Master and Disciple

On the seventh day of the eleventh month of the 448th year of the Qianfeng reign, the auspicious day was marked by the divine virtue of Heaven, and all matters were favorable, with no need to avoid any inauspiciousness.

On this day, heavy snow fell from the sky. Han Xundao a colorful silk brocade coat and riding a high-grade flying sword, walked out of the Chongming Small Pavilion and headed towards the Second-Tier Lower-Grade spirit field of the Chongming Sect in Hong County.

This flying sword was just bestowed upon him by his master, Ye Zhengwen, after he participated in this year's minor competition.

Han Xundao is twenty-five years old and has already reached the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining. Among the inner disciple of the Chongming Sect, he can be considered an outstanding figure. After all, his progress in cultivation is not much different from that of Jiang Qing back then.

Therefore, in order to reward Han Xundao for his excellent performance in the previous sect competition, Ye Zhengwen gave him this unused magic Law Artifact that had not been used for many years.

Since the latter was injured by the Tie Xishui Fang Seal during the Battle of Learning Forest Mountain three years ago, his health had been poor, and his cultivation had made little progress. Therefore, Ye Zhengwen simply took a break and focused on teaching disciples while healing his injuries.

In addition, he, as a Foundation Establishment Elder, almost never missed the monthly inner sect lectures and True Disciple of teachings, which relieved a lot of the burden on the increasingly aged Pei Yi.

Speaking of which, Pei Yi, as the son-in-law of the Kuai Household, did not rise to prominence simply because Kuai En became the disciple of the Prince of the South.

The Kuang Household clearly held Kuai En in high regard. Not only did they keep the slightest trace of this favorite a secret from the Chongming Sect, but they also sent members of the already small Kuai Lineage to live in the capital region.

This also completely severed the spineless ambitions of certain sect leaders who wanted to exploit the relationship with the Kuai Household.

However, those Rogue Cultivator cultivators who were recruited by Kuai En with kind words were not so lucky; none of them could go to the Capital Circuit to enjoy some good fortune.

This also means that some of the women from the Tanggu Kuai Household may soon have to find husbands who are more to their liking.

However, this turn of events wasn't entirely bad for these Rogue Cultivators.

After all, Kuai En was gone. They could live a good life as before, doing hard labor next to the Chongming Sect without having to let others take a share of their wages.

Pei Yi and the Lady Kuai family could go to the capital with the Kuai Household.

However, the Kuang Household made it very clear when they informed us that while we could go, it was uncertain when we would be able to return.

Pei Yi couldn't let go of his clan and the Chongming Sect. Lady Kuai was indeed virtuous. After hearing her husband's plan, she didn't utter a single word of "no." She simply stayed by the side of Pei Yi, who was still the tall and upright Pei Household brother in her heart, and lived a dutiful life.

However, the couple's efforts over the years did not come in vain. Several Kuai Household cultivators who went to the capital region also found a way to seek medical treatment for Pei Yi.

The Kuang Household clearly treated them quite well. Half a year ago, a Second-Tier Upper-Grade Alchemist, at the request of the Kuai Household, even traveled from Capital Circuit on a flying boat sent by the Imperial Clan Court to transport supplies to Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, specifically to take Pei Yi's pulse.

Although the Alchemist, after examining the injuries, only said that with his methods there was no cure and he still couldn't extend Pei Yi's life, the Kuai Household's sentiments alone were enough to warm Pei Yi's heart and make him feel that he could live a few more months.

Although Pei Yi has yet to find any clues about Foundation Establishment, he is making rapid progress in alchemy.

It was as if he had suddenly had a breakthrough. Not long ago, Pei Yi was just an ordinary mid-grade Alchemist, but now, only a few years later, he was already able to refine First-Tier Supreme-Grade spiritual pills.

At first glance, this speed might not seem unusual, but upon closer examination, the phrase "First-Tier Supreme-Grade Alchemist" represents a level that many Alchemists could never reach even after a lifetime of dedicated study.

In the more than two hundred years since Patriarch Zhang, the Chongming Sect has only produced one such protégé, Pei Yi, in this generation. Even the Martial Uncle Lian who taught Pei Yi alchemy was far less accomplished than him when he left.

Of course, for the Chongming Sect, which already has four Foundation Establishment masters, the emergence of another First-Tier Supreme-Grade Alchemist is merely icing on the cake.

However, one should not judge things by appearances alone. For the Chongming Sect, which has a shallow foundation, it is something to celebrate if any disciple achieves something that no one has done before in any aspect.

Pei Yi, who had finally made a breakthrough in Dao of Alchemy, would not sit idle. He immediately set up a sign in the Merit Points Hall to accept requests and dedicated his precious time to refining pills for Double Brightness's disciples.

After accumulating enough Merit Points, Pei Yi selected many rare medicinal herbs from the sect's treasury and specially prepared suitable pills for his three disciples.

In particular, his first disciple, Kang Rongquan, is currently at a crucial moment in preparing for the Foundation Establishment, and at this moment he needs his master's help the most.

Kang Rongquan, together with Zhou Yixiu, was also planting Moon Fern for Sect Leader Kang Da in Hong County. This was an extremely important matter that could not be delayed.

Therefore, the master and disciple could not meet for the time being, so Pei Yi had to ask Han Xundao, who was on his way to deliver invitations to the Four Friends of Cold Mountain, to take the pills with him.

However, after receiving Pei Yi's orders, the latter made a special trip to the Chongming Small Pavilion.

Many things have happened in the past few years, Zhou Xinran's resentment towards Zhou Yixiu has faded considerably.

Especially after the birth of her child with Duan Anle, Zhou Yixiu spent a lot of money to ask Yuan Jin to make a protective magic Law Artifact for her grandson, making it even harder for the father and daughter to have any estrangement between them.

After taking the fur coat that Zhou Xinran had bought for Zhou Yixiu from Zhou Xinran, Han Xundao did not stop. He even went so far as to use Spirit Stone to travel, and finally met Zhou Yixiu and Kang Rongquan, the master and apprentice, in the Moon Fern Field in Hong County.

"Xundao, I pay my respects to Master Zhou and Senior Brother Kang."

"Yes, please wait a moment, Junior Brother." Kang Rongquan was standing barefoot in the spiritual soil at this time. He didn't react much to Han Xundao's arrival. He only raised his head for a short while before burying it again.

Zhou Yixiu, who was sitting on a small table to the side, took the fur coat brought by Han Xundao and seemed very enthusiastic:

"So you've come Xundao? Please, have a seat. I just had Zhe'er bring me some good wine when the caravan passed by. It's cold today, so I'll mix it with the spiritual honey your Senior Sister Zhang sent. Let's warm it up and drink it together."

Although Zhou Yixiu level was not as high as his own, he was one of the few elders in the Chongming Sect.

Han Xundao had a somewhat arrogant and unruly nature. Although he didn't have much respect for an elder like Zhou Yixiu, whose cultivation was not very good, he still didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest. After bowing, he sat down.

As soon as he sat down on the stool, he exclaimed, "Senior Sister Zhang Le's spiritual honey has been in high demand lately. It's said that it's sold out in the Chongming Small Pavilion. I never expected to be able to get such a bargain and enjoy this delicacy."

"Haha," Zhou Yixiu was quite pleased to hear his disciple being praised, and quickly poured warm wine for Han Xundao. The latter, however, did not drink first, but said, "Nephew, please wait for Senior Brother Kang to drink together."

"Heh," Zhou Yixiu chuckled again, saying softly, "Then you'll have a hard time waiting for him. I've had this little table here for three years, and that kid hasn't even sat down for a moment."

"This is... truly difficult for Senior Brother." The surprise on Han Xundao's face quickly faded, and then his smile disappeared; he did not speak again.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." After Zhou Yixiu finished speaking, a look of heartache flashed across her eyes. She then took out the "Plain Snow Honey" that Zhang Le had given her and poured it into the wine.

As the celadon wine jar was unsealed, the aroma caused several nearby trees to sway gently even without wind.

This is Second-Tier Lower-Grade spirit Drunken Shadow Brew, that Ming Zhe purchased specifically for Zhou Yixiu when he led his caravan to Ding Prefecture.

This single jar costs nearly two hundred Spirit Stone to buy. Ming Zhe comes from a good family and has a generous regular salary, but this also shows how filial he is to his junior uncle Zhou Yixiu.

It should be noted that this Drunken Shadow Brew is no different from most of the spiritual wines of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, and it has no benefits for helping people cultivate.

In other words, these two hundred Spirit Stone were only enough to buy Zhou Yixiu a few moments of amusement. Objectively speaking, such behavior could be considered extravagant.

As the amber-colored spiritual honey was slowly added to the clear liquor, the celadon wine jar, without any prompting, created a vortex, blending the spiritual honey and liquor together.

The moment the wine was poured into the ice-jade glass, six-sided frost flowers bloomed on the glass. The sweet aroma, intoxicating even before tasting, was like willow catkins brushing against one's face in March, yet upon closer inspection, it held the delicate sweetness of green apricots after the rain.

Even though Han Xundao had received a lot of favor from his teachers and elders, he rarely enjoyed such a moment, and a light appeared in his eyes.

Without Zhou Yixiu's persuasion, he picked up the wine cup. The first sip felt like a cloud of mist melting in his mouth, the smooth and sweet taste spreading across his tongue. After drinking it all, his breath was as fragrant as orchids, and a glassy, crisp sensation, similar to candied hawthorn, lingered between his teeth.

"Good!" Han Xundao, who had seen a bit of the world, was completely impressed by Zhou Yixiu's bartending skills.

"Haha, I'm glad you like it, Junior Nephew. I've already reported this recipe to Senior Brother Sect Leader, and it should be available for sale in the Chongming Small Pavilion soon. That way, the sect will have another source of income."

Zhou Yixiu couldn't hide his smugness, while the old cultivator thought to himself, "Even if I can't get my hands on the spirit field, I haven't received the sect's support for nothing!"

Thinking of this, he carefully put away the celadon wine jar and the pot of "Plain Snow Honey" and placed them close to his body.

Speaking of which, although the "Plain Snow Stamen" cultivated by the old master Zhou Yixiu is of slightly lower grade, it is indeed Spirit Plant is quite suitable for raising bee colonies.

Although the honey made by the spirit bees from this flower is not of high quality, it is extremely sweet and smooth. In this respect alone, it cannot compare to the large locust tree that is regarded differently by many high-ranking members of the Chongming Sect.

Because of this, Zhang Le earned a considerable amount of cultivation resources both within and outside the sect by using his skill in taming spirit bees.

However, her comprehension of cultivation was poor, and even after Zhang Qingran personally taught her for several months, she did not gain much insight.

Zhou Yixiu saw this clearly and knew that his disciple was most likely a Foundation Establishment without destiny, just like himself, so he focused all his attention on the latter's marriage.

This was because Sect Leader Kang Da was the type to only take in wealth and never give it up, and he was never willing to marry off his daughter. In addition, it was difficult to find a suitable family nearby to entrust her with, so Zhou Yixiu gave up the idea of marrying her disciple into a high-ranking family.

After turning his attention back to the sect, his original intention was to marry his disciple to Ye Pingshui, a disciple of Yuan Jin.

After all, this Ye Household is far inferior to Ye Pinglin and Ye Yaoling in cultivation. So far, he has only shown some promise in weapon crafting, and even his combat skills are only average. Under such circumstances, it is almost a pipe dream to rely on a Desolate-Tier Lower-Grade Savage Ox Scripture to Foundation Establishment.

However, Zhou Yixiu thought that both he and Zhang Le had achieved some success in the same craft, and if they were to become husband and wife, they would surely live a very happy and comfortable life in the future.

After all, the Chongming Sect is still nominally in charge of the spiritual land of Heng Mountain. With the current perspective of Sect Leader Kang Da, he would probably not think much of that Spirit Vein that was only upgraded to the First Tier last year.

In other words, if Ye Pingshui wants to return to his hometown and work with Zhang Le to revitalize the Ye Household in the future, there are ways he can do so.

Although the young master's life wasn't easy, he still managed to enjoy some prestige outside.

Just by looking at Lu Yunniang back then, one can tell that the Lu Household of Quarry Mountain is now one of the few powerful families in Pingrong County, second only to the Chongming Sect and Ingenious Craftsman Fort, both of which are Foundation Establishment sects. When they go out, few people fail to show them respect.

Lu Yunniang was notoriously unattractive back then, even Zhou Yixiu couldn't match her. Yet now, thanks to her status as the head of the Lu Household, she has managed to find a Peak Qi Refinement of Qi Refining, with the potential to Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivator, as her husband.

Zhou Yixiu had no idea that Ye Pingshui had been thinking about his fellow disciple Zhou Xinran many years.

Even after the latter married Duan Anle, facing the irreversible situation, Ye Pingshui was saddened for a long time. As a result, the production of Law Artifact in the Chongming Small Pavilion decreased significantly in those one or two years.

Under such circumstances, Ye Pingshui naturally looked down on Zhang Le, a junior sister from another family who was not particularly attractive.

This was something that had no reason to blame, and although Zhou Yixiu felt regretful, she had no choice but to put the matter aside for the time being.

Now he is old, already ninety-eight years old. Even he doesn't know how many more years he can live. His body is not only no longer able to fight, but even doing some farming work in this cold winter is extremely difficult.

Otherwise, no matter how reluctant Kang Rongquan was, he would have been unable to stop him from leaving this extremely fertile spiritual land.

Under such circumstances, Zhou Yixiu should have conserved her energy and enjoyed her remaining years in peace.

However, after the deaths of Song Hui and Dong Liu'er, Zhang Le became Zhou Yixiu's only remaining disciple. As a master, who was also a father figure, he naturally had to take care of him.

Even though Zhou Yixiu could not leave anything for Zhang Le in the end, Kang Rongquan and Duan Anle still had to take good care of this junior sister after her death.

Fortunately, the sweet warm wine was able to somewhat ease the bitterness in Lao Xiu's heart. Zhou and Han drank for almost an hour before Kang Rongquan, who had cast the Clear Wind Incantation, finally emerged from the spiritual soil, free of sweat and mud.

Han Xundao hurriedly put down his wine cup and took out the elixir that Pei Yi had entrusted to him:

"This is a pill that Martial Uncle Pei asked me to bring for you, Senior Brother. He also asked me to relay his message to you, Senior Brother, that you should not be impatient in your cultivation. You are still young, and there is no need to rush the Foundation Establishment process. Even if it takes a few more years, it will not cause any harm."

Kang Rongquan listened attentively, thanked him, and then took out a Storage Bag from his waist and handed it to Han Xundao, saying, "I understand that you've come all this way, Junior Brother. I've heard that Master has been refining pills frequently these days, so I suppose the Sun-Longing Grass I brought back last time has already been used up."

I then collected two more bundles, which I will trouble my junior brother to bring to Master on his return journey. His injuries have not yet healed, and I am afraid that the accumulated fire poison from not using this herb to refine pills will further damage his health.

"It is my duty, I dare not accept your thanks, senior brother." Han Xundao bowed and then did not linger any longer. He was still on a mission to deliver a message, so he could not delay any longer.

After he left, this sacred land fell silent again.

Kang Rongquan still didn't drink, but instead picked up the jade pot and filled Zhou Yixiu's cup. The latter didn't drink in a hurry either, taking a small sip of the wine and food, and sighed softly again, "This tastes far inferior to Shilun's cooking."

Kang Rongquan replied in a low voice, "Junior Brother Jin just received his assignment from the Merit Points Hall and is on his way to Jin County. It is said that a powerful Evil Cultivator has emerged there, and even the newly appointed Jin County, who has been at the Foundation Establishment for several years, was still able to escape. That's why he sought help from our uncle, asking us to send someone to assist him."

"Look at you, you've clearly had quite a bit of contact with Shilun over the years, so why don't you go back to the sect to see Senior Brother Pei?"

Zhou Yixiu slammed his fist heavily on the low table, causing the spirit wine in the ice jade cup to spill out. He didn't care at all, but stared intently at Kang Rongquan's face, as if he wanted to force the latter to explain himself.

This time, Zhou Yixiu was disappointed. Kang Rongquan also felt the former's gaze was burning, but he stubbornly endured the burning pain in his heart, kept a calm expression, and did not say a word.

Seeing this, Zhou Yixiu became even angrier, pointing a finger and cursing, "You! You really are a wicked creature?! Don't you really know that although Senior Brother Pei is heartbroken because of Junior Nephew Pei's death in battle, how could he possibly blame you in the slightest?! Master and disciple, father and son! What are you afraid of?!"

Kang Rongquan buried his head even deeper, and the scene was so quiet that Zhou Yixiu could hear the earthworms he had just bought wriggling and crawling in the spiritual soil.

Anger surged in the old cultivator's eyes, and he was about to unleash another torrent of abuse when Kang Rongquan, head bowed, spoke in a hoarse voice, "It is precisely because Master does not blame me that I dare not return to the sect."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yixiu could only swallow the words he was about to utter, as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat. He couldn't see Kang Rongquan's expression at this moment, but he still felt sorry for the boy.

After a long pause, Zhou Yixiu slowly sat back down on the stool. He picked up his wine cup very slowly, as if he were an ordinary old farmer without any spiritual power.

The mellow, sweet Fine Dew entered his mouth again, but Zhou Yixiu felt no pleasure whatsoever. He chewed the remaining half-cup of wine for a while before finally swallowing it. When the old man spoke again, his tone was much lower and more subdued:

"When I went back to see Wawa three months ago, I sat at the same table with Senior Brother Pei again. He showed a lot of concern for you in his words, and he guessed that you had these feelings for him."

Kang Rongquan quietly raised his head, a hint of fear appearing on his face hidden beneath his head. It was the same expression he had when he led Jin Shilun and the others to skip their scripture lessons, only to be stopped halfway by Jiang Qing.

"He never blamed you; he only asked me to tell you at the appropriate time," Old Xiu paused, poured himself another drink, and after drinking it, a self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.

"I don't know if today is the right time, but I've tolerated your purplish-red face for three months since I came back. Today, after drinking too much, I really can't bear it anymore."

Kang Rongquan was startled by these soft words and raised his head higher, enough for Zhou Yixiu to see the tears streaming down his face. The latter took a deep breath, turned her head, and poured herself another drink.

Strangely enough, the large gulp of hot wine scalded Zhou Yixiu's face, turning it bright red.

He didn't look at Kang Rongquan's expression again, but said, "He only told me to tell you at the appropriate time. If you truly feel ashamed and uneasy, then cultivate yourself well and do what Pei Que to do, and that will be fine!"

His clenched fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Kang Rongquan himself didn't even know when he had raised his head. He closed his eyes, but the eye flaps were hard to shut, and he could only let the water slowly seep into his clothes.

At this moment, Zhou Yixiu's jade pot was empty, but she had not yet finished speaking.

The old man stood up, not to find wine, but to come to Kang Rongquan's side and softly recite:

"Senior Brother Pei also said that you shouldn't only be concerned about the affairs of the farmers. When you have some free time, you should find a time to come back and help your Changsheng Brother Changsheng clean the Pill Furnace."

"Wrong. Wrong."