Clearing the Remnants at Ink Cloud Marsh and Taking Leave of Nanying; Hearing of Defeat at the Star-Picking Pavilion and Giving Tianxing Orders

---- Huo Prefecture, Ink Cloud Marsh

As Fei Donggu led five ga masters toward the bottom of the central lake, his speed using the wind increased by 30% compared to when he came. His black brocade robe fluttered wildly in the airflow, and even the white hair at his temples stood straight up.

The shock surging in his heart was overwhelming. In his opinion, although Preceptor Huang Mi's Esoteric Buddhism cultivation was not as good as those lewd monks of Original Response Temple in the Snow Region, he was still one of the toughest cultivators in the vicinity, and he had indeed gotten his hands on many Golden Core cultivators.

Even though he was injured by the combined attack of the two Feis, his foundation was still intact. How could he be killed by Kang Dabao, a mere Golden Core Early Stage cultivator?

The closer they got to the central lake, the clearer the cheers became. It was the Double Brightness Alliance and the Ying Mountain Army, revealing a genuine sense of victory.

Upon landing above the lake, Fei Donggu immediately saw that the great array of the Shaman Venerable Hall, which had consumed the efforts of several generations, had been shattered into dust. Half of the pagoda in the center of the lake had collapsed, and the dark brown miasma had been dispelled by the blue light of the Mysterious Yellow Formation, revealing the densely packed corpses beneath.

A large group of disciples from the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall and various families from the Double Brightness Alliance were piled together, and no one had the strength to clean up the mess. Broken Buddhist banners, blood-stained monks' robes, and bits of cultivator's flesh floated everywhere in the lake, which gave the fish in the lake a stroke of luck.

Kang Dabao stood before the ruins of the pagoda, the Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd in the wet mud, its blade and body covered in dark red blood, but it was unknown whose blood it was.

Upon seeing Fei Donggu, Sect Leader Kang Da hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects. "Reporting to Elder, Huang Mi has been executed, and most of the remaining members of the Shaman Venerable Hall have been captured."

Fei Donggu didn't return the greeting immediately; instead, he strode over to Huang Mi's corpse, which was not far away.

The corpse had a hole in its chest, pierced through from front to back, by the Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd. The remaining malevolent Sha Qi on it was quite potent, causing even Fei Donggu late-stage cultivator, to slightly furrow his brow.

Seeing that Preceptor Huang Mi Golden Core shattered into dust, with a layer of dark red Buddhist light still remaining around him, Fei Donggu knew that Huang Mi had used a forbidden Esoteric Buddhism technique that damaged his foundation in order to turn the tide, which gave Kang Dabao the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

"You've truly surprised this old man." Fei Donggu stood up, already holding Sect Leader Kang Da in high regard, and now even more satisfied. "Ancestor Ye Shui indeed has a discerning eye; the current emperor's bestowal of a marquisate and a province's fiefdom were not given for nothing."

Kang Dabao remained respectful and did not seek credit. "It's all Ying Mountain Army is too powerful at the front, preventing Rouge Temple and Thousand Buddha Grove from making any progress. This is why Huang Mi is at a loss and insists on coming to mess with this easy target."

However, he was unaware that the Gada Book recorded that after applying the Bone-Burning Secret Technique, the 'Blood Buddha Seal' between the eyebrows would become a weakness. "This junior used the Sharpened Spirit Thorn passed down by His Majesty to test it out, which was actually a gamble, and also a stroke of luck."

He paused, then added, "It was all thanks to the hard work of Boyue and Buse Zong, as well as the assistance of Chief Secretary Bushe. In addition, Huang Mi's injuries were quite serious, and he lost his composure after the setback, which allowed me to achieve some success."

The Buse chief secretary, whom the Sect Leader Kang Da had specifically mentioned, was initially listless, but upon hearing the commotion, his face lit up with ecstatic joy. He was expecting Fei Donggu to offer some words of comfort, but instead, he saw that the latter didn't even glance at him, only pondering for a moment, thinking to himself:

"So this kid has mastered this Zhou Grade Upper-Grade Divine Sense technique to such an extent. Nanying and I, on the other hand, are not skilled in this art."

Upon hearing this, Fei Donggu's joy diminished rather than increased.

It's true that the Fei Household likes sons-in-law who are successful, but if they are also obedient in addition to being successful, that would be even better.

When noble families choose a son-in-law, they either seek a match of equal social standing to form a harmonious union, or they aim to climb the social ladder and gain wealth and glory.

The Sect Leader Kang Da had nothing, and the little wealth he had accumulated over the years was nothing to the Ying Prefecture Fei Household. However, as long as he remained respectful, he could make elders like Fei Donggu of the Fei Household quite gratified.

Just then, a cloud of mist rushed in from the horizon.

He had just finished dealing with the defeated soldiers of Rouge Temple, and his armor still bore faint pinkish mist stains. Seeing the scene here, he knew that the Double Brightness Alliance's great victory was indeed true.

It should be noted that the Rouge Temple was the weakest side, and its abbot was also a coward who feared death. This allowed Fei Nanying to win by only killing one early-stage cultivator and scattering a few Rouge Temple disciples.

Although they won, the results were few.

So Fei Nanying didn't speak to Sect Leader Kang Da first, but instead turned to Fei Donggu and asked, "How are the young men in Elder Zong's household suffering losses?"

Fei Donggu swept his halberd across the five monks on the ground. Even though he tried his best to suppress it, he still managed to suppress the corners of his mouth.

This is understandable. Even when Fei Donggu participated in those big battles with Fei Tianqin, he had never experienced such an experience as capturing five Shi Xiujia masters alive.

But Fei Household, trying to remain calm, said, "What else can we do? Shexin that bald thief Shexin couldn't escape with his 'Body-Sacrificing Incantation,' and I've also captured these four Golden Core Early Stage evil monks. Most of the warrior monks from Thousand Buddha Grove have surrendered, and the rest won't go far."

He paused, then pointed to the mangled corpse on the ground, "But over here, that kid Kang did something big, he killed Huang Mi in battle."

Fei Nanying's gaze fell on Huang Mi's corpse, his eyebrows slightly raised. He was more wary of Huang Mi's strength than Fei Donggu. In their previous encounters, if it weren't for Fei Donggu's help, he doubted he would have been able to gain the upper hand.

"Good lad!"

The scene of Kang Dabao dragging a group of criminals to fill in the ranks and being ridiculed by others flashed through Fei Nanying feel very emotional.

Fei Nanying remained silent, instead walking to the ruins of the pagoda. Looking down at the captured disciples of the Shaman Venerable Hall, he frowned. "What to do with these people? Killing them would be a waste, but releasing them would leave future trouble."

He was always ruthless in leading his troops, but he also understood the principle of "cutting the weeds by removing the roots." However, there were still many coerced ordinary cultivators among the disciples of the Shaman Venerable Hall. Killing them all would inevitably lose the hearts of the people.

After saying this, he summoned Kang Dabao and asked softly, "Are there any more Enlisted Army Talisman?"

This item is extremely useful, but it's not something the Fei Household can easily obtain; they still have to get it from the Grand Commandant Court. Fei Donggu brought a batch with him when he came from Ying Prefecture years ago, but they've long been used up over the years.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da's answer caused Fei Nanying to frown slightly.

"Kid, you're out of options here too."

"Very well," this answer was not unexpected for Fei Nanying. He was quite nonchalant, simply pointing to the prisoners on the ground and whispering to Kang Dabao, "It's said that you have a keen eye for people's hearts, so you can deal with these people as you see fit."

"But," Fei Nanying paused, his tone softening slightly, "Those three hall masters of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall under your command must also be handed over to the Fei Household and presented to the Duke's Mansion."

Fei Donggu was afraid that Kang Dabao wouldn't understand what he was thinking, and was about to explain when he heard the latter respectfully reply, "This junior knows that Boyue wouldn't want his junior to suffer a loss. Please give your orders."

These words made Fei Nanying's eyes light up with even more delight. He said gently, "You haven't lost your cleverness after all." Then, pointing to the entire Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall behind him, which was already submerged in the lake, he said with a touch of magnanimity, "It's all yours. The Fei Household didn't take a single penny this time."

Just as Sect Leader Kang Da was about to feign a few words of refusal, he saw Fei Donggu chuckle first, and Fei Nanying waved his hand to stop him, then said softly:

"If you say no, you don't have to. The Ying Prefecture Fei Household has never been stingy with money for our own family, nor do we expect anything from your promises. The affairs of this world are inherently complex and difficult to True Lord. Since we have been brought together by fate as father-in-law and son-in-law, let's each follow our own hearts. As for what the future holds, no one can say for sure."

"Kid, I understand."

"Very well, Elder Donggu, I'll trouble you to stay here with Dabao to take in the disciples and pacify the remaining enemies. Nanying may need to go and pay her respects to the Duke first."

---- Tengwen Prefecture, Star-Picking Pavilion

The Lingchi Pond lies quietly to the west of the high-rise building, with wisps of mist rising outside the blue stone railing.

Twelve bronze lampstands floated on the water, their indigo flames burning eternally, reflecting off the red-scaled koi swimming below, making them appear like rubies.

A small, slender fish suddenly leaped out, shattering the clear, mirror-like surface of the pond. The water droplets it kicked up landed on the sleeve of the person sitting idly by the pond, staining it with a dark red hue.

Sitting alone Bai Canhong merely glanced down, showing no annoyance, but instead chuckled, "You little fish are quite intelligent, always coming to the pond to see me. Later, when the nearby beast cores have matured, I'll bestow upon you a set of Demon Officer fortunes."

The small-scaled fish, lacking intelligence and unable to understand human speech, had no idea of the bright future the Daoist had casually promised. It simply leaped out of the water, cheerfully spat out a few mouthfuls of water, and then swung its tail and flew away.

It was at this moment that Xiang Tianxing at the Star-Picking Pavilion who had been standing by, finally dared to approach and bow, saying, "Lord of the Tower,"

Bai Canhong spoke in a calm tone. Even when facing Xiang Tianxing, an outstanding junior who was expected to Nascent Soul Formation, the warmth in his words was perhaps no stronger than that of the fine-scaled fish that had just retreated back to the bottom of the pond.

But then he spoke in a calm voice, "What is it?"

Xiang Tianxing's expression was grim. He didn't say anything more, but simply replied respectfully, "The forces of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, Rouge Temple, and Thousand Buddha Grove Forest have all been wiped out. Huangpi Circuit may soon fall into the hands of the Kuang Household."

There was a hint of resentment in Xiang Tianxing's words, but Bai Canhong suddenly smiled and didn't care at all, "It's alright. Although Joyful Sight Mountain Cloud Trust is short-sighted, he won't hold a grudge against me over two trivial matters."

Without waiting for Xiang Tianxing's reaction, he asked softly, "Is Huang Mi still alive?"

Seeing Xiang Tianxing slowly shake his head, even Bai Canhong couldn't help but sigh slightly:

"Among the surrounding sects, apart from Pu Honggu and you, Huang Mi can be considered a figure among those who reach the Golden Core stage. Even the Xianyu Household head and Cloud Water Sect Daye are only on par with him."

It is truly remarkable that a wandering monk could advance to such an extent, enabling the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall to flourish in Huangpi Circuit for two or three hundred years.

The Fei Household has produced a prodigy! Middle-Grade Golden Core cultivator is indeed rare. I wonder if the Ying Prefecture Fei Household will be fortunate enough to become a prominent family after Fei Ye Shui's death.

However, being relied upon by Emperor of Wei again at this time might not necessarily be a good thing.

"OP, that Huang Mi didn't perish at Fei Nanying's hands,"

After Xiang Tianxing finished speaking, he saw that Bai Canhong looked slightly surprised, and then let out a soft exclamation of surprise. Not daring to keep him in suspense any longer, he hurriedly explained, "It was that scoundrel Chongming Sect Kang Dabao who did it!"

"Kang Dabao," Bai Canhong murmured. Although he couldn't remember what this nobody looked like, many stories about the Double Brightness Sect Leader popped into his mind.

"Three people: sect leader, lucky achiever, fortunate cultivator, and bestowed with titles and ranks. This lad from a humble background is quite similar to Fei Nanying in his path."

Objectively speaking, even someone like Bai Canhong would consider Kang Dabao's hundred-plus years of cultivation experience "remarkable." By that calculation, the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, which had dominated Huangpi Circuit for hundreds of years, was almost entirely destroyed by the Chongming Sect, which was solely under Kang Dabao's control.

In Bai Canhong's memory, this humble place of Cloud Horn Prefecture had never produced such a person before. Even if we extend the timeline by two thousand years, it's unlikely that another one will emerge.

However, Kang Dabao only crossed Bai Canhong's mind for a fleeting moment, and he then ignored him completely, not even mentioning him when he spoke:

"Huangpi Circuit is lost, it's not worth much, and it can be taken back with a little effort. Tianxing, immediately go and inform the Xianyu Household, Cloud Water Sect, and Two Instruments Sect that Feng Wen Demon Lieutenant has sent word, and they no longer need to hold back."

At this point, Bai Canhong's eyes turned cold. He didn't even look at Xiang Tianxing's expression, but silently cursed in his heart:

"Emperor of Wei is so arrogant, not even offering me a single kind word. Does he really expect me to bow down and submit with just a proclamation? Ha, does he really think Kuang Liuting Dragon Spawn from the outer seas?"

"You won't even grant me a single territories? Then wait until I've swallowed the Three Southwest Circuits, and then merge the Ancient Mysterious Circuit Joyful Sight Mountain into one. When I sit alone on this high platform then, I'll see which talisman arrives first, the Supreme Unity Temple or the Mystic Firmament Palace."

Fortunately, his resentment was only momentary and quickly subsided. Then he thought, "I wonder if Cloud Trust knows his limits when he acts. What if Kuang Liuting gets hurt or killed?"

Halfway through his reading Bai Canhong gave a dejected smile, feeling that this was just how the world was. Even if you went through countless hardships to attain the Nascent Soul, you still couldn't find true joy and satisfaction.

Kuang Liuting's death is a minor matter, but if this member of the imperial clan, Zhilan, were to attract all the leaders of the Mystic Firmament Palace and Billowing Dream Palace, even if Bai Canhong immediately raised the banner of rebellion in response to the Supreme Unity Temple Master, it would be useless. At that time, the demon soldiers from the outer sea and the imperial guards from the capital would come together, and I'm afraid not a single living creature would be left in the entire Star-Picking Pavilion.

After all, no matter how dissatisfied the person from the outer sea was with the direct line of the founding emperor, he still had the character "Kuang" above his head. How could he really see this member of the imperial family perish at the hands of Bai Canhong?

If that were the case, how could the Kuang Household's direct line have maintained its dignity for nearly two thousand years? The twenty-seven provinces of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty would have been filled with rebellious flags long ago, and it would not have taken until today to see some signs of it.

"Go on, that lord seems to be in a rather depressed mood lately. Let Huangpi Circuit cheer him up for a while, and he'll have something to say in his memorial to the Mystic Firmament Palace."

Bai Canhong's words were laced with undisguised sarcasm. Having said his piece, he didn't elaborate further to Xiang Tianxing, simply whispering, "Go on with your work."

Xiang Tianxing bowed deeply and then left the quiet room.

Bai Canhong then picked up his pen again, writing, "My dear brother Cloud Trust."

(My rental lease is up, and I'm moving today, so I probably won't be able to update tonight.)