Seven days later.
Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou arrived near Danqiu Mountain. Fu Zhizhou abandoned his horse, trailing behind Wei Tu as they waited for the rogue cultivator Ying Bing to appear.
However—
Their luck was not great.
They did not encounter a lone Ying Bing outside Danqiu Mountain.
At the entrance of Danqiu Mountain, the two reunited.
"The next time I see Ying Bing outside, I'll kill him."
Fu Zhizhou declared fiercely.
As he spoke, he removed a few talismans attached to his bright silver spear, split it into two halves, and stored them inside his bag, slinging it over his back.
"Fu Family Spearmanship—Fusion of Martial and Spiritual Arts?"
Seeing this, Wei Tu raised an eyebrow slightly.
No wonder Fu Zhizhou was so confident in taking down Ying Bing.
At the Qi Refinement stage, cultivators had limited means of attack. They could not move mountains or split rivers with a wave of their hand.
Therefore, Xiantian martial artists who transitioned into cultivation often combined their mortal martial arts with immortal techniques, making them far more lethal in combat.
This technique was known as "Fusion of Martial and Spiritual Arts."
Cultivators who mastered this fusion often dominated their peers at the same level.
However, successfully achieving this was extremely difficult.
Many ended up exposing fatal flaws due to improper synchronization between martial and immortal techniques, leading to their deaths.
For Fu Zhizhou to integrate his mortal combat skills with immortal techniques within just ten years, reaching the level of true Fusion of Martial and Spiritual Arts, was an exceptional display of battle talent.
"In the face of life and death, people grow stronger… Fu Zhizhou became a dāo-wielding cultivator, surviving countless battles, which is why he was able to master this technique so quickly."
Wei Tu sighed inwardly.
The Heavens are fair.
Both he and Fu Zhizhou had come from Xiantian martial backgrounds, and Wei Tu's martial arts foundation was stronger.
After all, he had reached Xiantian through external cultivation techniques.
But after their paths diverged, Fu Zhizhou caught up—his experience as a battle-hardened cultivator gave him the edge in combat.
Wei Tu estimated that if they fought, and he did not use talismans like the Rock Shield Talisman or the Earth Spike Talisman, he would be beheaded by Fu Zhizhou within ten moves.
"Still, there's no need for me to undervalue myself."
"A talisman master fights differently from a battle cultivator. We rely on high-grade talismans to win."
"If I try to imitate Fu Zhizhou, I'll just be playing the wrong game."
Shaking his head, Wei Tu suppressed the fleeting thought of mastering Fusion of Martial and Spiritual Arts.
He calmly stepped into Danqiu Mountain.
"Last year, I left in March. This year, I returned in September—it's been almost a year and a half."
"My departure quota was exceeded by seven months."
Tai Xuan Sect Office, First Floor.
Deacon Liu took Wei Tu's mountain pass and glanced at the date, chuckling.
"Normally—"
"As long as a cultivator does not secretly leave Danqiu Mountain or cause trouble in the mortal world, even if they exceed their departure quota, there won't be severe punishment."
"At most, a small fine of spirit stones."
Hearing this, Wei Tu spoke honestly.
"Deacon Liu, I encountered rogue cultivators while I was outside. I had no choice but to take refuge in Baishi Lake Marketplace and seek protection from a familiar connection."
As he spoke, Wei Tu subtly hinted at the identity of the person who had protected him.
Ever since Kou Hongying joined the Yi Society, she had made it clear—they could use her name when necessary.
As long as they did not tarnish her reputation or use it for bullying, it was allowed.
After their last meeting, Kou Hongying had even specifically reminded Wei Tu not to hesitate just because she was his niece.
"In the cultivation world—"
"Background matters."
So, Wei Tu did not refuse the advantage and accepted Kou Hongying's goodwill.
"Oh? So Fellow Daoist Wei has connections—your niece is a Mirror Water Pavilion(Jingshui Pavilion) disciple?"
Deacon Liu looked slightly surprised.
With a flick of his hand, he moved his brush away from the "fine" section in the records.
Although a disciple of a Foundation Establishment master wasn't a major figure, it was still worth giving some respect.
"In that case—"
"Did Fellow Daoist Wei identify the rogue cultivators who ambushed you? If so, I can call the Enforcement Squad to hunt them down."
Deacon Liu asked.
Wei Tu shook his head.
"I do not know their identities."
He chose not to report Ying Bing.
The real mastermind behind the ambush was Geng Wen, the second disciple of Alchemist Shu, while Ying Bing was just a disposable pawn.
With him and Fu Zhizhou working together, they were confident they could eliminate Ying Bing if he ever let his guard down.
Reporting him would be useless.
It would only alert Geng Wen, making it harder to deal with the true threat.
After all, there was no solid evidence to convict Geng Wen within Danqiu Mountain.
And Alchemist Shu—
Was a highly respected Foundation Establishment alchemist.
Even though Geng Wen's own alchemy skills were not nearly as refined, he was still a first-rank mid-grade alchemist.
"What a shame."
Deacon Liu sighed.
He had hoped to use his position to gain some favor with Wei Tu.
Wei Tu resolved the departure quota issue and returned to his shantytown residence, using Hu Yao's connections to spread the news—he had broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement and had officially become a First-Rank Low-Grade Talisman Master.
At this point, given his background and strength, making his status as a First-Rank Talisman Master known would not only avoid trouble but also serve as an added layer of security.
Some independent cultivators brought gifts to visit Wei Tu, hoping to leave a good impression.
The gifts were not particularly valuable.
The most expensive one was worth only half a spirit stone.
In total, Wei Tu received around twenty to thirty gifts, accumulating a profit of five to six spirit stones.
For him, it was a small but decent gain.
"Being a First-Rank Talisman Master does have some advantages. I can now rent a cultivation cave in the market district…"
After cultivating in the shantytown for a few days, Wei Tu noticed how slow his progress was.
It made him recall his days training in Baishi Lake Marketplace, where the cultivation environment was significantly better.
Luxury is easy to get used to—going back to a worse condition felt unbearable.
"However, I don't have enough spirit stones right now… I need to focus on making talismans and earning money first."
He glanced at his remaining assets, then shook his head.
When he left Danqiu Mountain last time, he had thirty-four spirit stones, along with:
Two Rock Shield Talismans
Five High-Quality Earth Spike Talismans
But after:
Fighting battles
Exchanging for Earth Essence Pills
Secluding himself for cultivation
Purchasing breakthrough pills for his children
…and adding the fact that Fu Zhizhou still owed him three spirit stones, his wealth had dwindled drastically.
Now, all that remained was:
Eight spirit stones
One High-Quality Earth Spike Talisman
The last Rock Shield Talisman had already been sold to Fu Zhizhou at a slightly higher price than its cost.
"I should just focus on making talismans for now."
"I'll move out in a year."
Wei Tu steadied his mind, took out:
Two stacks of blank talisman papers
A processed beast hide
Then, he began creating talismans.
His blank talisman papers were completely used up.
In return, he successfully created thirty-four Earth Spike Talismans.
Among them, one was of high quality.
However, when it came to Rock Shield Talismans, he failed to craft even one, despite using up all the processed beast hide.
"Seems like I was too optimistic… Creating high-quality talismans isn't just about skill—luck plays a role too."
"Or perhaps—this so-called 'luck' is actually just advanced talisman knowledge that I have yet to comprehend…"
"Another possibility is that my talisman brush isn't a First-Rank magical tool."
Wei Tu pinched the High-Quality Earth Spike Talisman between his fingers, carefully examining it before shaking his head.
Two years ago, his Golden Purple Fate had fully mastered the Earth Spike Talisman.
But despite this, he still could not guarantee that every talisman he created would be of high quality.
On average, only one in every dozen turned out as high-quality.
"My First-Rank talisman paper is all used up."
"Fu Zhizhou still hasn't returned yet…"
"Forget it, I'll ask Hu Yao to buy some for me."
"Besides, now that I'm a First-Rank Talisman Master, relying on Fu Zhizhou's beast hides is no longer enough to support my daily talisman-making needs."
Wei Tu put down his talisman brush, tied up a bundle of Earth Spike Talismans with a hemp rope, and left for Hu Yao's residence.
For the past ten years, Hu Yao had always sold him blank talisman papers at a 40% discount, never increasing the price.
So, he had no reason to seek another supplier.
However, this was his first time asking her to purchase First-Rank talisman paper.
"First-Rank talisman paper?"
Hu Yao's heart skipped a beat when she heard Wei Tu's request.
She quickly nodded in agreement.
"I'll personally go buy it for Fellow Daoist Wei!"
—After all, First-Rank talisman paper was expensive, and being a middleman for it meant higher profits compared to ordinary talisman paper.
Hu Yao returned, placing a stack of First-Rank talisman papers on the table and patted her chest with a smile.
"Mission accomplished! I managed to buy these First-Rank talisman papers at 40% off, just for Fellow Daoist Wei!"
"Many thanks, Daoist Hu."
Wei Tu expressed his gratitude.
Then, he paid her with Earth Spike Talismans, ensuring the exchange was fair.
After calculating the difference, he also received three spirit stones from Hu Yao.
Wei Tu headed back to his shantytown dwelling.
However—
Just as he reached his door, he saw an unexpected person waiting for him.
Wei Tu frowned as he looked at the man standing at his door—Che Chulong, a fellow talisman vendor from the inner market, with whom he had always had conflicts of interest.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, no need to be so tense upon seeing me," Che Chulong chuckled, lifting a basket of seasonal spirit fruits to show his goodwill.
Wei Tu glanced at the basket, his expression easing slightly. He opened the door and let Che Chulong in.
The two sat down.
Che Chulong's gaze swept over the stack of talisman papers on Wei Tu's table, and he smiled. "Fellow Daoist Wei, I assume you just returned from Fellow Daoist Hu's residence, purchasing First-Rank talisman papers?"
Wei Tu did not deny it.
Hu Yao was a middleman in the inner market and did not produce talisman papers herself. Most of the talisman papers she provided to him were actually purchased from Che Chulong and other vendors.
So, Che Chulong making this assumption was completely logical.
"She probably charged you a 40% discount, didn't she?"
Che Chulong casually revealed the pricing details of Wei Tu and Hu Yao's transactions.
"What exactly is Fellow Daoist Che trying to say?" Wei Tu narrowed his eyes, his tone turning colder.
Although Che Chulong hadn't explicitly stated his intentions, Wei Tu could already guess what he wanted—
He wanted to cut out Hu Yao and sell talisman papers directly to him.
This was a severe violation of trade etiquette.
If he agreed to such a deal, not only would it cause unnecessary trouble, but it would also offend Hu Yao.
Moreover, Hu Yao had helped him a great deal regarding the rogue cultivator attacks.
He owed her a favor—one he was not willing to betray for mere profit.
Lastly, Wei Tu did not believe that whatever discount Che Chulong could offer would outweigh the value of Hu Yao's network.
For connections alone, he was willing to spend extra spirit stones to continue buying from Hu Yao.
Seeing that Wei Tu's expression had darkened, Che Chulong remained unfazed.
He said, "Fellow Daoist Wei, the First-Rank talisman papers Hu Yao sold you were purchased from market stalls, not from us talisman vendors in the shantytown."
"You should think carefully about this."
His meaning was clear—
If Wei Tu continued working with Hu Yao, he would no longer be able to buy First-Rank talisman papers at a low price.
The talisman vendors had formed an alliance to block her access to their stock, ensuring that she could no longer undercut their profits.
When he finished speaking, Che Chulong smirked, waiting for Wei Tu to back down.
In the past, they tolerated Hu Yao because she was useful, but when profits were at stake, she was the first to be sacrificed.
That was the reality of the cultivation world.
Che Chulong was confident—Wei Tu would not choose to make things harder for himself just to maintain a minor friendship.
Without cheap talisman papers, no talisman master could succeed easily.
"Fellow Daoist Che, don't you think you're overestimating yourself?"
After a few moments of silence, Wei Tu finally spoke—but not the words Che Chulong expected.
Che Chulong stared at him in shock, unable to comprehend why he wasn't giving in.
Over the past ten years, he had come to understand Wei Tu's personality.
Wei Tu avoided trouble.
He disliked unnecessary conflicts.
That much was obvious from his past dealings—such as when he yielded the lucrative Tranquility Talisman market to Tong Peipei without resistance.
So why was he resisting now?
"What are you trying to do? Just get out."
Wei Tu stood up and motioned for Che Chulong to leave.
He had been cautious in Danqiu Mountain not because he was afraid, but because he did not want to deal with needless distractions.
Not seeking trouble did not mean he feared trouble.
Besides, the threat of the talisman vendors' boycott was insignificant to him.
His talismans were already superior to the other vendors in the shantytown.
Even if First-Rank talisman papers became more expensive, he could still afford them.
And if necessary—
He could buy them from market stalls.
Or even Baishi Lake Marketplace.
Che Chulong's threat meant nothing to him.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
Che Chulong's face twisted in fury, and he laughed bitterly.
He snatched back his basket of spirit fruits, turned around, and slammed the door behind him.