A Virtuous Wife Supports My Ambition to Reach the Clouds

Two sharp golden energies blocked the way, but the long-browed old cultivator, who was fleeing for his life, didn't even glance at them. Relying on the thick mysterious light emanating from his First-Tier Superior-Grade treasure armor, he didn't slow down and broke through directly.

As a result, Ming Zhe's flying sword, which was chasing behind him, was a step too late and landed in empty space.

Earth collapsed, rocks crumbled, and sand and gravel flew up, crashing against the protective shield with a series of crackling sounds. The long-browed old cultivator in front ignored it all and continued on his way.

That damned Hemu Dao can't go back. He joined this sect halfway through his life for the protection of Foundation Establishment and for his disciples to rely on, not for the battlefield of thousands of cultivators to fight to the death with the major Foundation Establishment sects.

With cultivation within me, the vast world is my oyster; where can't I go!

But after the old cultivator with long eyebrows broke through the golden energy, he couldn't escape far before a handsome young man appeared in front of him.

The young man's short, sharp magical Law Artifact pierced through the mysterious light emanating from the armor with a single, swift strike.

The old cultivator with long eyebrows couldn't dodge in time, only managing to shift half his body. The short spike struck the armor, leaving the armor unharmed, but the cultivator himself was thrown into Qi and Blood by the impact of the short spike Law Artifact.

This old cultivator was a veteran of many battles. Feeling the sharp pain in his lower back, he knew that it was most likely due to damage to his kidneys. He cursed inwardly and was about to cry out in pain when he saw the handsome young man opposite him have his two black pupils turn amber in color, and a chaotic spiritual light slowly emerges from them.

The long-browed old cultivator, still terrified by the corpse refining, suddenly felt his entire body stiffen and could no longer move.

Pei Que has been studying the "Reflecting the Void" pupil technique for several years, and has now cultivated this Desolate Rank, Supreme Grade pupil technique to the Minor Accomplishment Realm.

He used to struggle to subdue even low-to- First Tier -tier Demon Beast, but now Pei Que can easily take down a late-stage cultivator, a significant improvement indeed.

Given his talent in pupil techniques, it's strange that even if his progress in cultivating the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes is slower than that of Sect Leader Kang Da, he shouldn't have failed to even get close to the basics.

Seeing that Pei Que succeeded, Ming Zhe, who was beside him, took the opportunity to take out Spirit-Locking Talisman and stick it on the forehead of the long-browed old man. In this way, the two of them easily subdued the Late Qi Refinement Refining Hemu Dao Deacon.

The Hundred Corpses Grand Formation set up by the Changning Sect was truly terrifying, actually managing to frighten this old cultivator who looked like he had experienced a lot.

Ming Zhe was too young to understand what the legendary terror between life and death was.

Seeing the old monk's appearance, he showed no sympathy whatsoever. He simply raised a wisp of pure energy in his hand and struck the old monk's face. After the ferocious expression on the old monk's face slowly subsided, the old monk closed his eyes and remained still.

He removed his magical Law Artifact, and also took off the Storage Bag at his waist.

As a disciple of Double Brightness, I have been exposed to this matter since childhood. Under the guidance of my elders, I am naturally very skilled at doing these things.

However, this old cultivator was not an enemy. Even if he had committed a crime, he should be taken back to be dealt with by his teachers. These things, on the other hand, could not be embezzled, lest they tarnish the reputation of Double Brightness disciples.

The two are doing this now simply to separate the human from the equipment, so as to avoid trouble during the transport.

Just as the two finished their work, two familiar figures approached. The leader, a cultivator dressed in white with Lord Xu face, shook his head upon seeing the two and said:

"Senior Brother Pei and Junior Brother Ming don't need to go ahead. There seems to be no one there, and even if there were, we wouldn't be able to catch up anyway."

"How many people did Junior Brother Kang capture?" Pei Que asked curiously when he saw Kang Rongquan and Kuai En following closely behind.

"Only three or four people," Kang Rongquan said, sounding rather uninterested, pointing to Kuai En beside him.

"They're all minor figures. None of the renowned cultivators Hemu Dao has recruited over the years are any of them. Most of them were handled by Brother Kuai; I didn't need to do anything. Not only did I not need to, Spirit-Locking Talisman weren't even wasted. I just saw Senior Brother Duan turning around, so I put them on and asked him to take them with him."

Kuai En hurriedly stepped forward to greet Pei Que and the other man, speaking with the same respect as before. Facing two juniors who were old enough to be his nephews and nieces, he addressed them as "brother" with great warmth and without hesitation.

Pei Que returned the greeting with a serious expression, while Ming Zhe found it quite novel. Hearing the repeated "brother" greetings, he began to feel a sense of goodwill towards Kuai En.

"In that case, let's go back now, so the division commanders won't worry." Ming Zhe's eyes still held a hint of eagerness, but Kang Rongquan and Pei Que remained silent in perfect unison.

The Sect Leader Kang Da them out to pursue and capture these scattered Hemu Dao disciples and Changning Sect vassals, not because he was truly afraid they would cause trouble in the area.

If I go back too early, I'm afraid I'll get scolded.

Kuai En is a shrewd and astute individual. Even Sect Leader Kang Da has praised his ability to assess situations. If he hadn't seen through this, why would he have led the Kuai Household and followed closely Double Brightness's disciples?

It's all about reducing the number of deaths.

Kang Rongquan and Pei Que found a place, planted the Six-Leaf Azure Lotus Dao Flag, distributed talismans, and summoned all their fellow disciples to gather there.

Ye Pingshui and Ye Yaoling, along with Zhang Le, were the first to arrive and captured six defeated soldiers of the Hemu Dao. Duan Anle followed behind with Yuan Changsheng, using iron chains to bind a dozen or so Hemu Dao cultivators of varying cultivation levels.

Once everyone had arrived, the team leader Chu Huer, pointed them out. Pei Que, who was in charge of the matter, calculated the number of people captured: a total of three Late Qi Refinement Refining cultivators, twenty-three Middle Qi Refinement, and forty-six Early Qi Refining Stage, totaling less than one hundred people.

In addition, there were thirty or forty other defeated soldiers from Hemu Dao who, unable to be captured alive and stubbornly resisting, were directly killed.

Most of them were actually captured by various vassal states. Double Brightness's disciples combined only managed to capture twenty or thirty people.

The casualties on the Chongming Sect's side were not significant. Only Ye Pingshui and Sun Fu suffered minor injuries, while Niu Kuang was covered in six wounds and borrowed a elixir from Chu Huer to save his life.

This is related to the fact that many deserters lost their will to fight and surrendered easily, as well as the increasingly outstanding skills of the disciples, and also to the Sect Leader Kang Da's consistent adherence to the principle of seeking stability in all things.

The disciples did not seek merit in this battle, but adhered to the principle. "When encountering a strong enemy, unless it is a critical moment, do not be reckless, and let it pass."

In Kang Dabao's eyes, the few disciples he had accumulated over two or three decades were extremely precious.

They're just a few defeated soldiers from Hemu Dao. Capture them if you can, and if you can't, protect yourselves first. The lives of Double Brightness disciples are much more valuable than theirs.

In comparison, the other families who came out with Double Brightness's disciples suffered far greater casualties.

Inside the patrol, Shao Wei was dead. Shao Meng's eyes were red, but she couldn't cry out. The sight of a beautiful woman shedding tears was truly moving.

The Second Feng Household Brother couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. Then, remembering his eldest brother who had just died in battle, he felt a pang of sympathy and wanted to reach out and comfort him. But then, for some reason, a flicker of fear flashed in his crooked eyes, and in the end, he made no move.

Only one of the guards from Green Lotus Courtyard died, but it is said that he was from a poor, remote branch of Ying Prefecture. He followed the Fei Household all the way from the prosperous capital to this small county in this prefecture, probably like the Patriarch Zhang of the Chongming Sect back then, hoping to make a name for himself.

But he died quietly in this desolate wilderness, and we don't know if he regretted it before he died;

The Kuai Household lost several sons-in-law whom Kuai En had high hopes for. Fortunately, the Kuai Household's daughters are still alive, and they can replace them next year. However, this will inevitably Chongming Sect's spiritual fields.

On the Lu Household's side, the patriarch Lu Xun was seriously injured, and the second patriarch Lu Zhen died. It is unknown whether he has used up the Spirit Stone he earned from Heng Mountain back then.

The Xue Household suffered the most. Chu Huer heard from the Xue Household members who had escaped with their lives that the Xue Household head, Xue Hu, and most of the Xue Household disciples had met with terrible misfortune.

None of them had intended to fight to the death for the Chongming Sect, but they were spotted by a group of late-stage disciples of the Hemu Dao who were busy fleeing. In their panic, they had nowhere to hide and were all slaughtered.

All things considered, there were nearly twenty casualties.

Fortunately, the number of Double Brightness disciples was not large, so Chu Huer didn't have to worry about being held accountable by Sect Leader Kang Da.

However, the number of Hemu Dao soldiers captured and killed was much less than the number of Hemu Dao disciples who were actually scattered by the Changning Sect's Hundred Corpses Grand Formation.

The heads and captured soldiers are all there; this cannot be faked or hidden from the eyes of others.

Chu Huer was leading the team, thought for a moment and decided to search the area again to avoid giving the other families something to talk about when they got back.

There must be some stragglers nearby, such as the group of late-stage cultivators who nearly slaughtered the Xue Household. With the main force assembled, there's no need to fear those scattered soldiers who have broken through the ranks.

Even if we can't find it, it will still take another day or two, which is exactly what Sect Leader Kang Da wants.

Chu Huer led his team to search for two days and finally managed to gather another twenty or thirty people.

The group of defeated soldiers from Hemu Dao who slaughtered the Xue Household also failed to escape. Chu Huer alone killed three of his peers with his one-legged bronze hammer, and the rest were also killed on the spot.

Chu Huer then gave all the Storage Bag carried by these people to the Xue Household cultivators as compensation. This action made the cultivators from various families, who were originally resentful, feel much better. At least the Chongming Sect was as open and honest as ever, and they were doing their jobs well, so there was some compensation in return.

Just as Chu Huer was about to lead the team back, an unexpected person appeared before everyone's eyes.

Xuanwei City, Fei Household She Mountain Hall Branch.

Inside the hall, the crisp sound of abacuses filled the air as usual; outside, a light drizzle fell, accompanied by a gentle breeze.

A withered yellow-green leaf drifted down into the hall on the autumn wind and landed on Fei Nanying's hair. The man didn't pay attention and continued his work as usual, as if the abacus was a magical artifact or a beautiful young woman, making it hard to look away.

Fei's wife, Lady Han, sat opposite Fei Nanying. She had seen this man for nearly sixty years, yet she still couldn't get enough of him.

The legitimate daughter of the prestigious Yukun Han Clan, a renowned clan in the land, was married off to Fei Household branch of the Fei family, which relied on the imperial clan and didn't even have Golden Core cultivator. To this day, she doesn't know how many of her cousins laugh at her behind her back, but she has never cared.

She was overjoyed from the very first day she married Fei Nanying, and she always has been, is now, and will always be.

After an unknown amount of time, Fei Nanying finally put down his abacus. Looking at his plump and alluring wife dressed in palace attire, her eyes still sparkling with the same allure as before, the Prefectural Magistrate couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Shuhe has finally returned; why don't you take her out more often? Prefectural Governor Zhu's wife holds poetry and incense gatherings every few days, and Yuyao came along too. Why don't you take her with you and make her look good?"

"You blockhead," Fei's wife glanced at him with her beautiful eyes and said coquettishly, "What do you know about a young woman's thoughts? Shuhe came back these days, has she put even a little bit of her mind into having fun?"

With no outsiders in the hall, Sima Fei was much more relaxed than usual. He put away his abacus and raised an eyebrow at his wife's words. "Girls are naturally inclined to be outgoing, that's not surprising. But what, is she back this time to help that fat boy freeload again?"

"It's not just that chubby boy," Fei's wife said, finding it amusing. "These past few days, we've invited all the sisters in the family, and each of them brought that chubby boy from the concubine's side room to the feast. Those sisters are all elders, so how could they not give him something? In just a few days, that child is already adorned with jewels and dressed in fine silks."

"Ah, such a tender heart is most precious." Fei Nanying smiled upon hearing this, then stared intently at his wife and said, "This can be considered a blessing in disguise. Although Kang's family background is low, he has a promising future."

As long as he closely follows the Earl and does a good job with the horse bones, he might achieve great things in the Shannan Circuit in the future. If things go well, he might even have a great destiny.

Although Shuhe's marriage wasn't considered particularly good, she had no elders or relatives to look after her or interfere with her life, something that even many noble ladies of the imperial family could only dream of.

Life may be a little hard, but at least we'll have a harmonious relationship.

Even among all the noble daughters of your Han Household who married into prestigious families or formed alliances with the imperial family, how many of them spent their days scheming and vying for attention?

It's one thing to compete with those flashy women for men, but to waste all your energy on such things and neglect your own cultivation is the most foolish thing to do. I see that Shuhe's cultivation has improved quite a bit since she returned this time; she'll probably be able to try to Foundation Establishment in another year or two.

By then, I will have done right by my poor brother and sister-in-law.

Upon hearing this, Fei's wife glared at him again and said bluntly, "You make it sound so easy. I raised Shuhe myself, and in my eyes, she's no different from Wanqing."

You're such a carefree uncle, completely shirking your responsibilities, unlike me who's so heartbroken. Shuhe was harmed by the Kuang Household, and you don't care, fine; but if Wanqing has to pay for it later, see how I settle accounts with you."

Fei Nanying shook his head and chuckled, "Wanqing is peacefully cultivating under Elder Ye Shui's tutelage; we don't need to worry about her marriage. Speaking of which, weren't you the one who most disliked that family hierarchy? How come after hearing this today, you actually agree with it?"

Fei's wife was displeased and interrupted, saying, "When a daughter gets married, we look at her family background, her character, and her qualifications. Family background is something that can't be obtained by anyone, so we can set that aside for now."

Among your subordinates, there are those like Gun Shilu, whose aptitude is passable but whose character is flawed. Golden Core, achieving the Golden Elixir is not impossible, yet they crave convenience, willingly stooping to lowly paths and taking shortcuts. Such people are absolutely not suitable for marriage.

"That young Kang is of low talent and poor character; even if he becomes Ice Leaf, he'll have little future."

Upon hearing his wife's affirmation, Fei Nanying felt both gratified and wryly smiled.

Gun Shilu, bearing numerous wounds and having served for nearly sixty years, had finally managed to secure a False Core future for himself from Kuang Liuting, yet in his own wife's eyes, he was seen as self-degrading.

If these words were simply spoken aloud, I wonder how many people would feel a mix of emotions upon hearing them.

Sima Fei had no intention of arguing with his wife, but he added, "It's one thing for Madam to say that Kang Dabao's talent is inferior, but his character is certainly not bad."

Before Fang Yi finish speaking, Fei's wife interrupted him:

"He's nothing but a lecherous scoundrel who preys on women; he has no future whatsoever. It's truly a pity for my Shuhe; not only does she have to cry poverty for his return, but she also treats that maid's son like a precious treasure, protecting him so tightly that she can't even bear to let me, her grandmother, take a second look at him."

When Sima Fei heard his wife mention it repeatedly, and recalled the doting look on his niece's face as she held Kang Changyi, he chuckled and said, "When Shuhe returns with a child bearing the blood of the Fei Household, I will definitely throw a grand banquet and make it a lively occasion."

"If you truly care about her, then find some people to help Kang boy. I don't care about him, but seeing Shuhe so worried and fearful all the time is quite distressing. You can't even help a third-rate sect that doesn't even have False Core?"

"We don't even need to send anyone from your own hall. Just gather some old acquaintances from the capital region and send them over. How many days can that Changning Sect hold out?"

"A woman's view," Fei Nanying was about to utter those four words, but seeing his wife's expression, he swallowed them back.

"You don't know much. Don't worry about these things. With the Daoist Black Shoes here, Kang will be fine. The New Cloud Alliance has the Changning Sect so badly that they're only able to survive thanks to their formations. The Yue Household and that Tie Liuyun have even received praise from the Lord because of this. I'm already being lenient by not causing them any trouble; how could I possibly add insult to injury at this time?"

"Alright, alright, I won't concern myself with these matters anymore. Just listen to my husband Sima Fei." Having grown rather bored with these other things, Fei's wife finally brought up the most important matter of the day with Fei Nanying:

"My master asked me to ask you, what kind of Core Formation spiritual item did Kuang Liuting prepare for you? Does it match your Core Thesis? If it does match, when will it be given to you? If it's too late, you'll miss that grand event a hundred years from now."

Upon hearing Fei Nanying frowned, turned to his virtuous wife, and said with conviction, "The Lord bestowed upon me the East Mountain Jade a month ago, which perfectly aligns with my Core Thesis. If I were to use this to Core Formation, I would have an 80% chance of success within ten years."

Fei's wife's face lit up with joy, but after seeing Fei Nanying's expression, the joy faded, and she asked again, "Still thinking about it?"

Fei Nanying pondered for a moment, then said solemnly, "I still want to give it a try. If I waste half my life and only achieve the future of a Lower-Grade Golden Core, and end up fading into obscurity, unable to secure a good future for my wife and children, I am truly unwilling to accept that."

Upon hearing this, Fei's wife did not try to persuade him further, "Yinglang is ambitious, and as his wife, I certainly don't want to hold him back. With the master still alive, if you need anything, just tell me, and I'll go home and get it."

Fei Nanying was taken aback for a moment, then quickly laughed and said, "I just said that Shuhe came back to freeload, how come you're following suit, Madam?!"

Fei's wife rolled her eyes at her again. "Stop pretending, what if you don't want it?!"

"Yes!" Sima Fei's expression was solemn, but this time his answer was resolute. The couple looked at each other and then smiled, instantly brightening the atmosphere in the room.

"If Shuhe could learn even half of your skills, Madam, she would empty my She Mountain Hall." Seeing his wife's virtuousness, Fei Nanying was greatly pleased and joked.

Fei's wife stopped talking, simply nestled against Sima Fei's chest, listening to his strong and powerful heartbeat, feeling completely at ease.

Fei Nanying held his wife in his arms, but his thoughts were on Kang Dabao and the Daoist Black Shoes. He muttered to himself, "Once this matter is settled, we can't let them get mixed up with Yue Household and Tie Liuyun anymore."

The Bright Moon Token and the Mountain-Viewing cave abode are nothing. If Black Shoes wants to go, just give it to him. In a place like Cloud Horn Prefecture, how difficult is it to Golden Core Formation Pill without submitting to the prefectural government? Black Shoes should be able to see that clearly. After Core Formation, how could a mere Cloud Horn Prefecture possibly contain him?

We need to put more effort into the Ying Prefecture clan. No matter which side Black Shoes is recruited by, it won't be as beneficial as bringing him into our own territory. Even the Chongming Sect, if the time is right, could be entirely relocated to Ying Prefecture. By then, I'll have already Core Formation, and I can give them a chance to flourish."

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