Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 549 Teaching Apprentices
Jin Shilun had not visited his master's door for some time, because he was now feeling somewhat overwhelmed by his duties as the garrison commander of Jiachou Military Camp.

There was nothing that could be done. If it weren't for Elder Yuan Jin, who was stationed at Wild Fox Mountain with the Crimson Guard, Jin Shilun, a mere early-stage True Cultivator, would have had a hard time suppressing the more than four hundred households under the jurisdiction of the Armored Chou Squadron.

After all, there are indeed many Foundation Establishment families among them. After weathering the initial storms, the head of the Yang family, Yang Xun, can be considered a figure of importance. They have even begun to plan to achieve the goal of obtaining a false core.

Fortunately, besides his identity as a true cultivator, Jin Shilun also carried the title of a sect leader's disciple. None of the sects that moved to Cold Crow Mountain were particularly wicked or wealthy, which allowed him to diligently maintain his position as the garrison commander.

He came all the way from Crow Mountain, so he was considered late.

When Kang Dabao entered the sect, his courtyard was already quite lively. He talked to a few of his fellow disciples, then quietly glanced into the kitchen. Seeing that the pot and steamer were still in their original places, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

After he had finished looking around, Duan Anle, who had just finished dealing with clan affairs, finally arrived late.

After a period of training, this eighth-generation disciple, who was already honest and pragmatic, had long since shed his former naiveté.

Duan Anle, sitting in the position of acting head of the clan, even seemed quite adept at it. Even Ye Zhengwen was quite at ease, and in recent years he had devoted most of his energy to teaching Liu Ya, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

After Duan Anle entered, the disciples stopped their conversations and greetings. Duan Anle, who was not a talkative person to begin with, did not speak after entering, but bowed repeatedly, and thus took the lead in the group.

Shortly after the disciples lined up, the door to the sect leader's room opened by itself without any wind. Duan Anle entered after hearing the sound, and the talisman behind him was activated, so that no sound could be heard again.

When Fei Shuhe was not around, the furnishings in the sect leader's room remained as simple as ever.

The bluestone floor was still mostly occupied by a large pear wood carved bed, the paint on which was more mottled than before, but it was not clear that Master Kang had any intention of changing it.

On a small table in the corner of the room were several jade slips. The whisk, bottle, and bowl that used to be there were no longer any use, so they were replaced by some spiritual silk, pens, and knives.

Duan Anle glanced at it briefly as he took a step, without looking at it again or bowing. He simply said softly, "Master, your disciple has arrived."

"Hmm, not bad. You haven't neglected your cultivation while managing worldly affairs," Headmaster Kang said with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. Although Duan Anle's disciple was not particularly talented, just like the first batch of disciples, he was indeed a worry-free person.

With his four spiritual roots, he was able to advance to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage before he was even a hundred years old, and also possess the identity of a second-tier mid-grade Beast Master. Who knows how much hard work he must have done in private to be able to rival the true disciples of a major sect.

Kang Dabao has always been a self-sufficient person, so he naturally wouldn't have any complaints about Duan Anle.

"Drinking tea,"

As Kang Da's disciple, whom he had raised like a son since childhood, Duan Anle neither asked questions nor expressed gratitude after hearing the voice. Instead, he sat down cross-legged at the table in front of Kang Da, picked up his cup, and drank it down.

"Gurgling,"

"Drinking it like that, how can you taste anything?" Kang Dabao laughed first, then said, "Your master's wife praised this 'Mirror-like Cold Waves' for its 'chilling throat sound and cleansing spirit like a mirror,' what do you think?"

After pondering for a moment, Duan Anle said again, "Good tea."

"Ha, you're not wrong." Master Kang nodded with a smile, the affection in his eyes almost impossible to hide.

Kang Dabao didn't mention to Duan Anle the preciousness or mystery of the third-grade low-level spiritual tea that he had spent a lot of money to obtain from Wanbao Trading Company.

He picked up his writing brush again and asked softly, "Anle, have you still not made any progress with the 'Secret Book of Xuanqing's Withering and Flourishing'?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Anle's face immediately showed a hint of guilt. He frowned, and after a few moments of contemplation, he sighed softly, "Your disciple is foolish."

Kang Dabao didn't say anything, but just sighed.

After all, human strength has its limits. Even with a master like Headmaster Kang, who is extremely generous and has no secrets, it is still difficult for Duan Anle to master a high-grade method like the "Secret Manual of Profound Purity and Decline".

Leaving aside spiritual root aptitude, the latter, in terms of comprehension, is already among the best of the eighth generation of disciples.

Even if Kang Dabao himself didn't have the help of the three nameless jade pendants, his mastery of this wonderful technique might not be much better than Duan Anle's.

Although Duan Anle is making good progress now, if this continues, his disadvantage in spiritual roots will become more and more obvious. It would be perfectly normal for him to be overtaken in cultivation by outstanding junior disciples like Kang Changyi or even Tang Jiu.

In the end, even if Duan Anle becomes a pseudo-elixir master, he may not be able to maintain a stable position.

"Um,"

However, facing a disciple like Duan Anle, Headmaster Kang could not utter any words of reproach. He nodded for a moment and then spoke up: "Anle, explain to me the meaning of the seven lectures in the general preface of the Qingyang Pine Classic."

Upon hearing this, Duan Anle immediately straightened his back and said slowly, "In the past, the Qin pine split rocks to support the Dharma lineage; its branches spread like winnowing baskets to gather the essence of the seven celestial bodies; its trunk soared like a dragon to receive the true Qi of the ten directions. The pine needles dripping with dew are truly heavenly wine nourishing the seedlings of the Dao; the resin seeping into the mysterious patterns are the hidden writings of the earth's veins and the art of escape. Observing how the wind strikes it like striking a chime, it is because the branches and joints secretly correspond to the Yellow Bell musical scale."

Kang Dabao closed his eyes and listened quietly. As Duan Anle spoke, he lightly made a hand seal. The tip of the Spring and Autumn Brush lit up, and without any prompting, it jumped out from between the two sect leaders and wrote words on the silk.

The rustling sound was exquisitely pleasant to the ear. Even without examining it with his divine sense, Master Kang was still somewhat amazed by this educational treasure, which had just been nurtured to a point of perfection and could be described as "dispelling confusion and enlightening the mind, painting prisons and suppressing evil."

He could easily point out some shortcomings in Duan Anle's words. But without this magic weapon by his side, it would have been impossible to be so comprehensive and insightful.

This scene couldn't help but evoke a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, deep emotion/reflection) in Kang Dabao:
"That Taoist Peng is truly a good man; my disciple is fortunate indeed. It's a pity that if my Golden Eye of Truth had been just a fraction more focused, I might have spared his life. I wonder if such a top-tier cultivator might possess some other treasures."

Only after half a cup of tea had been consumed and Duan Anle had spoken over a thousand words did the cloud-filled room return to tranquility.

At this moment, Master Kang also abandoned those insatiable thoughts that had been swirling in his mind. When he slowly opened his eyes, Duan Anle noticed that his gaze was even clearer, guessing that this might be due to further progress in his pupil techniques.

If that's the case, then it would be difficult to find anyone with a more refined eye technique than Kang Dabao in the south, north, and Huangpi areas of the southwest.

At that moment, a soft cough from the cloud room pulled Duan Anle back to reality.

He was clever and intelligent, and without saying a word, his gaze followed Master Kang to the silk, where he examined it carefully for a long time without speaking.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Duan Anle finally withdrew his gaze, calming the complex expression on his face—a mixture of sudden realization and deep regret—and said wistfully:
“I used to think that I had fully grasped the true meaning of the ‘Qingyangsong Scripture’, but I could not make much progress because of my limited spiritual talent. I never expected that my master would point out so many mistakes today. I am truly ashamed.”

Seeing the dejected look on his apprentice's face, Kang Dabao did not comfort him. Instead, he laughed and scolded, "Ashamed? Ashamed my foot! If you apprentices knew everything, what would be the point of having me as your master?"

It seemed like it had been quite a few years since he had been scolded. Duan Anle felt a sense of familiarity upon hearing it and chuckled along. However, his thoughts were already deeply immersed in the profound meaning he had just heard, and he found it difficult to pull himself out of it.

Master Kang was naturally pleased to see this, but after pondering for a while, he said again:
"When I was building my foundation, I went to Hong County to seek instruction from Senior Lang Yi on the woodworking method. It took me several years and more than a hundred classic texts to finally understand many of the true meanings."

Kang Dabao paused here, then pointed a finger, summoning a cloud of energy, and placed the talisman inscribed with his own good deeds into Duan Anle's palm. He then recited:

“Anle, you are still young, and the sect is not lacking in classics. Why not try my method of starting early and see if you can make any progress?”

After thinking for a while, the latter said, "Master means that I should switch to another cultivation path in the future?"

Kang Dabao sighed: "I know this decision is hard to make, and it may take another ten or twenty years of hard work for you. But even if we don't talk about the advantage of fighting, the enlightenment and understanding of higher-level techniques are indeed much greater. Even if it is extremely difficult, it will be of great benefit to your future cultivation."

Duan Anle did not argue, but pondered for a long time before asking, "Master still prefers me to cultivate the 'Secret Manual of Profound Purity and Withering'?"

“No, that’s not it,” Sect Leader Kang shook his head again. “Over the years, I have received many cultivation techniques as rewards, and many Golden Core cultivators have generously helped me. I have also obtained quite a few cultivation techniques from their storage bags. I have selected one for you, which you may want to give a try.”

But then a ring on Kang Dabao's thick finger lit up, and a wisp of spiritual light fell into Duan Anle's hand. The latter collected several bottles of precious pills that true cultivators outside could not obtain, two offensive and defensive spiritual artifacts, and a bottle of Phoenix Spirit Liquid before finally picking up the jade slip to examine it:

"The Pure Heart Sect's Treasury, a lower-grade version of the 'Crimson Pearl Illuminating True Chapter'."

“There aren’t many survivors in his family anymore, so there’s no need to worry about him getting into any trouble.” Kang Dabao spoke without any remorse, but then added:

"Cultivation is ultimately your own business. The words of outsiders can only be consulted, not believed entirely. In your future cultivation, you should follow your own heart and not carry any burdens."

Once Duan Anle had composed himself, he bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Master."

Kang, the sect leader, who was sitting cross-legged on the futon, waved his hand and laughed, "Go, go. Go and call Shilun. Let's see if he has brought me any braised pork knuckle."

As each disciple entered the sect to receive instruction, Headmaster Kang had already spent several months on this. Not all disciples possessed Duan Anle's comprehension and were able to switch to higher-level cultivation techniques.

However, the effectiveness of this Spring and Autumn Annals in dispelling confusion, enlightening the mind, and guiding the way forward is also remarkable. As long as the disciples who have received the teachings have all benefited greatly, they wish they could immediately go into seclusion to cultivate themselves.

This led to a minor period of chaos within the Chongming Sect. After all, regardless of their cultivation level, the disciples summoned by Sect Leader Kang were all trusted disciples with important duties, and they all began to devote themselves to cultivation, making it difficult for the sect to operate smoothly in normal times.

Fortunately, Duan Anle was capable and quickly reorganized the entire organization. This allowed his junior brothers, Jiang Qing, Yuan Jin, and Ye Zhengwen, to receive instruction from Master Kang with peace of mind, and they also benefited greatly from the guidance of Chunqiu Bi'e.

Over the years, Master Kang had seen quite a bit of the world and had collected many magical treasures here and there, but only this educational treasure truly suited his taste, leaving him deeply moved:
"If we had obtained this treasure earlier, my disciples' future might have been even brighter. Later, when either the second or third son makes further progress and is able to use the magic weapon, we can make teaching him a regular practice."

Unbeknownst to Kang Dabao, the very person he was so grateful to, Peng Daoren, was somewhere deep within the Cold Crow Mountains, healing his wounds with his eyes closed.

(Old Bai has to go to the production line tomorrow morning, that's all for today, I'll try to finish earlier tomorrow!)
(End of this chapter)