Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

In other words, Weii Fei was of far greater value to the Qiyue Zhao Family kept safe in their territory than sent to die on the battlefield.

Of course, if Weii Fei had pledged allegiance to the Hee Mountain Huang Family, the situation would be completely different.

He would most likely have followed in the footsteps of Artifact Master Xia and Alchemist Shu. After all, the Hee Mountain Huang Family's numbers of Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already stretched thin. Sending a Foreign Race Cultivator to their death was the best way to maximize the Huang Family's interests.

—The Qiyue Zhao Family, despite suffering heavy losses among their Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Yunze Secret Realm, still had numbered around ten.

"Drink up! Drink up!" Weii Fei said no more. He threw an arm around Wei Tu's shoulder and kept refilling his cup.

The two of them drank from noon until just before dawn.

It was as if they had endless things to talk about.

And an endless supply of wine to drink.

"Mother, are Dad and Uncle Wei really that close?" Weii Xian'er was in the kitchen with Zhao Ting, preparing side dishes to go with the wine. She looked at the pair of old friends, Wei Tu and Weii Fei, feeling a little puzzled.

As long as she could remember, she had never seen Wei Tu at their home. She had only ever heard stories about him from her father, Weii Fei.

"The two of them share a bond forged through life and death," Zhao Ting said, glancing at Weii Xian'er and pausing for a moment. "When you reach your father's age, you'll understand... just how precious such a friendship is."

"By the time I'm Dad's age, I'll be an old maid," Weii Xian'er pouted, speaking coquettishly.

Hearing this, Zhao Ting smiled and tapped Weii Xian'er on the forehead. Her expression turned serious. "It's fine if you say things like that to me. But remember, don't say it in front of your father, or he might just give you a smack."

"The reason our family can live so peacefully in the Zhao Clan Territory is in no small part thanks to your Uncle Wei's help. The Commandery Princess... is friends with your Uncle Wei. In fact, the Commandery Princess's feelings for him are anything but ordinary."

"The Commandery Princess?" Weii Xian'er froze.

There were countless commandery princesses and princesses within the Zhao Clan Territory, but when a Zhao Family cultivator spoke of "the Commandery Princess," they meant only one person: the Zhao Family's Celestial Pride, Zhao Qingluo.

'Princess Qingluo's feelings for Uncle Wei are anything but ordinary?' Weii Xian'er latched onto Zhao Ting's words. Although she didn't know how her mother had learned this, she committed the sentence to memory.

'But... Uncle Wei looks so ordinary, not the least bit handsome. How could he have possibly earned Princess Qingluo's favor?' More questions welled up in Weii Xian'er's mind.

The more she looked at this Uncle Wei, the more mysterious he seemed.

...

「The next day, they awoke sober.」

Wei Tu looked at Weii Fei, who was sleeping beside him, slumped over the table, and a faint smile touched his lips.

To this day, there were very few people with whom he could drink so freely.

Only Weii Fei and Fu Zhizhou.

Although people like Kou Hongying and her brother Wei Yan were also important to him, he had to maintain the airs of an elder around the younger generation, making it difficult to truly open his heart.

"Uncle Wei, this is the sobering soup my mother brewed." Weii Xian'er came over and handed Wei Tu a bowl of soup.

"Thank you, Xian'er," Wei Tu said with a nod. He took the soup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Thank you?" Weii Xian'er was flustered by his words. She waved her hands repeatedly. "Uncle Wei, you don't have to be so polite! This is what I should be doing as your niece."

—It was the first time Weii Xian'er had ever met a Foundation Establishment Elder as polite as Wei Tu.

"Uncle Wei, it's early morning, the most beautiful time of day on Qiyue Mountain. Why don't I show you around?" Weii Xian'er wanted to get to know Wei Tu better.

Wei Tu's generosity from the previous day had also left a deep impression on her.

"Alright," Wei Tu agreed after a moment of thought.

He would have to leave for Chaning Cliff soon enough. Whether he would have the leisure for a scenic stroll then was anyone's guess.

The two of them left the Weii Family home, one walking after the other.

With Zhao Qingluo's Token in hand,

none of the Zhao Family cultivators they passed dared to stop them.

"Uncle Wei, look! That's Qiyue Mountain's Moon Viewing Platform," Weii Xian'er said, leading Wei Tu to a pavilion.

Weii Xian'er had Wei Tu stand on the Moon Viewing Platform and look toward the southeast.

A moment later, a crescent moon settled upon the peak of Qiyue Mountain, appearing to connect with the pavilions and towers there. Then, moonlight like a silver veil cascaded down, making the entire Qiyue Mountain look like a scene from an immortal land.

"This is how Qiyue Mountain got its name!" Weii Xian'er hopped onto the pavilion's railing. She spread her arms as if to embrace the moonlight, explaining excitedly to Wei Tu like a girl next door.

A smile played on Wei Tu's lips as he watched Weii Xian'er as if she were his own daughter.

Wei Yan was too conventional and proper, always minding her etiquette. As a result, he rarely saw the same kind of girlish innocence in her that he saw in Weii Xian'er.

With Wei Yan's calm and steady temperament, she would never cry out in excitement at the sight of a beautiful landscape like Qiyue Mountain.

"Is that Fellow Daoist Weii's daughter?"

"She's quite lively."

Just then, Zhao Qingluo appeared before Wei Tu. She gracefully gathered her skirts and sat down beside him, commenting on Weii Xian'er's behavior.

The young woman's light fragrance immediately teased his nostrils, stirring a strange feeling in his heart.

"Please excuse us, Fellow Daoist Zhao."

Wei Tu stood up and gave a slight bow.

Seeing Wei Tu's evasiveness, Zhao Qingluo paid it no mind. She took a Jade Scroll from her sleeve and handed it to him.

"This is the intelligence the Zhao Family has on Chaning Cliff."

After Wei Tu finished reading the contents of the Jade Scroll with his Guardian Map Divine Sense, Zhao Qingluo spoke again. "Chaning Cliff may not be one of the ten most dangerous lands on the Righteous Demon Battlefield, but it's still in the top twenty. It's the main target of the Demon Slaughter Sect, one of the Five Demonic Sects. Wen Ren of the Demon Slaughter Sect might be lurking there. You must be extremely careful."

Hearing this,

a grave expression immediately appeared on Wei Tu's face.

Wen Ren was a ruthless figure from the Demon Slaughter Sect who had risen to prominence after Zheng Country became a primary Righteous Demon Battlefield. He was as famous as figures like Ni Shihuang of the Celestial Maiden Sect and the Blood God Child of the Blood God Sect.

And without exception, these Celestial Prides of the Demon Dao were unrivaled in the Foundation Establishment Realm, their strength comparable to that of a Fake Pill True Monarch.

Although Wei Tu had killed Alchemist Shu, a Fake Pill True Monarch, Alchemist Shu had been severely injured at the time, with less than thirty percent of his power remaining.

Wei Tu had no confidence he could face a Fake Pill True Monarch at their full strength.

"This is a Small Shifting Talisman that the Ancestor gave me for my own protection. Your situation is critical right now, so I'm lending this Talisman to you."

Zhao Qingluo mulled it over for a moment, then took out a Jade Talisman from her robes and, without another word, stuffed it directly into Wei Tu's hand.

"This Jade Talisman..." Wei Tu hesitated, unsure whether he should return it or keep the Small Shifting Talisman.

As a Talisman Master, he had naturally heard of the famous Small Shifting Talisman. It was a Tier Three Talisman that could instantly transport a cultivator over twenty li away, making it incredibly precious.

Even Golden Core Descendants weren't guaranteed to possess such a Life-Saving Talisman.

Twenty li was beyond the range of a Golden Core True Monarch's divine sense.

This meant that with a Small Shifting Talisman, one had a chance of surviving a pursuit from a Golden Core True Monarch.

However—

when Wei Tu looked up, he found that Zhao Qingluo had already flown away from the pavilion. She vanished from sight within a few breaths.

Placing the Jade Talisman in his Storage Bag, Wei Tu bowed deeply in the direction Zhao Qingluo had disappeared.

He had saved Zhao Qingluo several times before, but on most of those occasions, he had been motivated by self-interest. His intentions hadn't been pure.

The first time, he had taken the Foundation Establishment Pill from her Storage Bag.

For the next two times, after Zhao Qingluo returned to the Qiyue Zhao Family, she had repaid him with the Hundred Veins Blood Refining Spell, a Body Refining Technique.

Now that Zhao Qingluo had given him the Small Shifting Talisman, he couldn't help but feel he didn't deserve it.