Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 616: Dragon Prince Hidden Silk, Presenting a Letter to Kang Dabao Inviting Him to Surrender and Return Quickly
—In the council hall of Yuejian Mountain
The hall was so quiet that one could hear the rustling of dust falling from the dark wooden beams, and the spirit lamps hanging between the beams flickered on and off.

In the dim light, the tea on the table had long since cooled, a thin layer of frost covering the surface of the tea soup, and even the steaming heat had dissipated without a trace.

Several figures sat stiffly in the hall, their robes hanging down without swaying at all. Only the occasional leakage of spiritual energy collided in the air, stirring up a faint buzzing sound, which was quickly suppressed by the deathly silence.

Someone placed their hand on the edge of the table, their fingertips unconsciously stroking the wood grain, the force so heavy it seemed they wanted to pry marks out of the hard, spiritual wood.
Some people gripped the magical artifact at their waists, their knuckles turning white, and even the patterns on the artifact's sheath glowed slightly due to unstable spiritual energy, yet they dared not make any further moves.

Occasionally, low voices would rise, only to be swallowed by an even deeper silence, leaving a few broken echoes floating in the air, mixed with the faint sound of drums coming from outside the window, adding to the anxiety.

The shouts were loud and clear, and the pebbles that were kicked up slammed against the door with soft "bang" sounds, but no one turned to look.

All eyes were fixed on the tall cultivator who had spoken in the hall; half were wary and fearful, while the other half were encouraged by him.

At this moment, most of the Golden Core cultivators began to breathe very softly, as if even a slight increase in volume would disrupt this delicate balance.

After Wu Yin, the eldest disciple of Master Yunfu, died in battle at the hands of Fei Tianqin, his second disciple, Hou Jin, was immediately ordered by the Master to temporarily take over the affairs of the sect.

Hou Jinshangxiu was squinting at You Longzi, who was pointing a halberd at him and cursing him. You Longzi was the most outstanding disciple of his master, Master Huquan.

In terms of skill, he was no less capable than Hou Jingcai, the senior brother who had passed away. He was still at the peak of the Golden Core stage and carried considerable weight in his words and deeds among his fellow disciples.

At this point, his public questioning clearly showed that he was no longer willing to cover up the conflict between the two factions of Yuejianshan.

If Hou Jin handles the situation improperly, it would be entirely reasonable for a full-blown brawl to break out in the hall in an instant.

Hou Jingshang felt anxious, but his expression remained unchanged after hearing the stern shout. He lightly tapped his blackened pipe, shaking off a few specks of ash, before responding calmly:

"With a formidable enemy at hand, the various tribes are incompetent, and the Fei family is arrogant, even daring to march their troops to the gates of Yuejian Mountain to challenge us to battle. This is precisely the time for me and my fellow disciples to hold a military meeting. For my junior brother to launch such an unprovoked attack, is he not harboring malicious intentions?!"

"Hou Jin, I'll ask you one more time: Where is my master, Master Huquan?!"

When Long Zi's tone became even more forceful, Hou Jingshangxiu's expression hardened. He didn't respond at first, but instead just squeezed the dark pipe stem.

He brought the pipe to his nose and smelled it, then pursed his lower lip slightly and gently placed the pipe between his lips.

The lower lip pressed against the cool rim of the pot, while the upper lip gently covered the pipe stem, forming a shallow arc, as if the lips were "wrapping" the pipe bowl with a soft pad.

With the pipe stem pressed between his lips and teeth, he tilted his head slightly and gently bit the stem near the corner of his mouth with his teeth. The force was light, but just enough to hold the pipe in place and prevent it from swaying with his movements.

After a "snap" sound, Hou Jinshang's lips slightly closed, forming a small airflow channel.

As he inhaled, his cheeks slowly sank in, as if gently pinched by an invisible hand. Sparks flew from the tobacco in the pipe, and his lips trembled slightly.

Then, with a soft exhale, three streams of purple vapor seeped out of his nose and mouth.

This pipe had been with the old man for hundreds of years, and to onlookers, his movements even seemed to possess a unique beauty. However, You Longzi, standing to the side, couldn't wait a moment longer. He frowned, pointed his halberd finger, and was about to unleash another angry rebuke, but was calmly rebuked by Hou Jinshangxiu with a single sentence:

"What, are you saying that Master Lie?! Master told all of us in front of our fellow disciples that Uncle went to sea to seek his destiny. How can you not believe it?"

"Our master has vanished without a trace. Are we, as his disciples, not even allowed to inquire about him?!"

"How dare you!" After this stern shout, Hou Jinshang's prized pipe instantly shattered in his hand, scattering fragments everywhere. His face then turned even darker and shinier than the pipe itself, and he questioned him sternly:
"What? Just because your junior brother is your master's disciple, does that mean my master isn't your master and junior brother, and we aren't members of the Yuejian Sect?! The whereabouts of Nascent Soul cultivators are elusive; it's only natural that we haven't heard from them for one or two decades."

The spirit lamp of my master is always lit in the Lingguang Hall; how can there be the slightest abnormality?! Why are you, Dragon Prince, making unfounded accusations?!
While our master is away on a pilgrimage and our teacher is away, some petty scoundrels have dared to overestimate themselves and offend our sect's authority. Instead of offering advice and assistance, you've undermined morale at this crucial time. Junior brother, are you truly a disciple of Yuejian Mountain? What are your true intentions? Are you even afraid of being questioned by our sect's elders?!

Hou Jin spoke with an extremely heavy tone, and his words immediately chilled the hall to the bone. All the cultivators inside fell silent, unaware of how many years it had been since Yuejian Mountain, which monopolized the ancient Xuandao path, had witnessed such a scene.

"Senior Brother Hou, your silver tongue is something I, your junior brother, am ashamed to admit." After saying this in a cold voice, You Longzi seemed to realize he had nothing more to say, and then turned and left.

A few breaths later, several more people followed him. Hou Jinshang's expression changed for a moment. Although he was still indignant, he did not stop them when they arrived.

After all, his prestige and cultivation were far inferior to the late Wu Yin Shangxiu, and Fei Tianqin had become the culprit who caused discord among the cultivators of Yuejian Mountain.

The recent disputes and conflicts between the disciples of Master Huquan and Master Yunfu are indeed somewhat related to Hou Jinshang's lack of prestige.

Hou Jingshang glanced at the seats in the hall, which were now mostly empty, and frowned in annoyance.

"Hmm, these dull-witted people are used to being swayed by outsiders! But they don't believe their own words!"

As he finished speaking, he subconsciously clenched his fingers, only to realize that his pipe, which had been with him for hundreds of years, had turned to ashes. Instantly, he felt empty inside and had lost a great deal of interest.

Then, this resentment burst forth as a cold snort, before he turned to the remaining Golden Core cultivators who were close to the Yunfu lineage and said in a deep voice:
"Since Longzi and the others have shown no sense of propriety and made irresponsible remarks about their teachers, I will certainly report this matter to my master. Let's set aside these clowns for now; the Fei family's army is approaching, and we must act quickly."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Led by Long Zi, the group of fellow disciples walked from the council hall to their own cave dwelling. After closing the cave dwelling and releasing all the magical restrictions, they then spoke:
"There must be something strange about Hou Jin and Uncle Yunfu! My master told me a few years ago that when he was serving in the army in Liangxi, he had already made connections with many high-ranking officials in the current court."

However, my master disliked the harsh methods of the Imperial Guard, and it was only after several hundred years that my master had little contact with his old friends. But after my master's passing, the relationship had warmed up considerably.

Several years ago, my master received a letter from the Marquis of Fengcheng, expressing his intention to respond to the Duke of Qin's plan to attack Zhaixing Tower from the side. However, his Uncle-Master Yunfu repeatedly obstructed him.
Afterwards, Uncle Yunfu said that Master had already gone on a voyage to the sea, but Master did not leave behind even a single word of explanation, which was unprecedented, so I became suspicious.
Then, when Uncle Yunfu wanted to join Zhaixinglou in plotting a rebellion in the north of the mountain, I felt something was amiss.

My master's magical communication mirror has not sent any messages for several years now, and his current situation is unprecedented. No wonder I have doubts.

If it were just one incident, it could be considered a coincidence, but all these things combined make it impossible for me not to worry about my master's safety.

Everyone in the cave knew the situation described by Long Zi, but after hearing him explain it in detail, their expressions of doubt deepened in unison. A tall, elegant figure in feathered robes sighed and rose from his seat to speak: "Senior Brother You, then according to your opinion..."

“I don’t know either,” You Longzi frowned even more deeply, and said frankly, “I only know that if we just let Hou Jin and his gang manipulate us like this, then Master’s situation will become even more difficult.”

"Ever since Senior Brother Wu Yin passed away, this Hou Jin has become a scoundrel!"

"That's absolutely right. Every time that old bird comes out, he always sends Senior Brother to lead us to stop him. If it weren't for Senior Brother's quick thinking and superior skills compared to Wu Yin, one of us might have already lost our lives."

"There was also a burly and ruthless man among them, whose halberd skills were formidable. In my opinion, he was no less skilled than the head of the General Affairs Department of the Star-Picking Tower. Moreover, he had a pair of small eyes that could gleam with golden light. If it weren't for my substitute puppet still being there, I might have been killed on the spot!"

"That fellow was born into the Fei family and rose through the ranks by virtue of his skills in bed. He's notorious for bullying women. It's no wonder my senior brother was no match for him. Rumor has it that he's involved with that Jiang Xue from the Hehuan Sect."

"Ahem," Longzi said, having heard that no one in the hall had a disagreement. He then spoke to quell the noise, and only after the hall had fallen silent again did he begin to speak:
"The mountain gate is protected by a fourth-order grand formation. Even if we don't act in time, there is no need to worry about the safety of the mountain gate. It will just require Hou Jin and the others to put in more effort."

"What Senior Brother says is not wrong, but if it is indeed Uncle-Master Yunfu who knows the news, he will come to question us."

It was the same cultivator in the feathered robe who stepped forward to ask the question. All the other cultivators were also concerned about this matter, and they all pricked up their ears and cast their gazes.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable under the intense gaze of the dragon prince, but having already prepared his response, he wasn't worried about being speechless. He then recited in a deep voice:
"There are currently twenty-one Golden Core disciples in the mountains. Half of them are my master's disciples, five of my fellow disciples inherited the lineage of other senior uncles, and three Golden Core guest elders have no master. The remaining three are the disciples of Senior Uncle Yunfu."

Those people are currently obeying Hou Jin's orders only because of Uncle Yunfu's personal instruction. But if the sect is truly in danger, Uncle Yunfu will lead his troops back to resolve the crisis.

"When the time comes, and we confront him in the hall, if Uncle Yunfu can truly produce irrefutable evidence of Master's voyage to seek his destiny, thus silencing the gossip, then I will volunteer to go to Heavenly Punishment Cliff for a hundred years! Otherwise, I refuse to believe that he only keeps those mediocre disciples to do the work!!"

The cultivators listened with varying expressions, but finally, the cultivator in the feathered robes spoke with difficulty and a troubled look: "Senior Brother's method is perhaps a bit too harsh."

The cultivator in feathered robes spoke, revealing the thoughts of everyone in the hall. After all, he was the sect leader and a Nascent Soul cultivator. If True Person Yunfu were to return and truly seek punishment, who in the hall would not be afraid?!
You Longzi was not surprised to hear this. He stroked the jade pendant that hung at his waist, a gift from the True Man Huquan, and a resolute look appeared in his eyes again:
"Junior Brother is quite right, but if not this way, I can't think of any other way to save Master from this danger."

Upon reading this, he noticed a gentle light in the eyes of his fellow disciples as they gazed at the jade pendant in his hand. Longzi couldn't help but let out a long sigh, a sense of relief appearing on his face.
"Fellow disciples, please rest assured. If Uncle Yunfu truly intends to punish us in the future, then I, Longzi, will bear the consequences. For now, let's just sit back and watch that scoundrel Hou Jin make his mistake."

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Suddenly, the flame of a spirit lamp crackled and fell, sparks landing on the spirit jade on the ground before quickly going out.

This subtle sound was like a pebble thrown into the dead silence. Several figures moved slightly at the same time, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy suddenly intensified, only to subside in an instant, leaving behind an even thicker sense of stagnation in the air.

No one was willing to speak first, nor was anyone willing to back down. The solemn atmosphere in the hall grew thicker and thicker like a tide, almost crushing the entire cave.

"Fellow disciples, please rest assured. If Uncle Yunfu really wants to punish me in the future, then I, Longzi, will bear the consequences."

After Longzi solemnly made his promise again, all the cultivators in the cave felt as if they had been influenced by Longzi's heroic spirit. They all bowed and paid their respects. After the host offered them tea, they left the cave one by one and scattered to various places on Yuejian Mountain.

After the cave's spiritual barrier was opened wide, it was immediately closed again. A hint of caution arose on the dragon prince's face. After dismissing those around him, he dared to slowly unfold a bright yellow spiritual silk.

If someone else were to see this at this moment, and if they were knowledgeable enough, they might be able to discern the lotus swastika wheel seal reflected in the corner of the silk scroll, which seems to be exclusive to the original Buddhist sect.

The dragon prince had read this silk scroll countless times, as if every stroke of the pen was etched into his heart. Yet, as he looked at it again, he remained completely focused, pondering the words for a long time before slowly rolling it up and tucking it into his sleeve.

He was clearly facing a difficult situation, as his full beard seemed to be filled with worry, and his dark face showed a complex and unreadable expression.

After an unknown amount of time, a long sigh suddenly echoed in the empty cave, as if it had added a touch of melancholy and dimmed the spiritual light of the white calamus leaves in the spiritual pool below.

But then, Longzi wrote on the table: "To my esteemed elder, Fei: Since our parting, several years have passed. Previously..."

-----

Sect Leader Kang was unaware of the commotion in Yuejian Mountain; he seemed to have completely forgotten about Pu Honggu's incursion. Following Fei Tianqin's orders, he personally led his men to search the surrounding area.

It was called a search, but in reality it was nothing more than recruiting and traitors.

Compared to others, he was known for more than just the striking reputation of "bullying women".

His title of Marquis of Wuning was barely considered valuable in the eyes of ordinary people. His record of killing Huang Mijia and Li Yunshangxiu in battle was also quite impressive. Moreover, he could be considered to be close to "upholding sincerity and truth". Therefore, he could be considered a suitable person for this mission.

In Kang Dabao's view, this task was not difficult. Most of the elites from the sects and families that were very close to Yuejian Mountain had been taken away by True Person Yunfu. The rest were either too weak, wanted to protect themselves, or were forced to be dispatched by Yuejian Mountain. It is impossible to generalize.

Kang Dabao dispatched several troops, searching along the branches beside the ancient Xuandao Road. Wherever he went, small sects and scattered cultivator settlements flocked to him. After all, Nascent Soul cultivators and thousand-year-old sect leaders were far away, unlike Kang Dabao, who was currently in charge.

First, the leader of the Qingxia Sect personally came out of the mountain gate with spirit crystals in his pocket, saying that after the sect's elites were transferred away by Yun Fu, they had no strength left to resist.
Later, the rogue cultivators of "Luoyunwu" gathered a large amount of spiritual materials and stood by the roadside, bowing to welcome them, hoping to be protected by the Chongming Sect and spared from the turmoil of war.

Kang Dabao did not put on airs. He had Yuan Jin write down the names of all those who sincerely submitted, and promised them that they would be temporarily under the command of Chongmingzong and their fate would be discussed after the war.

If anyone hesitates or seems to have ulterior motives, he will not force them. He will only instruct the cultivators to leave a "waiting list" outside their residence, stating that "if no decision is made within three days, they will be considered as accomplices of Yuejian Mountain," and there will be follow-up personnel to deal with them.

After a month or so, having made a considerable profit, he was about to write to his master when he received another letter from Fei Tianqin.

The old bird only had two words written on it: "Return quickly."

(I forgot to wish the gentlemen a happy holiday yesterday! I wonder if anyone else got two days off like Lao Bai.)
Because of the sharp drop in new additions last month, almost halved; but because of the patronage of readers, the number of readers following this book has remained stable at over a thousand, which is no less than some excellent works.

The editor reviewed it and realized it might have been due to intelligent inference. They also felt there was still a chance to salvage the situation and asked Lao Bai to try changing the book title again.

So, I'm trying to make a move. I know many gentlemen care about these fancy tricks, but please bear with me. I also want to stick to my original, straightforward approach to writing, without any unnecessary frills. But after all, I need to make a living. Thank you again.
P.S.: The word count in parentheses is from the post-publication count and is free of charge, so please don't worry.
(End of this chapter)