Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 560 The Buddhist Disciple Sends Birthday Wine and Raises an Army
—Fengming Prefecture, Baimiao
“It’s been quite lively outside lately,” Ga Da said with a smile that made Baochai and Mingfei beside him seem less vibrant.

"Buddha's disciple~"

The woman's eyebrows and eyes were delicate and fine, as if they were about to melt into Ga Da's body.

The latter laughed heartily, then said, "I just took a dose of Tiger Elephant Ointment, so it's not appropriate for me to satisfy your craving right now. Let's wait another day or two."

Baochai, the Mingfei, had clearly been irrigated by the blissful practices of the Tibetan Tantric Buddhism and had become a glutton. Even after hearing Ga Da's words, it took her quite a while to regain her senses and calm down.

This "Buddha Mother and Consort Path" is ultimately difficult to be considered the true Dharma. Even if these female practitioners have formed the true elixir, it is difficult for them to make further progress. Let alone being properly trained in the art of pleasurable sexual relations, how can they possibly retain their original nature?
No wonder it is extremely rare to find a high-ranking monk at Hon'yō-ji Temple who is not accompanied by a beautiful woman or a skeleton.

Seeing that Baochai Mingfei straightened her slender waist and the foolish look on her face gradually faded, Ga Dacai asked again, "Have the Red Powder Temple and the Thousand Buddha Forest made any moves?"

"That Huang Mi is quite capable. Even if the Red Powder Temple Master and the Thousand Buddha Forest Monk Shexin joined forces, they couldn't defeat him. The Yunze Witch Lord Palace has also found a batch of high-level puppets and bronze corpses from somewhere to help them. The two sides are still locked in a stalemate in Sizhou. Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators are dying everywhere, and there is still no clear winner."

"Heh, that's not what I was asking about." Ga Da laughed again. "It's just a small-scale battle between a few remote sects, where even Golden Core cultivators rarely die. How can that be considered a big deal?"

"Is there any unusual activity at the border between Zhaixing Tower and the Duke's Mansion? Your family has just arrived in Dingzhou; how has your progress been?"

At this point, a hint of sorrow appeared in Baochai Mingfei's bright expression. The beautiful woman frowned and said in a soft voice, "That Wufeng is useless. The cultivators under his jurisdiction are all poor and incompetent. How can he be of any use?"

Ga Da knew that the Yunshui Sect, which the Duke of Qin's mansion had assigned to the Kuang family for a feigned attack, was no easy opponent. With Kuang Jinzhong's meager skills, it would be good enough if he could protect himself with the group of cultivators recruited and reorganized by the Duke's mansion; how could he possibly gain any military merit?

Two months have passed since the war was instigated by the Duke of Qin's mansion, and the casualties have been considerable.

But the most dazzling battle was the one in which Kang Dabao killed Wu Jian Shangxiu, the leader of the Ghost Sword Sect, with three halberds and pacified the entire territory of Xianzhou in ten days.

This inevitably makes onlookers feel that there's a lot of noise but little action.

Those familiar with Kuang Liuting's temperament knew that while the Duke of Qin was proud, he was not one to indulge in arrogance. Therefore, his actions were certainly not impulsive.

He mentally reviewed the contents of the message from the temple again, thinking, "The Zen master said that the abbot had been in seclusion for many years and was already unfamiliar with external affairs, but after emerging from seclusion, he still insists on acting arbitrarily, which is even more..."

Ga Da sighed softly. The current state of the immortals and mortals in the Snow Mountain Path was so shocking that even he, a Tantric Buddhist disciple who had grown up sleeping on a beautiful woman's skin, found it somewhat appalling.

This is enough to show how far the Zen Master Geli had exploited the people under his jurisdiction.

As he was pondering, the eunuch with the Golden Elixir skill entered again, bowing and reporting:

“Buddha’s disciple, someone has come to deliver a gift. He did not give his name, but said that he brought some local products from Xianzhou on behalf of Kang Dabao to give to you.”

"Oh, Kang Dabao?" Ga Da became a little more interested and then said, "Please trouble Senior Feng to invite the guest in."

The senior replied respectfully and took small steps to leave the hall.

He Degong, who was waiting obediently outside the door, thought that it would be like the previous gift-giving to those high-ranking officials, where he could leave after giving the gifts. He did not expect that this disreputable Tantric Buddhist disciple would actually send someone to invite him into the hall.

"I had never heard before that my elder brother and this Buddhist monk had such a relationship."

He Degong became more shrewd with age. Even when he was surprised, he would lower his head, as if afraid of being noticed by the hunchbacked eunuch in front of him.

I've heard that those virtuous monks at Benying Temple, with their orderly lineages, always possess three things that others would envy greatly:

One was Mingfei, who was there to assist her in her spiritual practice and provide for her leisure time;
One is a red-powdered skull, which represents the practice of Dharma and the purification of the mind;
Then there's this Golden Core castrated slave right before us. It goes without saying how cruel the monks of Benying Temple were. Apart from Buddhist monks, it's really hard to find a few decent male cultivators in the Snow Mountain Path whose bodies can still be considered intact.

There are even rumors that cultivators who aspire to a higher path in the Snow Mountain Path often do not stay in their hometowns for long, for fear that after attaining the Golden Core, they will attract celestial phenomena and be dragged back to the temple by those lewd monks, where they will be killed.

To be fair, even when the Snow Mountain Path was still under the rule of the David Clan, the cultivators of the Snow Region had never experienced such a dark and hopeless period.

The person leading the way was indeed a highly accomplished cultivator. He Degong felt that his thoughts were presumptuous, so he immediately bit his tongue hard. He tasted the salty and fishy flavor in his mouth and felt a surge of energy after the pain, which made him feel much more at ease.

He dared not look up, only watching as a pair of jade-inlaid boots nimbly stepped over the golden steps and descended amidst a cloud of red, the wafting fragrance of perfume making his face flush and his heart flutter, almost causing him to embarrass himself on the spot.

Fortunately, the hunchbacked man in front noticed in time. He stretched out his left thumb and forefinger and gently rubbed them together. A crisp sound woke He Degong up.

The old cultivator ignored He Degong's thanks, and instead, calculating the latter's pace and frequency, led him at a very comfortable speed to a place that made He Degong feel as if he were standing before a pavilion several feet taller than the sacred mountain of the He family.

At this moment, the two lion heads embedded in the crimson gate opened their eyes wide, radiating spiritual light. After looking the eunuch surnamed Feng and He Degong up and down for a while, they finally let them pass.

Upon entering the hall, He Degong respectfully bowed and said, "He Degong of the He family of Hong County pays respects to the Buddha."

"Fellow Daoist, you've worked hard," Ga Da said warmly, even more so than a typical Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Serving the Emperor, I dare not complain of hardship." He Degong mustered his courage and raised his head slightly, but when he caught sight of the scantily clad Consort Baochai, he was so frightened that he lowered his head again.

"Pfft," Baochai Mingfei chuckled sweetly, but Ga Da remained unperturbed, instead chuckling as he instructed the eunuch surnamed Feng:
"Senior Feng, the Iron Inspector once gave me a Red Heart Stone for appreciation. This item is said to have the effect of prolonging life for Qi Refining cultivators. When Fellow Daoist He departs, please remember to pack it for him."

“Buddha’s disciple, how can this be?” He Degong lowered his head and declined earnestly, but to his surprise, Ga Da persuaded him, “I hope Fellow Daoist He doesn’t mind that I’m using your flowers to offer to Buddha.”

The latter insisted on giving it, and He Degong, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, couldn't really refuse. But after hearing Ga Da say, "I wonder which high-ranking officials you visited on behalf of Sect Leader Kang this time?" This news couldn't be hidden or concealed, so He Degong honestly replied, "The Fei family elders, as well as Chief Clerk Zhu, Chief Secretary Buse, Military Commander Qin, and the six clerks and deputy clerks."

"Oh, I see." Even though he was the last one, Ga Da didn't seem displeased. He simply glanced at the gift list He Degong presented, calculated its approximate value, and then a slight smile appeared on his face.

He wanted to ask He Degong more about Xianzhou, but when the words came to his lips, he felt it was pointless. So he picked up his tea and asked the eunuch surnamed Feng to send He Degong, who had gained ten years of lifespan for nothing, away.

"The Buddhist disciple is still so generous," Baochai Mingfei said, her slender hands expertly pressing and gently massaging Ga Da's forehead. The latter squinted his eyes in comfort and laughed.
"Otherwise, how could I have made all the scholars in this government consider me a confidant? In the end, only the Kuang family cares about the world they rule."

What are public offices and imperial capitals? What are future prospects and destiny? Nothing is more precious than tangible benefits in hand. Whether righteous or wicked, loyal or treacherous, refined or vulgar, it's all the same.

"And it seems I'm not the only one who's generous," Ga Da glanced at the gift list again and read it softly:

"The Ghost Sword Sect isn't exactly wealthy, but this Sect Leader Kang is certainly a capable individual. He's grasped the essence of 'willingness to give' to a certain extent, and he also possesses considerable hard-earned skills. Even with his lack of spiritual talent, he's still a useful person. It's just a pity..."

Upon reading this, Ga Da's eyes flashed with displeasure. He glanced in the direction the eunuch surnamed Feng had left and sighed softly, "It's a pity that such a person wasn't born in the Snow Mountain Path."

"Hehe, if that's really the case, then the Buddhist disciple will have saved quite a few women in Shannan."

Baochai and Mingfei's laughter was like silver bells, tickling Ga Da's ears, but he didn't say anything more.

Gradually, after the laughter subsided, Ga Da slowly lost his cheerful expression. Suddenly, he seemed to recall a slender figure who often sat alone in the hall of the government office, and a sense of dread arose in his heart.

The gentle caress of her slender fingers on the front gate did not bring him peace of mind. Instead, it caused Ga Da to frown slightly as he closed his eyes: "Which is right and who is wrong, the Zen Master or the Abbot? We will know after this battle. I hope it will not be too late."

—Xianzhou, Divine Sword City
As one of the top restaurants in Shenjian City, Songshilou's master chef's mutton dishes were so delicious that they were praised by Wujian Shangxiu of the Ghost Sword Sect.

This powerful figure in Xianzhou had even considered taking the master swordsman into the Ghost Sword Sect. However, before he could even do so, the golden core and flesh of the swordless cultivator were reduced to mush under the brilliant light of Kang Dabao's halberd.

If we look at it from this perspective, it was this Headmaster Kang, who came from the remote region of Yunjiao Prefecture, who ruined Master Song Shilou's good fortune.

However, the instigator at this moment was oblivious to the resentment emanating from the mutton on the plate. He simply swaggered down to the elegant room on the second floor, seemingly captivated by the sight of a beautiful woman from Xizhou with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and skin as smooth as jade at a distant table.

But those tiny feet, like jade and delicate as golden lotuses, were even whiter than the cups and goblets held in the hands of Master Kang. They danced and twirled on the corner of the ebony table to the beat of the drums.

Kang Dabao saw a peacock feather painted with gold powder from Xizhou, swaying gently with her slender waist. After hearing the small silver bells on her waist ring three times, the lotus lamp on the table seemed to light up a bit, illuminating the butterfly bones under the Hu woman's thin veil with a layer of honey-colored soft light.

"good,"

After the music ended, Kang Dabao, who hadn't had any entertainment in a long time, offered a rare compliment. He Chang, sitting to the left, looked conflicted for a moment, about to secretly get up, but was stopped by Kang Dabao's hand: "Don't overthink it."

Upon hearing this, He Chang felt embarrassed, but the often-misunderstood Sect Leader Kang was already used to it. He took another bite of the mutton on his plate, and his small eyes naturally narrowed.

The cultivators on either side were filled with mixed emotions upon witnessing this scene. "Our sect leader is so unlucky; he rarely gets to eat anything good."

Kang Dabao ignored all of this and devoured the mutton on his plate. He then remarked, "I could hire one of these Hu women in my little house. She's very appetizing, and business would surely be booming."

Seeing that the usually scheming Master Kang was joking, Ye Zhengwen agreed and said, "Then perhaps we could have Xi-ge send some back from Liangxi. He lives nearby and should have connections."

"If Xi-ge'er were to bring back a Hu woman, I wonder how angry my master's wife would be."

Perhaps it was because Duan Anle, who had become increasingly taciturn in recent years, had not made such a joke in a long time, that all the cultivators present burst into laughter.

No wonder they were happy, since at this time, most of Xianzhou, except for one county bordering the heartland of the Yunze Witch Lord Palace, had been pacified.

Just as Master Kang had predicted, it was indeed difficult for good people to survive in Xianzhou under the Ghost Sword Sect's perverse actions.

The crimes of these evil cultivators who disregarded ethics and slaughtered ordinary people were already established facts. In addition, the eight respectable families from the capital region also actively participated. With the combination of these two factors, the Xianzhou region naturally completed a rapid transformation and upgrading.

Correspondingly, the prison in Xianzhou was once again packed to capacity, which led to Emperor Chongming quickly gathering 1,200 Qi Refining soldiers and nearly 10 Foundation Establishment soldiers.

This kind of team is not as good at fighting as the Qingjue and Chizhang Guards, which were carefully selected by the Mingzong, but it has the advantage of not requiring much spirit stone to maintain and being fearless. In critical moments, it may be able to achieve some extraordinary feats.

Kang Dabao's visit to Xianzhou this time yielded many gains: he beheaded a corrupt official, obtained a large amount of supplies, cleaned up the atmosphere in Xianzhou, and resolved the conflict between the local people and the Hakka people.

Apart from a few unscrupulous cultivators, led by Wu Jianshang, who might have expressed some dissatisfaction, the rest of the group were generally happy.

Which of these respectable families from the capital region doesn't have the skill to manage a household?
The then-leader of the Kang clan was overjoyed, to the point that he could already see the future scene of resources continuously emerging from Xianzhou and flowing into the treasury of Chongmingzong.

Just then, a talisman at his waist suddenly flashed with a row of seal characters. After only one glance, he was surprised and sighed softly: "It turns out that the Red Powder Abbess and the Heart-Giving Master, even when they joined forces, couldn't defeat Huang Mi?! And he even managed to kill a Golden Core cultivator from Thousand Buddha Forest?"

As soon as he finished speaking, which of the Chongming disciples present was still not awake?

"I won't be staying in Xianzhou for long; it seems I'll be busy with conquests again."

(End of this chapter)