Returning to the Sect Satisfied

Myriad Treasures Trading Company's auctions are held only a few times Huiyi. Fortunately, Sect Leader Kang Da had already calculated the date before summoning Jiang Qing, and the news was received in just half a month.

During this two-week period, Kang and Jiang did not waste any time.

The Sect Leader Kang Da visited many high-ranking officials in the Duke's mansion, ostensibly to inquire about the current situation in Qingxian and Yunzhou, but in reality, he was there to seek personal gain.

Perhaps because he had taken many lives, which gave him considerable influence, his sudden arrival without warning meant that even the high-ranking officials stationed in Phoenix Cry Prefecture had to treat him with respect.

After all, judging solely by titles, in the current Office of the Duke of Qin, apart from Kuang Liuting and Fei Tianqin (one man and one bird), no one dares to claim to be more honorable or noble than this Marquis of Martial Peace.

Of course, Kang Dabao also knew how to behave appropriately, and he never put on airs of a noble family even when facing his subordinates. This was quite rare for a noble family member of the Immortal Dynasty who had tainted the lives of cultivators at the peak of cultivation.

Moreover, he was sensible; the tips that Sect Leader Kang Da secretly slipped through his fingers when doing things were far more generous than the few pennies that the poor scholars below him sweated over.

In this way, as long as it falls within the authority of the various departments in these government offices, they will always do you some favors.

The Sect Leader Kang Da, distributed a pile of rare treasures, and the heads of various departments returned with a stack of approval slips, most of which were for in-demand items. This result naturally made everyone happy.

Kang Dabao was not worried that this matter would be investigated, after all, the accounting skills of the various department heads were probably more well-preserved than those of many Nascent Soul sects.

Kuang Liuting's methods were so ruthless that there was no need for Sect Leader Kang Da to remind them. Therefore, since they dared to give, Kang Dabao dared to take.

Kang Dabao had all these sought-after items checked and verified in the government treasury, affixing his own seals to ensure no one would take them. After he and Jiang Qing purchased the Core Formation spiritual items from Myriad Treasures Trading Company, they could hire some large merchant caravans to transport them back to Xian Prefecture by flying boat.

To be fair, Kang Xiangyi was quite capable of managing caravans, but the caravans passed down by He Degong were only roughly as good as those under the jurisdiction of an ordinary Golden Core sect.

Therefore, even if Kang Xiangyi his all, Chongming Sect would not be able to complete this cross-regional business for the time being, and would still need to spend a lot of Spirit Stone to hire outsiders to do it.

As the master of the Mountain North Circuit, Five Old Mothers Mountain's power has been gradually shrinking in recent years. However, it has distributed a lot of profits from transactions such as valuable goods that are not related to the survival of the sect, in order to appease the top Golden Core sects under its jurisdiction.

Sect Leader Kang Da naturally scoffed at True Person Moon Hidden's actions. In his view, the declining prestige of Five Old Mothers Mountain in recent years was undoubtedly related to the lack of capable successors within the sect.

However, True Person Moon Hidden, the leader, is prone to excessive compassion and indulgence, and does not know how to use ruthless methods, which is also one of the reasons for the deterioration of the situation in Mountain North Circuit.

The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, a Golden Core sect, has intervened in most of the trade routes in and out of the Mountain North Circuit. Kang Dabao has no acquaintances in this sect, but Master Qi, who came with him to do business, said that Chu Yanran has some connections with many upper-level cultivators in the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

Master Qi wasn't exaggerating. He didn't even need Sect Leader Kang Da to intervene; he negotiated a very favorable price for the latter, which shows he has some skill.

Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing then treated Master Qi to a top-notch meal at a restaurant. When they parted, they even ran into an acquaintance.

"How have you been lately, senior?!"

Just as Sect Leader Kang Da chuckled and was about to clasp his hands in greeting, before he could even close them, the High Person Three Words hurriedly stopped, clearly feeling he could not accept the former's gesture.

Unlike those self-important nobles, High Person Three Words, a rootless and wandering Rogue Cultivator, did not think he could compare to the Golden Core who had perished at the hands of Kang Dabao.

It's clear that since Guhongzi was hired by the Fei Household as a tutor, the old cultivator's life hasn't been as comfortable as before.

His business of recruiting people to listen to his sermons would indeed be difficult to sustain without a sufficiently influential partner.

However, since he is Golden Core, we must be willing to take some risks. Whether he is sent to the Star-Picking Pavilion or the Office of the Duke of Qin, we should treat him with the utmost respect.

However, it is not surprising that the High Person Three Words lived a rather impoverished life, as he clearly did not have such ambitions.

Perhaps for this reason, not long after meeting Kang Dabao, the old cultivator subtly hinted at his intention to become a guest elder within the Chongming Sect.

However, he may not have known Sect Leader Kang Da's style of doing things, and when he arrived, he didn't see the latter respond. So he could only pretend that there was no such thing, find an excuse, say that they would talk about it later, and then bid farewell to Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing.

However, after High Person Three Words for a while, it was already quite close to the start of the Myriad Treasures Trading Company's auction.

By this time, dusk had softened the atmosphere of Phoenix Cry Prefecture's market town. Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing walked side by side toward the back alley of Myriad Treasures Trading Company, their steps leisurely.

The former had previously attended the auction held by Myriad Treasures Trading Company in Tengwen Prefecture and was familiar with all the details, including the defensive array patterns in front of the Mirage Qi Screen, which were exactly the same.

As soon as the two arrived in front of the screen, Su Mei, the manager of the place, and Wuxuan, who had driven guests to the Darkness and Light cave abode last time, were already standing there.

At this moment, Su Mei had no right to speak. The beautiful woman only had time to smile slightly before Wuxuan Shangxiu stepped forward and took her place.

The wrinkles on the old man's leather robe were slightly smoother than before, and the long whip at his waist was also wrapped much more neatly than Kang Dabao remembered.

Upon seeing Sect Leader Kang Da again, he no longer nodded casually as before. Instead, he stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke with a touch of warmth:

"Wuxuan has met with Marquis of Martial Peace."

"I have long admired your esteemed demeanor, and it is an honor for me to be able to pay my respects to you today." Kang Dabao smiled and nodded, a flash of Golden Light passing through his eyes.

When I last saw this old cultivator Sect Leader Kang Da had not yet Core Formation, so I just regarded him as an ordinary upper cultivator.

However, upon seeing him again, he realized that he was a Golden Core Peak cultivator no less than Preceptor Huang Mi, and perhaps one of the high-ranking cultivators who would oversee the Myriad Treasures Trading Company's auction. Therefore, he did not fail to show courtesy and bowed in respect.

However, this old cultivator was, after all, Golden Core cultivator belonging to the extraordinary power of Myriad Treasures Trading Company. It was already rare enough that he could treat Sect Leader Kang Da with some special regard, so he wouldn't necessarily show any flattery on his face.

Wuxuan originally only intended to exchange pleasantries with Kang Dabao for a while longer before taking his leave and entering the Darkness and Light cave abode to wait. However, when he glanced at Jiang Qing again, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"This young friend is a disciple of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect?!"

Jiang Qing raised his eyelids, but before he could speak, he heard the Sect Leader Kang Da beside him speak first, "Senior may have mistaken him. This is my junior brother Jiang Qing, not a disciple of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect."

It's no wonder Kang Dabao was so anxious, since the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect is now a sect that has openly rebelled, how could it bear to have such a relationship within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Duke of Qin?

Upon hearing the sound, Third Master Jiang stepped forward, bowed, and paid his respects, which caused Wuxuan, to both help him up and look slightly surprised.

"Sixty years ago, I had the opportunity to Guandong Circuit Hong Wen of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect in Guandong. At that time, I discussed the Dao with him for three days and learned some of the true meaning of the sword theory from him."

Unexpectedly, upon meeting young friend Jiang today, I felt a sense of familiarity, hence my presumptuous question. I hope my brothers will not take offense.

Kang Dabao pulled Jiang Qing aside and said it was nothing, then added, "Thank you for opening the cave abode entrance, Manager Su. We won't need Senior Wuxuan to escort us any further this time."

Su Mei smiled and agreed, extending her slender, jade-like fingertips to expertly infuse a wisp of spiritual energy, causing the Mirage Qi Screen in front of the cultivators to slowly separate.

After Kang and Jiang entered the vortex of the cave abode, Wu Wuxuan, who remained beside Su Mei, finally voiced his doubts:

"Manager Su, who is this Jiang Qing? Although his sword intent is different, I am certain that he has obtained a lot of the true meaning of swordsmanship from that fellow Hong Wen."

This is something I rarely see even among his incompetent disciples. If this boy truly has no connection to Hong Wen and has made such progress solely through some sword principles circulating outside, then he truly is...

At this moment, Su Mei brought up the serious matter, and the charming expression that usually graced her face softened considerably. She responded softly:

"According to the information gathered by the disciples, it is true that Jiang Qing grew up in Kang Dabao's shop. It is strange, but the disciples of the Chongming Sect in this generation are indeed outstanding."

Besides Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing, their Qi Refinement master had one or two other disciples. Although their Dao Path were only average, their combat skills were no less than those of military families, and they could not be considered mediocre.

Wuxuan was content to hear that Jiang Qing was indeed not a disciple of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect, but he had no interest in what Su Mei said next.

But after a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke:

"In my opinion, once this young man finds a suitable spiritual object, Core Formation will be a natural progression. You might want to keep an eye on him; I don't believe his Dao Path is truly weaker than his senior brother's."

Su Mei's brows furrowed with surprise. It wasn't that she didn't believe what the old cultivator said, but she thought that if it were true, the Office of the Duke of Qin wouldn't have been forced to leave the southwest.

In the future, Chongming Sect will possess two top-tier Golden Core cultivators, and Kang Dabao is renowned for his business acumen. Therefore, Chongming Sect's status among the Three Southwest Circuits should at least be no lower than that of the Two Instruments Sect.

If Kuang Liuting truly trusted him completely, it wouldn't be surprising if this usually willful and capricious duke handed over the Chongming Sect Road to Huangpi Circuit for takeover.

At Su Mei's level, ordinary cultivators would not take her seriously, but if cultivators like Pu Honggu, Xiang Tianxing, and Exalted Cultivator Lanxin came in person, it would be a completely different story.

The manager of Myriad Treasures Trading Company was no fool; he knew exactly who to do business with.

Upon reading this, Su Mei immediately said, "Don't worry, senior, Su Mei knows what to do." After she finished speaking, she pointed to the book on the wall and added something to the middle:

"This item is too obscure; it even failed to sell at auction before. I was originally planning to move it to the Guandong Circuit to sell and make a fortune, but now I'll see if I can get a reasonable price for it."

As Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing stepped into the Mirage Qi Screen, the Spirit Vein stones in the passage gleamed with a white luster, and the dew-laden grass in the cracks of the walls was adorned with tiny fragments of spiritual light. It wasn't their first time here, so their steps were familiar, and they didn't stop.

The two of them entered from the entrance of Tengwen Prefecture in Shannan Circuit, but it is also connected to the entrances of Phoenix Cry Prefecture and Yuan Prefecture in Mountain North Circuit. In fact, they all entered the same place Darkness and Light cave abode.

This arrangement is no simple feat; the array master who accomplished it must be extremely close to the Fourth Tier, a rare find in the entire Three Southwest Circuits.

As soon as the Darkness and Light cave abode opened, the intermittent thunderous energy in the void seemed to the former Sect Leader Kang Da as having the power to destroy the world, and that Wuxuan had to protect it by riding the Auspicious Qilin Beast chariot.

Upon seeing each other again, they simply said "normal" and walked past each Kang Dabao with ease, arriving at a lavishly decorated courtyard with everything Third Master Jiang could need.

The internal alchemy, artifacts, talismans, and arrays were all arranged in a very high Higher Vehicle, so much so that even the already well-off Sect Leader Kang Da still couldn't shake the idea of packing them up and taking them away.

At the same time, the courtyard was overflowing with spiritual energy.

Even the Sect Leader Kang Da, a Golden Core cultivator, couldn't help but take a few extra breaths, which amused the pretty maid who had come to serve him earlier, who covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Jiang Qing, standing to the side, then directly realized how confident Myriad Treasures Trading Company was. If a Qi Refinement cultivator were to act in front of Golden Core cultivator in an ordinary place, he would not be surprised if he were killed on the spot.

It was truly rare to see these beautiful women, with their ample bosoms, rubbing against Sect Leader Kang Da and begging for a reward.

Both brothers were renowned for their refined tastes and had come here on important business, so they had no interest in doing anything unnecessary.

Kang Dabao raised his hand to avoid the maid who was leaning forward, his gaze sweeping over the book of spiritual light hanging in the main hall of the courtyard. He pointed with his fingertip. "When does the auction begin?"

These maids, knowing how to play favorites, all abandoned their playful demeanor. One of them stepped forward, bowed deeply, and, revealing her snow-white skin, softly replied, "Your Excellency, it will open in a quarter of an hour. We have prepared the jade tokens for guidance; please follow us."

He handed over two translucent white jade talismans, and upon touching them, one could feel the flow of spiritual energy, clearly indicating that they could evade the remaining thunder energy within the cave abode.

The two followed the maid through a carved wooden door, and the view before them suddenly opened up.

A circular auction hall floated in the void, with dozens of fist-sized moonbeams embedded around its perimeter, their spiritual light overflowing and illuminating the entire venue as bright as day.

The auction venue that Myriad Treasures Trading Company built at great expense was indeed very expensive. The ground was paved with star marrow stones that could gather spiritual energy, and with every step, one could feel the Spiritual Qi seeping into the body through the soles of one's feet, which was three times more mellow than that of an ordinary Seclusion Chamber.

Many cultivators were already seated in the arena. When they saw Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing approaching, many of them stood up and bowed.

Marquis of Martial Peace Wu Ning's consecutive slaying of Preceptor Huang Mi of the Yunze Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, Li Yun, the head of the Two Instruments Sect, is a remarkable achievement within the jurisdiction of the Duke's mansion. At least, apart from that overly sharp old bird, even the disciples of Nascent Soul True Person cultivators can hardly match him.

This reputation had already spread throughout the Mountain North Circuit, and ordinary cultivators dared not neglect it.

The maid led the two to an elegant room. The room was simply furnished, with only a pear wood table on which was a miniature image of the auction item, with the characteristics of the material and the starting price noted beside it.

"Senior Brother, look at this." Jiang Qing pointed to a dark green Ganoderma lucidum in the picture, his tone unusually enthusiastic. Sect Leader Kang Da glanced at it seriously, "Immortal Dew Flower."

Jiang Qing's fingertip landed on the dark green Spirit Plant on the spiritual light map, his eyes gleaming with undisguised brilliance. "Immortal Dew Flower, the annotation says 'Grows three thousand feet deep in Spirit Vein, its petals are condensed with silver patterns, it can stabilize the Dao Foundation's patterns and harmonize the dryness of sword intent when a sword cultivator Core Formation core.' Senior brother, this herb is perfectly suited to me!"

Kang Dabao bent down to examine it closely. The small characters next to the picture were densely packed. "The Immortal Dew Flower only blooms once every hundred years. Its stamens and stems are used in medicine to alleviate the drawbacks of sword cultivators' overly sharp sword intent and prevent the Core Formation foundation from collapsing during the formation of the Dao Foundation. If it is combined with the Sword Heart Grass for refining, it can increase the success rate of the Core Formation by 15%. It is most suitable for sword cultivators with a moderately Dao Foundation."

He nodded and said, "It is indeed a fine item, more suitable for you than the Sword Spine Ganoderma I saw before. We must acquire it today, no matter what."

Shortly after, the auction house bells rang.

Su Mei, dressed in a purple robe, stepped onto the auction stage. Her jade hammer lightly tapped the wooden table, its clear, resonant sound echoing throughout the hall, "The first item in this Darkness and Light cave abode Auction is 360 units of Third-Tier Upper-Grade spirit soil!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the maid presented a wooden box. Upon opening it, a clod of earth, brownish-golden in color, was revealed, faintly radiating Spiritual Qi. "This soil is taken from the core of Spirit Vein. It can improve the soil in the Spirit Plant Garden and help high-grade spiritual herbs take root. The starting bid is three hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone, with each bid increment no less than fifty mid-grade Spirit Stone!"

"Rongquan would probably jump for joy if he saw this," the Sect Leader Kang Da thought. Just then, a commotion arose from below the stage, and an old cultivator in green robes raised his bidding paddle. "Three hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone!"

Immediately afterward, the head of a Golden Core sect that Kang Dabao recognized also responded, "Three hundred and fifty mid-grade Spirit Stone!"

When the price had climbed to five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone, Kang Dabao finally spoke calmly in the elegant room, "Six hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone."

The Spirit Plant master looked up at the direction of the elegant room, hesitated for a moment, and finally put down the number plate. Since Marquis of Martial Peace had spoken, although this thing was rare, there was no need to fight for it.

Seeing this, Su Mei frowned slightly, realizing she had underestimated the importance of Sect Leader Kang Da in the eyes of the cultivators. After she called out three times, the jade hammer fell. "Six hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone, sold!"

The next few items each had their own focus, and although Kang Dabao was interested, he wasn't determined to win them, and they were soon sold to others.

As the atmosphere heated up, Su Mei raised her hand to quiet it down. "The next item for auction is ten 100-year-old Sword Heart Grass plants!" The maid presented a jade box containing silvery-white grass leaves that shimmered with a fine light.

"This herb can stabilize sword intent and prevent backlash during Core Formation. Starting bid: 400 mid-grade Spirit Stone; each bid must be at least 50 mid-grade Spirit Stone!"

Several Foundation Establishment in the audience, who considered themselves sword cultivators, immediately brightened up. Soon, one of them raised a sign: "Four hundred and fifty mid-grade Spirit Stone!" "Five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone!"

Seeing that the price had risen to six hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone, Kang Dabao thought it was about right and spoke up at the opportune moment, "Seven hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone." The bidding stopped instantly. The Rogue Cultivator sword cultivator who had raised his paddle earlier gave a wry smile; he didn't have enough money, so he put his paddle away.

Seeing that Kang Dabao was so sensible, Su Mei was satisfied. She simply smiled and brought down the gavel, "Seven hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone, congratulations Marquis of Martial Peace!"

After three more items were auctioned, the lights in the room suddenly turned on, and two maids slowly walked onto the stage carrying a gold-inlaid crystal cover. Inside the cover, a dark blue-green orchid stood tall, with silver patterns flowing on its petals. Spiritual Qi emanated from the cover, and even Kang Dabao in the elegant room could feel a gentle sword intent.

"I've kept you all waiting," Su Mei said, raising her voice slightly. "A thousand-year- Cloud Peak Pattern-Stabilizing Orchid." She pointed her finger at the crystal cover, and the orchid's characteristics were revealed as it shimmered with spiritual light.

"This orchid grows three thousand feet deep within the Spirit Vein of Cloud Peak Mountain in the East Sea. It takes a thousand years to mature. Its stamens can determine the patterns of Dao Foundation, and its stem can harmonize the dryness of a sword cultivator's sword intent. When used together with the Sword Heart Grass, it can increase the success rate of Core Formation by another 15%! Starting bid is five thousand mid-grade Spirit Stone, with each bid increment no less than five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone!"

There was a moment of silence in the audience. This item seemed to have been prepared for someone. It was certainly precious, but those who wanted it couldn't afford it, and those who couldn't afford it might not want it. So it was easily acquired by Sect Leader Kang Da.

After the auction ended, Su Mei personally carried the crystal cover into the elegant room, followed by a maid carrying a brocade box.

"My lord, this Cloud Peak Pattern-Stabilizing Orchid has been nurtured in a warm jade box with Spirit Vein water. Its medicinal properties will not dissipate within five years." She handed the crystal cover to Jiang Qing, then opened the brocade box, inside which was a black jade token engraved with the four characters "Wan Bao Bao Guest".

The beautiful woman softly recited, "This token grants a 10% discount at all Myriad Treasures Trading Company in the Immortal Dynasty. If you need rare spiritual materials, you can reserve them three days in advance with this token. This is our way of showing our respect to the Marquis."

This treatment was much better than what Kang Dabao had received at Tengwen Prefecture. He accepted the token with both hands, his fingertips tracing the cool, jade-like surface of the token before he smiled gently:

"Many thanks to Manager Su for your kindness. I am deeply grateful. If your business ever needs anything in the future, I will certainly not refuse if it is within my power."

Having gained the favor, Su Mei took her leave, while Sect Leader Kang Da and Jiang Qing finally reached the time to return to the Chongming Sect to Core Formation.