Chapter 601: Envoy to the Neixu Sea, Luo Mingzhen’s True Identity

The next day.

The envoy group of the Lüqiu Clan set out, heading toward the Neixu Sea.

Taking the chance, Wei Tu asked Lüqiu Qingfeng for a copy of the detailed intelligence on the powers within the Neixu Sea and the Divine Transformation cultivators who ruled them.

He already had some information in hand, but it was incomplete and nowhere near as detailed as what an overlord-level force like the Donghua Demon Kingdom had compiled.

Like him, Lüqiu Qingfeng had only gained access to this intelligence after being chosen as the official envoy for the “Pilgrimage into the Ruins.”

Before this, such records—or rather, such “secrets”—were held only by the clan lord Lüqiu Yeming and the Lüqiu Clan’s strongest expert, the Lüqiu Human King. Even Nascent Soul cultivators of the Lüqiu Clan rarely touched such knowledge.

For this mission, Lüqiu Yeming had repeatedly warned Lüqiu Qingfeng to guard the intelligence well and never leak it to outsiders.

But unfortunately for him, Lüqiu Qingfeng, bound to Wei Tu in a relationship of shared secrets and deep cooperation, didn’t hesitate in the slightest when Wei Tu asked. She agreed easily.

After all, a brat selling his grandfather’s land won’t feel the pain.

Years ago, Lüqiu Qingfeng had dared conspire with Wei Tu to kill the clan’s own genius, Lüqiu Jinyuan.

Now, why would she be stingy with a bit of intelligence?

Or rather, in Lüqiu Qingfeng’s eyes, Wei Tu was her real kin, while people like Lüqiu Yeming were the real “outsiders.”

“Xuandao Six Sects…”

“Jishan Sect, Xiao Huan Palace…”

Wei Tu sank his mind into the jade slip and first examined the two sects that backed the Lüqiu Clan, the sects of the Divine Transformation cultivators connected to them.

Though the Neixu Sea wasn’t as vast as the four seas of the Outer Ruins, it still housed many immortal sects. Among them, the six sects with Divine Transformation cultivators stood at the top, known as the “Xuandao Six Sects.”

This time, the envoys were to pay respect to the Divine Transformation cultivators of Jishan Sect and Xiao Huan Palace.

“Interesting… so that’s the connection.”

Wei Tu raised his brows slightly.

The first page of the jade slip laid out in detail the relationship between the Lüqiu Clan and the Divine Transformation cultivators of Jishan Sect and Xiao Huan Palace.

The Lüqiu Clan’s ancestor had once been the guardian spirit beast of Jishan Sect. After transforming into a demon, he became an outer vassal to the sect master’s line.

Later, when his descendants’ bloodline degraded, they were forced to leave Jishan Sect and venture into the Red Algae Sea.

Fortunately, through generations of struggle, the Lüqiu Clan established the Donghua Demon Kingdom, rose again in power, and eventually became Jishan Sect’s foremost subordinate force.

Naturally, Jishan Sect could not reject a power so deeply connected to them. Six thousand years ago, they formally acknowledged the Lüqiu Clan as a protected force under their banner.

As for the Divine Transformation cultivator of Xiao Huan Palace…

That was more of a coincidence, with a stroke of luck.

The Xiao Huan Palace cultivator bore the surname Tong, and the world called him “Venerable Tong.” When he was young, he was sickly and looked doomed to die early. To strengthen him, the Tong family of Xiao Huan Palace gathered half-demon women as wet nurses to nourish his body.

As it happened, one of those women was from the Lüqiu Clan.

Because of this tie, once Venerable Tong showed outstanding talent during Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages, the Lüqiu Clan immediately poured enormous resources into supporting him.

So, in a way, the Lüqiu Clan could be considered Venerable Tong’s second maternal family.

Compared to Jishan Sect, the Lüqiu Clan’s bond with Xiao Huan Palace was far more intimate.

At the very least, as Wei Tu knew, the queen of Lüqiu Yeming, Lüqiu Qingfeng’s mother, bore the surname Tong.

“But prosperity always hides danger.”

Flipping further, Wei Tu saw Lüqiu Yeming’s note at the end: Beware of Jishan Sect.

It wasn’t hard to guess what Lüqiu Yeming meant. The Lüqiu Clan, already under Jishan Sect’s umbrella, had gotten too close to Xiao Huan Palace.

Jishan Sect and Xiao Huan Palace weren’t enemies, but this was still a serious taboo.

To the Lüqiu Clan, securing Venerable Tong’s favor had been a stroke of supreme fortune.

To Jishan Sect, however, the Lüqiu Clan risked appearing faithless, a vassal ready to betray its master.

“Not my concern.”

Wei Tu shook his head. His ally was Lüqiu Qingfeng, not the Lüqiu Clan. Their feud with Jishan Sect had little to do with him.

“Haoyang Sect…”

As he pondered, Wei Tu also brought out the Ascension Token he had obtained after killing the ancestor of Huofen Sect.

This token was issued by another sect of the Xuandao Six Sects—Haoyang Sect. Any cultivator holding it could present gifts and request an audience with Haoyang Sect’s Divine Transformation elder, with a chance to receive rewards.

Now that he had Lüqiu Clan’s intelligence on the Neixu Sea, he could guess the real intent behind these Ascension Tokens.

The Xuandao Six Sects used them as bait, drawing Nascent Soul cultivators into their fold and expanding their subordinate networks.

At the same time, they also relied on these Nascent Soul cultivators to gather resources from the Outer Ruins.

Even so, though the risk was small, Wei Tu had no intention of going alone with this token to meet Haoyang Sect’s Divine Transformation elder.

After all, serving a sovereign is like serving a tiger.

The other side could crush him to death at will.

And right now, he didn’t even want anything from a Divine Transformation cultivator.

…

Two months later.

The envoy led by Lüqiu Qingfeng finally reached the Neixu Sea.

Compared to the Outer Ruins Sea, the Neixu Sea’s spiritual energy was even denser. Most of its spirit islands were above second-grade, with first-grade ones rarely seen.

On the way, Wei Tu even spotted several near fifth-grade islands, not inferior to Yunyang Island or Yuanjun Island.

Of course, this was because they were getting closer to the heart of the Neixu Sea—the Tianyuan Archipelago. But it also proved just how abundant the Neixu Sea’s spiritual energy truly was.

“First, we’ll pay tribute to Jishan Sect.”

Landing at the outskirts of the Tianyuan Archipelago, Lüqiu Qingfeng glanced toward the directions of Jishan Sect and Xiao Huan Palace. She chose Jishan Sect first, unwilling to provoke the nerves of their former overlord right when she had just been named crown princess.

But as the envoy traveled toward Jishan Sect, they suddenly noticed a notice board inside a market square on a spirit island.

It was a missing-person notice, clearly showing the portrait of a young woman.

“It’s her? Luo Mingzhen!”

Lüqiu Qingfeng instinctively looked at Wei Tu. At the same time, Wei Tu looked back at her, and both instantly confirmed the identity in their hearts.

Sure enough, after extending their divine sense, they saw the name “Luo Mingzhen” written below.

This woman Luo Mingzhen was the very same one they had stumbled upon the last time, when searching for the whereabouts of “Ancestor Luo.” She had turned out to be another Nascent Soul furnace vessel being sold by Ruyi Tower.

But later, to protect themselves, and once they confirmed she was not “Ancestor Luo,” neither of them bothered to save her.

“Didn’t expect coming to the Neixu Sea would bring such an unexpected gain.”

Lüqiu Qingfeng’s face brightened with joy. She had heard of the one who posted this notice—a Nascent Soul elder of Jishan Sect named Luo Guzhu, who commanded the “Hall of Law Enforcement,” one of the sect’s thirteen halls.

According to the notice, the missing Luo Mingzhen was none other than his only beloved daughter.

To Lüqiu Qingfeng, this was an enormous piece of good fortune.

If she could befriend this powerful elder of Jishan Sect, then her mission to pay respects to the sect would already be considered a complete success.

“Wait! The Hall of Law Enforcement?”

All of a sudden, Lüqiu Qingfeng’s expression changed. She sensed conspiracy in this matter.

The elder of the Law Enforcement Hall was indeed a man of great power in Jishan Sect.

But the duties of that hall destined its elders to be “strict and upright,” enforcing the rules without compromise, and in the process, making many enemies among fellow cultivators.

Lüqiu Qingfeng didn’t know if this “Hall Master Luo” truly lived up to that ideal, but she had heard his reputation for integrity.

Which made it obvious—

This Hall Master Luo was very likely being suppressed and excluded by the upper echelons of Jishan Sect.

If she went to him with news of his daughter’s whereabouts, there was a good chance she would gain nothing, and instead earn the hostility of the other high-ranking elders.

Yes, Lüqiu Qingfeng suspected that Luo Mingzhen’s disappearance might have been orchestrated by other Jishan Sect leaders themselves, as revenge against Hall Master Luo.

Making Luo Mingzhen a slave and prostitute would humiliate him far more than simply killing her.

Imagine—knowing your colleague’s daughter was out there being used as a furnace vessel, serving a pack of old demons. What satisfaction, what joy that would bring.

Otherwise, with Hall Master Luo’s authority, how could it be so hard for him to find her?

Even so, Lüqiu Qingfeng dared not make a rash conclusion. She knew her own limitations.

If not for Wei Tu’s help, she would still be crushed under Lüqiu Jinyuan’s shadow.

Not long ago, she had even tried to draw Wei Tu in with a marriage scheme, only for him to see through it effortlessly.

“Fellow Daoist Wei, what do you think?” Lüqiu Qingfeng frowned slightly, seeking his opinion.

A person should know their limits.

As a royal princess, she had been well taught. She knew that a ruler’s mediocrity wasn’t the true danger—what was dangerous was knowing one was mediocre yet still making decisions alone without listening to advice.

She didn’t know how sharp Wei Tu was in politics, but she was sure of one thing: compared to her, his experience and shrewdness made him a natural advisor, someone who could teach and guide her.

“I can’t say for certain.”

Wei Tu shook his head, not offering any clear advice.

Even though he now had the same intelligence as Lüqiu Qingfeng, judging the truth and danger of such an event based only on information would be reckless.

At the very least, he would need to step into Jishan Sect and gather more information before making any judgment.

“Besides, Luo Mingzhen has been missing for several decades already. Ninth Princess, there’s no need to rush.”

Wei Tu paused, then reminded her.

The choice lay in Lüqiu Qingfeng’s hands. Whether to actively befriend or to turn a deaf ear depended entirely on her.

If she wanted to be ruthless, she could even side with the ones who had harmed Hall Master Luo. That, too, could be a valid move.

Between sects, friendship didn’t matter. Interest was everything.

Just like when he found out Luo Mingzhen was not Ancestor Luo—he abandoned her without hesitation.

“Wise words, Fellow Daoist Wei.”

Hearing this, Lüqiu Qingfeng’s eyes lit up, and the path ahead felt much clearer.

She had advisers before. They offered clever strategies, yes, but very few analyzed the situation as clearly as Wei Tu just had.

What she didn’t know was that those advisers weren’t less capable than Wei Tu. But as her subordinates, dependent on her favor, they never dared speak too bluntly, afraid of angering her and inviting punishment.

Wei Tu was different. His interests were deeply bound with hers—prosperity for both, ruin for both. And in his heart, he didn’t fear her at all.

So his words were straightforward, sharp, and hit the heart of the matter.

Just as Lüqiu Qingfeng was about to thank him, the seventeenth princess, Lüqiu Qing, suddenly ran over to Wei Tu, striking up a conversation with him out of nowhere.

Seeing this, Lüqiu Qingfeng swallowed her words.

She kept silent, continued on the road, but her eyes turned icy cold—so cold they could freeze.

…

“Seven years ago, when Qing first met Offering Wei, I already felt admiration for him.”

“So before this envoy mission to the Neixu Sea, I asked Father King to grant me a marriage with you. After all, being the son-in-law of the imperial family is always a good thing… if I’ve offended in any way, please forgive me, Offering Wei.”

Up in the clouds, Lüqiu Qing had moved close to Wei Tu. After a few words of small talk, she steered the conversation to the royal marriage decree that Lüqiu Yeming had brought up in the great hall before the envoy’s departure.

As she spoke, her delicate cheeks flushed red, her shyness plain to see. At this moment she didn’t look like a royal princess of the Lüqiu Clan, but more like a neighbor’s girl apologizing nervously to the man she admired.

“Truly?”

Wei Tu raised a brow, showing some surprise.

Two months ago, when the marriage decree was brought up, he had already expected that Lüqiu Qing would eventually respond. But he hadn’t thought she would be so direct in laying it all out to him.

With her skill in disguise, if he had been a sheltered clan heir instead of a poor-born Nascent Soul cultivator hardened by the world, he might well have been fooled.

But her performance now was clumsy—this wasn’t her usual level.

The only explanation was that she had rehearsed these words and this scene in her heart countless times over the past two months, until it finally came out just right.

“Of course it’s true!”

Lüqiu Qing’s heart leapt at his reaction. Convinced that Wei Tu felt some affection for her, she nodded firmly, speaking with certainty.

But in front of the envoy procession, Lüqiu Qingfeng’s face turned colder still, the frost deepening as she overheard.

“How does the princess plan to deal with this?”

Since this was Lüqiu Qingfeng’s family matter, Wei Tu didn’t want to get involved. He brushed off Lüqiu Qing with a vague reply, then asked Lüqiu Qingfeng about her intentions.

The seventeenth princess Lüqiu Qing had no strength to challenge Lüqiu Qingfeng’s crown princess status, either in backing or personal cultivation.

But—

An ignorant younger sister, meddling at the wrong time, could still damage Lüqiu Qingfeng’s prestige. After all, Lüqiu Qing had once been her own hand-picked candidate for marriage alliances.

“Lüqiu Jinyuan has company in the Yellow Springs now.” Lüqiu Qingfeng answered flatly.

Killing one or killing two—what difference did it make?

She felt no burden at all.

In the imperial house, there was no real family affection. She had felt some sisterly bond before, but now that Lüqiu Qing had chosen betrayal, trying to steal her allies and build her own faction, she would show no mercy.

“In that case… after Princess kills Lüqiu Qing, would you gift her corpse to me?”

Wei Tu wasn’t surprised at her answer. To him, mercy toward a traitor was cruelty toward oneself. After pondering a moment, he asked calmly.

“This…”

The frost on Lüqiu Qingfeng’s face melted into an odd look. After all, Lüqiu Qing’s face resembled her own seven-tenths, and she was her younger sister. Killing her was one thing, but handing over her corpse to Wei Tu afterward seemed… inappropriate.

“I have a niece who cultivates a demonic art called the Reversing Spirit Blood Exchange Art.”

Wei Tu shook his head and explained.

Though both Lüqiu Qing and Kou Hongying were at early Nascent Soul, Lüqiu Qing, as a royal princess of the Lüqiu Clan, carried true spirit blood in her veins. It was far beyond the ordinary spirit blood in Kou Hongying’s body. If Kou Hongying could refine Lüqiu Qing’s blood, her path in Nascent Soul cultivation would gain tremendous benefits.

She might even break through the bottleneck that restricted this art at the early Nascent Soul stage.

And for Wei Tu, it only cost him a word. Of course he would ask.

He wouldn’t practice demonic arts himself, using people as pills. But he wouldn’t stop his family from taking advantage either.

Besides, he wouldn’t be the one doing the killing.

At most, it was just waste not.

“I see.”

Lüqiu Qingfeng relaxed, realizing she had overthought it. Wei Tu didn’t even want Lüqiu Qing alive, rejecting marriage, so how could he lust after her corpse?

His reason was the same as when she had once asked him for Lüqiu Jinyuan’s corpse—for cultivation purposes.

Among demons and half-demons, devouring the blood of one’s kin to purify the bloodline was common.

Though there was some risk of bloodline leakage, Lüqiu Qing wasn’t a pure-blood heir like Lüqiu Jinyuan. She was just “mixed blood.” Even if it leaked, the Lüqiu Clan wouldn’t suffer much.

Besides—

She was only crown princess, not yet in full control of the clan. No need to worry too early.

“Then refining a Lüqiu Clan bloodline with this secret art is even better.” Lüqiu Qingfeng nodded, her lips moving as she passed Wei Tu a chant.

“Thank you, Princess.”

Wei Tu cupped his fists in thanks.

But as he accepted the secret art, a trace of caution grew in his heart toward her.

He didn’t know how deep her sisterly bond with Lüqiu Qing had been, but for her to so easily order her death and then hand him the method to refine her corpse’s bloodline… that spoke of a heart grown cold.

At first, he had even worried that his “defilement” of Lüqiu Qing might displease her elder sister. But clearly, she didn’t care at all.

Since this benefited him, he said no more.

At the side, Lüqiu Qing misunderstood the whole scene, thinking Wei Tu had just shown her affection.

Her heart leapt with joy—for surely any man would be delighted to hear a princess admired him.