I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World Chapter 193: Wei Yan’s Heartbreak, Wei Xiuwen’s Choice

"Ya'er, while Senior Wei is off searching for Shang Ming, let's leave quickly. We mustn’t stay here any longer," Tao Jie said urgently the mont Wei Tu vanished from sight.

To him, neither Shang Ming nor Wei Tu could be trusted. Now that Wei Tu was gone, it was the perfect ti to flee.

"Second Brother, we can’t escape now," Tao Ya gave a bitter smile at his naive suggestion. "Do you really think Senior Wei is such a nice person that he didn’t leave so kind of tracking thod on us before walking away?"

"I noticed it just now. When Senior Wei left, he went straight in one direction. That ans he already knew Shang Ming’s location…”

“In fact, I suspect that when Shang Ming let us go, it was because he’d already reached an agreent with Senior Wei. If I hadn’t spoken up and told the truth just now to stop him…”

“He would’ve walked away without hesitation.”

“We’d have been left to face Shang Ming alone.”

Tao Ya laid it all out clearly.

While Tao Jie was speaking with Wei Tu earlier, she had observed him closely, judging his personality through his tone and word choices—this was no easy man to deal with. He was sharp, experienced, and calculating.

So when Wei Tu chose not to punish them for lying, she imdiately sensed danger.

She realized—it wasn’t that Wei Tu was letting them off; he simply didn’t want to “dirty his hands” over them. Throwing them back to their pursuer, Shang Ming, to deal with was far cleaner.

That was why she quickly stepped in and revealed the truth before he could leave.

Wei Tu not wanting to dirty his hands ant he cared about his reputation.

A cultivator who cared about their status probably wasn’t the type to act like a marauder—soone who could be reasoned with.

“Ya’er, I thought of all that too,” Tao Jie sighed. “But we can never know what soone’s really thinking.”

“What if Senior Wei ends up being no different from Shang Ming—what do we do then?”

“How about this—you leave first and head back to Hanshan to report. I’ll stay here and wait for Senior Wei.”

He offered a workable plan.

“No, you go, Second Brother. I’m just a girl. Even if sothing happens, I won’t suffer much,” Tao Ya hesitated, then gave in to filial loyalty, offering him the chance to escape instead.

“You go!” Tao Jie frowned and barked at her.

But before they could continue their back-and-forth, Wei Tu, who had left just a quarter-hour ago, suddenly returned.

Seeing this, both Tao siblings froze, exchanging looks—completely stunned.

Because at Wei Tu’s waist now hung a storage pouch stained with Shang Ming’s blood.

And Wei Tu wore the sa relaxed expression as before.

As if killing a fellow Foundation Establishnt cultivator like Shang Ming had been no trouble at all.

“A Foundation Establishnt cultivator who returned from the frontlines really can’t be underestimated,” Tao Jie thought, cold sweat gathering on his back.

With the strength Wei Tu had just shown, unless Hanshan Tao Clan sent their Golden Core patriarch, no one could stand against him.

Which also ant the leverage they had for negotiation had just plumted.

"I’ve already spoken with Fellow Daoist Shang and confird that what you two said is true."

"You may leave now."

Wei Tu raised a hand, and from the skies above, the Wind-Cleaving Eagle let out several sharp cries before diving and landing squarely on his shoulder. Its blood-hued eyes locked down on the Tao siblings from above.

The overwhelming beastly aura it released was nearly tangible, pressing down on them like a mountain.

In less than a breath, the still-injured Tao Jie was soaked in sweat, pale-faced, struggling to breathe.

Beside him, Tao Ya was drenched in cold sweat, her robe clinging to her body, the shape of her graceful figure fully outlined.

Seeing this, a flicker of satisfaction passed through Wei Tu’s eyes. He flicked his sleeve, dispersing the oppressive aura, then knocked on the eagle’s head and casually reprimanded it, "Wretched beast, don’t be so rude."

Just now, the multicolored phantom moth he left behind had already relayed the siblings' full conversation after his departure.

So this mont of intimidation through the Wind-Cleaving Eagle had been a deliberate act of light punishnt.

After all, he was traveling with his true appearance—he had to maintain the proper decorum of his identity.

If he had been in disguise, he wouldn’t have bothered being so polite.

"Thank you, Senior, for your help." Though Tao Jie was cursing inside, he still had to offer respectful thanks on the surface.

"Thank you for your help, Senior," Tao Ya echoed while discreetly using her spiritual energy to dry her damp clothes.

"You may leave now."

Wei Tu put the Wind-Cleaving Eagle away into the spirit beast pouch, gave the Tao siblings a glance, and offered a final reminder.

“The junior is weak and willing to follow Senior Wei for the ti being. I hope Senior won’t take offense,” Tao Jie said tactfully.

In front of Shang Ming, they might still have had a slim chance of escaping.

But before Wei Tu, it was practically a dead end.

Even if Wei Tu did nothing, just the Wind-Cleaving Eagle, a mid-stage second-rank beast, was more than they could handle.

…

Five days later.

Wei Tu brought the Tao siblings to Cuiping Valley.

After a brief exchange with the i clan cultivators, he made his way to the deeper parts of the valley, where he reunited with the siblings Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen, who were hiding in the shadows.

After ten years apart, they couldn’t hide their excitent upon eting again. The siblings threw themselves at Wei Tu, one clinging to each arm, crying bitterly for a mont.

Back when they parted ten years ago, they had thought that was the final farewell.

They believed death would separate them forever.

“Father was in danger at Cicada Cry Cliff, how could I trouble him over such a minor issue,” Wei Yan said, explaining why she never ntioned the i clan’s relocation from Xiaya Ridge in her letters.

Life-giving grace, guidance, and the Immortal’s lead—these three debts owed to Wei Tu as their father could never be repaid in one lifeti. How could they bring up so ‘private matter’ and risk distracting him while on the battlefield?

Wei Tu nodded when he heard this, feeling deeply gratified.

Feelings were mutual.

If Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen only knew how to take, without ever considering him, then even as their father, over ti, that bond would wear thin.

The three talked for a little while.

Wei Tu shared what he had seen and experienced while guarding Cicada Cry Cliff these past years, as well as his recent apprenticeship under True Monarch Che and his joining of the Loose Immortal Alliance.

Later, Wei Tu brought up the Tao siblings.

“The situation in Zheng Kingdom is dire. Although the Righteous Alliance currently holds the upper hand, that doesn’t an the demonic sects are weak. In fact, the recent drop in their aggression likely ans they’re busy digesting the gains from annexing Jing Kingdom.”

“I plan to negotiate with the Hanshan Tao Clan to secure a spot to secretly cross into Kang Kingdom…” Wei Tu said solemnly.

“You an…?” Wei Yan’s guess surfaced, but she wasn’t sure.

“Exactly as you think.”

Wei Tu gave a slight nod. “I only just joined the Loose Immortal Alliance and completed my guard duty... It’s not the right ti for to cross into Kang Kingdom, but for the two of you, staying in Cuiping Valley, clinging to the i Clan, isn’t a good plan either.”

Without the second-rank spirit land of Xiaya Ridge, Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen’s cultivation progress was crawling at a snail’s pace.

They were practically wasting their lifespans.

Of course, Wei Tu could help the i Clan reclaim their ancestral land.

But he was still an outsider—his help would lack justification.

And even if he succeeded, once he left, the i Clan, without a Foundation Establishnt ancestor, would once again beco a target.

Wei Tu could protect them for a mont, but not forever.

“But secretly crossing into Kang Kingdom carries risks. You both need to think this through.”

“Also, Xiuwen…” Wei Tu turned to look at Wei Xiuwen, weighing his words before saying, “You’re the i Clan’s only remaining Foundation Establishnt cultivator. You must decide—will you sever ties with them, or stay behind?”

Secretly crossing into Kang Kingdom was full of unknowns.

Sending Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen first would accomplish several goals.

First, it would eliminate any lingering concerns Wei Tu had within Zheng Kingdom.

Second, they could lay the groundwork in Kang Kingdom ahead of ti, so Wei Tu wouldn’t be venturing blindly into unfamiliar territory later.

Third, if they succeeded in crossing over, their presence would serve as extra protection. If the Tao Clan or that man called Nie Wenjing harbored treacherous thoughts, they’d have to think twice with two Foundation Establishnt juniors around.

After all, if a Foundation Establishnt cultivator swore vengeance, even a Golden Core family would find it hard to bear.

When Wei Tu finished speaking, both Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen fell silent.

“Father, I’ll excuse myself first,” Wei Xiuwen said, noticing that Wei Yan had sothing to say. He also wanted ti to reflect on his future, so he cupped his hands in salute and withdrew from the room.

A mont later—

Inside the cave dwelling’s main hall, only Wei Tu and Wei Yan were left.

“Father, I’ve asked you several tis just now… about Brother Fu Lin, but you kept avoiding the topic. Is there so reason behind it?” Wei Yan’s voice trembled slightly.

More than ten years ago, Fu Lin sent a second letter, saying he would either co see her within three years or send a third letter.

But over a decade had passed.

Fu Lin was still completely silent.

Wei Yan feared... that Fu Lin had already died in the demonic sect territory.

“Yan’er, about this...” Wei Tu sighed softly when he heard her words. He walked over to Wei Yan and gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

“When I was ambushing demonic cultivators, I accidentally heard so news about Fu Lin from one of them.”

“Afterward, I looked into it from multiple sources.”

“The Fu Lin you knew is already dead.”

Wei Tu raised his head, his gaze distant and solemn.

Everyone changes.

Fu Lin and Wei Yan were different. Though they had grown up together, Fu Lin’s life was much more turbulent. After struggling in the lands of the demonic sects for so long, his emotional shifts would be far more intense than Wei Yan’s... Eventually, the new feelings that arose in his heart would gradually outweigh those lingering from the past century.

Those old feelings would slowly turn into sealed mories—beautiful, yes, but nothing more than sothing locked away in a corner of the mind.

Wei Yan cried.

After calling out “Father,” she buried her face deeply in Wei Tu’s chest and wept silently, saying nothing for several hours.

Only when Wei Tu’s dampened robe chilled from her tears did Wei Yan finally lift her head.

Her eyes were swollen red but dry. Her face was filled with a deep, exhausted sorrow.

“Father, I’m alright now.”

“I’m willing to go to Kang Kingdom,” Wei Yan said with firm resolution.

Earlier, when Wei Tu had asked, she hadn’t responded right away because she was worried about Fu Lin’s fate, fearing that he might be in mortal danger within the demonic sects’ territory.

Now that the old feelings were gone—

Aside from Wei Tu and Wei Xiuwen, there was no one else she cared about in Zheng Kingdom anymore.

Seeing the decisiveness on her face, Wei Tu secretly felt impressed. Love and hate were never flaws for a cultivator. As long as one could clearly prioritize cultivation over emotion, they were worthy of the path.

“Yan’er, Fu Lin didn’t betray you. It’s just that the two of you weren’t right for each other. There’s no need to hate him over this,” Wei Tu said once she cald down.

Back then, Fu Lin had made his feelings clear to Wei Yan. But because of what happened with Xinghua, Wei Yan had vowed never to marry and politely rejected him.

From that alone—

Fu Lin seeking out Fairy Leng of the Hehuan Sect made sense.

Though conflict between righteous and demonic cultivators wasn’t absolute in private, Fairy Leng, a demonic cultivator, was far more compatible with Fu Lin than Wei Yan was.

Whether in looks, talent, or potential, Fairy Leng far outshined the rather ordinary Wei Yan.

“Father, I understand,” Wei Yan replied softly with a slight “mm.” The sorrow on her face faded a little.

After that, the father and daughter didn’t speak again.

Wei Yan stepped closer, sat right beside Wei Tu, tilted her head to the left, and rested it on his shoulder, quietly gazing at the dark pond inside the cave.

Just like a hundred years ago, back when they were still a mundane father and daughter.

Romantic feelings may fade, but the love from her father, Wei Tu, had never changed.

…

A few days later.

Wei Xiuwen finally gave his answer about the matter of crossing into Kang Kingdom.

“More than thirty years ago, when I reached Foundation Establishnt, I said I would remain with the i Clan and protect… the i Clan...”

“Now that all the Foundation Establishnt elders of the Xiaya branch of the i Clan have died on the front lines, if I now turn my back and flee, even if I succeed, I won’t be able to live with myself…”

Wei Xiuwen knelt on the ground and bowed deeply to Wei Tu, who sat before him in the hall.

“Your son has failed to live up to your nurture and teaching!”

“In this life, I may never be able to repay you!”

Wei Xiuwen remained kneeling, tears falling as he spoke.

If it were possible, of course he’d want to go with his sister Wei Yan, secretly cross into Kang Kingdom, and escape this life of constant hiding.

But unfortunately—

Behind him were the remaining mbers of the i Clan.

Back then, he had coveted the i Clan’s wealth and status, using underhanded ans to marry i Zhen and then leveraging the clan’s resources to surpass his peers.

And now, the backlash had co.

He was too deeply tied to the i Clan. To repay all these debts in full would be incredibly difficult.

Faced with a choice between filial duty and righteousness—

Wei Xiuwen could only choose to be “unfilial.”

Because even without him, his father Wei Tu would still do well in the world of cultivation.

But the i Clan, right now, couldn’t survive without him.