Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 490 Amorous Men and Alchemy Theory

According to the "Chongming Danben", Evergreen Vine can replenish the vital energy of true cultivators and help people break through realms; it also says that this spiritual medicine is made from the flesh and blood of the remains of a third-level demon, and can bring the dead back to life and heal the bones.

By the time Zhou Yixiu got to this point, the fervor in his eyes as he looked at the ivy had faded considerably.

Kang Dabao sensed something was amiss but didn't ask any further questions. He only heard the old man speak softly again: "This last point was indeed a mistake made by Master Zhang when he compiled the alchemy manual."

My junior brother has taken the time over the years to compare the *Chixin Danlu* and *Changying Danshi*, both alchemical texts compiled by the Shangxiu School, and neither mentions this matter. Therefore, it seems that the patriarch left behind some errors.”

Headmaster Kang nodded without speaking, but he seemed to agree with Zhou Yixiu's speculation.

After all, the founding patriarch Zhang Yuandao was a learned scholar, capable of even comprehending the Golden Eye of Illusion. Yet, the latter remained a Foundation Establishment cultivator throughout his life, far inferior to Kang Dabao in terms of vision and cultivation. It's perfectly normal for a compilation of a pill manual intended for Qi Refining cultivators to contain some errors.

Kang Dabao didn't take Zhou Yixiu's words to heart, nor did he care to ask why this old man, who had spent over a hundred years working in the fields, wanted to study alchemical texts.

He sensed that something was wrong with the latter's condition and was about to speak when he saw Zhou Yixiu smile apologetically and push the life-saving elixir, which was practically irreplaceable, back onto the low table of Headmaster Kang.

After doing all this, Zhou Yixiu suddenly noticed that Kang Dabao's face darkened instantly, becoming almost as black as charcoal. He was slightly taken aback at first, but his usual cautious demeanor was nowhere to be seen; he simply gave a faint smile.
"Senior Brother, Junior Brother cannot accept such a precious item."

"Bang!" The precious spiritual seeds that Zhou Yixiu had selected and processed flew haphazardly into the air along with the fragments of the low table. The sect leader Kang, who was sitting opposite him, stood up, his eyes filled with rage, looking as if he wanted to devour people.

"You can't stand it?! Do you know that I, Daoist Master, risked my life alongside Xiao Sanzi against the Golden Core cultivator for this evergreen vine?! Both of our lives were nearly lost along with the flying sword that Xiao Sanzi had just retrieved from the Fei family! What makes you think you can't stand it?!"

In Lao Xiu's memory, there were very few times when Kang Dabao was so angry. What happened this time was somewhat unexpected.

Zhou Yixiu listened quietly to his senior brother's speech with his head bowed. When he looked up, the old man's eyes were also bloodshot, and it was hard to tell whether it was from sorrow or shame.
"Senior Brother, since this is his origin, Yixiu should not accept it!"

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao nearly widened his small eyes to the size of copper bells, and sneered, "Damn it, you murderous bastard, how can you be so infuriating?!"

After a moment of silence, Zhou Yixiu, who had been scolded, waited for a long time before speaking: "Senior Brother, the best thing I did in my life was to accept your teachings on behalf of our master and become Chongming's disciple."

Objectively speaking, the old man's words were a bit cloying, but the sincerity in them softened them, making the Grand Master Kang sitting opposite him feel that it was just right and his expression relaxed slightly.

The latter sighed softly, "Why bring this up out of the blue?"

Zhou Yixiu's mood changed quickly. After only a few breaths, his tone was no longer low: "Hehe, the little bit of good deeds that Yixiu has accumulated should still be left for Yunzhou's cultivation. It can't be exchanged for these third-grade spiritual herbs."

Kang Dabao's anger flared up again: "You can't afford to replace it, but I can't?!" He was so angry that he wanted to slam the table, but then he found that the low table in front of him had already been reduced to pieces. So he had no choice but to walk up to Zhou Yixiu and smash the low table next to him to pieces as well.

After doing all that, he took out another pill bottle and said softly, "Look, I've even prepared Foundation Establishment Pills for you. You're not young anymore, so you should have some ambition."

Zhou Yixiu felt a warmth in her heart, and as she smiled, she narrowed her dim, yellowish old eyes, giving her a kind look.
"Senior Brother, Yixiu is over 130 years old, and his cultivation is only at the seventh level of Qi Refining. Even if he cultivates to the peak of Qi Refining with tiger and wolf medicine and then uses this evergreen vine to replenish his vital energy, what are the chances of him reaching Foundation Establishment after taking the pill? Senior Brother, have you calculated that?"

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"The probability is less than 10%, less than 10%, to waste such a precious spiritual item that is even more valuable than a Golden Core cultivator. Given your character, Senior Brother, you shouldn't be doing this deal."

After Zhou Yixiu finished speaking, his smile did not diminish. However, seeing that Sect Leader Kang remained silent for a long time, he spoke again and said, "Even if Junior Brother reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, he will probably not be of much use to the sect."

“Whether it’s useful or not is not something you, as a junior, can discuss. I…” Kang Dabao was only halfway through his sentence when Zhou Yixiu, who was always respectful and dared not disobey, suddenly stood up and said, “Senior Brother, with Rongquan presiding over Master Jia’s sect, there’s no need to worry.”

Kang Dabao's expression remained unchanged, but Zhou Yixiu continued to persuade him: "The reason I was able to become a second-level low-grade farming master is firstly because my senior brother brought back Lady Qi's farming master manual; secondly, it is because of my accumulation of knowledge and experience over the past hundred years."

But human strength is finite. Even with the care of my senior brothers and the cultivation of the sect, Yi Xiu's talent is still only that of an ordinary person. Even if he could truly establish his foundation, I fear I would find it difficult to go any further on the path of cultivation.

"What kind of nonsense is this?!" Unable to find a reason to refute it, Sect Leader Kang simply stopped listening and instead whispered instructions to Zhou Yixiu:
“I will ask Master Qi to come over in the next few days to tell you about the wonderful uses of refining ivy. Listen carefully, even though it is only one person’s opinion, it will still help you avoid some setbacks.”

"Thank you for your kindness, senior brother."

"Zhou Yixiu! Zhou Yixiu! Are you out of your mind, old man?! Do you even know that?! You're already 130 years old, and if you don't reach the Foundation Establishment stage, you'll die!! You'll die!!!" Headmaster Kang suddenly flew into a rage and grabbed the old man's collar.

It was only when Kang Dabao held Zhou Yixiu in his hand that he realized that his junior brother had become so light that only his bones weighed him down. This was truly the sign of exhaustion!
"Wait here, I'll go find Master Qi right now and ask him to guide you. Everything will be alright, everything will be alright!!"

"Big Brother!"

"Stop nagging! I was able to find the Evergreen Vine for you when I was in the Foundation Establishment stage, so when I'm in the Golden Core stage, I can snatch any Golden Core-forming spiritual treasures I need. There's no need for you to be here scavenging for me!"

Kang Dabao suddenly became impatient, completely disregarding what Zhou Yixiu was about to say, and was about to abandon her and head to Xuanwei City. According to his eldest son Kang Changyi, his master's cultivation had improved again a year ago, and he should still be recuperating at the Qi residence.

"Senior Brother, I miss Xue Rong."

Zhou Yixiu's words came from behind, her grief barely concealed, yet tinged with a sense of relief. However, Zhou Yixiu's silence only fueled Kang Da-zhang's fury once more:
"Fuck your mother's fart!"

Enraged, Kang Dabao roared, his bloodshot eyes wide and fierce like a dragon or tiger, making Zhou Yixiu feel his body burn even through his robes. Before the old cultivator could even look away, he heard Kang Dabao shout again, "I'm constantly being called a 'womanizer' by those bastards outside, but the number of women I've slept with in my life doesn't even amount to a fraction of what you've had! And now, in front of me, you insist on playing the lover?!"

Upon hearing the question, the old cultivator's face showed a faint hint of embarrassment. Gradually, he lowered his head again, a slight smile playing on his lips. His mind flashed with images of his beloved wife and young children, whose faces had long been forgotten by the Great Master Kang. He murmured:
"Brother, please don't laugh. Yixiu truly thinks about it every single day."

“I think about it every single day, I think about it every single day.” Kang Dabao murmured to himself, then suddenly closed his eyes and sneered, “How could I, your master, encounter such a thing? And why can’t I even give away this life-extending spiritual item?!”

Zhou Yixiu could hear the anger in Master Kang's words. After thinking for a while, he slowly said, "Senior Brother, the best thing I did in my life was to accept your teachings on behalf of our master and become a disciple of Chongming."

Upon hearing this, the latter involuntarily shuddered slightly, then sighed wistfully and picked up the evergreen vine and Foundation Building Pill that had fallen to the ground.

Kang Dabao simply sat down next to Zhou Yixiu, not minding the bits of wood and spirit seeds scattered on the ground getting into his flesh.

The two remained silent for a while. After a long time, the thick smoke from the large oil candle made Kang Dabao squint and turn his head away. After the smoke dissipated, the sect leader Kang did not turn back.

He simply patted Zhou Yixiu on the shoulder and chuckled as he yelled at the latter, "Where's the wine?!"

The quiet bedroom gradually became lively again, and the commotion didn't subside for a while until Yuan Jin arrived with wine and meat. However, this liveliness couldn't last long.

Ten days later, Xiao Huanshan
As soon as Kang Dabao returned to the courtyard from Wild Fox Mountain, he was met with a series of disdainful looks from his wives and concubines.

It makes sense. After such a big incident, instead of going home to inform his family, he went to have drinks with Yuan Jin and Zhou Yixiu, who were far away in Yehushan.

Even though Fei Shuhe, the matriarch of the family, didn't say anything unpleasant, the head of the Kang family was already secretly pleased that the Fei family of Yingzhou had raised their children well. What did it matter if they suffered a few disdainful looks?
Unlike the other mothers, Kang Changxi looked at his father with eyes full of respect after only hearing the gist of the matter.

With rumors circulating that three men can make a tiger, it is widely believed that Kang Dabao played a significant role in the Yang family's attack on Yang Baofeng. It is even said that Huang Li, the upper cultivator, would have been beheaded if not for the great sect leader Kang's life-saving protection.
Although the news was somewhat exaggerated, Kang Changxi felt very proud when it was mentioned by others, regardless of its truthfulness.

However, Kang Dabao was not very appreciative of his son's enthusiasm. Even after returning, the sect leader did not stay in the courtyard for long before going to visit Jiang Qing, who had returned to the sect earlier to recuperate from his injuries.

The latter's injuries were quite severe this time. If it weren't for the two cultivators from the Yang family being afraid of taking responsibility and promptly administering spiritual medicine, Jiang Qing's injuries might have already delayed his cultivation journey.

Even so, according to the book, Jiang Qing's injuries will require several years of proper recuperation before they can heal quickly.

Whether Master Jiang will be able to follow medical advice, avoid violence, and focus on recuperation in the coming years is not something Master Kang is optimistic about, but at least he should keep a close eye on him while he has the time to look after him.

They had only gone a short distance when Kang Changxi caught up from behind, urging urgently, "Father, Mother wants you to go back; it's important!"

"How come there's something important to do after only walking a few steps?" Kang Dabao found it strange, but he knew that his wife was not one to throw tantrums, so he followed Kang Changxi back.

When Master Kang stepped into the courtyard again, Fei Shuhe was holding a letter with only a few words on it, which made the beautiful woman's face light up with joy.

Kang Dabao took a look and his eyes widened in surprise: "Oh, it's actually Boyue who's coming to our sect?"

This is no small matter. Fei Nanying has rarely shown his face in recent years, and the first thing he did when he went out was head straight for Chongmingzong. This alone is enough to make many families within the jurisdiction of the Duke of Qin's mansion think carefully.

Ye Zhengwen, who was preoccupied with worldly affairs, was summoned by Master Kang and, after listening to his words, temporarily put aside his work and began to make arrangements with his disciples.

Three more days passed, and all of Chongmingzong's careful arrangements came to naught. Fei Nanying did not come to visit, but instead sent a message to summon Headmaster Kang to come out for a meeting.

When Kang Dabao drove the Kui Xing Shuttle to the place where Fei Nanying had spoken, he saw the figure of this superior cultivator.

Perhaps because it had been a long time since he had seen Fei Nanying, the Grand Master Kang felt that Fei Nanying's temperament had become even more profound and dignified upon their meeting. It seemed that as time went by, all the benefits of a mid-grade Golden Core were beginning to manifest.

Given time, Fei Nanying could probably sweep aside his peers like Pu Honggu and Xiang Tianxing, if he didn't encounter a prodigy like his own Tianqin Ancestor.

"This humble one greets Boyue!"

Upon hearing Kang Dabao speak, Fei Nanying, who had been gazing at the sky with his hands behind his back, turned his gaze to the former, his tone tinged with surprise and doubt:

"Yang Baofeng is quite skilled. I went there once years ago and fought with him, but even if it were just the two of us fighting, the outcome would be uncertain. It's rare that you were able to withstand one of his blows without much injury."

Kang Dabao didn't say much, but waited for Fei Nanying to speak again. After Fei Nanying formed his core, he did become more aloof, and seemed to have no intention of saying much to the sect leader Kang. He simply handed over a storage bag.

"This is."

“I had Yang Baoshan and the others take some things from Yang Baofeng’s storage bag and put them in,” Fei Nanying’s tone suddenly hardened, making Kang Dabao look puzzled. Instead of explaining, he asked in return:
"Everyone says that among the Duke's Mansion, you, Headmaster Kang, are the best at business, but I don't think so. You took such a great risk to eliminate the future troubles of the Yang family in Yezhou, and all you got in return was an evergreen vine and a Foundation Establishment Pill. Why didn't you even negotiate a price?"

Kang Dabao was taken aback after hearing this. He knew that compared to the risks of killing Yang Baoshan, the reward he would receive was indeed low.

Jiang Qing, needless to say, not only lost his exceptionally useful top-grade flying sword, but also had his own cultivation delayed for several years.

At the time, Yang Yongcheng was vague, and Kang Dabao did not know why he was conscripted. Even if Yang Yongcheng was not afraid of the news leaking out and told the truth, how could he, the head of the sect, have the ability to negotiate with the Golden Core cultivator?
Seeing that Kang Dabao did not answer, Fei Nanying spoke up again, saying, "I went to Yezhou myself."

Before Kang Dabao could even look through the storage bag after taking it, he was surprised to hear Fei Nanying's words and exclaimed, "Ah? Boyue went to Yezhou?"

“If we don’t go to Yezhou, how can we make up for it for you?” Fei Nanying flicked his cloak and continued, “I originally had my eye on Yang Baofeng’s mixed gold whip, but the Yang family uncle and nephew are both good at saying nice things, so I only let them pick up some rare spiritual items to put in.”

"Thank you, Boyue,"

"No need for thanks. If they dared to come looking for you without prior notice, that would be breaking the rules. The eldest son-in-law of the Fei family of Yingzhou is not someone that just anyone can order around."

It's only because our ancestor hasn't been in the south of the mountain recently; otherwise, given its temperament, not long after the death of that Golden Core cultivator from the Yang family's collateral branch, it's likely that not all the direct descendants of the Yang family would survive. My actions here are truly excessively lenient.”

At this point, Fei Nanying stopped Kang Dabao from bowing in gratitude, and then said in a low voice, "In the future, if you encounter any problems, you need to be more assertive. You're not one of those worthless, spineless people; how can you be so easily manipulated?!"

Kang Dabao replied in a low voice, "I know there are many things to do at home, so I don't want to cause trouble for Boyue."

Fei Nanying chuckled lightly: "The mere Yang family of Yezhou, when we were serving as ministers in Shannan, might have required some respect from us, but how could they be considered 'troublesome'?"

"I understand, kid."

"Hmm, it seems that the Yang family uncle and nephew have something important to say this time, which is why they dare to make things difficult for you and even disregard Shuhe's identity."

With that, Fernando's polite remarks were finished.

Gradually, his expression turned serious, and he pointed to the storage bag, saying, "There is a piece of Yellow Dragon Wood inside, which is an excellent spiritual item to help you form your core. It should be very compatible with your Dao foundation. Keep it for yourself. Remember that this item likes the sun, so don't leave it in some corner or dark place and let its spiritual energy dissipate."

After speaking, he glanced at Kang Dabao again. The latter did not show much joy on his face, but he was calm and composed. This made Fei Nanying feel that he had not given the Core Formation spiritual item he had obtained by giving face to the wrong person.

However, he remained expressionless, tossed his cloak aside, and asked in a low voice, "Alright, I have many other matters to attend to and cannot stay here for long. Tell me about your theory of alchemy first, and see if it is complete, and whether I can fill in any gaps."

(End of this chapter)