Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Chapter 244: A Gilded Past

“Wei Baoyu?” Sect Leader Qi’s gaze shifted, finally locking onto the battered captive dangling from the threads.

It was time to uncover the truth—was Bai Shiqi’s appearance an accident, or a meticulously orchestrated plot?

He didn’t bother asking questions. The Sect Leader’s Divine Sense violently pierced the mortal’s mind, tearing past his psychological defenses. Accompanied by Wei Baoyu’s muffled, agonizing shrieks, a flood of memories played out in Sect Leader Qi’s mind like a rapid succession of vivid, flashing images.

The memories revealed a pampered aristocratic youth drowning in vice, running errands for his family, and eventually plunging into the bloody power struggles of a usurping royal family. Through it all, the young man was exposed to the terrifying, hidden world of Immortal Masters and Demonic Cultivators.

Years ago, Wei Baoyu had frequently visited the mortal town near the immortal mountains, delivering supplies to the Green Grain Market. His main objective was passing messages and resources to his older sister, Wei Kunyi. Back then, the Wei clan’s ambition was relatively simple: use Wei Kunyi to influence Wanchun Valley’s stance on the Nanli Kingdom, giving them the leverage to usurp the throne while cultivating their own private forces.

Had they played it safe, waiting for Wei Kunyi to enter the Outer Sect, seduce a powerful disciple, and build a network, the Wei clan might have seized the kingdom flawlessly within a few years.

But fate was fickle. Before she could even reach the Outer Sect, Wei Kunyi died in the Spirit Field Department. The clan’s master plan crumbled.

Desperate, his father, Wei Gang, forged a connection with the Spirit Beast Sect. Eager to please their new masters, the Wei family sent Wei Xiaoluo as a spy into Wanchun Valley.

He, too, died in the Spirit Field Department.

Just as total despair gripped the Wei clan, the Spirit Beast Sect delivered miraculous news: Wanchun Valley had been targeted by other powerful Sects and was currently cowering like a turtle in its shell. With the Spirit Beast Sect’s explicit backing, the Wei clan was free to seize the throne.

The coup was swift and brutal. With Wanchun Valley’s stationed disciples recalled to their Sect, Wei Gang, who had controlled the mortal court for years, launched a devastating ambush. The Jiang Imperial Family was massacred. Only one bastard child, Jiang Jing, managed to escape the slaughter.

Wei Gang crowned himself Emperor. Wei Baoyu was elevated to the Fourth Prince of the Nanli Kingdom. His life of gilded luxury continued, but it was now heavily spiced with the paranoia of royal fratricide as he and his brothers ruthlessly schemed for the crown.

During this time, Wei Baoyu began interacting more frequently with Immortal Masters and Demonic Cultivators. He had always assumed the two factions were mortal enemies. Instead, he discovered that the “righteous” Spirit Beast Sect immortals were intimately allied with the Demonic Cultivators. He even saw a Spirit Beast Sect Immortal Master who actively practiced a demonic art, his eyes glowing a manic, bloodshot red as he feasted on human flesh and drank blood daily.

The Wei clan was ascending. They discovered two members with Spirit Roots—one studied the Spirit Beast Sect’s methods, the other a demonic art. With the Nanli Kingdom firmly in their grasp, their future seemed boundless.

And then, without warning, the Spirit Beast Sect turned on them.

They slaughtered Wei Baoyu’s parents—the Emperor and Empress—and casually severed their heads to use as peace offerings to negotiate with Wanchun Valley. For good measure, they plundered the population of five entire cities.

Wei Baoyu had never experienced such violent whiplash. One day, he was a prince lounging with his concubines; the next, his parents were slaughtered like chickens by their “masters,” their heads boxed up as a trivial greeting gift.

In the eyes of Cultivators, mortals weren’t even considered human. They were livestock.

While his foolish siblings either held onto false hope or saw their father’s death as a chance to claim the throne, Wei Baoyu knew better. A lifetime of rubbing shoulders with the worst dregs of society and indulging in every vice had taught him the harsh reality of the world.

He abandoned any thought of the throne. Gathering a few loyal retainers, he stole the imperial seal, completely changed his appearance, and fled the capital, vanishing into the filth of the slums.

His paranoia proved justified. Wanchun Valley soon returned, escorting that surviving bastard, Jiang Jing, back to the throne. The newly reinstated Jiang Imperial Family immediately launched a ruthless extermination campaign against the entire Wei bloodline.

Wei Baoyu fled to the town at the foot of the immortal mountains. Relying on his meager martial arts, he became a filthy beggar king. He gave his child subordinates degrading nicknames like “Wine Gourd” and “Vinegar Saucer”—fueling his own petty dominance while harboring a burning, impotent hatred for the Jiang clan, the Spirit Beast Sect, Wanchun Valley, and every single so-called “Immortal Master.”

He hated them all, but mostly, he hated his own lack of a Spirit Root. If he could cultivate, he would have soared into the heavens, slaughtered them all, and taken his revenge.

His miserable life continued until one night, after drunkenly beating “Wine Gourd” and “Vinegar Saucer” to vent his frustrations, he fell into a stupor.

He was awakened by a cold-faced “Vinegar Saucer,” who claimed to have found something valuable. Grumbling curses, Wei Baoyu followed the child into a desolate alley.

There, waiting in the shadows, was a terrifying figure with a deathly pale face, offering a sinister grin.

Recognizing a Demonic Cultivator instantly, Wei Baoyu’s survival instincts kicked in. Certain he was about to die, he dropped to his knees, slammed his head into the dirt, and frantically babbled out his true identity, begging to serve.

Hearing that this filthy beggar was the former Fourth Prince of the Nanli Kingdom, the Demonic Cultivator’s interest was piqued. “I was going to kill you or have someone take your place. Who knew you had such a useful background?”

“Will you obey my commands?” the figure asked.

Wei Baoyu kowtowed furiously. “I am willing to serve the Immortal Master!”

The mysterious Demonic Cultivator laughed. “Good. In two days, a woman will arrive at the Green Grain Market. Bring your beggars to her. She will arrange for this little girl to be smuggled into Wanchun Valley.”

Wei Baoyu didn’t dare ask questions. He merely agreed.

“Serve me well,” the Demonic Cultivator promised, “and not only will I return the Nanli Kingdom’s throne to you, but I will also grant you the chance to embark on Cultivation.”

Overjoyed and deeply shaken, Wei Baoyu learned of the Flesh and Blood Grafting technique. It became his ultimate obsession. He worked fanatically for the mysterious Demonic Cultivator, preparing to deliver the beggar children to the Green Grain Market.

But disaster struck before the handoff.

“Wine Gourd” was discovered to possess a Wood Single Spirit Root and was immediately snatched up as a direct disciple by a Wanchun Valley Elder. Before Wei Baoyu could coordinate with the Demonic Cultivator to have “Vinegar Saucer” meet the contact, he was swept up in the chaos, captured, and handed over to the Nanli Kingdom’s mortal authorities.

Believing his death was certain, Wei Baoyu was shocked when the mysterious Demonic Cultivator intervened and rescued him.

Afterward, he learned the Demonic Cultivator was furious about missing out on “Wine Gourd.” A Single Spirit Root genius was an invaluable asset—even if the boy didn’t practice demonic arts, he could have been refined into premium cultivation ingredients or sold to other Sects for a fortune.

However, the accident yielded a different opportunity. Without needing the Joyous Union Sect to run interference, “Vinegar Saucer”—Bai Shiqi—simply followed “Wine Gourd” straight into Wanchun Valley. Her mission: to closely monitor a specific Wanchun Valley disciple named Han Yu.

Wei Baoyu had no idea who “Han Yu” was. He could only assume the man was a highly critical target within Wanchun Valley.

Following this, the mysterious Demonic Cultivator ordered the Joyous Union Sect operatives to retreat from the area, leaving Wei Baoyu and the Demonic Cultivators serving the Saint Blood Perfected One to carry out their operations in the Nanli Kingdom.

Wei Baoyu finally received the Flesh and Blood Grafting method. He struck a deal with the young emperor Jiang Jing, allowing Demonic Cultivators to hunt Wanchun Valley disciples for their Blood Essence while he spun his intricate web of conspiracies… until tonight, when he was finally dragged out of the mud at the martial manor.

This was the gilded, blood-soaked past of Wei Baoyu.

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