After Zheng Kingdom became the main battlefield—
Kou Hongying was well aware that her chances of staying alive in Hongyan Mountain Marketplace would drop drastically.
In the face of the upcoming intensity of war, hoping a lone Foundation Establishment cultivator could remain untouched was unrealistic.
"Let's hope Master succeeds in forming a Golden Core soon." A trace of hope flickered in Kou Hongying's eyes.
As long as Qin Zhenren succeeded in reaching the Golden Core Realm, the perilous situation she now faced would be quietly resolved.
A Golden Core True Lord, no matter how humble their background or how lacking in influence, would be considered high-ranking within Mirror Water Pavilion.
They had the right to influence sect affairs.
"Qin Zhenren…" Hearing this, Wei Tu also sighed softly, silently hoping for Qin Zhenren's rise.
In the muddy waters of Zheng Kingdom, if he could find shelter under a Golden Core cultivator, his safety would be greatly enhanced. His movements, too, would be far less restricted.
After discussing official matters,
Wei Tu led Qi Feng out of the room and into another private suite to rest.
Just like before, after attending the underground auction, it was hard to say whether any rogue cultivators would lie in wait to rob travelers on their way out. Staying for a few days in Changzhou City would significantly reduce that risk.
…
Inside the room,
Qi Feng curled up in a corner, shivering slightly. From time to time, she peeked toward Wei Tu, who was washing up and changing in the inner room, her eyes filled with nervous anticipation.
—She knew well the difference between being a concubine in name only, and having actually shared a bed.
However, this was her first time facing something like this. She no longer had the courage she'd displayed at the auction. Now, she just waited quietly for Wei Tu to come to her—unable to muster the courage to go to him.
Only a thin curtain separated the inner and outer chambers.
So, for Qi Feng, who was sitting on a small stool in the outer room, it wasn't difficult to see what Wei Tu was doing inside.
"He's just changing clothes?" After waiting a while and bracing herself mentally, Qi Feng saw that Wei Tu was simply changing into clean robes. Her anticipation quickly turned into disappointment.
"Maybe it's because Senior Kou is here… and he's trying to maintain his image," Qi Feng thought to herself.
Earlier, she had already realized that "Hong Wen" was merely an alias. She'd figured it out when she heard Kou Hongying call him "Uncle Wei."
"Not bad looking at all."
Just then, Wei Tu lifted the curtain and walked toward her.
When Qi Feng saw his real appearance, a brief flash of joy surged in her chest. She almost let it show on her face.
To be honest, Wei Tu's looks weren't exceptional among cultivators. He was pretty ordinary, even a bit unremarkable.
But compared to the dark-skinned, rough-faced "Hong Wen," his true face was far more pleasing to the eye.
So now that he appeared far better than she had expected, as someone who had already accepted the identity of a concubine, how could she not feel pleasantly surprised?
"Miss Qi, let me introduce myself properly…" Wei Tu came to stand beside her and gave her a full introduction, revealing his true identity.
Making things clear was the foundation of building trust. If his identity remained uncertain, Qi Feng would never fully open up to him.
"The talented Talisman Master who reached Foundation Establishment before a hundred years old?" Qi Feng was visibly shocked.
Back when the Xuanhou Qi Clan had yet to decline, she had already heard of Wei Tu's name from within her own family.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator under one hundred years old—this was something typically only found in the Three Great Immortal Sects or among the seven major Golden Core families.
That alone made him someone all Foundation Establishment families would know about. Let alone the fact that he had later shown remarkable talent in the art of talismans, even making a name for himself at the Golden Moon Cliff exchange conference hosted by the Heshan Huang Clan.
—The Xuanhou Qi Clan had once been friendly with a vassal clan of the Heshan Huang Clan. It was through them she had heard about Wei Tu's rising fame in the world of talisman masters.
Qi Feng thought for a moment and couldn't recall any negative rumors or scandals about Wei Tu in her memory.
She understood clearly why Wei Tu chose to reveal his identity at this moment, so after hesitating briefly, she continued the part of the Qi Clan's "secret" that she had left unsaid at the auction.
"At the auction, this one had already told Senior Hong—no, Senior Wei—that five years ago, my father and great-grandfather were conscripted to the righteous-demonic battlefield…"
"Before leaving, my father told me that there was a secret treasure hidden in the clan's forbidden grounds. That treasure was the foundation of our Qi Clan's rise. If he died in battle, I was to immediately enter the forbidden grounds and take it away."
"But… my father miscalculated one thing. By the time I received news of his death, my second uncle had already taken over the clan's authority. I never got the chance to even approach the clan's forbidden area…"
Qi Feng's expression filled with sorrow.
"That's all you know?" Wei Tu's tone turned cold.
After all, back at the auction, Qi Feng had confidently assured him that the secret treasure of the Qi Clan could help him improve his cultivation.
And now—
Qi Feng couldn't even say what that treasure was.
Of course, Wei Tu didn't think she was lying. She probably just didn't know what the treasure actually did.
"Please don't be angry, Senior Wei. This junior truly doesn't know what the item is. My father didn't expect he would… fall in battle together with our great-grandfather."
Qi Feng explained sincerely.
"But I do know that the treasure can indeed improve one's cultivation."
"Every time my great-grandfather entered the forbidden grounds and came back out, his cultivation would always rise significantly."
Qi Feng thought a moment, then added that detail.
"Each time he came out, his cultivation would improve?" Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, now faintly interested in this so-called clan treasure of the Qi Clan.
"I'll still honor what I promised you at the auction." After thinking a bit, Wei Tu glanced at the uneasy Qi Feng and said something to put her at ease.
Just now, what Qi Feng said reminded him of the moment he parted with his daughter Wei Yan before heading to the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
A loving parent always plans for their child's future.
But the difference was—
He had walked out of the Cloud Ze Secret Realm alive.
While Qi Feng's father and great-grandfather had both perished in the righteous-demonic battlefield.
So Wei Tu had no intention of being harsh with Qi Feng.
"It's late. I'm willing to serve Senior Wei…" Qi Feng blew out the candlelight, then knelt at Wei Tu's knees, helping him untie his robe.
To this—
Wei Tu didn't resist.
He always acted in a methodical and steady manner, never pursuing things beyond his reach.
Likewise, when it came to the beauty along the immortal path, he preferred to experience it step by step, rather than fixating on the distant goal of immortality.
Of course—
Along the way, Wei Tu wouldn't linger too long either. He wasn't looking to create unnecessary complications for himself.
Apart from Wei Yan and her younger brother, he didn't want to have any more children that would tie up his attention.
The night was misty, the moon bright.
Drizzling rain fell from the sky. Cold wind rustled the treetops, creating sounds like a flute or xiao drifting through the air.
At that moment, in the room next door, Kou Hongying cast a soundproofing formation on her room.
…
More than ten days later.
After taking time in Changzhou City to rest and recover, Wei Tu set out with Kou Hongying and Qi Feng, heading toward the Tian Shuang Ridge where the Xuanhou Qi Clan resided.
Only, compared to their usual harmonious travels, the atmosphere this time was a little awkward between the three.
When Kou Hongying noticed that Qi Feng's hair was now coiled in a married woman's bun—different from the style worn by young girls—she instantly understood everything that had happened that night.
She had expected this outcome.
What made her uncomfortable was—
She didn't know how to address Qi Feng now.
Before, she had called Qi Feng "junior." Now it seemed awkward to continue calling her that. But calling her "aunt" felt even more inappropriate, so she simply pretended not to notice anything.
After all, Qi Feng was just a concubine of Wei Tu.