Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 444 Jiang San's Return: A Narrow Encounter

The tenth anniversary celebration of the Chongming Alliance was lively, but it also ended quickly. After the banquet, the guests and friends who came to offer their congratulations took their leave one after another. Even the leaders of the various families in the alliance only stayed for two or three days before they dispersed.

According to Master Kang, the heads of each family are very busy and should not stay too long, so as not to delay important matters.

In truth, the cultivators who attended the meeting were already aware of the situation. After all, they had already accepted the gifts, and given Kang Dabao's honest and pragmatic nature, it was understandable that he was no longer willing to provide meals.

Fortunately, the heads of each household didn't care about such a spiritual delicacy. Under the rule of Master Kang, the two counties of Ping and Jin were so well managed that all the beasts danced freely. The hundreds of households in Hanya Mountain lived in peace with few disputes. Even those households that had settled in the nearby counties could get a note written by Elder Ye Zhengwen, the Foreign Affairs Elder, to mediate if they encountered any injustices, as long as they had some connection with Chongming Sect.

That's enough. What more could you ask for?
Those families that are closer to the Chongming Clan should not only present gifts for the tenth anniversary of the Chongming Alliance, but also for the auspicious occasions such as Kang Changyi's completion of his Dao foundation, Zhang Qingran's birth of her only daughter, and Yuan Xiyue's birth of twins. It's never wrong to give too many gifts.

Moreover, the principle of "sowing one grain in spring and reaping ten thousand in autumn" is the simplest and most understandable. Everyone knows this. When it comes to good karma, the earlier you cultivate it, the more worthwhile it is.

If it weren't for the shameless patriarch Shan Sheng's persistent attempts to curry favor with the Shan family back then, how could Shan Shijie have maintained his humble family reputation in this prefecture? Not to mention forming an alliance with the Chongming Sect and hiring several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Needless to say, the Ma family of Changxian County and the He family of Hongxian County—even an outsider could clearly see how the Foundation Establishment cultivators in these two families achieved their status and how much of the Chongming Sect's influence they had.

Even if we take a step back and say that the aforementioned families still have some foundation and that their leaders are capable, the Lu family of Caishi is still just an old woman named Lu Yunniang who is the head of the household. So what makes them worthy of sitting at the same table as Bian Hu, the dignified alchemist, at the Chongming Alliance meeting?

Judging from the current predicament of the Lu family in Caishi, one can only imagine how many family members would be kicking themselves. But since that ship has already departed, the priority should be figuring out how to get back on board and quickly fill a spot.

Therefore, this time, the Chongming Sect's treasury, which had become somewhat empty due to the increase in salary for martial arts practice, became full again.

Furthermore, Yuan Jin did not offer any assistance in sorting out the congratulatory gifts this time, and Duan Anle was also racing against time to switch cultivation techniques. Ye Zhengwen was left to work alone with a few trustworthy disciples for several days before he was able to sort them out.

Ye Zhengwen then took the gift list to report the details to Headmaster Kang, thinking that this time it would probably take a long time to discuss.

The distribution of the congratulatory gifts from various guests to the Chongming Alliance, the allocation of gifts to different families within the alliance, and the allocation of gifts to Kang Changyi for his foundation-building ceremony—which of these gifts should go into the sect's treasury and which should go into the sect leader's private funds—are all extremely complicated matters that will likely require a great deal of effort to handle.

Ye Zhengwen was on his way to Kang Dabao's courtyard when he encountered He Chang riding a golden donkey back from Hanya Mountain. The latter was very polite and immediately said, "Greetings, Uncle-Master Ye."

Ye Zhengwen smiled and agreed, and after a brief discussion, the handsome young man who had become the true disciple was finally accepted.

He Chang, now in his early twenties, has become even more handsome, resembling his father quite a bit. His cultivation level is nothing special; he has accumulated considerable resources. However, due to his limited aptitude, He Chang remains stuck at the threshold of the late-stage Qi Refining realm, and it seems he won't break through for another two or three years.

On the contrary, the golden-haired old donkey under his mount has become increasingly shiny in recent years. Not only has it become more human-like, but some people also say that the old donkey often becomes engrossed in debating with others when He Chang is debating scriptures.

"Is this beast about to awaken its spirit?"

Ye Zhengwen pondered for a moment. If that were really the case, it might not be a good thing for Chongming Sect. It was only because Kang and Jiang had both improved their strength considerably that even if this old donkey really wanted to cause trouble, he wouldn't be able to make any waves. Otherwise, Ye Zhengwen would probably have considered killing the old donkey on the spot.

"However, we still need to be careful. When we have some free time, we should have a good talk with Lao Kang."

This was ultimately something that needed to be prevented from happening in the first place. After thinking about it for a while, Ye Zhengwen put it aside, smiled slightly, and asked softly, "Nephew He, are you going to find the sect leader?"

He Chang dismounted and respectfully replied, "Yes, nephew just found some fresh food in Han Ya Mountain and brought it back for uncle and aunt to try. Uncle Ye, would you like some?"
These fried foods taste quite good. They were some mixed mushrooms that the You family in Fenglin Mountain found a year or two ago. They didn't know their names, but they found that as long as they were coated in flour and fried, they tasted very good.

Last year, the head of the You family specially set aside a mushroom field for cultivation. Three years ago, my fourth uncle built a temporary market near Fenglin Mountain that only opens on the 5th and 10th of each month. The You family benefited from this and made a small profit. They even specially sent some to my brother Yuan and me. If you don't mind, Uncle-Master, you are welcome to try some fresh ones.”

Ye Zhengwen smiled and said, "That's interesting. But there's no rush. I happen to be looking for your uncle, who is very fond of food. Let's try it together."

He Changmian nodded in agreement, took the reins of the old donkey, and walked over to walk alongside Ye Zhengwen. With nothing else to do, the latter asked again, "Is there any change on your way back to Cold Crow Mountain?"

"The changes are quite significant. My second uncle is stationed at Wild Fox Mountain. Every autumn, he leads the Qingjue and Chizhang Guards to wipe out the remaining demons. In previous years, seven or eight households were attacked and killed by demons every year, and their lineage was cut off. But now, under my rule, almost no one in Chongming's jurisdiction is affected by demons."

Fourth Uncle and Brother Yuan often stayed at Jiachou Military Camp to help the families of Hanya Mountain solve their problems. Because of Uncle's compassion, they often only received their principal back when helping those in distress.

However, although these junior disciples from the outer sect who were skilled in various arts did not earn much money, they gained a lot of experience and their skills improved by leaps and bounds. Even the second-level retainers in the Hundred Arts Pavilion often praised them.
Sister-in-law Jin's branch of Chongming Restaurant, located in Jiachou Military Camp, has also flourished, with business booming. It's certainly easy to run a business with a dominant position; judging from her casual conversations, I suspect it's not far behind Sister Zhou's shop in Chongming Market.”

"Not bad, you've improved your eyesight." Ye Zhengwen nodded approvingly, feeling much more relieved.

Although He Chang's cultivation was not slow, he was only a person with four spiritual roots, and his temperament was far less refined than Duan Anle's and more resolute than Jin Shilun's. Therefore, even with the dedicated cultivation of his elders, it was already a stroke of luck that he was able to achieve Foundation Establishment before the age of ninety.

Therefore, based on the long-term plans made by Master Kang and others for He Chang, the latter does not need to take on the main responsibility like rising stars such as Kang Rongquan, Duan Anle, and Ming Zhe. It would be good enough if he could do external affairs well and fill in the gaps for those in charge, just like Ye Zhengwen.

This is also why Kang Dabao originally wanted him to become Pei Yi's disciple. The reason is the same as when he wanted Kang Rongquan to become Pei Yi's disciple. The four people under the former sect leader's lineage are already of the same blood. As a descendant of the former sect leader, He Chang becoming a disciple of Uncle Li's lineage would better bridge the gap between the two families.

However, Kang Dabao's idea was rejected by Ye Zhengwen because Pei Yi had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and his future was still uncertain. If He Chang were to become Pei Yi's disciple, it would indeed seem like a slight, and might invite gossip from outsiders.

Although Ye Zhengwen's words were very pragmatic and unpleasant to hear, they were also very reasonable. After hesitating for a while, Headmaster Kang made a decision for Jiang Qing, who was still left in Yingzhou, and ordered He Chang to become Jiang Qing's disciple.

It just so happens that Ming Zhe has just reached the Foundation Establishment stage and is currently cultivating at the main mountain. In the past few years, he has been able to take some time to properly teach this junior brother.

Inspecting the affairs of Han Ya Mountain and the lives of ordinary people was not a lucrative post for ordinary disciples, but with Ye Zhengwen's careful arrangements, it became a stable source of income for He Chang.

However, this young man has lived up to expectations, displaying little of the airs of a pampered nobleman, and has not disappointed those who have taken such good care of him. Over the years, he has been quite competent in his conduct, and may well be able to handle the responsibilities entrusted to him by his elders in the future.

When the two arrived at the sect leader's courtyard, it was quite lively. Zhang Le, who had been living on Wild Fox Mountain raising bees, had also returned after taking leave. At this moment, he was holding Kang Lingyi, the only daughter of the sect leader, in his arms, cherishing the moment.

It's no wonder, among the elders in the Chongming Sect, besides Zhou Yixiu, Zhang Qingran and Zhang Le are the closest.

Her spiritual roots were not good and her comprehension was only average. Fortunately, she was quite old and the spirit bees she had raised for many years were growing steadily. So even though her future was not good, she was not entirely without weight in the hearts of the elders.

But now that the Li family's business is gone, even though the Chongming Zhang family has grown to 100,000 members over the years, they still haven't found a single person with excellent spiritual roots.

If it weren't for the heavy losses suffered by the Chongming Sect disciples in recent years, and the connection with Patriarch Zhang, these few promising talents emerging from the Zhang family would probably not even have been able to enter the Chongming Sect. They would still have to move to Hanya Mountain to seek a future, just like the Dong and Jiang families, which are vassal clans.

Therefore, it is understandable that Zhang Le cherishes Kang Lingyi so much. After all, if the only daughter of the future sect leader Kang is close to the Chongming Zhang family, whose talent pool is dwindling, then even if he is no longer in the sect, the Chongming Zhang family's situation can still be maintained.

Upon seeing the two enter, Zhang Le, holding Kang Lingyi, curtsied. Ye Zhengwen smiled and took the swaddled baby, then chuckled at the sight of the exquisitely beautiful little face hidden under the quilt.

Ye Zhengwen was protecting her tightly, so He Chang couldn't get close enough to approach her. He then greeted Zhang Le, saying, "Senior Sister Zhang is back too? When I visited my fourth uncle at Han Ya Mountain, I heard him mention that the wedding date was set for early spring next year, so I assumed that Senior Sister was making preparations."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Le blushed slightly on her not-so-beautiful face: "It's still early, Junior Brother He, how can you say that?"

Ye Zhengwen chimed in, "It's not early, we'll be here in no time. I wonder how much dowry Junior Brother Zhou has prepared for you. I reckon it'll make Patriarch Shan overjoyed."

Zhang Le was too embarrassed to speak. With her talent and beauty, Zhou Yixiu, as her master, must have put in a lot of effort to marry into the poor and remote Shan family of Feiyue and become the head mistress of the family.

The saying "Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them" is absolutely true. Heaven knows how the Shan family felt when they heard that their patriarch, who had just established his foundation, was going to marry an ordinary woman over forty years old as his wife.

While the feelings of the Shan family were hard to fathom, He Chang and his fellow disciples were genuinely delighted for Zhang Le. Apart from the sect leader Kang, who was slightly disappointed at losing another stable source of income, everyone else was overjoyed.

As the three were chatting animatedly, Kang Changxi, who was approaching the age of 18, stepped out of the room wearing a crown that reached the heavens.

This young man's face was quite different from his handsome elder brother. Fei Shuhe's gentleness was not very evident on his face. His appearance was more like the broad-faced and heavy-jawed Headmaster Kang, but he had a more arrogant air about him and was very confident.

This child's spiritual root is slightly inferior to his brother's, possessing only three spiritual roots. Initially, Ye Zhengwen was somewhat worried about this, but after seeing that Kang Changxi's cultivation was even faster than Kang Changyi's, he felt much more at ease. In addition, like his father, he has good comprehension, and has even mastered the Golden Eye of Illusion cultivated by the Great Sect Leader Kang. He also has a talent for body refinement, and at only thirteen years old, he has already begun to grasp the basics of the "True Explanation of the Primordial Body of the Northern Night Palace".

Not only was he looked after by the elders of the sect, but Fei Enhua, who was stuck at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, was also sent by Fei Tianqin to Chongming Sect to look after and teach Kang Changxi for ten years, so that the direct descendant of the sect leader could absorb the strengths of both sects.

I heard that Fei Shuhe is still making diplomatic efforts, and has asked Han Ningyue several times, and even wants to send Kang Changxi to the Yu Kun Han family to cultivate for a while.

Hearing about this, Master Kang complained that his wife was favoring one son over the other. However, Ye Zhengwen did not find it strange. It was already very rare for a stepmother like Fei Shuhe to cultivate her sons like this. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she "treated them as her own sons".

Forcing Fei Shuhe to treat everyone equally would only lead to trouble. It would be a good thing if Kang Changxi's future prospects were no less than Kang Changyi's.

Ye Zhengwen pulled his thoughts back and focused his gaze on Kang Changxi, who was walking towards him, scanning him up and down.

As the old saying goes, no matter what their background, the descendants of the Great Master Kang must not be allowed to have any airs of arrogance. Kang Changxi's arrogance was not unpleasant, and when he saw Ye Zhengwen arrive, he was very polite: "It is Senior Uncle Ye and Senior Brother He. Father is brewing tea in the Cloud Room to wait for you."

Ye Zhengwen's eyes were like the moon, and his tone was warm: "You've gone now. Xi-ge'er's cultivation has improved again. He must be about to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining, right?"

"My mother is urging me to finish my studies, so I dare not slack off."

"My sister-in-law has put in a lot of effort,"

Ye Zhengwen was invited into the Cloud Room, and He Chang followed him in. The latter had been raised in a pampered environment, and as soon as he entered the Cloud Room, he noticed that the tea aroma in the room was not strong, and he knew that Headmaster Kang had once again made the mistake of being too harsh on himself and brewed inferior tea.

The small cloud room remains as simple as ever. Over the years, even though Kang Dabao has gone from a penniless and lowly merchant to the head of a major sect that controls Wanxiu's future, the furnishings inside the room have remained unchanged.

Unlike He Chang, who was slightly frowning, Ye Zhengwen seemed quite at ease entering the cloud room, and quickly sat down opposite Headmaster Kang. He was able to accurately gauge Kang Dabao's mood, knowing that the latter could only be most relaxed and comfortable in such impoverished settings.

"It is difficult to be born with an air of nobility."

Ye Zhengwen suddenly remembered the comments Fei Shuhe had made when Master Kang complained to him last time, and he found them quite apt, and suddenly laughed.

Unexpectedly, Kang Dabao misunderstood and asked with the same laughter, "What, are there more gifts this time than before?"

"There's a lot more, I'll tell you later. First, tell me what you want to say."

The sect leader, Kang, looked slightly surprised. He handed He Chang a cup of strong tea and asked in a questioning voice, "Old Ye, how did you know I had something to say today?"

Ye Zhengwen picked up his teacup and chuckled, "With your temperament, why would you be willing to brew tea if you didn't have something to discuss with me?"

“Heh, that’s true.” Kang Dabao agreed, and turned to He Changyan, saying, “Your mother is in the dormitory talking to Yuan Xiaoniang about the scriptures. Yan Ge’er and Zhao Ge’er are there too. Chang’er, why don’t you go and talk to them?”

With two toddlers who were still learning to speak, what was there to say to Kang Da? He Chang knew that the former wanted to send him away, so he obediently agreed, placed the prepared fried food on the low table, and then left the cloud room.

Seeing that Kang Dabao had changed his spell and set up the restriction, Ye Zhengwen realized something was wrong and asked suspiciously, "You were the one who summoned Chang'er, so why are you kicking him out now?"

The former did not respond to him, but instead took out a letter and handed it to him, saying, "Take a look first."

Ye Zhengwen was surprised. He quickly glanced at the letter and frowned as he handed it back: "The clan in Yingzhou still won't allow Junior Brother Jiang to return to the clan?"

“That’s exactly what the third brother said in his letter,” Headmaster Kang said, his tone hardly lighthearted. “This is the third time already.”

After thinking for a while, Ye Zhengwen said, "In my opinion, it's probably not as simple as what Junior Brother Jiang said in his letter: that the Fei family wants to transfer him to the Yingshan Army as a deputy general."

Kang Dabao nodded: "I think so too. From the letters between Lao San and the clan, I can tell that Elder Nanxi of Yingzhou Qiushui Hall seems to want to keep Lao San as his son-in-law."

"So, in your opinion, is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It's a good thing for others, but not necessarily for the third brother," Sect Leader Kang sighed softly. "He's not the type to put up with things. If Elder Nanxi chooses a noble and high-ranking clan girl, it might cause trouble in the future. The Shuishui Hall is one of the three upper halls of the Fei family, and now it has three Golden Core elders in charge, making it much stronger than the Sheshan Hall. If the third brother doesn't comply, he'll offend people too. This is truly..."

"Yes, Junior Brother Jiang is indeed as the sect leader said. Even if he were to marry a noblewoman, it would hardly be considered a good thing." Ye Zhengwen nodded in agreement, then added:
"I've heard that things have been quite turbulent in the two river regions recently. The Emperor has already summoned the Prince of the South and is about to raise an army. The Fei family of Yingzhou has always been close to the Prince of the South, and the Prince of the South has been quite comfortable with their services. They have always selected capable people to accompany them. At this juncture, it might be quite dangerous for Junior Brother Jiang to become a deputy general in the Yingshan army."

Kang Dabao frowned even more: "That's what I thought too. If we really get involved in the real battle, it's far more serious than the small skirmishes we're doing in Shannan Road. More than one of the Blood Sword Sect's real cultivators has already died!"

If it weren't for a stroke of luck, the Southern King would probably be bedridden now. Even a Golden Core cultivator would struggle to survive in such a situation, let alone the Third Prince.

But... but how should I teach him to bring up the topic so he can extricate himself from the Fei family?

For the first time ever, Headmaster Kang regretted sending Jiang Qing to the clan's territory in Yingzhou. After all, if the latter were recruited into the Yingshan Army and given a military post, even if he returned to Chongming Sect, he would have little freedom and would still be at the Fei family's disposal.

At that time, it will be difficult to even get a chance to bargain! Then wouldn't all the junior brothers that I have raised with such difficulty become someone else's?
Ye Zhengwen, also growing anxious, felt a surge of anger. He took a sip of hot tea, the bitterness invigorating him and causing his eyes to narrow slightly. At the same time, his thoughts became clearer, and a sudden inspiration struck him:
"Has the sect leader considered that Elder Tianqin might be happy to see Elder Nanxi keep Junior Brother Jiang as his son-in-law, but what about Fei Sima?"

Kang Dabao's expression softened slightly, and he seemed to be deep in thought: "What do you mean?"

Ye Zhengwen sighed deeply: "The Azure Spirit Root was provided by Sheshan Hall, and the person was sent to Yingzhou out of a favor owed by Sheshan Hall. However, Junior Brother Jiang, whose spiritual body was already complete and whose future was bright, was taken by Qiushui Hall. If you, the sect leader, were to do this deal, would you have done it?"

"Snapped"

Master Kang slammed his palm down, the crisp sound making Ye Zhengwen, who was standing right next to him, ache in his ears and his head buzz. At the same time, he heard the former excitedly say:
“Of course not! Old Ye, you have a sharp mind. After some time, when Boyue comes out of seclusion, I will go to find him and ask him what to do.”

Ye Zhengwen rubbed his ears and reminded him, "Don't be too smug yet. We don't know if Fei Sima will speak up for us. Besides, even if Junior Brother Jiang is really summoned back, Sheshan Hall will probably still want to take him as their son-in-law."

"Let them confess, they can't escape it anyway! But it's better to have them under my watchful eye than to be locked up in Yingzhou and barely able to communicate with anyone!"

—Hanya Mountain, deep within Hong County
Fei Tianqin spread his wings and glided back and forth in the mountain area countless times, but ultimately failed to achieve anything. This made the old bird feel frustrated. After flapping its wings for a while, it turned around and returned to the third-grade mid-level spiritual vein that it had obtained after killing the Yellow-Headed Lion.

"How come it's so hard to find a third-tier demon school with no roots in such a large demon mountain, the place where the demon race's venerable one once established his kingdom?"

Fei Tianqin was somewhat annoyed and also regretful. If the demon core of the Yellow-Headed Lion had not been swallowed whole by it back then, he wouldn't be worrying about where to find a beast core for Kang Dabao now.

It, the Heavenly Diligence Ancestor, rarely boasts, and it would be extremely difficult for it to accept losing face over such a trivial matter.

It's been almost half a year since they came out this time, and Fei Nanying is still in seclusion. He has entrusted all matters, big and small, to Zhu Tong, a disciple of the Gui Xiang sect, for so long. It's time for him to go back and take a look.

Upon reaching this point, Fei Tianqin acted decisively, flapping his wings and flying out of the cave.

As the old bird brushed over the spiritual vein, it was still pondering: "I heard that young Kang seems to have expanded his territory thousands of miles outside Ping and Jin counties, recruiting many small businesses to develop there, and his business is quite prosperous."

The spiritual vein I found is probably five or six thousand miles away from Hong County. Along that route are countless scattered spiritual lands. If we can recruit people to settle and multiply there, even if it can't compare to the fertile lands of our clan, it will still be a significant benefit.”

But when Fei Tianqin thought about how much effort and energy it would take to sort out this middle section, he felt a little tired: "Let's wait until Nan Ying comes out of the pass and let him handle these matters."

Just as he made up his mind, Fei Tianqin smelled a strong stench of blood. He released his divine sense to investigate, and with a sharp glint in his eyes, he saw an old cultivator dressed in a black robe.

"Oh, I forgot to ask Kang. I wonder if he recognizes the golden core of a heretical cultivator?"

(End of this chapter)