After leaving the Wei residence, Wei Tu didn't rush to depart from Lingyan Island. Instead, he changed direction mid-flight and headed toward the clan affairs hall of the Qixue Zhao Clan on Lingyan Island.
Yesterday, he had promised Wei Fei's wife to speak on his behalf with the clan leader of the Qixue Zhao Clan. He intended to help Wei Fei secure the role of manager at the puppet workshop.
Before leaving, he naturally wouldn't forget this.
Besides putting in a word for Wei Fei, Wei Tu had two more reasons for visiting the Qixue Zhao Clan's clan affairs hall this time.
First, Zhao Qingluo was a direct descendant of the Qixue Zhao Clan and the clan's newly risen Golden Core elder. He and Zhao Qingluo already had a close relationship. It wouldn't be right to skip greeting the clan.
Second, Zhao Jiangwu had told him long ago about the secret passage between the Kang and Zheng Kingdoms. That favor weighed heavily on Wei Tu's heart.
In both sentiment and propriety, he owed the Qixue Zhao Clan a visit—to deepen their ties.
…
Lingyan Island was home to many offshoots of the Shengya Zhao Clan. The resident cultivators weren't only from the Qixue Zhao Clan.
A hundred years ago, there were three major Golden Core families on the island. After the Qixue Zhao Clan joined, they became the four great Golden Core families.
However, where there are interests, there's conflict.
The Qixue Zhao Clan had been separated from the main family for over ten thousand years. While they still kept relatively close ties with the Shengya Zhao Clan, their relations with the other families on Lingyan Island were almost like that of strangers.
And while the Shengya Zhao Clan held overwhelming authority, when it came to interests on Lingyan Island, they couldn't help the Qixue Zhao Clan much—after all, both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh.
Wei Fei's recent misfortune was just one example of the Qixue Zhao Clan being pushed aside after moving to a foreign land.
Because Wei Fei was merely a guest cultivator and far from the clan's core, he was the first to be cut when the clan needed to reduce expenses.
Otherwise, as a Foundation Establishment elder—even just a guest—he should've still been able to maintain some basic dignity.
After a brief flight, Wei Tu arrived at the central area of Lingyan Island.
This was where the clan affairs halls of all four major families on Lingyan Island were located, including that of the Qixue Zhao Clan.
"The Qixue Zhao Clan really is doing poorly," Wei Tu thought as he saw their clan affairs hall standing all alone, apart from the other three.
Before his escape light could land, a purple-robed elder flew out from the Qixue Zhao Clan's hall to greet him with a bow. He addressed him as "True Lord Wei."
Wei Tu recognized this man from back when he was still in the Zheng Kingdom. His name was Zhao Mengjie—once a core Foundation Establishment elder of the Qixue Zhao Clan.
A hundred years had passed. Zhao Mengjie had outlived elders like Zhao Tinghai and now replaced him as the clan's new leader.
"True Lord Wei, Ancestor Jiangwu has already prepared a spirit banquet inside the clan hall and has been waiting for quite some time."
Zhao Mengjie's tone was respectful.
But inside, he felt uneasy. After all, he had rejected Wei Fei's plea several times before and even supported reducing Wei Fei's pay.
Now that Wei Fei had Wei Tu as his powerful backer, Zhao Mengjie couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Clan Leader, please lead the way."
Wei Tu's expression didn't show any displeasure. He remained calm and friendly.
He didn't hold any grudges against Zhao Mengjie.
The Qixue Zhao Clan had already done a lot to support Wei Fei. It wouldn't be fair to ignore their past kindness just because they hadn't helped this one time.
Seeing this, Zhao Mengjie relaxed a bit. He bowed again and led Wei Tu into the Qixue Zhao Clan's clan affairs hall.
Inside, there weren't many people.
Aside from Zhao Jiangwu seated at the head, there were only four other elders from the older generation accompanying him. No one else was present.
When Wei Tu entered, the elders greeted him warmly. After the formalities, they chatted with him about their past days in the Zheng Kingdom.
No one treated him like an outsider.
"Who would've thought the Qixue Zhao Clan would one day be relying on someone like Wei Tu…" Zhao Jiangwu, seated at the head, had a complicated look on his face.
Back then, when he gave Wei Tu the secret passage information between the Kang and Zheng Kingdoms, he'd meant to befriend a promising young Golden Core cultivator. But at the time, he'd still held a slightly superior attitude.
Compared to the Qixue Zhao Clan, the Wei Tu of a century ago lacked both strength and background.
But times had changed.
Now, Wei Tu held a guest elder token from the Shengya Zhao Clan. His individual weight in the cultivation world had already surpassed that of the entire Qixue Zhao Clan.
With such a gap, even though Zhao Jiangwu knew Wei Tu had goodwill toward the clan, it was hard not to feel a little unsettled.
"Let's drink, let's drink!"
"I'm hosting this banquet to welcome Fellow Daoist Wei."
When Wei Tu took his seat, Zhao Jiangwu smiled, stood up, and raised his cup in a toast.
"Ancestor Jiangwu, you're too kind."
Wei Tu returned the gesture with humility.
Seeing this, Zhao Jiangwu felt better, and his smile grew more genuine.
The cultivators drank and reminisced about old times.
During the meal, Wei Tu brought up the matter of Wei Fei.
Zhao Mengjie patted his chest and promised, "Even if True Lord Wei hadn't said anything, we had already planned to appoint Fellow Daoist Wei as the manager of the puppet workshop… His puppet skills are among the best in our Qixue Zhao Clan."
To curry favor with Wei Tu, Zhao Mengjie had no choice but to say something he didn't really mean.
As far as he knew, within the Qixue Zhao Clan, there were at least twenty to thirty cultivators more skilled than Wei Fei in puppet techniques.
"Mengjie, just giving him a manager position isn't enough," Zhao Jiangwu reminded him.
"Yes… I didn't think it through," Zhao Mengjie said as he poured himself three self-punishment cups and forced a smile. "Tomorrow, I'll appoint Fellow Daoist Wei as the master of the puppet workshop."
The rest of the Zhao Clan elders quickly joined in with praise, calling Wei Fei a rare puppet master, a well-known talent on Lingyan Island…
While flattering him, they urged Zhao Mengjie to increase Wei Fei's pay and status accordingly.
The elders of the Qixue Zhao Clan understood very well that their clan's shallow resources made it hard to attract Wei Tu's genuine attention. But… shifting their efforts toward Wei Fei instead made things much easier.
Doing so would likely earn Wei Tu's lasting goodwill.
"Thank you, Elders, for your kindness. It's enough for Second Brother to serve as the puppet workshop master and put his skills to good use. There's no need for anything more," Wei Tu quickly stepped in to stop them.
If they kept piling on titles and favors, Wei Fei might end up replacing Zhao Mengjie as the new clan leader of the Qixue Zhao Clan.
Master of the puppet workshop was just the right position.
Not too high, not too low.
First, it would let others see that Wei Tu truly cared about Wei Fei. Second, it matched the level of gratitude he felt toward the Qixue Zhao Clan.
If the position were any higher, it would feel like too big a favor—and might make it seem like Wei Fei's virtue didn't match his rank.
That would cause more harm than good.
The spirit banquet lasted half a day. After that, Zhao Mengjie and the other elders excused themselves, leaving space for Wei Tu and Zhao Jiangwu to speak privately.
"How is Qingluo doing?" Zhao Jiangwu asked.
He knew well that the true bond between the Qixue Zhao Clan and Wei Tu wasn't any favor—they came and went—but Zhao Qingluo.
That's why marriage alliances were so common among cultivator clans. Favors fade over time, but pillow talk never does.
The marriage between Zhao Qingluo and Jiao Zihua was a good match for both her and the clan. But with Wei Tu now in the picture, that "good" match… might turn bad.
"Qingluo…" Wei Tu paused a moment, then told Zhao Jiangwu everything that had happened when he visited Shengya Mountain.
Including how he defeated Dao Child Situ Yang.
He could hide the details of Shengya Mountain from others, but not from Zhao Jiangwu.
They weren't exactly close. They could even be called strangers. But because of their shared interests… Zhao Jiangwu was even less likely to betray him than the Shengya Zhao Clan.
"Qingluo's always been focused on the path of cultivation. She never really learned how to handle relationships. It wasn't until she was nearly killed in the Qi Refinement Realm that she started to understand how to deal with people…" Zhao Jiangwu sighed, trying to explain why Zhao Qingluo had refused to break off her engagement.
Honestly, he didn't think she made a bad choice. It wasn't worth throwing away her future just for a romance.
But… Wei Tu was simply too outstanding. That made Qingluo's choice look like a mistake.
In truth, it wasn't the decision that was wrong—it was the person.
Zhao Qingluo couldn't see that, but as an old-school Golden Core cultivator, Zhao Jiangwu could.
Being a direct disciple of Shengya Mountain would give Zhao Qingluo resources and support. But that only helped up to the Golden Core stage. Once she aimed for the Nascent Soul Realm, it wouldn't help much at all.
Put another way, if Zhao Qingluo planned to rely on Shengya Mountain to reach Nascent Soul, she was dreaming.
Back in the day, Zhao Zhujun had a relationship with Situ Yang not just because they liked each other. His identity as Dao Child was also a big reason.
Only by becoming Dao Child Situ Yang's Dao companion did Zhao Zhujun have any real shot at advancing to Nascent Soul in a few hundred years.
That wasn't rare—it was a known path.
In terms of resources, Wei Tu definitely wasn't on par with Shengya Mountain's Dao Child. But once he became a Nascent Soul elder, that gap would vanish.
"Everyone seeks the Dao. I fully understand Qingluo's decision," Wei Tu said with a faint smile, ending the topic.
If she were his Dao companion, he might feel bitter about it.
But she wasn't. So there was no need to worry.
Besides, now that he had defeated Situ Yang, the Shengya Zhao Clan had already agreed to help resolve the marriage issue.
Hearing that, Zhao Jiangwu didn't press further. After all, that was their personal matter.
He simply shook his head and changed the subject.
But—
They hadn't talked long when a sudden surge of spell power rippled outside the hall. Its force matched the Golden Core level.
"Someone's trespassing on Lingyan Island?" Zhao Jiangwu's face darkened. He quickly apologized to Wei Tu, then flew out immediately.
"Who'd be bold enough for this?" Wei Tu looked surprised.
Lingyan Island was Shengya Zhao Clan territory and protected by them. What Golden Core cultivator would dare provoke a Nascent Soul power?
With that, he followed Zhao Jiangwu out of the hall and arrived just beyond Lingyan Island.
There, hovering in the air outside the island, stood a young man with dark skin and a steely gaze. He held a magic sword and stared coldly at several Zhao Clan Golden Core elders blocking his path.
When he saw Zhao Jiangwu step forward, the dark-skinned young man slowly turned his gaze toward him.
"Are you Zhao Jiangwu, elder of the Qixue Zhao Clan?"
The young man seemed to be confirming his identity.
"And you are?" Zhao Jiangwu frowned. The young man's face looked vaguely familiar—he was sure he had seen him somewhere before.
The young man gave a cold snort and didn't answer.
But by then, Zhao Jiangwu had already sifted through his memory and recalled who he was.
"It's Jiao Zihua from the Tianyi Sect."
Zhao Jiangwu sent a voice transmission to Wei Tu.
Jiao Zihua had been selected for a marriage alliance between the Shengya Zhao Clan and the Tianyi Sect's Jiao Clan. Since the Qixue Zhao Clan was involved in that arrangement, Zhao Jiangwu had looked into him years ago.
That was how he recognized him instantly now.
"Looks like Jiao Zihua found out about the canceled engagement and came to stir up trouble on Lingyan Island…" Zhao Jiangwu judged.
He wouldn't dare provoke the Shengya Zhao Clan directly. But as a core descendant of the Jiao Clan, Jiao Zihua had no fear about targeting the Qixue Zhao Clan.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, please try not to interfere. Let us Zhao Clan people handle this," Zhao Jiangwu added.
He was worried that if Jiao Zihua angered Wei Tu, someone might end up seriously hurt—or dead. That would be hard to clean up.
Even a blind cat finds a dead sparrow now and then.
Although both the Shengya Zhao Clan and the Tianyi Jiao Clan were Nascent Soul-level sect families, that didn't mean they had geniuses in every generation.
Jiao Zihua was on the same level as Zhao Zhujun in terms of status and strength. That was why they'd been betrothed…
If he were a real genius, elders wouldn't be arranging his marriage for him.
"Much appreciated, Fellow Daoist," Wei Tu nodded and stepped aside.
Judging from how Jiao Zihua was only focused on Zhao Jiangwu, he clearly didn't know about Wei Tu's involvement. His intel was limited.
Honestly, Wei Tu even felt a little sorry for Jiao Zihua. The guy had been dumped twice now. He really was just a victim in all this.
But if it were him, he would have blamed the Shengya Zhao Clan and "Zhao Zhujun" or "Zhao Qingluo." He wouldn't have dragged the powerless Qixue Zhao Clan into it.
Even if he wanted revenge, he wouldn't have made a move before building up his strength.
'Just another pampered sect brat like Zhao Zhujun. Doesn't know his place,' Wei Tu thought to himself with a quiet shake of the head.
…
Not long after Zhao Jiangwu appeared, Jiao Zihua exploded in anger and began attacking the Zhao Clan Golden Core elders.
The other Golden Core cultivators from nearby clans, seeing that Jiao Zihua was only targeting Zhao Jiangwu, put on a show for a while but didn't really help. They soon backed off, leaving Zhao Jiangwu to take the full brunt of the assault alone.
At that moment, Fu Dalu also arrived from outside the island. He stood beside Wei Tu and watched the battle.
"This old guy's about to lose. What a joke—lived this long and still can't beat a younger Golden Core of the same rank…" Fu Dalu said with clear disdain.
He was at late-stage Golden Core, well ahead of Zhao Jiangwu and Jiao Zihua, who were both mid-stage. So he felt qualified to judge their fight.
But Wei Tu didn't see it that way.
He could tell that Zhao Jiangwu was holding back. He was cautious of Jiao Zihua's background and hadn't gone all out. That's why he was being pushed back.
"Young Master Fu, this old fellow—no, this elder is an old friend of mine. Could I trouble you to step in and help him out?"
Seeing that Zhao Jiangwu was on the verge of losing, Wei Tu turned to Fu Dalu and asked for his help.
After all, publicly, Wei Tu was just a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator—no match for someone like Jiao Zihua from a top sect.
Zhao Jiangwu had told him not to intervene. But he hadn't said anything about Fu Dalu stepping in.
"Help him?" Fu Dalu frowned.
He didn't know many cultivators from Haizhou and didn't want to get involved in someone else's mess.
Even robbers check their target's background first, right?
But then he remembered that Wei Tu was highly regarded by the Shengya Zhao Clan. And Jiao Zihua's opponent was just some minor clan cultivator…
That gave him confidence.
"You cultivator! Why are you bullying an old man? I'm here now. Let's fight!"
Fu Dalu stepped forward and pressed his palms together.
In an instant, dazzling Buddhist light burst from his body. A golden sun appeared behind his head, making him look like a living Buddha.
Everyone watching—Zhao Clan cultivators and all—looked shocked. No one knew where this bald monk had come from or why he was suddenly standing up for Zhao Jiangwu.
Even Jiao Zihua, in the middle of the fight, was dumbfounded. His expression went blank.
Clearly, he didn't recognize this monk. He had no idea when or how he had offended him.