Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 579 Mo Yunze Sweeps Away the Remnants, Bids Farewell to Nan Ying, and Hears the Defeat at the Star-Picking Tower, Instructs to Become a Heavenly Journey
— Huozhou, Moyunze
As Fei Donggu led five ga masters toward the bottom of the central lake, his speed using the wind increased by 30% compared to when he came. His black brocade robe fluttered in the wind, and even the white hair at his temples stood straight up.

The shock surging in his heart was overwhelming. In his opinion, although Huang Mijia's esoteric Buddhist cultivation was not as good as those lewd monks of Benying Temple in the Snow Region, he was still one of the toughest cultivators in the vicinity, and he had indeed gotten his hands on a lot of Golden Core cultivators.

Even though he was injured by the two Feis working together before, his foundation was still intact. How could he be killed by Kang Dabao, a kid who had only just entered the early stage of the Golden Core realm?
The closer they got to the central lake, the clearer the cheers became. It was the lingering echo of the battle cries of the Chongming Alliance and the Yingshan Army, revealing a genuine sense of victory.

Upon landing above the lake, Fei Donggu immediately saw that the great array of the Witch Lord's Palace, which had consumed the efforts of several generations, had been shattered into dust. Half of the pagoda in the center of the lake had collapsed, and the dark brown miasma had been dispelled by the blue light of the Xuanhuang Array, revealing the densely packed corpses underneath.

Large groups of disciples from the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace and various families from the Chongming Alliance were piled together, and no one had the strength to tidy up the mess. Broken Buddhist banners, blood-stained monks' robes, and bits of cultivator's flesh floated on the lake, giving the fish in the lake a stroke of luck.

Kang Dabao stood before the ruins of the pagoda, the Jade Palace Halberd stuck diagonally in the wet mud, its tip and body covered in dark red blood, but it was unknown whose blood it was.

Upon seeing Fei Donggu arrive, Sect Leader Kang hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects: "Reporting to Elder, Huang Mi has been executed, and most of the remaining members of the Witch Lord's Hall have been captured."

Fei Donggu did not return the greeting immediately, but instead strode over to Huang Mi's corpse not far away.

The corpse had a hole in its chest, pierced through from front to back, by the Jade Palace Halberd. The remaining malevolent energy on it was quite potent, causing even Fei Donggu, a late-stage cultivator, to slightly furrow his brow.

Seeing that Huang Mi's golden elixir had shattered into dust, with a layer of dark red Buddhist light still remaining around him, Fei Donggu knew that Huang Mi had used a forbidden esoteric technique that damaged his foundation in order to turn the tide, which gave Kang Dabao the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

"You've really surprised me, kid." Fei Donggu stood up, and he was even more satisfied with the Grand Master Kang, who already valued him highly. "Ancestor Ye Sui is indeed a discerning judge of character. The title of Marquis and the fiefdom of a province bestowed by His Majesty were not given for nothing."

Kang Dabao remained respectful and did not seek credit: "It's all because the Yingshan Army is too powerful at the front, preventing Hongfen Temple and Qianfo Forest from making any progress. This has caused Huangmi to lose his composure and insist on coming to mess with this easy target."

However, he was unaware that the Ga Da Book recorded that after applying the Bone-Burning Secret Technique, the 'Blood Buddha Seal' between the eyebrows would become a weakness. He had used the Divine Dagger passed down by the Emperor to test it, which was both a gamble and a stroke of luck.

He paused, then added, "It was all thanks to the hard work of Boyue and Elder Zong, as well as the assistance of Chief Secretary Bushe. In addition, Huang Mi was seriously injured and lost his composure after the setback, which is why I was able to achieve some success."

The sullen chief secretary, whom the Grand Master Kang had specifically mentioned, was initially listless, but upon hearing the commotion, his face lit up with ecstatic joy. He was expecting Fei Donggu to offer some words of comfort, but instead, he saw that the latter didn't even glance at him, only pondering for a moment, thinking to himself:

"So this kid has mastered this high-grade Divine Sense technique to such an extent. Nan Ying and I, on the other hand, are not skilled in this art."

Upon hearing this, Fei Donggu's joy diminished rather than increased.

It's true that the Fei family likes sons-in-law who are successful, but it would be even better if such a son-in-law were not only successful but also obedient.

When high-ranking families choose a son-in-law, they either seek a match of equal social standing to form a harmonious marriage, or they aim to climb the social ladder and gain wealth and glory.

The head of the Kekang family had nothing, and the little wealth he had accumulated over the years was of little significance to the Fei family of Yingzhou. However, as long as he remained respectful and obedient, he could bring much comfort to elders of the Fei family like Fei Donggu.

Just then, a cloud rushed in from the horizon.

He had just finished dealing with the routed soldiers of the Red Powder Temple, and his armor still bore faint pinkish mist stains. Seeing the scene here, he knew that the Chongming Alliance's great victory was indeed true.

It should be noted that the Red Powder Temple was the weakest side, and its abbot was also a coward who feared death. This allowed Fei Nanying to win by only killing one early-stage cultivator and scattering a few Red Powder Temple disciples.

Although they won, the results were few.

So Fei Nanying didn't speak to Headmaster Kang first, but instead turned to Fei Donggu and asked, "How are the young men in Elder Zong's family suffering losses?"

Fei Donggu swept his halberd across the five monks on the ground. Even though he tried his best to suppress it, he still managed to suppress the corners of his mouth.

This is understandable. Even when Fei Donggu participated in those big battles with Fei Tianqin, he had never experienced such an experience as capturing five Shi Xiujia masters alive.

But Fei Jiazong tried to remain calm: "What else can we do? Even the bald thief Shexin couldn't escape with his 'Self-Sacrifice Curse,' and I've also captured these four evil monks who are at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. Most of the warrior monks in Thousand Buddha Forest have been defeated, and the rest won't go far."

He paused, then pointed to the mangled corpse on the ground, "But over here, Kang did something big, he killed Huang Mi in battle."

Fei Nanying's gaze fell on Huang Mi's corpse, his eyebrows slightly raised. He was more wary of Huang Mi's strength than Fei Donggu. In their previous encounters, if it weren't for Fei Donggu's help, he doubted he would have been able to gain the upper hand.

"Good boy!"

The scene of Kang Dabao dragging a group of criminals to fill the ranks and being ridiculed by others flashed through Fei Nanying's mind, making him feel very emotional.

Fei Nanying didn't speak again. Instead, he walked to the ruins of the pagoda, looked at the captured disciples of the Witch Lord's Palace below, and frowned: "What should we do with these people? It would be a pity to kill them, but releasing them would leave future troubles."

He was always ruthless in leading his troops, but he also understood the principle of "cutting the weeds by removing the roots." However, there were still many ordinary cultivators among the disciples of the Witch Lord's Palace who had been coerced. Killing them all would inevitably lose the hearts of the people.

After he finished speaking, he summoned Kang Dabao and asked in a low voice, "Do you have any more military tallies left?"

This item is extremely useful, but it's not something the Fei family can easily obtain; they still have to get it from the Taiwei Temple. Fei Donggu brought a batch with him when he came from Yingzhou years ago, but they've long been used up over the years.

However, Master Kang's answer caused Fei Nanying to frown slightly.

"Boy, you're all gone here too."

"Very well," this answer was not unexpected for Fei Nanying. He was quite nonchalant, simply pointing to the prisoners on the ground and whispering to Kang Dabao, "It's said that you have a keen eye for people's hearts, so you can deal with these people as you see fit."

“But,” Fei Nanying paused here, his tone softening slightly, “the three hall masters of the Yunze Witch Lord Hall under your control must also be handed over to the Fei family to be presented to the Duke’s Mansion.”

Fei Donggu was afraid that Kang Dabao would be confused by what he heard, and was about to explain when he heard the latter respectfully reply, "This junior knows that Boyue would not be willing to let his junior suffer a loss. Please give your orders." These words made Fei Nanying's eyes even more pleased, and he said gently, "You haven't lost your cleverness after all." Then he pointed to the entire Yunze Witch Lord's Palace behind him, which was already submerged in the lake, and said generously, "It's all yours. The Fei family won't take a single penny this time."

Just as Sect Leader Kang was about to feign a few words of refusal, he saw Fei Donggu chuckle first, and Fei Nanying waved his hand to stop him, then said softly:
“If you say no, you don’t have to. The Fei family of Yingzhou never skimps on anything for our own family, nor do we expect anything from your promises. The affairs of this world are inherently complex and difficult to navigate. Since we have this real father-in-law and son-in-law relationship by chance, let’s each follow our own hearts. No one can say for sure what the future holds.”

"I understand, kid."

“Very well, Elder Donggu, I will trouble you to stay here with Dabao to take in the disciples and pacify the remaining enemies. Nanying may need to go and pay her respects to the Duke first.”

—Tengwen Mansion, Zhaixing Tower
Lingwai Lingchi lies quietly to the west of the high-rise building, with wisps of mist rising outside the blue stone railing.

Twelve bronze lampstands floated on the water, their indigo flames burning eternally, reflecting off the red-scaled koi swimming below, making them appear like rubies.
A small, slender fish suddenly leaped out, shattering the clear, mirror-like surface of the pond. The water droplets it kicked up landed on the sleeve of the person sitting idly by the pond, staining it with a dark red hue.

Bai Canhong, who was sitting alone there, merely glanced down at the fish. Instead of being annoyed, he laughed and said, "You fish are quite intelligent, always coming to the pond to see me. Later, when the beast cores in the vicinity have matured, I will bestow upon you a set of demon school fortunes."

The small-scaled fish, lacking intelligence and unable to understand human speech, had no idea of ​​the bright future the Taoist had promised. It simply leaped out of the water, cheerfully spat out a few mouthfuls of water, and then swung its tail and flew away.

It was at this moment that Xiang Tianxing, the head of general affairs at Zhaixing Tower who had been standing by, finally dared to approach and bow, saying, "Lord of the Tower,"

Bai Canhong spoke in a calm tone. Even when facing Xiang Tianxing, an outstanding junior who was expected to form a Nascent Soul, the warmth in his words was perhaps no stronger than that of the fine-scaled fish that had just fled back to the bottom of the pond.

But then he spoke calmly, "What is it?"

Xiang Tianxing's face was grim. He didn't say anything more, but simply replied respectfully, "The forces of Yunze Witch Lord Hall, Hongfen Temple, and Qianfo Forest have all been wiped out. Huangpi Road may fall into the hands of the Kuang family."

There was a hint of resentment in Xiang Tianxing's words, but Bai Canhong suddenly smiled and didn't care at all: "It's alright. Although Yuejianshan Yunfu is short-sighted, he won't hold a grudge against me over two trivial matters."

Without waiting for Xiang Tianxing's reaction, he asked softly, "Is Huang Mi still alive?"

Seeing Xiang Tianxing slowly shake his head, even Bai Canhong couldn't help but sigh slightly:
"Among the surrounding sects, apart from Pu Honggu and you, Huang Mi can be considered a figure among those who reach the Golden Core stage. Even the Xianyu family head and Yunshui Sect's Da Ye are only on par with him."

It is truly remarkable that a wandering monk could advance to such an extent, enabling the Yunze Witchcraft Temple to flourish in Huangpi for two or three hundred years.

The Fei family has produced a prodigy! A mid-grade Golden Core cultivator is indeed rare. I wonder if the Fei family of Yingzhou will be fortunate enough to become a prominent family after Fei Yeyi's death.

However, being relied upon by Emperor Wei again at this time might not necessarily be a good thing.

"OP, the yellow millet didn't die at Fei Nanying's hands,"

After Xiang Tianxing finished speaking, he saw that Bai Canhong looked slightly surprised, and then let out a soft exclamation of surprise. Not daring to keep him in suspense any longer, he hurriedly explained, "It was that scoundrel Chongming Zongkang Dabao who did it."

"Kang Dabao," Bai Canhong murmured. Although he couldn't remember what this nobody looked like, many stories about the Chongming Sect Leader popped into his mind.

"Three leaders, a lucky one, a fortunate cultivator who achieved immortality, and a title bestowed upon him. This lad from a humble background is quite similar to Fei Nanying in his path."

Objectively speaking, even someone like Bai Canhong would consider Kang Dabao's hundred-plus years of cultivation experience "remarkable." By this calculation, the Yunze Witch Lord Palace, which had dominated Huangpi Dao for hundreds of years, was almost entirely destroyed by the Chongming Sect, which was solely under Kang Dabao's control.

In Bai Canhong's memory, this humble place of Yunjiao Prefecture had never produced such a figure before. Even if we were to push forward two thousand years, it was unlikely that another one would emerge.

However, Kang Dabao only crossed Bai Canhong's mind for a fleeting moment, and he ignored him completely, not even mentioning him when he spoke:
"Huangpi Road is lost, it's not worth much, and it can be taken back with a little effort. Tianxing, go and inform the Xianyu family, Yunshui Sect, and Liangyi Sect immediately, and tell them that Feng Wen Yaowei has already sent word, and they no longer need to hold back."

At this point, Bai Canhong's eyes turned cold. He didn't even look at Xiang Tianxing's expression, but silently cursed in his heart:

"Emperor Wei is too arrogant, not even offering me a single kind word. Does he really expect me to bow down and submit with just a proclamation? Ha, does he really think Kuangliuting is some dragon from the outer sea?"
"You won't even grant me a single territories? Then wait until I've swallowed the three southwestern territories, and then merge the ancient Xuandao Yuejian Mountain into one. When I sit alone on this high platform then, I'll see which talisman arrives first, the Taiyi Temple or the Xuanqiong Palace."

Fortunately, his resentment was only momentary and quickly subsided. Then he thought, "I wonder if Yunfu knows his limits when he acts. What if Kuang Liuting is injured or killed?"

Halfway through his reading, Bai Canhong smiled dejectedly, feeling that this was just how the world was. Even if you went through countless hardships to attain the Nascent Soul stage, you still couldn't find true joy and satisfaction.

Kuang Liuting's death is a minor matter, but if the clansman Zhilan brings together the leaders of Xuanqiong Palace and Lanmeng Palace, even if Bai Canhong immediately raises the banner of rebellion in response to the Taiyi Temple Master, it will be useless. When the demon soldiers from the outer sea and the imperial guards from the capital arrive together, I'm afraid not a single living creature will be left in the entire Zhaixing Tower.

After all, no matter how dissatisfied the person from the outer sea was with the direct line of the founding emperor, he still had the character "Kuang" above his head. How could he really see this member of the imperial family perish at the hands of Bai Canhong?

If that were the case, how could the Kuang family's direct line have maintained its dignity for nearly two thousand years? The twenty-seven provinces of the Great Wei Dynasty would have been filled with rebellious flags long ago, and it would not have taken until today to see some signs of it.

"Go on, that lord seems to be in a rather depressed mood lately. Let Huangpi Road cheer him up for a while, and he'll have something to say in his memorial to the Xuanqiong Palace."

Bai Canhong's words were laced with undisguised sarcasm. Having said his piece, he didn't elaborate further to Xiang Tianxing, but simply whispered to the latter, "Go and get on with your work."

Xiang Tianxing bowed deeply and then left the quiet room.

Bai Canhong then picked up his pen again, writing, "My dear brother Yunfu."

(My rental lease is up, and I'm moving today, so I probably won't be able to update tonight.)

(End of this chapter)