Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 2: Re-establishing the Ming Dynasty

"I brewed it. If I sell the tonic at a stall in Linghe Market, I might be able to earn three or five spirit stones. You still don't think carefully about what you do. How much spirit stones can your face be worth? Why are you pretending to be so generous?!"

Kang Dabao was feeling very frustrated on the way back to the sect. He looked at the empty space between the old donkey's buttocks and wondered if it could grow back so he could cut it again.

"The five Heartless Grasses were only of the first-grade, low-grade variety, which was fine, as they only cost two spirit stones in total. However, I paid eighty-six spirit stones for just one of the first-grade, medium-grade Snake Flame Fruits.

It's really expensive for Xiao Sanzi to be a sword cultivator. He needs so many spiritual medicines in a year, which is more than other people in the sect use. If he still can't break through the seventh level of Qi training by the end of this year, I hope the Taoist will break his legs.

There is also half a bottle of this Qi-training powder, six pills, eight spirit stones, well, just two pills per person. When the old man was here, he could give out one pill every two weeks, but now that I have become the head of the sect, I can only get one pill every one or two months. Who can I complain to?

Alas, I brought a bunch of junk with me, but I couldn't sell anything. The stall fee of five broken spirit stones was wasted. Damn, who dares to go to Linghe Market now? If you calculate it this way, a trip there will cost nearly 200 spirit stones.

The price of Blind Chen's pills increased rapidly, but it was not as high as that of Widow Ma who sold spiritual rice. She dared to charge three broken spiritual seeds for one liter of spiritual rice. She was really daring to do so by relying on her exclusive business.

I can't afford it. The sect still has some food in stock. If all else fails, I can kill this old donkey and eat its meat to get by for a while.

I'll wait until next spring to buy it. If the price still doesn't go down, I'll go to other markets. I don't believe that the officials in other markets have also moved into the asses of widows!

But you know what, hey, this cow widow's butt is really
Cough, cough

The second son will be able to become a master in two years, and after working for Master Qi for another two years, he will be able to build a stove and open a furnace on his own. Refining equipment is a good business, and the 400 yuan tuition fee that he collected back then was not wasted.

He is also very hardworking and became a master in just seven years. When the Chongming Sect has a weapon refiner in the future, our lives will be much better.

By then, we can just open a shop outside the mountain gate and people will come to guard it. At least we won't have to send the master to set up a stall in other people's markets every now and then like we do now.

If business is booming, we in Chongming Sect can also open a market, even if it is small, even if it is a street stall that only charges one broken spirit."

Kang Dabao daydreamed all the way and returned to the sect at sunset.

Although it is called a sect, it is actually not as grand as the Aries Temple.

Kang Dabao drove to an unnamed hill, and lightly pinched the magic formula in his hand. A cloud of mist floated around the hill and soon dissipated with the wind.

Kang Dabao frowned, wondering if this mid-grade small cloud formation was broken. The cloud was getting worse day by day. He should have sold the red light formation earlier.

It was a losing business, and I was cheated a lot by Ma Lao from Miaowuzhai in Linghe Market.
When the clouds dispersed, only a dilapidated stone archway about two meters high could be seen standing at the foot of the hill.

The three large cloud-shaped characters "Zhongming Zong" on the plaque are powerful and vigorous. In the lower left corner of the character "Zong" there is a six-petal green lotus Taoist seal, without any branches or vines.

This was left by Zhang Zushi, the founder of the sect. It is one of the few things in the Chongming Sect that has not been destroyed by unworthy descendants.

Kang Dabao drove his donkey cart under the archway. A green light floated on the jade ring in his hand. The restrictions under the archway began to ripple, and the old donkey pulling the cart was so scared that it quickly retracted its neck.

After passing the archway, we came to a small courtyard. The building to the north was the most imposing. It was a two-bay hip-roofed hall used for sect meetings.

Next are six bungalows covered with black tiles on both sides. On the left are the kitchen, scripture room, and the headmaster's cloud room; on the right are the alchemy hall, discipline room, and reward and punishment room.

A small house in the middle of the south is dedicated to the ancestor. It was originally planned to be renovated better, but there were not enough spirit stones.

Fortunately, there are not many masters, and although it is a bit crowded, there is still room for them to live in. Kang Dabao thought of making some changes before he moves in.

There are six dormitories on each side of the ancestral hall, most of which are empty and few are occupied.

There was a yellow poplar tree planted in the middle of the yard, under the tree was a blue brick well, and next to the well stood two waist-high gray stone round tables.

One surface is inlaid with a topaz chessboard, the other is covered with blue silk cloth, and each is equipped with four gray stone round stools, adding a bit of life to the whole courtyard.

The Chongming Sect, which originally had a history of cultivating the true foundation, occupied a second-level spiritual land in the Jackdaw Mountains, called Xiaohuan Mountain.

There were spiritual fields, medicinal gardens, waterside pavilions and towers, but they were all lost during the time of the fourth generation leader.

The fourth generation leader could only find (rob) a first-class spiritual land to settle down, and he could also plant other people's spiritual fields and medicinal gardens, and use the pavilions and towers built by others.

But the good times didn't last long, as the fifth generation leader lost the sacred land that the fourth generation leader had found (robbed), and had no choice but to move here after being seriously injured and dying.

This place is not even a lowest-level, first-grade spiritual land, so practicing here will naturally be half the result with twice the effort.

That's why Kang Dabao secretly complained about his master more than once. It was hard to say whether the old man did not abandon the sect's headquarters left by the fifth generation leader when he was in office because of his own efforts or because this place was really too shabby.

"Hey, is the master brother back?" Just as Kang Dabao entered the yard, a fat black man in a Taoist robe came out from the kitchen to greet him, holding a freshly killed colorful pheasant in his hand.

This man looked to be in his early thirties, with broad ears and a sincere face. His short, thick, and tight figure made his originally fluffy and flowing Taoist robe bulge out.

"Another person went into the mountains? How many times have I told you that those desperate people who go out to collect herbs and hunt animals may look good, but how many of them can live to be over 60 years old in one piece?!

If you have nothing to do, go back to Linghe Market to find Master Qi and make a few more low-grade magic tools. If you are lucky, Master Qi will even reward you with a few broken spirits."

There was not much joy on Kang Dabao's face. Although this monster was only of the lower grade, it could only be found if one went deeper into the Jackdaw Mountains.

Middle-grade or even high-grade first-class monsters often appear there. Second Junior Brother Yuan Jin is only at the fifth level of Qi training, so the danger is not too small.

"Hehe, how dare I disobey my senior brother's words? I didn't go. This chicken hit itself and died outside the door. I just picked it up." Yuan Jin still had a silly smile on his face. Kang Dabao spat, "Bullshit! You are really thick-skinned and want to be beaten! I don't care about you. It's best for you to die in the mountains. I can save some money on spiritual rice when I cook for you!"

Yuan Jin was not annoyed by Kang Dabao's scolding, and said cheerfully: "Little Sanzi just came back, covered in blood. Senior brother, save your energy and scold him."

"Master Dao, I won't go. How can a senior brother go to pay respects to his junior brother first after returning?

Remember not to stew the pheasant. Fry it and then stew it with the red peppers you picked last time. It's such a waste. How can you kill and eat such a good thing yourself?

If I can keep it until the next time I go to the market, I can sell it for at least six or seven spirit stones!

Don’t throw these chicken feathers away, put them on the donkey cart, if you’re lucky you’ll meet some silly man and you can sell them for a few spirit seeds.”

As soon as I saw Yuan Jin's smile, I knew that the blood on Xiao Sanzi's body must be someone else's, so what was the point of watching it.

He is only good at fighting and never listens to others. One day he will suffer a great loss!
"I'll listen to my senior brother. Yundao, Anle and my two little brats will be back in the evening. We'll eat together." Yuan Jin counted the people who would be having dinner tonight on his fingers.

Kang Dabao pouted and said, "If I eat with these brats, how many bones can I get? I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going to sleep in my room.

This old donkey is tied to a tree. Watch it. If it doesn’t behave, just kill it and serve it as an extra dish tonight.”

"Okay, hey, how come this donkey has been castrated?"

"Let's talk about it after dinner tonight," Kang Dabao closed the door of the master's cloud room and activated the silent magic circle. Spiritual patterns appeared in the air, blocking out the outside sounds.

Although it is called the headmaster's cloud room, the place is actually not very big and there are few things in it.

Most of the bluestone floor was occupied by a large carved pear wood bed, the paint on the bed was so mottled that it was in a mess.

In a corner of the room there was a small table, on which were placed a few volumes of Buddhist scriptures, a fly whisk, a bottle and a bowl.

Kang Dabao picked up a gold-thread Taoist robe from the bed and put it on. This was a family heirloom of the Chongming Sect. If a sect leader wore this to go out and sell goods, it would be somewhat embarrassing for his ancestors.

Alas, the current Chongming Emperor doesn’t have much else to lose.

He changed into his Taoist robe and sat in front of a small table. He picked up a volume of Taoist scriptures on the table, crossed his hands in the Tai Chi seal, calmed down, and chanted in a low voice:

“If the mind is open to one thing, it will be enough; if the mind is open to all things, it will be enough. It will realize the way of nothingness.”

The lingering sound of the scriptures and mantras gives the person chanting them an indescribable feeling of tranquility and piety.

Kang Dabao recited until he felt hungry, then he closed the Taoist scripture, put away the magic circle, pushed open the door, and the courtyard was filled with moonlight.

There were six men and two women sitting in the yard. The two women were dressed as women, and looked to be in their early twenties. They were good-looking and dressed simply.

At this moment, he is standing beside the chess table teaching two handsome boys how to play chess. The two boys, who are learning chess roughly, look only two or three years old, very innocent and cute.

From time to time he uttered some childish words, which made the two women giggle secretly.

Yuan Jin stood in a corner of the yard, chatting in a low voice with a young man in black. From time to time, he glanced at the two children who were learning chess, his eyes full of love for his children.

In the other corner were two slightly older boys, who looked to be around ten years old, lively and active, surrounding the old donkey that Kang Dabao had brought back.

Just when he was about to touch the golden hair on the old donkey's back, he heard the old donkey sneeze. He was so frightened that he stepped back, feeling both happy and scared.

When everyone in the courtyard heard the sound of Kang Dabao's door being pushed open, they all looked over and bowed to him. Kang Dabao smiled and nodded in return. It was the Longevity Festival, and it was lively only when all the family members were together.

Two children, protected by two women, came running over, each pulling at a corner of Kang Dabao's Taoist robe with their little hands.

"I want the master uncle to hold them." Kang Dabao held one in each hand, his eyes narrowed with joy.

Two women also came over to pay their respects. They were Yuan Jin’s two wives. Their surname was Dong and they were a pair of sisters.

The elder sister was named Wanxi and the younger sister was named Ningxin. They were both the apple of the eye of the Pingrong County teacher.

This pair of boys were born to the same sister. The elder brother is Changsheng and the younger brother is Ruyi. Everyone in the sect loves them very much.

The two young men who touched the donkey were the most excited. When they saw Kang Dabao leave the room, their joy was beyond words. They were so happy that they scratched their heads but did not know what to do.

They were all Kang Dabao's new disciples. The fair-skinned and stronger one was named Han Yundao, while the shorter and fatter one was named Duan Anle.

Both of them were very simple in character. In addition, Kang Dabao had only accepted them as his disciples not too long ago, so they were quite respectful towards Kang Dabao and did not dare to get too close to him without hearing anything.

Yuan Jin cheerfully pulled the young man in black up to Kang Dabao. The young man had a handsome face and an extraordinary bearing.

This man's surname is Jiang, and his given name is Qing. He is Kang Dabao's third junior brother. He is only in his early twenties, but has already reached the sixth level of Qi training. His path is much more advanced than that of his two senior brothers.

Kang Dabao held the baby in his arms, turned his head and glanced at his two junior brothers, without saying much, nodded: "Let's eat first, doesn't the third brother have something to discuss?"

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(End of this chapter)