Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 592 After enjoying the scenery in Fenglin, worries remain; a meeting in the mountains sets out a new path.

—Three days later, Pingrong County, on the edge of the Hanya Mountains, Fenglin Mountain
The sect leader said: "The fierce battle against the enemy has just ended, but Elder Jiang Qing has been captured and is now missing. The entire sect is worried about this. Now, You Wenrui from Fenglin Mountain is brave and resolute. Protect him and bring him back to camp, so that the sect will not lose a powerful ally."

Now, in recognition of merit and reward, I hereby bestow upon him one hundred mid-grade spirit stones, one bottle of second-tier superior-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills, and two Foundation Building Pills. He will be promoted to the rank of Tang Guwei, and each generation of the You family will be granted the title of a cultivator in the Chongming Sect, with their official duties matching those of a true successor, continuing for three generations.

When Zhu Yunsheng was chosen by a group of teachers to present the award, his tone was not very friendly, and his expression was much colder than when he had come here to give guidance in the past.

His words were clearly very enthusiastic, but when his gaze swept over them, none of the people dared to look him directly in the eye.

A wisp of mist, carried by a gentle breeze, enveloped the heads of You Xiaobao and his son You Wenrui. A few specks of water hung between their temples, it was hard to tell whether they were sweat or dew.

As soon as Zhu Yunsheng put down the jade slip, two larks, without needing to be urged, immediately set up the jade plate filled with spiritual treasures on their left and right, and gracefully landed on the You family's incense table.

Before the members of the You family could rise to receive their orders, Duan Anle, who had been silent all along, stepped forward to You Wenrui, took out a brand-new, jingling storage bag, and handed it over.

"Aside from what the sect bestowed upon us, these were all contributed by us fellow disciples, as a token of our gratitude for your assistance."

Before Duan Anle could react, You Wenrui, standing right in front of him, had time to react, You Xiaobao, standing beside him, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed again.
"Without the sect, my father and I would be dead somewhere in the mountains. We have already done our duty and are ashamed to receive such generous gifts from the sect. How could we possibly accept the elder's treasures? I am truly ashamed and do not deserve such a reward."

"Take it," Duan Anle said. He had no impression of You Xiaobao and was not interested in his excuses, which he did not know were true or false. He simply raised his finger and the storage bag in his hand was on You Wenrui's belt.

After speaking, Duan Anle, who never made promises lightly, spoke again: "If the You family of Fenglin encounters any trouble in the future, I, a disciple of Chongming, will certainly bear the responsibility without hesitation."

Upon hearing this, the You family father and son were both delighted and surprised, bowing repeatedly.

Duan Anle disregarded such formalities, merely glancing at the withered vegetation on Fenglin Mountain, and sighed inwardly:
“It’s already difficult to cultivate in Pingrong. The sect’s general affairs hall still has several shops in Xuanwei City that are unclaimed. If Patriarch You is interested, you can use my order to find the manager and rent them out so that you can do some business.”

"Thank you, Elder Duan!"

"Thank you both very much," Duan Anle bowed again, and then said to the You family members, "There are many matters to attend to in the sect, so Junior Brother Zhu and I cannot stay long. We will come to thank you again when we have some free time in the future."

You Xiaobao and his son readily agreed. Seeing the two of them disappear into the air on the spirit bird, You Xiaobao, whose robes were already soaked, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Among the crowd was You Xiaobao, a descendant of a close relative, who had a fat head and big ears.

At this moment, as he gazed at the glittering treasures on the incense table, his expression was more than just envious. From the moment Duan and Zhu turned away, he had already prepared a string of eloquent words, fearing that someone would preempt him.

He finally got the chance, hurriedly stood up, stepped forward, slowly moved to You Xiaobao's side, and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, Uncle."

"Congratulations, Mother!!"

The big-eared cultivator was taken aback by the barrage of insults. He mustered his courage and looked up, only to find that You Xiaobao's resentment was not directed at him. He breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the next moment, he saw You Xiaobao not even glance at the rare treasures on the table or the precious items in the bag. Instead, he took a step forward and landed in front of You Wenrui, raising his hand and waving it.

"Snapped!"

The loud noise startled the big-eared cultivator, and all his flattery utterances also spilled out.

“Father,” You Wenrui’s eyes widened in shock, half of his face swelled up like a cup, blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and several broken teeth rolled down into his stomach along with the blood.

The members of the You family exchanged bewildered glances, wondering why You Xiaobao was acting this way. Then they heard him point his finger and shout, "You son of a bitch, how dare you!!"

You Wenrui was about to argue, but when he saw his father's angry face, he immediately deflated and remained silent despite the beatings and scoldings.

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"Senior Brother Duan, when You Wenrui escorted Uncle Jiang to the sect, Uncle He used the Heart-Questioning Talisman to discover that he harbored treacherous intentions. The sect leader was already extremely merciful by not punishing the You family after learning of this; how could they possibly bestow such a generous reward upon them?!"

On the way back, Zhu Yunsheng's words were full of confusion, but compared to the former, who was still indignant, Duan Anle's expression was very calm:
“My master Jiang was indeed helped by this boy when he was in danger. Not only did he not harbor any greed or attempt to harm him, but he also personally escorted him back to the sect. That is enough.”

Seeing that Zhu Yunsheng was still puzzled after hearing these words, Duan Anle spoke again:
“In the past, not only my fellow disciples thought that our master was too lenient, but also all the other masters in the sect and my master’s wife thought so.”

A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. But now that Uncle Jiang has returned safely to the sect, all the benevolent policies our master implemented over the past century, suppressing the concerns of our fellow disciples, are worthwhile.

These words were perhaps a bit too lofty for Zhu Yunsheng, who had only gained his status through becoming Sun Fu's disciple. Duan Anle, however, ignored the thoughtful look on the former's pale face and simply continued with his instructions:

“Junior Brother Jin is still in the clinic being looked after by Master Dan. He won’t be able to return to guard the Jia Chou military camp for a while. Junior Brother Zhu, you will be in charge of relocating the more than four hundred families in Han Ya Mountain.”

Having reached this point, the crucial moment arrived. Duan Anle's expression hardened, and he solemnly stated:
"The Nine Heavens Suppressing Mountain Formation has suffered heavy casualties both inside and outside the formation. Almost every one of the more than four hundred families in Cold Crow Mountain is in mourning. The methods used are extremely cruel. This matter is not urgent. Once the senior officers have some free time and have sorted out the distribution of rewards and compensation, then Junior Brother Zhu, your task will be easier to carry out."

Now that the matter was serious, Zhu Yunsheng dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately put aside those superfluous thoughts and bowed deeply, saying, "Junior brother understands. Thank you for your guidance, senior brother."

"Yes, Yang Xun, the head of the Yang family, Ming Hui, the head of the Ming family, He Degong, the head of the He family, and Shan Shijie, the head of the Shan family, will come to help you. Take it slow and don't make any mistakes."

The immortal families of the thirteen counties and the more than four hundred households of Cold Crow Mountain were not born willing to serve my Chongming Sect. You must understand the importance of this matter.”

After Duan Anle finished speaking, without waiting for Zhu Yunsheng's reaction, he immediately pointed at the golden feather owl beneath his feet and headed towards Xiaohuan Mountain.

When the Golden Feather Owl flapped its wings in mid-air, it no longer had the lightness it used to traverse the spiritual energy. It seemed to sense the depletion of the surrounding spiritual energy, and each time its wings landed, it was sluggish. Finally, it slowly folded its wings at the foot of Xiaohuan Mountain. Its claws sank half an inch into the cracked earth, and there was not even a trace of spiritual energy in the dust it raised.

Duan Anle rolled over and landed, his fingertips first touching a wisp of wind. The wind no longer carried the freshness of the rice blossoms, but only the dryness of withered grass and trees, mixed with the lingering burnt smell from afar, which made his nostrils ache.

He looked up at the former sacred field, and his heart sank.

The hundred acres of spiritual fields that once reflected the glow of the sunset are now a cracked wasteland. The cracks in the soil are wide enough to fit half a hand. The rice stalks that once bore spiritual ears are now withered and black as charcoal. They crumble into dust with the wind and are scattered on the ground without leaving a trace.

The grand formation that Master Kang had spent a fortune to acquire was already causing headaches about how to dismantle without being put into use, leaving Wei Gu, who had just come down from the battlefield, scratching his head in frustration.

The two brothers were busy with many things. Wei Gu bowed once and then, without exchanging pleasantries, led a group of array masters, carrying compasses and moving around non-stop.

Duan Anle simply nodded without saying a word. Further up the mountain lay the Chongming Sect's cave palace, which was even more shocking to behold.

The once radiant palaces are now mostly ruins.

Half of the roof of the weapon refining hall had collapsed, and half a piece of molten black iron was still hanging on the broken beam. Several unforged magic weapon blanks were scattered on the ground, and the spirit patterns on the blanks had long since faded.
The stone door to the alchemy room was askew, and the alchemy furnace inside had a large crack. There were still charred dregs at the bottom of the furnace, which were pills that had not been collected during the great battle and had now turned to ash.

Even the main hall where the sect's patriarch's statue was enshrined had a corner collapsed. Patriarch Zhang, who was enshrined in the main seat, suffered a major misfortune. Half of his face was cracked by a falling golden tile and could not be repaired for the time being. Only a few true cultivators were sent over to work together to use illusion magic to cover it up.

As long as you don't look too closely, you're not losing face for the time being.

With few people available, a few children from Yulin Hall were carrying wooden beams, trying to move the collapsed tiles. Their movements were slow, and they would stop every now and then to catch their breath. In this place devoid of spiritual energy, even spiritual power was difficult to mobilize, and moving a piece of wood was three times more strenuous than usual.

The heads of each hall clearly had a lot of things to do, but with so many things to do, they didn't know where to start. They were all busy doing their own thing and getting confused.

This matter was difficult to resolve in a short time. Duan Anle didn't say much, but simply asked a few questions before rushing off to report to Headmaster Kang.

At this moment, the fragrance of medicine was quite strong in the sect leader's room. Yuan Jin, who had just sent Luan Gongfeng, picked out the suitable spiritual medicine and urged Chen Zihang, Gun Fangmu, and Qi Ke to work together to prepare the auxiliary elixir so that Jiang Qing could take the medicine given by Luan Gongfeng as soon as possible.

The sect leader, Kang, remained silent to the side. Although Luan Gongfeng had just said that Jiang Qing was fine, his brows were still tightly furrowed.

The medicinal fragrance in the cloud room couldn't mask the stench of blood. Jiang Qing lay on the bed, her chest rising and falling so faintly it was almost invisible.

His original black robes had been ripped open by Luan Gongfeng with a single finger, revealing a horrific wound on his left chest.

If we consider the third-tier alchemist supported by the Fei family, it's remarkable that Jiang Qing, a mere true cultivator, survived a full-force attack from a late-stage advanced cultivator like Wei Guze. This is a testament to the immense good fortune and virtue accumulated by the Chongming Sect over the years.

Not to mention that, as long as you are willing to spend resources, there is a good chance that the injury can be fully recovered.

Seeing that Duan Anle was returning, Kang Dabao and Yuan Jin realized there was no point in staying in the cloud room, so they also went into the courtyard. Duan Anle first explained the events of the trip, and Kang Dabao nodded for a while without saying a word.

Whether the Fenglin You family is rewarded or executed is a minor matter and doesn't require his concern. After hearing this, he put the matter aside.

Now that Duan Anle has returned, the grand discussion of Emperor Chongming can begin.

Fortunately, the council bell at the other end of the bell tower was not broken. Kang, the headmaster, who was standing in the courtyard of the sect leader, stretched out his finger and waved it lightly. The wind from his finger pushed the bell hammer, and the bell sounded clear and melodious as usual, which summoned all the sect leaders to put down their important matters and come together.

In just a short while, the Chongming Sect leader's courtyard, which had been quiet for a long time, became full again.

When He Wanying, who was at the back, rode her golden donkey into the courtyard, the sight of the headmaster Kang was momentarily dazed, as if he remembered the time when the Yuan brothers played chess here.

"Eldest brother?"

“Ah,” Kang Dabao glanced around the courtyard and saw that many people were injured. His eyes softened and he said gently, “This place is cramped, and there is not even a decent place to sit. It is truly unfair.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a yellow leaf fell from the old banyan tree in the courtyard.

As Kang Dabao formed a mysterious hand seal and spiritual light emanated, a stream of clear dew rippled from the well water in the center. The dew, along with the spiritual light, touched each of the yellow leaves, transforming them into brocade cushions that landed right behind the cultivators.

"Thank you, Sect Leader,"

After Kang Dabao and Yuan Jinxian set an example by disregarding etiquette and sitting down cross-legged, the disciples in the courtyard still sat down properly according to their seniority and rank.

The only one remaining in the courtyard was Ye Zhengwen, his eyes red-rimmed. After the Grand Master Kang nodded, the one-eyed giant held the jade slip and began to read aloud the numbers he had long since memorized:
"In the battle to pacify the Rong, a total of three Dan Masters, sixty-one True Cultivators, and more than two thousand eight hundred Qi Refiners were lost, with countless others injured."

Ye Zhengwen paused here, and the already quiet courtyard became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Although the disciples in the academy knew that most of the deaths were among the disciples of various families within their jurisdiction, the number of Chongming Sect's own disciples who lost their lives, even though it only accounted for 41%, was still alarming.

After the three battles of marching out of Xianzhou, defeating Huozhou, and defending Yunjiaozhou, these core members of the Chongming clan may not know how much they have captured, but they can see that every household in the thirteen counties of Yunjiaozhou is in mourning and more than four hundred households in Hanyashan are holding funerals.

Then they realized that the capital that Master Kang had been building up for so long had dwindled considerably, not to mention the disciples who came from Yulin Hall—when would it ever be enough to replenish it?!
Truly a man of iron will with a tender heart, Ye Zhengwen remained silent for a long time before hardening his heart to speak again: "The spiritual veins in the county have dried up and are beyond saving. All departments and halls, please step forward and clearly state your respective matters so that the sect leader can make a decision."

At this moment, Duan Anle from the Beast Garden led the way and respectfully replied, "There are still twenty-one second-tier spirit beasts of various grades and more than a thousand first-tier spirit beasts in the Beast Garden."

The sect leader Kang felt a chill run down his spine. At its current size, it was likely no match for Duan Anle when he had only recently established his foundation, sixty years ago. It should be noted that the Chongming Sect's Beast Garden had been in operation for a long time, and Duan Anle was considered quite capable.

In terms of income generation, the Beast Garden has always been second only to the various levels of spirit fields managed by Zhou Yixiu and Kang Rongquan, the uncle and nephew. It is considered a major source of stable income for Chongming Sect besides collecting storage bags.

I want to recover my strength after this, but I don't know how much effort it will take.

Duan Anle stepped back to his seat after speaking, and Kang Rongquan, understanding the situation, took his place.

"The spiritual veins are depleted, and the earth's energy is exhausted. In Pingrong County, along with some immortal mountains in Jin County, eight or nine out of ten second-grade spiritual fields have collapsed and are difficult to repair; all three hundred and twenty-three hectares of first-grade spiritual fields have been destroyed, along with all the spiritual plants on them."
Fortunately, the Crystal Tree had twelve auspicious vines that provided the energy of the seven treasures, and it also benefited from Master Zhou's urging of his disciples to diligently collect the sunlight and the cool air of the cold moon to condense into dew and irrigate it every ten days. Only then was it not damaged in this great calamity.

The Three-Element Vine is a superior spiritual root transplanted from the Fei family of Yingzhou. Although it has suffered some damage to its vital energy, it is no longer a major problem. It is currently being kept alive by nine kinds of spiritual springs, and transplanting it will not be difficult when the time is right.

Headmaster Kang naturally knew that the Three Yuan Vine was planted by Kang Rongquan himself, and seeing that he did not take credit, he felt quite relieved. However, upon hearing that all his hard work in cultivating Pingrong County over the years had been in vain, a hint of pain flashed across his face.

Following Kang Rongquan was He Yuanyi. This Chongming Sect array master had indeed learned some of the ruthlessness of his master, Yuan Jin. Having just taken the lives of several people of the same rank from the Nine Heavens Suppressing Mountain Array, he still had internal injuries. As he moved forward, his face showed unbearable pain, but when he spoke, his voice was strong and clear:
"Reporting to the Sect Leader, Senior Uncle, the Weaponry Hall..."

"Dan Tang."

"Talisman Making Pavilion"

All the disciples stepped forward and explained everything clearly, which Kang Dabao memorized. After the white-haired old woman, He Wanying, slowly returned to her seat, Kang Dabao pondered for a moment before speaking:

"You've all worked hard,"

"It is nothing more than fulfilling one's duty, without any hardship."

Duan Anle led his fellow disciples in responding.

After sighing in front of everyone, Kang Dabao looked up and said, "The ancestral land of Pingrong can no longer be preserved, nor can the burial grounds of our ancestral masters be preserved."

Upon hearing this, all the disciples lowered their heads and remained silent.

"The Duke's government has issued a decree granting our Chongming Sect permission to rest and recuperate temporarily, and has also bestowed upon us one hundred Foundation Establishment Pills, one hundred second-tier spiritual weapons of various grades, one thousand stacks of various second-tier talismans, one thousand bottles of various second-tier spiritual pills, and three thousand military service tokens," Headmaster Kang said, turning to Ye Zhengwen and whispering instructions.
"Let's temporarily hold onto the military tally, and keep half of the other items. The remaining half will be distributed among the families based on their merits and relationships. After calculating and pooling the remaining funds, we should be able to pay off most of the outstanding rewards and pensions."

"Yes," Ye Zhengwen bowed and accepted the order. Kang Dabao continued to give instructions, then turned to face the Chongming cultivators, his tone filled with dejection: "My disciples, it's time to set off again with me. Are you not afraid of the hardships ahead?"

"Of course I'm not afraid!"

"Alright, let's take stock of our belongings and then move to a third-tier spiritual land to cultivate! Once we reach the outside world and a new world opens up, I refuse to believe that this ancestral land is truly beyond saving."

"promise!"

Sect Leader Kang encouraged his disciples without resorting to excessive methods. After receiving their orders, the disciples went to perform their respective duties. Kang Dabao then summoned Yuan Jin and asked softly, "Have you obtained the formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill?"

(End of this chapter)