Chapter 2074 — Obtaining the Treasure

"Brother Liang, you know exactly what kind of man I, Zhang Naipao, am!" Zhang Naipao said. "Talking to me like this—it's plain you're wary of me, that you no longer treat me as your underling! Brother Liang, you are a benefactor to my whole family, and the only reason I could come to train at the Mingri Fu Mingri Sect is because Brother Black Panther recommended me—all of which has everything to do with you, Brother Liang! I, Zhang Naipao, was your underling before, and I am still your underling now! In this whole life of mine, there is one enemy: Wei Zhao! One leader: you, Zhong Yongliang! And one sect: the Mingri Fu Mingri Sect!"

Zhang Naipao spoke these words with stirring passion, without the slightest affectation or falseness, and Zhong Yongliang was deeply moved. "Good, good, Paozi—you truly are my good brother!"

"Brother Liang, I came here to cultivate for one purpose only: to deal with Wei Zhao! Because he is not only your enemy, Brother Liang, but has a deep and deadly grudge against me as well, so you need not speak to me that way, Brother Liang!" Zhang Naipao said. "It's just that my second layer of divine skill is not yet complete, so for the time being I cannot leave the mountain. But the moment a suitable opportunity arises, I will certainly strike and cripple that Wei Zhao, and deliver him before you, Brother Liang, so that you may finish him off with your own hands!"

"Good!" Zhong Yongliang nodded excitedly. "Paozi, so what is your strength now?"

"I am now at the mid-Earth-rank level..." At this, a flash of unwillingness crossed Zhang Naipao's eyes. "According to the information I've received, Wei Zhao can actually slay even late-Earth-rank experts with ease. It seems that unless I reach the great perfection of the second layer of divine skill, I am probably no match for Wei Zhao!"

"What! Wei Zhao is that formidable? He can slay even late-Earth-rank experts?" Zhong Yongliang was astonished. "Didn't they say before that Wei Zhao was only at the peak of the late-Mystic-rank level? When did he break through to Earth rank?"

"That I do not know either." Zhang Naipao shook his head. "My sources of information are limited as well—after all, the people our Mingri Fu Mingri Sect sends out to gather intelligence cannot keep their eyes fixed on Wei Zhao alone..."

"That bastard has the devil's own luck. How does he advance at such a monstrous speed?" Thinking of Wei Zhao's progress, Zhong Yongliang felt somewhat deflated. "It seems we've been left behind by him all along!"

"It doesn't matter. Once my second layer of divine skill is fully mastered, even if Wei Zhao is a peak late-Earth-rank expert, so long as he is not Heaven rank, I am confident I can best him!" Zhang Naipao said with full confidence. "How does that saying go? Getting fat first doesn't count as fat—I'll overtake him in the end!"

"Oh? Paozi, do you have some hidden trump card?" Hearing Zhang Naipao's words, Zhong Yongliang was instantly delighted.

"A trump card? Naturally I have one!" Zhang Naipao chuckled. "But forgive me, Brother Liang, for keeping you in suspense for now—bound by the rules of my sect, I cannot speak of it freely before my divine skill is complete!"

"Haha, it's fine. Even if you told me, I probably wouldn't understand. As long as you can beat Wei Zhao, that's enough!" Zhong Yongliang said. "Nothing else matters."

"That you can understand, Brother Liang—that is truly wonderful!" Zhang Naipao nodded. "Brother Liang, for now just endure that Wei Zhao a little while longer. One day I will deal with him. Let him be smug for a spell!"

"Ah, Paozi, you don't know the half of it. The reason I came to find you this time is that I actually have a favor to ask!" Zhong Yongliang sighed. "Though I've endured all I can, who'd have thought—the university I got into turned out to be the same one Wei Zhao went to. When I heard he was at that university, I didn't even dare take Xiaofu to register. I was afraid Wei Zhao would bully us!"

"Oh? You're actually at the same university as Wei Zhao?" Zhang Naipao said, somewhat surprised. "In that case... a clash will be unavoidable..."

"Exactly. So I came here to discuss it with you, Paozi, to see if there's any good way to spare me from Wei Zhao's bullying!" Zhong Yongliang said. "I am, after all, your leader, Paozi. And you're a core disciple of the Mingri Fu Mingri Sect now. If I get bullied, wouldn't that make you lose face too?"

"That's true enough!" Zhang Naipao nodded. "How about this: in a little while I'll speak with my master and see if we can take you in as an outer-sect disciple, and then bestow a fine treasure upon you. We won't be aiming to bully anyone—but we must have the ability to protect ourselves!"

"Paozi, you're really too good to your leader!" Zhong Yongliang had never expected Zhang Naipao to be so accommodating—actually going to his master to beg a treasure on his behalf!

Originally, what Zhong Yongliang had in mind was simply to use his connection with Zhang Naipao to have him put in a word, arranging for Zhong Yongliang some identity as an outer-sect disciple or as the Mingri Fu Mingri Sect's liaison in the secular world. That way, even if it wouldn't be enough to suppress Wei Zhao, at least when Wei Zhao wasn't around, it would be enough to throw his weight about on campus!

So long as he didn't come into direct conflict with Wei Zhao, university life would be quite pleasant. But to be repressed for four whole years—that would be worse than killing him! The final stretch of his senior year in high school had already been oppressive enough for Zhong Yongliang. He had finally made it to university, hoping to hold his head high and make a name for himself as a campus leader or a campus bully—only to find himself up against Wei Zhao once again!

But among the schools in Donghai City, only Donghai Engineering University had a jointly-run college that admitted self-funded students; no other school had such a system, which left Zhong Yongliang with no choice! Besides, the money had already been paid in full, and trying to switch to another school at this point would be very difficult!

Even if Zhong Fabai had some influence in Songshan City, he had no connections to speak of in Donghai City. Getting into this school had been entirely a matter of spending money through the normal self-funded channel; transferring schools was simply beyond his means.

"Brother Liang, I've followed you so long—how could I not know what's on your mind?" Zhang Naipao smiled. "This treasure was originally promised to me by my master. But if I achieve the great completion of my second layer of divine skill, I won't need it anymore, so I'll have my master bestow it on you instead! This treasure is a Golden Cicada Inner Garment. Worn on the body, it can withstand any attack below Heaven rank! In other words, below Heaven rank, no one can harm you!"

"Ah? Really? It's that formidable?" Zhong Yongliang's eyes went wide, and he stared at Zhang Naipao in disbelief.

"Heh heh, naturally!" Zhang Naipao nodded. "Even facing Wei Zhao—though you won't be able to do anything to him, he won't be able to do anything to you either!"