Mistress of the Green Lotus Courtyard

The cloud chamber was quiet and still. A wisp of white steam rose from the Baihui acupoint on the Sect Leader Kang Da, and soon the narrow cloud chamber was filled with such fragrance that it resembled a fairyland.

Kang Dabao sat upright on the couch, wearing only a pair of shorts. At this moment, his burly body was no longer bulky at all; with his broad back and thick waist, anyone who saw him would call him a ruthless man.

Large clumps of fine sweat seeped from the pores of his body, rolling down from the clearly defined muscles, and before they even hit the ground, they condensed into tiny yellow beads the size of dewdrops.

After a while, Kang Dabao exhaled a cloud of air, and his skin suddenly glowed with a fluorescent light, turning into the color of brass.

At this moment, Kang Dabao opened his eyes, his gaze showing no trace of smugness.

Looking down, he saw that the twelve handfuls of Green Silkworm Stone around him had already had their golden energy absorbed and turned into dust. With another flick of his sleeve, the dust mixed with the yellow crystals and white vapor in the room, condensing into a fist-sized, gray-white stone pill.

Sect Leader Kang Da held the stone pill in his hand and examined it closely, but his eyes were lifeless. He sighed inwardly, "Cultivating the 'True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body of the Northern Night Palace' is far too difficult. Even with the assistance of the jade pendant and abundant resources, it took me two years to finally establish a firm foothold at the entry level."

As expected, a high-grade Body Refining Cultivation Method of the Zhou Grade Upper-Grade is not so easy to cultivate. Before going into seclusion, Kang Dabao even took out this technique for Yuan Jin to practice.

The latter showed considerable talent in cultivating the "White Ape Scripture," a Cultivation Method similar to body cultivation. Yuan Jin had considerable insight into it, and Kang Dabao originally thought that Yuan Jin would find it easier to cultivate the "True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body of the Northern Night Palace" than he would.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Jin had only circulated his qi halfway through, and hadn't even begun to strengthen his muscles and bones, when his internal energy began to become disordered. If it weren't for his timely dispersal of qi and Kang Dabao's protection by his side, something terrible might have happened.

This gave Kang Dabao a different understanding of the "average appearance" described in the cultivation conditions of "The True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body of the Northern Night Palace".

Unlike the humble cultivator like Sect Leader Kang Da, who is inexperienced and sees everyone as "average," Northern Night Palace must be an extraordinary sect, and the high-ranking cultivators in charge of enlightenment and education within it must have much higher standards.

It's hard to say whether the Daoist disciples and prodigies of the Two Instruments Sect, or even the Star-Picking Pavilion, are any more than barely passable in the eyes of the other party.

Even the Sect Leader Kang Da had to consume two streams of spiritual dew and undergo bone and marrow cleansing to achieve an extraordinary physique before reaching the threshold of what is called "average human appearance".

His two previous failures led him to belittle himself, thinking it was because he was too incompetent, without considering whether the method was simply too difficult to learn.

Therefore, it seems that in the short term, apart from Kang Dabao, there is truly no one else in the Chongming Sect who can cultivate this method.

"Nine years from now, when the next round of spiritual liquid is generated, let's give the Second a dose first." Kang Dabao still had some concerns about Yuan Jin's Foundation Establishment.

After letting out a long sigh and composing himself, Kang Dabao turned his gaze back to his bronze skin. "This 'True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body of the Northern Night Palace' is difficult, but it has its advantages."

With a thought, a large, Lion Insect with sharp mouthparts emerged from the spirit insect pouch. Then, with a flick of its fingers, the Lion Insect, obeying its master's command, didn't hesitate and bit down on Kang Dabao's bronze-colored skin.

Kang Dabao's face twitched, a hint of pain appearing between his brows. He almost cried out in surprise, but upon closer inspection, he saw that the flesh bitten by the Lion Insect was not bleeding, only bearing some red marks.

This delighted Sect Leader Kang Da, for the Lion Insect was First-Tier Supreme-Grade spirit insect fed with Star Frost Soil, and it was extremely effective against body cultivators.

Even the Toothless Old Man I saw in Mi Household Stockade, if surrounded by a swarm of Lion Insect, would be useless with his steel-like body, and would only meet his end in regret.

In other words, Kang Dazhangbao had only just reached the beginner level in cultivating this method, yet he had already surpassed the Toothless Old Man's century of arduous practice.

The saying "Without the right method, it is difficult to achieve the right result" is exactly like this. According to his calculations, he can now fight against two or three other cultivators of the same level who are wielding low-grade Spirit Artifact, relying only on his physical body and without using any magic. As for ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators, even if there are hundreds of them without forming a formation, they would probably have a hard time stopping him.

Compared to that Toothless Old Man, the difference is like night and day.

"It's such a waste of Spirit Stone," the Sect Leader Kang Da sighed, his nature unchanged. He first stopped the Lion Insect, who was still eager to eat, and then stuffed it Restore Spirit insect bag.

After opening the bag, he didn't rush to close it, but instead stuffed the grayish-white stone pill back inside.

A single bushel of Green Silkworm Stone costs 1,300 Spirit Stone, and caravans have to travel to other states to purchase it. Such an expensive item shouldn't be wasted; the leftover scraps are perfect for feeding the "Jade-loving" Lion Insect.

Furthermore, the white vapor is formed from the essence of the body, and the yellow crystal is condensed from the juice. The waste products inside Sect Leader Kang Da's body are excellent food for the Lion Insect, and may even deepen the bond between master and servant, so they should not be wasted.

Kang Dabao's gaze lingered on the opening of the spirit insect pouch. Watching Shi Dan being quickly devoured by the brightly colored, spirited Lion Insect, he couldn't help but feel delighted.

Following Kang Yilong's instructions, the Lion Insect raised on the Star Frost Soil by Sect Leader Kang Da were indeed extraordinary.

Judging from this, in just another ten or twenty years, this group of Lion Insect might be able to begin attempting to advance. The probability of spirit insects failing to advance is not small, but if even one in fifty can reach the Second-Tier Lower-Grade, then Sect Leader Kang Da's strength will also see a significant improvement.

However, compared to the relatively smooth process of raising spirit insects and cultivating his body, Kang Dabao's progress in cultivating the "Green Goat Pine Discourse Scripture" was less than satisfactory.

According to the Sect Leader Kang Da's own estimation, even without any further cultivation obstacles, it would probably take another half a century before he could advance to the mid-stage of cultivation.

According to what the Daoist Black Shoes and the Lord Shan said when they were preaching, this was indeed the normal cultivation speed of a cultivator with Triple Spirit Root after reaching the Foundation Establishment. Kang Dabao was only able to barely catch up with them because of the blessing of the jade pendant.

This is hardly slow, after all, it is not uncommon for Foundation Establishment cultivators to make no further True Cultivator in their entire lives after forming their Dao Foundation.

People like Ma Wenhan of the Changyun Ma Household, Shan Sheng of the Jade Moon Shan Household, and Huo Bing, who betrayed the state government and died of old age before becoming the Cloud Horn Prefecture, were all like this.

Kang Dabao is only forty-eight years old this year, not yet of the age of knowing one's destiny. If all the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator in the entire Shannan Circuit were gathered together for a comparison, he, the Sect Leader Kang Da, would certainly be worthy of the title "Outstanding Talent".

Based on this calculation, he should be able to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Peak and attempt to Core Formation before the age of two hundred. Considering his Jade Leaf Foundation Establishment and lifespan of three hundred years, he would be in his prime at that time, which would already surpass seventy to eighty percent of the True Cultivator Foundation Establishment cultivators in the world.

Once the Core Thesis is perfected, the process of Core Formation should not face many obstacles.

"Two hundred years old," Kang Dabao sighed and shook his head.

His Chongming Sect only existed for two hundred years; he hadn't lived that long in both of his lifetimes combined, so it's hard to imagine what it was like back then.

Who knows, by then, the emperor of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty would have already been replaced.

"There's still a jade pendant in the state treasury. I wonder when I'll be able to achieve another great feat and exchange it for it." In this world, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.

Having grown accustomed to the jade pendant's assistance in his cultivation, Kang Dabao no longer wanted to recall the days when he was stuck at the Qi Refinement Fourth Layer, unable to make any progress.

Sect Leader Kang Da pushed open the door that had been closed for hundreds of days and months. The simply furnished courtyard was somewhat deserted. The leaves of the two banyan trees had turned yellow, and the yellow leaves fell to the ground in a mess. Only a robust young man was sweeping the courtyard with his head down.

"Little Wu Meng."

"Sect Leader." Wu Meng was both surprised and delighted. With nimble movements, he stepped in front of Kang Dabao in a few steps.

"Master's departure from the pass is earlier than previously announced," Wu Meng said with a simple smile, showing no trace of the Chongming Sect manner of the three mortal leaders of the Chongming Sect.

"Sitting idly is useless; a balance between work and rest is necessary." Kang Dabao never cared about his manners in front of those close to him. He stretched and asked softly, "Are all the gentlemen currently in the sect?"

"The Second Master and the Sect Leader went into seclusion one after the other and haven't emerged yet; the Third Master returned last month and went to the Spirit Stone in Tanggu County the day before yesterday; the Fourth Master accompanied Madam Shan back to the Shan Household family ten days ago and hasn't returned yet; Master Pei..."

"Good heavens, so who's in charge of the sect now?" After listening for a while, Sect Leader Kang Da realized that almost all the elders in the sect were in seclusion or away from home.

"The gentlemen previously discussed having Duan Household temporarily manage clan affairs. If there are any major issues that cannot be decided, they can go to Green Lotus Courtyard to consult with Madam," Wu Meng replied respectfully.

"Madam, please advise?" Kang Dabao nodded. It seemed that the Chongming Sect had largely resolved any animosity towards Fei Shuhe, the sect leader's wife, which was a good thing.

After chatting with Wu Meng for a while, he learned that Kang Rongquan had actually found him a female cultivator with Five Spirit Roots to be his wife in the past year or two, and they were to get married on a chosen date.

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao was genuinely happy for Wu Meng. He then left a few pills to help him become more vigorous and energetic before leaving the courtyard and heading towards the main hall of the sect.

---- Chongming Sect Beast Garden

Duan Anle, completely absorbed in his studies, had no idea that his master had already emerged from seclusion and was searching for him.

At this moment, he was watching intently as two Grass Deer mated inside the spiritwood fence, his eyes glued to the scene.

He had taken over the breeding of Grass Deer for many years, but had no clue how to proceed until the last year or two when there was finally some progress. Duan Anle was naturally very concerned about this.

Kang Rongquan, who was also an intermediate-level practitioner, observed from the sidelines. Knowing how important this matter was to Duan Anle, he remained silent and did not disturb the conversation.

"Phew, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Junior Brother." Duan Anle carefully spoke, holding the jade knife Jade Slip in his hand, a slight smile on his lips, and bowed to Kang Rongquan to apologize.

Seeing that Duan Anle's expression had improved, Kang Rongquan asked softly, "Senior Brother Duan, has there been any progress on this matter?"

"If we're 80% confident, and we manage to breed the Grass Deer well, we can increase the sect's income by 300 Spirit Stone in just one year." As soon as Duan Anle finished speaking, Kang Rongquan laughed, "Senior Brother Duan truly is a role model for us!"

"Stop talking nonsense, get to the point." Duan Anle sensed something was wrong when he heard Kang Rongquan's tone and gradually wiped the smile off his face.

Kang Rongquan never imagined he could hide anything from his senior brother, who was as pragmatic and down-to-earth as the sect leader, and continued:

"With the harvest of this season's Tea-Colored Grain nearing its peak, the sect is short-handed, so I, your humble brother, recruited a few helpers from the Kuai Household. Unexpectedly, this morning they had a minor altercation with the guards from Green Lotus Courtyard in the spirit fields."

Duan Anle discerned something in the story. He didn't believe Kang Rongquan's use of the word "disagreement," and asked softly, "Has anyone died?"

"No, not at all, he just got a good beating." Seeing that Duan Anle's expression had relaxed considerably, Kang Rongquan continued, "If it were an ordinary hired hand, being beaten would be nothing, even if the injuries were severe, there would be no need to say anything. But this is the Kuai Household, and my brother and his wife's side after all."

Kang Rongquan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, while Duan Anle shook his head.

The new sons-in-law recruited by the Kuai Household are not as good as the previous batch. They don't dare to have any disputes with the guards of Green Lotus Courtyard. They are mostly bullied.

These servants of wealthy families possessed an inherent arrogance, so much so that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were haughty and unruly. Upon arriving in Pingrong County, a rural area, they naturally acted with a degree of impunity.

If it weren't for the fact that the Six Star Gang Flame Formation, which was obtained by Sect Leader Kang Da through accepting the Fei Household, had already been completed, and that most of the core area of Little Ring Mountain had been encompassed and isolated from them, such incidents would have occurred much more frequently.

Previously, He Yuanbing, the garrison commander of Chongming City, had reported several cases of Green Lotus Courtyard guards committing crimes in Chongming City, and the two sides almost got into a conflict at that time.

Duan Anle persuaded her to stop for the sake of the bigger picture, but now she's relapsed into her old ways so soon. It's time to ask her about it.

Moreover, this matter involves relatives and clansmen of the Chongming Sect, so it's even more difficult to ignore. Duan Anle said softly, "To be honest, it's been a long time since I paid my respects to my master's wife. Junior Brother Kang, why don't you come with me?"

Kang Rongquan readily agreed. In his view, Fei Shuhe, his great-aunt, was quite reasonable. Not spending money was understandable.

The two arrived at Green Lotus Courtyard, presented their visiting cards, and followed a maid who called herself Ping'er into Fei Shuhe's inner courtyard. Unexpectedly, not only Fei Shuhe was there, but also the Sect Leader Kang Da. The couple were comforting Kang Changyi, who was quite frightened by his father's sudden appearance.

"Master,"

"Grand Uncle."

Duan Anle and Kang Rongquan exclaimed in surprise, "You just came out of seclusion and, without a care in the world, came straight to Green Lotus Courtyard?!"

This is only natural. Master and Mistress have a very deep relationship, and Duan Anle is happy about it. However, this is quite different from the past behavior of Sect Leader Kang Da, so it is somewhat surprising.

"Ahem, Anle, why weren't you in the main hall of the sect earlier?!" Sect Leader Kang Da also felt embarrassed, so he took the initiative.

"Reporting to Master," Duan Anle paused for a moment before recounting what he had done earlier.

"Not bad, you've managed the Beast Garden quite well over the years," Kang Dabao said with an appreciative look, feeling that bringing Duan Anle back from the caravan was indeed the right thing to do.

Despite receiving praise, Duan Anle did not take credit, only saying softly, "It is not Anle's achievement. My master's wife sent Instructor Long to teach the art of raising and controlling beasts within the sect. I often seek his guidance, and that is how I have made some progress."

Seeing that Fei Shuhe's expression improved after hearing this, Duan Anle continued, "It's not just about beast taming; there are also alchemy, weapon crafting, talisman making, array formations, and many other arts. My master's wife has sent instructors to teach all of them within the sect."

"Oh? My dear wife." The two disciples, seeing the awkward scene of Sect Leader Kang Da's hand being pushed away by his wife, quickly turned their faces away.

Kang Dabao was naturally embarrassed, so he turned and asked, "And what brings you two here?"

Kang Rongquan stepped forward and recounted the events in a straightforward manner.

"Nanny Sun?!" Fei Shuhe's beautiful eyes narrowed, her tone unpleasant.

Nanny Sun replied solemnly, "We knew about the servants who committed the offense beforehand, but they had done some minor service at the Illusory Sword Alliance, and they had acted with some restraint, so they were not punished."

"Reward those who deserve it, punish those who deserve it. Go and do it!" Fei Shuhe's face darkened even more upon hearing Nanny Sun's words, and the latter respectfully agreed.

Kang Rongquan and Duan Anle were content with the promise, and after listening to Fei Shuhe's admonitions and encouragement, they left together. Just as Nanny Sun was about to leave, Kang Dabao curiously stopped her. "Nanny Sun, what are you doing taking people to the Illusory Sword Alliance?"

After glancing at Fei Shuhe, Nanny Sun said:

"The young lady said that the Illusory Sword Alliance had wronged the young master excessively, and none of its members showed any remorse, nor had they come to the young master's door to apologize and beg for forgiveness. Therefore, before the new year, she had her servants lead people to seal the Dantian of the Illusory Sword Alliance's Supreme Elder and hand him over to the authorities, to be exiled to Liangxi Circuit to serve the country."

Sect Leader Kang Da was startled. He had long wanted to deal with the Illusory Sword Alliance. His original plan was to find a pretext to send their family to White Sand County, using them as pawns for the Yunwei Zheng Household, and then have the Jingnan Yuan Household help teach them a lesson.

Unexpectedly, Fei Shuhe had already done it in advance, but her method was somewhat domineering, which was quite in line with the stereotypical image of a wealthy noblewoman.

Kang Dabao looked surprised and turned to look at Fei Shuhe, his eyes now filled with tenderness. "Is Madam here to avenge me?" The latter was clearly still angry and ignored him.

Seeing this, Nanny Sun wisely led her maid and carried Kang Changyi away, leaving the couple alone in the inner courtyard.

Fei Shuhe turned her back, gently biting her lip. Her clear, blue eyes seemed to hold the fleeting beauty of flowers and the sorrow of drizzling rain.

The wealthy young lady did not answer him, only turning her graceful back to Kang Dabao. Her loose-fitting dress could not conceal her alluring curves, making Kang Dabao stare intently at her shapely figure, his mouth watering.

After a long pause, Fei Shuhe asked instead, "Did you go looking for the Lady Huo as soon as you came out of the pass?"

"Huh?!" Sect Leader Kang Da was somewhat taken aback. No wonder she looked unhappy as soon as she entered; was Fei Shuhe jealous?! This was completely unlike Fei Shuhe's usual persona!

Besides, I showered and changed before coming here, how could I smell it?!

Seeing that Fei Shuhe because of his decision to leave the pass and start piling, Kang Dabao felt complicated and didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

Even after two lifetimes, Sect Leader Kang Da didn't think he could fathom the thoughts of any woman. This was more difficult than seeking the Dao, because it couldn't be reasoned with.

He thought for a moment, then made a decision in an instant. He stood up and gently walked behind Fei Shuhe.

He slowly lowered himself, his strong hands encircling his wife as he whispered in her ear, "I am too dull-witted; there is something I have tried many times but still cannot do well. So I thought I should learn it before coming to you, my wife, so that we can share pleasure."

The heat from her breath made Fei Shuhe from head to toe, like a piece of white jade warmed by rough hands.

She never expected that Kang Dabao, who was always timid, would be so bold this time, but at this moment she couldn't care less about refuting her husband's extremely clumsy excuse.

But her long-cultivated noblewoman's reserve compelled her to push away the lecherous man behind her who was acting recklessly, causing a bright red, embroidered bodice with gold trim to fall to the ground.

Fei Shuhe couldn't hold back any longer and turned to glare fiercely at Kang Dabao was still looking serious. "You said you couldn't learn it, but you can already untie your bellyband with your teeth!"

Her undergarments fell away, and the eldest daughter of the Fei Household seemed to have broken free of a seal. She leaned close to Kang Dabao's ear, her voice sweet and intoxicating. "Let me see what skills you've learned from that worthless body."

Sect Leader Kang Da could no longer contain himself, secretly delighted. "I made the right bet!" He scooped them up and ran off to the pleasure quarters.

The autumn wind turned into spring rain, filling the room with vibrant life and the sound of thunder.

The position of Headmistress of Green Lotus Courtyard has now changed hands!

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