Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 519 Anle Takes the Lead
The Qin State Duke's Mansion traveled to Fengming Prefecture much faster than others expected. In fact, most of the families who had come to serve since Kuang Liuting was enfeoffed as a duke had grown tired of this cramped spiritual land.

It's obvious that Xuanwei City was once just the territory of the Liang family in a certain state, how could it possibly accommodate so many cultivators?
In just a few months, the once bustling city of Yunjiao quickly became desolate.

Those who left first were the officials and relatives of the Duke of Qin's mansion, then the Fei family and other officials who moved from the capital region, then families from all over the country, and finally the small families and reclusive cultivators who depended on the aforementioned people for their livelihood.

In this situation, Master Kang was not dissatisfied at all; on the contrary, he was quite pleased.

This is because Chongming Sect is not the Duke of Qin's mansion, and does not have the prestige to suppress such high-level cultivators to settle in. As for the mixed-race cultivators in the state, he would be happy to have them all leave.

After all, news had already come from the Yingzhou clan territory that several families of good surnames, who had been exiled by the Fei family, were already on their way, and a large area of ​​spiritual land would be needed to settle them.

As for how to take over a large city like Xuanwei, which is one of the top cities in the surrounding provinces, that is also a subject of study.

Fortunately, Ye Zhengwen has cultivated a group of disciples who are skilled in this field and trustworthy over the years. In addition, since Headmaster Kang is not in a hurry to relocate, Ye Zhengwen has plenty of opportunities to try and fail as he goes along.

About half a month after the Fei family members left Xuanwei City, Headmaster Kang went out of the city again to see off Qi Buxiu and his wife.

Regardless of whether Chu Yanran's support for Chongming Sect was merely to gain favor with the Black Shoes Taoist, this beautiful woman has indeed helped Kang Dabao a great deal over the years.

Furthermore, since Kang Changyi was his disciple and diligently cultivated himself, it was only natural that Headmaster Kang would show him respect.

However, the Qi couple did not come away empty-handed. At least Kang Dabao had managed to get back the Lingyin Huancai Pill that Qi Buxiu had been longing for. It would not be long before their relationship would reach a new level.

Objectively speaking, although this elixir is not of high grade, it is extremely important to those who urgently need it. However, the spiritual materials used to refine this elixir have long been extinct in the wild and difficult to replace, which is why even in places like the Fei family's Sheshan Hall, only a few pills remain, making it difficult for outsiders to obtain them.

However, Master Kang now has enough influence to be able to squeeze another sum out of Fei Nanying.

Leaving aside Master Qi's excitement, after seeing off the two elders and bidding farewell to his eldest son, Master Kang soon turned his attention back to how to manage this large town.

The idea that the benefits should be monopolized by Jumeisuke's side is naive. After all, you have to be willing to give before you can earn more in the future.

Kang Dabao prioritized winning over and maintaining relations with the various families of the Chongming Alliance. Each family had paid a blood tax to the Chongming Sect, and even though their strengths varied, they were all worthy of this good fortune.

The Fei family is the in-laws of the head of the Kang family, so it's only right and proper that they send a gift there.
The Yang family of Yezhou also had some connections with Kang Dabao. He had also heard Fei Nanying say that Yang Baoshan had never refused to go with him to the Hehuan Sect to ask for people.

Although the Yang family didn't send anyone because Fei Nanying didn't want to completely break with the Hehuan Sect, they still owed them a real favor.

As a result, even the resentment that Kang Da, the sect leader, felt when Yang Baoshan forced him to seek revenge against Yang Baofeng seems to have faded considerably.

Chu Yanran also deserves a mention.

Even disregarding her status as an elder and her Golden Core cultivation, just considering that she has made significant progress in her cultivation in recent years and may soon become a rare and exceptional third-tier cultivation master, Kang Dabao still needs to carefully maintain the relationship between the two families.

After all, with Elder Zhou Yixiu of the Spirit Plant Sect nearing the end of his life and Kang Rongquan having to shoulder the responsibility alone, Chongming Sect would likely have many more opportunities to learn from him in the future.

And those Liang families who were exiled by the Fei family of Yingzhou might not have a smooth start and might encounter some difficulties at first. They might even need the help of Master Kang. This stipend should also be drawn from the profits of Xuanwei City.

However, for Chongming Sect, which has taken over the entire territory of Yunjiao Prefecture, how to manage Xuanwei City is just a relatively important thing to do in the future.

Clean up the unruly and heretical practitioners within the state, organize the various households within the state, and sort out the properties of the Chongming Sect.
There was indeed a lot to do, and it was impossible to choose any that was unimportant or could be postponed. This meant that even the newly-formed Golden Core Master Kang had much less time for cultivation, having to devote most of his energy to these trivial matters.

The more than four hundred households in the Cold Crow Mountains still need Yuan Jin to lead troops to guard them at Wild Fox Mountain; as for Hancheng, Kang Dabao prefers Jiang Qing to be the garrison commander. The Yue family cultivators had just withdrawn from the area with Yue Lin, and it was unknown whether they had received any promises from Kuang Liuting.

That place had been managed by the Yue family for a long time, and the relationship between the two families wasn't exactly harmonious. It was easy to imagine that the Yue family wouldn't be so generous as to leave no room for maneuver. Although Third Master Jiang Chongming didn't have any great talent for managing affairs, with just a flying sword, it wouldn't be a problem to suppress those lurking Yue family spies in the shadows for a short time.

In addition, there is also the Xiaohuan Mountain of Chongming Sect that needs to be looked after. This matter will be left to Ye Zhengwen to handle, including selecting disciples, teaching cultivation, managing good deeds, and managing the treasury. There are still countless complicated matters to attend to. Even if Ye Zhengwen can be considered a worldly talent compared to the two mentioned above, it is easy to imagine that he will be overwhelmed.

As a result, all matters inside and outside Xuanwei City would have to be arranged by Headmaster Kang himself. He couldn't bear to give up his cultivation either; how could he not be exhausted?
Ye Zhengwen, who had come to report on his work, noticed Kang Dabao's exhaustion and said, "You yourself feel tired, why don't you share some of the work with Anle?"

The latter paused for a moment, then shook his head slightly: "Yes, I'm just afraid he might do a bad job. These big and small matters involve many lives."

"It is now the 494th year of the Qianfeng reign. Your apprentice is already in his eighties. He has been working with his fellow disciples for so many years, and he must have learned a thing or two. What is there to worry about?!"

"Hmm," Master Kang pondered for a moment, and found it to be quite reasonable. He pulled out a scroll that smelled of ink, and after thinking about it carefully for a while, he said, "Then let him give it a try."

Wan'er carried the letter to Duan Anle, who was in the city sorting out old taxes. When Duan Anle came to visit, Kang Dabao realized that he hadn't really looked at his disciple for a long time.

The sect elders all say that Duan Anle possesses inner talent and, in terms of personality, is the most like the sect leader Kang's junior disciple. In this respect, even Kang's children are inferior to him.

However, the former's spiritual root is not outstanding. In an ordinary sect, a junior who has reached the Foundation Establishment stage at the age of sixty would be considered a pillar of the sect. But in the Chongming Sect today, Duan Anle seems to have faded into obscurity.

As the Chongming Sect's position and reputation grow ever stronger, it's likely that exceptional talents like those with single spiritual roots will emerge from time to time. In this light, it seems that, without special opportunities, it's only a matter of time before their cultivation levels are surpassed by future generations. Even if Kang Dabao provides his disciples with more resources, this situation is unlikely to change.

Duan Anle slowly walked in and bowed to the two sect elders, saying, "Greetings, Master and Uncle Ye."

Kang Dabao nodded in agreement, summoned Qingfeng, and handed the scroll to his disciple. Duan Anle requested permission before unfolding it again, and then whispered, "Suppress the bandits and cultivators."

"Tell me, how should this be done?" The Great Master Kang's tone carried a hint of testing that hadn't been seen in a long time, which reminded Duan Anle of the time he was reciting the Book of David in the Cloud Room.

However, Kang Dabao's actions have always been traceable. Duan Anle only needs to follow the example and make some modifications to implement how he managed the two counties of Ping and Jin back then.

Duan Anle had clearly prepared a plan beforehand, and he spoke fluently and without hesitation:

“Reporting to Master, if I am to do this, the first thing I must do is to sort out which families in the thirteen counties of Yunjiao Prefecture are evil bandits who are beyond redemption and which are forced to join forces to protect themselves. We must suppress the evil ones and appease the bandits. Only by suppressing and appeasing them at the same time can we achieve twice the result with half the effort and avoid backlash.”

Upon hearing this, Master Kang simply nodded slightly. After all, Duan Anle had received years of training, and it would be strange if he didn't even have this much insight.

He continued, picking up where Duan Anle left off, and asked, "Then tell me, how do we clarify this?"

Without hesitation, the latter said directly: "Send someone to Fazhou to request the old archives from Wuwei Tower, and you can get one copy; visit the elders in various counties and villages, and inquire carefully, and you can get one copy."
For many years, besides issuing orders and providing provisions, the Shan Gong Tang (善功堂) has also inquired about local customs and drawn maps whenever disciples returned from their travels. The "Records of the Lineage of the Yun Jiao Prefecture" (云角州宗门世家录) is also revised annually, from which a copy can be obtained. By corroborating these three sources, a general picture can be obtained.

Ye Zhengwen exchanged a glance with the Grand Master Kang beside him, both seeing a glimmer of hope in each other's eyes. However, the latter was still not satisfied and asked again: "Having roughly understood the matter, there must be errors mixed in. What if innocent people are harmed?!"

It was only at this point that a hint of hesitation appeared on Duan Anle's face, but he was decisive and did not let this emotion affect him for long before speaking again:
“The ancient sage once said: ‘To weep over the net when the fish in the pond are in distress is not compassionate; to burn thorns to fertilize millet is benevolent!’ He also said: ‘Sometimes, being unbenevolent is the greatest benevolence.’ Since suppressing and appeasing evil practitioners is a good policy, then in order to obtain good results, we can’t care about many other things.”

After these remarks, Ye Zhengwen's eyes showed even stronger approval, while Kang Dabao shook his head, unsure whether he agreed or not.

"Once things are cleared up, can we send troops?"

Duan Anle shook his head again: "A prefecture is not the same as a county. Master is in his prime and his fame is known throughout the prefectures. Ordinary families are not worth worrying about."

However, those powerful families are related by marriage and have deep-rooted connections, and may even be too deeply involved with powerful forces in other states, so we must proceed slowly and not act rashly.

In the future, one could either unite with a smaller clan to support a larger one, and then extend kindness after the larger clan has fallen on hard times; or inform their descendants so that the two families can resolve their own disputes and the larger clan can be politely escorted out of the country. These are both viable options.

Ye Zhengwen nodded repeatedly after hearing this, thinking to himself that this method was very much in line with the steady personality of the Grand Master Kang. It was just another version of the "three-seven split" strategy, a familiar and effective method.

Unexpectedly, Kang Dabao shook his head and rejected the idea, saying, "It's good, but it's too cautious. It won't work if we don't make a fuss this time."

The other two people in the hall were all surprised, but then they heard Kang Dabao say again: "We have offended Chunfeng of the Hehuan Sect. How many families in the north and south of the mountain can we not afford to offend? I will not care about other people's feelings this time, as long as they act according to my rules!"
Once Anle has verified the rumors and stories of the various families in Yunjiao Prefecture, then post a notice asking everyone to come to Xuanwei City to surrender themselves and discuss the matter.

If they don't come, then we'll gather men, cut down mountains, and destroy temples;
If they dare to run, then we'll sharpen our swords and make them sharp, even if we have to flee to another state, we'll take their entire families! Let's see if those high-ranking cultivators behind them dare to show themselves!

Duan Anle's expression showed even greater surprise, and he didn't know how to respond for a moment. Ye Zhengwen, who was standing to the side, asked, "What is this all about?"

Kang Dabao sighed, "Do you think Yunjiao Prefecture is so easy to take?"

Ye Zhengwen's eyes dimmed upon hearing this, and he fell silent.

But Master Kang spoke up again: "Since those big shots above have given us the capital, how could they be happy for us to follow the old ways here? If we don't kill a lot of people and make blood flow like rivers, how will others know that there is a new Marquis of Wuning here?"

These words were spoken quite simply, and Ye Zhengwen immediately understood. Duan Anle, however, was not stupid and did not ask any more questions.

"However, it is commendable that you could think of these things, Anle. You will be in charge of the task of eliminating the bandits. In addition to your fellow disciples, you can choose from them. I will also send a letter to the two vice leaders, Xu Liuxian and Bian Hu. With them accompanying you, this matter should go much more smoothly."

"Your disciple would never disobey, even unto death!"

"Why make such a big deal out of it?" Kang Dabao shook his head again: "If we really encounter a tough opponent, then just call me. This time, even if some ignorant cultivator gets involved, I will still have to humble myself and owe them favors to bring in a few helpers to kill them."

Otherwise, the internal strife in Yunjiao Prefecture will be endless, and peace will be elusive. If we soften our stance even slightly now, others will dare to advance an inch, and when their armies press in, we'll have no choice but to resort to force again, which would be disastrous.

After Duan Anle listened carefully and pondered his master's words for a while, he had a good understanding of what Kang Dabao had said.

After bidding farewell to his two sect elders, Duan Anle left the enormous mansion that the Fei family had gifted to the head of the Kang sect, carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders. As for who to seek help from, he didn't need to think for a moment before he already knew.

"I wonder if Junior Brother Kang has finished his work yet."

(End of this chapter)