Willing to Fight and Seize

"Attendant Yue." All the cultivators bowed in unison. At this moment, most of the people in the room were not looking at Yue Feng with friendly eyes, which was to be expected.

Second-Tier Upper-Grade Spirit Vein is extremely valuable in the eyes of everyone. It was just taken away by the Yue Household patriarch without any explanation. It would be strange if Yue Feng, a pillar of the Yue Household, could expect to receive a pleasant reception in the hall at this moment.

Sitting in the center, Ye Zhen's expression was completely different from that of most of his fellow practitioners. The anger that had risen between his brows faded, and instead, a smile appeared on his face.

The Book and Sword Gate has been incorporated into the New Cloud Alliance, which is now under the control of the New Cloud Alliance Tie Liuyun. Tie Liuyun is currently locked in a fierce battle with the Han City Yue Household.

Ye Zhen knew exactly which boat he was on. The Ying Prefecture Fei Household was indeed prestigious, but the saying "a local official is more powerful than a distant one" also held true. If Kang Dabao, with whom he had just argued, were the legitimate son-in-law of the Han City Yue Household, how could he dare to provoke him?

Before he could compose himself and approach Yue Feng with a forced smile to exchange a few words, he saw the latter stride confidently toward the position of Sect Leader Kang Da.

"Brother, you've done another great service." This time, Yue Feng's smile was much more sincere.

Old Ox Mountain in White Sand County is quite a distance from Double Brightness Trade Market. The battlefield hasn't even been cleaned up yet, but Yue Feng has already received the news and arrived.

Kang Dabao didn't know if Yue Lin, a top-tier False Core cultivator, could arrive in half a day, but he secretly guessed that he probably couldn't achieve True Cultivator Foundation Establishment.

Seeing that Yue Feng didn't look travel-worn, Kang Dabao figured that he had probably arrived early with Yue Lin, but had stayed nearby beforehand and hadn't shown himself.

"Why are you out at this time? And what good news do you have?"

Kang Dabao had no idea what Yue Feng was up to, but he put on a formulaic smile, which wasn't genuine, and replied, "Not at all, it's all because my comrades in the alliance are eager to serve their country. How could I, Kang, have done anything of merit?"

Yue Feng, however, didn't take it to heart and warmly took Kang Dabao's hand, saying, "The head of the family has already mentioned it in his letter, praising your outstanding contribution in this battle. He will definitely speak on your behalf to the Earl."

Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Kang Da's expression remained unchanged, Ye Zhen's face twitched slightly, the other heads of the various families either envied or were jealous, and even Nanny Sun, who had always been calm and composed, began to furrow her brows slightly.

A thought flashed through the old woman's mind, "It's time to remind my lord that the son-in-law's interactions with the local cultivators of Cloud Horn, such as the Yue Household, are a bit too close."

Kang Dabao could sense that the atmosphere in the room was a bit off. After a few formulaic and humble remarks, he changed the subject, saying, "Attendant Yue had some good news. May I ask what it is?"

"Hey, look at my memory!" Yue Feng chuckled. "Since the patriarch has said that all the families of the New Cloud Alliance have worked hard, he has set aside 50,000 Spirit Stone as a reward."

Fifty thousand Spirit Stone is not a small amount, but compared to a vast Spirit Vein, it pales in comparison.

However, something is better than nothing. Previously, everyone thought that Yue Lin had taken it by trickery and force, but now that they have 50,000 Spirit Stone to back them up, they actually have some thoughts that "the Yue Household has a bottom line in their actions," which is quite ridiculous.

Kang Dabao was greatly disappointed, but he also sensed something else. However, he didn't say anything and just silently followed the other cultivators in bowing and expressing his gratitude.

"I have some private matters I'd like to discuss with Brother Kang. Is that alright?" Yue Feng asked, looking at Sect Leader Kang Da.

The latter was initially taken aback, then shook his head, glanced at Ye Zhen intentionally or unintentionally, before turning to Yue Feng and saying, "There is still a sum of money that needs to be discussed with Alliance Leader Ye."

"What payment?" Yue Feng asked somewhat anxiously, then realized his mistake and smiled apologetically, "I misspoke, please forgive me, brother. In that case, I'll wait for you in the side hall until you're finished."

Without waiting for Kang Dabao's response, he turned his gaze to Ye Zhen and said softly, "Alliance Leader Ye, I have important business to attend to, please hurry."

Ye Zhen smiled upon hearing this and was about to reply when he saw Yue Feng had already finished speaking, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and left.

"This fellow is truly arrogant; does he only respect Kang Dabao in this arena?"

Ye Zhen's anger flared instantly, and she looked at Kang Dabao with a sinister gaze. "Is this guy going to be a son- Yue Household again?"

Kang Dabao knew Ye Zhen was displeased, but he didn't care at all. Instead, he asked, "Alliance Leader Ye, how about we divide the spoils after we've already agreed to remove the two Second Tier Formation-Breaking Pearl from our sect?"

"Alright, as you say." Ye Zhen let out a long sigh, his displeasure written all over his face.

Shan Sheng and the others wore wry smiles. They had come here just to make a show of it; Ye Zhen was now too lazy to even bother with formalities.

If this continues, each family will truly become a nominal appendage.

"The Alliance Leader is truly righteous." Having achieved his goal Sect Leader Kang Da did not stop there, but instead pressed on, proposing further. "Although the Changning Sect has been defeated, there are still many rebel cultivators in White Sand County who should be dealt with."

These words made everyone's eyes light up. What was this "settlement"? In the end, wasn't it just about "grabbing"?

Spirit Stone, spirit stones, spirit flowers and herbs, immortal seedlings and furnaces—what is there that cannot be stolen?

If they were to openly plunder White Sand County, which lacks a leader, how much could the remaining thousand or so cultivators of the New Cloud Alliance, who still possessed some fighting strength, possibly reclaim after scraping the land to the ground?!

The saying "A thief passes by as easily as a comb, a soldier passes by as easily as a fine comb" is no exaggeration!

What you can't get from the Changning Sect, isn't it the same to get it from these large and small forces within White Sand County?

But why would Sect Leader Kang Da, who is always good at acting and claims to be kind-hearted, come up with such a popular idea today?

Ye Zhen, who had been annoyed, now perked up at Kang Dabao's words and became more polite. "Sect Leader Kang, which family should we start with?"

"How can a righteous army raise troops!" Kang Dabao shook his head, denying everyone's guess, and took out a map of White Sand County that he had found in the Changning Sect.

The map marks nearly two hundred forces of varying sizes, of which about one-third have been marked with a red cross.

These were all staunch vassals who had migrated from various places with the different families of the Changning Sect. Most of them had already been killed or captured by the New Cloud Alliance cultivators at the beginning of the siege of Old Ox Mountain.

The remaining factions that weren't marked with an "X" are mostly those that were already operating locally.

Sect Leader Kang Da picked up a vermilion brush and, with a few twists and turns, divided these households into five groups. They were then ordered according to size and number, namely, Chong, Shu, Dan, Zi, and He.

"These forces refuse to submit to the king's rule, so let's divide them up like this. From now on, our five families will collect taxes according to the years, and then submit them to the state court annually."

Upon hearing this, the heads of each household could no longer remain reserved and gathered around the map to examine it closely. Although the Yue family of Laoniu Mountain forbade any movement, Yue Lin hadn't mentioned a single word about the other parts of Baisha County.

The Chongming Sect received the largest share, and several other powerful factions in White Sand County with a relatively wealthy reputation were also included in his sphere of influence. The Book and Sword Gate slightly less, with the number decreasing for each faction in turn.

However, Kang Dabao's methods were not too ugly. In the end, even Hemu Dao, which received the least, still had nearly ten Qi Refinement and other forces to exploit.

This is far less risky than plundering the entire county, and the future profits are even more considerable. After all, everyone understands that a steady, long-term business is better than a short-sighted, exploitative one.

However, everyone knew in their hearts that Sect Leader Kang Da's actions were somewhat taboo.

After the state government established itself in Cloud Horn Prefecture, the collection of taxes from each county was generally managed by the county magistrate.

Families like the Xue Household and Lu Household, who had close ties with the Chongming Sect and lived in relative proximity, were required to send men to serve in military campaigns, but their taxes were still paid to the Pingrong County in recent years.

At most, on three Chongming Sect festivals and two birthdays, I would offer some local products to Chongmingzong as a token of my appreciation. Even then, it had to be given voluntarily; I could never ask for them myself.

However, it's not that there aren't any major sects that still require their vassals to pay two taxes: one to the state government and one to support themselves.

However, the risk is considerable. If the lower-level households can no longer tolerate it and dare to report it to the county government, the county government might really decide to exterminate the entire family.

The current county officials are far more powerful than before, with many now at the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. Even if they are truly lacking in strength, the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, whose power is gradually increasing, will certainly provide assistance.

However, it wasn't that no sect or Lineage was involved in collecting taxes on behalf of the state government.

For example, the taxes of Xuanwei City had always been collected by the Ying Prefecture Fei Household; in recent years, the Yue Household had also gained trust and had taken back control of the taxes of Han City.

However, these families were all powerful figures with close ties to the Earl of Nan'an.

Compared to the other factions in the New Cloud Alliance, not only are their relationships much worse, but their strength is also far inferior.

Ye Zhen would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. Jingnan Prefecture was indeed richer than Cloud Horn Prefecture, but the number of cultivator forces that Kang Dabao had casually taken over was more than what his Book and Sword Gate had managed to build up in Guo County over the years.

After thinking for a moment, he spoke first, saying, "This is a matter of great importance. Sect Leader Kang, please don't make fun of us. If so..."

Kang Dabao waved his hand to interrupt, "Whether it succeeds or not, I will speak with Sima Fei myself. Even if it fails, I won't lose a single hair. Why should Alliance Leader Ye worry?"

"And this share?!" Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen's old eyes showed a slight dissatisfaction.

"Then may I ask, Alliance Leader Ye, do you have Sima Yi as your ancestor, or a Golden Leaf Foundation Establishment as your senior uncle?" Kang Dabao's words left Ye Zhen embarrassed.

The latter never expected that Kang Dabao could speak so frankly and shamelessly.

"Heh, I hope that Sect Leader Kang's plan won't turn out to be nothing but a castle in the air." Ye Zhen was truly in a bad mood now. He hastily distributed Spirit Stone according to the plan, then said no more and left with the Foundation Establishment disciples of the Book and Sword Gate Foundation Establishment.

Ye Zhen left, and the remaining three families were quite enthusiastic about looking at Sect Leader Kang Da.

Back when the New Cloud Alliance was still the Lian Water Alliance, for a long time, even the most powerful sect in the alliance, the Book and Sword Gate, only had three or four Foundation Establishment in existence.

Although Zi Maple Valley and Jade Moon Shan Household are somewhat inferior, they generally still have at least two or three Foundation Establishment True Cultivator in charge.

Therefore, although the Lian Water Alliance is not considered strong, the relationships between its members are relatively harmonious, and there is no question of infighting or bullying.

However, in recent years, the fortunes of the two families have shifted. The Shan Household and Zi Maple Valley have suffered repeated misfortunes and declined one after another. Together with the three families of Hemu Dao who joined the alliance, their number of Foundation Establishment is only half that of the Book and Sword Gate.

In terms of quality, it is far inferior.

With the balance of power shifting, Ye Zhen, who had always presented himself as a peacemaker and a good-natured person, changed his personality and became almost completely devoid of courtesy towards other families.

The continued dominance of the Book and Sword Gate within the alliance is something that no other faction is happy to see.

If things continue like this, and if anything happens to the Shan Household and Zi Maple Valley, they might be completely devoured by their ally, the Book and Sword Gate.

Compared to the increasingly violent Ye Zhen, the newly risen Chongming Sect Leader Kang Da is much easier to get along with. Even Han, the sect Sect Leader Han Hemu Dao, who has recently been at odds with him, prefers to be closer to Kang Dabao.

However, Kang Dabao was not interested in him at all. After a few words, he politely sent the smiling Shen Tu away.

Only when facing Shan Sheng, who came up last, did he put on a serious face.

Those two families trying to get benefits just by talking are out of the question. Since he started as a traveling merchant, Sect Leader Kang Da has never made such a losing deal.

However, Shan Sheng was different from the other two families. When he annihilated the Mi Household Stockade, the other family had genuinely sent troops to help him. It was only right for Sect Leader Kang Da to return the favor.

At this moment, Mo Wen also found an excuse to leave. In this battle at Ingenious Craftsman Fort, as before, twenty or thirty disciples died in the fierce fighting. When they broke the bones with their teeth, they couldn't even taste the marrow.

Even knowing that Ingenious Craftsman Fort was still a criminal and hadn't suffered the same fate as the Changning Sect families, which was considered good, Mo Wen still felt a pang of sadness.

With Mo Wen gone, there were no outsiders left in the hall, so Shan Sheng no longer concealed himself and revealed his request:

"I have a favor to ask of you, and I hope Sect Leader Kang will grant it."

"Fellow Daoist Shan, please don't stand on ceremony, speak freely."

"There are rumors circulating that Sect Leader Kang once obtained five Five Elements Foundation Establishment spiritual items from the state court," Shan Sheng paused slightly, noticing a subtle change in Kang Dabao's expression, and then changed his tone, speaking earnestly:

"To be honest, my days are numbered, and my only concern after my death is for my family and descendants. That is why I have taken the liberty of offering the power that Sect Leader Kang previously allocated as collateral in exchange for a Foundation Establishment spiritual treasure for my descendants."

Kang Dabao raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this. He did indeed possess quite a few Foundation Establishment spiritual items, including a high-grade Foundation Establishment Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill that could increase the probability of Foundation Establishment by 50%.

But then again, which sect would complain about having too many Foundation Establishment spiritual items?

Shan Sheng was also a shrewd fellow. He hadn't even asked Sima Fei for his previous plan yet. To be honest, just as Ye Zhen had said, this matter was indeed likely to be difficult to accomplish.

That Shan Sheng actually used the pie that Sect Leader Kang Da had just drawn up to feed Sect Leader Kang Da himself, it's like trying to get something for nothing, it's a complete reversal of the Heavenly Gang!

Just as Kang Dabao was lamenting that he hadn't expected Shan Sheng, a guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, to be such a bad person, the latter suddenly put on a smiling face again:

"Borrow one share. If the Shan Household cannot repay two shares within sixty years, then the Shan Household's clan land in Jade Moon will also be mortgaged to the Chongming Sect, and this will be documented in writing."

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao's eyes softened considerably. "In the short term, not many people in the Chongming Sect will be aiming for Foundation Establishment. This deal seems worthwhile?"

"Why is Fellow Daoist Shan going to such lengths?" This deal is advantageous, but since Sect Leader Kang Da is a respectable person, even if he really wants to do it, he has to pretend to persuade him again.

"Alas, without Foundation Establishment cultivator to guard it, it's like a pile of eggs. What immortal mountains and Spirit Vein are they? They're just guarding other people's territory."

Shan Sheng could only smile wryly, and then said, "This matter is not urgent. I can hold out for a few more years. I urge Sect Leader Kang to consider this carefully. Regardless of whether it comes to fruition or not, the Shan Household Chongming Sect a favor." After saying this, he withdrew.

Jiang Qing, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, "I heard that none of the Foundation Establishment seedlings recently selected by the Shan Household have come for this battle; they've all stayed at home."

Kang Dabao didn't mention the matter again, and said to Jiang Qing, "Give five thousand of the Spirit Stone we obtained earlier to Mo Wen."

The latter, though feeling it was unnecessary, didn't ask any questions and went straight to do his work.

After giving instructions to Jiang Qing, he finally turned to Nanny Sun and said, "Granny, you've worked hard this time. The compensation and rewards for the colleagues in Green Lotus Courtyard will need to be distributed one by one by Granny Sun."

"Young master is benevolent." Nanny Sun bowed first, then paused for a moment before adding, "If I may be so bold, the state court may not agree to the young master's plan to collect taxes from White Sand County on his behalf."

Kang Dabao simply smiled and said, "Whether it succeeds or fails, we have to try. If we achieve the best, we'll collect taxes and have a large population; if we achieve the middle, we won't collect taxes but we can control the population; if we achieve the worst, we won't lose anything. So what's the harm?"

After thinking for a moment, Nanny Sun said softly, "Showing ambition might cause us to lose the Lord's trust."

Kang Dabao's smile widened, "Your Excellency shouldn't be afraid of your subordinates having ambitions, but perhaps you should be afraid of them being incapable of accomplishing their tasks."

Seeing the light in Nanny Sun's eyes after hearing this, Sect Leader Kang Da continued, "Sima Zeng said there are still more deaths to come. As the sect leader, I must find a way to reduce the number of deaths in my sect."

Nanny Sun hadn't expected Kang Dabao to open up to her like this. She paused for a moment, then understood, and said, "Now that this matter is settled, the young master has given no further instructions. In that case, I will arrange everything and then go to Xuanwei City to accompany Miss."

Seeing that Nanny Sun Kang Dabao smiled easily and said softly, "Thank you for your trouble, Granny. Please tell Shuhe that I will be waiting for her at home."

Nanny Sun agreed, bowed, and withdrew.

After he left, Kang Dabao also suddenly stopped smiling and went to the side hall where Yue Feng was.

---- Xuanwei City, Cloud Horn Prefecture Court

It has been a long time since so many high-ranking officials of Cloud Horn Prefecture Court have gathered together.

After listening to Yue Lin's words, Kuang Liuting, seated at the head of the table, showed a faint hint of joy on his face.

"Excellent, New Cloud Alliance has done a good job, and Senior Yue has also worked hard. Effective immediately, appoint a magistrate to White Sand County, and expedite the preparation of all necessary officials and assistants. Instruct him to pacify and appease the people and govern diligently."

Upon hearing this, Tie Liuyun felt honored as well.

Yue Lin was radiant in Tie Liuyun's mansion, but today, during the state council meeting, his face was ashen, as if he had lost all his vitality.

"Ahem, serving one's country is one's duty, I dare not complain of hardship!"

Kuang Liuting knew this was just a platitude, but he still enjoyed hearing it, and his smile widened even more.

Seeing that Kuang Liuting was in a good mood, Gun Shilu stepped forward and suggested, "Lord, according to Fellow Daoist Yue, Magistrate Kang Dabao of Pingrong County made great contributions in this battle, and the Rogue Cultivator Daoist Black Shoes did his best. They should be rewarded accordingly."

Sima Fei wanted to avoid suspicion and didn't say much, but the military commander Qin Sufu stepped forward to play the straight man and echoed his words repeatedly.

"That makes sense," Kuang Liuting said, pointing to Zhu Tong, the prefectural Zhu Tong, as he stepped forward. "Regarding all the rewards and honors, you take the lead in having the chief clerk prepare the regulations. You review them, and once they're ready, bring them to me for review."

Zhu Tong bowed and accepted. Fei Nanying and he were already close friends, so he wasn't worried about the former being stingy.

Such was the prevailing atmosphere in the Immortal Dynasty: to protect their reputations, officials could only rely on mentoring younger generations.

Today, surprisingly, Yue Lin and Tie Liuyun did not object to the proposal from the Capital Region Faction regarding Gun Shilu's speech. Kang Dabao, this insignificant little character, seems to have become a rare figure who is recognized by both factions, which is quite remarkable.

Yue Lin coughed once, then said again, "My lord, I believe that White Sand County has just been restored, and it is surrounded by wolves, making it difficult to pacify the area. The position of county magistrate is probably not something that an ordinary Foundation Establishment can do well. Therefore, it is still necessary to send someone with profound cultivation to guard the area."

Kuang Liuting found this reasonable and asked, "Does the senior have a recommendation?"

"In recent years, many prominent families in the capital region have moved south on the orders of the Earl. Cloud Horn Prefecture has been pacified. Perhaps one or two more families from the False Core' clan could be placed in White Sand County to better serve the prefectural government."

These words shocked everyone in the room.

Fei Nanying, who had remained silent until now, also turned his gaze to Yue Lin. Seeing the almost imperceptible smile on the latter's lips, Sima Fei immediately sneered inwardly, "Old man, were you waiting for me here?!"

Weakening the strength of those from the capital region has been something Yue Lin has been doing all along. Now that he has finally found a plausible excuse, how could he let it go so easily?

Kuang Liuting knew perfectly well that Yue Lin was plotting something, but he wasn't bothered. As long as it was truly beneficial to the public good, he could overlook the latter's petty thoughts.

Just as they were about to agree, a middle-aged Daoist priest with Black Shoes and a messy beard, carrying a weak, hairy-faced monkey on his back, burst into the council hall.

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