Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 637 Dispute Arises Over Ownership of the Elixir; A Family's Five Metals Calculations Prosper
—The next day, Yangmingshan, Chongmingzong
A flying boat from Santingzhou broke through the thick clouds and landed with a rumble on a cargo yard that Elder Han Xundao had recently cleared out.

A few years ago, Han Xundao acted too biasedly in his position as a steward of the Good Deeds Hall, which displeased Duan Anle, who was in charge of clan affairs. As a result, he was transferred to the much less important position of Elder of External Affairs.

Since Han Xundao lost his position as a steward of the Good Deeds Hall, and Duan Anle couldn't find anyone to fill the vacancy, he had no choice but to ask Liu Ya, an elder of the Punishment Hall who was impartial and incorruptible, to temporarily take over the duties.

This reprimand was certainly not a good thing for Han Xundao, but he knew in his heart that even though he had lost his important post, his fellow disciples still had their reservations about Duan Anle's treatment.

Thus, Han Xundao actually benefited from the misfortune and learned a lot from it. As the elder in charge of foreign affairs, he had many complicated things to do, but he did them all diligently and conscientiously.

Now that the flying boat from the Hehuan Sect had landed, he and He Chang, the steward of etiquette, went to greet it.

The person who stepped off the flying boat was a fake alchemist, quite handsome. The fake alchemist had a light powder on his face, a touch of rouge on his lips, eyebrows as finely drawn as blue ink, and slightly upturned eyes that held a gentle, languid quality.

A pink velvet flower adorned her temples, her pink robe was embroidered with lotus blossoms, and a silver bracelet graced her exposed wrists. When she smiled, dimples appeared, her voice was soft and sweet, and even her fingertips exuded a touch of charm.

Even someone as alluring as this noblewoman, upon seeing He Chang, felt her eyes dim and she couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself.

"He Chang/Han Xundao of Chongmingzong pays his respects to the senior."

"Shangguan Fengshan, the steward of the Santing Altar of the David Hehuan Sect, greets you two fellow Daoists."

Shangguan Fengshan's gaze lingered on He Chang for a while before he turned to the flying boat and said, "As ordered by the envoy Lian Gong, I am to transport this flying boat here. This is the list of the various treasures being transported this time. Please check and verify that it matches."

As soon as Shangguan Fengshan finished speaking, He Chang and Han Xundao saw a pure white palm leaf with a shimmering spiritual light emerge from the former's pink sleeve.

The two huddled together to memorize the treasures on board, then suppressed their shock and followed Shangguan Fengshan aboard the flying boat to inspect them together.

After doing all this, He Chang and Han Xundao disembarked from the flying boat together and placed talismans on the palm leaves in front of Shangguan Fengshan.

As Elder Liu Ya of the Punishment Hall rode out of the sect's grand formation aboard a second-tier Golden Feather Owl and unleashed the Senluo Dharma Eye, a top-grade spiritual artifact, the disciples of the External Affairs Hall under Han Xundao's command were finally able to transport the precious items under the supervision of the Punishment Hall disciples.

Logically, Shangguan Fengshan's mission should have ended at this point. However, according to the family traditions inherited by the Chongming Sect, they could not fail to offer him hospitality.

However, Shangguan Fengshan used his busy official duties as an excuse, saying frankly: "Lord Lian has worked very hard to raise these supplies and has used many favors. Please pass this on to your sect leader Kang, and hope that he will use them wisely and not squander them like the common people."

As soon as Shangguan Fengshan uttered these words, it seemed that his relationship with his grandmaster uncle was quite special. He and Han naturally responded in kind and respectfully saw him off as he boarded the boat.

With this large sum of money deposited into the treasury, Elder Zhou Kun, the custodian of the treasury, naturally had to come out.

However, as soon as he saw the grain and provisions list that He and Han had copied, his face gradually turned red.

If one were to ask which of the key disciples currently able to enter the Chongming Sect's council hall feels the most like walking on thin ice, it would undoubtedly be Elder Zhou Kun, the Keeper of the Archives.

The phrase "inheriting one's father's legacy" may sound harsh, but it is also quite apt.

After all, let alone his position as an elder, even his current mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation was achieved through the cultivation of precious materials taken from the private funds of his teachers.

Knowing that he was not worthy of his position, Zhou Kun was always very cautious. He had only completed half of the examination when he hurriedly sent his disciples to invite Duan Anle over.

The latter was in seclusion cultivating. When he first heard the news from outside, he thought that his junior brother Zhou Kun was making a fuss over nothing as usual. But after he carefully read the judgment, he was taken aback.

"Twenty-five Foundation Building Pills, one hundred bushels of Moon Essence Rice Seeds, one thousand cartloads of Cloud Pattern Iron Essence, and eight boxes of Soft Jade Warming Soul Ointment."

The Foundation Establishment Pill goes without saying; it is true that the Chongming Sect obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill from the Zhang family of Yun Gu. In recent years, they have also produced three of their own alchemists who can refine the pill.

However, the spiritual treasures required for the Foundation Establishment Pill cannot be grown in just a few decades. Currently, most of them still need to be obtained by Chongming Sect by spending a large amount of resources to collect them from outside.

However, Master Kang had already inquired with various sects within the Daoist community to see if he could acquire other pill formulas.

Even with the pill formula in hand, the success rate of Qi Ke and the other two in successfully producing pills was not high. Most of the time, they even had to save up enough resources and ask the Fei family's Luan family's retainer if he was available.

As a result, the amount of Foundation Establishment Pills obtained will be much less.

No sect would ever complain about having too many Foundation Establishment Pills; even Xuepu probably owed them a huge favor. Duan Anle could already foresee that this batch of pills would soon be stored away before it would provoke a clash between Kang Rongquan and Jin Shilun.

As for Moonflower Rice, it is one of the superior varieties that the Hehuan Sect's Santing Altar has cultivated according to local conditions during the century since it moved to the southwest region. It is said that the Hehuan Sect has maintained a long-standing friendship with the Yi Nong Dao sect, which is also a Nascent Soul sect, and thus also has a relatively good lineage of agricultural masters.

Therefore, as soon as Yuehua Rice came on the market, it defeated the once popular Hongling Valley and similar products in the south and north of the mountain because of its high quality and low price.

However, the Hehuan Sect guards this rice seed very strictly, and only a few cultivation sects that are very close to the Hehuan Sect in the surrounding area can obtain it. Now, the Chongming Sect can be considered one of them.

As for Cloud Pattern Iron Essence, it has always been a sought-after commodity in the surrounding area, and many families have used it to forge the standard armor for their Daoist soldiers.

Both the southern and northern mountain passes are not lacking in high-grade cloud-patterned iron ore. However, the refining of this kind of spiritual ore is quite complicated. Only the weapon makers kept by the wealthy families from the capital region know the method of refining it into high-grade iron essence.

Therefore, even if people within the territory of Chongmingzong managed to mine minerals, they could only supply them to visitors from the capital region at low prices, earning only a meager living from their labor.
The Soft Jade Warming Soul Cream is even more precious than the aforementioned rare treasures. As its name suggests, the cream is as soft as jade.

Applying it to the center of the brow can nourish the soul, making it an excellent protective item for Foundation Establishment cultivators breaking through late-stage bottlenecks. It is also one of the unique secret techniques of the Joyful Union Sect, and is rarely seen even within powerful organizations like the Myriad Treasures Trading Company.

This box of spirit ointment is enough for six Foundation Establishment cultivators. If it is distributed as soon as possible, it may enable the cultivation of these key disciples of Chongming Sect to rise again, so that more Golden Core seeds can be selected.

Besides these items, the items that Lian Xuepu entrusted Shangguan Fengshan to send also included various elixirs, magical artifacts, and spiritual materials.
Duan Anle, relying on his master's trust and having managed the household for a long time, glanced at the judgment and roughly understood its contents. He couldn't help but sigh, "These things are far beyond what even the small gifts from various families during my grandmaster's birthday celebrations could buy."

Even though my grandmaster uncle has considerable influence in front of the True Immortals, and his wealth and connections are comparable to those of the great sects, if he were to retrieve these treasures from the Joyful Union Sect, he would probably have already exchanged most of his possessions.

This sum of money was so substantial that even Duan Anle found it difficult to decide its use immediately. He hurriedly instructed Zhou Kun to put it into storage and affix the spiritual seal, waiting for him to discuss it with the elders before the money could be allocated.

Not long after the council bell rang, Kang Rongquan, who had just returned from Moyunze in Huozhou, and Jin Shilun, who had just laid down his troops and returned to his clan to report to Yuan Jin, each led a group of their fellow disciples into the council hall.

These two groups of men would usually greet each other with smiles when they met outside. But as soon as they arrived under the golden plaque that read "Gathering Wise Men to Discuss the Way," the four characters "Jing Wei Fen Ming" (meaning "clearly distinct like the Jing and Wei rivers") came into play.

There was no need for the sect leaders to intervene in such matters. Duan Anle, who was in charge of sect affairs, sat down next to the empty main seat. Kang Changxi, whose status within the sect was also quite high, also chose a seat opposite the former.

After the two had settled down, the other Chongming disciples took their seats in order of seniority.

The council hall was so quiet that only the crackling of the candlelight could be heard. Duan Anle laid out the rubbings of the judgments on the table, and read them aloud one by one, his fingertips touching the paper. As a result, the faces of the cultivators began to turn red rapidly.

This is perfectly normal. For these core members of the Chongming Sect, it would be a serious dereliction of duty if they didn't try their best to earn some benefits for their disciples.

"Senior Brother Duan, this year, the Spirit Planting Hall will first take 51% of the Moonflower Rice seeds and cultivate them carefully in Huozhou. There is a newly cleared second-tier spirit field there, which has been fertilized with silt from the Moyun Marsh for half a year. It would be suitable to plant spirit rice there."

If the rice seeds harvested in May grow as well as they have in the following year, then after the harvest, rice seeds can be selected and intercropped with the rice seeds stored in the warehouse for trial planting, in case of any issues with acclimatization.

"If this continues, within ten years, my Chongming Sect should be able to cultivate this Moonflower Rice properly."

Kang Rongquan's talent in farming far surpasses his cultivation, a talent that even Chu Yanran, the former number one farming master in Yunjiao Prefecture, is ashamed of.

He had already explained the arrangements for the Moonflower Rice, so Duan Anle and Kang Changxi, being laymen, wouldn't offer any further criticism. Duan Anle nodded for a moment, then turned to Zhou Kun and instructed him, "Junior Brother Zhou, regarding the Moonflower Rice seeds and all related supplies, please follow Junior Brother Kang's instructions from now on. There's no need to keep asking me."

Zhou Kun bowed his head in agreement, and then Jin Shilun, who was sitting opposite Kang Rongquan, coughed lightly. Then, Elder He Yuanyi of the Weapon Hall stepped forward to ask about the use of the Cloud Pattern Iron Essence, which was to forge new armor for the Sky-Treading Cavalry.

Duan Anle did not listen to his long-winded explanation, but simply asked Zhou Kun to leave the use of the Cloud Pattern Iron Essence to the Equipment Hall, just like the Moonlight Rice Seed.

The monks in the hall had no objections to this arrangement. These two items should have been handled by the respective halls themselves. Even if the other halls earned them, they wouldn't have any use for them.

After Duan Anle read the judgment aloud, everyone knew that the real drama would be about who would get the twenty-five Foundation Establishment pills and the eight boxes of Soft Jade Warming Soul Ointment.

Duan Anle scanned the cultivators in the hall and felt that beneath each of their seemingly friendly faces lay a pair of green eyes.

Just as he was about to speak, Kang Rongquan interrupted him, saying:

"Senior Brother Duan, next month Senior Uncle Ye will be holding a grand competition within the sect at the sect leader's behest. I think the Soft Jade Soul Warming Ointment and the Foundation Establishment Pill could be given as rewards for the competition."

As for the other treasures, they are quite numerous and varied. It would be better to inform the disciples of the sect after they are stored away, so that they can be exchanged for merit points by their fellow disciples.

Before Kang Rongquan could finish speaking and before Duan Anle could respond, Jin Shilun stood up as usual: "What Senior Brother Kang said is very insightful. However, the disciples of the Qingjue, Chizhang, and Taxiao Guards are truly suffering from the elements and fighting against bandits."

We hope that our two senior brothers can set aside a portion of the Soft Jade Soul-Warming Ointment and Foundation Establishment Pill, so that the disciples of the Three Guards can exchange them for merit points.”

This time, Kang Rongquan didn't rush to speak. Instead, Shan Yongxian left his seat and stepped into the hall, his brows furrowed and his face stern. Although he, now a pill master, had no future, he felt much more confident than before when facing Jin Shilun, who hadn't yet achieved pill mastery.
"Senior Brother Jin, you are mistaken. Are you the only one from the Three Guards who have suffered? Haven't the Array Hall members worked themselves to the bone? Haven't the Pill Hall members burned their last drop of fat? Haven't the Spirit Plant Hall members suffered the decline in their cultivation?!"

Upon hearing that his master had been reprimanded, Tang Jiu, the leading figure among the ninth-generation disciples, stood up. Even when facing Shan Yong, the sect's senior, he was not intimidated: "Uncle Shan, last year, the number of disciples who died in my three guards accounted for eight or nine out of ten of the sect's total!"

"If the disciples serve the sect, the sect will treat their families well and provide generous compensation, but this has nothing to do with the quota of rare treasures in the treasury."

Zhu Yunsheng, another alchemist standing beside Kang Rongquan, coldly replied, "Nephew Tang's words make it seem as if our Chongming Sect is mistreating martyrs. Please be careful with your words."

Duan Anle's son, Duan Yunzhou, did not inherit his father's composure. Upon hearing Zhu Yunsheng's words, he slammed the low table beside him to pieces and shouted sharply:

"We risked our lives outside, meditating and practicing Zen every night amidst the hail of swords and arrows, and all we get in return is your cold words, Uncle Zhu?!"

“Nephew Duan, Huangpi Dao is no longer under the jurisdiction of Yunze Witch Lord Palace. By describing the world as so dangerous, aren't you wiping out all the hard work of my Chongming Sect over the years?!”

"Uncle-Master Zhu, wasn't this peaceful world bought with the lives of the disciples of the Three Guards?!"

"What are you shouting about? Do you think only your Three Guards disciples are willing to sacrifice their lives for this peaceful and prosperous world?! Go and count the graves behind the mountain, see which branch of the sect is missing?!"

"Without us guarding the frontier, can our martial uncles and the others really sit comfortably in the sect and cultivate?!"

"The Spirit Plant Hall supplies the spirit grains and food, the Weapon Hall crafts offensive and defensive magical artifacts, the Pill Hall refines the elixirs and miraculous medicines, and the Array Hall delivers the array plates and banners. Only in this way can my Chongming Sword be forged. This credit should never have been stolen by you disciples of the Three Guards!"

"Teacher Zhu."

"Silence!"

Although Duan Anle, who was at the head of the table, spoke in a light tone, he immediately silenced the disciples, including the two alchemists in the hall, who bowed their heads and returned to their seats.

Duan Anle first glanced at his son, Duan Yunzhou, noticing the scattered debris beside the latter's seat, his expression one of extreme displeasure. He didn't pursue the earlier dispute among the cultivators, but simply murmured:
"Junior Brother He, as the sect's steward of etiquette, how should we deal with Duan Yunzhou's disrespectful behavior in front of the hall, according to the sect's rules?!"

When He Chang was called out, he stood up with a helpless expression. He knew he couldn't be ambiguous, so he could only bow and say, "Reporting to Senior Brother Duan, he should be punished by having his salary reduced by one year."

Duan Anle nodded for a moment, picked up a piece of debris beside Duan Yunzhou, and then said in a low voice, "This is an old item that was moved from Xiaohuan Mountain and passed down from our teachers. In addition to Duan Yunzhou's crime of disrespect, he will be punished with a five-year salary deduction."

The cultivators in the hall, including Duan Yunzhou, who had been made an example of by his own father, were speechless upon hearing this punishment. Seeing that the anger that had filled the hall had been temporarily suppressed, Duan Anle spoke again:
"On the battlefield, everyone is willing to expose each other's backs, so why do they become enemies here?"

None of the cultivators could answer, but Duan Anle had no intention of maintaining balance this time. He simply said to Kang Rongquan, who was below him, "Junior Brother Kang is right. With the sect competition approaching, we will take out all the Foundation Establishment Pills and Soft Jade Soul Warming Ointment as a token of our appreciation."

He glanced at Jin Shilun again, his tone somewhat admonishing: "Junior Brother Kang's words are fair, but I don't know what you're arguing about? Since the disciples of the Three Guards are the cream of the crop of Chongming, they should also shine in the competition."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kang Rongquan showed no smugness and Jin Shilun showed no disappointment; they both bowed their heads and made no comment.

The two of them stopped talking, and the servants below lost their will to argue.

At this moment, Kang Changxi, who had been sitting calmly, finally spoke up: "Even our Grandmaster Uncle has bestowed a rare treasure, which is a joyous occasion. Why are you all arguing like this, fellow disciples?!"

Even if a Golden Core cultivator spoke at this moment, it might not be loud enough.

Seeing that no one answered him, Kang Changxi felt somewhat embarrassed. Fortunately, Duan Anle took over at the right moment and spoke in a calm voice:
"Now that everything has been agreed upon, everyone should return to their respective posts and do their jobs well. As the sage said, 'Diligence leads to mastery, while idleness leads to ruin,' and we should all keep this in mind."

"promise!"

The disciples left the council hall one after another, but Kang Rongquan was stopped by Duan Anle again.

But Duan Anle sighed and murmured, "Since Junior Brother Kang has already perfected his alchemical theory, why does he still need to argue with Shilun?!"

Kang Rongquan was taken aback by Duan Anle's words, but then said in a cheerful voice, "Junior brother originally thought that he had made quite fast progress among his fellow disciples, but I didn't expect that I was still left behind by Senior Brother Duan."

Kang Changxi, who was standing to the side, also laughed, "Rongquan, you too. If you had formed your Golden Core long ago, why would Senior Brother Jin have competed with you?"

Hearing this, Kang Rongquan shook his head and said softly, "Second Uncle is mistaken. Junior Brother Jin claims to be speaking for justice, so regardless of whether I have formed my Golden Core or not, as long as he is still in the sect, he will naturally compete with me."

Kang Changxi was taken aback by these words, but Duan Anle sighed and said, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to say anything more to you. You should go back and form your Golden Core as soon as possible. Then, even if Shilun argues with you, he will have less confidence."

"Alright, alright, junior brother will do as senior brother says. But senior brother must not slack off, lest you fall behind me again."

After Kang Rongquan finished speaking loudly, he laughed heartily and left in a huff.

After Kang Rongquan left, Kang Changxi took the jade slip from Duan Anle's hand, read through all the matters on it, and chimed in, saying:
“My nephew is right. Senior Brother Duan should focus on his cultivation and not concern himself with worldly affairs these days. Junior Brother, you should go and ask Uncle Ye to come out of the mountain to take care of things. We must not delay anything.”

"Uncle Ye's research into the art of pseudo-elixir cultivation is already urgent; how can we disturb him further?"

"Then this."

"Don't worry, junior brother, there are advantages to going slowly," Duan Anle said, raising his hand to brush away the debris in the hall. He looked out the window at the deepening twilight, the glow of the spirit lamp casting faint shadows in his eyes.

Another evening breeze swaggered in through the open door, causing the edges of the rubbings of the judgment on the table to tremble slightly. In the dim lamplight, it seemed to conceal unspoken meanings.

"Hmph, when my Chongming Sect can obtain a Five-Gold Elixir soon, then perhaps it can truly be considered prosperous?"

(End of this chapter)