Chapter 142 - 113: Kou Hongying’s Repayment
Although Wei Tu no longer had the face of a youth, he still looked like a vigorous man in his thirties.
The other man, however, already had wrinkled skin, white hair, and age spots dotting his body.
The contrast.
Even though Shi Zhen had long been immersed in the world of officialdom and had seen his share of ups and downs, he couldn’t help but sigh.
"Brother Shi, so many years have passed. How do you still remember my face?"
Wei Tu voiced the question that was on his mind.
Although he and Shi Zhen were classmates, they had only met once.
He found it hard to understand how, after all this time, Shi Zhen could still remember his face and pick him out of a crowd with a single glance.
"Brother Wei, back then you deliberately lost during the Competition. Your performance was good enough to fool most people, but it couldn’t fool me... the one who actually crossed swords with you..."
Hearing Wei Tu’s question, the melancholy on Shi Zhen’s face faded considerably. He stroked his beard with a smile and explained.
Wei Tu holding back during the Competition alone wasn’t enough to make him unforgettable.
What truly seared Wei Tu into his memory was the more than twenty years of political suppression he endured after Youu Hong snatched the champion’s title from him.
If Wei Tu hadn’t held back then, his own fate for the first half of his life would likely have been Wei Tu’s instead.
Having gone through that,
how could he not have Wei Tu’s name etched in his very bones?
"Back then, even though I knew who was truly to blame, I still harbored some resentment toward you, Brother Wei... I believed you had ruined my career in officialdom."
"But not anymore. Now, in my twilight years, meeting the two of you, Brother Wei and Brother Fu, is truly one of life’s pleasures."
Shi Zhen shook his head and smiled.
Next, he had his old servant pull the carriage aside and lay out a felt mat, upon which he sat on the ground.
He then invited Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou to join him and reminisce about the past.
Wei Tu believed the magnanimity on Shi Zhen’s face was genuine; after all, the man was nearing the end of his life.
As they say, a dying man’s words are true.
After a moment’s thought, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou dismounted and sat down across from Shi Zhen.
Shi Zhen knew his place. He didn’t pry into the secret affairs of the Immortal Family. He had invited them over to reminisce, and he primarily spoke of his own experiences over the years.
From Shi Zhen’s account,
Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou learned that the rebellion in Shannan Dao more than forty years ago had been an opportunity not just for them, but also for Shi Zhen—a chance for a caged dragon to change its destiny.
After the Daoist Examination, Shi Zhen was suppressed by the Youu Family, a Noble Family from Shannan Dao, and was posted as a County Captain in a poor and remote backwater.
However, it was precisely for this reason
that Baihua County, where Shi Zhen was stationed, was not immediately overrun by the Rebel Army.
Sensing the overall situation was turning dire, Shi Zhen mobilized the county garrison, conscripted local laborers, and raised a loyalist army to march on Qingfeng Prefecture and provide aid.
Whether by good fortune or ill, by the time Shi Zhen arrived with his troops, Qingfeng Prefecture had already fallen...
Later, Shi Zhen went to Luonan Dao. In the protracted war between Feng Country and Zheng Country, Shi Zhen repeatedly distinguished himself with extraordinary merits and was gradually promoted.
Today, Shi Zhen had risen to the high rank of a Fourth-Grade Military Officer, in charge of the military affairs of two prefectures.
"If I hadn’t met you, Brother Wei and Brother Fu, I would have thought my life was quite respectable. But seeing you two..."
As he said this, a trace of sadness crept into Shi Zhen’s magnanimous expression.
From a Cold and Simple Martial Artist to a Fourth-Grade Military Officer, his life in the mortal world was the stuff of legends.
Local chronicles, and perhaps even the official histories, might one day record his deeds,
allowing his name to be recorded in the annals of history.
But—
compared to Wei Tu and his companion,
he fell far short.
A Cultivator was far beyond what any high-ranking official or noble could ever hope to match. They simply weren’t in the same world.
"Brother Wei, forgive my audacity... but I wish to ask for a chance at an Immortal Fate for my descendants. I wonder if it would be possible?"
Before they parted, Shi Zhen gave Wei Tu a deep, respectful bow.
"Of course," Wei Tu agreed with a nod.
For him, this request was a small, effortless favor, so there was no reason to refuse.
Shi Zhen had been his classmate, and their encounter could be considered a form of friendship.
Wei Tu asked Shi Zhen to fetch a brush and paper.
Then, channeling his Spiritual Power, he wrote down the Immortal Skill he had obtained from Wuyun Tower: the Five Elements Spirit Body.
After writing out the Cultivation Technique,
Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou lingered no longer. They mounted their horses and galloped off in the direction of Bai Shihu.
"I truly hope..."
"...that a descendant of mine can see what this Immortal Path is like on my behalf."
Shi Zhen stared intently at the retreating figures of Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou, then let out a sigh.
...
「Seven days later.」
Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou arrived at Bai Shihu and met up with Weii Fei, who was already there.
The three men crossed Bai Shihu and started up the mountain path behind it.
Unlike the Supreme Profound Sect, whose gate was located elsewhere, the entrance to Jingshui Pavilion was situated on the mountain right behind the Bai Shihu Marketplace.
Upon reaching the gate of Jingshui Pavilion,
Wei Tu presented the invitation he had received from Kou Hongying to the Disciple on duty.
"Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Wei." After seeing the respectful terms Kou Hongying used for Wei Tu on the invitation, the Disciple’s previously lax attitude instantly became deferential.
About fifteen minutes later,
a woman in a pink dress descended from the sky on a Magical Artifact, landing before Wei Tu and his companions.
"Master Kou is occupied at the moment, so I shall be the one to guide you three Fellow Daoists to Jinyu Tower."
The woman in pink said with a curtsy.
Hearing this,
Fu Zhizhou, who had just been feeling pleased about Kou Hongying’s successful Foundation Establishment, saw his smile vanish completely as his expression shifted slightly.
The three of them were Kou Hongying’s elders, and her success in achieving Foundation Establishment was thanks in no small part to their help.
For Kou Hongying not to greet them personally felt like a deliberate slight.
Seeing this,
Wei Tu shook his head. He subtly patted Fu Zhizhou’s shoulder, silently telling him not to let it bother him.
"Please lead the way, Fairy," Wei Tu said with a cupped-fist salute.
The woman in pink nodded slightly and led the way, acting as their guide and explaining the history of the sights in Jingshui Pavilion as they walked.
Unlike the dense, orderly layout of the Marketplace, the architecture of Jingshui Pavilion was built to harmonize with the landscape.
Its buildings were scattered among the mountain peaks, serving as adornments to the natural beauty.
Along the way,
beautiful Female Cultivators were as numerous as trees in a forest. It was like a sea of blooming flowers, a dazzling sight.
After watching for a moment, Wei Tu, like Fu Zhizhou, reined in his thoughts and focused on the path ahead.
Wei Tu was about to remind Weii Fei to mind his decorum and not lose face here.
—He still hadn’t forgotten the incident where Weii Fei went with Immortal Master Wuk to find Fellow Daoist Yao.
Unexpectedly, when Wei Tu glanced over at Weii Fei, he found that he was behaving just as properly as he and Fu Zhizhou were, not making a fool of himself at all.
His face was just a little pale.
’It seems Weii Fei also understands the gravity of the situation,’ Wei Tu thought to himself.
Before long,
Wei Tu and his companions arrived at Jinyu Tower.
Jinyu Tower was the personal hall of Master Qin, Kou Hongying’s master, and it was where her Foundation Establishment celebration was being held.
The tower stood near the shore of a lake. It was seven stories tall, rising several hundred feet into the air.
In the sunlight, Jinyu Tower, built with beams of golden wood and bricks of fine jade, resembled a glazed pagoda, radiating a brilliant golden light.
The three men entered the tower.
The instant they stepped inside, dozens of Cultivators waiting on the first floor immediately turned their gazes toward them.
Their eyes were filled mostly with curiosity,
mixed with a hint of disdain.
Judging by their attire, it was obvious that the three men were not from Jingshui Pavilion.
—Although Jingshui Pavilion was a Sect dominated by Female Cultivators, it still had a fair number of Male Cultivators among its members.
Just as the Cultivators on the first floor were about to call out and question them,
a young woman in a blue dress descended slowly from the staircase. She carried herself with an elegant grace and a cool, aloof air.
All the Cultivators instantly fell silent. They lowered their heads respectfully and said, "Master Kou."
This was none other than Kou Hongying.
Kou Hongying nodded and said, "You may rise."
"Uncle Wei, Uncle Fu..."
"And Uncle Weii..."
Kou Hongying walked over, gave the three men a slight curtsy, and greeted them.
"They’re Master Kou’s elders?"
The assembled Cultivators were astonished.
A moment ago, while they held no real hostility toward the three men, they had looked down on them. After all, compared to the disciples of an Immortal Sect, Independent Cultivators from the outside were nothing special.
...
Kou Hongying escorted Wei Tu and his companions to the fourth floor of Jinyu Tower.
This was where she was truly receiving her close friends and relatives.
After seating the three men, Kou Hongying, seemingly aware that her arrangements had been lacking, sent them a voice transmission to explain, "A moment ago, when this junior heard that my three uncles had arrived, I intended to come greet you personally... but a senior brother unexpectedly paid a visit. To avoid him, I had to ask Junior Sister Gongg to receive you in my stead..."
Hearing this,
the expressions on the three men’s faces softened.
A short while later, a few more guests arrived on the fourth floor of Jinyu Tower.
These were all people Kou Hongying knew well, and their Cultivation was mostly around the Late-Stage Qi Cultivation.
Halfway through the banquet,
Wei Tu overheard several of these guests quietly discussing him, Fu Zhizhou, and Weii Fei.
However, their words were not mocking. Instead, they were filled with deep envy for Kou Hongying.
"Normally, it would have taken Junior Sister Kou at least another twenty or thirty years to reach Foundation Establishment, even with help from her Master..."
"It’s all thanks to these elders of hers, who helped her complete missions and earn Sect Contribution Points."
"If only I had such trustworthy elders to rely on."
Every word flowed into the ears of Wei Tu and his companions.
Hearing this,
the wariness that Wei Tu and the others had felt toward Kou Hongying lessened considerably.
If Kou Hongying were truly the type to be heartless and ungrateful, casting them aside after they had served their purpose... she certainly wouldn’t have advertised the matter among her close friends in Jingshui Pavilion.
...
Half an hour later,
the banquet concluded.
Kou Hongying rose and personally escorted Wei Tu and his companions out of Jingshui Pavilion.
"Now that this junior has advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage, I will absolutely not go back on the promise I made to you two uncles more than twenty years ago. Please rest assured, Uncle Wei and Uncle Fu."
As she spoke, Kou Hongying took a Jade Scroll from her sleeve and handed it to Wei Tu.
"This contains some of my insights from breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. It isn’t worth much, but it is a small token of my gratitude."
"If Uncle Fu and Uncle Weii have need of these insights, you can ask Uncle Wei to make a copy for you,"
she said.
"In addition,"
"Uncle Wei, I still have some Spirit Medicine that I didn’t use for my Foundation Establishment."
"I would like to give it to you."
After a moment of hesitation, Kou Hongying slapped her Storage Bag, took out a jade box, and offered it to Wei Tu.
"Inside this jade box is half a Thousand-Year-Old Snow Lotus," Kou Hongying added via voice transmission. "It was a gift from my Master.
"It is miraculously effective for achieving Foundation Establishment."
"Uncle Wei, you must remember not to tell anyone else, lest you invite disaster upon yourself!"
Kou Hongying said via voice transmission.