What Was There to Fear? Sorrow and Joy

"The spiritual water that Senior Brother found for me is indeed delicious." Yuan Jin's body had not changed after drinking the spiritual dew, but he could see the great disappointment in the eyes of Sect Leader Kang Da. So he chuckled a few times and pretended to be indifferent.

He thought to himself with gratitude, "My senior brother has done so much for me over the years, what more could I ask for?"

Yuan Jin thought these comforting words would dispel Kang Dabao's disappointment, but he didn't know that a huge storm was brewing in the latter's heart.

"The spiritual liquid in the gourd is useless?! Is it useless just this time, or will it be useless forever?! Is it only useless to me, or will it be completely useless from now on?! Is the spiritual liquid useless, or is the Azure Smoke of Creation also useless?!"

The biggest reliance he had relied on since his transmigration had suddenly changed, Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't help but feel an indescribable fear in his heart, making him momentarily forget that Yuan Jin was still in front of him.

"Senior brother, senior brother? Eldest senior brother!!"

"Hey, what are you yelling about?" Kang Dabao rubbed his ears, his displeasure almost overflowing.

"Haha, I thought you were having some kind of hysteria, why are you suddenly so dazed and speechless?" Yuan Jin laughed for a while, then bowed respectfully to Sect Leader Kang Da and said, "Then I won't keep you company any longer, Senior Brother. My seclusion is imminent, and I must first give my wife and children some instructions."

Sect Leader Kang Da first concealed his worries before glancing at Yuan Jin: "I know, go ahead. I'm very busy too, don't expect me to always have time to play with you."

Yuan Jin was still smiling, but Kang Dabao ignored him and walked out.

Halfway there, he felt troubled and, not knowing where to go, headed towards the Nurturing Qilin Hall.

Sect Leader Kang Da arrived at just the right time, during class. The little ones all sat upright, not daring to be passive or negligent. Their innocence and cuteness complemented their seriousness perfectly.

Everyone in the hall knows that the supervising disciple, Ye Yaoling, is usually the most affectionate person, but in the classroom, she is a cold-faced bodhisattva and extremely strict.

Ye Yaoling has now Sixth Layer of Qi Refining of Qi Refining, and may become True Disciple of the sect even earlier than Jin Shilun. Among the next generation of the Chongming Sect, she can be considered an outstanding figure.

His younger brother, Ye Pingshui, is also quite good; he can already refine several types of First-Tier Middle-Grade Law Artifact. This progress is not slow, only slightly slower than when he was learning under Master Qi.

This achievement was made despite Yuan Jin's neglect of his guidance over the years, which demonstrates just how much effort and dedication Ye Pingshui himself had put in to obtain such results.

"The Heng Mountain Ye Household has indeed produced outstanding individuals in this generation," Kang Dabao sighed inwardly.

Today, he suddenly saw Ye Yaoling, whom he hadn't seen for a long time. It seemed as if he remembered the young man from back then, covered in blood, staggering out of the crowd while leaning on half a talisman sword.

A clear, resonant voice rang in my ears, accompanied by the sound of the wind, "Sect Leader Kang, may I ask if this matter can be considered a contribution from our Ye Household?!"

The boy's eyes in the mind of the Sect Leader Kang Da were still bright, just like Ye Yaoling's at this moment.

If the Heng Mountain Ye Household had suffered a calamity back then, leaving only three young boys and girls who could hardly support the family, they might have actually been able to rise again to become a Qi Refinement Lineage of the size of the Lu Household today.

Unfortunately, small families can hardly withstand even the slightest storm.

"Fortunately, my Chongming Sect can no longer be considered a small or insignificant family!"

Looking at the young disciples in the scripture hall, each one like a newborn sun, Kang Dabao suppressed his feelings for the moment, composed himself, and turned his gaze toward the scripture hall where the lesson was being taught.

"Greetings, fellow disciples!" In addition to Ye Yaoling, who is the main speaker today, there is another person serving as the assistant speaker, namely Kang Changyi, the only son of the Sect Leader Kang Da.

Kang Changyi is twelve years old this year. After five years of cultivation, he has already Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.

The reason why Kang Changyi was able to achieve such an astonishing speed of cultivation was only partly due to his extraordinary talent in having Dual Spirit Root. Although the generous teachings of his teachers were also of great merit, the most important factor was the abundant resources provided by his stepmother Fei Shuhe.

Some of the items he used to nurture Kang Changyi were things he wouldn't even use on himself, even for ordinary Foundation Establishment.

According to Fei Shuhe, "Even if Brother Yi's future food, clothing, and resources for cultivation are inevitably slightly inferior to those of the children from the Ying Prefecture clan, we cannot allow him to fall behind from the very beginning."

Kang Changyi's birth mother Huo Ying, was a clever woman who understood the implications. She often spoke well of Fei Shuhe to Kang Changyi, and over time, how could Kang Changyi not feel affection for Fei Shuhe?

The Sect Leader Kang Da was pleased with this scene of maternal love and filial piety, but he felt that his son had become somewhat spoiled by Fei Shuhe.

In stark contrast to Kang Dabao, whose two lifetimes were marked by poverty and resulting shabby manners, Kang Changyi, though well-educated by Fei Shuhe, still inevitably revealed a hint of gentry-like behavior in his every gesture.

When Kang Dabao was a traveling merchant, what he hated most were the sons of powerful families and the True Disciple prestigious sects. They were all arrogant and disdainful of others, which was disgusting to look at.

Despite being his own offspring, the child lacked any earthy quality, instead appearing as if wrapped in a ball of powder. Sect Leader Kang Da was naturally displeased with this. However, Fei Shuhe was extremely assertive in raising offspring, and the former had no time to discipline them, so his words carried weight.

Kang Changyi strode confidently to the center of the podium. Although he bowed as usual to show humility, the hint of self-satisfaction in his eyes was hard to conceal.

"Today Clear Heart Incantation. All disciples, please recite it with me: 'There is no arising of phenomena, nor is there mutual complementation between difficulty and ease.'"

As soon as Kang Changyi finished speaking, the lingering sound echoed in the air. Ye Yaoling, sitting to the side, did not speak, but instead held a golden pestle and gently struck the large chime. The sound of the chime was melodious and carried a sense of emptiness.

Upon hearing the sound of the chime, the disciples held the scriptures in their hands and began to chant them aloud.

"Nothing arises from nothing; difficulty and ease complement each other."

"Forget about material possessions and things, and become one with the primordial chaos."

"Forget about material possessions and things, and become one with the primordial chaos."

"Though everything changes, one remains steadfast, with a tranquil mind and calm spirit."

The study of scriptures is not common among many small and humble households. However, even when only three people remained in the family during the reign of the Chongming Sect, they did not stop this study and have persisted to this day, and some results can be seen.

At least among their peers, the disciples' character is by no means inferior.

Even Fei Nanying, who is not known for his kind words, said after hearing about this that if Kang Dabao had handled this matter well, he would have been considered one of the few wise people in Cloud Horn Prefecture.

The Sect Leader Kang Da had not heard the sound of children chanting scriptures for a long time, and at this moment he felt a refreshing energy permeate his mind. In just an instant, he felt his mind clear and pure, and the restlessness that had been aroused by the change in the Primordial Gourd had dissipated considerably.

Half an hour later, as Ye Yaoling struck the last large chime and the sound faded away, the chanting in the prayer hall finally stopped.

Next came the Q&A session. The disciples' cultivation was still shallow and their knowledge limited, so some of their questions were quite naive, even laughable. But Kang Changyi answered them one by one without any ambiguity.

Kang Dabao nodded slightly as he watched from the side. He knew that although what these disciples said was rudimentary, it was extremely complicated and tedious. Some of the issues were so complex that even they themselves could not explain them clearly.

However, Kang Changyi was able to dissect and explain it clearly, demonstrating his profound knowledge, which was unmatched by ordinary disciples.

It is evident that although he was aloof, his nature could still be described as "pure and kind".

"In this respect, he is like his father." Sect Leader Kang Da thought to himself with a slight sense of admiration. Seeing that Ye Yaoling beside him also showed appreciation for Kang Changyi, he felt even more pleased.

Just as he was about to leave, he unexpectedly saw an unpretentious figure arrive at the same spot.

"Junior Brother Pei, you've emerged from seclusion?" Kang Dabao asked in surprise. In his mind, Pei Yi should still be preparing for the liquefaction of Spiritual Qi energy.

Pei Yi was also surprised, but then smiled. Instead of answering, he asked, "Senior Brother Sect Leader is here too? Why are you hiding outside your own shrine?"

"Ha," Sect Leader Kang Da chuckled, offering no reply.

Pei Yi didn't press further, and spoke again:

"Junior Brother, you are honored to be the sect's elder in charge of transmitting skills, but you have been in seclusion for many years and have not attended to affairs for a long time. Therefore, you came out for the last time before this Foundation Establishment, thinking that you should do a good job in entrusting your senior brother with this task before you plan to go into seclusion again. Junior Brother, I noticed that the sect leader seemed to have a worried look between his brows earlier. Is there something troubling you?"

"There is one thing, but it's not easy to tell my junior brother, nor is it easy to tell anyone else," Kang Dabao said frankly.

Pei Yi was not surprised at all. It's perfectly normal for cultivators who have reached such a level to not have any secrets in their hearts.

In fact, what most cultivators consider "secrets" and "fortuitous opportunity" are nothing more than commonplace things in the eyes of many high-level cultivators; only they regard them as treasures.

Pei Yi didn't speculate whether it was because Sect Leader Kang Da had experienced some kind of extraordinary encounter. He simply said softly, "Then let's go back to Senior Brother's courtyard. We'll have a game of chess and chat, which will make Senior Brother feel a little better."

"Oh?" The Sect Leader Kang Da's expression showed even greater surprise. He knew very well how annoyed Pei Yi was about playing chess with him. Why the sudden change of heart?

"Senior brother, are you not going to continue?"

"Yes, how can we not agree?!" Kang Dabao immediately agreed, as if afraid that Pei Yi would renege on the deal. He grabbed the latter's wrist and led him to the sect leader's courtyard.

But after only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Sect Leader Kang Da's face fell again. "Why won't Junior Brother Pei let me play today?!"

However, Kang Dabao was a man who cared about his reputation, so he couldn't bring himself to ask the question aloud. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and place a piece. Pei Yi, on the other hand, didn't even look at the piece and casually threw down a piece, which immediately made the Sect Leader Kang Da look worried again.

"Senior Brother, do you still remember what Chongming Sect looked like after Senior Martial Uncle He passed away?" Pei Yi asked casually. The Sect Leader Kang Da, sitting opposite him, was still focused on the chessboard and simply replied in a low voice, "Extremely desolate and deserted. I certainly can't forget it."

Pei Yi then asked, "So what does Chongming Sect look like now?"

Kang Dabao was clearly surprised that Pei Yi would suddenly bring up this matter. He hesitated for a long time before slowly saying, "Could it be said that things have improved slightly and are beginning to take shape?"

Pei Yi laughed out loud, shook his head and said, "Senior brother is too modest. Let me have my say." Sect Leader Kang Da, not understanding why, put down his chess piece and nodded in agreement.

"Senior brother, do you know how many disciples the Chongming Sect has now?!"

"Not counting Green Lotus Courtyard, there are probably two or three hundred people."

"After my junior brother emerged from seclusion today, he went to verify the roster and carefully counted the numbers. Now he reports to the sect leader. Our Chongming Sect now has a total of 311 people, including 3 Foundation Establishment and 25 late-stage cultivators."

What's even more remarkable is that almost none of these twenty-five people are over seventy years old. In ordinary Foundation Establishment families, these would be considered promising Foundation Establishment talents, but in our Chongming Sect, they might not even be considered True Disciple.

Sect Leader Kang Da nodded in agreement; the number was within his expectations. In fact, if Chongming Sect hadn't tightened its entry standards in recent years, the number might have doubled.

It's not that we don't want to accept more disciples, but disciples who don't accept tuition fees and receive full annual stipends are really not easy to raise.

Currently, most of the Spirit Stone that Chongming Sect obtained from the Spirit Stone mine in Tanggu County are going towards training disciples. If it weren't for the fact that Sect Leader Kang Da is good at managing the household and that Chongming Sect's Merit Points system is becoming increasingly complete, they might have already had to borrow money to make ends meet.

However, in another twenty or thirty years, once the next generation begins to emerge,

Therefore, the Chongming Sect, as a sect that is ambitious and free from chronic illnesses, can be considered to hold a pivotal position in Cloud Horn Prefecture.

Before Pei Yi could finish speaking, he continued, "Even excluding Uncle Black Shoes, my sisters-in-law, and the cultivators from Green Lotus Courtyard, our Chongming Sect has three Foundation Establishment, which is considered above average among the Foundation Establishment forces in Cloud Horn Prefecture."

Although the three of you have not been at the Foundation Establishment stage for very long, Junior Brother Jiang and Senior Brother you are both outstanding among your peers, and your Cloud Horn, enough to earn the respect and admiration of outsiders.

"Haha, Junior Brother Pei, you're always exaggerating." Sect Leader Kang Da chuckled, unconcerned.

"Junior brother, please help your senior brother calculate this. When your senior brother first took charge of the sect, the sect was so impoverished that it couldn't even obtain a single plot of spiritual land. Your senior brother even had to carry Junior Brother Jiang on his back to beg for a living. And now?"

Just among our Foundation Establishment vassals, we have three: Ingenious Craftsman Fort, the Shan Household, and the Ming Household. Our Qi Refinement forces are as numerous as hairs on a cow, and our Spirit Vein and mineral resources are abundant. My senior brother is currently the Pingrong County, but in reality, he also governs Ping and Jin counties. The lives and deaths of the people in both counties are entirely in his hands—how powerful he is!

Senior brother has a wide circle of friends. Which of the Four Friends of Cold Mountain in Hong County or Ma Wenhan in Changyun County would be willing to sever ties with you?! The Cloud Horn Prefecture Court and the Ying Prefecture Fei Household can both be used as our ally.

Now, within the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture, apart from the Han City Yue Household whom we need to be somewhat careful with, which other family in the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture can compare with our Chongming Sect?!

Even a long-established sect like the Book and Sword Gate only has six Foundation Establishment cultivators; they must avoid our sharp edge. Senior Brother has accomplished in just twenty or thirty years what other sects took generations and hundreds of years to achieve. Why should Senior Brother worry? What is there to worry about?"

These words made Kang Dabao's brows relax, and he sighed inwardly, "Back when we didn't even have a bowl, didn't we still manage? Cultivating immortality is about cultivating truth; the gourd is ultimately an external thing, and we shouldn't value it too much."

The more I cling to things, the more attached I become, and the deeper I sink. Back then, I only had two junior brothers, and we were able to achieve such a state step by step. Now my disciples are prosperous, and talented people are emerging one after another. So what do I have to fear?! What is there to fear? What is there to be afraid of?!

Kang Dabao picked up the chess piece again and placed it without thinking. Pei Yi laughed, "Senior brother, that was a well-placed move."

Two months later, Kang Dabao, barely clothed, received two pieces of news in Green Lotus Courtyard: Yuan Jin had successfully Foundation Establishment, while Pei Yi had failed but was still alive.

The sudden shift from sorrow to joy left him momentarily at a loss, remaining silent for a long time.