Back then, when parting in Feng Prefecture of the Xiao Kingdom, Wei Tu had given Yan Xiaolan two choices.
One, remain his concubine and wait for him in the wilderness for over a hundred years.
Two, have the spiritual poison in her body removed and regain her freedom, never bound to him again.
At the time, Yan Xiaolan was bold—bolder than Wei Tu himself. She chose the first, riskier option, swearing to follow him to the end.
Now that Wei Tu had broken through to the Nascent Soul realm and made a name for himself, he wasn't the type to break a promise and brush her off with some trivial gift.
He understood that Yan Xiaolan had no genuine feelings for him. Her willingness to become his concubine was purely for the fame and fortune that came with it.
But precisely because of that, he accepted her without guilt.
After all, a concubine was not a wife.
He bore no real responsibility toward a concubine.
To put it more coldly, their relationship was a matter of mutual benefit.
Just like with Qi Feng back then.
After years of bitter cultivation, so long as it didn't hinder his path, Wei Tu didn't mind having another young, pretty woman to warm his bed.
In the end, he was no ascetic saint.
Remaining abstinent and detached forever was never realistic.
…
A moment later.
The two in the cell had disheveled clothes.
Yan Xiaolan clung to Wei Tu like a koala, straddling him on the grand chair. Her eyes were glazed over, arms wrapped around his neck, soft lips brushing his face with a gentle kiss.
Creaaak… creaaak…
In less than the time it took to finish a cup of tea, the sandalwood chair beneath them began to shake, barely holding together.
Finally, with a loud crack, it collapsed completely, splintering into a pile of wood scraps on the floor.
This was even with Wei Tu holding back. With his body refinement level, if he went all out, one hug might've reduced Yan Xiaolan to a bloody mess.
"Wait—let's move to the bed."
Startled by the chair breaking, Yan Xiaolan suddenly came to her senses. She looked at Wei Tu with pleading eyes.
"Fine." Wei Tu didn't object. He released her from his grip and let her slide off his body.
Once on the ground, Yan Xiaolan glanced up at him cautiously, then thought for a moment. She patted her storage pouch and took out a white cloth, spreading it over the bed before lying down sideways.
"Please… be gentle, Elder Wei," she whispered, biting her lip and gazing at him with soft eyes.
As an experienced man, Wei Tu naturally understood what she meant. He said nothing more and stepped onto the bed, continuing where they had left off.
Shortly after, a red plum blossom bloomed on the cloth.
And in the prison cell, tender sounds of intimacy echoed softly.
…
Unlike the pleasure in the prison cell, over in the Yan clan's main hall, all the elders wore troubled expressions.
The reason was simple.
Just moments ago, they discovered that the formation used to imprison Yan Xiaolan had failed.
Not only that, but the Projection Formation inside the cell had become fuzzy. They couldn't see anything clearly.
Even if they were fools, the elders guessed something had gone wrong.
But whoever had done it had come and gone without a trace. So now, none of the elders dared to act rashly for fear of provoking a powerful enemy.
"Could it be Master Cui Dan?" one elder finally broke the silence.
Decades ago, although the Yan clan hadn't witnessed Wei Tu take Yan Xiaolan away, they'd pieced together from rumors that Wei Tu's true cultivation then was Late Golden Core.
Now, after nearly a hundred years, his strength was surely much greater.
And since Yan Xiaolan was his concubine, it made sense that he'd come back for her.
"Impossible!" Clan head Yan Zhenping shook his head. "Our Yan clan's territory lies within Lougao Sect. Even if Master Cui Dan's cultivation is high, there's no way he could sneak past all the layers of formations and restrictions to reach the secret cell unnoticed."
Emotionally, Yan Zhenping hoped the intruder was Wei Tu. After all, he was Yan Xiaolan's father and didn't want her imprisoned forever.
But reason told him that Wei Tu being the culprit was highly unlikely.
No matter what anyone said, cultivation level didn't lie.
Late Golden Core? He wouldn't dare act recklessly within Lougao Sect, a quasi-Nascent Soul power, let alone sneak into the Yan clan's stronghold.
If it had been a top-tier Golden Core cultivator… maybe.
"Yan Xiaolan is only at Foundation Establishment. As far as we know, the only high-level outsider connected to her is Master Cui Dan…"
"If it wasn't him, then who could it be?" The elder who spoke earlier frowned, clearly dissatisfied.
In his eyes, Yan Zhenping was simply trying to dodge blame.
After all, years ago, Wei Tu had deceived both their wealth and their daughter. And Yan Zhenping had failed to stop it.
Now this fiasco happened too.
It looked like Yan Zhenping's time as clan head was coming to an end.
"If it were a Golden Core cultivator skilled in formations, it's not impossible they could've snuck in," another elder added.
Yan Zhenping didn't respond directly. He simply frowned, his tone growing cold.
"This matter isn't up for discussion right now. We'll wait for the old ancestor to return before deciding what to do next."
Yan Zhenping understood his own advantage.
Within the clan, he didn't have the prestige to become clan head. The only reason he held the position was because he was the blood nephew of Yan Zezhi, a Golden Core True Lord.
So rather than argue, he simply invoked his uncle Yan Zezhi's authority—one move to crush all dissent.
As expected, once Yan Zhenping said this, all the Yan clan cultivators present went silent. No one voiced any more objections.
Yan Zezhi didn't reside within the clan grounds. Like the other influential elders of Lougao Sect, his cultivation abode was located in a quasi-fourth-rank spiritual land behind the Lougao Sect's main mountain.
Because of this, when the Yan clan tried to send word to him, there was naturally some delay.
Roughly half a day later…
Yan Zezhi finally arrived, flying from the rear mountain of Lougao Sect in a stream of light, fashionably late.
Then, under the guidance of Yan Zhenping and the other clan cultivators, Yan Zezhi made his way to the clan's restricted area where Yan Xiaolan had been held.
"This spiritual power…" As he reached the door of the cell and saw the energy concealing its interior, Yan Zezhi's pupils shrank, his face turning pale.
Even if he hadn't eaten pork, he'd at least seen pigs run.
This overwhelming spiritual force was nearly identical to that of a Nascent Soul ancestor he'd once been lucky enough to meet.
Clearly, the cultivator inside the cell was 99% likely to be a Nascent Soul ancestor!
"You fools… you're really asking for death…"
Realizing this, Yan Zezhi's expression darkened with rage as he turned to glare at the clan elders behind him, looking like he hated them for their ignorance.
If not for these blind idiots, how could he have ended up walking into this mess and offending a Nascent Soul expert who had broken into their most secure location?
If it weren't for the need to save face, he would've started cursing their ancestors back 18 generations.
After all, if this meeting with the Nascent Soul elder went even slightly wrong, he—a proud Golden Core True Lord—might very well lose his life right here.
"Ancestor, has something happened?"
Seeing the shift in Yan Zezhi's expression, the ever-observant Yan Zhenping grew nervous and quickly asked.
But Yan Zezhi had no time to explain. In that instant, he changed his expression entirely, stepped forward, and bowed deeply toward the direction of the cell.
"Senior, please forgive us juniors and our clan's ignorance. If we've offended you in any way, we sincerely ask for your mercy."
His tone was humble and respectful.
"Senior…?"
The other clan cultivators were momentarily confused, glancing at each other in puzzlement. But soon, a few quick-witted ones realized who he meant by "senior."
He meant a real Nascent Soul ancestor—not the honorary "ancestor" they normally used for high-ranking Golden Core cultivators in the clan.
"A Nascent Soul ancestor?!"
In an instant, a few mentally weaker cultivators nearly collapsed in fear.
After all, a Nascent Soul cultivator… that was an untouchable existence. Even within the entire Lougao Sect, there wasn't a single one.
And now, they, mere juniors, had nearly offended such a being.
The consequences… weren't something they could survive.
A single finger could wipe them out.
If this elder had even a slightly bad temper, none of them would make it out alive.
"But why?"
"Why would a Nascent Soul ancestor appear in Xiaolan's prison cell?"
The whole clan was baffled.
But right now, no one could answer that.
All they could do was imitate Yan Zezhi's posture, bow with solemn faces, and nervously apologize to the mysterious Nascent Soul cultivator.
Even though they knew the elder had broken into their territory first, strength decided who was right.
Before a Nascent Soul, they could only submit and accept their fate.
And yet—
What shocked the Yan clan even more was—
Despite all their apologies, the Nascent Soul elder inside the cell never responded. It was as if they hadn't been heard at all.
Time passed slowly.
Half a day later…
Things finally shifted.
Under the watchful eyes of the clan members, the thick mist concealing the cell slowly dispersed. From within stepped out a girl in a blue dress, her hair in twin buns, glowing with vitality and flushed cheeks.
"Xiaolan?" As her father, Yan Zhenping immediately recognized his daughter the moment she stepped through the cell door and into the light.
But when he noticed her awkward walking posture, his brow twitched, and he felt a bit lost.
He hesitated, wondering how he was supposed to explain this to Master Cui Dan. After all, even if Cui Dan wasn't as powerful as the Nascent Soul cultivator, he still wasn't someone Yan Zhenping could afford to offend.
Fortunately, in the next moment, Yan Xiaolan spoke, and his heart, which had been lodged in his throat, finally settled.
"I come bearing a message from Elder Wei," Yan Xiaolan said. She gave a respectful bow to the elders present. Then, her almond-shaped eyes swept across the gathered cultivators, and she spoke again, her tone calm.
"This time, the Yan clan has committed no offense. If anything, it was Wei who trespassed into your clan's territory and, through minor deception, took control of Little Cold Mountain decades ago."
As her voice faded, any cultivator here with half a brain instantly understood that the "Elder Wei" she referred to… was none other than the so-called Master Cui Dan who had escaped Little Cold Mountain years ago.
"Thank goodness. I acted out of familial compassion and didn't punish Xiaolan too harshly. I only confined her here to save face for the clan and the sect," Yan Zhenping thought, letting out a long breath of relief. 'That was lucky.'
He understood well that whether Wei Tu valued Yan Xiaolan as his concubine or not, if he mistreated her, then as a Nascent Soul ancestor, Wei Tu could casually unleash a punishment he'd never be able to endure.
"Many thanks to Elder Wei for being magnanimous and not blaming us," Yan Zezhi quickly said, his tone even more flattering than Yan Zhenping's. After Yan Xiaolan had passed along Wei Tu's words, he immediately bowed and expressed gratitude, as if the Yan clan had really done something wrong.
"Many thanks to Elder Wei for being magnanimous and not blaming us."
In the next moment, the other Yan clan cultivators also echoed Yan Zezhi's words.
"No need for all the formality."
At that moment, inside the prison cell, Wei Tu adjusted his clothes, swept his sleeve, and dispelled the concealment spell he had cast. His gaze swept over the cultivators outside as he spoke flatly.
"So young?" Yan Zezhi lifted his head and carefully glanced at Wei Tu, inwardly startled.
He had long known that the name "Master Cui Dan" was a false identity and that the appearance was likely a disguise. But even so, seeing Wei Tu's true appearance for the first time still left him surprised.
After all, in his memory, Nascent Soul ancestors were usually middle-aged or elderly. Very few appeared as young as Wei Tu.
Choosing what age to look like wasn't hard for Nascent Soul cultivators, but it did require maintaining it with spiritual power.
Normal beauty-preserving pills had little effect at that realm. So unless one was extremely vain, most Nascent Soul elders didn't bother keeping a youthful appearance.
And if Wei Tu cared about looks, he wouldn't look so plain and ordinary right now.
Clearly, this youthful look reflected Wei Tu's true age.
…
After a moment, once the Yan clan cultivators had calmed down, Wei Tu finally stepped out of the prison cell and stood in front of Yan Xiaolan.
"I won't waste words. Since I decided to take Xiaolan as a concubine back then, I have no intention of going back on that promise. From today on, she is officially my concubine."
"As for your Yan clan…" Wei Tu glanced at Yan Zezhi, his tone dropping, "Back then, I wronged you by deceiving you once. To make up for it, I'll grant your clan one request to settle this matter."
Decades ago, the Yan clan had taken him in on behalf of Lougao Sect and even offered Xiaolan as a concubine. Though their goal had been to gain his inheritance after death, that was understandable. No one's perfect, and given his state back then, it was normal for the Yan clan to make that move.
And frankly, their intentions were reasonable.
You could say that both parties had reached a silent agreement and finalized the deal.
The Yan clan would serve him until his death, and he would leave them his assets.
As for whether they had considered killing him to seize his belongings—Wei Tu didn't know. But as a righteous cultivator himself, he wasn't going to make such assumptions.
Now that he'd truly taken Yan Xiaolan as a concubine, there was no point in holding onto past grudges. Let it go.
Of course, he had another reason for saying this.
He wanted to make it clear to the Yan clan that once they made their request, they shouldn't come asking for favors in the future just because of his relationship with Xiaolan.
He was buying out her ties to the clan all at once to avoid future trouble.
As his words fell, Yan Zezhi turned and exchanged glances with his nephew Yan Zhenping. Clearly, the two experienced old foxes had understood his meaning.
And they both knew—the request had to be made now. Miss the timing, and the offer would vanish.
After all, Wei Tu didn't seem particularly attached to Yan Xiaolan. He definitely wasn't going to waste more effort on the Yan clan.
"The Yan clan wishes to dominate Lougao Sect and fully turn it into the private domain of our family!"
Yan Zezhi didn't hesitate and boldly made the request.
But Wei Tu didn't respond. He simply shot a cold glance at Yan Zezhi and said with a frosty tone, "Pick another one. I won't wait."
At his cultivation level, it wasn't hard to wipe out Lougao Sect without a sound. But openly helping the Yan clan seize control and convert the sect's assets into private holdings—that was a whole different matter.
First, it would waste a lot of time.
Second, meddling in the internal affairs of another sect could easily bring him trouble with the righteous sects of Xiao Kingdom.
Lougao Sect might appear to be a mere quasi-Nascent Soul sect, but it still had ties—deep and tangled—with several Nascent Soul-level forces.
Though disappointed, Yan Zezhi hadn't pinned all his hopes on the first request. So after thinking for a moment, he put forth a second one.
"Then… I ask Elder Wei to grant the Yan clan three Nascent Soul-level spells for our protection."
He bowed deeply as he spoke.
"Fine."
Wei Tu didn't refuse this time. He nodded slightly and agreed.
Casting Nascent Soul spells and storing them for later use were two different things.
The latter was significantly harder.
Otherwise, back then, Yuwen Cheng wouldn't have only carried one stored spell from Jinxia Immortal.
For ordinary Nascent Soul ancestors, this would be a heavy task. But for Wei Tu—it wasn't.
The spiritual item he used during his breakthrough was a "sentient artifact." His Nascent Soul's spiritual nature was extremely strong. In terms of controlling spiritual power, he was far above other Nascent Soul cultivators.
Not to mention, he also possessed the divine ability "Yuan Gravity Divine Light," which gave him even greater control over spiritual energy.
"But before I leave these three Nascent Soul spells behind…" Wei Tu said calmly, "I need to know your Yan clan's true intentions."