Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 634 Wan Qing Asks for a Treasure, Ye Linglu Feeds the Turtle and Considers the Pros and Cons

"Ga Da?" Kang Dabao asked with some doubt, because this Buddhist monk from Benying Temple had been living a secluded life and rarely appeared in public in recent years.

Many matters outside were handled by the concubine Mingfei and the eunuch who were always by his side.

If Fei Wanqing hadn't mentioned it to his face, Master Kang might have forgotten that such a person was staying at the Duke of Qin's mansion.

"I wouldn't dare say we're acquainted, but we do have some connection. To be honest, my family still owes him a favor. May I ask, sister-in-law, what important matter brings you to this Buddhist monk?"

Upon hearing this, Fei Wanqing showed no sign of disappointment, but instead softly said:
"Ancestor Ye Tai heard that whenever the Ice Jade Lotus is formed on the Great Snow Mountain, Mani Jewel Leaves also sprout around this spiritual object. It seems that over the years, the eminent monks of Benying Temple must have some hidden away."

These Mani Leaves are precious items needed by cultivators for calming their minds and cultivating their character; they are extremely rare to find outside, even in the Wanbao Trading Company. Therefore, Ancestor Ye Sui thought of asking his brother-in-law to inquire with Ga Da to see if they could exchange for a few.

"Cultivate tranquility and self-discipline?" Kang Dabao pondered Fei Wanqing's words for a while, and doubts gradually arose in his mind.

As for the Ice Jade Lotus, his Grand Master Kang had heard of it like thunder.

Given the current vision of Sect Leader Kang, he has handled at least eighty to a hundred kinds of high-grade spiritual plants. Ordinary treasures are naturally no longer worthy of his attention.

Yet the name of the Ice Jade Lotus remained as resounding in his mind as ever.

It was already widely accepted that this lotus was the most precious treasure of Benying Temple, the ancestral temple of the Esoteric Buddhism of the Immortal Dynasty, and was no ordinary lotus. This Ice Jade Lotus was rooted in the Ice Marrow Valley outside Benying Temple, and was born from the Six Desires Precious Spring.

The spring is surrounded by a Nine-Turn Buddhist Chanting Array, with three Golden Elixir Masters taking turns chanting mantras to protect the array's core. Even the Zen Masters outside the abbot's quarters need to present their seals before they can get close enough to see it.

The reason it is so crucial is that the Ice Jade Lotus is the primary ingredient in one of the six major refining methods of the Nascent Soul Pill.

Legend has it that this spiritual root needs to be watered with morning dew mixed with the Great Compassion Mantra, and it takes a hundred years to conceive a green bud, and another thousand years to bloom.

When it blooms, the petals are like ice and jade, shimmering with a pale blue light. A warm jade-like stamen is embedded in the center of the petal. If it is separated from the Six Desires Spring for even a moment, most of its spiritual energy will dissipate.

If the picking time is slightly off, even the petals will turn into ice shards, leaving no trace of their spiritual essence.

According to rumors, Benying Temple even commissioned a fourth-tier spiritual treasure specifically for harvesting this spiritual root. Furthermore, every time the Ice Jade Lotus ripens, a Zen master is specially invited to oversee the procession, making it truly exceptionally precious!
Therefore, although its name is widely known, even most Nascent Soul cultivators have never seen the actual object. According to Master Kang's own assessment, apart from Benying Temple, perhaps only Xuanqiong Palace or Taiyi Temple could still preserve a few of these spiritual objects.

As for the Fei family truly seeking the Mani Treasure Leaf, it pales in comparison to the renowned Ice Jade Lotus.

Based on his current knowledge, Kang Dabao had never heard Fei Wanqing mention what the Mani Leaf was.

Moreover, even the Grand Master Kang didn't realize that Fei Yeyi, who had already failed to form his Nascent Soul and had only a few years left to live, still had the leisure to cultivate his character.

In other words, if this Mani Jewel Leaf is indeed what Fei Yeqing sought, then the reason behind it is definitely not as simple as Fei Wanqing said; there must be a hidden story.

Furthermore, Fei Donggu and Fei Dongwen, two long-time elders of the Fei family in Yingzhou, were assisting Fei Nanying in Fengming Prefecture. Even among the upper echelons of the entire Dawei Immortal Dynasty, they were considered outstanding figures.

With the Fei family of Yingzhou as a backing, wouldn't it be more useful to ask for that Mani precious leaf than my meager relationship with Ga Da?

"This old ancestor Ye Tai specifically asked Fei Wanqing to do something far-fetched, probably because he didn't want anyone with ulterior motives to know that he was asking for the Mani precious leaf."
Are you thinking that having an extra layer of separation through me will reduce the risk? If so, doesn't that make the matter seem even more serious?

However, considering that he was not very familiar with his sister-in-law, and that this matter was related to a major event in the Fei family of Yingzhou, it was understandable that she was unwilling to tell him everything.

In other words, given Fei Wanqing's newly promoted status as a senior cultivator, it's not necessarily true that she intentionally deceived Kang Dabao. After all, even she herself might not know the inside story of the instructions given by the two elders of the Fei family.

Therefore, Headmaster Kang did not ask Fei Wanqing and the Fei family any further questions about the purpose of the Mani Treasure Leaf. He simply nodded in agreement: "Since it is the two patriarchs who have personally instructed me, I will go to Fengming Prefecture again after some time to meet with Ga Da and inquire."

"Thank you very much, brother-in-law."

"Don't be so formal. This is all our own business, why bother with thanks?"

After a few polite exchanges, the two fell silent. Fei Wanqing took her leave to speak with Fei Shuhe, while Headmaster Kang took a piece of silk and wrote on it:
"It has been a long time since I last met you, and I often think of you. I plan to visit you soon, but I fear it might disturb your worldly affairs or your spiritual practice. I wonder if this time is appropriate? I would appreciate your kind words."

He paused abruptly at this point.

The Buddhist disciple of Benying Temple has been staying in the Duke of Qin's mansion for nearly sixty years. Apart from the Southwest Campaign, he has hardly made any moves. This matter seems strange without much thought.

Moreover, with the brilliant teachings of Zen Master Huiming preceding them, Master Kang was truly unsure whether these Buddhist monks were secretly up to something.

Having read this far, he put away the spiritual silk on the table, and used his rough hands to calculate all the matters at hand, big and small. After confirming that nothing had been missed, he called Duan Anle over to give him some instructions, and then set off alone for Fengming Prefecture.

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.

After bidding farewell to Headmaster Kang, Fei Wanqing returned to Fei Shuhe's Qinghan Courtyard with her own thoughts on her mind.

At this moment, apart from some old women and maids, all four sons, one daughter, one wife, and two concubines of Master Kang, who were all capable of cultivation, were present in the courtyard.

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Kang family, Fei, the legitimate daughter-in-law, Han, the third daughter-in-law, Gou, the fourth daughter-in-law, Nie, and a dozen or so grandsons and granddaughters who had already entered the Daoist path, also came with the adults to pay their respects to their grandmother.

Among them, the eldest daughter-in-law, Lady Fei, had been married into the family the longest. She was originally from a distant branch of the Fei family, but for some unknown reason, her branch was taken back by a direct lineage of the Fei family in Yingzhou.

Moreover, she has already established her foundation, having consumed little more than a few Foundation Establishment Pills. In terms of aptitude, she is far superior to her aunt and mother-in-law, Fei Shuhe.

Perhaps because of her humble origins, she was not arrogant at all. Over the years, she served her parents-in-law and managed the family business with great competence, which naturally made Fei Shuhe love her.

As for the eldest daughter-in-law, Han, she was the daughter of Yu Kun Han, whom Fei Shuhe had longed for for over a hundred years.

Forty years ago, during the suppression of the rebellion in Lianghedao, Kang Changxi finally joined forces with Qi Tuoyuan to kill the fake Dan and bring it into the camp. Not only did Shu Zhengde, the Imperial Guard General, issue an award, but his marriage to Yu Kun Han family back then also made progress. Because of Kang Changxi's great fame after the Southwest Campaign, Han Ningyue was much more attentive to him at that time than before.

Han Ningyue is, after all, a descendant of the true lineage and the future matriarch of a powerful family. Moreover, Kang Changxi is already considered exceptionally talented and is the son of the influential Chongming Sect leader.

After much deliberation, the elders of the Han family, including Yu Kun, did not make things difficult for him and selected a legitimate daughter from their household.

Kang Dabao had never imagined that he could actually get involved with a prestigious family like the Han family, but after his wife's long-cherished wish was fulfilled, he felt not much joy, but rather some unease.

Despite his unease, he still held a grand wedding banquet for his eldest son at Yangmingshan.

The Han family of Yu Kun is a prestigious family with considerable influence. Although it was just a marriage between children in Huangpi Road, more than ten Nascent Soul sects sent envoys to offer their congratulations.

Xu Lingzhi, the eldest son of the Xu family in Dai County who was still serving in the Qin State Duke's Mansion, and the advisor and military advisor; Gui Baifu, the eldest son of the Gui family in Liaoyuan and the guard of the imperial guard; and Daozi of the Burial Spring Tomb and Sha Shan, the registrar and military advisor, all personally brought gifts to congratulate him and showed him great respect.

At the banquet, even a celestial being who had attained immortality remarked that this marriage was the most magnificent event Huangpi Dao had witnessed in over a thousand years. The next time such an event was to be held might be another thousand years later.

However, it is true that the Han family of Yukun married off their eldest daughter to the Chongming Sect, but that does not mean that Kang Changxi had any influence in his wife's family.

It was only after he achieved the Golden Core in recent years that several branches of the Han family started visiting him.

Compared to the eldest and legitimate daughters-in-law, the third and fourth daughters-in-law of the Kang family, surnamed Gou and Nie, came from two small families in Shannan Dao. The Nie family still had a Pill Master in charge, while the Gou family only had a True Cultivator as their head.

The reason these two women were able to enter the Kang family with such talent is because both of them are quite gifted. Among them, Gou Shi is even a rare single spiritual root, and her cultivation level is now no less than that of Kang Lingyi, who has received instruction from a famous teacher.

This was because, according to Fei Shuhe's original plan, her third and fourth sons were unlikely to achieve much in their spiritual practice, so it would be better for them to get married early and add some new blood to the Chongming Zongkang family.

If they bring back some girls from lesser-known families with excellent qualities, perhaps they can give birth to a son who will belong to the Kang family sooner.

However, Fei Shuhe had never imagined that Fei Wanqing would put so much effort into teaching her illegitimate children when she was in Yingzhou. Otherwise, even if Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao had undergone a transformation on the battlefield, they would not have achieved their current level of skill.

Therefore, as soon as Fei Shuhe saw her younger sister step into the courtyard, she immediately sent two well-behaved granddaughters to greet her.

"Sister, please sit down," Fei Shuhe said, quickly rising to sit beside Fei Wanqing. She tapped her slender fingers lightly on the jade table.
"Have you discussed the important matters with your husband one by one?"

"Sister, that's a good question. If it weren't for that, how would I have time to come and visit you?" Fei Wanqing covered her mouth and chuckled as she answered.

Even though she has now become a high-level cultivator, she still seems unable to hide her girlishness. With just a smile and a frown, she seems to add a touch of warmth to the entire mansion.

“Sister, I know you are devoted to the clan affairs,” Fei Shuhe glanced at her with her beautiful eyes, then said softly with a half-smile, “My husband has prepared a small gift for me. Please accept it, so that my husband and I can express our gratitude.”

As soon as the beautiful woman finished speaking, Kang Lingyi and her two siblings each presented a gift box to Fei Wanqing. The latter's face showed some embarrassment, and she said directly:
“Sister, what are you doing? Even Wanqing’s theory on alchemy was generously bestowed upon her by my brother-in-law back then. Your daughter has already become my disciple. Teaching her is merely my duty, and I can’t repay even a fraction of my brother-in-law’s great kindness. Why are you being so distant with me, sister?!”

Fei Wanqing tried to decline, but Fei Shuhe refused. However, the two sisters didn't keep making a fool of themselves in front of the younger generation. After a while of pushing and shoving, they found a quiet room where they could talk freely.

As soon as their mother and aunt left, Kang Changzhao and Kang Changyan went to talk to their two elder brothers.

The eldest brother, Kang Changyi, was highly qualified and resembled his mother in appearance, possessing a refined and scholarly air.

The "Nine Tribulations of Wind and Flame Technique" he practiced was also unique among the cosmic-level cultivation techniques. Although he had no maternal clan to help him, he had the dedicated teaching of his Golden Core master, Chu Yanran, and was thus considered a prominent figure in the Huangpi Dao.

The second elder brother, Kang Changxi, was quite different. Although Fei Shuhe had strictly disciplined him since childhood, he was much more unruly than Kang Changyi. In addition to his rough and unrestrained nature, Kang Changxi seemed to have inherited a certain ailment of the eldest sect leader, Kang.

Even after Han Shi married into the family, Kang Changxi still considered taking a concubine. However, after being reprimanded by Fei Shuhe, he gave up the idea.

Kang Changxi received a mid-grade Golden Core pill from the Grand Master Kang, and this proved that the existence of Golden Core pills in his family was already an open secret, and he had never intended to hide it.

One's birth and family background are like one's natural talents and innate qualities, which are things one is born with. No spiritual practitioner would be unaware of how to make good use of them, let alone wrong themselves.

As for matters like "being concerned about scarcity rather than inequality," those are things that Mr. and Mrs. Kang should worry about.

Whether his elder brother Kang Changyi's attitude has changed is not important; what matters is that Kang Changxi knows he should continue to respect his elder brother.

Although the four brothers had been together for a day or two, the relationship between Kang Changyi and Kang Changxi had recently become somewhat delicate. However, after the two elders left, the four brothers still had endless things to talk about.

Kang Changzhao looked at Xiao Qi sitting under Kang Changxi and sighed with emotion: "I haven't seen Brother Qi for a long time. I didn't expect him to be so well-fed that I almost didn't recognize him."

Kang Changyan, standing to the side, observed more closely than the other. After scrutinizing Xiao Qi for a long time, he asked softly, "Second brother, how did Brother Qi's cultivation level increase so quickly?"

Kang Changxi shook his head upon hearing this, unable to speak clearly, only saying, "I asked my father before, but he couldn't explain it either. However, our Chongming Sect's old donkey also didn't inherit the bloodline, yet it has made great progress, which is also strange."

As soon as Kang Changyi entered the courtyard, he saw that the Qi Tuo Turtle that Kang Changxi had been given was already a second-tier top-grade spirit beast, and its foundation was quite solid. It was not long before it could be promoted to a third-tier spirit beast to protect the sect, which was quite rare.

Kang Changxi nodded in agreement with this explanation. There are not many principles to be discussed in the cultivation world. It is good that the Qi Tuo Tuo can make progress. There is no need to delve too deeply into it.

The four were discussing the old turtle, but the latter would occasionally utter a few simple syllables, clearly replying in a low voice. This was a sign of spiritual awakening, and it seemed that once Xiao Qi truly awakened his spirituality, his advancement would not be far off.

Another half hour passed before Fei Shuhe's personal maid came to tell the four sons to return home, and the gathering finally ended.

After returning to his quiet room, Kang Changxi took out another bowl of spiritual dew and slowly fed it to Xiao Qi. Seeing that large amounts of impurities had seeped out from the spirit beast's body, he sighed inwardly:

"Old man, where did you get this spiritual dew? I've never heard of it before. If this old man drinks all three bowls of it that the old man gave me, I wonder how much his bloodline power will increase."
However, there are advantages and disadvantages to this; when it comes to advancing in the future, it will require much more effort.

(End of this chapter)