Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 582 In the Jingnan tent, worries arise as the enemy approaches; in the Duke's palace, sighs are uttered about the strength of the branches.

—————Jingnan Prefecture, Baisha County
At this time, Master Jiang, who was cultivating in his cave, was unaware that while his cultivation had been progressing for a long time, the war between Zhaixing Tower and the Duke of Qin's mansion was already in full swing.

The Kuang family of Dingzhou, the Yang family of Yezhou, and the Wuweilou family of Fazhou all suffered heavy losses, with even Golden Core cultivators either dead or injured.

The Xianyu family and the Yunshui sect, two families that had been quiet for a long time, suddenly became serious, and they were not easily stopped by the aforementioned powerful families in the border states.

The Kuang family's spiritual vein cave is not so easy to obtain. It is true that Kuang Liuting is willing to cultivate these families who know loyalty and righteousness, but they really have to repay it with the lives of their own disciples and followers.

As for the Shanbei Road of Wulaoshan, which has been in operation for thousands of years, it is now even more bustling.

Back when Bai Canhong, the master of Zhaixing Tower, made a slight appearance, all the families in Shanbei Dao dared to raise the banner of rebellion. Now, he has repeatedly defeated the combined forces of Jiangxue and Yueyin, and his power is unstoppable.

Even with the prestige of the Duke of Qin's mansion and the assistance of various factions to suppress them, the high-ranking cultivators of Wu Lao Mountain were still exhausted from running around putting out fires everywhere.

After the defeat, Master Yueyin did not show his face for a long time. Fortunately, Master Jiangxue brought Lanxin Shangxiu, who was comparable to Xiang Tianxing, from Guandong Road, which prevented the situation in Shanbei Road from deteriorating too much.

However, this also meant that the Duke's mansion had one less capable leader. This forced the Grand Master Kang, who had won a great victory in Huizhou and originally wanted to take over the entire territory of Sizhou with Fei Donggu, and even recover all the land of Huangpi Road, to turn his attention back to Yunjiao Prefecture.

The journey was arduous, and the soldiers were inevitably exhausted. Kang Dabao had asked for a favor for the cultivators under his jurisdiction, allowing them to rest and recuperate before returning to the battlefield. Therefore, when Duan Anle led his team to stand behind the Yingshan army formation, he looked down and suddenly realized that he was standing on the old site of the Changning Sect.

The name stunned him, leaving his mind blank. To be honest, he hadn't been here for many years and had long expected things to change. But before the memories could even surface, Duan Anle saw a ten-foot-long red sparrow with its beak stained with golden blood rushing towards him from the horizon.

Having known each other for nearly a century, Duan Anle was quite familiar with the red sparrow. Just as he was about to call out to it, he saw the red sparrow nod at him for a moment before landing in the rear tent.

As soon as the red sparrow entered the military tent, it shrank to the size of a palm and landed on Fei Shuhe's shoulder, then chirped in the beautiful woman's ear for a while.

This caused her expression to change, and only when Han Ningyue, who was seated at the head of the table, asked a question did Fei Shuhe respond.

"What did this sparrow see within the territory of the Two Elements Sect?"

"Aunt, please forgive me. I only killed a newly promoted cultivator between two counties and witnessed some unsavory things."

“…unbearable things,” Han Ningyue frowned slightly, her tone tinged with sorrow. This messy war between the two families had been going on for over a year, and even she, a noble lady who had always been indifferent to worldly changes, had seen quite a few tragic scenes in the world.

Heaven knows what kind of scene Fei Shuhe saw that made him unable to tell me.

The cultivators of Shannan Dao were hardly wealthy to begin with, and even the so-called "Three Managers" within the jurisdiction of Zhaixing Tower were only average in Han Ningyue's eyes.

However, it's not certain that the Star-Picking Tower, which has accumulated resources over thousands of years, will allocate any resources to help. The Cloud Water Sect, the Xianyu Family, and the Two Elements Sect are also reluctant to part with their own resources. Therefore, ordinary people have no ability to restrain the cultivators from all sides who are recruited by the three families to fight for their lives.

Han Ningyue sighed softly as she read this, feeling that since the officials of the government had turned a blind eye to the matter, it was not her place to lament.

Being able to risk one's life alongside Consort Fei Shuhe, and to go to the battlefield for the sake of their respective husbands' reputations, even if it meant staying in the rear camp, was enough to become a topic of conversation among the noble ladies of Taiyuan.

Her thoughts shifted, and she turned her gaze to the little sparrow perched on Fei Shuhe's shoulder. Seeing that the ordinary bird that had been used as a joke at the latter's wedding banquet had now become a second-tier spirit beast, she sighed that, unintentionally, she had actually found a good home for Fei Shuhe, her daughter.

Han Ningyue temporarily put aside the lingering sense of compassion that had just arisen and instead began to ponder what kind of husband she should find for her only daughter.

Fei Wanqing, who has just achieved the Golden Core stage, will not be married off by the Fei family. Even though she has only achieved the lower grade of the Golden Core stage, Fei Wanqing is still young. Even if her future achievements are far inferior to her father Fei Nanying, she still has some chance of forming a Nascent Soul stage.

Just as Ye Sui's condition was deteriorating, the Fei family's high-ranking cultivators were reluctant to marry her off.

The idea of ​​marrying into a wealthy family is something that high-class families wouldn't even consider, but Han Ningyue, who comes from a poor background, is afraid of wronging Fei Wanqing, and has recently become quite anxious.

However, she also knew that this matter was not something she, as a daughter-in-law from another family, could interfere with. Even Fei Nanying, the successor to the head of the Fei family, had to listen carefully to the advice of the elders in the family and study it thoroughly before making a decision.

Fortunately, Fei Wanqing is on the right track to solidifying her core essence. Her ability to form her core was entirely due to the resources of her clan, so it was impossible for her to receive a generous reward like Kang Dabao, who had made great contributions.

Even if Fei Wanqing is talented, well-educated, and comes from a distinguished family, it will still take at least several more years to complete this step.

If what Han Ningyue thought was true, once her daughter emerged from seclusion, the farce between Zhaixing Tower and the Duke of Qin's mansion might have already subsided.

After each hero has distinguished himself, it might be a good time to find a son-in-law.

If it weren't for the close relationship between her husband's family and the imperial clan, Han Ningyue might not have cared much about the outcome of this battle.

After all, since the beginning of the previous dynasty, no matter how many people have changed the throne in the Xuanqiong Palace, the Yu Kun Han family has always stood firm, still has disciples residing in the temple, and can still show off their power in the twenty-seven realms of the Dawei Immortal Dynasty.

But women are different from men. Han Ningyue is now the next matriarch of the Fei family in Yingzhou, so she is determined to make her husband's family even more prosperous and to receive some more imperial titles.

In this respect, she and Fei Shuhe, the wife of the Marquis of Wuning and an eighth-rank lady, were in the same situation.

It's a helpless situation for the girl. The two people in the tent, who should have been as close as mother and daughter, were now exchanging pleasantries, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Han Ningyue immediately returned to her position as the mistress of Sheshan Hall, her voice even more tender as she spoke:
"When you wrote to your younger sister last time, you said that if your three children, Lingyi, Changyan, and Changzhao, had nothing to do at home, they could go to Yingzhou earlier to attend the clan school."

Elder Nan Ying has recently found some free time and often teaches at the clan school. He was the one who taught your third uncle; if you could receive his guidance, it would certainly be good for your three children.”

Fei Shuhe was initially delighted, but then her expression naturally turned troubled. She frowned and said softly:
"Shuhe has thought about it a thousand times, but the two boys are still serving on the front lines, and my wife knows my husband's temper. It's not up to me to make a decision."

Han Ningyue's expression changed slightly, but a faint smile appeared on her face: "Young Master Kang is truly a hero with courage and integrity, which goes without saying. No wonder he is trusted by His Majesty and the Duke."

“My husband could not have developed any ‘heroic spirit’ out of nowhere. He only got a little bit of that from being around his uncle.”

After a self-deprecating smile, Fei Shuhe was about to chat with Han Ningyue for a while longer when she saw the latter's gaze suddenly sharpen. Without thinking, she reached for the jade pendant at her waist, her face turning solemn. The maids around them tensed up instantly, but only an old woman with white hair and a silver crown reacted calmly, softly saying, "It's nothing more than one or two Golden Core cultivators from the Liangyi Sect leading troops to test the waters. Don't worry, Ancestor Tianqin is still ahead. Unless a Nascent Soul cultivator arrives in person, he can protect you, Madam."

This white-haired old woman was a genuine fake alchemist. Having served as a servant in the Yu Kun Han family for so many years, she was quite knowledgeable. Therefore, she did speak with considerable skill, and her words were eloquent and well-organized.

Even though no one here knew whether the old woman's words were true or false, at least after hearing her speak, the already tense atmosphere became a little more relaxed.

However, this ease did not last long. The noise outside grew louder and louder, so loud that the brocade tent in the rear camp was about to collapse.

As soon as the white-haired old woman finished speaking, a muffled rumble suddenly came from outside the military tent, as if a huge rock was rolling across the ground.

The maids inside the tent, who had just relaxed, tensed up again, and Fei Shuhe's fingertips, gripping the jade pendant, were already damp with sweat. Even she, who rarely left the house, knew that this commotion was no ordinary cultivator charging into battle, but rather resembled the spiritual energy shock caused by the movement of a large battle formation.

The white-haired old woman who had misjudged the situation did not panic, because what she had said earlier was indeed true. As long as Fei Tianqin had not been defeated, then no one could threaten Han Ningyue's life for the time being.

Recently, the battle results of most families under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Qin's mansion have been poor, except for the Fei family of Yingzhou, who can not only send troops to aid the Chongming Alliance, but also almost recover the entire territory of Huangpi Road;

Even with Fei Tianqin's old tricks, the Liangyi Sect could still keep the army at bay, no matter how many soldiers they mustered and how fiercely they urged Fei Tianqin to fight. They could only remain stationary in front of Fei's Yingshan army. Even after sacrificing several cultivators' lives to do Fei Tianqin a favor, they still made little progress.

It was truly unprecedented for such a commotion to occur recently. The little sparrow on Fei Shuhe's shoulder grew to ten feet long and rushed off to investigate.

In about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the red sparrow, its wings wrapped in a pale red aura, darted back to the rear camp. Its beak was covered in fresh blood. As soon as it landed on Fei Shuhe's shoulder, it began to chirp urgently, its wings flapping against the tent flap, pointing towards the east side of Yingshan's army formation.

That was the spot where the disciples of the Chongming Alliance, who had just been dispatched to the battlefield, were standing, which startled Fei Shuhe so much that her beautiful eyes widened.

—Fengming Prefecture, Duke of Qin's Mansion

Outside the Duke of Qin's mansion, a black cloud-patterned banner fluttered gently in the salty wind, and the white jade dragon pillars in front of the steps were made to glow by the pale blue flames of the mermaid oil lamps.

Kuang Liuting deliberately dismissed everyone around him, leaving not even the guards on duty. He stood alone under the palace gate, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the black jade pendant that Kuang Chexiao had given him years ago, his expression indescribable.

Before long, a pale purple light, wrapped in water ripples, landed, and Master Jiuzhen appeared with several patrol officers.

His pale white Taoist robe accentuated his slender features, and his jade-hilted longsword was sheathed behind him, yet the sharp aura he exuded still made the Duke of Qin glance at him sideways.

However, Kuang Liuting nodded slightly, his voice calm and even: "Junior Kuang Liuting respectfully welcomes True Man Jiuzhen." His attitude was neither overly enthusiastic nor lacking in politeness.

Master Jiuzhen returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Jiuzhen of Lanmeng Palace is here to provide assistance on the orders of the Palace Master. I apologize for disturbing the Duke's Mansion."

Kuang Liuting stepped aside to make way, and lightly raised his fingertips: "Master, you have come from afar and have had a long journey. Spiritual tea has been prepared in the hall. Please come in and we can talk in detail."

His tone remained restrained, without any deliberate attempt to flatter.

As they entered the main hall, the three-tiered camel hair carpet silenced their footsteps. On the long spirit wood table, spirit tea brewed with nine-leaf evening primroses emitted wisps of steam, while the South Sea Water Fruit shone brightly.

Kuang Liuting gestured for Jiuzhen Zhenren to sit down, and when he beckoned Su Chen to come and pour tea, he did so with composure. The latter was clearly trained to have some skill, and he stopped pouring the tea into the cup when it was only one-third full, his timing was just right.

Sitting in the main seat, Kuang Liuting spoke calmly and unhurriedly: "When I was cultivating under your tutelage in the past, although I never saw your true face, I did hear of your illustrious reputation in the outer seas. It is truly an honor to finally see you today."

Seeing such a cold attitude from a junior Golden Core cultivator was something Jiu Zhen considered rare, especially since he had already formed his Nascent Soul.

As one of the three great rogue cultivators within the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, and having repeatedly refused Emperor Wei's attempts to win him over, True Person Jiuzhen could hardly be warm towards Kuang Liuting, a member of the royal family.

However, having been forced to join Lanmeng Palace due to pressure from his enemies, he could not refuse the first task assigned to him by Kuang Chexiao.

However, when he spoke this time, he was hardly polite: "The Duke of Qin has been stationed in the Southern Kingdom for a long time, which must be hard work. The Palace Master has heard that Bai Canhong is unruly and difficult to control here, causing wailing and millions of corpses to be found all over the three southwestern regions."

"Mount Wu and the Hehuan Sect, whether due to insufficient strength or feigned compliance, were unable to control the situation even when combined, leading to the chaotic state of the southwest. Under these circumstances, the Palace Master, unable to sleep at night, specifically dispatched us to provide assistance."

Before Master Jiuzhen finished speaking, Kuang Liuting remained silent with a smile, only letting out a soft laugh when the last word was uttered:

"So that's how it is. I originally thought that the old master wanted the real person and fellow Daoists to come here for sightseeing and to enjoy some leisure. I didn't expect that it was the erroneous words outside that caused the old master such anxiety. It is my fault."

Bai Canhong is indeed arrogant, and his actions, though seemingly minor, are not the exaggerated claims of impending doom circulating outside. The people of the Southwest are ultimately loyal to the Celestial Dynasty; those with ulterior motives will surely retaliate. Even if he is temporarily arrogant, there is no need to panic.

Before Kuang Liuting could finish speaking, Master Jiuzhen sneered.

This Nascent Soul cultivator neither argued nor cared to listen to Kuang Liuting's arguments. He simply exchanged a glance with the cultivators behind him, then rose to take his leave.

"Although the Palace Master has lived in the outer sea for a long time, his information is accurate. However, with storms brewing in the outer sea, the Palace Envoys and Deputy Envoys are not free to do anything, which is why they sent Jiu Zhen, this useless person."

Since the Duke of Qin has no intention of accepting the Palace Master's offer, then Jiuzhen will find a place nearby for himself. If he needs Jiuzhen's assistance in the future, the Duke of Qin should not hesitate to use the talisman to summon him.

Jiuzhen threw the purple talisman onto the jade table in front of Kuang Liuting, then left without bowing, leading a group of patrol officers. Su Chen, who had come specifically to pour tea, was shocked and lost his composure.

Kuang Liuting, who was always proud, did not show any change in expression. He did not even look at the purple talisman on the jade table, but turned his head to hold the black jade pendant hanging at his waist and examined it incessantly.

Suddenly, his expression became extremely complicated, as if he was about to make up his mind to say something, but the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he hesitated for a long time before speaking.

In the end, all that reached Su Chen's ears as he was clearing away the cups and goblets was a soft sigh echoing throughout the hall.

"Strong branches and weak trunk lead to endless troubles."

(End of this chapter)