Not long after leaving the Dan residence, Wei Tu flew straight to the current capital of the Zheng Kingdom, Qingdu, formerly the prefectural city of Qingfeng Prefecture.
Just like what he did back in Changshan Commandery of the Jing Kingdom, he sought out a Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator similar to "Qian Hong" here in Qingdu.
This time, the cultivator was named Liu Fu, a rogue cultivator not affiliated with any of the five major demonic sects. Still, he held considerable influence around Qingdu.
When Liu Fu heard that a senior from the demonic path wanted his help with a small matter, he was thrilled. His face lit up like a blooming flower, and he agreed immediately without hesitation.
"Senior, don't worry. This is nothing. I'll go greet them right away—no, in just a moment. A mere child from the Dan family? Fellow Daoists like them won't make a fuss," Liu Fu said, patting his chest.
Qingfeng Prefecture had a population in the millions. Whether one child from the Dan family was added or removed, it meant nothing to the Meng brothers behind the children's academy.
Helping with something so trivial could bring him a good reward—and the favor of a Golden Core senior. Liu Fu was more than happy to play the middleman.
"It's just… may I ask what title you go by, Senior? If I knew your Dao name, I could use it to pressure the Meng brothers and keep them in check."
Liu Fu looked up carefully at Wei Tu as he asked.
A favor that couldn't be cashed in wasn't a real favor. He had to know Wei Tu's name to ever make use of it in the future.
"I've run into some trouble lately. It's not wise to reveal my identity. Otherwise, with my status, would I need to come to someone like you for help?"
Wei Tu let out a cold snort, clearly displeased.
—At the moment, he was disguised as a dark-skinned old man, so he referred to himself as "this old man."
"Yes, Senior, I wasn't thinking it through." Liu Fu didn't get upset at the scolding. He just kept smiling apologetically.
After a brief moment, Liu Fu realized it made sense. If Wei Tu weren't in trouble, why would he rely on a mere Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator like him?
It was precisely because Wei Tu couldn't act personally that he now had the chance to serve him.
As for the trouble…
What demonic cultivator didn't have blood on their hands or messes behind them?
A demonic cultivator without enemies was rare.
And Wei Tu was clearly still alive and well, meaning the trouble couldn't be that serious. If it wasn't serious, then there was no reason to panic.
Even if someone came looking to settle scores, no one would care about a minor rogue cultivator like him who only met Wei Tu once.
"Senior, I'll go take care of this right away. Just wait for good news."
Liu Fu bowed and nodded repeatedly.
With Wei Tu's approval, Liu Fu left the courtyard and went off to handle the task.
…
Once Liu Fu left—
Wei Tu still didn't trust him completely. He waved his sleeve, changed his appearance again into a brawny man with a purplish face, then locked onto Liu Fu's aura and followed him to a remote residence in Qingdu.
This residence seemed to be more than it appeared.
Liu Fu walked to a stone wall in the inner room. He lightly pressed it with his hand. With the sound of mechanical gears, a jade door covered in runes appeared from the stone wall.
"Open!" Liu Fu cast a spell, and the jade door opened with a hum, revealing a flight of gray stone steps leading downward.
He walked through the door.
Moments later, the door closed behind him, and the stone wall returned to its original appearance.
'Is this a hidden cultivation ground for demonic cultivators near Qingdu?' Wei Tu frowned.
He didn't believe Liu Fu would be reckless enough to betray a Golden Core senior.
Doing so would bring him no benefits and only death.
More likely, this place belonged to the Meng brothers or other demonic cultivators.
It wasn't just baseless suspicion.
Back in his travels across the Jing Kingdom, he had seen many demonic cultivators set up hidden dwellings among mortal populations to carry on their cultivation.
—Righteous cultivators had no interest in mortals, whom demonic cultivators saw as cultivation materials. Because of this, immortals and mortals lived completely separate lives. Righteous cultivators avoided mortal lands whenever they could.
But demonic cultivators were different.
Mortals were resources to them. Every now and then, they had to harvest a new batch.
That's why demonic cultivators needed to live close to mortals.
Over time, they began forming communities in mortal areas—so-called "hidden cultivation grounds"—to maintain their daily cultivation.
High-level ones, like those used by rogue cultivator alliances, could even imprison spiritual veins. Low-level ones just had a complete spirit-gathering formation.
The spiritual energy in Qingdu was weak, not enough for Foundation Establishment cultivation. So it was perfectly reasonable to have such a place here.
About the time it takes to finish a cup of tea later—
Wei Tu, now disguised as the purple-faced man, walked up to the stone wall and mimicked Liu Fu's actions, casting the same spell to enter.
Following the gray steps downward for three or four breaths' time, he came to an open stone gate.
At the gate stood several beautiful female cultivators in revealing outfits, all at the Qi Refinement stage.
Inside the gate, there were rows of shops—pill shops, weapon shops, taverns, gambling dens—everything you could imagine.
'So it really is a hidden cultivation ground,' Wei Tu thought as he stepped through the gate. Right away, he sensed the spiritual energy inside. It was as dense as a second-rank spiritual land.
"This senior looks unfamiliar. May I ask which sect you're from?" One of the female cultivators on the left stepped forward with a smile and greeted him.
Hidden cultivation grounds weren't like open markets. They usually only allowed regular customers. It was rare to see unfamiliar demonic cultivators.
"Just a rogue cultivator," Wei Tu replied coldly, showing an unfriendly demeanor.
"Then is Senior here to buy pills, magic tools, talismans, or maybe rent a cave dwelling?" the Qi Refinement female cultivator asked again.
"I heard there's going to be an auction or a trade fair in Qingdu soon, so I came to take a look," Wei Tu replied casually, making up an excuse.
Auctions and trade fairs were common events held regularly by major merchant guilds. To cultivators, they were as ordinary as eating and drinking.
So saying he came because of a rumored auction or fair wouldn't raise any suspicion. Even if there wasn't one, they'd just think he heard wrong and came to the wrong place.
"The Jiu Yun Merchant Guild will be hosting an auction in half a month outside Qingdu at Danqiu Mountain. Maybe Senior got the location mixed up," the female cultivator said with a smile.
"Jiu Yun Merchant Guild?" Wei Tu was a bit surprised to hear that familiar name.
He knew the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild had dealings with demonic cultivators. What surprised him was that even after the Zheng Kingdom fell, they were still openly doing business here.
This reminded him of the Yunyan Merchant Guild, which had once dared to host auctions inside the Jing Kingdom's territory.
Jiu Yun was, in fact, one of Yunyan Merchant Guild's branches.
'They must've latched onto a Nascent Soul elder from one of the demonic sects,' Wei Tu thought to himself.
Aside from that, he couldn't imagine what kind of strength Jiu Yun or Yunyan Merchant Guilds had that would allow them to run trade in demon-infested territories like Zheng or Jing Kingdom.
After finishing the brief chat with the receptionist, Wei Tu moved deeper into the underground demonic hideout beneath Qingdu.
With the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth guiding his direction, Wei Tu quickly found Liu Fu, who had entered before him.
Liu Fu had walked into a cave residence bearing the "Meng" character on a plaque. Inside, he was drinking and having fun with two men in blood-red robes.
In the main hall of the cave, a group of beautiful dancers in thin clothing were gracefully performing.
But these women didn't have a trace of cultivation on them.
It was obvious they were mortals.
Liu Fu glanced away from their soft bodies and chuckled. "Meng brothers, I came today to ask for a favor. I hope you'll agree."
"A favor?" The man in the lead seat narrowed his eyes. He swirled the wine in his cup and smiled. "What kind of favor are we talking about, Brother Liu?"
"If it's something we can help with, the two of us won't say no," he added with a bold laugh.
Hearing that, Liu Fu laid out the entire matter that Wei Tu had entrusted him with.
"The Dan family from Sanyuan Township once showed me some kindness… not a big one, but I'd hate to see that child die so young."
As he spoke, Liu Fu flipped his palm and placed two high-grade spirit stones on the table.
"Here are two hundred spirit stones. Think of it as my treat to you both for drinks."
Liu Fu was confident the Meng brothers would do him this favor.
They were all Foundation Establishment cultivators. It wasn't worth ruining the relationship over something so small, especially since he wasn't asking them to take any loss.
But the elder Meng brother sitting at the head table suddenly looked troubled.
"It's not that I don't want to help you, Brother Liu. But we're under pressure to deliver this batch of infant souls. My brother and I worked hard to pick out these gifted children. If we're short even one, we'll be in trouble with those above us."
Hearing this, Liu Fu's gaze turned sharp.
He'd bowed and scraped to Wei Tu because he was a Golden Core senior.
But who were the Meng brothers to treat him like this? Acting like they were doing him a favor while stalling and lying?
He was a demonic cultivator too—he knew full well how these child captures worked. It was just that the Meng brothers ran the operation.
Still, since he needed their cooperation, Liu Fu had to hold his tongue.
Clenching down his anger, he said, "I'll find a replacement child for you, to make up the numbers."
"That won't do!" the younger Meng brother immediately cut in. "The five sects have ordered us not to act recklessly and harm the people. Capturing children is now the job of the authorities..."
"If you go out and grab another child, you're breaking the rules. And if we're implicated, what are we supposed to do?"
That excuse sounded reasonable. Even Liu Fu, as slick as he was, didn't know how to respond.
He hadn't expected that after spending so much time in the mortal court, the Meng brothers had even learned how to talk like bureaucrats.
"This child must be saved. What will it take for you to release him, Brother Meng?" Liu Fu asked coldly after a brief silence.
"Simple. Five hundred spirit stones."
The younger Meng brother grinned and raised his hand, flashing five fingers.
Five hundred spirit stones?
Liu Fu's brow furrowed deeply. That amount was almost the same as the reward Wei Tu had promised him.
If it were truly a task from a Golden Core cultivator, then five hundred spirit stones were well worth it. But the Meng brothers didn't even know who Wei Tu was. Clearly, they were treating him like a fat sheep, ready to be slaughtered.
"Fine. Five hundred it is." Liu Fu didn't argue. He took out another three high-grade spirit stones.
"Brother Liu, that's the spirit!"
The older Meng brother finally spoke with a wide grin. "Leave the Dan family kid to me. Tomorrow, we'll have the local officials issue a release order and remove him from the children's academy."
"It's best to put it in writing."
Liu Fu's face was cold as he took out a spirit contract and handed it to the older Meng brother.
As a fellow demonic cultivator, he didn't trust the Meng brothers' promises—especially after they'd just used that poor child as leverage to extort five hundred spirit stones from him.
"Of course."
The elder Meng brother didn't hesitate and imprinted his spiritual mark onto the contract.
With the business done, Liu Fu didn't stay in the Meng brothers' cave residence much longer. He made up an excuse and left.
But Wei Tu, watching from the shadows with his divine sense, didn't leave.
Just now, he had caught part of a sound transmission between the Meng brothers. He knew they were curious and somewhat suspicious of Liu Fu's motives.
After Liu Fu left, the younger Meng brother stretched his mouth wide and muttered, "Big brother, why do you think that guy Liu suddenly begged for a mortal's life?"
"And offered up five hundred spirit stones just like that?"
Five hundred spirit stones was no small sum for a Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator with no real skill.
A single pill that increased magic power at the Foundation Establishment stage cost only a few hundred spirit stones.
If Liu Fu were a righteous cultivator, doing this because of a one-time encounter with a mortal, the younger Meng might believe it.
But Liu Fu was a demon. What morality would drive him to spend five hundred spirit stones for a barely-connected mortal?
"There's no way Liu Fu's reason is that simple. If he's willing to pay five hundred spirit stones… maybe he's making even more off this."
The elder Meng brother squinted his eyes.
"You mean…?" The younger one picked up on his hint.
"The Dan family might be connected to some cultivator, and that person asked Liu Fu for help."
The elder Meng voiced his guess.
Hearing that, Wei Tu—who had nearly struck just moments ago—quietly withdrew his spiritual power and relaxed a little.
He had thought the Meng brother had figured out he was the one behind the Dan family.
But thankfully, the guess was just a vague assumption about some cultivator being involved.
On the surface, those were similar conclusions. But the consequences were vastly different.
If they'd figured out a Golden Core cultivator was involved, it could alert the higher-ups of the demonic sects. They might even start investigating his identity.
But if it was only a rumor among Foundation Establishment cultivators, it wouldn't stir up any real trouble.
"So that means we might be able to cash in big..." The younger Meng brother licked his lips, visibly excited.
He was already thinking about cutting out Liu Fu and squeezing the real patron behind the Dan family directly.
"No need to push things that far. The contract's signed already, and Liu Fu may be just a rogue cultivator, but a cornered rabbit still bites. Those five hundred spirit stones were probably most of that cultivator's fortune."
The elder Meng waved a hand.
He believed the one helping the Dan family couldn't be stronger than a Qi Refinement cultivator.
If it were someone at Foundation Establishment, they wouldn't have asked Liu Fu to act—they'd have stepped in themselves.
And a Qi Refinement cultivator's entire fortune? Maybe a few hundred spirit stones at best.
Even if Liu Fu skimmed some off the top, there was no much to gain.
It wasn't worth the trouble.
The elder Meng never once imagined that the one backing the Dan family was actually a Golden Core cultivator.
After all, someone at that level could crush him with a finger—why would they bother using Liu Fu as a go-between?
But it was exactly because of that flawed thinking that Wei Tu, hidden nearby, decided not to kill them then and there. Instead, he concealed his presence and quietly left.
The Meng brothers would probably never know that just moments ago, they had both been one step away from death.
…
The next day.
An official clerk came to the Dan residence in Sanyuan Township and announced a government order. Dan Changxin's son, Dan Cong, was officially expelled from the children's academy.
The order was delivered.
Dan Changxin and his wife burst into joyful tears.
The villagers didn't know the truth. They just assumed Dan Cong had been too unruly and got kicked out. No one realized that the so-called children's academy was actually a den of demons.
"Cong'er, from now on you'll learn Tiger and Crane Twin Form Fist with your father. One day you'll earn the martial scholar title and bring honor to our family."
Dan Changxin led Dan Cong into the third courtyard of the house. He placed a specially made stone lock in front of his son and smiled.
"Yes, Father!" Dan Cong responded obediently.
He didn't understand the difference between studying literature and practicing martial arts. He also didn't know that his family now possessed a true cultivation method that could lead to immortality.
"Pfui, pfui! Don't jinx it. We're not pursuing scholarly titles anymore. Just behave and stay home," said the young woman with a sharp tone.
"That's fine. No need for martial titles either. He can just follow the path of the Golden Blade Hero Shi Ming, roam the world with a blade, fight for justice, and be a real man."
Dan Changxin gently tousled his son's hair. The name "Shi Ming" came from the preface of the Marrow Refining Sutra, and a smile appeared on his face as he spoke.
Hearing that name made Wei Tu, still hidden nearby, pause with a complicated look in his eyes.
The Golden Blade Hero Shi Ming was Dan Wuju's master—and Dan Wuju was Wei Tu's own master.
Now that the Marrow Refining Sutra had returned to the Dan family, and Dan Cong had received a secret bone cleansing and rebirth from Wei Tu, the boy would steadily advance. One day, he might inherit Dan Wuju's legacy, break through the Xiantian Realm, and glimpse the path to immortality.
But whether Dan Cong could go far on that path… that would depend entirely on his own destiny.
Wei Tu couldn't help much with that.
After all, Dan Cong was the fourteenth generation descendant of Dan Wuju. The bloodline link was already very thin.
Not to mention, there was no real relation to Wei Tu himself.
"I gift you three talismans. If you ever face danger, you can activate them to kill your enemies."
Before leaving, Wei Tu hesitated for a moment. He took out two third-rank offensive talismans and one third-rank defensive talisman from his sleeve. Using his spiritual power, he placed them on the ancestral hall of the Dan family.
At the same time, he used sound transmission to tell Dan Changxin how to use the three talismans.
After that, Wei Tu didn't linger. He flicked his sleeve and flew away from Sanyuan Township.
Sold to the Li family as a child, his ties with his clan had long been strained. Only his master, Dan Wuju, had ever treated him like both a teacher and a father.
Unfortunately, back when he served as the Western Gate Defense Officer, Dan Wuju passed away from old age.
And with that, the last thread connecting him to the Dan family was cut.
Later, he had exchanged a few letters with Dan Yangong. But as time passed, even those gradually stopped.
Now, the only familiar thing left to him in the Dan family was this old residence. No familiar people remained.
After leaving Sanyuan Township, Wei Tu stopped by the county seat of Qingmu County.
"Huh? This old courtyard is still here?" When he arrived in Qingmu, he found the little courtyard he had once shared with Xinghua still standing.
Seeing that every tree and blade of grass remained the same as in the past, he was surprised and confused.
This courtyard, like the Dan residence, was built of blue stone. Without upkeep, it would've collapsed within one hundred years at most.
If someone had been living here and maintaining it, they definitely wouldn't have kept it looking exactly the same.
Wei Tu stepped down and swept the courtyard with his divine sense. He noticed a gatekeeper by the door, so he walked over and asked who the owner was.
"This is the Yue family's house," the gatekeeper replied respectfully. He could tell at a glance that Wei Tu was someone important.
The Yue family?
Wei Tu frowned. He couldn't recall knowing anyone with the surname Yue.
He asked which Yue family it was.
"You don't know the Yue family of Qingmu?" The gatekeeper looked shocked. He lowered his voice and said, "It's the Yue family that's produced three marquises in four generations! This place is the ancestral home of their family."
Wei Tu was even more puzzled.
Wasn't this his and Xinghua's old home? How did it become the ancestral home of the Yue family?
And the Yue family was now nobility, with generations of marquises?
With questions swirling in his mind, Wei Tu went to a nearby bookstore and flipped through Genealogy of Noble Clans in Fengchao.
Soon, in the "Marquises and Nobles" section, he found a record of the "Qingmu Yue family."
The Qingmu Yue family originated in the Zheng Kingdom. Their ancestor, Yue Jing, had once been a minor clerk in the Garrison Office. Later, during the chaos of the realm, he defected to Fengchao's founding emperor and was made a fourth-rank general.
Since then, the Yue family had maintained strict discipline. Generations produced capable descendants who rose through merit and marriage, gaining wealth and titles.
To this day, three men from four generations of the Yue family had been granted marquis titles for military achievements.
Because of this, the Yue family of Qingmu became famous across the land and was recorded in Genealogy of Noble Clans eleven years ago.
Reading about Yue Jing finally jogged Wei Tu's memory.
Back then, he had arranged for Caixia to marry Yue Jing.
There had been two suitors for Caixia. One was Quan Shun, a tea merchant with a clean background. The other was Yue Jing.
Wei Tu had originally disapproved of Yue Jing. The man was a clever runner for the local office, and Wei Tu had worried Caixia would be at a disadvantage if she married him.
But as fate would have it, Yue Jing rose through the chaos and became a fourth-rank general of Fengchao.
The Yue family he founded had survived until now and grown into a prestigious household of the Zheng Kingdom.
"Who would've thought a former errand boy and a maid's descendant could become nobles held in such high regard?" Wei Tu thought to himself.
He had experienced a similar rise—from stable boy to Golden Core True Lord.
But only by seeing what had become of Caixia and Yue Jing could he truly feel the weight and power of time.
After reading Genealogy of Noble Clans, Wei Tu returned to the old house and quietly recalled his days with Xinghua.
But before long, a young man in white robes arrived with a simple entourage and stepped into the courtyard.
"Uncle Wang, where's the man in the green robes you said didn't seem like a normal person?" The young man looked around anxiously.
As a member of a noble house in Zheng, Yue Ziguang already knew about the existence of cultivators.
For years, the Yue family had been preparing to elevate themselves from a mortal aristocratic family to a cultivation clan.
Now that he had the rare chance to meet someone who might be a cultivator, Yue Ziguang wasn't about to miss the opportunity.
"Fourth Young Master, he was just here. He might've left suddenly," the gatekeeper replied quickly.
"What a shame." Yue Ziguang sighed and turned to leave.
But just then, a middle-aged man in a robe embroidered with a python pattern and a golden crown walked through the gate.
"Father," Yue Ziguang greeted him with a bow.
The man was none other than Yue Changzhong, Marquis of Kindness and head of the Yue family in Qingmu.
"Ziguang, since we're at the ancestral house, go inside and pay respects to our forebears. Never forget how our Yue family rose to where we are now," Yue Changzhong said as he glanced around the house, striding confidently into the main hall.
"Yes, Father." Yue Ziguang followed him inside.
In the main hall hung three portraits. The center one showed a young martial man. On either side were portraits of two young women.
"Father, why is the main portrait someone named Wei Tu? Isn't our family name Yue?" Yue Ziguang looked up and, spotting the name under the martial man's portrait, couldn't help but ask in surprise.