Trading Merit Points for Spiritual Treasures

Ten days later, the Daoist Black Shoes returned to the Chongming Sect's mountain gate. Accompanying him were Fei Shuhe, the Chongming Sect's headwoman, and her servants and retainers.

The latter went back to his parents' home and, just as Fei's wife had said, made a huge profit.

Not only is Kang Changyi, whom he holds in his arms, now adorned with jewels, but the entire entourage of Green Lotus Courtyard has also doubled in size.

Sima Fei felt sorry for his niece and knew that many of the guards from Green Lotus Courtyard had died or been injured while fighting alongside Sect Leader Kang Da, so he selected many capable guards again.

If it weren't for the fact that it was difficult to find a trustworthy and loyal servant like Nanny Sun, Fei Shuhe would probably have needed to find another Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.

In addition, there were also cultivators of various skills who had reached the advanced level. This group of people numbered as many as twenty or thirty, and they were full of talents in alchemy, weapon crafting, talisman making, and array formation.

Objectively speaking, even in smaller markets, it might be difficult to assemble such a lineup.

These capable and reliable talents would be difficult for the Chongming Sect to cultivate in less than sixty or eighty years.

Upon receiving the news, Kang Dabao arrived early to pick him up. Seeing the scene before him, he was overjoyed. At the same time, he instantly realized that Fei Shuhe's favor with the emperor was only one factor in gaining the assistance of so many talented people; his words to Nanny Sun, who had been sent to Sima Fei, had also played a role.

In other words, this was the capital that Fei Nanying brought to his family after he agreed to be seated at the table.

With a hint of reluctance, Kang Dabao turned his gaze away from the long queue and looked up to see Fei Shuhe. Today, she had a beautiful ink orchid painted between her eyebrows and was sitting on a flying boat on auspicious clouds, smiling gently at him.

Before even the Daoist Black Shoes could greet him, Sect Leader Kang Da hurriedly boarded the flying boat and grabbed the delicate hand of his wife.

The Daoist Black Shoes, who was about to speak with Kang Dabao, was first taken aback, then laughed. Seeing this scene, he felt much more at ease.

Fei Shuhe was taken aback by Kang Dabao's usual composure and quickly withdrew her hand, scolding him in a soft, coquettish voice, "Has your brain been damaged by Spiritual Qi?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone on the auspicious cloud flying boat was trying to suppress their laughter, while those under the Double Brightness archway were all beaming with joy.

"Please, Madam, disembark from the flying boat first," Kang Dabao said. Then, emboldened by who-knows-where, as Fei Shuhe was pulled closer, he inhaled her delicate fragrance and whispered, "The days have been long since I left home; I miss my virtuous wife."

Fei Shuhe found it quite amusing, gave him a barely perceptible glare, then placed the wriggling Kang Changyi into the hands of the Sect Leader Kang Da, before smiling sweetly and saying, "You should be thinking about your son."

Fei Shuhe extended two slender fingers and gently tugged at Kang Dabao's collar, pulling him close. She then whispered almost inaudibly, "Don't treat me like that worthless woman you sleep with. Don't think you can win me over with a few words."

"Ha, this is a heartfelt expression, not just a joke!" Kang Dabao couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He only had time to say one sentence before he was about to say something more to Fei Shuhe, but Changyi in his arms suddenly saw him, a stranger, and started making a fuss.

Taking this opportunity, Fei Shuhe shook off Sect Leader Kang Da, grabbed Huo Ying who came to greet her, and went to talk to the Second Dong in the crowd.

Sect Leader Kang Da, carrying his eldest son, walked with a bitter face to the Daoist Black Shoes. Just as he was about to speak, Brother Yi in his arms, stopped crying and making a fuss when he saw the latter with his messy beard.

A smile appeared on his fair face, and his round eyes looked at the Daoist Black Shoes's beard with great curiosity. He stretched out his chubby little hand, trying to grab it.

A hint of kindness appeared in the Daoist Black Shoes's eyes, and a smile spread across his face. He actually bent down and placed his beard into the chubby baby's hand.

"How can this be?" Kang Dabao tried to grab Kang Changyi's fleshy hand, but was glared at by the Daoist Black Shoes and was stopped. So he simply shoved Kang Changyi into the Daoist Black Shoes's hand so that the latter could change to a more comfortable position.

Kang Changyi grabbed the Daoist Black Shoes's beard and yanked it hard. The latter didn't feel any pain; instead, his face was full of affection. He would occasionally echo Kang Changyi's laughter in his arms, showing no trace of his murderous demeanor.

Seeing the Daoist Black Shoes, who was always known for his decisive and ruthless nature, now looking rather like he was enjoying his grandchildren, Sect Leader Kang Da was quite unaccustomed to it.

The Daoist Black Shoes ignored Kang Dabao and turned to leave with Kang Changyi in his arms.

Sect Leader Kang Da followed closely behind, and by the time they reached the Chongming Sect, Kang Changyi was already quite tired from playing.

Only then did he release the Daoist Black Shoes's unkempt beard, stretch out his hands, call over his wet nurse, and go to eat.

The Daoist Black Shoes didn't look away until the little child turned into the side room. He stroked his beard again and found it quite prickly, so he simply shaved it off with his fingers.

Just a few breaths later, the scruffy old Daoist priest in the hall was replaced by a middle-aged cultivator with a jade-like and golden appearance.

Everyone in the room was astonished. It was quite strange, as his beard, which had previously been just messy, had somehow managed to conceal the Daoist Black Shoes's sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and Xu Gong-like face so well.

Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't help but feel a pang of self-consciousness. Ye Yaoling, who was attending him, stared wide-eyed, almost exclaiming, "I thought that among the elders, Martial Uncle Jiang and Master were the most handsome, but I never imagined that Grandmaster Uncle would be even more so!"

"What are you staring at?" The Daoist Black Shoes felt uncomfortable with everyone's gaze on him, so he simply said, "If there's nothing else, then everyone can leave. Da Bao, come with me."

"Yes!" Kang Dabao immediately responded, then turned to Nanny Sun and said, "Granny, please wait a moment. I'll go and listen to my master's teachings."

Before leaving, he gave Yuan Jin a wink, and the latter understood. He then led several fellow disciples to entertain the distinguished guests who had just arrived from Xuanwei City.

The Daoist Black Shoes and Kang Dabao arrived at the sect leader's room. The former put away his previous amiable demeanor and, without any formalities, relayed the Lord Shan's instructions to Kang Dabao word for word.

"Well, to be honest, Uncle-Master, I can be somewhat modest in other aspects, but within this Cloud Horn Prefecture, there are truly few families whose mortals live as well as mine. When it comes to showing compassion for mortals, I really can't find a benchmark."

The Daoist Black Shoes did not refute, but nodded and said, "I know you did well, but from now on, the common people of Pingrong County need to pay more attention. You are, after all, a county magistrate; don't just focus on the little bottles and jars in your own home."

Kang Dabao simply nodded after hearing this. It was rare for Uncle Black Shoes to make a request, but it couldn't be delayed.

After hearing his agreement, he respectfully replied, "We will finalize the procedures in the coming days and instruct the officials to carry them out. However, the scale of the operation is too large, and I fear it may cause trouble among the county officials."

"Go and deal with it yourself, don't talk to me about these things!" The Daoist Black Shoes raised an eyebrow, making a final decision, and Sect Leader Kang Da could no longer negotiate any conditions.

The Daoist Black Shoes then gave further instructions. "Don't let your cultivation fall behind these years. In a few years, you'll have to come with me to a place. If you're skilled enough, it will be a stroke of good fortune; if you're not, it will be a death knell."

Kang Dabao's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. Having experienced so much, even hearing of such danger, he had no intention of backing down. He simply wiped the playful expression off his face and bowed in agreement.

Just as the Daoist Black Shoes was about to leave, Kang Dabao added, "Brother Qin said he's waiting for his master outside the Jade Toad cave abode."

The handsome middle-aged man frowned, and when he spoke again, his tone was a little higher. "What, you also have some feelings for Han City?"

"Uncle-Master, please don't misunderstand. I'm just a messenger, I don't mean anything by it." Sect Leader Kang Da was so shocked that he shook his head repeatedly. The Daoist Black Shoes snorted coldly and walked out of Kang Dabao's Headmaster's Cloud Room on his own.

"I told you long ago, this is unlikely to succeed!" As soon as the Daoist Black Shoes left, Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for Qin Sufu.

He then left the cloud room and headed towards the sect's main hall. Nanny Sun was still waiting there; it was inappropriate to invite an old woman with wrinkled skin and white hair into the Sect Leader Kang Da's bedroom.

After dismissing everyone else, Nanny Sun briefly relayed what Sima Fei wanted to say to Kang Dabao. Seeing that the latter's expression was inscrutable, she decided to add fuel to the fire, "I have been working at the She Mountain Hall for nearly a hundred years, and the only junior servant I have ever met who has earned such trust from the master is the son-in-law."

Kang Dabao made a few self-deprecating remarks, but inwardly he felt no pride whatsoever, thinking to himself, "Perhaps this old woman hasn't seen enough."

Sect Leader Kang Da knew his own limitations and wouldn't be swayed by Nanny Sun's flattery.

The plans and schemes of the various families in White Sand County fell through, and they only managed to acquire Ping and Jin counties, which were still inferior to those counties.

After all, the families in White Sand County are all followers of the Two Instruments Sect. In order to preserve their lineage and traditions, they can only be at the mercy of others for a short period of time. However, the families in the capital region that were assigned to Pingrong County by Sima Fei are different. With the current strength of the Chongming Sect, it is still uncertain whether they can suppress these local lords and their fellow villagers.

However, if the title of "acting expediently" were truly granted, the manpower and resources of the two counties would be at the mercy of Sect Leader Kang Da, which would be a significant boost to the overall strength of the Chongming Sect.

At least in the future, if a fierce battle like the attack on Old Ox Mountain were to occur again, Kang Dabao could Double Brightness his status as the sect leader and mobilize various families.

With them as cannon fodder, there's no need to send trusted forces like the Kuai Household and Lu Household into battle, which also helps solidify their own base.

In truth, Yue Lin was quite generous; he used favors and Spirit Stone to finally seize White Sand County. In order to weaken the people from the capital, he actually gave this fertile land entirely to the Zheng Household.

In this way, neither Sima Fei nor Zhu Tong could find any fault with the Yue family. No matter how harsh their curses were in their hearts, they had to praise the Yue Household's noble character on the surface.

However, the arrival of the Yunwei Zheng Household at Old Ox Mountain to block the next wave of troops from the Two Instruments Sect is actually a good thing for the Chongming Sect under the Chongming Sect Leader Kang Da.

Just as Sima Fei predicted, what Kang Dabao wants to do most right now is to recuperate and rebuild his life.

Chongming Sect had already shown signs of prosperity, with successive successes in Foundation Establishment and his industries flourishing. Now, Fei Shuhe has brought a large number of talented people and resources to aid him.

As long as we diligently cultivate our internal strength and urge our disciples to catch up in cultivation as quickly as possible, then with the relatively abundant Foundation Establishment spiritual items, it's only a matter of time before another Foundation Establishment emerges.

When three members of a family reach the Foundation Establishment, they will have truly secured their position as Foundation Establishment family and, barring major upheavals, will be able to maintain their wealth and status for two to three hundred years.

This is something that families like the Shan Household Ma Household lives are fraught with hardship, could only dream of.

Nanny Sun never imagined that her Three Words would move Kang Dabao; she was simply there on a mission, and there were some polite words she had to say.

Seeing that there was no joy in the latter's eyes, Nanny Sun knew that her words had probably fallen Lower Vehicle. She thought to herself, "The young master is not like the usual honest and pragmatic man. He has no arrogance whatsoever. He is just like those old fellows."

Thinking of this, Nanny Sun put away her prepared explanation and said directly, "My lord said that the officials of the two counties will return to the prefectural court to await appointment within the month. Please submit the candidates for their successors to the prefectural governor's office as soon as possible. It will surely be smooth sailing with Prefectural Governor Zhu."

"Alright, thank you for your hard work, Granny." Kang Dabao raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded. Although it was only a few short words, this matter still needed to be considered carefully.

After seeing Nanny Sun off, Sect Leader Kang Da temporarily shook off his worries and was about to go and talk to his beautiful wife and concubines when he saw Ye Zhengwen, who had been keeping a low profile lately, actually coming towards him.

This sect leader, Yunfang, really comes and goes, comes and goes.

"Don't give me that look. Don't worry, it won't delay your pile driving." Ye Zhengwen found it quite amusing to see the sullen face on the Sect Leader Kang Da opposite him.

"What are you saying! I went to see Brother Yi. It's not that I'm being held back, it's just that I've had several talks today and I'm a little tired." Kang Dabao forced a serious expression, shook his head, and asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing serious," Ye Zhengwen said with a slight smile, "I'm preparing to Foundation Establishment and want to use my Merit Points to request some resources from the sect leader."

"Oh? You bastard, you've already Qi Refinement Ninth Layer of Qi Refining?" Sect Leader Kang Da immediately used his Divine Eye to scan Ye Zhengwen and saw that he had indeed broken through. A look of joy appeared on his face.

But just as the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, the words of the physician sent by Kuang Liuting echoed in his mind again.

Kang Dabao's expression changed abruptly. Just as he was about to ask, Ye Zhengwen on the other end answered tacitly, "The injuries from the last fierce battle haven't healed. After resting for these past few days, I can tell that they're unlikely to fully recover."

"You achieved a breakthrough even with injuries not fully healed? Who are you?"

Ye Zhengwen, the person involved, seemed much more relaxed than Sect Leader Kang Da. He immediately explained, "I am, after all, the eldest son-in-law of the Jiang Household, and I inherited a small portion of the Jiang Household's assets after its collapse. Although I can't compare to you, Sect Leader, I still have some resources."

Kang Dabao's doubts vanished, and he asked, "Wu Earth Profound Spirit Crystal?"

Ye Zhengwen nodded, then said, "The Foundation Establishment Pill requires 50,000 Merit Points, which I can't gather. Even if I did, Junior Brother Jiang might not be willing to exchange it."

Only Daoist Black Shoes, Yuan Jin, Jiang Qing knew that Sect Leader Kang Da still possessed an Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill. Even though Ye Zhengwen was about to Foundation Establishment, Kang Dabao did not want to tell him this news.

He intended to leave this Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill to Yuan Jin. Although the latter's cultivation of the "White Ape Scripture" had been progressing smoothly recently, Sect Leader Kang Da had not forgotten the scene of him Qi Deviation. He couldn't rest easy if he didn't leave it to him.

But thinking that Ye Zhengwen was missing an eye and had old injuries, the probability of his old friend reaching the Foundation Establishment was definitely not high, and he became somewhat conflicted.

Ye Zhengwen misunderstood, and instead glared at Kang Dabao, saying, "Don't worry, I can gather the Merit Points."

In Cloud Horn Prefecture, a Foundation Establishment Pill generally costs between 80,000 and 100,000 Spirit Stone. The one Kang Dabao gave to Jiang Qing was priced at 50,000 Merit Points, discounted by 60%.

The Wu Earth Profound Spirit Crystal, a Foundation Establishment spiritual item that is only one level below the Foundation Establishment Pill, is generally priced at around 30,000 Spirit Stone. In theory, it can increase a cultivator's chances of Foundation Establishment by 10% to 15%.

Therefore, Kang Dabao set it at around 15,000 Merit Points. Although it was far less than the Foundation Establishment Pill, it was still an astronomical figure for ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators.

"What does it matter if I can raise the money or not? Considering you're an elder of the sect, I can let you pay on credit, just follow the nine-out-thirteen-out plan." Kang Dabao retorted instinctively, but Ye Zhengwen waved his hand to stop him, laughing and saying, "No need, I won't let you, you skinflint, get the benefit."

Then he took out a Jade Slip from his Storage Bag and pushed it in front of Kang Dabao.

"The Treatise on Appraising the Sound of Springs?" Sect Leader Kang Da read softly.

"This was written by Wanjun's third uncle, Jiang Xue. After the Jiang Household was destroyed, he went to seek refuge with Lord Shan. While living in the Fellow Cultivators Association as a patron, he devoted a lot of energy to revising and revising it."

Before his death, he entrusted it to a reliable person and gave it to me. Over the years, I have also put a lot of effort into it and added some insights.

"I imagine that if a younger disciple can fully grasp the essence of our work, they will have a promising future in the path of spiritual observation, and reaching the Second Tier is within reach."

Ye Zhengwen spoke with a hint of melancholy, a trace of sorrow flashing in his single eye, before softly asking, "Grand Master, what is the price?"

When Sect Leader Kang Da looked at the Jade Slip again, he seemed to recall the time when he consigned the Purple Diamond at the Fish Mountain Treasure Fair. He made a fortune back then thanks to Jiang Xue's appraisal.

This is a very important lineage that can enrich the foundation of the Chongming Sect.

Therefore, upon hearing Ye Zhengwen's question, Kang Dabao immediately replied, "Four thousand."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhengwen pursed his lips and sighed, "Sigh, the money I owed you at that pawnshop in Linghe Market back then, you're much more ruthless than me! You could probably earn back a spirit mine in less than half a year."

However, after saying that, he didn't argue, and instead took out some of his prized possessions.

As Ye Zhengwen said, his wealth was indeed quite considerable among Qi Refinement cultivators. He took out several items that would be considered precious even by ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, which prompted Sect Leader Kang Da to stamp the seal of allocation for the spiritual items.

"You're quite the rich fellow," Kang Dabao exclaimed. Ye Zhengwen chuckled softly, "That's why I'm the eldest son-in-law of the Jiang Household! Alright, you've already gotten so much out of me today, so I'll give you one more thing."

After speaking, Ye Zhengwen took out another item, a gold-framed, black-faced token.

Above was a terrifying monster with four legs, two wings, sharp teeth and claws, no mouth or tongue, its upper limbs covered with eyes, and its lower limbs covered with ears.

"Where is this token from?"

"Fearless Tower."

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