“Spare you?” Wei Tu sneered coldly, ignoring Qian Hong’s desperate plea.

He wasn’t some righteous hero, but he wasn’t going to help evil thrive either, much less assist a demon cultivator.

From the moment he targeted Qian Hong, he had never considered letting him die with dignity.

Qian Hong had seized the Sun Residence by force, killing its rightful owner. After that, he had occupied Changshan County and preyed on countless mortal women.

His crimes were beyond forgiveness.

After a quarter of an hour, Wei Tu finished the soul search.

He released his palm, and Qian Hong collapsed to the ground, his mind shattered and his eyes vacant.

“Quite the schemer, actually hid away a treasure looted from the ancestral home of the Xia family.” Wei Tu narrowed his eyes, reaching out to seize the storage pouch tied to Qian Hong’s waist.

With a flick of his power, he erased Qian Hong’s spiritual imprint on the pouch and retrieved a black ancient scroll, examining it with his spiritual sense.

Through the soul search, not only had he confirmed the location of the Xia family’s descendants, but he also learned the details of Qian Hong’s search for them.

Such as this black scroll.

This black scroll was a family register enshrined in the Xia family’s ancestral hall, appearing utterly ordinary on the surface.

However, when Qian Hong had taken it, he discovered that the scroll was anything but simple—it was actually a magical item.

When infused with spiritual power, golden characters would faintly appear on its surface.

The moment he realized this, Qian Hong’s greed had flared. He had stolen it without reporting anything to Wei Tu.

If Wei Tu hadn’t ignored formalities and directly soul searched him, he might have completely missed this "black scroll."

“A Nascent Soul Talisman Treasure!”

As more time passed, with Wei Tu injecting his spiritual power, the scroll finally revealed its true form—a talisman depicting a "pitch-black ruler."

Seeing this, Wei Tu immediately understood that this black scroll was the Nascent Soul Talisman Treasure left by Venerable Master Shentu for his family.

The "pitch-black ruler" illustrated on the talisman was the very same artifact that Bao Siyuan had taken from the offering table inside the underground palace.

However, as time had passed and the Xia family had fallen into decline, none of the later generations had realized that the family register they had worshiped in their ancestral hall was actually a Nascent Soul Talisman Treasure.

“Lucky for me you lacked the power to activate it. Otherwise, this visit could’ve been fatal for me.” Wei Tu glanced at the unconscious Qian Hong, a trace of lingering fear flashing across his face.

This Nascent Soul Talisman Treasure’s power was comparable to a fourth-rank, lower-grade offensive talisman.

If Qian Hong had possessed enough spiritual power to activate it, even with Wei Tu’s third-stage body cultivation, he might not have escaped serious injury—or even death.

Wei Tu didn’t immediately kill Qian Hong.

Ending Qian Hong’s life was easy, but if it attracted other demon cultivators to investigate, Wei Tu could flee, but the women trapped in the Sun Residence would surely die.

So he made careful preparations.

First, he used the innate illusion ability of the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth to control Qian Hong and spread the word to his subordinates that he was about to enter a death seclusion.

Second, after the news of Qian Hong’s seclusion circulated, he planned to control Qian Hong again to dismiss the servants and women of the residence, giving them gold to return home.

Death seclusion was different from ordinary closed-door cultivation. It was common for cultivators to remain inside for decades, even centuries, without anyone suspecting foul play.

Even dying in seclusion was considered normal.

After all, breaking through to higher realms was never without risk.

The women Qian Hong had kept were mostly mortals. In ten or twenty years, they would have aged and lost their looks.

Letting them go now, with gold in hand, would raise no suspicions.

Though it would take Wei Tu a bit of time to handle all this, he felt it was worth it.

This was the difference between righteous cultivators and demon cultivators. Righteous cultivators had reverence for life and wouldn’t kill the innocent indiscriminately.

Wei Tu didn’t want the women in the Sun Residence to lose their lives just because he had killed Qian Hong.

Dozens of families, hundreds of lives—this was no small matter.

While handling these tasks, Wei Tu also planned his visit to Qian Hong’s other residence to meet the descendants of the Xia family.

Over the past thousand years, the Xia family had not flourished despite once producing a Nascent Soul cultivator. Instead, they had withered away, their bloodline growing thinner with each passing generation.

It was as if Venerable Master Shentu had drained all the fortune from his entire clan.

The Xia family descendants that Qian Hong had found were only six people—one household, not an entire clan.

Moreover, before Qian Hong found them, they had already changed their surname to "Qiu" to hide their identity.

If not for the ancestral records matching the names Wei Tu had provided, Qian Hong might have overlooked them entirely.

Seeing Wei Tu arrive, Old Master Qiu immediately dropped to his knees in the hall and kowtowed, pleading, “I don’t know what my family has done to offend the Immortal Master. If there’s any offense, I beg the Immortal Master to take my life alone and spare the younger generation of my Qiu family. Please, grant them a way to live.”

Wei Tu wasn’t surprised by this reaction.

Ever since the fall of the Jing Kingdom, the invading demon cultivators had been slaughtering and pillaging the people at will, earning the wrath of heaven and man alike.

In fact, it had become a strange thing if the people of Jing Kingdom weren’t afraid of demon cultivators.

Qian Hong was not an exception, but rather the norm among demon cultivators in Jing Kingdom.

Moreover, when Qian Hong had sought out the descendants of the Xia family, his methods had been far from gentle. Just the act of forcing his way into the Qiu family’s ancestral hall had been enough to terrify them.

“Please rise, old sir.” Wei Tu bent down and helped Old Master Qiu to his feet.

Though in terms of age he could easily have been Old Master Qiu’s grandfather, his appearance was that of a man in his late twenties or early thirties.

“No, no, I dare not.” Old Master Qiu froze for a moment, stunned by Wei Tu’s respectful gesture.

Since the day he was born, the Jing Kingdom had been under the heel of demon cultivators. Never had he met a "demon cultivator" as polite as Wei Tu.

The other members of the Qiu family standing behind Old Master Qiu were also stunned for a moment. None of them had expected such a scene.

“Wei came at the request of your family’s elder to look after you, the descendants.” Wei Tu paused, stating his purpose.

This time, he no longer concealed his name, referring to himself as "Wei" instead of "Xu".

“Family elder?” Hearing this, Old Master Qiu tried to recall something from his vague childhood memories, remembering hearing once that their Xia family had once been a cultivation family but had fallen into decline for some unknown reason.

“Wei Immortal Master, are you a righteous cultivator? A righteous cultivator unlike the demon cultivators?” Old Master Qiu’s voice trembled with excitement as he looked at Wei Tu, his cloudy eyes turning red with emotion.

To have an old acquaintance of their family’s ancestor visit them now could only mean one thing—it must be one of the righteous cultivators who had once lived in Jing Kingdom.

For those who had long suffered under the oppression of demon cultivators, the return of righteous cultivators was like the arrival of salvation.

Over these long years, who in Jing Kingdom hadn’t suffered under demon cultivators?

Having their women taken was the least of it. What was worse was that some demon cultivators used mortals as blood sacrifices to forge demonic artifacts.

Many of Old Master Qiu’s old friends and family had died at the hands of these demon cultivators.

How could he not be overjoyed and moved to tears at the thought of finally avenging those grievances?

However, Wei Tu’s next words crushed Old Master Qiu’s fleeting joy.

“I am indeed a righteous cultivator, but I am from Zheng Kingdom, not one of the old cultivators of Jing Kingdom. Moreover, I came to Jing Kingdom this time in secret, not as part of a righteous invasion to reclaim the land.”

Wei Tu, experienced in worldly affairs, had already guessed what was in Old Master Qiu’s heart. He shook his head and laid out the cruel truth.

“Jing Kingdom has been lost for a hundred years. If there is no counterattack soon, we old folks will all be gone. No one will remember that Jing Kingdom was once a righteous land where cultivators and mortals lived in peace.” Old Master Qiu sighed deeply.

What he feared most was not that future generations would forget Jing Kingdom’s past, but that they would become lackeys of the demon cultivators, helping them oppress their own homeland.

Hearing these words, Wei Tu nodded silently.

Though righteous cultivators were not free from petty schemes and conflicts, their disputes were limited to the cultivation world and did not involve ordinary people.

Compared to the current Jing Kingdom, Zheng Kingdom was truly a paradise for mortals.

“Though I am from Zheng Kingdom, my master was one of the old cultivators of Jing Kingdom,” Wei Tu added after a moment’s thought.

Years ago, when Che Gongwei had passed down the legacy of a third-rank talisman master to him, Wei Tu had recognized Che Gongwei as his true master. If not for that, he wouldn’t have left a secret letter behind before leaving.

As soon as he said this, the deathly stillness and despair on Old Master Qiu’s face were replaced by a spark of hope and vigor, as if Wei Tu’s words had added years to his life.

“Perhaps this old man might live to see the day Jing Kingdom is restored.” Old Master Qiu chuckled softly.

“May I ask, Wei Immortal Master, what brings you to seek out the descendants of our Xia family this time?” After regaining his composure, Old Master Qiu asked the main question.

He didn’t believe that Wei Tu had traveled all this way from Zheng Kingdom just to visit their dwindling family.

“According to the agreement with your ancestors, if the Xia family descendants were prosperous, I would not intervene. But if the Xia family had fallen into decline, I would step in to offer aid,” Wei Tu replied after thinking for a moment.

Originally, he had only intended to offer a little help and nothing more.

After all, Venerable Master Shentu was no benefactor to him, but rather a foe who had tried to possess his body. However, thinking of the Nascent Soul Talisman Treasure he had just taken from Qian Hong, left by Venerable Master Shentu for the Xia family…

Simply offering token assistance felt too stingy and petty.

“I have an unreasonable request.” Old Master Qiu knelt again and bowed deeply. “I beg Wei Immortal Master, for the sake of our ancestor, to take my two grandchildren with you to Zheng Kingdom, to escape this living hell in Jing Kingdom.”

He stayed kneeling, bowing without rising, quietly waiting for Wei Tu to speak.

“Zheng Kingdom?” Wei Tu showed hesitation on his face.

After ending this trip to Jing Kingdom, he planned to return to the Southern Desolate Wastes and cross into Kang Kingdom through the "secret passage" hidden there.

He would not be passing through Zheng Kingdom.

Besides, Zheng Kingdom would soon face a massive invasion by the demon path. By then, Zheng Kingdom would fall just like Jing Kingdom, and its chaos would be even worse.

Bringing the Xia family descendants to Zheng Kingdom wouldn’t be saving them but pushing them into another pit of fire.

However, putting himself in Old Master Qiu’s shoes, Wei Tu didn’t find this request unreasonable.

After all, he had just claimed to be a cultivator from Zheng Kingdom, here to look after the Xia family’s descendants… it would be strange if Old Master Qiu didn’t make this request.

“Crossing through the secret passage to Kang Kingdom is easier than going through the Black Blood Marsh, but it’s still risky… With my abilities, I can protect one person safely. If I bring two, their fate will be uncertain.” Wei Tu thought silently.

If danger arose, he would prioritize his own survival.

The others would have to fend for themselves.

It would be hard to guarantee the safety of both Xia family descendants.

“Let me check the aptitude of your two grandchildren first.” Wei Tu reined in his thoughts and looked toward the young boy and girl standing behind Old Master Qiu.

These two were the grandchildren Old Master Qiu spoke of—the younger generation of the six-member Qiu household.

The siblings seemed close in age.

The girl was slightly older, just having come of age, dressed in a plain white dress with a single teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of her right eye, appearing delicate and pitiful.

The boy was a little younger, still looking like a teenager. When he noticed Wei Tu’s gaze, a hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

“Qiu Huaisu,” the girl stepped forward, bowed politely, and reported her name.

“Qiu Buchen,” the boy followed, also stating his name.

“Qiu Buchen, Xia Pinchen.” Hearing this, Wei Tu immediately recalled Venerable Master Shentu’s name and couldn’t help but take a few more glances at Qiu Buchen.

“I gave him that name to remind him not to bow to the demon cultivators, to never submit to them,” Old Master Qiu added.

Wei Tu nodded slightly.

He casually took out two Spirit Testing Talismans and placed them on the siblings’ foreheads.

The talismans stuck to their foreheads.

Moments later, a dazzling earth-yellow light burst forth from Qiu Buchen’s forehead.

The light was about the size of a head, bright and radiant.

Qiu Huaisu followed shortly, with a deep, cold light appearing on her forehead as well.

However, her light was slightly smaller than her brother’s, only about a foot in size.

“A superior-grade earth spiritual root and a high mid-grade ice spiritual root. These Xia family descendants’ roots are exceptional,” Wei Tu remarked in amazement.

Superior-grade and variant spiritual roots were rare talents, one in ten thousand, and here they both appeared in the same pair of siblings. It was truly unusual.

He knew such cases existed in the cultivation world, but he hadn’t expected to encounter one himself.

Wei Tu’s mind stirred, and he quickly threw out several more Spirit Testing Talismans, placing them on the parents of the siblings.

The results were similar.

Their father’s forehead also lit up with a brilliant glow, showing a mid-grade earth spiritual root.

Their mother’s was slightly weaker but still ranked mid-tier among lower-grade roots.

“Could these descendants be the direct bloodline of Venerable Master Shentu?” Wei Tu raised an eyebrow and took out the jade slip left by Venerable Master Shentu to study it carefully.

—Cultivators’ offspring differed from mortals; the chances of high-grade roots were higher.

A superior-grade spiritual root, rare among mortals, might not be so rare in a cultivation family.

Especially for a Nascent Soul cultivator, whose body and bloodline had long since diverged from ordinary cultivators. Their descendants rarely had poor aptitudes.

Of course, unlike mortals, it was difficult for cultivators to produce offspring.

Or rather, having ordinary offspring was easy; having "pure-blooded heirs" was hard.

—Only "pure-blooded heirs" could inherit their parents’ talents.

For example, a Nascent Soul cultivator, in some ways, was similar to a “heavenly beast” among monsters, entirely different from mortals.

…

Venerable Master Shentu had left behind a vast amount of information in the jade slip. Wei Tu hadn’t had time to go through it all before, only glancing over it without delving into the details.

He skipped over the records of Venerable Master Shentu’s early life and went straight to what the old man did after returning to the Fire Essence Sect and Dafeng Slope with just two hundred years of lifespan left.

“So that’s how it is.” After half an hour, Wei Tu finally found the reason for the siblings’ high aptitude in the jade slip.

It turned out that Venerable Master Shentu had anticipated that the Fire Essence Sect might target the Xia family descendants after his death. So he had prepared several contingencies, placing the most talented infants of the cultivation branch into the mundane branch of the Xia family.

He then secretly arranged for this branch to become the family’s “hidden guardians.”

However, the jade slip didn’t mention that Venerable Master Shentu had also left behind a clan-protecting treasure—the Nascent Soul Talisman Treasure—for the Xia family’s hidden guardians.

“But… no matter how powerful a family is, it will eventually decline. While establishing hidden guardians was a smart move, over time, they naturally grew distant from the cultivation branch of the Xia family and lacked cultivation resources…”

“A thousand years later, the Fire Essence Sect perished… and the Xia family’s hidden guardians ultimately fell back into being ordinary mortals.”

Wei Tu shook his head.