At the start, Daoist Wolfslayer had said that out of four batches, one successful batch would be enough.
Now, Wei Tu had successfully completed two batches.
He had refined two Xiao Jing Pills.
That more than fulfilled Daoist Wolfslayer's original request.
"What's the meaning of this, Daoist Wolfslayer?" Wei Tu gave him a cold glance.
In terms of open strength, he might not match Daoist Wolfslayer, but he wasn't so weak as to be afraid.
Besides, behind him stood the Cangkun Alliance and Grand Mage Qu Bei of Divine Master Du Long's lineage.
That alone gave him the confidence to accept this commission—even though he'd suspected a trap from the beginning—without fear of consequences.
"Alchemist Wei failed in two batches. We agreed one successful batch, but you've only given me two pills. You should compensate me," Daoist Wolfslayer said, his aura pulling back after posturing. A thin smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Hearing this,
Wei Tu instantly understood the trick Daoist Wolfslayer had used to stir up trouble.
Each successful batch of Xiao Jing Pills could yield up to three pills.
Daoist Wolfslayer had deliberately said only one successful batch was needed, without specifying the number of pills.
Typically, a "successful batch" just meant refining a single usable pill.
But insisting it had to be three per batch wasn't entirely groundless either.
Still, by the standards of the alchemy world, that was just being unreasonable—no one would take it seriously.
That's why Wei Tu had ignored it.
"How much compensation are you looking for, Daoist Wolfslayer?" Wei Tu glanced at him and suddenly smiled, as if giving in.
It all came down to one thing—
Too many spirit stones, and someone was bound to take notice.
Over the decades, he'd earned a great deal through the trade route opened by the Wind-Cleaving Eagle to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, plus his skills in talismans and alchemy.
He was now among the wealthiest in the Golden Core realm within the Ying Ding Tribe.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to ask Yu Tong to help purchase Vajra Fruit from the Xiao Kingdom.
Daoist Wolfslayer came to him not just for the Xiao Jing Pills—but also to shake him down.
Of course, if he'd failed entirely, there wouldn't be an excuse. But since he succeeded, Daoist Wolfslayer now had something to twist.
"Four sets of ingredients, but only two pills made… I won't ask for much. Alchemist Wei, just pay me thirty-two thousand spirit stones, and this will be settled." Daoist Wolfslayer made an outrageous demand.
Thirty-two thousand?
Wei Tu's eyes narrowed, a cold smirk tugging at his lips.
The ingredients needed to refine Xiao Jing Pills were mostly ordinary third-rank materials—there weren't any rare treasures involved.
The total cost wouldn't exceed twenty thousand spirit stones.
Now, Daoist Wolfslayer was demanding thirty-two thousand—clearly trying to extort him through intimidation.
He figured Wei Tu, a young Golden Core cultivator, would be an easy mark.
This amount was even higher than the bet Wei Tu had made with Grand Mage Yuan Xian.
"I wonder... was this all done under orders from the Right Virtuous Prince's estate?" Wei Tu thought calmly.
Daoist Wolfslayer alone didn't worry him. What concerned him was whether he was just a pawn, and someone else was behind the scheme.
After all, Wei Tu's value was no longer small.
Wei Tu quickly made up his mind.
"Five thousand spirit stones. That's all I'll give." Wei Tu looked at him coldly, stepped back a few paces, and flicked his sleeve impatiently.
Seeing Wei Tu "soften,"
Daoist Wolfslayer chuckled. He'd expected this.
He figured someone like Wei Tu—an artisan, not a fighter—would cave when pushed.
Spending a little to avoid a big problem.
He wouldn't dare fall out with him.
"Eighteen thousand spirit stones. That's my bottom line," Daoist Wolfslayer countered, raising his demand.
Wei Tu's brows furrowed slightly. He appeared hesitant, casting a glance at Daoist Wolfslayer, letting just a hint of fear show in his eyes.
"Here's eighteen thousand." Wei Tu reluctantly pulled a pouch of spirit stones from his sleeve and tossed it at Daoist Wolfslayer.
"Alchemist Wei is generous." Daoist Wolfslayer beamed as he pocketed the pouch, clearly pleased.
He gave Wei Tu a compliment, then turned and left in a pale yellow streak of light, departing from Yan Fen Mountain.
Once Daoist Wolfslayer was far off,
Wei Tu let out a cold snort, changed his appearance, and disguised himself as an old man in a heavy robe. Quietly, he followed behind.
With the spiritual mark he'd made using a Spirit-Sealing Talisman, Wei Tu never lost sight of him.
...
After leaving Yan Fen Mountain, Daoist Wolfslayer returned straight to Hujie Immortal City and entered the estate of the Right Virtuous Prince.
The estate, located in the city's southwest, covered a thousand mu, with buildings densely packed like a forest.
Half a day after Daoist Wolfslayer entered,
Wei Tu, disguised as the robed old man, arrived outside the estate's gates.
He looked up at the tall bronze gates, several zhang high, and the pair of fierce lion statues flanking them. He paused.
"The estate has a third-rank barrier formation. Spying on the inside won't be easy," Wei Tu muttered, turning to Bai Zhi.
The bronze gates, the copper lion statues, the eaves decorated with carved images of rare beasts—
With his experience, Wei Tu could easily tell that these were the focal points of the formation barrier protecting the prince's estate.
But before Bai Zhi could reply, a squad of guards from the Right Virtuous Prince's estate patrolling nearby approached.
Their leader gave Wei Tu a cold glance and barked, "This is a restricted area. No loitering."
As he spoke, the guards raised their spears and halberds, pointing them directly at the old robed man Wei Tu had disguised himself as.
Seeing this, Wei Tu decisively backed away from the gate without getting into a confrontation.
"This is trouble. These guards only patrol the outside and don't enter the estate itself," Wei Tu muttered as he retrieved the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth he had secretly planted on the squad leader.
The moth's speed was limited.
As a second-rank spirit insect, it could tail Foundation Establishment cultivators easily, but following Golden Core cultivators was beyond its ability.
That's why Wei Tu had only marked Daoist Wolfslayer with a spiritual sense imprint before.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, I've finished my inspection. The formation barrier outside the Right Virtuous Prince's estate doesn't have any obvious weak points. Short of brute-forcing it, there's no other way in," Bai Zhi said tiredly.
Without a physical body, only her Golden Core and divine soul remained. Using spiritual sense meant it couldn't be replenished instantly and had to recover slowly.
So even just probing the barrier for flaws had drained her significantly.
"Looks like we'll have to wait patiently," Wei Tu sighed, blending into the crowd on the street.
Fortunately, the estate was vast and extravagant. Every day, a lot of goods were brought in and out.
By the next day, Wei Tu found an opportunity to attach a Seven-Colored Phantom Moth onto a steward going out on an errand.
Through the steward, the moth was brought into the estate.
Inside the moth was a sliver of Wei Tu's divine sense. Using that, he steered it toward Daoist Wolfslayer's location.
Just like in the He family of Crane Mountain, the estate had a designated spiritual zone for guest cultivators like Daoist Wolfslayer.
The Seven-Colored Phantom Moth carefully hid in the guest room where Daoist Wolfslayer lived.
Inside, Daoist Wolfslayer was quietly meditating. He didn't seem to be conspiring with anyone.
"I'm a day and a half late. I wonder if he's already met with someone," Wei Tu frowned and sighed.
Right now, all he could do was hope to catch a clue—treating a dead cat like a living one, as the saying goes.
After two more days of waiting,
Wei Tu, still hiding near the estate's entrance, spotted a man in golden robes—Second Prince of the Right Virtuous Prince—entering.
Wei Tu remembered this man clearly. Back on Wind-Raging Island, the second prince had tried to recruit him and mentioned having a widowed royal sister.
When the second prince entered the estate,
At first, Wei Tu paid it no mind. But when he used the moth to see the prince heading straight for the guest hall—toward Daoist Wolfslayer's room—he immediately perked up.
If his guess was right,
This recent extortion attempt by Daoist Wolfslayer was likely tied to the second prince.
"Your Highness," sensing the prince's approach, Daoist Wolfslayer rose, opened the door, and gave a respectful bow.
"Daoist Wolfslayer."
The second prince was easygoing. He waved off the gesture and sat down on a wooden stool inside.
Daoist Wolfslayer took his seat as well.
"How did it go?" the prince asked, glancing at the pouch on Daoist Wolfslayer's belt.
"Just as planned. Wei Tu agreed to refine the pills, and under my threat, compensated me with some spirit stones."
"These are the five thousand spirit stones he paid," Daoist Wolfslayer said, pulling out a pouch and placing it on the tea table between them.
Five thousand?
From the shadows, Wei Tu's brow arched slightly. He distinctly remembered paying eighteen thousand.
"Looks like Daoist Wolfslayer isn't truly working for the prince's estate," Wei Tu thought.
"Keep them, Daoist,"
The second prince shook his head and pushed the pouch back toward him.
A mere five thousand spirit stones weren't worth losing loyalty over.
"Many thanks, Your Highness."
Daoist Wolfslayer smiled and took the pouch back with a wave of his hand.
"Your Highness, there's something I don't understand," Daoist Wolfslayer said after a moment's thought. "If the estate wants to recruit Wei Tu, why send me to threaten him? Wouldn't that only ruin his impression of the estate?"
Before this, he'd only followed orders from the estate without questioning them.
But now that the task was done, he figured he had the right to ask.
After all, this job had made him an enemy of a fellow Golden Core cultivator. He couldn't afford to be careless.
If the estate ended up recruiting Wei Tu and threw him under the bus to win his favor, it'd be a huge loss.
Daoist Wolfslayer knew his place.
He understood that while his combat power exceeded Wei Tu's, his overall value—given Wei Tu's rare dual mastery in alchemy and talismans—did not.