"What?"
"They suddenly fled?"
Wei Hua's face showed a look of astonishment.
From the planning stage to the execution, everything had been meticulously arranged. By all rights, there shouldn't have been any mistakes, and Wei Tu and Su Bing'er shouldn't have noticed anything.
So why did something unexpected happen?
What Wei Hua didn't know was that this wasn't due to a huge mistake on his part, but rather because Wei Tu had betrayed him, and the cost for doing so was almost nonexistent.
In other words, Wei Tu was not someone that he and his wife could control at will. While in Ancient Sword Mountain, Wei Tu was willing to "keep a low profile" for Su Bing'er's safety and follow the rules, but once he left the sect, those concerns were gone. He could come and go as he pleased.
He was someone Wei Hua couldn't manipulate.
"Now, how should I deal with this mess?"
Wei Hua was a bit at his wit's end.
His plan had been a borrowed knife to kill, using Wei Tu and Su Bing'er's arrival at Blaze Carp Pond as a setup, luring in Earth Sword Mountain's cultivators to make Su Bing'er's "fake death" a "real death."
Once that happened, he could use the "murder" of Wei Tu as a diplomatic issue to ask the Ying Ding tribe to "bring justice."
With the support of the Ying Ding tribe, his influence in Ancient Sword Mountain would rise significantly, and he would become the uncontested candidate for the position of Sword Master.
But he hadn't expected Wei Tu to be so uncooperative.
Not only did Wei Tu refuse to follow the plan, but this situation would also cause a chain reaction. Not only would it create uncontrollable risks at Blaze Carp Pond, but it would also make the cultivators in Ancient Sword Mountain suspicious of him.
For instance, Elder Wu had already begun to suspect Wei Hua's sudden appearance and Wei Tu's unexpected escape.
After all, his appearance made Elder Wu think—was it because of him that Wei Tu had been forced to flee?
Otherwise, why would Wei Tu and Su Bing'er suddenly leave without any notice?
"It seems this time, I'll have to rely on my wife and her silver tongue to convince the other elders and resolve this crisis," Wei Hua sighed to himself.
At this moment, he nearly hated Wei Tu to the core.
Wei Tu's sudden escape had not only wiped out the accomplishments he had nearly secured, but it would also become a serious political blunder that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
However—
What Wei Hua didn't know was that just as he was about to return to Ancient Sword Mountain, his old enemy, "Situ You," had been waiting for him for quite some time.
...
Revenge on Wei Hua.
Wei Tu did not take action himself.
After all, he had become too entangled with Wei Hua. If he killed Wei Hua now, Ancient Sword Mountain would surely target him as the culprit.
Suddenly betraying and killing a sect elder...
The significance of the two actions was completely different.
Killing him would definitely lead to Ancient Sword Mountain pursuing responsibility, possibly escalating into a deadly feud.
Moreover, killing Wei Hua could reveal his cultivation level, which would bring endless trouble.
Right now, Wei Tu was playing the role of "the tiger in sheep's clothing," dealing with cultivators like Wei Hua was not difficult. He could handle them easily and leave at will.
However, once his cultivation level was exposed...
Those who targeted him might be fellow cultivators of the same level, or even Nascent Soul elders.
Wei Tu had not forgotten that the She Ri and Feng Wu tribes had always seen him as an enemy, wishing to kill him as soon as possible.
But since he didn't pose a huge threat yet, the two tribes hadn't used much of their resources to deal with him urgently.
Killing a "Golden Core Mid-stage" cultivator to bring out a Nascent Soul elder was not practical.
However, killing a "Golden Core Late-stage" cultivator with a potential Nascent Soul breakthrough, like Jin Xia, would make Nascent Soul elders more than willing to take action.
"With my talismans to assist, even if Situ You can't kill Wei Hua, severely injuring him will still be easy."
Half a day later.
On the border of Ancient Sword Mountain, Wei Tu and Su Bing'er stopped and ceased their escape. Wei Tu took out a communication shell from his sleeve. After checking its contents, he silently thought to himself.
After all, Wei Hua wasn't his arch-nemesis. Whether he died now or later wouldn't affect Wei Tu much.
"As for Yao Chongshan and his wife..."
Wei Tu suppressed his murderous intent and planned to wait for a few years, maybe ten or more, until the right moment came to take action, or perhaps directly kill them after reaching Nascent Soul.
This wasn't because he was afraid or unwilling to avenge his master, Che Gongwei, but because after rescuing Su Bing'er, he had lost the best opportunity for revenge.
First,
After this incident, Ancient Sword Mountain would no longer be his ally. The chances of them providing him with specific intelligence on Yao Chongshan and his wife were slim.
Without intelligence support, it would be unrealistic to kill Yao Chongshan and his wife on the battlefield with so many eyes watching.
Second,
After this incident, once Yao Chongshan and his wife learned that Wei Tu had been to Ancient Sword Mountain, they would certainly become more cautious, not giving him any opportunity to launch a surprise attack.
"Rest assured, Senior Brother Wei. The vengeance for Master will never be forgotten... After one hundred years, I am willing to join forces with Senior Brother Wei to personally kill Yao Chongshan and his wife!"
Upon seeing Wei Tu's expression, Su Bing'er, who had been around him long enough, immediately guessed his thoughts. Her eyes revealed a sense of determination as she raised her hand and swore, volunteering to share the pressure with him.
At this moment, although Su Bing'er knew that Wei Tu's combat strength was extraordinary, she did not think that Wei Tu, without the help of Yu Gongshou and the others, could match Yao Chongshan and his wife.
The reason was simple: the combined secret techniques of Yao Chongshan and his wife were far too powerful, surpassing even cultivators of the same level.
Remember, a year ago, even with the fourth-tier talisman tool "Golden Flame Pearl" assisting, Che Gongwei still suffered a tragic defeat and lost his life.
"That's fine."
"Senior Brother and Master have been waiting for this day."
Hearing this, Wei Tu's gaze toward Su Bing'er softened a little. For the first time, he realized how responsible Su Bing'er was.
It made all his past rescues worth it.
Today, if Su Bing'er could do this for Che Gongwei, then tomorrow, she could do the same for him.
Perhaps in the future, he could have someone he could entrust his life to.
Of course, Wei Tu didn't easily trust her. After all, doing something and saying something were two different things, and there were too many false-hearted people in the world.
Only when Su Bing'er truly risked everything to avenge Che Gongwei could he believe the words she had spoken.
...
After their conversation, Wei Tu saw that his spiritual power had almost recovered. He activated his escape technique and headed towards the Ying Ding tribe.
Three days later.
Wei Tu and Su Bing'er arrived at Hu Jie Immortal City.
Upon reaching the city gates, Wei Tu first sent talisman messages to Yuan Jie, Fairy Baohua, and a few other acquaintances to inform them that he had returned. Then, he entered the Wei Clan Pill and Talisman Workshop.
After nearly twenty years, the business of Wei Clan's Pill and Talisman Workshop had dwindled considerably, with foot traffic almost halved.
Of course, Wei Tu understood the reason. Without him as the chief alchemist, it would have been impossible to maintain the same level of business.
When he first opened the shop, it was just to take more alchemy commissions to improve his alchemy skills and eventually refine the "Purple Candle Pill."
After all, cultivation was the top priority.
Now, with the decline of the workshop, Wei Tu wasn't too disappointed as it was within his expectations.
"There's a surplus of twenty-three thousand spirit stones?"
After reviewing the accounts in his temporary room on the fourth floor, Wei Tu showed a surprised expression.
He hadn't expected that, after his departure, Wei Clan's Pill and Talisman Workshop not only avoided losses but also had such a surplus of spirit stones.
For him, these twenty-three thousand spirit stones were almost like an unexpected windfall.
"You've done well in managing this." After finishing the accounts, Wei Tu looked at Tao Fangde, his eyes showing a hint of appreciation.
The ledger clearly recorded the income, bonuses, and specific details of each transaction by the alchemists and talisman makers in the workshop, even specifying the exact time and amount sold on each day.
Not a single entry was missed.
"Truly an elite of the family," Wei Tu praised.
Years ago, in recognition of Tao Fangde's kindness, he had returned Tao Chongzhou's storage bag to the Tao family of Han Mountain intact.
The "loss" in spirit stones was around sixty to seventy thousand spirit stones.
But now, with the full support of the Tao family, in less than twenty years, he had "gained" twenty-three thousand spirit stones.
It was predictable that this amount would exceed sixty to seventy thousand spirit stones over the next hundred years.
"Senior Wei, you flatter me," Tao Fangde smiled modestly upon hearing this.
The reason the Tao family of Han Mountain helped Wei Tu so much was not only out of gratitude for Wei Tu's past assistance to the Tao family but also because... the Tao family and the Wei family were now in a marriage alliance.
Helping the Wei family was like helping the Tao family!
The stronger the Wei family became, the more glorious the Tao family would be as part of the marriage.
"It's a pity, Tao Ya failed..." Tao Fangde sighed inwardly.
After the decision was made to have the Tao family become the Wei family's wife clan...
He secretly arranged suitable matches for the three generations of cultivators from the Wei family in the Tao family of Han Mountain.
Wei Tu, Tao Ya.
Wei Xiuwen, Tao Wenzhi.
Wei Changshou, Tao Ping'er.
However...
Upon seeing Su Bing'er accompanying Wei Tu today, Tao Fangde could already sense that there was almost no chance for Tao Ya and Wei Tu anymore.
Compared to Su Bing'er, Tao Ya was completely defeated.
After all, whether in terms of appearance or cultivation level, Tao Ya couldn't compare to Su Bing'er in the slightest.
In front of Su Bing'er, Tao Ya felt self-conscious.
"Well, it's fine. Ping'er has already become Wei Changshou's Dao companion, and Wenzhi is not far behind…"
Tao Fangde thought to himself quietly.
Although the Tao family of Han Mountain hadn't achieved their biggest goal over the past several decades, with Tao Wenzhi and Tao Ping'er, they had firmly bound themselves to the Wei family, and the title of "wife clan" was truly earned.
Wei Tu had long since figured out Tao Fangde's little thoughts, but he didn't pay them much mind. After all, compared to other families, the Tao family of Han Mountain could be considered well-grounded and pragmatic.
Choosing the Tao family as the Wei family's wife clan brought no harm and only benefit to the Wei family.
...
After finishing his account check, Wei Tu began to worry about one thing: Su Bing'er's whereabouts and the resources for her future cultivation.
The first issue was easy to solve.
Although Su Bing'er's identity was somewhat troublesome, with his influence, it wouldn't be difficult for her to join the Ying Ding tribe.
The Ying Ding tribe had always welcomed spiritual body Golden Cores like Su Bing'er.
Moreover, now, under the rule of Yuan Jie, the Right Virtuous King, who was committed to reforming the Ying Ding tribe's spiritual path and bringing it back to "immortal Dao," Su Bing'er's entry would not face much resistance.
The second issue, however, was more difficult.
Although Su Bing'er had learned some talisman techniques from Che Gongwei, her talent in talisman crafting wasn't great, and relying on this immortal skill would make it hard to earn enough cultivation resources.
—Cultivation potential does not equal earning potential.
Of course, this didn't mean Su Bing'er was lacking.
It was just that her time as a Golden Core True Lord was too short, and she hadn't accumulated enough yet.
However, Wei Tu wasn't foolish enough to be a "patsy" and fund her cultivation. He hadn't even gotten back the fifty thousand spirit stones yet.
He was troubled by this issue because, as a fellow disciple and because of Che Gongwei's last wishes, it would be hard to simply walk away.
Fortunately, not long after, Fairy Baohua took the initiative to solve this problem for Wei Tu.
Fairy Baohua's cultivation of the "Ancient Scroll of Heavenly Fragrance" was not only useful for combat and cultivation but also for brewing alcohol.
In other words, the "Ancient Scroll of Heavenly Fragrance" was also a high-level immortal alchemy technique.
Although the income potential of an immortal brewer was much lower than that of an alchemist or talisman master, it was still more than enough to support personal cultivation.
Su Bing'er's Profound Wood Spirit Body was perfect for adapting the "Ancient Scroll of Heavenly Fragrance" and, using this technique, she could become a high-level immortal brewer and earn cultivation resources.
"Bao Hua will soon be my Dao companion. Su Xianzi will also be your Dao companion, Fellow Daoist Wei. Our friendship will never change."
At the Right Virtuous King's palace, in the great hall.
During the dust-washing banquet.
Yuan Jie glanced at the happy Su Bing'er and Fairy Baohua, then turned to Wei Tu, who sat in the second seat, and smiled.
Six months ago, when Fairy Baohua had reported that Wei Tu wouldn't allow Wei Yan to join the Ying Ding tribe, Yuan Jie had thought Wei Tu had "other intentions" and wasn't planning to settle in the Ying Ding tribe.
However, a few months later, Wei Tu brought Su Bing'er, whose talent was far stronger than Wei Yan's.
From this, he could see that Wei Tu still cared about the Ying Ding tribe and wasn't planning to leave.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Yuan," Wei Tu said, placing down his jade chopsticks and cupping his hands in greeting.
He had a premonition about Yuan Jie and Fairy Baohua's union one hundred years ago.
Now, they had finally achieved their goal.
However, while thanking Yuan Jie, Wei Tu didn't correct his misunderstanding or explain that he and Su Bing'er only had a simple senior and junior disciple relationship.
After all, Su Bing'er was his potential Dao companion, and it was advantageous for him to act this way within the Ying Ding tribe.
—Wei Tu could tell that if he didn't have a family in the Ying Ding tribe, Yuan Jie wouldn't fully trust him.
Family meant a vulnerability.
Of course, Wei Tu didn't blame Yuan Jie too harshly. After all, it was natural. As someone in a higher position, Yuan Jie's considerations were understandable.
"I hope it can end well…"
Thinking of this, Wei Tu's mind recalled the first time he saw Yuan Jie in the cave of Bei Da Master.
At that time, Yuan Jie wore a white robe, his temperament gentle and elegant, with his eyes full of ambition for the future.
Today, however, as the Right Virtuous King, Yuan Jie wore a golden crown and barbarian clothes, and though he spoke of brotherly affection, it was clearly all about calculating interests.
"Power truly moves the heart! I wonder if Yuan Jie will be able to fulfill his ambitions and reform the tribe."
Wei Tu sighed lightly.
Yuan Jie's ambitions back then weren't just about pushing for the immortal path within the tribe; he also wanted to change the hierarchy between the mages and priests.
The former, Wei Tu had seen.
The latter… remained the same, with no changes at all.