Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

"And you, Zhizhou, you can’t just go the rest of your life without seeing your family."

Wei Tu advised as they walked.

Fu Zhizhou shook his head but didn’t respond to Wei Tu’s remark.

Seeing this, Wei Tu sighed to himself, deciding not to press the issue with Fu Zhizhou again.

The two of them soon arrived at the Wei Mansion.

However, as they neared the Wei Mansion, Fu Zhizhou concealed his form and hid off to one side.

For a Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer Cultivator, deceiving mortals with a Blinding Technique was effortless.

"Dad!"

"Dad’s... back."

The moment Wei Yan saw Wei Tu return, she hiked up her dress and hurried inside, calling out to Wei Xiuwen, who was training in the inner courtyard.

A moment later, Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen were kneeling before Wei Tu in the main hall, offering their formal greetings.

’Ten years have passed.’

Wei Tu looked up, his expression wistful as he studied the son and daughter standing before him.

At twenty-five, Wei Yan, having learned an Inner Family True Skill and taken an Immortal Elixir, still possessed the delicate beauty of a young girl, with no sign of aging.

At twenty-one, Wei Xiuwen, having practiced the Pile Skill since childhood, bore no resemblance to a pampered, sheltered young lord. Instead, he looked more like a Ranger who had spent years roaming the world.

The mustache he was growing deliberately concealed the youthfulness of his face.

After the greetings, Wei Tu began his customary inquiry into their training progress.

When he learned that Wei Yan would soon be able to cultivate Innate True Qi, he nodded. "After you advance to the Innate Realm," he said, "go to the Kou Family and find your Auntie Kou. Have her take you to the Bai Shihu Marketplace to find your Uncle Kou and register your household there."

"I’ve already discussed this with your Uncle Kou and Hongying."

He had been at the Bai Shihu Marketplace for over a year and was keenly aware of the differences between it and the Danqiu Mountain Marketplace.

If it weren’t for the fact that one couldn’t easily relocate after registering their household, he himself would want to live and practice his Cultivation in the Bai Shihu Marketplace.

Furthermore, with Kou Hongying’s backing, it would be much safer for Wei Yan to be registered at the Bai Shihu Marketplace than at the Danqiu Mountain Marketplace.

"And you too."

"You’ll register at the Bai Shihu Marketplace, just like your sister."

Wei Tu glanced at Wei the Second, his expression hardening as he spoke in a solemn tone.

From that family letter years ago, he could tell that Wei Xiuwen was far less level-headed and conventional than Wei Yan.

The boy harbored a "wild ambition,"

an unwillingness to accept his reality.

Wei Tu couldn’t say this ambition was wrong, but in reality, a fine line often separated lofty aspirations from talentless ambition.

Only time would tell.

It would reveal whether Wei Xiuwen was a man of practical talent or just skilled with words on a page.

"Yes, Father. I understand."

Wei Xiuwen stood with his hands clasped, biting his lip as he responded.

He could hear the "disapproval" and warning in Wei Tu’s words.

However, this did not cause him to resent or hate Wei Tu, his birth father.

Wei Xiuwen understood how well his father treated him, especially compared to the three sons of the Fu Family.

"These are two Moon Condensing Pills and two Small Gathering Qi Pills."

"One of each for both of you."

With that, Wei Tu took out the elixirs he had prepared for Wei Yan and her brother to break through to the Innate Realm, placing them on a nearby tea table.

However—

Just as Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen were about to step forward to take the elixirs, Wei Tu placed a hand on the brocade box that held them.

"There’s something I need to make clear to both of you."

Wei Tu said solemnly, his gaze sweeping over them.

"Please, Father, instruct us."

Wei Yan bowed respectfully, took half a step back, and lowered her head in a posture of listening.

"Please, Father, instruct us..."

Startled for a moment, Wei Xiuwen followed Wei Yan’s example, moving to the side to stand in attendance.

"Helping you both reach the Innate Realm is the absolute most I can do as your father. Once you enter the Innate Realm, you must not grow resentful because I will no longer fund your Immortal Path..."

"The Immortal Path is hard to walk. I am just one man with a Lower-Grade Spirit Root. I do not have the Residual Power to do more."

Wei Tu didn’t hide his intentions. After choosing his words for a moment, he spoke bluntly to Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen.

’Some things are better said openly than kept hidden and veiled.’

"Don’t underestimate us, Father."

Hearing Wei Tu’s words, Wei Xiuwen’s face flushed red with indignation. "My sister and I aren’t three or four-year-old children! We won’t rely on you for everything..."

"As the classics say: at twenty, one comes of age; at thirty, one stands firm."

"Dad, Xiuwen and I are in our twenties. We’ll make our own way."

Wei Yan added, quoting from the classics.

Wei Tu observed their reactions and their words, gave a slight nod, and didn’t mention the matter again.

He then divided the elixirs on the table into two shares and gave one to each of them.

After distributing the elixirs, Wei Tu exchanged a nod with Fu Zhizhou, who was hidden in the shadows, and prepared to leave.

’I’ve been away from Danqiu Mountain for so long this time that I’ve long since exceeded my approved leave. Although there was a good reason—running into that Tribulation Cultivator—it’s still not wise to linger in the mortal world.’

However, just as Wei Tu stepped out of the courtyard gate, he came face-to-face with someone walking toward him: the Fu Family’s eldest son, Fu Lin.

"Uncle Wei, where’s my father?" Fu Lin stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw Wei Tu and asked.

"Your father..."

Wei Tu hesitated, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the hidden Fu Zhizhou.

"Your father didn’t come to Bai Shihu."

Wei Tu said to Fu Lin, shaking his head after receiving Fu Zhizhou’s reply.

"In that case..."

Fu Lin gritted his teeth, his mind made up.

He lifted the front of his long robe, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed loudly three times to Wei Tu. "Please, Uncle Wei, I beg you to lend me ten Spirit Stones. Help me on my Immortal Path just this once... I swear I will repay this kindness in the future."

As the words fell, Wei Tu, who was standing to the side, froze. Once he recovered and understood the meaning behind Fu Lin’s words, his brow furrowed and his expression darkened.

Although he greatly admired Fu Lin, considering his abilities to be extraordinary and far beyond those of an ordinary person, asking for ten Spirit Stones was an astonishingly large request.

Ten Spirit Stones.

Even with his skills, it would take him several months to earn that much, let alone an Ordinary Cultivator who wasn’t a Talisman Master.

An Ordinary Cultivator would have to spend at least seven or eight years to earn ten Spirit Stones.

"This matter..."

Wei Tu hesitated, intending to refuse him outright.

Although he was optimistic about Fu Lin’s capabilities, aptitude was paramount in the Cultivation Realm. Fu Zhizhou himself had already given up on his son; there was no need for Wei Tu to play the bleeding heart.

Besides, if every descendant of the Kou and Fu families tried the same thing as Fu Lin, he wouldn’t be able to afford it, no matter how wealthy he was.

But at that moment, Fu Zhizhou’s voice suddenly sounded in Wei Tu’s ear.

Wei Tu’s expression flickered. With a soft sigh, he told Fu Lin to get up.

"Does that mean you agree, Uncle Wei... to my request?"

Fu Lin asked, his voice filled with anxiety.

Just now, while he was kneeling and kowtowing, his eyes had been lowered, so he hadn’t seen Wei Tu’s expression.

Therefore, it was difficult for him to guess what Wei Tu was thinking.

"Fine." Wei Tu shook his head and sighed. "I will lend you these ten Spirit Stones on your father’s behalf. But this is the only time."

With that, he took a small cloth bag from his sleeve, pressed it into Fu Lin’s hand, and then, with a light tap of his foot, used Qinggong to depart from the Wei Mansion.

"Thank you, Uncle Wei."

Seeing the ten Spirit Stones in the bag, Fu Lin was overcome with emotion. He knelt again, facing the direction Wei Tu had disappeared, and kowtowed heavily.

When he rose, the ground where his forehead had touched was damp with his tears.

「Outside the Wei Mansion.」

"Third Brother, here are seven Spirit Stones. I’m short by three. I’ll pay you the rest when we get back to Danqiu Mountain."

On the road, Fu Zhizhou took seven Spirit Stones from his robes and handed them to Wei Tu.

His gaze lingered on the seven Spirit Stones with a hint of reluctance.

"Alright." Wei Tu didn’t refuse. He nodded and accepted the seven Spirit Stones from Fu Zhizhou, placing them in his pouch.

A moment ago, he had not intended to lend Fu Lin the ten Spirit Stones. It was Fu Zhizhou’s sudden transmission via Guardian Map Divine Sense that had made him change his mind.

’Severing Mundane Ties!

As if it could ever be that easy.’

Wei Tu glanced at Fu Zhizhou’s somewhat desolate-looking back and thought to himself.