Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 391 Gifts
The eldest of the Hanshan Four Friends, Xu Liuxian, took the invitation from the third brother, Ji Yunsheng, and after reading it carefully, he said, "The wife of the head of the Chongming Sect gave birth to a legitimate son? This matter cannot be taken lightly."

"Of course," the third brother Ji Yunsheng and the second brother Zhou Zhaoyi nodded together.

The latter thought for a while and said, "What a noble family the Fei family of Yingzhou is. Fei Shuhe is also the niece of the governor Fei Nan'an. It's a rare opportunity for us brothers to make friends with them, so we should not let it go."

Ji Yunsheng was somewhat dissatisfied with Zhou Zhaoyi's words and refuted: "Oh, second brother, what you said sounds very utilitarian. What kind of friendship do we have with Brother Jiang? If we want to congratulate, we should go to congratulate Master Kang. How can we bring it up with the noble lady of the Fei family?"

Although Ji Yunsheng's words were a bit harsh, Zhou Zhaoyi was well-known for his good temper among the nearby cultivators. He was not annoyed after hearing this, but just soothed him, "You are right, I was wrong."

Xu Liuxian put down the invitation and stood up to smooth things over. After chatting with Zhou Zhaoyi for a few words, he warned Ji Yunsheng again: "Husband and wife are one body, why do they have to be so clearly separated like you are."

Ji Yunsheng had to be more obedient to his boss, so at the latter's urging, he walked up to Zhou Zhaoyi, bowed and apologized, even though he was reluctant.

After the atmosphere calmed down, the three of them got back to discussing business.

Xu Liuxian stroked his newly grown beard and said, "Master Kang is a very extravagant person. He never makes money by doing things or holding banquets. Therefore, our Hanshan Sect must bring valuable gifts with us.

Speaking of which, the reason why we brothers were able to occupy this Heling Mountain as our base of residence was thanks to the help of several Taoist friends from Chongming Sect. This is also a good opportunity to express my gratitude. "

It was obvious that Xu Liuxian's words were more in line with Ji Yunsheng's temperament, so he immediately applauded.

Now, the four friends of Hanshan are no longer the same as they were in the past. The four brothers have been free for a long time, and they have begun to adopt disciples and establish a sect.

As for the reason, it is because being a casual cultivator is not easy.

Or it should be said that, except for a very small number of practitioners, the majority of people will not want to be casual practitioners the longer they do so.

This is not to say that it is because practitioners cannot stand loneliness. After all, those practitioners who cannot stand loneliness often find it difficult to achieve anything, not to mention whether they can or want to.

It is because it is really not easy for casual practitioners to practice. Because the practitioners in this world do not talk about propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame, and even rarely talk about the principles of heaven and human nature.

Under such circumstances, it is natural for independent cultivators to have no one to help them and be bullied when they are in a low position.

Sect disciples are different. Regardless of whether they exploit the locals, at least they can keep each other warm. They have a sect token on their bodies. Regardless of whether it is useful or famous, it can at least make others a little afraid.

Later on, if there were a few lucky ones among the independent cultivators who were able to achieve some success in their cultivation, or even wanted to go further, then in order to find supplies and spiritual objects, they would often have to risk their lives with others.

The core members of the sect are different. They can receive support from the sect if they practice in the cave. If they need to be saved, they can exchange their good deeds for money from the sect's treasury. If they keep their clothes clean, they can get what they want.

In comparison, who is more embarrassed? It goes without saying;

Finally, if luck comes, one of the independent cultivators will be able to become a giant in a certain area. People of the same level will all be called the ancestors of their own sects elsewhere, but he himself will still be alone. Facing the cold stone room, he may be able to mutter: "The path of immortality is lonely." to comfort himself.

But when collecting spiritual objects and searching for the true Dharma, others can gather and follow them at the command of others. But when it comes to me, I don't know how much more time I have to waste than others.

If you are slow at every step, how can you have so many chances to turn things around?

In addition, there is no help when fighting, no one to help when sick, and no one to protect when in danger. In the end, even if you become a golden elixir or a primordial infant, you may end up like an ordinary Qigong cultivator, dying of old age in an unknown mountain valley and becoming a pile of dry bones. How miserable is that?

There are always people in the world who say that family and sects are a burden, and that only by being alone can one be free. But they never thought that among the high-level cultivators in this world, how many of them were originally independent cultivators? How could ordinary people dare to gamble?
Xu Liuxian felt that he still had a way to go, so he founded the Hanshan Sect with his three sworn brothers. His purpose was to manage the assets left by Lang Yi and use them for development.

Lang Yi had previously been short of people to work with and was obsessed with spiritual practice, so he didn't pay any attention to management and only knew how to exploit his vassals.

If things go on like this, losing the support of one's own people is a small matter, but the biggest consequence is that the hen that lays golden eggs will have a rotten bottom.

Xu Liuxian and others were bystanders and would not repeat the same mistakes. The four brothers were divided into heads and elders according to their age, and then each of them opened a branch. They were considered a good family in Hong County, a first-class wealthy town in Yunjiaozhou.

This is because the four friends of Hanshan are much braver than a certain headmaster who is usually cautious.

Not to mention that as long as any casual Qi-cultivating cultivator has the right skills and outstanding techniques, he can be accepted into the sect after just a quick look at his background; even those who are practicing foundation-building techniques were recruited by Xu Liuxian.

In this way, in just a dozen years, the four of them each accepted dozens of disciples, and accumulated seven foundation-building and nearly a thousand Qi-cultivating talents.

This is contrary to the idea of ​​Kang Dabao, who is also the head of the sect.

After all, if he wanted to open up and accept independent cultivators like Hanshan Sect did, the population of Chongming Sect would not be as small as it is now.

Regarding this matter, even Ye Zhengwen once advised the head of Kangda to make some concessions.

He only spoke on the grounds that Chongming Sect had accepted independent cultivators in the past. Disciples like Ji Wuwu and Chu Huer, who were independent cultivators, had even sacrificed their lives for the sect.

"The two brothers talked behind closed doors and denied each other afterwards. If we recruit more independent cultivators, there will be fewer deaths among the disciples raised by our Chongming Sect in the future."

Although this statement is a bit rough, it does make sense.

However, after Ye Zhengwen said this many times, Kang Dabao felt a little relieved, but if he really wanted to accomplish this, he would have to work very hard.

Regardless of what Master Kang was thinking, the four Hanshan friends became much wealthier due to the establishment of the Hanshan Sect.

As long as you don't want to be like Chong Mingzong and others who educate the younger generation with all their heart, and even do strange things like not distinguishing between public and private affairs and using their own money to reward ordinary disciples.

How could it be that life is not easy for a leader of a sect with thousands of members?
There were still three months to go before the banquet, so Xu Liuxian carefully told Zhou Zhaoyi to prepare the gift carefully and not to be stingy. The latter smiled faintly and agreed, and hurried to prepare.

—————The agreed time soon arrived and the three brothers gathered at the meeting place on time.

Zhou Zhaoyi came out holding a brocade box, and the other two looked over.

When the red sandalwood gift box was opened, the twelve layers of restrictions moved like butterflies. Ji Yunsheng, who was most concerned about gift giving, immediately looked at it carefully, fearing that there was something wrong.

The first thing he saw was a black ice colored glass box carved from cold jade, which contained the "Purple Mansion Pregnant Spirit Pearl" that Zhou Zhaoyi had just exchanged from the Wanbao Pavilion after selling a first-grade medium-quality spiritual ore that was difficult to mine in other counties.

It is considered the most valuable item in the gift box. It is said to be able to protect infants from all diseases and ensure smooth meridians.

The strands of gold threads swimming outside the beads are also very particular, they are actually the golden silk produced in Laosang Mountain in Dingzhou. It is said that young children often wear it on their bodies, and when they can draw the spirit into their bodies, they can shed more ordinary poisons and help them achieve twice the result with half the effort.

The second item was a Xuanshen wrapped in phoenix feather brocade, with its roots entwined into a twin knot. A three-hundred-year-old Xuanyin ginseng was not rare, but a fairly common second-grade low-grade spiritual plant.

But the auspicious image of the unicorn vaguely emerging from the ginseng bark actually has no trace of artificial carving. This is a work of genius, and it fits the auspicious omen of "a unicorn child given by heaven", which is appropriate for this case.

The most elaborate piece was the red cloud skirt, every bit of gold thread was mixed with the down from a fertile bird that had given birth to nine children.

You must know that although the brooding bird is indeed a spiritual bird, generally speaking, the mother bird only builds a nest once in her lifetime and lays no more than three eggs. Zhou Zhaoyi didn't know how much effort it took to mobilize the disciples of the Hanshan School to find a brooding bird that built three nests and gave birth to nine children. The dark pattern on the cuffs of the red clouds and flowing clouds is actually the ninety-nine blessing spells, and a row of belt buckles are embedded with the "Ancient Mountain Lianxin Jade" that is said to have come from the mountain barbarian royal family.

Just pick a hair from the child's womb and put it on the collar button. Then, whenever the mother gets dressed, she can tap the belt button gently, and the child will know that the mother is here to see him, and will come to find him obediently.

Zhou Zhaoyi was very thoughtful in choosing this red cloud skirt as the most precious gift.

He thought that most of the guests attending the banquet would pay attention to Lin'er, so Fei Shuhe would inevitably feel neglected. Therefore, although the Liuyun Skirt prepared by Zhou Zhaoyi was not valuable and could not even be considered a spiritual weapon, it was a thoughtful gesture.

Such an original idea will surely win the favor of the noble lady of the Fei family.

In addition, there was an ice silk congratulatory card at the end of the gift list. The handwriting on it was vigorous and powerful, and it was soaked in the first-level stone milk and made it shiny. It was not inferior to the handwriting of Master Qi, who was a little famous in Xuanwei City.

But it says above:

"I also present to you some toys for you, my dear young master—

A first-class, medium-quality Mist Hidden Coral Tree (with three phantom shells, which can transform into a mortal beast as a companion)
Two first-grade, low-grade red-tailed black falcon feathers (can be used as wings to carry a mortal for half a moment)

First-class lower-grade Hanshan Immortal Lock (carved with 3,661 seal characters for enlightenment)"

After Zhou Zhaoyi introduced the items one by one, a little complacent look appeared on his face, and he immediately asked: "Big brother, third brother, what do you think?"

"Satisfied, satisfied. Second brother really put a lot of thought into it." Ji Yunsheng immediately helped Zhou Zhaoyi put away the gift box.

Xu Liuxian thought for a moment but felt that something was wrong, so he said bluntly: "Second Brother, isn't this too light?!"

"Brother, you are always saying sarcastic things. I would like to give you something good, but how can a family like us produce something precious that will impress you? If you can show your thoughtfulness, that's good enough."

Zhou Zhaoyi just smiled again after he finished speaking. He turned around and picked up another storage bag: "But none of those things just now were gifts for Sect Leader Kang. These are the ones for him."

When Xu Liuxian took it and looked at it, his eyes were dazzled by a spiritual light, and he saw that inside was a row of neatly arranged middle-grade spiritual stones.

As soon as he saw this, Xu Liuxian felt that his second brother was not exaggerating. This gift was indeed most in line with the down-to-earth and pragmatic character of the head of Kangda.

So he was relieved, because Lu Xingbei was nursing the six ice crystal spears that Jiang Qing had asked the weapon master to repair, so he couldn't escape for the time being. Xu Liuxian simply left him to guard the place, thinking that he would arrange a good time with Zhou and Ji to bring gifts to congratulate.

Ji Yunsheng was thinking about having a drink with Jiang Qing as soon as possible, so he was not willing to stay long. After only two days, he urged his two brothers to take the spirit boat to Chongming Sect.

At this time, Ji Yunsheng would not be stingy with his spirit stones. The spirit boat was moving very fast and soon arrived at Pingrong County.

When the last leader Kang married the noble lady of the Fei family, it was only on the wedding day that several families near the Chongming Sect followed suit and arranged some happy occasions.

Now, nearly twenty-five years have passed, after the birth of the eldest son of the Chongming Sect Leader, the entire Ping and Jin counties seemed to have turned into a sea of ​​red.

This kind of scene cannot be managed by Chongmingzong's family alone.

Xu Liuxian was quite surprised when he saw it. He didn't know that Grandma Fei Liu, who had been concentrating on telling the story and arranging the scene in an elegant and grand manner according to the "Imperial Guard Rituals", felt that the scene was vulgar after seeing it.

But he did not say a word afterwards, allowing Duan Anle and other Chongming disciples to accomplish what they had failed to accomplish back then.

As the three of them arrived at the foot of Xiaohuan Mountain on the flying boat, a disciple of Chongming came up to greet them on a spirit crane.

The young man who was speaking had a handsome appearance. He bowed and said, "Chongming Liu Ya, I greet all the seniors. May I ask if you are here to attend our sect's happy event?"

Zhou Zhaoyi's gaze rested on the spiritual crane at Liu Ya's feet for a moment when he heard Xu Liuxian reply, "I am here to congratulate Sect Leader Kang on the birth of his son."

Liu Ya accepted the invitation neither servile nor arrogant, and after checking it, he handed it back with both hands, and then continued: "I am short-sighted and didn't recognize that you are the seniors of Hanshan Sect. I am indeed rude to you. I hope you will forgive me."

"Don't be so polite. Your elder Jiang and I are close friends. You should be more polite." Ji Yunsheng interrupted Xu Liuxian, who could only glare at him before turning to Liu Ya and saying, "My friend, I wonder if we can meet the headmaster Kang and his wife today?"

"I hope Senior Xu will forgive me. Logically speaking, when distinguished guests come, our headmaster should come in person. But unfortunately, Sima Fei has already led all the true practitioners of Sheshan Hall into the mountain gate. The headmaster is temporarily unable to leave, so we have to ask all the seniors to rest in Chongming Market. My uncle Yuan is there waiting for the distinguished guests."

"Since the Supreme Master is here in person, we should of course entertain him with respect. There's nothing wrong with that." After hearing this, Xu Liuxian's smile became more sincere, and he couldn't hide his envy in his words.

He had also been to Chongming Market and could find the direction.

I thought that the Hanshan Sect had arrived ten days before the banquet was scheduled, which was considered early. But I didn't expect that the entire market was already crowded with monks from all directions.

After entering the market, Xu Liuxian and the other two did not see Yuan Jin. However, Hanshan Sect had received the invitation, so it was impossible for the three of them to have no place to stay.

Zhou Xinran and Mo'er, along with several wandering cultivators and servants hired by Chongming Tower, had already arranged everything in an orderly manner, so the reception was flawless.

After Xu Liuxian gave another half-truthful praise, he returned to the temporary cave with his two sworn brothers.

As soon as they entered the cave, the three were shocked. The spiritual energy was so abundant that the spirit gathering array they used was probably comparable to an ordinary second-level spirit vein.

Ji Yunsheng had lived in Chongming Tower a few years ago, but the scale of the building back then was hard to compare with this one. He immediately sighed, "The Chongming Sect has done a lot of business in the past two years."

"The spiritual crane at the feet of the disciple who first greeted us was also quite extraordinary. I'm afraid it has the bloodline of a second-level spiritual beast. I wonder if the Chongming Sect has already raised them on a large scale." Zhou Zhaoyi obviously saw more clearly.

Xu Liuxian looked at the Liushang Qushui in the cave and said softly, "I'm afraid it has become a large-scale business. Before, Chongming Sect had provided a batch of first-level gray geese to its disciples. When I was on the first floor of this small building, I saw that they were also selling them. I think they have found a replacement."

The three were chatting about this when they heard Yuan Jin coming to visit.

"Chongming Yuan Er, I have met three Taoist brothers."

Yuan Jin looked ashamed and said, "Senior Bian from the Shishan Sect just came. I really can't get away. Please forgive me."

Hearing Yuan Jin's kind words, the three of them were naturally very happy, and there was no way they would blame him. Just as they were about to have a deeper discussion, another letter token was passed to Yuan Jin.

After the latter confessed his guilt, he opened the letter and his face immediately changed color.

"Yuan is afraid I will have to leave again."

"Who is this distinguished guest again?" Ji Yunsheng seemed a little dissatisfied.

"Master Bo is here, just outside the market."

(End of this chapter)