"Junior Sister Su."

Wei Tu returned the greeting.

Earlier, when Qingmei Shangren had formally acknowledged True Lord Che as her master, she used her real name, Su Bing’er, instead of the nickname “Qingmei Shangren.”

In front of True Lord Che, she no longer concealed her gender, openly admitting that she was female.

“Junior… Sister…” Su Bing’er felt extremely awkward at hearing this.

Since birth, aside from her own father, no man had ever addressed her so intimately. Wei Tu was the first.

However, she didn’t let her feelings show. She gave a light hum in response, completing the gesture of respect toward Wei Tu.

…

After taking Su Bing’er as a disciple, True Lord Che didn’t immediately dismiss the other cultivators in the hall.

Instead, he picked a few with decent aptitude and strength and accepted them as ordinary disciples.

Though ordinary disciples didn’t receive the same treatment or status as inner disciples like Wei Tu, even the title alone was enough to satisfy those cultivators.

In chaotic times, having a Golden Core True Lord as backing meant everything.

After that, True Lord Che brought the four inner disciples, including Wei Tu, to a side hall.

“Except for Mu Die, the rest of you joined already possessing your own skills and techniques,” True Lord Che said, sweeping his gaze over the group.

Wei Tu and the others weren’t sure what he meant, but none dared to ask. They all lowered their heads and stayed quiet.

After all, joining a sect with prior skills wasn’t usually welcomed by most masters.

Thankfully, True Lord Che’s next words put their worries to rest.

“There's a saying—teach according to aptitude. Though I’m above you in cultivation, I can’t tailor guidance for each of you.”

“This is a token from the ‘Ten Thousand Scroll Pavilion’ of the Loose Immortal Alliance. With it, you can exchange for one third-rank cultivation technique, or a mystical art, or a secret technique.”

“All the treasures in the Ten Thousand Scroll Pavilion were pooled together by me and the other True Lords, so when you go to choose, don’t hold back—just pick what suits you best.”

“If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to consult disciples from the other True Lords. The Loose Immortal Alliance isn’t like those sects with rigid boundaries.”

After that, True Lord Che sat cross-legged and explained his plans for the four disciples.

These arrangements directly affected Wei Tu and the others’ future in terms of cultivation, resources, and advancement.

Wei Tu listened carefully, gradually letting go of some of his previous doubts about True Lord Che.

—Though True Lord Che clearly had his reasons for taking them as disciples, when it came to his responsibilities, he did live up to the role of a proper teacher.

Few masters were this upfront and thorough when it came to preparing paths for their disciples in three key areas: cultivation methods, support, and long-term planning.

“Hopefully… things between me and True Lord Che can begin and end well,” Wei Tu sighed inwardly.

Since stepping into the world of cultivation, he’d been through endless deceit and backstabbing. It had been a long time since he encountered someone who was the same in word and deed.

He still worried True Lord Che might turn out like Alchemist Shu—putting on a righteous face while harboring hidden motives.

“I won’t take up more of your time. If you have further questions, ask your Senior Brother,” True Lord Che said after finishing the arrangements, glancing up at the sky.

“Many thanks, Master, for thinking ahead on our behalf,” Wei Tu, as the eldest among the new disciples, was the first to rise and bow in gratitude.

“Our thanks to Master…”

Hua Xianlong, Mu Die, and Su Bing’er followed suit, echoing Wei Tu's words.

Once they had all finished their bows, the meditation cushion where True Lord Che had been seated was already empty—he had vanished.

“Senior Brother Wei, see you in five years.” Hua Xianlong gave Wei Tu a nod, then flicked his sleeve and turned into a streak of light, flying away from the side hall.

“Until five years later.” Su Bing’er gave a polite nod to Wei Tu, then followed behind Hua Xianlong.

Earlier, one of the benefits True Lord Che mentioned for inner disciples was this—

—Every five years, True Lord Che would hold a lecture at his own cave residence, where he would answer questions and provide guidance to his disciples.

This was a benefit, not a requirement, so whether Wei Tu and the others attended or not wouldn’t affect anything.

That said, normally no cultivator would dare skip their master’s first lecture. That would be seen as highly disrespectful.

“Senior Brother Wei, I…” Mu Die’s cheeks turned slightly red as she looked up at Wei Tu, a little embarrassed.

Since she was only in the Qi Refinement realm, True Lord Che had arranged for her to be taught by Wei Tu, the new “Senior Brother” among the disciples—learning as a disciple from a fellow disciple.

For her, this was a great opportunity. But for Wei Tu, not necessarily.

“Senior Brother Wei, I already understand the basics of Qi Refinement. There’s no need to start from scratch. You only need to give me occasional pointers.”

Mu Die was considerate. She knew that someone like Wei Tu, a loose cultivator who’d struggled on his own, probably didn’t enjoy looking after others—especially someone unfamiliar like her.

Hearing this, Wei Tu’s expression softened. He nodded slightly and replied with a formal tone, “If Junior Sister Mu has any questions, feel free to ask. No need to hesitate.”

If you want the crown, you must bear its weight.

From True Lord Che’s arrangements, Wei Tu could see—True Lord Che clearly valued him more, and intended to entrust him with important responsibilities, grooming him as a true core disciple.

But Wei Tu didn’t want to accept this gesture of goodwill so easily.

Rather than becoming the heart of a power structure, Wei Tu felt that what mattered most to him now… was to raise his cultivation as fast as possible to the peak of Foundation Establishment and begin preparing for the Golden Core stage.

Choosing between becoming a core member of a Golden Core faction and achieving Golden Core realm himself—that choice wasn’t difficult for Wei Tu.

In the eyes of other cultivators, Mu Die—with her superior spiritual roots—was someone worth currying favor with.

But to Wei Tu, she wasn’t that important.

Because in some ways, Wei Tu’s aptitude was even more monstrous than hers.

…

After finishing the crucial visit to True Lord Che’s place, Wei Tu left Honghe Mountain Market and made his way back to the Mei family at Xia Cliff.

After ten years apart, he did miss his two children a little.

Half a month later.

Wei Tu arrived at the Mei family in Xia Cliff.

But compared to ten years ago, the Mei family estate had fallen into even greater ruin.

All that remained were crumbling walls and scattered ruins.

“Two years ago, I received a letter from Yan’er. She and Xiuwen should be fine,” Wei Tu thought to himself.

He figured there must be another reason for the Mei family’s current downfall.

Both Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen were Foundation Establishment cultivators and had his life-saving talismans on them. Unless they encountered someone at the late Foundation Establishment realm or higher, they wouldn’t be in mortal danger.

One day later.

Through the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild, Wei Tu gathered intel about the Mei family of Xia Cliff.

As he expected, the truth wasn’t far off from his guess.

Four years ago, the last Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Mei family—Mei Lang—had fallen on the battlefield.

From then on, the Mei family’s situation became similar to that of the former Xuanhou Qi Clan—targeted by numerous enemies.

However, unlike the Qi Clan, the Mei family didn’t activate their protective formation to defend their ancestral home.

Instead, they packed up and moved the whole clan to a first-rank spiritual site, voluntarily stepping down from Foundation Establishment clan status to become a Qi Refinement family.

This decision left many of their enemies confused.

After all, few families would willingly abandon their ancestral foundation.

But in the years that followed, many cultivators came to believe that the Mei family patriarch, Mei Yuanfeng, had made a wise decision.

Because after giving up the burden of a second-rank spiritual land, the Mei family was no longer coveted by their enemies.