Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 629 Fifty Years Later
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.

Recently, Qingxia Mountain, located in Linyuan County, Santing Prefecture, Shanbei Road, has been bustling with activity. Even the towns and villages adjacent to Qingxia Mountain have been filled with cultivators from other counties.

The sudden arrival of so many unfamiliar faces meant another large sum of spirit stones would be deposited, which naturally brought smiles to the faces of all the city magistrates. However, this strange scene naturally surprised many people.

The cultivators who make a living here, even those who carry firewood and dung, are not stupid. Their ability to spy and seize opportunities is something they have mastered without any teacher.

So, within just a few days, a piece of news began to circulate in the market:
"As Lian Xuepu, the Peach Burning Envoy of the Hehuan Sect, approaches his 250th birthday, cultivators from all over Santing Prefecture who have even a little bit of knowledge have come to offer their congratulations."

Since the passing of the True Man Yueyin of Mount Wumu, the cultivators of Mount Wumu have all become extremely honest, focusing solely on locking up most of the prefectures and counties under their jurisdiction, exploiting the local areas in peace so they can focus on their cultivation.

In this way, they had already occupied a part of the Hehuan Sect on that immortal mountain in Yuanzhou, and naturally became the dominant force in the northern part of the mountain.

Even the most ignorant cultivators in the market knew that the person who could become the Peach Burning Envoy of the Joyful Union Sect was a great figure, someone even a False Core Master or a Golden Core cultivator would have to show respect to. It was not someone they, as insignificant cultivators, could possibly curry favor with.

However, although this news could only be a topic of conversation for these Qi Refining cultivators who spent their days mingling in the market, it did not dampen their interest in the slightest.

At this moment, the Huiyuan Tea House, the oldest tea house in Linyuan County, was the scene of a lively discussion.

Bogu Ming and Nong Dao Kui, who can wear mid-grade magic robes, are only one step away from the Foundation Establishment realm. They are qualified to drink tea and discuss the Dao with the villagers. They can be considered outstanding figures among the independent cultivators of Lin Yuan.

So as soon as the two entered the teahouse, the ever-so-sensible tea server led them to a quiet tea table on the inner side. Here, there were bamboo curtains and a sound-silencing array; unless someone of high caliber arrived, the tea owner would rather leave the table empty than serve them.

As soon as Bo Guming and Nong Daokui sat down, the tea drinkers around them immediately showed some delight.

They effortlessly put on smiling faces, greeted the visitors, and received their tips before happily leaving their tea seats amidst the envious gazes of the onlookers.

The regret on the faces of the remaining rogue cultivators was genuine; after all, wealthy figures like Bo and Nong rarely had the opportunity to come to this teahouse to chat.

"Lian Xuepu, the Peach-Burning Envoy of the Hehuan Sect? Brother Nong, isn't that... isn't that a meeting?"

"Shut up!! If you want to be beaten to death and thrown out by those motherless patrolmen in the market, you'd better not get too close to me!"

Bo Guming, whose cultivation was slightly less, was reprimanded, but he wasn't angry. Instead, after realizing his mistake, he bowed solemnly to Nong Daokui, and then softened his tone a bit:

"It was my mistake, please forgive me, brother."

“I spoke too harshly earlier, my dear brother, please don’t take offense,” Nong Daokui’s expression softened slightly, then he adopted a cryptic look and read in a low voice:
"Commander Qiu has already gathered several poor family heads from the county and pooled together some funds to go to Qingxia Mountain to celebrate the birthday."

Bogu Ming's tone was somewhat surprised: "That's strange, how could this stingy person be willing to give away such a generous gift?"

"How could we not want to?! Every family in the surrounding area with even a little bit of standing would want to go to Qingxia Mountain to show their face. That Qiu guy climbed up to a Pill Master by selling his body and became his godfather, but not all Pill Masters are the same, look at that."

Nong Daokui stopped mid-sentence. Then, he abruptly slapped Bo Guming beside him and exclaimed, "Brother, look! The important person I told you about is here!!"

"A big shot?" The young Bo Guming looked in the direction Nong Daokui pointed, but the latter had already shot out like a crossbow bolt.

The newcomer was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He wore a moon-white brocade robe with silver thread cloud patterns, and the collar and cuffs were adorned with tiny Buddhist incense beads. The beads jingled softly as he walked, making his figure appear even more upright.

He had a handsome face, slightly raised eyebrows, and a nonchalant air of nobility in the corners of his eyes. In his hand, he toyed with a lustrous white jade ruyi. The handle of the ruyi was engraved with several intertwined peach blossom patterns, clearly indicating that it belonged to a distinguished family.

Two servants in blue robes followed behind, each carrying a gold-lacquered box on either side of a carrying pole. The boxes faintly emitted spiritual energy fluctuations, indicating that there were precious items hidden inside.

The moment this wealthy young man stepped into the teahouse, he didn't utter a single word, yet the once bustling teahouse instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

It's no wonder that the rogue cultivators in the teahouse reacted this way. Even Bo Guming, who was considered a prominent figure here, was surprised when he saw the string of Buddhist incense beads on the newcomer.

"Just one of them would probably be enough to take my life!"

The tea shop owner was right at the door, and he rushed ahead of Nong Daokui to greet him and bow.

The wealthy young man who arrived merely nodded indifferently, his gaze sweeping across the teahouse before finally settling on Nong Daokui. A faint smile played on his lips as he slowly said, "Are you Nong Daokui, Fellow Daoist Nong?!"

"I dare not offend your ears with my humble name, young master. You may simply call me Nong Da." Nong Dao Kui was overjoyed to see that the visitor remembered his name.

He dared not look directly into the wealthy young man's clear eyes, but instead pulled Boguming aside and introduced him in a strained voice:
"This is my sworn brother, Boguming. I was worried that I might not be able to carry out the orders given by the young master properly, so I brought him along. My sworn brother has a wide circle of friends and connections in Linyuan County, so he can always help make things right."

"That's thoughtful," the wealthy young man nodded and smiled, seemingly satisfied.

As soon as he stepped into the teahouse, the two men in blue robes behind him scattered a handful of spirit stones, urging the rogue cultivators inside to leave politely.

No one wants to be interrupted when they're having a great conversation, unless, of course, they've won a spirit stone.

After the profusely grateful rogue cultivators left with a string of flattering words, the green-robed attendant slipped a bag of spirit stones into the tea shop owner's arms.

After the wealthy young master and Nong and Bo took their seats, two more array plates were placed in the teahouse to isolate the inside from the outside.

The tea shop owner, having been kicked out of his shop, dared not show the slightest resentment on his face. Having seen a bit of the world, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

"Even if the county magistrate came here, he probably wouldn't have such an air of grandeur. Just who is this young master? And what merits do Nong Daokui and Bo Guming have to be associated with such a person?"

Not to mention the tea shop owner, who was standing on the sidelines, had no idea who this person was, even Bo Guming, who was facing the wealthy young master, was full of questions.

This young nobleman's spiritual essence is not profound, indicating that he has not been cultivating for long and is still far from establishing a foundation. However, the two green-robed attendants beside him are both true Foundation Establishment cultivators, which further emphasizes his noble status.

This young nobleman clearly had no time to waste with the two Qi Refining cultivators, so he simply said in a low voice:
"Three years ago, my half-brother came to Linyuan. It was only thanks to Nong Daoyou's help that he was able to complete his mission without being punished by his family."

My Fei Yue family is not an ignorant family, but there are still some rare treasures missing from the gift list. It is difficult to procure them all at once. The elders in the family have decided to take a break first and purchase them from nearby.

Since you brothers are respected local figures, you could certainly see what items are available that could help alleviate my family's immediate crisis.

"Thank you, sir!"

Upon hearing this compliment, Nong Daokui quickly pulled Bo Guming aside and bowed respectfully.

He was very careful in his actions, and when he bowed, he was so short that he almost bent over.

Afterwards, she held the silk scroll in the young master's hand high above her head with both hands, took several steps back, and then dared to look at it with a fawning smile, hunching over and pulling Bogu Ming along.

Although these two had low cultivation levels, they were still considered local strongmen in Linyuan County. After glancing through the gift list, Nong Daokui whispered something to Bo Guming, and then had a general idea of ​​what was going on. He then replied in a low voice:

"Reporting to the young master, apart from the two spiritual materials, orchid leaf bamboo and epimedium, which we two have no way of obtaining, we can gather all the other items."

“Oh, my dear brothers, you must not speak falsehoods. It is of great importance. If things go wrong, even I cannot bear the consequences.”

"Such an important matter, we dare not utter a single word of boasting. If anything goes wrong, Young Master Ren may take your head."

When Nong Dao Kui swore an oath, he changed his cautious demeanor and adopted a resolute tone.

"Very well then, let's wait for good news." The young nobleman chuckled and offered no further words of comfort or encouragement. He simply exchanged a glance with the two servants in blue robes beside him, and they immediately dispelled the magic array and returned the teahouse to its original state.

Bo Guming, who was completely unprepared for his life being taken by his own Daoist brother, looked utterly innocent. However, despite his resentment, he had been friends with Nong Daokui for many years, and he couldn't very well resort to violence right then and there. So, he could only ask in a muffled voice:
"Who exactly is this member of the Dan family from Feiyue?!"

Nong Daokui could hear the dissatisfaction in his sworn brother's words, but he just chuckled and said, "This is the only legitimate son of Shan Shijie, the head of the Shan family, and the one who will inherit the family in the future."

"The son of a fake elixir?" Boguming suddenly realized and exclaimed in surprise.

"That's no ordinary son of a false elixir cultivator, but the legitimate son of a false elixir cultivator!" Seeing his sworn brother's expression change drastically, Nong Dao Kui emphasized again, then couldn't help but feel a little smug:

"His birth mother is even more extraordinary. She is a daughter of the Zhang family of Chongming, a descendant of the founding patriarch of the Chongming Sect, a junior taught by the concubine of the Grand Master Kang, and the direct disciple of the late Elder Zhou!"

"Is his background really that powerful?" Upon hearing this, Boguming no longer cared about his own life and was so shocked that he could hardly speak.

“Of course,” Nong Dao Kui said, as the tea shop owner and his group hesitated to enter, he dared to elaborate further:
"If it weren't for this relationship, why would the head of the Shan family go to great lengths to seek medicine and ensure his wife could give birth to a legitimate son after she was over a hundred years old? Do you think his wife isn't afraid of being laughed at by outsiders for being pregnant with a child at an old age?!"

Without this connection, how could the Fei Yue Shan family have obtained the necessary supplies for fake pills from the Chongming Sect? And how could they have secured a small share in the Chongming merchant caravan, this treasure trove?!

Nong Daokui's words stunned Bo Guming, leaving the latter speechless for a long time.

This was because Bo Guming, a rogue cultivator, had some knowledge and knew that Chongming Sect had become far more powerful than ordinary Golden Core sects in recent years.

His family's head of the clan was personally granted a noble title by the Emperor Wei, and he was also the eldest son-in-law of the Fei family and a favorite of the Duke.

Despite the fact that Mingzong himself only has three Golden Core cultivators, he has genuinely pacified Huangpi, intervened in Shannan, and looked towards Guxuan.
Even if you were to count all the high-ranking officials in the Duke of Qin's mansion, you would probably find few who wield more power than this man.

Therefore, apart from the fact that Shanbei Road is the territory of the Hehuan Sect, the Chongming Merchant Caravan, which Nong Daokui just mentioned, also gained many advantages in the other three roads under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Qin's Mansion. How could they not make a fortune?!

With the Fei Yue family receiving such support, it would be a pleasant surprise that Nong and Bo could be somewhat associated with their eldest son.

After thinking it over for a long time, Bo Guming finally uttered half a sentence under Nong Daokui's teasing gaze:

"This Master Shan certainly has a good appetite." "Go away, go away! Doing this job well can lead to great success, but doing it poorly can cost you your head!"

Nong Daokui laughed and cursed, ignoring his sworn brother's absurd words, and immediately pulled Bo Guming to get started.

In the following days, the two men pawned their possessions and borrowed from all their relatives and friends, and then closed their doors to visitors, finally managing to gather the items promised on the previous gift list.

Then, on the appointed day, they lit incense and sent talismans to persuade the Shan family to come over.

This time, they couldn't bear to see the eldest son of the Shan family. Nong and Bo only presented the precious item to one of the servants in blue robes they had met before. Only then did the servant nod and say, "Not bad."

Upon hearing these words, Nong and Bo were overjoyed, expressing their deepest gratitude, and the burden on their hearts was suddenly lifted.

The attendant made no other gesture, only handing Nong Daokui a talisman: "Just come here and wait tomorrow."

Nong and Bo spent the night in fear and trepidation. The next morning, they met the procession from the Shan family of Fei Yue who had come to offer their birthday greetings at the agreed-upon location.

The entire Shan family of Fei Yue clearly took this birthday celebration very seriously. The wealthy young master they saw stood honestly behind the group of fake cultivators and real cultivators from the Shan family, showing no trace of his纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled, dissolute) nature.

Those who accompanied the Shan family to offer birthday greetings were not limited to Nong and Bo; most of them were prominent figures from the surrounding counties. The one with the lowest cultivation level, besides them, was a newly promoted True Cultivator whom the two knew.

The surrounding spiritual atmosphere was so strong that it seemed as if Nong and Bo had been soaking in a spiritual spring. They appeared out of place as two Qi Refining cultivators, which made people mistakenly think that they had a great background.

Seeing the endless convoy laden with precious items, the two realized that the small gift they had put together for the Shan family was truly a drop in the ocean.

That young master Shan really took the time to repay the small favor that Nong Dao Kui had inadvertently accumulated.

The cloud path at the foot of Qingxia Mountain was already completely blocked by the birthday celebration procession. This cloud path was originally set up by Elder Wei Gu of the Chongming Sect's Array Hall.

Normally, if guests come to visit, the space is wide enough to accommodate ten second-class flying boats side by side, with enough space between the boats for people to pass through. But now, it is difficult to even find a place to put your feet.

The spiritual light on the lampposts on both sides of the cloud path, which was originally used to guide the way, was now dimmed and flickering due to the crowds that had squeezed through. Even the wind seemed to be squeezed so that it could only swirl close to the ground.

Because of the legendary story of a certain sect leader, Nong Daokui had spent a lot of money in his early years to master the Eye Technique, which now came in handy.

He could see clearly that the first one was a three-tiered flying boat from Hongyun Mountain in Huangpi.

The spirit boat gleamed with a warm red glow in the sunlight, and thirty-six incense lamps hung on both sides of the hull. Each lamp held a soul-gathering incense stick, and the fragrance wafted far and wide, overpowering the incense of other groups around it.

The scarlet brocade banner hanging at the bow of the boat, which read "Congratulations on the Thousand Autumns of the Burning Peach Blossoms," was woven from the tail feathers of the demon beast "Fire Phoenix." When the wind blew, it spread out to a width of more than ten feet, even obscuring most of the flying boats of the houses behind it.

The disciples of Hongyun Mountain deliberately stood at the bow of the boat, took pills, concentrated their spiritual power in their throats, and shouted: "Hongyun Mountain congratulates Envoy Fentao on his birthday, wishing him good health and a long and prosperous immortal journey!"

The voice, imbued with spiritual power, drowned out all the surrounding noise, clearly aiming to steal the spotlight.

With Hongyun Mountain being so flamboyant, how could the other sects in the same industry, Huangpi Dao Jindan, possibly fall behind?
Next to the Red Cloud Mountain flying boat was the Azure Wave Sect. Although they did not have a third-tier flying boat, their disciples controlled twenty or thirty green lotus leaves. On each lotus leaf sat a Foundation Establishment cultivator, holding a jade box containing congratulatory gifts.

The jade box lid wasn't fully closed, revealing the shimmering white luster of "Azure Dew" inside. As the lotus leaves took flight, spiritual energy stirred the clouds, creating a small water curtain in mid-air. The words "Happy Birthday" were reflected on the water curtain, attracting the attention of the cultivators nearby.

The sect leader of Biyue Sect stood on the lotus leaf at the front, his eyes sweeping over the flying boat of Hongyun Mountain, and then he gave his disciple a wink.

Immediately, two disciples activated their spiritual power, causing the lotus leaf cluster to move forward half a foot, just touching the stern of the Red Cloud Mountain flying boat. Although it was only half a foot, it showed their unwillingness to admit defeat.

There were more than just these two Golden Elixir sects in the arena; twelve Golden Elixir sects and seventy-six fake Golden Elixir sects from Huangpi Dao had all come.

Besides these guests who had traveled a long way from Huangpi, behind them were the clans and families from the surrounding Linyuan County, as well as the officials of the prefecture and county, all crammed together.

Flying boats and beast-drawn carriages, laden with rare treasures, rushed towards the mountain peak. The mountain path was packed with people, and even the wind was filled with the festive atmosphere of birthday celebrations, making the mountain road completely impassable.

It was truly a scene of neighing men and howling horses, utter chaos.

These highly skilled cultivators, rarely seen in ordinary times, were now hardly showing any dignity, practically wearing the words "a battle of egos" on their faces.

Nong Daokui was astonished. He had been cultivating for decades and had seen a lot of the world, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a scene of gift-giving, which turned into a chaotic mess of eight immortals crossing the sea and a hundred boats racing.
Bo Guming exclaimed in astonishment, "Is this Peach Burning Envoy on the mountain really just a fake Pill Master?! Even when the leader of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect of the Northern Mountain Road was celebrating his birthday, he didn't have such a grand presence!"

Fortunately, because of their connection to the Chongming Sect, the Feiyue family didn't have to give way to others as often as those from smaller, less affluent families when traveling. Even so, by the time Nong and Bo landed outside the archway carrying the precious treasures, they were already drenched in sweat and looked quite disheveled.

Fortunately, once we arrived here, a host provided us with food, water, and shelter to rest in.

At this time, if the families coming to offer congratulations had invitations in hand, the guest master of Qingxia Mountain could distinguish between different ranks and make arrangements accordingly. However, even within the Jia Dan clan, only some important figures were allowed to come up the mountain in person to offer their congratulations to Lian Xuepu.

It is obvious that even if Bo and Nong had sold off all their possessions from the first half of their lives, they still wouldn't be able to create a key figure.

The two of them simply asked a yellow sparrow for a large red congratulatory card under a newly planted pine tree.

After much deliberation, they carefully and meticulously wrote down their birthday wishes. Finally, they carefully and respectfully added their names.

After doing all this, the two of them were led by the host and the other guests to a small grotto.

This grotto-heaven seemed to possess no extraordinary features, and all its treasures had been looted. However, its abundant spiritual energy made it suitable for entertaining guests.

Bo and Nong politely chose a place to sit down. As soon as the table was full, a monk who liked to play drinking games came out to speak.

These kinds of people are adept at social maneuvering; without even realizing it, they've already figured out who at the table is the leader of a minor Foundation Establishment sect, who's an illegitimate child from a respectable family, and who's the mistress of the fake Core Formation Master.
Even though Nong Daokui and Bo Guming came here with the intention of making friends, they never expected that they would be surrounded by such important people.

The two men explained their origins, but no one believed them. However, after being questioned repeatedly, neither of them changed their story, which made even these seemingly important figures seem unfathomable.

Therefore, during the exchange of toasts, they not only showed no disdain but also held the two in high regard.

In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two of them received more foundation-building teachings and learned more about the secrets of the surroundings than they had in the past half of their lives. After returning, their cultivation will likely improve even more.

Just as they were secretly praising how worthwhile it was, the host came to offer another toast.

After downing a large bowl of fine wine, the two were completely intoxicated. As they sat down, they noticed another gift bag placed beside them.

The magical artifacts and elixirs inside might have been something the people at the table would have just laughed off, but for Bo and Nong, they were priceless. They were so valuable that they could buy back the life they had sold.

At this moment, the two of them saw Qiu Shiwei, who was once unapproachable, being led by an old man in a tall hat, toasting everyone one by one.

That's perfectly normal, after all, smart people wouldn't miss such a great opportunity to get to know someone of the same level.

When the City Commandant approached Bo and Nong's table, he toasted them one by one. When it was their turn, they seemed quite familiar. Nong Daokui, however, mustered his courage and stepped forward. He was quite fond of gambling and said respectfully:
"Does the City Commandant still remember that empty shop in the center of the market? I, Nong, once..."

Just as Nong Daokui and his companion accomplished a great feat that would bring blessings to their descendants with minimal effort, the real excitement of the birthday banquet was about to begin.

————Qingxia Mountain Peak

"The abbot of Hongyun Mountain, Ban Zhang, brings gifts to congratulate us, presenting a pair of warm jade dragons and phoenixes, and a ten-foot-long root of Qiyun (a type of medicinal herb), wishing Lord Lian's peaches to ripen for a thousand years and his immortal bones to enjoy eternal spring."

"The Absolute Master of the Azure Water Sect, Ling Cangming, has come to offer his congratulations, presenting one hundred bushels of Azure Water Dew and three feet of Mysterious Ice Jade Marrow, wishing Lian Gongdao good health and a smooth path to immortality."

"Prefect Quan of Santing Prefecture brings gifts to offer congratulations, presenting a set of red gold wine vessels and a pair of rhinoceros horns, wishing Lord Lian a long and prosperous life, and endless blessings."

"Yang Wuwei, the patriarch of the Yang family of Yezhou, has come with gifts to offer his congratulations."

"The General Manager of Shannan Circuit, Lord Kuai, has dispatched an envoy with gifts to offer congratulations."

"The Fei family of Yingzhou."

The cultivators who were calling out the names didn't stop for even a moment, taking almost a quarter of an hour to finish calling out the names of these impatient guests. As for the remaining pseudo-Dan masters who came to offer their birthday wishes, since it was already time for the banquet to begin, all they could do was apologize for the inadequate service.

Lian Xuepu watched this scene with great satisfaction and then bowed to each of the guests who came to offer their congratulations.

He knew that his current prestige was due to the support of the Chongming Sect cultivators behind him. If he were merely a subordinate of a Nascent Soul cultivator, he could not possibly have earned this much prestige.

"These people are quite sensible. The sect has repeatedly warned them beforehand that if they don't come this time, they'll be in for trouble later." Yuan Jin said cheerfully to Jiang Qing, who sighed, "Senior Brother has been in seclusion for nearly half a century. I wonder if his cultivation has improved?"

Just as the two were discussing this, Sect Leader Kang, who had just broken through to the late stage of the Golden Core realm, also arrived.

But this imposing man, without waiting for anyone to announce his name, stepped onto the jade steps and loudly proclaimed: "Kang Dabao, the head of Chongming Sect, comes to pay his respects. I congratulate Uncle Lian on his enlightenment and ascension to the realm of wonders, and on his increased age and blessings as he joins the ranks of immortals."

The resounding bow echoed into the hall, and all the guests fell silent for a moment.

Although Kang Dabao has rarely appeared in recent years, Jiang Qing's flying sword alone is enough to suppress many Golden Core cultivators in the vicinity of Xianzhou, leaving them speechless.

The former, after nearly half a century, was born on Qingxia Mountain, a place where wise men gather, but it is unknown whether some storms will be stirred up again.

(End of this chapter)