Chapter 2944 — To the Hongmen Banquet

That was why Wei Zhao did not dare let them casually set foot on the path of cultivation.

"Arrow-Brand Bro, what do you say Jingjing and Sister Mengyao find a place and receive a legacy?" Shen Yushu said suddenly.

"A legacy? Where would you go to receive a legacy?" Wei Zhao blinked.

"You know, going to some fire-element sect or metal-element sect or whatever to receive a legacy," Shen Yushu said.

"Xiaoshu, stop daydreaming!" Gu Mengyao gave Shen Yushu a helpless kick. "Even if you're desperate for power, there's no need to be so absurd!"

"Oh..." Shen Yushu shut her mouth, somewhat disappointed.

Wei Zhao shook his head and smiled too, but he did not take Shen Yushu's words seriously. After all, if legacies were something anyone could receive, then the Ice Palace and the Loess High Sect would not have gone to such trouble searching for inheritors.

"All right, don't dwell on it. I've now come into contact with the ancient levels, and if the chance arises, I'll ask around for suitable cultivation methods and oral formulas for you," Wei Zhao consoled.

"All right, no rush." Gu Mengyao did not want to add to Wei Zhao's burdens; anxious as she was inside, she put on an air of not caring at all.

"Heh heh..." Wei Zhao knew the young miss's character well and smirked mischievously, but did not call her out.

"What are you heh-heh-ing about?!" Having her thoughts seen through, the young miss flushed at once and glared at Wei Zhao. "Keep your eyes on the road!"

"..." Wei Zhao was somewhat speechless. Now he couldn't even laugh...

"By the way, Arrow-Brand Bro, why did that old man Zhao suddenly change his mind? A few days ago Zhao Qibing was still strutting about!" Shen Yushu found the Hidden Zhao family's behavior strange. "There couldn't be some plot, could there?"

"Xiaoshu, why is everything a conspiracy theory with you?" Gu Mengyao thought nothing of it. "Didn't the Zhao family send over two hundred million the other day?"

"Xiaoshu just thinks that when something is out of the ordinary, there must be something fishy," Shen Yushu said.

"All right, I'll be careful when the time comes." Wei Zhao nodded. Sometimes Shen Yushu's sixth sense was remarkably accurate, and though Wei Zhao too had felt that the Zhao family's change of attitude was a little too quick, hadn't the Zhuang family, the Pi family, and the rest been just as quick to trim their sails to the wind?

Over the following days, Wei Zhao asked White Leader for leave. Apart from driving Gu Mengyao and the others to and from school morning and evening, he spent the rest of his time at home practicing the Fire of Condensation and Tempering. But such a thing could not show results overnight; all Wei Zhao could do was calm his mind and practice diligently.

In the blink of an eye it was Saturday, and Wei Zhao set out early in the morning, driving to the estate where the Hidden Zhao family resided.

Yet even though Wei Zhao had set out at seven in the morning, on a weekend with heavy traffic it still took him more than three hours to reach the Hidden Zhao family's estate.

Perhaps because Old Master Zhao had already given word, the guards on the private road leading to the Zhao estate put up no obstruction at all to Wei Zhao's arrival and waved him through the moment they saw his car. At the gates of the Zhao estate, Wei Zhao saw Zhao Qilei waiting there early!

Beside him stood, of all people, Old Master Zhao and a Zhao Qibing whose face was a mask of embarrassment.

"Leader!" Zhao Qilei, catching sight of Wei Zhao's car, looked utterly thrilled.

"Senior Lin!" Old Master Zhao, though he too looked somewhat embarrassed, nonetheless cupped his hands and said solemnly—this counted as a formal salute to Wei Zhao! By addressing him as Senior Lin, he was, of course, having the Hidden Zhao family acknowledge Wei Zhao's status.

"Haha, Leader Wei Zhao, how do you do!" Zhao Qilei seemed to feel that matters could no longer be salvaged, and after the earlier awkwardness he abruptly turned enthusiastic. "Leader Wei Zhao, I heard you came looking for me before, wanting to help break my legs? I wasn't in at the time—do forgive me, forgive me. Do you have time today? Break my legs for me, just this once?"

"Qibing!" Old Master Zhao frowned and shot Zhao Qibing a glare. "What are you bringing all that up for at a time like this? Senior Lin is here for a meal. There'll be plenty of chances to break legs later—our Hidden Zhao family is Senior Lin's vassal family now, so what's your worry about chances?"

Hearing Old Master Zhao's words, Zhao Qibing fell somewhat silent. A trace of venom flickered through his eyes, so fleeting it was hard to catch; he glanced at Zhao Qilei beside him, then shut his mouth and said no more.

It had to be said that Zhao Qibing's acting was quite formidable. His resentful silence toward Old Master Zhao and his fury at Zhao Qilei for seizing the position of young heir that should have been his were expressed to the fullest, yet most subtly.

Though Zhao Qibing's venom had been fleeting, Wei Zhao still caught it. Still, the changes in the Zhao family were all the easier for Wei Zhao to understand. It seemed Old Master Zhao's heart had shifted to Zhao Qilei; otherwise Zhao Qibing would not be so bitter, nor bring up such a request regardless of the occasion!

"No matter. There will be plenty of chances to break legs in the future," Wei Zhao said mildly, waving a hand.

"Senior Lin, I have already prepared a banquet in the dining hall. Shall we eat first, or shall I take you around the house and show you our Hidden Zhao family's treasure vault?" Old Master Zhao inquired.

"Let's eat first," Wei Zhao said. At this moment Wei Zhao no longer had much curiosity about the treasure vaults of hidden families; his strength had already reached the ancient levels, and so his horizons had risen considerably.

Besides, he had seen most of the Hidden Zhao family's fine things at the Hidden World Families Summit last time.

"Very well, this way please!" Old Master Zhao nodded and made a gesture of invitation.

Wei Zhao followed Old Master Zhao to the Hidden Zhao family's dining hall, where he saw Zhao Guangyin bustling about in person, directing the family's disciples as they carried dishes to the banquet table.

Catching sight of Wei Zhao, Zhao Guangyin hurried over at once and said respectfully, "Senior Lin, you've come. Please, take this seat!"

With that, Zhao Guangyin pointed out the seat of honor at the head of the table for Wei Zhao to take.

Wei Zhao did not stand on ceremony; he had come to the Zhao family to take on followers, so there was no need for such formalities.

Once seated, Wei Zhao noticed that Zhao Qilei and Zhao Qibing were both standing to one side, and that only Old Master Zhao and Zhao Guangyin had taken seats after him. He found it rather odd. "Qitan, why aren't you sitting?"

"Leader, Brother Qibing and I are of the younger generation. Grandfather told the two of us to serve as attendants and wait on the leader," Zhao Qilei explained. "Since this is a family banquet, we didn't want to involve those disciples and servants, and it wouldn't be proper for us to dine with Grandfather and the young heir either."