Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 559 Hehuan Needs People
————Huangpi Road, Xianzhou, Ghost Sword Sect Dojo
"A Core Formation Manual?" Kang Dabao frowned slightly after receiving the letter. He pondered for a moment, then stood up from his high seat and took a few steps.

After all, the current sect leader Kang has a deep connection with the Fei family of Yingzhou, and he owes so many favors. Having the opportunity to repay some of them can be considered a good thing.

Therefore, Kang Dabao did not hesitate for long before handing a previously abridged copy of the manuscript to He Degong, and softly instructed him:
"This is a very important item. When you return, don't stray too far from Xu Liuxian, lest you miss something. Once you hand it over to the young master, the matter will be considered settled."

But a solemn expression immediately appeared on He Degong's brow as he took the brocade box containing the jade slip from the hands of the Grand Master Kang and said in a resounding voice:
"Brother, rest assured, even if I lose my life, I will not lose this thing."

"Haha, relax, this isn't as serious as you think, brother," Sect Leader Kang said with a light laugh, then added:
"The business of the Chongming caravan is of great importance, so please keep an eye on it these days. Buy any healing pills or rare spiritual plants you can, no matter how much more expensive they are than usual. Don't worry about saving money for me."

“I understand,” He Degong replied, knowing that Kang Dabao’s explanation made sense.

Although this head of the He family had only average talent in cultivation and was now over a hundred years old and could not do much for long, he had experience in business and managing his household over the years and had traveled all over the country. He could sense the impending storm outside.

This skill is something that many true cultivators and alchemists may not possess, and it is one of the reasons why he can still lead the Chongming caravan to this day.

However, He Degong has not yet decided which member of the He family will succeed him after his death.

After all, the Chongming caravan is quite large, and if He Degong, who has a close relationship with the leaders of the Chongming Sect, were to die, and if the Grand Master Kang were to find someone trustworthy in the He family, the mission might not necessarily remain with the He family.

For example, Shan Shijie, the head of the Shan family, has made great progress in his cultivation and is also ruthless. He specially added Zhang Le as a connection and seems to have some insight into the matter of commerce. He is a good choice to succeed He Degong.

Many of the younger generation of the He family are engaged in commerce, but they all lack a certain shrewdness. To be honest, they are no match for this son-in-law, Chongming.

As He Degong was deep in thought, another talisman came in on a gentle breeze and slowly landed in the hand of Master Kang.

"Hmm?" The latter unfolded the letter and glanced at it, his expression changing slightly. He then folded the letter and tucked it into his sleeve, smiling softly at He Degong:
"Brother, you've had a long and arduous journey. I've carefully prepared all the items that need to be brought back to Shannan for sale, as well as the local products that need to be brought to the gentlemen of the Duke's mansion."

Other items to be delivered to the Chongming Treasury have also been listed, labeled, and sealed with spiritual seals. Don't forget to carefully check them on the return journey.

There's a nice restaurant in this city called Songshilou, which sells mutton from Xizhou. The chef's preparation makes it incredibly delicious. I'll have Shilun go and prepare a feast. I'll come find you for drinks this evening after I've finished my business."

He Degong knew that this was Master Kang's way of telling him to leave. He was about to bow and turn to leave when the latter pulled his sleeve and added, "That mutton is very nourishing, so don't eat too much."

He Degong couldn't even remember the last time he joked with this elder brother. This warmed the old man's heart, and he smiled, "That's just what I like."

After the two laughed for a while, and He Degong left the room, Master Kang gradually stopped smiling and sent out a talisman to summon Jiang Qing.

Although the latter was practicing swordsmanship in seclusion, upon hearing that his senior brother had summoned him, he immediately put aside his urgent matters and rushed over.

After Jiang Qing entered the hall, Kang Dabao dismissed his attendants and handed him the letter he had just received. Jiang Qing examined it for a while, his expression unchanged, but when he spoke, there was still some doubt in his eyes:
"Is Uncle Lian telling us to recruit more cultivators and send them to Santing Prefecture? Senior Brother, what's going on? Is something else going to cause trouble?"

"I don't know, but the Hehuan Sect wanting people can't be a good thing, right?"

The letter contained very little information, and even Kang Dabao couldn't glean much from it. At this moment, he could only furrow his brow further, and after some thought, he came up with a rather unwise idea:

"It's alright. Xianzhou is so big, there are plenty of evil cultivators and wicked cultivators. First, we should identify those villains who were selected to be recruited into the army, lock them in their spirit shackles, and hand them over to Shilun and Bianhu. They should quickly take a group of people to Santingzhou and hand them over to Uncle Lian."

Jiang Qing didn't care much about the lives or deaths of these villains, but upon hearing this explanation, he immediately became nervous and hurriedly said, "Then we must act quickly. Yesterday, Anle seemed to have said that he would take them and bestow the talismans upon them today. If we are slow, I'm afraid there won't be many left."

"Yes, go quickly. But even if they've all been given talismans, it won't matter. This Xianzhou has been managed by sects like the Ghost Sword Sect for so long, it's hard for many good cultivators to survive. If it's not enough, just go and capture some."

"Yes, Junior Brother, I'll take care of it right away!"

————Outside the Ghost Sword Sect's prison

Having just received his brand-new armor, You Xiaobao slowly approached the Chongming Alliance disciple guarding the cell. He had just finished handing over a group of captured cultivators and was about to chat with him when he saw another acquaintance emerge from among them. He immediately stopped what he was doing and quickly clasped his hands in greeting.

"You Xiaobao greets Senior Zhu. It has been a long time since I have seen your esteemed face. It is truly an honor to meet you today!"

Zhu Yunsheng, who was stopped by him, had some impression of You Xiaobao, after all, he was the one who guided the latter when he rented that spiritual land in Fenglin Mountain.

Moreover, over the years, among the more than four hundred families in Hanya Mountain, there have been few heads of families who have managed their businesses to such a great degree of prosperity as You Xiaobao.

"So it's Patriarch You. It's been a long time. Judging from your armor, you've been promoted to the rank of General. How was it? Did you achieve anything this time?"

Unexpectedly, this dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator actually took the time to exchange pleasantries with him. You Xiaobao felt flattered and his tone became much more excited:

"It is all thanks to your guidance, senior. Last time, I followed Steward He and led the elite soldiers of the army to surround a group of defeated sects. That's how we managed to cut off some worthless Qi Refining heads and capture a seriously injured True Cultivator."

"A true warrior indeed!"

After hearing Zhu Yunsheng's praise, You Xiaobao felt that the scene of the deer he had just acquired dying tragically under his crotch was no longer particularly horrifying.

However, the former had no time to say more, and simply said in a low voice: "It seems that there is a vacancy in the Chizhang Guard. If Patriarch You is interested, you can also send a letter to the Chongming Sect to find me. I am but a nobody in the sect, but it is not difficult for me to mediate such a small matter."

"Thank you, senior."

"I have other duties to attend to, so I will take my leave now,"

"Respectfully seeing off Senior," You Xiaobao said, bowing and looking up, his smile still lingering. After all, the Songfeng Righteous Cavalry was not a formally organized army, while the Chizhang Guard was different.

If one is selected, not only will one's resources be far greater than before, but one will also receive genuine teachings from true practitioners and even hear false teachings.

While it is true that they will have to go through many tough and arduous battles that the Songfeng Yicong cannot fight, it goes without saying which side has a better opportunity for foundation building.

You Xiaobao is still some time away from old age, but as his luck has improved over the years, he has also developed some ambition.

The Chongming Alliance disciple guarding the cell clearly understood the value of Zhu Yunsheng's promise. After all, even disciples like him might not be able to join the Chizhang Guard.

At this point, there was no need for You Xiaobao to strike up a conversation. The disciple on duty immediately dropped his icy expression and took the initiative to approach him warmly.

You Xiaobao was not pretentious. Even though the person opposite him was not a disciple of the Chongming Sect, a high-ranking Golden Core sect, he was still an invaluable connection for the head of his small family.

Before long, the tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open from the inside.

"Ahhh!!"

A sharp, piercing scream suddenly burst forth from within, causing You Xiaobao's heart to tremble violently, making it almost impossible for him to catch his breath.

However, he had not completely lost his mind. Seeing that the Chongming Alliance disciples beside him also had the same expression, he knew that something must have happened in the cell, which was why the voices that were not supposed to come out were leaked, making his heart tighten.

"Please, senior, don't struggle! Perhaps you can still retain some dignity!"

A gentle voice came from inside, easily drowning out the shrill scream. A few moments later, the cell door was blown shut by a gust of wind, the loud noise making You Xiaobao's face turn pale and his legs tremble.

"That sound is truly terrifying! Could it be a high-ranking cultivator from a powerful sect refining a human elixir inside?!" — Inside the cell

As Liu Ya spoke, she glanced at the Foundation Establishment cultivator lying on the ground, now a pool of blood, and sighed at Jin Shilun, "Is this because we failed to control the spell? Senior Brother, another one has been crippled."

The latter also frowned, after all, this second-tier military talisman was quite valuable. But now, there were only about 51 Foundation Establishment cultivators who had successfully converted into spirit slaves.

If this continues, I'm afraid I'll have to explain myself to my stingy master.

Jin Shilun pondered for a while, but still had no solution, so he could only explain:
"Well, let's try one more person. If we still can't grant the talisman, then let's drop this matter for now. I'll go to the sect leader to apologize first and then we'll make further plans."

"Yes,"

After receiving the order, Liu Ya threw a red talisman out the door.

At this moment, disciples were already waiting at the door. Upon seeing the commotion, they picked up a braided cultivator who had been placed in a spirit shackle and stepped in quietly.

Jin Shilun, who was seated at the head of the table, sized him up for a moment and asked, "Who are you?"

The cultivator below, seeing the blood everywhere, was not afraid; he simply raised his head and replied, "Yes, sir."

"Insolence!!" Liu Ya slammed a golden brick down, slapping the braided cultivator hard, nearly taking his life.

Seeing this, Jin Shilun's tone remained emotionless as he asked, "Is it possible to speak properly now?"

Before the braided cultivator could respond, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood. After recovering for a while, instead of answering Jin Shilun's question, he gave a bitter laugh and said:
"I, Wu Shigu, have dominated Xianzhou for so many years, yet I am to be humiliated by you two brats! This damned Heaven is so unfair!"

Jin Shilun ignored the man's lamentations. Since the latter remained silent, he began to recite the charges against the braided cultivator:
"Wu Shigu, originally from the Shuiqiao Barbarians. A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, he once founded a sect in Shishi County, Xianzhou, wreaking havoc on the surrounding hundred miles. He believed in the barbarian religion's treacherous methods, devouring a thousand young boys alive and dissecting pregnant women to extract their virginity."

"Hey, hey, hey, if you want to kill, kill; if you want to torture, torture. Don't pretend to be a judge and think you can judge me just like that! You..."

"Nairmu!"

Jin Shilun possessed some self-control, but Liu Ya, standing to the side, could hardly contain herself. She wished she could smash Wu Shigu in half with the gold brick in her hand, leaving him with a breath to bestow the talisman.

However, having retained some rationality, he simply added another layer of spiritual restriction to the barbarian cultivator, causing Wu Shigu to feel an unbearable stinging pain in all the acupoints of his body, as if his bones were being eroded.

"Heh, cough cough. You little brats of Chongming Sect have really learned your sect leader's hypocritical manner perfectly." With just a bitter laugh, Wu Shigu drew the attention of the two people in the room back to him.

"Cough cough." Wu Shigu coughed incessantly, his hunched back. His disheveled braids, mixed with the blood from the corners of his mouth, made his dark face appear even more vivid, but he seemed oblivious. He just grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellowish-brown, decayed teeth.
"In the end, isn't the goal still to capture us and make us into conscripts? Only people like you from the Chongming Sect can endure being treated as lackeys of the Immortal Dynasty."

As the saying goes, "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked," meaning that once the Kuang family clan truly reclaims the empire, even if your family produces a true master, you will still be controlled by them.

Haha, what good do you think you'll get? Supplies, women—which can you possibly keep?

At this point, Wu Shigu's tone became even more solemn, and he stared at Jin Shilun with sharp eyes, coldly asking:
"You accuse me of poisoning the land, yet your family doesn't use human pills in your cultivation?! Your family has strict rules, even claiming that no one within your jurisdiction is allowed to use mortals as materials or resources for cultivation?! Isn't this corrupting cultivation and blocking people's path to enlightenment?!"

Tell me, where in the world is there a family as demanding as yours?! Does your sect leader really think that what even the Kuang family struggles to accomplish, your family can do?!

Wu Shigu seemed to genuinely believe he was without fault.

These questions landed with a resounding force, making Liu Ya, who was standing to the side, clench her teeth and grip the gold brick in her hand tightly.

However, Jin Shilun, who was clearly more experienced, was not particularly annoyed by Wu Shigu's arrogant demeanor, nor did he have the mind to explain to Wu Shigu that the Chongming Sect truly did not accept the Human Elixir. He simply said in a cold voice:
"Fellow Daoist, your crimes are already unforgivable. If it weren't for my master's benevolence, who specifically instructed me to give you a chance to confess, do you think I would have wanted to go through this whole ordeal?!"

A surge of savagery welled up within Wu Shigu, and his eyes turned bloodshot as he stared directly at Jin Shilun without showing the slightest fear.

"Junior Brother Liu, bestow the talisman!"

Liu Ya had been waiting impatiently. Upon hearing the sound, she immediately took action. Just then, the door to the quiet room opened, and a sword-wielding cultivator stepped in.

"Third Uncle/Uncle Jiang".

"Hmm," Jiang Qing responded lightly, his bright eyes glancing at Wu Shigu. Suddenly, Wu Shigu recalled the scene of Jiang Qing killing his Water Bridge Barbarian Clan's Pill Master, and the blood courage in his body immediately dissipated, and he could no longer hold up his head.

Even though he knew that Jiang Qing was a cultivator of the same level, the feeling that Jiang Qing's power gave Wu Shigu was no less than that of the Golden Core cultivators he had been fortunate enough to see before.

Moreover, if we really want to talk about the aura of killing, then this Chongming Jiang San is even more terrifying.

With just a glance, Jiang Qing subdued the previously arrogant Wu Shigu. But he wasn't particularly pleased, and simply asked, "How much is left here?"

Liu Ya immediately understood, and without even looking at the register in her hand, she respectfully replied, "Reporting to Uncle Jiang, there is one Pill Master, twenty-two True Cultivators, and fifteen hundred Qi Refining cultivators."

"Hmm, that's enough." Jiang Qing nodded in agreement, and then said, "By order of the sect leader, Shi Lun, you are to call on Fellow Daoist Bian Hu and take these people to Santing Prefecture immediately, and hand them over to Uncle Lian for his use."

"Grandmaster Uncle?!" Jin Shilun was somewhat surprised and murmured, but he did not reply. He simply responded respectfully, "This disciple obeys."

After speaking, Jiang Qing didn't want to linger and was about to leave the cell when he glanced at Wu Shigu, who was slumped on the ground, and suddenly asked, "If I remember correctly, I was the one who captured you?"

Wu Shigu trembled at these few words, completely losing his previous fearless demeanor. He immediately knelt down and said, "Yes, yes, I was indeed ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. I was captured by Elder Jiang!"

"I thought you were really fearless,"

A brilliant sword light descended upon him, causing even the dignified cultivator Wu Shigu to squint his eyes. Only after reacting did he realize the danger.

"Oh no, I'm doomed!!"

However, just as Wu Shigu felt a pang of sorrow, he did not feel anything unusual about his vital organs, except for a light feeling at the back of his head.

Originally, his disheveled hair had been cleaved apart by a sharp sword light, and the dirt in it had been wiped away. His messy hair was smoother than fresh putty.

However, Wu Shigu felt no discomfort whatsoever; on the contrary, he was filled with the joy of surviving a calamity.

But at this moment, Jiang Qing didn't even look at them, and turned to Jin Shilun and said, "There's no need to pity such filthy stuff. If they do anything disrespectful on the way, just kill them."

Upon hearing this, Wu Shigu trembled and hurriedly kowtowed repeatedly.

Amidst the thumping sounds, Jiang Qingfu whispered another instruction: "There might be some people in Santing Prefecture who want to make things difficult for my family. Be vigilant. If Uncle Lian has any trouble, remember to come back and report to me and Senior Brother Headmaster. Don't be negligent."

"Disciple understands."

(End of this chapter)