Chapter 79: Only Helplessness

The old turtle's agitated demeanor terrified everyone. The Wei family members were all on tense alert, many clutching their weapons tightly, though no one was sure how effective their martial arts would be.

The pressure they felt now was completely different from facing a martial arts master. This was a gigantic turtle, a demon that had cultivated for who knew how many years. Even though the family patriarch, Wei Wuwei, kept calling it "Immortal Master," no one truly believed it was an immortal.

Wei Wuwei's eldest uncle, third uncle, and the old steward had formed a triangle, standing close to each other, their internal energy surging, ready to fight with all their might at any moment.

Wei Wuwei resisted the urge to retreat almost solely through sheer willpower, reaching out to stop others and signaling them not to act rashly.

"Please, Immortal Master, calm yourself! I, Wei, have indeed met a revered master..."

Seeing Wei Wuwei speak, the old turtle seemed to realize its impropriety, calming down slightly and relaxing its tense body.

"My apologies for startling you, Patriarch Wei. I was merely anxious for a moment. Please continue!"

Wei Wuwei swallowed, his mind racing to consider his options. The situation was no longer about whether he should reveal Mr. Ji's existence, but whether telling the truth would lead to a peaceful resolution.

Mr. Ji had already departed on a long journey. Who knew if he would return, or when? Could an immortal being's sense of time be the same as a mortal's?

But would the old turtle think that way? What if Wei had spoken the truth, but the old turtle believed he was just trying to evade or deceive it?

After two rapid breaths of thought, Wei Wuwei knew that if he didn't speak soon, the demon would lose its patience.

"Immortal Master, I was fortunate enough to meet an extraordinary master from beyond the world, but I fear carelessly revealing his identity might displease him. Allow me to share what I believe I can, and then you may consider it?"

The old turtle raised its head, its gaze level with the plump man before it.

"Very well, please speak!"

"Ah..."

Wei Wuwei trembled slightly as he wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve. This was both a sign of genuine nervousness and a display of vulnerability, meant to show the old turtle that he dared not lie.

"Initially, I heard that in a certain county in Desheng Prefecture, a valiant warrior had slain a man-eating tiger in the mountains and obtained a complete white tiger pelt. As my grandfather's birthday was approaching, I decided to go and purchase it. Our Wei family already possessed tiger pelts, but a white tiger pelt was truly rare."

"It was during that visit, while conversing with the county magistrate, that I first met the Master."

The old turtle's eyes widened slightly. It keenly noticed the unconscious shift in Wei Wuwei's wording, a reverence that clearly stemmed from his heart.

"At that time, the Master even glanced at me. I initially thought it was just a casual look because the magistrate and I were discussing him. But now, reflecting on it, the Master must have already sensed that misfortune was approaching me!"

The old turtle's heart stirred, and it spoke, asking:

"Was it Zheng Qianqiu who sought you out?"

"Precisely. Zheng Qianqiu, along with remnants of the Thirteen Thieves of Yan and another first-rate martial artist, ambushed me. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know I had pretended to be unskilled in martial arts since childhood. They dropped their guard at a crucial moment, and I erupted, gravely wounding them and poisoning them, ultimately capturing them instead!"

Here, Wei Wuwei did not mention the high-ranking official. While this might seem irrelevant to the old turtle, it was a subtle test by Wei Wuwei to confirm whether the demon could discern the truth of every word.

"Although my Wei family's forces achieved a costly victory, we couldn't rush on our journey. So, we returned to the county, which also provided me with an opportunity to visit the master!"

Seeing the old turtle listening intently without much other reaction, Wei Wuwei slightly relaxed.

"At that time, I heard that a fiery red fox had run into the county, chased and bitten by several vicious dogs. It was then pursued by idlers in the street who wanted to kill it for its fur."

"According to the villagers, the Master was strolling down the street at that moment. The red fox, in its desperation, feigned death to deceive the idlers and then fled into the street. Upon seeing the Master, it cried out piteously, constantly pleading and kowtowing to him!"

Hearing this, the old turtle immediately tensed up, its eyes widening. Its almost inaudible, long breaths became slightly heavier.

"Did the Master save the red fox?"

The red fox was definitely not an ordinary fox; it had at least gained sentience. It was well known that demons were often disliked by immortal sects, and even a peacefully cultivating demon like the old turtle might not be well-regarded. Moreover, many demons who cultivated peacefully would turn evil once they gained power, and the phrase "demonic nature is ultimately untamable" cast a shadow over many spirits.

Wei Wuwei took a breath and continued.

"Of course he did. The Master paid the idlers to leave, and then softly spoke a word to the vicious dogs, which retreated on their own. He then cradled the bleeding red fox, took it to a renowned physician in the county for bandages and treatment, and later brought it home to nurse its injuries..."

Wei Wuwei paused here, not because he had forgotten something or was afraid, but because he actually sensed an extremely human-like envy emanating from the old turtle.

Yes, it was just a feeling, as the difference between a turtle's face and a human's face was too great to discern emotions from expressions directly.

"After the Master departed on his journey, I heard from children who often visited his courtyard that once the red fox recovered from its injuries, it became very homesick. So, the Master took it to the wilderness and released it."

"What?!"

The old turtle was utterly stunned, exhaling a pungent breath that ruffled Wei Wuwei's sideburns. It thrashed its four limbs against the riverbank in agitation.

"That fox actually wanted to leave on its own! This is... this is... Argh! It infuriates me so!"

The latter part of the statement was more like a suppressed growl. Although not loud, everyone present could feel the fury and resentment, as if it wished it could have been in the fox's place.

"Wait! You said that 'Master' went on a long journey?"

After its outburst, the old turtle seemed to finally register the first part of Wei Wuwei's statement.

"That's right!"

Wei Wuwei, a little nervous again, quickly continued.

"Immortal Master, please let me finish. That day, after our injuries, we returned to the county to recover. Hearing this strange tale, and having just extracted information about the 'immortal destiny' from Zheng Qianqiu, I was overcome with curiosity and pleaded with the county bailiffs to take me to visit the Master."

As he spoke, Wei Wuwei recalled the scene, filled with emotion.

"In the courtyard, a man in white and a man in green sat quietly playing chess beneath a jujube tree... I fear my interruption then was quite presumptuous..."

He sighed softly. Wei Wuwei now realized that, despite all talk of Mount Yuhuai and ancestral immortal connections, he might have missed an even more precious opportunity. But there was no medicine for regret in this world.

"After explaining my purpose and pleading earnestly, the Master generously assented. By some unknown method, he touched the jade pendant, and the blue jade glowed faintly, displaying four small characters: 'Yuhuai Sacred Realm.' The Master then said the jade came from Mount Yuhuai but did not elaborate, only stating he was not very clear about it."

"When did that 'Master' depart on his journey? Do you know when he will return?"

The old turtle pressed eagerly.

"I, Wei, do not know that either. It is said that on the day I left, the Master discussed his upcoming journey with a friend. Oh, and there's another strange matter! That day, the Master said he was preparing for a long trip and instructed his friend to share the ripe jujube fruits from the courtyard with the villagers when autumn arrived. Yet, that very night, all the jujube trees in the courtyard bloomed and bore fruit, and by dawn, the jujubes, which should have ripened in autumn, were already fully ripe and abundant on the branches! Alas, I only learned of this a few days later, and the Master had long since departed..."

The old turtle remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"The person playing chess with the 'Master' must have been an ordinary mortal, right?"

"Precisely. He was the county school's tutor, a close neighbor of the Master, and at that time, the Master's only friend in the county."

After Wei Wuwei finished speaking, the old turtle slowly nodded and remained silent for a long while.

With the old turtle silent, the Wei family dared not move, simply waiting.

After about half a *zhancha* (roughly 5-10 minutes), when the Wei family members began to feel chilled by the evening breeze against their sweat-soaked clothes, the old turtle finally sighed aloud once more.

"Ah... truly a master of the Dao! What a fortune to have met him, what a fortune!"

In truth, the entire Wei family was in a state of shock. Aside from the old steward and Wei Wuwei's eldest and third uncles, no other Wei family member had ever heard of this. If simply hearing it was so astonishing, what must the patriarch, who experienced it firsthand, have felt?

"That... Immortal Master, I truly do not know the Master's whereabouts, nor when he might return... As for the county's name..."

"Patriarch Wei, you needn't say more... I will not trouble you."

The old turtle looked at Wei Wuwei solemnly.

"If you wish to enter Mount Yuhuai, one way is for a descendant with exceptional aptitude to emerge. There is also a clever alternative: if there are any direct descendants of the Wei family's old patriarch who are under five years old, they can be sent to the immortal abode on Mount Yuhuai. The guardian cranes of the mountain rotate every twenty years, and starting next January, it will happen to be the one who has an old connection with your Wei family..."

"Bring the jade pendant, and that immortal crane will surely appear. At that time, you must implore it to recommend the child to the mountain sect, and strive to ask to accompany the young child in the mountain for three years as an elder. That immortal crane, in repayment of its gratitude, will certainly assist with all its might, giving you a seventy percent chance of success! This Mount Yuhuai is located at..."

The old turtle spoke the rest of its words in an extremely low voice, audible only to Wei Wuwei. After saying this, the old turtle looked at Wei Wuwei and then directly crawled into the river.

Alas, this fate did not concern itself, nor did he have the fortune to witness this grand opportunity. This year, he would still seek the River God's favor!

"Splash!"

The sound of it entering the water startled Wei Wuwei from his thoughts. He quickly shouted towards the river surface, where only a small whirlpool remained.

"Thank you, Immortal Master! Next year, my Wei family will prepare fine wine here again!"