Chapter 2162 — Irretrievable

"..." Wei Zhao was momentarily speechless. "You really do have a martyr's spirit. Fine, suit yourselves—go and say your goodbyes, but make it quick. I'm in a hurry to get on the road!"

"Good, good!" Master Wo was overjoyed to see Wei Zhao agree without the slightest suspicion. He hurried over to the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast's side and, lowering his voice, spoke in beast tongue: "Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast, why would you leave with Wei Zhao? What has he promised you? Listen—come back with me, and I'll give you the sect's treasured spirit elixir to take. Think about it: a single one of those elixirs is worth a **whole year** of your cultivation. How about it? Betray Wei Zhao now, and I'll give you one?"

At Master Wo's words, the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast lazily raised its head, gave him a look of utter contempt, and then roared at him: "ROAR!"

No one else could understand it, but Master Wo could—the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast was refusing. Gritting his teeth, he raised the stakes: "Two! How about two spirit elixirs?"

"ROAR ROAR ROAR!" The Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast was growing impatient. If you've come to say goodbye, then say goodbye—why dawdle over such useless nonsense? It had seen through him too: Master Wo had come in the name of farewell, but in truth he was here to turn it against its master. The Beast had thought, out of regard for their long acquaintance, that it would give him a little face and bid him farewell—but this creature had no good intentions at all. It no longer even deigned to acknowledge him. Turning around, it aimed its rear squarely at Master Wo and let out a thunderous "BRRRAAAP" of a fart that sent Master Wo tumbling head over heels, landing in a heap three meters away!

"Haha..." Han Xiaohu couldn't hold back his laughter. "Boss, Master Wo's farewell style is certainly... distinctive. Farted off by the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast?"

Wei Zhao found it rather amusing too. Watching Master Wo's furtive manner, he had already guessed what the man was up to—no doubt trying to win the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast back. But now the Beast wouldn't even give Master Wo a second glance; it had simply given him a fart.

Master Wo, knocked flat by a fart, was red-faced with shame—yet he dared not utter a word of complaint and could only swallow it. But by now he understood: the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast was dead set on leaving with Wei Zhao. He had no idea what benefit Wei Zhao had offered it that made it spurn even spirit elixirs!

Though Master Wo was deeply unwilling to accept it, there was nothing he could do. He knew that the fart was also a warning—if he failed to read the situation, what awaited him next would not be a fart, but a claw!

"Haha, old friend, your way of saying goodbye is quite entertaining!" Master Wo could only swallow his humiliation and smooth things over himself, waving a hand at the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast. "Farewell, then—live well from now on..."

As he spoke those words, his heart was bleeding—but he was utterly helpless.

"Alright, are we done here? If we're done, we're leaving!" Wei Zhao glanced at Master Wo and asked.

"We're done..." Master Wo was beside himself with frustration. He did not want Wei Zhao to leave—but the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast was on Wei Zhao's side. Never mind that Wei Zhao had the Beast; even without it, he and Diamond could still be finished off just the same. So how would Master Wo dare stir up trouble now? He opened the barrier and let Wei Zhao's car through.

Han Xiaohu floored the accelerator and the car shot away like an arrow, the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast racing along close behind. The hapless Master Wo, having just eaten a fart, now got a face full of exhaust fumes. He cursed furiously: "Damn it all to hell—what the devil has gotten into that Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast, following Wei Zhao of all people!"

"Let it go. While there's green mountain, there's no worry about firewood." Diamond shook his head, neither pleased nor sorrowful—he took it all in stride. If he had no strength to take revenge, then best not to seek revenge at all. He had no wish to become a second Jin Wudi!

The best course now was to go back, study hard, train diligently, and seek a chance for a breakthrough—strive to raise his strength, and only then come looking for trouble with Wei Zhao. Until then, it was all just wishful thinking!

Master Wo and Diamond returned to the council hall hidden away in the Zhao family estate. Elder Pi glanced at them and asked mildly, "Well? Any results?"

"Don't even mention it. That Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast is dead set on following Wei Zhao—there was nothing I could do!" Master Wo said. "Count yourselves lucky you didn't go. Otherwise, if Wei Zhao had set the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast on you, I doubt you'd have come off any better!"

Elder You and Elder Tang exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves: thank goodness we didn't go. If Master Wo couldn't even subdue that Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast, then had they gone, it would have been two against two—Wei Zhao could kill a Heaven-rank in seconds, and the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast could handle another. Had they gone, they would never have come back alive!

"By the way, where are Elder Yu and Elder Zhao?" Master Wo suddenly noticed that neither Elder Yu nor Elder Zhao was in the council hall.

"They've gone into the secret chamber for a private talk. The interests of their two houses are not ours to judge—better to let them discuss it themselves," said Elder You.

"Indeed. They asked us to arbitrate—but how could we?" said Elder Tang. "Better to leave it for them to work out on their own."

"Since Master Wo and Master Jin are back, then I shall take my leave. I'm worried about my grandson—I won't stay long!" Elder Pi rose to his feet and said.

"Very well, then we'll be off too. I doubt Elder Yu and Elder Zhao will settle their dispute anytime soon tonight—waiting would be pointless!" Elder You nodded.

And so everyone in the council hall dispersed to rest. Each of them nursed his own thoughts and his own hidden schemes—some relieved, some regretful. In the end, it all came down to the differing degrees of conflict between Wei Zhao and their respective houses, and to the awe they felt at Wei Zhao's fearsome power and the dread reputation of the Wind-Thunder Purple-Lightning Beast.

So the matter was left unresolved for the time being—which, in the end, let Wei Zhao off with a great bargain.

Once the car left the private grounds of the hidden Zhao family estate and turned onto the public road, Wei Zhao finally let out a breath of relief. It seemed today's ordeal was truly over!

Wei Zhao sent a text message to Pi Zhifeng telling him he had escaped safely. He was still deeply grateful for Pi Zhifeng's warning—had Pi Zhifeng not revealed these things in advance, Wei Zhao could never have played his hand so precisely. Otherwise, he might only have exposed the whereabouts of the hidden Yu family's Qi-Gathering Pill at the very moment they made their move!!!!