As for Qiu Huaisu, her middle-grade superior variant spiritual root perfectly met Mirror Water Pavilion’s recruitment standards, and even exceeded them by a margin.

While middle-grade spiritual roots couldn’t match the cultivation speed of top-grade spiritual roots, they actually outperformed in areas like combat and other arts.

Moreover, since Qiu Huaisu was personally brought to Mirror Water Pavilion by Wei Tu, she was naturally closer to his lineage.

If she were to choose a master, it made the most sense for her to acknowledge a cultivator from his lineage as her teacher.

"Hongying, you’re on the verge of reaching Golden Core. If you take on a disciple now, it might divide your focus," Wei Tu frowned slightly, not giving an immediate answer.

In his opinion, Kou Hongying’s breakthrough to Golden Core was far more urgent.

Qiu Huaisu could find another teacher.

Gong Shuzhen, Kou Hongying’s fellow disciple and good friend, was actually a very suitable choice as well.

"My breakthrough to Golden Core is still at least sixty years away. There’s no rush," Kou Hongying shook her head slightly and smiled.

With her current cultivation, she would reach the peak of Foundation Establishment in no more than twenty years, at which point she could begin attempting her breakthrough.

However, she still lacked the breakthrough pill required to advance to Golden Core.

The remaining forty years would be spent acquiring that pill.

This was only possible thanks to the two Golden Core spirit materials she had obtained back when she entered Cloud Ze Secret Realm. Otherwise, it would’ve taken even longer.

"Alright then," hearing this, Wei Tu no longer tried to dissuade her and agreed to Kou Hongying’s decision.

He still had seven sets of Golden Core spirit materials from Cloud Ze Secret Realm in his possession.

With five sets, he could easily exchange them at any sect for one Mortal Shedding Pill.

He intended to save that complete set for his daughter, Wei Yan, to help her achieve Golden Core in the future.

The remaining two sets, he planned to "lend" to Kou Hongying. With four sets of spirit materials in hand, it would be much easier for her to find connections and secure the fifth set, completing the set required for her breakthrough.

She could even ask the sect for credit, promising to repay it after reaching Golden Core.

However, it wasn’t appropriate for Wei Tu to openly mention his extra spirit materials in front of Qin Yuling and Gong Shuzhen.

This kind of sensitive matter was best discussed privately.

As for Kou Hongying accepting Qiu Huaisu as her disciple, it would only have a slight impact on her breakthrough and wasn’t something that required changing plans.

At most, she could delegate some of the teaching to other fellow disciples.

Once their discussion concluded, Qin Yuling, as the grandmaster, approved Qiu Huaisu’s request to take Kou Hongying as her master.

"Huaisu, from now on, she is your master," Wei Tu turned and glanced at Qiu Huaisu standing behind him, reminding her softly.

"Disciple pays respect to Master."

Qiu Huaisu walked to the center of the hall, knelt down, and gave Kou Hongying three formal kowtows, completing the ceremony to acknowledge her master.

"Good disciple." Kou Hongying looked at Qiu Huaisu kneeling before her, feeling a bit dazed. Many years ago, she had knelt the same way before Qin Yuling.

Time showed no mercy.

Now, she was nearly two hundred years old.

She, too, had someone to care for.

"Huaisu, come pay your respects to your grandmaster and your Martial Aunt Gong," Kou Hongying smiled, stood up, took Qiu Huaisu by the hand, and led her to bow to Qin Yuling and Gong Shuzhen.

Once the greetings were done, Qiu Huaisu officially became a disciple under Qin Yuling, the "True Lord Qin" of Mirror Water Pavilion.

But to everyone’s surprise, after the formalities, Qiu Huaisu didn’t return to stand behind Kou Hongying.

Instead, she walked to the center of the hall and gave Wei Tu a deep bow.

She held the posture for a long time before finally straightening up.

"Senior Wei, I will never forget your kindness for as long as I live." A determined look appeared on Qiu Huaisu’s youthful face.

She knew how much Wei Tu had done for her and her brother Qiu Buchen along the way.

Without Wei Tu, she would never have made it to Zheng Kingdom, let alone entered Mirror Water Pavilion as a disciple.

"I only kept my promise," Wei Tu smiled, not taking credit.

People’s hearts change easily.

Though Qiu Huaisu felt grateful now, who knew if that would still be the case after ten, twenty, or even hundreds of years?

The longer a cultivator lived, the more of these scenes they would witness.

And that made those who could truly keep their integrity all the more rare and precious.

Seeing this, Kou Hongying’s eyes dimmed slightly. She understood that Wei Tu must have been reminded of Fu Zhizhou, with whom he had parted ways.

That’s why he no longer easily trusted others.

"Uncle Wei, with me here, Huaisu will never disappoint you." Kou Hongying made a silent vow.

After the ceremony, just as Wei Tu was about to find an opportunity to speak privately with Kou Hongying about her breakthrough to Golden Core,

Qin Yuling called out to him again, inviting him to her private cultivation cave.

The Golden Jade Pavilion was a public area, while a cultivation cave was more secluded and private.

"If there’s official business, you may speak here. There’s no need to go to your cave," Wei Tu replied bluntly, declining her invitation.

Last time, he had been forced to visit Qin Yuling’s cave because the gap in their cultivation levels left him no choice.

But now, both of them were Golden Core cultivators. There was nothing for him to fear.

Kou Hongying’s eyes flickered slightly as she realized Wei Tu’s intentions.

If they spoke privately in a cave, it would make things awkward. But in the Golden Jade Pavilion, with others present, her master Qin Yuling would have to consider appearances and be more restrained.

—It was Kou Hongying herself who had once tipped Wei Tu off about Qin Yuling’s memory loss.

So of course she knew why her master wanted to speak to Wei Tu alone.

"It’s nothing important," Qin Yuling replied casually, giving Wei Tu a long look before flicking her sleeve and flying off.

"Grandmaster and Senior Wei?" Qiu Huaisu stood there puzzled, not understanding what had just happened.

She had a feeling that Grandmaster Qin and Senior Wei were hiding some unspeakable secret.

"I have other matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave," Gong Shuzhen, sensing the tension, made a timely exit.

Soon, only Wei Tu and Kou Hongying remained inside the Golden Jade Pavilion.

"Zheng Kingdom’s situation is changing. Hongying, do you know when Mirror Water Pavilion plans to relocate and leave Zheng Kingdom?" Wei Tu asked, breaking the silence by bringing up a serious matter.

Unlike rogue cultivators, the three great sects of Zheng Kingdom and the two great sects of Jing Kingdom, just like the Zhao Clan of Xiyue, had long been planning their withdrawal to other countries.

—And as a disciple with Golden Core potential, Kou Hongying would surely be on the list of those relocating.

This was why Wei Tu had dared to smuggle himself out, leaving without worrying about Kou Hongying’s safety.

"Uncle Wei, you asked me about this before you left Zheng Kingdom… Afterward, I inquired with my master…" Kou Hongying began slowly.

"In about two more years, Mirror Water Pavilion will move to Kang Kingdom, where we’ll temporarily settle in the 'Moon Condensation Palace'," Kou Hongying explained.

"Moon Condensation Palace has been a long-time ally of Mirror Water Pavilion," she added.