Bestowing Favors and Returning

"Greetings, Lord!" The cultivators, who were slightly complacent after their great victory, immediately put away their burgeoning arrogance upon seeing the Daoist, straightened their clothes, composed themselves, and bowed in unison.

Not all Foundation Establishment the same. Take those two Foundation Establishment from the Lin Household of the Changning Sect, for example. Their skills weren't particularly impressive. Even in a serious one-on-one battle, with everyone using all their trump cards, they probably couldn't even defeat Kang Dabao, a fellow Foundation Establishment who had just advanced.

Therefore, when they were suddenly surrounded by five members of the same level from the New Cloud Alliance, they had no power to fight back and were taken away without resistance. It was a pity that they had wasted their hundred years of cultivation.

Even now, Sect Leader Kang Da doesn't know what his man in charge is thinking in keeping these two incompetent men around.

For example, when the five Foundation Establishment of the New Cloud Alliance saw Kuang Liuting, even though they were both Foundation Establishment, they still had to bow respectfully to him.

After Kuang Liuting said "good," he no longer looked at Kang Dabao and the others who had just returned, but turned to Commander Tie and warned them, "Behave yourselves from now on, and have some sense of propriety. Don't make a scene."

Kuang Liuting spoke very softly, but upon hearing this, Commander Tie dared not be careless. His expression hardened, and he immediately bowed his head to receive the order.

Kuang Liuting was very clear about the so-called conflict between the locals and the Hakka under his command. The fact that the two sides had fought to such a clear-cut point was partly due to the indulgence of the Earl of Nan'an.

However, forming cliques and engaging in factionalism is a characteristic of the dynasty, and Kuang Liuting couldn't interfere too much.

As long as both sides can maintain a state of struggle without breaking apart, and do not hinder his goal of reorganizing Shannan Circuit, then let them be.

Once the Golden Core is complete, great things can be expected! Why waste energy in this shallow pond of Cloud Horn Prefecture Court?

After all, in Kuang Liuting's opinion, the reason the two sides were fighting over food was simply because there wasn't enough meat.

Once the plates are made large enough and filled to the brim with meat, so that they have mouths drooling and cheeks stuffed full, they still can't finish it all. How could they possibly have any thoughts of fighting among themselves?

"Magistrate Kang, you did a good job!" After reprimanding Tie Liuyun, Kuang Liuting looked at Kang Dabao with a rare look of satisfaction.

If the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an's personal attendants were here and witnessed this scene, they would surely be astonished.

This was because, in the eyes of this nobleman, it was truly difficult to find anyone in the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture who would earn his high regard.

Although Kuang Liuting couldn't recognize the hidden Jade Leaf Foundation Establishment of Sect Leader Kang Da, he could clearly see that the latter had successfully established his Foundation Establishment on his own without taking the Foundation Establishment Pill bestowed by the state court.

Even among prestigious families, those disciples who dare to break through to the Foundation Establishment on their own are still highly regarded by their elders.

Moreover, the fact that Kang Dabao was able to achieve the Ice Leaf is even more remarkable.

It is important to understand that Dao Foundation is essential for success, achieving high-quality results is difficult.

The powerful families in the capital region, those with status above the level of wealthy families, actually have stable supply channels for Foundation Establishment Pill, which can greatly increase the probability of their direct descendants achieving Foundation Establishment.

Even so, it is not an easy task for any family to produce an Ice Leaf Dao Foundation.

While not as rare as the Purple or Gold Ranks, in many Golden Core sects in the Shannan Circuit that are struggling to find successors, it might take three or four cycles of sixty years to produce even one.

At times like these, if the head of the Golden Core sect is diligent, he will try to shorten his own cultivation time to nurture future generations. After all, if he delays any longer, their Golden Core lineage might decline.

It's not easy for even a powerful force like theirs to produce an Ice Leaf cultivator, let alone Kang Dabao, who carries the title of sect leader but is actually no different from Rogue Cultivator— a rootless duckweed.

The reason why Kuang Liuting had some impression of Kang Dabao, such a minor figure, was twofold: firstly, because of the Fei Shuhe incident; and secondly, because he wanted to recruit the Daoist Black Shoes for his own use.

The Marquis of Earl of Nan'a Kang Dabao the slightest.

But when Kuang Liuting saw that the horse bone he had unintentionally pulled out had actually achieved such success, he naturally felt a little pleased.

"Ha, Fei Nanying shouldn't think his family suffered a great loss anymore. Now it seems, at most it's a small loss, a very small loss." Kuang Liuting thought to himself, while the Sect Leader Kang Da, having heard Kuang Liuting's words, bowed and thanked him, saying, "I dare not accept your praise, Lord."

"Haha." Kuang Liuting just smiled faintly and remained silent, seemingly ignoring the little scheme that Kang Dabao, this honest man, was trying to pull.

Tie Liuyun frowned as well, thinking to himself, "This Kang Dabao is so ignorant. How can he be so eager to take credit? What kind of person is the Earl? How could he possibly look down on a mere minor official?"

When Tie Liuyun turned his head again, he saw that the adorable expression on the Sect Leader Kang Da was pitifully fake, completely unlike his usual outstanding acting skills.

Commander Tie watched thoughtfully, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He actually felt he had learned something from it. "This kid is doing this on purpose!"

"The various factions within the New Cloud Alliance have always performed admirably. In previous campaigns against rebellion, they fought with utmost dedication, which I have witnessed firsthand. This time, with Shen Baiyue of Zi Maple Valley falling victim to villains, the factions have also united to eliminate the mastermind. Excellent, excellent."

Kuang Liuting's words bestowed three "not bad"s upon each member of the New Cloud Alliance, including Commander Tie. Everyone's faces lit up with joy, and Shen Xing, whose own Shen Xing leader had just died, was among the most delighted.

"Tie Liuyun has already told me that this so-called Changning Sect is nothing but a bunch of defeated dogs plotting rebellion. I don't believe they can make any waves. Just do your jobs well, and you'll have a bright future."

However, I think the New Cloud Alliance is still short-handed. So, although the Iron Horn Mountain Ingenious Craftsman Fort has recently defected, it's not good to leave them unpunished. Therefore, order half of their followers to relocate to Pingrong County this year, to be at the command of the Pingrong County, and to fight against the rebels together."

The remaining few were surprised. Although Ingenious Craftsman Fort did not have many Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, it could still be considered a major Foundation Establishment sect, comparable to Book and Sword Gate. Their mechanical puppet craftsmanship was quite famous in Shannan Circuit, and cultivators from other states often came to buy their products.

By simply splitting the territory in half and assigning it to Pingrong County, and then specifically naming it for the Pingrong County Magistrate to use, wasn't that just providing the Chongming Sect with another batch of excellent henchmen?

Tsk, Kang Dabao, that guy, he's really lucky.

Kuang Liuting ignored their thoughts and, having spoken with Tie Liuyun for a while, shifted his gaze back to Kang Dabao, softly saying, "Sect Leader Kang has done well; I've been watching. Keep up the good work. When your son is born, remember to invite me; I'll be there to offer my congratulations."

Kang Dabao, who has never liked being in the public eye, was once again the object of envious gazes from the crowd.

But when he heard Kuang Liuting's words, he didn't feel any joy. Instead, he felt a heavy weight on his heart, as if he were being suffocated by it.

--Ten days later, Dantong Cliff - Kuai Household

Last night's sudden rain left a refreshing mist.

The warm sun shone comfortably on several sparrows perched on the treetops in the courtyard. As the sunlight gradually carried away the dew from their feathers, they chirped happily as they landed on the grass.

Although the night rain left these little creatures in a sorry state, it softened the yellow earth into a muddy mess, providing the swallows with plump insects that were easier to catch in the soil.

But the little creatures didn't get to eat their fill for long before several elegant maids came gracefully, carrying nets to shoo them away so as not to disturb the honored guests' rest.

It wasn't until a gentle breeze blew through the window and the jade wind chimes by the bed tinkled softly that Sect Leader Kang Da, feeling refreshed, climbed out of the large fire spirit wood bed that the Kuai Household had spent a "big price" to purchase.

This was Kang Dabao's fifth day staying at the Kuai Household's residence. Previously, the infighting with his fellow practitioners in the Book and Sword Gate Sect and the New Cloud Alliance had been a truly exhausting experience.

Not to mention the presence of two great figures, Kuang Liuting and Tie Liuyun, at his side. The tension in Sect Leader Kang Da's mind was truly running high.

It's much more pleasant to come to a small family or in-law's home like the Kuai Household family, where there's little conflict of interest, and to be waited on hand and foot, eating and drinking to one's heart's content.

The only thing that Kang Dabao found somewhat regrettable was that the pair of beautiful twins who had been carefully trained by Kuai En to entertain him had now been used as bait to lure rogue cultivators from Tanggu County into Rogue Cultivator into his family.

However, he did not come to Tanggu County for this reason; he came to examine the accounts and details of the Spirit Stone mine.

With Shen Baiyue's death, the quota for the Spirit Stone mine in Tanggu County was set as Ye Zhen had said, and there was no need to change it.

The Daoist Black Shoes, Chongming Sect, and Book and Sword Gate Sect all increased their quotas; Hemu Dao retained its share of being able to hire Foundation Establishment guest elders; Jade Moon Shan Household regained control of more than a dozen small Qi Refinement clans that had previously been swallowed up by Book and Sword Gate and Zi Maple Valley; and Zi Maple Valley finally lost its sect leader.

In conclusion, it can be said that everyone was happy.

Furthermore, thanks to the successive visits of Tie Liuyun and Kuang Liuting, the cohesion of the New Cloud Alliance has improved considerably compared to before. The morale of each faction, which had just plummeted due to insufficient production from the Spirit Stone mines, has also rebounded somewhat, since everyone now has something to look forward to.

As soon as he stepped out, a pretty maid from the Kuai Household brought him food and water. Kuai En was a filial son and knew that his uncle had a good appetite, so he specially hired a chef to serve him at home at all times.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Tanggu Kuai Household has gained a lot of benefits in recent years by marrying off their daughter to the Chongming Sect and following in the footsteps of Sect Leader Kang Da.

Thanks to this, Kuai En had some capital to recruit Rogue Cultivator, and so far the Kuai Household has more than a dozen cultivators residing in the family.

Compared to when only two cultivators, including Kuai En, were left to guard the family after the younger sister of the Kuai Household got married, the Kuai Household's situation has improved significantly, and they have finally established a firm foothold in Dantong Cliff, a decent spiritual land.

However, while hiring a master chef to reside at home wasn't an exorbitant expense, it was still a considerable sum for the Kuai Household, demonstrating Kuai Wu's sincerity and respect.

"Uncle, you're up. Did you enjoy your breakfast?" After having breakfast, Kuai En received an announcement and respectfully came over to pay his respects.

There was no fool among the two generations of patriarchs of the Kuai Household. Starting with Kuai Wu, they clung tightly to the leg of the then-unestablished Sect Leader Kang Da, and with their own lives, they managed to snatch Pei Yi as their Kuai Household.

Kuai En was even more so, having been extremely filial to Kang Dabao even before Kang had Foundation Establishment. Now that the latter Foundation Establishment, Kuai En naturally had to be even more respectful.

"Not bad, you put in the effort." Following Kuang Liuting's example, Sect Leader Kang Da repeated those two words, and it had to be said, he did it with a certain air of importance.

"I'm glad you like it, Uncle." Kuai En's smile was genuine, without a trace of pretense.

"Alright, I've reviewed the accounts for the Blue Silver Mine and the Spirit Stone Mine. I won't linger any longer; I'll set off back to my sect today," Kang Dabao said slowly, taking another sip of spiritual tea.

The accounts have been checked. The annual output of spirit ore from the Blue Silver Mine is worth about 3,800 Spirit Stone. This value is not fixed; it may be higher in a good year and lower in a bad year, but it can generally be kept at this amount.

Commander Tie and Uncle Black Shoes each take 40%, while Chongming Sect and Fei Household each take 10%. In this way, Chongming Sect can reliably earn nearly 400 more Spirit Stone each year.

As for the Spirit Stone mine, it produces about 30,000 Spirit Stone a year, of the Chongming Sect accounts for 20%, which is 6,000 spirit stones per year.

This would have been enough to the Chongming Sect's income, but unfortunately, it could only be received for twelve years.

However, this can be considered a windfall. Once Chongming Sect collects it all, he will have more than 70,000 Spirit Stone in hand!

A few years ago, one could buy a Foundation Establishment Pill! This was a fortune that many Foundation Establishment Lineage couldn't accumulate over several generations. This shows how important it is to choose the right side; it's almost like climbing to the top in one step!

However, this is not a free lunch. Starting this year, each family must assign one Foundation Establishment True Cultivator to be stationed at the Spirit Stone mine for protection.

Forces like the Shan Household and Hemu Dao, which lack extra Foundation Establishment, can hire reliable Foundation Establishment to guard the area. However, whether they are willing to spend the Spirit Stone is another matter entirely.

When Kuai En heard that Kang Dabao was leaving, he tried to persuade the latter to stay a few more days, but Kang Dabao refused outright, explaining that he still had many things to do.

As the proper Pingrong County, Sect Leader Kang Da should take some time to inquire about the military, political, and civilian affairs of Pingrong County. Otherwise, the annual distribution of Spirit Stone will feel like a hot potato for Kang Dabao.

We should at least check whether those corrupt officials and bureaucrats are being too cruel and abusive to the people. If they are doing anything too heinous, we should take appropriate action. If they really go too far, we should also execute a number of people to teach them a lesson.

The Han City Yue Household sent Yue Feng to Double Brightness Trade Market. Deng Baichuan will most likely come to him to discuss matters. After all, the latter has not yet Foundation Establishment and belongs to a different camp from the former. Relying solely on the authority of the two Sima, it is unlikely that he can effectively restrain Yue Feng.

He still needed to consolidate his Foundation Establishment realm; otherwise, the Yellow Dragon Hundred Leaf Pill that Jiang Qing had bought from Ye Zhen at a high price would be wasted.

There's also the "True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body of the Northern Night Palace, Volume One," which I need to cultivate. I wonder how much Moon Scale Stone Juice the disciples have found, and whether it's enough for one of my cultivation sessions.

If he gets involved in his own junior sister's messy affairs, Yuan Xiyue might just come knocking on his door and snatch her away.

Furthermore, the sect's defenses need to be strengthened. It seems we'll need to spend some Spirit Stone to upgrade the sect's protective array, which will likely require a trip to Han City and Xuanwei City to make purchases. After all, judging from Tie Liuyun's intentions, the various factions within the New Cloud Alliance will inevitably have to fight that newly established, Changning Sect again sooner or later.

Ingenious Craftsman Fort plans to relocate half of its disciples to Pingrong County within the year. There should still be two or three Foundation Establishment True Cultivator the sect, and it is unknown whether one or two of them will come along.

Where will they be placed when they arrive? How will they get along with each other? What methods will be used to control this family so that they are at his beck and call? These are also things that Sect Leader Kang Da urgently needs to consider.

Furthermore, what measures will be taken to implement Kuang Liuting's order for her and Fei Shuhe to have a child?

In short, there are too many things to do, so there's no time to linger.

A High Antiquity tea master once said, "Stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life," and now Sect Leader Kang Da has already stolen many half days, so naturally he should go back soon.

Therefore, even when the Ming Household, who lived in the Tong County as the Kuai Household, sent someone to invite him the day before, Kang Dabao couldn't find the time to go. In the end, it was only when the second master of the Ming Household family personally came to their door that Sect Leader Kang Da was able to spare the time to come out, have a simple meal with them, and then take his leave.

"I hope my uncle can stay a little longer and take good care of him." Seeing that he really couldn't keep Kang Dabao, Kuai En showed some regret. When Sect Leader Kang Da took a closer look at him, he felt that Kuai En had aged a lot.

Despite the latter's affectionate use of "nephew" and "uncle," Kuai En and Kang Dabao were actually quite close in age, practically contemporaries.

But now Kang Dabao has already achieved Foundation Establishment, while Kuai En is still far from reaching the Late Qi Refinement.

Now, it seems that although the Sect Leader Kang Da's round face is far from handsome, it is fair and jade-like, and he is full of energy; as for Kuai En, he looks older than Chu Huer and Zhou Yixiu, and does not look like a middle-aged cultivator.

Seeing this, Kang Dabao felt a pang of sympathy. He found two bottles of medicine for combined use and handed them over, advising, "Managing a household is hard work, but don't let a minor setback prevent you from continuing your cultivation. Otherwise, if guests become too arrogant and cause trouble, it's inevitable."

"Thank you very much, Uncle." Kuai En immediately accepted the gift and bowed in gratitude.

After offering his advice, Kang Dabao pointed out two more avenues to Kuai En: "The Double Brightness Caravan is recruiting again. If your family has any suitable men, you can take them to see Pei Que."

Furthermore, I observe that your Dantong Cliff is a place rich in spiritual energy. If you can accumulate enough Spirit Stone to cultivate a few acres of spiritual fields, you can also seek out Rongquan for a look. He is a kind-hearted man; if you speak well of him and flatter him, he should be able to charge you less Spirit Stone."

Kuai En was secretly pleased, but the first matter was a bit difficult. Given the Kuai Household's current situation, how many of the cultivators they brought in as sons-in-law would have the courage to do business with merchant caravans?

The latter is quite feasible. Once the spiritual field is cultivated and managed diligently, the family's life will improve considerably.

"When I last brought gifts to congratulate Uncle Shi on the Foundation Establishment, Brother Mo, who came to toast and entertain me, mentioned that Chongming Sect is currently short of manpower in both land reclamation and other areas."

I wonder if we could send my sons-in-law to work as farmhands; they could earn some Spirit Stone that way, instead of staying home all day eating spirit rice.

I heard that this matter is also Brother Kang's fault. Brother Kang is in charge. If he could be more generous and give all the regular salaries to me, and then let me distribute them in a unified manner, my family might even make a profit.

Furthermore, Uncle Zhou, who is currently in charge of Spirit Plant at the Chongming Sect, is quite accomplished in this field. If they could learn even a few skills and return Gui Household, they would truly have struck gold!

Kang Dabao's promises stirred up Kuai En's imagination, while he himself rode his golden-haired old donkey leisurely back to his clan.

"Hey, how many months old is my Brother Yi now?"

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