Dawn filtered through the cracks in the thatched roof as Qi Xiu stirred, eyes fluttering open. Wei Minniang stared back at him, wide-eyed and unblinking.
"You're a decent man—I can respect that. But let's be clear: there's nothing between us. No spark, no history. My husband passed years ago, and I've no interest in tangling my life with another man's. All I ask is a quiet corner for and my daughter. A simple lamp to burn out our days in peace."
Her words cut sharp, final. Qi Xiu felt that familiar helplessness settle in. Bachelor for life, and now? A husband in na only. Still alone, just with extra paperwork.
"Fine. I've got a spot north of the Death Swamp—an old mountain gate. Head there. I'll tell the folks on site to give you space."
Better to ship her off to Black River Peak. Out of sight, out of mind. Might spare them both the awkwardness.
Chu Duo had already shifted the luck-stealing infant operation to the more convenient Immortal Forest Valley. Black River Peak held no real secrets worth guarding anyway.
Voices drifted in from outside. The Wei family, ever mindful of appearances, had held off sending Wei Minniang's daughter until the morning after—to avoid any wedding-day drama.
"Mama!"
A little girl, five or six, burst through the door—spitting image of her mother—and flung herself into Wei Minniang's arms. The two clung tight, sobs echoing as they poured out months of separation. Qi Xiu slipped out quietly, pulling the door shut behind him.
"Fetch He Yu."
Yu Denou hovered nearby, that old lecherous grin plastered on his face. Qi Xiu cut him off before any crude jokes spilled out. He'd kept He Yu scarce during the wedding on purpose—no sense dangling Chu Qin's prized gem in front of the Wei family, tempting them to play matchmaker again.
"Sect Leader, you called?"
He Yu approached with easy confidence, his path to the great dao flowing smooth these days. Maturity radiated from him now, sharpening that already flawless face into sothing even more striking.
"You're coming with shortly. I'm heading to Senior Kan. You escort the mother and daughter to Black River Peak. Settle them in proper. Whatever they need, wherever they want to stay—let them decide."
"Understood."
He Yu nodded. Cultivation was his world; petty affairs barely registered. Qi Xiu trusted him completely for this.
Once the reunion wound down, Qi Xiu wasted no ti. He and He Yu guided the pair eastward—through the Shandu Mountains on a beast-drawn boat, all the way to Artifact Talisman City.
"I'm heading west to Senior Kan. You two go north to Black River Peak. This is where we part."
The girl—Wei Yue'er, taking her mother's surna—peeked out from behind Wei Minniang's skirts. Those bright, mischievous eyes kept darting toward He Yu, curiosity plain.
"Safe travels, Sect Leader."
He Yu bowed farewell, ushering the Wei won onto a northbound beast boat toward Qi South. Wei Minniang hadn't expected such straightforward generosity. At parting, she offered a shallow curtsey—silent thanks.
Qi Xiu watched their vessel vanish northward, then veered west himself, soaring toward Kan Lin's secluded cave.
...
"You co to with this? I wouldn't know where to start." Kan Lin rubbed his temples after hearing about Zhang Shishi and Zhan Yuan's tug-of-war. "I've scraped by as a loose cultivator my whole life. No advice for running a sect."
He paused, then shrugged. "Only thing I can tell you: charge straight to Foundation Establishnt. Outlive them both. Problem solves itself."
Old Sect Leader Qi's playbook, exactly—quietly funneling Foundation Establishnt pills Qi Xiu's way. Simple on paper: break through, and the succession fight evaporates. But what if he ended up like the old man—dead halfway there? Zhang Shishi with legitimacy, Zhan Yuan with backers, factions evenly matched. Bring in outsiders? Fratricide all over again? In a wolf den like White Mountain, one slip and Chu Qin could vanish like the Shandu Sect—wiped out so clean, not a single Siwen remained.
Qi Xiu shook his head inwardly. Even Kan Lin had no real path forward.
The old fox caught the disappointnt flickering across his face. A soft chuckle escaped him. "Don't look so glum. There's one person who'd have answers for sure."
Hope sparked. "Who?"
"Bai Xiaosheng."
"Him?"
"Exactly." Kan Lin grinned. "You might not know the full story. He wasn't always scribbling geography and gossip rags. Back in the day, fire in his belly—he'd dissect sects' rises and falls, sharp as a blade, spotting flaws no one else saw. Unmatched insight. Offended the wrong people, that's all. Switched to harmless books to eat. Still ran afoul of soone big—crashed headfirst into a wall he couldn't climb."
"But he's Bai Muhong's father. Zhan Yuan's father-in-law..." Qi Xiu hesitated.
Kan Lin smirked. "Co on, think. You're just fishing for a solution, right? Spin a tale. Make it about so other sect. Get your answer without spilling it's ours. Man's locked away for years—how's he gonna call you out?"
Qi Xiu's eyes lit up. Gratitude flooded him as he thanked Kan Lin profusely and stepped out—only to nearly collide with He Yu.
"You're back already?" Qi Xiu blinked. He Yu looked wrecked—clothes soaked in sweat, chest heaving from nonstop travel.
"Senior Wang... Wang Juan's passed."
He'd barely settled the Weis at Black River Peak when the news hit. Fearing Qi Xiu might leave Kan Lin's before word reached him—days or weeks apart—he'd raced back without rest, catching him just as he erged.
"Senior Wang... dead? But his lifespan hadn't..."
Grief twisted in Qi Xiu's gut. Zhao Liangde gone wandering, Chu Youmin punished, now Wang Juan. In under a decade, the whole Black River crowd—replaced. Wang Juan especially: guardian angel to Chu Qin, that grumpy old kid who'd word into his heart over years of dealings. This loss stung deep.
"Foundation Establishnt gives two centuries, give or take. A bit over or under—nothing unusual." Kan Lin erged at the commotion, sorrow etching his features too. Thing hit close to ho.
"Senior Kan."
He Yu bowed deeply—their bond ran ntor and friend, deeper than most.
"You're right—not just the death." He Yu straightened. "After he passed, the Soldier Station Workshop's ownership blew up. Wang descendants are getting squeezed hard by Qi South factions. They're begging for help—from you both."
"Ti to pay back favors..."
Kan Lin and Qi Xiu exchanged a glance. Clear as day. Both owed Wang Juan. Qi Xiu more than most—the old man had practically guided him through Black River's pitfalls.
Years back, when Chu Hongchang's wrath left Kan Lin gravely wounded on Black River Peak, Wang Juan patched him up. Extracted a promise right then: aid for his kin down the line.
"He's spent years hustling alliances—for exactly this day. We're not the only ones on the hook, right?"
Qi Xiu frowned. Chu Qin's strength? Laughable. ddling in Qi South affairs—ant shaking a tree. Morally, they had to go. But what real help could they offer?
"Not sure. The Wangs didn't na others—just pleaded for speed. Said if we're late, they fold."
Kan Lin pondered long, then nodded firm. "Where duty calls—we go."
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