The Star-Picking Pavilion's Schemes

After the long discussion, Kang Dabao went to find the noblewoman of the Fei Household. He didn't mention anything about needing her to relay a message to the Fei Household. He was just busy lately and hadn't had time to spare. Now that he finally had some free time, he naturally wanted to come and comfort her.

He didn't stay in that gentle Sect Leader Kang Da for long; it only took him ten days to break free from that decadent and dissolute lifestyle.

After he put on his trousers, he had to get busy with his business.

Without needing to explain, he went to Xuanwei City alone. As before, he was unable to pay his respects to Fei Nanying and Fei Granny Liu. However, this time he did not receive any disdain, and Fei Nanying's wife Han Ningyue, even sent someone to welcome him.

After Kang Dabao went in, this Tai Shui was not as arrogant as before. This time, he did a good job of putting on a show, praising Sect Leader Kang Da for a while in a seemingly genuine but actually fake way, before accepting the freshly earned deposit.

Kang Dabao was extremely grateful, because strictly speaking, during the period when Fei Nanying, the head of the She Mountain Hall, was not in charge, the one who should have been in charge of this place was Han Ningyue, the mistress of the house.

This Han Household was no shallow-minded woman. She knew what accepting these Spirit Stone meant. It meant that in the Chongming Sect would not have to pay a single penny of rent, labor service, or tax. The prefect Zhu Tong would not dare to object.

This third-ranking scholar, who entered officialdom from Capital Circuit, should know very well how to get along with some of the most prestigious families in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Offering land as tribute was a common occurrence in the Immortal Dynasty, and Zhu Tong had no way of managing it.

Not to mention, there are plenty of penniless men in this world who have no powerful backers and are easy to exploit. There's no reason for them to take meat from the plates that the Han Household and Fei Household have already set out for them.

This may be quite different from what Kuang Liuting, who is single-mindedly trying to eradicate the deep-seated problems, thinks. But before the latter can sit in that supremely honorable position, no one dares to break this old shackle that concerns the lives of all people.

Kang Dabao's gift was not merely for the purpose of reducing the taxes of more than four hundred cultivators in the Cold Crow Mountain spiritual land.

The Yunwei Zheng Household were from the same hometown as Zhang Yuandao, the founder of the Chongming Sect, and both originated from a branch of the Yukun Han Household Fenli Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of Yukun.

It seems that once the news of the meeting between Sect Leader Kang Da and Han Ningyue spreads, this humble family that moved from Capital Circuit should also restrain their ugly eating habits.

At present, Chongming Sect can only focus on cultivating internal strength. They really have no energy to create any trouble or complications with the Zheng Household. Otherwise, the sickly, uncertain-to-be-death False Core in the Zheng Household might not be able to keep the hot-blooded Kang Dabao in check.

He then visited Master Qi in Xuanwei City, and it seemed that Chu Yanran had invested a lot of resources in him in recent years. When Kang Dabao met Master Qi this time, he felt that the latter had vaguely reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

This speed is not slow at all, but it is much faster than that of the disciples of Sect Leader Kang Da, making people sigh that it is better to marry well than to be born well.

Chu Yanran took Kang Changyi to visit friends in Ye Prefecture, but this time the Sect Leader Kang Da was unable to meet them. However, judging from their relationship, Chu Yanran was not indifferent to Kang Changyi, her Registered Disciple, but rather quite attentive to him, which comforted Kang Dabao somewhat.

Kang Dabao had no interest in chatting with Qi Buxiu, that colorless old man, for long, and left the Qi residence in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Having not visited Xuanwei City for a long time, Sect Leader Kang Da was not in a hurry to return and instead wandered around the city alone.

The Huang Household Old Shop, which he had longed for but never visited, no longer seemed so tempting. Standing under the archway, Sect Leader Kang Da could even smell a faint fishy odor from the white smoke.

Wondrous Cloud Pavilion's business was lukewarm. After leaving Qi Duoluo and being managed by the Cold Mountain Sect, the four Rogue Person brothers did not pay much attention to the business.

Several men wearing green turbans stretched listlessly, while a group of unattractive women leaned against the railing and flirted in broad daylight, making it difficult for Kang Dabao to stop for even a moment.

He only focused his gaze on the shops bustling with customers, sighing that this town was much more prosperous than it had been when the Dingnan Niu Household had ruled it a few years ago.

Otherwise, the two shops that Second Master Ming promised to the Chongming Sect back then would have been incredibly valuable, and Ye Zhengwen would have had no chance of using them to exchange for a few perfunctory words from the state court.

"I have too many debts in my heart, but I don't know when I'll be able to pay them back."

After a moment of reflection, Kang Dabao could only shake his head and casually chose the most luxurious building on the main street to step inside.

Several beautiful female Qi Refinement at the Qi Refining stage seemed to soften upon seeing Foundation Establishment senior enter, their voices becoming incredibly sweet. "Greetings, Senior. Do you require any spiritual items?"

After looking around, Kang Dabao finally asked, "Does your family have any Rotten Apricot Coral or Moon-Reflecting Stone Slab for sale?"

The Lion Insect swarm has been overused recently, and its size is far smaller than before. Rotten Apricot Coral can accelerate the reproduction of spirit insect larvae, while Moon-Reflecting Stone Slab are a great tonic for cultivating larvae to advance quickly.

Although the Chongming Sect Market outside the Double Brightness Trade Market and its Double Brightness Caravan were of considerable size, their customer base was far smaller than that of Xuanwei City, where the elite of Cloud Horn Prefecture was located. It was also difficult for each shop to gather enough customers. So Kang Dabao decided to come here to look for some.

"Of course we have them. The Rotten Apricot Coral requires six Spirit Stone per liter, Moon-Reflecting Stone Slab requires thirteen Spirit Stone per set. I wonder how much Senior needs?" A maid squeezed in, trying her best to sway her alluring curves as she spoke, but the Sect Leader Kang Da, who had already entered the Sage's Moment, ignored her.

The latter quickly calculated the price on his fingers, thinking to himself, "The former is five cents cheaper Double Brightness Trade Market, so the latter is quite a good deal."

He nodded in agreement, saying, "That's fair enough. I'd appreciate it if you could ask your manager to come out; I bought a bit too much."

The maidservant was delighted upon hearing this, and then her eyes lit up with excitement. She asked urgently, "How much does Senior wish to purchase?"

Kang Dabao didn't answer, but urged, "Quickly invite your master out. Even if you can't handle this deal, you won't be shortchanged on your share."

Anyone holding a position in this area who doesn't have a good eye for things would probably be beaten to death in the street long ago.

After Kang Dabao spoke again, the maidservant obediently fell silent, gave a graceful curtsy, and then invited out a steward with the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

The person in charge was a middle-aged man with a striking, impressive beard. When he first entered the hall, he possessed an air of nonchalance, but upon seeing Sect Leader Kang Da, he immediately showed surprise and bowed deeply.

"May I ask, is it Sect Leader Kang of the Chongming Sect in person?!"

Kang Dabao also felt that the middle-aged man looked somewhat familiar, and asked doubtfully, "Do you recognize me, sir?"

"How could I not recognize you? I was in the midst of the battle when Sect Leader Kang unleashed three consecutive halberd strikes before Old Ox Mountain, beheading Yue Fu of the Two Instruments Sect Yue Fu. It's truly hard to forget Sect Leader Kang's awe-inspiring and unstoppable prowess." The middle-aged man smiled again.

"Oh, you flatter me, fellow Daoist. May I ask your honorable name and where you reside? If I remember correctly, you were serving under Prefectural Governor Zhu at that time?"

The middle-aged man bowed again solemnly. "I am Shi Qin, the current head of the Yongxian Shi Household. Greetings, Sect Leader Kang."

"Yongxian. The Shi Household, isn't that right?" Sect Leader Kang Da's expression turned strange.

"Indeed, it is the Yongxian Shi Household, under the jurisdiction of the Jingnan Yuan Household," Shi Qin stroked his long beard and laughed heartily, then continued, "Sect Leader Kang originally intended to kill me with a single blow. Fortunately, Yue Fu came out and lured you away; otherwise, I, Shi, would be speechless with worry right now."

Kang Dabao was taken aback, nearly choked by Shi Qin's words, and after a long while, he managed to utter a few syllables. "This fellow Daoist is somewhat too kind."

Shi Qin's expression remained unchanged. "Haha, Sect Leader Kang, you have no idea. When the heads of several neighboring Lineage heard that I, Shi, had escaped with my life from your halberd, they stopped competing with my Shi Household for the spiritual land and miscellaneous minerals for many years. We should really thank Sect Leader Kang for this!"

"Ahem, it's good that I can help you, fellow Daoist." Kang Dabao coughed lightly, then forced a serious expression and said, "Fellow Daoist Shi, I bought more of these Moon-Reflecting Stone Slab and Rotten Apricot Coral. I hope you can be more lenient with the price."

"How much does Sect Leader Kang need to purchase?"

"One hundred Moon-Reflecting Stone Slab, and six bushels of Rotten Apricot Coral."

"A total of 1,660 Spirit Stone. I, Shi, will accept 1,600 Spirit Stone from Sect Leader Kang."

"Hmm, it's a bit expensive, please give me a discount."

Upon hearing this, Shi Qin shook his head and laughed, "This shop is not my family's business. It was given to me by the Ancestor Buwen because he saw the loyalty and righteousness of my Shi Household."

"This is one of the properties owned by the Jingnan Yuan Household?" Kang Dabao, somewhat surprised. Yuan Buwen had actually started acquiring property in Xuanwei City?

After nodding, Shi Qin added, "The Han City Yue Household and Commander Qin of the state court also have shares. I, Shi, am merely working for these important figures and have no real say in the matter."

"Oh, fellow Daoist, please don't be offended. Then we certainly can't do this deal." Sect Leader Kang Da thought he had come to the wrong place. After bowing to Shi Qin, he was about to step out.

At this moment, Shi Qin spoke up again, "Please wait a moment, Sect Leader Kang."

"Hmm?" Kang Dabao stopped in his tracks, only to see Shi Qin give him a signal, and several maids in the hall immediately began to busy themselves.

Before long, over a hundred Moon-Reflecting Stone Slab and seven bushels of Rotten Apricot Coral were placed before Sect Leader Kang Da, causing him to frown and ask in a puzzled voice, "What does Fellow Daoist Shi mean by this?"

Shi Qin first placed a handful of mid-grade Spirit Stone on the counter, then replied, "This is a donation from me on behalf of my clan's disciples to thank their teacher."

"Thank you, Master?" Sect Leader Kang Da was only slightly taken aback, but then he understood and said, "My family is not as fortunate as your family's celestial seedling."

"Your clan already had it when they held their Immortal Ascension Assembly this year."

After carefully examining Shi Qin for a while Kang Dabao said, "Fellow Daoist Shi is indeed a remarkable person."

After collecting the spiritual item and leaving the hall, Sect Leader Kang Da sighed again, "No wonder some major sects and factions favor their Lineage members. If all the families under my Chongming Sect were as sensible as the Shi Household, how much extra income could they generate each year? It's no wonder that the Yongxian Shi Household is one of the longest-standing families in Jingnan Prefecture."

He wouldn't easily assume that Shi Qin had already broken away from the Yuan Household's control. Hedging his bets was a common tactic used by cultivation Lineage, especially since the Jingnan Yuan Household seemed to have also colluded with the Han City Yue Household, becoming part of the struggle between local and foreign forces within the state court.

Therefore, Shi Qin's actions could not be considered as violating any taboos.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da, having gained an advantage, still acted innocent:

"Three years from now, the rules of this Immortal Ascension Assembly still need to be changed back. Too many Lineage members joining isn't a good thing for our Chongming Sect. After returning to the sect, we should focus on cultivation and wait for the right time."

---- The Two Instruments Sect, at the summit of Black Sand Peak

The Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect stood to the side, his eyes glued to the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, its blood-red light blazing brightly, before Daoist Peng.

The thick, black flagpole was forged from the fused spines of countless infants, its surface etched with the bloody handprints of struggling infants.

As the eerie wind swept across the dark banner, the mysterious characters embroidered with the umbilical blood of pregnant women seemed to come alive. Rows of densely packed vertical pupils opened simultaneously on the cloth, each pupil reflecting a twisted soul.

The blood-dripping dragon pearl atop the banner was actually a living creature. With each wriggling movement of the Soul-Devouring Insect within it, countless translucent larvae would be shed. These insects, barely visible to the naked eye, could even drift away with the wind, devouring an entire False Core sect in the blink of an eye, leaving not a single survivor.

"This Evil Method is truly powerful. It only used some inexpensive mortals and Qi Refinement cultivators as the main materials, added some Foundation Establishment as embellishments, and finally captured three Golden Core cultivators to suppress it. Yet, it made the Ten Thousand Souls Banner just one step away from becoming a Fourth Tier spiritual treasure that even Nascent Soul True Person would covet. Even though it took a bit longer to use it now, only ten years short of the three Jiazi cycles, it was still definitely worth it!"

The Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect couldn't tell whether he felt envy or resentment; only a hint of worry appeared in his cloudy old eyes, and at the same time, he thought to himself:

"Now, when it comes to one-on-one combat, I'm afraid I'm no match for this Daoist Peng. I don't know if it was right or wrong of me to summon him to the sect to open my meridians back then."

After a short while, Daoist Peng carefully put away the Law Treasure and then turned to the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect, bowing respectfully and saying, "Junior Brother is at a crucial time in nurturing the magic Law Treasure; I'm truly sorry to have troubled you to wait so long, Senior Brother."

Normally, one shouldn't let outsiders see this, but Daoist Peng was completely open with the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect. This reassured the latter considerably, and he cleared his mind of all distractions, saying, "Junior Brother, you flatter me."

Knowing that the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect disliked the smell of fish and meat, Daoist Peng took the latter with him and rode auspicious clouds to a place behind Black Sand Peak.

This is a tranquil place specially reserved by Daoist Peng for the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect. There, a jade-green gorge is split open in the middle of a towering cliff. At the end, you can see the spectacular sight of a waterfall hanging upside down – water flows backward from a deep pool, and water droplets scatter across the sky, adorning the sky with rainbows.

"Has Senior Brother paid his respects to Xiang Tianxing, the Head of General Affairs of the Upper Sect?"

The change of scenery made the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect much more comfortable. He picked up his fragrant tea, took a sip, and then chuckled, "I see, all I hear are polite words; not a single word of substance."

Daoist Peng feigned righteous indignation and flew into a rage. "My senior brother is also a senior in the Daoist sect, how dare Xiang Tianxing be so arrogant?!"

"It's nothing. After all, he's the most promising person to Nascent Soul Formation in the past hundred years in Shannan Circuit, so he should have some manners." The Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect seemed unconcerned and chuckled again, "However, in my opinion, even the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion probably hasn't spoken to him yet, which is why he hasn't been able to say anything to me."

"The alliance among the various Nascent Soul factions outside is becoming increasingly apparent. The two factions, 'Protect the Righteous' and 'Exterminate the Guardian,' could erupt into a chaotic war at any moment. If the Upper Sect delays in making a decision, what will become of our Two Instruments Sect?!"

As soon as Daoist Peng finished speaking, the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect looked at him carefully again, as if trying to discern whether the anxious look on the former's face was genuine or not.

After observing for a while, finding it difficult to discern the truth, the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect withdrew his gaze, focusing only on the amber-colored tea in the teacup, and softly said, "I have already told Xiang Tianxing everything my junior Xiang Tianxing said. He simply said not to rush, and the Pavilion Master understands everything."

"What if Kuang Liuting returns to Shannan Circuit from the outer sea, and the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court presses on my family again? What then?"

"It's alright. All 160 counties in the nine provinces under the jurisdiction of my Two Instruments Sect can be given to him. He can take as much as he wants!"

"Senior brother?"

"Right now, we need to trouble Junior Brother to use his old connections to send a message to the Demon Officer near the Cold Crow Mountain Range, asking them to speak with the Demon Lieutenant. If necessary, the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion may be able to communicate the array arrangement of the demon land barrier in the Cold Crow Mountain Range of the Shannan Circuit to the Demon Lieutenant."

"Senior brother, why bother deceiving those Demon Lieutenant? If this succeeds, the entire Shannan Circuit will likely fall under the demon army's control. Even if it is recovered later, Shannan Circuit will be like Liangxi and Haibei Circuits, never to have a peaceful day again! At that time, won't their Star-Picking Pavilion become the target of the entire Great Wei Immortal Dynasty?!"

Daoist Peng was immediately taken aback, for this behavior was completely different from what he had previously thought of as a minor disturbance.

Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect's old eyes dimmed, and he continued, "When I first heard it, I was just as surprised as you, Junior Brother. However, Xiang Tianxing told me that this was said personally by the Lord of the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion, and it should not be taken lightly."

"Of course I wouldn't dare to be negligent in the slightest," Daoist Peng immediately said solemnly, then added, "Junior Brother, you won't leak any of this information either."

The old cultivator said quietly, "That's alright. Perhaps the news had already reached His Majesty's desk before I even mentioned it to my junior brother."

Upon hearing this, Daoist Peng frowned, then a look of understanding appeared on his face. He then asked, "Senior Brother, when do you think the Upper Sect will make a move?"

"Hmph, that's a matter for those True Person in heaven; neither of us needs to worry about it." The Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect downed his fragrant tea in one gulp, then rose and added a final word of advice:

"We've already dealt with the Blood Qi of our junior brother for over two hundred years, so we should be more restrained now. Who knows how many True Person have eyes and ears in Shannan Circuit these days? Among them are many meddlesome old fogies. One wrong step could lead to utter destruction."

Daoist Peng respectfully agreed, but then added, "However, the Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill Junior Brother is refining for Senior Brother is still a bit lacking in refinement, so I'm afraid it will take some time."

The Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect was taken aback upon hearing this. After pondering for a long while, he said in a low voice, "This is also a major matter and cannot be delayed. If Junior Brother's needs are not too great, let's make up for them around Rosy Lake Mountain first."

(Lao Bai might be laid off soon, so his focus will be on finding a job. Please forgive him if updates are a little less frequent.)