Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 554 The Eldest Son Returns to the Clan
— Chongmingzong, Xiaohuanshan
The nascent mist quickly flowed into a milky white stream on the bluestone steps. The tender leaves of the ferns on both sides of the mountain path were covered with dew, and the mountain breeze carried a trace of moisture, making the Yulin Hall disciples who were sweeping outside the Zhihu Hall at the foot of the mountain feel cool.

Because of their laxity in cultivation, they were given the arduous task of sweeping the mountain by their master. With their cultivation not up to par, and being forbidden from having breakfast when they came out, their work was both bitter and tiring, but the mountain wind came at just the right time.

After another half hour, as the disciples endured the strange looks from their fellow disciples and reached the mountainside, the clouds above their heads were losing their soft color under the scorching sun.

The dense pine needles on the canopy of the large trees clung together tightly, as if in perfect harmony, cutting the sunlight into fragments of gold and scattering them wantonly upon the soon-to-be-ripened Red Spirit Valley.

The spirit grain seemed to be fully cooked, and the aroma it emitted made them suddenly feel hungry, which made them realize the "good intentions" behind their teachers' lessons.

These disciples of Yulin Hall were only eight or nine years old, and their comical little faces with their mournful expressions brought smiles to the faces of many outer disciples living nearby at the foot of the mountain.

A kind-hearted female Taoist priest wanted to give some food to him, but was persuaded to stop by her fellow disciples. After whispering among themselves, they could only laugh and brush past him.

The children were incredibly disappointed when they saw their prize of steamed buns slip away. But there was nothing they could do but swallow their saliva, pick up their brooms again, and hope to finish sweeping quickly so they could hand in their task.

"Give,"

The leading disciple of Yulin Hall looked up at the sound and saw a handsome young man in a cloak riding a tall beast. The young man was already half a step in front of him, which should have made a lot of noise, but he and his fellow disciples did not react at all.

The younger disciples were immediately stunned, forgetting even to accept the bag of pastries the young man offered. However, the outer disciples who had been laughing nearby instantly changed color, rushing over to bow respectfully.
"Greetings, Master."

Kang Changyi nodded for a moment, then laughed and said, "Seeing how hungry these children are, why are you just watching?"

"Young Master, you may not know this, but Master Ye has been in seclusion recently, so Senior Sister Jiang has temporarily taken over her duties of teaching the younger generation. No one else does this."

The disciple who spoke spoke with difficulty, but Kang Changyi only chuckled: "Haha, Senior Sister Ye has always been quiet and elegant, but this disciple is not like her, which is quite interesting."

At this moment, the disciple of Yulin Hall realized who was in front of him and immediately adopted the tone of an elder, respectfully bowing and saying, "Disciple Zheng Yuntong greets the eldest young master."

"Oh, Zheng Yuntong?"

Upon hearing this, Kang Changyi's eyes suddenly became more serious. After all, the person in front of him was the first single-spiritual-root immortal seedling since the founding of Chongming Sect, and he also seemed to possess some kind of spiritual bone. For a small sect that had only been established for three hundred years, this was an unprecedented existence.

Although his father didn't use many words to describe it in his letter, the excitement in his writing was palpable. In Kang Changyi's memory, this was indeed a very rare occurrence.

The child was indeed honest; his throat bobbed incessantly, yet he managed to pull his gaze away from the pastries and said softly, "Young Master, Master Jiang is right. We disciples cannot..."

"It's alright. If Junior Nephew Jiang asks, I will handle things for you. There's no need to worry."

Kang Changyi smiled faintly, forcefully stuffed the pastries into Zheng Yuntong's arms, and then, without saying much to the latter, he swayed his cloak, spurred his mount, and embarked on the journey up the mountain again.

At this moment, he was wearing a cloak and riding a second-tier top-grade Azure Thunder Crimson Ox. In front of the Chongming Sect disciples, he truly felt like a god, and he sighed repeatedly.

Zheng Yuntong first carefully distributed the pastries in his hand, then swallowed his own portion whole before finally taking the time to examine the rare giant beast beneath Kang Changyi's seat.

Some inner disciples and true disciples who worked in the Beast Garden also gave lectures in Yulin Hall. Zheng Yuntong was quite interested in this subject and never got distracted by it like he did with his other studies.

In Zheng Yuntong's memory, when the lecturers talked about how great Chongming Beast Garden was, they never mentioned that Kang Changyi had this second-tier top-grade spirit beast.

Even though he was exceptionally talented, he had only been practicing spiritual energy cultivation for a short time, so he was unaware that this second-tier top-grade Azure Thunder Crimson Ox was specially purchased by Chu Yanran from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect of Shanbei Road for Kang Changyi.

They had no idea that the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was the only sect in the northern mountain region besides the Five Old Mountain Sect and the Joyful Union Sect that could hold a commanding position.

It is said that the leader of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect is quite senior. In his early years, he also joined the Imperial Guard to cultivate and made many contributions. He can be considered one of the top figures below the Nascent Soul stage.

Many people believe this, because even the rather eccentric old patriarch of the Fei family, when he met the leader of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, did not seem to scold or ridicule the latter much.

It should be noted that even though the Qin State Duke's Mansion is now full of talented people, there are not many Golden Core cultivators who have received this honor.

However, such secrets can only be discussed casually over tea and after meals by those below in Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment, and it is difficult to know whether they are true or false.

However, one thing outsiders can be certain of is that the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect is the most skilled in beast taming among the three sects in the southwest. And the Azure Thunder Crimson Ox under Kang Changxi's command is a product of their careful breeding.

If it weren't for the fact that the cultivator from the Myriad Beasts Sect who came to trade with Chu Yanran was in dire need of cash to obtain resources for his descendants to form their Core Formation, this spirit beast with the potential to advance in rank might not have been sold off so easily.

According to Chu Yanran and Kang Changyi, this spirit beast seems to have some demon blood mixed in with it. If it fights desperately, it might be able to defeat a fake core cultivator, which would be enough to give Kang Changyi some support on his future cultivation path.

This spirit beast possessed extraordinary spiritual energy, attracting many Chongming disciples to come and see it along the way. After seeing it, they all praised it repeatedly.

Kang Changyi was a humble man, and his disciples were all happy to associate with this unpretentious great man. So when they arrived at Ye Zhengwen's place of cultivation, they had already agreed to attend five or six banquets in the following days.

The bell on the desk of the Chongming Sect's Foreign Affairs Elder in the courtyard rang again, causing him to raise an eyebrow. He pushed open the door with his halberd-like finger, intending to call someone in, but upon seeing Kang Changyi standing outside, his eyes immediately curved into a smile, and he said:
"Why is Yi-ge'er back?"

After speaking, Ye Zhengwen went out to greet the latter without waiting for a reply.

Upon seeing the second-tier top-grade Azure Thunder Crimson Ox in front of Kang Changyi, he couldn't help but stop and ask, "Is this the spirit beast that Madam Qi bought for you, as you mentioned in your letter?"

It's no wonder Ye Zhengwen was so surprised, because spirit beasts comparable to those with fake cores are not so easy to find, and they certainly wouldn't be cheap. It's unlikely that some extremely stingy person, even if they collected several Golden Core storage bags, wouldn't buy one from their own child.
Ye Zhengwen knew his own situation. He had made some progress due to the sect's support and preferential treatment after being fortunate enough to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. However, due to his limited talent, he could only be considered an average person among those at the same Foundation Establishment level.

Therefore, even with several top-grade spiritual artifacts that had been nurtured for many years by his side, Ye Zhengwen felt it would be difficult to hold out against this beast for long. He might only have time to make one last appearance before he had to flee in panic.

As he was pondering, Kang Changyi, who was opposite him, asked first, "Uncle Ye, are Second Uncle and Third Uncle here?" Ye Zhengwen shook his head and smiled, "There has been some turmoil in Jia Chou Military Camp recently. Shi Lun and Tang Jiu felt that they might have trouble suppressing it, so Junior Brother Yuan went back to Yehu Mountain."

The sect leader still has business at the Duke of Qin's mansion and can't leave. Originally, Qing-ge'er was going to return to the sect from Fengming Prefecture first, but halfway there he heard that Xu Liuxian of the Hanshan Sect had acquired a jar of five-hundred-year-old aged wine and sent an invitation for us to go together. But how could I possibly find the time? So only Junior Brother Jiang, this leisurely sword immortal, went to the banquet.”

Kang Changyi seemed to frown before speaking and asking Ye Zhengwen, "I wonder if things are still going well with Second Uncle?"

The latter replied casually, "It's nothing. It's just that a few brainless fools were provoked into becoming the ringleaders. How could they possibly accomplish anything? Yesterday, Junior Brother Yuan sent me a message saying that Yan is safe and sound. I suppose they are already on their way back."

“That’s good,” Kang Changyi nodded, then took out an elegant invitation and explained the purpose of his visit: “My master is overjoyed to have a son and has specially invited my family to attend.”

"Lin'er?" Ye Zhengwen raised an eyebrow, his mind racing, thinking to himself, "No wonder Chu Yanran has refused to see any of my family members who have come to ask for help lately."

I initially thought that the man surnamed Kang had truly been shameless enough to try and take advantage of the situation, thus offending this good-natured senior so badly. I never imagined that this beautiful woman had taken Master Qi into seclusion to give birth.

Ye Zhengwen quickly snapped out of his jumbled thoughts and looked at Kang Changyi tentatively, asking, "Is it the Spiritual Yin Radiance Pill?"

Seeing that Kang Changyi nodded in agreement, Ye Zhengwen's face immediately showed a hint of joy.

After all, the cultivators of Chongming Sect had a long-standing relationship with the Qi family.

Regardless of whether Chu Yanran had any ulterior motives, the Grand Master Kang and the Chongming Sect had received a lot of help from the former along the way.

Therefore, Ye Zhengwen was naturally happy to see the relationship between the two families reach a new level. After all, although Chu Yanran had not been in the Core Formation stage for long, she was not considered weak among the upper cultivators, and she was a great help to the current Sect Leader Kang.

After Ye Zhengwen thought it through, he glanced almost imperceptibly at the Azure Thunder Crimson Ox on the other side. He immediately understood, but said nothing. He just sighed again, "It's a pity that the timing is not right this time. Even the sect leader can't say for sure when he will be back."

Ye Zhengwen, who had just sent nine Three Yuan Fruits to the Fei family, knew that Headmaster Kang was currently enjoying drinks with that Luan Gongfeng.

After all, this is a serious matter, so how could we easily give it up?!

Kang Changyi understood this principle and could only say softly, "If all else fails, then we'll have to send Second Uncle."

Ye Zhengwen nodded and then shook his head upon hearing this. He then said in a light and soft voice, "Junior Brother Yuan is Master Qi's disciple, so it is appropriate for him to come and offer his congratulations. However, he is somewhat lacking in gravitas."

"What does uncle mean?"

"Sister-in-law, it's fine to go. Besides the sect leader, who is more suitable than her?"

"Oh dear, Changyi deserves to die! How could he forget that his mother is still in the clan?!" Kang Changyi was immediately awakened. After all, in the Chongming clan now, who could be more honorable and noble than Fei Shuhe, the wife of the Marquis of Wuning?
He immediately bowed to Ye Zhengwen and was about to head to find Fei Shuhe. But just as he was leaving, he heard a voice reminding him, "Your concubine from the Fei family has arrived. I heard she's preparing for her Core Formation ceremony, so she came to pay her respects to you, sister-in-law. Don't be impolite."

—Fengmingzhou, Fei Family

Whether it was because he was in a good mood or because the wine was truly intoxicating, Luan Gongfeng's eyes were somewhat blurred.

If it weren't for Luan Gongfeng not losing his senses midway and forcefully channeling his spiritual power into his eyes, he might have mistaken the head of the girl on his lap for two.

But seeing his appearance, the host across the table became even more eager to offer him wine: "Come, come, today is indeed a good day! I, Kang, offer this wine in advance to congratulate you, my friend!"

As soon as Sect Leader Kang finished speaking, all the cultivators present echoed his words. Even Fei Enwen, who had taken the place of the dead and joined the Yingshan Army as a deputy general, lost his usual arrogant demeanor and joined the other cultivators in raising their wine cups to congratulate Luan Gong.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the assembled cultivators bid farewell to Luan Gongfeng. Luan then tossed the beauties he held onto the ground one by one, before addressing Headmaster Kang:
"Don't worry, Sect Leader Kang, I will definitely refine the Three Elements Fruit you sent into a top-quality elixir before I go into seclusion this time."

"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me," Headmaster Kang shook his head indifferently. He didn't ask where Fei Nanying had allocated the Core Formation resources to him, but instead asked, "In that case, please take good care of this matter, Fellow Daoist!"

"Not at all. My lord has already told me about it before. Your brothers were indeed of noble character and integrity at that time, which is truly admirable!"

What Luan Gongfeng said is true. It was about Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing giving up the Golden Elixir at the exchange meeting convened by the Venerable Sanyan.

Although he did not obtain the Golden Core, Luan Gongfeng did owe Grand Master Kang a huge favor.

You should know that it's very difficult for others to gain favors from such a person.

As the latter retreated from the wine pool filled with the decadent atmosphere, Master Kang still held a remarkably optimistic attitude towards Luan Gongfeng's use of the Three Yuan Fruit to refine elixirs.

After all, he is a third-level alchemist, so refining cultivation pills suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators is not a problem.

After returning to his quiet room, he pieced together the two tattered pieces of silk he had just joined together, and stared at the words "Deyulou" at the top for a long time without saying a word. These days he had been browsing through the books in the Duke's library, and it was among them that he found the three words "Deyulou".

The inscription above suggests that the Jade Pavilion may contain a spiritual object capable of producing a high-grade Golden Elixir.

The Grand Master Kang was unaware that such a brilliant and talented person as the Black-Shoeed Daoist had not yet formed his core. He simply thought that if he went to the Jade Pavilion, he might be able to find out the latter's whereabouts.

The Black-Shoeed Taoist has been gone for many years, and not a single word has been sent back from outside. This has made Kang Dabao, who has always had great faith in him, somewhat worried.

"Just offshore"

After muttering a few words, Master Kang sighed again. He was not a carefree hermit. At this moment, the Qin State Duke's mansion was in turmoil, so how could he make any rash moves?
He could only hope that the Black-Shoeed Taoist was alright, put away the spirit silk, and went to visit Kuang Liuting again.

(End of this chapter)