Chapter 571: Lüqiu Qingfeng Emerges, Wei Tu’s Cold Indifference

As for which elder of the Yin Ghost Sect it was, the jade slip gave no detailed explanation.

But this wasn’t because Xue Hongmian’s investigation was lacking. Rather, it was due to Ruyi Tower’s special rules for protecting customer information.

Other than the tower master and the individuals directly involved, even someone like Xue Hongmian, an elder of Ruyi Tower, couldn’t access any specific details of the matter through any channel.

Still, with this intelligence, finding the exact whereabouts of “Luo Mingzhen” would not be difficult.

After all, the Yin Ghost Sect didn’t have that many Nascent Soul elders—fewer than 20.

And among them, the number capable of redeeming Luo Mingzhen and even taking her as a concubine was even smaller, barely a handful.

In this jade slip, Xue Hongmian had already pieced together some reasonable guesses based on information leaked by the Yin Ghost Sect, narrowing the list to several suspects.

“In the Red Algae Sea, the Yin Ghost Sect’s influence ranks only below the Donghua Demon Kingdom.”

“If Master wishes to rescue Luo Mingzhen, you must think carefully and act with caution.”

“Also, once Luo Mingzhen is freed, it could alert Ruyi Tower…”

Xue Hongmian reminded him at the right moment.

As a captive, she knew that with Wei Tu’s strength, there was no reason to fear the Yin Ghost Sect or Ruyi Tower. But being unafraid didn’t mean he had a guaranteed win against two great Nascent Soul factions.

And if Wei Tu were to lose…

She could already predict it—most likely she would be his first sacrifice.

So for her own life’s sake, Xue Hongmian had no choice but to urge him to be cautious.

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Wei Tu nodded slightly at her words, acknowledging her warning.

This matter wasn’t the same as dealing with Lüqiu Jinyuan.

He had assassinated Lüqiu Jinyuan in order to exchange with Lüqiu Qingfeng for resources to break through to mid-stage fourth-tier body cultivation. That was an investment in himself. Taking some risk had been worth it.

But rescuing Ancestor Luo—that was purely a debt of gratitude.

If the rescue succeeded, all would rejoice.

If not… it wasn’t worth throwing his life away.

Besides, even assuming “Luo Mingzhen” was indeed Ancestor Luo herself, she had already been taken as a concubine by a Yin Ghost Sect elder for quite some years. Her life wasn’t suddenly in danger in the short time it would take for him to act.

At worst, she was simply being forced to serve as a Nascent Soul furnace and endure humiliation.

In other words, rescuing “Ancestor Luo,” who was currently safe in terms of her life, even setting aside profit, the wisest choice was to plan carefully and secure her freedom at the smallest cost.

And that “smallest cost” naturally meant—not openly taking risks and clashing head-on with the Yin Ghost Sect or Ruyi Tower.

“Master is wise!”

Hearing this, Xue Hongmian finally breathed a sigh of relief. A smile appeared on her lips, and she praised Wei Tu softly.

In the world of cultivation, submitting to an enemy wasn’t hard. Survival mattered above all.

A son? She could always bear another.

The condition was that Wei Tu had to be a true strongman, one far ahead of her, not some fool blinded by lust who would soon end up dead.

Now it seemed she could rest assured.

…

After Xue Hongmian left, Wei Tu went to Cao Mi’s cave residence to sip tea and listen to her play the zither for a while.

The female cultivators of Moon Condensation Palace often practiced arts like music or tea alongside their cultivation, officially said to refine their temperament.

But in truth, most of them did this to improve their bearing, so they could later find a good husband or Dao partner.

Because of that, Moon Condensation Palace’s women were highly sought after in Kang Kingdom’s cultivation world. Many had become the wives of sect leaders.

As palace master, Cao Mi never needed to use such arts to please men, but that didn’t stop her from achieving a high level of mastery in them.

A while later, when the music like flowing streams and high mountains faded, Wei Tu put down his cup. He looked at Cao Mi, who sat behind a sheer curtain adjusting her zither, and after a pause, spoke without concealment.

“Rescuing Luo Mingzhen must be done slowly, step by step. We can’t rush. I hope Junior Sister Cao understands.”

Wei Tu’s face carried apology, his tone earnest.

Right now, his position and strength far outstripped hers. To put it bluntly, she relied on him to survive in the Red Algae Sea and to advance her cultivation quickly.

But that didn’t mean he could ignore her views or break his promises.

The Righteous Society had become a true brotherhood not just by swearing oaths, but by sticking together, respecting each other, and being clear about interests—taking neither more nor less.

Back when Fu Zhizhou was still a young master from a military family, he never treated Wei Tu, Kou Liang, or Wei Fei coldly because of their lower birth.

Now, the same was true.

Only difference was, identity had shifted. He was no longer the old “Fu Zhizhou.”

Wei Tu’s meaning was clear: he would keep his promise and try to rescue “Ancestor Luo.” But if the cost turned out too high, he wouldn’t risk it lightly.

These words were a way of warning Cao Mi ahead of time, so if the rescue of “Ancestor Luo” failed in the future, she would already be prepared.

“To sacrifice one’s life for a single promise, that’s the way of wandering knights of the rivers and lakes, not cultivators like us… how could I ever demand such a thing from Brother Wei?”

Hearing this, Cao Mi shook her head, as gentle and reasonable as always. Her reply was sincere.

In her heart she was anxious about rescuing Ancestor Luo. But she knew how to prioritize.

Her bond with Wei Tu was close.

But Ancestor Luo? To Wei Tu, she was an outsider.

No one would willingly exhaust themselves or face great danger to save an “outsider.”

That was simple human nature.

Now, Wei Tu had spoken honestly to her, sharing his plans for the future. That alone was rare and precious.

He might not act like a knight who sacrifices life for honor, but compared to the countless cultivators in this world who cared nothing for such bonds, he was already far better.

What’s more, Wei Tu wasn’t refusing to help her. He was already doing his best within the bounds of safety.

Wei Tu heard her words, nodded silently, and said nothing more.

In his heart, he had truly accepted Cao Mi as a member of the Righteous Society.

“Reasonable and understanding”—these four words sounded simple. But living them out was no easy thing.

Outwardly, it meant knowing how to cooperate, not acting stupid.

Inwardly, it meant not being greedy, not making trouble.

Even if Cao Mi wasn’t as pure in loyalty as Fu Zhizhou or Kou Hongying, just for her temperament alone, she was already a reliable ally to him.

…

After cautioning Cao Mi, Wei Tu didn’t stay idle on the matter of rescuing “Luo Mingzhen.”

He ordered Xue Hongmian to continue gathering detailed intelligence on Ruyi Tower and the Yin Ghost Sect. At the same time, he reached out to Nangong Zhe, planning to borrow strength from the Lüqiu clan.

Wei Tu didn’t believe that a major force like the Lüqiu clan had no infiltration in the Yin Ghost Sect.

Nangong Zhe didn’t refuse outright. He only said they would talk again after Lüqiu Qingfeng came out of seclusion.

After all, this was a major matter.

Wei Tu wasn’t surprised. When he contacted Nangong Zhe, he had never expected a clear answer right away.

A “foreign official” like Nangong Zhe had no authority to meddle in Lüqiu clan’s inner affairs.

Wei Tu’s real purpose was for Nangong Zhe to inform Lüqiu Qingfeng at the first opportunity, so that she would take it seriously.

There was no denying it. Once Lüqiu Qingfeng advanced to late Nascent Soul, his influence as her ally would naturally decline.

It wouldn’t be enough to make her belittle him. But expecting her to be as yielding as before would be much harder.

By having Nangong Zhe deliver the news now, this matter would become the very first favor he asked of her as an ally.

Both by reason and sentiment, Lüqiu Qingfeng wouldn’t embarrass him by refusing outright.

And the chance of success was far greater than if he himself had tried to meet her in person to talk.

—For a face-to-face meeting meant bargaining in words, but not necessarily results.

Time passed.

Another 2 years went by.

That year, after more than 10 years in seclusion, Lüqiu Qingfeng finally broke through, stepping into late Nascent Soul.

The moment this news spread, the whole Donghua Demon Kingdom was shaken, both within and beyond!

It had to be known that within the Lüqiu clan, there were only 3 late Nascent Soul cultivators.

Now with Lüqiu Qingfeng’s achievement, the clan had a fourth mighty expert.

With this realm, even if Lüqiu Jinyuan were still alive, he wouldn’t be her match in contest for the throne.

Compared to the Lüqiu clan, the shock outside was even greater!

Once, after Elder Guang and Lüqiu Jinyuan’s deaths, the clan had been forced into decline and contraction.

But now, with Lüqiu Qingfeng’s breakthrough, their strength had soared back to its peak!

A single late Nascent Soul cultivator carried far more weight in deterrence than two at mid-stage.

“Late Nascent Soul…”

“This realm may not be enough to surpass Wei Tu.”

After the celebration banquet, Lüqiu Qingfeng’s beautiful eyes swept past the cheering clansmen. Her gaze drifted toward distant Spider Heart Island, and this thought rose quietly in her heart.

If other cultivators knew what she was thinking, the entire world would be in an uproar, unable to believe it.

When had it ever happened that a late Nascent Soul cultivator would feel inferior to one at mid-stage Nascent Soul? It sounded like nonsense.

But in Lüqiu Qingfeng’s heart, she believed this thought wasn’t belittling herself—it was a clear and honest judgment.

She didn’t think that just by stepping up a minor realm, she suddenly had the confidence to defeat Wei Tu. After all, this man had personally assassinated Lüqiu Jinyuan, her lifelong nightmare.

“Thankfully, in these years, Little Seventeenth also broke through to the Nascent Soul realm.”

Lüqiu Qingfeng lowered her gaze to the girl seated at her left. Wearing a yellow dress, with seven-tenths resemblance in looks, a graceful figure, and a delicate face, the girl drew a faint smile to Lüqiu Qingfeng’s lips.

This girl was the gift she had prepared for Wei Tu, meant to win over such a powerful ally.

“Now the hard part is figuring out how to hand Little Seventeenth to Wei Tu.”

Lüqiu Qingfeng sighed inwardly.

Wei Tu was still very young in terms of lifespan—not even 600 years old yet.

At that age, it meant he was definitely the sort of cultivator who didn’t indulge in women but instead devoted himself to bitter cultivation.

Otherwise, how could he have advanced so rapidly in just over 100 years, reaching mid-stage Nascent Soul?

Yet—

At that very moment, Nangong Zhe sent her a message that caught Lüqiu Qingfeng’s attention.

“Luo Mingzhen?”

“A concubine of a Yin Ghost Sect elder?”

Lüqiu Qingfeng arched her brows, puzzled. How could someone like Wei Tu, such a focused cultivator, be “concerned” about a mere Nascent Soul furnace named Luo Mingzhen?

She hesitated, unsure if she should agree to Wei Tu’s request. After all, the Yin Ghost Sect wasn’t some small sect. Its strength wasn’t equal to the Donghua Demon Kingdom, but it was still not something the Demon Kingdom could trample over at will.

But this was the very first favor Wei Tu had asked of her since their alliance. She couldn’t just refuse.

“Send Wei Tu a reply…”

“Tell him this palace agrees.”

After a moment of thought, Lüqiu Qingfeng gave Nangong Zhe her answer.

Wei Tu was her ally.

Offending the Yin Ghost Sect, that would be the Lüqiu clan’s matter.

She knew the difference clearly.

The losses to the clan might end up greater than what she gained. But… since she had already assassinated Lüqiu Jinyuan herself, why would she care about a bit more clan loss?

…

A few days later.

In the Spider Heart Sect, Wei Tu received Lüqiu Qingfeng’s reply through Nangong Zhe.

As he expected, she hadn’t rejected him on the matter of rescuing “Luo Mingzhen.”

“Many thanks to the Ninth Princess.”

Wei Tu cupped his hands in gratitude.

“This is as it should be.”

“Mountain Lord Wei gave the Ninth Princess the grace of rebirth. With her nature, how could she refuse such a small matter?”

“She also said she was glad Mountain Lord Wei was willing to entrust her with it.”

Nangong Zhe chuckled, flattering Lüqiu Qingfeng a few times in front of Wei Tu.

“Half a year from now, the princess will go to Five Elder Mountain to recruit Mountain Lord Wei as an honored guest. Please return there soon so you don’t miss the time.”

Nangong Zhe added the reminder.

“Of course.”

Wei Tu nodded, showing he understood.

On the surface, he was still at odds with Lüqiu Jinyuan’s ally, the Earth Spider Matriarch. If he accepted Lüqiu Qingfeng’s invitation here and joined the Lüqiu clan, everyone would immediately suspect him of being involved in Lüqiu Jinyuan’s assassination.

So before joining the Lüqiu clan, relocating to Five Elder Mountain was his only sensible choice.

“This old man won’t stay longer. Next time we meet, we’ll be colleagues…”

Nangong Zhe said jokingly.

But Wei Tu noticed that when Nangong Zhe said those words, there was a flicker of complexity in his eyes.

Seeing this, Wei Tu thought a moment and guessed Nangong Zhe’s feelings.

Back then, when Wei Tu first arrived in the Red Algae Sea, he had joined the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild for the Condensed Soul Pill, becoming Nangong Zhe’s nominal subordinate.

Now, a century later, he had become someone whom even Lüqiu Qingfeng treated as an ally with care.

The contrast was staggering.

It had been easier before, since they had little direct contact. But once Wei Tu became an “honored guest” of the Lüqiu clan, they would see each other often.

Still, Wei Tu said nothing.

He and Nangong Zhe were merely acquaintances. Their ties weren’t deep.

As a “weaker one” in the cultivation world, Nangong Zhe adapting to this sense of disparity was only natural.

And in this, Wei Tu—this so-called “Old Demon Wei”—ought to remain cold-blooded and ruthless.