Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

He didn’t take the credit. Instead, he told her the truth—Blood Elder Demon had been poisoned by Geng Wen, not killed by him in battle.

After he finished speaking, Wei Tu took out the corpse of the Cyan Leaf Snake, which he had kept in his Storage Bag for over thirty years.

"Since Blood Elder Demon was colluding with Geng Wen to ambush and kill Zhao Qingluo, he wouldn’t have caused extra trouble by gravely injuring my father..."

"My father’s death from his grievous injuries must have been because this Cyan Leaf Snake suddenly went wild."

Kou Hongying analyzed the situation methodically.

Although the Cyan Leaf Snake was Blood Elder Demon’s Spirit Pet, she didn’t believe the demon himself had ordered it to injure Kou Liang all those years ago...

If Blood Elder Demon had truly intended to kill Kou Liang, her father would never have escaped to Bai Shihu, only to die later from his injuries in the Bai Shihu Marketplace with his body intact.

The reason she had previously identified Blood Elder Demon as the culprit was that revenge must be sought from the master. Taking her anger out on a mere Cyan Leaf Snake would not have satisfied her thirst for vengeance.

Of course, this didn’t mean that killing the Cyan Leaf Snake was unimportant.

"The benefactor who avenged my father is truly you, Uncle Wei... I hope you won’t refuse this acknowledgment..."

Kou Hongying rose to her feet and gave Wei Tu a graceful, sincere bow.

All those years ago, after her father, Kou Liang, died, it was Wei Tu who had proposed opening the coffin to take a blood sample, using the poisoned blood to track down the killer for revenge...

Considering that Wei Tu later encountered Blood Elder Demon and Geng Wen, it was clear that everything he did was not just for show; he had genuinely intended to help her avenge her father.

For that reason alone, she had to acknowledge this debt of gratitude.

Not to mention that Wei Tu had later killed Geng Wen and the Cyan Leaf Snake, truly avenging her father for her.

"Very well." After hearing Kou Hongying’s words, Wei Tu sighed softly and nodded, accepting this "debt of gratitude."

Over thirty years ago, when he killed the Cyan Leaf Snake, he had no thought of having Kou Hongying repay him—he had acted solely out of brotherly affection for Kou Liang, wanting to avenge that bloody debt.

Therefore, he didn’t feel like he was owed anything.

Even now, if Kou Hongying hadn’t brought it up, causing him to realize the "oversight" in his story and forcing him to prevent any future complications, he never would have dredged up the past and revealed the truth.

’Zhao Qingluo, Aphrodisiac Powder...’

Unlike Kou Hongying, Wei Yan’s focus wasn’t on avenging Kou Liang. Her mind was more occupied with what happened after Zhao Qingluo took the Aphrodisiac Powder.

As his daughter, she was far more interested in Wei Tu’s "love life."

’If someone saved me, and... touched me... and if that person was a good man, I think I’d pledge myself to him...’

Wei Yan mused to herself.

Although Zhao Qingluo had the noble status of a Celestial Pride of the Immortal Race, she didn’t think her own father, Wei Tu, was any less worthy...

After all, they were both Foundation Establishment Masters with matching Cultivation. It wasn’t even certain that Zhao Qingluo had any hope of reaching the Golden Core stage in the future...

—The Celestial Prides from Golden Core Families often reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment as the apex of their Cultivation. Without a great Opportunity, it was difficult to become a Golden Core Ancestor.

’Looks like this Zhao Qingluo might become my and Xiuwen’s stepmother someday.’

Wei Yan thought.

After her mother’s death, she wasn’t opposed to the idea of Wei Tu "finding a new love," nor did she feel any resentment.

As a husband, her father, Wei Tu, had been nearly perfect. For so many years, he had never forgotten his first wife, the one who had been with him through hardship, and had never taken a concubine or remarried. After her death, despite his esteemed status as a Foundation Establishment Master, he had even voluntarily observed a full year of mourning...

...

Wei Tu was unaware of Wei Yan’s thoughts.

He held no romantic feelings for Zhao Qingluo.

Even if he did have feelings and Zhao Qingluo were willing to marry him, her ignorance of the world and her domineering arrogance would still make him retreat and keep his distance.

Of course, Wei Tu wouldn’t deliberately avoid remarrying. Everyone has emotional needs.

On the long Immortal Path, if he found a partner with whom he could find mutual comfort, remarrying wasn’t out of the question.

「Over eighty years ago.」

When Mrs. Li Tong arranged his marriage to Xinghua, he had already awakened the ’Late Bloomer’ Golden Purple Destiny Chart.

But he still decided to marry Xinghua.

He married Xinghua because they had been close since childhood. She had always taken good care of him and was the person he was closest to in the world.

He wasn’t that cold-hearted.

Beyond that, there was another reason.

He didn’t like to be overly ambitious, believing the true path was to stay grounded in the present and do his best at every stage of his life.

...

In the blink of an eye, a year passed.

Wei Tu’s year of mourning was complete.

"This place shall serve as the Wei Clan’s Ancestral Land. From now on, all descendants of the Wei Family who pass away will be buried here."

"In the afterlife, your mother will be happy to see all these descendants."

Wei Tu stood before the tombstone. After glancing at the name engraved on it, he turned his gaze to the siblings, Wei Yan and her brother, who were standing behind him, and gave his instructions.

"I understand, Father."

Wei Xiuwen stood with his hands clasped, a look of shame on his face.

His mother, Xinghua, her final wish in life had been to see three, four, even five generations living together... to see the Wei Family grow strong and its branches spread far and wide.

But unfortunately, he had failed in this task.

In the decades since his marriage to Mei Zhen, they had yet to have a single child.

It wasn’t that he was incapable.

Rather, as Mei Zhen was a Cultivator, bearing children would greatly damage her Primordial Qi, making it difficult for her to ever hope of reaching Foundation Establishment on her Immortal Path.

Therefore, he had delayed the matter of having children again and again.

Furthermore, there was another reason.

When he married Mei Zhen, the precious daughter of the Xiaya Mei Family, he had married into her family, rather than her marrying into his.

Any children born to Mei Zhen would take the surname "Mei," not "Wei."

"If my dear in-law is willing to join my Xiaya Mei Family as a Tributor and allow Xiuwen to take a concubine, then an exception... could be made."

"The matter of him having married into our family could also be renegotiated."

Beside them, Mei Yuanfeng, who had come to see Wei Tu off, felt his heart stir at Wei Tu’s words and seized the opportunity to interject.

Times had changed.

Now that Wei Tu had reached Foundation Establishment, the Wei Family—if one ignored their lack of a Spiritual Land—could barely be considered a Foundation Establishment Family.

Therefore, the Mei Family’s attitude toward Wei Xiuwen, their live-in son-in-law, had gradually begun to change.

A portion of the clan elders had already decided to let Wei Xiuwen himself determine the surname of his future offspring.

Whether they were surnamed "Wei" or "Mei" would be entirely up to Wei Xiuwen’s wishes.

If Wei Tu were willing to become a Tributor for the Xiaya Mei Family, Mei Yuanfeng believed the family would be willing to make even greater concessions...

"I have already promised the Hee Mountain Huang Family to become their Tributor..."

"That will not change."

Wei Tu said with a slight smile, shaking his head.

Children and grandchildren must make their own way in life.

Wei Xiuwen’s decision to marry Mei Zhen and become a live-in son-in-law of the Mei Family was his own. Wei Tu would not interfere... and he certainly wouldn’t foot the bill for it at the expense of his own future.

Besides, even without joining the Xiaya Mei Family, given his current status, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to pay a certain price and arrange for Wei Xiuwen’s children to take the Wei surname.

There was no need to join the "Xiaya Mei Family" with its limited prospects over something like this.

"Fellow Daoist Mei, trying to poach a Tributor from my Hee Mountain Huang Family is rather inappropriate, wouldn’t you say?"

Just then, Huang Changkong suddenly appeared, standing before Mei Yuanfeng with a smirk.

"Elder Huang Changkong of the Hee Mountain Huang Family?"

The moment he saw Huang Changkong, a red-faced old man, Mei Yuanfeng’s heart clenched, and he became as tense as if he were facing a powerful foe.

As one of the seven great families of Zheng Country, the Foundation Establishment Elders of the Hee Mountain Huang Family were well-known to the other families.

Mei Yuanfeng never expected that Huang Changkong would personally come here just to recruit Wei Tu.

He had gone this far.

And of all the rotten luck... he had been caught poaching from the Hee Mountain Huang Family by none other than Huang Changkong, a Foundation Establishment Master.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, Fellow Daoist Mei is my in-law. There’s no need to take offense..."

Seeing this, Wei Tu stepped forward to mediate the dispute between the two.

"Since Fellow Daoist Wei has spoken, I will give you face and not lower myself to your level."

Huang Changkong shot Mei Yuanfeng a sidelong glance, snorted softly, and with a flick of his sleeve, withdrew his oppressive aura.

’So this is a Foundation Establishment Master...’

Standing behind Mei Yuanfeng, Mei Zhen’s pretty face had also grown a shade paler.

Before, she hadn’t fully grasped what it meant for her father-in-law, Wei Tu, to have successfully reached Foundation Establishment.

But after seeing this today, she finally understood just how superior Foundation Establishment Masters were—

Her father, Mei Yuanfeng, a Tier One Upper-Grade Refiner of lofty status, had to stand trembling with apprehension before a Foundation Establishment Master.

’From now on, I’ll have to be more yielding to Xiuwen at home,’ Mei Zhen thought to herself.

Although her personality wasn’t overbearing and she didn’t act domineeringly, when she was with Wei Xiuwen, she would still rely on the backing of her family to boss him around as she pleased.