Jiang Qing's Difficult Return, a Meeting on a Narrow Road

The tenth anniversary celebration of the Double Brightness Alliance was lively, but it also ended quickly. After the banquet, the guests and friends who came to offer their congratulations took their leave one after another. Even the leaders of the various families in the alliance only stayed for two or three days before they dispersed.

As Sect Leader Kang Da said, the heads of each family are very busy and should not linger, lest they delay important matters.

In truth, the cultivators who attended the meeting were well aware of the situation. After all, they had already accepted the gifts, and given Kang Dabao's honest and pragmatic nature, it was understandable that he was no longer willing to provide meals.

Fortunately, the heads of each household didn't care about such a spiritual delicacy. Under the Sect Leader Kang Da, the two counties of Ping and Jin were so peaceful that the beasts danced freely. The hundreds of households in Cold Crow Mountain lived in harmony with each other with few disputes. Even those households that had settled in the nearby counties could get a note written by Elder Ye Zhengwen, the Foreign Affairs Elder, to mediate if they encountered any injustices, as long as they had some connection with the Chongming Sect.

That's enough. What more could you ask for?

Those families that are closer to the Chongming Sect should not only present gifts for the tenth anniversary of the Double Brightness Alliance, but also for the auspicious occasions such as Kang Changyi's completion of his Dao Foundation, Zhang Qingran's birth of her only daughter, and Yuan Xiyue's birth of twins. It's never wrong to give too many gifts.

Moreover, the principle of "sowing one grain in spring and reaping ten thousand in autumn" is the simplest and most understandable. Everyone knows this. When it comes to good karma, the earlier you cultivate it, the more worthwhile it is.

If it weren't for the shameless Shan Sheng Jade Moon Shan Household's persistent attempts to curry favor with the Shan family back then, how could Shan Shijie have maintained his humble family reputation in this prefecture? Not to mention forming an alliance with the Chongming Sect and hiring several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Needless to say, the Chang County Ma Household and the Hong County He Household— even an outsider could clearly see how the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator these two families achieved their status and how much of the Chongming Sect's influence they had.

Even assuming the aforementioned families possess some standing and their heads are capable, the Caishi Lu Household is nothing more than an old woman named Lu Yunniang. So, what gives them the right to sit alongside Bian Hu Pill Master, at the Double Brightness Alliance meeting?

Judging from the current predicament of the Caishi Lu Household, one can only imagine how many family members would be kicking themselves. But now that the ship has already departed, the priority should be figuring out how to get back on board and quickly fill a vacancy.

Therefore, this time, the Chongming Sect's treasury, which had become somewhat empty due to the increase in salary for martial arts training, became full again.

In addition, Yuan Jin did not help with sorting out the congratulatory gifts this time, and Duan Anle was also racing against time to change his Cultivation Method. Ye Zhengwen had to work alone with a few trustworthy disciples for several days before he could sort them out.

Ye Zhengwen then took the gift list to report the details to Sect Leader Kang Da, thinking to himself that this time the discussion would probably take a long time.

The distribution of the congratulatory gifts from various guests to the Double Brightness Alliance, the allocation of gifts to different families within the alliance, and the allocation of gifts to Kang Changyi for his Foundation Establishment —all these matters are extremely complicated and will likely require a great deal of effort to handle.

Ye Zhengwen was on his way to Kang Dabao's courtyard when he encountered He Chang riding a golden-haired old donkey back from Cold Crow Mountain. The latter, being very courteous, immediately said, "Greetings, Senior Martial Uncle Ye."

Ye Zhengwen smiled and agreed, and after a brief discussion, the handsome young man who had True Disciple was finally accepted.

He Chang, now in his early twenties, has become even more handsome, resembling his father quite a bit. His cultivation level is nothing special; he has accumulated quite a bit of resources. However, due to his limited aptitude, He Chang is still stuck at the threshold of advancing to the Late Qi Refinement of Qi Refining, and it seems he won't be able to break through for another two or three years.

On the contrary, the golden-haired old donkey under his mount has become increasingly shiny in recent years. Not only has it become more intelligent, but some people also say that the old donkey often becomes completely absorbed in He Chang's debates with others.

"Is this beast about to Spirit Awakening?"

Ye Zhengwen pondered for a moment. If that were really the case, it might not be a good thing for the Chongming Sect. It was only because Kang and Jiang had both improved their strength considerably that even if this old donkey really wanted to cause trouble, he wouldn't be able to make any waves. Otherwise, Ye Zhengwen would probably have considered killing the old donkey on the spot.

"However, we still need to be careful. When we have some free time, we should have a proper talk with Old Kang."

This was ultimately something that needed to be prevented from happening in the first place. After thinking about it for a while, Ye Zhengwen put it aside, smiled slightly, and asked softly, "Nephew He, are you going to see the sect leader?"

He Chang dismounted and respectfully replied, "Yes, nephew just found some fresh delicacies in Cold Crow Mountain and brought them back for uncle and aunt to try. Senior Martial Uncle Ye, would you like some?"

These fried foods taste quite good. They were some mixed mushrooms that the You Household in Phoenix Forest Mountain found a year or two ago. They didn't know their names, but they found that as long as they were coated in flour and fried, they tasted very good.

Last year, the head of the You Household specially set aside a mushroom field for cultivation. Three years ago, my fourth uncle built a temporary market near Phoenix Forest Mountain that only opens on the 5th and 10th of each month. The You Household benefited from this and made a small profit. They even specially sent some to my brother Yuan Household and me. If you don't mind, Uncle-Master, you are welcome to try some fresh ones."

Ye Zhengwen smiled and said, "That's interesting. But there's no rush. I happen to be looking for your uncle anyway. He's a big fan of food, so let's try it together."

He Chang nodded in agreement, took the reins of the old donkey, and walked over to walk alongside Ye Zhengwen. With nothing else to do, the latter asked again, "What changes have occurred on this trip back to Cold Crow Mountain?"

"The changes are quite significant. My second uncle is stationed at Wild Fox Mountain, and every autumn he leads the Azure Jue and Crimson Zhang Guards to wipe out the remaining demons. In previous years, seven or eight households were attacked and killed by demons every year, severing their lineage, but now, under my Double Brightness, almost no one in Chongming's jurisdiction is troubled by demons."

Fourth Uncle and Brother Yuan Household often stayed at Jia-Chou Military Stronghold to help the families of Cold Crow Mountain with their problems. Because of Uncle's compassion, they often only received their principal back when helping those in distress.

However, although these junior disciples from the outer sect who had mastered various skills did not earn much wealth, they gained a lot of experience and their skills improved by leaps and bounds. Even the Second Tier elders in the Hundred Arts Pavilion often praised them.

Sister -Jin Household Jin's Chongming Pavilion branch in Jia-Chou Military Stronghold has also flourished, and business is booming. It's certainly easy to run a business with a dominant position. From what I've heard her casual conversations, I guess it's probably not much less successful than Sister Zhou Household's shop in Double Brightness Trade Market."

"Not bad, you've improved your eyesight." Ye Zhengwen nodded approvingly, feeling much more relieved.

Although He Chang's cultivation was not slow, he was only a person with Four Spirit Roots, and his temperament was far less refined than Duan Anle's and more resolute than Jin Shilun's. Therefore, even with the dedicated cultivation of his elders, it was already a stroke of luck that he was able to achieve Foundation Establishment before the age of ninety.

Therefore, based on the long-term plans made by Sect Leader Kang Da and others for He Chang, the latter does not need to take on the main responsibility like rising stars such as Kang Rongquan, Duan Anle, and Ming Zhe. It would be good enough if he could do external affairs well and fill in the gaps for those in charge, just like Ye Zhengwen.

This is also why Kang Dabao originally wanted him to become Pei Yi's disciple. The reason is the same as when he wanted Kang Rongquan to become Pei Yi's disciple. The four people under the former sect leader's lineage are already of the same blood. As a descendant of the former sect leader, He Chang becoming a disciple of Martial Uncle Li's lineage would better bridge the gap between the two families.

However, Kang Dabao's idea was rejected by Ye Zhengwen because Pei Yi had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment, and his future was still uncertain. If He Chang to become Pei Yi's disciple, it would seem like a slight and might invite gossip from outsiders.

Although Ye Zhengwen's words were very pragmatic and unpleasant to hear, they were also very reasonable. After hesitating for a while, Sect Leader Kang Da made a decision for Jiang Qing, who was still left in Ying Prefecture, and ordered He Chang to become Jiang Qing's disciple.

It just so Ming Zhe has just reached the Foundation Establishment and is currently cultivating at the main mountain. In the past few years, he has been able to find some time to properly instruct this junior brother.

Inspecting the affairs of Cold Crow Mountain and the lives of ordinary people was not a lucrative post for ordinary disciples, but with Ye Zhengwen's careful arrangements, it became a stable source of income for He Chang.

However, this young man has lived up to expectations, showing little of the airs of a pampered nobleman, and has not disappointed those who have taken good care of him. Over the years, he has been quite competent in his conduct and dealings with others, and may be able to do well in the affairs entrusted to him by his elders in the future.

When the two arrived at the sect leader's courtyard, it was quite lively. Zhang Le, who had been living on Wild Fox Mountain raising bees, had also returned after taking leave. At this moment, he was holding Kang Lingyi, the only daughter of the Sect Leader Kang Da, in his arms, cherishing the moment.

It's no wonder, among the elders in the Chongming Sect, besides Zhou Yixiu, Zhang Qingran and Zhang Le were the closest.

Her Spirit Root were not good and her comprehension was only average. Fortunately, she was quite old and the spirit bees she had raised for many years were growing steadily. So even though her future was not good, she was not entirely without weight in the hearts of the elders.

But now that the Fenli Zhang Household have lost their former glory, even though the Double Brightness Zhang Household has grown to 100,000 members over the years, they still haven't found a single person with exceptional Spirit Root.

If it weren't for the heavy losses suffered by the Chongming Sect disciples in recent years, and the connection with Patriarch Zhang, these few promising talents emerging from the Zhang Household would probably not even have been able to enter the Double Brightness Sect. They would still have to move to Cold Crow Mountain to seek a future, just like the Dong Household and Jiang Household families, which are vassal clans.

Therefore, it is understandable that Zhang Le cherishes Kang Lingyi so much. After all, if the only daughter of the future Sect Leader Kang Da is close to the Double Brightness Zhang Household, whose talents are dwindling, then even if he is no longer in the sect, the Double Brightness Zhang Household's situation can still be maintained.

Upon seeing the two enter, Zhang Le, holding Kang Lingyi, curtsied. Ye Zhengwen smiled faintly as he took the swaddled baby, and a smile appeared on his face when he saw the delicate, beautiful little face under the brocade quilt.

Ye Zhengwen was keeping a close watch on her, so He Chang couldn't get close enough and started exchanging pleasantries with Zhang Le, saying, "Senior Sister Zhang is back too? When I visited my fourth uncle at Cold Crow Mountain, I overheard him mentioning that the wedding date was set for early spring next year, so I assumed you were making preparations."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Le blushed slightly on her not-so-beautiful face. "It's still early, Junior Brother He, how can you say such a thing?"

Ye Zhengwen chimed in, "It's getting late, we'll be here in no time. I wonder how much dowry Junior Brother Zhou has prepared for you; I reckon it'll make Shan Household beam with joy."

Zhang Le was too embarrassed to speak. With her talent and beauty, Zhou Yixiu, as her master, must have put in a lot of effort to marry into the poor and remote Jade Moon Shan Household and become the head mistress of the family.

The saying "Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them" is absolutely true. Heaven knows how the Shan Household felt when they heard that their patriarch, who Foundation Establishment, was going to marry an ordinary woman over forty years old as his principal wife.

While the feelings of the Shan Household were hard to fathom, He Chang and his fellow disciples were genuinely delighted for Zhang Le. Apart from the Sect Leader Kang Da, who was slightly disappointed at losing another stable source of income, everyone else was overjoyed.

As the three were chatting animatedly, Kang Changxi, who was approaching the age of 18, stepped out of the room wearing a tall crown.

This young man's face was quite different from his handsome elder brother. Fei Shuhe's gentleness was not very evident on his face. Instead, his appearance was more like that of the broad-faced and heavy-jawed Sect Leader Kang Da, but he had a more arrogant and confident air about him.

This child's Spirit Root is slightly inferior to his brother's, only possessing Triple Spirit Root. Initially, Ye Zhengwen was somewhat worried about this, but after seeing that Kang Changxi's cultivation was even faster than Kang Changyi's, he felt much more at ease.

In addition, like his father, he was quite comprehension-oriented, and even mastered the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes cultivated by the Sect Leader Kang Da. He was also more talented in body refinement, and at only thirteen years old, he had already begun to understand the "True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body the Northern Night Palace".

Not only was he looked after by the elders of the sect, but Fei Enhua, who was stuck at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment, was also sent by Fei Tianqin to the Chongming Sect to take care of and teach Kang Changxi for ten years, so that the direct descendant of the sect leader could absorb the strengths of both sects.

I heard that Fei Shuhe is still making diplomatic efforts, and has asked Han Ningyue several times, and even wants to send Kang Changxi to the Yukun Han Household to cultivate for a while.

Hearing about this, even the Sect Leader Kang Da complained that his wife was favoring one son over the other. However, Ye Zhengwen did not find it strange. It was already very rare for a stepmother like Fei Shuhe to cultivate her sons like this. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she "treated them as her own sons".

Forcing Fei Shuhe to treat everyone equally would only lead to trouble. It would be a good thing if Kang Changxi's future prospects were no less than Kang Changyi's.

Ye Zhengwen pulled himself out of his thoughts and turned his gaze back to Kang Changxi, who was walking towards him, scanning him up and down.

As the old saying goes, no matter their background, the descendants of the Sect Leader Kang Da must not be allowed to develop any airs of arrogance. Kang Changxi's arrogance was not off-putting, and upon seeing Ye Zhengwen, he was extremely courteous. "It's Uncle Ye and Senior Brother He. Father is brewing tea in the Cloud Chamber to wait for you."

Ye Zhengwen's eyes were like the moon, and his tone was warm. "You've gone now. Brother Xi's cultivation has improved again. He must be about to break through to the Late Qi Refinement, right?"

"My mother is urging me to finish my studies, so I dare not slack off."

"My sister-in-law has put in a lot of effort,"

Ye Zhengwen was invited into the Cloud Room, He Chang followed him in. The latter had been raised in a pampered environment, and as soon as he entered the Cloud Room, he noticed that the tea aroma in the room was not strong, and he knew that Sect Leader Kang Da had once again made the mistake of being too harsh on himself and brewed inferior tea.

The small cloud room remains as simple as ever. Over the years, even though Kang Dabao has gone from a penniless and lowly merchant to the head of a major sect that controls Wanxiu's future, the furnishings inside the room have remained unchanged.

Unlike He Chang, who was slightly frowning, Ye Zhengwen seemed quite at ease entering the cloud room, and quickly sat down opposite Sect Leader Kang Da. He was able to accurately gauge Kang Dabao's mood, knowing that the latter could only be most relaxed and comfortable in such impoverished settings.

"Difficult to be born with an air of nobility."

Suddenly, Ye Zhengwen recalled the comments Fei Shuhe had made when Sect Leader Kang Da complained to him last time. He found them quite apt and burst into laughter.

Unexpectedly, Kang Dabao misunderstood and asked with the same laughter, "What, are there more gifts this time than before?"

"There's a lot more, I'll tell you later. First, tell me what you want to say."

Sect Leader Kang Da slightly surprised, handed He Chang a cup of strong tea, and asked in a questioning voice, "Old Ye, how did you know I had something to say today?"

Ye Zhengwen picked up his teacup and chuckled, "With your temperament, why would you be willing to brew tea if you didn't have something to discuss?"

"Ah, that's true." Kang Dabao agreed, then turned to He Chang and said, "Your mother is in her room discussing scriptures with Yuan Xiaoniang. Brother Yan and Brother Zhao are there too. Chang'er, why don't you go and talk to them?"

With two toddlers who were still learning to speak, what was there to say to Sect Leader Kang Da? He Chang knew that the former wanted to send him away, so he obediently agreed, placed the prepared fried food on the low table, and then left the cloud room.

Seeing that Kang Dabao had changed his spell and set up the barrier, Ye Zhengwen realized something was wrong and asked suspiciously, "You were the one who summoned Brother Chang, so why are you kicking him out now?"

The former didn't respond, but instead took out a letter and handed it to him, saying, "Take a look first."

Ye Zhengwen was surprised. He quickly glanced at the document and, as he handed back the letter, his brows furrowed. "The clan in Ying Prefecture still won't allow Junior Brother Jiang to return to the clan?"

"That's exactly what the Third said in his letter," Sect Leader Kang Da, his tone far from relaxed. "This is the third time already."

After thinking for a while, Ye Zhengwen said, "In my opinion, it's probably not as simple as what Junior Brother Jiang said in his letter: that the Fei Household wants to transfer him to the Ying Mountain Army as a deputy general."

Kang Dabao nodded. "I think so too. From the letters that Third has been exchanging with the clan, it seems that Elder Nanxi of Ying Prefecture's Qiu River Hall intends to keep Third as his son-in-law."

"So, in your opinion, is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It's a good thing for others, but not necessarily for the Third," Sect Leader Kang Da sighed softly. "He's not the type to put up with things. If Elder Nanxi chooses a noble and high-ranking clan girl, it might cause trouble in the future. The Qiu River Hall is one of the three upper halls of the Fei Household, and now it has three Golden Core elders in charge, making it much stronger than the She Mountain Hall. If the Third doesn't comply, he'll offend people too. This is truly..."

"Yes, Junior Brother Jiang is indeed as the sect leader said. Even if he were to marry a noblewoman, it would hardly be considered a good thing." Ye Zhengwen nodded in agreement, then added:

"I've heard that things have been quite turbulent in the Two Rivers Circuit recently. The Emperor has already summoned the Prince of the South and is about to launch a military campaign. The Ying Prefecture Fei Household has always been close to the Prince of the South of the Prince of the South, and he has been quite adept at using them. They have always selected capable people to serve as his bodyguards. At this juncture, it might be quite dangerous for Junior Brother Jiang to become a deputy general in the Ying Mountain Army."

Kang Dabao frowned even more. "That's what I thought too. If we really get involved in the True Person battle, it's far more serious than the small skirmishes we're doing in Shannan Circuit. More than one of the Blood Sword Sect's True Person has already died!"

If it weren't for a stroke of luck, the Prince of the South would probably be bedridden now. Even Golden Core cultivator wouldn't be able to save his life in that situation, let alone the Third.

But... but how should I teach him to bring up the topic so he can extricate himself from the Fei Household?

For the first time ever, Sect Leader Kang Da regretted sending Jiang Qing to the clan's territory in Ying Prefecture. After all, if the latter were recruited into the Ying Mountain Army and given a military post, even if he returned to the Chongming Sect, he would have little freedom and would still be at the Fei Household's disposal.

At that point, I'm afraid I won't even have a chance to negotiate! Wouldn't all my hard-earned junior brothers then belong to someone else?

Ye Zhengwen, also growing anxious, felt a surge of anger. He took a sip of hot tea, the bitterness jolting him awake. As he squinted, his thoughts became clearer, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him:

"Has the sect leader considered that Elder Nanxi might be happy to see Elder Tianqin keep Junior Brother Jiang as his son-in-law, but what about Sima Fei?"

Kang Dabao's expression softened slightly, and he seemed to be deep in thought, "What do you mean?"

Ye Zhengwen sighed deeply, "The Azure Firmament Spirit Root was provided by the She Mountain Hall, and the person was sent to Ying Prefecture out of a favor owed by the She Mountain Hall. Yet, Junior Brother Jiang, whose spiritual body is complete and whose future is bright, was taken by the Qiu River Hall. If you, the sect leader, were to do this deal, would you have done it?"

"Slap"

Sect Leader Kang Da slammed his palm down, the crisp sound making Ye Zhengwen, who was standing right next to him, ache in his ears and his head buzz. At the same time, he heard the former excitedly say:

"Of course not! Old Ye, you're quite clever. After some time, when Boyue comes out of seclusion, I'll go find him and ask him what to do."

Ye Zhengwen rubbed his ears again and reminded him, "Don't be too smug yet. We don't know if Sima Fei will speak up for us. Besides, even if Junior Brother Jiang is really summoned back, She Mountain Hall will probably still want to take him as their son-in-law."

"Let them confess, they can't escape it anyway! But having them brought back and under my watchful eye is better than being locked up in Ying Prefecture, where even communication is difficult!"

---- Cold Crow Mountain, deep within Hong County

Fei Tianqin spread his wings and glided back and forth in the mountain area countless times, but ultimately failed to achieve anything, which made the old bird feel frustrated. After flapping its wings for a while, it turned around and returned to the Third-Tier Middle-Grade Spirit Vein that it had obtained after killing the Yellow-Headed Lion.

"How come it's so hard to find a Third Tier Demon Officer with no background on such a vast demon mountain, the place where the Demon Race's venerable one once established his kingdom?"

Fei Tianqin was somewhat annoyed and also regretful. If the demon core of the Yellow-Headed Lion hadn't been swallowed whole back then, he wouldn't be worrying about where to find a beast core for Kang Dabao now.

It, the Tianqin Ancestor, rarely boasts, and it would be extremely difficult for it to accept losing face over such a trivial matter.

It's been almost half a year since they left, Fei Nanying is still in seclusion. He's entrusted all matters, big and small, to Zhu Tong, a disciple of the Chancellor Gui, for so long. It's time for him to go back and check on things.

Upon reaching this point, Fei Tianqin acted decisively, flapping his wings and flying out of the cave abode.

As the old bird brushed over the Spirit Vein, it was still pondering. "I heard that young Kang has been expanding his territory thousands of miles outside Ping and Jin counties, recruiting many small businesses to develop there, and his business is quite prosperous."

The Spirit Vein I found is probably five or six thousand miles away from Hong County. There are still countless scattered spiritual lands along the way. If we can recruit people to settle and multiply here, even if it can't compare to the fertile land of our clan, it will still be of some benefit."

But the thought of how much effort and energy it would take to sort out this middle section made Fei Tianqin feel weary again, "Let's wait until Nanying out of the pass before letting him handle these matters."

Just as he made up his mind, Fei Tianqin smelled a strong stench of blood. He released his Divine Sense to investigate, and with a sharp glint in his eyes, he saw an old Fei Tianqin dressed in a black robe.

"Oh, I forgot to ask Kang. I wonder if he recognizes the Golden Core of Evil Cultivator?"