After leaving Cloud Crane Mountain, Kou Hongying inquired about Wei Tu's next destination.
She said, "Hongyan Mountain Marketplace is under my and Senior Sister Chi's jurisdiction. If Uncle Wei goes to Baishi Lake Marketplace, there's a risk of being conscripted by the Three Great Immortal Sects. But at Hongyan Mountain Marketplace, there's no such worry."
Though Hongyan Mountain Marketplace was located at the frontlines of the righteous and demonic war and had its own dangers, it was still far safer than the unknown perils that came with being conscripted as a rogue cultivator.
Hearing this, Wei Tu was somewhat tempted.
Ever since the righteous-demonic war broke out five years ago, all the borders of the Zheng Kingdom had been placed under the strict control of the Three Great Immortal Sects. For rogue cultivators stuck in Zheng Kingdom, avoiding involvement in this war was not an easy task.
At present, there were only three ways for rogue cultivators to evade conscription by the Three Great Immortal Sects:
1. Flee the Zheng Kingdom and escape to another country that wasn't embroiled in war.
2. Go into hiding, secluding oneself in a remote, low-spirituality mountain forest, avoiding all sect-controlled marketplaces and cultivation lands.
3. Find sect connections, and have a high-ranking sect elder issue an order exempting them from conscription.
Right now, with Wei Tu's level of power, all three of these options were nearly impossible.
Thus, heading to Hongyan Mountain Marketplace, where he could limit his exposure to danger, was a feasible plan after leaving Cloud Crane Mountain.
"There's no rush yet," Wei Tu suppressed the impulse in his heart and said thoughtfully, "To the outside world, I am still officially a Cloud Crane Mountain Huang Clan enforcer. The news of my resignation will take at least three to five months to spread."
"I'll wait for this delay to pass. If I still don't find a better place to go, I'll come to Hongyan Mountain Marketplace and seek refuge with you."
News always had a delay.
The Three Great Immortal Sects wouldn't immediately update their registries, and there would be a long processing time before they could conscript him.
This meant that within this buffer period, Wei Tu wouldn't be at risk of being drafted.
Perhaps, if he was lucky enough, by the time this war ended, the Three Great Immortal Sects would have completely forgotten about him, and he could avoid being conscripted altogether.
After all, while he was somewhat known, he wasn't at the level where every cultivator in Zheng Kingdom knew his name.
"Uncle Wei is right." Kou Hongying nodded, agreeing with his reasoning, and did not push him further to head to Hongyan Mountain Marketplace.
Though Wei Tu accompanying her to Hongyan Mountain Marketplace would enhance her strength and increase her chances of survival in the war, she wasn't willing to put him in danger for her own benefit.
After some casual conversation, Kou Hongying bid farewell with a bow.
Her figure turned into a streak of pale blue light, vanishing into the sky, rejoining the Mirror Water Pavilion cultivators' army several miles away.
Seven days later.
Wei Tu, piloting his Huangyan Boat, arrived at Nanhang City with Huang Chengfu and Huang Fang.
"Father, you're back!"
As soon as they entered Wei Manor, Wei Yan came rushing out from the backyard to greet him.
Several years ago, after reaching Foundation Establishment, Wei Yan had chosen to abandon her original cultivation cave and return to Wei Manor to avoid sect conscription, choosing a life of seclusion and obscurity.
That was why, the moment Wei Tu returned to Nanhang City, she could immediately come out to welcome him.
Speaking of this, Wei Yan's gaze grew complicated.
"If it weren't for Brother Fu's letter informing our four families of the conscription situation, I never would have rushed to Xia Ya Mei Clan's land to establish my Foundation Establishment breakthrough before the war started…"
"We really have to thank Brother Fu. It was his words that gave me the courage to take the risk."
On the battlefield, Foundation Establishment cultivators had a certain degree of autonomy, unlike Qi Refinement cultivators, who were treated as mere cannon fodder.
But in truth, there was another reason why she had rushed into Foundation Establishment—one she hadn't mentioned.
Four years ago, not long after the Cloud Ze Secret Realm opened, the four families of Nanhang City—Wei, Fu, Kou, and Zhao—fell into a panic.
Everyone feared that Wei Tu and Kou Hongying, their two Foundation Establishment cultivators, might perish inside the secret realm.
At present, Wei Tu and Kou Hongying were the pillars supporting their families.
If something happened to them, it would be like the sky collapsing for their clans.
As for Fu Zhizhou, even though he was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was merely a guest enforcer of the Qiyue Zhao Clan, and had a history of abandoning his wife and child.
So, the three clans hadn't placed much hope in him.
Given the circumstances, in order to increase her own strength and protect her loved ones, Wei Yan had been forced to travel to the Xia Ya Mei Clan's territory and take the risk of attempting Foundation Establishment.
Of course, from Wei Yan's perspective, this wasn't a blind gamble.
She had already accumulated sufficient Qi Refinement cultivation, had a strong foundation, and possessed both a Foundation Establishment Pill and a Demon Soul Fusion Foundation Establishment Method.
Compared to other rogue cultivators, her chances of success were significantly higher.
And if she had waited another twenty years, there was no guarantee she would ever obtain another Foundation Establishment Pill.
Rather than waiting, it was better to seize the opportunity and act decisively.
"Over the past few years, have you received any other letters from Fu Lin?" Wei Tu asked.
Right now, Fu Lin's true identity was still a mystery to him.
He had no idea which demonic sect Fu Lin belonged to.
"No," Wei Yan shook her head.
"If you ever hear anything about him, inform me immediately," Wei Tu instructed.
Now that the war had begun, the situation in Zheng Kingdom's cultivation world was growing more complex.
One misstep, and one could lose everything.
If he could acquire more intelligence through Fu Lin, it would greatly improve their chances of survival.
"Yan'er, the spiritual energy in Nanhang City is too weak for your cultivation. This is the corpse of a Seven-Colored Phantom Moth, along with a method to incubate spirit insects…"
"Use this to cultivate a new Seven-Colored Phantom Moth as quickly as possible."
"If successful, it will be of great use to both of us."
With that, Wei Tu handed over the materials to Wei Yan, his eyes filled with anticipation.
He knew that if she successfully nurtured the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth, it could become a key factor in their survival in the upcoming turbulent times.
Hearing this, Wei Tu fell into brief contemplation.
He reached into his storage pouch, retrieving the corpse of the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth that he had obtained from the black-faced man at Qingzhu Mountain, along with a jade slip containing the Corpse Incubation Method.
Cultivating spiritual insects was a process that demanded both time and effort.
With his tight schedule, he had little leisure to personally undertake such a task. Wei Yan, having recently broken through to Foundation Establishment and currently residing in seclusion, was the most suitable person to take care of this.
Moreover, once the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth matured, it would also serve as a valuable battle asset for Wei Yan, making it a win-win situation.
"Understood, Father," Wei Yan nodded without hesitation, accepting the task.
"Having a few trusted individuals along one's cultivation path not only alleviates loneliness but also provides mutual support…" Wei Tu thought to himself as he observed the scene.
A cultivator's time was limited.
Had he not had Wei Yan, a Foundation Establishment daughter, the matter of nurturing the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth would have been endlessly delayed.
Who knew how many years it would take before he could actually cultivate such a valuable reconnaissance tool?
—
After discussing important matters with Wei Yan, Wei Tu made his way to the study in Wei Manor, preparing to write a letter to Gong Shuzhen, a Mirror Water Pavilion disciple he had previously met during Kou Hongying's Foundation Establishment celebration.
Years had passed since then, and the once Qi Refinement-stage "Gong Junior Sister" had since advanced to Foundation Establishment.
Before parting with Kou Hongying, he had inquired whether she had any trustworthy contacts within the sect.
Kou Hongying had recommended Gong Shuzhen.
This time, Wei Tu had two reasons for reaching out to Gong Shuzhen:
1. To exchange his two Foundation Establishment spiritual items for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
2. To use her connections to find Mirror Water Pavilion cultivators willing to exchange spirit stones for pills that enhance mid-Foundation Establishment mana.
The Foundation Establishment Pill would be used for his son, Wei Xiuwen, to break through.
As for the mid-Foundation Establishment mana-enhancing pills, those were for himself.
Initially, before the secret realm expedition, Wei Tu had already established a direct exchange channel with Qin Zhenren, where they mutually benefited from trades.
However—
After the secret realm expedition, Qin Zhenren had entered seclusion, preparing to break through to Golden Core.
This forced Wei Tu to find a new exchange channel.
Since Kou Hongying had been assigned to defend Hongyan Mountain Marketplace, she was no longer available for the task either.
Thus, his hopes for this exchange now rested entirely on Gong Shuzhen.
"I hope Hongying wasn't mistaken about her. That Gong Shuzhen is a trustworthy person…"
After sending the letter through a courier station in Baishi Lake Marketplace, Wei Tu gazed in the direction of Mirror Water Pavilion, deep in thought.
The two Foundation Establishment spiritual items were not a trivial sum.
If Gong Shuzhen turned out to be greedy, there wouldn't be much he could do about it.
That said, he didn't think she would be so shortsighted.
After all, Qin Zhenren and his disciples had close ties to him. If Gong Shuzhen were to embezzle the Foundation Establishment materials, she would likely lose her standing with them.
Her reputation within the sect would also be ruined forever.
As for directly heading to a marketplace to exchange—
He wasn't that foolish.
A Foundation Establishment Pill was equivalent to creating a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
If he openly exchanged for one, Mirror Water Pavilion would immediately suspect that either Wei Yan or Wei Xiuwen was preparing to break through, completely undoing all their efforts to avoid sect conscription.
Thus—
This Foundation Establishment Pill could only be exchanged in secret.
A few days later.
Wearing a bamboo hat, Gong Shuzhen arrived at Wei Manor, knocking on the door.
"It's been over sixty years since we last met, yet Talisman Master Wei still carries the same remarkable presence. Truly admirable."
After entering the main hall and taking her seat, Gong Shuzhen looked toward Wei Tu, who sat in the central position, and sighed.
During Kou Hongying's Foundation Establishment celebration, she had already taken note of Wei Tu, Wei Fei, and Fu Zhizhou.
Although she hadn't disregarded them, she also hadn't expected these three uncles who had helped Kou Hongying breakthrough to actually reach Foundation Establishment themselves.
Yet unexpectedly—
Sixty years later, out of the three, only Wei Fei had yet to step into Foundation Establishment.
The other two had both succeeded.
And not only had Wei Tu achieved Foundation Establishment, but he now even had the means to provide a Foundation Establishment Pill for his son's breakthrough.
From her words, Wei Tu could tell what Gong Shuzhen was thinking.
Smiling lightly, he replied, "The secret realm expedition was a life-or-death ordeal. Only by risking everything did I barely manage to obtain two Foundation Establishment spiritual items for my son. Compared to Daoist Qin, my gains are insignificant."
Hearing this, Gong Shuzhen nodded.
Under normal circumstances, even though Wei Tu was a second-tier talisman master with ample spirit stones, that was only enough to support his own cultivation.
Raising a Foundation Establishment successor was exceedingly difficult.
However, having ventured into the Cloud Ze Secret Realm and surviving, such rewards were to be expected—in fact, they were even on the lesser side.
After all, Qin Zhenren had managed to secure an entire Golden Core opportunity, soon to break through.
In comparison, Wei Tu's gains were nothing noteworthy.
"The Foundation Establishment Pill, I can help Talisman Master Wei exchange for it. However, there is an additional cost of 300 spirit stones."
Gong Shuzhen brought up the real business matter.
"300 spirit stones?" Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, waiting for her explanation.
For him, 300 spirit stones weren't exactly a fortune, but for most Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was a significant sum.
Simply acting as a middleman shouldn't have cost that much.
"Times are different now," Gong Shuzhen explained.
"Before the righteous-demonic war, the exchange of Foundation Establishment Pills was still strictly regulated by Mirror Water Pavilion, but there were loopholes to exploit…"
"But now, it's not the same."
"With the war underway, Foundation Establishment Pills and Mortal Shedding Pills have become strategic resources for all major sects."
"To facilitate the exchange, I have to pull strings and grease some palms—that won't be cheap. Of the 300 spirit stones, I only profit by 100. The other 200 spirit stones are necessary bribes for sect officials."
Gong Shuzhen laid it all out plainly.
She then added, "Similarly, if Talisman Master Wei wishes to exchange for 'Ice Crystal Pills' or 'Golden Yuan Pills,' their market prices have also risen significantly."
—
"Ice Crystal Pills" and "Golden Yuan Pills" were specialized mid-Foundation Establishment mana-boosting pills unique to Mirror Water Pavilion.
Hearing this, Wei Tu fell into thought.
Wei Tu nodded in agreement with Gong Shuzhen's explanation.
Pills, like military supplies and provisions in mortal warfare, were indispensable resources. Once war broke out, their prices were bound to skyrocket.
As a cultivator with a military background, he understood this principle all too well.
"Furthermore, in order to incentivize rogue cultivators and family cultivators to participate in the war, the Three Great Immortal Sects have also taken out Foundation Establishment Pills as rewards. This has caused a significant shortage of exchangeable Foundation Establishment Pills within Mirror Water Pavilion," Gong Shuzhen added.
"Here are two Foundation Establishment spiritual items and four hundred spirit stones. I ask Gong Daoist to please secure one Foundation Establishment Pill for me," Wei Tu said after listening to her explanation. Without further hesitation, he retrieved the two Foundation Establishment spiritual items and spirit stones from his storage pouch and handed them over.
"An extra one hundred spirit stones?" Gong Shuzhen raised an eyebrow in surprise.
From her experience, rogue cultivators were notoriously stingy, often reluctant to part with even a single spirit stone.
A cultivator like Wei Tu, who willingly offered extra, was exceedingly rare.
"This extra one hundred spirit stones is a small token of appreciation," Wei Tu smiled and explained. "I may have to trouble Gong Xianzi in the future. Consider this as the cost of a fine banquet. Since I am receiving Gong Xianzi in the mortal world today, I am unable to prepare a proper spiritual feast, which is a slight discourtesy on my part."
"In that case, within one month, I will ensure that this Foundation Establishment Pill is secured for Wei Daoist," Gong Shuzhen promised.
Seeing how generous Wei Tu was, she immediately developed a favorable impression of him, and her perception of his wealth also shifted.
Wei Tu cupped his hands respectfully. "I shall await Gong Xianzi's good news."
For now, he reserved judgment on whether to entrust her with exchanging for the Ice Crystal Pills and Golden Yuan Pills. He would only proceed after confirming her reliability.
One month later.
As promised, Gong Shuzhen delivered the Foundation Establishment Pill to Wei Manor.
With this initial trust established, Wei Tu handed over more spirit stones, requesting her assistance in exchanging for Ice Crystal Pills and Golden Yuan Pills.
Ice Crystal Pill: 700 spirit stones per pill.
Golden Yuan Pill: 800 spirit stones per pill.
Though these two types of mana-enhancing pills were individually cheaper than Foundation Establishment Pills, the total sum he planned to exchange for far exceeded the cost of a single Foundation Establishment Pill.
"Most late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators in Mirror Water Pavilion are not lacking in spirit stones. I will do my best to exchange these pills for Wei Daoist, but I cannot guarantee success," Gong Shuzhen said thoughtfully.
Her words were not an attempt to overplay her importance, but rather a truthful assessment.
Even when Qin Zhenren previously agreed to exchange pills with Wei Tu, it was only because he had depleted a significant amount of his spirit stones purchasing a slot for the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
In major sects like Mirror Water Pavilion, contribution points were far more valuable than spirit stones.
Only those Foundation Establishment elders who had given up on advancing further would consider trading contribution points for spirit stones.
And now—
These kinds of Foundation Establishment cultivators had all been dispatched to the front lines.
The ones remaining within Mirror Water Pavilion were the sect's elites, who would never willingly squander their contribution points for mere spirit stones.
Hearing this, Wei Tu sighed inwardly.
After pondering for a moment, he made another request to Gong Shuzhen—he asked her to help him find a high-quality body refinement technique within Mirror Water Pavilion.
Since he couldn't rely on pills to quickly boost his cultivation, he needed an alternative means of strengthening himself.
Coincidentally, he still possessed four boxes of Earth Dragon Flesh, obtained from a Qingzhu Mountain cultivator.
All he lacked now was a proper body refinement technique.
Originally, he had intended to exchange for one from the Heshan Huang Clan while serving as their talisman master.
But circumstances changed too quickly.
Forced by the situation, he had to abandon his plans and leave the clan behind.
"I will inquire within Mirror Water Pavilion and see if there is a suitable body refinement technique," Gong Shuzhen agreed.
While the sect's internal techniques were not allowed to be shared, cultivators who had achieved Foundation Establishment had almost certainly acquired techniques from other sects over the years.
Such Foundation Establishment cultivators often saw no harm in selling these techniques to make extra spirit stones.
"The higher my status, the more opportunities I have…" Wei Tu sighed inwardly.
Years ago, when he first entered Foundation Establishment, he struggled to find a proper second-tier talisman master inheritance and had to seek refuge with a cultivation clan as a guest elder.
But now—
Just two decades later—
His situation had completely changed.
With sufficient spirit stones, he could easily acquire a body refinement technique from Mirror Water Pavilion cultivators.
However, in addition to Gong Shuzhen, Wei Tu also sent letters to Fu Zhizhou and Zhao Qingluo, who were now in Qiyue Zhao Clan, to inquire about their sect's body refinement techniques.
More than thirty years ago, Fu Zhizhou had joined the Qiyue Zhao Clan under Kou Hongying's persuasion and started practicing body refinement alongside his normal cultivation.
Now, after so many years—
Even if his personal attainment in body refinement was mediocre, his knowledge on the subject would far surpass that of a beginner like Wei Tu.
As for Zhao Qingluo—
"Is this the first time I'm writing to Zhao Qingluo? I hope she doesn't misunderstand my intentions," Wei Tu hesitated briefly as he set down his brush.
Back in the Stone Hall Herb Garden, he had sensed a faint attraction from Zhao Qingluo.
However—
That attraction wasn't strong enough to be considered a deep attachment.
Afterward, she had maintained her usual demeanor, but Wei Tu wasn't entirely certain if she had truly let go of those feelings.
"Still, if she does harbor feelings for me, perhaps she'll offer me a fair price when selling the Zhao Clan's body refinement techniques…"
Wei Tu mused to himself.
After finishing his letter, he handed it to Huang Chengfu to deliver to the marketplace courier station.
Since bringing the Huang siblings out of Hengshan Town, he hadn't simply left them to fend for themselves. Instead, he had made proper arrangements for both.
Huang Fang had a decent level of skill in talismans, so Wei Yan had taken her as a disciple to teach her more advanced talisman techniques.
Huang Chengfu remained at his side, continuing to manage daily affairs and care for the Wind-Cleaving Eagle.