Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 494 Meeting the Ancestor
Yunjiao Prefecture and Ying Prefecture are separated by more than a hundred prefectures, a distance of countless miles. It was only because Fei Tianqin's escape speed was extraordinary, otherwise, the Kang family would have been delayed for who knows how long on the road.

However, besides riding on the back of this old bird and seeing the beautiful mountains and rivers and the vast sea of ​​clouds along the way, Master Kang also realized that even a powerful nobleman of the Immortal Dynasty still had many forbidden places to visit along the way.

Naturally isolated areas are few in number; most are bustling towns and cities.

It seems that these are all Daoist temples whose ruling sects are not very fond of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty. Even Fei Tianqin, that arrogant old bird, has to take a detour to avoid trouble.

However, Kang Dabao felt that Fei Tianqin was visibly much more amiable and approachable this time. In his spare time, he not only took the initiative to preach and answer questions, but also gave him several books of previous practitioners' manuals for reference.

Even Changyi and Changxi benefited from this. During their rest time, the old bird even took the time to guide them in their cultivation of Taoist arts, truly showing great kindness.

Master Kang was quite surprised by this. Perhaps he had never encountered such good fortune in his life, so he was naturally more concerned and could not enjoy such favors as his wife and children. He was just being cautious in secret.

Even with Fei Tianqin, a top-tier demon academy of the third rank, leading the way, it still took the group several months to travel from Shannan Road to the capital region, demonstrating the vastness of the Immortal Dynasty's territory.

No wonder the reigns of various kings who seized power lasted for hundreds of years. If it weren't for the various flying boats that provided transportation, the journey would have been much longer if these low-level cultivators, who were as numerous as cartloads of animals, were to rely solely on their own physical strength.

As soon as they entered the airspace over the capital region, Fei Tianqin visibly felt much more relaxed, and even the headmaster Kang felt his back soften a bit.

Yingzhou, the destination of this trip, is not exactly in the heart of the capital region. The Fei family may be considered prominent in the southern part of the mountains, but in the capital region, even if the Fei family is barely the most powerful family in the world, they are still just a powerful family.

This place is presided over by a number of prominent families, such as the Han family of Yukun and the Liu family of Jinlin. Even outsider families, such as the Gui family of Liaoyuan, temporarily receive official land in several prefectures for their livelihood because of important figures like Gui Nianzhi who have entered the court to work.

Therefore, even though Fei Yeqing, the current head of the Fei family in Yingzhou, is somewhat outstanding, he is still far inferior to these noble families. It is only because of his close relationship with the Kuang family clan that he can be considered to have a slightly superior status, and some Nascent Soul cultivators are even willing to condescend to treat Fei Yeqing as an equal.

However, Fei Yezhi's lifespan is not long after all. After his death, whether the Fei family can still control the fertile land of Yingzhou will depend on the current emperor's will.

In this vast realm, regardless of whether they were powerful figures in the capital region or in other areas, there was a rare consensus: "The Kuang family cannot be entirely trusted."

The Fei family of Yingzhou may not be unaware of these things, but their family has been linked to the royal family through marriage since the time of the late emperor, and even produced an empress.

After Fei Ye-yi took over the household, perhaps because the Fei family's descendants had already shown signs of decline, even the number of those who could cultivate were only a handful, and they were gradually unable to protect the family's foundation.

This left them with no other choice but to do something quite unusual: the Fei family of Yingzhou completely sided with the Kuang family's clan, thus gaining the Emperor's trust and support.

During the hundreds of years that Fei Yelin was in charge of the family, the Fei family not only gained control of the entire Yingzhou region due to their status as maternal relatives and the lives of their descendants, but also produced a continuous stream of genuine Golden Elixir pills.

Excluding outsiders, the Fei family of Yingzhou already has seventeen high-level cultivators in charge, including Fei Nanying, a mid-grade Golden Core cultivator.

Therefore, from any perspective, Fei Yeyi made invaluable contributions to the Fei family of Yingzhou, and the title of "ancestor of the family's revival" is well-deserved.

However, whether the Fei family of Yingzhou will decline after Fei Yeyi's death, as outsiders predict, is something no one can be entirely certain of.

This may depend on how well Fei Nanying, the well-known successor, performs. Everyone knows that if the Fei family wants to maintain its current prestige, the position of head of the Fei family cannot be held by just an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.

However, Fei Yeyi was quite adept at betting, and Fei Nanying had already secured a key position in the highly coveted Duke of Qin's mansion.

If Kuang Liuting, a top-grade Golden Core cultivator whom the royal family of David has been hoping for for generations, were to truly ascend to the throne, then Fei Nanying, as a former member of the Prince's residence, would naturally rise in rank as well. Perhaps, a True Person like him, whom the Fei family of Yingzhou has never produced before, would indeed emerge.

The current sect leader, Kang, is merely a minor cultivator. He couldn't truly see the seemingly prosperous Fei family of Yingzhou, which was actually in dire straits. However, he could glean some insight from Fei Ye's bet on the Kuang Liuting pills.

When he was down on his luck, he frequented gambling dens in Linghe Market, hoping to make some quick money. But after losing so much, he realized that this kind of money was not something he could earn.

However, after Sect Leader Kang had squandered all the spirit stones he had painstakingly collected, he hadn't come away empty-handed; he had at least gained a little bit of knowledge:

In gambling dens, there are roughly two types of gamblers who bet everything: one type has vast farmlands and doesn't care about the chips on the table; the other type has no way out and is willing to risk everything.

Kang Dabao didn't think that Ye Sui, the patriarch of the Fei family, was like the former type of person, so what about the Fei family of Yingzhou?
The fact that Elder Fei Tianqin specially brought Kang Dabao's family back from Yunjiao Prefecture was a significant event for the Fei family.

The youngest and least senior servant, Senior Sister Fernandes, who was staying at home, personally greeted him. Accompanying him were a group of attendants, two rows of maids, and a particularly handsome young man with a single horn.

The sect leader Kang had seen this person serving by Fei Dongwen's side when Fei Dongwen came to Xuanwei City to comfort the cultivators of Sheshan Hall and hold a small competition. In his memory, this person should be Fei Shuhe's uncle, named Fei Nanyi.

"Our ancestor has had a long and arduous journey,"

"This is such a short distance, how can it be considered arduous? Compared to when I, your ancestor, personally accompanied you on your campaigns, it was..." Fei Tianqin seemed to be in a good mood, reminiscing with the younger generation before him. After calling Kang Dabao and his group to come forward and pay their respects to their elders, he then turned to Fei Nanxi and asked:
"Has my younger brother recently emerged from seclusion?"

Fei Nanyi was clearly more aware of these complicated matters than Fei Nanxi. When he heard Fei Tianqin ask the question, he stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Ancestor Ye Yi went to the Elixir-Bearing Platform ten days ago to discuss alchemy with Consort Peng. He returned in high spirits three days later."

"Peng Gongfeng"

After Kang Dabao murmured a few times, a shadow appeared in his mind, and he saw Fei Tianqin, who had shrunk to a height of ten feet, nodding at Fei Nanxi.

This old bird didn't exchange any pleasantries with these younger generation members, only asking that Fernanxi properly settle Fei Shuhe and her two children.

When a married daughter returns home to visit her family, she is considered a guest and cannot be treated poorly, otherwise it would be disrespectful to her in-laws. The Fei family will make proper arrangements according to etiquette.

As for Master Kang, he had no time to rest and had to accompany Fei Tianqin to the Baodan Platform to meet Fei Yeyi.

Ever since he followed Fei Tianqin to Yingzhou, Kang Dabao's anxiety had never ceased.

Although, according to common sense, Fei Yeyi, who is known for his magnanimity, should not hold a grudge about what happened back then, he is, after all, a top-tier Golden Core cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage. If he really has any grievances or dissatisfaction, then Headmaster Kang can only use the Creation Green Smoke to save his life.

Unfortunately, there is only one wisp of this auspicious smoke, which may not even be enough to deal with two top-tier Golden Core cultivators, let alone in Yingzhou, where the Fei family's main sect alone has more than two hands' worth of cultivators.
Kang Dabao felt uneasy and remained silent the whole way. Fei Tianqin, who was walking ahead, spoke first: "The Nan Yi had a trace of Kui dragon bloodline manifested in his body. That's why he showed outstanding talent after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage and was able to extend his lifespan by half a century."

Therefore, even though his aptitude was far superior to Nancy and the others, his bloodline meant that the resources required for advancing to the Golden Core stage far exceeded those of his peers, which delayed his progress.

"Kui Dragon bloodline?"

Although Master Kang wasn't very knowledgeable, he knew that anything in this world bearing the word "dragon" was no ordinary object. Of course, there were also many things like "Yellow Dragon Wood" that forcibly attached themselves to the word, which required careful discernment.

But why would Fei Tianqin suddenly tell me these things?
"Are you trying to tell me that the Fei family of Yingzhou has the bloodline of the Kui Dragon? And that I should have more direct descendants with Shuhe?!" Kang Dabao pondered for a while, but couldn't be sure.

After all, this idea is quite far-fetched. Even if what this old bird said is not an exaggeration, the Kui Dragon bloodline in the Fei family members must be extremely thin. Even if it takes another five hundred years, it is unlikely that another person like Fei Nanyi will emerge.

Not to mention the resources required for the latter to form a core, even the old bird Fei Tianqin described them as "far surpassing those of his peers." So, for Fei Nanyi personally, this matter might not be all good. Fei Tianqin held a superior position in the Fei family and was used to taking shortcuts. He was already familiar with all the restrictions within the clan's territory. His eyes flashed incessantly, and he led Kang Dabao through the area in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. The two of them arrived at the Core Formation Platform.

This place of cultivation belonging to Fei Yesheng also greatly surprised Kang Dabao, this country bumpkin. The richness of spiritual energy within it was something the latter had never seen before in his life, and he had the same thoughts that Jiang Qing had back then:
"If this cave dwelling could be moved back to Xiaohuan Mountain, I'm afraid I would have much less trouble."

This is undoubtedly wishful thinking. Not to mention that Headmaster Kang has no ability to demand a top-tier cultivator's cave dwelling, even if it were possible, it would be more convenient to move all the disciples of the sect here.

Fei Tianqin, clearly familiar with the route, led Kang Dabao to the jade bed in the center of the Baodan Terrace without any prior notice. The jade bed was empty, but at the very front was a particularly conspicuous jade throne, probably several times larger than the surrounding thrones, clearly belonging solely to Fei Tianqin.

The old bird casually sat down and urged Kang Dabao to come closer and sit down. Then, the straw puppets in the cave came one after another.

The table was laden with all sorts of rare and precious delicacies, each item something that Sect Leader Kang was usually reluctant to buy. If he weren't still mindful of his wife and the sect's reputation, he would have already started packing everything away.

"This straw puppet is truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship."

Fei Tianqin, this old bird, has recently become much more attentive to Master Kang. He quickly noticed the slight eagerness in the latter's eyes and coughed lightly again:
"These grass puppets are arranged in the number of the heavens. Although they are just doing some cleaning and sweeping in the Danbao Platform, if they were to form an array and fight, ordinary Golden Core cultivators would definitely not be able to defeat them."

It was personally crafted for my younger brother by Gu Yangzi, the previous leader of the Mohai Dao Shengong Sect, who spent two rounds of work on it. His family and my family have a long-standing relationship, and Gu Yangzi and my younger brother are considered bosom friends.

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Ancestor," Kang Dabao said, bowing in thanks, while a question lingered in his mind.

He had heard of the reputation of the Chen Gong School before. They were particularly skilled at crafting magical artifacts and puppets, and were of the same lineage as the Lu Gong School, the number one weapon-crafting sect in the current Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Although the Chen Gong Sect cannot compare to the latter, a major sect of Nascent Soul cultivators, it still has nearly ten Golden Core cultivators in charge, making it a force to be reckoned with.

However, it is worth mentioning that the Lu Gong faction of Mohaidao is one of the few major sects that have raised the banner of rebellion and destroyed the Wei. The Chengong faction is closely related to it and naturally follows closely behind. The Fei family of Yingzhou, as a supporter of the royal family, has a good relationship with the Chengong faction.
Then I recalled what Jiang Qing had said before, that the Sky Sword Orchid he received as a gift from Fei Yeyi seemed to have come from Yi Qiu Dao Ren, the Blood Sword Sect leader who had just died in the battle.
"How can the relationships between these sects and families be so complicated? No wonder the outside world says that the current emperor, despite being a Nascent Soul cultivator and enjoying all the world's support, still can't live past 1,500 years old. It's because he's been drained of his energy by these complicated matters."

After entering the Elixir-Embracing Platform, Fei Tianqin seemed to have some worries on his mind, and his interest in talking was much less than when he was outside. Headmaster Kang was still uneasy, so he didn't say much either.

The man and the bird remained silent for a while, and after about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Fei Ye arrived late.

Before Master Kang could even straighten his clothes and compose himself, this pillar of the Fei family rushed towards the old bird in the head seat and said with a laugh, "Brother, the Phoenix Yang Pill that the Yuanfo Sect invited before has finally ripened."

When Master Xiao spoke of this this morning, I didn't believe him. I only said that even those old bald monks who chant scriptures tirelessly in their temples would need five or six decades to grow, while this tree I brought here has only been planted for a short time.

"Oh, is that so?" Fei Tianqin's eyes showed a rare hint of joy, clearly showing his great interest in the spiritual object Fei Yeqing had mentioned.

Fei Yeyi's face was also full of joy: "Brother, you have had a hard journey back from the south of the mountain, and you happen to love pepper wine the most, so I will cook these cinnamon seeds to make a fine wine."

"So best."

The two brothers got carried away and, without prior arrangement, completely ignored Kang Dabao, their son-in-law who had come to their door.

With a flick of his finger, Fei Yeyi conjured a celadon magical artifact into the air. With another flick of his finger, an indigo flame spontaneously appeared at the bottom of the celadon urn.

The flames at the bottom of the jar suddenly turned a deep blue, and the pure brew inside boiled over in no time.

Fei Yeyi paused mid-air as he made a hand seal with his fingertips. He then lowered a handful of the Phoenix Yang Pills he had just mentioned into the jar. After the oil droplets inside slowly seeped out, he added several third-grade spiritual herbs.

After patiently simmering for about half an incense stick's time, the originally clear spirit wine in the celadon vessel gradually turned amber.

The sect leader Kang, sitting to the side, dared not move. The aroma of pepper wafting from him made his heart flutter, and even the old bird Fei Tianqin's eyes revealed a hint of eagerness.

After the spirit wine in the jar had been boiled until it was completely clear of any impurities, Fei Yeyi took out three jade cups. With a flick of his fingers, the pepper wine from the jar fell into the cups one by one.

Fei Tianqin didn't stand on ceremony and swallowed the scalding hot wine with Fei Yeyi. However, after swallowing it, the old bird's expression changed.

Fei Yeyi's reaction was a little slower, but his face also darkened.

Kang Dabao was unaware of the unusual situation and was at a loss when he heard Fei Yeyi burst out laughing.

"Haha," Fei Tianqin laughed along with him: "The Complete Secret Teachings of Quanzhen School states that when the Phoenix Yang Elixir is used to cook wine, the pepper is as fiery as fire and the wine is as soft as water. It can be used to cook dragon and tiger."

This wine certainly doesn't taste right. Perhaps Xiao Gong's preparation was inadequate; the elixir hasn't fully matured. It lacks the invigorating aroma of pepper permeating the entire body; it can only slightly boost the cultivation of low-level cultivators.

Fei Yeyi nodded and then laughed, "Brother is right. It was Xiao Gongfeng and I who were fooled. We are truly ashamed of ourselves."

After the man and the bird finished laughing, they finally had time to turn around and look at Kang Dabao.

"Brother, pour me some wine. Why aren't you drinking? Are you afraid we two old folks will harm you?" Fei Tianqin pretended to be rude. Master Kang naturally said he wouldn't dare. If he really wanted to deal with him, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths with just this man and bird.

As soon as the scalding hot pepper wine entered his stomach, Sect Leader Kang felt completely refreshed. His already incredibly solid spiritual power increased even more, causing the inner fire within his body to suddenly become busier, condensing each strand of spiritual power into an even more solid form.

"Thank you for the wine, Ancestor!"

Both the man and the bird showed a strange look in their eyes upon seeing this scene. In the end, it was Fei Yeyi who spoke first. He patted the Great Master Kang's shoulder affectionately and said in a gentle voice, "I thought I would see you sooner, but I did not expect you to come only today."

"This junior deserves to die ten thousand times! This junior..."

"Hey, I didn't call you here to interrogate me." Fei Yeqing's face showed no anger. He waved his hand, gently helping Kang Dabao, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet, and then said:
"I have summoned you here for two reasons: first, to meet my Fei family's son-in-law; and second, to see if you have the opportunity to seize this opportunity."

"Fortune?!" Kang Dabao felt a surge of joy, but also a sense of unease.

"Alright, that's enough for now. Take this jar of pepper wine back with you. Some outstanding peers will be visiting later, so you'll need to make good friends with them then."

"Yes!"

Sect Leader Kang dared not say more and followed a straw puppet out of the cave.

Just then, the expressions of the man and the bird changed. Fei Yeyi hesitated to speak, but Fei Tianqin interrupted, saying, "Let's discuss everything after he forms his core."

(End of this chapter)