Chapter 606: The Princess’s Recruitment, My Own Recommendation

Wei Tu finally understood—so that was why Hall Master Luo wanted to recommend him as an Elder of Offering in the Jishan Sect. There was another layer of consideration behind it.

Still, he insisted on offering his thanks. After all, becoming an Elder of Offering in the Jishan Sect would bring him real, tangible benefits.

After the matter of the Elder of Offering was settled, Hall Master Luo hesitated for a moment. Then he took out a storage pouch from his body and handed it to Wei Tu.

"The corpse of Venerable Master Xinggu?"

Wei Tu accepted the pouch, swept it with his divine sense, and his face showed a flicker of surprise.

Inside the pouch was nothing else—just the corpse of an old man with snow-white hair. He wore a silver robe, his body snapped in half at the waist. His eyes bulged, his face was twisted, and at the same time, it was filled with thick terror.

Clearly, in the final moments before death, his heart had been gripped by overwhelming fear.

Wei Tu had never seen Venerable Master Xinggu in person before, but through intelligence reports he already knew this devil’s face and aura.

"This devil, I wanted nothing more than to flay him alive and eat his flesh raw. But when rescuing my daughter, time was too rushed. I could only let him die suddenly, without any torment."

"Now, giving his corpse to Elder Wei, I wish to entrust you with something…"

Hall Master Luo looked at Wei Tu with utter sincerity as he spoke slowly.

"Entrust me?" Wei Tu raised a brow at that, some guesses already forming in his heart.

"Please, Hall Master Luo, explain in detail."

Wei Tu didn’t say yes or no right away. He wanted Hall Master Luo to speak first, then he would decide. He was fine with lending a hand if it was simple, but if it was too troublesome and time-consuming, then he would weigh the pros and cons.

Hall Master Luo wasn’t displeased by this response. If Wei Tu had agreed instantly, he would actually have doubted whether Wei Tu’s character could be trusted.

"Just now, I already told Elder Wei of the flaws in the Reincarnation Profound Art my daughter cultivates. As the art deepens, emotions gradually fade away…"

"Now that she has escaped the Yin Ghost Sect, with my future treatment her condition should slowly improve."

"But… if one day I am no longer here, then I must ask Elder Wei to help her with this."

Hall Master Luo sighed as he said this.

Hearing this, Wei Tu felt clarity. At the same time, he thought to himself: ‘As expected.’

When he saw the corpse of Venerable Master Xinggu earlier, he had guessed that Hall Master Luo giving him the body likely had to do with Luo Mingzhen’s cultivation of the Reincarnation Profound Art.

The only remaining value of this devil’s corpse was for Luo Mingzhen.

It was like a needle—painful, yes, but it could pierce her heart and pull her back toward feeling, keeping her from losing herself completely to the “forget emotion, forget self” state of the Reincarnation Profound Art.

And the reason Hall Master Luo entrusted this to him was simple.

—He had taken part in the rescue of Luo Mingzhen. In Hall Master Luo’s eyes, he was someone who could be trusted.

Perhaps he wasn’t as close as those always at Hall Master Luo’s side, but his strength made him more suited to carry this burden. In Hall Master Luo’s view, Wei Tu was the most reliable person to entrust with the task of saving his daughter in the future.

"This is a small matter. I, Wei, agree."

Wei Tu thought for a moment and then nodded.

This wasn’t a deathbed entrustment. It was simply preparation in case of unexpected accidents. Accepting it was no burden, and it would only strengthen the bond between them.

And even if it was a deathbed entrustment, he would lose nothing. It was just a matter of lending a hand.

…

A few days later.

Wei Tu, Hall Master Luo, and Luo Mingzhen used an ultra-long-distance teleportation array to return to the Inner Void Sea.

Back in the Jishan Sect’s Guest Hall, Wei Tu noticed the entire sect seemed tense. Many disciples went out of their way to avoid walking near those from the Law Enforcement Hall.

It was obvious now—the matter of Hall Master Luo rescuing his daughter Luo Mingzhen had already leaked. More than nine-tenths of the Jishan Sect’s middle and upper ranks must have heard of it.

"This must be the work of the You Shen Sect."

Wei Tu was certain. If it had only been Feng Han and the other top figures of Jishan Sect who knew, it wouldn’t have spread like this. They wouldn’t let it turn into a public uproar, practically wearing the words “sect civil war” on their faces.

Whether Luo Mingzhen had been abducted or not, this was a scandal. It should have been covered up by the upper echelon, not aired openly.

Seeing this, Wei Tu and Lüqiu Qingfeng’s envoy restrained themselves and waited patiently for the day of “the incident.”

Both of them knew.

Once internal conflict broke out within Jishan Sect, the Lüqiu Clan’s divided loyalties would no longer be considered a problem.

On the contrary, to keep the sect’s external situation stable, the Jishan Sect would have to placate the Lüqiu Clan.

Sure enough.

By the third day, the same Jishan Sect cultivators who had previously ignored the envoy of the Lüqiu Clan began showing goodwill. First they apologized for poor hospitality, then they repeatedly arranged banquets to entertain the envoy’s cultivators.

Even Wei Tu, as the “close attendant of the princess,” was included in their efforts to win favor. Several middle- and high-ranking figures of Jishan Sect sent him invitations, showing clear intent to befriend him.

Wei Tu accepted with a smile, making no attempt to hide his willingness to interact with them.

And so—

Very quickly, the envoy of the Lüqiu Clan regained their former treatment, and the diplomatic crisis with the Jishan Sect was no more.

"On this journey, only with Fellow Daoist Wei’s help was I able to complete my mission in peace. Fellow Daoist Wei, you are truly my strong right arm!"

Lüqiu Qingfeng personally arranged a private banquet to thank Wei Tu for his aid. Without him, she would still be at a loss, not knowing how to begin resolving the tense conflict between the Lüqiu Clan and the Jishan Sect.

Sitting at the secondary seat, Wei Tu noticed something different about Lüqiu Qingfeng today. She wore softer, plainer clothing that made her appear more approachable. From time to time, a shy, girlish smile lit her face, almost like she was hinting at something.

'She sees my value and is trying to draw me closer,' Wei Tu guessed.

The outside world only knew that Hall Master Luo had acted personally during the rescue of Luo Mingzhen. They did not know who had gone with him.

But Lüqiu Qingfeng did.

She knew that he had gone with Hall Master Luo to the Yin Ghost Sect. She knew he had fought brilliantly at their mountain gate, clashing with Yin Mozi and fighting him evenly.

To him, this was nothing unusual.

But to Lüqiu Qingfeng, it was entirely different.

Before, he had the record of killing Lüqiu Jinyuan, but that had been more of an ambush than a fair fight.

This battle with Yin Mozi, however, had been one-on-one, impossible to fake.

In other words, in Lüqiu Qingfeng’s eyes, his value was now nearly on par with Yin Mozi, the Old Ancestor of the Yin Ghost Sect.

Yin Mozi was one of the top three Nascent Soul powers in the Red Algae Sea, second only to the old king of the Lüqiu Clan himself, the Lüqiu Renwang.

Even so, Wei Tu had no desire to grow closer to Lüqiu Qingfeng.

He already had Hall Master Luo’s promise. He was about to become an Elder of Offering in the Jishan Sect. There was no need to put effort into the Lüqiu Clan anymore.

What the Lüqiu Clan could give him, the Jishan Sect could also give.

To put it more bluntly, now that he had a foothold in the Jishan Sect, the Lüqiu Clan as a “stepping stone” had little use for him.

Moreover, Lüqiu Qingfeng’s handling of Lüqiu Qing’s matter had already revealed her somewhat cold-hearted nature.

Getting too close to her would not be a good thing.

Of course, Wei Tu would never show this directly. Smiling, he accepted the fragrant tea Lüqiu Qingfeng handed him, sipping it as calmly as ever.

"The Donghua Demon Kingdom is vast and rich, ruling countless powers. Yet I am but one person. At times… it is hard to manage everything alone."

"If I had more assistance from Fellow Daoist Wei, things would surely be easier."

Lüqiu Qingfeng brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear, her tone gentle.

"Assistance?" Wei Tu caught her meaning. She valued not only his cultivation but also his practical ability.

He wasn’t some genius statesman or minister of extraordinary talent, but as with this mission to the Jishan Sect, he was more than capable of supporting Lüqiu Qingfeng.

And Lüqiu Qingfeng, after repeated setbacks, had realized her own shortcoming in this area. Now she wanted to pull him in to make up for it.

"I, Wei, have no interest in politics. I only want to focus on cultivation and reach late Nascent Soul."

Wei Tu declined tactfully.

It was the truth.

Back when he was among the Ying Ding Tribe, he had little interest in power.

All the more so now—after what had happened with Yuan Jie, he had already learned that lesson.

"This time, Fellow Daoist Wei has rendered great service in the mission to the Jishan Sect. Since you don’t wish to serve as my assistant, then… how should I reward such merit?"

"Fellow Daoist Wei must know that I only recently became Crown Princess. I don’t yet possess many rare treasures."

"I can hardly… give myself away as a reward."

Lüqiu Qingfeng smiled faintly, speaking in a joking tone, but her true intent lay beneath.

Her pride did not allow her to say openly: “Marry me, become my Dao partner.”

So instead, she tested him with these words.

If Wei Tu showed interest, she would reveal her intent further and make it real.

"…Give yourself away?"

Wei Tu froze at her words. Sharp as he was, he did not believe for a second that this had simply slipped from her tongue.

He lifted his gaze to her. Her face was flushed red, the Ninth Princess looking as if a blush had spread across her cheeks. He bit his tongue lightly, steadying himself.

To serve as her minister and help Lüqiu Qingfeng rule the Donghua Demon Kingdom held little appeal for him.

But to become her Dao partner—and through her, gain control of the Donghua Demon Kingdom—that was a completely different matter.

Leaving aside power and status for the moment…

Just Lüqiu Qingfeng’s late Nascent Soul cultivation alone was beyond what most female cultivators could compare with. Dual cultivating with her would no doubt bring him great benefits.

But after thinking it through, Wei Tu still chose to refuse.

For him, becoming an Elder of Offering in the Jishan Sect was far more important right now.

If he became the Lüqiu Clan’s “son-in-law,” entering the Jishan Sect would undoubtedly become a huge problem.

—An Elder of Offering could leave freely at any time. But a “son-in-law” meant permanent binding.

And the will of the Jishan Sect’s higher-ups was, more often than not, to suppress the Lüqiu Clan.

At the moment, because of the internal strife, the Jishan Sect was tolerating them. But once the struggle ended, they would surely go back to targeting the Lüqiu Clan again.

That was the core contradiction between the Jishan Sect and this attached power—something that could not be resolved.

"This isn’t necessary. I, Wei, and the Princess are partners. If one prospers, the other prospers; if one falls, the other falls. Helping the Princess this time was also helping myself."

Wei Tu smoothly shifted the topic, not touching on her remark about “giving herself away,” treating it as if it had just been a joke.

As his words fell, Lüqiu Qingfeng, though a little disappointed, was not surprised.

Ten years ago, she had once considered giving Lüqiu Qing to Wei Tu as a political marriage. But he had firmly rejected it.

Her own looks were seventy percent similar to Lüqiu Qing’s, though her cultivation and status were higher, making her even more desirable.

But if Wei Tu had refused Lüqiu Qing, there was no reason he would eagerly accept her.

'This is fine too. After all, I already hinted at marrying Wei Tu, but he himself refused…' Lüqiu Qingfeng thought.

In her eyes, offering her body as a bargaining chip wasn’t a necessary step to the throne, but if need be, it could be done.

Now, she had shown her stance. Wei Tu refused. In a way, she had “done her part.”

…

Half a day later.

When their conversation had run its course, Wei Tu took his leave from the private banquet and returned to his temporary cave dwelling in the Jishan Sect’s guest hall.

Lüqiu Qingfeng agreed readily and did not stop him.

But just one incense stick’s time after Wei Tu left, a piece of news was delivered to her palace.

"What?"

"Wei Tu has become an Elder of Offering in the Jishan Sect?"

After hearing Nangong Zhe’s report, Lüqiu Qingfeng was first shocked, then filled with deep regret.

The position of Elder of Offering in the Jishan Sect wasn’t particularly exalted. It couldn’t compare to her Lüqiu Clan, the strongest power under the sect.

But the key was this—

Wei Tu, a dual cultivator of both body and law with immense potential, had taken that position.

A dual cultivator at mid Nascent Soul level had potential equal to, if not greater than, the disciples of Divine Transformation level in the Six Great Sects of the Profound Dao.

In other words, once Wei Tu became an Elder of Offering, with access to the Jishan Sect’s resources, his potential would skyrocket, making him a Nascent Soul cultivator with true prospects of Divine Transformation.

Wei Tu’s talent determined his lower limit.

The Jishan Sect as a platform would determine his upper limit.

Yet because of her own pride, after one failed attempt to draw him in, she had not tried again…

If she had persisted, maybe Wei Tu’s stance would have changed, and he might have truly “joined” her.

'Could it be that Wei Tu already knew he was about to become an Elder of Offering in the Jishan Sect, and that’s why he rejected me on purpose?'

Lüqiu Qingfeng wasn’t stupid. After her brief regret, she quickly thought of this.