Chapter 26: Coveting Another's Fortune, Desires Arising from Emptiness

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!"

"That Jiang Sheng was definitely trying to kill me just now!"

Young Master Kongxu was flying through the air, his expression terrifyingly grim!

He knew Jiang Sheng was powerful, and his original intention was to force Jiang Sheng out of the mountain to save some strength and trump cards.

But he hadn't expected that Qingping Mountain was actually a hidden spiritual vein site!

He finally understood why Jiang Sheng was unwilling to leave Qingping Mountain; if he had such a precious land, he wouldn't want to move either!

He had only uttered a few playful words, but Jiang Sheng's gaze had been as if he were about to send him into reincarnation in the next instant, making him not dare to linger any longer.

He was terrified that a single wrong word might provoke that fellow and lead to him being slain by a single sword strike!

Jiang Sheng was a ruthless man who had killed the Eight Wolves of East County!

As his thoughts raced through his mind, Young Master Kongxu's eyes suddenly lit up: "If I leak this news to Wenren Jie and Qiao Xuan, once they know Qingping Mountain is a treasure trove, will they be able to restrain themselves?"

"And if the three of them are together then, Jiang Sheng will have an extra layer of concern no matter what!"

"Yes, that's it! I'll inform them of this, and I can even leak it privately to other forces. There must be someone among those sects and clans that will be tempted by Qingping Mountain!"

As he thought, Young Master Kongxu's heart grew increasingly fervent. If someone else truly laid eyes on Qingping Mountain, could he take the opportunity to grab a share of the spoils?

After all, the resources at hand were not enough to support him to the Purple Mansion stage; even reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment was somewhat difficult.

He just wondered what grade of spiritual vein Qingping Mountain possessed...

Even after returning to Qingshan County, Young Master Kongxu's mind was still occupied by these thoughts, until he finally calmed down upon returning to the county magistrate's office.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Young Master Kongxu put on a helpless, resigned-looking expression: "My apologies, everyone. I was unable to to invite Daoist Jiang. Daoist Jiang stated plainly that unless it is the appointed day, he will not descend from the mountain."

Zhang Qingyun and Zhang Qing heard this and were clearly disappointed, while Xu Xiao also let out a helpless sigh.

Wenren Jie was somewhat annoyed: "Daoist Jiang's skills are profound and his background is extraordinary. If he were to act, whether it be evil cultivators or those forces hidden in the shadows, they would surely be wary of him. Unlike now, which leaves us feeling hamstrung!"

Old Man Qiao Xuan was puffing on his pipe, looking as if he were indifferent to the mortal world: "Everyone has their own ambitions; one cannot force them. It is already quite good that Daoist Jiang is willing to help us slay demons and eliminate evil. Perhaps these matters simply do not catch Daoist Jiang's eye."

Young Master Kongxu also added casually, as if it were an afterthought: "Indeed. I wonder what is so good about Qingping Mountain that allows Daoist Jiang to remain in seclusion in there. Those who don't know might think it's a blessed land!"

Xu Xiao had not thought much of it initially, but upon hearing this, her brows furrowed slightly. She remembered that when she went to Qingping Mountain to collect talismans, she seemed to have sensed something strange about the mountain's aura.

But at the time, she hadn't thought much of it, assuming Jiang Sheng had set up some formation to prevent evil cultivators from spying on his training grounds...

Thinking about it now, Jiang Sheng's stubborn refusal to leave the mountain seemed to truly hide something.

But Xu Xiao quickly suppressed the thought.

Whatever Jiang Sheng was hiding, it was his own business and had nothing to do with others. Moreover, the River God's Great Sacrifice is approaching, and when the time comes, Jiang Sheng's strength as a powerful expert will be indispensable for slaying the demon in the river.

Therefore, Xu Xiao directly interrupted the group's train of thought: "Enough. Daoist Jiang's seclusion is also for the purpose of slaying demons and eliminating evil. Among us, Daoist Jiang is the strongest; perhaps he is simply honing his edge in the mountains."

Wenren Jie nodded thoughtfully: "That makes sense. Before any great battle, one must adjust one's state of mind. It is said that Daoist Jiang's swordsmanship is superb; perhaps he is cultivating his sword intent in the mountains, merely waiting to be unsheathed."

Seeing that both Xu Xiao and Wenren Jie had said as much, Young Master Kongxu did not continue to steer the conversation toward Qingping Mountain. Regardless, he had already planted a seed in everyone's minds. They might not think much of it now with a great battle looming, but what about after the battle?

When that seed sprouts and takes root, will they still be like they are now?

There was no guarantee they wouldn't go to Qingping Mountain to snoop around!

Thus, Young Master Kongxu smiled and said: "Quite so. Everyone, let us discuss how we should proceed next."

Zhang Qing heard this and immediately spoke up: "Very well. Now that we are all gathered, I will repeat the plan once more."

"The annual River God's Great Sacrifice in Qingshan County takes place on New Year's Eve at noon. The sacrifice begins officially at the first quarter past noon. Our plan is to launch our operation on the twenty-seventh of the twelfth lunar month, three days before New Year's Eve."

"At that time, we will gather all cultivators, and together we will head to Donghe Town to attack the River God's Water Palace." presence of the River God's Water Palace.

"If the demon is not awake, we will strike directly to slay it. If the demon is awake, we will use those Qi Refinement stage cultivators as fodder to hold it back, and then launch our assassination attempt at night!"

"It is said that before the River God's Great Sacrifice, the demon will enter a very brief period of weakness. Although we do not know why the demon is weak during that time, this information is fifty percent credible."

"As long as we seize this opportunity, the demon's death is certain!"

The others nodded one after another. If the demon truly had a period of weakness before the River God's Great Sacrifice, the chances of success would increase significantly.

Moreover, with those Qi Refinement rogue cultivators acting as cannon fodder, the plan seemed solid no matter how one looked at it.

After agreeing on the plan, the group dispersed once more to search for traces of evil cultivators throughout the county, while simultaneously sealing off various parts of the county to prevent the gentry and wealthy merchants from causing further trouble.

Zhang Qingyun, having been pushed to his limit by the gentry, followed Zhang Qing's advice and had the cultivators seal off different areas, dividing the entire Qingshan County into various sectors.

By preventing the local people and the gentry from uniting, the situation could be temporarily stabilized.

Once the river demon was slain, the people and the gentry would naturally understand Zhang Qingyun's intentions.

Currently, there were eight Foundation Establishment cultivators in the city, with Xu Xiao presiding over the county magistrate's office, Wenren Jie, Young Master Kongxu, and Old Man Qiao Xuan guarding the most important North and South districts, while the remaining four were assigned to the East and West districts. The Qi Refinement rogue cultivators were organized under the command of the group, each responsible for a small area.

Young Master Kongxu was naturally handsome, a Foundation Establishment cultivator with extraordinary abilities, and quite famous throughout the entire Qingzhou province. Combined with his deliberate display of an elegant and refined demeanor, people only thought of him as a talented scholar.

Consequently, the gentry and wealthy merchants in the city were all willing to associate with him.

Young Master Kongxu spent most of his time as a guest in the homes of various gentry families, and every time he recited poetry and drank wine, he was accompanied by a large number of literati and scholars, as well as the flirtatious glances of wealthy young ladies, which brought him great pleasure.

Of course, Young Master Kongxu knew that they only flattered him because he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but so what?

After leaving the county magistrate's office, Young Master Kongxu naturally went to the home of a local gentry family.

This gentry family was surnamed Huang, a famous family in Qingshan County with vast lands and many shops, making them incredibly wealthy.

And Master Huang was the first to invite Young Master Kongxu to visit. Young Master Kongxu had visited the Huang family many times, and every time, Master Huang would treat him with the highest level of hospitality, even allowing Young Master Kongxu to choose from the family's maids and concubines.

This time, Master Huang invited him again, and Young Master Kongxu naturally accepted without hesitation.

Upon arriving at the Huang family estate, he was met with a great deal of dancing, singing, and fine wine and delicacies, accompanied by beautiful women, which left Young Master Kongxu very satisfied.

While the wine was flowing, Master Huang suddenly leaned in and whispered something to Young Master Kongxu. Young Master Kongxu's eyes lit up, and he followed Master Huang to the study in the Huang family's backyard.

"Master Huang, what treasure do you have that requires me to come here?" Young Master Kongxu looked at him; though he was drunk, his eyes were very clear. He was no fool; how could he easily let down his guard?

Master Huang presented a chest with great solemnity: "Young Master Kongxu, you may not know, but the reason my Huang family has achieved what it has today is thanks to the treasure in this chest!"

Young Master Kongxu narrowed his eyes slightly. After sensing the surroundings and confirming that no hidden weapons were concealed in the chest, he smiled and said: "Then I must trouble Master Huang to open it, so that I may take a look?"

Master Huang nodded and placed the chest on the desk and opened it. Under a red silk cloth, there appeared to be a sculpture.

As Master Huang pulled back the red silk, Young Master Kongxu immediately drew his sword, his expression incredibly solemn: the sculpture was, quite clearly, the likeness of the River God of Qingshan County!

"Master Huang, what is the meaning of this?" Young Master Kongxu's voice was cold, and his Biqu Water Dharma Sword was held against Master Huang's throat.

Master Huang cautiously raised his hands to show he meant no harm, and said softly: "Young Master Kongxu, the River God says that he can help you achieve the Purple Mansion stage."

Young Master Kongxu's expression did not change, but a cold smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth: "You want me to believe a demon?"

Master Huang continued: "The River God is sincere in helping the young master. The River God is willing to pay the young master with a Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill first!"

The Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill—the best pill for a Foundation Establishment cultivator attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion stage, which could increase one's chances of success by thirty percent!

Young Master Kongxu was finally moved, but his sword remained steady against Master Huang's throat: "A Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill? There are hardly any such precious pills in the entire East County. How could I, of such little merit, be worthy of such high regard from the River God?"

Master Huang chuckled, his finger cautiously pushing aside the blade of the Biqu Water Dharma Sword: "You only need to reveal a little information, Young Master Kongxu."

"If you can continue to cooperate with the River God, then the Purple Sun Jade and the Purple Heart Jade Marrow might not be out of reach..."

(End of Chapter)