After leaving the sect affairs hall, Kou Hongying returned to her cave to meet with Wei Yan. Wearing an apologetic expression, she explained to Wei Yan the outcome of Mirror Water Pavilion's high-level discussion. "The old who won't die are like thieves! Shen Yunqiu's anger is aimed at our lineage, so she took it out on you."
"Hongying-jie, it's fine. We still have the token from Pavilion Master Ning. I can just go to Condensing Moon Palace to break through," Wei Yan said with a gentle smile, wrapping her arm around Kou Hongying's.
"…Alright," Kou Hongying replied helplessly. Though it might seem like there was no difference between breaking through in Mirror Water Pavilion or Condensing Moon Palace—both were comparable sects—in truth, there was a big gap. In Mirror Water Pavilion, she could personally watch over Wei Yan. If Wei Yan's breakthrough failed, Kou Hongying could step in and save her life. But in the unfamiliar Condensing Moon Palace, Wei Yan would be completely on her own.
"I'll ask Fairy Shuang to look after you as best she can," Kou Hongying promised. Wei Yan didn't refuse. When it came to something as important as advancing a cultivation realm, she knew when to accept help. Owing someone a favor was far better than risking death.
"Shen Yunqiu…" After finishing her conversation with Kou Hongying and returning to her guest room, Wei Yan softly repeated Shen Yunqiu's name a few times, firmly memorizing it. She wasn't consumed by hatred, but she needed to fill in the gaps—to know exactly who her enemies were so she wouldn't be caught off guard later.
…
Wei Tu's streak of good luck didn't last. Not long after he reached the late Golden Core stage, news arrived from Haizhou: the Tianyi Sect had finally conceded, and the major merchant guilds were reopening the trade routes between Xiao and Kang Kingdoms. In Cao Prefecture, this news caused little stir. But for the Yan family, who were watching Wei Tu's every move and counting on his death to claim his inheritance, it was a major blow. The whole Yan clan grew worried that Wei Tu might suddenly flee, leave Cao Prefecture, and return to Kang Kingdom.
"Xiaolan, how has Senior Cui been lately? Has he shown any signs of wanting to leave Little Cold Mountain?" The next day, Yan Limei quietly met with Yan Xiaolan again, probing for information about Wei Tu's situation. Over the past eight years, even though Wei Tu had never touched Yan Xiaolan's body and she remained chaste, she had hinted to Yan Limei that she shared a close relationship with him, only refraining from consummation to preserve the purity of her furnace yin energy. Because of this, the Yan family had never suspected that Yan Xiaolan wasn't truly Wei Tu's bed companion.
"Senior Cui looks pretty energetic these days," Yan Xiaolan lied without hesitation. "But when he's with me… he often seems old and tired. I think his lifespan might not last much longer." She deliberately painted Wei Tu as a lustful old man who had grown content and lazy.
"Tired and lacking energy?" Yan Limei glanced at Yan Xiaolan's flushed, pretty face and cursed inwardly: 'This shameless little flirt, always seducing Senior Cui. She probably pocketed who knows how many benefits by now.' Yan Limei guessed that Wei Tu's recent vigor was just the effect of taking countless aphrodisiac pills for bedroom needs, which made him seem more lively despite his age.
"Tomorrow, your granduncle will come to Little Cold Mountain to visit Senior Cui. Keep a close eye on him, and do your best to stop him from refining pills during this time so he won't miss the meeting," Yan Limei instructed after thinking for a moment. Seeing is believing. Since both she and Yan Xiaolan were only at the Foundation Establishment stage, they couldn't see through Wei Tu's cultivation state. If they were being deceived, it could lead to disaster. Having Yan Zezhi see him personally would not only confirm the truth but also give her an excuse if things went wrong later.
"Second Granduncle is coming?" Yan Xiaolan thought this was bad news. Over these eight years, she had lied countless times to the Yan family since boarding Wei Tu's metaphorical pirate ship. Those lies weren't just to cover for Wei Tu—they were also to benefit herself by playing both sides and extracting favors from the Yan clan.
If Yan Zezhi came in person and spoke with Wei Tu, her lies would be exposed easily. So after Yan Limei left, Yan Xiaolan immediately turned to find Wei Tu and reported everything.
In truth, thanks to the concealment of the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth, Wei Tu had already heard every word between Yan Xiaolan and Yan Limei. Still, seeing Yan Xiaolan recognize the situation made him quite satisfied.
"Old man won't hide it from you," Wei Tu said after thinking a moment, "I came to Little Cold Mountain for other important matters, not just to enjoy my remaining years."
The situation now was completely different from before. When he first arrived at Little Cold Mountain, his body cultivation was half-crippled, his energy cultivation only at mid-Golden Core, and he had to be wary of Lougao Sect and the Yan family. But now, his body and energy cultivation were balanced, both at late Golden Core. His strength was among the stronger ones even at the peak of the Golden Core realm. There was no need to fear Lougao Sect or the Yan family anymore!
The only things he really had to worry about were twofold: first, his true identity being exposed and the She Ri Tribe treating him as a mortal enemy; second, the She Ri Tribe realizing what he was doing and ruining his plan before he could fully cleanse his body with the Iceheart Spirit Dew.
By revealing his real cultivation level, Wei Tu wanted Yan Xiaolan to understand that from now on, she had only one path—siding with him completely. He needed her to become his loyal confidant so they could finish this act together over the next two years, cutting off any thought of her playing both sides.
Wei Tu saw it clearly: although Yan Xiaolan seemed to have submitted to him, deep down she still harbored ideas of betraying him and returning to the Yan family.
"What? Not here to enjoy your remaining years?" Hearing this, Yan Xiaolan nearly fainted. She had spent the past eight years working hard, waiting for Wei Tu to die of old age so she could inherit his legacy. But now, all of it turned out to be an illusion.
"With my strength, it wouldn't be difficult for me to escape Lougao Sect's territory," Wei Tu continued coldly.
Hearing that, Yan Xiaolan's expression flickered several times. At this moment, she could feel a powerful aura from Wei Tu that was far beyond what her second granduncle Yan Zezhi possessed. This meant Wei Tu's cultivation was at least at late Golden Core. After all, Yan Zezhi's cultivation was only at mid-Golden Core.
"When I married into Little Cold Mountain, I swore to follow my husband wherever he went. Being able to serve Senior today is my honor," Yan Xiaolan forced a smile and replied. If Wei Tu had followed the Yan family's plan and slowly died of old age, she would've had a chance to cover up her past loyalty to him and be accepted back into the family. But now, with Wei Tu revealing his real power and goals, she was truly trapped—she had no choice but to follow him to the end. In the Yan family's eyes, she was always just a disposable pawn. No one would care about her explanations.
"I have two pills," Wei Tu said calmly. "One is a Biyan Pill, the other is a tier-three poison pill. Choose."
He nodded with satisfaction, flipping his palm to reveal two pills. The Biyan Pill, although just a substitute for the Mortal Shedding Pill, was still valuable enough to lure her in, yet not enough to make him feel heartache. To take, one must first give. If he wanted Yan Xiaolan to truly work for him, he needed the temptation of the Biyan Pill. And with it, even if she was foolish, she'd know not to dream of returning to her family. After all, in the Yan clan's eyes, her worth was far less than the Biyan Pill.
"Yes, Senior Cui!" Yan Xiaolan didn't hesitate. She clenched her teeth, stepped forward, took the tier-three poison pill from his palm, and tilted her head back to swallow it in one gulp. Afterward, following Wei Tu's signal, she bowed deeply, then took the Biyan Pill from his hand.