A Temporary Truce
After the morning classes ended that day, Kang Rongquan was the first to walk out of the scripture room, looking rather pleased.
Master Pei Yi and Uncle Jiang Qing were called by their great-uncle to help out at the market a few days ago.
Han Yundao and Duan Anle were also sent away. He Muxian from White Ram Monastery reported that it seemed someone had used magic on the temple and that an evil spirit was causing trouble.
This lively and mischievous chubby boy, suddenly free from the supervision of so many elders and senior brothers, has been incredibly happy these days.
In addition, Yuan Jin has been in charge of the morning classes lately. Although he has a bit of a temper, he is a generous person.
During the morning lessons these days, any junior who can answer his questions will receive a small reward. This morning, Kang Rongquan received a silver ring magic Law Artifact.
He had thought that his first magical Law Artifact would be something like a spirit hoe that his Uncle Yuan would casually make, but this silver ring Law Artifact was much better than he had imagined.
Kang Rongquan was overjoyed to finally have his first magical Law Artifact. The chubby boy rushed back to his room after his morning lessons, eager to start refining it immediately.
But as soon as he arrived at the door of his own quarters, he saw his great-uncle stepping into the courtyard. Kang Rongquan suppressed his excitement and was even more delighted. He stepped forward and bowed.
"Grandson sends his regards to his great-uncle."
"It's Rongquan. Your great-uncle wants to talk to your Uncle Yuan. Go to the kitchen and tell Shilun to prepare some food and water and bring it to my room." Kang Dabao saw that it was Kang Rongquan. Although his tone was a little tired, his face showed a kind expression.
"Yes, grandson, I'll go right away."
The courtyard wasn't large, Kang Rongquan arrived at the kitchen in just a few steps, only to find Jin Shilun leading Mo'er and Zhang Le in cleaning up the mess.
Jin Shilun never expected that even after entering the Daoist world, he would still be unable to leave the kitchen.
However, he was much luckier than Kang Rongquan. As soon as he entered the Dao, he had two exquisite magic Law Artifact at his disposal: First-Tier Middle-Grade black wood steamer and First-Tier Lower-Grade large cauldron.
This young chieftain, who often prided himself on being a genius swordsman in his childhood, never expected that after joining the Chongming Sect, under the discerning eyes of his teachers, he would also develop his talent in the art of culinary arts.
If we could barely call Jin Shilun's talent in knife skills "one," then calling his talent in culinary arts "ten" would be an understatement.
It's certainly a good thing that Jin Shilun possesses such high talent in the art of spiritual cooking, one of the many skills in cultivation.
However, those who engage in this art of cultivation, compared to array masters and talisman masters, may lack some of the glamour in public, but the tangible benefits they receive are no less substantial.
A truly accomplished spiritual chef can not only cook spiritual ingredients to make them even more delicious, but the spiritual dishes they prepare, like the pills made by Alchemist, also have the effect of aiding in cultivation.
However, like the Master of Agriculture, the lineage of the Spirit Chef is also incomplete in this realm, which is why their status is not as illustrious as that of the Alchemist.
However, even an entry-level spirit chef is someone that many smaller forces would covet but cannot obtain.
Kang Rongquan quickly stopped Jin Shilun and the other two from tidying up the kitchen, briefly explained the tasks arranged by Kang Dabao, and then the three of them helped Jin Shilun to prepare a table of dishes as quickly as possible.
Mo'er naturally placed several delicate dishes on the bamboo table. It was usually her job to deliver meals to teachers and elders.
"Mo'er, please rest a bit. Let Rongquan go." Kang Rongquan accepted the task with a smile.
Mo'er was beautiful and had no master yet, so all the male disciples in the sect, regardless of their cultivation level or age, called her "Sister Mo'er" or "Sister Mo'er".
Conversely, apart from Duan Anle, everyone else addressed Zhang Le coldly as "Junior Sister Zhang."
Although Mo'er found it a little strange, she didn't ask any further questions. She handed over the small table with a smile and even told Kang Rongquan, the "immortal master," to be careful when serving the dishes.
This chubby boy is strong enough to lift an ox with both arms, so what's there to be careful about with a small table holding a few dishes?
Kang Dabao walked quickly to the outside of the sect leader's room. He was waiting for his disciples to bring him food, so to avoid trouble, he simply left the door wide open. The little fat boy's pace slowed down instantly, and he overheard the conversation between the two elders.
"So, is this considered a settlement?" Yuan Jin asked.
"I suppose so. His family suffered a loss, and none of our families gained anything either. Dai Yuanjiang originally intended to have a duel, but after thinking about it, I still felt it was inappropriate. First, we might not be able to win; second, even if we did win, casualties would only add to the grudges. It's better not to fight. It saves us from this ordeal, which is a good thing."
"Hmm, Senior Brother, does this mean we really can't open gambling dens or brothels in our market anymore? These are businesses that can earn a lot of Spirit Stone."
"If you don't want to do it, then don't. This kind of unscrupulous business is something no one around here has ever considered, except for the Xue Household family who mentioned it."
"Is that patrol team really going to be disbanded within a year?"
"Let them disperse then, it'll save us some Spirit Stone. Law Artifact, talismans, and annual stipends—it's not a small amount. Don't be fooled by the fact that there are fewer than thirty people; they'll account for almost half of the market's total annual revenue."
"Will the two families be able to live in peace from now on?"
"Well, at least on the surface, things have been relatively peaceful for the past few years. Underhanded tactics are inevitable, so we'll just have to deal with them as they come. Their family has more capital; if we agree to these conditions, they won't make things difficult for us anymore. We can both sides live in peace. They're even willing to give us 500 Spirit Stone as a way out, which is quite reasonable. We can accept earning less now. Wait a few years, when Little Sanzi has reached Foundation Establishment, and you'll see how I crush them then."
"Rongquan, how much longer are you going to listen outside?!" Yuan Jin shouted, and the chubby boy walked in with a small table on his face, a fawning smile on his face.
"Uncle Yuan, I wasn't eavesdropping at all. I was just afraid that coming in would interrupt your serious conversation with Grand Uncle, so I was waiting at the door."
"Hmph, I wonder where he learned to be so glib." Yuan Jin laughed as well. "Get lost. Remember, you're not allowed to discuss what you heard with your fellow disciples."
"Hey, Grand Uncle, Uncle Yuan, have a good meal. Rongquan is going back to refine the magic Law Artifact now." The chubby boy felt like he had been granted a pardon and quickly slipped away.
"Every time I hear Rongquan call my senior brother 'uncle' and me 'junior uncle,' I always feel like I'm a generation younger than my senior brother," Yuan Jin said, feigning grievance.
"So, do you want him to call me uncle, or do you want him to call you grandmaster grandmaster?" Kang Dabao retorted irritably.
"Haha, no, no, I wouldn't dare." Yuan Jin laughed heartily.
"By the way, where did this kid Law Artifact?" Kang Dabao picked up a piece of crystal-clear pork knuckle and chewed it heartily.
To be honest, eating it this way is much more elegant than just gnawing on a pork knuckle, but it just feels less satisfying.
He answered a question correctly during morning class, and his junior brother rewarded him with a silver ring.
"Oh, I see. By the way, speaking of morning prayers, I found that Great Treasury Sutra last time and asked you to recite it fifty times every day along with the Tao Te Ching. Have you done it?"
"Senior brother, please eat."
"You little rascal."
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