Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 636 Discussion of the Dao, Feast, Demonic Fiends, Temple Visit, Old Woman, and Relatives

According to what Nagada said, although this Mani Jewel Leaf was not well-known outside, it was related to his spiritual practice and cultivation as a Buddhist disciple of Benying Temple, so it was definitely a crucial item.

But Ga Da actually said that as long as he captured a third-tier demon beast alive, he would give it away generously.
This is something worth considering. Sect Leader Kang certainly doesn't think his good deeds are that valuable. This also implies that capturing the Mysterious Mist Hidden Scale Beast might not be as easy as Ga Da claims.

However, since I need someone's help, I have to try my best, no matter how difficult it may be.

Afterwards, Kang Dabao bid farewell to Ga Da and ignored the fragrant breeze of Mingfei that was close to him before leaving the White Pagoda Temple under the guidance of the mountain slave.

When Master Kang left the temple, the Xianzong Buddhist temple across the street was still thriving. Even though Kang Dabao was outside, he could almost feel the fiery red glow in the incense-burning courtyard of the temple.

However, he had important business to attend to at the moment, so he did not linger and went alone to the Fei family mansion.

Fei Wanqing was not the only senior cultivator from the Fei family who came from the capital region. Apart from the two ancestors Fei Yeyi and Fei Tianqin, about half of the nineteen senior cultivators from the Fei family in Yingzhou were now gathered in Fengming Prefecture, including even the two senior elders Fei Dongwen and Fei Donggu.

Even the most dim-witted person, upon seeing this scene, would understand its profound meaning.

The Great Wei Dynasty has never had an invincible sect or family. In recent years, even the Nascent Soul sects have been in danger of collapse, let alone the Fei family of Yingzhou, the so-called number one family in the world.

Just like the two veiled maids at the White Pagoda Temple, the Fei family also sent clan elders to wait outside the Fei family residence early on.

This Elder Zong is Fei Nanxi from the Qiongshui Hall. Because Third Master Jiang received a lot of care from this elder when he was refining the Azure Spirit Root in the Fei family's Yingzhou clan territory, Jiang Qing always mentioned this elder. Therefore, Headmaster Kang also had some impression of him.

Kang Dabao rarely took his status and rank seriously. Even when meeting an elder from the Fei family whose cultivation was far inferior to his own, he did not act arrogantly and immediately bowed and paid his respects.

The Marquis of Wuning in front of her was not the son-in-law of the Shuishui Hall, and she had no favor to offer him. Fei Nanxi, with her early Golden Core cultivation, dared not accept the title without a second thought. After saying a few words of humility, she returned the courtesy to Headmaster Kang.

Apart from this elder of the Fei family, Fei Nanfeng, who had already achieved the false elixir, and Fei Enhua, who had become increasingly composed, came to greet them.

The former is Fei Shuhe's uncle, and the latter is Bingye Daoji, who has already obtained a Core Formation spiritual object. Logically, they should be the next Fei family member to obtain the Golden Core. They also have some connections with Kang Dabao, so it is appropriate for them to be the greeters.

After exchanging pleasantries, Fernandes invited Kang Dabao to ride together in a jade palanquin to the Qingcheng Hall of the Fern family.

Upon arriving at the Fei family's meeting place in the northern part of Yingzhou, Sect Leader Kang saw Fei Nanying seated at the head of the table. Seeing his mentor again, he realized that Fei Nanying had, without him noticing, advanced to the late Golden Core stage.

However, upon further reflection, it wasn't too strange, since even the storytellers in the teahouses of Shannan Road knew about Fei Ye-ling Yuan Shou's limited information.

Regardless of whether the Fei family's treasures were already abundant, enabling Fei Nanying, a mid-grade Golden Core cultivator, to advance so rapidly, or whether the Fei family elders truly forced him to grow faster, it is all within reason.

Although Sect Leader Kang was not surprised, Fei Nanying's eyes showed surprise when he saw Kang Dabao again.

This surprise was not due to the latter's late-stage Golden Core cultivation.

After Kang Dabao celebrated Lian Xuepu's birthday at Qingxia Mountain, news of his improved cultivation had already spread throughout the surrounding area. At only two hundred years old, he was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, and even if you counted from the capital region to the outer sea Shattered Star Island region, you would probably find very few like him.

Fei Nanying knew that his advancement was due to the support of his clan and even the backing of his wife's family. But for Kang Dabao, with his humble background, to have such good fortune was truly astonishing.

And if it were just a matter of faster progress, that would be fine. But in Fei Nanying's eyes, the purity of the spiritual power of the Great Master Kang was extremely solid, even somewhat frightening.

However, this did not contradict the previous consensus among the Fei family members that Kang Dabao had used potent drugs and become mentally deranged.

However, when Fei Nanying put his worries aside, he was filled with mixed feelings, because the aura emanating from the current Sect Leader Kang felt somewhat familiar to him.

Fei Nanying came from a noble family and married a noblewoman from the Han family, inheriting the Fei family lineage. Since he began his cultivation, he had seen many superior cultivators.

There are countless people among them with profound cultivation, but the sheer amount of spiritual power emanating from Kang Dabao today involuntarily reminds him of a revered being:

"This child vaguely reminds me of the Old Ancestor Tianqin."

Even among the upper echelons of the Fei family, few possess such insight. Apart from Fei Nanying, only the two elders, Fei Donggu and Fei Dongwen, exchanged a tacit glance, but neither of them rushed to speak.

After receiving a deep bow from Headmaster Kang, Fei Nanying, with mixed feelings, finally spoke: "Why did you go to the White Pagoda Temple first after entering the city? Is there something important you want to discuss with Ga Da?"

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao was startled: "Is the Mani Jewel Leaf really that important? Could it be that the two patriarchs haven't even told me, their uncle?"

He didn't know whether Fei Nanying was pretending to be ignorant to deliberately mislead others, or whether he truly didn't know that Fei Yeyi had conveyed the message to him through Fei Wanqing.

Unfortunately, it was precisely the time when all the cultivators of the Fei family had gathered in the local area, so Kang Dabao had no choice but to bring up the words he had spoken to Ga Da at the White Pagoda Temple.

"All that trouble, and the debt owed to the Buddhist disciple, was for the sake of a Foundation Establishment junior brother who's over two hundred years old, to make a plan."

The thought flashed through the minds of all the Fei family elders in Qingcheng Hall, but their expressions varied.

At this moment, Fei Nanying also took another look at Headmaster Kang. He recalled the judgment he had made about Kang being "unfit for great use" when Kang had stood up Elder Ye's summons to save the sect. He couldn't help but feel a little sad.

This was because at this moment, even though he, the designated successor of the Fei family, now held a more prestigious position and had a higher level of cultivation, he was still extremely grateful that his son-in-law was a man of deep feelings and true character.

After Fei Nanying finished speaking, it was then that Headmaster Kang and the other Fei family elders greeted him.

More than a hundred years have passed, and Kang Dabao is no longer the nameless nobody who was neglected and left without a seat by Granny Fei. Every Golden Core cultivator in this hall has a illustrious reputation, but none of them dare to presume upon their abilities before the Great Master Kang.

Even Fei Donggu and Fei Dongwen returned the greetings formally, without any perfunctory attitude.

After the ceremony was completed, Fei Donggu finally spoke:
"I heard about the Mysterious Mist Hidden Scale Beast that Ga Da mentioned a few years ago. This demon beast has been awakened for a long time. Since Feng Wen, the demon captain, was beheaded, it has been wandering around with its followers, doing things like raiding sects and families and devouring mortal towns."

Not only did your Chongming Sect family send troops to suppress them, but the Duke's Mansion also dispatched the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, Shan Shan, to launch multiple expeditions. However, that beast's ability to conceal himself was exceptionally skillful within the Golden Core realm, causing Shan Shan to repeatedly fail in his attempts, so he temporarily shelved the mission.

Kang Dabao asked curiously, "May I ask Elder Zong, how can this beast, who roams the world, still lead a group of followers?"

"Its body is always shrouded in a thick, dark fog. The fog is only six zhang in diameter, yet it can contain thousands of its kind, hiding within it like shadows. It is indeed quite remarkable."

Moreover, that demon officer named Yongli was once considered on par with Zeng Zhang, the demon officer who died at the hands of the Duke, under the command of the demon commander Feng Wen. He was practically Feng Wen's right-hand man. During the campaign in the southwest, he had at least three or four Golden Core cultivators dead on his hands; he was not someone to be trifled with.

Because Fei Nanying has been forced to focus on cultivation due to various external factors over the years, Fei Donggu has often helped him travel outside in the name of the Fei family.

Therefore, this old man seemed to be quite aware of the recent events at Yongli Demon School, but I noticed a slight pause in his words, and his tone carried a hint of warning:

"I heard that a few years ago, Ga Da invited three or five acquaintances and brought along Mingfei's eunuchs to try to stop that beast. Not only did they fail, but they also heard that one or two families in the vicinity of the Golden Elixir realm were holding funerals."

Therefore, Da Bao, if you are going to find the Mysterious Mist Hidden Scale Beast, you must not go alone; you must be careful.”

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder Zong," Sect Leader Kang bowed in thanks, at which point Fei Dongwen chuckled and said:
“Brother’s words have reminded me. If you are short of manpower on your side, Da Bao, there are quite a few juniors in this hall who are available and can help you out.”

Kang Dabao was slightly surprised after hearing this, and then glanced at Fei Nanying on the high seat.

Seeing that the latter also had an approving look on his face, and that none of the cultivators in the hall showed any resentment, it was only then that Headmaster Kang realized that he could truly be considered the legitimate son-in-law of the Fei family.

However, he had already planned out his scheme regarding the Mysterious Mist Hidden Scale Beast, so he simply thanked the elders in the hall for their kindness.

However, Fei Donggu, based on his knowledge, immediately had a jade slip made and handed it to Kang Dabao as a preparation.

At this moment, the upper-level cultivators of the Fei family had little leisure time. The fact that they could pay their respects to the headmaster Kang to this extent already showed that they valued this son-in-law of the Fei family very much.

With Fei Nanying's permission, most of the Golden Elixir experts in the hall dispersed to various places to attend to important matters.

Fei Dongwen and Fei Donggu were left alone to chat with Grand Master Kang and Fei Nanying about family matters. This was something Fei Nanying hadn't been particularly fond of doing before, but this time he spoke first. After Fei Nanying inquired about the recent situation of Grand Master Kang Chongming and his family's children, and the latter answered them one by one, the formal greeting between father-in-law and son-in-law was finally completed.

At this moment, the four people in the hall were all top figures in the Golden Core stage, and they were also close friends. Since they rarely met, they naturally wanted to have a discussion.

The "Secret Manual of Xuanqing Withering and Flourishing" that Kang Dabao studied is one of the sect's signature techniques of Qingyang Palace. It was a first-class and wonderful technique written by several top-notch practitioners of wood magic who were summoned by the sect's founder ten thousand years ago to observe the changes of withering and flourishing, deduce the evolution of heaven and earth, and attempt to explain the life and death of all things.

Even though the loss of the classic text caused the "Secret Manual of Profound Purity and Decline" to drop to the highest grade of the Celestial Rank, it was still as difficult to cultivate as ordinary people could hardly imagine.

However, thanks to the three jade pendants, Master Kang was able to thoroughly understand this wonderful technique, and even after more than a hundred years, he was still able to vaguely grasp and fill in the gaps in his knowledge.

This was quite remarkable. The three senior cultivators of the Fei family had only talked with him for half a day, and they couldn't help but exclaim in their hearts at the truth of his reasoning and the orthodoxy of his lineage.

"I have studied the 'Secret Book of Xuanqing's Withering and Flourishing' for decades, and often observe the trees in the courtyard at night: withering and flourishing are not two separate phenomena, but rather the hidden and manifest aspects of the Qi mechanism of heaven and earth. In the past, the Qingyang Patriarch summoned the immortals of the Wood Law to observe the changes of plants and trees in order to deduce the primordial chaos. This was not to describe birth and death, but to break through the barrier of 'constancy'."

The young man once sat in meditation for three months, observing the sprouting of buds and knowing the beginning of calamity, observing the falling of leaves and understanding the condensation of elixir. Withering is not stillness, but the vital energy hidden beneath the soil; glory is not prominence, but the essence released from the tips of the branches.

Following this path, one realizes that the condensation and dissipation of spiritual energy follow the laws of flourishing and decay, and the flickering of cinnabar light seems to resonate with the primordial chaos. The so-called "immortality" is simply following this principle without going against it. Furthermore…

Fei Dongwen was the most accomplished cultivator besides the two ancestors of the Fei family. Before Fei Nanying attained the middle-grade Golden Core, he had been secretly regarded by Fei Yeyi as his successor and was being groomed for one or two hundred years.

Moreover, he was also a man of great integrity. Even when Fei Nanying, a younger generation, rose to prominence, he was sensible and willing to step down and give way to a more capable person.

Even so, his knowledge was clearly a level higher than the other two.

Even so, hearing the words of Master Kang this time was like hearing the resounding sound of a great bell, and I was deeply enlightened.

Although Fei Donggu, who sat next to him, was slightly less skilled in Taoism, he was not a fool. The more he listened to Kang Dabao preach, the more alarmed he became.

In the end, he became less concerned with the reasoning he heard, and only exclaimed in his heart, "I feel that this child's chances of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator are even greater than those of Nan Ying, who was supported by the entire clan."

However, this thought quickly vanished, because every cultivator who forms their Nascent Soul needs a massive amount of resources.
Fei Nanying possessed the legacy of his ancestors and the long-term planning of Fei Yeling, the restorer of the dynasty, which gave him the confidence to claim that he had a chance to achieve the Nascent Soul stage. However, without such extraordinary circumstances, it was simply impossible for an ordinary Golden Elixir cultivator to achieve this.

Otherwise, there wouldn't only be three renowned rogue cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Of course, Kang Dabao currently has a degree of administrative power, and a fiefdom of a prefecture can be an aid. However, these are held on his behalf by the Kuang family, and are quite different from the real land grants and titles bestowed upon him back then at Zhaixinglou.

Everyone in the Qin State Duke's mansion knows that Kuang Liuting values ​​Kang Dabao's business acumen the most.

This also means that he certainly cannot exploit his subordinates as excessively as other households. Moreover, this young Kang seems to be obsessed with cleanliness, and I wonder which moral texts he has read, which makes him treat his subordinates so kindly.

In addition, he had many disciples who needed to be supported. With all these external factors combined, Fei Donggu could not have imagined that if his son-in-law did not spend hundreds of years accumulating resources, how could he possibly gather enough provisions for his child's infancy?

As soon as Kang Dabao finished speaking, Fei Nanying patted his knee, nodded, and slowly began to speak:
"I have inherited the 'Thirteen Immortal Guardian Ascending the Tower Method,' which is an illusion of my body's essence, energy, and spirit intertwined and in harmony with the primordial energy."

When the elixir is formed, the qi absorbed through the navel is not merely collected, but truly like the clouds hidden in the vast sky;

When clouds gather, the Qi condenses like cotton; when clouds disperse, the Qi permeates like threads, subtly conforming to the rhythm of the heavens and earth's breathing at dawn and dusk.

The openings and channels are not like ordinary silk threads, but rather like moonlight guiding a silken thread;
When practicing movement, the spiritual energy flows through the meridians; when practicing stillness, the profound mysteries accumulate within the meridians, subtly conforming to the order of yin and yang waxing and waning.

Concentrating one's mind is not like an ordinary mirror reflecting objects; it is like an autumn mirror suspended in the water. When the mirror is clear, one's mind is clear and can see the smallest details; when the mirror is still, one's mind is hidden and can merge with the vast emptiness.

This path is not merely about piling up spiritual materials and resources to build a foundation for the elixir; rather, it involves following the hidden mechanisms of each level of the elixir, step by step questioning the subtle harmony between heaven and earth and one's own body, only then can the elixir's light illuminate the three apertures, gradually drawing closer to the Dao.

Only after Fei Nanying explained his reasoning did the two elders of the Fei family feel they had won a point and breathed a sigh of relief. The head of the Kang family also showed a look of sudden understanding, full of praise and admiration.

Seeing that his son-in-law's expression was sincere and without any pretense, Fei Nanying knew that this was just a show of respect put on by Headmaster Kang.

He knew that Kang Dabao was now no less powerful than him, his brother-in-law, yet he still did not change his attitude, which truly made him somewhat gratified.

The fourth discussion at Qingcheng Hall lasted only ten days, but because of the close relationship between the participants, they held little back and all gained a great deal.

After the discussion, Fei Nanying hosted a banquet.

The meal consisted entirely of the Fei family's most prized spiritual delicacies, and even the tableware was made of spiritual glaze porcelain cups with fine gold cloud patterns on the rims, making the ingredients stand out even more.

Each Golden Core cultivator had a bowl of "Cloudy Moon-Bearing Soup" placed on their desk. It was made from the spinal cord of a third-tier demon school. The soup was milky white like solidified fat, with tiny pearl-like foam floating on top. One spoonful was taken into the mouth.

The aroma of marrow mixed with the freshness of shellfish melted on the tip of the tongue, spiritual energy slid down the throat, and a warm halo appeared in the dantian, as if the meridians were being nourished and became more unobstructed.

With dishes like "Rosy Clouds and Dried Mushroom Rolls," "Dewy Snow Lotus Root Cake," "Purple Mist Congealed Fat Cheese," and "Moonlight Soaked Jade Water Chestnut" served one by one, even entertaining high-ranking officials would not seem stingy.

In addition to Zhenyu wine, Qinglu tea was also provided as a beverage.

This tea is a rare variety from the Lingya Mountain in the capital region, picked by Foundation Establishment cultivators using their spiritual power before the morning dew dries. It is brewed in a small purple clay teapot, and the tea soup is light green like jade, with fine white down floating on top. Drinking it can calm the mind and soothe the spirit, making it a truly superior product.

Kang Dabao had a great fondness for food and drink, and Fei Nanying's arrangement inevitably raised suspicions that it was pandering to his tastes.

However, Master Kang had important matters to attend to and could not stay at the banquet for long. The elders of the Fei family did not want to ask him to stay, so they sent Fei Enwen and Fei Enhua, two peers who were familiar with him, to see him off.

However, it took the two of them quite a while to return to their seats. The elders found this strange, and Fei Donggu was the first to ask, "Why did it take you two so long to see your guests off?"

The Golden Core Seed born from the Fei En family is now not much inferior to Fei Enhua in terms of status.

Therefore, as soon as he heard the elder ask the question, he generously replied, "The Marquis of Wuning said that he did not hear about the passing of Granny Liu when he was in seclusion. Now that he has come to visit, he wanted to offer incense and pay his respects to the elder. So he asked the two of us to take her there, and that's when we returned."

These few dozen words alone were enough to stir the hearts of every Golden Core cultivator in the hall.

Fei Nanying and Fei Dongwen felt this more deeply, because they had witnessed how Kang Dabao was mistreated by Granny Fei back then.

Now that Sect Leader Kang has gained power, not only does he disregard past grievances, but he also goes to pay respects at the memorial tablet of this old woman who has not yet achieved the Golden Core stage.
Objectively speaking, this has a sense of repaying evil with kindness, which shows magnanimity.

Fei Nanying slowly put down the cup in her hand. The image of Kang Dabao solemnly offering incense before the memorial tablet of Granny Fei Liu floated into her mind, and she couldn't help but murmur to herself:
"People always say that my ancestor Ye Sui's ability to judge people surpasses his Taoist cultivation, and now it seems that this may be true. The Fei family of Yingzhou bet on the Duke of Qin's mansion, not expecting that the clan would continue to prosper after the ancestor's death, but they are sure to ensure that their family's power will not decline and their bloodline will not be cut off."

But now it seems that compared to the above-mentioned profitable deal, or perhaps to not be bound by sectarian prejudices, properly cultivating Kang Dabao's son shows the ancestor's foresight.

The future rise and fall of the Fei family of Yingzhou may indeed be closely related to this Marquis of Wuning.”

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 paying his respects to Granny Fei, Kang Dabao left the Fei family ancestral hall feeling relaxed and without any unusual feelings.

The reason is that the previous mistreatment by Granny Fei Liu seems trivial now, and the old woman has not done anything excessive to Master Kang since then, so there is no need to hold it against her.

He was unaware that his actions had stirred up some ripples in the hearts of the Fei family's Golden Core cultivators. He was only focused on capturing Yongli Demon School alive and requesting the Mani Treasure Leaf, so he quickly stepped out of the Fei family residence.

However, he did not expect that as soon as he stepped out of the gate, before he could even return the greeting to the Fei family members standing at the door, he saw an old acquaintance in a scarlet official robe standing outside.

"Brother Qin?!"

(End of this chapter)