Claiming Rewards and Seeking Guidance

Sect Leader Kang Da visited the state treasury for the second time, the treasury clerk, Tie Xishui, was still as warm and friendly as ever, as if the feud between the White Sand Tie Household and the Chongming Sect had not affected their personal relationship.

"Brother, I've served as the clerk of the state treasury for so long, and besides Senior Yue Lin and Sima Fei, you're only the third colleague to return here. The Lord's high regard for you is truly immense."

At this moment, Tie Xishui was all smiles and had a warm expression, which softened his bald and fierce appearance considerably.

When Sect Leader Kang Da, saw this scene, he couldn't help but feel a little strange. Ever since he led the Ming Household and Kuai Household to start construction on the Cangcui Stone Mine, Tie Liuyun, the leader of the White Sand Tie Household, had taken a sharp turn in his attitude towards him, almost from being quite fond of him to being completely indifferent.

Before coming here, he had never imagined that Tie Xishui would react this way.

Although Kang Dabao was somewhat surprised by Tie Xishui's enthusiasm, he still replied respectfully, "Brother Dao, you flatter me. Your appointment to such a crucial position truly demonstrates the Lord's trust in you."

The current demeanor of Sect Leader Kang Da is extremely humble and respectful, without the slightest arrogance, which is completely inconsistent with the reputation he earned as a "slaughterer of his fellow practitioners" after slaughtering countless people in Ping and Jin counties.

"Haha, we're brothers, let's not talk about these things. We're both ministers in the same court, there will be plenty of opportunities to get closer in the future." Tie Xishui personally opened the Kang Dabao's security barrier and said warmly, "Brother, you're a regular customer, so I won't introduce you anymore. Please make yourself at home."

Kang Dabao bowed his head in thanks and calmly stepped inside, immediately noticing the shimmering light emanating from the treasure.

The last time Sect Leader Kang Da came to select treasures, this floor was already packed. Now, the situation is even worse. "Overcrowded" —Kang Dabao never imagined he would use that word to describe a treasure vault.

It should be noted that even on the lowest floor, the First Tier selected for the treasury are extraordinary.

Even a single item casually released would be enough to cause some Foundation Establishment True Disciple from major sects to fight to the death over it.

"I haven't heard of any major moves by the state government in recent years, so how come the treasury is so full?" Kang Dabao couldn't help but wonder, but he quickly put the doubts out of his mind.

"The jade pendants, are they still there!" Thinking of the important matter at hand, Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Now that he had two jade pendants in hand, they could greatly help his cultivation.

According to his own estimation, with the blessing of the two jade pendants, in terms of comprehension, he was already a notch above a prefecture-level genius like Jiang Qing.

If another piece were added, it would surely elevate one's abilities even further! Perhaps one could even stand shoulder to shoulder with a prodigy like the Daoist Black Shoes.

Before coming, Kang Dabao was worried that the jade pendant would be sold to someone who knew its value. But now his worries were unfounded. Following the route he remembered from last time, he found the jade pendant lying quietly in the same spot.

"Three pieces!" Feeling the same warm and smooth texture as the previous two pieces, Sect Leader Kang Da was overjoyed, even the air he breathed in felt sweet.

"Choose another Spirit Artifact and another pill." Kang Dabao carefully placed the jade pendant against his chest and went up to the second floor.

This time, Kuang Liuting was not as generous as before. Not only did he not bestow the Foundation Establishment Pill again, but he also did not grant the first-class Foundation Establishment spiritual item he had given before. Perhaps it was because of his special care and consideration, but this time the Earl of Nan'an only allowed Sect Leader Kang Da to obtain a Spirit Artifact and a Second Tier treasure pill for himself.

At the latter's request, he promised another item from the first floor. Kang Dabao's excuse for this was to ask for a reward for Feng Wan, a plausible reason that wouldn't arouse Kuang Liuting's suspicion.

This is because the latter has always been an arrogant and aloof person. Although a single piece of jade is good, and can barely be considered a rare item in the eyes of Golden Core cultivator, it is far from enough to make Kuang Liuting put down his arrogant attitude and forcibly seize the opportunity from his fortuitous opportunity.

Besides, given the unassuming and unpretentious nature of the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an, a member of the imperial family, he probably wouldn't devote much attention to Sect Leader Kang Da. The latter readily agreed to the request without giving it much thought.

Even though they hadn't yet reached the second floor, with the jade pendant in hand, Kang Dabao had already achieved his primary objective. As for the Spirit Artifact and precious pills, they were merely icing on the cake.

For once, Sect Leader Kang Da lost his composure and happily hummed a little tune as he went up the stairs.

Compared to before, the shelves on the second floor are now much fuller of treasures.

It seems that the state court has killed quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators over the years. I wonder if the belongings of those fake Core Formation cultivators killed by Kuang Liuting have been put into this treasury.

Kang Dabao had quite a few ideas about the third floor of the government warehouse, which he had never been able to visit before.

The shelves were filled with a dazzling array of Spirit Artifact. Before arriving, Sect Leader Kang Da had made a special effort to cram in the "Treatise on Appraising the Sound of Springs," which Ye Zhengwen had used to exchange for Merit Points.

With the help of the jade pendant, although Kang Dabao could not master the essence in a short time, he had made considerable progress compared to his previous confused state regarding the path of spiritual observation.

Kang Dabao is currently using the Ink Abyss Flag fairly well, but he hasn't had it for very long, and his skill in nurturing it is still far from sufficient. Kang Dabao has not yet been able to unleash the full power of this Spirit Artifact.

It will probably take another seven or eight years for the full power of the Ink Abyss Flag to be revealed.

This principle applies not only to the Ink Abyss Flag, but to any Spirit Artifact. Therefore, even if Kang Dabao were to choose another offensive Spirit Artifact, his strength would hardly see any significant improvement.

Human energy is limited, and in the end, it might even delay the nurturing progress of Ink Abyss Flag.

Therefore, Kang Dabao had already decided before coming that he wanted to choose another defensive Spirit Artifact, even if it was of a higher grade.

Sect Leader Kang Da Jade Leaf Dao Foundation, who has already achieved a minor Long Breath Art, and is also cultivating the high- Vast-Tier Superior-Grade Cultivation Method "Green Goat Pine Discourse Scripture," possesses spiritual power that surpasses almost 70% of the late-stage cultivators in the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture.

Even when wielding high-level Spirit Artifact for extended periods, there are no major problems.

After much deliberation, a Second-Tier Supreme-Grade Spirit Artifact named "Immortal Game Disc" caught Kang Dabao's eye.

The reason for choosing it is firstly because of its impressive defensive capabilities. Although it is a non-attribute Spirit Artifact, its defensive power is comparable to that of Spirit Artifact made of metal or stone.

Secondly, besides its superior defense, this Spirit Artifact also contains 361 black and white chess pieces. If properly nurtured, these will become 361 Yin-Yang Mystic Lightning.

If they were to release all of them at once, even a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator could suffer a great loss if caught off guard.

For the two reasons mentioned above, Sect Leader Kang Da acquired this superior Spirit Artifact; it had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to take it back to play chess with Pei Yi.

As for the Second Tier precious pill promised by the Earl of Earl of Nan'an, Kang Dabao had the same idea as when choosing Spirit Artifact: he chose the good one first.

The Second-Tier Upper-Grade "Pine Creek Pill" is a rare spiritual pill that can only be used by wood-attribute Foundation Establishment cultivators when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. It can increase the probability of Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator breaking through by 10%.

The time when Sect Leader Kang Da still far off is approaching; at the previous pace, it might take another hundred years before he can use it.

However, he didn't care at this point. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so he had to choose the valuable items first. Even if he didn't need them immediately, he could exchange them for suitable elixirs and still make a profit, right?

Although Kang Dabao hasn't been a traveling vendor in recent years, he hasn't stopped doing business; he can still keep track of his finances.

After bidding farewell to Tie Xishui, who was still all smiles, Sect Leader Kang Da did not rush back to the Chongming Sect. Instead, he went to the Changshi Temple to find Changshi Buse, the Buse secretary of the Sima Office.

This action was taken on a whim.

Kang Dabao thought that since even Tie Liuyun's younger relatives hadn't changed their attitude towards him, then Buse, this outlier in the local faction, shouldn't have any prejudice against him either.

After all, the fact that Chongming Sect had planted a stake in Tanggu County ruined the Tie Household's plan to monopolize the county, and had Buse to do with the fat monk Buse who had no relatives or blood ties.

As he expected, shortly after the gatekeeper outside the official residence passed Sect Leader Kang Da's token inside, Buse personally came out to greet him.

"This humble official pays his respects to the Chief Clerk."

"I am overjoyed to have such a distinguished guest at our door." Buse warmly took Kang Dabao's left arm and led him into the quiet room, offering him tea.

Sect Leader Kang Da had no expertise in tea ceremony, but after only a few glances and witnessing the fat monk's smooth and dazzling performance, he knew that the fat monk's tea ceremony skills must be quite profound.

"This Second Tier spiritual tea from Five Peaks Circuit Gourd Prefecture, named 'Bright Dew'. County Magistrate Kang, please try it and see if it suits your taste." The smile on Buse's fat face was genuine; he had always been grateful for the help Daoist Black Shoes had given him years ago.

Therefore, out of affection for the monk, the image of Sect Leader Kang Da was always quite good in the eyes of this fat monk.

"Tsk," Sect Leader Kang Da took a small sip, his eyes lit up, the sweet dew went down his throat, his mouth was full of tea fragrance, and then he felt his mouth and tongue refreshed, his mind clear, and his whole body instantly felt refreshed.

"It's truly different after reaching the Foundation Establishment. This tea is even better than the one I had when I met Yue Feng in the sect last time."

It was already a fine tea, and Kang Dabao was used to doing things in fancy sedan chairs, so he immediately praised, "As expected of the Second Tier spiritual tea treasured by the Chief Secretary, it is truly extraordinary."

Buse offer a Buddhist salute in gratitude, but then humbly said, "This is but a minor matter, worthy of the great deeds Your Excellency accomplished in Ping and Jin counties. Those are the grand principles and wise policies for governing the country."

"You flatter me, Chief Secretary. I am but a humble scholar; how dare I claim to govern a country?" Kang Dabao shook his head repeatedly, chuckled, and then said, "To be honest, Chief Secretary, I have come here to ask you for a favor."

"You're too kind, Your Excellency. Please speak freely."

Sect Leader Kang Da straightened his clothes and composed himself, saying solemnly, "A few years ago, my uncle entrusted me with the Glazed Treasure Tree that the Chief Secretary had given me. My knowledge is limited, and the cultivators in the sect are also unable to use it properly."

One of the junior disciples boldly deduced that the tree should be cultivated by planting twelve auspicious Glazed Treasure Tree on the side to provide the Seven Treasures Qi Fortune and Prosperity Vine, and then using the Great Sun Dawnlight and the Cold Moon Refreshing Qi to form dew, and then watering it every ten days.

We thought we would see results within ten or eight years, but the progress has been much slower than we expected. It may take another sixty years or so to achieve anything.

Therefore, I, your humble servant, have dared to inquire of the Chief Clerk about the method of planting this crop. I humbly request your guidance, and I will certainly repay your kindness.

"The Glazed Treasure Tree." The fat monk murmured, then continued, "Well, my skill in the art of Spirit Plant is not high. I only learned some rudimentary methods in the novice monk's monastery, but after failing to get into the door, I gave up."

That Spirit Plant did not originally belong to me. Before I left the temple, a close fellow disciple of the same lineage exchanged Merit Points for a branch of the plant in our temple, which he then cultivated into a seedling and gave to me.

The original agreement was that once someone found a place to settle down and built a temple, they would invite him to plant the trees.

So I didn't ask him for the planting method. After all, he was Second Tier cultivator who could teach at the novice monks' quarters of the Original Buddha Temple. He could handle these Buddhist Spirit Plant with ease, so I didn't need to worry about it.

However, a few years ago, a certain junior brother disappeared during a battle with the Literary Demon Sect, and there has been no news of him since, which is quite troublesome."

Upon hearing Buse's words, Sect Leader Kang Da thought to himself, "No wonder you were so generous back then, even giving away this famous foundational Spirit Plant to your martial uncle. It turns out it was because you yourself didn't know how to grow it?"

Even so, because he was so envious of the twelve Glazed Sarira that could be produced every two cycles after successful cultivation, Kang Dabao did not give up. He then asked, "May I ask, Chief Secretary, are there any other Buddhist cultivators who know the method of cultivating the Glazed Treasure Tree? If so, please do not hesitate to ask them."

"I do know a few, but as the county magistrate knows, Buddhism is not thriving in Shannan Circuit. The ones I know are all outside the area. Our relationships aren't deep enough to invite them over."

Buse shook his head dismissively, easily extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in the heart of Sect Leader Kang Da.

"However, it is quite ingenious that my junior brother, the county magistrate, could come up with the method of planting the Fortune and Prosperity Vine at such a young age, allowing it to exhale, condense the essence of the sun and moon, and irrigate the roots with dew. Judging from this alone, it is something that no ordinary First Tier cultivator could do."

Although it's slow, it's a prudent approach, far superior to those unorthodox methods outside. Given time, your sect might even produce a Second Tier cultivator with limitless potential!

Although it was Buse Bu Se's praise was sincere, Kang Dabao had no intention of explaining to the former that his junior brother was forty years older than him.

If Zhou Yixiu were thirty years younger, it might be possible. But she's almost ninety, which isn't the age for a breakthrough.

If it weren't for the fact that the second Sect Leader Kang Da obtained for him from the Jade Moon Shan Household was so much to Zhou Yixiu's liking, he probably wouldn't be so energetic.

If the Chongming Sect were to select another person to make significant contributions to the Spirit Plant, they would likely place their hopes on Kang Rongquan.

Seeing that Kang Dabao showed no joy after hearing these words of comfort, Buse assumed that the former was still troubled by the matter of the Glazed Treasure Tree. After frowning and thinking for a moment, he finally spoke, "If the county magistrate is indeed dissatisfied with the tree bearing fruit, then perhaps I can recommend someone for you."

"Oh? I would be honored if you, Chief Secretary, would enlighten me."

"You know this person too, right? He lives in Xuanwei City and is an old acquaintance of your family."

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