The two compared the spirit materials they had collected.
After tallying them up, they found they had just a little more than two full sets.
Next, Wei Tu and Kou Hongying assessed the value of the materials each lacked.
Kou Hongying compensated Wei Tu with four spirit stones.
Seeing that they had gathered everything necessary, Wei Tu wasted no time and called over Wei Xiuwen, instructing him to take them to see Mei Zhen.
Mei Yuanfeng was a top-grade first-tier artifact refiner, his status among Qi Refinement cultivators second only to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
If they wanted to reach him, going through Mei Zhen would be the best route.
Half an hour later.
Mei Zhen agreed to Wei Tu's request without much hesitation.
The last time she had met this father-in-law, his generosity had left a lasting impression.
This was important—it proved that Wei Tu was not the kind of person who would try to take advantage of Baibao Pavilion.
"My father is a top-grade artifact refiner, and many cultivators seek him to refine artifacts. If you want to cut in line, you might need to pay extra spirit stones…"
Mei Zhen gave them a heads-up, explaining her father's normal rates and the additional cost for skipping ahead.
"I'll cover the extra spirit stones," Kou Hongying said, her beautiful eyes glancing at Wei Tu.
She was approaching Qi Refinement Perfection and needed the Qi Pouch refined as soon as possible to store her spiritual power.
But Wei Tu was different.
He still had at least twenty years before reaching Qi Refinement Perfection.
There was no need for him to rush the refinement of his Qi Pouch at the cost of extra spirit stones.
Thus, it was only fair that she bear the additional cost.
Wei Tu nodded in agreement. He didn't insist on splitting the cost.
This time, Kou Hongying was using the Wei-Mei family connection to get in touch with Mei Yuanfeng for priority service.
This meant that the Wei family's goodwill was being spent.
In the future, Wei Tu might have to repay this favor.
Even if he also needed the artifact urgently, the extra cost should mainly be borne by Kou Hongying.
The Next Day.
Wei Tu and Kou Hongying, led by Mei Zhen, arrived at the refining workshop behind Baibao Pavilion and met Mei Yuanfeng.
"A Qi Pouch?" Mei Yuanfeng raised an eyebrow upon hearing what they wanted refined.
It was clear he had heard of this artifact before.
"Dear in-law, would you be willing to adjust the spiritual contract? Instead of keeping the method confidential, could I include it in my Mei family's inheritance?"
Mei Yuanfeng looked at Wei Tu, the one making the final decision.
Typically, when an artifact refiner worked on a unique artifact for a client, they signed a confidentiality contract.
The contract prevented the refiner from disclosing the method or making similar artifacts for others.
There were different levels of these contracts.
Some ensured the refiner took the technique to their grave, while others only prevented them from using it for a set number of years.
Originally, Wei Tu and Kou Hongying had chosen the strictest confidentiality contract—one that permanently barred Mei Yuanfeng from refining the Qi Pouch again or revealing its method.
Now, Mei Yuanfeng was suggesting a modification.
He wanted to include the Qi Pouch refinement technique in his Mei family's legacy.
"Mei Daoist, are you familiar with the origins of the Qi Pouch?" Wei Tu didn't answer right away. Instead, he changed the topic.
"The Qi Pouch was an exclusive artifact of the Hongri Sect, a cultivation sect that existed in Zheng Kingdom thousands of years ago."
"After Hongri Sect was destroyed, the technique for making the Qi Pouch was lost."
"That said, there's a chance the three major sects still have secret knowledge of it."
Mei Yuanfeng stroked his beard as he explained.
"Hongri Sect?"
Wei Tu noted the name in his mind.
He speculated that Immortal Master Wu might have had a strong connection to Hongri Sect.
"This artifact technique was passed to me by a trusted Daoist friend."
"If Mei Daoist is willing to pay a fair price for it, I can see if my Daoist friend is open to selling the method…" Wei Tu responded.
Spiritual contracts were just commercial agreements—they weren't absolute constraints.
If Mei Yuanfeng went ahead and incorporated the Qi Pouch technique into Mei family's legacy, there wouldn't be much Wei Tu could do.
But the fact that Mei Yuanfeng informed him beforehand and offered to renegotiate the contract showed professional integrity.
Of course, Wei Tu wasn't sure whether this courtesy was because they were in-laws.
Right now, what mattered was securing a good price for Wei Fei.
"Two hundred spirit stones."
Mei Yuanfeng stated his price without hesitation.
"And I guarantee that this technique will remain exclusive to my Mei family. The Qi Pouches I craft will only be available to my descendants."
"They will not be sold publicly."
This price was already quite high.
Moreover, Mei Yuanfeng had given his guarantee.
After thinking for a moment, Wei Tu agreed on Wei Fei's behalf.
"The Qi Pouch is a high-grade artifact, and since it is a flesh-type artifact, it is difficult to refine."
"For each one, the cost will be fifty spirit stones per person."
After signing the contract, Mei Yuanfeng briefly reviewed the refinement method for the Qi Pouch and stated the refining fee.
Wei Tu and Kou Hongying paid the required spirit stones.
They agreed to return in three months to pick up their artifacts.
"Here are two hundred spirit stones."
With that, Mei Yuanfeng took out two top-grade spirit stones from his storage pouch and handed them to Wei Tu.
A single top-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for at least one hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Seeing the two top-grade spirit stones, Wei Tu couldn't help but admire Mei Yuanfeng's integrity.
After leaving their materials, Wei Tu and Kou Hongying did not linger in the artifact workshop and quickly departed.
Three months later.
Wei Tu and Kou Hongying met again and went to Baibao Pavilion to collect the Qi Pouches refined by Mei Yuanfeng.
Wei Tu noticed that his Qi Pouch was slightly better than Kou Hongying's.
After a brief thought, he understood why.
Artifact refinement had a sequence.
Since Mei Yuanfeng was closer to him, he had prioritized refining Kou Hongying's Qi Pouch first as practice.
However, after seeing that Kou Hongying didn't seem to mind, Wei Tu suppressed these thoughts and stopped dwelling on it.
Leaving Baibao Pavilion, Wei Tu and Kou Hongying walked together, chatting along the way.
Since Ke Liang's passing, Wei Tu noticed that Kou Hongying spoke with him much more frequently than before.
In the past, Kou Hongying would only send him a letter every two to three years.
But now, she wrote to him every few months, sharing her experiences at Mirror Water Pavilion.
"Uncle Wei, I have almost accumulated enough sect contribution points. In ten years, I should be able to start preparing for Foundation Establishment."
"By then, I might not have time to attend our next Righteous Society gathering…"
When their conversation shifted to Foundation Establishment, Kou Hongying paused and expressed her concern.
She worried that if she skipped the next gathering, the others in Righteous Society might think she had grown arrogant after advancing in cultivation and no longer cared about them.
"You don't need to worry about that, Hongying."
"I'll explain everything to Second Brother and Fourth Brother."
Wei Tu reassured her.
The further one walked down the cultivation path, the lonelier it became.
When Ke Liang was alive, he handled all these matters for her.
But now that he was gone, Kou Hongying had no choice but to face these social obligations alone.
"Thank you, Uncle Wei."
Hearing this, the sadness on Kou Hongying's face disappeared, and she gave Wei Tu a deep bow, her face lighting up with a smile.
The two parted ways.
Wei Tu left Baishi Lake Marketplace, disappearing into the thick fog.
"I don't know why, but whenever I see Uncle Wei or talk to him, I always feel a sense of peace…"
"Maybe this is why he became the backbone of Righteous Society."
Kou Hongying watched Wei Tu's broad back as he departed, lost in thought.
She didn't even realize when she started valuing his opinions so much, writing to him often, seeking his advice.
Everything seemed to have changed subtly over time.
Seven Days Later.
Wei Tu returned to Danqiu Mountain.
As soon as he reached his cave dwelling, the first thing he did was begin refining his Qi Pouch.
The Qi Pouch in his palm was the size of a walnut, glowing deep green.
Ever since he switched to Lesser Spring and Autumn Art and condensed the Geomagnetic Spirit Body, his spiritual power had leaned more toward the wood attribute rather than the earth attribute.
Thus, when refining his Qi Pouch, he specifically chose a wood-attribute beast's stomach as the main material.
After an initial refinement, Wei Tu did not hesitate and directly swallowed the Qi Pouch.
Under the catalysis of his spiritual power, the Qi Pouch took root near his dantian, slowly absorbing his internal energy.
The small, dry Qi Pouch, initially the size of a walnut, gradually expanded as it absorbed his spiritual energy.
"Three and a half percent."
"The Qi Pouch can store up to three and a half percent of my spiritual power."
After one and a half months, Wei Tu had completely filled the Qi Pouch with his spiritual power.
He estimated that the Qi Pouch's stored energy equaled 35% of his total Qi Refinement Stage Level 7 power.
"By the time I reach Qi Refinement Level 9, the Qi Pouch's storage will probably drop to only 20% of my total energy."
"But even 20% is still a huge boost."
"It will greatly enhance my potential for Foundation Establishment."
Wei Tu was pleased.
After refining his Qi Pouch, Wei Tu spent his days alternating between meditation and crafting talismans—specifically, Illusion Wood Talismans.
This was the final sect mission Kou Hongying assigned him.
Three to four years passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Wei Tu easily completed the Illusion Wood Talisman mission.
"Hongying has reached Qi Refinement Level 9."
"She's about to attempt Foundation Establishment?"
The month after handing in his talismans, Wei Tu received a letter from Kou Hongying.
In the letter, she informed him that she had broken through to Qi Refinement Level 9 and, after polishing her spiritual power for two more years, would begin preparing for Foundation Establishment.
Wei Tu wrote back, offering his early congratulations on her upcoming Foundation Establishment breakthrough and her transition into a Foundation Establishment cultivator.