Two Households Contend for a Woman

Yuan Jin was slightly surprised to see He Wanying defy the access restrictions Kang Dabao had set for her and play chess with him here.

The chief craftsman of the Chongming Sect stepped into the courtyard, slowly approached the chessboard, and after a few glances, he found it to be exactly as he had expected.

Kang, the Sect Leader Kang Da who had always been invincible in chess within the Chongming Sect, was utterly defeated and routed by He Wanying, who was playing black.

This game was only in the middle stages, and even Kang Dabao, a terrible chess player, could see that the situation was almost irreversible. So he had no choice but to resign with a stern face.

"I'm not playing anymore, my mind isn't in a good mood today." The usually undefeated Sect Leader Kang Da was suddenly humiliated, and his mood was hard to calm down. He angrily scattered the chess pieces, his face very ugly.

He Wanying, however, displayed the composure of a great general, slowly arranging all the chess pieces before speaking softly, "My senior brother is just like my father; neither of them can accept defeat. No wonder he treats you like his own child."

"Hmph, let's make it clear beforehand that the stakes for this game weren't set beforehand. So if you win, you win, but don't expect to get anything back from me." Kang Dabao could tell that He Wanying was trying to trick him, so he didn't fall for her trap and spoke frankly.

"My husband." He Wanying had barely uttered her words when Sect Leader Kang Da's gaze, sharp as a knife, fell upon her.

"Junior Sister, I heard that Feng Wan went to Jin County alone. Please allow me to go and see her." He Wanying's eyes welled up with tears, and her tone softened instantly.

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao's brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "He's perfectly fine, you don't need to worry about him. You should focus your energy on your own cultivation within the sect. You've been stuck at the Qi Refinement Fourth Layer Refining for so long, aren't you even a little bit anxious? Shouldn't you be putting some effort into yourself?!"

"After I break through, will I be able to see Feng Wan?" He Wanying seemed to be grasping at a straw.

Yuan Jin, standing to the side, inwardly cursed the situation, but seeing that even though Sect Leader Kang Da was furious, he felt a pang of worry for He Wanying. Despite his anger, Kang Dabao still nodded and said, "Yes, once you break through, I'll have someone take you there."

"Junior Sister, go now!" The frost on He Wanying's face instantly melted away, and her face lit up with joy. She turned around and ran out of Sect Leader Kang Da's courtyard to go back to cultivate without looking back.

"Tsk, how could I have seen how worthless my junior sister was when we were kids?!" Kang Dabao felt a pang of sympathy, but seeing this, his impression of Feng Wan improved considerably.

The Sect Leader Kang Da thought to himself, "He's quite a sentimental person. It's amazing that he's managed to resist selling my stupid junior sister for Spirit Stone all these years."

Seeing that Kang Dabao hadn't spoken, and noticing the mess on the table, Yuan Jin's face twitched.

Before Kang Dabao could react, Yuan Jin quietly put away the chessboard, placed all the pieces into the box, and sealed it tightly before asking, "Senior Brother, what brings you here?"

The Sect Leader Kang Da was taken aback by the question and muttered under his breath, "Tsk, what was it again?"

After a few breaths, he slapped his forehead. "Oh, I almost forgot about the important matter because of that silly girl. Here, this is the * Formless Heart Sutra Buse that I obtained from Buse Secretary Buse. It contains the annotations and insights of many of Chief Secretary Buse's lineage ancestors, and is extremely precious."

The Buse clerk told me, "This is a superior Buddhist scripture Original Buddha Temple provided by the Heart Origin Hall of the Buddhist Temple for monks to cultivate their minds. Many eminent Buddhist masters often recite it. Take it back and study it diligently. I will test you in a while. If you dare to cheat or slack off, you'll know what's coming to you."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Jin's brows furrowed with delight. He had been worried that the Calming the Mind Incantation was not working properly, but this was like a godsend.

Seeing the change in his expression, Kang Dabao felt something was amiss and asked suspiciously, "What's wrong with you? Weren't you usually the one who disliked reciting Buddhist scriptures the most?"

"Junior brother is delighted by senior brother's concern." Yuan Jin's heart pounded, but he said obediently.

"Hmph, that's a pleasant thing to hear." At this moment, pleasant words were especially pleasing to the ear. Sect Leader Kang Da's doubts vanished, and he nodded with considerable self-satisfaction, then continued:

"Now you really owe a favor to Buse Secretary Buse, and you'll have to pay it back sooner or later. You'd better live up to expectations and reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible."

There was no one else in the courtyard at this moment. Kang Dabao whispered again, "I've prepared Foundation Establishment Pill for you. If you dare not do your best, see how I, this Daoist, will beat you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Jin seemed to hear the sound of a pointer suddenly explode in his ears, and a tingling sensation involuntarily ran down his back.

The top weapon maker of the Chongming Sect was so frightened by these words that his face turned pale, and he could only reply in a low voice, "Junior brother understands, senior brother, there's no need to be so blatant."

Seeing that Yuan Jin carefully put the Jade Slip away, Kang Dabao nodded with some satisfaction and said, "It's good that you understand."

Lately, things have been busy, and the two brothers haven't seen each other for some time. Just as they were about to chat, Sun Fu, who was on duty at the front, sent a message. Sect Leader Kang Da glanced at it, his brows furrowed, and he stepped out of the courtyard.

Yuan Jin was somewhat puzzled, but he still followed closely behind.

The Sect Leader Kang Da rose into the air with clouds beneath his feet, carrying the two of them into the council hall. The guests mentioned by Sun Fu, the uncle and nephew Shan Sheng and Shan Xuerong, had already been personally led in by Zhou Yixiu.

Shan Xuerong's eyes were red, clearly from crying. Zhou Yixiu's heartache was etched on her face, but the outsiders in the room felt no pity; instead, they thought she looked even more beautiful now.

Shan Sheng looked haggard, clearly exhausted from all the troubles he was dealing with, which surprised Sect Leader Kang Da.

Everyone performed the proper courtesies, the host and guests took their seats, pretty maids served tea, and boys attended to them.

After Mo'er and Jin Shilun got married, for a long time the task of entertaining guests was taken care of by the ordinary maids from Chongming City who were sent to provide tribute.

It was Fei Shuhe who saw this and felt that it was somewhat Chongming Sect, a major Foundation Establishment sect. That's why she selected some clever, quick-witted, and fair-skinned servants from among the servants in Green Lotus Courtyard to serve them.

Shan Sheng had many things on his mind and had no time to care about how respectable Chongming Sect's maid, who came from a prominent family, was. However, before he could speak, Kang Dabao, sitting at the head of the table, preemptively asked in a questioning voice, "Is Patriarch Shan Household here to return the betrothal gifts?"

Sect Leader Kang Da's words were straightforward and unvarnished, practically signaling his intention to sever ties with the Jade Moon Shan Household on the spot.

The people in the room could tell that the former was truly angry, and his question was rather sharp, completely unlike Kang Dabao's usual kind and benevolent manner.

Shan Xuerong's eyes welled up with tears as she listened. Zhou Yixiu was about to comfort her, but Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't stand seeing him so worthless and gave Yuan Jin a wink.

The two had been brothers for decades. The latter understood instantly and took a few steps to pull Zhou Yixiu away and sit down far away from Shan Xuerong, leaving the young woman standing alone in the main hall.

Shan Sheng coughed awkwardly a few times, stood up and replied, "This junior was ignorant and missed my elders, so I stayed at home for a few more days. I didn't expect it to cause Sect Leader Kang to misunderstand."

"Well, in that case, it was my fault, Master Kang. Please forgive me, Shan Household." Sect Leader Kang Da picked up the matter and used it Fang Yi, but as soon as he said it, Shan Sheng's face turned as red as a date.

No sooner had these sarcastic remarks been uttered than Kang Dabao, sitting upright at the head of the table, finally tore away all pretense of decorum, pointing his finger and shouting, "Shan Household, I know that your family is a long-established and virtuous clan, and the eldest daughter of this clan naturally has her pride."

But Shan Household must also know that this marriage wasn't arranged by Kang shamelessly begging for his junior brother; it was your family that initiated it! Some things are intolerable even once, but twice or three times would be disregarding the dignity of both families!

When Sect Leader Kang Da spoke, he didn't even glance at Shan Xuerong, yet the latter trembled at his words.

The wrath of Foundation Establishment should not be underestimated.

Kang Dabao had been in charge of the household for many years and was also involved in military affairs. He usually kept a low profile, but when he suddenly became enraged, he was quite frightening.

Shan Sheng the years, Shan Sheng has cultivated many good relationships for the sake of his clan, and he is also adept at being humble and unassuming. He has endured countless humiliations, and his State of Mind has improved considerably.

Even after being reprimanded by Kang Dabao, the head of the Shan Household showed no anger whatsoever. He understood that at this moment, no amount of face or dignity could compare to acquiring a Foundation Establishment spiritual item to prolong the Lineage's life.

The anger of Sect Leader Kang Da shattered Shan Sheng's pretense, and he abandoned his feigned ignorance. He briefly explained that Shan Xuerong's ex-husband had come looking for him, and after seeing Kang Dabao's expression soften slightly, he said in a deep voice:

"Sect Leader Kang, rest assured, no matter how powerful that Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, the Shan Household would never do something as trivial as breaking off an engagement. Shan Sheng hereby promises that this matter ends here, without exception!"

Kang Dabao murmured, "Foundation Establishment Late Stage?"

After thinking about it for a moment, he realized that with the current strength of the Chongming Sect, there was nothing to fear. However, whether or not to offend such a person for the sake of a Qi Refinement female cultivator was something worth considering carefully.

"You can't be weak! In this world, if you dare to be weak, you'll be seen as cowardly, you'll be bullied, and you'll face countless wolves, tigers, demons, and monsters!"

Sect Leader Kang Da suddenly realized what was happening. He raised his eyebrows, and his small eyes shone brightly with a sharp light.

He ignored Shan Sheng and instead focused his gaze on Shan Xuerong, saying in a deep voice, "Please don't force yourself, Shan Household. It's not too late to back out now. If you go back on your word again, it will damage the relationship between our two families."

It sounded like Sect Leader Kang Da was admonishing Shan Sheng, but as he spoke, he kept his eyes fixed on Shan Xuerong, each word seemingly designed to make the graceful young woman's body go limp and almost lose her footing.

"Sect Leader Kang, you're being too kind. It was just a misunderstanding to begin with, so how can there be any talk of 'going back on your word'?" Shan Sheng pretended not to understand, and no one else in the room intended to undermine him, so the matter was settled.

Kang Dabao made a gesture to Zhou Yixiu, who then led Shan Xuerong away from the scene. The young woman's eyes were filled with tears, and she looked very pitiful.

There was nothing that could be done about it; he was Shan Household and had been pampered and lived a life of luxury since childhood.

Now that the Lineage is in trouble, it is only natural to sacrifice oneself to contribute to the Lineage; this makes sense everywhere. There's no way in this world that you can have all the good things while avoiding all the bad.

Even if one has to blame someone, one can't blame the Sect Leader Kang Da. The sycophantic Shan Sheng and the seduced Zhou Yixiu are both deserving of some hatred. But no matter what, the one who should be hated the most is actually Shan Xuerong herself.

This matter of personal feelings is ultimately just a matter of face, and is a trivial matter between the two families. If it weren't for the fact that Sect Leader Kang Da is too protective of his own, this matter would not be of any significance enough to make the leaders of the two families discuss it for so long.

Even if it involves that Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator appeared out of nowhere, it's not worth it.

Shan Sheng was a seasoned veteran. Although he was anxious, he could still restrain himself. Even when Sect Leader Kang Da kept changing the subject and delayed getting to the point, Dan Sheng showed no sign of his anxiety.

Ke Kang Dabao is now in a strong position and holds the initiative. His composure is not much worse than Shan Sheng's, and he has yet to speak.

After a long and pointless exchange of idle chatter and vague discussions, Shan Sheng, who ultimately needed a favor, couldn't hold back any longer. He frowned and asked directly, "I wonder if Sect Leader Kang has finalized what I discussed with him earlier?"

"Alright, let's drop this matter. To be frank, Shan Household, several of my junior brothers in the Chongming Sect are urgently in need of Foundation Establishment." The Sect Leader Kang Da paused, then casually pointed to Yuan Jin standing beside him, and said calmly:

"Take my second junior brother, for example. Because his foundation is not yet fully developed, he didn't get the allocation of Foundation Establishment spiritual items this time."

As soon as Kang Dabao finished speaking, Shan Sheng looked in the direction he was pointing. His divine eyes swept over Yuan Jin and he was shocked to see that Yuan Jin possessed abundant spiritual power and Qi and Blood.

"Yuan Jin is a head higher than several of my family's Foundation Establishment seeds, yet he's not even considered Foundation Establishment spiritual treasure within the Chongming Sect?"

After a moment's thought, Shan Sheng was able to sense something was amiss.

Not to mention that the Chongming Sect has a small number of members, with only a handful of disciples with known names, and among them, how many can compare to Yuan Jin? This matter cannot be kept secret.

"I'm afraid it's nine parts false and one part true. Kang Dabao told me all this just to set a trap for me. However, there are also people in the Chongming Sect who are preparing for it, and some have even begun to go into seclusion to Foundation Establishment."

After a Shan Sheng realized that this was Sect Leader Kang Da, deliberately using his strength to intimidate him in order to raise the price and make as much profit as possible from the Shan Household.

Three years is far too short. If it weren't for the fact that Foundation Establishment spiritual items were in such high demand, even large merchants like Myriad Treasures Trading Company in the capital of Shannan Circuit had sold out of such goods, making Chongming Sect the easiest channel for the Shan Household to obtain Foundation Establishment spiritual items on credit. Shan Sheng wouldn't be in such a hurry.

As a result, even though the head of the Shan Household had seen through the Sect Leader Kang Da's tactics, he could only swallow his pride and pretend to have fallen into his trap.

Shan Sheng put on a pitiful expression and said in a hoarse voice, "I beg you, Sect Leader Kang Da, to consider the elders of your family and the friendship between our two families."

Kang Dabao just smiled, feeling no sympathy whatsoever. The cultivation world had always been full of deceit and the law of the jungle. If they were in each other's shoes, even the Sect Leader Kang Da didn't believe that Shan Sheng could be more soft-hearted than himself.

He thought to himself, "This old cultivator is putting on quite a show." But after a while, the Sect Leader Kang Da remembered that when they joined forces with the Ma Household to attack the stronghold, they suffered a minor setback in the first battle, Shan Sheng that old man Shan Sheng had gathered his relatives and blood relatives to help them.

Although the subsequent progress was smooth, even when Mi Household Stockade was destroyed, the cultivators of the Shan Household had not yet arrived at the battlefield, so there was no question of any damage.

However, Shan Sheng had truly gained this favor. Sect Leader Kang Da was a respectable person, and considering this, he felt it was inappropriate to make things difficult for him further.

Furthermore, although Shan Xuerong lacks a sense of propriety, the marriage relationship between the two families is already established, so it's not advisable to make things too ugly.

After rubbing his fingers together behind his back and hidden in his sleeves for a while, Kang Dabao finally spoke:

"Brother Shan, our two families are related by marriage, so it is only right that we help each other. I also feel your paternal love for your family and relatives. So, to maintain the friendship between our two families, I will lend you a Foundation Establishment spiritual item."

However, as we previously agreed, if the Shan Household fails to return both portions within the next sixty years from this day forward, then they will have to hand over the clan land to my family."

Upon hearing this, Shan Sheng finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Sect Leader Kang!"

Yuan Jin brought over two pieces of spiritual silk, which were written on. Kang and Shan reviewed them one by one, and after confirming that there were no problems, they each left their spiritual energy imprints. Finally, Sect Leader Kang Da took out the county magistrate's seal and used it in turn.

At this time, a copy of the archives had already been created in the archives department of the temple in Pingrong County. If any dispute arises between the two parties in the future, that copy of the archive can be used as evidence.

Of course, it always comes down to strength. If the Shan Household disciples are capable and produce a Golden Core cultivator within this sixty-year period, even Sect Leader Kang Da wouldn't dare to challenge them.

After carefully storing the "Five-Pattern Heavy Peak Stone" handed to him Shan Sheng Kang Dabao in the most important place in his Storage Bag, Shan Sheng looked much more energetic, and even the few strands of white hair at his temples seemed to have a bluish tinge.

He bowed deeply and said, "I am preoccupied with worldly affairs and cannot stay any longer. I thank Sect Leader Kang again for his kindness in protecting me! If my Shan Household Foundation Establishment in the future, and I am still barely clinging to life, I will certainly bring my juniors to visit and express my gratitude."

The Sect Leader Kang Da, was deeply moved by what he saw. After witnessing this scene, much of his prejudice had dissipated. Without saying anything more, he cupped his hands in farewell.

Yuan Jin took on the task of leading the way, and led Shan Sheng out of the Chongming Sect formation.

The two had just reached the foot of the archway when Shan Sheng, anxious and only wanting to exchange a few more polite words, hurriedly returned to his clan with the spiritual item in his pocket. Yuan Jin was also thinking about continuing the conversation with Sect Leader Kang Da after returning home, which had not yet begun, and naturally had no intention of saying anything more to Shan Sheng.

Just as the two were about to part ways, a Foundation Establishment, True Cultivator entire body was wrapped in a black robe and only two black eyes without whites were visible, carried a handsome, robust man down from the clouds to the foot of the Chongming Sect's archway.

"Who goes there?!" Yuan Jin was startled. The Golden-Feathered Owl patrolling the area hadn't given any warning, which showed that this black-robed cultivator was extremely skilled and definitely not an ordinary Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator.

Shan Sheng seeing the handsome man, Shan Sheng knew something was wrong. Before he could even ask a question, the man preemptively demanded sharply, "Shan Sheng, quickly return my wife and children to Bian Yu!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the gloomy-faced Sect Leader Kang Da and Nanny Sun, leaning on her dove-like staff, walked out of the Six Star Gang Flame Formation together.

"Challenging me at the last minute? Are you looking for death?!"

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