I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

However, returning to the Spirit Realm via the "Five Minor Realms" is currently just a "plan," and it is far from being implemented.

He has just made a name for himself in the "Heavenly Abyss Holy City" and doesn't want to give up the "benefits" here too soon... Returning to the Spirit Realm would indeed be much safer, but it would also mean losing a channel for obtaining spiritual cultivation resources.

It should be noted that high-level resources in the Spirit Realm have always been monopolized by the three dominant clans. Even the Ten Spirit Clans, which are so powerful, can only get scraps and are not qualified to sit at the table.

At the very least—before leaving, he also had to properly handle the affairs of Gong Shulan and the Kui Dou Chamber of Commerce.

The former is in mortal danger, with the Demon Lord of Pity coveting it from the side.

Although he tended to take advantage of the father and daughter, "Master Cai" and "Demon Lord Kuidou," he was not the kind of person who would turn his back on them immediately after taking advantage of them.

"There are still two and a half months until the opening of that private trade fair... After rescuing Miss Cai, we'll assess the situation and see if we can find an opportunity to kill Demon Lord Lianwu..."

Wei Tu waved his hand, dismissing Lin Tianqi, and then pondered silently with a cold glint in his eyes.

To resolve the safety issue of Gong Shulan.

The best solution would be to eliminate the problem once and for all and simply kill the Demon Lord Lianwu...

Of course, he wouldn't be reckless on this point. After all, his current strength wasn't superior to this demon's. Defeating it and killing it were two completely different things; the latter required at least the strength to "run rampant" in the Demon Lord realm.

Furthermore—while Gong Shulan and he had a deep friendship, it wasn't to the point where he would be willing to give up everything for her. Therefore, the planning of this scheme must have been in place for hundreds, even thousands of years.

but.

He still has this patience about it.

……

Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive.

Having just finished considering how to deal with "Loyal Centipede Demon Lord", his beloved disciples Lü Feng and Gong Shulan visited him with gifts.

Wei Tu was not surprised.

His advancement to the seventh-level alchemist meant he was destined to become a "darling" in the eyes of the demon lords. Other demon lords, out of consideration for their relationship, would not dare to directly disturb him, but Demon Lord Lianwu had no such concerns. This demon could easily succeed by taking the marriage route through Gong Shulan.

"Please have a seat, fellow Daoists."

Wei Tu narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile playing on his lips, and controlled the array to open the cave door, allowing the puppet to welcome the two inside.

As the two offered their congratulations, he flicked his sleeve and took away the "red jade box" that Gong Shulan was holding in her hands, which was the congratulatory gift that the woman had mentioned, a gift from her master.

but--

As soon as it was collected.

Wei Tu's expression became somewhat strange.

Inside this "red jade box" were two items: a sixth-grade high-quality spider-shaped puppet and a jade slip for congratulations.

This is considered a common form of congratulatory gift.

However, when he scanned the contents of the jade slip with his divine sense, he found that it contained not only ordinary congratulatory messages, but also some "explicit words" written by the Demon Lord Lianwu himself.

This demon is boldly "declaring her love" to him.

In short, it boils down to one sentence: "I am willing to be a couple in the underworld and make love to each other."

During this time, Wei Tu would not have to take any responsibility for her, and she would not arbitrarily "tarnish" Wei Tu's reputation or use his prestige to do anything evil...

"It was because I... forced Gong Shulan into marriage that this demon thought I was also a lecherous person?" Wei Tu was slightly speechless. He had seen many female cultivators offer themselves to him, but this was the first time he had encountered someone as fiery and unrestrained as the Venerable Lianwu.

There wasn't a single hint of subtlety.

However, it is precisely this point that proves that this demon is a high and mighty "Demon Lord", who can act as he pleases and follow his own desires... unlike those rigid female cultivators in the cultivation world who are used to following etiquette.

“No! This demon may also be testing me…” Wei Tu’s eyes flickered as he glanced at Gong Shulan, who was sitting in the living room with a beautiful face.

A hundred years ago, he forcibly took Gong Shulan as a concubine, but he did not forcibly take her virginity...

While there are reasons to explain this, as time goes by, it's not hard for the old demon Lord Lianwu to become suspicious of it.

Therefore, he sent Gong Shulan to the cave to pay her respects.

Furthermore, it is stated in the jade slip that...

I wouldn't mind if my master and disciple shared the same husband!
In other words, this demon tacitly approved of and even agreed with his forced taking of Gong Shulan as a concubine, and did not mind that he directly obtained the woman's primordial yin and performed good deeds.

If... he was truly lustful, then it was because of this lust that he forcibly took Gong Shulan as a concubine.

on the contrary.

Let's look at it from another angle.

If Gong Shulan returns to the Lianwu Puppet Workshop still a virgin, it will inevitably arouse the suspicion of the "Lianwu Demon Lord".

"That old devil is truly cunning," Wei Tu frowned slightly, cursing inwardly.

Although he understood that the Demon Lord Lianwu's suspicion was not much, if he ignored it and confirmed the matter, then it would be almost inevitable that the demon would become "alert" as a result.

"But to target... Gong Shulan..."

Wei Tu shook his head secretly.

If he revealed his identity, he believed that even if Gong Shulan still harbored resentment about the matter, the probability of her agreeing would be extremely high.

But it happens—

In this place surrounded by demons, he dared not reveal the slightest clue.

This is not a matter of trust or not.

Rather, he couldn't possibly hand over this "handle," thus lest it become a threat to his life.

Even if the relationship between them is very close.

Moreover, even if Gong Shulan keeps her mouth shut, how could a cunning old demon like Lianwu Demon Lord just believe what is said on the surface?
Once something is detected as amiss, a soul search is almost inevitable.

The ancient demons are not so merciful!

……

After thinking for a moment.

Wei Tu gradually made up his mind.

He waved his hand, signaling Lü Feng, this eyesore, to leave first, leaving Gong Shulan alone there.

"This junior will take his leave now..."

Lu Feng understood that Gong Shulan had come to Wei Tu's cave for another reason. He told Gong Shulan to take good care of Wei Tu before getting up to say goodbye and leave.

"My prediction... has come true."

Upon seeing this, Gong Shulan's face was as beautiful as a flower, with a faint blush, but her heart was ashen and filled with unease.

She is not a three-year-old child.

Before coming, she had vaguely anticipated this matter—the congratulatory gift from the Demon Lord Lianwu to Wei Tu should not only include that red jade box, but should also include her, the female disciple who still retains her primordial yin and was forcibly taken as a concubine by Wei Tu!
"Fate is not in our own hands..."

She bit her thin lips lightly, and the thought flashed through her mind.

But after a moment, her eyes hardened again, and she began to think about what price she should offer to get Wei Tu to help her "cover up" this colossal lie.

A century ago, she had already realized that Wei Tu was not attracted to her beauty.

Therefore, if the price is acceptable, getting Wei Tu to help her has a certain chance of success.

"Your master has made it clear that he is willing to share a husband with you... I wonder, what are your thoughts, Miss Mei?"

Just as Gong Shulan was racking her brains, trying to figure out how to get Wei Tu's help, these seemingly casual words struck her heart like a heavy hammer.

She was slightly stunned, and felt dizzy for a moment.

Even though she was prepared and ready to deal with the Demon Lord Lianwu's "attack", she never thought that her master would be so... shameless and willing to spend so much.

"This..." Gong Shulan stammered, unsure of what to say.

No matter how many benefits she could offer Wei Tu, it couldn't compare to the immense temptation of a high-ranking demon lord willingly becoming his "underground partner."

"But unfortunately, I've always kept my distance from these vipers and venomous women..."

The next moment, Wei Tu's words turned Gong Shulan's worries into joy.

But she forgot.

This world is not only about "interests," but also about "preferences."

For other demon lords, the "offering" of the Venerable Lianwu was indeed a huge temptation, but for Wei Tu, a promising seventh-order alchemist... it was just so-so.

In fact, Wei Tu's negative reputation and previous animosity may make him even more disgusted with him.

"However, I, Kou, do not mind being enemies with the Demon Lord Lianwu, but... Miss Mei, how should you conduct yourself?"

Wei Tu's eyes flashed, and he threw the question to Gong Shulan.

The root of his headaches over the Demon Lord Lianwu was all related to Gong Shulan. If it weren't for the thought of protecting this woman... as he said, he wouldn't mind making enemies with the Demon Lord Lianwu—he wasn't confident he could kill this demon right now, but he was definitely confident he wouldn't be afraid of making enemies with him.

And coincidentally, Gong Shulan was not some kind of overgrown child.

Before he even arrived in Tianyuan Holy City, he was already able to feign compliance right under the nose of the Demon Lord Lianwu.

This woman only lacks ability.

In terms of wisdom and ingenuity, he is second to none.

Therefore, his idea regarding dealing with the burly Demon Lord was quite simple—to take a step back and let Gong Shulan take the initiative and offer her own suggestions.

Therefore, this woman will be the strategist for this entire operation!
Just now, when he said he "didn't mind being enemies with the burly Demon Lord," the underlying meaning was that he didn't mind lending his power to Gong Shulan so that she could complete her "master-killing plan"!
"Concubine..."

Upon hearing this, Gong Shulan roughly guessed some of Wei Tu's inner thoughts, but she did not rush to offer any advice.

Instead, he gritted his teeth and began to ponder.

First, we need to consider the purpose behind Wei Tu.

She wouldn't easily believe someone would do her such a big favor based solely on likes or dislikes.

Secondly, how should we control the extent to which we can leverage Wei Tu's power?

Is it merely a matter of self-preservation, or should we seize this opportunity to eliminate our "mentor," the Demon Lord Lianwu?
The former is not particularly difficult.

The lesser of two evils.

The Demon Lord Lianwu's "covetousness" and "harm" towards her are almost blatant, and even if Wei Tu will later turn against her... that's a matter for later.

"As for the latter... if they miss this golden opportunity, it will be extremely difficult for them to eliminate the Demon Lord Lianwu again."

Gong Shulan exhaled a breath of stale air and thought to herself.

"To be honest, Demon Lord Kou—"

"The Demon Lord Lianwu's covetousness for this junior is not limited to the pure Yin essence within him. This demon... possesses a unique physique, a rare 'ghost spirit body,' with one soul and two bodies..."

"And coincidentally, my physique also belongs to this 'ghost spirit body.' It can greatly compensate for the 'deficiencies' in this demon's physique, allowing this demon to advance even further..."

After a pause, Gong Shulan began to speak frankly and took the initiative to tell the truth behind why the Demon Lord Lianwu had taken her as his disciple.

She didn't realize that this was a trap set by Wei Tu to curry favor with the Demon Lord Lianwu—because within this magnificent demon realm, she had no other choice but to rely on Wei Tu for the time being.

What if this lifeline also deceives her...?

That proves that she was destined to die.

"Caution" and "gambling spirit" are contradictory traits, but when necessary, she doesn't mind taking a gamble.

"Ghostly spirit..."

That's why.

Hearing this, Wei Tu finally understood why the burly Demon Lord, a high-ranking Demon Lord, would "covet" Gong Shulan, who had only recently ascended to immortality, and "keep" her by his side.

The benefits of devouring those with the same "physical constitution" are no less than those of devouring those with the same "bloodline".

In a sense, this also falls under the category of bloodline advancement.

"Ghostly spirit..."

"How did you know that the Demon Lord Lianwu is a ghost spirit? If I were the Demon Lord Lianwu, I would not have revealed any information about this matter..."

Wei Tu sneered and continued to press for more details about the matter.

He could have this woman offer her advice and become the mastermind behind the overall strategy to deal with the burly demon lord... but in the actual operation, he would not allow her to "deceive her superiors and subordinates" and try to be the fisherman who benefits after the snipe and the clam fight.

"Demon Lord Kou, please don't be anxious. There is a reason why I know about this..." Gong Shulan bit her thin lips, trying her best to resist the immense demonic pressure that came with Wei Tu's questioning.

Her face was slightly pale, and she replied breathlessly, "It is true that the Demon Lord Lianwu has been hiding this information all along... However, seven hundred years ago, I still managed to glimpse a flaw..."

At this point, Gong Shulan pursed her lips and began to recount the story from seven hundred years ago in great detail.

At that time, she had just arrived at the Puppet Master's Puppet Workshop and didn't quite understand why someone as "dull-witted" as herself would be accepted as a personal disciple by the Demon Lord Puppet Master. Therefore... to put her mind at ease, she deliberately plotted to cause the death of an old servant in the Puppet Workshop...

The old servant didn't have much information about the Demon Lord Lianwu in his memory, let alone the "ghost spirit body".

However... she still managed to deduce from the clues in his memory that the Demon Lord Lianwu might possess "one soul and two bodies".

For example, the "unpredictable whereabouts" of the Demon Lord Lianwu...

In the old servant's memory, the Demon Lord Lianwu would sometimes go out, but after a short while, he would suddenly reappear in his cave.

This phenomenon can certainly be explained by the great supernatural powers of the Venerable Lianwu—but considering the "points" that made her valued by the Venerable Lianwu, Gong Shulan naturally deduced that the Venerable Lianwu might possess a ghostly spirit.

"You're quite clever..."

Wei Tu's eyes narrowed as he looked at Gong Shulan intently. He nodded in agreement, his words carrying a hint of admiration.

He had known all along that Gong Shulan was no pushover.

But unexpectedly, this woman discovered the "flaw" in the Demon Lord of Pitying Centipede's abilities by using ruthless methods to extract the soul from that old servant...

However, only with such a demonic mindset could this woman thrive in the human realm and in this ancient demon realm.

If she hadn't encountered the Demon Lord Lianwu, who utterly crushed her with his power, leaving her no room for maneuver and forcing her to become a helpless lamb—otherwise, in a few thousand or even tens of thousands of years, her achievements… might not have been inferior to his. (End of Chapter)