Chapter 2479 — The Fight for the Blue Crystal (Part Two)

Yet there were exceptions. If a vast quantity of blue crystal had been added to a divine weapon during its forging, then once the forging succeeded, an Earth Rank expert could likewise channel true qi into it—though how much true qi it could take depended on how much blue crystal had been mixed in.

Small as the fragment in Yang Qiqi's hand was—scarcely enough for anything, truly—it was still priceless, a treasure any Earth Rank expert would give his eyeteeth for. Advancing from Earth Rank to Heaven Rank was, as a rule, a grueling ordeal, and so Earth Rank experts hoarded such things without cease, in the hope that before they broke through they might taste, just once, the majesty of a divine weapon.

Blue crystal? Wei Zhao's heart gave a violent lurch. He had never imagined Yang Qiqi carried such a prize, and the surprise was considerable—enough to change his mind about keeping clear of other people's troubles. Whether Yang Qiqi lost out or not was a matter of little concern to Wei Zhao, but this blue crystal he was determined to have.

"So that means you do not want the Minor Qi-Gathering Pill?" The beanpole flicked his wrist and plucked the pill back, tucking it into his pouch. Only then did the crowd understand that the beanpole had never intended to pay even with the Minor Qi-Gathering Pill—he meant to rob her outright.

Yet even an outright robbery drew no protest. After all, the thing was not theirs; if it was taken, it was taken.

"You... I..." Tears welled in Yang Qiqi's eyes. She was no internal expert; a Minor Qi-Gathering Pill would not raise her to Earth Rank. Trading blue crystal for a Minor Qi-Gathering Pill was a ruinous loss, but refusing it would be a ruinous loss and then some. So Yang Qiqi nodded, sick at heart: "I want it!"

"You want it? Too late!" The beanpole grinned. "You did not want it a moment ago, and now I will not give it!"

"Give it to her!" Wei Zhao could not stomach another moment of it. Bullying was something he knew how to do, but he bullied only those who had wronged him; those who had never done him harm, he never treated so. This beanpole before him was the very embodiment of the four words "pushing a man too far."

"You... who are you?" The beanpole had not expected anyone to meddle. He had done this sort of thing more times than he could count, and never once had anyone stepped forward. But he was not afraid. He let his early Earth Rank strength show, and looked at Wei Zhao with a cold smile: "Are you certain you want to stand up for her?"

To the beanpole's mind, Wei Zhao was a hotheaded fool; once he displayed his strength, the man would surely slink off with his tail between his legs. But to his astonishment, Wei Zhao was utterly unfazed. He simply reached into the beanpole's pouch, drew out the box holding the Minor Qi-Gathering Pill, tossed it to Yang Qiqi, and said, "Take it. Next time, do not trade with the likes of him."

"Oh..." Yang Qiqi was a little put out, thinking to herself: why had Wei Zhao not taken back her blue crystal? Why give her the Minor Qi-Gathering Pill instead? What sort of man was this, helping only halfway and leaving the rest undone? Still, Wei Zhao had helped, and unwilling as she was, she had to accept it: "Thank you..."

Seeing that his aura of intimidation had no effect, the beanpole frowned. After a moment's hesitation, he gave up pressing Yang Qiqi for the Minor Qi-Gathering Pill and turned to Wei Zhao: "All right, you have had your fill of meddling. I am leaving!"

"Since when are you my 'I'?" Wei Zhao frowned and gave a cold snort.

"I... hm, boy, I warn you, keep out of other people's business. I am not alone!" The beanpole had more or less guessed that Wei Zhao was likely an Earth Rank expert too—his aura had left the man wholly untouched. But he was not afraid, for he had two brothers, all three of them Earth Rank experts, and they had deep roots besides; that was what made him so brazen: "Mind you do not get yourself barred from the market!"

"By your reasoning, whoever has the harder fist is the leader, is that it?" Wei Zhao looked at the beanpole, not angry but amused.

"Hmph, so long as you understand!" The beanpole, missing the mockery in Wei Zhao's tone, nodded as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Others might not know it, but the beanpole knew his own household's affairs well enough: the three brothers were the three henchmen of the vice-chairman of the Expert Trading Association, and the eldest and the second were at that very moment charged with checking credentials at the entrances to the Expert Market. If Wei Zhao truly dared to make trouble, the beanpole need only send word to his elder brothers, and Wei Zhao would not even be able to set foot inside the Expert Market!

"Oh, is that so? In that case, I have here a Qi-Condensing Pill." Wei Zhao reached into his pack, drew out a small bottle, and held it before the beanpole: "This is a first-grade pill. For you, that is already very good indeed. I will trade you this for the blue crystal!"

"Huh?" The beanpole blinked, then burst out laughing: "Hahahaha, boy, are you sure you are not joking? You are the funniest fellow I have ever..."

But before the beanpole could finish, Wei Zhao's palm lashed out—smack—and the whole of one side of his face swelled up high.

"You... you struck me?" How could the beanpole have foreseen that Wei Zhao would lash out without the slightest warning? In a clash like this, both sides were supposed to exchange a few blustering words first, put on a show of strength, and only cross hands when all else failed—there was no blood feud here. Who simply struck without a word of challenge?

So the beanpole had not guarded himself with true qi, and his face swelled up from the blow. Gnashing his teeth in fury, he made to strike back—but just then Wei Zhao abruptly unleashed the aura of a peak mid-stage Earth Rank expert, and the beanpole's half-raised hand froze in midair. His face turned hideous: "A peak mid-stage Earth Rank expert?"

"Will you trade or not?" Wei Zhao asked coldly, eyes fixed on the beanpole.

"Hmph, fine, I will let you have it first." The beanpole knew better than to court disaster. His eldest brother was a late Earth Rank expert and his second brother a peak late Earth Rank expert, but both were at that moment guarding the market gate and could not come to his aid. So the beanpole drew a deep breath, fished the blue crystal from his pouch, and handed it to Wei Zhao. In his heart, though, he had already marked Wei Zhao for hatred; he fixed the man's face in his memory and resolved that when Wei Zhao entered the market, he would send word to his brothers and make trouble for Wei Zhao and that Yang Qiqi besides!

Wei Zhao gave a cold laugh and tucked the blue crystal into his robes. Yet to the end, not a single person came forward to speak. These people seemed deaf to the beanpole's bullying of Yang Qiqi and to Wei Zhao's bullying of the beanpole alike; they watched as they might watch a bit of street theater, and then drifted away.