Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

But after the Golden Core celebration, Kou Hongying rejected that idea.

In the letter, Kou Hongying proposed a theory: The reason something was off with Master Qin was that Shenn Yunqiu had likely sabotaged him. She believed he had tampered with Master Qin's Immortal Transformation Pill, giving him an inferior one.

The proof was that not long after Master Qin entered seclusion, one of Shenn Yunqiu's juniors also happened to enter seclusion to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.

Furthermore, this junior did not enter seclusion within the Jingshui Pavilion, but at a Tier Three Spiritual Land outside of it.

Wei Tu's eyebrow twitched as he read this. 'Shenn Yunqiu?'

Shenn Yunqiu was one of the Jingshui Pavilion's twelve Golden Core True Monarchs, his cultivation at the Late-Stage Golden Core Realm. He was also the mastermind who had sent Kou Hongying, a designated 'Golden Core Seed,' to the front lines while Master Qin was in seclusion.

Wei Tu had heard Kou Hongying mention this before.

However, Wei Tu hadn't expected Shenn Yunqiu to be so audacious. To think he would dare tamper with the Immortal Transformation Pill that the Sect had provided for Master Qin, swapping it out for an inferior one.

'If Shenn Yunqiu was really behind this, then it's no surprise that Master Qin's memory was damaged. That would also explain why Shenn Yunqiu dared to send Hongying to her death on the front lines, even when Master Qin was on the verge of Core Formation,' Wei Tu thought to himself.

Although the life-and-death trial of Core Formation could potentially damage a cultivator's memory, the probability was minuscule—less than one in a hundred.

However, if an inferior Immortal Transformation Pill was used instead, then Master Qin was already incredibly fortunate to have successfully broken through with only minor memory damage as the price.

'Still, Shenn Yunqiu's actions did me a huge favor. If Master Qin had succeeded in his Core Formation with his memory intact, he would have undoubtedly come to probe me,' Wei Tu mused.

After leaving the Jingshui Pavilion, he had carefully pondered why Master Qin had his eyes on him—whether it was because of the Shuangming Jade or simply greed.

He eventually came to a conclusion: it was, in all likelihood, simply a matter of Master Qin's greed.

Otherwise, there was no other way to explain why Master Qin hadn't taken back the Shuangming Vice Jade after they left the Yunze Secret Realm.

The Shuangming Jade allowed one to sense the location of the other holder within a hundred miles.

'Master Qin was probably planning to wait until after he had condensed his Golden Core. Then, he would use the Shuangming Jade to find my location and cause trouble for me.'

...

Stepping out of his Cave Mansion, Wei Tu saw that the main door to the annex was tightly shut, and he couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

After he brought his concubine, Qir Feng, to the Xiaya Mei Family's territory, she had initially tried to interact with him more and make her presence known.

But as he entered seclusion multiple times, focusing solely on his cultivation, Qir Feng gradually gave up on the idea.

Perhaps she was following his lead, as Qir Feng adopted his attitude of arduous cultivation. She now spent eight or nine months of the year in seclusion.

Wei Tu didn't linger long at the annex entrance. With a flick of his sleeve, he transformed into an Escape Light and departed from the Xiaya Mei Family.

...

「Several days later.」

In a marketplace near the Mei Clan Territory.

Under the alias Liu Ao and in disguise, Wei Tu walked into the Hundred Treasures Pavilion of this marketplace.

To be cautious, Wei Tu did not reveal his true cultivation. He used the Thousand-Faced Illusion Technique and a Concealing Breath Talisman to suppress his apparent cultivation level to that of the Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment.

After his transaction for the elixirs with Master Qin, Wei Tu had fewer than a thousand Spirit Stones left.

This time, he had come to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, a subsidiary of the Jiuyun Commerce Association, intending to sell talismans according to the terms he had previously discussed with Shopkeeper Fann.

Ever since the Battle of Righteous and Demons, High-Tier Talismans had been in high demand.

However, just as Wei Tu was finishing his transaction with Shopkeeper Fann, she unexpectedly called out to him.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, please wait a moment," Shopkeeper Fann said with a smile. "I have a business proposition to discuss with you. If it goes well, you might even… obtain a Golden Core Opportunity."

"A Golden Core Opportunity?" Hearing this, Wei Tu stopped in his tracks. He looked at Shopkeeper Fann with curiosity, waiting for her explanation.

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, breaking through to the Golden Core Realm is the pursuit of a lifetime.

If they achieved Golden Core Formation, their status, power, and lifespan would all increase dramatically.

Although Wei Tu already possessed a complete Golden Core Opportunity and had no need to compete for another, turning and leaving at this moment would surely arouse Shopkeeper Fann's suspicion.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, you're no longer the Tributor for the Hee Mountain Huang Family, are you?" Shopkeeper Fann looked at Wei Tu with a knowing smile, as if she was absolutely certain of it.

As her words fell, Wei Tu's expression soured. "How did you know about that, Shopkeeper Fann? Has the Jiuyun Commerce Association been investigating me?"

He had been invited to become a Tributor for the Jiuyun Commerce Association, so he wasn't the least bit surprised that they would investigate him afterward.

However, he still had to show the appropriate reaction. Otherwise, Shopkeeper Fann might look down on him and think he was a pushover.

"Please, Fellow Daoist Wei, don't be alarmed. The fault is mine." Seeing Wei Tu's displeasure, Shopkeeper Fann immediately gave a slight bow in apology, confirming that the Jiuyun Commerce Association had indeed investigated him.

Hearing her apology, Wei Tu's expression softened slightly. He was puzzled by her earlier words, so he asked, "Shopkeeper Fann, you first mentioned my identity, and then you spoke of a Golden Core Opportunity. Is there a connection between the two?"

"Fellow Daoist Wei, are you aware of the Hee Mountain Huang Family's new Tributors?" Shopkeeper Fann asked in return.

"New Tributors?" Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, immediately thinking of Alchemist Shu and Yang Image.

"Don't tell me this has something to do with those two?" he asked in surprise.

"This matter is indeed related to Alchemist Shu," Shopkeeper Fann said with a smile. "You must be aware that a few years ago, Alchemist Shu won a Tier Three Demon Pill at the Underground Auction, Fellow Daoist Wei."