Welcoming the Guests

Fei Tianqin clearly valued Daoist Peng's whereabouts much more than the Sect Leader Kang Da had previously thought.

After pausing his journey back to the Cold Crow Mountain Range, this old bird personally led Fei Nanying and Senior Cultivator Wufeng settle in Chongming City.

In addition to Fei Bofeng, Fei Zhongyun, and Cao Xianlu leading a battalion of the Ying Mountain Army to garrison Pingrong County, local soldiers from various counties and villages also came to help, bringing their own rations.

Pingrong County, which had just begun to show signs of peace, suddenly became filled with tension and fear.

Generally speaking, regardless of their affinity for the Immortal Dynasty, local portals always harbor some resistance to the arrival of a large army.

It's important to understand that the saying "a thief passes by like a comb, a soldier passes by like a fine brush" applies not only to ordinary people.

If only some supplies and manpower were provided to protect the peace of the homes, that would be fine. However, the quality of the soldiers from various counties and villages who were summoned by imperial decree was uneven. Many of them were even recruited by the county Rogue Cultivator for convenience. This made the local families feel insecure.

Therefore, only three days after Fei Tianqin issued the edict from the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, a group of ignorant soldiers from Guo County committed the horrific crime of massacring several small Lineage in Jin County.

He thought he had done a good job and no one would care, but he was not very skilled and failed to clean it properly, so someone reported him.

Ye Zhen, the head of the Book and Sword Gate who commanded the local militia in Guo County, felt ashamed. But before he could react, he heard that the offending troops had been defeated in one fell swoop by the three elders of the Chongming Sect, Ming Zhe Kang Rongquan, Duan Anle, and Ming Zhe, along with the Azure Jue Guard.

The Guo County Jin County, who had brought calamity to Jin County, collapsed on the spot, suffering countless casualties. Even Heng Book and Sword Gate, a newly True Cultivator Heng Yiban the Shujian Sect, perished in the battle and was not found with a complete corpse.

Logically speaking, while the actions of the local militia in Guo County were certainly wrong, they had only slaughtered some Qi Refinement sects, which was quite common in the Immortal Dynasty army. After a long journey, they would naturally want to have some entertainment, so it wasn't too outrageous.

If it were an ordinary household acting as the landlord, they might be unhappy, but they wouldn't react as intensely as Chongming Sect.

But who is Sect Leader Kang Da? Since he dares to come to his own field and harvest the crops he has worked so hard to grow, he dares to cut off those hands that don't follow the rules.

This incident greatly displeased Ye Zhen, and the guest troops gathered in Pingrong County became agitated. If it weren't for the presence of the Chongming Sect.

However, despite their caution, they did not get a good result. After hearing about it, Fei Tianqin ordered the Sect Leader Kang Da to make a list and had the Ying Mountain Army bring out those who had instigated the trouble. They were then brought to the yamen one by one and severely whipped.

At that time, regardless of whether they were fake alchemists or Qi Refining clan leaders, they were all stripped of their shorts, beaten until they were covered in blood and lost face.

The old man wasn't angry because the local militia were undisciplined and causing trouble in the area, but rather because these gathered militia didn't show complete fear and submission.

In recent years, the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty has gradually lost its strength and could no longer suppress the major clans and families within the domain, and has had to appear somewhat weaker.

However, the cruel methods passed down from the reign of Emperor Taizu have never stopped. At most, they have only been reduced from "nobles being punished the same" to "high-ranking officials are exempt from punishment".

It is something that the imperial guards of the capital, filled with noble sons, and the private armies of powerful clans can do, but these peasants from the border states must never do. If they dare to act rashly, they will truly be courting death.

If it weren't for the fact that they needed manpower at the right time, forcing the old fox Fei Tianqin to suppress his murderous intent, he would have been willing to dismantle and gather these thousands of soldiers from various counties and townships after just a moment's thought.

He could kill, bury, exile, or behead—the list goes on. This old fox had plenty of methods.

Fei Tianqin never listened to any of those claims about loving soldiers like his own children or loving the people like his own children.

As long as you are fierce and ruthless enough, and can lead your soldiers to victory after victory and gain tangible benefits, they will naturally fear and submit from the bottom of their hearts. This is much more effective than doing superficial things with great effort.

Although this kind of military tactic is not found in the orthodox military treatises, it is a very practical and effective method of managing subordinates. Fei Tianqin had a lot of experience with it and it was always effective.

Sure enough, after these naked chickens tasted blood, the restless spirits within the soldiers of various counties and townships were forcibly suppressed.

Sect Leader Kang Da breathed a slight sigh of relief, but Fei Tianqin didn't take it to heart. He was preoccupied with urging the Ying Mountain Army to lead the soldiers from various counties and villages to search for the whereabouts of Daoist Peng.

Besides sending the Azure Jue Guard and the local militia of Pingjin County to serve the Ying Mountain Army, Chongming Sect did not forget about doing business.

Having learned a lesson from Heng Yiban's head, these local militia not only dared not act arrogantly anymore, but even those who refused to give Spirit Stone when buying things were few and far between.

With nearly ten thousand guests who wanted to buy everything, what a huge business that must have been! To put it bluntly, the business was so big that the girls at the Mandarin Duck Pavilion in Pingrong County were so exhausted they wished they could sew their private parts shut.

Double Brightness Trade Market was, after all, the business of the two Sima, so naturally they made a fortune. Chongming Small Pavilion, the largest shop in the market, also got a share of the profits, as did the various families of the Double Brightness Alliance and the households of Cold Crow Mountain.

However, although Kang Dabao had managed to amass the Spirit Stone with his disciples and vassals, he still hadn't found Daoist Peng's whereabouts, which inevitably caused him some frustration.

Neither Fei Tianqin nor Fei Nanying seemed particularly concerned, turning a blind eye to the feeding of the thousands of people and horses.

Speaking of which, among the three cultivators who came to Chongming City this time, it seems that only Senior Cultivator Wufeng was busy all day long and didn't really care much about finding out about Daoist Peng.

I wonder if he lost his natal magic Law Treasure and is trying to recover some of it from a severely injured opponent of the same level.

That day, Sect Leader Kang Da took a break from his busy schedule to return to Green Lotus Courtyard. After confirming with Nanny Sun that Fei Shuhe had not yet emerged from seclusion, he rode his Cloud-Treading Colt back to Chongming City.

Unexpectedly, just as they arrived at the city gate, before the Rogue Cultivator Daoist Ning, who had been demoted from a city gate official to a lowly gatekeeper, could even come up to offer his obsequiousness, Sect Leader Kang Da narrowed and he sensed something amiss from him.

"Such pure corpse energy?!"

"Daoist Ning, just now..." Kang Dabao realized halfway through his sentence that he couldn't possibly get any information from this insignificant cultivator. He immediately shook his head and sighed, then pulled the corpse energy from the bewildered Daoist Ning and turned to leave.

Daoist Peng has now completely transformed into Shang Baijiang's appearance, and to outsiders, he is no different from an ordinary person. Only after he had ventured far from Chongming City did he dare to look back with great courage.

"What a pity, I didn't expect that old bird to get the news so quickly, and actually brought his real body to this humble little town to oversee things. If I could have some time to collect the Blood Qi, I could..."

He's been hiding away these days, afraid that the old bird will discover his secret.

Perhaps it was heaven's mercy, but in all this time, only one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators came to investigate, unable to see through the corpse puppet he had created, nor could they see through the illusions he had set up.

However, the old man knew that the longer he stayed in Chongming City, the more dangerous it would be, so he risked leaving the city as soon as his injuries had slightly improved.

"We can't delay. I've turned the entire Shang Household into corpse puppets. Next time, with no one to cover it up, we definitely won't be able to hide it from the eyes of those state government lackeys stationed in the city."

After figuring out the right connections, Daoist Peng then fled for his life.

Daoist Peng, an elder of the Two Instruments Sect, did not want to send a message to Rosy Lake Mountain for help at such a time. He did not trust his so-called fellow disciples and still planned to go to another mansion first, find supplies, and recover most of his cultivation before making any further plans.

Before he could even feel the exhilaration of a fish leaping freely in the vast sea, Daoist Peng encountered an acquaintance ahead.

Fei Enhua, accompanied by Kang Changxi and He Chang, walked towards him. Daoist Peng a chill and couldn't help but scold himself inwardly for not changing his face after leaving the city.

However, after cursing, Daoist Peng realized that panicking was useless at this critical juncture.

However, neither fleeing nor turning away is feasible. Although the junior opposite him has a slightly weak foundation, he is a True Cultivator. Daoist Peng is currently no match for him, and if he wants to escape from his grasp, he doesn't know what price he will have to pay.

Since escape is impossible, the only option is to pretend.

Daoist Peng lowered his head slightly, his hands behind his back forming a series of hand seals. In a short while, he transformed into a lewd man with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks.

His illusion was cast hastily and not yet fully developed, so it was probably less than five-tenths of its usual effectiveness. He was naturally uneasy, but he dared not show it at all. Instead, he stood by the roadside and greeted the elders of noble families as a rogue Rogue Cultivator would.

When Fei Enhua arrived, he only saw an ugly-looking Qi Refining Powder standing by the roadside, bowing respectfully with a fawning expression on his face. He immediately felt annoyed and turned to say something to Kang Changxi, but noticed that the latter's gaze towards the Qi Refining Powder was somewhat strange.

"Uncle, look at that person, he's quite interesting. Is he using Secret Method to conceal his true appearance?"

"Secret Method? True appearance?"

Even Fei Enhua, a true member of a prominent family, knew that his son-in-law's pupil technique was quite good. Even within the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, he still held considerable prestige.

Kang Changxi was fortunate enough to be able to cultivate alongside them, which was truly a stroke of luck. Moreover, Fei Enhua knew that this child was never one to act without purpose, so he became interested in this Rogue Cultivator.

In these turbulent times, it's always wise to take a closer look at those whose behavior is unusual.

Without a second thought, Fei Enhua casually waved his hand, and a large hand instantly captured the lewd rogue Rogue Cultivator that Daoist Peng had transformed into. The latter looked terrified and stammered, "Senior, what disrespectful act has this junior committed?"

Fei Enhua smiled but did not answer, and asked softly, "Brother Xi, why don't you take a look at his true face?"

The Rogue Cultivator's eyes widened instantly. He struggled against the large hand of Spiritual Qi formed by Fei Enhua, kicking his legs wildly as he cried out in alarm, "Your true face?! Senior, please be aware that I have always looked like this, hated by everyone and even dogs. My father and mother have never loved me."

Kang Changxi activated his Dharma Eyes, and a sliver of Golden Light appeared in his pupils. However, his cultivation was still shallow, and even though he had no shortage of resources, his Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes were only at the "rough" level.

After scanning the ugly man in Fei Enhua's hand from head to toe, Kang Changxi shook his head and said, "Uncle, please forgive me, I couldn't see his true face, or perhaps I was mistaken."

"Did you see wrong?" Fei Enhua asked in surprise, his face falling as he felt utterly bored. Just as everyone present, including Daoist Peng, thought Fei Enhua was about to withdraw his magic and let the former go, the large hand suspended in mid-air suddenly clenched and tightened, about to Rogue Cultivator into mincemeat.

He Chang, standing beside Kang Changxi, looked on in astonishment, seemingly never expecting that this usually amiable senior could be so brutal. He secretly swallowed, as if he could already foresee the scene of blood splattering soon.

"Senior, please spare my life! I have done nothing to offend you."

"Heh, you're quite the actor!" Fei Enhua grinned, completely unaffected by the pitiful look on the Rogue Cultivator's face. After a quick pinch, a loud bang rang out.

Instead of the He Chang had imagined, Fei Enhua's powerful spiritual hand was suddenly blasted apart, and an old man in black robes stood in mid-air with a sinister expression.

"You little brat, how did you see through me?" Daoist Peng chuckled halfway through his sentence. How childish it would have been if he had actually asked that question.

Rogue Cultivator just a fake, a rogue cultivator. Fei Enhua could kill him with ease, and even if he killed the wrong person, he wouldn't have to worry about the consequences. So why not take a gamble?

"It was the old man who was lying quietly inside the boat's awning that day!!"

The two gasped in surprise. He Chang he was drenched in sweat. "I've already settled him in Chongming City!!"

"Haha, today I deserve to earn this great merit!!" Fei Enhua only needed a moment's thought to realize that there was at least a 90% chance this was the person his ancestor had been searching for. He immediately unleashed his twin swords of water and fire, unleashing two incredibly sharp blade beams that slashed towards Daoist Peng!!!

Daoist Peng remained completely calm. With a light flick of his fingers, countless streams of Blood Qi seeped from his pores, instantly enveloping the body completely.

The seemingly fierce blade energy struck the blood mist surrounding Daoist Peng, but made no progress. What surprised Fei Enhua even more was yet to come. After receiving the blade energy, Daoist Peng did not stop, but opened his mouth and exhaled, causing a surge of hot steam.

"Core Fire?! Your cultivation has fully recovered?!" Fei Enhua panicked, remembering that Fei Tianqin had said that this old man was quite strong. He felt his hands, which were holding the knife, suddenly become weak. He had no ability to fight Golden Core cultivator, and even someone like Senior Cultivator Wufeng would not have the slightest chance of winning! After throwing out a signal talisman to warn others, he turned around and pulled Kang and He away.

Surprisingly, at this critical moment, Kang Changxi was only thirteen years old, was the most calm and composed of the three.

"Uncle, look behind you first!!"

Fei Enhua paused, mustered his courage, and turned around to look, then spat out a curse, "You treacherous old dog! You tricked me!"

But Daoist Peng turned and fled into the distance without looking back. Fei Enhua cursed inwardly and turned back to chase after him.

Unexpectedly, just as Fei Enhua was about to get close to Daoist Peng, the latter stopped and opened his mouth to call out again.

"How could I be the same person a second time?!" Fei Enhua's sneer deepened in his heart. Flames erupted from the crimson blade in his left hand, while the indigo blade in his right hand exuded a chilling aura. Without dodging, he slashed forward in a cross pattern.

This time, however, it was the two top-grade Spirit Artifact that suffered a great loss!!

A burst of intense heat clung to him, and within moments it had turned the Spirit Artifact he was using Fei Enhua. His Spirit Artifact was damaged, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and disbelief still lingered in his eyes. "There really is Core Fire?!"

Daoist Peng did not answer. He had not yet collected enough blood essence using his Evil Method, so he was no match for a True Cultivator in the later stages. Even this source of Core Fire was obtained by force through secret techniques at the cost of his body and Dao Path, and it would not last long.

Therefore, the best course of action now is to get out of here as soon as possible!

Fei Enhua was unaware of Daoist Peng's background and felt a sense of apprehension. Just as he was about to hesitate, Kang Changxi reached into his Storage Bag and Little Qi, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, landed steadily in the field and rushed over.

Kang Changxi's "Brother Turtle" is now Second Tier second-tier spirit beast, and it is not particularly afraid of all of Daoist Peng's offensive methods except for the Core Fire.

With Little Qi providing cover for Fei Enhua, the latter no longer needed to back down and was able to fight the Venerable Alligator Softshell Turtle to a standstill. The two sides were locked in a fierce battle when Sect Leader Kang Da, following the trail of the corpse energy, also glimpsed the battle situation.

The moment he enters the arena, the delicate balance will be shattered!

Kang Dabao was overjoyed and was about to make a move when he heard a stern, aged voice admonishing him. "Don't move!"

"Ancestor Tianqin?!"

"It's me,"

"Ancestor, that Daoist Peng is down below. If we go up, we'll be in trouble."

"Why would you need to tell me?! The day after I entered your Chongming City, I found that scoundrel's whereabouts!" Fei Tianqin paused, then continued, "If it weren't for my easygoing nature, how could that fellow have left Chongming City?!"

Before Sect Leader Kang Da could ask any questions, Fei Tianqin explained, "Originally, I wanted to capture him on the spot, but I was afraid that if he were locked up in Xuanwei City, the Two Instruments Sect wouldn't dare to come to his rescue. In that case, I, his ancestor, would probably only get a half-dead Golden Core, so what's the point? Therefore, after trying to lure him out of the city several times, I finally set the trap today."

"What does the ancestor mean?" Kang Dabao's expression changed, and he asked in a doubtful voice.

"Several months have passed, and those Golden Core cultivators of the Two Instruments Sect should know that Daoist Peng is hiding nearby. It's just that his family is located in the Shannan Circuit, which is really an eyesore! I, the patriarch, have long had the idea of taking this opportunity to deal with them."

But those brats from the Two Instruments Sect are all cowards and cowards, not daring to come out and fight against the Ancestor. Moreover, the people of their families with enough status always avoid me, the Ancestor. For example, I don't think I've ever seen their Grand Elder before!

This Daoist Peng is definitely extremely important to the Two Instruments Sect. This time, I, the patriarch, want to see if they will still show their faces after they have this Daoist Peng in their grasp.

No sooner had Fei Tianqin finished speaking than Daoist Peng, who was in grave danger, received the Crimson Blade and the Indigo Blade in a very disheveled state. The clouds behind him were then shattered by the ramming horn of a Third Tier flying boat, blocking out a large patch of sunlight above Fei Enhua's head.

Hidden in the void, Fei Tianqin remained unfazed, his expression unchanged. He simply said to Fei Nanying and Senior Cultivator Wufeng, "It's time to welcome our guests."