“Also half a year ago?”

Tong Peipei was taken aback. That wasn’t what she had heard. Just as she was about to argue, her gaze met Wei Tu’s cold eyes.

Those eyes weren’t exactly fierce, but there was a chilling sharpness to them that made her instinctively shrink her neck.

“Wei Daoist, wait a moment… let’s not be too hasty.”

Tong Peipei swallowed her words, softening her tone.

It was then that she remembered—Wei Tu wasn’t a local in the shantytown, but a wandering cultivator who had settled here later.

Compared to the long-established residents, wandering cultivators were far more ruthless.

She backed down this easily?

Wei Tu found it ironic.

Seeing how she knocked on his door so aggressively, he had assumed she was the argumentative, unreasonable type.

But it turned out—

Her exterior and personality were opposites. She was actually quite timid.

“So, Daoist Tong, how do you suggest we handle this? Perhaps it’s merely a coincidence that we both began selling Tranquility Talismans and Water Heart Talismans at the same time.”

Wei Tu eased his stance, making it clear he was open to negotiation.

It’s better to resolve conflicts than to escalate them.

Since both he and Tong Peipei were members of the Inner Market, it wouldn’t be good to create a lasting grudge over something like talisman sales.

A minor dispute over Tranquility Talismans wasn’t worth making an enemy out of a fellow talisman master.

All they needed was a mutual agreement to divide their business interests.

“I acted too hastily, not verifying the information before rushing here.”

Tong Peipei lowered her head slightly, her tone frustrated.

At this moment, she was furious inside.

She hated the talisman master who had misled her—”Talisman Master Mao”.

That damn bastard had set her up, making her embarrass herself in front of Wei Tu.

That said—

She didn’t think Wei Tu was lying.

After all, the truth could be easily verified with a bit of investigation.

Wei Tu observed her reaction carefully.

From her demeanor and words, he could tell—

Tong Peipei realized she was in the wrong. That was why her tone had softened significantly from before.

This was his chance.

“So, Daoist Tong, how do you plan to compensate me?”

Wei Tu’s tone hardened slightly.

Having spent twenty years in the government, even though he had avoided politics for the sake of cultivation, he had absorbed plenty of political wisdom from observing officials.

Since Tong Peipei acknowledged her mistake, this was the perfect time to press his advantage.

Normally, he wouldn’t be so opportunistic—

But she had come knocking on his door to question him without investigating properly.

Anyone would be annoyed by that.

“Compensation?”

Tong Peipei jerked upright, staring at Wei Tu in disbelief.

Her face practically screamed, “How dare you?”

However—

Just as her temper flared, she saw Wei Tu’s cold gaze again.

Her defiance crumbled instantly.

Her head drooped, her spirited presence deflating like a wilted flower.

“I heard that Daoist Tong possesses an ancestral talisman crafting inheritance?”

Wei Tu poured tea, handing a cup to Tong Peipei before casually making his proposal.

“Talisman inheritance?”

Tong Peipei snorted, unimpressed.

“Wei Daoist, compensation is one thing, but don’t you think you’re asking for too much? A talisman inheritance is worth at least five to six hundred spirit stones—I wouldn’t give that up so easily.”

“At worst, I made an uninformed accusation, but that hardly warrants such a massive penalty.”

She crossed her arms.

She might have admitted fault, but she wasn’t stupid.

She wasn’t about to let Wei Tu manipulate her.

“I don’t want your entire inheritance.

I only need the method to tan demon beast hides for making talisman paper.”

Wei Tu stated plainly.

Ever since Fu Zhizhou became a blade-for-hire, every time he returned, he would bring Wei Tu a batch of demon beast hides.

Two years had passed.

His small shanty house now contained a large pile of demon beast skins.

Naturally—

He urgently needed a method to tan and refine them into talisman paper.

Demon beast hides couldn’t be stored indefinitely.

As time passed, their spiritual energy would weaken, and their quality would degrade.

Wei Tu had seen Tong Peipei purchasing demon beast hides during Inner Market gatherings.

And a talisman master buying demon beast hides could only mean one thing—

She knew how to tan them into talisman paper.

Hearing this, Tong Peipei hesitated.

A moment later—

She slowly nodded, agreeing to Wei Tu’s request.

Though tanning demon beast hides was a valuable technique, it wasn’t as precious as a full talisman inheritance.

Besides—

Since Wei Tu was also a talisman master, and his talent was comparable to hers, this compensation was fair.

Fifteen Minutes Later.

Tong Peipei scribbled down the method for tanning demon beast hides and handed it to Wei Tu.

Then, she stood up, huffed, and prepared to leave.

“Daoist Tong, there’s still one more matter to settle.”

Wei Tu stopped her.

“What else?”

Tong Peipei was puzzled.

She instinctively took half a step back, eyes filled with caution.

Wei Tu shook his head and pointed to the stack of Tranquility Talismans on the table.

“We still haven’t discussed how to divide the profits of Tranquility Talismans and Water Heart Talismans.”

From Tong Peipei’s reactions, as well as her choice of words, he had a strong suspicion—

There was a third party manipulating the situation, trying to pit them against each other.

By discussing profit-sharing, he could use the conversation to probe for information—

And uncover the person behind the scenes.

“Fine.”

Tong Peipei hesitated for a moment before nodding and sitting back down.

She began analyzing the profit dynamics between Tranquility Talismans and Water Heart Talismans.

“Tranquility Talismans and Water Heart Talismans have similar effects and belong to the same category of basic talismans.”

“The main difference is that Tranquility Talismans are neutral, while Water Heart Talismans are water-attribute.”

“In terms of effectiveness and sales, Tranquility Talismans should have the advantage.”

Tong Peipei reasoned.

Water Heart Talismans could be used by non-water attribute cultivators, but they were less effective than neutral Tranquility Talismans.

This naturally gave Wei Tu an edge in the market.

Because Tranquility Talismans were neutral in attribute and had been introduced at the same time as her Water Heart Talismans, Tong Peipei knew she was in the wrong.

According to the Inner Market agreement, Wei Tu was supposed to focus on earth and wood attribute talismans, while Tong Peipei was supposed to focus on water and metal attribute talismans.

“My suggestion is that Wei Daoist increases the price of Tranquility Talismans, while I keep Water Heart Talismans at the current price. In return, I will share 20% of my Water Heart Talisman profits with you.”

Tong Peipei hesitated for a moment before presenting her proposal.

“That’s too complicated.”

Wei Tu shook his head, his expression filled with dissatisfaction. “If I raise the price of Tranquility Talismans, my sales will inevitably decline. Even if you share 20% of your profits with me, it won’t make up for my losses.”

In truth—

Tong Peipei’s proposal wasn’t bad.

If Wei Tu stopped producing Tranquility Talismans, he might lose some spirit stone earnings, but in exchange:

He would receive a passive income from Water Heart Talismans.

He could save time and focus on cultivation instead.

For a cultivator, time was more valuable than spirit stones.

But the real problem was—

Wei Tu didn’t trust that Tong Peipei would actually share 20% of her profits with him.

They weren’t close enough for that kind of agreement.

“Then what does Wei Daoist propose?”

Tong Peipei wasn’t upset at being rejected. Negotiations always involved back-and-forth bargaining.

“I’m willing to step away from Tranquility Talismans and stop selling them in Danqiu Mountain, but in exchange…”

Wei Tu paused briefly.

“Speak freely, Wei Daoist.”

Tong Peipei raised an eyebrow, crossing her legs instinctively.

—This guy was close to that wench Hu Yao. He was probably no good either.

Wei Tu didn’t notice her thoughts.

Instead, he calmly continued, “Since Daoist Tong possesses a talisman inheritance, would you be willing to share some earth and wood attribute talisman techniques with me?”

Before she could refuse, he changed his wording slightly—

“If Daoist Tong is willing to provide me with the crafting methods for three first-rank talismans, then I will completely step away from Tranquility Talismans. That should be a fair deal.”

Although the Tranquility Talisman market was profitable, if he could acquire higher-grade talisman techniques, giving up that profit was a worthy trade.

After all, he wasn’t like Tong Peipei.

Her talent was limited, forcing her to specialize in a few low-level talismans.

But Wei Tu had potential.

If he could gain access to better talisman techniques, he could develop far beyond just selling Tranquility Talismans.

Hearing this, Tong Peipei’s tense posture relaxed.

She smiled lightly, her tone much more agreeable.

“Since Wei Daoist is making such a reasonable request, how could I refuse? I will bring three earth and wood attribute first-rank talisman techniques to your home tomorrow.”

In truth, she had no use for earth or wood attribute talisman techniques.

Her spiritual roots didn’t align with those elements, meaning she couldn’t even craft those talismans.

So, giving three techniques to Wei Tu wasn’t a loss for her at all.

As for whether this would weaken the Tong Family’s talisman inheritance—

She didn’t care.

She wasn’t her ancestors, after all.

“By the way, Daoist Tong, I have one more question.”

Wei Tu’s eyes gleamed as he subtly shifted the conversation.

“Who gave you these Tranquility Talismans?”

“It was Mao—”

Tong Peipei almost blurted it out before catching herself.

Her expression changed immediately, and she shut her mouth tightly.

“Mao Talisman Master?”

Wei Tu’s gaze turned cold.

There were many cultivators with the surname Mao in the shantytown, but only one of them was a fellow talisman master in the Inner Market—

Mao Talisman Master.

“I will take my leave now.”

Tong Peipei stood up abruptly, bowed slightly, and quickly left Wei Tu’s home.

Even though Mao Talisman Master had misled her, she couldn’t just accuse him outright without confirming things for herself first.

She had to confront him privately before deciding what to do.

Inside the shanty house—

Wei Tu took out a piece of paper and wrote down Mao Talisman Master’s name.

He always wrote things down.

It was a habit he had picked up from Fu Zhizhou many years ago.

The Next Day.

As promised, Tong Peipei delivered the three first-rank talisman crafting methods to Wei Tu’s home.

The talismans were—

Thorn Cage Talisman (Wood Attribute)

Demonic Wood Talisman (Wood Attribute)

Rock Shield Talisman (Earth Attribute)

The moment he saw these three techniques, Wei Tu’s expression darkened.

“This woman is stingy as hell.”

In talisman crafting, the most profitable talismans were supportive and utility-based.

They were easier to draw, had higher success rates, and sold well.

In contrast—

Attack and defense talismans were much harder to craft.

They required far more precision and had lower success rates.

Most talisman masters avoided using them for practice.

Yet, Tong Peipei gave him two attack talismans and one defense talisman.

She had deliberately picked the hardest ones for him.

“This little grudge—I won’t forget it.”

Wei Tu thought to himself.

Even though he had given up a lucrative market, in return, he had only received difficult talisman techniques.

The deal was clearly in her favor.

If she had at least given him one utility-based talisman, he wouldn’t have minded.

But she gave him none.

So—

He took out his notebook and added Tong Peipei’s name next to Mao Talisman Master’s name.

Then, he pinned it to the wall above his bed—

To remind himself of who had wronged him.

Two Weeks Later.

Using the hide tanning technique he had obtained, Wei Tu successfully refined the demon beast hides into talisman paper.

He carefully cut them, producing 34 sheets of first-rank talisman paper.

Then, he began practicing the Rock Shield Talisman.

One Month Later.

Wei Tu had finally mastered the basics of crafting Rock Shield Talismans.

His progress appeared on his Golden Purple Fate Record—

“Rock Shield Talisman (1/100): Three attempts per day, completion in fourteen years.”

Crafting first-rank talismans was far more draining than crafting basic ones.

After just two or three attempts, he would feel mentally exhausted.

“Once I reach the mid-stage of Qi Refinement and develop divine sense, crafting first-rank talismans will be much easier.”

“Most first-rank talisman masters are at least in the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.”

“Cultivation is the true path forward!”

Wei Tu refocused on training, reducing his talisman crafting time—

And shifting his efforts toward increasing his cultivation.

Time passed quickly.

Six months later…

With the assistance of the Earth Essence Pill, Wei Tu’s Thick Earth Body had progressed from 32% to 57%.

“Another breakthrough?” That day, inside his shanty, Wei Tu once again sensed a surge of spiritual energy—the familiar wave of Fu Zhizhou advancing in cultivation.

“If my calculations are correct, this should be the fourth Earth Essence Pill he’s taken.”

“Being a blade-for-hire really pays well.” Wei Tu sighed.

Even after tirelessly crafting and selling talismans, he had only managed to earn enough for one and a half Earth Essence Pills. Meanwhile, in just over three years, Fu Zhizhou had already earned the equivalent of three. The difference in their earnings was massive.

Of course, this comparison didn’t account for the high-quality Earth Spike Talismans Wei Tu had been secretly accumulating. If he sold them all, his profits would actually surpass Fu Zhizhou’s earnings.

“No need to be envious. Fourth Brother is gambling with his life to advance. One misstep, and he’s dead.” Wei Tu shook his head.

He recalled Fu Zhizhou’s return to Danqiu Mountain a year ago—at that time, his entire body had been wrapped in bandages, red with seeping blood. If not for the two high-quality Earth Spike Talismans Wei Tu had given him, Fu Zhizhou might have perished in that battle.

“Should I change my plan…?” “Sell some of my high-quality talismans for resources?” Wei Tu hesitated.

Originally, he planned to wait until he became a first-rank talisman master before gradually selling off his high-quality talismans for spirit stones. But seeing Fu Zhizhou’s rapid progress, he felt a bit impatient.

Yet—”For the sake of a long cultivation path…” “I can’t afford to rush!” Wei Tu quickly dismissed the thought.

High-quality Earth Spike Talismans were indeed valuable—comparable to first-rank talismans—but unlike common Earth Spike Talismans, they had too many substitutes at the same rank, making their market demand low.

Even if he sold them, he could only sell two or three at most.

Moreover, Fu Zhizhou’s reliance on them to stay alive had already been noticed by other blade-for-hire cultivators like Helian Xiong. If a low-ranked shanty-dwelling talisman master suddenly started producing a large number of high-quality talismans, it would definitely attract suspicion.

For a cultivator trying to steadily climb the ranks in Danqiu Mountain, patience was key. “If you can’t endure the small things, you’ll ruin the big plan!”

For a low-ranked cultivator, the safest way to rise in status was to take things step by step, ensuring that nothing seemed out of place.

Once his status was high enough, then acquiring unexpected opportunities wouldn’t be questioned. At that point, he could bend the rules without much risk.

“But selling one high-quality talisman every two years shouldn’t raise suspicions…” Wei Tu considered.

Four years later, through consistent training, Wei Tu’s Thick Earth Body reached 78% completion. He was now only one Earth Essence Pill away from advancing to Qi Refinement Stage 4.

“It’s already been eight years…” That day, Wei Tu did the calculations and realized he had already been in Danqiu Mountain for eight years. A sense of nostalgia washed over him.

During these years, he had descended the mountain three times to visit his family in Yulong Prefecture. Wei Fei had also visited Danqiu Mountain a few times, helping to deliver letters.

Thus, Wei Tu had been able to keep track of Xinghua, Wei Yan, and Wei Xiuwen’s progress.

His daughter, Wei Yan, had managed to step into Qi Perception Realm using Internal Energy martial arts.

His son, Wei Xiuwen, though slightly slower than his sister, had caught up within a year, stepping into Qi Perception Realm through external body training.

Xinghua, thanks to the nourishment of Wei Tu’s spiritual energy, remained strong. It was highly likely that she would live into her late eighties or nineties.

“Two more months…” “Once I craft another Rock Shield Talisman, giving myself more defensive options, I’ll leave Danqiu Mountain to visit the mortal world.” Wei Tu thought to himself.

Over the past four years, he had practiced Rock Shield Talismans regularly. And six months ago, he had successfully crafted his first—officially making him a first-rank talisman master.

However, Wei Tu had kept this achievement secret. He planned to wait until he reached Qi Refinement Stage 4 before gradually revealing his new status.

Five Days Later, Fu Zhizhou returned from hunting demons. Wei Tu asked him if he wanted to return home together to visit their families.

Eight years had passed, and Fu Zhizhou had only gone back once—that was five years ago.

“I’m not going back.” Fu Zhizhou shook his head.

“I don’t have the extra spirit stones to support a family. To avoid creating vulnerabilities that enemies could exploit, it’s better if I don’t see them at all.”

Then, he turned the topic to Wei Tu—”Third Brother, your children have their own paths to follow. Even if you help them reach the Xiantian Realm, then what?” “Are you planning to support them forever?”

Being a blade-for-hire had earned him many spirit stones, but those were barely enough to support his own cultivation. He had no ability to fund a child’s journey into cultivation.

After speaking, Fu Zhizhou hesitated, realizing that he might have spoken too bluntly. He looked at Wei Tu, waiting for his reaction.

He knew that among the four sworn brothers, Wei Tu was the most sentimental and devoted to family. Especially toward his wife and children.

Fu Zhizhou himself couldn’t imagine—If he had risen in power, he wouldn’t have chosen to marry an old childhood maidservant like Xinghua.

But surprisingly, Wei Tu didn’t refute him. Instead, he nodded and agreed.

“You’re right, Fourth Brother. Our children must walk their own paths—we can’t support them forever.” Wei Tu smiled slightly.

People’s capabilities were limited.

Fu Zhizhou lacked the resources to raise his children into cultivators, so he had chosen to abandon that idea entirely.

Wei Tu had a different approach—he had far greater financial means than Fu Zhizhou.

As long as it didn’t hinder his own cultivation, he was willing to help Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen reach the Xiantian Realm.

But after that, he wouldn’t intervene any further.

At Xiantian Realm, his children would have to carve out their own paths. He would help them once, but not for their entire lives.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep