Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 185 Apprenticeship
Less than a month had passed since Sect Master Kang secretly returned to the Chongming Sect with a few of his fellow disciples. He didn't even have time to properly organize the skills he had looted from the Caowu Sect when two pieces of news, one good and one bad, came one after another.

The bad news was that Jia Wenzhe, who escaped back to Shujianmen halfway, was seriously injured and died. Even though his leader Ye Zhen asked Yunjiaozhou Court for top-grade medicine for his injuries, he still vomited blood and died.

This general had been building his foundation for less than twenty years. At the age of eighty, he was quite young among his peers. It was such a pity that he died just like that.

In this way, a small Grass Witch Cult, relying only on a group of Qi-cultivating monks, actually killed two promising Foundation-Building monks from the newly established New Cloud Alliance.

It's simply a fantasy to tell others!

As soon as this news came out, several nearby forces kept sneering, and even the Yunjiaozhou Court, which brokered the establishment of the New Yun League, also lost face.

It is said that Tie Liuyun was also scolded. This time he did not care about Huo Bin's face at all. He directly inspected the troops and rushed into Yunjiaozhou with a group of guards to hunt down the remnants of the Cao Wu Cult, causing an uproar in all the counties.

During this period, many dirty deeds hidden for years by small families and factions were dug up together. Most of those who did not have a strong backing did not have an easy time, and were severely confiscated and exterminated by the gloomy-faced iron commander.

This made everyone feel insecure.

After all, in Yunjiaozhou, apart from the kind-hearted people like Chongmingzong, how many families dared to say that they didn't have any dirt on their butts? Moreover, most people's butts were basically shit, so it was only natural that they were punished by Tie Liuyun who had a sudden impulse.

If this is the case, then why bother to talk about whether it is unfair or not?
The good news is that Taoist Heilu has captured evidence that the leader of Ruijin Sect was directing his disciples to secretly hinder the New Cloud Alliance in its pursuit of the murderer.

After several Qi-cultivating soldiers were easily captured by the Black-shoe Taoist, the Foundation-Building soldiers of the Ruijin Sect who came after hearing the news relied on their numbers and had a brief confrontation with the Black-shoe Taoist for a while, then they started fighting after a disagreement.

In this battle, Taoist Heilu fought alone against six foundation-building masters of Ruijin Sect, and killed the sect leader, the sect leader's wife, the great elder, and the great elder's wife one after another.

The remaining two lucky ones (single guys) were able to survive only after the belated mediation of the Yue family's foundation-building masters and after paying a huge price.

Originally, the huge Ruijin Sect was also one of the most prosperous forces in Puzhou. Who would have thought that in just this one adventure, the six foundation-building cultivators in charge were almost killed by the black-shoe Taoist with just one sword. It was truly a cause for regret.

This incident immediately wiped out the New Cloud Alliance's decline, and not only did its prestige soar, it also helped the state court to quietly save face.

The Chongming Sect, which had the closest relationship with the Black-Shoe Taoist, naturally also benefited.

After the news spread, Fei Sima sent a close nephew to visit with gifts. Kang Dabao also told the Fei family about the spirit stone mine, and the Fei family was even more delighted. Not long after Fei Sima's nephew left, Qinghan Courtyard sent someone to deliver a second-level weapon master's manual, which was just right for Yuan Jin.

Even Xue Hu, the head of the Xue family who had not been out for a long time, dragged his sick body to pay his respects, and his words were full of submission.

Xue Hu had not recovered from the injury he suffered from Shi Xiao last time. Several elders of his family were also seriously injured in the fight with Shi Xiao. When Chongming Market was destroyed by the beasts of the Sanxiang Sect, several key members of the Xue family also died.

Not to mention the backbone of the clan who had previously learned business from the He family caravan with Lu Xun, the head of the Lu family. After his arm was broken, his strength was greatly reduced and he had left the caravan for some time.

As a result, after just a few years, the Qinye Lin and Xue families, which were the most prosperous of the four nearby families, were not only unable to compete with the Chongming Sect, which showed signs of revival, but were even unable to compete with the Lu family, which Xue Hu had always looked down upon.

Not only is his strength not as strong as before, but he can no longer participate in the series of financial development activities led by Chong Mingzong.

Seeing that Chongmingzong was becoming more and more prosperous with the help of the tall and strong tree of Heilu Taoist, the old fellow Xue Hu seemed to have figured it out and asked to be sent to Chongmingzong to be humble.

However, Xue Hu understood the situation, but Sect Leader Kang did not agree. He just said a few words and then sent him away.

Old man Xue Hu is quite ambitious. After all, the Xue family has been established for quite some time and his family almost produced a foundation-building cultivator in the early years. Therefore, he believes that he is not one of those insignificant families without any inheritance at all.

The Xue family is indeed stronger than the Lu and Ye families, and has long been ranked among the top in Pingrong County. After all, his family was also the force that taxed the silk cloth with Xie Fu.

But Master Kang is now rich, and the Chongming Sect, with the Black-Shoe Taoist as its backer, really doesn't think highly of the small Xue family. The opportunity to make a comeback is fleeting, and once it's gone, it's gone.

If the Xue family today were willing to lose face and become a vassal of the Chongming clan like the Kuai family, Kang Dabao might consider it.

But if they still wanted to have a more cooperative relationship like in the past, even one with a clear distinction between master and servant, Master Kang would not be willing to do so.

The current Chongming Sect needs to interact with more powerful forces in order not to lose face.

Just as Xue Hu left, the He brothers came to visit.

"Senior Heilu is famous in several states. It is a pity that I cannot meet him today." After chatting for a long time, He Dezong took a sip of spiritual tea, frowned, and showed a look of regret.

"Yes, yes." He Degong also said sincerely.

"Haha, I'll definitely do it next time, definitely next time." Kang Dabao looked somewhat proud. After so many years, my brother now envied me, Kang Dabao!
"To be honest, I came here for another reason besides meeting Senior Hei Lu." He Dezong glanced at the teacup and put it down. He turned to look at a fair-faced boy of about 11 or 12 years old standing behind He Degong and said, "My son, I greet your uncle Kang again."

"He Yuanbin greets Uncle Kang."

"Didn't I greet you when we met before? Why do you have to be so polite?" Kang Dabao said in surprise.

"I came to see my uncle before, and this time I have something to ask of you, Brother Shi." Before He Dezong spoke, He Degong stood up with a smile and walked to Kang Dabao.

The head of the Kang clan didn't understand what he said, so he didn't say anything for a while. However, he couldn't let the words fall on the floor, so He Dezong said at the right time: "I have been taught by you since I was young, but in recent years, Senior Lang has given me a lot of important tasks, and I really can't get away. Although there are some elders in the clan, they are old and weak, and I am afraid that they will delay my son. After thinking about it, it is better to find a good teacher for me."

"Oh, Brother Shi, you actually have this intention." Hearing this, Kang Dabao's tone was a little surprised. It had been who knows how many years since a cultivator from an outside family who is well-known to the Chongming Sect became a disciple?
The last time was probably when my master had just taken over.

"Old man, did you see that? Your disciple is the founder of the revival of the country!" Although Master Kang was delighted, he still had to put on a pretentious tone and tried to refuse.

"Brother Shi, I'm afraid you should reconsider it. After all, our clan is just a small one, and I'm afraid I'll hinder my nephew's future." Kang Dabao said sincerely, trying to suppress his hesitation.

"Brother, do you think Bing'er has poor aptitude?" He Dezong was also a shrewd man and pretended to be displeased.

"No, no." Kang Dabao waved his hand hastily, agreeing to this matter. "Why don't you pay your respects to the headmaster?" He Degong patted his son on the back, and He Yuanbin once again paid his respects with great respect.

Kang Dabao smiled and lifted it up, and gave him two mid-grade magic tools that had been refurbished by Yuan Jin. Now this thing is not too much for the Chongming Sect.
Oh, no, this is for settling a debt with Tie Liuyun soon. What the hell?
The head of the Kang family hurriedly concealed his distressed expression, and the two families had a rough discussion and finally decided to let He Yuanbin become Jiang Qing's disciple.

Jiang Qing drank the tea offered by He Yuan with an expressionless face. Although he was still a little angry with He Degong, he could not refuse it just for the sake of He Dezong's face.

When Kang Dabao and his two fellow apprentices were having a hard time making ends meet, He Dezong was quite caring towards Jiang Qing. He Yuanbing was his nephew, so Jiang Qing naturally had to return the favor.

Jiang Qing was very nice to He Yuanbing. As soon as he finished his tea, he gave him several useful magical instruments. After all, the warehouse of Chongming Sect was almost empty, but Jiang Qing's storage bags were not short of them for the time being.

Afterwards, Jiang Qing asked a few more simple questions and asked He Yuanbing to pay respects to his father and uncle. He then handed over a black rod and silver pen to Pei Yi for writing. Pei Yi, as an elder who passed on skills, helped He Yuanbing fill in the sect's list. From then on, He Yuanbing officially became a disciple of Chongming Sect.

The two families gathered together for a few days of banquets. After both the guests and the hosts had a great time, the He brothers gave He Yuanbin a few words of advice such as "respect your teachers" before saying goodbye.

On the way back, the He brothers each rode a six-legged horse, walking side by side without saying a word.

"What? Are you still blaming me for not sending Yuan Bing to Shishan Sect?" He Dezong glanced at his younger brother and spoke first.

"Well, there is some resentment." The two were brothers from the same father and mother, and there was nothing to hide. He Degong was stunned for a moment after hearing what his brother said, and nodded in acknowledgment.

“Even if we don’t send them to Shishan Sect, they should at least be sent to Zishan Sect, Zifeng Valley and other major foundation-building sects. Several brothers from Chongming Sect are just starting to practice Qi, and I’m afraid that their vitality will be wasted.” He Degong simply spoke frankly.

"Senior Lang's old servant is here to pass on a message again, and he wants to mention the usual practice again." He Dezong did not respond to He Degong's words, but instead brought up another matter and said lightly.

"If I remember correctly, Senior Lang's salary has increased seven times in the past sixty years. It's only been a few years, and he's increased again!" He Degong exclaimed. For a moment, he no longer cared about his son's apprenticeship and instead became concerned about this matter.

This "Senior Lang" is the biggest backer of the He family caravan. Starting from the generation of He Dezong's father, he has been served by two generations of the He family for nearly a hundred years.

Not only is he a rare independent cultivator who has established his foundation in Yunjiao Province, but he is also a very rare late-stage cultivator among independent cultivators who have established their foundation.

This Senior Lang is extremely gifted. If he hadn't taken too many detours when entering the Tao, wasting the best time for cultivation, he would have almost certainly made a fake elixir, although he wouldn't have made the golden elixir.

What a pity, now that Senior Lang’s life is coming to an end, there is almost no hope.

Perhaps it is for this reason that Mr. Lang’s exploitative methods over the years have become even more blatant and hardly concealed.

"I roughly calculated that if we don't open a few new trade routes, there will be no profit." Thinking of this, He Dezong couldn't help but sigh. Without food, how can we talk about the hope of building a foundation?
I don’t know how many years I have been delayed just for the family caravan.

Dozens of He family cultivators depend on these trade routes for their livelihood. If there is no income here, He Dezong becomes depressed just thinking about the faces of his brothers and uncles in the clan.

But He Dezong had no other choice. After all, this family reputation and power could not be supported by him alone.

"Damn it, my life is not as happy as Kang Dabao's!" He Dezong cursed in his heart.

"The foreign affairs elder of Shishan Sect told me that the older members of the family are difficult to train and their qualifications are not outstanding. This number is required if you want to get in." He Dezong changed the subject and gestured with his hand to show a number that made He Degong dumbfounded.

"Other foundation-building sects are similar. The money Yuan He used to become a disciple was what I saved up myself. Now that Yuan Bing wants to become a disciple, I can't afford that much."

He Degong fell silent when he heard this. Thanks to the He family and his brother, he was relatively wealthy compared to ordinary Qigong practitioners. A few years ago, he would have been able to make Kang Dabao envious, but he could never afford that much.

What else can I say? It is only natural for a father to pay for his son's education. I have never heard of anyone forcing his uncle to pay.

"So what if I joined a foundation-building sect? Whether it's the outer sect, inner sect, or true sect, which one needs spirit stones to pave the way for advancement? Even if I endure for thirty or fifty years, I may not be treated as one of our own. I can't take care of the family either, and I'll be in trouble both inside and outside. It's better to go to Chongming Sect. At least the brothers in Chongming Sect will really take care of me for my eldest brother's sake."
Thinking that he couldn't afford this amount of spiritual stones anyway, He Degong thought for a while to comfort himself, and then thought again: "Big brother still needs to prepare the food for building the foundation. Now the branches in the clan are arguing endlessly, and we can't rely on them! We have to rely on our eldest branch ourselves!"

He Degong was not a fool. Now that he had figured out the key point, his resentment towards his elder brother gradually dissipated.

"Don't worry too much. Senior Lang also said that the reason he raised the usual practice this time was because he was at a critical juncture in his practice. After some time, it will naturally be reduced." Seeing his brother sneer at his words, He Dezong smiled bitterly in his heart. Senior Lang's old servant was so unruly that he never even changed his reasons for speaking. Who could believe him?

"Let me try to open a new trade route."

"Hmm?" He Dezong was surprised for a moment as he didn't expect these words to come from his own brother's mouth.

"Even an old man like Lu Xun dared to do it. As a member of the He family, there is no reason for me to be worse than him."

"How many years has it been since I saw the second brother so high-spirited?" He Dezong smiled, but he was afraid that he was just acting on a whim, so he changed the subject.

"Brother Jiang is extremely talented. Now that Chongming Sect has Senior Heilu to take care of him, he will definitely be able to build a foundation in the future. By that time, Chongming Sect will also be a major foundation-building sect. It won't be a big problem for Bing'er." Seeing that his younger brother had resolved his knot, He Dezong felt comforted and spoke again to comfort him.

He Degong nodded in agreement, but in his mind he was thinking about how to integrate the caravans and open up trade routes. This was definitely a dangerous task, even though he had been managing the affairs of the groceries for many years and had gained some experience, he was still not sure of success.

There are many desperate people in this world who are willing to sacrifice their own lives. In the process of opening up a new trade route, you will encounter countless vicious bandits like the Black Mountain Bandits. It will be fatal!

He Degong had something on his mind and stopped talking. He Dezong also stopped talking. The two brothers walked on the road facing the afterglow of the setting sun.
There is hope for building a foundation, there is hope for building a foundation.
Then when will I be able to truly build my foundation?

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　　(Many brothers have said that the progress is too slow. I don’t know if it’s because of this reason, but my reading has indeed declined a lot recently. You can express your opinions and discuss it. I will see if I should change the outline. Time flies. In fact, I have buried a lot of clues in the Qi training stage.)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)