Chapter 69: The Danqiu Immortals (Please collect and follow)
As the words fell.
Fu Zhizhou and Kou Liang exchanged glances, looking at one another in silence. When they heard the term "Blood-Food Pill," they had indeed entertained the thought of having Wei Fei share one with them.
After all, this Blood-Food Pill had directly enabled Wei Fei to succeed in sensing Qi within a mere six months.
Even if they refrained from taking it to avoid future complications, "borrowing" one to study it would have been a feasible course of action...
However, they had not expected Wei Fei to be so protective of the "Blood-Food Pill," acting entirely out of character.
Seeing this scene, Wei Tu pondered for a moment before stepping forward to support the decision: "Big Brother, Fourth Brother, I believe there is nothing wrong with Second Brother's decision... Although the four of us are sworn brothers and practice immortal cultivation techniques together, we established three covenants..."
"But when those covenants were formulated, we were all novices in the matters of cultivation, and they were inevitably somewhat crude."
"The three Blood-Food Pills are of great importance to Second Brother; they concern his subsequent breakthroughs in realm."
"If you and I were to thick-skin our way into demanding them, we would inevitably jeopardize Second Brother's immortal path..."
"In that sense, it would not be a good thing for us either."
Fu Zhizhou and Kou Liang were not men ignorant of worldly affairs or practical matters; as local military officers, they were highly experienced in handling interests.
Therefore, upon hearing Wei Tu's heartfelt words, both Fu Zhizhou and Kou Liang nodded in unison, feeling a sense of shame while simultaneously acknowledging Wei Tu's reasoning.
After the duration of an incense stick.
Following the three original covenants, the four men added a new one regarding the distribution of "elixirs"—items of immortal fate that could not be shared.
The four agreed that if they encountered treasures like the "Blood-Food Pill" in the future, the person who discovered it could claim sole possession without needing to distribute it to the other three.
Unless the other three offered sufficient conditions or interests.
Soon.
The fourth covenant was signed.
Seeing this, Wei Tu sighed inwardly.
Compared to the previous three covenants, this fourth one was purely about the distribution of interests.
This was the first "crisis of division" the four of them had encountered since forming their alliance over ten years ago.
While it is said that even close brothers should settle their accounts clearly, let alone four men who were merely sworn brothers... once accounts are settled, most people tend to end up in bitter conflict rather than maintaining their former closeness...
"Let us see how it plays out."
Wei Tu suppressed the stray thoughts in his mind.
Formulating this fourth covenant had its drawbacks, but it also had its benefits.
With a fairer distribution of interests, their alliance on the path of immortality could go further.
The Blood-Food Pill...
Was merely a catalyst.
Next.
It was the turn of the third brother, Wei Tu, to speak of his recent gains.
"After cultivating the Thick Earth True Qi, I have spent this recent period focusing on tempering strength into the marrow, and have gained nothing significant..."
Wei Tu shook his head.
The others had already anticipated this result, and their gazes shifted collectively toward the fourth brother, Fu Zhizhou, whose martial foundation was second only to Wei Tu's.
At the age of twenty-six, Fu Zhizhou had already found the sensation of Qi and entered the Qi-Sensing Realm.
Six years had passed since then.
Furthermore, he had the experience of "Martial True Qi" which Wei Tu had passed on to him last year...
Within this year, if one were to speak of the person with the greatest progress, they believed it should be Fu Zhizhou.
Moreover, unlike Wei Tu, Fu Zhizhou specialized in "Internal Family True Arts," whereas Wei Tu had previously had to waste internal strength during the process of "tempering strength into the marrow."
The time Fu Zhizhou spent nurturing his "Internal Qi" into martial "True Qi" should be considerably shorter than Wei Tu's.
...
"Correct."
"In these past six months, I have already nurtured my internal qi into Thick Earth True Qi."
Fu Zhizhou, seated in the last position, nodded. He reached out, placed the wine cup from the table into his palm, and then circulated his internal technique.
In an instant, a layer of pale yellow True Qi appeared on the white porcelain cup, identical to Wei Tu's Thick Earth True Qi.
"At this rate, perhaps Fourth Brother will reach the Xiantian Realm even faster than I."
Seeing this, Wei Tu was secretly startled.
—He knew his own strengths and weaknesses. Regarding martial foundation, he lagged far behind Fu Zhizhou; it was not as Kou Liang and Wei Fei thought—that his martial aptitude was superior to Fu Zhizhou's.
Now, although his aptitude had improved significantly compared to over ten years ago due to the nourishment of his "Late Bloomer" destiny, he was at most on par with Kou Liang and Wei Fei, and had not yet reached the level of Fu Zhizhou, who had passed the provincial military examination at the age of eighteen.
"However, this is not absolute."
Wei Tu shook his head again.
If he endured for another twenty years, he would inevitably become a Xiantian Realm martial master.
But Fu Zhizhou only possessed the *potential* to become a Xiantian Realm martial master; if his luck were poor, let alone surpassing him, he might struggle to reach that realm in his entire lifetime.
A short while later.
The three men composed themselves. Kou Liang and Wei Fei suppressed the envy in their hearts and proceeded to congratulate Fu Zhizhou, wishing him a long and prosperous immortal path.
"My two elder brothers will have their day as well," Fu Zhizhou said with a smile.
As these words fell.
Kou Liang and Wei Fei experienced different emotions.
Kou Liang lacked the high spirits he had possessed last year; although he did not show signs of despondency again, he appeared somewhat more lonely by comparison.
Wei Fei, however, was full of fighting spirit. With the support of the remaining two "Blood-Food Pills," he believed he would catch up to Fu Zhizhou in the near future.
After exchanging cultivation insights.
The four men departed one by one.
...
In the same year.
Two months later.
Kou Liang and Wei Fei resigned from their posts and left to register for the Shannan Dao provincial military examination of the second year of Jiayuan.
Following Wei Tu's precedent.
The two of them, much like Wei Tu, deliberately held back during the provincial martial competition. They did not compete for the top three spots, instead taking "sixth" and "eighth" place respectively.
The following month, the two were appointed as eighth-rank military officers. With the assistance of Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou, they were transferred to the prefectural capital of Qingfeng Prefecture.
Kou Liang, holding the same rank as Fu Zhizhou, was appointed as a "Military Affairs Assistant."
Wei Fei, meanwhile, became a "Commandant of the Valiant Cavalry," in charge of a troop of cavalry.
Over ten years passed. Because Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou were obsessed with the matters of immortality and were not keen on fame or fortune, they remained in their original positions after all these years.
Furthermore.
Because they all resided in the same prefectural capital.
The four had become close families; their wives and female relatives frequently maintained contact and visited one another.
...
It is worth mentioning.
It seemed that because Wei Fei had found a second immortal cultivation manual, the bad luck that had plagued the four of them vanished, and they enjoyed a streak of good fortune in the following years.
In the second year, Wei Tu heard a rumor regarding an immortal secret. Upon investigating, he happened to find a tattered copy of "The Basic Understanding of Talisman Dao" on the road, which recorded three types of immortal talismans.
The immortal talismans were well-structured and vastly different from the "ghost scribbles" of worldly sorcerers.
Unfortunately, because the four of them lacked immortal "spiritual power," it was difficult to draw the talismans. They could only set the item aside for future use.
In the fifth year.
Fu Zhizhou heard of an immortal secret, claiming that traces of immortals could be found on "Danqiu Mountain" in Luonan Dao.
—Danqiu Mountain was perpetually shrouded in mist; mountain dwellers who entered would often become lost and take several days to find their way out.
Fu Zhizhou wished to travel to Danqiu Mountain in Luonan Dao to investigate and find traces of the immortals.
"Fourth Brother, if the traces of immortals are indeed confirmed to be true, if we seek immortality, would the immortals truly show us mercy and bestow immortal arts upon us?"
"If that were truly the case, the immortal cultivation manuals in the mortal world would not be so difficult to find."
Upon learning of this, Wei Tu stopped the departing Fu Zhizhou and advised him.
(End of Chapter)