Free Web NovelChapter 352: Chapter 312: Four Years Later
In the year Jiashen 367, January, the great war between Zhongming County and Sanshan County finally ended. Zhongming County ceded the Kong Family Castle and Fucang Mountain, along with their Spirit Veins and surrounding territories, in exchange for temporary peace.
Simultaneously, the name of a Foundation Establishment Sect was rapidly spreading throughout the neighboring counties.
Yunshan Sect.
Yunshan Sect led the Shuangye Alliance to rebel against Xuanguang Sect, defecting to Liangxiang County, and later, with the support of Mingyu Sword Sect, occupied Lingsha City and Golden Dawn Peak, using these two locations as a base to gradually expand outward.
Mingyu Sword Sect, on the other hand, dispatched their subsidiary sects led by the Divine Flood Dragon Sect to station law enforcement teams in Shuangye Square and set up outposts in the surrounding area, controlling parts of southeastern Zhongming County.
Shuangye Alliance and Shuangye Square, one in the south and one in the north, effectively controlled more than one-fifth of Zhongming County’s territory.
But that was not the most crucial factor. What truly made Yunshan Sect and Shuangye Alliance famous was the Sect Leader Lu Qian’s statement: "For twelve years, do not obey orders; after twelve years, comply with orders but not directives!"
A Foundation Establishment Sect, one located in the northeastern part of Zhongming County, far from Liangxiang County, actually had the audacity to stake its claim, rivaling Xuanguang Sect in status, and had the boldness to make such grand declarations, neither humble nor arrogant towards Golden Core Sects?
For a time, there were the curious, the admiring, the envious, and the disdainful.
No matter the sentiment, the names Yunshan Sect, Shuangye Alliance, and Lu Qian, the Sect Leader of Yunshan Sect and Alliance Leader of Shuangye Alliance, began circulating through the neighboring counties. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Countless people harbored resentment, eager to see how this rising star builds a tower high, and how it eventually collapses.
Unfortunately for the spectating crowd, Shuangye Alliance flourished these past years, standing its ground, thriving, with no signs of bleak desperation or sect annihilation.
In the blink of an eye, four and a half years have passed.
In the year Jiashen 371, June 5th, the third Shuangye Square "Six-Six Festival" was on the brink of opening.
Since the first "Six-Six Festival" five years ago was a resounding success, the upper management of Shuangye Alliance decided, based on the frequency and regularity of cultivators’ shopping habits, to hold the festival every two to three years, promoting it to the surrounding counties six months in advance.
The festival’s three foundational pillars—shopping, tournaments, and talent recruitment—continued, and were constantly innovated.
"Ten days of the festival, stock up for ten years!"
"Come to Shuangye Square arena, meet heroes of the world!"
"Only talent matters, recruit and use them!"
The three slogans have spread far and wide, familiar to all. The promise of "half-price meals and free transportation" was alluring, and as the Sky Ray station points became more widespread, attracting waves of cultivators; as long as they board a Shuangye Alliance-chartered Sky Ray from a county station point, they can reach Shuangye Square in one go, convenient and fast.
At this moment, in a tavern in Shuangye Square, now packed to the brim, the aroma of food and wine wafted, voices clamorous.
"Distinguished Immortal Masters and heroes, Shuangye Alliance wishes to express that tomorrow marks the first day of the festival. You’ve come a long way, yet still fervent; today all taverns in Shuangye Square offer free drinks, feel free to indulge, all costs are on Shuangye Alliance!"
The tavern shopkeeper loudly announced, immediately eliciting cheers, and mortal servants skillfully navigated the establishment, delivering pots of fine wine to cultivators’ tables.
"Oh, truly didn’t come amiss." A cultivator opened his clothes, drinking heartily as the fragrance of wine spread, "This is the way people ought to be treated, compared to those measly goods thrown out! Last year Xinghu County’s Starlight Square tried to imitate, holding some sort of shopping festival, but when we went, pfft! Claimed half-price meals, but even watered down the wine, practically having us stay in sheds!"
His companion, not holding his liquor well, mumbled after several cups: "If you can’t afford it, don’t pretend, Shuangye Alliance is generous! They’re destined for riches. Know that if you take this fine wine outside, its worth would be, this amount..."
He struggled to hold up several fingers, failing to calculate, giving up helplessly.
In a corner of the hall, a young cultivator couldn’t help but ask: "Brother, does Shuangye Alliance truly have such strong financial resources? Giving away such good wine, how many Spirit Stones would be burned in one night? Can they earn it back?"
The muscular man next to him shook his head; he had a bald head, skin bronze-hued, covered in scars seemingly from high-temperature burns, quietly eating instead of drinking: "Don’t bother with so much. Figure out the way forward first."
"Way forward, what way forward could there be." The young cultivator’s features resembled the muscular man but was thinner, paler, with a simple ponytail, crestfallenly mumbling, "Drink today if there’s wine today..."
Speaking, he reached for the wine, but the muscular man’s rough hand stopped him: "Tao Zhongxian, do you know what time it is now? You dare drink? Tired of living? Once drunk, you won’t even have the strength to escape!"
Seeing his brother angry, Tao Zhongxian withdrew his hand, meekly replied: "This marketplace is bustling with people, Baose Manor’s men won’t find us so soon..."
The muscular man, disappointed yet empathetic, knocked Tao Zhongxian on the head: "You fool, look diagonally opposite!"
Tao Zhongxian lifted his gaze, seeing eight solemn-faced cultivators staring at him, uniformed in sect attire, clearly from Baose Manor!
When did they catch up? And seated so close all along!
His face turned pale, the leading cultivator among them made a throat-slitting gesture, causing him to tremble, nearly shrieking aloud.
"Useless thing!" The muscular man felt both anger and sorrow, "Where’s the courage you had snatching women from others? Your talent surpasses mine yet refuses diligence! If you focused, avoiding frivolity, how would you end in this plight? Were it not for sibling bond, I’d leave you!"
He scolded but saw no change, lowering his voice: "Eat your food! Law seems strict here, Baose Manor won’t act rashly, so eat first, then plan."
Yet Tao Zhongxian could hardly hold chopsticks, lamenting, "Brother, I truly regret it now."
The muscular man sighed: "Regret’s late, ultimately you carry a life debt, we need to think of a solution..."
Unexpectedly, Tao Zhongxian added: "Ci’Er said, her true love is Junior Brother Fengg. Why is it like this? All the fighting with Senior Brother Qin was for what..."
The muscular man nearly cracked his teeth, given the wrong situation, he’d surely slap this brother twice.
Amidst life and death, still regretting that!
Just then, a nearby cultivator remarked: "Only talent matters, recruit and use them. Shuangye Alliance is indeed eager for talent, could it truly ignore cultivators’ past? Us loose cultivators suffer too much, no one to back us up, wary of deceit into labor."
His companion quickly intervened: "You’ve drunk too much! Don’t dare slander Shuangye Alliance!"
Seeing no reaction around, he continued: "I’m unclear about the other sects within Shuangye Alliance, but the leader Yunshan Sect, truly has responsibility and vision. Guess what, I have a friend, skilled slightly in Alchemy, got deceived into gambling and owed three thousand Spirit Stones!"
Several cultivators gasped; for Qi Cultivation Loose Cultivators, three thousand Spirit Stones equaled life sold and yet unpaid!
"He went to Yunshan Sect’s recruitment, stated his situation, passed their assessment, hey, Yunshan Sect cleared his debt, secured him!"
Even the bald muscular man glanced at this word.
Three thousand Spirit Stones to him wasn’t a fortune. But this Yunshan Sect, willing to pay such an amount for new talent, shows eagerness and responsibility.
"This guy not only escaped smoothly but found a good position in Yunshan Sect, transformed, reborn." The speaker grew animated, glowing with excitement, "Hence folks are saying, this recruitment event ought to be called a Dragon Gate Assembly!"
