Chapter 73: The End of a Favor

After speaking, Li Tongshi cautiously lifted her head, trying to gauge Wei Tu’s reaction.

The so-called King of Mingzhou was not a noble recognized by the Zheng Kingdom’s imperial court but one of the thirty-two rebel warlords in Guangyuan Prefecture.

Her son, Li Xingye, had pledged allegiance to Ming Province King and taken a position as his advisor—an act of treason.

According to the laws of the Zheng Kingdom, such a crime warranted the execution of nine generations of his family.

Most people, upon hearing this, would immediately consider it a disaster—not only refusing to help but likely turning her over to the authorities for punishment.

Treason was not something one could be remotely connected to without dire consequences.

Even officials of the imperial court were not exempt from suspicion if found guilty by association.

However—

To Li Tongshi’s surprise, Wei Tu neither showed shock nor anger upon hearing the news.

Instead, his expression remained calm and indifferent.

"See her out."

Wei Tu sipped his tea, then turned to the servant girl beside him and gave a brief command.

—Whatever debts he owed the Li family had been fully repaid over the past thirty years.

If the Li family had come to ask for a small favor, he might have helped out of old sentiment.

But this?

This was treason—a matter that could consume entire families in ruin.

Even if he had the ability to help, he was not about to risk himself.

The moment his words fell—

With a thud, Li Tongshi dropped to her knees, her face filled with desperation and pleading.

"Master Wei, I did not come here today expecting you to rescue my entire family…"

"I only beg you to save just one grandson—just one."

"Please… don’t let my family line be completely wiped out!"

As if realizing the weight of her plea, she quickly added,

"My grandson is not the child of that unfilial beast Xingye—he belongs to my second son’s line!"

—

A Single Grandson?

Wei Tu’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but he did not immediately refuse.

For Li Tongshi to escape from the county jail, it was not due to her own ability but because someone within the local government had helped her.

This meant that the situation was not yet beyond salvation.

Treason was a grave crime—but the ones handling the matter were local officials, and corruption within the system was still a reality.

There was room to negotiate—but only if the right person intervened.

Otherwise, Li Tongshi never would have escaped.

That also meant there was another possibility—

Someone in the local government might be setting up a trap, using this as bait to entangle him.

"One grandson alone…"

"With my network, I could indeed have him freed."

"But doing so would mean owing a favor to the county officials."

"And that favor wouldn’t be some small one…"

"It would be a favor concerning a case of treason."

"I can’t take this lightly."

"If I were to resort to force…"

Wei Tu’s thoughts deepened.

With his current martial strength, breaking into the county jail and rescuing a single child would be no difficult feat.

But he had no intention of taking such a direct risk.

—

For a long moment, the hall remained silent.

Then, Wei Tu shook his head.

He had made his decision.

Raising his hand, he instructed Xinghua to bring out two silver ingots as travel expenses for Li Tongshi, offering them to her.

Then, he turned back to the servant girl and said,

"See her out."

Li Xingye himself had abandoned his family to pursue his own ambitions.

Why should an outsider like Wei Tu care about the fate of his bloodline?

A single grandson might be easy to save—

But what came after?

Arranging his future? Protecting him from further accusations?

It would all carry too much risk.

Wei Tu had a family of his own to protect—he could not risk them over such a matter.

"Master Wei… Lord Wei…"

"Is there truly no other way?"

At the back gate of the Wei household, the gray-haired Li Tongshi stepped forward, crossing the threshold.

Yet, even as she left, she hesitated, turning back one last time, her lips trembling with unspoken words.

For nearly thirty years, whenever the Li family had needed help, Wei Tu had always answered.

That was why she had pinned all her hopes on him.

She never imagined he would refuse so decisively—with no room for compromise.

Hearing this, Wei Tu—

Wei Tu remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking.

"If twenty years ago, you had come to me with this request, I might have hesitated due to the risks, but I would have still helped your family survive this crisis."

"But now—"

"Things are different."

"A favor, once repaid, does not last forever."

Even as he said this, Wei Tu knew deep down—

Even if this had happened twenty years ago, he still would not have taken this risk for the Li family.

No matter how much one values gratitude, putting his own head on the chopping block for another family’s mistakes was too much to ask.

Especially when—

His history with the Li family was far from pleasant.

If he hadn't secured his freedom early on, he and the Li family might have already become enemies by now.

"A favor... can be exhausted…"

Hearing these words, Li Tongshi muttered to herself, sighing several times.

The Li family claimed to have once saved Wei Tu’s life, but in truth—

They were merely buying up cheap labor during a famine year when human lives were worth next to nothing.

Three years ago, when her son Li Xingye was arrested for writing seditious poetry in a teahouse, the entire family was thrown into prison.

It was only through Wei Tu’s connections that they escaped execution—though not without paying a heavy price.

A life for a life.

If anything—

The Li family owed Wei Tu a debt, not the other way around.

"I will take my leave."

Li Tongshi gave a half-bow, then turned and left through the back gate of the Wei residence.

Within a few breaths, she had disappeared into the shadows of the street alleys.

—

As Li Tongshi left the Wei residence, Wei Tu did not immediately let down his guard.

Once the rear courtyard gates were securely shut, his figure blurred—and in the next moment, he was already on the rooftops, quietly tailing her movements.

Kindness given by the handful is repaid with gratitude, but too much kindness only breeds resentment.

Now that he had refused to help, there was always the possibility that Li Tongshi would resent him—

That she might march straight to the county yamen and accuse him of treason out of spite.

And if that happened—

He would be in grave danger.

But soon, Wei Tu’s eyes narrowed.

"I’m not the only one following her?"

In the shadows, about fifty paces behind Li Tongshi, another figure moved cautiously.

A lean middle-aged man.

His gait, the way he positioned himself in the darkness—

Everything suggested training and experience.

A county yamen enforcer?

Wei Tu immediately deduced that this man had likely been sent by the local authorities, for the same reason he was here—

To ensure Li Tongshi did not say anything she shouldn’t.

If she had sought his help, she could seek others.

If he refused to save her family, she could seek revenge.

To the local officials, both outcomes had to be contained.

—

Half an incense stick later, Li Tongshi arrived near the county yamen.

Wei Tu’s expression darkened.

With a flick of his wrist, a leaf appeared between his fingers.

—A fresh green leaf, casually plucked from a tree during his silent pursuit.

If Li Tongshi took even one step through that yamen gate—

He would not hesitate to act.

A single leaf, in the hands of a Xiantian martial artist, could kill as surely as a blade.

A flick of his fingers, and it would sever the spine, silence her in an instant.

His gaze swept sideways—toward the lean middle-aged man still lurking in the shadows.

Their eyes met.

Both of them had drawn weapons.

Both of them had come to the same decision.

If Li Tongshi spoke—she would die.

—

At the yamen steps, Li Tongshi hesitated.

She climbed a few steps, her feet wavering—then stepped down again.

She repeated this several times.

In the end—

She turned away.

As she disappeared into the distance, Wei Tu finally exhaled.

He would not have to kill her today.

Even for a Xiantian warrior, even when necessary—killing a person he once knew was not something he would take lightly.

That was a line he did not wish to cross.

Still, he continued following at a distance.

Not long after, he saw county yamen enforcers approach Li Tongshi and take her away.

Clearly, the local authorities had decided not to take any chances.

She would not be getting another opportunity to talk.

As the scene unfolded, Wei Tu silently retrieved the silver ingots he had given her earlier—

Then, without a sound, he withdrew into the night.