Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 427: Meeting with Halberds
————Jackdaw Mountain, Hujiaba
The first-grade inferior green wood array shield newly installed by the Hu family cultivator was flickering with a very light glass color, dispersing the last ray of the remaining night into tiny grains of golden light.

Morning mist rose in the array and condensed into dewdrops on the eaves of the blue brick and tile houses. It rolled down along the vines growing between the tiles and shattered on the bluestone paved well platform.

On the dam stood several century-old trees that were specially moved here by the monks of the Hu family. Their twigs were trembling in the morning breeze, and specks of morning light were leaking through the branches that were tied with talismans that could ward off evil spirits.

A winding stream flowed slowly from the bamboo forest in the east, and peach petals that had fallen at some point floated on the water.

They were not tainted by spiritual energy and were not valued by the few spiritual fish in the stream. They were not as attractive as the few advanced water plants that could be found occasionally at the bottom of the water.

The hemp cloth hung out to dry in each household swayed gently in the morning breeze, and the dye vats contained uncollected indigo dye. These strange silver-glowing dyes were the manifestation of the anti-poison powder distributed to mortals by the monks of the Hu family.

However, one needs to find someone who has mastered the technique before one can start dyeing it. Otherwise, this spiritual powder can be more harmful to human lives than those inferior spiritual insects in the Jackdaw Mountains.

The crisp sound of the morning bell woke up the Hu family servants who lived in a row of blue brick houses on the dam along with the sun.

Dou Gou'er stretched and climbed up from the soft and warm bed with sleepy eyes.

After washing himself roughly with cold water in a basin for a few breaths, Dou Gou'er dressed neatly and hurried to the kitchen in the center of the dam, where smoke was already rising, with an empty stomach.

On the way, Dou Gou'er met his cousin Dou Jugen. The two grew up together and were both low-ranking servants under the Hu family's immortal master, so they had a good relationship.

Unlike Dou Gou'er's father who could not recognize a single word in his life, Dou Jugen's father was a respectable man who could read a few words, so he gave Dou Jugen such a respectable name.

In the past, Dou Gou'er envied Dou Jugen for this, but now...
Dou Gou'er said to himself, "If the farmland I was assigned this year grows the best, I can go to the private school of the Hu family to learn to read according to what the farm master said before."

Seeing Dou Gou'er stop in his tracks after hearing the shout, Dou Jugen also hurried over with a smile. The latter patted Dou Gou'er on the shoulder and said jokingly:
"Why are you running away, dog? We are not living in the same miserable days as we were in Baisha County. The rice and flour in the kitchen are piled high and can't be eaten. You, a big belly, have to eat a bite. Are you afraid that the rice will run away from the stove?"

"You should be the one laughing, Ju Gen. You've only been full for a few days, how come you can't even walk fast? You know, when we were still in Baisha County, we had to fight with others for rice, flour, vegetables, and even raw alfalfa."

"Yes, yes, you are right, Gou'er! Then let's go faster. You always think that you can get the advantage if you go early. Why don't you think about it, if you go early, you can get the food first, but don't you still need to do some work for the master first?"

"We farmers eat the food that others feed us, so we can only repay them with our strength, right? Besides, why should we be stingy with our strength? The more we use, the faster we grow."

The two brothers arrived at the place while chatting and laughing. When they entered the kitchen, the old servant sent by the Hu family to manage the fields was also in the house.

The old man did not even chew the rice, flour, and vegetables on the table in front of him. He just looked at the rough men who were eating with hatred on his face. His expression was sinister and his heart was bleeding:

"It's such a pity that all the precious food just went into the mouths of these bastards! Why does this damn Chongming Sect even care about such matters? Just like in Baisha County, they are fed with tree bark and grass roots, and they are still driven around?!"

It is true that farmlands protected by monks are almost immune to natural disasters and have abundant crops, but who would complain about having too much good stuff? Before they moved to Jackdaw Mountain, no one cared about these servants from other families, so why would they give them such high-quality food? !

But now, under the heavy pressure from Chongming Sect, no one from the Jackdaw Mountain families dared to say a word.

Dou Gou'er and Dou Jugen were not afraid of Master Guantian's sinister look. They ate until their throats were full. Only after licking the bowls clean did they put down their chopsticks and stuffed a few steamed buns into their collars.

The two brothers came to the fields with bulging bellies and hoes and started working. They wanted to plant yellow alfalfa, which was of lower quality than white alfalfa.

Its price is so low that it can only be sold for three hundred stones of broken spirit seeds in good years. It is also likely to attract several kinds of low-level monsters that like to eat human flesh, so it is difficult for it to be favored by the nearby "high-ranking families".

Only the Hu family, which is the most insignificant one and was not able to get the spiritual land until the dozens of evil sects that deceived the Chongming Sect were executed, would plant these products with extremely low thresholds in the spiritual land.

The Dou brothers had no idea what difficulties their master had. They worked so hard that their sweat dropped into eight small pieces until noon, and only then took a short break.

When Dou Gou'er took out his sheepskin water bag and raised his head to drink water, he also saw a patrol team composed of Hu family warriors. Unlike in the past, Dou Gou'er was not afraid of these ruthless hawks and dogs since he came to Jackdaw Mountain.

This is because the whips in their hands have always been used to target servants like Dou Gou'er, but now they have to hold weapons and be ready to defend against the attacks of monsters for penniless and lowly people like Dou Gou'er. The comparison between the two is self-evident.

Dou Gou'er's envious eyes disappeared along with the backs of the warrior team. He took out the slightly sour pancake from his arms and swallowed it in big mouthfuls without any disgust.

"Gulp gurgle" Just as he raised his head to drink water again, a crisp sound rang out beside him:
"Hello, Uncle Gou'er."

Dou Gou'er lowered his head to look, and saw a little boy calling him with laughter.

"It's Nineteenth Son, you just finished elementary school? Are you hungry? Uncle Gou'er has some pancakes for you to share." Dou Gou'er tried hard to hold back his reluctance and handed over a pancake with bite marks on it with an ugly smile.

Shijiulang kept declining, "No, no, Uncle Gou'er can eat by himself. Mr. Hu from the school will provide lunch and meat at noon!"

"Oh, oh, that's good!" Dou Gou'er was suddenly overjoyed, not knowing whether it was because of Shijiulang's words or because of the lost pancakes that were recovered.

While the two were talking, several boys came up from behind, greeted Dou Gou'er politely, and then took Shijiulang back home.

The schoolchildren were skipping along the road, reciting the nursery rhyme taught by the teacher in the school: "The immortal Chongming, the mountain guardian monster. The evil tiger injured the oxen plowing three acres, the ghost stole the chicken and killed the little one; the ruler will not hit the poor man's bones, the mirror of law is hung high to illuminate the jade sky"

Dou Jugen, who had eaten his fill early, was also attracted by the children's songs and looked over. He put down his hoe and walked to Dou Gou'er. Together with the latter, they looked at the children's backs and recited:

"Two years ago, when Dazhu and his wife both caught a cold, I thought that after he died, even Shijiulang would not survive. I never thought that he would be accepted into the Hu family's academy this year."

"The cold epidemic the year before last killed many people," Dou Gou'er was also reminded of the past by Dou Jugen's words. He cursed and then continued:

"I heard that our master Guan Tian went to the Hu family's immortal master and asked him to turn a magic talisman into water for more than 200 people to drink, and that's why only 30 to 50 people survived."

Dou Jugen also sighed, "Yes, thanks to the immortal for saving our lives. Otherwise, how could only a hundred people have died according to the old rules? It would be great if Brother Dazhu's Nineteenth Son could also be found to have spiritual roots like the kid from the Pi family next door last year.

Even if he cannot become a disciple of Chongming Sect like that kid, he can still practice cultivation with Master Hu. By then, we in Dou Family will no longer have to work as servants for others, eat a few pancakes, and no longer be looked down upon by others. "

Dou Gou'er nodded in response, his tone full of longing: "Yes, it would be great if there could be an immortal among our descendants. The immortal masters of the Hu family are all true immortals with compassion, and we must repay them in the future."

The alfalfa ears that spread out like a velvet carpet in the field heard these words and smiled in the wind. The wind also smiled, wishing that it could bring the words of these two slow-witted fools to Hu Mingsheng, the head of the Hu family, who was being scolded at the other end, so that he could have a good listen.

----

"Hu Mingsheng! Do you still want this spiritual soil?!"

Shan Yong slammed the wooden table. Hu Mingsheng, who had drunk so much, turned pale and prostrated himself, saying repeatedly, "Brother Shan, calm down, calm down!"

"What can you do to calm your anger?! Even among the more than 400 families in Jackdaw Mountain, how many of them have people living worse lives than yours? They only get rice, flour, and vegetables to eat, and they don't even see meat or chicken for ten days! Last year, there was a cold, and so many of your people died or were injured? Have you taken your master's warning to heart, old man?!"

Hu Mingsheng shuddered and replied hastily, "I will never forget what Deacon Sun taught me! I will never forget it! I will go back and rectify the family tradition and will never make the same mistake again!"

"It's too late!" Shan Yong shouted again, and then said: "Your family's rent and labor service taxes this year will be increased by 50% on the original basis. If you dare to do it again next year, I will increase it even more! There will always be a time when your family will go bankrupt!"

After saying this, Shan Yong ignored Hu Mingsheng's pleas for mercy behind him and rode his Caiyunju to the next house.

Inspecting the livelihood of the families in Jackdaw Mountain was not an easy job, but Shan Yong had no reason to refuse.

Shan Yong, who was from the direct line of Feiyue Shan family, was not well regarded when he first entered Chongming Sect.

In fact, when he was just a child, he was indeed "of bad character" as he was evaluated during the entrance examination.

Although he had obtained the status of an inner disciple early on thanks to Shan Sheng's influence.

But during those years of "wasting time on idleness" and "ruining time on carelessness" in Yulin Hall, Shan Yongzong, despite his important status and the qualifications of three spiritual roots, was unable to stand out among his peers.

Because of this, Shan Yongzi never had a master.

This made Shan Shijie, the head of the Shan family, very anxious. After asking several elders for help but failing, he had to find another way. He prepared a generous gift and let Shan Yong become a disciple of the experienced Sun Fu.

Even though Sun Fu has been practicing for a long time and is already in his eighties, he is still only at the eighth level of Qi training. Compared with Shan Yong, who has already reached the fifth level of Qi training, he is not considered a famous teacher.

But according to Shan Shijie, the new head of the Shan family, and his understanding of the head of the Kang family, since Shan Yong could not achieve success in cultivation, it would be better for him to stick to Sun Fu's relationship. In the future, when the time is right, he could speak a few words for the Shan family in front of Kang Dabao, who values ​​old friendships the most.

Even if it is only said once, the Shan family will not lose out.

Therefore, because Sun Fu has been ill recently, Shan Yongzi has to take over the former's orders and suspend his practice.

Halfway through the journey, Shan Yong saw He Chang, another inner sect disciple, who was returning from an inspection on a golden-haired donkey. "Junior Brother He, please walk slower."

"Brother Shan, how are you?" He Chang smiled faintly and bowed.

This smile made Shan Yong a little dazed, because there were many handsome men in Chongming Sect: Jiang Qing was one, Pei Yi was one, Mingzhe before the battle of opening up the land was one, the late Han Yundao and Pei Que were one, Jin Shilun who was preparing to build the foundation was one,.
But it is impossible to pick one person who can compare with He Chang!

The golden-haired old donkey under He Chang seemed to be used to such scenes. He snorted to wake up Shan Yong, who then came to his senses and smiled, "Brother, have you just returned from Tiger Hidden Mountain?"

"Well, I just met the head of the Ma family, Ma Yansong, there. He was very enthusiastic and talked to me about Dharma for a long time." He Chang said in a flat tone, but Shan Yong was envious.

But Shan Yong also knew that this could not be achieved by envy.

Although He Chang and he were both inner sect disciples and had similar seniority, the former was the grandson of the former sect leader and was also a disciple of the external affairs elder Ye Zhengwen.

Among the current second generation disciples of Chongming Sect, how could one be found to be more respected and noble than him? !

They were both inspecting the various families in Jackdaw Mountain, and even Sun Fu, the outer sect steward, only received some from the elite families. Shan Yong felt pity after the tour, as he not only ended up with nothing, he even almost couldn't help but give up some.

But He Chang went to such a large family as the Yang Family and the Ma Family, how could he not get benefits? Comparing the two, the difference is obvious.

Shan Yongxian put aside his distracting thoughts and looked at the old donkey sitting under He Chang's seat.

"According to Master, this old donkey that was captured by the head master has cultivated at an absurd speed in recent years. It seems that it is about to be promoted to the second level! Even if this old donkey is carrying people and escaping now, even an ordinary foundation-building cultivator would find it difficult to catch up. This Junior Brother He is really taken care of by the elders!"

It would be hard for anyone to not be envious of this scene. After Shan Yong calmed down, he racked his brains to find something to say: "I heard that the head of the Ma family also wanted to borrow spiritual objects from the sect to prepare for foundation building. Did he mention it when you were at the Ma family?"

He Chang smiled slightly and replied calmly, "Yes, I have said that. The head of the Ma family also wants me to go to the head master to give advice. Junior brother is insignificant and his words are not taken seriously. How can I accomplish such a thing? I will decide for myself.

However, when Third Master Jiang was in seclusion at Jiachou Military Camp and broke through to the middle stage of foundation building, and was about to give a lecture outside Yehu Mountain, I was the one who gave the lecture to the Ma family, so it was worth his effort to entertain me."

"Ah, how did Junior Brother know about this?!"

He Chang smiled and replied, "It was when the head master instructed me to come out that he also told Uncle Jiang to give a lecture. He also personally wrote a letter of invitation and specifically asked me to present it to the senior leaders of the various clans in Chongming League."

"When?! Is it possible that I can hear it?!" Shan Yong couldn't help but show anxiety on his face.

Compared to Shan Yong, He Chang was much calmer: "Brother, don't worry. I think there will be a Dharma Assembly in Xiaohuan Mountain in the future. The head master asked Uncle Jiang to hold the ceremony here, more to intimidate the families in Jackdaw Mountain. He shouldn't talk about any real Dharma."

"Then do you know when Uncle Jiang will return to the sect to give a lecture? I should make time for it."

"Hmm." He Chang thought for a while before speaking: "The head master didn't tell me about this matter, but according to my guess, it must have happened before the temple protector came to Yunjiaozhou."

----

Kang Dabao didn't know that the younger generations in the sect were already fantasizing about the Sword Immortal Ceremony that might come at an unknown time. He had not been in a good mood these days because not long after he came out of seclusion, he heard the news that the abbot of Benying Temple would come to Yunjiaozhou to select a concubine.

This news was not obtained from the Fearless Tower, but was widely spread throughout the entire Yunjiao Province. No one knew if there was someone behind the scenes fanning the flames, and no one knew what the purpose of these people was.

Although it is still unknown when the temple guardian abbot will arrive, Yuan Xiyue cannot escape from this matter.

Regardless of whether Master Kang enjoyed the opportunity or not, it was ultimately facilitated by the mistress Fei Shuhe who was willing to take possession of someone else's candidate for the Ming Concubine.

Therefore, during these days, even Kang Dabao, the owner of the family, did not show any anxiety about this matter. Instead, it made the noble lady of the Fei family feel uneasy.

In just one month, Fei Shuhe went back and forth to Xuanwei City several times, and finally met Fei Nan'an. Even though the latter had reached the stage of Dan, he still had the smell of a human being.

Just as he said before, Fernando really couldn't bear to see Fei Shuhe sad, so his attitude remained cordial. Although he didn't make any real promises, this time he also said that he would not sit idly by.

After all, this time he was only one of the eighteen abbots of Benying Temple, and he had not yet achieved the state of elixir.

Therefore, although the status of the temple protector Kanbu can be regarded as a rising star in the ancestral tantric temple such as the Snow Mountain Dao Benying Temple, it is far less honorable than the contemporary Buddhists.

Fei Nan'ao is currently a rare middle-grade golden elixir, a person who can expect to reach the Nascent Soul stage. He is really not afraid of this kind of junior.

Kang Dabao has been quite respectful recently, and the gossip in Sheshan Hall has subsided. He can be considered to have returned to the right path. Therefore, without worrying about the criticism from the clan members, Fei Nan'an doesn't mind helping this not-so-obedient nephew-in-law.

Moreover, no matter how unpopular Master Kang was among his colleagues, he was still in charge of the affairs of Ping and Jin counties, and the uncle did not mention dismissal when he left.

This time is different from the last time when the Chongming Alliance secretly started a war and opened up spiritual land.

There is no need to distinguish right from wrong. If Xueshan Dao Benying Temple, the most hated sect by the Kuang family, really sends its disciples to Yunjiaozhou to cause trouble,
If Kuang Liuting knew about this, based on the current temper of this influential figure, when he comes back, the entire Yunjiaozhou court, from Zhu Tong and Fei Nan'ao onwards, will be in trouble.

Kang Dabao knew all this, so even though he was not at ease, he was not too afraid.

Most of this confidence came from his ability to fight against Jia Dan after he came out of seclusion; a small part came from the protection he received from the state court and the Fei family, whether it was real or not.

Since coming out of retreat, Sect Leader Kang has always been staying calmly in the sect to sort out accounts and educate his descendants. He has never even met Yuan Xiyue, the other main person involved in this matter.

Fortunately, apart from this unavoidable mess, there are some comforting things recently.

Duan Anle's injuries had healed a lot during the years that Kang Dabao was in seclusion. In addition, he had been unable to practice in these years, so he devoted most of his energy to improving his beastmaster rank.

He was a reserved person, and it was rare for him to make rapid progress in his practice. But Duan Anle was able to be patient, and he practiced bit by bit day by day without feeling bored or tired.

So during these three years, Duan Anle not only recovered from his injuries, but also calmed down and advanced to become a first-class beastmaster.

Such speed shocked the dragon beast master sent by Qinghan Academy to help, and he said that the former had entered the wrong place.

In his opinion, if Duan Anle was born in the right place, with his extraordinary comprehension as a beastmaster, he could go to Mitian Mountain in Saibei Road and become a disciple of the Lingshou Sect, a major Nascent Soul sect, and he would be able to make a good future for himself.

That is the place that all beast masters in the David Immortal Dynasty yearn for. Even the Kuang family, a powerful clan in the world, needs care and condolences every year.

If the two real people of the Spirit Beast Sect had not been slightly close to the Immortal Dynasty in the past and had not tried their best to make friends with several demon commanders outside the northern border, there would have been one more deadly border threat to David's world.

However, after hearing such comments, Kang Dabao and his disciples just smiled reservedly.

This dragon beastmaster may be considered to have more experience than ordinary Qi practitioners, but it is somewhat laughable to say that a first-level beastmaster like him can receive such a reputation.

Master Kang did not take the old cultivator's nonsense to heart, but took the time to select some suitable spiritual objects for Duan Anle.

It is a shame for him as a master, as he rarely pays attention to his disciples' cultivation.

Duan Anle and Jin Shilun, who have the aptitude of four spiritual roots, can hope to build a foundation after only practicing for more than half a century. It also shows that the two of them have indeed put in a lot of hard work in their practice.

These days, not only Kang Dabao was teaching disciples diligently, but even Zhang Qingran, who had always lived in seclusion, also accepted a disciple.

The newly promoted true disciple Wei Gu just found a master when he was nearly 70 years old. I think it will be of great help whether he is building a foundation in the future or advancing to a second-level formation master.

This was certainly a good thing for Wei Gu, a rootless cultivator, but for Sect Leader Kang, Zhang Qingran's move seemed to have some other meaning.

It was because he had been very busy recently, otherwise Kang Dabao would have to spare some time to go to Zhang Qingran's room and have a good talk with her.

However, Master Kang did not go to see Yuan Xiyue himself, but the latter came to pay him a visit in formal attire after reporting to Fei Shuhe.

After she bowed her head and revealed most of her milky white snow-white face, Yuan Xiyue did not hesitate to say, "Master, my ancestor Bu Wen wants to see you."

Kang Dabao was stunned when he heard this, and then he said, "That's what you wish. I should go see the elder. What does he want to tell me?"

"I will come the day after tomorrow. Please come and meet me with your halberd."

(End of this chapter)