"Second-grade alchemist?" Yan Zhenping showed a flash of surprise in his eyes.
Now he understood why Wei Tu had come straight to the Hundred Medicines Pavilion—it turned out he possessed pill refinement skills, a true immortal craft.
"I wonder, Senior Cui, which pills are you most skilled at refining?"
Yan Zhenping calmed his excitement and asked seriously.
If Wei Tu could only make some common pills, it wouldn't be worth it for Lougao Sect to bring him in as a guest elder.
"Please take a look."
Wei Tu smiled slightly. He patted his storage pouch and took out a pill furnace and the required spirit herbs. Right in front of Yan Zhenping, he began refining.
Half a day later.
As a rich medicinal aroma began to fill the air, Wei Tu formed a pill seal and struck several waves of spell power into the furnace. He drew out three golden-yellow pills and sent them with a flick of power toward Yan Zhenping.
"Upper second-grade pill—Huangjing Pill!"
As the shopkeeper of the Hundred Medicines Pavilion, Yan Zhenping instantly recognized the product. Just one whiff was enough to identify both the type and quality.
The Huangjing Pill wasn't particularly difficult to refine. But the fact that Wei Tu could produce it in such a short time spoke volumes about his skill in the alchemical arts.
"I'll report this to my uncle right away and discuss inviting Senior Cui into the sect."
Yan Zhenping set the pills down, bowed respectfully to Wei Tu, then left the pavilion and flew up the mountain toward Lougao Sect.
…
A quarter-hour later.
In one of Lougao Sect's great halls.
Yan Zhenping reported to his uncle Yan Zezhi that Wei Tu wanted to join the sect.
"This person is unfamiliar. He's clearly not a cultivator from Cao Prefecture, which means his background is unclear…"
"Is he fleeing from something? Or does he have some hidden agenda toward our Lougao Sect? Hard to say."
Yan Zezhi frowned slightly, his face grave.
Compared to his nephew, he had access to sect intel and could verify identities immediately.
If Wei Tu were from Cao Prefecture or a nearby state, he could've instantly confirmed his background without any errors.
But unfortunately, Wei Tu wasn't.
"Uncle, the Xiao Kingdom is vast. Our Lougao Sect is just a small power…" Yan Zhenping hesitated.
His point was simple.
Lougao Sect didn't have the ability to investigate every Golden Core cultivator in the Xiao Kingdom.
Rejecting Wei Tu just because of that would be a real loss.
An upper second-grade alchemist might not be enough to revitalize Lougao Sect, but the benefits he could bring would definitely boost the Yan family's standing within the sect.
"Besides, for a Golden Core cultivator nearing the end of his life, his inheritance won't be small."
Yan Zhenping quietly added a reminder.
Even if Wei Tu was involved in killings, or had offended powerful sects like Shengya Mountain in the Xiao Kingdom, the fact that he was dying made it worth taking the risk.
The Xiao Kingdom was a righteous territory, not part of the demonic realm. Even if Lougao Sect sheltered a 'criminal' and got criticized for it, as long as they cooperated with the larger sects afterward, the punishment wouldn't be too harsh.
Besides, if Lougao Sect took the heat, that had nothing to do with the Yan family, right?
As long as the Yan family gained more power, the other elders in the sect might grumble, but they couldn't do anything about it.
"Dying soon, huh…" Yan Zezhi's eyes lit up slightly—he was clearly tempted.
"Bring that Alchemist Cui in first."
Yan Zezhi nodded after some thought.
His nephew Yan Zhenping was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, not high enough to judge accurately.
Whether Wei Tu had any crimes wasn't the main concern. What mattered most was if he was really at the end of his lifespan. If that checked out, the rest could be sorted out later.
Not long after, Yan Zhenping brought Wei Tu in to meet Yan Zezhi.
"Definitely looks like he's about to die."
Seeing Wei Tu's depleted life force, Yan Zezhi quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
With his condition, even if Wei Tu had some hidden scheme, he was too weak to be a threat.
"I wonder where Fellow Daoist Cui is from, and what brings you to seek guest status at our Lougao Sect?"
Yan Zezhi stroked his beard and asked with a smile.
"I'm a cultivator from the Kang Kingdom..."
Without hesitation, Wei Tu pulled out a sky ferry ticket and handed it to Yan Zezhi.
"I hate to be a joke, Fellow Daoist Yan, but I originally came to the Xiao Kingdom to gather herbs for refining Biyan Pills for my family… I didn't expect I wouldn't be able to return."
Wei Tu's expression turned bitter.
He'd already practiced forging tickets from the Canglang Merchant Guild while in Xiantao City. Creating another one now was simple.
"Kang Kingdom cultivator?" Yan Zezhi raised a brow and carefully examined the ticket.
Although Cao Prefecture was remote and not as commercially active as Haizhou, he had still heard about the trade route being cut between the Xiao and Kang Kingdoms.
With that, most of Yan Zezhi's suspicion toward Wei Tu faded.
After all, the sky ferry ticket in his hand didn't look forged. If Wei Tu truly had the skill to fake one, he wouldn't need to settle for a minor sect like Lougao Sect.
And everything he said made sense.
No one knew how long it would take for the trade route between the Xiao and Kang Kingdoms to reopen. Given Wei Tu's lifespan, he might not live to see that day.
Even if he did, his body probably wouldn't be strong enough to endure another long journey.
—Elderly cultivators were often targets for cultivator bandits.
"If Fellow Daoist Cui is truly from the Kang Kingdom, then our sect has no reason to reject him."
After weighing the pros and cons, Yan Zezhi made a quick decision. He smiled slightly and extended an invitation.
He had already examined Wei Tu's background and physical condition. Hesitating any further would only make him seem indecisive.
Also, Yan Zezhi's sharp ears had caught a crucial detail in Wei Tu's earlier words—the mention of Biyan Dan.
Biyan Dan was considered a substitute for the Mortal Shedding Pill.
Whether Wei Tu had the complete ingredients for the pill, or just the skill to refine it, either would be a huge gain for both Lougao Sect and the Yan family.
Next.
Yan Zezhi, representing Lougao Sect, began discussing the terms of the agreement with Wei Tu.
They agreed that the sect would offer protection and backing to prevent other cultivators from coveting Wei Tu's wealth. In return, Wei Tu would provide a fixed amount of second-grade spirit pills every year.
Just as they were about to finalize the guest elder contract...
Wei Tu showed a hesitant expression and asked to add one more clause to the contract.
He requested that when his life came to an end, the spirit items he left behind should be returned to the Cui family in the Kang Kingdom.
Yan Zezhi agreed to this on the surface, but privately scoffed.
The reason Lougao Sect was offering such generous treatment in the first place was precisely because they wanted Wei Tu's inheritance once he died.
"Zhenping, keep a close eye on that Cui fellow. If the Xiao-Kang trade route reopens and he tries to leave, report to me immediately."
Yan Zezhi quietly gave this instruction in private.
If Wei Tu didn't plan to leave his inheritance to the Yan family gracefully, then Yan Zezhi would make sure it was handled 'gracefully' on his behalf.
…
After the discussion.
Yan Zezhi personally led Wei Tu into the sect to select a spiritual land for his residence.
Taking advantage of this moment, Wei Tu expressed dissatisfaction with the cave residences they offered.
"I'm an alchemist. I prefer quiet places. These peaks are too noisy, and the spiritual energy here isn't great either."
He sounded impatient.
Wei Tu knew very well that in long-established sects like Lougao Sect, all good spiritual lands had already been taken, layer after layer, especially by inner members. Outsiders had no place to claim.
The residences Yan Zezhi offered him were all clearly marked under the Yan family's name.
"Which cave residence does Fellow Daoist Cui prefer? I wouldn't mind losing face to help you secure it."
Yan Zezhi wasn't annoyed at all and responded seriously.
After all, Wei Tu was about to become the Yan family's biggest source of wealth—likely their most valuable gain in the next hundred years.
Making a small concession now meant nothing in the long run.
"Does your sect have any suitable lands outside the main compound?"
Wei Tu thought for a moment and asked.
Cultivators had different personalities and preferences.
Some preferred staying on the main spiritual peaks with other sect members, while others preferred building secluded caves outside the sect, keeping their distance.
Of course, even those external locations were still within the sect's territory.
"Outside the sect…"
Yan Zezhi pondered, then shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Cui, our sect has a long history. Not only are there many cultivators within the main compound, but the lands outside are also mostly occupied by high-ranking members."
After all, Lougao Sect cultivators weren't foolish. They wouldn't leave spiritual lands sitting idle when they could be used.
"But if you're determined to live outside the sect grounds, our Yan family does own a few decent spiritual lands."
As if something had occurred to him, a smile crept onto Yan Zezhi's face. He patted his storage pouch and pulled out a map, handing it over to Wei Tu.
It was a territorial map of Lougao Sect, marked with all the spiritual lands, properties, and affiliated markets they controlled.
Wei Tu noticed that about one-seventh of the map's territory was marked with a blue character for "Yan."
Clearly, those areas belonged to the Yan family—family properties they'd claimed.
"Little Cold Mountain…"
Wei Tu glanced around and locked his gaze on a spot on the map near the Yan family's territory—Little Cold Mountain.
That was exactly the second-grade spiritual land leased by the She Ri Tribe a millennium ago. It was his true target this time.
"I don't have much time left. No point wasting effort setting up in third-grade lands. These three second-grade spiritual lands look more appealing to me…"
Wei Tu tapped his fingers on the map. Three green light dots appeared over the locations.
One of those second-grade lands was precisely Little Cold Mountain.