Fearless Tower; the Yue Household Seeks a Son-in-Law

"Fearless Tower?"

Kang Dabao began to read aloud in a low voice, a hint of doubt on his face. But Ye Zhengwen on the other end of the line looked smug. "Ha, there are many things in Cloud Horn Prefecture that even you Sect Leader Kang Da, don't know."

He didn't keep anyone in suspense and stated directly. "The Fearless Tower is a force that specializes in intelligence gathering and trading, claiming to be 'omniscient and fearless'."

Not only have they been cultivating their influence in Cloud Horn Prefecture for a long time, but they are also one of the top intelligence organizations in the entire Shannan Circuit. It is said that as long as you can afford the price, they can even get information about the elders of the Star-Picking Pavilion.

The organization was strictly hierarchical. In addition to the Golden Core Master, there were twenty-six plain-robed stewards, each in charge of a province. Below the plain-robed stewards were Hemp Robe disciples and gray-robed hangers-on, all of whom made a living by selling information.

It sounds like there are quite a few disciples, but there isn't much contact between them. Communication between them is always one-way. When they interact, they only talk about Spirit Stone and materials, and there's never any personal relationship involved.

Wanjun's great-grandfather was one of the few disciples in the Hemp Robe in Cloud Horn Prefecture, but by the time it was passed down to my Tai Shan generation, he had failed the test of the plain robe steward and could only obtain the position of gray robe hanger-on.

However, thanks to this identity, the Jiang Household not only traded information but also provided considerable convenience to traveling merchants, and their lives were quite prosperous.

However, the Jiang Household was defeated after encountering the Black Ghost Bandits, losing all its elites and suffering a severe blow, which led to its rapid decline. When my father-in-law was on his deathbed, he looked around at his descendants and could not find a single capable person among them.

That's why he appointed me to hold the token, awaiting the summons of the Hemp Robe disciples, to inherit the position of gray-clad hanger-on for the Jiang Household. It was also for this reason that I was able to make a living from intelligence gathering.

However, my superiors in Hemp Robe don't think much of me and have only contacted me a few times. Therefore, I'm just barely managing to maintain this position as a hanger-on in gray robes.

Seeing the slight dejection on Ye Zhengwen's face, Kang Dabao was about to offer some words of comfort when he heard the latter speak again:

"The two remaining members of the Jiang Household who had Qi Refinement aptitude were both extremely poor in temperament, so I had them take the remaining thousand or so members of the Jiang Lineage and hide in two ordinary towns to live in peace."

I had hoped that if another seedling could sprout, I would take it with me and raise it, but I never expected that after all these years, it would never come."

At this point, Ye Zhengwen changed his tone and said solemnly:

"Old Kang, to be honest, I'm not very confident about the Foundation Establishment process. If anything happens, please take care of the Jiang Lineage. Please keep this gray-robed hanger-on position for now, and pass it on to them when another capable Jiang Household emerges in the future."

Now that our Chongming Sect has gained momentum, you can use this token to gather information. When the disciples in Hemp Robe robes summon you in the future, they will test you and will most likely recommend you to the position of steward in plain robes. If you return to the position of disciple in Hemp Robe, you will definitely receive many more benefits.

However, it is crucial to remember that this token must not be left unattended. If the disciple in Hemp Robe summons it three times and no one responds, the restrictions on it will self-destruct, and the token will become an ordinary object.

Sect Leader Kang Da carefully examined the token in his hand. Instead of replying to Ye Zhengwen, he asked softly, "If you're not very confident, why not wait a little longer? You're not sixty yet; you can afford to wait."

Ye Zhengwen could hear the worry in his old friend's tone, but his own face showed a hint of nonchalance as he smiled and said:

"I can't wait any longer. The longer I wait, the more afraid I become. If I lose this last bit of my courage, I'm afraid I won't even be able to hold onto the few points I have left."

Ye Zhengwen sighed, turned to Kang Dabao, and said in a deep voice, "You and I are brothers, we met when we were both nobody. At that time, you were the leader of a small sect of three, and I was a rootless Rogue Cultivator. We supported each other all the way and became sworn brothers. But then Wanjun came along."

Seeing a hint of tenderness flash in Kang Dabao's eyes upon hearing Wanjun's name, Ye Zhengwen shook his head for a moment, then murmured, "How could I not know? Back then, if you had been willing to give up this damned sect leader position and chosen the path of marrying into the Jiang Household..."

"Given your skill in managing valuable goods, how could the position of the eldest son-in-law of the Jiang Household have fallen to a mediocre person like me, all alone? If that were the case, Wanjun might not have needed to travel out to trade herself, and she certainly wouldn't have perished at the hands of that old thief, Fire Dragon. In Wanjun's heart, she should have chosen you."

The room fell silent for a moment. Kang Dabao remained silent for a long time, but when he finally spoke, he laughed and cursed, "You're talking nonsense! Wanjun clearly likes me because I'm handsome."

Ye Zhengwen was taken aback upon hearing this, but a smile then crept onto his face:

"Perhaps so. Now that you, the rejected 'pretty boy,' have already Foundation Establishment, I, the eldest son-in-law of the Jiang Household, can't fall too far behind. I can't afford to remain mediocre until I'm old and frail, only to find Wanjun regretting her choice when she meets me in the afterlife."

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao felt a sinking feeling in his heart, knowing that he could no longer offer any advice. Therefore, he remained silent afterward, only slipping Ye Zhengwen some Second Tier pills that he had rummaged through the Storage Bag of those Foundation Establishment cultivators when Ye Zhengwen took his leave.

These pills all have the effect of strengthening the body's foundation and nourishing the vital energy, and they can be considered rare items in Cloud Horn Prefecture.

Ye Zhengwen showed no embarrassment or gratitude, and went back into seclusion.

The Sect Leader Kang Da, lost all interest in seeking beautiful wives and concubines. Feeling troubled, he found it difficult to cultivate, and he had no interest in examining the Fearless Tower token he had just acquired.

Remembering the instructions from the Daoist Black Shoes and the message from Nanny Sun, he took out the map of Cloud Horn Prefecture that he had drawn when he was a traveling merchant and began to draw the locations of Ping and Jin counties on the map.

Qin Sufu, who was waiting expectantly outside the Jade Toad cave abode, was scolded harshly by the Daoist Black Shoes. This time, the latter's words were rather harsh, and he filled a basket with admonitions against being unambitious and scheming, which Qin Sufu carried back.

Although the latter had not held high hopes for arranging a marriage between the two families, he had not expected to be so harshly reprimanded.

Thinking about how he had managed to turn the matter that Yue Lin had personally entrusted to him into this mess, he couldn't help but feel bitter.

Qin Sufu had no choice but to shrug his head and bid farewell to the Daoist Black Shoes. Thinking that he had been away for a long time and the Daoist Black Shoes had already returned, he realized that the Lord Shan's place must be short of people to take care of him. So he prepared to go and say goodbye to Kang Dabao.

On his way back to the Chongming Sect, Qin Sufu encountered a young cultivator with a simple, unassuming appearance. Qin Sufu felt the man looked somewhat familiar, but didn't pay much attention. He stopped him and asked softly, "Young friend, do you know where your sect leader is now?"

Upon seeing Qin Sufu, Pei Que bowed and said, "Junior Pei Que greets Uncle Qin. Before leaving, I heard from my senior brother that my master was cultivating in the cloud chamber in the courtyard."

Qin Sufu nodded after hearing this. Hearing Pei Que claim to be Kang Dabao's disciple, he felt a sense of kinship. He and He Dezong were similar in temperament, both being generous, which was why they were respected so much among their fellow disciples.

After hearing Pei Que's reply, Qin Sufu immediately took out several bottles of Qi Refinement Realm pills and a high-grade magic Law Artifact:

"I came in a hurry and haven't had time to spend with you juniors. Please distribute these pills to your fellow disciples as a token of my appreciation. This Law Artifact is one I used in my younger days, and I'm giving it to you as well; please don't find it offensive."

This magical Law Artifact was of exceptional quality; if sold on the market, it would fetch at least two or three Spirit Stones, a considerable sum even for a relatively Double Brightness disciple of Chongming. Pei Que, however, had no reason to begrudge it and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

Qin Sufu did not linger for long. After exchanging a few more words of encouragement with Pei Que, he headed towards Kang Dabao's direction.

Pei Que had made a small fortune and was beaming with joy. He was carrying the newly acquired golden axe, a magical Law Artifact, on his way to attend the Daoist gathering that Kang Rongquan was about to hold. After walking a few steps, he saw his uncle Pei Yi and aunt Lady Kuai leading his little cousin towards him from the opposite direction.

He immediately put away the Law Artifact and respectfully bowed, saying, "Uncle and Aunt, are you well?"

"All is well, all is well. You silly child, I've already told you we're family, why do you always have to be so serious?" Lady Kuai smiled and gave him a slight helping hand.

Pei Yi's daughter was overjoyed to see Pei Que. Still a bit clumsy at walking, she ran past Pei Que and stumbled into his arms, uttering a soft, childish "Brother!"

Pei Que's expression softened instantly. He smiled and picked up the little girl, saying to Lady Kuai, "Aunt, if there's nothing else, let me take Zhu'er to Junior Brother Kang's Daoist gathering for a visit."

"As long as it won't interfere with your business," Lady Kuai, glancing at her husband before smiling and agreeing.

Just as Pei Que was about to leave, Pei Yi suddenly asked, "Que'er, what was that Law Artifact you were using just now?"

"I just met Uncle Qin Sufu, and this was a gift from him to my nephew."

"Oh, I see. That's good then. Please accept this gift from your elder. Don't forget this encouragement, and you must continue to cultivate diligently in the future." Pei Yi's expression remained unchanged as he nodded slightly and gave another word of advice.

Seeing Pei Que walk past him, Pei Yi turned his gaze back to his wife. "Reply to your nephew about the marriage proposal he mentioned last time, and don't bring it up again."

Lady Kuai's gaze dimmed upon hearing this, but she still held firm. "Kuai En meant well; family always knows each other inside and out."

Pei Yi's tone became slightly stern. "Now that you've married into the Pei Household, you can't still only Yixin about your own family. Que'er is the sect leader's disciple, and she has a bright future ahead of her. Her marriage should be decided by her senior brother, the sect leader. You shouldn't interfere anymore."

"Understood." There was still some regret in Lady Kuai's tone.

Pei Yi continued, "You should focus more on your own cultivation. Even if you want to support your maternal family, you should do so in moderation. Kuai En should manage the Lineage diligently so that ordinary people can live in peace and prosperity."

"In a few years, if we cultivate another exceptionally talented prodigy and have him/her join a sect, then the Kuai Household will have its own disciple. Wouldn't that be better than trying to marry off our daughter to a sect?"

"Yes, I will write to Kuai En right away." Husband is more important than anything else. Although the younger sister of the Kuai Household is also a cultivator, she feels that her Dao Path is hopeless, and she devotes all her attention to her husband.

Now that Pei Yi had spoken so frankly, the younger sister of the Kuai Household naturally wanted to listen.

"It won't be long before I need to prepare for Foundation Establishment," Pei Yi thought to himself. "But I haven't avenged my great enemy yet. Should I tell Que'er?"

Because the Yue Household was increasingly valued by the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an, Han City, located in the north of Cloud Horn Prefecture, has become increasingly prosperous in recent years.

As the masters of Han City, the Yue Household naturally benefited greatly from this, with two members of their own family having already reached the Foundation Establishment. The profits gained from their expansion in just one or two decades are almost equal to those of the previous two or three hundred years combined.

Yue Feng first went back to Double Brightness Trade Market to take care of some matters before hurriedly returning to the clan's territory.

Thinking about how he was about to hand over this bustling metropolis to someone else, even though he knew it was a highly profitable deal, Yue Feng couldn't help but feel a little reluctant.

This was built by the Yue Household over several generations with much effort; the hardships involved are beyond the comprehension of outsiders.

Considering that the Han City Yue Household, as descendants of the founders of the Two Instruments Sect, were now colluding with the imperial family of the Immortal Dynasty to overthrow the Two Instruments Sect's lineage, Yue Feng felt even more disheartened.

However, the Two Instruments Sect has existed for thousands of years, dating back to the previous dynasty.

Even though the Yue Household bears the title of being descendants of the founding patriarch, they have risen and fallen several times in the past, and haven't produced True-Grade Golden Core for over a thousand years. The incense offerings they have left are no longer enough to exchange for any benefits from the Two Instruments Sect.

Changing allegiance was a last resort. After all, if the eldest daughter of the Yue Household could truly rise to prominence, the Yue Household could turn its fortunes around. Perhaps within a hundred or two hundred years, they could produce another True-Grade Golden Core cultivator, bringing glory to the clan.

Yue Lin was an outstanding figure who emerged from several generations of the Yue Household. Although he changed his allegiance and made a decisive move, he did not devote all his attention to marrying off his daughter.

In his eyes, the Daoist Black Shoes who could achieve the Golden Leaf Dao Foundation was a rare and valuable commodity.

Objectively speaking, even wealthy families in border states with less resources would find it difficult to do something as grand as using Han City's vast estate as a dowry, yet Yue Lin did it anyway. This decisiveness earned the admiration of Yue Feng, a younger generation.

But when he returned home and heard the words coming from Yue Lin, he exclaimed in surprise, "The Daoist Black Shoes refused?!"

Whether Yue Lin's surprise had subsided or he had always remained calm, he sat in the head seat, facing the assembled leaders and elders of the Yue Household, his face still bearing that placid expression, and said in a low voice:

"It's not surprising; I had expected it beforehand. What I didn't expect was that these Black Shoes wouldn't hesitate at all."

Before the shock on Yue Feng's face had faded, he asked, "Could that Black Shoes man be colluding with Fei Nanying and Zhu Tong's group?"

Yue Lin raised an eyebrow and softly recited:

"It's not impossible, after all, there's the connection with Kang Dabao. Fei Nanying really got a great deal, gaining such a useful son-in-law. He can be used as a tool for fighting to the death, and he can also use this to recruit the Daoist Black Shoes Daoist. Why didn't I think of that back then?"

The hall immediately erupted in discussion, with many expressing envy that the Fei Household had married off their daughter before them.

Yue Feng never imagined that the mediocre person he once regarded had so quickly become a hot commodity in the mouths of the elders, and for a moment he was at a loss for words.

Yue Lin closed his eyes, pondered for a long while, and when he spoke, the hall fell silent again:

"I'm not going to think about it anymore. I've done my best. Since I've used all my trump cards but still couldn't recruit them, I'll just do my job. There's no need to put in any more effort with the Chongming Sect."

Speaking of which, Yue Wen almost beheaded Kang Dabao back then. With that past grudge, it was already difficult to win the case against his family."

After these words, a young Foundation Establishment in the room looked somewhat annoyed, and his resentment towards the Two Instruments Sect intensified. Back then, he had indeed almost killed Kang Dabao, but he had also almost been killed by the Daoist Black Shoes came to his rescue!

He had heard about Kang Dabao's achievements over the years, and to be fair, he was now probably no match for him.

Fate is unpredictable. Who could have imagined that in less than twenty years, those who were once considered ants in my eyes would be able to keep pace with me, or even surpass me?

How could Yue Wen not be furious to suddenly have such a powerful and influential enemy out of nowhere?

Yue Wen Yue Lin Wen's feelings were; she simply gave another order:

"Go and tell Tie Liuyun that the New Cloud Alliance still exists, and that the other families should keep a close watch on the Chongming Sect. They are already prosperous enough and deserve a period of peace. Even if we have to use our power to intimidate them, we must make the Chongming Sect pull back its claws of external expansion."

If the Daoist Black Shoes intervenes, then let Tie Liuyun gather his forces and take action. He hasn't even reached the Golden Core stage yet, and he's still hesitant about whether to pledge allegiance to the state court. There's no need to fear him."

Upon hearing this, a female cultivator with a large mouth stood up and responded.

After discussing with several other elders how to deal with the Yunwei Zheng Household, Yue Lin turned to Yue Feng and said, "Now that you've entered Double Brightness Trade Market, you must stand firm and not allow the Sima Office to continue to reap unscrupulous profits."

Yue Feng was quite frank, respectfully pleading, "Double Brightness Trade Market is the exclusive domain of Fei and Gun, and it's right under the Chongming Sect's nose. I'm afraid I'm not up to the task alone."

Yue Lin nodded in agreement. "The clan has already reached a decision on this matter. This time, we will send you two members of the clan and two guest elders from other clans. In addition to the guest elder surnamed Gui that you brought to the market before, you will have five Foundation Establishment."

"The obstacles from Fei Nanying and Gun Shilu's side are far greater than you think. It seems that unless the Sima Office intervenes, Chongming Sect will find it difficult to accomplish anything."

Upon hearing Yue Lin bring up Gui Xiang, Yue Feng had a sudden thought, "Guest Gui is a rootless, wandering fellow, all alone. If the elders in our family were willing to take him as their son-in-law and give him some respect, it might make him more devoted to our Yue Household."

Yue Lin sat in the main seat and thought for a while before saying, "Yes, next time you come back, just bring him to see me."

After Yue Lin finished speaking, he closed his eyes again. These trivial matters were indeed a waste of his energy. If he hadn't already achieved False Core and severed his Dao Path, his cultivation would have been delayed by a great deal of time.

But if he doesn't take care of it, who in his Yue Household can do it well?

Yue Lin knew in his heart that no matter how prosperous the Yue Household was now, as long as the Lineage in the Two Instruments Sect were still alive, they could not wash away the suspicion of hedging their bets and being indecisive. The thorn in the heart of the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an would always remain.

This is not something that can be resolved simply by "separating the family and severing ties." How to maintain a balance in the future is indeed a difficult task.

This skill of dancing on top of chickens isn't something everyone can do.

Thinking of this, Yue Lin felt he had no one to rely on. "I wonder how much better my son-in-law is than that Kang Dabao?"

Thank you to Stellar Particle and JianV for the Extended Net Moon.

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