The moon goes through phases of waxing, waning, and full.
People's fates, too, change with the day.
Over twenty years ago, when Wei Tu first entered the Immortal Path, he knew that it was unlikely that all four of the brothers would succeed in forming their foundations and live to the end of their lifespans… after all, the Immortal Path was far more dangerous than the mundane world.
Someone was bound to fall behind.
Or die.
But he never imagined that the first to fall behind and die would be Kou Liang.
Wei Tu put away the letter, walked out of the post station, and headed toward Fu Zhizhou's residence.
Coincidentally, Fu Zhizhou had not left Danqiu Mountain that day, as he had intended to head to the Demon Wolf Mountain Range.
"Big Brother is dead?" Fu Zhizhou was stunned, his voice faltering as he heard Wei Tu's words.
The words had barely left his mouth when it seemed as if all his strength drained from him, and he collapsed heavily into a chair. After a long while, he finally regained his senses.
"How did he die?" Fu Zhizhou's throat was dry, and his eyes looked at Wei Tu, filled with grief.
The friendship they had shared for more than forty years meant that even though Kou Liang was not his biological brother, he was like a brother to him.
He had always thought that, as the one to hold the sword, he would be the first to fall in the Immortal Path.
But unexpectedly...
Kou Liang had gone before him.
"Kou Hongying mentioned in the letter that Big Brother was on a mission to the mundane world for the sect when he encountered a First Rank Qingye Snake. He was bitten severely and died from his injuries."
Wei Tu took out the letter, handed it to Fu Zhizhou, and said.
"He died in Guangshun Prefecture?" Fu Zhizhou's eyes turned cold as he looked at the letter.
Normally, there should be no demonic beasts in the mundane world.
The demonic beasts of Zheng Kingdom only existed in the Demon Wolf Mountain Range and other dangerous areas and secret realms.
Guangshun Prefecture was a densely populated area with sparse spiritual energy, so it was impossible for wild demonic beasts to exist there.
Therefore, it was clear that the demonic beast that killed Kou Liang must have been the spiritual pet of a cultivator.
"This grudge, Fu Zhizhou will repay!" Fu Zhizhou gripped the letter tightly and said through gritted teeth.
The four brothers, though bound by interests, had a deep bond. Over the years, they had become sworn brothers through thick and thin.
"First, we should go to Baishi Lake Marketplace and find Kou Hongying to ask for the details."
Compared to Fu Zhizhou's anger, Wei Tu remained much calmer. After all, among the four brothers, Wei Fei was too unreliable, and now that Kou Liang had died, it was up to him to bear the responsibility.
...
Several days later.
On Qujiang Dao, in Nanhang City.
At the Kou family residence.
When Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou arrived, the Kou family had already draped white silk and hanging prayer flags around their home.
Inside the main hall, many of the Kou family's descendants were kneeling.
Behind them knelt the descendants of the Wei family and the Fu family.
The three families were all wearing mourning clothes.
Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou landed. Amid the silent crying of the mourners, the two of them walked up to the hall, took a handful of incense, lit it, bowed three times before the spirit tablet of Kou Liang, and then placed the incense in the incense burner.
"Uncle Wei, Uncle Fu," Kou Hongying, dressed in mourning clothes, stood up with tears in her eyes and deeply bowed to Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou. "This is because of my nephew that my father has passed away. I... I am deeply sorry to my father and the three uncles."
Since the alliance of the Righteous Society,
The Kou, Wei, and Fu families had become close allies.
Outwardly, she was a high-ranking disciple of the Immortal Path, but in her family, she still had to listen to the advice of the three elders, including Wei Tu.
"You don't need to blame yourself." Wei Tu looked at Kou Hongying's weary face and shook his head. "This was just an accident."
He knew that the mission Kou Hongying had assigned to Kou Liang was supposed to be a simple and harmless task, with no danger to his life.
For example, the task that led to Kou Liang's death was only to find a spiritual herb called "Yingyu Grass" in Guangshun Prefecture.
Unfortunately, something had happened on the way.
It was something no one could have predicted.
If there was blame to be placed, it could only fall on the cultivator who raised the First Rank Qingye Snake.
"If it weren't for me, Father wouldn't have neglected his cultivation over the years…"
Kou Hongying blamed herself.
Her father, Kou Liang, had come from a martial official background and was quite capable.
If it hadn't been for the years he spent earning spirit stones for her cultivation, neglecting his own training, he might not have been defeated and gravely injured by the First Rank Qingye Snake.
Ultimately, it was her fault.
It was her, the daughter, who had caused Kou Liang to neglect his cultivation, leaving him unprepared for the sudden disaster.
Seeing this, Wei Tu no longer tried to persuade her.
This was Kou Hongying's own inner turmoil, and no amount of persuasion would help. She would need time to resolve it herself.
As they were speaking,
Wei Fei also arrived at the Kou family residence. Upon seeing the spirit tablet of Kou Liang, a look of sorrow appeared on his face, and he too offered a handful of incense.
"Third Brother, I'm a little glad about my decision from back then."
Wei Fei walked up beside Wei Tu, quietly expressing his thoughts.
Back then, he had boasted—once he became immortal, he would marry and have children.
However,
After entering the Immortal Path, he regretted it.
Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou each had their circumstances. Though the eldest brother, Kou Liang, lacked good talent, he had a daughter with mid-grade spiritual roots...
Only he, Wei Fei, neither dared to be the sword bearer nor had any special skills. He had no talented juniors to help him fulfill his immortal aspirations.
He was all alone, standing isolated.
But now, seeing that Kou Liang had died trying to help his daughter complete a Foundation Establishment task, Wei Fei's regrets instantly disappeared without a trace.
Wei Fei knew that if he had children or descendants, he might end up like Kou Liang.
—Struggling and working for his children until death.
"Everyone has their own fate."
Wei Tu shook his head, not judging Kou Liang's or Wei Fei's choices, not deciding who was right or wrong.
He believed—when Kou Liang died, he certainly did not regret the choices he made more than twenty years ago.
"I wonder who will be the next one to die, out of the three of us?"
Wei Fei gazed at the coffin in the memorial hall, and this sudden thought arose in his mind.
It was the first time he felt a sense of urgency.
Among the three, Fu Zhizhou, as the sword bearer, seemed to be in the most dangerous situation.
But in reality, his integration of spiritual energy and martial arts, along with his overwhelming combat power, made it difficult for him to fall in battle unless he encountered a formidable enemy.
Wei Tu, being a talisman master, didn't have strong combat abilities, but with many life-saving talismans, it would be hard for him to die.
As for Wei Fei, while he lived leisurely in the mundane world and would generally not face danger, if he encountered a situation like Kou Liang's, with his limited skills, he would probably be unable to escape death…
...
By evening,
The families of the three clans had all left to rest.
At this time, at Wei Tu's request, Kou Hongying opened the coffin and revealed Kou Liang's body.
Wei Tu approached the coffin, glanced at Kou Liang's body, and then pressed on the wound in his abdomen, squeezing out some dark blood.
He cast a spell to collect the blood into a pill bottle, sniffed it, and then placed the bottle in his robe.
Seeing this, Kou Hongying's gaze toward Wei Tu softened considerably.
"Back then, when it came to the Earth Origin Pill, I had a conflict with Father... thinking he shouldn't return such a large favor…"
"Now, I see, I was wrong."
She thought to herself.
—The venom of the Qingye Snake wasn't a rare thing. Wei Tu collecting the "dark blood" could only be used for exacting revenge on the enemy, with no other practical use.
After seeing Wei Tu's actions, Fu Zhizhou and the others, though late to realize, followed Wei Tu's method and collected some of the dark blood as well.
...
After paying respects to Kou Liang,
The three of them left once again.
Wei Fei returned to the capital to accompany Master Wu Xianshi in his final days. In a few years, it would be Master Wu Xianshi's time to pass.
Fu Zhizhou had planned to return to Danqiu Mountain with Wei Tu, but after meeting his eldest son, Fu Lin, and getting entangled in family matters, he asked Wei Tu to go ahead.
After leaving Nanhang City,
Wei Tu thought for a moment and decided not to return to Danqiu Mountain just yet. He veered off course and headed to Guangshun Prefecture.
Over the past few years, his cultivation of the "Heavenly Fragrance Silk Technique" had already reached perfection.
Just like the influence of the "Geomagnetic Spirit Body," with the help of his "Late Bloomer" destiny, his "Fragrant Silk Nose" exhibited some remarkable abilities after reaching perfection.
The range at which the Fragrant Silk Nose could detect scents exceeded the three-mile range mentioned in the technique's manual, extending to five miles.
Within a mile's radius, even if there was a Concealment Talisman to mask the scent, his Fragrant Silk Nose could still detect the corresponding smell.
Therefore, Wei Tu was heading to Guangshun Prefecture to use his Fragrant Silk Nose to locate the Qingye Snake that killed Kou Liang and the cultivator who raised it.
He hadn't asked Fu Zhizhou to join him, as he was fully confident in his own abilities—with the Geomagnetic Yuan Light, even if he couldn't defeat the enemy, he could fly and escape without a problem.
Since entering the Immortal Path, aside from killing a rogue cultivator, Zhuo Yan, he hadn't had a proper fight.
This time, he wanted to test his combat abilities.
To prepare for any future unforeseen circumstances.
Two days later, Wei Tu arrived at the place where Kou Liang had encountered the Qingye Snake.
"The scent of the Qingye Snake has mostly dissipated…"
Wei Tu sniffed the air a few times.
He opened the pill bottle, sniffed again, then walked around the surrounding grass for a while.
A quarter of an hour later,
Wei Tu pinpointed a direction and sped off.
After traveling more than ten miles, Wei Tu turned into a mountain hollow and stopped.
"The scent of the Qingye Snake is growing stronger here. It seems that the cultivator is hiding nearby?"
Wei Tu raised his eyebrows slightly, pausing for a moment before retrieving two talismans from his robes.
These two talismans were the basic "Concealment Talisman" and the First Rank, mid-grade "Earth Escape Talisman."
The Earth Escape Talisman was a type of talisman-making technique that Tong Peipei had sold to him as part of her talisman inheritance.
Wei Tu pressed the "Concealment Talisman" against his body, then pinched the "Earth Escape Talisman" between his fingers and muttered a few incantations.
After a short while, the ground beneath his feet became soft and flowy, like quicksand.
Seeing this, Wei Tu placed the "Earth Escape Talisman" into his palm, took a deep breath, and focused his spiritual power, diving into the quicksand below.
After traveling several hundred meters underground, Wei Tu stopped and took out the mid-grade Wood Spirit Stone that Helian Xiong had given him. He absorbed its spiritual energy for a moment.
Once his energy was nearly restored, Wei Tu pinched several offensive talismans between his fingers and carefully proceeded further.
When he was about three meters from the surface,
Wei Tu stopped again. He sent his spiritual sense out, cautiously scanning the movements inside the valley.
Soon, Wei Tu saw an elderly man in a blood-red robe standing in front of a cave in the valley.
The old man had white hair and beard, standing tall, with a mighty golden eagle perched on his left shoulder, and a tiny green snake wrapped around his right arm.
"Qingye Snake!" Upon seeing the small green snake, Wei Tu's eyes flashed with killing intent.
Using his senses, he immediately recognized that this was the First Rank Qingye Snake that had killed Kou Liang.
However, Wei Tu did not act rashly. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down again.
From the old man's aura and the two spiritual beasts he raised, Wei Tu guessed that the old man's cultivation was most likely at the late stage of Qi Refining.
Wei Tu silently waited in hiding, activated his "Rock Shield Talisman," and crept closer to the blood-robed man. When he was about five meters away, he halted.
—Five meters was the maximum range at which a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining could extend their spiritual sense.
After getting closer, Wei Tu finally understood why the blood-robed elder was standing in front of the cave.
It turned out that inside the cave, a female cultivator who had been ambushed and killed by the blood-robed elder was hiding. She had used a blue spiritual bracelet to block the entrance, preventing the blood-robed elder from pursuing further.
The blue spiritual bracelet created a glowing blue shield, like an overturned jade bowl, sealing the cave entrance.
"Princess Qingluo, there's no need to resist. You've been maintaining this spiritual shield for about four days now. In half a day, your spiritual energy will be depleted…"
"By then, not only will you be unable to stop me, but you'll also harm your own foundation."
"As long as you agree to become my blood slave and serve me, I promise I won't kill you."
At this point, the blood-robed elder spoke up.
"Princess Qingluo?" Wei Tu was taken aback. He had never imagined that the female cultivator hiding in the cave was Zhao Qingluo.
Realizing this, Wei Tu's retreating thoughts became stronger.
This blood-robed elder had already defeated someone like Zhao Qingluo, a top talent from an Immortal family. Even with the Geomagnetic Yuan Light, it seemed unlikely that he could defeat this blood-robed elder.
After all, he had already seen that the blood-robed elder raised a golden eagle spirit beast.
With the golden eagle spirit beast present, his advantage of flight was rendered useless.
"Blood Demon Elder, you're delusional. Wait until my Qiyue Zhao family's Foundation Establishment cultivator arrives. You'll then know how to beg for mercy so that I can spare your life."
Zhao Qingluo's weak voice came from inside the cave.
From the angle where Wei Tu was standing, he couldn't see Zhao Qingluo's face, but just hearing her words, he could easily imagine that her eyes must be blazing with anger, furious beyond belief.
"Wait, 'Blood Demon Elder'?" Wei Tu caught a crucial piece of information from Zhao Qingluo's words.
He sucked in a breath of cold air.
The idea of retreating became even stronger in his mind.
The "Blood Demon Elder" was one of the top three figures on the kill list in Danqiu Mountain Marketplace, rumored to come from the demonic sect, the Blood God Sect.
He had committed numerous heinous acts in Zheng Kingdom and even had a reputation for killing three late-stage Qi Refining sword bearers in one battle.
But just as he was about to retreat—
Someone Wei Tu knew, yet also unfamiliar, walked from the other direction in the valley.
"Zhao Qingluo, are you waiting for the talisman message you sent to be received by your family?"
"It's been four days, yet you still haven't realized that this talisman message has already been intercepted by me?"
Geng Wen walked up to stand next to the Blood Demon Elder, sneering coldly. He raised his hand and a glowing orb in the shape of a spirit pigeon appeared in his palm.
Then, Geng Wen squeezed his hand, and the spirit pigeon orb instantly dissipated into nothingness.
"Geng Wen? It's you?" Zhao Qingluo was shocked, unable to believe it.
"Aren't you afraid of being executed by my Qiyue Zhao family? Even your master wouldn't dare provoke my Qiyue Zhao family. If you do, it's the same as signing your death sentence!"