Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 544 The Jade Palace is broken and dirty
After arriving in Fengming Prefecture with the old bird of the Fei family, the head of the Kang family saw the brand-new Duke Qin's mansion and was truly amazed by the world.

As the ridge of the Duke of Qin's mansion loomed like a dragon in the twilight, the nine layers of vermilion doors reflected the gleaming gold spirit barrier meticulously carved by a high-level talisman master.

The twelve lion statues cast from smelted wild green stone are comparable to the elixir of immortality and are guarding the central courtyard.

Each beast head held a black iron chain that meandered down to the ground. Each piece of blue brick was engraved with cloud and thunder seal script to suppress evil spirits, which could indeed prevent ordinary demons from getting close. It was just right for the Qin State Duke's Mansion, which was located near the demon land.

As Kang Dabao sighed with admiration and followed Fei Tianqin through the three layers of refined gold flying dragon gates and stepped onto the Dan Chi, countless jade lotus lanterns on both sides suddenly lit up one after another.

Just as the lanterns lit up, the gold and silver inlaid landscape painting on the screen wall behind the door suddenly flowed. A crimson koi leaped from the scroll, creating a mist that fell into the inkstone, splashing water droplets onto the inkstone.
Above the half-rolled golden silk curtain, a faint star map seemed to be visible, with pure white jade beads embedded on it like full moons hanging from the dome, instantly casting the shadow of the Big Dipper's handle on the Taiyin stone floor tiles, a sight that was both beautiful and noble.

Such a welcoming scene would be extremely difficult to achieve without finding a clever person to devise a clever plan and spending a great deal of resources. It also made Headmaster Kang face the so-called "imperial demeanor" for the first time.

You should know that when Master Kang arrived at the Yingzhou clan's territory, he was already amazed.

Only now do I realize that compared to the real royal family of David, even the renowned Fei family of Yingzhou falls far short in terms of extravagance and prestige.

News had already arrived before the new year that Kuang Liuting had obtained Emperor Wei's permission to specially summon six third-level geomancers to borrow a side hall from the Xuanqiong Palace in Taiyuan and move there as a temporary residence.

Outsiders say that Emperor Wei bestowed all the female officials in this palace upon her, and that the palace is indeed a place of wine pools and meat forests, a paradise on earth, tempting people to admire.

The rumors spread like wildfire, causing nearby cultivators to marvel at Kuang Liuting's extraordinary actions, proving that he was indeed a legitimate but not officially recognized imperial heir.

However, Kang Dabao had no time to appreciate the magnificent palaces and beautiful female officials. He simply followed Fei Tianqin and quickly entered the somewhat remote workshop.

The first master craftsman of the Qin State Duke's Mansion was surnamed Gu, with the given name Rong. He was the junior brother of Zhu Rongzi, the current leader of the Chen Gong School. Both of them were peak third-tier weapon masters, and could be considered among the top figures below the True Immortal.

It is worth mentioning that, just like Master Kang, this Master Gu was also once the son-in-law of the Fei family.

However, the latter's wife was not of good aptitude. After both families spent most of their resources, she barely managed to achieve the false elixir. She still could not stay with Gu Rong for a long time and has now passed away for a hundred years.

Now, Gu Rong's second wife is the daughter of the Baili family in Luochuan, which has led to some awkwardness between him and the Fei family over the years.

However, after the news of Fei Nanying's completion of the mid-grade pill spread, the two families resumed their close relationship.

After all, the Chen Gong School is of the same lineage as the Lu Gong School, the number one weapon-refining sect in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, and has had a long-standing friendship with the Fei family of Yingzhou. Anyone with a bit of foresight would not engage in such a petty squabble.

This has always been the case with aristocratic families and sects. When the founding emperor was alive, each family might have been able to conceal their true intentions to some extent. However, in the past thousand years, as the power of the imperial clan has declined significantly, the influence of each family and clan has become deeply entrenched. Even many remote branches of the imperial clan are no different.

To be honest, even Emperor Wei himself probably couldn't distinguish between loyalty and treachery, which forced him to spare no effort in recent years to select scholars from poor families, but to little avail. He was still secretly ridiculed by so-called visionaries like Fei Yeyi.

Born into a noble family and having studied under a prestigious master craftsman, Gu Rong had a dignified appearance, unlike the unkempt look that people usually associated with craftsmen. On the contrary, this master craftsman looked like a handsome young man, with little trace of smoke and fire, but rather red lips, white teeth, and brightly colored clothes.

Master Kang subconsciously compared the image of Yuan Jin refining weapons in his mind back then, only to find that the difference between the two was beyond description.

Although Gu Rong had a somewhat otherworldly appearance, he was not arrogant at all. As soon as he received the news that Fei Tianqin had come to his door in person, he immediately rode out to greet him on his yellow dragon steed.

Upon seeing the latter, he showed no airs whatsoever, and instead bowed respectfully, saying, "I did not know that the Ancestor had come in person today. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly. I hope the Ancestor will not be offended."

"Yes, you've come all the way from the desert, and you don't even stop by for a meal while you're passing through. It must be hard for you."

A rare hint of appreciation and delight appeared in the old bird's eyes, but it disliked small talk. After exchanging a few brief words with Gu Rong, it pulled up the headmaster Kang behind him and said in a low voice:
"Young Kang, this is your Uncle Gu from the Gu family. Why don't you pay your respects?!"

Even if we trace back eight hundred years to Kang Dabao's so-called Chongming Kang family lineage, it would be difficult for them to have any connection with someone like Gu Rong. However, since the old bird had just spoken, the two of them couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal, and it was considered that they had tacitly accepted this kinship.

After another round of tedious greetings, Kang Dabao, having received instructions from Fei Tianqin, finally stated his purpose:

"I have come to see you, Uncle, for two reasons. First, to renew our kinship, and second, because I have just completed the Golden Elixir and am powerless to protect myself. I have come to ask you to make a magic weapon to protect my life."

Gu Rong's brow twitched upon hearing this. Although he lived a secluded life, he was not someone who was out of touch with the world.

In fact, once he arrived at such a crucial place as the Qin State Duke's Crafts Department, no matter how indifferent Gu Rong was, he would still be bombarded with information that was considered highly confidential by ordinary people, as if it were free.

Gu Rong could even clearly explain how many superior cultivator heads were stored in Kang Dabao's tent and their quality, so how could anyone really believe that the former was a weak superior cultivator who had just achieved the Golden Core stage?

Gu Rong stroked his long beard and said with a faint smile, "Nephew is indeed being modest." However, after responding, a hint of unease appeared on Gu Rong's face.

Before Master Kang could speak, Fei Tianqin asked coldly from the side, "What's wrong? Is there something troubling you?!"

Gu Rong denied it repeatedly, but then said, "The old master has misunderstood me. The Duke just issued an urgent order and we are short-handed. How could I be making excuses?!"

"An urgent order?" Fei Tianqin was somewhat puzzled. Given his position in the Duke's mansion, he had never heard of such a thing, which naturally seemed quite strange. However, he didn't dwell on it, but simply asked again:

“When will you be able to free up some time, Gu boy? This Kang boy has provoked some extraordinary people. If you don’t have a handy magic weapon, I, your old ancestor, will really have to worry about him for a while. That wouldn’t be good.”

These words from the old bird made Gu Rong's eyes become much more serious. After thinking for a while, he said softly, "The old master knows the Duke's temperament. If this delays important matters, I'm afraid even the Chen Gong faction will offend the Duke, and he won't have any peace for the next three to five years. Please forgive me, old master and nephew!"

"It's been this long?!" Both the Grand Master Kang and the old bird of the Fei family were surprised: "Is the Duke of Qin's mansion up to something big again? How come even I, the patriarch/Ancestor Tianqin, haven't heard about it?!"

However, Kang Dabao was a man of inner strength. His expression remained unchanged, and he simply cupped his hands and said, "Three to five years is fine. I have come to bother you without prior notice, Uncle. How could I dare to say anything of blame?!"

"What's with the greeting?" Fei Tianqin pulled out a feather and tapped the headmaster Kang on the head, saying with displeasure, "I'm here to see Gu boy, why do I need to greet him?!"

Its words were domineering, but Gu Rong only smiled wryly for a moment before saying, "It is my nephew who misunderstood. It is my blessing that the Ancestor could come. How could it be considered an intrusion?"

The old bird was fairly satisfied with what Gu Rong said. After nodding for a while, he spoke up again: "You kid, as one of the top weapon makers in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, and recruited by the Duke's Mansion with great effort, I'm too lazy to praise your skills."

A master craftsman like you must have some treasured pieces in your collection. Don't be stingy; quickly bring them out for your nephew to examine. All the selection fees will be on this young man's shoulders."

Fei Tianqin paused at this point, then continued, "My judgment has never been wrong. This kid has a bright future ahead of him, and he won't owe you this favor, Gu boy."

"Haha, how could I dare not believe what the Ancestor says?!" Gu Rong nodded repeatedly, then turned to Kang Dabao and asked softly, "But I wonder what kind of magic weapon my nephew desires?"

Upon hearing the sound, Sect Leader Kang hurriedly retrieved the broken pieces of the Butcher's Remains, which unexpectedly caused Gu Rong, a seasoned weapon craftsman who often worked with True Immortals and top-tier Golden Core cultivators and was accustomed to grand occasions, to let out a soft exclamation.

"This short halberd is quite interesting. Although the forging method is terrible, they are generous with the materials. If the person who handled it had some knowledge of forging techniques, then this short halberd might be able to become a magic weapon."

Furthermore, this artifact seems to contain the true essence of several of the original owner's halberd techniques. Combined, it is indeed considered quite good among top-grade spiritual artifacts.

Don't be fooled by Gu Rong's simple praise of Tu Lu. For someone like him, even many low-grade magic weapons might not get a few good words from him. This shows how much effort and resources Yuan Buwen put into making the weapon back then.

"Uncle, could you please save it?"

Over the years, Kang Dabao has been quite adept at using this executioner's fist, even severing the heads of several Golden Core cultivators. If Gu Rong truly has a solution, he wouldn't mind paying another sum of money to keep it as a backup or bestow it upon someone else for future generations.

"Save me?" Gu Rong seemed to find something amusing, and his smile became even more genuine. He then explained, "It would be much easier if I could just give you another chance."

Kang Dabao laughed upon hearing this, but the lingering affection on his face as he looked at the broken halberd was hard to conceal, which made Gu Rong feel a sense of kinship. After listening to the latter ponder for a while, he then said, "However, the material of this broken halberd is not bad, so it may be usable for a while."

"Isn't this Taoist priest supposed to be too inexperienced to craft treasures?"

Just as this doubt arose in the mind of Sect Leader Kang, he saw Gu Rong reach for his waist, take out a double-eared halberd from his storage bag, and say with a laugh:
"This magical artifact is called 'Jade Palace Defilement,' and it is made by using the outer sea's wind mercury sand as the main ingredient and adding 101 kinds of spiritual treasures as secondary ingredients."

However, in my early years, my abilities did not match my ambitions, and I also required that the left halberd ear contain the Southern Bright Fire and the right halberd ear contain the Profound Dark True Water, with the ten thunder command symbols engraved on the halberd shaft.
However, it was unexpected that ordinary people's spiritual sense was insufficient, and this treasure consumed a great deal of spiritual energy. How many superior cultivators in the world would be willing to control it?

Therefore, although this treasure is made of high-quality materials and its power is comparable to most top-grade magic treasures in the world, it can only be considered a defective item. I have always been concerned about my reputation, so I have never had the nerve to give it away.

Despite its many drawbacks, it was still a work of great effort on my part back then. I wonder if my dear nephew finds it objectionable?

Gu Rong's humble question was indeed unnecessary for Headmaster Kang, after all, the latter had cultivated for over a hundred years and had not seen many items that could rival this treasure.

As for the drawbacks of spiritual consciousness and energy consumption, they don't seem to be any major problems for Kang Dabao.

Even Fei Tianqin, who had been listless, seemed to have become somewhat interested. Suddenly, he spread his wings and with a flash of light, he took the Jade Palace Halberd from Gu Rong's hand and examined it carefully.

This old bird's eye was far superior to that of ordinary people. However, after examining the magic weapon for a while, it also showed a glint in its eyes and then praised it: "It's not bad. It's much better than the halberd used by Nan Ying."

Gu Rong smiled and said a few more humble words, then pointed to the broken halberd in his hand and said softly:
"I will spend several more months fusing these two broken halberds into it, firstly to remove the traces of gold dust left over from the improper forging process back then; secondly, so that it can more or less make my nephew a good envoy, thus saving you several years of nurturing effort."

"Thank you, Uncle," Headmaster Kang knew perfectly well. Although he thanked Gu Rong, he thought to himself, "Ancestor Tianqin's influence is really useful. These favors are piling up and it will be hard to repay them."

However, Kang Dabao, who had been accustomed to being heavily in debt since his youth, only sighed for a while before putting the debt of gratitude behind him. After all, once he obtained the treasure, he would just obediently serve as a henchman for the Fei family. Once he had accumulated enough golden cores, he would eventually be able to pay off his old debts.

"Don't worry, you can take out the jade palace and clean it up for that brat Kang. As for the Duke, I will personally ask for leave for you. I still have that much face to save. I also want to know what kind of secret matter this is that has caused such a big commotion, even I haven't heard a word about it."

————The sleeping quarters of the Duke of Qin's mansion

Kuang Liuting, who was sitting cross-legged on the jade couch, suddenly opened his eyes. He had rarely gone out in the past few years, and his former sharp and sharp temperament was hard to find. Instead, he seemed more unfathomable and even more intimidating.

Since he achieved the Core Formation stage, he has rarely made a move. Some outsiders believe that he is now comparable to a True Immortal, but many more say that he has simply faded into obscurity and is worried that the title of a member of the imperial family will be taken away, which is why he has adopted a more reserved and aloof personality.

However, even the wife of this Duke of Qin probably didn't know that he was merely lying low, waiting for the opportunity to make a name for himself.

Judging from the current situation, this opportunity is getting closer and closer.
Kuang Liuting picked up the talisman in his hand and silently recited a few words as he wrote: "The Star-Picking Tower is making frequent moves, and Xiang Tianxing is kidnapping people for no reason. There may be a deeper meaning behind this. Pay special attention to the two gates of Wu Lao Mountain and Hehuan Sect, and be especially careful of the several array bases of the demon-locking barrier on the southern mountain road. Beware of Bai Canhong stirring up demon chaos."

The two talismans fluttered up like butterflies, but their movements were not slow. Before they could rest, they were enveloped in spiritual light and fluttered out again.

Kuang Liuting did some quick calculations, watching the two points of light gradually disappear from his eyes, before muttering again, "I wonder how many years it will take."

(End of this chapter)