Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 460 Shuhe leaves the pass and a man outside the pass obtains a treasure.
— Chongmingzong, Qinghanyuan
Not long after Pei Yi finished his seclusion to establish his foundation, Fei Shuhe finally emerged from seclusion. This time, she had cultivated seriously for a rare period of time, and when she came out, she had already reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. Although it could not be described as earth-shattering, it was not slow either.

Upon hearing the news, Kang Changxi came to greet his mother. Fei Shuhe was shocked to learn that her son had twice encountered someone like Peng Daoren of the Liangyi Sect. Her eyes showed lingering fear. She quickly looked Kang Changxi up and down before speaking:

"It was terrifying. Everyone said you were less than half a foot away from that old thief. I'm so glad I only found out about your audacity after I went into seclusion! If I had gone into seclusion before, I probably would have died in there in fear!"

In stark contrast to Fei Shuhe's concern, Kang Changxi spoke of this experience with great enthusiasm:
“Mother, there’s no need to worry so much. That old thief is quite skilled; he almost managed to fool Uncle. If I hadn’t learned the Golden Eye of Truth from Father, I would have been able to escape!”

Seeing Kang Changxi's reaction, Fei Shuhe stopped asking about it to avoid making the latter complacent. Instead, she changed the subject and asked, "Have you neglected your cultivation these days?"

"With Uncle around, how can we relax?!" Kang Changxi complained, but he knew what was good and bad, and a hint of joy appeared on his face when he mentioned Fei Enhua.

But the joy didn't last long before it faded. Kang Changxi sighed and said, "My uncle said he will be returning to Xuanwei City soon and will no longer be able to teach me in person."

Fei Shuhe laughed upon hearing this. She reached out to stroke Kang Changxi's head, but then realized that her son, who was only thirteen years old, was already half a head taller than her after leaving seclusion. So she pretended to be nonchalant and withdrew her hand, hiding it in her sleeve.
“Your Uncle Enhua is one of the few Ice Leaf Dao Foundation cultivators in my generation. Sheshan Hall still hopes that he can form a Golden Core and serve as a figurehead in the future. It is already a great favor from the Ancestor that he has taken the time to personally teach you these past few years. How can we continue to waste time by your side? If we are slow at this step, we will be slow at every step.”

Thirteen years old is an age when people in ordinary families can discuss marriage. Kang Changxi is already sensible and knows all this even if Fei Shuhe doesn't tell him: "I understand. Uncle is leaving the day after tomorrow. I will ask Senior Brother Jin to personally cook a feast to see him off."

Fei Shuhe glanced at her son with annoyance before saying, "Don't learn everything from your father. There are so many restaurants in Chongming Market. Although they lack refinement, you can still find a few with decent skills. Why do you have to go after your senior brother Jin?"
"You know he's been busy all these years working on building his foundation with spiritual objects, so busy he hasn't even had time to care for his wife and children at home. When he does come back, it's always to solidify his foundation. Does he really have time to do you favors?"

“If Senior Brother Jin comes to help me, I can still earn money, and I won’t have to go out and travel.”

Kang Changxi did not change his mind just because his mother's tone was unpleasant. After laughing, he said, "Even if my senior brother doesn't accept my spirit stones, I, as his uncle, will just transfer the provisions to Jin Tanglu."

Fei Shuhe shook her head and didn't say anything more. Instead, she instructed Granny Sun for a while: "There is a colorful jade and gold hairpin in my dressing case. It was a gift from the mistress of the Zheng family of Yunwei when I got married. It's useless to keep it. Please send it to Mo'er when you have time."

"The servant understands and will go and take care of it."

So many years have passed, and Granny Sun looks much older than before, her body also much more hunched. Now she is over sixty years old, and in terms of fighting skills, she is probably no longer as good as Fei Shuhe. Strictly speaking, she can no longer be considered a protector of the Dao, and can only do some chores like a dowry maid.

Kang Changxi treated the old nanny, who had come from her maternal grandmother's room, with great respect. She picked up a jujube from the small table and began to chew it, not forgetting to invite her, "Changxi will host the event, and you can come too, nanny."

Granny Sun was delighted to hear this, but after laughing for a while and before she could speak, Fei Shuhe glanced at her own son with a headache and said helplessly, "You are good at treating people, but you are just like your father."

Kang Changxi chuckled for a while, crunching loudly as he ate a handful of Fire Spirit Dates, splashing juice everywhere. His boorish manner was completely at odds with the image of a noble son that outsiders had of him.

Upon seeing this scene, Fei Shuhe's expression of helplessness deepened.

Of her two eldest sons, Kang Changyi, the eldest son raised by his mother since childhood, possesses a noble air and a dazzling brilliance. In contrast, Kang Changxi, a genuine descendant of the Golden Core lineage, is rather rough and uncultured, causing Fei Shuhe considerable headaches.

She watched quietly as Kang Changxi devoured a whole bowl of Fire Spirit Dates, enough to cover the expenses of a small family for a year. She found it quite amusing and didn't forget to take out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of his mouth.

Kang Changxi had clearly enjoyed such heartwarming moments many times, and showed no sign of being flattered or surprised, appearing quite content.

As Fei Shuhe worked, she said to Kang Changxi, "You must strive to improve yourself and master your skills as soon as possible. I just asked your great-grandmother for help last time, and she said that when the time is right, she can send you to the Yu Kun Han family to cultivate."

That's a truly prestigious family, far surpassing even our Fei family of Yingzhou, let alone your father's humble origins. Once you're there, just focus on your cultivation; nothing else matters. With diligent effort, achieving the Core Formation and Nascent Soul stage is entirely within your reach.”

"I was thinking that if I went to the Han family, it wouldn't be as fun as home," Kang Changxi said, and his mother glared at him with some displeasure as soon as he said this.

The child gave his mother an awkward smile for a while before explaining, "My grandparents passed away too early. My father lost his father at a young age but was still able to achieve great things. I have been taught by famous teachers and loved by my mother since I was a child. There is no reason why I cannot do what my father was able to do."

Fei Shuhe shook her head and sighed, saying in a low voice, "Stop talking nonsense. If your father had been able to study under a famous master earlier, he might already be a Golden Core cultivator by now. How could he possibly be here?"

These words were rather blunt and disrespectful to the late Headmaster He. Fei Shuhe realized her mistake halfway through her sentence and gave Kang Changxi another instruction:
"There have been many things going on lately. If you have nothing to do, just stay in the mountains and cultivate in peace. Don't run into any more ruthless old bastards who kill without blinking an eye, or you'll scare your old mother so much that her heart will jump out of her chest."

"Uncle Qin's second son recently asked me to come to Han Ya Mountain for a visit." Kang Changxi had only spoken halfway when he saw Fei Shuhe's face darken. He then explained, "It's not good to break a promise made beforehand. A man's word is his bond, Mother."

"A real man? I can't be bothered with you. Go ahead then." Fei Shuhe said unhappily. After walking a few steps with her back turned, she turned back and said, "Before you leave, tell her that you want the nanny to go out with you."

Kang Changxi was unwilling to do so and hurriedly declined, saying, "I have Brother Xiaoqi to protect me. It's better for you to stay with Mother and take good care of her."

"Then forget it. I'll go write to Madam Yue and ask her to remind her second son that he's been busy lately and shouldn't go out."

Upon hearing this, Kang Changxi's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly ran up to Fei Shuhe, who was about to turn away, and said with an awkward smile, "Hehe, what is Mother doing now? Mother is in seclusion and working so hard. How can I bear to hear Mother sending me books? I will do whatever Mother says."

Fei Shuhe glanced at her son, feeling that his words and actions were all familiar. She was stunned for a few moments before she realized what was going on. After seeing her son off, she smiled calmly and said, "They really are exactly the same."

————Daling River
The river surface was shimmering with tiny moonlight, the silvery spots of light being woven into countless strands by the undercurrent.

Old willows on both banks droop their withered branches, gently tapping the water's surface in the night breeze, startling a few fireflies that hover low along the ripples. A half-buried bamboo raft drifts upstream, its stern entangled by duckweed, carrying a few faded remnants of red paper lanterns, spinning in the eddies.

Suddenly, silver scales leaped from the water's surface, the splash shattering the reflection of the full moon. When the ripples subsided, only the afterimage of half a fish's tail stirring remained. Suddenly, several clumps of long reeds rustled in the river, and a slender night heron's long beak pierced the inky water, snatching a string of water droplets that formed a silver chain. The hunter couldn't enjoy his meal in peace; a golden arrow pierced the air. Before the high-grade demon beast could even feel the pain, the white feathers on its chest were stained crimson. For some reason, it didn't react; despite its severe injury, it still desperately clung to the spirit fish it had already swallowed, and together they fell into a thick arm adorned with snake-patterned bracelets.

The owner of this arm landed on a Thunderfire Ship in the middle of the river. This ship was newly purchased by the Chongming Alliance from the Wanbao Trading Company. It was said to have been made by a branch of the Lu Gong Sect, a major sect of the Nascent Soul stage, and was considered a pretty good second-tier spiritual tool.

The ship is equipped with thirty-six Tier 1 fighter puppets, six Tier 1 crossbows, three Tier 1 star-shooting crossbows, and two Tier 2 thunderstorm formations (one main and one secondary). When activated, they are difficult for ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators to withstand.

If there were one or two true cultivators on board, they would probably not be afraid of more than 90% of the Foundation Establishment forces in the surrounding states.

Yang Xun was one of the true cultivators stationed on the ship. He threw the unknown spirit fish from the night heron's mouth to his feet, carefully plucked all the white feathers off the night heron in his hand, and then casually handed it to the attendant beside him, whispering, "Give it to Chef Gu to cook carefully, and bring it to the He family's main cabin at the right time."

The attendant respectfully acknowledged the request, while Yang Xun quickly walked to the main cabin and gently knocked on the door: "Is Patriarch He resting now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the spiritual energy above the door flashed and opened on its own. Yang Xun saw He Degong smiling and greeting him at the door, and immediately apologized, "I've come to bother Patriarch He again."

"Yang Bai, please take a seat."

He Degong stepped aside, and Yang Xun, without putting on any airs of seniority, bowed slightly before following him into the cabin.

At first glance, the cabin was simply furnished. The bed, table, and futon were all magical artifacts, but they were just ordinary items, which was somewhat inconsistent with He Degong's status as the head of the He family.

The only thing that caught the eye in the cabin was a commercial map floating in mid-air. The brocade, about two zhang long and wide, was covered with annotations, so dense that there was hardly any space.

Yang Xun had no idea where He Degong had learned such frugality, and thinking of his concubines and male concubines in his cabin, he felt a pang of shame. He glanced curiously at the map in mid-air for a couple of seconds, then heard He Degong cough lightly:
"Please wait a moment, Mr. Lao Yangbai. I have a few more orders to make."

The former didn't mind at all: "It was my rudeness to come today, how can I blame the head of the He family?"

Upon hearing this, He Degong merely chuckled and then focused all his attention on the map before him. Although the He family of Hong County had devoted themselves to business for generations, they were still novices when it came to trading on the Daling River, which connected several nearby prefectures.

The reason for this is simply that some people here consider themselves the masters of the river and have always refused to allow merchant ships to travel without their permission.

However, since He Degong volunteered to open up trade routes and set up the Chongming Alliance, it has been a year or two, and he has never encountered any river bandits or thieves that his fellow travelers hate so much, which is the envy of many.

However, upon closer reflection, it makes sense. After all, before embarking on the trade, Alliance Leader Kang had invited Vice Alliance Leader Bian Hu to lead a battalion of Qingjue Guards on a leisurely journey along the waterways.

As a result, among the many businesses on this river that operate without any initial investment, only those who are desperate and at their wits' end would dare not provoke them.

He Degong knew why the He family had gone from nearly falling apart after He Dezong's sudden death to being so prosperous and thriving today.

Therefore, he was very dedicated to the waterway trade route that the Grand Master Kang was so concerned about. In addition, he knew that with his aptitude, it would be difficult for him to establish a foundation, so he simply put aside his cultivation and did this for the He family.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, He Degong put down his pen. The chef specially hired by the ship then brought over a bowl of hot soup. Yang Xun came up and explained, "I heard that Master He likes to eat feathered animals. Just now, while we were sightseeing on the stern, we were lucky enough to find a night heron. I brought it here for Master He to taste."

"General Bai, how can this be!" He Degong declined, but he also tasted the hot soup in the cup and felt refreshed. He praised it.

Yang Xun opened two more jars of wine and poured out his enthusiastic words as if they were free. Before long, He Degong was slightly drunk, and the two became much more intimate. They stopped calling each other "Master" and "General" and kept calling each other "Brother Dao" repeatedly.

It was late at night when Yang Xun finally emerged from He Degong's cabin. The moment he saw the full moon overhead, his eyes cleared instantly. The smell of alcohol on his body dissipated into smoke, and he felt much more refreshed.

With each step Yang Xun took towards his cabin, his resentment grew stronger. The thought that he, a dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator, had to come here specifically to curry favor with a mere Qi Refining cultivator for the sake of his family was something that would make him a laughingstock.

However, He Degong, a Qi Refining cultivator, is considered an important figure within the Chongming Alliance. If Yang Xun wants the Yang family of Hongshan to be included among them, he must curry favor with such a person.

He Degong was a businessman, and while he was much more tactful in his speech and actions than Zhou Yixiu, a peasant, he still didn't loosen his grip. But Yang Xun hadn't expected that a mere demon bird could bribe He Degong; it was just a good start, as anticipated.

He shook his head and sighed. The world is full of hardships. The Hongshan Yang family only has two or three people who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage. They urgently need to find a reliable circle.

Yang Xun had just reached the ship's railing to smell the river breeze when he saw that the spirit fish he had casually tossed onto the deck was still there. His mood worsened. He used his divine sense to lift the fish and put it back into the river, but at that moment, he sensed something unusual.

A ray of light sliced ​​open the fish's belly, revealing a small black cloth pouch stained with crimson, which appeared in Yang Xun's eyes.

"Whose storage bag did this fish swallow?!"

No one answered his innermost thoughts in the middle of the night. The salty river wind brushed against his face, soaking Yang Xun's clothes and urging him to carefully hide the storage bag in his bosom.

Immediately afterwards, the night wind picked up and grew stronger, blowing the Thunderfire Ship further and further away. Before long, a thick fog shrouded the bright moon overhead, making it look like a star that had fallen into an inkwell, floating uncertainly in the boundless night.

(Sorry everyone, I'll try to be earlier tomorrow.)

(End of this chapter)