Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 539 Taking the Family Away
————Kang Changping Cave Mansion
"This Taoist priest is indeed as slippery as an eel; even in this predicament, he managed to escape!"

Master Kang sighed softly, then skillfully picked up the two storage bags from the ground and placed them alongside the two he had just acquired.

Feng Buyao is indeed alluring and captivating, but unfortunately, she encountered a timid and cowardly person.

All that graceful figure and century of arduous cultivation was in vain. In the end, no matter how much she cried out or how much white skin she showed, nothing could soften Kang Dabao's heart of stone. His eyes were as cold as iron, and he still insisted on taking her with him on her journey.

However, according to common sense, even if the powerful enemy Jinmo were to be defeated, the sect leader Kang could not stay in this cave any longer.

You should know that the Yunze Witch Lord Palace only has eleven Golden Core Palace Masters in total, and in the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, four of them have already disappeared. If its Grand Palace Master, Master Huang Mijia, does not take action, he will truly become a morally upright cultivator, rather than the leader of the esoteric sects of the Southwest.

It is worth mentioning that he was a seasoned master of yoga, and even Xiang Tianxing had to treat him with some respect. He was not comparable to You Songshangxiu, who had just died at the hands of Peng Daoren.

Based on his own thinking, Master Kang believed that he would be no match for him if he relied solely on his usual methods.

However, last time, the Buddhist disciple Ga Da of Benying Temple had already removed the restraining power of the ancient magic ring in his hands. If Huang Mijia is truly a proper Buddhist practitioner as he has shown in recent years, then Sect Leader Kang is not without the power to fight back.

Although there are no survivors in the cave now, Wu Feng Shang Xiu is still wandering outside, and it's unknown whether he's dead or alive; and Peng Daoren, who escaped today, is even more of a troublesome figure. Kang Dabao has not only failed to kill the snake this time, but also ruined his cave where he planned to make a comeback. It would be strange if this fellow didn't take revenge in the future.

However, these things can be dealt with in the future, and there is no need to rush them.

After Kang Dabao thoroughly searched the cave, he concealed himself, intending to slip away quietly. However, just as he reached the cave entrance, another cultivator in a tall hat appeared.

The Grand Master Kang's divine sense was far superior to the latter's. In addition, he was on a winning streak today. To avoid any unforeseen complications, he first used the Golden Eye of Delusion and then used the Eight Desolations Mountain Suppression to stun the newly promoted Golden Core cultivator whose body had not yet condensed. The cultivator's soul and spirit were completely destroyed, and he could not even leave behind a single word.

Kang Dabao had no time to find out which family this guy came from, nor did he feel uneasy about taking lives so casually.

He then easily picked up all the valuables from the golden core before slipping away.

Little did they know that in Chenjiang County, a family that had been adorned with red and colorful decorations suddenly broke into a full-blown wail, startling even the passing demonic birds in the sky, who lost their footing and veered off course.

The edicts issued by You Songshangxiu before his death were very effective in the vicinity of Sizhou. Before long, another Shangxiu and several alchemists arrived one after another.

After finding the cave empty, they all sent messages back to the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace to inquire about the matter, and then each returned via the safe route they had taken.

The people inside were not all fools; anyone could tell that searching nearby might yield some clues.

However, since taking charge of the Yunze Witch Lord Temple, no benevolence or righteousness has been shown. Everyone here has been cultivating diligently for hundreds of years. So who would be willing to risk their life and seek out the murderer for an unknown reward?

When Kang Dabao arrived at the Kang clan's territory in Chenjiang, Yang Baoshan had already been picked up by Yang Yongcheng. The Yang family of Yezhou had a simple attitude, clearly acknowledging Kang Dabao's noble act of covering the rear, but not wanting to get involved in what followed.

Cao Xianlu's injuries had not yet healed, and even the color of the ghost tiger tattoo on his body had faded considerably.

Fortunately, his golden core body was saved by spiritual medicine; otherwise, Kang Dabao would have been severely criticized by Fei Nanying and other elders of the Fei family.
Third Master Jiang has been in seclusion all day to cultivate his sword. The two brothers are of one mind, and these days they have not shown the slightest panic. Their confidence in Master Kang is even greater than that in Master Kang himself.

Zhou Yun, whom Wu Feng Shangren had abandoned, did not flee alone. Instead, he obediently waited at the Chenjiang Kang clan's territory to recuperate. He remained well-behaved during this time, simply appearing to await his fate. Clearly, he valued Kang Dabao's righteous and loyal nature, and was therefore unafraid of incurring the wrath of others.
Kang Xiangyi was a competent person in managing the household. As soon as the news spread that the three hall masters of Yunze Wuzun Hall were coming together, he immediately gathered his clansmen to pack up their valuables.

It is true that it is difficult to relocate the millions of ordinary people with the surname Kang, but the thousands of cultivators of various ranks are the old foundation of the Kang family of Chenjiang, which has been accumulated over nearly a thousand years and must be relocated no matter what.

After Kang Dabao returned carrying several newly acquired storage bags, Kang Xiangyi had already led the clan leaders to prepare several migration plans, with their destination being Yunjiao Prefecture, the fiefdom of the Kang clan leader.

After seeing this, Master Kang fell into deep thought.

He knew that he had almost used up all the favors he had accumulated, but the gains were quite substantial.

Even excluding the Six Harmonies Kanli Cauldron, Kang Dabao still collected a full five Golden Core storage bags, plus gifts from a group of Pill Masters and True Cultivators, which couldn't be considered a small amount.

To be honest, Kang Dabao has had a tough time getting things done over the years, but his windfall luck has been quite good.

The quick money came in so much that it sometimes even shook his resolve to "build high walls and store up grain."

However, it wouldn't be difficult for them to escape if it were just the group of people. After all, Huang Mijia was a figure in Huangpi Road, but he wouldn't dare to pursue them to Shannan Road to show off his power.

However, relocating the entire Kang family of Chenjiang would be a difficult task.

But looking worried now is useless. Headmaster Kang is decisive and said directly to Kang Xiangyi, "Take them if you want! Take as many as you can, but don't blame me if most of them get stuck on the road later!"

But just as the group was setting off, Kang Dabao received another message from Yuan Jin, which made him so angry he almost bled. He cursed inwardly:
"I've only left the sect a few times, yet people still come to bully me every time! How many heads of high-ranking cultivators would it take to scare those scoundrels?! Tie Liuyun! How many more lives do you intend to take from my family?!"

But then flames appeared in his hand, and the talisman, which was glowing with spiritual light, instantly turned to ashes.

However, Master Kang's mental fortitude was not lacking, and he quickly returned to normal. Afterwards, he made a gesture, calling Jiang Qing to his side and whispering instructions:
"Send a message to the second brother, telling him to bring his third-tier spirit slaves here as soon as possible. I heard before I came that Madam Qi was looking for medicine outside. If we can get in touch with her, we can go and ask her in my name. Also, ask the elders of the Fei family if they have any free time and see if they can invite one of them to help us."

Jiang Qing frowned upon hearing this, glanced discreetly at Chen Jiangkang and his entourage, and then whispered in response, "Elder Fei is not so easy to invite. Why should Senior Brother waste his favors on such worthless people?"

For the first time, Third Master Jiang, who has always disliked these personal relationships, offered his advice, but Headmaster Kang did not heed it.

The latter carefully examined the five storage bags he had just acquired, feeling a surge of confidence. When he spoke again, his tone was more composed:

"Let me do as I say. If even the Yunze Witch Lord Palace can't stop my family from doing things this time, then there will be fewer people who dare to harm my Chongming Sect in the future!"

—In the Yunze Witch Lord Hall and Ancestral Master Hall

In the twilight, the Ancestral Hall seemed to be shrouded in a bluish-gray mist, and a bronze incense burner in the center of the hall was emitting thin smoke from the Canaan incense.

An old monk, his body as thin as an ancient pine tree, had dark gold-trimmed robes that shimmered with runes in the dim candlelight.

The old monk's deep-set eyes seemed to hold two pools of cold water. His wrinkled eyelids gleamed with a compassionate light when half-closed, but when he opened his eyes to chant the Dharma, a sharp glint would burst forth, revealing two clusters of scarlet karmic fire imprisoned deep within his turbid old eyes.

His sword-like eyebrows were now tinged with frost, but the tails of his eyebrows resembled the tips of a tempered silver spear, slanting into his temples and leaving a swastika mark between his brows, which was extremely eerie.

The red copper prayer beads he held in his hand, constantly turning, rubbed against the calluses on his hands, producing a soft, tinkling sound. The agate beads wrapped around his wrists flickered in and out of focus, echoing the ceaseless clouds and mist outside the hall. Each of his two drooping earlobes was adorned with three pairs of Tantric gold rings, which he had obtained years ago by walking from Huangpi Road to Benying Temple to meet the Zen master. They were extremely precious, and now they gently jingled as he formed the lotus mudra.

When the incense ash that had drifted to his body gathered again to form a mandala array around him, and when the last grain of incense ash returned to its place, the old monk's cultivation was considered complete. Only at this critical moment did those outside the hall dare to send their urgent cries into the hall.

As the old monk opened his eyes, the doors of the Ancestral Hall opened by themselves without any wind. The group of officials who rushed in all looked panicked and quickly surrounded the old monk.

"Master, Third Brother and the others."

The long-bearded Shangxiu, who was the most accomplished in cultivation and was chosen by the public to speak, was stopped by the old monk with a gesture when he was only halfway through his sentence.

But when the latter took out two jade pendants from his waist, so shattered that their original form was no longer recognizable, a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. The others in the hall knew that he already knew about the deaths of You Songshangxiu and the other three.

"Has the Kang family of Chenjiang made any unusual moves?"

The hoarse voice emanating from Master Huang Mijia's throat was as piercing as a knife, but everyone in the hall was focused and dared not miss a single detail.

At this point, with everyone talking at once, it was impossible to explain clearly. In the end, it was the long-bearded man who had been pushed forward earlier who spoke up again to answer:

"Your Highness, the Kang family of Chenjiang is leading a million mortals on a migration."

Such a major undertaking could not be kept secret from others. As soon as Chen Jiangkang was about to set off, the news spread from all directions to the desks of the various heads of the Yunze Witch God Temple.

"Bringing mortals along? Utterly foolish!"

Master Huang Mijia chuckled. The news about the Kang family of Chenjiang was sent by the Seventh Palace Master before his death; the Third Palace Master You Songshangxiu and his party also died while on a mission to visit Chenjiang County; the last message sent by You Songshangxiu mentioned the cave dwelling, which was located within the jurisdiction of the Kang family of Chenjiang.

Therefore, regardless of whether Chen Jiangkang had the ability to harm four hall masters of Yunze Witch Lord Hall, his family was still inextricably linked to this lawsuit.

After learning about it, Master Huang Mijia would naturally ask; if he couldn't get an answer, then it would be understandable that he would simply erase it in a fit of anger.

After all, his family only knew one ancestor in the early stage of the Golden Core realm. Although he had some reputation and could intimidate rising sects like the Fire Gang Sect, he still couldn't suppress the Cloud Ze Witch Venerable Palace, which dominated the northern border of Huangpi Road.

"Have you sent messages to the families around Chenjiang County, asking them to send their disciples to pursue them?!"

The man with the long beard who answered looked embarrassed and lacked confidence in his reply.
"Not long ago, the newly promoted Golden Core cultivator of the Fire Gang Sect named Guo Hongshan had his life tablet broken. The surrounding sects and families either lacked the courage to pursue him because they had no superior cultivator to guard him, or they were still mindful of their minor favors with the Chen Jiang Kang family and thus did not put in any real effort."

"When did the Kang family of Chenjiang ever show such kindness?"

Upon hearing the inaccuracies in the words, Master Huang Mijia was so enraged that he laughed. This terrified all the cultivators in the hall, causing their expressions to change drastically. In the end, it was the long-bearded cultivator who stepped forward to answer:

"Eighth Brother and Ninth Sister, together with the Lianjiang Sect, Fengyi Sect and Fushan Orthodox Sect, blocked the way for Chen Jiang Kang Clan on their way to Yunjiao Prefecture in Shannan Road. The Golden Core cultivator they were attached to was quite powerful, and they also had a seriously injured Golden Core cultivator and a sword cultivator alchemist assisting them."

Our five advanced cultivators were unable to defeat him, but then a Core Formation Spirit Slave appeared and caused our defeat in the blink of an eye.

If it weren't for his family's stupidity and feigned concern for the lives of mortals, another cultivator might have lost their life. However, after this incident, the number of those willing to be transferred would have dwindled significantly.

Sitting on the futon, Master Huang Mijia heard the long-bearded cultivator sigh, but he did not ask the latter why he did not gather all the golden cores in the sect together to complete the work.

Although the Yunze Witch Lord Hall previously had eleven Golden Core Hall Masters, in terms of sheer numbers, it still surpassed the "Three Managers" under the jurisdiction of the Star-Picking Tower.

However, Huangpi Dao is indeed somewhat different from other Daos. The leaders of the three realms within the Dao not only serve their respective masters, but their relationships are also not harmonious. This prevents many of his Golden Core cultivators from moving lightly, and they must always be stationed in key locations to guard them.

In addition, the fifth, ninth, and tenth hall masters of the Yunze Witch Lord Hall, as well as the recently deceased sixth hall master Hou Mingfa, were all outsiders whom Huang Mijia had spent a lot of effort to find after taking over the family.

It's not difficult to share in the glory and prosperity of the Yunze Witch Lord Palace, but to demand that they share in the loss and prosperity of others requires a truly precious conscience.

For these four palace masters who came from independent cultivation backgrounds, such requirements were indeed somewhat harsh.

Therefore, the number of available personnel becomes even more strained.

It should be noted that of the four cultivators who died in Chenjiang County, apart from Shiyi Niang and Feng Buyao, the rest were all considered top-ranking experts among the eleven palace masters.

Even the Seventh Palace Master, who was the first to fall, was stronger than the Fourth Palace Master Yu Nian'en, who had a long beard reaching his belly, in terms of fighting skills.

The latter didn't have many trustworthy and useful people at their disposal, and recently they even sent their own family members, the Eighth and Ninth Palace Masters, to stop the Kang family. To be honest, this was already a risky move.

After all, if things don't go smoothly between these two, even though they are only at the initial stage of cultivation, the people in the sect might still have other thoughts.

Master Huang Mijia knew that although the Yunze Witch Lord Palace had seemingly lost four high-level cultivators, it was actually in a precarious state.

If this prestige cannot be established, with powerful enemies surrounding us from the outside and internal strife among those within our jurisdiction, it will be difficult to even control the people within our own territory.

Just by observing how the Golden Core sects under the jurisdiction of Yunze Witch Venerable Palace behave after this minor defeat, one can understand that if Huang Mi Jia Shi is unable to establish his authority, it would not be surprising if Yunze Witch Venerable Palace gradually declines to the point where it can no longer hold its position as the master of the northern border of Huangpi Dao.

The gentlemen of the Star-Picking Tower who only care about asking for spirit stones have little interest in sects like the Cloud Ze Witch Lord Palace that are eager to curry favor with them.

If you want others to help you, you still have to bring a lot of money to ask and beg. The small amount of money they accept from your family on a regular basis is what earns you the right to ask and beg.

After pondering for a moment, Master Huang Mijia spoke again:
"Fourth brother, you guard the gate. Except for the second brother, who is guarding the pass at Hefeng Ridge and cannot leave, ignore all other key places for now. All the guards must rush to Chenjiang."

"I'll only take half of the battalion of shaman soldiers and half of the battalion of warrior monks. You should call back your eighth brother to serve. I'll take the rest of the palace masters to do the important business."

Master Huang Mijia's explanation caused the Fourth Palace Master, Yu Nian'en, to frown deeply. He then said, "Grand Palace Master, if Hefeng Ridge finds out about such a large-scale operation, I'm afraid my second brother and I still won't be able to hold that pass."

"Don't worry, I've mastered the profound skill this time. I'll come back as soon as I get the head, and I won't delay the sect's important affairs!"

(End of this chapter)