The Commander Falls Out; the Sima Gives a Treasure

--Xuanwei City

The Changshi Temple was quite lively today. The owner of the place, Buse, was sitting in the bamboo pavilion in the flower garden with Tie Liuyun and his nephew Tie Xishui, enjoying the flowers and tea. They were having a very pleasant time.

This Venerable Master Exoteric Buddhism, who came from the Central Prefecture Manifestation School, was truly exceptional. Not only was he well-versed in scriptures and commentaries, but his tea ceremony skills were also enough to leave Tie Xishui, the Prefectural Treasury Commissioner, in awe.

The land shapes its people. Cloud Horn Prefecture is not a place where Daoism flourishes and resources are scarce. In terms of Dao Rhyme charm and Buse, it cannot compare with the prosperous and thriving Central Prefecture. In Tie Xishui's opinion, even in the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture, it would be difficult to find many tea masters who can rival Buse.

"Please." As Buse finished speaking, the amber-colored tea soup fell into the bamboo-shaped cup, and white steam rose, giving the three people in the pavilion a refreshing feeling.

After tapping his knuckles on the table, Tie Xishui downed the scalding hot tea in one gulp. A rich and intoxicating aroma quickly spread from his mouth to his internal organs, so refreshing that even Tie Xishui's smooth scalp turned slightly red.

"Excellent tea. Chief Secretary is indeed worthy of being True Disciple of the Great Temple. I, Tie, am ashamed to admit my inferiority." Tie Liuyun's composure was much stronger than Tie Xishui's, and he showed no sign of losing his composure.

Buse smiled and replied, "Commander Tie, you flatter me. My skills are but a trivial matter; how can they compare to Commander Tie to solve your problems, sir?"

Although he was indeed born as an eighth-rank steward of the Original Buddha Sect, the Original Buddha Sect was the ancestral home of thousands of Buddhist cultivators within the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty. If he could become True Disciple in such a sect, he Buse have a bright future. So why would he come to this lowly place in Cloud Horn Prefecture to burn the cold stove of Kuang Liuting?

Tie Liuyun was aware of all this. After a while of being carried in a fancy sedan chair, he got down to business with Buse: "The Fei Household has been making quite a few moves lately. Not only at the end of last month, they replaced all four of the Guo County's top officials with their own cronies, filling their positions completely."

I also summoned several Foundation Establishment from Ying Prefecture. I've met them a few times at the state court; they're not like the fifth son of the Fei Household, all of them are not easy to deal with. Also, that Kang boy and his Chongming Sect are becoming increasingly an eyesore lately."

Buse word, Bu Se smiled faintly, knowing that Tie Liuyun was referring to the Chongming Sect leading the Ming Household and Kuai Household to mine the Cangcui Stone vein in Tanggu County.

"Tie Liuyun has become much more arrogant these past few years, completely unlike how he used to walk on thin ice in Jingnan Prefecture. Life has been too smooth for him, and he has become so conceited that he has truly made Tanggu County, this wealthy town, his personal fiefdom."

However, despite knowing this, the Preceptor did not respond after hearing it. He merely muttered something to himself, then flicked his finger, and tea flowed from the spout into the cups in front of Tie Liuyun and his nephew.

"Chief Secretary, we also need to take some measures to retaliate," Tie Liuyun said in a deep voice, clearly displeased by Buse's reaction.

"Commander Tie is perhaps a bit too hasty. We are already fellow ministers, why make things so tense?" Buse clearly had little interest. Tanggu County was the private domain of the White Sand Tie Household, and had nothing to do with him, an outsider monk.

No matter how much those two from the Sima Office try to poach Tie Liuyun's men, it's not my place to worry.

As a visitor from the capital, the reason he mingled with the local cultivators like Tie Liuyun and his nephew was simply because he also thought that the eldest daughter of the Yue Household could marry into the inner quarters of Kuang Liuting.

But if one truly wants to oppose Fei Nanying and Gun Shilu...

In recent years, after Gun Shilu's False Core- core realm stabilized, he successively received several Law Treasure bestowed by Kuang Liuting. In terms of strength, Gun Shilu was only three points inferior to Yue Lin, the number one person below the Golden Core in Shannan Circuit.

Putting that aside, if we include all the cultivators within the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, apart from the Earl of Nan'an, the one with the best chance of Core Formation is the head of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household.

Therefore, if the Yue Household had something to discuss, Buse Se would naturally put in some effort. But Tie Liuyun, on the other hand, was not up to the task. After all, he was the chief secretary of the Sima Office. If he offended his two superiors too badly, he would suffer the consequences.

Fei Nanying truly disregarded the unspoken rule of "mutual restraint between superiors and inferiors" and gave him a good talking-to, given the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an's temperament, he probably wouldn't do anything. This man is quite magnanimous; he's never taken the petty squabbles of his subordinates to heart.

Buse to everyone that even Tie Liuyun, his nephew who always kept him by his side, wasn't very interested in his suggestion. He sat beside him, silently drinking his tea without uttering a single word.

"How about we keep our actions small and only target the Ming Household and Kuai Household?" Tie Liuyun said in a deep voice, still unwilling to give up.

The smile on Buse's face Buse faded, and he said in a low voice, "What good is Commander Tie's behavior, other than alerting the enemy? It's just a green stone vein; what waves can those two little mudskippers, the Ming Household and Kuai Household, make?"

Tie Liuyun remained silent, and Tie Xishui, sensing the awkward atmosphere, also put down his bamboo hat cup. The bamboo pavilion was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, except for the pot of spiritual spring water boiling on the white charcoal stove.

"The New Cloud Alliance seems to have been influenced by that ungrateful bastard Kang, and has developed a rather good relationship with the Sima Office." Tie Liuyun finally revealed this matter that he was most concerned about.

Since Tie Liuyun had spoken the truth, he Buse bothered to hide anything and said directly, "Commander Tie, don't forget what happened at the Hongyi Sect not long ago. Leaving aside those Foundation Establishment whose lives were controlled by the Enlisted Army Talisman, even a Pill Master like Xue Wu is buried in the Cold Crow Mountain Range."

With a "bang," tea splashed out, but luckily Tie Liuyun had some sense and managed to prevent the tea set that Buse Se had brought from the Original Buddha Sect from being destroyed. The commander muttered, "If I had known that scoundrel was capable, the Fei Household, an outsider, wouldn't have had a chance to marry off their daughter!"

Although Tie Liuyun's tone was quite indignant when he said this, both Buse, who was opposite him, and Tie Xishan, who was sitting to the side, could hear a hint of jealousy in his voice, as if to say, "I was here first."

No wonder Tie Liuyun was indignant. It was he who had forced Kang Dabao to wear that official hat that often led to his death. Now, Kang Dabao had actually gained Kuang Liuting's favor, but all the benefits went to Fei Nanying, who was marrying off his daughter. Tie Liuyun, the candidate, didn't get a single thing.

Buse knew a little about the matter and couldn't help but feel sorry for Tie Liuyun. However, things are unpredictable; how could Tie Liuyun, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, possibly have foreseen the future?

Who could have imagined that the Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment, the undefeated solo battle against a late-stage Golden Core cultivator from a major sect, and the favor of the Earl—qualities that most people would find difficult to possess—would all be concentrated on the once useless leader of a declining sect.

It should be noted that although Tie Liuyun had a high opinion of himself, he was also aware that his skills were at best comparable to Wu Cangyun's.

In other words, the Sect Leader Kang Da, who was once at the mercy of Commander Tie, is no longer someone the former can easily manipulate.

The difference in their social standing had changed so drastically in less than twenty years; how could Tie Liuyun not feel resentful?

Seeing Tie Liuyun's Buse expression, Bu Se secretly thought to himself, "To be honest, the Fei Household's skill in buying up horse bones is far superior to yours."

Although the Ying Prefecture Fei Household was of high social standing, Fei Nanying was able to put aside his airs. After bringing a part of the She Mountain Hall to Cloud Horn Prefecture, he did more than just take on the Double Brightness Sect Leader as his son-in-law.

Even if the women and men chosen for marriage alliances with the lesser-known talents in Cloud Horn Prefecture were all worthless illegitimate daughters and sons with inferior Spirit Root, the mere mention of "Ying Prefecture Fei Household" was enough to win people's hearts.

Just half a year ago, another son-in-law of the Fei Household borrowed Foundation Establishment spiritual object from the Fei Household and successfully established his Dao Foundation.

Keep in mind, this is just the beginning. As the small families supported by the Fei Household gradually take root and consolidate their power in various counties, how many people in Cloud Horn Prefecture will still care that they are outsiders?

She Mountain Hall gained a lot of benefits from its "shameless" behavior. Now let's see what Tie Liuyun, as the head of the White Sand Tie Household, has done. This Demon Correction Office Division has always considered himself a respected elder of Cloud Horn Township, but he has also done the most things like confiscating property and exterminating families.

Even though he managed to attract some Foundation Establishment forces who were willing to be close to him as supporters through his smooth methods, and the Tie Household became richer than ever before, and even added another Foundation Establishment recently, his reputation was greatly ruined.

To these ordinary families, Tie Liuyun is nowhere near as approachable Fei Nanying, an outsider from a wealthy family in the capital. If it weren't for the Han City Yue Household blocking his way, Fei Nanying would probably have subdued Tie Liuyun long ago.

Tie Liuyun drank the tea, his face dark, and said, "As the chief secretary and I, as the pillars of the Earl, we dare not even touch the two families of the Chongming Sect by marriage. If Senior Yue knew, he would probably laugh at us."

A faint smile reappeared on Buse's face, "Senior Yue is farsighted and insightful; he would not do such a thing."

"Very well, they are merely two insignificant families, no need for the Chief Secretary to intervene." Tie Liuyun's dissatisfaction was almost palpable. He exchanged a glance with Tie Xishui, and after they both stood up, he spoke again:

"I've heard that the Chief Secretary seems to be getting closer to the Daoist Black Shoes and the Chongming Sect lately, and it seems he's even helped Chu Yanran make connections with them. She's the woman Yue Lan has his eye on, if..."

Buse suddenly lost his patience. This Tie Liuyun was always good at making trouble. They had only said a few words about the important matter, how did he end up talking about women and peach blossoms?

"It won't work!"

The two sides parted on bad terms. The Tie Household uncle and nephew left the Changshi Mansion together, only to run into Sect Leader Kang Da, who was riding Black Blood Colt.

Kang Dabao dismounted and, still maintaining the respectful demeanor of a junior towards Commander Tie, said in a humble voice, "Greetings, Commander Tie!"

Tie Liuyun's expression grew even uglier. He didn't even bother with pleasantries, and simply said in a deep voice, "Kang Dabao, I'll ask you one more time: I want to buy that Azure Stone vein. Are you going to sell it or not?"

The Sect Leader Kang Da's expression gradually darkened, and he remained silent for a long time.

---- Fei Household

"So you rejected him on the spot?" Fei Nanying put down his abacus and asked Kang Dabao with a faint smile.

"Boyue won't allow me to sell the Azure Stone vein again," Sect Leader Kang Da said with a slight smile as he faced Fei Nanying again. "Commander Tie offered a pretty good price, and it saved my family years of hard work mining it."

"That's right," Fei Nanying nodded with a smile, ignoring Kang Dabao's words, and instead softly praised, "The legitimate son-in-law of my She Mountain Hall shouldn't be as timid and subservient as you used to be."

Kang Dabao was not flattered; this confidence arose from the fact that he had chopped off Wu Cangyun's head.

"You met Tie Liuyun on your way out of the military academy, right?" Fei Nanying pulled Kang Dabao to sit beside him and asked gently.

"Boyue, I'm here to visit Lord Shan." Kang Dabao's heart tightened when he heard Fei Nanying's question, and he spoke up at the right moment.

Fei Nanying didn't take it to heart and nodded slightly. "We haven't reached the point of being mortal enemies with the Yue Household yet. Even if you often associate with Qin Sufu, it won't cause any major problems. Speaking of which, it's our Prefectural Governor Zhu's too stingy, unwilling to even part with his own daughter. Otherwise, you wouldn't be in such a predicament."

Kang Dabao relaxed his guard and replied calmly, "Thank you for your understanding, Boyue."

Fei Nanying did not intend to continue discussing this matter, but instead said, "A few days ago, when your martial uncle came to the state court to deliver Lifespan Pill to Lord Yin Shan, I met him once."

Mentioning the Daoist Black Shoes, even Sima Fei's tone became somewhat serious. "He is indeed a rare talent in Cloud Horn Prefecture, with a future that is limitless, far surpassing ordinary Golden Leaf. Such a brilliant man is hard to find even when I was in the capital. Since you are fortunate enough to have gained his favor, you must serve him well."

"You understand, young man." Although Sect Leader Kang Da knew that his martial uncle was indeed remarkable, he was still somewhat surprised to hear Fei Nanying praise him to his face.

However, Fei Nanying to worry about his relationship with his Uncle Black Shoes.

Because of Xue Wu's selflessness in risking his life to help, the relationship between the two men became even closer, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that their bond was like that of father and son.

"Hmm," Fei Nanying didn't seem to care too much, only mentioning it briefly before saying nothing more. He then took out a white jade hand pot and handed it to Kang Dabao, explaining, "This contains eleven liters and seven containers of Second-Tier Upper-Grade Phoenix Spirit Liquid, which will help you nourish the Immortal Game Disc in the future."

"Second-Tier Upper-Grade Phoenix Spirit Liquid?" After reaching the Foundation Establishment, Sect Leader Kang Da's knowledge seemed somewhat limited. He, the leader of a small sect, had never heard of this item that Sima Fei handed over before.

Seeing this, Sima Fei didn't seem to mind. Instead, he took out another Jade Slip and placed it in Kang Dabao's broad palm, explaining, "Drink one cup of Phoenix Spirit Liquid every five or ten days, accompanied by moonlight. Then, use this artifact-nurturing method to disperse your energy and nourish the body of the Immortal Game Disc. This will greatly enhance the effects of your nurturing. If all goes well, once you've used up all this Phoenix Spirit Liquid, it will be equivalent to half a century of your hard work."

"My Boyue has finally brought out such a fine item this time!" Sect Leader Kang Da's eyes lit up. Although he had never heard of the Phoenix Spirit Liquid before, if Sima Fei's words were true, it was an extraordinary item. He thought that even the wealthy She Mountain Hall would not have much of it.

"Why didn't you take it out sooner?!" Kang Dabao thought to himself that if he had refined the Immortal Game Disc earlier, even with his injured eyes, he wouldn't have been in such a sorry state when facing those two Hongyi Sect.

Sima Fei glanced at Kang Dabao and immediately saw through his thoughts. He shook his head and said, "This thing is not easy to find. Most of the elite members of the She Mountain Hall are still in Ying Prefecture. There is no such thing in Xuanwei City."

I managed to scrape together this much after I went to the outskirts of the state some time ago and persuaded a few reasonably well-off families with kind words. Here, here's all for you, both small and large. You should take advantage of the month or so before you enter the Mountain-Viewing Cave and study hard.

Kang Dabao felt a warmth in his heart and was about to express his gratitude when he heard Fei Nanying continue, "The Lord originally intended to summon you to see him again this time."

Seeing the surprise on Kang Dabao's face, Fei Nanying continued, "Originally, we were going to send Qin Sufu to summon you, but the Earl changed his mind and said he would see you after you came out of Mountain-Viewing Cave. He also sent me with eight words as a reward for you."

Sect Leader Kang Da thought to himself, "Here we go again. This Earl of Nan'an really likes bestowing titles." But he dared not show his thoughts at all and could only pretend to listen attentively.

"So passionate and impulsive, yet so reckless and foolish!" Sima Fei's expression was a half-smile, Sect Leader Kang Da's face was also filled with complex emotions. At the time, he didn't know that Kuang Liuting had left a trick on him, thinking that he could rely on the green smoke to save his life, which is why he acted that way!

"The Lord said he originally wanted to summon you again, but he was afraid he couldn't resist bestowing upon you another Thunder Swallow Rune to slow down his own alchemy cultivation, so he decided not to see you. He only warned you not to act rashly and to take good care of your life!"

When Sima Fei spoke these words, even he couldn't help but show a hint of appreciation on his face.

Cultivators are never ashamed of selfishness; such people are not uncommon even among cultivators raised from childhood in sects and Lineage. This contrast highlights just how precious are those like Kang Dabao, who understand gratitude and are willing to sacrifice their lives. How could someone in a high position not admire them?

In the eyes of Kuang Liuting and Fei Nanying, this point was far more valuable than any Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment.

Kang Dabao looked flattered and overwhelmed. Without needing to say anything more, he simply bowed respectfully and said, "This humble one will certainly not fail to live up to the kindness of my Boyue and grandfather."

Fei Nanying felt he had said everything he needed to say and didn't want to say anything more, but he softly reminded her again, "Ahem, after Shuhe Foundation Establishment, this matter of the eldest son..."

--Jingnan Yuan Household

The spacious Seclusion Chamber was quiet, filled only with a red fragrance, creating a decadent atmosphere.

Yuan Xiyue, the eldest daughter of the Yuan Household, stood naked in front of a tall and imposing statue of a Mingwang (a deity in Chinese mythology) and danced the drum and cymbal dance. When she danced with great emotion, her full body trembled. Her dance was so bold that it could be described as seductive, but at this moment, her expression was extremely dignified.

The contrast created by this scene is so striking that it would be enough to captivate most men in the world.

Yuan Xiyue's expression was cold and aloof. Holding the 'A' in her left hand, she danced lightly and gracefully, like a snow mountain spirit descended to earth. As the drumbeats became more and more intense, her dance steps also became faster and faster.

It's unclear how long Yuan Xiyue danced, until the cold statue of the Mingwang in the Seclusion Chamber was covered in fragrant sweat, and its fangs and huge mouth opened, uttering the word "Om," which echoed throughout the quiet room.

Yuan Xiyue's body trembled, and she suddenly stopped moving. She knelt at the base of the Buddha statue, revealing her two full buttocks and palm leaves, and blew on them with her puffed-out lips.

The expression on the statue of the Bright King suddenly came to life, a hint of pleasure appearing on its face. A faint Buddhist light also emanated from Yuan Xiyue's beautiful body, adding a touch of holiness to her naked form.

After a while, the red aura in the Seclusion Chamber was gradually swallowed back by the seven orifices of the Mingwang statue. Only then did Yuan Xiyue put on a thin veil, revealing a hint of fatigue on her face.

Immediately afterward, the long-closed Seclusion Chamber opened abruptly, revealing a handsome man who was guarding it. Upon seeing Yuan Xiyue from seclusion, a lewd glint flashed in his eyes, and he greeted her with a smile, "Congratulations, elder sister, on your further advancement! You will soon attain the Golden Core Elixir along with the Khenpo."

Yuan Xiyue was aloof and reserved, unlike her earlier graceful dance. Faced with the praise from Yuan Feng, the sixteenth young master of the Yuan Household, she merely nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Yuan Feng was already used to it and didn't take it seriously. He simply said, as if seeking credit, "Sister, I have found a male body with the Clear Spirit Physique."

Yuan Xiyue's beautiful eyes narrowed, revealing urgency. "Take me there immediately!"

A smug look appeared on Yuan Feng's face as he whispered in Yuan Xiyue's ear, "No rush, no rush, he can't escape. We'll figure it out after we return from Mountain-Viewing Cave, sister."

Thank you, Li Feiyu, for the seven monthly tickets!

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