Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

"call……"

Song Changsheng let out a long breath, put down the Buddhist scripture in his hand, reached out and pinched the space between his eyebrows, looking somewhat tired.

For the past two weeks, he has been studying the Buddhist scripture left by Su Ding, immersing himself completely in it, breaking it down word by word, trying to understand it from multiple perspectives.

To be honest, I did gain something, but only a little. Apart from having a slightly new understanding of Buddhism, I made no progress whatsoever.

Since he doesn't become a monk, no matter how deeply he studies Buddhism, it won't be of any use to him.

The only certainty is that reciting the "Demon Subduing Chapter" during a breakthrough can effectively suppress the growth of inner demons, and it also has a certain effect on others.

However, reciting scriptures can only have a suppressive effect; it is not effective for someone like Song Chang'an who has already been possessed by inner demons.

Unfortunately, she realized this far too late. If she had understood it sooner, perhaps the outcome for Song Luyun would have been different.

"I plan to craft a magical artifact that can continuously recite these Buddhist scriptures. Placing it in my secluded meditation room might have miraculous effects," Song Changsheng said, looking at Zhuang Yuechan, who was pruning the peonies in the courtyard.

"Didn't Master Lu from Baicaotang ask you to refine a magic weapon? You can just leave this small matter to someone else in the clan. Why do you have to do everything yourself?" Zhuang Yuechan said without turning her head.

“What you say makes sense, my lady. Has Fellow Daoist Jiang not arrived at Cangmang Peak yet?”

Zhuang Yuechan said reproachfully, "Master Jiang is not alone after all. He has more than a dozen disciples. In name, he still belongs to Baicaotang, but in reality, he has long accumulated his own business. It will take time to organize it. It can't be done so quickly."

You're already worried about things going wrong? Just as you said, even if Master Jiang doesn't consider himself, he has to consider his disciples.

Could he possibly find a better place than his family?

“Master Jiang is a man of his word. Once something is agreed upon in advance, he will certainly not go back on his word halfway through. I am looking forward to it. Apart from the few juniors who were recently accepted into your sect, all of Fellow Daoist Jiang’s disciples are second-level talisman masters. Even just a few of them would be a valuable asset to the family.”

Wasn't all that trouble he went to to poach people just for these reasons?
"Are you really planning to hand over Xiangzhou to them to manage?" Zhuang Yuechan stopped what she was doing and asked seriously.

"With Fellow Daoist Jiang's status and cultivation level, the family must show sincerity. Although Jiangzhou still has a few plots of land, they are rather meager in terms of both size and resources."

Aside from the cultivation world of the East Sea, there is only Xiangzhou.

"Anyway, it's just sitting empty. The Guan family, which the Tianmai Sect has been supporting, has already integrated the forces in eastern Xiangzhou. The west is still a mess. Someone needs to clean it up and restore production as soon as possible, which will also benefit the family," Song Changsheng said slowly.

"Weren't we planning to send Zhang Ming to take over?"

“Zhang Ming…” Song Changsheng frowned slightly.

Ever since this person broke through his cultivation level after listening to his sermon, he has always considered himself his disciple. Over the years, he has built a thatched hut at the foot of Cangmang Peak and has been relatively well-behaved, but he is always very vigilant in the face of any disturbance.

Song Changsheng had originally planned to observe him carefully before sending him to guard Xiangzhou, but things didn't go as planned and Jiang Shuming arrived.

"What do you think about sending Zhang Ming to be Fellow Daoist Jiang's assistant?"

He had already confirmed with Jiang Shuming that after arriving in Xiangzhou, he would establish a sect based on his disciples. Since the sect was composed entirely of talisman masters, it would always lack in terms of martial arts. Zhang Ming was a very good fighter and could also prevent the situation of one sect becoming too powerful.

In addition, Yangzhou established the [Blazing Sun Guard], Jiangzhou established the [Demon Suppressing Guard], and he plans to establish a standing army with the same role in Xiangzhou as well.

Zhang Ming was once a military commander in the Great Xiao Dynasty, and he was very skilled in training soldiers and combining them into battle formations.

At that time, Jiang Shuming would take charge of internal affairs, and Zhang Ming would take charge of external affairs; it couldn't be more perfect.

“That would be great, but we should consult Master Jiang first to avoid any misunderstandings,” Zhuang Yuechan thoughtfully reminded him.

"Of course, I'll go talk to Zhang Ming first."

Song Changsheng put away the Buddhist scriptures beside him and flashed to the edge of the thatched hut at the foot of the mountain, where Zhang Ming, dressed only in coarse linen clothes, was practicing his sword.

As a cultivator of the Purple Mansion realm, he didn't use a single trace of magical power when practicing his swordplay. Instead, he wielded the sword methodically, like an ordinary martial artist, sweeping, slashing, parrying, and thrusting...

All of them were basic moves of the longsword. He practiced with focus and seriousness. The flowers and plants around him swayed with his sword energy, and the iron-blooded aura on his body almost solidified.

So engrossed in his own world, he didn't even notice Song Changsheng's quiet arrival.

Song Changsheng didn't disturb him, but stood aside quietly watching him practice, nodding inwardly.

Zhang Ming's talent wasn't particularly good, in fact, it could be said to be quite poor. But it must be said that he was very down-to-earth, practicing these basic sword techniques day after day. It sounds simple, but it's very difficult to stick to it, because you might practice for years or even decades, thousands of times, and still not feel any significant improvement.

If you're even slightly impatient, you won't be able to persevere.

Zhang Ming not only persevered, but also condensed a trace of the true essence of the sword, which he combined with the killing intent he had honed on the battlefield, truly forging his own path.

This is the main reason why Song Changsheng looks at him differently. He is indeed a promising talent. As long as his loyalty is not a problem, he will become a sharp knife in the hands of the Song family sooner or later.

After finishing a set of sword techniques, Zhang Ming slowly sheathed his sword, focused his energy in his dantian, and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

Only then did he realize that there was someone beside him, and he quickly bowed and said, "Disciple greets True Person Zixu."

"No need for formalities," Song Changsheng nodded.

"Is this the battle tactic of the Great Xiao Immortal Dynasty's army?"

"Please excuse my poor skills. This is the basic sword technique that the sergeant taught us when we first joined the army. The original intention was to help us build up our physique, but it just became a habit after we practiced it."

"The greatest truths are the simplest and the most basic are the most genuine. Basic sword techniques are not necessarily inferior to those dazzling and ornate ones. With countless repetitions, one can eventually touch upon the essence of the Great Way."

Zhang Ming was startled and said excitedly, "Disciple understands, thank you for your guidance, Master."

"Have you gotten used to life in Lingzhou these past few years? Compared to wandering the martial world and fighting on the battlefield, life here must be a bit too mundane for you, right?" Song Changsheng said calmly, his hands behind his back.

"A life of simplicity has its advantages; it can bring peace of mind."

At first, the disciple was a little impatient. When meditating and cultivating, he often heard the sounds of clashing swords and galloping horses, which made his mind chaotic and he didn't even want to practice with his sword.

After I adjusted my mindset and picked up my longsword again, I gradually adapted to this kind of life.

"I plan to cultivate a few more spiritual fields by that stream and plant the seeds I brought from the Great Xiao." Zhang Ming said respectfully, his tone unhurried and composed. Compared to when they first met, he was less impatient due to the bottleneck in his cultivation and more dignified.

"Is this the peaceful life you yearn for?" Song Changsheng asked rhetorically. Zhang Ming wasn't stupid; he immediately understood Song Changsheng's implied meaning. He knelt down decisively and said with a resolute expression, "Of course not. Although life is mundane, the passion in my heart has not faded."

"If a true master commands me, I will be that sharp blade in his hand, invincible until death!"

A hint of appreciation flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes. He stepped forward, reached out and patted him on the shoulder, and said gently, "The family already has the sharpest sword. I hope you can become the sharpest blade."

Zhang Ming was deeply shocked; his feelings at this moment were comparable only to when he had just broken through to the Purple Mansion stage.

Song Changsheng is the head of the family, and the sharpest sword in the family is naturally the guardian elder Song Qingxing.

Song Qingxing's talent and aptitude were something he could only look up to, and Song Changsheng actually had such high expectations for him, which made him feel somewhat ashamed and apprehensive, but at the same time, a sense of pride was growing in his heart.

It felt as if I had returned to the Tianxian Pass, a place of fierce battles and rivers of blood, and followed the mighty Marquis in his great counterattack against the barbarians.

In that battle, he beheaded five barbarian warriors. Based on his military achievements, he was promoted to Marquis of Qujun by Marquis Weiwu. He hadn't felt that feeling of being enveloped in glory and soaring with pride since leaving the army, and now, he seemed to have rediscovered a bit of it.

"The family has reached a tacit understanding with the Heavenly Vein Sect to jointly govern Xiangzhou. I plan to form the Formless Guard, mainly composed of local cultivators from Xiangzhou, to guard the western part of Xiangzhou. The number of people is tentatively set at one. Are you capable of this?"

Overjoyed, Zhang Ming bowed and said loudly, "This disciple will certainly live up to your expectations, Master, and will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

From that sermon onwards, he secretly made up his mind to follow Song Changsheng for the rest of his life. However, Song Changsheng had never given him a direct response. Now that he had finally given a positive answer, how could he not be excited?
"Okay, take this time to prepare. Once the other person arrives, you can go together."

"Disciple obeys." Zhang Ming assumed it was someone like a military supervisor and didn't think much of it.

Even when the Marquis of Might was highly trusted during his time in the army, a military supervisor was still indispensable; this was actually a sign of delegating power...

A few days later, Jiang Shuming, whom Song Changsheng had been eagerly anticipating, finally arrived at Cangmang Peak with a group of disciples.

Apart from Song Youxiang and his eldest disciple Fang Zhongsheng, all the other disciples came together.

Seven second-tier talisman masters and four first-tier talisman masters—aside from the Golden Crow Sect and the Heavenly Vein Sect, which are large and powerful, the rest would be treated with utmost care wherever they were placed.

It is precisely this valuable asset that has been completely marginalized in Baicaotang. It is understandable that people are vying for power and profit, but these people are pursuing their own interests, and right and wrong are no longer important.

Lu Yuming has lived for hundreds of years and understands all the principles, but when it comes to making a choice, he still wavers and his selfishness grows stronger every day.

This incident also served as a warning to Song Changsheng: sometimes, decline can really happen in the blink of an eye.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, you've finally arrived! If you hadn't come sooner, I was planning to personally invite you." Song Changsheng personally came to the foot of the mountain to greet him, and warmly grasped Jiang Shuming's arm.

"I have quite a few belongings, and it took some time to pack them up. I hope the clan leader will forgive me."

In fact, no matter how much wealth one possesses, it is nothing compared to a spatial storage artifact. The reason for the long delay was mainly due to his disciples.

No matter how famous Song Changsheng is, there will always be people who don't respect him.

It was Jiang Shuming who personally approached each of them and persuaded them, and finally, they all came to the Song family.

Being a mentor to this extent is more like being their father.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group went up the mountain together.

After settling his disciples, Song Changsheng took out a fourth-order talisman inheritance that he had prepared in advance from his sleeve.

This scroll of talismanic tradition originated from the ancient Great Qi Immortal Dynasty. It is incredibly profound and would be highly sought after anywhere.

As the saying goes, all methods in the world lead to the same goal, and the practice of talismanic arts can ultimately nourish one's own great path, achieving the effect of drawing inferences from one instance to another.

This is why most cultivators who are skilled in various arts and crafts tend to focus their main energy on their own professions. Compared to the Great Dao of cultivation, these minor paths are undoubtedly easier for them.

If Jiang Shuming can take this opportunity to advance further and become a fourth-grade low-level talisman master, he will have a better chance of breaking through to the Golden Core stage in the future.

Therefore, this deal was definitely profitable for him.

Seeing Song Changsheng so readily hand over the inheritance to him, Jiang Shuming couldn't help but feel moved.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, have you decided on a name for your lineage?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuming put down his teacup and said, "I had already decided on the way here. I will name it 'Jade Talisman Sect.' What do you think, Clan Chief?"

"These fellow Daoists can decide for themselves. The Dao of Talismans places great emphasis on talent. I hereby grant you permission to recruit disciples from the four states of Xiang, Yang, Ling, and Jiang."

In addition, for the first ten years, the family will cover all your expenses. After that, apart from some necessary support, you will have to rely on your own efforts.

"If there are truly exceptionally talented disciples within the sect who wish to pursue greater advancement, I can use my special privileges to recommend them to the Myriad Manifestations Academy."

Song Changsheng's support moved Jiang Shuming deeply. He thought he had received enough, but he didn't expect there to be more. It was truly a tireless effort.

I felt quite flattered.

At this point, Song Changsheng brought up Zhang Ming, and with the groundwork laid earlier, Jiang Shuming readily agreed.

After staying at Cangmang Peak for a few days, Jiang Shuming and his disciples, along with Zhang Ming, headed to Xiangzhou. A special sect composed of talisman masters was about to sprout in that land...

Xia Yunxue's Purple Mansion ceremony is still being prepared in full swing, and the entire Cangmang Peak is filled with joy, with guests already arriving ahead of time.

At this moment, Song Changsheng suddenly received a message from Mu Guibai.

After quickly browsing through the contents, Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise appearing on his face.

Zhuang Yuechan, who was tuning her zither nearby, noticed the change in his expression and couldn't help but ask, "What did Master say?"

Song Changsheng said in a slightly serious tone, "My master said that the demon lord of the Dragon Clan wants to see me."

……

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