Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 394 After the Banquet
The time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was time for the happy banquet of Kang Dabao's eldest son Kang Changxi.

The scene that day was quite grand. In the nearby states, almost all the forces that were slightly influential and close to the Immortal Dynasty sent envoys to Xiaohuan Mountain to offer congratulations.

Even the Demon-Resolving Division and the Yue Family of Hancheng, who were accustomed to competing with the Sima Mansion, were no exception.

In addition to the important figure Kuang Liuting who was not available, even Fei Nanying did not show up today to support his niece and nephew-in-law. The latter did not say why, and the head of Kangda did not dare to ask.

He just thought that it had been several years since Bo Yue had achieved the elixir, so it was only natural for him to return to his sect and practice hard to consolidate his realm.

However, his words might convince himself, but it would be difficult to convince Fei Shuhe.

But today is Kang Changxi's big day after all. As a mother, Fei Shuhe cannot show any disappointment at this festive occasion.

To avoid any trouble at his son's funeral, which would get out and become the topic of gossip among the people after dinner.

However, the two big figures who were speculated by the outside world to be present today were not here. I wonder if this scene can reveal something deeper in the eyes of some people with ulterior motives.

Since Kuang and Fei were not there, it was supposed to be the Taoist Black Shoes who sat in the main guest seat. However, the latter had been in seclusion these days, and Kang Dabao and the other juniors could not get him out, so they had no choice but to give up.

In addition, Kang Dabao's brothers of the same generation were also not present.

Jiang Qing went to the Jackdaw Mountains. It was said that Lu Xingbei, the fourth of the Four Friends of Hanshan, claimed that he had seen the shadow of Wenjianlanca in a cave somewhere.

Jiang Qing had been searching for this second-grade, top-grade spiritual herb for a long time, which was extremely beneficial for sword cultivators in nurturing their swords. He had even inquired about it at Wanbao Commercial Bank, which was far away in Tengwen Prefecture.

However, this famous trading company only said that this herb is rare and its Shannan branch has no stock yet, so one should wait a few years and come back to check when they restock.

Of course, if one really can't wait, as long as one is willing to offer a reasonable price that is far higher than the market price, the head of the trading company can also ask other branches in the David Immortal Dynasty for the source of goods on Jiang Qing's behalf.

Just the price. Even Jiang Qing, who never cared about material things, was stunned. He sighed in his heart: "This Wanbao Commercial Bank is just as the outside world says. It is not an ordinary force doing business below the Golden Elixir level."

As a result, Jiang Qing was naturally excited when he heard the news about Wen Jian Lancao. How could he contain himself?

However, the reason why Lu Xingbei only saw the shadow of the suspected Wenjian orchid was because he was startled by the breath of a powerful monster when he was about to pick it.

Lu Xingbei only felt that the demonic energy was so strong at that time that it almost blinded him.

After all, he is a ruthless cultivator who has risen from a low-level casual cultivator who couldn't even afford a talisman, and has worked hard all the way to become his current status.

Seeing this, Lu Xingbei no longer had any hope in his heart and had to run back in a panic, even remembering only the approximate direction of the cave.

According to what he said, the monster was definitely of the second-class upper grade or above, and was even on the verge of forming a pill.
Although Lu Xingbei had been building his foundation for nearly sixty years, he was still only an early stage cultivator. Even though his life experience was rich and rare, his fighting skills were only mediocre in Jiang Qing's eyes.

Therefore, Jiang Qing could not fully believe Lu Xingbei's description of the monster's strength.

In addition, he was really eager to get the Wenjianlan grass, so he just casually said hello to the busy headmaster Kang, and went to the location reported by Lu Xingbei alone to look for the spiritual grass;
As for Pei Yi, after talking with Kang Rongquan, he went back to seclusion to heal his injuries.

After hearing the news, Master Kang just sighed.

He thought that after Pei Que's death, Pei Yi's knot would be even harder to resolve. This was not a good thing for Pei Yi to try to build his foundation again in the future.

In addition to the above-mentioned characters, there are also many high-ranking officials from the Yunjiaozhou court who have come to Xiaohuanshan with Nan'an Earl some time ago.

Even though these people were not as busy as the nobleman of the Immortal Dynasty, it was impossible for them to wait for a month in this small Pingrong County. So they sent their gifts early and returned to their respective places like the Earl of Nan'an.

As a result, the only person who could be considered important in the provincial court was the military commander Qin Sufu.

During this period of time, he did not just wait around, but also made a special trip back to Xuanwei City. His original intention was to bring Yin Shangong to Chongming City to stay for a while. Maybe the latter would have the opportunity to talk with the Taoist Heilius.

But the old monk didn't want to be involved in such a commotion and declined politely.

Qin Sufu told me that Mr. Shan had been sleepy since the beginning of winter last year.

In every ten days, he could only be awake for half a day for three to five days. The spiritual energy in his bedroom was much richer than other places in the Dianjunguan Temple, which was not a good sign for a monk who was about to die.

However, even so, in the few remaining moments of clarity, Shan Gong was trying his best to maintain his spirit and compile Taoist scriptures for future generations.

After hearing this, Kang Dabao could only sigh, feeling that this old man was truly devoting himself to the people of Yunjiaozhou.

Otherwise, with his tenacity in withstanding the attacks of the remnant soul of the Jindan Demon School for several days with his Qi-cultivating body, if he had made a different choice back then, he would probably have been a prominent figure like the Black-Shoe Taoist now, right?

The two brothers had just talked about Shan Gong's recent situation, and they both felt uncomfortable, and their interest in talking to each other instantly faded a lot.

Although Qin Sufu was close to the head of Kangda, they were both sons-in-law of the Yue family now, so it was not appropriate for him to be too close to the latter in public. The two of them entered the banquet hall one after another in a tacit understanding.

As soon as he entered the bustling lobby, Qin Sufu was immersed in the hot atmosphere.

He came today on behalf of Kuang Liuting. Even Grandma Fei Liu, the representative of the Fei family, could not be more respected and noble than him, so there were bound to be people who came to flatter him.

Qin Sufu also acted as if he was enjoying himself, and for a moment he accepted everything that was offered to him. He drank cup after cup of elixir without even tasting it, before they rolled down his stomach. He looked really happy.

Qin Sufu is in such a state, so Kang Dabao, as the host, is naturally even busier.

Fortunately, he is no longer the insignificant official he was when he married Fei Shuhe. Even if he is toasted, he will drink whenever he wants, and he will not be as embarrassed as he was back then.

Bian Hu, the master of fake pills, and the elder of the Shishan Sect who dominated Puzhou were all polite to Kang Dabao. The old cultivator kept calling him "little friend", and if an uninformed bystander saw it, they would probably think that the two had been friends for decades.

The banquet hall of Chongming Sect was filled with important figures, but there were more than just these important figures who sincerely wanted to congratulate Master Kang.

However, the spiritual vein of this Xiaohuan Mountain is just average. It was fine in the past when the Chongming Sect had few members, but now it is only used to provide training for three or four hundred disciples, and the spiritual energy on the mountain seems to be a little stretched, let alone entertaining guests from all over the world.

Therefore, not many tables can be set up on this mountain, and it is difficult to accommodate many guests.

Because of this, many low-level cultivators who were grateful for the kindness shown to Master Kang and who had come to congratulate him upon hearing the news, could not find a seat.

However, their arrival made Kang Dazong's head look good in front of the high-ranking cultivators present. This made him rare not to be stingy this time, and he immediately wrote a letter to Chongming Market.

Only half a day had passed since the letter was sent, but the Chongming Tower had already started to raise flags and banners, and huge seal characters were scrolling on the mirage screen. A steaming banquet was set up from the entrance to the end of the street.

Although the dishes and rice served by Zhou Xinran and Mo'er were not as delicious as the delicacies on the tables at Xiaohuan Mountain, they were also authentic spiritual meals that usually cost several broken spirit seeds each. They were enough to fill the stomachs of these casual cultivators who could hardly afford even a little bit of food.

On that day, people were toasting on the mountain and playing rock-paper-scissors at the foot of the mountain. Even the ordinary people in Ping and Jin counties received cured meat and rice distributed by local government temples. They got a lot of benefits. How could they not be happy?

Everyone was happy and everyone was grateful for what they had received. As they raised their glasses during the banquet, the usual mocking comments about Master Kang, such as "a man who bullies women", naturally became less frequent.

Unfortunately, no matter how good the meal is, it can only be enjoyed for one day. If it can be served for ten days or half a month, Kang Dabao's reputation may become much better.

No matter how stingy the common people are, they will still be willing to give some thanks after eating the spiritual food for free for such a long time with a comment "Just like Meng Gong".

But the most pragmatic head of Kangda Sect was not willing to be so lavish. In fact, he began to regret it as soon as the buffet was set up. If the guests on the mountain had not left, he would still be concerned about his face. How could these casual cultivators be so full as they are today?

The wandering cultivators dispersed after dinner, but the guests on the mountain had a great time.

Fei Shuhe put a lot of thought into preparing the feast for his children. Many of the enjoyments were only available in Gyeonggi Province, and these country bumpkins were completely fascinated by it and didn't want to leave.

It was not until noon the next day that Master Kang and his fellow disciples saw off the guests who came to congratulate them.

But there is no rest yet. These gifts need to be sorted and collected. Which gifts can be left unreturned, which gifts must be returned, and which gifts can only be looked at and returned double the amount after viewing.
These all need to be distinguished, and it is quite particular.

The head of Kangda handed this matter over to Ye Zhengwen. The latter is more knowledgeable than him and is also good at manipulating people's hearts, so he will not make any mistakes.

As for Kang Dabao himself, he went to Qinghan Courtyard after the banquet.

It was true that he was proud of showing off in front of Fei Shuhe, but it was also troublesome to coax his wife afterwards. The latter is now a niece of the Golden Core, and she is much more confident than when she was forced to marry Chongmingzong.

If he really pissed her off, he might even get a letter of divorce, and then he would have to marry into a rich family with the young child of Master Kang. But how could Kang Dabao be willing to do that?

Kang Changyi, who was helping Duan Anle direct a group of outer disciples to tidy up their movements, found his father's back funny.

Kang Dabao and Fei Shuhe had a rather unhappy quarrel, but the relationship between them improved a lot. Even the eldest son of the head of the sect, who was feeling uneasy because of the birth of his legitimate son, also faded.

He did not think that his stepmother, who had loved him since he was a child, was harming him by asking him to become a disciple of Soseki Shōshū.

Even though Soseki's background was in the brothel of the Snow Mountain Road's Hon'oji Temple, it was still the largest sect of the Snow Mountain Road with a real person in charge.

Soseki Shōshū had to ask for help from his connections and use up favors to get the authentic golden elixir.

There are tens of thousands of cultivators in the 27 Daos and more than 400 prefectures in David's world, but the number of Jindan upper cultivators is definitely not that many. Not to mention that Sushi upper cultivator can be hired as a second-class worshiper by a famous family like the Yukun Han family, which is definitely not comparable to ordinary Jindan.

From this alone, we can see that Fei Shuhe has put in a lot of effort for this.

"But mother will never think of letting Xigeer become a disciple of Master Soseki." Kang Changyi was so lost in thought that he was awakened by Duan Anle beside him: "Junior brother, what are you thinking about?"

"I remembered some things in Yulin Hall. The new disciples' homework is really annoying. When Master Pei comes to check it out someday, I'm afraid he will be very angry."

Duan Anle's expression slightly changed when he heard Kang Changyi's evasive words, but he did not say anything. He just said calmly: "Yulin Hall is indeed a difficult job. Junior Brother, Junior Sister Ye, and Junior Brother Han have worked really hard."

Kang Changyi shook his head. Seeing that the chores here had been mostly done, he invited Duan Anle to take a walk outside the mountain together.

The latter saw that his junior fellow apprentice was worried, so he called a few reliable and experienced outer disciples to give them some instructions before going for a walk with Kang Changyi on the edge of the Jackdaw Mountains.

The outskirts of the Jackdaw Mountains, which were once considered a forbidden area by the great leader Kang, now make it difficult for Duan and Kang, the top second-generation disciples of the Chongming Sect, to feel the slightest reverence for them.

Not only have the powerful monsters in the nearby area been killed and driven away by several elders of the sect, but the outskirts of the Jackdaw Mountains have become a treasure trove for Chongming disciples to harvest monster materials.

Even the first-grade intermediate Qingyun Crane that Duan Anle developed together with the dragon beast master was bred because the former found a golden-feathered Gao bird that had just entered the second stage and was seriously injured and unconscious. He handed it over to the sect leader, who locked up its spiritual power, nursed it back to health, and kept it as a breeding bird.

There are only a few monsters left nearby, but Kang Changyi and Duan Anle are not here for hunting, so they don't really care about the desolation in the mountains.

The wild chestnut trees on the hillside had just sprouted pale yellow ears, and the wind blew away some of the tender shells. Kang Changyi thought the sound was very pleasant, and the scenery in the mountains in early summer was very pleasant, which made him feel quite pleasant.

After chatting with Duan Anle along the way, Kang Changyi's depression was relieved a lot.

On the way back, the two finally talked about business, but Kang Changyi changed the subject first and asked, "Brother, you should build your foundation in the next one or two years, right?"

This is something that does not need to be concealed too much. Duan Anle replied calmly: "It may be similar. I see that after Rongquan came back to pay respect to Uncle Pei this time, the knot in his heart seems to have been untied for the most part. I don't know who of us established the foundation first."

"Those two brothers will be able to become elders in the future. I would like to congratulate them in advance."

Kang Changyi has been very busy these days, and he has not been able to have a good chat with Kang Rongquan, who just came back from Lingtian in Hong County, like Duan Anle. Now that he knows that Kang Rongquan will also build a foundation, he is naturally happy.

Duan Anle just nodded and shook his head.

He didn't know that Pei Yi's failure in building his foundation was due to his own confusion. He only knew that even the latter, a senior in the sect with a gentlemanly demeanor, still failed with the help of the foundation-building pill.

It's not that Duan Anle has no confidence, but Pei Yi's previous experience is a lesson not far away. No matter how confident Duan Anle is, it is impossible for him not to be affected.

"Brother, if I can establish my foundation by chance, then after that, I should help Master share his worries."

"Haha, Senior Brother is much more filial than me."

"Master and apprentice, father and son, father and son, master and apprentice. Junior brother, how long have you known the master?"

"Ha, Senior Brother, you are right. I won't argue with you." Kang Changyi waved his hand, and the smile on his face became even more intense. "Senior brothers have made rapid progress. In the next small competition, I will definitely defeat Senior Sister Ye and take the first place."

"Your Senior Brother Jin is still here, it's not easy to get the first place."

".Then take the next session. Who knows, by then, Brother Duan, you may become a referee. But by then."

The young man's voice gradually melted into the wind until it could no longer be heard among the trees in the mountains.

(End of this chapter)