Kou Liang's daughter, Hong Ying, was someone Wei Tu had met before. She was the second daughter of the Ke family and was only fourteen years old.
Judging by both her aptitude and age, Kou Hong Ying was highly suitable for stepping onto the path of Immortal cultivation.
The sooner one embarks on this path, the more time they have for cultivation, and the further they can go.
"I have low spiritual root aptitude, and my future in cultivation will be limited…"
As the congratulatory voices faded, Kou Liang, seated on a wooden stool, restrained his smile. Looking at Wei Tu, Fu Zhizhou, and Wei Fei, he said solemnly, "Now, my only wish is to see Hong Ying enter a sect and make a name for herself."
"If she succeeds, then I can let go of my lifelong pursuit of Immortal cultivation."
Hearing this, Wei Tu and the others exchanged glances, not understanding Kou Liang's deeper meaning.
Then, Kou Liang finally revealed his true intention.
"I want Hong Ying to join our sworn brotherhood, or at least become part of this cultivation alliance, so that we can support one another."
"Hong Ying has a middle-grade spiritual root. She won't be a burden to the three of you."
Kou Liang's voice was firm.
By now, he had already learned some of the basic knowledge of the cultivation world and understood the immense difficulty of achieving the Foundation Establishment stage with his low-grade spiritual root.
For him, achieving the Qi Refining late stage before the end of his lifespan would already be considered good fortune.
If he lacked the right opportunities, he might forever be stuck in the mid-stage or even early-stage of Qi Refining.
Rather than struggling in vain, he had decided to pour all his hopes into his daughter, who had a true chance at reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
After Kou Liang finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Wei Tu frowned, clearly not inclined to accept Kou Hong Ying into their alliance.
The four of them had become sworn brothers years ago by chance, forming the "Yi Society".
Later, because Wei Fei obtained an Immortal cultivation technique, their bond evolved into a cultivation alliance.
Having been friends for over twenty years, and having experienced life-and-death trials together, they had built a solid foundation of trust.
While they had watched Kou Hong Ying grow up and were familiar with her character, knowing someone and trusting them were two different matters.
Moreover, Kou Hong Ying was still young. If she were to start cultivating, she would inevitably require support from the three of them.
If, in the future, she was able to return what she borrowed, they would be more than happy to invest in a promising younger generation.
But the problem was—Kou Hong Ying was not Kou Liang.
She had never experienced life-and-death trials with them, nor had she built the same level of trust.
How could they simply hand over their precious cultivation resources to a young girl to use for her own growth?
Wei Tu and the others exchanged looks again, silently communicating their thoughts.
After a brief pause, Wei Fei, who had the weakest connection with Kou Liang, stepped forward to play the villain.
"Big Brother, we understand Hong Ying's temperament, but… having her join the alliance might not be appropriate."
"Besides, since you are already part of the alliance, does it make a difference if Hong Ying joins or not?"
"If you truly want Hong Ying to become a member, then at the very least, we need time to assess her character before making a decision."
Wei Fei's first two sentences were tactful, but his last remark was blunt—his meaning was clear.
Kou Liang's request was premature.
"…I see. That was my mistake—I didn't consider everything properly."
Kou Liang hesitated for a moment before forcing a smile and rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
Since Kou Liang had brought up the alliance, Wei Tu and the others also began to reflect on whether it was still necessary to maintain it.
At the beginning, they formed the Three Great Pacts and established their Cultivation Alliance because opportunities to enter the cultivation world were rare, and working together gave them a better chance of success.
But now, things had changed.
Times were different.
They had already entered a proper cultivation society, and their original goal had been fulfilled.
Did they still need to maintain this Cultivation Alliance?
After all, they were now walking the Immortal path.
In the world of cultivation, friendships and alliances were fleeting.
Once people's goals and interests changed, their paths inevitably diverged.
Besides, their yearly gathering place—the Xuanhe Tower, where they met every June 13th—had already been burned to the ground by the rebel army.
One hour later.
After a long discussion, the four of them decided to continue their Cultivation Alliance and support one another.
After all, working together was still better than fighting alone.
However, they also revised their original Three Great Pacts, adjusting them to fit their current circumstances.
Pact One: Every ten years, the four of them would gather at a designated location to exchange insights about their cultivation progress.
This included, but was not limited to, Immortal cultivation techniques.
Pact Two: If one of them had the opportunity to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, the others must do their best to support them.
Once successful, the newly established Foundation Establishment cultivator would, in turn, assist the remaining three.
Pact Three: If any of them were to die unexpectedly, the survivors would take care of their descendants.
Furthermore, if any of their descendants were suitable candidates, they could be admitted into their alliance.
With these newly revised Three Great Pacts, the four of them no longer focused on merely seeking out the traces of Immortals. Instead, they had set their sights on reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
After spending half a month in Yulong Prefecture, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou didn't linger any longer. They left their families with appropriate cultivation techniques before heading back to Danqiu Mountain.
Neither of them brought their children along to train in Danqiu Mountain.
As the saying goes: "Wealth should not be revealed."
Currently, they were at the lowest rung of the cultivation world. Logically speaking, even sustaining their own cultivation was already difficult—where would they find the spare spirit stones to bring their children into Danqiu Mountain?
Besides, it was still possible to train in inner martial arts, become a Xiantian warrior, and then transition into a Qi Refining cultivator.
It wasn't necessary to enter Danqiu Mountain to cultivate.
Upon returning to Danqiu Mountain, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou went to the Tai Xuan Sect's office and handed in their "Descent Permits" to Liu Zhishi.
For scattered cultivators residing in Danqiu Mountain, a Descent Permit was required to leave the mountain.
Without one, any unauthorized descent would be punished. If caught, they would be taken away by the law enforcement squad and imprisoned.
For severe infractions—such as causing trouble in the mortal world—the Tai Xuan Sect's law enforcement team could even execute offenders on the spot.
This was precisely why cultivators like Hu Yao, despite being Qi Refining Immortal Masters, still lived in the slums instead of leaving the mountain to enjoy the mortal world's riches.
Registration and residency records were a means of controlling population movement.
Only after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage would cultivators gain the right to freely move and migrate without being bound by these rules.
For those at the bottom of the cultivation world, immortal freedom was nothing but a distant dream.
Liu Zhishi took the Descent Permits and stored them in his sleeve. Looking at Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou, he calculated the dates before smiling, "You two only spent twenty-one days in the mortal world before returning. It seems your determination in pursuing the Dao is quite strong."
"Thank you for your praise, sir."
Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou politely responded.
Before they had left Danqiu Mountain, Hu Yao had warned them not to waste their Descent Permits recklessly.
Otherwise, if their families ever encountered emergencies, and they had no remaining permits or spirit stones, they would find themselves helpless.
"By the way, if the law enforcement squad doesn't come looking for you within a month, it means you didn't cause any trouble in the mortal world."
"During this time, you might be under surveillance—don't let it bother you."
Liu Zhishi gave them a subtle warning.
Back at the slums, Wei Tu set down his cloth bag and emptied its contents onto the table.
Clatter!
A pile of pale-white, prism-shaped spirit stones—over twenty in total—tumbled onto the table, along with some cosmetics and miscellaneous items.
Last time they entered Danqiu Mountain, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou had only carried around a dozen spirit stones, keeping the rest buried in a hidden mountain ravine as a precaution.
Now that they had returned, they had dug up the remaining spirit stones and brought them back to Danqiu Mountain.
As for the cosmetics and other miscellaneous items, these were specially requested by Hu Yao and the others.
For low-level cultivators like Hu Yao, a Descent Permit wasn't exactly extremely rare, but they certainly wouldn't waste it on something as trivial as buying makeup and accessories.
While such items were sold within Danqiu Mountain, they were ridiculously overpriced.
"If I had a storage pouch, I could easily do trade between the mortal world and Danqiu Mountain, turning a profit."
Wei Tu couldn't help but yearn for a storage pouch—an Immortal artifact capable of storing items in a separate spatial dimension.
Storage pouches were usually reserved for late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. They were extremely valuable, costing at least a few hundred spirit stones.
"The poorer you are, the fewer ways you have to make money. But the wealthier you become, the more opportunities arise."
Wei Tu sighed as he picked up the cosmetics and other items, stuffing them back into his cloth bag. Then, he slung the bag over his shoulder and headed toward Hu Yao's residence.
Upon seeing him arrive, Hu Yao immediately scanned behind him, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly when she noticed that Fu Zhizhou wasn't with him.
"Where's Daoist Fu?"
She asked casually.
Women love beauty.
—The reason she initially helped Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou wasn't just out of goodwill. Fu Zhizhou's handsome looks played a part in her decision.
"Brother Fu had other matters to attend to. This time, he left Danqiu Mountain and had no time to visit the mortal shops to bring anything back for Daoist Hu."
Wei Tu shook his head as he spoke.
Fu Zhizhou, coming from a prestigious military family in Xiaoyi Prefecture, was naturally proud. Though he remained polite to Hu Yao on the surface, treating her with proper courtesy, in truth, he looked down on people like her, those who relied on "easy money" to survive.
This time, Wei Tu had helped Fu Zhizhou buy and bring back the requested items for Hu Yao, but such a charade wouldn't last forever.
Hu Yao was someone who had seen much of the world, and with her background, it was impossible to fool her indefinitely.
Hearing Wei Tu's words, Hu Yao forced a smile, though a trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
Being looked down upon was never a pleasant feeling.
She invited Wei Tu inside, set the table, and personally cooked a few dishes, treating him to a small feast.
The two exchanged a few words of casual conversation.
"In two months, the small market in the slums will open. By then, all the scattered cultivators will set up stalls to sell their spiritual goods…"
"Daoist Wei should prepare in advance."
Hu Yao smiled as she spoke.
"A small market?" Wei Tu was intrigued. He quickly asked about the origin of this "small market."
Hu Yao explained, "Daoist Wei should know that for people like us, living in the slums of Danqiu Mountain, we are not allowed to linger in the main marketplace without permission."
Wei Tu silently nodded.
—He recalled how, last time, Hu Yao had tried to tempt Liu Zhishi into letting her stay longer in the marketplace. It wasn't just for pleasure—it was also for her to absorb more spiritual energy and enhance her cultivation.
"Moreover, the prices in the main marketplace are exorbitant. They buy resources from us at a low price and then sell them back to us at ridiculously high rates…"
Hu Yao paused before continuing, "Over time, the scattered cultivators in the slums began organizing their own private market—this way, we can trade our spiritual goods amongst ourselves, avoiding further exploitation from the main marketplace."
"The small market happens once every six months. It's different from the larger market officially run by the sect."
She added.
Wei Tu thought for a moment before asking, "I wish to refine my skills in talisman crafting. Do you know if any cultivators at the small market sell talisman paper, spiritual ink, and talisman brushes?"
"If so, I'd appreciate it if Daoist Hu could help me make some connections."
As he spoke, Wei Tu flicked his sleeve, letting a handful of spirit sand fall onto the table.
A single spirit stone could be exchanged for about thirty grains of spirit sand.
Though Wei Tu possessed considerable wealth, a dozen grains of spirit sand was enough to satisfy Hu Yao without making her greedy.
If he offered too much, it wouldn't be gratitude—it would be an invitation for trouble.
Hearing this, Hu Yao's eyes flickered in surprise as she stared at Wei Tu.
Talisman crafting?
Among the many paths of cultivation, talisman crafting was not as difficult as alchemy, formations, or artifact refining, but that didn't mean it was easy to learn.
Many cultivators spent hundreds of spirit stones practicing, yet even after years of effort, they failed to draw a single usable talisman.
Hu Yao herself had once attempted to study talisman crafting. However, after burning through a dozen spirit stones without success, she had no choice but to give up.
That was how she had ended up as a slum courtesan, selling her body to fund her cultivation.
—If she had relied solely on farming spiritual fields, she would have never been able to afford the resources needed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.
For scattered cultivators, those who reached the Foundation Establishment stage all had a unique skill to sustain themselves.
"Very well! I will help Daoist Wei with this. But in return, once you succeed in talisman crafting, you must sell your talismans to me at a 10% discount."
Hu Yao smiled sweetly, but her eyes held a sharp glint.
Wei Tu hesitated for a moment, then smiled slightly and responded,
"If Daoist Hu can truly procure talisman paper, spiritual ink, and talisman brushes at prices significantly lower than those in the main marketplace…"
"Then we can talk about discounts later."
If he could get materials cheaply, it meant Hu Yao was investing in him.
If she took the risk to back him, then it was reasonable for him to give something in return.
Hearing this, Hu Yao clapped her hands in delight.
"Deal! Even if I have to front the cost, I'll make sure you get all your materials at a 40% discount."
"40% off?"
Hearing this generous offer, Wei Tu nodded, agreeing to the deal.
Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to believe Hu Yao's claim of 'fronting the cost'.
She was clearly still making a good profit from this.
But that didn't concern him.
"Money is endless."
If he could pay a small price for a greater return, he wouldn't be petty about it.
After the meal, Hu Yao stepped out of her hut, walked to her vegetable garden, and picked a few fresh spiritual melons.
Placing them into a bamboo basket, she handed the basket to Wei Tu, her expression softening slightly.
"These spirit melons are homegrown—not worth much. Consider them my thanks for bringing me those things from the mortal world."
She said with a smile.