Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 601 Amidst the Clouds Overturning the Boat, News of Victory Arrives; In the Hall, Talents Are Discussed and Merits Acknowledged.

—Inside the clouds, the Fei family's spirit boat

"What are you thinking about again?" Han Ningyue glanced at Fei Shuhe, who looked worried, and asked softly.

The latter raised an eyebrow, her tone three degrees lower than usual, and respectfully replied, "The elders of the clan have bestowed such a blessing upon Shuhe, but I know I am unworthy of such a gift, and I am filled with trepidation."

“Ha,” Han Ningyue shook her head slightly, knowing the source of Fei Shuhe’s fear, and then comforted her:
"Don't worry, and don't blame yourself. Even the women in the village know the principle of 'marrying a man for food and clothing.' Besides, husband and wife are bound together by 'shared prosperity and shared loss,' so what is there for you to be unable to bear?!"

In the past, I often complained that your uncle was blind, but I never expected that he would choose such a capable man for you. If you had really married that ill-fated woman from the Zuojiang Shu family, you might have spent the next sixty years alone in an empty room.

Since your son-in-law Kang is valued by the two elders, it's likely that he will be able to assist your uncle in managing the Fei family in the future. He has his own abilities, so you should accept this blessing with peace of mind and not cause him any worry.

"Once you have received this opportunity and successfully completed the elixir, you can return home safely. That will be enough."

Despite being addressed to a niece whom she had raised, Han Ningyue's words, though insightful, sounded slightly crude given her noble birth. Yet, this very crudeness also made her seem exceptionally close to her.

“Auntie is right,” Fei Shuhe replied faintly, her face still showing little joy despite hearing that an opportunity for advancement in her cultivation was approaching. It was unclear whether she had taken the words to heart.

She knew that the situation in the southwest was gradually deteriorating. Just by seeing the Star-Picking Tower and the Duke of Qin's Mansion get serious, a number of cultivators had lost their lives.

And just at this time, her family bestowed upon her an opportunity. The reason for this is something that cannot withstand close scrutiny.

Upon seeing this, Han Ningyue's concern deepened. She knew that the person before her was no longer merely an orphaned daughter being raised by her.

From the current perspective, there are still nearly 60 years left until the day when Ancestor Ye Su reaches his end.

In twenty or thirty years, Fei Shuhe's husband, Kang Dabao, with his current unstoppable momentum, may become a major force influencing whether Fei Nanying's succession will be smooth.

This reasoning, though seemingly utilitarian, was also straightforward and simple, which made Han Ningyue even more nervous in front of Fei Shuhe.

However, the latter was raised by Han Ningyue since childhood. Unlike her younger cousin Fei Wanqing, who had a smooth path in cultivation and was exceptionally talented, Fei Shuhe had no cultivation skills. Instead, she learned her aunt's ways of managing the household and treating people very carefully.

Therefore, even if the two remain close when they are together, their relationship has lost much of its purity.

Even so, the two women still had plenty to say to each other. Just as they were getting into a lively conversation, a flash of inspiration appeared at the bow of the boat, and a token landed in Fei Shuhe's hand, bringing a smile to her face.

Curious, Han Ningyue reached out to take a look from Fei Shuhe's hand without thinking. But her hand froze in mid-air before she could even get halfway there.

Fortunately, Fei Shuhe couldn't bear to embarrass this aunt, so she naturally handed over the token in her hand.

Han Ningyue's eyes crinkled as she read the talisman on it, and she teased, "It's only been a few days, how come there's already news from Xuanwei City?!"

But after she glanced past the six-petaled blue lotus Dao seal and carefully examined the characters on it, a hint of surprise flashed across her usually dignified face:
"Xi-ge'er has made great contributions in the Lianghedao area?!"

Upon hearing this, not only Fei Shuhe felt honored, but even his three illegitimate children who had always been by his side couldn't help but peek over.

Fortunately, Fei Shuhe had no intention of correcting their impolite behavior at this time. She simply summoned them to her side so that she could carefully examine the letter in Han Ningyue's hand.

Kang Lingyi put on an elder sister's airs and carefully read the letter before Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao could. However, after only reading a few lines of text, her beautiful eyes were filled with joy.

The above states:

"On the first day of the tenth month of the 522nd year of the Qianfeng reign of the Wei Dynasty, bandits gathered in Lianghedao County, plundering and slaughtering the people, and blocking the official road. Kang Changxi, the Chief Clerk of the Duke of Qin's Mansion, volunteered to lead a detachment of elite soldiers to suppress them."

The bandits held their positions high, their ranks shrouded in an aura of evil. Changxi, wielding a long sword, rode his horse forward and broke through the stronghold. He encountered nine men who had built the foundation for the canal, who used sorcery to resist him. Changxi fought valiantly and killed them all; countless of their followers who practiced qi cultivation perished.

When the bandit leader, a fake cultivator, appeared, his profound power was immense, and the generals could hardly defeat him. Chang Xi led his comrades in a joint attack, fighting for over a hundred rounds, wounding him in several places, and forcing him to flee.

In this battle, we broke through enemy lines, vanquished the rebels, and relieved the county from peril. Changxi, loyal, brave, and valiant, respectfully reports this to the emperor and humbly requests that his merits be recognized.

On the first day of the tenth month of the 522nd year of the Qianfeng reign (1753), a memorial was submitted by a General of the Imperial Guard.

Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao silently recited it, and among those around them, the one with the weakest composure almost had a beaming smile on his face. This talisman was passed on by the Grand Master Kang, and at the end, a line of small print was added:
"Kang Changxi, the Chief Clerk of the Duke of Qin's Mansion, is known for his loyalty, bravery, and outstanding achievements. He has been promoted to the position of Chief Clerk of the Duke's Mansion and is hereby ordered to serve in the Ministry."

"Second brother has been promoted!" Kang Changyan exclaimed in surprise, his envy undisguised. Since the beginning of his cultivation, after realizing that his talent was only average, he had developed a somewhat complacent attitude due to his mother's spoiling.

However, the Battle of Yangmingshan transformed him and his younger brother Kang Changzhao. Seeing Kang Changxi's bright future, he was once again filled with a sense of longing.

Seeing the Kang family members all smiles, Han Ningyue felt a pang of regret for Kang Changxi. After all, if the latter had truly managed to keep the fake Dan Kou leader who had jumped out, then his marriage to the Han family might have been settled.

However, the matter of "insisting that the latter must kill the Pill Master on the battlefield before he can discuss marriage with the Han family" was only barely made possible by Han Ningyue persuading the elders of her clan because of her status as a True Person bloodline.

But times have changed. Huang Mijia of Yunze Witchcraft Hall and Li Yunshang of Liangyi Sect have each used their lives to help Headmaster Kang prove that he has a bright future and deserves his title as a mid-grade Golden Core cultivator.

Therefore, under such circumstances, Han Ningyue felt that after returning to the capital, she would discuss the matter with the elders and would not necessarily have to subject Kang Changxi to this constraint.

After all, Kang Dabao's eldest son is not yet a hundred years old. The battlefield is unpredictable, and even a Golden Core cultivator may not always be able to take the head of the Core Master. Therefore, Kang Changxi's performance in the battle report this time is already quite remarkable.

More importantly, half of her blood is from the Fei family's direct lineage. Han Ningyue doesn't ask her family to be willing to hire a beauty of unparalleled grace; finding an ordinary daughter from the direct lineage wouldn't be difficult.

It seems even Han Ningyue, a noblewoman from a prominent family, is unaware of this.

Unbeknownst to them, their attitude towards this marriage had completely shifted from "indifferent" to "determined to get it," which is quite rare.

She ignored the surprised sounds of the younger people in front of her and thought to herself:
"To rise suddenly in one generation and remain undefeated in the next is already extremely rare. If Kang Dabao and his son can weather the storms of the future together, I have no idea what the future holds for the Chongming clan. However, the Chongming Kang family must persuade the Han and Fei families to help him secure a place among the prominent families of the Immortal Dynasty."

As Han Ningyue was pondering this, a light mist suddenly rose outside the spirit boat.

At first it was just a pale white, but in an instant it became so thick that it resembled an unyielding cloud, gently enveloping the entire spirit boat.

The outline of Xuanwei City outside the porthole gradually blurred, and finally even the distant mountains were hidden in the clouds. Only when the spirit boat broke through the clouds did the skirt-like wisps of cloud gently brush past the sides of the ship, as if to quietly hide the joy and plans in the clouds high in the sky.

—In Xuanwei City, the sect leader, whose children were scattered in various places and whose disciples had mostly gone far away, and whose wife had even returned to her parents' home, was now somewhat lonely.

Fortunately, this is also a very suitable time for serious spiritual practice.

Unlike those fortunate individuals who, after achieving enlightenment, can shut themselves away and claim ancestral titles, Kang Dabao, perhaps due to his lack of virtue, finds it difficult to find contentment no matter how diligently he cultivates.

On the contrary, being surrounded by powerful enemies only made him more anxious and gave rise to a sense that time was of the essence.

However, after appeasing his two concubines, Yuan Xiyue and Zhang Qingran, Kang Dabao still had some things to do before heading to Yangmingshan for secluded spiritual practice.

Zhang Huangshi of the Yun Gu Zhang family acted swiftly. After a group of Zhang family members had settled in Xuanwei City, the Zhang family alchemist who was coming to Chongming Sect to teach Foundation Establishment Pills had also brought the pill materials.

Qi Ke, accompanied by Gun Fangmu and Chen Zihang, stayed by his side for several months, remaining focused and meticulous in every detail.

However, no matter how talented or hardworking they are, and how accurately they remember the techniques and steps of condensing pills, the Zhang family alchemists dare not let them handle crucial pills like the Foundation Establishment Pill.

The Yun Gu Zhang family is, after all, a family that has produced cultivators. They and the Great Master Kang have gathered a batch of Foundation Establishment pill materials from the clan, and they are willing to offer them all to repay the grace of the sect that bestowed the method upon them.

At the time, Kang Dabao couldn't tell whether his words were true or false, nor did he dwell on it; he simply nodded in belief.

Therefore, when the Zhang family alchemists were refining Foundation Establishment Pills for the Chongming Sect, they worked extremely hard. One batch of spiritual materials was enough to make seven pills, all of which were of low grade, but it was still considered a good harvest.

At this moment, the Zhang family alchemist was standing in the council hall of Xuanwei City with his patriarch, Zhang Huangshi, discussing matters with the leaders of the Chongming Sect.
Master Zhang, holding fifteen freshly made Foundation Establishment Pills, lightly pressed his fingertips against the edge of the pill box, gathering the remaining warmth in his palm. He bowed respectfully to the head of the Chongming Sect in the hall, his tone full of reverence:

"Fellow cultivators, this batch of Foundation Establishment Pills has been successfully completed, yielding a total of seven pills. Although they are all of low grade, they represent the best quality pills produced by my Zhang family in the past ten years."

This is not due to any improvement in my alchemy skills, but truly thanks to the blessings of my sect. The sect generously bestowed upon me the exquisite cultivation method, the *Jade Dew and Silver Glow Technique*. Through this technique, I have stabilized my cultivation, regulated my spiritual energy, and even improved my control over my aura during alchemy by several times, thus enabling this achievement.”

At this moment, he bowed his head in humility, his words filled with genuine gratitude:

"To be honest, my Zhang family has been trapped in Yun Valley for many years. Many of our family's cultivation techniques are incomplete, and our disciples' cultivation progresses slowly. Even when I am refining pills, I often miss the proper timing and temperature of the materials because of my unstable spiritual energy."

Since acquiring the "Jade Dew and Silver Skill," I have been practicing breathing exercises according to the method every day. I feel that my energy channels are much smoother. The problems I used to have when refining elixirs, such as "easily getting agitated by controlling the fire and easily dissipating the energy," have quietly improved by more than half.

This cultivation technique is meant to build a foundation for spiritual practice, but it indirectly helped me strengthen my foundation in alchemy. The entire Zhang family will never forget this kindness.

Having said that, he looked up at Qi Ke, Gun Fangmu, and Chen Zihang standing to one side, his eyes brightening instantly, his tone full of admiration:
"What is truly surprising is the extraordinary talent of my three young friends, Qi Ke, Gun Fangmu, and Chen Zihang, which I have never seen before. For the past few months, I have only taught them the basics of identifying spiritual materials and memorizing elixir formulas."

Qi could correct errors in the properties of auxiliary medicinal materials, Gun could investigate the precise dosage of medicated herbs, and Chen Zihang could discern the proper order of fire control. Such comprehension and temperament are truly unmatched among the sons of the Zhang family.”

The cultivators of Chongming Sect in the hall felt that this alchemist was just as eloquent as Zhang Huangshi, the head of the family.

After refining the elixir, he not only did not boast of his achievements, but also knew to express his gratitude to his ancestors, which showed he was quite sensible.

Ye Zhengwen knew that the "Jade Dew Silver Skill" that Kang Dabao had bestowed upon the Yun Gu Zhang family was, no matter how much he praised it, only a low-grade first-dimensional skill. Even if it wasn't bad, it wasn't a secret immortal technique.

It might benefit the Zhang family cultivators somewhat, but how could it possibly transform an old cultivator like the Zhang family alchemist, who had already reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage?

However, Ye Zhengwen naturally understood the principle that everyone should help someone who is already in a good position, so he wouldn't point it out.

Having received instructions from the Grand Master Kang, he personally greeted the two members of the Zhang family, bowed, and said, "Thank you for the gift of the pills."

Although Ye Zhengwen is only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, in terms of skill, he is far inferior to the younger generation in the hall, even though he has been a Foundation Establishment cultivator for over sixty years.

However, given their significant status, such an act was considered a deference to the two members of the Zhang family, causing Zhang Huangshi, the alchemist, to dare not be negligent in the slightest and hurriedly pulled the younger members of the clan to bow down.

Kang Dabao has been busy lately and has no intention of wasting his breath on the insignificant Zhang family members. However, seeing how dedicated the Zhang family is, he is quite satisfied.

He then bestowed upon them some second-tier spiritual artifacts that He Yuanyi had just repaired, and that was it for sending the two away.

Afterwards, he pointed to Qi Ke and the other two and said gently, "It is true that you three are talented, but don't take what others say to heart. If you really believe these compliments and spoil your ears, you will become arrogant and ignorant in the future."

Three disciples stepped forward and bowed, thus acknowledging that they had received instruction.

But then Ye Zhengwen spoke again, saying, "Since the death of Junior Brother Pei and his disciples, the sect's alchemy hall has been in decline. You two or three are indeed talented, and the sect is not stingy in cultivating you."

"Since Luan Gong is such a figure, the sect leader spared no effort to personally request instruction. The Zhang family appears respectful, but whether they have truly revealed the entire Foundation Establishment Pill formula is something neither the sect leader nor I can ascertain. It is up to you all to diligently study this."

"Yes,"

The three of them responded in unison. Kang Dabao glanced at the seven glowing Foundation Establishment Pills in Ye Zhengwen's hand, but didn't pay them much attention.

After all, the Duke's Mansion had also allocated some Foundation Establishment spiritual items, which were certainly much inferior to Foundation Establishment Pills, but there was no worry about distribution.

He was about to leave, but after thinking for a moment, he picked up two more coins and nodded to Ye Zhengwen in acknowledgment:
"The merit points required for these two Foundation Establishment Pills will be transferred from my own account. In addition, since the sect is currently in need of manpower, you should not hoard these kinds of pills, Old Ye. Most of them should be placed in the Merit Hall for people to apply for."

Old Ye, you and the other officials in charge of the clan should review the applications of talent and virtue from each applicant. Furthermore, you might as well increase the loan amount for the Good Deeds Hall.”

Ye Zhengwen didn't ask who the Grand Master Kang had obtained the elixir for, but simply nodded and replied, "Don't worry, Grand Master."

Hearing this, the latter was relieved. He glanced at the cultivators in the hall again, but left no further words of encouragement or admonition. He then turned and stepped out of the hall.

After leaving the hall, Kang Dabao reached out and grabbed a white cloud to ride. Clouds rose beneath his feet, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he landed at the place where the true disciples of Chongming Sect were staying.

He quickly calculated the location of the person he wanted to meet, and without waiting, he strode forward, concealed himself, and knocked on the door.

A clear, melodious female voice came from inside: "Who is this fellow disciple who has come from outside?!"

(End of this chapter)