The method Tian Qiuyun proposed was simple.
It was to change Su Bing'er's station on the battlefield and move her to a more dangerous, life-threatening location.
Then, Ancient Sword Mountain would spread a false rumor that Su Bing'er had died.
After all, the scattered immortal sect's cultivators had no extra energy to investigate whether Su Bing'er was truly dead.
Wei Tu had no major doubts about Tian Qiuyun's plan.
Because what she said was the truth.
At present, although Ancient Sword Mountain was powerful, it had not yet reached the point where it could control the scattered immortal sect and become a one-man rule.
They still had to consider the morale of the scattered immortal sect's cultivators.
Otherwise, the scattered immortal sect could easily turn on them and ally with Earth Sword Mountain.
For a long time, Ancient Sword Mountain had maintained a delicate balance in controlling the scattered immortal sect's cultivators, neither implementing oppressive policies that would make the sect unbearable, nor favorable policies that would allow the scattered immortal sect to grow stronger.
They were gradually wearing down the scattered immortal sect's strength.
For example, although Golden Long Valley was surrounded by Earth Sword Mountain, Ancient Sword Mountain still gave the scattered immortal cultivators some hope of escape. As long as they achieved enough merit on the battlefield, or if the situation became desperate enough, they could use the teleportation array to leave the "dead zone" of Golden Long Valley.
"When the time comes, as long as Su Bing'er shows her face in this dangerous place once, it will be enough to silence the rumors," Tian Qiuyun added.
"Show her face once?"
Wei Tu instinctively became more cautious.
Although Tian Qiuyun's method was reasonable, adding this fake death step made the situation a bit more uncontrollable and dangerous.
"I'm curious, where does your sect plan to move Su Bing'er?" Wei Tu thought for a moment and asked, probing.
"To the Blaze Carp Pond."
Tian Qiuyun answered in a deep voice.
Blaze Carp Pond?
Hearing this name, Wei Tu silently nodded, thinking that this place was indeed more dangerous than Golden Long Valley.
While Golden Long Valley, where the scattered immortal sect was located, appeared dangerous, it had a formation set up by Qi Chengchu of Chu. Unless a Nascent Soul ancestor personally intervened, it was nearly as solid as a fortress.
Blaze Carp Pond, however, was different.
This spiritual site wasn't a core strategic location, but over the past decade of the two sects' war, it had changed masters multiple times.
"It's troublesome for Madam Wei to arrange this," Wei Tu said after thinking for a while. He stood and thanked her, agreeing to the proposal made by the higher-ups of Ancient Sword Mountain.
After all, he didn't have a better solution to keep Su Bing'er safe from the battlefield at the moment.
"It's my duty," Tian Qiuyun smiled, but her eyes revealed a hint of pity for Wei Tu.
According to her husband Wei Hua's plan, once Su Bing'er appeared at Blaze Carp Pond, both she and Wei Tu would be buried in the battlefield afterwards.
...
"Did Fellow Daoist Wei really believe Tian Qiuyun's words?"
After Wei Tu left Wei Hua's cave, the sound of Bai Zhi's voice came from inside Wei Tu's sleeve.
Logically speaking, Ancient Sword Mountain's plan seemed reasonable with no major doubts, but based on past experience, Bai Zhi instinctively felt that this mission wouldn't go smoothly.
"Believe it? Not really!" Wei Tu shook his head.
Though he wasn't overly suspicious, he wouldn't blindly trust just one side of the story from Tian Qiuyun.
After thinking for a moment, Wei Tu flipped his hand, and a shell-shaped communication treasure appeared in his hidden sleeve.
This shell was the communication treasure he had secretly used to contact Situ You.
He moved his lips slightly, sending a message through the shell.
A moment later, the shell produced a message.
Seeing the message, Wei Tu couldn't help but smile, his demeanor becoming more composed.
...
Ancient Sword Mountain didn't waste time.
In less than two days, they used the teleportation arrays between the two places to bring Su Bing'er from Golden Long Valley to the sect.
"Senior Brother Wei..."
Seeing Wei Tu who had come to welcome her, Su Bing'er couldn't hide her excitement. If not for the fact that there were still Ancient Sword Mountain cultivators nearby, she would have thrown herself into Wei Tu's arms and cried right then and there.
In this short year, she had been through too much.
First, her mentor, Master Che Gongwei, was killed in battle. Then Golden Long Valley was surrounded by Earth Sword Mountain cultivators. As a Golden Core cultivator of the scattered immortal sect, she had nearly died every day…
If it had only been the latter, it might have been bearable.
But the key issue was that without Master Che Gongwei, the only person she could rely on, she became alone, with no one to depend on in the face of life and death.
Wei Tu had become the new dawn she saw during this year.
When the Ancient Sword Mountain cultivators nearby saw the scene, they tactfully stepped aside, giving space to Wei Tu and Su Bing'er to reunite.
"Junior Sister Su, I imagine Ancient Sword Mountain has already told you the way to escape the battlefield..." Wei Tu didn't waste time on small talk. He went straight to the point, asking about the important matters.
"I know about it, Senior Brother," Su Bing'er replied softly.
"Since you already know, then rest for a while here at Ancient Sword Mountain. After a few days, we'll head to Blaze Carp Pond…" Wei Tu said to himself.
After finishing his words, he was about to summon nearby Ancient Sword Mountain cultivators to take Su Bing'er to rest.
"What about the 50,000 spirit stones?"
At that moment, Su Bing'er suddenly asked this question.
"This..." Wei Tu was left speechless. He wondered if Su Bing'er intended to leave the debt unpaid.
The 50,000 spirit stones weren't the same as the Blood Crane Pills. The latter was a private benefit he gave to Tian Qiuyun, but the 50,000 spirit stones were clearly part of official business, and he couldn't just erase that debt.
If he did, it would make him a fool.
— Even though he was following Che Gongwei's final wishes to care for Su Bing'er, he couldn't do this without boundaries.
After all, an ordinary Golden Core cultivator would only have around 30,000 to 40,000 spirit stones, excluding fixed assets like magical items or cultivation techniques.
"What does Junior Sister Su mean?"
Wei Tu's tone grew colder.
If Su Bing'er truly refused to repay the 50,000 spirit stones, then after saving her this time, he would have nothing more to do with her in the future. He wouldn't care about any mentor's last wishes anymore.
He wouldn't help someone who was selfish and ungrateful.
"You misunderstood, Senior Brother Wei."
Hearing this and seeing Wei Tu's sudden change of expression, Su Bing'er immediately realized that Wei Tu had misunderstood her words.
She explained,
"I don't have enough spirit stones at the moment. And, unlike Senior Brother Wei, who is a master alchemist and talisman master, I don't know when I'll be able to gather 50,000 spirit stones..."
Upon hearing this, Wei Tu understood. He waved his hand, signaling Su Bing'er not to worry too much about the 50,000 spirit stones. She could repay him when she had the means.
When he took out the 50,000 spirit stones, he hadn't expected Su Bing'er to pay him back right away.
However, "unable to repay" and "refusing to repay" were two different things.
"What I mean is…"
Su Bing'er pursed her lips and gritted her teeth, saying, "What I mean is... I'm willing to become Senior Brother Wei's concubine and serve you from now on, as repayment for the 50,000 spirit stones."
Back when she was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she thought that once she reached the Golden Core realm, she would be free, like a bird soaring in the skies or a fish swimming in the sea, no longer bound by anything.
But only recently did she understand how small a Golden Core cultivator's power was during the sect war, and how easily they could lose their lives if they weren't careful.
Moreover, since Master Che Gongwei's death, her status in the scattered immortal sect had visibly dropped.
Without war, the other cultivators of the scattered immortal sect would respectfully call her "Daoist friend," and out of respect for her spiritual body, they would show reverence towards her… but once war broke out, status was based purely on strength.
Someone like her, a newly advanced Golden Core cultivator who hadn't even been in the realm for a hundred years, was seen as cannon fodder in the eyes of others.
From then on, Su Bing'er understood how important it was to find a reliable backer in these chaotic times.
Of course—
Su Bing'er wasn't someone who would just throw herself at any powerful Golden Core cultivator and offer herself as a concubine.
There were three reasons she sought Wei Tu.
First, Wei Tu was a man of good character, a fellow disciple whom her late mentor, Che Gongwei, had trusted as a potential partner.
Second, Wei Tu had helped her several times. She had no way to repay him, so she could only offer herself.
Third, the debt of 50,000 spirit stones was too large… If she had to pay it back, it would cost her decades of cultivation time.
And those decades were the prime time for a young Golden Core cultivator like her. She couldn't afford to waste them.
Thus, whether from a practical or emotional perspective, offering herself as a concubine was, aside from a slight humiliation, undoubtedly the most suitable choice for her.
"Offer yourself as a concubine?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Tu was slightly moved.
The dual cultivation benefits of a spiritual body Golden Core cultivator were far superior to that of a regular Golden Core cultivator.
If he could take Su Bing'er as his concubine, the time it would take for him to break through to the Nascent Soul realm would be shortened by at least ten years.
This benefit would far exceed the 50,000 spirit stones.
"However, it's a pity that Su Bing'er is someone Master entrusted me to take care of before his death..."
Wei Tu shook his head and sighed.
If he were to take Su Bing'er as his concubine now, it would be a huge disrespect to Che Gongwei's memory.
"Helping Junior Sister Su this time is out of friendship with my master... If this leads to tarnishing your reputation, I won't be able to explain it to my master after my death."
Wei Tu carefully phrased his words, expressing his reluctance.
Hearing this, Su Bing'er felt she had overstepped and had put Wei Tu in a difficult position.
"It's my fault for not thinking this through," Su Bing'er said, showing an apologetic look and bowing respectfully.
But these words weren't without effect. Once the tension was broken...
Su Bing'er realized that, when alone with Wei Tu, the atmosphere had become much more ambiguous.
Five days later.
After Su Bing'er finished her rest, Ancient Sword Mountain immediately issued an order, appointing her as the temporary Elder in charge of guarding Blaze Carp Pond.
Once the appointment letter was issued, Su Bing'er, accompanied by the elders of Ancient Sword Mountain, immediately flew off to Blaze Carp Pond.
"Did Wei Tu also leave?" Wei Hua asked as he stepped out of his cave, addressing the steward of the guest hall.
"Yes, Elder Wei. About a quarter of an hour ago, Alchemist Wei took his leave," the steward replied respectfully.
Upon receiving this answer, Wei Hua gave a slight nod. A cold smile appeared at the corner of his lips. With a wave of his sleeve, he transformed into a beam of light and flew out of Ancient Sword Mountain.
His destination was, surprisingly, Blaze Carp Pond as well.
However, what Wei Hua didn't know was that shortly after his departure, Situ you, who had been guarding the mountain gate, suddenly activated his escape technique and also left the sect.
"So it's true!"
"Wei Hua has other plans."
Half a day later, while Wei Tu was on his way, he received a message via the communication shell from Situ you.
After reading the message, a cold glint appeared in Wei Tu's eyes as he silently thought to himself.
However, Wei Tu didn't immediately confront Wei Hua. He increased his speed and positioned himself in front of Su Bing'er and the accompanying Ancient Sword Mountain elder.
"Elder Wu, I still have a few things to say to Junior Sister Su. Please allow me some time," Wei Tu said, cupping his hands in respect.
Although Elder Wu wasn't prepared for Wei Tu's sudden appearance, he knew that with the "50,000 spirit stones" Wei Tu had provided, Wei Tu was a friend, not an enemy. He didn't hesitate and agreed to Wei Tu's request.
Elder Wu even flew ten miles away, giving Wei Tu and Su Bing'er the privacy they needed.
"Senior Brother Wei, what do you have to say to me?" Su Bing'er asked, a bit curious.
She didn't understand why Wei Tu wanted to say something important to her on the road and was willing to block others from hearing.
"This matter..."
Wei Tu didn't waste time. He immediately communicated with Su Bing'er through the secret sound transmission, explaining everything in detail.
"I don't know Wei Hua's exact plan, but for now, you should leave and head to a safe place," Wei Tu explained.
He suspected that Blaze Carp Pond was a trap set by Wei Hua for both him and Su Bing'er.
To resolve this conspiracy, there were two options.
The first was to play along and head to Blaze Carp Pond, then turn the tables on Wei Hua.
The second was to avoid the trap entirely and cut it off at the source.
Wei Tu preferred the second option.
This approach was obviously safer.
He wasn't interested in playing schemes with Wei Hua.
As for the potential negative consequences...
Wei Tu wasn't worried.
For something as small as this, he wouldn't become an enemy of Ancient Sword Mountain; at most, they would have a grudge.
Even if they did become enemies, he wasn't afraid.
After all, even if Ancient Sword Mountain won the battle between the two sects, it would take at least a hundred years for them to recover.
By then, Wei Tu would probably have already reached the Nascent Soul realm.
Once he finished speaking, Wei Tu didn't waste any more time. He stepped forward, took Su Bing'er by the waist, and summoned his life-bound magical artifact, the Thunder Spirit Ruler, injecting several streams of energy into it.
The next moment, the sound of thunder exploded. Several green illusions appeared in all directions, scattering and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Why did Wei Tu and Su Bing'er suddenly escape?"
Ten miles away, Elder Wu, who had been observing, was shocked when he saw this somewhat strange sight. He spoke in surprise, "After all, Ancient Sword Mountain had already agreed to grant Su Bing'er her freedom."
There was no need for Wei Tu to do this.
"Could there be something I don't know?" Elder Wu furrowed his brow, feeling that something wasn't right.
But he had no chance to question Wei Tu further. Wei Tu's escape speed was too fast, far beyond his own limits.
"This escape technique is extraordinary! No wonder Wei Tu was able to escape a few decades ago under the grasp of two powerful Golden Core cultivators..." Elder Wu returned to his previous position, deeply surprised.
He realized that not only could he not catch up with Wei Tu's speed, but even the direction in which Wei Tu escaped was difficult to track.
Each green illusion he created seemed solid, with no difference from his real body.
A quarter of an hour later, Wei Hua, who had been trailing behind, arrived at the place where Wei Tu and Su Bing'er had disappeared. He saw Elder Wu.
"Elder Wu, where is Su Bing'er?"
Wei Hua had a bad feeling and silently cursed, but he kept his composure and asked Elder Wu.
"I'm not sure. They suddenly escaped," Elder Wu answered honestly.