My path to immortality was smooth sailing.

"Liu Zi, take my waist token to the General Affairs Hall to collect this month's contribution points, and while you're at it, go to the Alchemy Hall to exchange for some Qi Nourishing Pills, Purple Ginseng Pills, and Ice Spirit Jade Marrow."

Wei Jing gave the order.

"Yes, Young Master Wei."

Ma Liu eagerly accepted Wei Jing's waist token with both hands, and then walked out of the cave.

As for Han Yue, he was in the courtyard, pruning the green plants and sweeping up the fallen leaves.

"Han Yue, I'm going out for a bit. Keep an eye on the house."

"Okay." Han Yue nodded, holding the broom in both hands, and watched Wei Jing leave.

……

As Wei Jing stepped out of the cave, the morning mist in the mountains had not yet dissipated, and the bamboo on both sides of the bluestone path was covered with dewdrops, rustling in the wind.

He took out the Cloud-Breaking Shuttle from his sleeve, tossed it gently, and the Cloud-Breaking Shuttle expanded in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into a flying shuttle shaped like a small boat, about three feet long and half a foot wide.

Wei Jing rode the Cloud-Breaking Shuttle, riding the wind as he sped eastward, the small bamboo peak beneath his feet gradually shrinking and receding into the distance.

After a full day of flying from morning till night, Wei Jingcai finally returned to the familiar Yudie Peak.

This time, Wei Jing didn't alert anyone; he simply returned to pick up Qiu Niang.

She had served him for ten years, and Wei Jing had long been used to her cooking.

For the past month or so, the only thing Han Yue has cooked is, well, edible.

Sigh! It's a long story!

However, when he returned, Wei Jing did not see Qiu Niang.

"Could it be that after I joined the sect, the clan drove Qiu Niang down the mountain?" Wei Jing wondered.

He knew that Jade Stack Peak was never for mortals to set foot on. Only when a young immortal seedling was unable to take care of himself would the clan arrange for a maid to serve him in his daily life.

Qiu Niang should have left the mountain long ago, but because of Wei Jing, she was able to stay on Jade Stack Peak for ten years.

Since that's the case, then let's ask someone. Wei Jing thought for a moment and then flew straight to the Seventh Elder's residence.

"Qiu Niang, he went down the mountain half a month ago."

"It wasn't us who forced her. Her father died, and she went to observe mourning," Seventh Elder Wei Dao quickly explained.

Wei Jing nodded in realization.

So Wei Jing stayed at Wei Dao's house for a while longer and chatted for a bit.

"By the way, I brought back some spiritual tea from the Qingfu Sect." With that, Wei Jing took out three boxes of tea.

"This is March Fragrant Flower Tea, picked from a first-grade spirit tea tree, the first batch of this year," Wei Jing said with a smile.

Wei Dao's eyes lit up. He picked up a pinch, sniffed it, and then laughed.

"Good tea, indeed good tea. Just smelling this aroma clears up my nasal congestion."

Haha, you're so accomplished, yet you still have rhinitis.

Wei Jing secretly felt contempt.

After chatting with Seventh Elder Wei Dao for a while and telling him about the situation of Qingfu Sect, Wei Jing left.

Before leaving, he asked Weidao to give three boxes of tea to his uncle and the elder of the Aoki clan.

After leaving Jade Stack Peak, Wei Jing flew down the mountain. His destination was a place called Huangshi Village.

Qiu Niang's hometown is in this village.

……

"hey-hey!"

"Young lady, three days have passed. What's your decision?" A large, burly middle-aged man asked with a grin.

Qiu Niang gritted her teeth and stubbornly stared at Zhou Dafu, the village bully, in front of her.

"Don't even think about it."

"Qiu Niang!" a young man called out softly from the side.

"You refuse? Then tomorrow we'll dig up your father's grave and your whole family will have to move out of here."

"You still dare to act tough with me? In this Huangshi Village, no one is tougher than me."

Qiu Niang bit her lip, her nails almost digging into her palms. The fat man in front of her was Zhou Dafu, a local tyrant in Huangshi Village. His influence extended beyond Huangshi Village; he was quite powerful even in the county.

He made his fortune by running casinos.

Qiu Niang's biological father lost money gambling at the casino, racked up huge debts that he couldn't repay, had his arms and legs broken, and was left on the street.

Unexpectedly, a cold rain fell that night, and her gambling father tragically froze to death.

To pay for her father's funeral, her brother borrowed money to buy a coffin and a burial plot.

Now the debt collectors have come to the door again.

Three days ago, Fatty brought people here twice this week.

"Bah! Three hundred taels of silver? Do you think we're fools?"

"A coffin and a burial plot cost three hundred taels of silver?" Qiu Niang argued logically.

She had stayed at Jade Stack Peak for ten years, and naturally accumulated some wealth, amounting to more than 130 taels of silver.

This was already a huge sum of money, and she originally thought it would be enough to bury her father, pay off her gambling debts, and start a new life with her mother.

how...

"Hehe, a coffin and a grave won't cost three hundred taels, but your father's gambling debts..." Zhou Dafu slowly took out a stack of IOUs written in black and white.

"It shouldn't be three hundred taels. He told me that he only owes one hundred taels." An old woman who was blind in one eye came out. This was Qiu Niang's mother.

"Don't think we're afraid of you. You have to be reasonable in your actions."

"Reason?" Zhou Dafu sneered.

"Then I'll show you the truth." Zhou Dafu pulled out another stack of IOUs, this time with another person's name written on them in black ink.

Qiu Niang's brother's face turned pale instantly, his whole body trembled, and his teeth chattered.

"This stack of reasoning is worth two hundred taels of silver. How about it? Isn't my reasoning strong?" Zhou Dafu spoke arrogantly, almost tilting his head back as he spoke to the group.

"You...you unfilial son!"

"Why did you gamble too?"

"You...you want to kill my whole family before you're satisfied?" Tears welled up in the one-eyed old woman's eyes, her sobs filled with despair and collapse.

I originally thought that since there was only one old gambler in the family, his death wouldn't matter.

But to everyone's surprise, there was another son who followed in his father's footsteps and even surpassed him in virtue.

"I, I..." His face turned pale instantly, his whole body trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

"I only want one hundred and thirty taels." Qiu Niang stubbornly raised her head and met his gaze.

"Could you grant me a few more days?"

"Okay, I'll come back in three days. If I still can't pay the rest, hehe, I just happen to be short of a concubine."

As he spoke, Zhou Dafu stared at Qiu Niang with longing, his mouth practically watering.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, leading to the scene described at the beginning.

"Qiu Niang, I beg you! My brother has elderly parents to care for and young children to raise. Your youngest nephew is only three months old!"

"I can't let anything happen to me, I can't let my arms and legs be broken."

Qiu Niang remained unmoved, as if she hadn't heard anything.

"What a terrible thing!" The one-eyed old woman paced anxiously in circles.

"Hmph, do you really think Chow Tai Fook is easy to talk to? Here are two choices for you."

"If Qiu Niang becomes my ninth concubine, all gambling debts will be wiped clean."

"The second option," Zhou Dafu said, pointing to Qiu Niang's younger brother.

"I'll break your legs and throw you into the Staggering River to feed the fish, dig up your father's grave, and send your whole family out to become beggars."

Choose!

"I, Chow Tai Fook, love to reason with people the most."

"Haha!" The servants and guards behind him burst out laughing.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Niang's younger brother immediately knelt down, grabbed Qiu Niang's leg, and pleaded desperately.

Qiu Niang remained unmoved throughout.

Until the one-eyed old woman spoke.

"Alas! Qiu Niang..."

Qiu Niang's expression was complicated, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Okay, Mother, I promise him."

"Haha! That's right!" Zhou Dafu was overjoyed. His plan had finally paid off, and he had won the heart of his beauty.

But just then, a boy pushed open the door and entered.

"Hey, who dares to bully the Jiangzuo Wei family?"

"Is that you, Fatty?"

"Ah!" Zhou Dafu was so frightened that he shrank back suddenly, his scalp tingling.