Just one phrase.
A man without sin still gets blamed when he carries a treasure.
At this moment, Ni Shihuang couldn't help regretting her decision—why did she bring a wolf into the house and lead Wei Tu, this major force of the demonic path, straight into her clan's base?
After all, Wei Tu now held this explosive secret and could easily control her, and even the fate of the entire Cloud Crane Mountain Ni family.
And even with her background from the Heavenly Maiden Sect, that might not be enough to defuse it.
Even if they were lucky and got through it, she and the Ni family of Cloud Crane Mountain would still be left battered and bruised.
"Fairy Ni, no need to panic. I'm basically a son-in-law to your Ni family of Cloud Crane Mountain. I came here to discuss cooperation, not to threaten your clan."
Wei Tu noticed Ni Shihuang had lost her composure and smiled softly to reassure her.
To him, the Ni family was nothing like Huang Juzhi. He could perform a soul search on them without any moral dilemma. He also wouldn't have to worry about getting nothing from their souls.
But if he did that, it would stir up too much trouble in Zheng Kingdom.
Too big of a stir meant too many problems.
In contrast, if he worked with the Ni family, he could keep the situation under control. On top of that, he could use this leverage to make them a 'loyal ally.'
Whether he advanced or backed off—it was entirely up to him.
Right now, Wei Tu was choosing the more strategic path.
"Cooperate?"
Ni Shihuang was stunned.
Their Ni family had already figured out the rough location of another secret realm medicinal garden. All they lacked was the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl in Huang Juzhi's possession to pinpoint the coordinates.
Once they confirmed those coordinates, they could enter the secret realm.
But cooperation now?
What could Wei Tu offer?
Wasn't this just him trying to grab something for nothing—using his status as a Nascent Soul Venerable Master to pressure and rob them of their fortune?
"Wait… could Senior Fu really get it out of Huang Juzhi? Find out where the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl is?"
A thought struck Ni Shihuang, and she asked the question.
If Wei Tu could really deal with Huang Juzhi and get that pearl, then maybe he really was serious about cooperating with their Ni family.
"I've got a high-grade soul-searching technique in hand. I'm not worried about him staying silent."
Wei Tu gave a faint smile.
"Soul-searching technique?" Ni Shihuang's eyes dimmed with disappointment.
She said, "Huang Juzhi already knew he had no hope of reaching the Nascent Soul stage, so he refined his soul entirely into his golden core. Inside that core, he also planted a self-detonation restriction."
"If anyone tries to force a soul search, he'll blow himself up instantly. That's the only reason our Ni family hasn't gotten the pearl's whereabouts from him yet."
"If not for the fact that I and some fellow cultivators caught him off guard and sealed his cultivation right away, he would've long taken the secret of the pearl with him to the underworld."
She added quietly.
Hearing this, Wei Tu's confusion vanished. Now he finally understood why the Ni family of Cloud Crane Mountain had been keeping Huang Juzhi alive all this time.
Refining one's soul into the golden core… it sounded simple, like it wasn't a big deal.
But it was far from easy.
The hardest part of reaching the Nascent Soul realm was the Awakening Tribulation. It was the only way to let a cultivator's soul reside within the Nascent Soul.
Without surviving the Awakening Tribulation, even if someone formed a Nascent Soul, it would be a fake one—a glorified Golden Core cultivator.
In short, a golden core couldn't house a soul.
If a Golden Core cultivator forcibly refined their soul into the core, there would only be one result: their lifespan would be drastically shortened.
Losing hundreds of years—maybe even several centuries—of life.
Of course, there was a benefit too.
The person's strength would spike dramatically in the short term, leaping several small realms.
Because of this, the cultivation world had even given the method a nice-sounding name—Nascent Soul.
It meant the soul entering nirvana and being reborn.
So generally speaking, only Golden Core cultivators who were already set on dying would choose this method to accomplish some last mission. No sane person would take that risk.
"Huang Juzhi… what a tough guy."
Wei Tu now understood. The man had most likely chosen the Nascent Soul method to get revenge on Qi Chengchu or the Ni family of Cloud Crane Mountain—for the destruction of his clan.
Unfortunately, he was caught off guard during preparation by Ni Shihuang and the others, who had been waiting to ambush him. That led him to end up as a prisoner locked away in the dark prison of Cloud Crane Mountain.
"Fairy Ni, just because you couldn't do it… does that mean I can't? You're underestimating me too much."
Wei Tu's expression darkened. He snorted coldly.
Truth was, he really didn't have a reliable method to soul-search Huang Juzhi in his current state. But that didn't stop him from bluffing Ni Shihuang.
"I misspoke."
Ni Shihuang's face went a little pale. She quickly straightened up and bowed respectfully.
What Wei Tu just said made her realize she had made a basic error.
Just because someone at the Golden Core stage couldn't soul-search Huang Juzhi didn't mean someone at the Nascent Soul stage couldn't.
Seeing this, Wei Tu looked satisfied. He nodded slightly and gave her a direct order—to bring Huang Juzhi to his temporary guest residence so he could perform the soul search himself and locate the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl.
"I shall obey."
Ni Shihuang didn't even think to argue. She nodded immediately.
She understood that Wei Tu letting her escort Huang Juzhi personally was a gesture of respect to the Ni family.
If she didn't recognize that, Wei Tu could simply slaughter their entire clan and take the treasure for himself.
Half an hour later.
Ni Shihuang and the Ni clan's old ancestor arrived as agreed, escorting Huang Juzhi to Wei Tu's temporary guest cave residence.
But just as the two nervously stepped into the guest hall, intending to ask how Wei Tu planned to perform the soul search, a gust of cold wind swept in and carried Huang Juzhi straight into the secret chamber inside.
Seeing this, Ni Shihuang and the old ancestor exchanged uneasy glances. They could only comfort themselves—Wei Tu must be taking precautions to avoid revealing his secret technique, which was why they weren't allowed to watch.
After all, in the demonic path, power ruled. Wei Tu was already considered one of the more gentle types among demonic overlords for merely doing this.
Meanwhile, inside the secret chamber of the guest cave.
Wei Tu looked over the middle-aged cultivator bound before him. His shoulder blades were pierced, and his whole body was shackled in blood-red chains. Yet Wei Tu's face wore a gentle expression.
"It's you?" Huang Juzhi recognized him and looked surprised.
Ever since Wei Tu left earlier, Huang Juzhi had been trying to figure out what his words truly meant. After all, what Wei Tu said didn't sound like something someone colluding with the Ni family would say.
But before he could figure it out, Ni Shihuang and the old ancestor had rushed in and brought him here—now standing before Wei Tu once again.
And on the way, he had noticed something. The way Ni Shihuang and the old ancestor acted—they didn't just show respect to Wei Tu. They were outright afraid.
That alone told him one thing: this unfamiliar cultivator, Wei Tu, likely had the strength to crush the entire Cloud Crane Mountain Ni family.
"It's me," Wei Tu nodded slightly.
He smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Huang, do you remember what I said before I left? If you're willing to cooperate with me and hand over the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl, I'll spare your life."
"Of course I remember!" Huang Juzhi narrowed his eyes and responded coldly.
'No bait, no hawk.' He wanted to see what confidence Wei Tu had to make him willingly give up the pearl.
"Do you know why I chose this place to meet you again?" Wei Tu smiled faintly, a bit cryptically.
That puzzled Huang Juzhi. 'Why would someone of this level need to pick a special place just to see me?'
Before he could think further, the Wei Tu in front of him suddenly changed appearance—into a face he knew all too well.
"Wei Tu!" Huang Juzhi was shocked.
As the second elder of the Huang clan, he had known about Wei Tu for over 200 years, back when he served as a retainer for the Huang family.
Later, after betraying the clan and joining the Heavenly Maiden Sect, Wei Tu's image became even more deeply etched in his mind. After all, Wei Tu had become a wanted man, one the sect had spent over a century and a fortune hunting down.
And now, that very enemy of the Heavenly Maiden Sect was standing here inside the Ni family's territory, a vassal of that sect—and being treated as an honored guest.
How could he not be shocked?
"You're lying! With Wei Tu's age, there's no way he could reach your level of cultivation."
After the shock passed, Huang Juzhi's face was full of disbelief.
By his calculations, Wei Tu's natural aptitude would have only gotten him to the late Golden Core stage by now.
But this person had subdued Ni Shihuang, a mid-stage Golden Core dual cultivator, so completely that she looked like she was on the verge of collapse. A mere late Golden Core cultivator couldn't do that.
So no matter what, he refused to believe this person was Wei Tu.
"Lie to you? What for?" Wei Tu gave a scornful smile.
He flicked his sleeve, and a faint golden token appeared on the table before them.
"A retainer token?" Huang Juzhi froze at first. Then he snorted. "You came prepared. Even if that's really Wei Tu's token, I still wouldn't believe it."
He'd rather assume Wei Tu had been killed and this person had taken his token, than believe a cultivator of this level was really Wei Tu.
After all, anything could be faked—except real cultivation.
But Wei Tu hadn't shown the token to convince him anyway.
He paused a moment and then said, "If you won't believe I'm Wei Tu, then how about I let someone else confirm it for you? A cultivator you'll trust."
Before Huang Juzhi could respond, Wei Tu grabbed his shoulder and used flying escape technique, leaving Cloud Crane Mountain in a flash and heading southwest.
He wasn't heading to some random place. His destination was Cuiping Mountain, where his granddaughter Huang Fang was currently staying.
With Huang Fang as a witness, gaining Huang Juzhi's trust would be much easier.
Meanwhile, Ni Shihuang and the Ni family's old ancestor waiting inside the guest cave had no idea Wei Tu had left. With their current strength, they couldn't even begin to sense the presence of a Nascent Soul Venerable Master.
That was exactly why Wei Tu had chosen to relocate the interrogation from the dark prison to the guest cave.
Because the Ni family of Cloud Crane Mountain would never dare to set up monitoring restrictions or formations anywhere near the temporary residence of a Nascent Soul elder.
Cuiping Valley wasn't far from Cloud Crane Mountain.
With Wei Tu traveling at full speed, he arrived in less than the time it took for one incense stick to burn.
"Why did you bring me here?" Huang Juzhi frowned deeply. He couldn't figure out what Wei Tu was planning.
Still, Wei Tu's speed made one thing very clear. This was no mere Golden Core cultivator, but a genuine Nascent Soul Venerable Master.
"Just look down, Fellow Daoist Huang."
Wei Tu shook his head with a smile and waved his sleeve, lifting the restrictions binding Huang Juzhi.
"...!" Feeling his long-lost spiritual power return, Huang Juzhi stood stunned for a moment.
But remembering Wei Tu's cultivation, he didn't dare entertain the idea of escape. He could only suppress his doubts and try to figure out what Wei Tu was up to.
'If he's trying to trick me, I'll self-detonate and take the secret of the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl with me.'
Huang Juzhi made up his mind and silently vowed.
At that moment, Wei Tu's divine sense swept through Cuiping Valley and found Huang Fang deep in cultivation.
"Maternal grand-uncle?" Sitting cross-legged in her quiet chamber, Huang Fang paused when she sensed that familiar divine sense. She blinked and softly called out, unsure if it was really him.
After receiving a mental confirmation, she calmed down, exited the chamber, and flew up into the air above Cuiping Valley, where she met Wei Tu and Huang Juzhi face to face.
"Granddaughter greets Grand-Uncle." Huang Fang bowed and saluted.
Huang Juzhi, having betrayed the Huang clan before Wei Tu took Huang Chengfu and his sister away from Cloud Crane Mountain, had no idea who this young woman was. Seeing her now, he just assumed she was a stranger and didn't pay her any mind.
"Fellow Daoist Huang, I assume you know a bit about bloodline-detection techniques. Why not test her yourself?" Wei Tu spoke concisely and gave a subtle reminder.
"Huang clan?" Huang Juzhi froze for a moment.
He had never known that Wei Tu had any in-law ties with the Huang family.
But thinking back, it made sense. Back then, Wei Tu was just a junior at the Foundation Establishment stage—far too insignificant to draw his notice. Even if there had been a marriage tie, the Huang family wouldn't have bothered informing someone of his rank.
"I'll give it a try."
Huang Juzhi narrowed his eyes and looked at Huang Fang, signaling for her to cooperate by offering a drop of her blood.
Now that the entire Huang clan had been wiped out, if this girl was truly of their bloodline, then she might represent a sliver of hope for the clan's revival.
With Wei Tu standing by, Huang Fang didn't hesitate. She calmly cut her arm, drew a small bottle of fresh blood, and handed it over to Huang Juzhi.
"Blood Condensing Technique."
Huang Juzhi muttered a few words as a red light gathered in his palm and gently drew the blood from the bottle.
In an instant, the blood flew out, attaching itself to his palm like feathered mist.
"She really has the Huang bloodline?" Huang Juzhi was visibly shaken. His expression twisted—part astonishment, part hesitation, part joy, and part fear.
What he feared most was that all this could be an elaborate trap set up by Wei Tu, this Nascent Soul old monster, just to get his hands on the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl.
Even now, Huang Juzhi didn't completely trust him.
Next, Wei Tu also used the same bloodline technique to prove his own familial bond with Huang Fang.
"Fellow Daoist Huang, judge for yourself. For a mere secret-realm medicinal garden, do you really think I'd go to such lengths to trick you?" Wei Tu glanced at him and spoke with a flat tone, as if he'd seen through all his doubts.
Hearing that, Huang Juzhi faltered slightly. Then he clenched his fists, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said through gritted teeth, "Senior Wei, I can hand over the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl. But I have one condition—you must kill Qi Chengchu and avenge the extermination of my clan."
"When I see Qi Chengchu's head, I will hand over the treasure, no questions asked."
His thinking was simple. Whether or not this man was truly Wei Tu didn't matter anymore. As long as he could help him get revenge, the pearl—useless to him now—was worth sacrificing.
After all, when he performed Nascent Soul, it was to kill Qi Chengchu, not just to escape the Ni family's soul-searching.
Wei Tu frowned slightly at first, but then something crossed his mind, and he relaxed a bit.
He replied, "I'll agree to killing Qi Chengchu. But only when the time is right. I'm not about to throw away my life over a single Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl."
If Huang Juzhi had named someone else, Wei Tu wouldn't have even considered it.
But Qi Chengchu… was different.
Years ago, Wei Tu had been dragged into the Inner Domain of the Great Void Realm by Qi Chengchu, barely surviving a life-and-death situation. Even though Qi Chengchu had later shown mercy and spared Che Gongwei, Su Bing'er, and the others, that didn't erase the debt between them.
If an opportunity came, Wei Tu certainly wouldn't let him off easily.
"When the time is right…"
Huang Juzhi froze, unsure how to respond.
He didn't know whether he should trade the pearl for a sliver of hope for revenge, or take the secret to his grave.
'What crime did the Huang clan commit…?'
As he hesitated, the memories of his slaughtered family resurfaced. His eyes turned red, and with a long sigh, he made his decision.
"The Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl is hidden at…"
Huang Juzhi transmitted the location directly through voice transmission.
When he finished, he closed his eyes and waited for Wei Tu's final judgment.
He understood well that revealing the secret meant everything now depended on whether Wei Tu had been honest—or had just played him.
As for escape?
Huang Juzhi had no delusions. In his weakened state, there was no chance he could flee from a Nascent Soul master.
Time passed slowly.
Two incense sticks' worth of time later.
Huang Juzhi realized he was still alive. He touched his face, opened his eyes, and looked at Wei Tu and Huang Fang in front of him—completely bewildered.
The place where the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl was buried wasn't far from Cuiping Valley. With Wei Tu's speed, he could have easily gone there and back in that short time and confirmed the truth.
And now, he was still breathing.
That meant Wei Tu hadn't betrayed him.
"You really are Wei Tu?" Huang Juzhi finally came to terms, still not quite able to believe it.
This Nascent Soul elder… was once just a humble talisman master who had served the Huang clan?
"He really is my grand-uncle," Huang Fang softly confirmed.
With her current cultivation, she couldn't verify Wei Tu's identity through power or technique. But she was certain—only Wei Tu would treat her this kindly.
"Now that you know, Fellow Daoist Huang, what's the point of asking again?" Wei Tu chuckled lightly as he toyed with a smooth, star-like pearl in his palm.
"But now, I still need you to return with me to Cloud Crane Mountain. We've got a final scene to perform."
With that, he flipped his hand, storing the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl in his sleeve.