“Something’s off.”

“Her cultivation doesn’t match.”

“This female cultivator’s cultivation is only at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement. That’s not the level Ye Hong should be at.”

Wei Tu probed her aura and shook his head.

Ye Hong was the former wife of Immortal Master Wu, the master of Wei Fei. If she were still alive now, she’d be at least two hundred fifty years old.

Qi Refinement cultivators live up to two hundred years.

Foundation Establishment cultivators live up to four hundred.

There were life-extending pills in the cultivation world, but such elixirs were extremely expensive—not something an ordinary Qi Refinement cultivator could afford.

Moreover, life-extension pills that could prolong life by over fifty years were incredibly rare.

Just like other pills, once taken repeatedly, the body would develop resistance, and their effects would gradually weaken.

So logically, Wei Tu judged that the woman who resembled Ye Hong couldn’t be her. She was most likely another cultivator.

“Maybe a descendant of Ye Hong.” Wei Tu made a guess and decided to investigate further.

According to Wei Fei, Ye Hong—Immortal Master Wu’s former wife—might still hold a legacy from the Hongri Sect.

Wei Tu remained interested in the Hongri Sect’s body-tempering heritage.

At the moment, Wei Tu was in a border city of Jing Kingdom called "Fragmented Star City."

Fragmented Star City wasn’t a mortal settlement. It was a small city where both cultivators and mortals lived together.

Despite the wars between righteous and demonic cultivators, this city at Jing Kingdom’s border hadn’t fallen into ruin. Instead, its unique geography helped it grow even more prosperous.

Earlier, Wei Tu had spotted the woman who looked like Ye Hong—a beautiful matron in her early thirties.

She wore a pink daffodil gown, her figure curvaceous, exuding the grace of a noble lady. Several young, pretty maidservants followed at her side.

Even though this beautiful matron only had cultivation at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement, Wei Tu didn’t approach her rashly. He simply passed by, pretending to be a passerby heading in the opposite direction.

A while later, snippets of conversation between the matron, her maidservants, and some family members were overheard by Wei Tu.

From their exchange, he learned that this woman’s married family bore the surname Zhu—one of the Foundation Establishment families in Fragmented Star City.

And this Madam Zhu was the wife of the Zhu family’s third young master. She was quite favored.

Half a day later—

Back in the Zhu household, Madam Zhu had a conversation with her husband, Zhu Ruishan, which made Wei Tu perk up—he sensed an opening.

“The demonic cultivators are pressing harder and harder. I said it before, didn’t I? Rather than stubbornly clinging to the old ways, we should’ve abandoned our family foundation and moved to Zheng Kingdom to start over,” Madam Zhu muttered bitterly, twisting her handkerchief in frustration. She plopped onto the canopy bed with a deeply unhappy expression.

“My dear, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Zhu Ruishan said, walking over to comfort her with a bitter smile. “We’re just a Foundation Establishment family. There’s only one Foundation Establishment elder above us. If we give up our foundation and flee to Zheng Kingdom, we’ll be left with absolutely nothing.”

“Zheng Kingdom is just one region. The Beastmaster Sect and Sky Vault City have already gone there. There’s also the Loose Immortal Alliance. Resources are stretched thin—there’s no room for families like ours,” Zhu Ruishan sighed repeatedly.

“But you can’t expect me to serve that old freak Jiao Qizhi! You have no idea what he’s done to me.” At this, Madam Zhu’s almond-shaped eyes glistened with tears.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and soaked into the collar of her gown, leaving a large wet patch.

“That bastard Jiao Qizhi!” Zhu Ruishan jumped up in anger. “Once I establish my foundation, I’ll be the first to skin him alive and cut off his filthy manhood!”

“No!” Madam Zhu panicked, quickly covering his mouth. “Do you want to die? Jiao Qizhi is a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Xuancha Sect. If he hears of this, it’ll be the end of you.”

“The fact that you would say that for me... I’m already grateful enough,” she sobbed as she leaned against his chest.

“Sigh... I’m just too weak,” Zhu Ruishan muttered with a heavy sigh.

If not for the sake of their family, who would endure such shame—offering his own wife to be humiliated by a cultivator from the Xuancha Sect?

“Oh right, dear... why did you return so early this time? Did you fail to please Jiao Qizhi?” Suddenly, Zhu Ruishan thought of this and anxiously pulled Madam Zhu from his arms to ask.

Right now, the entire Zhu family’s fate rested on Madam Zhu alone. If she lost Jiao Qizhi’s favor, he couldn’t imagine how the Zhu family would survive.

“I went to look for Jiao Qizhi.”

“He wasn’t there today.”

Madam Zhu shook her head.

“Could it be that Jiao Qizhi’s grown tired of her? Or... has he already drained her essence through dual cultivation?” Zhu Ruishan paced anxiously in the room, flustered and unsure what to do.

Without the protection of Jiao Qizhi, that Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Xuancha Sect, not only would the Zhu family's foundation be hard to maintain, but even their lives might be forfeit.

Hearing this, Madam Zhu’s expression also became panicked. She turned toward Zhu Ruishan with a nervous look, hoping he would offer a solution.

“We need to find another female cultivator for Jiao Qizhi. That way, first, you’ll be freed from this misery, and second, we can stabilize Jiao Qizhi’s attitude toward our Zhu family again.”

After much thought, Zhu Ruishan finally voiced this plan.

“But what if the newly chosen female cultivator isn’t willing to give herself to Jiao Qizhi? What if she turns around and blames our Zhu family?” Madam Zhu immediately voiced her concern.

Even she had struggled to endure Jiao Qizhi’s cruel methods and had considered taking her own life more than once. How could any other female cultivator be expected to tolerate him?

“If that happens, we’ll be raising a tiger to bring about our own destruction. And we can’t go on like this forever either.”

Madam Zhu sighed deeply a few times.

“This is like fighting fire with fire. As long as the fuel remains, the fire won’t go out. Relying on one or two women alone is not enough to fend off demonic cultivators coveting the Zhu family’s foundation.”

Zhu Ruishan’s expression shifted several times, uncertain.

Clearly, he understood that the Zhu family could at most satisfy Jiao Qizhi’s momentary lust, not his long-term desires.

After pacing a few steps in the room, Zhu Ruishan glanced at his charming wife sitting by the bedside, then looked at himself, and finally made up his mind.

“Jiao Qizhi, that elder from the Xuancha Sect, is infamous for his depravity. He doesn’t seem like someone who keeps his word.”

“We’ll have to split into three paths.”

Zhu Ruishan spoke with a low voice.

“First path: find a suitable woman to please Jiao Qizhi.”

“Second path: look for a new backer—someone who can rival Jiao Qizhi.”

“Let the two of them check each other’s power, giving our Zhu family room to breathe.”

“And the third path...”

At this point, Zhu Ruishan’s tone turned solemn. “The third path is for you, my wife. You’ll take our child and the family’s legacy and flee to Zheng Kingdom, living under a new identity.”

“My husband, what about you?” Madam Zhu was startled. She grasped Zhu Ruishan’s hand tightly, tears in her voice.

“My father is gravely injured and no longer cares about worldly affairs. Right now, I am the acting head of the Zhu family. Everyone is watching me—I can’t leave.”

Zhu Ruishan shook his head firmly.

Hearing this, Madam Zhu said nothing more. She just lay on the bed and cried quietly.

…

The Zhu family’s plight was only the tip of the iceberg of the tragedies many cultivation clans faced after Jing Kingdom’s fall.

Wei Tu wasn’t surprised by the Zhu family’s predicament. After thinking for a bit, he headed to the Zhu family’s pharmacy.

The Zhu clan was known in Fragmented Star City as an “apothecary family.” Their ancestors had been herbalists and alchemists for generations.

Apothecaries were similar to pill refiners and also specialized in crafting medicinal pills, but they typically focused more on healing medicines.

In essence, apothecaries were a sub-branch of the broader alchemist profession.

An hour later—

After Wei Tu deliberately stirred up trouble, Zhu Ruishan hurried to the Zhu family pharmacy to apologize to this Foundation Establishment-level “demonic cultivator.”

Ever since Jing Kingdom fell, it wasn’t the first or second time the Zhu pharmacy had encountered troublesome cultivators like Wei Tu.

Most of these cultivators were just looking for a quick profit. A few spirit stones were usually enough to make them leave.

Zhu Ruishan was skilled at handling such matters. He politely apologized to Wei Tu, then brought up Elder Jiao Qizhi of the Xuancha Sect to subtly warn him not to stir up trouble.

“Xuancha Sect?” Wei Tu, disguised as a rugged, broad-shouldered man, let out a cold laugh. “Xuancha Sect is nothing more than a lapdog of the Hehuan Sect. And they dare act arrogant in front of me?”

In the past few days wandering through demonic territory, Wei Tu had gained a lot of insight.

He now had a general understanding of the factions within the demonic cultivators, not like before when he only vaguely knew about the so-called Five Major Demonic Sects.

Among these, the Xuancha Sect was the one he had heard mentioned most frequently outside the core five.

This sect was a subsidiary of the Hehuan Sect—one of the Five Major Demonic Sects.

Its strength rested at the Golden Core level.

“Not afraid of the Xuancha Sect?”

Zhu Ruishan was shocked by Wei Tu’s brazen words.

At first, he was furious. But then he remembered the plan he and his wife had discussed earlier—and his anger turned into joy.

Not fearing the Xuancha Sect meant that this Foundation Establishment cultivator “Gu Jin,” was a potential new backer for the Zhu family, someone who could counterbalance Elder Jiao Qizhi of the Xuancha Sect.

“As for compensation, may I invite Senior Gu to step inside so we can discuss it in detail?” Zhu Ruishan bowed and welcomed Wei Tu into a private room.

This time, Wei Tu was using the alias “Gu Jin.”

Once Wei Tu was seated, Zhu Ruishan clapped his hands, and two puppet servants—crafted to look lifelike—walked over.

Each puppet held a redwood tray.

On the left puppet’s tray were rows of top-grade spirit stones, exactly thirty-six in total.

On the right puppet’s tray was a seven-inch-long pill bottle.

“What’s the meaning of this, Young Master Zhu?” Wei Tu’s eyes gleamed with greed when he saw the trays of spirit stones and the pill bottle.

At this moment, he was quite impressed by the Zhu family’s background. After all, for an ordinary Foundation Establishment clan to casually take out thirty-six top-grade spirit stones to win someone over was no small feat.

“To be frank, Fellow Daoist Gu, our Zhu family has long harbored resentment toward Jiao Qizhi of the Xuancha Sect. It’s only because of our lack of strength that we haven’t dared to break ties with him,” Zhu Ruishan said with a bitter smile, hope glimmering in his eyes.

“If Senior would be willing to lend our Zhu family a helping hand, then these spirit stones and this ‘Heavenly Spirit Water’ on the tray shall be our humble offering.”

“And if Senior Gu could go so far as to drive off Jiao Qizhi,” Zhu Ruishan added with solemnity, “then our Zhu family would be honored to invite you as a family retainer. Your annual offerings will be of the highest standard.”

After speaking, Zhu Ruishan looked toward Wei Tu anxiously, afraid that his plan to “drive out the wolf only to invite the tiger” would be seen through.

“Jiao Qizhi?” Wei Tu didn’t agree right away. His expression lost the arrogance it had earlier in the shop and instead turned thoughtful.

“Young Master Zhu, I doubt your intentions are as simple as just driving away Jiao Qizhi.”

“Is it really only about that?” Wei Tu smirked faintly.

Hearing this, Zhu Ruishan could only sigh inwardly. All Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators were truly cunning, veterans forged through countless deceptions. One glance, and he’d seen through him.

Still, Zhu Ruishan didn’t expose his deeper plan. Instead, he played the pitiful card and explained how his wife had been taken and violated by Jiao Qizhi.

“This humiliation—Zhu has been suffering daily. I wish I could tear Jiao Qizhi to pieces and eat his flesh, wear his skin,” Zhu Ruishan said through gritted teeth.

When he finished speaking, Wei Tu gave a small nod, seemingly buying the story.

He muttered, “With Gu’s strength alone, it would be hard to kill Jiao Qizhi and avenge such a deep grudge for Young Master Zhu.”

“However, the faction behind Gu might be able to help your Zhu family stand against the Xuancha Sect’s power.”

“What faction?” Zhu Ruishan was thrilled and quickly asked.

Not all demonic sects were purely destructive.

Otherwise, the Zhu family wouldn’t have pinned their hopes on the arrival of such forces, choosing to stay in Fragmented Star City rather than flee.

Of course, their inability to escape also had to do with the Zhu family’s limited strength.

When they received the news that Jing Kingdom had fully fallen, the Beastmaster Sect and Sky Vault City had long since fled.

By then, there was no room for the Zhu clan to choose to leave and head to Zheng Kingdom.

Fleeing blindly would have only led to disaster.

They would’ve all become enslaved cultivators—blood and flesh fodder for the demonic armies.

So, considering everything, the Zhu family had actually been relatively fortunate among Jing Kingdom’s cultivation clans.

“My Desolate Mountain Sect fears not the likes of the Xuancha Sect,” Wei Tu said with a chuckle, feigning pride.

“Desolate Mountain Sect?” Zhu Ruishan’s expression changed instantly. His gaze toward Wei Tu became completely different.

Though not part of the Five Major Demonic Sects, the Desolate Mountain Sect was still a Nascent Soul-tier faction with power on par with any of the big five.

Its reputation suffered only because it lacked a large number of disciples, so its presence wasn’t as overwhelming.

“Does Senior Gu have a sect token from the Desolate Mountain Sect?” Zhu Ruishan quickly asked.

As if afraid of offending him, he added, “Zhu doesn’t mean to doubt you, Senior Gu—it’s just that this matter... involves the very survival of our family...”

“I forgot the sect token when I left the mountain. But Gu’s body-refining technique speaks for itself.” Wei Tu frowned, visibly displeased.

As he spoke, he activated his body cultivation and crushed a teapot magic artifact on the table into scrap metal with one hand before tossing it onto the floor.