Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 402: Farewell and Farewell

"Send a letter to the 194 Taoist families in Ping and Jin counties, asking them to hang up the portrait of Shan Gong in their halls from now on, and worship him in the morning and evening as a legacy."

"Order the incumbent chiefs of Ping and Jin counties to establish a local shrine for local sages. When the county temples select immortal seedlings, they must first let the children worship the statue of the mountain god."

"Investigate all the mortal households under the jurisdiction of Chongming Sect, and distribute five dou of rice and flour, one pound of meat, and five he of oil. At the same time, make it clear that everyone must pay respects from now on.

It was clearly decreed that within 27 days, people should take off their crowns and tassels, wear white mourning clothes, and refrain from offering sacrifices. They were not allowed to marry within the month, and they were not allowed to slaughter animals within 49 days. They were not allowed to visit prostitutes or hold banquets within 100 days. Each village and community was assigned a special person to supervise them. Those who violated the rules during this period were punished with forced labor and were not allowed to redeem their sins with money.

"Please ask the post houses in various places to pass on the news and inform all places in Yunjiaozhou that the spirit of Mr. Shan will be kept in Chongmingzong for ten days to pay tribute to those who come to pay tribute."

After the head of the Kang family was busy making arrangements, he finally found some time to approach the black-shoe Taoist who was standing in front of Zi Lingmu's coffin and said,
"Uncle Master, I have arranged everything for the boys. Do you have any other instructions?"

The Taoist priest in black shoes spoke in a low voice, "Why is it so costly and laborious to arrange this? What Mr. Shan hated the most was this kind of face-saving work. Every time there was a national mourning, he would jump up and down and curse."

"As the younger generation, we must do something." Kang Dabao saw that the black-shoe Taoist's expression did not improve, so he said again: "Those people in the past were not worthy of it, but Shan Gong is worthy of it."

The Taoist priest Heilu nodded and said nothing more.

Master Kang didn't know what to say at this moment, so he just stood beside the Taoist Heilu for a while and then turned around to do other things.

Shan Gong suddenly died in Chongming Sect, and Chongming Sect, which was in the middle of a competition, was almost thrown into chaos.

The disciples who won good rankings did not dare to show any joy at this time, and did not even dare to ask about the rewards promised in advance. They were afraid of being caught by the sullen-faced elders and being severely punished.

Under the hurried urging of Kang Dabao and others, the mourning hall for Shan Gong was quickly built in the main hall of Chongming Sect.

This time, the always pragmatic and down-to-earth Sect Master Kang Da was not stingy and personally wrote the inventory list. He spent the spirit stones he had painstakingly saved in the sect's warehouse like water, helping his disciples buy a lot of famous artifacts and ornaments that were rarely used in the Chongming Sect and were flashy and impractical.

In this way, Yin Shangong's mourning hall was decorated in an ancient and grand style, which was completely different from the simple style during his lifetime.

Qin Sufu quickly came over with red eyes, followed by his wife Yue, whose face showed a rare expression of grief.

This is not surprising. Yin Shangong was just a Qigong cultivator throughout his life, and the so-called teachings and blessings he brought were only to low-level minor cultivators. It is natural that the local tyrants in the border states, such as the Yue family, are not very interested in him, and there is no reason to blame him.

However, the appearance of this woman seemed to create a slight rift between Qin Sufu and the people of Chongming Sect.

But in the end, no one showed it. They changed into linen clothes with Qin Sufu and his wife, and stood in front of the hall to welcome people who came to pay their respects and offer sacrifices.

Contrary to the expectation of a large number of people coming to pay their respects to the headmaster Kang, there were quite a few people who came to pay their respects during these ten days. However, most of them were low-level casual cultivators who were not even familiar with the name of Shan Gong, and they came over mountains and rivers just to have a vegetarian feast. As for the remaining few, they needed to be sorted out.

Among them, three are cunning men who are flatterers who want to curry favor with Qin Sufu, a high-ranking official in the provincial court and the legitimate son-in-law of the Yue family;

Among them, most of the Sanyi were people who made a living in Ping and Jin counties. They had some admiration for the Taoist Heilu and the head of Kang sect, so they took this opportunity to show off their reputation in order to establish a good relationship with them.

Only the remaining 31s may have truly admired Shan Gong's deeds and therefore took the trouble to come and pay homage.

Everyone in the hall was chilled to the bone by this scene.

Kang Dabao originally thought that the Taoist Heilu was also very angry, but after watching him for a few days, he found that his cheap uncle was still as calm as ever, not saying a word all day long, as if he didn't care at all.

Sect Leader Kang was afraid that something was wrong, so he approached the Taoist Black Shoes and was about to offer words of comfort, but the latter spoke first: "It's nothing. It would be strange if people like Shan Gong and my elder brother, who are good people, were to come to our temple like those immoral cultivators at this time."

After hearing this, Master Kang remained silent, and looked unhappy until the end of the funeral.

Ten days passed quickly, and Master Kang did not wait a moment to dismantle the mourning hall, which was completely different from what he had imagined.

He originally wanted to bury Shan Gong next to his master's tomb, so that in addition to fulfilling the gratitude between the two of them as master and disciple, Chongmingzong could also have someone to take care of him. However, Qin Sufu rejected Kang Dabao's idea and took Shan Gong back to Yushan Island.

There are many memories of the master and disciple there, and it is a place that Qin Sufu had chosen early on.

I think if the leader of the fellow practitioners' association and the only foundation-building priest Li Mingyuan are sensible, they would not dare to be negligent in their duties, considering that Qin Sufu, the provincial military commander, and the head of Kangda are in charge of two counties.

Kang Dabao had no right to argue with Qin Sufu, his genuine disciple. He just accompanied the latter back to the Yushan Practitioners' Association and gave a warning to several people in charge of the association. Then he and Qin Sufu parted ways and said goodbye.

As soon as he entered the Chongming Sect's archway, Master Kang saw a handsome boy with a pigtail.

"Chang'er?" Kang Dabao's voice was slightly surprised, and he only asked, "Why are you here alone?"

When He Chang saw that Sect Leader Kang had returned to the clan, his eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "Uncle, my mother and Uncle Hei saw that Chang'er was waiting for you here, and they want you to come back and then they will take you back to the courtyard."

"Oh?" Kang Dabao's heart sank when he heard this, but he didn't show it. He just smiled at the little guy, lifted him onto his shoulders, and walked towards He Wanying's courtyard.

His shoulders were broad, and He Chang felt that sitting on them was more comfortable than sitting on a cross-legged stool as usual.

Today, the grandson of Master He is already seven years old. His spiritual roots were just detected in the autumn of this year. He is currently practicing in the Yulin Hall of the Chongming Sect. He has finally led the spirit into his body and has become a disciple at the first level of Qi training.

What made Master Kang feel fortunate was that although He Chang’s aptitude could not be considered good, he at least did not inherit his father Feng Wan’s five spiritual roots.

Although he was only at the bottom of the class of his peers in Yulin Hall, with all four spiritual roots, he thought that with the care of Kang Dabao and other elders, his cultivation would not be too bumpy compared to his peers with more outstanding qualifications.

The courtyard where He Wanying lived was not far from the sect's archway. The uncle and nephew chatted and laughed all the way, and soon they walked into the courtyard one after another.

He Wanying, who was tanning talisman paper in the inner courtyard, saw the arrival of Master Kang. She quickly put down her work, went into the retreat room without saying hello, and invited the Taoist Black Shoes out.

Kang Dabao hurriedly stepped forward, bowed his head and said, "The spiritual energy here is thin, why does Master Uncle need to practice here? If you have something to say, just use the letter to summon my brother and sister, and I will bring Wanying to the Biha Cave Mansion."

"Don't be bound by these customs. This is my last day in Xiaohuan Mountain. There are no outsiders around. Tear off your refreshing oil paper and feel free."

Although the sadness in the Taoist Heilu's eyes was still hard to conceal at this moment, it was much better than when Master Kang was leaving.

Even when he spoke, there was a rare hint of sarcasm in his tone, which was a rare expression that could only be seen when he was in a good mood in the past.

"Master uncle is leaving?!" The brother and sister asked in unison. He Wanying had no idea of ​​the seriousness of the matter, and after asking, she added: "How long will Master uncle be gone this time? How long will it take? When will he come back? Wanying can also prepare some food."

"Junior sister is right. I will call Shilun here and ask him to serve my uncle well." Kang Dabao was about to continue what He Wanying said, but he saw the Taoist Heilu slightly waving his hand, and he stopped talking.

"Wanying doesn't know, what are you pretending to be?" The black-shoe Taoist glanced at the head of Kang Da, and whispered to He Wanying: "This time, I don't know when I will come back."

"Ah, uncle, this senior brother of yours..." When He Wanying heard the news, her beautiful eyes were instantly filled with surprise.

His guess was exactly right. Kang Dabao, who was usually quite talkative, stopped talking and just lowered his head, waiting for Taoist Heilu to continue speaking.

As soon as the Taoist Heishi finished speaking, He Wanying knew that she had no right to say a word about the matter.

As soon as she left the man, her mind became clear, and she immediately hid her disappointment and changed the subject, "Master, do you want to eat anything else?"

At this time, the Taoist Heishi temporarily hid the sadness in his eyes and said with a faint smile: "As far as I can remember, the dumplings stuffed with locust flowers made by my sister-in-law were the most delicious. It has been many years since I have tasted them. I just don't know if my niece can make them."

"Wanying will do it with all her heart." He Wanying was surprised to hear this. After agreeing, she was so nervous that she was about to go out, but Kang Dabao, who was bowing his head beside her, stopped her: "Are you crazy? Don't you see what time it is? It's winter, where are the locust flowers?"

"This..." He Wanying was stunned after hearing what Master Kang said, and then she reacted: "Yes, Senior Brother is right. Uncle, there are no locust flowers now, so let's wait until the beginning of summer when the flowers first bloom, and then have this meal." The black-shoe Taoist smiled even more, and glanced at Kang Dabao who was shrinking his head, and then said to He Wanying: "What nonsense are you talking about, niece? We are not ordinary people, you go find Yixiu, he has his own way."

He Wanying didn't try to persuade him anymore and nodded quickly. She was about to take He Chang to find Zhou Yixiu, but she saw the Taoist in black shoes reached out and held her in his arms, then waved his hand and urged her to leave.

He Wanying took a last look at Master Kang, who was still burying his head. Seeing that the latter had no reaction, she walked out of the yard anxiously.

"Uncle Hei, when will you be able to come back to see Chang'er after you leave like this?"

"Haha, uncle doesn't know either. Maybe it will be a long time. Maybe by that time, my Chang'er will have become an uncle too."

"Ah, it takes so long?!" He Chang was so shocked that his two big eyes opened as big as copper bells. Kang Dabao also raised his head slightly, but as soon as his gaze met the Taoist Heilu's, he retracted his head again.

"So where is Uncle going?"

"To the open sea."

"What are you going to do in the open sea?"

"Go and practice, go and form a golden elixir, form a high-grade golden elixir, and after forming a golden elixir, you can form an infant. After forming an infant, you have to wait until your uncle's practice is complete, and then you can come back to see Chang'er."

After the grandparents and grandchildren chatted for a while, He Wanying and Zhou Yixiu returned to the yard with a basket of fresh locust flowers.

It is impossible that they are the only two who came back this time. Taoist Heilu has no intention of suppressing the news. After hearing the news, who among the people of high status in Chongming Sect would not come?

After He Wanying came back, she took He Chang from the Taoist Heilu's arms and took a group of people to the outer courtyard to work, leaving the inner courtyard to Taoist Heilu and Kang Dabao alone.

"When will Master Uncle set off?" Master Kang finally stopped being silent and asked with a gun.

The Taoist priest in black shoes raised his lips again, walked over and patted Kang Dabao on the shoulder, then said slowly: "I can't stay for a few days. Since I want a top-grade golden elixir, this Shannan Road is too small. After all, I don't want to be a lackey of David Immortal Dynasty, so I have to continue to look for it in the open sea."

“Superior golden elixir.”

Although Kang Dabao had heard this news from the previous conversation between Heilu Taoist and He Chang, he was still a little surprised when he heard Heilu Taoist speak again.

The Taoist Hei Lu suppressed his smile and continued to speak firmly, "Haha, I'm just looking for an opportunity. It may not work and I may die. There's nothing we can do about it. Most of the golden elixirs cultivated in Shannan Dao are of low quality, and even medium quality ones are rare.

They are both golden elixirs, but in the eyes of the top golden elixirs, these two are like pigs and dogs. I have to go somewhere else to look for it, or maybe go far beyond the outer sea. Even if it is farther away, even leaving David Immortal Dynasty and going to other forces under Kuling Mountain, Uncle Master will go to look for it. "

"Uncle-master is so ambitious." Kang Dabao breathed a sigh of relief, because in his impression, forming a top-grade golden elixir was something that only royal nobles like Kuang Liuting, who only appeared once in several generations, could dream of.

Kang Dabao had no intention of trying to persuade him again, and just said, "I think there must be a lot of danger in this."

"It is indeed dangerous. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a life-or-death situation. But practitioners should fight for their lives with the heavens. If you are slow, you will be slow all the time. I can't wait any longer." The Taoist with black shoes looked calm. Even if others came closer to take a closer look, they could not see any fear on his face.

"Uncle Master," Kang Dabao gritted his teeth. He didn't dare to tell anyone about the secrets of the black bone and the Hunyuan Gourd, but
Sect Leader Kang flipped his wrist and took out an object: "This is what I found in an ancient tomb. Please take it with you and keep it with you."

"Ha, it's rare to see you being so filial," the Taoist in Black Shoes showed a look of delight at first, and then he stretched out his hand to take it without any care. However, as soon as he got the item in his hand, without even looking at it for a moment, the Taoist in Black Shoes gradually put away his smile.

"Where did you get this third-level mid-grade flying sword?!"

"The boy found it in the cave."

"Impossible. This flying sword is full of sharpness, yet it has not been opened and stained with blood. It is obviously a top-notch work forged by everyone in recent years. How could it be sealed for many years? How is it possible?" Taoist Heilu stopped talking halfway through.

He stretched out his hand to push the flying sword back, and said, "Keep it and leave it to Qing'er. When Qing'er reaches the peak of foundation building, he may use this sword to strike a blow to hurt the fake pill. But after this sword appears in the world, there will definitely be a lot of trouble, you need it."

"Since the ninth day of the first lunar month in the 424th year of the Qianfeng reign, this flying sword has been prepared for Master Uncle. I only hope that this sword can help Master Uncle to have a smoother journey on his journey, and that will be the fulfillment of my filial piety."

"Ha," after hearing this, Taoist Heilu counted with his fingers, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.

His newly grown beard was a little messy and was blown up by the mountain breeze. At the same time, the image of Kang Dabao in his eyes vaguely overlapped with the towering shadow in his memory.

The black-shoe Taoist stared at Kang Dabao blankly for a long while before he suddenly smiled and said, "You really look like your master."

After he finished speaking, he no longer refused, and regardless of the slight confusion on Master Kang's face after hearing what he said, he just laughed and made a sword seal, raised the flying sword with a sharp aura, and sent it into the hands of the Taoist Heilu.

It was a very warm and affectionate moment, but the two of them didn't know what to say. They only knew that the sadness of parting was getting stronger and stronger in the courtyard, and it was difficult to speak to the two of them.

Fortunately, He Wanying saw that there was not much movement in the inner courtyard at this time, so she bravely asked for food, thus breaking the deadlock: "Uncle Master, the dumplings are ready."

"Let's go," Taoist Heilu put away his flying sword, but he felt that this rare third-level magic weapon was not as popular as the lazy boy in front of him.

The latter took a deep breath, and the dejected look on his face disappeared instantly. He smiled and walked out of the inner courtyard with the Taoist in black shoes.

————Five days later, Xiaohuan Mountain
"Don't send me off. We will have to say goodbye one day."

Taoist Heilu said goodbye to the younger generations who came to see him off one by one, and said with a chuckle to Kang Dabao, who was left behind.

The latter heaved a long sigh, bowed his head for the last time and said: "The road to immortality is bumpy, I hope Uncle Master will take care of himself!"

The Taoist priest with black shoes nodded and said, "I have reflected on myself. You don't need to worry about me at home. After I leave, the state government's attitude towards you may change. You need to be prepared. The Kuang family is the most heartless and ungrateful. I don't think An Kuang Liuting can escape this conclusion. You have to be careful and don't let him sell you out."

"The boy understands."

"And your Yue family, the Fei family of Yingzhou, has placed a heavy bet on Kuang Liuting. If they win, it's fine, but if not, it's hard to say. There are rumors that after Fei Ye's death, if the Kuang family doesn't cover it up, his family may be in danger of collapse."

"The boy understands."

After the Taoist priest Heishi nodded, he turned halfway and then turned back. He looked at Kang Dabao deeply again before speaking:

"It may take hundreds of years, or you may never come back. But no matter what, you must practice well. Otherwise, when I return with my golden elixir, you will be old and still call me uncle. How can that be?

"Little Xiao"

"When I come back, I will tell you what happened. I just hope you don't blame me when the time comes."

Kang Dabao opened his eyes suddenly, and before he could ask, the black-shoe Taoist had already turned around decisively. As the latter stepped on the Suqiu Sword and disappeared into the clouds, he was still shouting: "I'm leaving! Brother Bao, you should practice well and wait for me to come back!"

The Kangda Sect Leader said nothing more, and only watched the back of the black-shoeed Taoist gradually leave. The feeling at this moment was exactly the same as when he stood up from the sickbed of the old Sect Leader He and took over the stone ring of the Sect Leader.

"From now on, there will be no more big trees to provide shade above my head," he sighed, then smiled again, "It's nothing, Master Uncle wanted to leave a long time ago, but he was worried about him, so he let us drag him down."

Unable to bear the sight of the Black Shoe Taoist's departing figure, Sect Leader Kang turned around, stroking the stone ring in his hand, and continued to think: "I have done well and will not disappoint Master and Uncle Master again. You know, forty-four years ago, I was just a weak and humble cultivator at the second level of Qi training."

The setting sun generously cast a ray of sunlight onto Kang Dabao's broad and thick back, warming him so much that he straightened his spine and got rid of all his decadence.

"I, Kang Dabao, will definitely make this Chongming Sect prosperous and everlasting!"

(End of this chapter)