The Age of Chaos Finally Begins

---- Xuanwei City, Fei Household

Fei Nanying landed heavily in the main seat, and looking at the scene of the two most honored women in the Fei Household's She Mountain Hall fighting amongst themselves, he couldn't help but sigh.

If I had known, I would have returned from beside Juntian Bird later, and then I wouldn't have had to deal with this matter for the time being, right?

Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes, let alone one's own family matters.

Unexpectedly, Fei Nanying's sigh caused trouble. A barely perceptible glint of anger appeared in Han Ningyue's beautiful eyes. She gestured to dismiss those around her. After even her and Fei Granny Liu's personal maidservants had left the hall, the eldest daughter of the Yukun Han Household finally erupted.

"Fei Nanying, what are you sighing about?! I haven't been back for so long, and when I finally do, I've only had a few words with you, and you're already so impatient?!"

Fei Granny Liu glanced at Fei Nanying, noticing the troubled look on his face. She smiled faintly, then picked up the spirit tea from the low table and sipped it slowly. "Nanying, speak properly, lest you anger Ningyue and be questioned by your Yue Household."

"This..." Fei Nanying knew perfectly well that Fei Granny Liu was stirring up trouble, but he could only give a wry smile, turn around, bow and apologize to his wife, saying, "My lady, please calm down. I have no impatience whatsoever. Please don't misunderstand."

Upon hearing this, Han Ningyue's anger deepened. After glancing at Fei Granny Liu again, she turned to Fei Nanying and said crisply, "Do you think I'm really angry here because of your impatience?"

Fei Sima Fei, who had just formed Middle-Grade Golden Core and was once the most prominent figure in Shannan Circuit, was somewhat embarrassed when faced with his wife's questioning. After stammering for a while, he found it difficult to speak.

"Ningyue, please don't make things difficult for the head of the family. Speak your mind, I'm all ears." Fei Granny Liu placed the teacup down and spoke in a calm voice.

But this time Han Ningyue didn't respond to her; instead, she continued to complain to Fei Nanying:

"If you really thought she was a cheap creature, you shouldn't have brought her into my room to raise her back then. I raised her from infancy myself, and she's so precious that even the old women and maids wouldn't let her hold me for long."

I've put in so much effort to raise a daughter who is as beautiful as a gem. She has everything a woman could want—noble and respectable. Even in the Capital Circuit, how many families could compare to her?

For his marriage, I went to great lengths to find out about the Shu Household. Even the elders of my Han Household teased me, saying I was too outgoing and didn't know to offer a good marriage to my own daughter first. In the end, you forced me to marry into a poor family!

Han Ningyue's voice was already trembling with sobs as she spoke of this. The disdain on Fei Granny Liu's face softened slightly, and Fei Nanying looked troubled. Fortunately, he didn't need to speak up for the time being, because his wife was still full of resentment and hadn't had a chance to vent it all.

The noblewoman of the Han Household even pointed her spear and angrily asked, "Now look what's happened! You, as the Boyue, have become Golden Core, yet you don't recognize your own niece! You know perfectly well that Kang boy is imprisoned and unlikely to survive! You know perfectly well that Shuhe has been anxious and heartbroken these past few days!"

The entire She Mountain Hall is filled with False Core Foundation Establishment cultivators, preferring to stay indoors indulging in prostitutes and gambling rather than even bothering to visit Cold Crow Mountain! In the end, it was an outsider who saved the couple's lives!! Could it be that you, old thief, have become a heartless and ungrateful person just because you've reached the Golden Core and become the head of the family?!

"Ningyue!" Fei Granny Liu's expression changed upon hearing this. She gently tapped the table, but failed to intimidate Han Ningyue.

The latter shook her head slightly and said again, "Granny Liu, your granddaughter-in-law knows that you have made great contributions to the She Mountain Hall. But this time, you have probably done something too ugly. Either save them readily, or just ignore them as before."

But they insist on hiding in the back, watching countless in-laws perish before pretending to offer their kindness.

Today, your granddaughter-in-law wishes to ask you a question: Given your esteemed position in the She Mountain Hall, where you even have influence before Ancestor Ye Shui Fearless Tower?!

With a "crack," the low table beside Fei Granny Liu was smashed into dust by her palm.

How many years had it been since this old lady had been reprimanded like this? Suddenly subjected to such a barrage of insults, she was completely unprepared, her face flushing red and then turning pale, looking extremely unpleasant.

Of all the women in the entire She Mountain Hall, perhaps only Han Ningyue dared to speak to her like that, yet she couldn't reprimand her. She could only slam her cane down and shout at the hall's master, "Fei Nanying! Are you going to do anything about this?!"

As the scene grew more boisterous, Fei Nanying's expression calmed considerably. After hearing Fei Granny Liu's question, he simply said softly:

"Granny Liu, please calm down. Ningyue was having a fit of hysteria today; it wasn't intentional. Later, after I've disciplined her properly, I'll bring her back to apologize to Granny Liu."

The old woman, having been berated and scolded, had no intention of staying any longer. After giving Han Ningyue a sidelong glance, she leaned on her cane and slowly walked out of the hall.

Only then did Fei Nanying dare to approach Han Ningyue's side and softly comfort her, "I never expected Granny Liu to do such a foolish thing. I thought she just wanted to give Kang Dabao a little warning to quell the indignation within the She Mountain Hall, so I did it. Fortunately, that lazy fellow has some wisdom and knows to make some good connections. Chu Yanran has also taken action, so Shuhe was ultimately unharmed."

Seeing that his wife's eyes were already showing impatience, Fei Nanying immediately stopped talking about these tedious things and simply agreed with Han Ningyue:

"My dear wife, please calm down. I will vouch for you once more. After this matter is over, the previous incident of Kang Dabao's disrespect towards Elder Ye Shui will be considered closed. No one in the She Mountain Hall will be allowed to use this as an excuse to bring up old scores with the Chongming Sect again. I will also cultivate Kang Dabao properly and will not stand idly by while he is bullied by other families again. Is that alright?!"

Han Ningyue's anger subsided slightly. The beautiful woman now realized that what she had said today was quite rash. Even if Fei Nanying very magnanimous, he would still feel some dissatisfaction afterward.

She was quick-witted; after a few thoughts swirled in her mind, her voice trembling with tears, and she said, "I only feel sorry for my Shuhe."

Even the most accomplished cultivators, possessing the Golden Core Elixir, cannot withstand the tears of a beautiful woman.

Fei Nanying both pity and tenderness, and held his wife's slender waist, saying repeatedly, "I will never let Shuhe suffer again, and I promise I will too, as for Wanqing."

This time Sima Fei spent a lot of effort to finally appease Han Ningyue. After he fastened his sash and came out of the hall with a rosy face, he urged several maids to come in and serve him. Then, he saw a close attendant waiting outside.

What is it?

"My lord, the Kang Household's son-in-law has sent over a New Year's gift."

What is the name of this item?

"With the lady's birthday approaching, Miss Shuhe will be busy taking care of her husband this year and may not be able to visit her family to show her respect."

"This girl might not be this considerate," Fei Nanying, taking the Jade Slip and scanning the list of names. A strange expression appeared on his face. "So many?"

No wonder Fei Nanying sounded slightly surprised, because the amount mentioned above was nothing to the She Mountain Hall, but for a sect like Chongming Sect, it was an astonishingly large sum.

"It was brought by the junior apprentice of the Kang Household's son-in-law. He seems to be surnamed Ye, with a resolute appearance, and is a man with one eye."

The attendant hurriedly replied, and seeing that Fei Nanying's gaze remained fixed on him, he added, "I asked him a little earlier, and he only said that this was what the Kang Household's son-in-law had acquired with his men during this expedition, and that he had brought it here as a token of respect."

"Hmm," Fei Nanying calmly handed the gift list back, a sense of satisfaction rising within him. He thought to himself, "Granny Liu's warning wasn't entirely without effect."

In truth, Fei Nanying could not possibly be completely unaware of Fei Granny Liu's actions, as he and Han Ningyue claimed. If that were the case, he, as the head of the Fei Household's She Mountain Hall, would be far too foolish.

He was indeed Fei Shuhe's father, but now that he had taken this position, he also had to consider the resentment of the other clansmen in the She Mountain Hall.

The Fei Household revered Patriarch Ye Shui as a divine being. Kang Dabao dared not to pay his respects back then, but he did so at the expense of the entire Fei Household's reputation. Patriarch Ye Shui was indeed magnanimous, but the other clansmen were not so forgiving.

To be honest, Fei Granny Liu was considered to be someone who considered the bigger picture within the She Mountain Hall.

If those arrogant clansmen were allowed to act as they pleased, why would they sit idly by and watch the Demon Beast run rampant? These young masters would have already wiped out the Chongming Sect themselves, instead of having Fei Shuhe and Han Ningyue take turns crying and complaining.

Since Elder Juntian Bird Tianqin took up residence in Cloud Horn Prefecture, the Fei Household cultivators have become exceptionally arrogant, truly intolerant of even the slightest injustice.

As for the state government, they probably think the same way.

Chongming Sect relied on Kuai En to beg the Prince of the South for his life, which severely humiliated all the high-ranking officials from Kuang Liuting down.

With the Earl of Nan'an currently in seclusion and ignoring affairs, it's already a miracle that these people haven't harmed you, Kang Dabao; how can you possibly save him?

Therefore, if this incident could help to quell the righteous indignation of Sheshan Hall and Yunjiao Prefecture towards Kang Dabao, Fei Nanying would consider it a worthwhile outcome.

After all, what fell were just human lives, and he and Fei Granny Liu shared the same thought: they didn't think they were worth much.

Fei Nanying had initially worried that Kang Dabao wouldn't understand, but to his surprise, the latter was quite insightful, which pleased him greatly.

"Perhaps it can be cultivated properly," Fei Nanying thought to himself, "Even if it's difficult to form a core."

He then turned to the attendant and said, "These don't need to be put into storage. Have the head accountant of the household count them and distribute them according to each branch of the family's merits this year. Just say, 'The lady's birthday is approaching, and we're using these Double Brightness local products to celebrate together.'"

The attendant quickly responded, but then heard Fei Nanying say, "Go to the Qi residence and inquire whether Young Master Changyi went out with his master. If he is still there, invite him to come to the mansion to see Madam. We've been in Xuanwei City for so long, and no one in the Fei Household has even seen this child's face. What kind of talk is this?!"

"Yes." The attendant hurried off to take care of things, Fei Nanying his sleeve and murmured:

"Perhaps it's time to go and see that kid, and see what he's up to by clearing this wasteland. He's investing so much; he must have something in mind. Otherwise, it's not like him."

---- Cold Crow Mountain Range

Yang Jue, the steward of Tengwen Prefecture in Fearless Tower, Yang Jue not neglect Chu Yanran's words and came forward to pay his respects.

Although Fei Household Ying Mountain Army also dared not provoke the latter, they were not as respectful as Yang Jue. Even when ridiculed, they simply slunk away. After all, she was just a Golden Core female cultivator with no remarkable background, not someone that these noble descendants needed to fear.

However, these Fei Household cultivators did not expect that Kang Dabao not only did not hold a grudge against them this time, but also specially sent someone to catch up with the Ying Mountain Army's flying boat and deliver a fairly considerable amount of travel expenses to the two generals.

Such methods do indeed command respect.

On the Yang Jue side, Kang Dabao also expressed his gratitude.

As for Chu Yanran, this favor is much heavier. Chongming Sect might have to repay it with many lives in the future, and it cannot be repaid with a few pieces of money.

Moreover, the war between the Double Brightness Alliance and the beast horde did not end with the death of E Yuan.

As Fei Nanying predicted, given Sect Leader Kang Da's pragmatic and down-to-earth personality, how could he possibly return empty-handed after being outmaneuvered by a vicious beast and suffering such a significant loss?

Those disciples from the alliance who came to their aid were given medicine for the seriously wounded and then returned to the two counties by flying boat for further treatment; those with minor injuries were bandaged on the spot and retrained for future use.

Kang Dabao wasn't unaware that a fierce battle required rest, but since he was already here, and with the superior cultivator Chu Yanran in charge, he figured he might as well take advantage of the army's presence and acquire as much spiritual land as possible.

After all, according to Madam Qi, the area extending three thousand miles beyond Jia-Chou Military Stronghold was once a sacred land opened up by the Immortal Dynasty.

However, this all happened more than two hundred years ago when Shen Lingfeng took office as the governor of Shannan Circuit. After this True Person who was close to the Immortal Dynasty withdrew from Cloud Horn Prefecture with a large force of Imperial Guards in accordance with the current emperor's decree.

The Two Instruments Sect, having enjoyed the fertile lands of several states, naturally had little interest in this barbarian territory.

A number of weaker Golden Core sects, such as Hongyi Sect, tried to take over the business one after another. However, after operating for a while, the senior cultivators in these sects realized that it was a losing proposition.

The reason is that while there are Spirit Vein in this three-thousand-mile stretch, they are scattered in small, disorganized areas, without even a single Third Tier one. As a result, the output of the disciples stationed there is not even enough to cover the annual salaries of these major sects. How can this business possibly continue?

Furthermore, at that time, the Demon Beast faction was quite powerful, and Third Tier Demon Officer would frequently roam around. Anyone below the Golden Core could hardly survive an encounter with them.

This caused this once spiritual land, which had been home to over a hundred military camps, to gradually revert to being a paradise exclusively for Demon Beast.

However, according to Chu Yanran and Yang Jue, for some unknown reason, the Third Tier Demon Beast that used to appear in this area from time to time more than a hundred years ago have gradually disappeared.

Some say it's because a new Venerable One has emerged in the Demon Land of Li Mountain, opposite the Cold Crow Mountain Range, and is recruiting followers, but the truth of this is unknown.

Yuan Jin didn't care much about these still somewhat secret matters; he simply took the command flag from his senior brother, the sect leader. The True Cultivator in the Jia-Chou Military Stronghold for nearly a month were all allowed to rest, either returning to their respective sects and Lineage or staying behind to recuperate and await orders.

After the Rogue Cultivator finished reporting their merits, they returned to the two counties to receive their Chongming Sect. This amount of Spirit Stone was not small, and Chongmingzong could not come up with it on his own at the moment. He also did not know whether the amount in the public treasury of the two counties would be enough.

Therefore, Kang Dabao spent some Spirit Stone to invite a third-class steward from Myriad Treasures Trading Company to come over so that they could discuss business.

The reason is that the Double Brightness Alliance killed a considerable number of Demon Beast in this battle, but their quality was not good. Therefore, due to the large quantity, ordinary people could hardly offer a good price.

Myriad Treasures Trading Company doesn't have this problem. They have connections in various regions of the Immortal Dynasty and a good reputation. Their shelves are filled with a wide variety of goods, both expensive and cheap, yet they still can't keep up with demand. So they are happy to find new sources of goods from these new places.

Only in this way could the majority of the funds be raised to present as tribute to the Fei Household, as well as to reward and provide relief to those who volunteered as Rogue Cultivator.

As for the distribution of benefits among the various factions of the Double Brightness Alliance and the rewards and punishments for the Merit Points of the Chongming Sect's own disciples, those are not so urgent and should be put on hold for a while.

Several months later, Yuan Jin led his team to wipe out most of the remaining beast hordes, obtaining hundreds of rare beasts and clearing a thousand miles of spiritual land. This was more than double the results achieved by the Double Brightness Alliance when E Yuan had incited the beast hordes.

Just as the Double Brightness Alliance's expansion into the Spirit Land was nearing completion, a breathtaking piece of news resounded throughout the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty:

"The Earl of Nan'a Core Formation!"

Less than a month after the news of Kuang Liuting's Core Formation was about to spread, even the Fearless Tower in Shannan Circuit had not yet ascertained the true quality of the Core Formation of this nobleman on whom the entire Great Wei clan placed high hopes, when another extraordinary piece of news arrived from outside Shannan Circuit:

"The two kings Prince of the South Prince of the North, launched a joint attack on the Blood Sword Sect with nineteen battalions of imperial guards ten days ago. The Blood Sword Sect was no match for them and requested reinforcements, but was instead betrayed by the Buried Spring Mound, which belonged to the Two Rivers Circuit."

After this battle, the current leader of the Blood Sword Sect, Daoist Yiqiu, perished, his Primordial Spirit destroyed. Some of the remaining members of the Blood Sword Sect scattered in all directions, while others remained trapped in their isolated formation, preferring death to surrender.

From then on, the leader of the Two Rivers Circuit Sect, who originally had three True Person in charge, was left with only Wenfengzi, who was seriously injured and could only escape by leaving his body with his Nascent Soul. Moreover, according to news from the army, even Wenfengzi's fate was unknown.

"The True Person Immortals of the King Yu Circuit Myriad Weapons Formless City and the Nine Heavens Calamity Sea Sect have withdrawn their protective formations along the coast and personally traveled to the outer sea to pay their respects to the Palace Master of Billowing Dream."

"Of the three remaining rogue cultivators in the world, two have already accepted the Emperor's invitation to visit the Imperial Palace."

"The Liangxi Demon Race's offensive has subsided, and they have withdrawn to their demon lands. The border army has been able to recapture Sulong Fortress, but they are still short of cultivators. It is said that Prime Chancellor Gui is planning to send convicts from all over the world to reinforce the border."

"The two True Person of the orthodox Daoist sects, the Dragon and Tiger Sect and the Supreme Unity Temple, agreed to travel together and entered the Imperial Palace five days ago to request an audience with the Emperor. Rumors circulate that the Emperor, knowing they had come to plead for the Blood Sword Sect, a demonic sect, refused their request."

Logically, with these reports, there should be no need to elaborate on the quality of Kuang Liuting's pills. However, among the thirty-three Nascent Soul factions of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, some people still harbored wishful thinking.

Ten days later, after the True Person Moon Hidden from Five Old Mothers Mountain North Circuit paid homage to the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion, his request was granted.

As soon as the former entered Xuanwei City, this True Person brought out the Chi Dragon Jade Carriage. After he and the spirited Kuang Liuting boarded the chariot, those with knowledge in the field could clearly see that the Jade Chariot was heading towards the outer sea.

From then on, the world was shocked, and the chaotic era finally began.