan Anle with the command and arrangements.

Whether He Degong is a merchant or a cultivator, he is naturally no match for his brother. However, having led the team for many years, he has gained some valuable experience and lessons that he can pass on to Duan Anle.

Seeing this, Sect Leader Kang Da felt quite gratified. He Degong had changed a lot after this incident.

If this momentum can be maintained, although the Hong County He Household will most likely still fall apart, there is still some hope that He Degong can protect the family business of the eldest branch of the He Household.

Having received guidance and recommendation from Sima Fei, Sect Leader Kang Da was going to Hong County to seek a high-ranking cultivator to pursue the Dao. He then thought of taking the opportunity to pay respects to He Dezong and visit He Household's aunt along the way with Jiang Qing.

Since the two of them had such a plan, there was no reason for He Degong not to go back. The three of them discussed it and also called He Yuanbing along, so that they could go back together to pay their respects to their grandmother.

As for bringing the Double Brightness Caravan along, that was Jiang Qing's suggestion.

These Rogue Cultivator recruited by Duan Anle have been resting at the Chongming Sect for some time now. They receive their annual salary without doing any official duties, and without spending a single spirit fragment, they can freely cultivate on the First-Tier Superior-Grade Spirit Vein that Sect Leader Kang Da has painstakingly cultivated.

Such treatment would make even the heirs of ordinary, humble families envious.

So Jiang Qing thought, "I shouldn't let them rest like this any longer." Since He Degong was also there and knew the area well, he decided to choose a trade route and take a serious trip.

While traveling, he could also use Jiang Qing's White Dew Sword to greet the local tyrants and powerful figures along the way.

Since they used to only respect the He Household family head, they now need to re-evaluate the sword light of the Double Brightness Sword Immortal.

Among Bandit Cultivator who live by the sword, few disregard their own lives. This time, thanks to Jiang Qing's flying sword, a True Cultivator Foundation Establishment, the Double Brightness Caravan has had a truly unimpeded journey.

Upon hearing of Jiang Qing's arrival, the leaders of the numerous Qi Refinement villages, far from setting up roadblocks and charging tolls, all rushed to offer their congratulations with gifts.

Along the way, there were a few Foundation Establishment stage. Upon hearing that Jiang Qing had come in person, the leaders of these strongholds, though not as blatant as their counterparts at the smaller Qi Refinement strongholds, still held banquets and treated him with the utmost courtesy.

Along the way, Jiang Qing's flying sword didn't even have a chance to be drawn, yet Lu Xun and the others accompanying him had already eaten their fill of the rich meat and wine served at each restaurant.

For this reason, Lu Xun felt that he had never been so prosperous on his business journey, and he also couldn't help but sigh in his heart:

"The difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement is truly like heaven and earth. He Household Da Lang was once highly regarded among the locals; everyone praised him as a man of great wealth and power. But even so, when has he ever attended a banquet hosted by Foundation Establishment? How can he possibly be compared to Double Brightness Jiang Third?"

After shooing away Du Qing, who shamelessly tried to take pork from his bowl, Lu Xun covered the rim of his bowl with his hand and looked up at Kang Dabao, who was chatting and laughing with the person at the head of the table. He could only lower his head and sigh almost imperceptibly.

Even though he had long since given up the idea of competing with Kang Dabao and dominating the four spiritual lands, seeing this scene still made Lu Xun feel a sense of desolation at his unfulfilled ambitions.

"I heard that Zhou Yixiu is going to marry the noblewoman of the Shan Household," Lu Xun murmured again, almost feeling a sense of unease for Zhou Yixiu, a person he had only met by chance.

"If he had answered back then... Bah, bah, bah, he was just a sycophantic old fool. Who would care?" After the banquet, Lu Xun composed himself and followed Duan Anle to assemble the caravan's cultivators.

The wagon wheels, properly maintained with First Tier spirit beast grease, made no creaking noises. Only shallow ruts were left on the compacted road surface, proclaiming to the various forces along the way that another guest had joined them for a meal on this trade route.

When Sect Leader Kang Da led the caravan to the Hong County He Household, white silk was still hanging on the lintel of the He Household's gate, and even the two originally quite luxurious blue stone sculptures at the entrance seemed to carry a trace of sorrow.

"Oh, the patriarch is back? I wonder how many good things the patriarch has sent for you this time." The He Household steward, who came out from the door to greet you, had only spoken halfway through his mocking words when he saw Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing, whose faces were as cold as frost.

"Greetings, senior!" The head of the He Household immediately bowed. Recalling his earlier sarcastic and offensive words, he was so frightened that his pores opened up and he felt hot. His brand-new and exquisite cloud-patterned Daoist robe was immediately soaked with cold sweat.

"Sixth Uncle, don't embarrass my father and brothers here. Go back to your room and rest." This person in charge was, after all, an elder of the He Household. He Degong couldn't bear to see him like this, so after coming out to defuse the situation, he sent the He Household's head of the household away with Three Words.

Kang Dabao, watching from the side, shook his head repeatedly. With He Dezong dead, even such scoundrels dared to come out and vie for power. And He Degong couldn't even subdue such a person; it was truly lamentable.

Leaving the caravan in the outer courtyard and instructing Lu Xun to keep a close watch on it, Chongming Sect and the other three followed He Degong through a winding path into the He Household's inner residence.

When Sect Leader Kang Da young, he often accompanied his master's wife to the He Household to visit his aunt. At that time, he was really envious of the carved beams and painted rafters, white walls and black tiles of the house. On several occasions, he embarrassed his master's wife.

Now, revisiting this place, the He Household is no longer as magnificent as it appeared in my childhood. It has taken on a somewhat dilapidated and mournful appearance, and is far from being worthy of being the Chongming Sect Leader Kang Da.

After following He Degong into the small courtyard where Aunt He Household lived alone, the Fang Yi the two entered, Aunt He Household saw Jiang Qing and immediately embraced her tightly, bursting into tears.

Tears welled up in He Yuanbing's eyes; Kang Dabao and He Degong's eyes also reddened. Duan Anle, the honest boy, also recalled the scene of his uncle drinking and giving gifts at the Chongming Sect's place years ago, and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

After this, the resentment that Sect Leader Kang Da had felt towards the snobbish and mean-spirited aunt of the He Household family dissipated considerably.

The latter no longer exudes the imposing presence of the matriarch of the He Household family; she seems to have truly become an ordinary old woman who has cried her eyes out.

"How painful it is to lose a son in old age!" Sect Leader Kang Da murmured.

Only after he had cried himself to sleep with the old lady did He Degong lead Jiang Qing and Kang Dabao, who had finally managed to break free, out of the room.

By this time, the courtyard was already crowded with prominent members of the He Household, who had all heard the commotion and had come from all directions to gather here.

Jiang Qing, whose shoulders were still damp from being released by Aunt He Household, glared at the men of the He Household.

His gaze was like a halberd, piercing them so much that they dared not look at him for long. One by one, they lowered their heads without uttering a word.

Seeing how well-behaved his uncles and brothers were in the courtyard, He Degong felt much relieved.

He then thought of the compromise he had come up with after racking his brains, which had failed to satisfy the insatiable greed of the people in the courtyard. In fact, they were no match for a single glance from Jiang Qing.

Upon reading this, He Degong couldn't help but sigh, thinking that if his elder brother could also Foundation Establishment, the He Household wouldn't have fallen to such a state.

Ignoring the rice weevils and greasy food in the courtyard, He Degong led his two sworn brothers to offer incense to He Dezong.

He Degong wanted to stay and rest, so Kang Dabao left Jiang Qing there to help He Degong reorganize the He Household, while he himself went to seek the Dharma from the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator Sima Fei had mentioned.

He Degong was so busy that he suddenly remembered to ask Sect Leader Kang Da where he was going to seek instruction.

"Crane Spirit Mountain? Brother, you're actually going to Crane Spirit Mountain?" He Degong exclaimed in surprise. Kang Dabao, puzzled, asked, "Brother, is there something wrong with your reaction?"

"Brother, you should know that my family has a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a long-time Foundation Establishment named Lang Yi. It's quite a coincidence that this Senior Lang Yi has been cultivating in seclusion on Crane Spirit Mountain in Hong County. If nothing unexpected happens, the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator you are going to meet is him."

Mentioning Lang Yi, He Degong's brows furrowed almost instinctively. After a moment's thought, he explained to Sect Leader Kang Da.

After hearing this, Kang Dabao also felt that there were truly no coincidences in the world.

However, for him, this was a good thing. As the new head of the He Household family, He Degong had been to Lang Yi's place of seclusion once before, and he could guide Kang Dabao, saving the latter a lot of trouble.

Knowing that Sect Leader Kang Da had temporarily set aside such an important opportunity to cultivate his Dao, and even brought Jiang Qing to the He Household first, He Degong naturally understood his intentions.

Since his elder brother's passing, he had become accustomed to the coldness and warmth of human relationships, but a surge of warmth welled up in his heart. He knew that this was still due to his elder brother's legacy, and he couldn't help but feel emotional.

However, He Degong had already shed all the tears he needed to in his life, so he wasn't overwhelmed with emotion. He composed himself, called over a close nephew, and instructed him to Double Brightness Caravan and entertain Jiang Qing and Duan Anle.

He turned around and, with Sect Leader Kang Da, embarked on the journey to Crane Spirit Mountain.

Patches of clouds brushed past the flying boat, the wind sometimes strong, sometimes gentle, the clouds swirling and disappearing. The sorrow that Kang Dabao held in his heart also dissipated considerably.

Halfway there, He Degong took out some green areca slices and offered them to Kang Dabao, but the latter politely declined. He then took out the lowest grade white areca flower slices and put them in his mouth.

Having gone through what had happened before, He Degong felt that he had become much closer to Sect Leader Kang Da, so he relaxed and revealed some of his true nature.

He Degong leaned against the railing and said softly, "I've heard that Senior Lang Yi's wooden magic has been praised by False Core master. I'm sure you'll return with a full harvest this time!"

"I hope so!" Kang Dabao said modestly as usual, but suddenly a feeling of unease welled up in his heart, and he quickly changed his words to, "It should be so."

"Haha, Brother Shi has changed a bit, and that's exactly right. As my eldest brother said, Foundation Establishment cultivator cannot succeed without this kind of 'I am the only one who can do it' spiritedness." No sooner had He Degong finished speaking than the towering figure of Crane Spirit Mountain appeared before their eyes.

At this moment, He Degong seemed to remember something, his expression changed several times, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back down.

After repeating this three or four times, when the two could clearly see the monkeys and leopards chasing and playing on Crane Spirit Mountain, He Degong hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

"We're brothers, what can't we talk about? Please speak freely, brother." Kang Dabao, who was intently observing Crane Spirit Mountain, was slightly surprised to hear He Degong's words, but still nodded and said.

"Brother, while you seek the Dharma, please be extra careful. I suspect that my elder brother's failure to Foundation Establishment was due to the actions of Senior Lang Yi."

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