All lives come to an end.

Wei Tu had long prepared himself for Xinghua’s passing. Yet, when confronted with the reality of her death, he found the weight of a single sheet of paper to be unbearably heavy.

The letter.

Wei Xiuwen had written that Xinghua had passed away quietly in the night.

There had been no suffering, no prolonged illness.

She had simply faded away in her sleep.

“She lived to be a hundred… this is a joyous passing, just like my master. There’s no need to grieve.”

Wei Tu tried to console himself.

He walked to his talisman crafting desk, just as he always did when receiving letters from his children.

Carefully, he placed this letter into his collection, storing it with the others.

Then—

He opened the formation barriers around his cave dwelling.

The moonlight streamed through the window lattice, illuminating half of his face.

The cold, distant glow of the moon cast a shadow of sorrow upon him.

A sudden fluttering of wings.

The Wind-Cleaving Eagle landed lightly on Wei Tu’s left shoulder.

It tilted its sharp, flattened beak slightly, its deep yellow eyes staring at him with curiosity.

In the decades since Wei Tu had captured it, the eagle had never once seen this expression on his face.

Not only that—

This expression had lasted far too long.

“Kiik! Kiik!”

The Wind-Cleaving Eagle called out twice at the dawn’s light.

Then, flapping its powerful wings, it soared through the open window, circling above the courtyard.

It flew from the entrance of the cave to the far end of the compound, making several rounds before folding its wings and landing on the talisman crafting desk.

Wei Tu left Danqiu Mountain.

But unlike before, this time he wasn’t traveling alone.

Beside Fu Zhizhou, a new figure had joined him—a red-faced elder.

This elder was tall and thin, his face weathered and yellowed, his robes blue and scholarly, making him look more like a Confucian teacher than a cultivator.

Yet, his aura revealed his true identity—a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Daoist Huang, I truly appreciate you accompanying me on this journey.”

As soon as they exited Danqiu Mountain, Wei Tu offered a deep bow of thanks, his expression sincere.

The red-faced elder was none other than Huang Changkong, the representative sent by Heshan Huang Clan to recruit Wei Tu.

This time, Wei Tu wasn’t just going back to the mortal world for a simple visit.

He had made a decision—

To wear mourning garments for one full year in honor of his late wife.

(Qi Cui: Traditional mourning attire for the deceased.)

Given this, he had sent a talisman message to Heshan Huang Clan, informing them that he would delay his formal entry into the clan.

But to his surprise—

Instead of expressing any displeasure, Huang Changkong had immediately replied with understanding.

He had even volunteered to accompany Wei Tu on his journey back to the mortal world.

Wei Tu understood his intentions.

Huang Changkong wanted to evaluate his mortal connections and offer goodwill.

Still—

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to personally travel to the mortal realm just to accompany him was a gesture Wei Tu truly appreciated.

“Master Wei, there’s no need for such formalities.”

“If you join Heshan Huang Clan, then we are like family. It is only natural to assist one another.”

Huang Changkong waved his hand dismissively, signaling that Wei Tu need not dwell on it.

Wei Tu nodded and refrained from further polite conversation.

Instead, he sent a transmitted message to Fu Zhizhou and focused on traveling swiftly.

The journey was silent and solemn.

Wei Tu and Huang Changkong flew through the sky, while Fu Zhizhou rode a spirit horse, keeping pace behind them.

Their journey was five days shorter than usual.

Wei Tu rushed straight to the ancestral hall, where Wei Xiuwen was keeping vigil.

The moment Wei Xiuwen saw him, his knees shifted forward.

He bowed deeply, pressing his forehead against the floor.

Tears streaked his aged yet resolute face.

“Father… your unfilial son has failed you.”

“I couldn’t take care of Mother… she left in the night.”

His voice trembled with grief.

“Father… Mother is gone…”

Wei Yan knelt beside him, wiping her tear-streaked face.

One by one, other family members in the hall greeted Wei Tu.

Some were from the Mei family, while others were descendants of the Kou and Fu families.

“No need for formalities.”

Wei Tu waved a hand gently.

He stepped toward Xinghua’s memorial tablet and took a handful of incense sticks.

Lighting them carefully, he placed them into the bronze censer before him.

After a moment of silent reflection, Wei Tu sighed softly.

“Begin the funeral rites.”

According to mortal customs, the dead should be buried seven days after passing.

But since Wei Tu had been far away, the family had delayed the burial for several days to wait for him.

With his command, the household musicians began to play.

Drums.

Flutes.

Souna pipes.

The song they played was “A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.”

A joyous tune.

Xinghua had lived to a hundred years old.

Among mortals, she was considered a woman of great fortune.

In a tranquil, scenic spot, a solitary grave was erected.

The gravestone inscription read—

“Tomb of My Late Wife, Xinghua.”

Beside this newly placed grave, three simple thatched huts had been constructed.

One belonged to Wei Tu.

The other two belonged to Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen.

The mourning period:

For a deceased wife, mourning lasts one year.

For a deceased mother, mourning lasts three years.

Although cultivators were considered beyond mortal laws, Wei Tu and his children had come from mortal roots.

They had lived as mortals first, before stepping into the world of cultivation.

Thus, it was only natural for them to adhere to mortal customs in this moment.

After completing seven days of mourning, Wei Tu urged Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen to leave.

His reasoning was simple—

He had already reached Foundation Establishment.

For him, one year was but a fleeting moment.

It was a small sacrifice to honor his wife’s memory.

Apart from this year of mourning, Wei Tu also planned to use the time to study disciplines beyond talisman crafting.

For example—

The complete first-rank alchemy inheritance left behind by Geng Wen.

If possible, he hoped to gain proficiency in alchemy while still in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Although he didn’t expect to become a professional alchemist, at the very least, he wanted to produce his own pills for personal use.

This way, he could avoid making the same fatal mistakes as Blood Demon Elder had in the past.

However—

To Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen, a year wasn’t something they could afford to waste.

Especially since, by mortal traditions, they were supposed to observe mourning for three full years.

“Laws and traditions must be followed, but to be overly rigid is nothing more than stubborn foolishness.”

Wei Tu chastised them.

He knew his children well.

They had done all they could for Xinghua while she was alive, fulfilling their filial duties to the best of their abilities.

After all—

Decades ago, Wei Yan had once bought an Ice Profound Soul-Sealing Talisman for Xinghua, a talisman worth 100 spirit stones.

That sum had been an immense fortune for their family back then.

For her and Wei Xiuwen, it had been a significant sacrifice.

Now, was it truly necessary for them to observe the full three-year mourning period?

Wei Tu didn’t think so.

Hearing his reasoning, Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen hesitated.

After a long pause, Wei Yan spoke first.

“Father… If you believe that three years is too long, then I will follow your example and mourn for just one year. During this time, I can also ask for your guidance in talisman crafting…”

Wei Tu nodded approvingly.

“That is acceptable.”

Thirty years ago, he had discovered Wei Yan’s innate talent for talisman crafting.

Since then, he had regularly instructed her through letters, hoping she would inherit his craft.

Now, after all these years, Wei Yan had indeed reached the level of a first-rank lower-grade Talisman Master.

She had even successfully drawn a first-rank mid-grade talisman before.

She was just half a step away from becoming a first-rank mid-grade Talisman Master.

Learning from books is one thing, but hands-on experience is another.

Since Wei Tu would be free for the next year, he might as well use the time to personally instruct Wei Yan in her craft.

Meanwhile, Wei Xiuwen hesitated.

“Father… then I… shall take my leave first.”

Unlike Wei Yan, he wasn’t a Talisman Master.

His gold spiritual root made him suited for artifact forging, and Wei Tu could not teach him much in that regard.

Hearing this, Wei Tu let out a quiet sigh, reminiscing about the past.

“I still remember when Xiuwen was born…”

“During his first-year ‘grasping ceremony,’ he reached for a writing brush, so I named him ‘Xiuwen’—cultivating literature…”

“But in the end, he chose a blacksmith’s hammer instead.”

He chuckled, somewhat amused at the irony.

Wei Yan, hearing this story for the first time, covered her mouth and giggled.

Her laughter—

Broke the somber atmosphere that had been lingering since their mother’s passing.

Under Wei Tu’s personal instruction, Wei Yan’s skills in talisman crafting progressed rapidly.

In less than two months, she was already able to consistently produce first-rank mid-grade talismans.

“Yan’er, talismans are only a minor art—your cultivation is what truly matters.”

“Back when I was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, crafting first-rank upper-grade talismans was difficult for me.”

“But after reaching Foundation Establishment, crafting those same talismans became effortless.”

Wei Tu warned her sternly.

Before his closed-door cultivation, Wei Yan had maintained a balance between cultivation and talisman crafting.

However, after these months of focused training, he noticed that her cultivation progress had slowed considerably.

Right now, Wei Yan was only at Qi Refinement Sixth Layer.

For a seventy-one-year-old cultivator, this was… far from ideal.

Wei Tu compared this to his own journey—

He had started cultivation at age 43.

At 63, he had reached Qi Refinement Sixth Layer.

At 67, he had reached Qi Refinement Seventh Layer.

Meanwhile, both Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen had started cultivation before the age of 30—more than ten years earlier than he had.

Even though he hadn’t provided them with excessive resources, he had still guided them and taught them valuable lessons.

By all logic, their cultivation should have been stronger than his own was at the same stage.

Instead—

They were lagging behind.

“This can’t continue,” Wei Tu thought.

No matter what, each generation must surpass the previous one—

Not the other way around.

Wei Yan lowered her head and pursed her lips.

“Father, I understand.”

A few days later, Wei Xiuwen returned for a visit.

But this time—

Aside from bringing their usual meals and supplies, he also carried a small gift box.

“Father, this was sent by Fu Lin for Mother’s funeral.”

“Last night, someone delivered it to our home.”

He lowered his voice slightly.

“Fu Lin?”

“How did he hear about it?”

Wei Tu was visibly surprised.

It had been over twenty years since Fu Lin had left Baishi Lake Marketplace.

Since then, he had completely vanished—no news, no letters, nothing.

For Xinghua’s funeral, Wei Tu had only notified a small circle of people.

It hadn’t been widely announced.

“Could it be that he has spies in Baishi Lake?”

“Or perhaps… some members of the Fu Clan are still in contact with him?”

Wei Tu frowned, lost in thought.

But after a moment, he shook his head.

“No use dwelling on it.”

He reached for the small wooden box and opened it.

Inside, he found three items:

A high-grade spirit stone.

A first-rank upper-grade spirit apricot.

A letter.

Wei Tu unfolded the letter first.

In it, Fu Lin described his current situation.

He reassured Wei Tu that he, his younger brother, and younger sister were all doing well.

He asked Wei Tu to pass this message to the others, so they wouldn’t worry about him.

At the end of the letter, Fu Lin mentioned the high-grade spirit stone.

“This is to repay the ten spirit stones I borrowed from you all those years ago.”

A single high-grade spirit stone was worth 100 low-grade spirit stones.

He had repaid tenfold.

Wei Tu’s grip on the letter tightened slightly.

He sighed.

“Ten times the repayment, huh?”

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