"I don't know."
Wei Tu shook his head.
He had only settled in Danqiu Mountain for a little over ten years—how could he possibly know what had happened thirty years ago?
Back when he first saw Gong Shulan, he had already understood that this woman's beauty was troublesome. He had no interest in digging deeper into her past.
"Besides that, I've also heard that Gong Shulan might be carrying a Foundation Establishment spiritual object."
Alchemist Wang's eyes lit up as he spoke.
As he said this, his previously pale face flushed with excitement.
Wei Tu narrowed his eyes.
Given Alchemist Wang's constant arguments with Liu Yun, Wei Tu couldn't help but suspect—
Was this man scheming to live off Gong Shulan? Was that why he was so eager to fawn over her?
"I'm heading out now."
"If my wife comes looking for me, Wei Daoyou, just cover for me—say I went to Jingyun Pavilion."
Alchemist Wang clutched his chest, limping toward the exit of Yunque Street Courtyard.
Clearly, he planned to seek comfort from Gong Shulan—
To vent his frustrations from Zhao Qingluo onto her.
After all—
Both were women from cultivation clans, which made them similar enough in his eyes.
Wei Tu had no intention of covering for him.
He had no interest in getting involved with Liu Yun, a fiery-tempered woman—keeping a basic neighborly relationship was enough.
But unexpectedly—
Early the next morning,
Liu Yun came knocking at his door.
She didn't ask about Alchemist Wang's whereabouts—
Instead, she stood there with a grief-stricken expression and delivered shocking news.
"He's dead."
"My dead husband… is gone!"
Wei Tu's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Alchemist Wang is dead?"
Yesterday—
He had watched Alchemist Wang walk out of the courtyard with only minor injuries.
Even though Zhao Qingluo had struck him harshly, it was not a fatal wound—
There was no way he should've died overnight.
"That damned fox Gong Shulan!"
"Not only did she suck my husband dry of all his spirit stones, but now she's drained him to death!"
Liu Yun's voice trembled with rage.
"He died in her bed!"
Clearly—
She had no idea about what had happened yesterday.
And so, she placed all the blame on Gong Shulan, believing that the woman had seduced and killed her husband.
Wei Tu lowered his gaze.
"May Wang Daoyou find peace in the afterlife."
He offered condolences, but chose not to mention anything about Zhao Qingluo.
Their relationship had only been that of casual acquaintances—nothing deep.
There was no reason to drag himself into unnecessary trouble.
Anyone could tell that Alchemist Wang's death was suspicious.
And more importantly—
Given Liu Yun's impulsive nature, if he mentioned Zhao Qingluo's name, she might immediately go and demand justice from her.
If that happened—
It would be suicidal.
"In seven days, my husband will be buried."
"I hope Wei Daoyou will attend his funeral—to honor our connection."
Liu Yun wiped away tears as she spoke.
Wei Tu raised an eyebrow.
Hearing the word "funeral", he immediately understood Liu Yun's true intent.
She wasn't planning this out of grief—
She wanted to use her husband's death to host a grand funeral and collect offerings.
In the cultivation world, funerals were rarely held—
Most cultivators were simply buried without ceremony.
Moreover—
Dying in bed with a woman wasn't exactly an honorable way to go.
If Liu Yun genuinely cared about Alchemist Wang, she wouldn't host a public funeral—
She would have buried him discreetly at night.
Still, Wei Tu wasn't surprised.
The couple's marriage had already been strained for years.
If not for Alchemist Wang's semi-decent status among rogue cultivators, Liu Yun probably would've left him long ago.
"There will also be some of his belongings for sale at the funeral."
"I hope you'll attend."
Liu Yun added in a softer tone when she noticed Wei Tu wasn't immediately agreeing.
Wei Tu's eyes flashed.
"Will his alchemy inheritance be among them?"
That was the only thing of value Alchemist Wang had left.
Though he wasn't a Tier-1 alchemist, his notes could still be useful.
Even though Wei Tu wasn't planning to study alchemy immediately, having an extra inheritance would deepen his foundation.
"Of course."
Liu Yun nodded with tear-streaked cheeks.
Wei Tu had no intention of investigating the suspicious circumstances surrounding Alchemist Wang's death.
With insufficient strength, knowing too much about things one shouldn't know was a sure way to invite disaster.
"Alchemist Wang may have been injured by Zhao Qingluo, but in reality, the true cause of his death was likely only one thing—Gong Shulan."
Wei Tu pondered deeply.
Piecing together the information he had, he began to analyze the cause of Alchemist Wang's death.
After a moment—
He reached two conclusions.
First—someone was deliberately framing Zhao Qingluo for the murder.
Second—someone had taken advantage of Zhao Qingluo's attack on Alchemist Wang and finished him off, using the situation to achieve a certain goal.
"Foundation Establishment spiritual object!"
Wei Tu was certain—this was the real objective.
Only a rare treasure like a Foundation Establishment spiritual object would be worth risking the wrath of Zhao Qingluo, setting up a scheme to pin Alchemist Wang's death on both Zhao Qingluo and Gong Shulan.
At this realization, Wei Tu felt relieved.
He had resisted the temptation to get too involved with Gong Shulan.
Otherwise—
It wouldn't be Alchemist Wang who died today—it would have been him.
"Danqiu Mountain appears peaceful on the surface—"
"But beneath the surface, hidden currents surge. One careless step, and you're dead."
Wei Tu sighed inwardly.
With this in mind, he rose in the middle of the night to draw talismans.
He carefully sewed several completed Rock Shield Talismans into the inner lining of his robe.
With these protective talismans, he could sleep a little easier at night.
Seven days later.
Alchemist Wang's funeral proceeded as planned.
Mourning music filled the air.
As Wei Tu stepped out of his courtyard, he immediately noticed two familiar figures—Hu Yao and Tong Peipei.
Hu Yao's presence made sense.
Before Alchemist Wang had moved on to Gong Shulan, Hu Yao had been his regular companion.
Given their longstanding relationship, she must have developed feelings for him over time.
But Tong Peipei's presence—that was unexpected.
As far as Wei Tu knew, Tong Peipei rarely left her home and kept to herself.
That was why she had fallen victim to the fake talisman scam last time.
She shouldn't have had much interaction with Alchemist Wang.
"Tong Daoyou has her eye on a residence in Yunque Street Courtyard. She finds it a good deal and plans to move in."
Hu Yao, perceptive as ever, saw Wei Tu's confusion and explained.
She knew about Wei Tu and Tong Peipei's past conflict.
"Moving in here?"
Wei Tu nodded in understanding.
With Alchemist Wang's death, Liu Yun might profit from selling his belongings, but she had lost her source of income.
Continuing to rent a high-cost residence in the marketplace would be too expensive.
It was only logical that she would seek a cheaper place.
And with Liu Yun leaving, the Yunque Street Courtyard now had only Wei Tu as a tenant, making it one of the best-value places in the market.
It was reasonable that Tong Peipei would want to move in.
"But when did she and Hu Yao get so close?"
Wei Tu felt a slight sense of loss.
He knew that Hu Yao's closeness to Tong Peipei was likely due to their shared interest in talisman paper sales.
But still—
Seeing his business partner so easily switch allegiances to a competitor made him a little uneasy.
"Forget it."
"After the Che Chulong incident, I deliberately distanced myself from Hu Yao. With her intelligence, she must have noticed."
"It makes sense that she would turn to Tong Peipei."
Wei Tu sighed.
Shifting his focus, he glanced at the offerings table at the funeral.
He gauged the amount others were contributing and then considered his own relationship with Alchemist Wang.
After a moment of thought, he took out twenty grains of spirit sand and placed them as his offering.
Half an hour later.
With Liu Yun presiding, Alchemist Wang's funeral came to an end.
Next—
Liu Yun brought out all of Alchemist Wang's belongings, laid them on a table, and began the auction.
Alchemist Wang hadn't left much behind.
There were a few bottles of basic pills, a damaged Tier-1 alchemy furnace, and a Meditation Jade used for stabilizing one's mind while refining pills.
The auction proceeded quickly.
The basic pills were snatched up by rogue cultivators from the shantytown.
The Meditation Jade was bought by Hu Yao for five spirit stones.
As for the damaged Tier-1 furnace—
No one wanted it.
The rogue cultivators weren't willing to spend money on something so broken.
Liu Yun wasn't surprised by this.
She moved on to the main event—the auction for Alchemist Wang's alchemy inheritance.
"Seventy-five spirit stones."
Liu Yun set the starting price.
"One hundred spirit stones."
Suddenly, a clear female voice cut through the murmuring crowd—
Raising the price immediately.
Everyone turned to look at the speaker.
"Who is she?"
Wei Tu raised an eyebrow and glanced at Hu Yao.
He recognized most of the rogue cultivators present—
But this woman was a stranger.
Even if he didn't know her personally, she shouldn't feel so unfamiliar.
The auction had just taken an interesting turn.
Who was this woman—and why was she so eager to claim Alchemist Wang's inheritance?
Wei Tu's eyes narrowed in thought.
Something about this situation didn't feel right.
But this female cultivator, she was the only one he had never seen before.
Hu Yao stared at her carefully, then sent a voice transmission to Wei Tu:
"Her name is Chu Yin, one of Geng Wen's subordinates."
"Geng Wen?"
Wei Tu's eyes narrowed slightly.
He hadn't forgotten about the bandit cultivator incident four years ago, nor the mysterious "Yuchi Yu" who had stayed in Yunque Street Courtyard two years ago.
Both incidents—
Were connected to Geng Wen.
"Could it be… that Alchemist Wang's death is also tied to him?"
Wei Tu contemplated.
On the surface, it seemed reasonable for Geng Wen, as an alchemist, to send someone to purchase Alchemist Wang's inheritance.
But—
Considering Geng Wen's ties to bandit cultivators, it was impossible not to be suspicious.
With that in mind, Wei Tu shifted his stance slightly and moved closer to Chu Yin, using his Fragrant Silk Nose to take a discreet whiff of her scent.
"It's similar to Yuchi Yu's scent."
"Is she Yuchi Yu?"
Wei Tu's heart trembled, almost losing his composure.
He had never expected that the Yuchi Yu who vanished two years ago would reappear here today under a different identity.
"Stay calm!"
"Geng Wen already tested me once and decided I wasn't a threat. I have no reason to draw his attention again."
Wei Tu took a deep breath and silently distanced himself from Chu Yin, returning to his previous spot.
"One hundred spirit stones."
"Alright, this alchemy inheritance is yours, immortal lady."
Liu Yun's eyes lit up upon hearing the price—she clearly hadn't expected Alchemist Wang's inheritance to be worth so much.
After waiting for several breaths, and seeing no one else bidding, she happily concluded the sale.
The auction ended.
The rogue cultivators dispersed.
Wei Tu knocked on Liu Yun's door.
"Fellow Daoist Liu, do you have any backup copies of Alchemist Wang's inheritance?"
In reality, cultivation techniques weren't easily duplicated.
The reason sect techniques didn't flood the market wasn't just because of strict oversight, but also because they were difficult to copy.
Take Alchemist Wang's inheritance, for example. To duplicate it perfectly, there were only two ways:
First, find another alchemist of the same level and manually transcribe it, which would take a lot of time.
Second, seek out a Foundation Establishment cultivator who could use their divine sense to imprint it onto a jade slip.
Thus, after winning the bid, Chu Yin had made no effort to warn Liu Yun against leaking the inheritance.
Wei Tu was simply testing his luck.
Maybe—Liu Yun still had other hidden relics from Alchemist Wang, or even a privately copied jade slip.
"No."
Liu Yun shook her head firmly.
"That dead fool only left one copy of his inheritance. I don't have the skills to copy it myself."
She hesitated briefly, then suddenly recalled something.
"But—he did have one valuable item. I didn't include it in the auction."
Liu Yun's eyes flickered, and she continued:
"Before his death, he saved up enough to buy a Breakthrough Pill, hoping to push himself to the late-stage of Qi Refinement."
"I was afraid of attracting too much attention, so I didn't put it up for sale."
"If you're interested, I can sell it to you for ninety spirit stones."
"Ninety spirit stones?"
Wei Tu heard the price and immediately shook his head.
"I'm poor. Just reaching Qi Refinement Fourth Layer already drained years of savings. I don't have extra spirit stones for a Breakthrough Pill."
On the market, a Breakthrough Pill typically sold for one hundred to one hundred and twenty spirit stones.
Liu Yun's ninety spirit stone offer was actually quite generous.
But Wei Tu had no intention of using an unknown pill to advance.
After all—alchemy was a delicate art, and pills were ingested directly.
He wasn't about to risk his own cultivation on something that could have unknown side effects.
"That's a shame."
Liu Yun sighed.
She turned around and scanned the room, trying to find other valuables she could sell off.
After a while, she came up empty-handed.
Then—
A thought seemed to strike her.
Her eyes lit up, and she looked at Wei Tu.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, I've noticed that you live a clean life—you never go looking for those vixens."
"Now that my husband's gone… I still have quite a bit of dowry left. Why don't you and I make do together?"
"Let's partner up and live a life together."
As she spoke, Liu Yun glanced at Wei Tu, suddenly finding him much more appealing than before.
She fiddled with the edge of her clothing and sized him up again.
Wei Tu appeared slender at first glance, but under his robes, he was far more robust than her late husband, Alchemist Wang.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, what do you think?"
Liu Yun's face flushed red, and she lowered her gaze shyly.
"What?"
Wei Tu, who had been hoping to get a bargain, nearly stumbled to the ground.
He looked at Liu Yun—his expression completely blank.
"Fellow Daoist Liu, that's a bit much."
Wei Tu's voice turned cold, and he refused outright.
To be fair—Liu Yun wasn't unattractive.
Among the female cultivators, she would be considered above average.
And today, wearing her mourning attire, she had an added allure.
Furthermore—
She still held onto Alchemist Wang's dowry.
For many male cultivators, it would be tempting.
After all—
Marrying Liu Yun meant skipping decades of hard work.
But Wei Tu still vividly remembered—
That time Liu Yun had plopped herself onto the ground, dramatically ripping her clothes open, making a shameless scene in public.
That alone—
Was more than enough reason to refuse.