Chapter 522: Master Gu Tong, A Twisted Path to Treasure
Half an hour later.
Wei Tu arrived near Poison Demon Island. He cast several hand seals toward a certain spot on the small isle.
In an instant, misty clouds swirled and voices buzzed. A lively immortal island floating on the water slowly unfolded before him like a scroll painting.
Seeing this scene, Wei Tu was surprised. At the same time, he pressed down the bamboo hat on his head.
Right now, the face he wore was that of “Liu Yu Daoist.” If anyone familiar with him saw, it would surely bring trouble.
But this was the only choice he had.
Just like in righteous lands, even though the demonic realm was chaotic, when it came to high-grade treasures such as the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone, the control became strict and identities had to be verified.
After all, no one wanted to hand resources to an enemy and plant hidden dangers for their own future.
In other words, without a proper identity, this treasure would be considered “not for sale.”
No amount of spirit stones could buy it.
As for a suitable demonic identity…
After counting through possibilities, only the one he had killed—Liu Yu Daoist—was usable.
Since Liu Yu Daoist’s death, the remnant essence of his corpse had been absorbed by Wei Tu using the “Joyous Nuo Mask,” allowing him to perfectly mimic another “Liu Yu Daoist.”
And it had been less than half a year since Liu Yu Daoist died.
Wei Tu thought to himself that such news, even if Hehuan Sect used soul tablets or similar methods to sense it, would never spread wildly to expose their weakness.
The death of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator was enough to shake the foundation of even a large demonic sect like Hehuan Sect.
So, as long as he acted cautiously, impersonating Liu Yu Daoist in the demonic realm was not only bold but also extremely safe.
Not long after, Wei Tu blended into Poison Demon Island’s marketplace without issue and arrived at the shop Ancestor Chilong had mentioned—Wansheng Pavilion.
"I don’t know what business brings Senior to Wansheng Pavilion?"
Seeing Wei Tu’s powerful Nascent Soul aura, the shopkeeper’s face instantly filled with respect and fear. He hurried forward to receive him.
Wei Tu didn’t beat around the bush.
"I’m here to purchase a Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone."
"A Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone?" The shopkeeper’s face showed shock.
After all, to ordinary demonic cultivators, this treasure wasn’t much use.
That was why it had sat collecting dust in Wansheng Pavilion for hundreds of years without ever being sold.
But even so, the shopkeeper didn’t dare make a decision himself. He nodded quickly and replied respectfully:
"Since this involves a Fourth-Tier treasure, this junior has no right to decide. I must report to my master. Please, Senior, wait a moment."
These words were true, not a trick.
No matter how unused it was, the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone was still the shop’s guardian treasure, a rare Fourth-Tier item.
Wei Tu had already expected this before coming, so when he heard it, he showed no displeasure.
He only nodded slightly, then followed the shopkeeper to an elegant room to wait for the master of Wansheng Pavilion.
Half a day later, the master finally arrived.
But to Wei Tu’s surprise, the master of Wansheng Pavilion was not a cultivator of his own realm as he had imagined. Instead, it was a petite, youthful Golden Core female cultivator.
Still, this woman was no pushover.
Behind her followed an elderly woman with graying hair, a Nascent Soul early-stage expert, likely her bodyguard.
Wei Tu guessed that Wansheng Pavilion might be a family business. If it were a merchant guild, they wouldn’t let a Golden Core woman hold real authority.
"This concubine, Lu Xuehu, greets Senior." The female cultivator smiled, bowing politely to Wei Tu.
"This time I was delayed on the road and arrived a little late. I hope Senior will not blame me."
Lu Xuehu added with an apologetic tone.
"No matter." Wei Tu waved his hand lightly, signaling her not to mind.
He wasn’t about to take such polite words seriously.
"As an apology, this concubine will personally prepare tea for Senior as compensation."
Lu Xuehu smiled sweetly, walking gracefully to the tea table to brew tea close to Wei Tu.
A faint fragrance drifted out, like orchids and chrysanthemums, quietly curling around Wei Tu’s nose.
But Wei Tu didn’t appreciate this display of feminine charm. He frowned slightly and interrupted without courtesy:
"Since Lady Lu, the master of Wansheng Pavilion, has already arrived, it’s time we got to the business of trading treasures."
His voice grew colder.
Business was business. He had no interest in idle chatter. After all, he was only pretending to be Liu Yu Daoist. The more he spoke, the greater the chance of a slip.
Swift action and quick closure—that was the only right path.
At his blunt words, Lu Xuehu’s smile stiffened.
With her status, lowering herself in such a flattering way was rare.
But a Nascent Soul ancestor cutting her down to size wasn’t new. Strange-tempered Nascent Soul experts were everywhere in the demonic realm.
She quickly adjusted her mood, and her stiff expression shifted back to a bright smile.
"It was this junior’s mistake."
She apologized again, then after a pause, added:
"A trade with Senior is certainly possible. But before the exchange, according to our rules, Wansheng Pavilion must know… Senior’s identity."
In the demonic path, strength was everything.
The so-called rules or moral bottom lines seen everywhere in righteous lands were nothing but empty words here.
The one with the biggest fist always has the final say.
Because of this, demonic cultivators tended to be hot-tempered and quick to vent their anger on others. For this reason, businesses like Wansheng Pavilion, which ran proper trade, were very reluctant to sell precious treasures to cultivators entangled in grudges.
Especially Fourth-Tier treasures!
After all, a Nascent Soul ancestor really did have the power to wipe out Wansheng Pavilion.
Hearing this expected demand, Wei Tu didn’t rush to lift the bamboo hat that concealed his face. Instead, he frowned as though hesitating.
Only after waiting for a moment did he slowly remove the hat, revealing the “true face” beneath.
"Liu Yu Daoist?"
The cultivators present showed clear surprise. Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivators were already rare compared to early-stage ones, and even more so since Liu Yu Daoist came from the great demonic sect Hehuan Sect.
Lu Xuehu clearly hadn’t expected the guest before her to be a mid-stage Nascent Soul powerhouse.
The displeasure she had felt earlier when Wei Tu interrupted her vanished completely.
"This old woman, Chou Jian, greets Elder Liu Yu…"
At that moment, the elderly Nascent Soul woman behind Lu Xuehu bowed respectfully to Wei Tu and gave her name.
Among cultivators of the same realm, rogue cultivators were weaker than sect cultivators.
And compared to Liu Yu Daoist, she had neither his cultivation level nor his background. How could she not show respect?
"So it’s Granny Chou," Wei Tu said with a faint smile, glancing at her knowingly.
Nascent Soul cultivators were few no matter where one went. Though Ancestor Chilong had been “dead” for nearly 500 years, he still had some impression of this woman.
In her youth, she had been beautiful and pitiful, the disciple of a powerful elder from a great demonic sect, as well as his dual-cultivation furnace.
By all reasoning, she should never have had a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
Yet during her Golden Core stage, she somehow gained the opportunity to secretly strike down her master.
When her master weakened during a qi deviation, she struck decisively, killing him and seizing freedom.
But that alone wouldn’t have made her famous enough for even Ancestor Chilong to remember her.
What made her name spread far and wide was that after turning on her master, she castrated him with a pair of scissors, then changed her name to “Chou Jian”—“Hatred Shears”—and roamed the cultivation world under that name.
Still, Wei Tu didn’t know whether Liu Yu Daoist had ever met her. So he only greeted her briefly before turning his gaze back to Lu Xuehu.
"My identity should be enough to qualify me to purchase the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone, right?" Wei Tu said flatly.
With Hehuan Sect as his backing, no one would dare bar him from trade.
"Of course," Lu Xuehu nodded lightly without objection.
But then she paused, looking at Wei Tu with a serious expression. "Senior Liu Yu, this junior has a shameless request. If you agree, I am willing to hand over the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone, our pavilion’s guardian treasure, free of charge."
Wei Tu was a little surprised, but not overly so.
After all, doing business always came with trouble. And even without trouble, using it as an excuse to connect with a powerful figure was worth it.
Though the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone was valuable, it was nothing compared to broadening connections with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
What’s more, Liu Yu Daoist was a Supreme Elder of Hehuan Sect.
In the demonic realm, the five great sects weren’t absolute rulers, but if Wansheng Pavilion could gain support from such a background, their future would be much smoother.
It was all quite obvious.
"Lady Lu, why don’t you tell me what this request is first?" Wei Tu asked with a smile.
If it wasn’t too troublesome, he wouldn’t mind saving himself the cost of the stone.
Right now, though not poor, he was far from wealthy.
In order to break through to the mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm within 50 years, he had drained nearly all his savings and even racked up debts.
Later, after killing Divine Master Jin Xia and Liu Yu Daoist, and after destroying the Shangliang Cai family, he recovered some wealth.
But compared to other Nascent Soul cultivators of his level, he was still pitifully poor.
Hearing his response, joy flashed across Lu Xuehu’s face. She quickly began to explain the “trouble” she needed his help with.
"This matter is about my father."
"Over 100 years ago, my father joined Master Gu Tong in funding the refinement of a furnace of Golden Grain Pills."
"My father provided more than 70% of the spiritual ingredients needed for that furnace."
"The agreement was that once the pills were made, if more than one Golden Grain Pill came out, Master Gu Tong and my father would split them evenly. But… more than 50 years ago, my father failed while switching to a demonic cultivation method, and his realm collapsed…"
At this point, Lu Xuehu’s face turned sorrowful, her eyes dimming.
Wei Tu thought for a moment and understood what she wanted.
It was simple.
This alchemist, Gu Tong, had seen her father’s cultivation fall and wanted to break his promise, swallowing the pills meant for the Lu family.
Kicking someone when they’re down wasn’t rare, even in the righteous path. In the demonic realm, it was even more common.
But what Wei Tu didn’t understand was this: with Granny Chou standing behind her, why would Lu Xuehu need his help?
No matter how bold or influential this Gu Tong was, he wouldn’t dare openly bully a family with a Nascent Soul ancestor still alive.
It was as if Lu Xuehu sensed his doubt. She paused and explained: "The only reason Granny Chou serves my Lu family is because my father once saved her life. And at that time… the physician who treated her was none other than Master Gu Tong…"
"My father guessed that with Master Gu Tong’s insidious nature, he must have planted something sinister inside Granny Chou’s body. That’s why anyone else can help, but Granny Chou absolutely cannot."
"But Elder Liu Yu is different. You’re only a passerby on Poison Demon Island, with no ties to Master Gu Tong."
"Insidious?"
Hearing that word, Wei Tu narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn’t believe the Lu clan was as pure as Lu Xuehu tried to paint them.
Granny Chou’s loyalty to the Lu family surely wasn’t just gratitude.
More likely, just like Master Gu Tong, the Lu family had used their own methods to control her.
That would fit the logic of the demonic path.
"This seat has some wealth, but I won’t get dragged into your little feud. Lady Lu, let’s keep it simple. I’ll trade with spirit stones."
After a moment’s thought, Wei Tu smiled faintly and said this.
"What?"
Lu Xuehu froze, disbelief written across her face.
She had never imagined Wei Tu would refuse.
To a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like him, her request was nothing more than a minor favor, something he could settle with a flick of the wrist.
With just a little effort, he could earn a Fourth-Tier treasure. She couldn’t imagine any reason for refusal.
"If Senior Liu Yu wants more, I can raise the price. The Golden Grain Pill is of utmost importance to my Lu family. I hope Senior can understand."
Lu Xuehu lowered herself in a full bow, tears glimmering in her eyes, her expression pitiful.
And, mindful of Hehuan Sect’s reputation, she deliberately arched her body while bowing, letting the curves of her hips show faintly beneath her robes.
In her mind, if she could tie herself to Elder Liu Yu of Hehuan Sect, even becoming a furnace cauldron for dual cultivation would be worth it.
But to her surprise, Wei Tu remained expressionless, utterly unmoved by her deliberate temptation.
‘Of course,’ Lu Xuehu sighed inwardly. ‘With Elder Liu Yu’s status, what beauties has he not seen within Hehuan Sect?’
She finally understood—Wei Tu wasn’t like the average Hehuan Sect cultivator. Lust wouldn’t sway him at all.
"Don’t tell me that unless I agree to this matter, I won’t even be able to purchase the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone from your pavilion?"
At that moment, Wei Tu’s light words reached her ears.
Her face immediately changed. She hurriedly stood, bowing in apology. "It was my fault. I’ll take out the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone at once for trade."
If she hadn’t already revealed Wansheng Pavilion’s weaknesses earlier, she might have been nervous but not so terrified.
But now, she had no choice but to bow her head.
If she served him poorly and Wei Tu developed greed like Master Gu Tong, Wansheng Pavilion really could face destruction.
Without delay, Lu Xuehu pulled out a jade box from her storage pouch and respectfully offered it to Wei Tu.
"A Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone…"
Wei Tu accepted the jade box. Sweeping it with his divine sense, he saw the pure, jade-like flesh brimming with vitality inside. His lips curled into the faintest smile.
He hadn’t expected to obtain such a “treasure of the dao path” this smoothly, without encountering the slightest obstacle.
It felt almost unnatural.
"Here is the spirit stone payment for the purchase."
Settling his mind, Wei Tu drew a pouch of spirit stones from his sleeve and set it on the table.
Unlike auction items, the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone was Wansheng Pavilion’s guardian treasure. Its price had long been fixed, with no room for bargaining.
Of course, Wei Tu knew that with his current power, he could pressure Lu Xuehu to cut the price.
But there was no need.
That would cheapen the image of “Liu Yu Daoist.”
"Besides… perhaps one day Lu Xuehu herself will return my spirit stones in full."
Wei Tu’s gaze flickered.
He had refused her request for now, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get involved later.
The refusal was simply to act on his own terms.
His goal wasn’t just to help Wansheng Pavilion and pressure Master Gu Tong into handing over half the Golden Grain Pills.
The alchemist’s Fourth-Tier skills and his pill recipes were also things Wei Tu coveted.
Now that he had this opening, he wouldn’t let it slip by.
"But for now, the urgent task is still to head to Wan Yin Sect, obtain the Soul Refining Banner, and kill Qi Chengchu. This matter can wait."
Wei Tu thought silently.
With the Soul Refining Banner in hand, his combat strength would rise another level.
Even if Master Gu Tong proved formidable, Wei Tu was confident he could subdue him.
…
With the trade concluded, Wei Tu left.
Inside Wansheng Pavilion, Lu Xuehu finally let out a long breath of relief.
Even knowing that Wei Tu wouldn’t act against her on Poison Demon Island, being in front of someone who could kill her in an instant left her tense beyond words.
"Granny Chou, since Elder Liu Yu won’t help, we’ll need to find another way."
Lu Xuehu sighed.
"Miss, the master likely doesn’t know yet that we’ve traded away the Fourth-Tier Taisui Stone. We’ll need to report this matter to him."
Granny Chou shook her head, not answering her words directly, but reminding her of this minor detail.