Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 548 The Responsibility of the Sect Leader
Five years later
After using up all the six low-grade, third-tier "Purple Ganoderma Lucidum" that he had purchased, Sect Leader Kang finally managed to improve the quality of several magical treasures, including the Jade Palace Filth-Breaking Halberd he had just acquired.

As an advanced version of Phoenix Spirit Liquid, "Purple Ganoderma Lucidum Cleansing" is quite useful, saving Kang Dabao nearly sixty years of hard work.

But nothing in this world is perfect. The only drawback of this spiritual liquid is that it's not cheap. At least, the little wealth that Huang Li and Jie Yi, these two cultivators, had painstakingly accumulated over hundreds of years, was so easily depleted.

The reason why the usually pragmatic and down-to-earth Sect Leader Kang would take such an extravagant action is because of the tense atmosphere in the southwestern regions.

In just a few years, although Zhaixinglou remained untouched, its three subordinate sects, Xianyu Family, Yunshui Sect, and Liangyi Sect, seemed to have received some unspeakable secret instructions and provoked many border conflicts.

In the ensuing battle, even several cultivators were killed or wounded.

Yang Yongcheng, one of the two patriarchs of the Yang family in Yezhou and an old acquaintance of the head of the Kang family, died at the hands of Hua Ran, the head of the Xianyu family.

This also caused the Yang family of Yezhou to lose much of its prestige. It was difficult for Yang Baoshan to maintain the family's reputation on his own. It is unknown whether Yang Wuwei, who has a good relationship with Kang Dabao, has made any progress in achieving the Golden Core stage.

Even those at the Golden Core stage struggle to protect themselves in such a great battle; as for those at the Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining stages, it goes without saying.

I've heard that the True Man Yueyin of Wumu Mountain and the True Man Jiangxue of the Hehuan Sect recently had a fight with Bai Canhong, the Master of Zhaixing Tower.

It seems difficult to determine who won or lost, but according to the news sent back by Lian Xuepu, the two masters looked unwell when they returned. Master Jiangxue had not even summoned anyone to his bedchamber for two or three years, and had only been cultivating in seclusion.

Such a thing was rare for a real person like her who had given up on her future path and only wanted to live a peaceful and enjoyable life. It also showed that this challenge was probably not a memorable experience for her.

Fortunately, after the Duke of Qin's mansion moved from Fengming Prefecture in Shanbei Road, although it did cause Yunjiao Prefecture to decline considerably, it also meant that Zhaixing Tower had not had to pay attention to these minor problems around it in recent years.

In the past five years, Chongmingzong has only cooperated with Fei family Yingshan army in a few battles against Liangyizong under the command of Fei Donggu.

The leader on the other side has changed. For some reason, the Grand Elder of the Liangyi Sect, Pu Honggu, has not shown up for a long time. According to outsiders' speculation, he may have already died in some quiet room.

Headmaster Kang didn't know whether this claim was credible or not. Pu Honggu's whereabouts were very secretive, and even the ever-well-informed Wuwei Tower couldn't find out. There were many different opinions outside, and no conclusion had been reached.

However, even with Qiu Yunsheng and Li Yun taking charge, the Liangyi Sect was not a force that could be easily defeated.

According to Master Kang, Qiu Yunsheng is probably even more powerful than Huang Mi. Only Fei Donggu's powerful ancient treasures allowed him to fight him to a draw.

This clearly shows that although Shannan Road is barren and far inferior to the rich and beautiful areas around the capital, those who fought their way out from the penniless and achieved high cultivation were not necessarily much inferior to their counterparts from wealthy families in the capital.

Fei Nanying, who had been in seclusion for a long time, also appeared at that time, suppressing Li Yun, the former head of the Liangyi Sect, to the point that he could hardly fight back. If it weren't for the fact that the two sides still had some tacit understanding, Li Yun would have suffered a great loss.

It was also because of this tacit understanding that Master Kang, who was always regarded as a first-rate pawn by the big shots, had a rare moment of leisure.

At that time, Chongmingzong was led by only Jiang Qing and Yuan Jin, who led the Qingjue and Chizhang Guards and most of the Chongming Alliance to the expedition.

Even the militias of the various tribes in Hanya Mountain and the local militias of various counties were not summoned, which made many poor men who were usually happy to hear of war and hoped to turn their lives around feel very uncomfortable.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate for roughly half a year, with each side experiencing victories and defeats.

However, they did not engage in many battles. Most of the time, they were stationed in their respective camps. Moreover, the four high-ranking cultivators mentioned above only clashed at the beginning of the war and rarely appeared in either side's camp afterward.

Therefore, not to mention the Golden Core cultivators, even the Foundation Establishment cultivators have suffered few casualties. The situation here is much better than the tragic scene in the northern mountain pass.

Even the Grand Master Kang didn't know how Fei Donggu would explain things to the officials of the Duke's Mansion after returning to Shanbei Road.

However, considering that the Fei family of Yingzhou served in various dynasties, they must have a set of rules regarding which battles required their utmost effort and which could be treated as mere formalities.

Fei Donggu, an old fox, often served Fei Tianqin and Fei Yeyi. He was a figure who appeared at the Taiyuan Capital court assemblies and advised Emperor Wei. He had no dealings with ordinary people, so there was no need for Kang Dabao, a junior scholar, to worry about him.

With Qiu Yunsheng and Li Yun absent, the cultivators of Chongming Sect were able to protect themselves thanks to the third-tier spirit slave in Yuan Jin's possession. Meanwhile, in the one and only duel, Third Master Jiang managed to retrieve the head of the Pill Master of Liangyi Sect, which could be considered Chongming Sect's greatest gain this time.

However, the fact that the two were able to lead the sect members back safely was already a great relief to Sect Leader Kang, so he dared not dream of anything more.

After all, the Chongming Emperor's supplies are not in short supply now, and he doesn't need to make a big splash.

Kang Dabao's mastery of the path of growth is almost comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator. He is confident that as long as Chongming Sect can develop steadily in the future, it will be nothing more than a common occurrence for it to grow into a second-rate Nascent Soul force like Wulaoshan in Shanbei Dao.

When he left this time, Fei Shuhe was alone in the courtyard reading the letter. Just by looking at the latter's furrowed brows, Master Kang knew where the letter came from.

The saying "A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles" is just a common saying, but it is also appropriate for spiritual practitioners.

Over the course of five years, the beautiful woman had become quite haggard due to the increasingly intense fighting in the two rivers.

The Imperial Guards led by Shu Zhengde, a member of the Imperial Guards, were in a precarious situation. Emperor Wei even urgently dispatched the Prince of the North, Kuang Zefu, to provide support, but they were still unable to immediately turn the tide of the battle.

Even the Grand Master Kang didn't know what perverse things the Immortal Dynasty had done in the Two Rivers Region. In just a few decades, it had managed to force the Blood Sword Sect to be annihilated, the Burial Spring Tomb to submit, and all the forces in the Two Rivers Region that were no longer in charge of Nascent Soul cultivators to rebel.

However, some people with ulterior motives say that it was because the Master of Taiyi Temple personally went to the two river channels to stir up trouble that this disaster occurred.

Fei Shuhe didn't concern herself much with these national and family affairs; she was only worried about the safety of her children.

As news of the deaths of numerous young talents from noble families in the Battle of Lianghedao over the years arrived like snowflakes, even Kang Changxi's frequent reports of victories could hardly bring a smile to Fei Shuhe's face.

As for the marriage he had once looked forward to, he had long since forgotten about it.

The Kang family, headmaster and his wife, could never have imagined that the broad road they had planned for Kang Changxi would turn into a muddy path full of thorns.

The two of them had considered trying to salvage the situation, but when the war turned against them and the prince met his end, the turmoil was elevated to an unprecedented level.

The Northern King Kuang Zefu was slightly different from the Southern King Kuang Shenzhi. The latter could be considered a peer of Emperor Wei, and while he was undoubtedly very loyal to the Wei Dynasty, he also had some tactful methods.

The former, a newly promoted True Man from a distant branch of the imperial family, spent the first half of his life following the Emperor's wishes.

In other words, whatever Emperor Wei gave an order, he would carry it out meticulously and without fail. Such a person was extremely intolerant of any imperfections. At this point, Headmaster Kang knew that it would be useless for him to plead with Fei Nanying. In the end, Fei Shuhe abandoned her pride and went to Fei Nanying again, crying and pleading.

Even though he had attained the highest level of cultivation, Fei Nanying still had a weakness. After seeing his niece's tearful appearance, he couldn't bear it.

However, before he could even finish writing his petition, news arrived from the two river routes that the Northern King, Kuang Zefu, had dealt with a group of noble sons who had feigned illness or injury.

Nearly a hundred people were beheaded with knives and axes, and their heads were displayed at the gate. Among them were even Golden Core cultivators from prestigious families like the Yue Lu Su family.

This incident shocked the entire world. Not long afterward, it seemed that even in the heart of the Kuang family's territory, near the capital, there were people secretly plotting rebellion and colluding with outsiders.

In such places, unless the whole world rebels, even if the abbot of Taiyi Temple or the abbot of Benying Temple came in person, it would be difficult to stir up much trouble.

Even before the person in Taiyuan had made a move, that fool family was wiped out by the order of the Su family's True Person.

At that time, the Su family's elite cultivators completely abandoned their usual aloof and refined demeanor and worked diligently. After their intervention, that area was truly reduced to scorched earth, and it was difficult to find even a single intact chicken.

Upon hearing this, Fei Nanying was both surprised and delighted.

Fortunately, he hadn't started writing yet; otherwise, given the ruthless nature of the Northern King Kuang Zefu, it's possible that after receiving the letter, Kang Changxi would have stood at the front and gone to fight the enemy bare-chested.

However, when Kang Da Sect Leader wrote to Boyue, he specifically pointed out that while the Northern King had indeed been somewhat reckless in the past, he was far from being unwise. Moreover, he would not have dared to do something like this—to strike a blow against almost all the aristocratic families in the capital region—in the past.

When Kang Dabao received the letter, he comforted his wife while pondering its profound meaning for a long time.

Coincidentally, shortly afterward, when Fei Donggu and Fei Nanying brought up Yingshan Army again and faced Xianyu family's troops on the northern mountain road, the Fei family lost a talented retainer in exchange for the lives of two superior cultivators.

The Yingshan Army below them, from top to bottom, were even more fearless of death. Even the two extremely valuable Golden Core seeds, Vice General Fei Bofeng and Fei Zhongyun, suffered one death and one injury.
In the past, when the Fei family was in charge of the southwestern provinces, they only urged their subordinates to fight to the death. Such dedication was rare.

Therefore, although Nan Ying did not explain some of the details, judging from the situation, others should be able to understand some of it.

While Kang Dabao could not foresee the reasons for the Kuang family's downfall, he secretly thought that he should not be absent from the war unless absolutely necessary.

When Fei Shuhe saw her husband emerge from the pass, she neatly put away the letter in her hand and wiped away her tears.

The beautiful woman knew that crying was useless. Master Kang had rarely come out of seclusion and must have things to do. She shouldn't drag someone else along to suffer in vain.

"What did Xi-ge'er say in his letter?"

"A month ago, I killed a Golden Core disciple in battle and was promoted to Deputy Lieutenant of the Imperial Guard, in charge of a battalion. Xiao Qi has also had some good fortune and has grown into a second-tier high-grade cultivator." Fei Shuhe's beautiful eyes were bloodshot as she spoke, which was truly pitiful.

Upon hearing this, Master Kang sighed softly, thinking to himself that his second son's duties were exactly the same as those of Patriarch Zhang when he pacified the Shanrong in Shannan Road.

Thinking that he had already said comforting words to the point of exhaustion, and that saying more would probably make Fei Shuhe's fair ears calloused, Kang Dabao didn't know how to respond for a moment. So he simply took his wife's hand and said softly, "Let's take a walk together."

Fei Shuhe was clearly surprised; her astonishment had barely formed on her face when she was pulled outside by Headmaster Kang.

The two of them neither rode on clouds nor summoned beasts when they set out. Along the way, they received many disciples who came to pay their respects in person. Fei Shuhe talked to many people and gradually calmed down.

The Spirit Plant Hall was the first choice for Sect Leader Kang, who was personally irrigating the Glazed Treasure Tree with pure Yang energy in the soil. Don't underestimate this immortal root just because it's not of high grade and is only useful for Qi Refining disciples to lay the foundation.

However, the first few batches of disciples who received the glass relics as a foundation were visibly superior to their peers.

Therefore, even though the Shan Gong Hall had increased the exchange rate for this spiritual item several times over, the senior cultivators in the sect, as their disciples and relatives, still spared no expense, making the spiritual item so scarce that demand exceeded supply.

Therefore, after deliberation among the elders, Duan Anle simply changed the rules previously established by Kang Dabao. Of the twelve glass relics in each round, only three were kept in the sect's treasury, and the rest were used for rewards in the minor competition.

Furthermore, the exchange of the glass relics in the treasury has been closed. From now on, only disciples with two or more spiritual roots who join the sect or are promoted to elders can obtain one. Except for those who are given an order by the sect leader, it cannot be issued.

Even the sect leader Kang had never imagined that the immortal root he had given to the Black-Shoeed Daoist would be so beneficial to the foundation of a cultivator. Therefore, he had no objection to Duan Anle and the elders' reform of the old system.

After all, Emperor Chongming is not yet at the point of being complacent and self-sufficient. What Kang Dabao is more pleased to see is that Duan Anle is willing to take on responsibilities as he is now.

Perhaps Zhou Yixiu's previous admonition had taken effect, because Kang Rongquan was much more focused when tending to the sacred plants this time.

Only when the last wisp of yang energy in his hand dissipated and the last tender leaf on the tip of the Glazed Treasure Tree trembled slightly did he see that the Grand Master Kang and his wife were actually right beside him.

"Grandson pays respects to his great-uncle and great-aunt."

This man was truly radiant and elegant, but in Kang Dabao's eyes, he carried the shadow of that old man who spent his years tilling the fields and was unkempt.

The latter seemed to pause for a moment before smiling and saying, "Rongquan, you've worked hard."

This time, Kang Rongquan did not simply offer humble words as before, but instead responded:
“Grand Uncle is right, it is indeed hard work in the Spirit Plant Hall. The disciples in the hall work from dawn till dusk every day without receiving any respect or dignity. They can hardly find a Daoist partner in the sect, yet they still work tirelessly day and night for the sect. But there are some people who cannot see this.”

After hearing this, Kang Dabao was stunned for a moment. Only then did he realize that Kang Rongquan seemed to have truly taken over Zhou Yixiu's position as the head of the Spirit Plant Hall.

Now it seems that his behavior is quite different from that of the kind old man.

The situation revealed by Kang Rongquan was not an isolated case. In fact, as the eighth generation of descendants began to show their talents in their respective fields, Chongmingzong could no longer be as harmonious as it was when it was poor and destitute.

The days when the three Kang brothers had to give away their last batch of spiritual rice are gone forever.

After all, things are going uphill. Once the disciples no longer have to live with their lives on the line like the sect leader used to, it's hard to avoid some disputes among them.

Even Fei Shuhe, who usually ignored worldly affairs, was perfectly aware of the situation. She simply smiled and tapped Kang Rongquan's head with her finger, without blaming him.

Ignoring the veiled meaning in Kang Rongquan's words, Sect Leader Kang simply took out the Spring and Autumn Annals Pen and held it in his hand, saying with a smile, "Go and call all your fellow disciples here. It's time for me to do what a sect leader should do."

(End of this chapter)