“I just hope Daoist Hu can identify exactly who left Danqiu Mountain after me…”

“That way, I can prepare accordingly.”

“Those two altered their appearances, so it’s difficult to determine their true identities.”

Wei Tu narrowed his eyes.

When he killed the masked woman earlier, he hadn’t interrogated her. Aside from avoiding unnecessary delays and potential danger, the main reason was that there was simply no need.

Rogue cultivators were all ruthless by nature, far more so than mere bandits in the mortal world. Facing death, they wouldn’t easily betray their secrets.

Moreover—

A mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator possessed spiritual awareness. His cultivation was lower than the masked woman’s, and if he got too close, there was a risk of her bewitching him in a final counterattack before she died.

Leaving Danqiu Mountain behind, Wei Tu wasted no time and rushed to Yulong Prefecture at the fastest speed possible.

Although the cultivation world strictly forbade cultivators from slaughtering mortals, such rules meant nothing to rogue cultivators—they were nothing more than empty words.

Wei Tu couldn’t afford to gamble on a rogue cultivator’s conscience.

At present—

Only his and Fu Zhizhou’s families remained in Yulong Prefecture. His eldest brother Kou Liang had already relocated his household near Baishi Lake Marketplace long ago.

That night, Wei Tu returned home. After warning his family about the impending danger, the entire Wei household agreed without hesitation to relocate to Baishi Lake.

To his surprise, the Fu family also acted quickly. While the Wei family was still packing, the Fu family had already gathered at their doorstep, ready to depart, abandoning most of their household possessions.

“Fu Lin, well done.”

“You’ve got a sharp mind.”

In the main hall of the Wei residence, Wei Tu appraised the Fu family’s eldest son, Fu Lin, who bore a seven-to-eight-tenths resemblance to Fu Zhizhou. His expression showed approval.

Many people, even in the face of certain death, still clung to the illusion of wealth.

But Fu Lin, as the eldest son of the Fu family, had convinced his entire household to abandon their property and shops, bringing only the essentials.

Such decisiveness and persuasion skills were far beyond ordinary men.

“Unfortunately, he only has a low-grade spirit root.”

Wei Tu sighed inwardly.

He firmly believed that if Fu Lin had at least a mid-grade spirit root, he would undoubtedly shine brightly in the cultivation world.

“Third Uncle, my father… he didn’t return with you this time, did he?”

Fu Lin glanced at Wei Tu’s side, noticing the absence of his father, Fu Zhizhou. His expression immediately dimmed.

“Your father has matters to attend to.”

Wei Tu paused briefly, before forcing out a reply.

He couldn’t just blurt out the truth—that Fu Zhizhou had seen all seven of his children lacked talent and had given up on them, choosing not to return at all.

“I understand.”

Fu Lin didn’t press further. After receiving an answer, he simply nodded, left the hall, and helped his family board the carriages.

Half an hour later.

The Wei and Fu residences were completely empty—even the servants and maids had been dismissed.

To ensure maximum safety, Wei Tu deliberately created a diversion.

He hired several men with generous payment, instructing them to leave through the south gate under the Wei and Fu family banners, heading in the opposite direction.

The journey was smooth, with no unexpected dangers.

After traveling for over a week, Wei Tu and his group arrived in Qujiang Dao, Nanhang Prefecture, located in the southern region of Zheng Kingdom.

Baishi Lake Marketplace, much like Danqiu Mountain Marketplace, was situated in a remote area within Nanhang Prefecture.

Half a day later—

Wei Tu went ahead alone, approaching the outskirts of Baishi Lake Marketplace.

A thick protective mist enveloping the area parted under his spiritual force, revealing a vast shimmering lake.

Within the lake, various spiritual fish swam freely, and several types of spirit cranes soared gracefully through the air.

On the southern banks, clusters of buildings stretched across the landscape.

Some structures were tall, while others were low. However, what surprised Wei Tu the most was—

There were no shantytowns inside Baishi Lake Marketplace.

“Jingshui Pavilion is mostly comprised of female cultivators, and they value aesthetics.”

“So, unlike Danqiu Mountain, Baishi Lake Marketplace was built with high-stilted wooden buildings rather than crude shanties.”

A voice rang out behind him.

Turning, Wei Tu saw Kou Liang approaching.

His doubts instantly vanished.

In the cultivation world, whether a district had shantytowns or high-stilted buildings had nothing to do with the strength of its lower-class cultivators.

It was merely dictated by the preferences of the ruling cultivators.

The bottom-tier cultivators living in high-stilted wooden homes here were not better off than those in shantytowns elsewhere.

The only reason these homes looked grander was that Jingshui Pavilion’s female cultivators didn’t want unsightly buildings ruining Baishi Lake’s scenery.

Wei Tu followed Kou Liang into his residence within the marketplace.

“The mortal relatives of Jingshui Pavilion’s disciples mostly reside in the western district of Nanhang City.”

“Jingshui Pavilion secretly protects them as well.”

“Little Brother, you can buy a house near the western district and make an excuse for your family to temporarily stay with mine.”

“This way, even if rogue cultivators have their eyes on you, they wouldn’t dare act recklessly.”

Kou Liang advised.

“Thank you, Big Brother.”

Wei Tu nodded, agreeing to the suggestion and expressing his gratitude.

After settling the matter of his family, he brought up his urgent need for an Earth Essence Pill to advance his cultivation.

“My talisman crafting skills are decent, and over the years, I’ve accumulated quite a few spirit stones.”

“However, to avoid drawing attention, I didn’t dare make any major purchases at Danqiu Mountain’s market stalls.”

“I didn’t expect that even with such caution, rogue cultivators still targeted me, planning to ambush me on my return home.”

Wei Tu sighed.

As he spoke, he took out a small white pouch from his sash and handed it to Kou Liang.

“Big Brother, inside are nineteen spirit stones and two premium Earth Spike Talismans.”

“I’d like to trouble Hongying to help me purchase an Earth Essence Pill. Since she’s a sect disciple, no one would investigate her for buying just one pill.”

“Additionally… I’d also like Hongying to arrange a secluded cave for me to train undisturbed, so I can break through my bottleneck…”

Wei Tu stated.

In reality, he already had more than enough spirit stones to buy an Earth Essence Pill—well over thirty-two in total.

By adding two premium Earth Spike Talismans to compensate for the remaining thirteen stones, he had two advantages:

First—It provided a “commission fee” for Kou Hongying, making the request more worthwhile for her.

Secondly, by using the premium Earth Spike Talismans, Wei Tu could demonstrate his value as an uncle to Kou Hongying.

Although they were uncle and niece, and this time, with Kou Liang’s connection, Kou Hongying would likely help him regardless, things might not be so easy in the future.

Kou Hongying could always find excuses to refuse.

Relationships also required mutual benefits to be maintained.

Hearing Wei Tu’s request, Kou Liang hesitated at first, unsure how to respond. After all, the last time he had gifted Wei Tu an Earth Essence Pill, Kou Hongying had already expressed her discontent.

—If it was a matter of helping Wei Tu himself, Kou Liang wouldn’t hesitate to go through fire and water, but when it came to his daughter’s affairs, he had no say.

However, when he listened more carefully and understood Wei Tu’s intention, his expression relaxed, and he patted his chest confidently.

“Don’t worry about it, Third Brother. I’ll have Hongying take care of it. You’ll get an answer in five days at the latest.”

Premium Earth Spike Talismans—each worth about ten spirit stones.

This way, asking Kou Hongying for help would not only allow him to maintain brotherly ties but also let Kou Hongying earn some profit in the process.

There was no reason not to agree.

In a secluded lower-grade cultivation cave at Baishi Lake Marketplace—

“So, this is a Small Spirit Gathering Array?”

“The amount of spiritual energy gathered by this formation is at least three times denser than in the shantytown…”

Wei Tu ran his fingers over the embedded array lines on the ground, unable to hold back his amazement.

At this moment, he finally understood why Hu Yao frequently took the chance to sneak into Deacon Liu’s cave to absorb spiritual energy.

Deacon Liu had considerable status, and his cultivation cave was one of the top fifty in all of Danqiu Mountain.

If Hu Yao stayed there for four or five days, the amount of spiritual energy she absorbed was equivalent to the value of two or three spirit stones.

“Thinking about it this way, Hu Daoist’s cultivation is probably not as shallow as Qi Refinement Third Layer…”

“Her chances of forming a Foundation Establishment might actually be quite high.”

Wei Tu mentally calculated how often Hu Yao visited Deacon Liu’s cave and other cultivators’ residences.

To his astonishment, he realized that, counting the spiritual energy she borrowed from others’ caves alongside her own earnings, her total yearly cultivation gains were actually higher than his own as a Talisman Master.

She might truly have a chance to reach Foundation Establishment.

“Thinking too much is useless.”

“I should focus on my own cultivation. Everyone has their own path to walk.”

Wei Tu shook off his thoughts.

He placed the meditation cushion back over the Small Spirit Gathering Array, then sat down cross-legged, immersing himself in cultivation.

One day, Wei Tu sensed a breakthrough opportunity.

He gathered all the innate true energy and Earth Yuan energy in his body, guiding them toward his dantian.

The two forces, once separate, gradually began to merge together.

At the same time—

He felt a strange itching sensation at the center of his forehead, as if something was about to emerge.

One day.

Two days.

Several days passed.

Wei Tu’s awareness shifted from his inner mind back to the physical world.

When he opened his eyes, he saw his entire body enveloped in a faint yellow glow.

This glow attracted spiritual energy from his surroundings, guiding it into his dantian at more than twice the previous speed.

“Fifty-one years old, Qi Refinement Fourth Layer.”

“Not bad!”

Wei Tu smiled with satisfaction.

However, he also noticed a slight soreness in his forehead.

Quickly, he retracted the spiritual awareness that had just emerged, placing it back within his consciousness sea for further refinement.

“With spiritual awareness, I can finally refine this silver hairpin artifact.”

Wei Tu took out the silver hairpin he had obtained from the masked female rogue cultivator, channeling his spiritual power to erase her conscious imprint from within it.

With his cultivation now stable, Wei Tu emerged from the secluded cave.

“Congratulations, Third Brother!”

Kou Liang was the first to offer his congratulations.

When Wei Tu broke through to Qi Refinement Fourth Layer, Kou Liang had sensed the faint pressure radiating from the closed-door cultivation room.

This pressure was a hallmark of Fourth Layer cultivators—a manifestation of spiritual awareness, subtly suppressing the souls of weaker cultivators.

“The same to you, Big Brother.”

Wei Tu clasped his hands in return.

“Uncle Wei.”

At that moment, a young female cultivator, clad in a flowing light blue dress, entered the courtyard.

Her features were elegant and refined, exuding a natural grace.

“Hongying.”

Wei Tu nodded calmly.

By now, he had long overcome his initial astonishment upon meeting his niece.

Half a year ago, when he first saw Kou Hongying—who had transformed from a naïve young girl into a stunning beauty of the cultivation world—it had genuinely taken him by surprise.

He had nearly embarrassed himself.

Only later did he learn that Jingshui Pavilion’s cultivation techniques all had the effect of enhancing one’s appearance.

In short—

Every female cultivator from Jingshui Pavilion was a breathtaking beauty.

“Uncle Wei, did the cave residence meet your needs?”

Kou Hongying bowed slightly, her voice soft yet cheerful.

The cave had been arranged for her after she joined Immortal Master Qin’s tutelage, using her master’s authority to rent it out.

“It served me well.”

Wei Tu nodded, returning the residence key to Kou Hongying and offering his thanks.

The cultivation world was not like the mortal world.

Here, strength dictated status.

Even though Kou Hongying was his niece, Wei Tu would not act arrogantly, nor take his seniority for granted.

Seeing Wei Tu express gratitude, Kou Hongying’s eyes flashed with surprise.

She hadn’t expected this level of humility.

She had heard from her father about the bond between Wei Tu, Kou Liang, Fu Zhizhou, and Wei Fei.

But since she hadn’t experienced it herself, she had felt detached from their relationship.

Thus, while she respected them, she hadn’t felt especially close.

However, Wei Tu’s willingness to offer gratitude despite being her senior defied her expectations.

“The ten-year pact is approaching.”

“Uncle Wei, would you consider inviting me to join?”

Kou Hongying asked, lowering her head slightly.

At first, she had ignored the pact between Wei Tu and the others, feeling it irrelevant to her.

Later, when she learned she had been excluded, she had felt a sense of rejection.

However—

After spending half a year interacting with Wei Tu, she recognized his potential and wisdom.

Her instinct told her that joining their alliance might be beneficial.

Aside from her father Kou Liang, the other three members were all reliable and upright men.

Finding a strong, trustworthy alliance in the cultivation world wasn’t easy.

Finding a cultivator to truly trust and confide in was rarer than encountering a great fortune in one’s lifetime.

“A cultivation alliance?”

Hearing Kou Hongying’s request, Wei Tu’s face immediately showed surprise.

—When they had first returned to the mortal world, the four of them had reaffirmed their three major agreements, but as time passed and each of them went their separate ways, they had subtly stopped mentioning their old cultivation alliance, focusing only on personal friendships.

Now—

Among the four brothers:

Kou Liang had abandoned his ambitions for cultivation, choosing instead to support his daughter, Kou Hongying, in becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator, fulfilling his lifelong wish.

Wei Fei had given up on the path of cultivation entirely, returning to the mortal world to indulge in its pleasures, seeking a carefree life until his final years.

Fu Zhizhou, despite his aspirations for cultivation, had become a blade-for-hire, constantly risking his life. Yet, due to financial struggles, he had abandoned his children, choosing to survive alone.

…

Given these circumstances—

Wei Tu no longer believed in the possibility of the cultivation alliance surviving.

Even the ten-year agreement—

If no one brought it up, he would assume it had faded away, choosing not to uphold it.

However, at this moment—Kou Hongying, someone from the younger generation, had unexpectedly brought up the alliance once more…

And not only that—she was actively requesting to join.

Wei Tu found this difficult to understand.

“If I join, I will honor the agreement and pursue mutual benefits with my three uncles. I will never seek to exploit or control them…”

“Uncle Wei, you have nothing to worry about.”

Kou Hongying pressed her lips together, making a solemn promise.

She was well aware that, ten years ago, her father had suggested she join, but Wei Tu and the others had refused.

—Because they feared she would be a leech.

“Since Hongying has such an intention, then as your uncle, I will try…”

“I will see if I can convince your other two uncles to agree to your inclusion…”

Wei Tu pondered for a moment before replying.

Beside him, Kou Liang, who had been listening to their conversation, remained silent.

His expression was complicated, a mixture of joy and worry.

“If Third Brother is involved, then the alliance might be revived. But the question is… will the other two agree to let Hongying join?”

Kou Liang sighed deeply.

He knew that the fragmenting alliance could only be reunited under Wei Tu’s leadership.

But the real challenge was—

Reuniting was easy. Maintaining it was difficult.

June 13th.

Qujiang Dao, Nanhang City.

Inside Sky Prosperity Tower, Room Three of the Heaven Pavilion.

At Wei Tu’s request, Fu Zhizhou and Wei Fei had arrived, reuniting with him and Kou Liang once more.

“Third Brother, this is a letter from Hu Daoist.”

“It concerns the rogue cultivators who attacked you.”

Fu Zhizhou did not immediately reminisce about their brotherhood upon meeting Wei Tu.

Instead, he first handed him a letter.

“Hu Daoist is thoughtful.”

After reading the letter, Wei Tu expressed his appreciation for Hu Yao.

In the letter, Hu Yao stated that she had, as requested, identified the rogue cultivators who had followed Wei Tu out of Danqiu Mountain.

They were a man and a woman.

The man’s name was Ying Bing, and the woman’s name was Zhuo Yan.

She further hinted that these two often associated closely with Shu Danshi’s second disciple, Geng Wen.

“I suspect that the reason Third Brother encountered rogue cultivators is connected to my purchase of Earth Essence Pills…”

After Wei Tu finished reading the letter, Fu Zhizhou’s expression showed guilt as he apologized to him.

When Fu Zhizhou returned from Demon Wolf Mountain, he had learned about Wei Tu’s encounter with rogue cultivators.

At first, he had been furious, wanting to take revenge immediately…

However, after discussing the matter with Helian Xiong, the latter had reminded him that this matter might be related to him.

If he had not, as a blade-for-hire, purchased two Earth Essence Pills in a row, attracting the attention of Geng Wen and his group…

Then Ying Bing and Zhuo Yan would not have been watching Wei Tu, planning to ambush him.

Hearing this explanation—

The doubts in Wei Tu’s heart disappeared.

Back when Fu Zhizhou purchased two Earth Essence Pills in succession, Wei Tu had already had his concerns.

He just hadn’t expected Ying Bing and Zhuo Yan to be this patient, waiting eight years before making their move.

“Maybe these two weren’t just targeting me… Maybe it was just my turn…”

“Or maybe… they were waiting for me to fatten up before striking.”

Wei Tu processed the situation, piecing together Ying Bing and Zhuo Yan’s motives.

—By the time he had left Danqiu Mountain, it had been three years since his last Earth Essence Pill purchase, meaning he had likely accumulated a considerable number of spirit stones again.

As for why Ying Bing and Zhuo Yan didn’t attack Fu Zhizhou—that was also easy to understand.

Blade-for-hire cultivators were constantly fighting and risking their lives. The difficulty of robbing them was far greater than targeting someone like Wei Tu.

Moreover—

Blade-for-hire cultivators often traveled in groups and were usually poor, making them unprofitable targets.

The chances of being counter-killed were also significantly higher.

“Fourth Brother, there is no need to blame yourself. You are a blade-for-hire. If you don’t work to improve your cultivation, you could end up dead at any moment…”

Wei Tu reassured Fu Zhizhou, showing no resentment over the situation.

This time, Fu Zhizhou had been careless, but the true villains were Ying Bing, Zhuo Yan, and the ruthless nature of the cultivation world.

Wei Tu was clear on that.

After discussing the rogue cultivators, Wei Tu shifted the conversation to the main topic.

He asked Wei Fei and Fu Zhizhou if they would agree to let Kou Hongying join their cultivation alliance.

“What?”

“Hongying wants to join?”

Their reactions were almost identical to Wei Tu’s when he had first heard about it.

Ten years ago, they had refused to let Kou Hongying join, fearing that Kou Liang and his daughter would take advantage of them.

But now, things were different.

Back then, Kou Liang had provided almost no contributions to the alliance for over twenty years.

Although they had never voiced their dissatisfaction, both Wei Fei and Fu Zhizhou had been reluctant to give Kou Liang any further benefits.

However—

After Kou Liang had repaid his debts to Wei Tu, all of that grievance had disappeared.

Now—Kou Hongying was an official disciple of Jingshui Pavilion, and had already passed the struggling phase of early cultivation.

Her joining the alliance would bring more benefits to them.

Of course—

The key factor was—

Equal status!

“Letting Hongying join the alliance is not impossible, but…”

“Fu Zhizhou just doesn’t understand… What is she joining for?”

Fu Zhizhou turned to Kou Liang, waiting for an explanation.

He had abandoned his own children.

So why would he willingly fight for Kou Liang’s daughter?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep