Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 603 The Pei Family's Daughter Has Grown Up; Rongquan Welcomes Old Friends with Prosperity

—Six months later, in Yangmingshan
Pei Xiangcao, who had just completed her Foundation Establishment, had just finished trying on her wedding dress. Accompanying her were several junior maids from Qinghan Courtyard who had not been taken away by Fei Shuhe. They chattered incessantly at the gentle and graceful face reflected in the silver mirror, adding a touch of joy to the young lady's boudoir.

At this moment, a begonia-shaped glass lamp hung in the room, its warm yellow light enveloping the crimson tassels hanging from the curtains, gently swaying and creating dappled light spots.

On the dressing table stood a gilded and jewel-encrusted comb and a rouge box. The "Drunken Spring Red" rouge in the box was adorned with fine second-grade red goose down, which was quite luxurious and made the tuberose in the corner of the table, which was just beginning to bloom, appear even more vibrant.

The nun's wedding dress was embroidered with colorful gold thread, with lotus scrolls embroidered on the collar and cuffs. The gold thread shimmered softly under the lamplight, and the pearl buttons on the skirt jingled gently as it swept across the large red carpet.

Several maids held up a pair of gleaming golden scissors and a brocade net, surrounding her. The bridal handkerchiefs they held in their fingers were embroidered with the character "囍" (double happiness) and mandarin ducks. Even their voices were filled with sweetness, which made Pei Xiangcao in the mirror raise her eyebrows slightly. The light blush on her cheeks was even more vivid than rouge.

Inside the room was an elderly woman with silver hair, also from the Pei family, but in terms of seniority, she was a nephew or niece of Pei Xiangcao. At this moment, she was staring intently at the person in the mirror, her eyes filled with tears.
"The sect leader is merciful; he has not forgotten the Pei family after all."

"Silence!" Upon hearing this, Pei Xiangcao's cheerful expression vanished, replaced by a harsh rebuke: "If you're too old to speak properly, then don't come to this immortal mountain to cultivate with me!"

"Oh, oh, Aunt, please don't be offended. I only misspoke," the old woman said, wiping her eyes and quickly making way for a young maidservant to step aside. She then earnestly helped Pei Xiangcao tie her hair up before speaking:
"It is an honor that the sect leader is willing to select a talented person from the Kang family to become a son-in-law of our Pei family."

She had just praised him when she suddenly changed her tone and said, "It's a pity that he's from the lineage of Senior Kang Xiangyi. Although he was also included in the Kang Clan's minor branch by the sect leader, he's ultimately a level below them."

Pei Xiangcao knew that her junior's words made sense, but after all, the sect leaders wanted the new son-in-law to change his name and marry into the Pei family. This arrangement showed that Sect Leader Kang was very serious. Otherwise, he would have had a hard time getting past the alchemist Kang Xiangyi.

“These words cannot be spoken outside.” Pei Xiangcao had just finished giving her instructions when a maid came to report that a guest had arrived outside.

She immediately and neatly removed all her extravagant attire, then changed into a simple dress and went out to greet them.

Several true cultivators were seated in the reception hall. When Kang Rongquan, who was leading the group, saw Pei Xiangcao come out, he glanced at her briefly and immediately showed a look of appreciation on his face.
“My Pei family of Chongming has always produced beauties.”

Pei Xiangcao blushed at the praise, but Kang Rongquan didn't notice anything amiss. However, Ye Yaoling, who was standing next to him, lightly patted him and said angrily, "Senior brother, how can you speak like an elder?!"

The cultivators in the hall laughed upon hearing this, which gradually made Pei Xiangcao's embarrassment disappear. She then regained her composure and bowed to each of the cultivators in the hall, saying, "Xiangcao greets all the masters."

"Your wedding is in half a month, but we have received a decree from the sect leader and have to go out. We may not be able to return in time, so we came to offer you a congratulatory gift in advance."

As soon as Kang Rongquan's laughter subsided, all the true cultivators began to move. Then, streaks of spiritual light appeared one after another and fell down, crowding Pei Xiangcao's body so much that there was almost no room for her to stand.

"Thank you so much for your kind gifts, teachers and mentors."

Even without examining them, Pei Xiangcao only glanced at them briefly, yet she knew that these treasures were not something that even the elders with some status in the Chongming Sect could easily produce, which showed the deep affection and friendship behind them.

"Your ancestor is my teacher; why bother with such empty formalities?!"

Kang Rongquan chuckled again and sighed softly. A hint of sorrow flashed in his no-longer-bright eyes, forcing him to lower his head slightly.

Seeing the silence in the hall, which seemed somewhat out of place for the recent joyous occasion, Ye Yaoling, standing to the side, changed the subject and said softly:
"Although Senior Kang Xiangyi's eldest grandson is not favored, he is a fine talent with one or two spiritual roots, and he is indeed a good match for you, Yu Xiangcao. The sect leader has put a lot of thought into this."

Pei Xiangcao obediently nodded, but Zhu Yunsheng, fearing she might not understand the reason, explained further:
"Originally, Master Ye said that Senior Yang Wuwei of the Yang family in Yezhou had just attained the Golden Core stage, and there happened to be a direct descendant whose talent and aptitude were suitable. Moreover, the two families had always been on good terms, so he thought of asking the matchmaker to facilitate this good match, so that the relationship between the two families could be further improved and they could become husband and wife."

However, Master Yuan said that the Pei family was small, and it was not convenient for the Qilin girl to marry far away. Otherwise, even if she entered the Golden Core sect, she would suffer some resentment in the future and have no one to tell. It would be much more appropriate for her to stay by his side.

The two senior masters each held their own opinions, but they brought this dispute to the desk of the sect leader, who, after half a day, chose Senior Master Yuan's suggestion.

Pei Xiangcao was somewhat surprised to hear this, after all, since Kang Lingyi went to Yingzhou, she thought that without the care of this little aunt, she would gradually fall out of favor.

This female Taoist priest truly had no idea that her own marriage could make three grandmasters take it so seriously.

"After this discussion, although we know that we should take the initiative to find a son-in-law, all the families in the jurisdiction are very enthusiastic," Zhu Yunsheng raised his hand and smiled, pointing directly to Shan Yongyan, who was quietly drinking tea on the side, and said, "The Shan family of Feiyue, from which Junior Brother Shan comes, has this intention."

Upon hearing this, the latter showed some annoyance, but then smiled helplessly and said, "Senior Brother Zhu, please don't tease me. I know that my Shan family is a small and insignificant family. But wait until my elder brother becomes a Pill Master, and then we'll see if you still dare to say such things."

"Ha, so unambitious! Why don't you think about when you'll be able to become a Pill Master?!" Kang Rongquan laughed and scolded, and all the cultivators, including Shan Yong, laughed along with him.

"Alright, we unscrupulous elders should get back to work. The sooner we go, the sooner we can come back and have a drink of herbal wedding wine."

"What Senior Sister Ye said is very true. Let's go, let's not linger."

"Wait a moment, wait a moment. These Golden Dragon Scissors are mid-grade spiritual artifacts newly crafted by a master craftsman. I need to have a good talk with Xiangcao about how to use them."

After another cup of tea's time, Kang Rongquan and the others bid farewell to Pei Xiangcao and left amidst the joyful laughter of the room.

Perhaps because it involved serious business, the smiles on the faces of the cultivators who were landing on the cloud boat gradually faded. It was Shan Yong who was the first to lose his composure, approaching Kang Rongquan and asking curiously:
"Senior Brother Kang, I don't know which guest has come from afar. It is necessary for our sect leader to come and tell you personally to lead people to Xuanwei City to welcome them."

"Junior Brother Shan, how dare I question the orders given by the sect leader?" Kang Rongquan shook his head for a while, and found Shan Yong's words amusing.

The latter also felt that this made sense, so he stopped worrying about it. Just as he was about to move aside, he heard Kang Rongquan add, "But judging from the sect leader's words, it seems to be a big shot from the capital."

"The capital region?! A big shot?!"

Upon hearing this, Kang Rongquan and his fellow disciples all had different expressions. This was because, since the Silver Knife Prince Consort Shen Lingfeng personally led the Imperial Guards to Shanbei Road a month ago, the situation between Zhaixing Tower and the Duke of Qin's Mansion had undergone some subtle changes.

In particular, Bai Canhong, the master of Zhaixing Tower, made another move, challenging Shen Lingfeng, Jiangxue Zhenren, and Yueyin Zhenren to three duels, but failed to win any of them, which made the battle situation even more intense.

According to what the cultivators heard from outside, the officials of the Duke's Mansion had repeatedly suggested that the Yunjiao Prefecture military camp send more troops to resolve the crisis. However, it was unclear whether the Fei family was exerting influence outside, but this suggestion ultimately came to nothing.

However, the Fei family's patriarch with the flat hair rushed off to the battlefield in Shanbei Road.

Recently, rumors have been circulating that the reason why the three masters on our side only suffered a minor defeat against Bai Canhong was because Fei Tianqin and Kuang Liuting, a man and a bird, had intervened. Kang Rongquan guessed that his great-uncle could get accurate information about this from the Fei family, but since the latter had not mentioned it, he was curious but did not feel comfortable asking.

Moreover, for Chongmingzong, who had already settled in Xianzhou, the more truthful these things were, the better.

There have been many happy events recently. In addition to Pei Xiangcao's marriage, Kang Dabao has generously displayed a group of Foundation Establishment spiritual objects that he had worked so hard to obtain. This has also led Chongming Sect to hold more than ten Dao Assembly in the past six months, which has made all the cultivators very happy.

Of course, it would be even better if Shan Gong Tang charged less interest.
So they chatted and laughed all the way, and didn't feel bored. After about seven days on the spirit boat, Kang Rongquan and his party finally landed back in Xuanwei City.

The newly appointed garrison commander, Duan Anle's eldest son, Duan Yunzhou, is indeed serious about cultivation, but he lacks experience in governance and has only recently established his foundation. He also needs to balance cultivation, so most of the city's affairs, large and small, are currently managed by Kang Xiangyi, the grandson of the Grand Master Kang.

Kang Dabao spoke highly of him, stating that he was an excellent ruler who could maintain the status quo. Indeed, in just half a year, Xuanwei City had already regained much of its former prosperity.

Meanwhile, Yang Xun, the head of the Chongming Sect's city defense garrison, is currently in seclusion, seeking to obtain the elixir of immortality. Therefore, most of the city defense matters are now being managed by You Xiaobao, a Qi cultivator.

Kang Rongquan was also moved when he saw the latter, an acquaintance.

You Xiaobao is already well past his eighties. It seems that his position as a city defense soldier and the closed-door disciple of the Pill Master can only bring some prestige to the You Xiaobao family and future generations, but he can hardly expect anything more.

Whether the You family can prosper in the future depends on what their descendants, such as You Wenrui, do.

Kang Rongquan had other duties to attend to, so he only exchanged pleasantries with You Xiaobao for a while, then gave him two Qi-cultivating herbs and a few unused pills and magical artifacts before bidding farewell to this old friend.

Upon hearing the news, Kang Xiangyi also came to greet them. He first bowed respectfully to the group of Chongming disciples, and before they could return the greeting, he spoke warmly to Kang Rongquan:
“I had heard that the patriarch was going to send someone to welcome the distinguished guest, but I did not expect that it would be my uncle who came in person. That is why I did not make any arrangements. Please forgive me, uncle.”

Kang Rongquan had been accustomed to being an elder since childhood, and he and Kang Xiangyi were genuine relatives who had discussed the genealogy together. Therefore, even seeing these seemingly respectable but actually virtuous men being so deferential before him, he felt no trepidation, but instead calmly replied:

"Why make such a fuss in Xiangyi? Keep everything simple."

Kang Xiangyi, the old cultivator, was quite clever. He disregarded the prestige of the alchemist and actually put on a relieved expression, which surprised the others who were serving beside the two.

Not long after, Zhang Huangshi, who was also assisting Duan Yunzhou in Xuanwei City, also appeared. Facing the group of juniors, he was still very respectful.

The two men led Kang Rongquan and his group to a newly built high platform. Kang Rongquan, now in charge of some affairs, could distinguish good from bad, and knew that these spiritual materials alone would consume a lot.

“But we have distinguished guests,” Kang Rongquan sighed softly. He checked the time with Kang Xiangyi and Zhang Huangshi and determined that there were still three days before the distinguished guests arrived. He then took the jade tablets for Chongming’s temporary residence from the two of them before going to the Fei family’s residence.

As a junior member of the Chongming Kang family, it would be inappropriate for him not to pay respects to the Fei family, his in-laws and elders, upon arriving here.

However, after submitting his name card, the Fei family's guest attendant, without the immediate authorization of the clan's superiors, dared not bring Kang Rongquan into the inner courtyard without permission.

So they had no choice but to ask the chef to cook a good meal in the front yard and open some fine wines, and invite a few close relatives and clansmen to have a good drink with Kang Rongquan, so that they would not have neglected their in-law.

Kang Rongquan had never expected to be summoned by a Golden Core cultivator before he came. He did this merely to fulfill his duty, not to mention that he was treated to a hospitality. Therefore, he had no resentment.

To be honest, he had sent visiting cards to the Fei family in the past, but he had never received a reply, and such courtesy was unprecedented.

"My great-uncle's status is truly different now, and we juniors are indeed benefiting from his influence again," Kang Rongquan thought to himself, feeling slightly smug after being given a few cups of spirit wine.

He had just bid farewell to the Fei family relatives who had come to see him off when he mounted his Cloud Steed. However, after traveling for only a short while, the sound of air being torn apart came from above Xuanwei City.

The city-protecting array, which should have been under strict guard and reinforced by the Fei family's array masters, began to open wide after a jade pendant was placed on the spirit boat, its spiritual energy gradually dissipating.

Kang Rongquan had a bad feeling. He looked up and saw a gilded flying boat breaking through the clouds. The boat was inlaid with a hundred South China Sea mermaid pearls, which reflected a seven-colored halo under the sunlight. The phoenix statue carved at the bow held a spirit jade in its beak.

As it flew, the jade-like light flowed, seemingly stirring the surrounding air currents, which transformed into wispy auspicious clouds that swirled around the boat. A dark brocade banner hung at the stern, bearing the two characters "Benevolent Grace." The calligraphy, embroidered by a skilled master, radiated a chilling spiritual power, inspiring awe from afar.

Upon seeing this, Kang Rongquan immediately realized that a distinguished guest had arrived ahead of schedule. He quickly dispelled the smell of alcohol on his body and spurred his horse toward the high platform.

Fortunately, the arrival of the guests was quite grand, and Kang Rongquan managed to get there in time without delaying his business. However, as soon as he gathered with his fellow disciples, he saw two teams of guards clad in silver armor emerge from the cabin door, all of whom were at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

These guards were not only all the same height and build, but even their facial features were almost identical, making them truly solemn and orderly.

Holding long swords inlaid with spirit crystals, they stood on both sides forming a ceremonial guard.

Then a nobleman slowly walked out, wearing a crown adorned with seven treasures and pearls. The three-tiered Buddhist seven treasures surrounded the mermaid pearl at the top like stars. Twelve golden chains hanging from the crown's brim were decorated with small, exquisite bells. When he walked, the bells rang clearly and rhythmically.
The peacock feather brocade cloak she wore made her look even more luxurious. The hidden pattern of a thousand birds carrying a lingzhi mushroom was made of purple gold powder and spirit silk. Each "bird feather" shimmered with a faint spiritual light. The jade belt buckles with dragon heads and phoenix feathers on her shoulders were even more exquisite. When the dragon heads breathed, there was a faint golden spiritual power swirling around them. When the phoenix feathers trembled slightly, there was a hidden aura of wind blades. The combined power of offense and defense was overwhelming.

"A Golden Core cultivator at the upper level, with this kind of pomp and circumstance, they're probably not even newly promoted upper level cultivators." Ye Yaoling's mutterings reached Kang Rongquan's ears, making him even more uneasy.
"How could my great-uncle not tell me who such a person is? If we were to mistreat this senior, wouldn't that damage the sect's reputation?!"

At this moment, he looked back and saw that Zhang Huangshi and Kang Xiangyi also looked bewildered. He also saw that the Fei family mansion was showing signs of spiritual light, indicating that the person who came was of high status, and even the Fei family had to come out to greet him.

Fortunately, his unease was short-lived. Just as he was about to muster his courage and step forward to pay his respects, he looked up and saw the nobleman's face clearly, and was immediately taken aback.

"The Earl of Feng'en has arrived!"

"The Earl of Feng'en has arrived!!!"

After the announcement of his name was made, a group of silver-armored guards shouted loudly, which startled Kang Rongquan back to his senses.

Over the years, he had seen his share of the world, so he wouldn't be completely flustered. After straightening his clothes and composing himself, he walked unhurriedly to the foot of the high platform, his face solemn yet neither humble nor arrogant.
"Junior Kang Rongquan pays his respects to Feng En."

He had only bent halfway down when the distinguished guest helped him up. After thanking him and raising his head, he saw a hint of emotion on the face that had become much younger: "Kuai En has not seen Brother Kang for a long time. How have you been lately, Brother Kang?"

(End of this chapter)