Chapter 349: 206, You and I are both drenched in snow, it’s as if we’ve grown old together (6k4).
Although Ze Sheng Forest did not wish to provoke conflict with Golden Rainbow Valley, cause a spectacle for outsiders, or instigate internal strife within the Sect, matters of marriage were unpredictable. If Xu Xing himself took a liking to a female cultivator from the Kang Family and wished to join in matrimony, then it would have nothing to do with the Kang Family. Although instances of flying into a rage for a beauty were rare, they were not unheard of in the Cultivation World.
Once the female cultivators from the Kang Family behind the screen had all retreated, Patriarch Kang Sheng exchanged a few polite words with Xu Xing and Yan Xiling, these two True Monarchs. He then clapped his hands, ordering the family’s servants to bring fine wine and exquisite dishes. These servants were all princesses and county princesses from North Yue Country, each young, beautiful, and captivating. However, they were all mortal women. After serving the wine and dishes, they began to dance gracefully in the hall.
"The Royal Family of North Yue Country was jointly supported by the Six Major Sects to take power. Although they can also be considered a cultivation family, their status is incomparable to that of the Six Major Sects."
"These mortal women, though called servants, only appear to serve when a True Monarch attends a banquet..."
"If they receive a True Monarch’s favor and are fortunate enough to give birth to immortal seeds, it would be their great fortune."
After Yan Xiling picked up a few dishes with her jade chopsticks, she noticed Xu Xing’s gaze lingering on the mortal women in the hall and whispered to him. She made no attempt to be discreet. Although these mortal women were county princesses and princesses, in terms of status and identity, they weren’t even worthy of carrying her shoes. Besides, she was speaking the truth, a fact everyone understood perfectly.
"Thank you for the reminder, Sister Yan."
Xu Xing nodded slightly, indicating he understood.
Yan Xiling’s words carried many hidden meanings. On the surface, she appeared to be talking about the dancing girls, but in reality, she was telling him that while he could "play around" at the Kang Family, his true roots lay in Golden Rainbow Valley.
"This is perch from the Whitewater River..."
"It can only be caught once every five hundred years. Sister Yan and Junior Brother Chang, you both must try it. It is currently autumn, the perfect season for stewed perch..."
After the dancing girls finished a dance, they personally prepared the stew with their own fair hands, cooking a perch stew for the guests present. This perch was a spirit fish. Once cooked, its fragrant aroma permeated the entire room.
"Perch stew is best paired with Yun Shu Tea," Kang Sheng said, then ordered a few female cultivators to pour tea for Yan Xiling and Xu Xing.
Instantly, a wisp of vapor drifted from the teacups, like white clouds swirling and unfurling in the sky, a delightful sight.
After finishing the perch stew and savoring the Yun Shu Tea, the three of them took the opportunity to discuss some internal matters of the Sect, such as asking Xu Xing for his views on certain affairs and whether he agreed with Sect Master Gu Chengbin’s way of handling things.
"I agree with Sect Master Gu’s way of handling matters, it’s just..." Xu Xing pondered for a moment and pointed out some of Gu Chengbin’s shortcomings.
But after mentioning Gu Chengbin’s flaws, he shook his head and said, "Under the sky, not all decisions can be perfect. What we perceive as shortcomings might actually be the brilliance of Sect Master Gu’s approach..."
At today’s banquet, if he had deliberately feigned ignorance, it would have meant treating those present as outsiders. But if he had truly spoken carelessly, he would clearly have offended Sect Master Gu Chengbin. When a Sect or a Power genuinely sought to recruit talent into its high-level members, they wouldn’t just consider strength but also assess their interpersonal and management skills. It was common for cultivators of low status to remain humble. However, once a cultivator’s status rose, it was not uncommon for them to become proud and complacent.
The three of them toasted each other, discussed important matters, and felt their relationship grow somewhat closer.
After spending three days as a guest at Ze Sheng Forest, Xu Xing bade farewell and returned to his Cave Mansion.
「The next day,」 he was informed by a disciple sent by Sect Master Gu Chengbin that he could take up positions in Crane Mountain Marketplace and other such markets.
In the one hundred years since Jinglian True Monarch’s disappearance, Crane Mountain Marketplace and a dozen or so other markets had naturally not fallen into mismanagement. Several Returning Core Elders had been managing Crane Mountain Marketplace. The difference was that Xu Xing was a True Monarch and would hold the main position. These dozen or so markets, including Crane Mountain Marketplace, would henceforth become his "sphere of influence." The previous Returning Core Elders had only been temporary managers.
Sect Master Gu’s political skills are quite profound. Kang Yu’s apology was indeed related to him in some way...
Upon receiving the Sect Master’s order, Xu Xing immediately surmised that the previous incidents involving the Immeasurable Sect all bore traces of Sect Master Gu Chengbin’s involvement. However, Xu Xing didn’t resent Sect Master Gu Chengbin’s methods. After all, the Sect Master was also acting in his interest and had helped him resolve his prior grudges with Ze Yuan’s faction.
Upon arriving at Crane Mountain Marketplace, Xu Xing didn’t implement any drastic reforms or show favoritism. He simply allowed the market managers and House Elders to continue their duties as before. The revenue and offerings from the market alone weren’t much; the real money was in inter-zhou trade. However, before engaging in inter-zhou trade, he needed to establish trade channels with East Huangzhou.
「Two and a half years later.」
In East Huangzhou, Xu Xing, disguised as a freelance cultivator, after some effort, successfully joined the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Wangchuan Sea not only had the Flying Feather Immortal Palace and the Mingquan Sect, these two major sects, but also a considerable number of freelance cultivators and various small and medium-sized sects. The Hundred Treasures Pavilion was a business association that generally welcomed the addition of powerful individuals, essentially accepting all comers, as long as the cultivators were not on the wanted lists of the Ten Major Sects.
Of course, during the process of joining the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the pavilion would also compel these cultivators to use Blood Oath Talismans to swear blood oaths. Cultivation methods or physiques capable of dispelling Blood Oath Talismans were rare in the Cultivation World. Ordinary cultivators lacked such means and could only be bound by the Blood Oath Talismans, remaining indentured to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Jinglian True Monarch’s Purifying World White Lotus Technique... was a special cultivation method.
I returned to East Huangzhou twenty years ahead of schedule. To think, there’s one thing I almost forgot...