Jiang Qing Returns to the Sect

After finishing his shift, You Ersheng retrieved his belongings from the mine shed where he had lived during his shift. He then paid his share of Spirit Stone with a smile, and the clerk recorded the details of the quantity. Only then did he ride in the pack animal cart to his residence outside the mine during his leave.

After two hours of shaky travel, You Ersheng finally returned, somewhat exhausted, to the clean and tidy miners' brick house.

You Ersheng has been working in the Spirit Stone mine for nearly three years. As a top-notch miner, he enjoys two days off every ten days, which is one of the perks he has earned for himself.

Moreover, during holidays, You Ersheng also had his own brick house, so he didn't have to squeeze onto a dirty communal bed with a group of smelly men.

Living in such a place, not only is there no entertainment such as buying wine and meat, but even if you wanted to invite a courtesan in for some wild fun, it would be difficult to do so.

Therefore, You Ersheng cherished his status as a first-class teacher, which was a precious status comparable to that of Marrow-Refining Martial Ancestor Grandmaster in the eyes of the laborers recruited by the various families of the New Cloud Alliance to mine the Spirit Stone mine in Tanggu County.

The supervising immortals divided the workers at the Spirit Stone mines into three classes: A, B, and C. This benevolent policy was only implemented in the last year or two.

The former mine pits were divided into areas by Marrow Refining and Blood Refining. The various levels of mine tycoons then exploited the lower-level masters like You Er, whose martial arts skills were relatively weak, until they were completely emptied out.

Even if these lowly teachers were beaten or killed, and their companions complained to the immortals in charge of supervision, the latter would ignore it.

After all, this mine is so large, and there are even some advanced-level Demon Beast that occasionally appear. There are so many mortal masters in the entire mine, how could the immortals have so much time to find out the truth?

In the end, it's always those bloodthirsty mining tycoons who handle it. As long as they deal with the complainants, the complainants will naturally stop bothering the immortals.

It must be said that under this management method, the disciples sent by various factions of the New Cloud Alliance to supervise the Masters are certainly less troublesome and their cultivation is not delayed too much.

However, the teacher suffered quite a bit, but the production of Spirit Stone in the mine did not improve in the slightest.

On the contrary, because of the abundant spiritual energy in the Spirit Stone mine, the mine bosses who used to wield whips were all well-fed and rosy-cheeked, as if they had come to cultivate in seclusion rather than to work.

It was only after Jiang Qing arrived that the teachers were freed from this nightmarish life.

Before leaving, he had received instructions from Kang, the former corrupt Sect Leader Kang Da of the Spirit Stone Mine in Tanggu County. As soon as he arrived at the mine, he sent his disciples to sort out the major and minor mine tyrants in the mine and severely kill a group of them who had committed numerous evils and acted cruelly.

He then imposed strict laws on all laborers, establishing a set of punishments including but not limited to distribution according to labor and prohibition of private beatings. Anyone who violated any of these rules would be beheaded at the very least, and their relatives would be implicated at the most serious level.

Furthermore, Jiang Qing recruited Rogue Cultivator and set up medical clinics, clean camps, sufficient food, and changes of clothes for the laborers.

All laborers were categorized into different ranks and their treatment according to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Disciples from each family were instructed to explain the rules of reward and punishment, ensuring that every laborer knew them by heart.

Arrange for monks to take turns patrolling to protect the laborers. Every ten days, the monks on duty will be evaluated based on the casualties of the laborers, and these evaluations will be linked to their regular salary in Spirit Stone.

In fact, the other Foundation Establishment stationed at the Spirit Stone mine didn't understand why Jiang Qing, who seemed rather arrogant and disdainful of the world, would care so much about these worthless mortal masters.

However, they didn't really care about these insignificant ants anyway, and since Jiang Qing was willing to make trouble, they couldn't be bothered. Therefore, Jiang Qing's regulations were able to be implemented smoothly.

Those Foundation Establishment True Cultivator never expected that, just two or three months after Jiang Qing issued these regulations, the production of Spirit Stone in the mines would increase significantly.

It should be noted that compared to these gains, the amount of Spirit Stone that Jiang Qing spent on the mortal laborers was utterly insignificant.

Now there was even less reason to refuse these measures, and with the vigorous promotion of these Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, they were all effectively implemented.

You Ersheng was one of the biggest beneficiaries of these measures.

He was indeed just an ordinary Bone Refining Martial Artist, but mining in Spirit Stone mines wasn't just about martial arts cultivation; it also required mastering skills, keen observation, and a bit of the most subtle luck.

In the same mining area, You Ersheng was able to mine more than those Blood Refining experts, or even Marrow-Refining Martial Ancestor.

This made him feel quite at home in the mine.

As long as he continues to mine diligently and maintains his status as a first-class teacher, he can not only obtain relatively generous treatment.

After collecting enough Spirit Stone, one can even exchange them with those immortals for rare martial arts pills and martial arts manuals that are hard to refine in the outside world.

For this reason, whenever You Ersheng thought of this, he felt deeply grateful to the Sect Leader Kang Da Chongming Sect and Jiang Jianxian.

He was from Gongxing Stockade. Because Jin Shilun was taken in by Kang Dabao, he was able to move to a farm Chongming City with his father You Er, when he was young, thus ending his previous life of hardship.

Thanks to this, You Er, who had settled down and received land, was able to save some money and food, and gritted his teeth to raise his son You Ersheng into a Bone Refining Martial Artist.

Previously, You Er's father was a tenant farmer who delivered vegetables to Gongxing Stockade. By the time of You Ersheng Chongming Sect, which could be considered a class leap.

Therefore, You Er thought that he should take advantage of these years to mine more Spirit Stone and accumulate more merits, so that he could exchange them for pills and Cultivation Method. In the future, when he returned to his home in Chongming City, he might be able to achieve great things.

Then, in the next generation of You Er, perhaps they can rely on these accumulated skills to cultivate a Marrow-Refining Martial Ancestor.

As the family branched out generation after generation, it's possible that one or two extraordinary immortals might emerge from among the descendants of You Er, the former tenant farmer of Gongxing Stockade.

"Yes, yes, when we get back, we must keep portraits of Sect Leader Kang and Immortal Jiang at home, and keep incense burning and offerings made continuously."

Jiang Qing had no idea how many masters in the Spirit Stone mine were currently feeling grateful to him, and he didn't care about any of that.

The Jiang Household had produced several generations of cultivators in the Chongming Sect, possessing considerable strength. It was only in the last few decades that there was a period of stagnation in the number of cultivators.

Jiang Qing was born into the main branch of the Jiang Household family and had been practicing in a sect since childhood. As a result, he had never experienced the hardships of the world and was not very concerned about people's livelihood.

However, since my senior brother wants me to do it this way, then I will do it.

He glanced at the number of Spirit Stone collected this season, then expressionlessly handed the Jade Slip back to the clerk who kept the records. Shan Sheng, standing nearby, beamed and leaned in to flatter him, saying:

"Thanks entirely to Fellow Daoist Jiang's efforts in enacting benevolent policies and eliminating long-standing abuses, the output of our Spirit Stone mines has increased significantly, by a full fifty percent compared to before."

"It's all thanks to my senior brother Jiang," Jiang Qing said calmly, his expression unchanged. He then turned to the Shan Sheng Foundation Establishment present, saying, "I still need to cultivate my swordsmanship; please take care of the rest."

These words were somewhat arrogant, but Shan Sheng and the others showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever; on the contrary, they all stood up to see them off.

"Yes, yes, Fellow Daoist Jiang, cultivation is the most important thing. We'll take care of these worldly affairs."

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, please take care."

"What a pity, what a pity. I had originally found some top-grade Second Tier tiger bone wine to drink with Fellow Daoist Jiang."

The reason why everyone treated Jiang Qing so well was twofold: firstly, Jiang Qing's arrival had indeed significantly increased the profits of the Spirit Stone mine; and secondly, it stemmed from their recognition of Jiang Qing's own strength.

The True Cultivator Foundation Establishment at the Spirit Stone mines were all at least a hundred years old, so they had sharp eyes and could tell that Jiang Qing possessed abundant spiritual power and superb Swordsmanship.

Not to mention, he also has a record of killing opponents of the same level in battle.

Besides, Jiang Qing is just a bit arrogant and aloof; he's not the kind of person who bullies the weak.

Even if the words are harsh, they are still harsh. It's not like we're stealing anyone's Spirit Stone. The cultivators might have some complaints in private, but they would never show it on their faces.

After all, their Dao Path is far-reaching. Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment at the age of less than forty is a rare find in the entire Shannan Circuit.

If they persevere to the end, it's hard to say what else will happen, but obtaining False Core is highly possible. Why bother offending these inferior peers now? It's better to befriend them before they gain power.

Keep in mind, this man isn't married yet.

Jiang Qing returned to the cave abode he had just opened. The great array lit up. The cave abode was extremely simple in its furnishings. There were no artificial mountains and flowing water, no delicacies or beautiful women, and not even a single attendant or young Daoist boy.

This is already considered very simple during a period of ascetic practice.

After Jiang Qing entered, he changed into a Daoist robe. A somewhat dull-looking wooden puppet heard the noise and slowly brought over a bowl of clear dew, intending to offer it to Jiang Qing.

A hint of warmth appeared in Jiang Qing's eyes, who had remained expressionless while interacting with his peers. He extended his one arm, took the dew, slowly drank it, and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Big Yellow."

The mechanical puppet nodded its heavy head blankly in response, then squatted back in the corner, standing there blankly, waiting for Jiang Qing to call it before it would move.

After the mecha named "Big Yellow" withdrew, the faint smile on Jiang Qing's face gradually faded, and she returned to her previous aloof demeanor.

This mechanical puppet was a gift from Kang Dabao when he turned six. It wasn't expensive, costing only three Spirit Stones, and it could operate for a year with a single fragment of spirit inside.

Such low energy consumption means that this mechanical puppet has not reached a higher level and cannot be used for combat; it can only perform simple chores such as sweeping and cleaning for cultivators.

These kinds of mechanical puppets are quite popular among some wealthy and image-conscious Rogue Cultivator. They urgently need to use some inexpensive yet useless magical artifacts to widen the gap between themselves and truly low-level Rogue Cultivator.

However, for Foundation Establishment True Cultivator like Jiang Qing, a mechanical puppet like Big Yellow was long since useless and completely incompatible with his status. It was only because it was a gift from Kang Dabao that Jiang Qing had used it since he was a child.

Turning his gaze away from Big Yellow, Jiang Qing then took out the "Ten Discourses on Qingfuzi's Sword Classic" and began to peruse it.

Although this sword manual, gifted by Second Master Ming, was written by a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator who had never achieved the False Core Foundation Establishment in his entire life, his swordsmanship was truly profound. Even the Daoist Black Shoes, who was always somewhat arrogant, was greatly impressed by this sword manual after borrowing it and said he deserved a big toast.

He bluntly stated that if this person were still alive, he would invite him to sit down and discuss swordsmanship, and he would surely gain much insight from it.

The Daoist Black Shoes spent half a year making numerous annotations before returning the sword manual to Jiang Qing, which made Jiang Qing regard it as an even greater treasure.

Previously, some disciples in the sect were still resentful about the fact that Sect Leader Kang Da had intervened for the Ming Household. They believed that since the Ming Household had already severed ties, they should just pretend not to hear and not bother to ruin Commander Tie's impression of the Chongming Sect for the sake of his family.

They spoke with absolute certainty about "repaying evil with kindness, how then can one repay kindness?"

Little did they know that if Kang Dabao hadn't repaid evil with kindness and obtained this sword manual, Jiang Qing, the first Foundation Establishment in the Chongming Sect in two hundred years, might have failed to break through and died in the Jade Toad cave abode at the bottom of that pool.

"Ten Discourses on Qingfuzi's Sword Classic" is simply a treatise on swordsmanship, not Swordsmanship.

Jiang Qing is currently practicing the "Three Yang Sword Instruction" passed down by Patriarch Zhang of the Chongming Sect. This Swordsmanship technique is of a high grade, already at the Vast-Tier Superior-Grade.

However, Jiang Qing's comprehension of swordsmanship is truly remarkable. In just over twenty years since he began practicing, he has already mastered the Three Yang Sword Instruction.

According to what the Daoist Black Shoes said, it should only take another thirty to fifty years for Jiang Qing to cultivate the Chongming Sect's signature Swordsmanship to perfection.

Don't think it's too long. You should know that this is something that even Zhang Yuandao Patriarch Zhang was also a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator and lived for 249 years, couldn't accomplish in his entire life. This also shows how high Jiang Qing's talent in swordsmanship is.

Besides swordsmanship, Jiang Qing has also cultivated the White Dew Sword, Second-Tier Middle-Grade Spirit Artifact, into a certain level of proficiency, as a wedding gift from the Earl of Nan'an to Sect Leader Kang Da.

The Toothless Old Man, split in two by it, would understand this.

If Jiang Qing had been able to cultivate his strength to this point during the Battle of Little Wu Mountain, he probably wouldn't have ended up losing an arm.

Even with his flawed physical body, Jiang Qing was still able to fight on equal terms with ordinary Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivators, relying on his swordsmanship, the powerful spiritual Cultivation Method of his Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment and the high- Vast-Tier Superior-Grade cultivation techniques.

Once he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, even a genius like him would find it difficult to defeat enemies beyond his level as easily as he did during the Qi Refining Qi Refining Realm.

There are always higher levels out there; these are all old fogies who have lived for several decades, some even at the Foundation Establishment stage, their ages Chongming Sect. How could they not have some means of self-preservation?

"But as long as you study diligently, you'll get better eventually." Jiang Qing sighed softly, her slender, delicate fingers gently unfolding, revealing a three-colored flame burning in her palm. Its spiritual energy was dazzling, and one glance was enough to tell that it was no ordinary item.

This is the Three Yang Li Fire formed through the practice of the Three Yang Scripture. According to Patriarch Zhang's notes, this spiritual fire can not only be used to fight with flying swords, but also for refining weapons and alchemy.

Unfortunately, Jiang Qing was not skilled in this art, and Yuan Jin and Pei Yi, among others, lacked the aptitude to cultivate the "Three Yang Scripture," which was a pity.

Jiang Qing's cultivation lasted for more than a month before he stopped. The message from Sect Leader Kang Da summoned him out of his Seclusion Chamber.

The letter stated that the New Cloud Alliance would launch a preemptive strike within two months, meeting with the Changning Sect at Old Ox Mountain in White Sand County, and that Jiang Qing should prepare accordingly.

Although Tie Liuyun didn't provide much in terms of supplies, he promised that after the Foundation Establishment from various families stationed at the Spirit Stone mine left, he would allocate Xiezhi Guard and select usable Foundation Establishment cultivators to form a protective array outside the Spirit Stone mine. He also promised that during this period, there would be no theft by those in charge.

Because of his previous boasting, Tie Liuyun's Commander Tie among the various factions has been greatly damaged, so his words are not very convincing.

What cat in the world doesn't like fish?

Therefore, the leaders of each family decided to instruct the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator at the Spirit Stone mines to take back the Spirit Stone they had accumulated this year while they still had some time. Even if they lost money, they would lose less.

If possible, all the tutors should be sent back home first. After all, these people are quite capable now, and it would be a pity if they were all ruined by those Xiezhi Guards.

Shan Sheng knew about this news earlier than Jiang Qing, after all, he had been summoned to a meeting by the Daoist Black Shoes. With the pale white flying sword protecting him, Shan Sheng remembered every word the Daoist Black Shoes said at the meeting.

At this moment, he approached and said ingratiatingly, "Fellow Daoist Fellow Daoist Jiang, your immortal home is quite far away, and your sect was the one that initiated this battle. You must be busy with matters at home, so why not go back and prepare as soon as possible? You don't need to Restore Spirit mine afterwards; we can meet at your sect."

The others had no objections after hearing this, and Jiang Qing actually felt a bit more favorably disposed towards Shan Sheng this time, as he was eager to return home.

After counting the Spirit Stone belonging to the Chongming Sect and the Daoist Black Shoes, he bowed to the other cultivators and bid them farewell.

With a major battle imminent, we need to return as soon as possible to put our minds at ease.

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