Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 495 The Ice Sunflower Festival
"Snapped"

The magnificent jade goblet was smashed to pieces by Fei Tianqin's throwing to the ground. The old bird's eyes were filled with intense displeasure, and he muttered resentfully, "Original Buddhist Sect!!"

Fei Yeyi sighed softly and said calmly, "Brother, don't worry. Perhaps when I asked for it last time, they took the wrong pepper seeds."

"Ha, brother, you certainly know how to defend those bald thieves." Fei Tianqin shook his head for a while, but then just sighed.

Even if Buddhism and Taoism were not flourishing within the territory of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, the original Buddhist sect was still a genuine ancestral temple of the Manifest Sect. They had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill. How could the Fei family dare to make a fuss about it?

As Fei Yeqing's condition worsened, similar incidents would only increase. Fei Tianqin knew this was not the time to be angry, so he suppressed his resentment and asked in a low voice, "Brother, have you explained things clearly to that Taoist Peng?"

"That Taoist priest was evasive at first, but after some skillful maneuvering, he turned out to be quite honest." Fei Yeqing chuckled, and seeing Fei Tianqin's increasingly concerned gaze, he laughed again.
"He has no other pill formulas at hand, but if the Crimson Life-Extending Pill is taken with a perfect refining method, it can extend the life of the person taking the pill by two Jiazi (60 years). For my foolish brother to become a Nascent Soul cultivator, it can increase the chances of success by at least 20%."

Fei Tianqin's eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly said, "Then what is there to hesitate about? Even if it's not for yourself, brother, you have to think about the Fei family's future."

When he mentioned "for the sake of the Fei family's livelihood," the old bird pointed to the broken jade fragments on the ground. Fei Yeyi stared at the colorful light radiating from those fragments for a moment, then finally said in a deep voice:
“Brother, don’t be anxious. As you said, we should wait until that boy has completed his cultivation before making any decisions.”

Upon hearing this, Fei Tianqin's sharp eyes flashed with a rare hint of complexity: "This opportunity is rare, with wolves lurking outside. I wonder if this boy can seize it."

Fei Ye-yi laughed heartily, seemingly less bothered by the old fox's antics: "It's alright, we have to give it a try. Otherwise, how will you know this young man isn't the one who can break the deadlock?!"

“Well, even if it’s difficult,” Fei Tianqin said pessimistically. “The unpleasant guests should be arriving soon. Has my brother made proper arrangements?”

"All matters are to be arranged by Nancy, brother. Rest assured, I am still alive and well, and this storm will not rage." Fei Yeli made a hand gesture, and the hundreds of yellow divination inscriptions embedded in the surrounding stone walls began to flicker again. When the kind-faced old monk gently uttered the word "calm," the divination inscriptions in front of him gradually stopped moving.

Fei Yeyi looked at the hexagram and his smile deepened: "Haha, 'Qian is heaven, great success, favorable and firm, strong and upright' This hexagram is very auspicious."

Fei Tianqin said unhappily, "I don't believe in these things, brother. Those bald thieves from the Dragon Tiger Sect and the former Buddhist Sect are used to taking these divinations seriously, scheming and plotting all day long. It's too much of a waste of energy. Brother, don't get obsessed with this."

"My brother, please stay home and oversee the overall situation for now. I will go to Taiyuan Capital first to personally report to the two kings, North and South. My Fei family has shed blood and died for the sake of the nation for generations; the bones buried underground would probably be higher than the walls of Taiyuan Capital. We certainly won't end up as lackeys."

After saying this, the old bird transformed into a streak of light and, just as he had said, headed straight for Taiyuan Capital.

After Fei Yeqing passed by, his smile faded, and he settled into his lotus-shaped jade platform, closing his eyes to cultivate. However, with each breath of his inner energy, a barely audible murmur of mocking laughter seemed to echo within the platform:

"My brother lived for nearly two thousand years, yet he still couldn't see things clearly. Ah, the Kuang family."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After the sect leader Kang followed the grass puppet out of the Elixir-Embracing Platform, Fei Nanyi was waiting in the outer room. The former's expression turned solemn, and he bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you for waiting for me, Uncle."

Fei Nanyi was clearly different from Fei Nanying in temperament, and was much more friendly to people: "Young Master Kang has traveled a long way under the moon and stars, what is a little time for me to wait? Come, Cousin Nanxi has already prepared a banquet to welcome Young Master Kang, so let's not trouble him to wait any longer, come with me in the imperial carriage."

Kang Dabao naturally did not refuse and strode onto Fei Nanyi's imperial carriage.

The sect leader Kang was still feeling uneasy. Fei Nanyi was kind to people, but he was not a talkative person. So the two of them walked in silence and soon arrived at the place where the banquet was to be held.

There weren't many people at the banquet. Apart from Fei Shuhe, Changyi, Changxi, and Fei Wanqing, whom Kang Dabao had met once before, there were only Fei Nanxi and four or five fake Dan accompanying them. They were all obviously influential figures in their clans.

Upon seeing the two arrive, Fernandes, who was seated in the main seat, bowed respectfully to the head of the Kang family and said with a smile, "This is a family banquet, so there is no need for you to stand on ceremony, Mr. Kang."

Upon seeing this scene, Fei Shuhe, dressed in the imperial robes of a noblewoman and wearing a pheasant crown, felt a surge of joy in her eyes and a sense of delight.

Years ago, after returning to her clan's territory alone and being stared at and ridiculed by her relatives, she had imagined this scene unfolding before her eyes.

The fact that her husband was treated with such high honors was enough to make this beautiful woman so satisfied. I wonder what she would feel if she knew that Kang Dabao had not been questioned this time, but had instead received a jar of wine from Ancestor Ye Sui.
Kang Dabao was unaware of his wife's joyful mood. He simply drank the unimportant welcoming wine with the elders of his wife's family at the table and then politely took his leave.

Only at the last minute did Fernandes give a vague reminder: "Young Master Kang, please make good preparations. If one or two guests come to visit later, please help me receive them properly."

After speaking, the superior man greeted Fei Nanyi and the others and Kang Dabao's family, and then they all left.

It's clear that those who came to receive us are not idle people. It's already quite remarkable that they could take the time to welcome a guest from afar; how could they possibly stay for long?

While Master Kang was still pondering the meaning of those words, Fei Shuhe gracefully walked over, took his arm, and led him to talk to Fei Wanqing.

This only daughter of Fei Nanying carries the bloodline of the Yu Kun Han family. As one of the few Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Fei family this generation, she is about ten years younger than Fei Shuhe. However, she has already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment and is in urgent need of forming her core. What is even more remarkable is that she is also very beautiful.

The phrase "shoulders as slender as snow-covered pines, waist as delicate as jade bound with ice" is quite fitting for Fei Wanqing.

She was dressed in a light and elegant moon-white silk robe, which was still beautiful; the hem of the robe was embroidered with cloud patterns, which added a touch of liveliness; her black hair was half-tied up with a bamboo-joint hairpin, which added to her simple elegance.

For a prestigious family like the Fei family, a daughter as talented as Fei Wanqing should stay in the family regardless of whether she is a legitimate or illegitimate child.

Except in dire circumstances, such as when a member of the Kuang family wanted to marry her off as empress, she would never marry out of the family. After all, marrying out would mean giving away a golden elixir to another family, a feat rarely undertaken by even the wealthiest families.

It is said that the elder of the Fei family who was betrothed to the current emperor as empress did not have a good ending either. Not long after forming the Golden Core, he died mysteriously in his palace.

After a period of fury, the Kuang family conducted a thorough search, but ultimately found nothing.

The current empress comes from the Xu family of Dai County, and Master Kang also had an acquaintance in this Nascent Soul clan.

The Empress of the Xu family in Dai County only formed her Golden Core a hundred years ago. It seems that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will live several more years than the current Emperor.

If Kuang Liuting had not yet achieved the Golden Core, the Xu family might still have harbored thoughts of forging alliances through marriage and ruling from behind the curtain. However, since the emergence of the superior-grade Golden Core, such thoughts have vanished.

These matters of national importance are not something that a few mere cultivators can comment on. Only after the two leaders, Master Kang and Fei Wanqing, had a serious conversation did Fei Shuhe speak up again, saying, "My sister has already tidied up the house and invited us to come back and stay."

The beautiful woman's joy was so obvious that even her two sons beside her could sense it.

Before heading to Yingzhou, Fei Shuhe was still a little afraid of being treated coldly by the clan as before, but now that all her worries have been lifted, she feels much more relaxed.

Compared to Fei Shuhe, who seemed to have let go of her worries, Headmaster Kang noticed a hint of worry in Fei Wanqing's beautiful eyes. However, he didn't press her for details. He simply thanked her along with his two sons and followed them back to their residence in the clan's territory at Sheshan Hall.

Most of the elite troops of Sheshan Hall have been conscripted by the family head Fei Nanying to the barren land of Yunjiao Prefecture, and Fei Nanying is the only Golden Core cultivator left.

Therefore, the one who remained to preside over the clan's territory was merely a fake alchemist, named Fei Entong. He was older than Granny Fei Liu, but his seniority was equal to that of the Fei sisters, Fei Shuhe and Fei Liu.
Kang Dabao exchanged a few casual words with his brother-in-law, but didn't seem to have any outstanding abilities. In terms of sheer presence and foundation, he might not even be as good as the alchemists from the north and south of the mountain who had died at his hands.

No wonder Fei Nanying didn't summon him to serve in Shannan Road; he was just an old and useless man who could only do some relaying work in the clan's territory.

Fei Wanqing prepared the former residence of Fei Shuhe's parents for the Kang family head and his wife. This place held many memories for the beautiful woman. The Kang family head showed little interest, but was considerate enough to accompany Fei Shuhe to meet many of her cousins ​​who came to visit in the following days.

Kang Dabao didn't find the ceremonial robes and crown particularly appealing, but he still managed to garner plenty of praise for Fei Shuhe.

Kang, the head of the Kang family, who came from a remote military prefecture, clearly underestimated the value of an "imperial title" to these young women and wives who had pinned their hopes for half their lives on marriage.

Many people here, when they heard that Fei Shuhe had married a minor Qi Refining sect leader from a small border region, couldn't help but ridicule her, whether openly or secretly.

Fei Shuhe had been quite pleased with her correspondence before, and now that she was living with her sisters, she felt even more triumphant.

As a result, Master Kang has been extremely tired these past few days, and he almost collapsed under the gentle and affectionate advances of his wife.

If a girl is willing to entrust her heart and soul to you, how can a mere Primordial Primordial Body that is about to reach perfection withstand it?

The couple enjoyed their time together, and Kang Changyi and Kang Changxi also became "close" to several groups of Fei family members a few times.

It is no exaggeration to say that Patriarch Ye Su holds great prestige in the Fei family. The important figures in the Fei family know Patriarch's intentions and may not be able to hold Kang Dabao's past actions against them, but for the younger generation of the Fei family who are in the prime of their lives, it is difficult not to mind.

However, few of the accomplished figures in Sheshan Hall did not go south, and the clan elders among them would not get involved in the affairs of the younger generation, so the two brothers were somewhat uncontrollable.

Kang Changyi was older and had been taught by his birth mother for many years, so he was less sharp-tongued. But Kang Changxi was different. When he heard the words "bastard" and "mixed surname" from the person opposite him, he couldn't help but get really angry.

Kang Changyi, unable to dissuade his elder brother, naturally wouldn't stand idly by, which brought some liveliness to the long-desolate and silent Sheshan Hall.
Over the course of several days, the younger members of the Fei family who had been mourning Fei Entong never stopped coming to his side.

However, the old man felt that the younger generation was foolish and useless, and had disgraced the Fei family in front of guests. He had no face to confront them and simply ignored them. Not only did he ignore them, but he also scolded several Fei family elders who didn't know their place and almost joined in the commotion.

In the end, it was Fei Wanqing, the concubine, who, seeing that things had gotten really out of control, finally gave the Kang brothers a lecture and admonishment.

It's fine to do small-scale things within our own community, but if these juniors in Sheshan Hall lose badly and shamelessly tell other halls about it, attracting their united hatred and causing more trouble.

Fei Wanqing knew that with a storm brewing, the elders in the family would not want to be disturbed by such trivial matters, so she told her two brothers to take good care of their parents.

Fei Shuhe had no resentment towards her cousin for ruining her relationship; on the contrary, she was happy about it. However, she neglected her own son, Kang Changxi.

These days, when guests come, it's always the eldest son, Kang Changyi, who is brought by Fei Shuhe to meet these visiting aunts and uncles.

Master Kang had long known that this beautiful woman intended to marry a daughter of the Fei family to his eldest son, and this was a good opportunity.

The phrases "personally passed down the Golden Core technique, dual spiritual roots, and late-stage Foundation Establishment" are not bad even in the Fei family. In addition, Kang Changyi's handsome face, which is quite similar to his mother's, has attracted many suitors.

However, while Fei Shuhe was still fretting about how to select candidates, Fei Wanqing came to visit.

Fei Shuhe knew that her younger cousin was at a crucial stage in perfecting her alchemical theory, and that her visits always came with a reason. Therefore, she asked, "Why have you come today, sister?" "Sister, you've been away from home for too long; you've forgotten that this year is the year of the Ice Sunflower."

"The Year of Ice Sunflower?!" Fei Shuhe's beautiful eyes flashed with surprise, and then she said in astonishment, "Since it has already reached the Year of Ice Sunflower, doesn't that mean there will be a grand competition among the various halls? Our Sheshan Hall doesn't have many clansmen in the clan territory, so we'll suffer a great loss."

"Sister, this year's competition will be different from the past."

"How is it different? The Five Spirit Ice Sunflower is beneficial for improving the quality of a cultivator's core when they are forming their core. Only one plant can be obtained every five Jiazi. In the past, this spiritual item was won through a clan-wide competition. How come it was Shang Yutang and his group this year?"

Fei Shuhe subconsciously assumed that Shang Yutang, who was from the Ye family, was about to break the rules.

Therefore, Shangyu Hall is currently the most powerful, with nine out of its seventeen Golden Core cultivators. Even disregarding Fei Yeyi's extraordinary presence, it would be extremely difficult for the other halls to join forces against it.

Moreover, in previous Five Spirit Ice Sunflower Competitions, Shang Yutang had won nine out of ten times based solely on his strength. In reality, this so-called grand competition was more of a grand event for the Fei family.

At this point, it became clear how much the elite warriors of Sheshan Hall, who had followed Fei Nanying to settle in the south of the mountains, were at a disadvantage. Not only did they not receive any of the benefits they had at home, but they were also forced to sit in a remote and impoverished area as the vanguard of the king, which naturally made them somewhat resentful.

Fei Wanqing shook her head upon hearing Fei Shuhe's words. Before the latter could understand, the usually composed Sect Leader Kang was suddenly startled, thinking to himself, "One or two guests."

Sure enough, just as Kang Dabao had this thought, Fei Wanqing said to Fei Shuhe in a hoarse voice, "Sister, this time, it's difficult for our Fei family to have all the Five Spirit Ice Sunflowers."

The latter's pupils dilated, and he exclaimed in surprise, "What?!"

The Five Spirit Ice Sunflower was a spiritual root obtained by the Fei family's ancestor from the Northern Dark Abyss. Even during the previous dynasty, it was never shared with anyone. Now, the Fei family of Yingzhou is clearly still very prosperous, so how... how did it all come to this?
"Ancestor Ye Tai said that in order to repay the kindness of relatives and friends over the years, he will use this spiritual object to hold the Ice Sunflower Festival to maintain the friendship between relatives and friends."

Headmaster Kang frowned. He didn't know what this so-called Five Spirits Ice Sunflower was, but judging from his wife's reaction, he knew that this was a serious matter.

Then a thought flashed through his mind, and he thought to himself: "A riot of colors, a blazing fire. Is this because Ancestor Ye Ling has already foreseen that the current emperor will withdraw this favor after his death? Or does Ancestor Ye Ling truly feel that the world is in turmoil and that relying solely on his affinity with the Immortal Dynasty is not enough, so he wants to use his own spiritual treasures to cultivate relationships with relatives and friends before he dies, in order to prepare for the future?!"

Looking at it now, it seems that even the venerable Ye Ling, who made a successful bet, has not yet transcended the past and is still plagued by worries and unable to relax.

"Wait, Elder Ye Tai summoned me here?! Is this another matter?" Kang Dabao's expression turned serious, but Fei Wanqing did not make him wait long before stepping forward and saying, "Brother-in-law, please come with Wanqing to the hall to listen to the teachings of the elders."

"Wait!" Fei Shuhe hurriedly called out, not knowing that after her husband left this time, she would probably have to fight for her life again.

Headmaster Kang knew that he and his wife could not go against the will of the Golden Core cultivator at this time, so he used what he had heard to comfort them: "Ancestor Ye Sui said before that he was going to bestow a great opportunity upon me this time. It's alright, don't worry."

The beautiful woman's eyes reddened, but she was helpless. She could only watch as her husband's large hands left her delicate shoulders and slender waist, and he turned away to follow his cousin.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Fei family's main council hall bears the two characters "Yonghe," written in a vigorous and powerful style, bestowed upon it by the current emperor upon the previous patriarch. Now, all the Golden Elixir cultivators and the family's esteemed members reside here, indicating that something significant is about to happen.

As someone from a different family, Kang Dabao should have felt out of place here, but the Fei family members didn't seem to care much about him.

Fei Tianqin, who had just returned from the two royal residences in Taiyuan, sat at the head of the table next to Ancestor Ye Sui. His eyes were displeased, and his tone was indifferent: "I showed them all the scars on my body, and they only managed to stop two families from coming. It seems that my Five Spirit Ice Sunflower is indeed an extraordinary spiritual object!"

The latter naturally sensed the displeasure in the former's words, but remained calm and showed no anger.

Fei Yeyi knew, of course, that while the Five Spirit Ice Sunflower was rare, it wasn't enough to warrant such a grand display from various families.

They didn't come for the Five Spirits Ice Sunflower at all; they came to make an example of the Fei family, because they felt that the Fei family should no longer occupy so many positions in the capital region, the Temple of David, and beside the imperial heir.

The area surrounding the capital is almost entirely free of wasteland, fertile and rich.

Often, a single county can support two or three families of fake alchemists; if others eat one more bite, one family will eat one less bite.

If Fei Yeling, an old fellow with close ties to the David clan, were not in charge of the Fei family in the future, how could the Fei family still monopolize the twenty-five counties of Yingzhou?

The wolves outside are fighting over the Core Formation artifacts today, wanting to buy the Fei family's spiritual soil tomorrow, and perhaps even planning to invade the Yingzhou clan's territory the day after.
There are no new things happening in the world. These things that Fei Yeyi could foresee were all things he had done to other families. There was no right or wrong to speak of.

However, if the Fei family can withstand these first three blows, then while the subsequent blows may not be completely avoided, they will at least be delayed.

Fei Yeqing felt relieved and put her worries aside before speaking gently, "Brother Lao, please tell the rest of us about our guests so that we can be well prepared."

"Luochuan Baili family's eldest son Baili Xi, Wenshan's Taoist disciple Gong Butong, and Yuelu Su family's young master Su Changqiu."

Fei Tianqin's words did not surprise the cultivators in the hall, because without exception, all those he mentioned were from nearby Nascent Soul sects. The disciples they sent were all their elite disciples, especially Baili Xi, the eldest son of the Baili family, who achieved the Golden Leaf Dao Foundation half a century ago, causing a sensation in the capital region.

There are rumors circulating that the Emperor intends to make him his son-in-law, but the Baili family official politely declined on his behalf. The truth of this matter is unknown.

However, these people were quite well-known, and even many of the high-ranking cultivators in the hall who were indifferent to worldly affairs and focused on cultivation knew their names.

But I wonder if the two families that Fei Tianqin blocked after making a scene at the mansions of the North and South also had real people in charge? If so, then this old bird's influence is truly extraordinary.

"The date for this Ice Sunflower Gathering will be set after January. This time there will be no grand competition. The list of participants for this competition will be decided by my brother and me, and there will be three of them."

At this point, the old cultivator raised an eyebrow, and all the other cultivators in the hall straightened their expressions, listening attentively to his words:

"Shangyutang Fei Nanyi, Sheshantang Fei Wanqing, Qiushuitang Fei Nanxin."

Kang Dabao was somewhat surprised to see Fei Wanqing and Fei Nanyi, who had a single horn on their heads, walking out, and a slender, pale-faced cultivator slowly walking out from beside Fei Nanxi of the Qiushui Hall.

He originally thought that Fei Wanqing's good aptitude and smooth cultivation were already quite remarkable, but he did not expect that among the talented Fei family cultivators, she could rank among the top three.

However, the cultivators in the hall already knew the truth, and none of them showed any unusual reaction.

After Ye Sui Patriarch pointed out the three people, he said again, "Since this is a grand gathering of my family, I will also invite some relatives and friends to come. I would like to invite three people: Han Chengfeng, the direct descendant of the Yu Kun Han family; Shu Yuanjiang of the Zuo Jiang Shu family; and Kang Dabao, the head of the Chongming Sect."

The first two were probably going to arrive later, and Kang Dabao was prepared. He straightened his clothes and composed himself, then unpretentiously squeezed out of the crowd from a corner.

The cultivators inside the hall made no further moves, and they couldn't find a single person like Fei Enxing from back then who dared to utter a single word. You must know that even Golden Core cultivators might not dare to object to the decisions made by the two patriarchs of the Fei family in Yingzhou. Heaven knows where this kid got his courage back then?
Of course, while they dared not comment, those Golden Core cultivators who were oblivious to the world around them could see that Kang Dabao had a profound foundation that was beyond the reach of ordinary people, but they could not see that this lowly son-in-law from out of town had any special extraordinary qualities that could make the two patriarchs so fond of him.

One of them, with long eyebrows and a suspicious expression, was met with a soft explanation from Fernandin: "This boy has severed a fake elixir."

"A fair fight?"

"Fight with dignity."

"I see." The nearby cultivators suddenly realized that, in that case, even among the three members of the Fei family, only Fei Nanyi could rival this young man, so he should definitely be given a place.

A month or so passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Headmaster Kang did not waste any time. Taking advantage of being handpicked by Fei Yeyi, he shamelessly visited various halls to seek out the Dharma.

If one were to find a Golden Core cultivator, who would refuse to preach the Dharma?

There are probably very few disciples of the Fei family who are willing to seek guidance from several high-ranking cultivators. Kang Dabao has indeed made great progress in these few dozen days, and has even figured out some of the true meaning of the matter of Core Formation.

However, this is not as simple as entering the Dao overnight in a storybook. Everything must be done step by step. These gains will be reflected in the future cultivation of Master Kang, but it is rare to see immediate results now.

During this period, Han Chengfeng, a direct descendant of the Han family of Yu Kun, and Shu Yuanjiang, a relative by marriage from the Fei family of Zuo Jiang, also arrived one after another.

The former is the great-grandson of the Han family's true lineage. He has only been cultivating for fifty years, yet he has already reached the threshold of condensing the golden core. What is even more remarkable is that the profound skills and techniques he possesses are probably as numerous as cartloads and bushels, which are beyond the reach of ordinary families.

The latter was the son of Shu Zhengde, a general of the Imperial Guard, and like the former, he was a Daoist of the Ice Leaf Sect. However, the Shu family did not have any True Immortals, and like the Fei family, they were only considered first-rate wealthy families, thus inferior to the Han family of Yu Kun.

Even if this Yuanjiang had served as a dew-collecting boy under Zuo Zongzheng Kuang Furen for six years and received much instruction, he would still be slightly inferior to Han Chengfeng.

However, this young man was not well-known in previous years. It seems that he only had some opportunities in recent years and did several impressive things to turn his life around. That's why he has once again received special training from the Zuojiang Shu family. I wonder if he will bring some surprises to the Fei family.

The reason why Master Kang paid some attention to Shu Yuanjiang was because he had heard Fei Shuhe say that Shu Yuanjiang had almost been engaged to her back then.

However, the plot that is common in storybooks did not appear. Shu Yuanjiang, who missed his chance to marry Fei Shuhe, still married Fei's eldest daughter. When he met with Master Kang, he was also polite and showed no jealousy. The two got along well.

The day of the Ice Sunflower Festival arrived in the blink of an eye, but only two of the three unpleasant guests that Fei Tianqin had mentioned showed up.

Wen Shan Jiao Dao Zi Gong Bu He and Yue Lu Su family young master Su Changqiu each came with their protectors. Both were at the peak of the Golden Core stage and came from prominent families. However, they were extremely polite to Fei Tianqin and Fei Yeqing, the man and the bird, and implicitly regarded themselves as juniors.

The Fei family had no idea why Baili Xi, the eldest son of the Baili family in Luochuan, was not coming, so they did not send a letter to inquire. As the time for the grand event to begin approached, even Fei Tianqin felt a sense of satisfaction. However, the cultivators saw a red cloud slowly approaching from afar.

Kang Dabao's face darkened as he saw an acquaintance descend through layers of white clouds alongside an old monk. The old monk clasped his hands together, his face full of humility: "I humbly request your well wishes. I am Fu Neng, the 126th abbot of Benying Temple, and I pay my respects to all the seniors."

No one answered him, but Fu Neng remained fearless, undisturbed, and unperturbed. He raised his head, clasped his hands together, and bowed again, saying, "May you, senior, attain Buddhahood!"

His smile was sincere, like that of a jade Buddha.

His phoenix eyes seemed to be filled with joy, and only when he looked at Kang Dabao did the latter seem to see the trace of resentment hidden in them.

The ancient magic ring on Master Kang's hand flashed slightly. He lowered his head to avoid the lingering, intoxicating fragrance, his face expressionless, devoid of joy or sorrow, resentment or regret: "It was bound to happen."

(End of this chapter)