Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

"It’s just that since Alchemist Wang moved in, I can’t get any peace and quiet."

Wei Tu, who was in the middle of Talisman Painting, glanced at the failed talisman that had spontaneously combusted on his desk. He couldn’t help but frown.

He pushed open the window.

The shouting from Alchemist Wang and his Dao Companion, Liuu Yun, along with the sound of smashing pots and pans, immediately grew louder.

Just then, the voluptuous Liuu Yun threw a tantrum, plopping herself down on the ground outside the courtyard. Wiping away tears, she cried:

"You damn bastard! Back then, my Liuu Family went without food and drink just to support your Alchemy Skill Cultivation."

"Now that you’ve mastered your Alchemy Skill and people call you an Alchemist, you’ve started to despise me, your old wife! You spend every day running off to that hussy with the surname Gong, fooling around with her."

Alchemist Wang’s face was ashen as he stood by. His lips trembled, and his body shook with rage.

"My dear wife, can you please get up? Don’t just sit on the ground..."

A few breaths later, Alchemist Wang stopped arguing. A look of helplessness crossed his face as he pleaded.

"I’m not getting up!"

"Not unless you promise to give me all the Spirit Stones you earn and stop seeing those hussies."

Liuu Yun shouted.

"Fellow Daoist Wei is watching," Alchemist Wang reminded her in a low voice. He found it utterly humiliating that Liuu Yun had run into the courtyard, plopped down, and was making a scene.

"Let him look."

"I’ve lived this long, it’s not like I haven’t been looked at before."

Liuu Yun cursed angrily. She shifted her rear, turning to face Wei Tu’s direction, and tore open a part of her upper garment, revealing a large expanse of full, pale flesh.

"Look! Take a good look!"

"It’s not like your own mother doesn’t have a pair of these." Liuu Yun stared defiantly at Wei Tu with her almond-shaped eyes, completely shameless.

Wei Tu was defeated.

He closed the window. After the commotion in the courtyard died down, he left his room, planning to go to the Jingyun Inn for a Spiritual Meal to cool his temper.

Fortunately, their fights didn’t happen every day. Otherwise, he really wouldn’t be able to stand living in this small courtyard on Lark Street any longer.

’Huh? A letter for me.’

As he was leaving, Wei Tu spotted a letter addressed to him at the gatehouse of the courtyard.

The signature on the letter was Weii Fei.

Wei Tu was a little surprised to see the letter.

This was the first time Weii Fei had written to him since he started traveling the mortal world with Immortal Master Wuk.

He opened the letter.

In the letter, Weii Fei asked about his recent situation and then mentioned a few things he had seen while traveling with Immortal Master Wuk in the mortal realm of Zheng Country.

"A year ago, Master and I went to the Divine Capital, the capital of Zheng Country. We were received with courtesy by Emperor Jiayuan, who ennobled me as the First-Class Duke Yongle and granted me a fief of two thousand households."

From these few brief words,

Wei Tu could sense Weii Fei’s immense joy at being ennobled.

To be granted land and a title.

It was essentially the lifelong dream of a mortal Military General.

’Prefect He?’

Wei Tu flipped to the next page of the letter and saw a familiar name.

After more than thirty years, Prefect He had been successfully promoted from a Fifth-Grade Prefect to a Third-Grade Imperial Official and had been a guest at Weii Fei’s ennoblement banquet.

Weii Fei wrote that he had originally intended to hold a grudge and get revenge on Prefect He, but after hearing the man’s fawning praise and flattery, his desire for revenge had vanished.

’Prefect He must be over seventy by now. There’s really no point in getting revenge on an old man who’s about to die.’

Wei Tu shook his head, thinking to himself that Weii Fei’s temperament had become much more magnanimous.

He remembered that back when they were bailiffs in Qingshan County Town, Weii Fei had said more than once that when he gained power, he would have Prefect He drawn and quartered and subjected to death by a thousand cuts.

At the end of the letter,

Weii Fei told Wei Tu that the Qiyue Zhao Family would soon be coming to Danqiu Mountain to purchase Talismans, and he hoped Wei Tu wouldn’t miss this Opportunity.

’Purchase Talismans?’

A thought stirred in Wei Tu’s mind.

He had painted quite a few Rock Shield Talismans and Thorn Cage Talismans recently and was currently worried about how to sell them.

These two Tier One Talismans were not the Auxiliary Talismans that Cultivators used daily, so sales were poor. He could only sell them to the mercenaries who frequently went to fight in the Yaolang Mountain Range.

But most mercenaries were dirt-poor. Aside from buying one or two Life-Saving Talismans, they wouldn’t deliberately use Talismans in their daily battles.

As a result, over time, his Rock Shield Talismans and Thorn Cage Talismans had become dead stock, piling up on his hands.

’It seems the conflict between the Qiyue Zhao Family and the Chisong Jia Family has intensified again.’

’Otherwise, the Qiyue Zhao Family wouldn’t be seeking out Independent Cultivators like me to buy Talismans.’

Wei Tu mused.

More than a decade ago, the Xiaoo Mountain King, who had occupied Shannan Dao, was not annihilated by the Zheng Country’s Official Soldiers. He had survived to this day and had even established a dynasty called "Feng" with Qingfeng Prefecture City as its capital.

...

「A few days later.」

A young woman in a white dress arrived at the small courtyard on Lark Street and knocked on Wei Tu’s door.

"Zhao Qingluo of the Qiyue Zhao Family." The young woman in white was beautiful, with black hair cascading to her waist. After seeing Wei Tu, she gave a slight nod and stated her origin and name.

’It’s actually Zhao Qingluo?’ Alchemist Wang, next door, heard the commotion in the courtyard. He stepped out of his room to look and couldn’t help but feel surprised.

Zhao Qingluo was the Celestial Pride of the Qiyue Zhao Family, expected to reach Foundation Establishment. She had a considerable reputation in the Cultivation Realm of Zheng Country.

"My humble abode is crude. I would be honored to host... Princess Qingluo... for a meal in a private room at the Jingyun Inn."

Wei Tu made a polite, empty-handed gesture of salute.

In the Jade Scroll Immortal Master Wuk had given him, there was a section of Biographies that prominently featured this genius from the Qiyue Zhao Family.

Immortal Master Wuk’s commentary noted: Zhao Qingluo appears courteous and proper, but in reality, she is arrogant and looks down on low-level Independent Cultivators like them.

Therefore, when dealing with a high-and-mighty Immortal Race genius like Zhao Qingluo, Wei Tu didn’t dare show the slightest hint of disrespect.

Otherwise, not only would the deal fall through, but he might also offend this important figure.

"That’s not necessary!"

"We can discuss it here in this small courtyard."

Zhao Qingluo glanced around, her eyes landing on the stone table in the courtyard.

With graceful steps, she took an embroidered cushion from her Storage Bag, placed it on the stone bench, and sat down.

"Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. A bit low. However, to be able to paint Tier One Talismans at this Realm, your talent in the Talisman Dao is decent."

Zhao Qingluo’s tone was indifferent, and she looked at Wei Tu as if he were one of her family’s Subordinates.

With Immortal Master Wuk’s Jade Scroll in hand, Wei Tu already knew Zhao Qingluo’s personality and was mentally prepared, so he didn’t take it too much to heart.

Seeing Wei Tu lower his head, Zhao Qingluo nodded slightly, feeling that he was a bit more pleasing to the eye.

Soon, the two finished discussing business.

Zhao Qingluo bought out Wei Tu’s entire stock of Rock Talismans and Thorn Cage Talismans for eighty percent of their price.

At the same time, Zhao Qingluo also placed a Talisman order with Wei Tu totaling two hundred Spirit Stones.

"This is the deposit."

"In three years, someone from the Zhao Family will come to collect the Talismans."

Zhao Qingluo slapped her Storage Bag, took out a brocade box, and placed it on the table.

The box opened to reveal twenty neatly arranged Attributeless Spirit Stones.

With that said, Zhao Qingluo stood up and prepared to leave.

"Princess Qingluo, please wait a moment."

Just then, Alchemist Wang, who had been watching the excitement from the side, shamelessly walked over, holding several Pill Bottles to peddle his own Elixirs.

He had seen that Wei Tu had earned at least one or two hundred Spirit Stones this time and was green with envy.

"These are Jade Flower Pills and Condensed Dew Pills. They’re all excellent Elixirs..."

Hearing this, Zhao Qingluo paused. "These Elixirs, are they Tier One Elixirs?"

’A Pill Master who lives with a Tier One Talisman Master should also be a Tier One Alchemist.’

Tier One Elixirs would also be of great use in the Qiyue Zhao Family’s war against the Chisong Jia Family.

"No..."

Alchemist Wang’s expression stiffened. He stood there, at a loss, and said, "They are just Basic Elixirs, but... their effects are quite good."

"Basic Elixirs?"

Hearing this, a trace of contempt appeared in Zhao Qingluo’s eyes. She sneered, "Basic Elixirs? Even my handmaidens wouldn’t deign to consume such things."

"A person’s most valuable trait is self-awareness."

"You’re not even a Tier One Alchemist, yet you dare to call out and block my path?"

A mocking expression on her face, she snorted lightly. A powerful Spiritual Power surged from her body, and then she flicked her sleeve.

The next moment, Alchemist Wang, who was standing in the courtyard, was sent flying, tumbling through the air like a leaf in the autumn wind.

Half a breath later, he crashed to the ground.

"Consider this a lesson. If you dare to offend me again next time..."

Zhao Qingluo said menacingly.

Wei Tu, watching from the side, was startled. He couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had acted subservient and meek in front of Zhao Qingluo and hadn’t provoked this Celestial Pride of the Immortal Race.

Otherwise, the one being taught a lesson probably wouldn’t have been Alchemist Wang, but him.

"Talisman Master Wei."

"Don’t be late with the Talismans in three years."

Zhao Qingluo lifted her skirt, walked to the courtyard gate, and glanced back at Wei Tu. Her tone was exactly the same as the one she had used with Alchemist Wang.

"Yes, I’ll remember."

Wei Tu’s heart jumped, and he quickly nodded in response.

He was now wondering if Zhao Qingluo’s attack on Alchemist Wang was also intended as a show of force to put him in his place.

Or perhaps she was simply that tyrannical and didn’t see Alchemist Wang as a human being.

Only after Zhao Qingluo left did Alchemist Wang, who had been lying limply on the ground, manage to climb back to his feet. His face was deathly pale and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth; he was clearly not lightly injured.

"That bitch."

"Just wait until your Qiyue Zhao Family falls into decline. We’ll see how I deal with you then."

Alchemist Wang clutched his back, spat a few mouthfuls of blood-tinged saliva, and started hurling threats at the empty courtyard gate.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, calm down."

Wei Tu said consolingly.

He didn’t mind Alchemist Wang cursing Zhao Qingluo, but he was worried. What if she was still nearby, hadn’t gone far, and overheard those words? What if he got dragged into it?

"Isn’t Gong Shulan also from the Immortal Race? She still ended up as a harlot. With how arrogant that one is, it won’t be long before..."

Alchemist Wang grumbled.

However, as he spoke, he seemed to realize his indiscretion and lowered his voice.

’Gong Shulan comes from a Cultivation Family?’

Wei Tu was surprised to hear this. He hadn’t expected Gong Shulan to have such a background.

Gong Shulan was the Female Cultivator Gong who lived at Yanwu, adjacent to Hu Yao’s residence.

From the recent arguments between Alchemist Wang and his Dao Companion, Liuu Yun, he had learned that Alchemist Wang had abandoned his old flame, Hu Yao, for a new love, Gong Shulan.

"How did Fellow Daoist Gong fall so far?"

Wei Tu asked curiously.

"What, you didn’t know, Fellow Daoist Wei?" Alchemist Wang was slightly surprised. "Thirty years ago, on Xiaodan Mountain, the Gong Family that Gong Shulan belongs to was a renowned Cultivation Family."

"Although they couldn’t compare to the Seven Great Cultivation Families like the Qiyue Zhao Family, their clan still had a Foundation Establishment Master..."