The next morning.
Under Wei Tu's watchful eye, Yan Xiaolan secretly met with Yan Limei, the female steward the Yan family had sent to Little Cold Mountain, and reported everything that had happened the day before. On the surface, Yan Limei's identity was to care for Yan Xiaolan as the steward assigned to Little Cold Mountain, but in reality, she was Yan Xiaolan's aunt from the clan.
"You're still a virgin? Did Elder Cui not touch you last night? Or did you resist him on purpose?" Yan Limei glanced coldly at Yan Xiaolan, frowning slightly. As someone experienced, she could tell at a glance whether Yan Xiaolan was still intact. Besides, with Wei Tu's cultivation far above Yan Xiaolan's, if they'd really had intercourse, she wouldn't have been able to fully refine his aura overnight.
"Elder Cui did want to touch me, but when he saw I didn't know any dual cultivation techniques and my realm was too low, he chose instead to spend the night refining pills. He gave me a Jade Marrow Pill to improve my cultivation first," Yan Xiaolan replied calmly. She had already prepared this explanation in her mind the night before, so she wasn't nervous in front of her aunt. As she spoke, she placed the Jade Marrow Pill Wei Tu had given her on the table.
"I see," Yan Limei's tense expression eased a little as she picked up the jade bottle and took a careful sniff. Smelling the fresh medicinal scent of a newly refined pill, she nodded quietly to herself. Yet once the bottle was in her hand, she hesitated to give it back. Yan Limei was also in the early Foundation Establishment realm, and the Jade Marrow Pill was highly tempting.
Seeing this, Yan Xiaolan smirked inwardly, her resolve to switch allegiances to Wei Tu growing even firmer. If she obediently followed the Yan family's plan, then even if she survived Wei Tu's death decades later and gained the status of his "widow," she'd only get the smallest slice of his inheritance. The family would take the lion's share. There was no way they'd hand over all of a Golden Core cultivator's legacy to her.
But if she could win Wei Tu's favor and serve him well, the benefits he'd casually throw her way while alive would make her filthy rich overnight. If she went even further, Wei Tu might even transfer most of his wealth to her before his death.
Yan Xiaolan didn't think this was wishful thinking. She was the only person beside Wei Tu in his final years. Leaving his inheritance to her was far better than letting it fall into the hands of the greedy Yan family. At this point, she had already mentally cut all ties with the clan. A married woman was like water spilled on the ground—there was no taking it back. Her foremost identity now was as Wei Tu's concubine; being a Yan clan cultivator and Yan Zhenping's daughter came second.
"If Elder Cui shows any unusual behavior, remember to report it to me immediately," Yan Limei said as she reluctantly returned the pill, adding the routine promise: "The family won't treat you poorly."
Won't treat me poorly? Yan Xiaolan scoffed inwardly. The so-called reward for her success was one Emerald Flame Pill and the status of a clan Golden Core seed. But she figured that just by serving Wei Tu over the next few decades, she could earn far more than what the Yan family promised.
Outwardly, however, she betrayed nothing. She bowed respectfully to Yan Limei and agreed, saying, "If Elder Cui shows any unusual signs, I'll inform the clan at once."
Hearing this, Yan Limei felt reassured that Yan Xiaolan hadn't forgotten her roots and left satisfied. But mere seconds after her aunt departed, Yan Xiaolan was already knocking on the door to Wei Tu's meditation chamber, confessing her private meeting with Yan Limei.
"A married woman should follow her husband. Since I've married into the Cui family, I'm now a woman of the Cui family, and it's only right for me to fulfill my duties to it," she explained calmly, showing no hint of guilt for betraying her clan. Her reason sounded entirely reasonable.
Wei Tu couldn't help but look at her with new eyes. He mused to himself that Bai Zhi's words had been spot on: if Yan Xiaolan was willing to marry an old Golden Core cultivator for profit, she'd also be willing to betray her own family for it. She was a textbook example of a self-serving opportunist.
"I'm very pleased you think this way," Wei Tu said, his face showing a hint of approval. He didn't care whether her intentions were good or bad. Right now, her betrayal of the Yan family and loyalty to him were all that mattered. With a flip of his hand, he produced a small green jade bottle and handed it to her. "These are the three Jade Marrow Pills left over from last night. They're yours."
"Thank you, Elder Cui!" Yan Xiaolan exclaimed excitedly. With these three pills, plus the one she received the night before, she could easily break through to mid-Foundation Establishment. On her first day in Little Cold Mountain, she had already gained a fortune beyond her wildest dreams.
Wei Tu's lips curled into a faint smile as he watched her reaction. Those four pills were worth about three thousand spirit stones on the open market—just the cost of the materials he used to refine them. Spending less than a thousand spirit stones to secure such a valuable spy was more than worth it.
"If you serve me well over the coming years, once the Emerald Flame Pill is complete, I might even consider giving you one," he added, dangling an even greater reward.
"Thank you for your generosity, Elder Cui," Yan Xiaolan stammered, her excitement wiping away any last bit of loyalty to her family. She only wanted to cling tightly to Wei Tu now and secure her future on the cultivation path. The Yan family? They were nothing—less than a hair on Elder Cui's head.
Afterward, at Bai Zhi's suggestion, Wei Tu gave Yan Xiaolan a dual cultivation technique called the Luan Phoenix Art. If they were going to put on an act, they had to make it look convincing.
Since Yan Xiaolan had already used the excuse of not having learned a dual cultivation technique to delay sleeping with him, Wei Tu knew it wasn't wise to expose this lie. Besides, it was a reasonable excuse. Between cultivators, dual cultivation wasn't just about desire. Most did it to improve their cultivation. For a woman's first time, the benefit to the man's cultivation was always the greatest.
To outsiders, Wei Tu was an old Golden Core cultivator near the end of his life. Gaining cultivation wouldn't seem useful, but by absorbing Yan Xiaolan's pure yin energy, he could extend his lifespan. That made delaying their union perfectly understandable in the Yan family's eyes, so they wouldn't suspect anything.
"Besides, the Luan Phoenix Art is a furnace technique. Yan Xiaolan practicing it won't raise any suspicion with the Yan family," Bai Zhi said with a soft laugh. She remembered how she once suggested Wei Tu take Qiu Huaisu as a dual cultivation furnace to boost his strength and advance to a higher stage within Golden Core. Back then, Wei Tu refused, saying that was the way of the demonic path, and he was a righteous cultivator who wouldn't stoop to such tricks. Yet now, hadn't he fallen after all? He gave Yan Xiaolan a furnace technique.
Of course, Bai Zhi only thought this to herself. She didn't believe Wei Tu had any hidden intentions toward Yan Xiaolan. Cultivators from the Hehuan Sect raised furnace partners for dual cultivation because it was a cheap and efficient shortcut to power. But Wei Tu, a top-tier third-rank alchemist, didn't need that. The pure yin energy of a Foundation Establishment woman was far less valuable than a batch of third-rank pills.
In her heart, Bai Zhi still respected Wei Tu's sense of balance. He wasn't a naive "righteous cultivator" who would sacrifice his own interests for lofty ideals, but he also wouldn't commit cruel or evil acts for selfish gain. To her, Wei Tu's only real blemish was the way he killed Yu Wencheng. They had no conflict before that; Wei Tu simply framed him and then killed him just because Yu Wencheng belonged to the She Ri Tribe.
But thinking about how the She Ri and Feng Wu Tribes had plotted to kill Wei Tu first, Bai Zhi found his actions perfectly reasonable. Anyone would seek revenge. Wei Tu wasn't a saint.
With Yan Xiaolan cooperating, neither the Yan family in Lougao Sect nor Dun Er the Grandmaster hiding in the shadows suspected Wei Tu of anything. Half a month passed quickly. Using her array mastery and the Tai Miao Treasure Mirror Wei Tu gave her, Bai Zhi finally broke the sealing formation deep under Little Cold Mountain.
"This is the Iceheart Spirit Dew?" Wei Tu muttered excitedly as he descended underground and looked into the hidden ice pool. The pool was a few dozen feet wide, its surface shrouded in visible freezing mist, and shimmering ice chunks floated in the water. The divine treasure concealed itself well. If Wei Tu hadn't known this was where the Iceheart Spirit Dew lay, he'd have thought this was just an ordinary spiritual pond.
"Unfortunately, Yu Wencheng already used this pool once. The concentration of Iceheart Spirit Dew in the water has dropped sharply. For me to completely cleanse my body with what's left, I'd need at least ten years," he sighed heavily after inspecting the pool. Right now, the trade route between the Xiao and Kang Kingdoms had been blocked for seven years—long enough that it could reopen any year now. If that happened, the Yan family outside Little Cold Mountain and the She Ri Tribe back in the Kang Kingdom would both turn their eyes on him.
The former feared he'd slip away with his inheritance once the trade reopened. The latter would become suspicious about Yu Wencheng's disappearance and whether the secret of the Iceheart Spirit Dew had leaked. These were all things he had to prepare for. Of course, there was also a chance the trade route wouldn't reopen before he finished soaking in the dew, letting him quietly complete his plan without anyone realizing, just like he did at Mingwang Sect.
"What a pity! If we had the materials to build a teleportation array, I could set one up right here with my array skills," Bai Zhi murmured. With such an array, Wei Tu could come and go freely from Little Cold Mountain. Even if Lougao Sect or the She Ri Tribe attacked, he could escape instantly. But just like third-rank spiritual herbs, the materials to make a teleportation array were strictly controlled—no amount of money could buy them. Even black markets rarely sold such things.
Hearing her words, Wei Tu recalled the "instant teleportation array" Ji Zhang had used seven years ago on the flying boat. Unlike normal teleportation arrays, an instant array could be activated anywhere, at any time, repeatedly—a far superior life-saving tool compared to a Lesser Shifting Talisman.
"Having a teleportation array here would be convenient, but it's not essential. I just need to keep an eye out for news on when the Xiao-Kang trade route will reopen," Wei Tu said, shaking his head. But he still planned to prepare for both possibilities. He'd start quietly gathering materials for a teleportation array while staying alert for any word about the trade route. Even if he couldn't collect everything in time, he could use the materials later.
"Of course, it'd be even better if I could somehow get Ji Zhang's instant teleportation array," he thought with a bitter smile. But he knew perfectly well how unlikely that was. He had no relationship with Ji Zhang, and there was no chance someone would hand over such a precious life-saving trump card.
After telling Bai Zhi to stay on watch outside, Wei Tu took off his clothes and stepped into the icy pool to absorb the Iceheart Spirit Dew. The moment the water touched his skin, a light, airy sensation shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making him feel like he could float into the sky at any moment.
The Iceheart Spirit Dew began washing his body, purifying the spiritual power inside him. After a while, he sensed another strange feeling, as if everything in the world had slowed down inside his mind. His spiritual power wasn't just lighter, it felt like it had gained a hint of intelligence.
"If I stay here for ten years, I might break through to late Golden Core," Wei Tu thought, flipping his hand to bring out a stash of mid-grade third-rank pills he had refined over the years. These pills carried a bit of pill poison. Before, he relied on the Yuan Gravity Law Seal to purify his power and remove the toxins, but at Golden Core level, that technique had become too slow. The Yuan Gravity Divine Light still had its uses, but it wasn't as effective at cleansing as it was during his Foundation Establishment days.
In short, the obstacle to his breakthrough wasn't a lack of pills, but fear that pill poison would damage his potential. Now, the Iceheart Spirit Dew could purify his spiritual power perfectly, filling that gap.
Wei Tu's luck held. Five years passed, and there was still no sign of the Xiao-Kang trade route reopening. According to rumors, Ji Zhang, the direct disciple who caused the mess, was actually an illegitimate child of one of the Nascent Soul elders of Tianyi Sect. Because of that, Tianyi Sect would rather suffer losses than hand Ji Zhang over. Some even claimed Ji Zhang was about to break through to Nascent Soul himself. Wei Tu didn't trust these rumors completely and sent a letter to Zhao Huamin to confirm what the Shengya Zhao Clan knew.
As it turned out, the rumors had some truth. Ji Zhang was indeed the illegitimate son of Tianyi Sect's leader, Ji Yifeng, but Tianyi Sect's decision to shield him wasn't just because of that. It was also about resisting pressure from the major merchant guilds.
The merchant guilds were trying to seize power. In the Xiao Kingdom, the sects had come before the cross-border trade guilds. Every big merchant guild had deep ties to the local sects, and many guilds were actually controlled by sect leaders. But over time, the profits from trade had made the guilds stronger, leading to a shift where the branches threatened to outgrow the roots.
The pressure from the merchant guilds was essentially a power grab—an attempt to force Tianyi Sect to bow, paving the way for shared control of the kingdom between guilds and sects. If Tianyi Sect gave in, it would signal a new era of joint rule that many sects found unacceptable. That's why many sects secretly supported Tianyi Sect, encouraging them not to fold too quickly.
"Internal power struggles aren't like open wars," Wei Tu analyzed. "Even if the sects have overwhelming force, they can't just crush the guilds outright. Everyone's interests are too tangled together. Someone's bound to give in first."
He guessed the most likely outcome was that Tianyi Sect would eventually surrender. The guilds could unite to pressure Tianyi Sect, but the sects couldn't unite in the same way—they had no shared incentive. Each sect wanted to benefit personally. If the guilds refused to trade, other sects waiting to grab the profits would be the first to object.
Still, Wei Tu hoped Tianyi Sect could hold out another five years. That time would let him finish healing his hidden injuries, which were already eighty percent recovered. In another year or two, he'd be back to full strength.
Time slipped by. Another two years passed in the blink of an eye. Wei Tu's body cultivation fully recovered and even advanced further, pushing his strength beyond what it was before. But this came at a cost: all the body-tempering herbs he'd gathered in Liao Prefecture were used up.
"Why does Master Cui seem to grow more energetic by the day?" Yan Xiaolan thought, puzzled, watching Wei Tu look more vigorous than ever. Normally, elderly cultivators near the end of their lives withered quickly, their vitality fading like a dying candle flame. Wei Tu, however, seemed to defy this pattern.
Yan Xiaolan's observation wasn't a mistake—Wei Tu's overflowing vitality was hard to hide. Fortunately, she didn't suspect anything. She chalked it up to her imagination or perhaps a test from Wei Tu himself. After all, even the family's Golden Core elders had confirmed he was an old man near death. A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like her wouldn't think she could see something they missed.
"Still, I hope Master Cui can live a little longer," Yan Xiaolan thought with mixed feelings. Part of her wanted him to die soon so she could inherit his wealth and gain her freedom. Another part feared he'd die too soon, forcing her into an early showdown with her own family.
Wei Tu, meanwhile, had no idea what Yan Xiaolan was thinking. As his body cultivation recovered, his spiritual power also surged, and the bottleneck to late Golden Core loosened.
"Today's the day I break through," Wei Tu murmured. He took out a Blood Crane Pill he had refined years ago, popped it into his mouth, and swallowed it in one gulp.