Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 507 Spring Breeze Envoy

Fei Nanying gave the white-haired old monk another careful look, and when he spoke again, although his words were stern, there was no hint of disdain in his tone:
"Who do you take me for? It's not up to a junior like you to show off in front of me. Go back and wait for my letter."

Since even a dignified cultivator had spoken like that, Zhou Yixiu naturally dared not say anything more. He then joined the Chongming Sect members who were waiting outside. After listening to the complaints from his two senior brothers, Yuan and Jiang, they returned to Xiaohuan Mountain together.

Fei Nanying ignored the actions of the younger generation, and instead took out an abacus from his storage bag and began to stroke it. He then asked Fei Enwen, "Has there been any news from Yingzhou?"

Without hesitation, the latter replied, "A letter arrived from Yingzhou three days ago, saying that after Kang Dabao won first place in the Ice Sunflower Gathering, the elders were still discussing how to reward him. As for other matters, I haven't heard anything yet."

"Yes, the family's carriage department must not allow Chongming Sect's talisman to enter these days. That kid doesn't know what's important, so don't let him delay his own path to cultivation because of this trivial matter."

Fei Nanying's tone left no room for argument. After saying all that, he turned to Chu Yanran and her husband and asked, "I intend to have a talk with Chu Han of the Hehuan Sect, but I don't know if you two can spare the time to go with me?"

"Of course I'll go." Chu Yanran was decisive and agreed without hesitation. Afterwards, she advised, "The two fellow Daoists from the Yang family in Yezhou, the fellow Daoist Wufeng from Dingzhou, and the fellow Daoist She from Fazhou, surely they won't stand idly by?"

After pondering for a while, Fei Nanying realized that although the cultivators Chu Yanran mentioned had no fundamental interests with the Fei family of Yingzhou, they were somewhat close to the Fei family because Fei Tianqin had led them to several successful battles. It was not impossible to unite them and use them as allies.

However, Fei Nanying thought about it again and gave up on such a idea. Instead, he said, "Let's talk to Chu Han first and then we can make a decision."

"If that's the case, then we'll do as you say, fellow Daoist."

————Xiao Huanshan, Chongmingzong
“At that time, Zhe’er would have been better off killing all those scoundrels from the Three Immortals Cave. That way, he might have avoided provoking the Hehuan Sect.”

Jiang Qing's eyes were filled with anger. Even though he wasn't as dedicated to teaching his disciples as his fellow disciples, the words "master and disciple" and "father and son" were still true.

Not only him, but these days all the leaders of the sect have been filled with worry as they watch Ming Zhe's soul lamp, which is enshrined in the Ancestral Hall, dying.

Ye Zhengwen made no attempt at formalities and readily took on the task of presiding over the meeting.

He sat at the head of the table and listened to Jiang Qingyan's words. He sighed again: "If what Junior Brother Jiang said is true, then the Spring Breeze Envoy of the Hehuan Sect might not even bother to make things difficult for my family's caravan. He might just gather his fellow disciples and come to attack Xiaohuan Mountain and overthrow my family's lineage."

The latter's expression froze, and he remained silent, clearly realizing that he had just spoken out of turn.

With so many people around, how could the news be kept secret?! If Mingzhe really slaughtered all those scoundrels from the Three Immortals Cave, it would truly bring disaster upon him.

As Ye Zhengwen said, a Nascent Soul sect like the Hehuan Sect, which is neither entirely righteous nor entirely evil, would hardly bother to find an excuse to wipe out a Foundation Establishment sect.

The Chongming Sect is somewhat special because, thanks to the sect leader's skillful management, he has connections with several high-ranking cultivators within the Qin State Duke's Mansion. This is why Chu Han has to put in some effort and devise a plan to avoid making things too ugly.

Seeing Jiang Qing's expression, Ye Zhengwen knew that the latter had taken his words to heart and was much calmer. In fact, even if Ye Zhengwen hadn't asked, Jiang Qing would have understood on her own.

This is understandable, given that Kang Rongquan's poor handling of the situation back then nearly led to the deaths of everyone in the Chongming Sect outside Xuelin Mountain. It was only thanks to the fact that Kuai En, a relative by marriage whom Kang Rongquan and Pei Yi had been supporting, was taken under the wing of the Southern King that the situation was averted.

It's true that Jiang Qing has a certain arrogance and pride, but that doesn't mean he would actually do something unwise.

Having witnessed the wickedness of the Three Immortals Cave, not only Ming Zhe, but most of the elders present also lacked the courage to take any action.

The atmosphere fell silent again. After looking around, Ye Zhengwen spoke again: "The best course of action now is to send a message to Yingzhou and ask the sect leader for his opinion."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, Yuan, Chiang, and Zhou all shook their heads in denial.

Yuan Jin frowned and said, "Since our eldest brother went to Yingzhou, I heard that he has already overpowered all the disciples of the Nascent Soul sects and won first place."

Rumor has it that the Fei family's patriarch, Ye Sui, not only forgives past grievances but also intends to bestow more spiritual gifts to help him achieve Core Formation. Senior Brother has encountered another rare opportunity; we must not allow him to be burdened by the sect again, as we did at Xue Lin Mountain.”

Zhou Yixiu was much more polite than Yuan Jin when he spoke. He coughed a few times before continuing, "Senior Brother Ye, even if Senior Brother were to return from Yingzhou now, I'm afraid he would have difficulty participating in this Golden Core matter."

I imagine that, as usual, Senior Brother will need to listen to the teachings of the Supreme Cultivator before taking any action. After all, there's still no news from the Marquis of Gucheng, so perhaps we should wait a little longer.”

Jiang Qing held the green sword in his hand without saying a word, but judging from his expression, he agreed with what his two fellow disciples had said.

Ye Zhengwen indeed understood this to be true, so he put aside his thoughts and turned to Yuan Jinyan, asking, "Junior Brother Yuan, how are your preparations?"

The latter replied, "The Qingjue and Chizhang Guards have made progress, and the local militias of Ping and Jin counties, as well as the Songfeng Righteous Army in Hanya Mountain, are also ready for battle. We can take action once things become clear."

From this day forward, the Hundred Arts Pavilion will operate with the furnaces running at full capacity, and all equipment and weaponry, including alchemy tools, artifacts, and talismans, will be fully prepared. The Spirit Plant Hall and Beast Garden have also prepared spirit rice and warhorses, ensuring that the army will not be disturbed by trivial matters.

However, as for the generals within the alliance…

When Yuan Jin mentioned the various factions in the alliance, he was vague, clearly lacking confidence. As the cultivators in the hall frowned in unison, they all knew this was to be expected.

After all, the name of the Hehuan Sect, a Nascent Soul sect, is quite prestigious. How could ordinary small sects in the borderlands dare to provoke them? Therefore, the alliance they made in the past was difficult to enforce, and it was only natural that they ended up fleeing when disaster struck.

However, Ye Zhengwen did not intend to sit idly by. In recent times, there have only been some vague rumors about the Chongming Sect being troubled by the Golden Core cultivators of the Hehuan Sect, and nothing has been confirmed.

Although the members of the alliance were somewhat anxious about the prolonged silence on the Chongming caravan, they still didn't know the real situation. This meant there was still room for maneuver in this matter, but it certainly wouldn't drag on for too long. "Perhaps we could take advantage of this brief respite to gather the alliance's forces together?" Ye Zhengwen had this thought, but he immediately dismissed it. After all, once this was started, the air of "protesting too much" would be too strong, and it might even backfire.

"Nephew, is everything ready at Yulin Hall?!"

Ye Zhengwen asked Ye Yaoling to step forward and speak. After thinking for a while, she said, "Reporting to my senior uncle, the disciples in Yulin Hall have now been divided into two groups."

If things truly reach a point of no return, one group will seek refuge in Xuanwei City, asking the Fei family for protection; the other group will break up into smaller groups, scattering to various places, living in anonymity, cultivating their skills, and waiting for an opportune moment.

Ye Zhengwen pondered Ye Yaoling's arrangement for a while and found it quite appropriate, unable to find any major flaws. After inquiring about some details, he was finally satisfied.

At this point, Ye Zhengwen turned his gaze back to Jiang Qing. He had been mentally preparing his response for a long time, but ultimately abandoned his probing questions and spoke directly: "Junior Brother Jiang, if things truly come to that point, perhaps Junior Nephew Ming will..."

Jiang Qing's face suddenly turned pale, and the expressions of the cultivators in the hall also became extremely ugly.

Fortunately, the disciples who were summoned to the meeting at this time were all pillars of the sect. Even Kang Rongquan, who was the most impetuous in the past, had become very calm and composed.

Jiang Qing finally lowered his arms that were holding his sword, and then glanced at the expressions of all the fellow disciples in the hall before closing his eyes to hide his pain and saying in a deep voice, "Junior brother, you should know that for the sake of the sect, we must not ruin the overall situation for the sake of one person."

After Jiang Qing finished speaking, the faces of the fellow disciples in the hall were all grim. Yuan Jin himself had cracked the glass cup in his hand, but he took a deep breath and whispered to his junior brother to comfort him:
"The Marquis of Gucheng comes from a prominent family and is also hinted at becoming the next head of the Fei family in Yingzhou. When dealing with Shangxiu, one must be mindful of appearances, and Chu Han may not be too eager. It is possible that our preparations will be in vain, and nothing may happen to my nephew Ming."

As Yuan Jinyue finished speaking, his voice grew softer and softer, clearly indicating that he was aware that his words were unlikely to be believed.

Jiang Qing gave Yuan Jin a faint reply, but what flashed through his mind was the image of the soul lamp enshrined beneath the statues of the ancestral masters in the ancestral hall. The flickering flame of that lamp caused a slight tremor in his heart, a pain that Jiang Qing could not express.

Seeing Jiang Qing's reaction, Ye Zhengwen finally felt relieved. What he had feared most was that Jiang Qing wouldn't be able to bear this humiliation and would choose to take retaliatory actions, thereby causing chaos.

It seems that after experiencing all sorts of things with the sect, Third Master Jiang of Chongming has become more and more composed.

Reading this, Ye Zhengwen felt a little relieved, and then spoke up to comfort him: "These days, everyone is doing their job. Important places like the Hundred Arts Pavilion, the Beast Garden, and the Spirit Plant Hall also need to continuously replenish military supplies for the army to defend the border. But there is no need to panic too much. The matter of the Three Immortals Cave is still undecided. We should not let our guard down and wait patiently."

—Santing Prefecture, Xiaoshan, Hehuan Sect
"Release him?" Chu Han, the Spring Breeze Envoy, raised an eyebrow, a hint of anger, often seen in young women, appearing on her face. She scrutinized Fei Nanying with her captivating eyes for a moment before speaking:
"That won't do. The Three Immortals Cave brought their own provisions to work for our sect. Let's set aside the fact that they weren't welcomed with open arms when they arrived at Chongming Sect's territory, and let's not even talk about the fact that they weren't treated well. How could one of their disciples have had her life taken by a rebellious madman? They haven't even settled on a price with Chongming Sect, so how can they talk about releasing her?"

Normally, Fei Nanying would have rebuked him upon hearing this, but since he was now on the territory of a Nascent Soul sect, he became much more cautious.

“What you say makes sense,” Fei Nanying said. He had never considered making a fuss about the incident in which the cultivators of the Three Immortals Cave harmed the county’s officials.

The reason is that the originally rigorous Code of David has long since become a piece of waste paper in the eyes of high-ranking cultivators. Since Chu Han, the Spring Breeze Envoy, is willing to risk the condemnation of the world and allow those who have lured him with no resources to wreak havoc on the people of various places under the guise of the Joyful Union Sect, then he can reap more benefits from it. This has been said long ago.

"But is there any room for negotiation regarding this compensation?"

As soon as Fei Nanying finished speaking, a hint of pleasure appeared in Chu Han's eyes. The latter naturally knew that Fei Nanying's actions were not about the compensation, but rather had another purpose.

However, he was very good at maintaining his composure. In just a moment, he concealed the joy in his eyes and then said, "Please forgive me, Marquis of Gucheng. This matter concerns the fellow Daoists in the Three Immortals Cave. How could I, Chu, presume to take the liberty of this?"

Fei Nanying raised an eyebrow, a hint of displeasure in his voice: "Just spare that brat's life, and all compensation will be as you suggested, fellow Daoist. What do you say?!"

Chu Han's smile remained unchanged as he shook his head as before: "The Marquis of Gucheng still needs to discuss this with the fellow Daoists of the Three Immortals Cave. I, Chu, cannot make the decision."

“Fellow Daoist Chu, you really don’t give an inch.” Chu Yanran, who had taken her seat next to Fei Nanying, finally spoke up. After hearing this sarcastic remark, Chu Han turned his gaze back to the beautiful woman.

Having made a living as a gigolo, his eyesight was naturally sharp. Seeing that Chu Yanran possessed extraordinary spiritual energy and, despite her low cultivation level, was quite solid, he couldn't help but take a second look, a hint of surprise rising in his heart: "Which Nascent Soul sect has this female cultivator come from?!"

Chu Han put aside her thoughts and replied calmly to Chu Yanran, "Fellow Daoist, it's not that I can't give in, but this involves lives, and the price is too high; there's no room for compromise."

Having said all that, Fei Nanying understood Chu Han's true intentions. "Chongming Sect is just the first step. Could this fellow possibly even want to drive my Fei family out of Shannan in the future?!"

"In that case, there's nothing more to discuss. Let's each rely on our own abilities. I've come in a hurry and I'll leave in a hurry, so I won't bother you any longer."

Chu Han sensed some resentment in Fei Nanying's tone, and her mood also soured.

This was because he had been in this sect for a long time and was a close associate of Master Jiangxue, so he was always treated with the utmost courtesy and rarely heard a harsh word from him.

Therefore, Chu Han was naturally not afraid of the latter, the Golden Core Clan Head. After hearing Fei Nanying say goodbye, he tapped his fingers to send a message while simultaneously stopping Fei Nanying and whispering something to him:

"Fellow Daoist Fei brought many gifts when you came. I, Chu, would not want you to leave empty-handed, as that would not be the way of the Hehuan Sect to treat its guests."

At first, Fei Nanying thought Chu Han was just being modest, but as soon as the latter opened his mouth, Fei Nanying realized he was completely wrong:

“I have already sent someone to the prison to remove the head of that brat Chongmingzong and bring it to you as a gift. Please wait a moment.”

Chu Han's smile was friendly, but his words implied a desire to devour people, a stark contrast.

(End of this chapter)