Chapter 3154 — Wei Zhao's Family

"According to our investigation, he is at the early Heaven rank," Ancestor Gloom said.

"Back when he was only at the Earth rank, he could kill Heaven-rank cultivators in an instant. Now he's Heaven rank himself... it seems that if we want to be rid of Wei Zhao, I'm afraid you'll have to go in person. Or perhaps... the two of us together would be safer." Ancestor Huangquan was no fool. If Wei Zhao could slay a peak mid-stage Heaven-rank expert, who could guarantee he couldn't do the same to a peak late-stage Heaven-rank one?

Repeated investigations had shown that they had underestimated Wei Zhao's strength every single time, and each time it had brought the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect incalculable, bitter consequences. So this time, Ancestor Huangquan was no longer arrogant. He had learned his lesson and grown considerably more cautious in his dealings.

"Indeed! But there is one piece of information that has not yet been confirmed—that several other Heaven-rank experts of the Eastern Family also died at Wei Zhao's hands, and were killed in an instant. So for now, Wei Zhao's combat strength cannot be estimated!" Ancestor Gloom said. "And the most important matter of all: not long ago, Wei Zhao made a fool of Elder Kang Jingming of the Xuandan Sect, yet the Xuandan Sect did nothing about it! They have no intention whatsoever of moving against Wei Zhao. Others may not know it, but we do—behind the Xuandan Sect stands the Five Luminaries Sect..."

"Oh? What happened?" Ancestor Huangquan asked at once.

"It's like this. Wei Zhao invented a first-grade automatic cauldron that can refine pills on its own..." With that, Ancestor Gloom recounted Wei Zhao's recent activities to Ancestor Huangquan.

"Then it's not that the Five Luminaries Sect won't move against Wei Zhao—it's that they're wary of the Cultivators' Guild! Still, this Wei Zhao is beginning to worry me. When we go to make trouble for him, we mustn't let our boat capsize in the gutter!" Ancestor Huangquan said after a moment's thought.

"Exactly. That's why I'm also against making an enemy of Wei Zhao directly!" Ancestor Gloom nodded. "So, apart from that, the intelligence team has a suggestion. Wei Zhao is simply too uncanny, but we can strike at his family! Once Wei Zhao's family is dead, he will be heartbroken beyond measure. In a roundabout way, that would strike a blow at Wei Zhao, and our vengeance would be exacted!"

"Good! Then have the intelligence team find out as quickly as possible who Wei Zhao's family are and where they live. Once we have the information, we move!" Ancestor Huangquan said.

"Yes, this subordinate will see to the investigation at once!" Ancestor Gloom said hurriedly.

In truth, no investigation was needed at all. The very fact that the intelligence team had made the suggestion showed they had clearly already produced results. So it was not long after Ancestor Gloom went back to check on the situation that he returned to Ancestor Huangquan's presence, bringing with him the head of the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect's intelligence team.

"This subordinate Flying Cat pays his respects to Ancestor Huangquan!" The head of the intelligence team was named Flying Cat, and he did indeed have the skill to leap across roof beams and walk along walls—except that his talents were confined to the cultivation world. When it came to gathering intelligence in the secular world, he was somewhat lacking.

That was also why investigating Wei Zhao had taken so long.

"Mm. According to Gloom, you've already uncovered the situation regarding Wei Zhao's family?" Ancestor Huangquan asked. This time he was rather pleased. The intelligence team's earlier inefficiency had nearly made him curse them to their mothers' names—though his mother had long since died.

"Yes, Ancestor Huangquan. According to my investigation, the women closest to Wei Zhao are the following: Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, Tang Zhi, Feng Xiaoxiao, Wang Xinyan, and Han Jingyi. These are the ones who are relatively close to Wei Zhao. As for the rest, they do not often appear at his side, so I did not continue investigating," Flying Cat said.

"Oh? So you mean that if we kill these women, Wei Zhao will grieve? But that Chu—what's-her-name—Yao, why does that name sound so familiar? It seems I've heard it somewhere before?" Ancestor Huangquan asked.

"Ancestor Huangquan is most perceptive!" Flying Cat nodded. "This Gu Mengyao is the heir of the Dark Night Palace—that is, the very reason, which caused such an uproar in the martial world earlier, for the feud between the Dark Night Palace's Grand Elder and the ancient Eastern Family!"

"An heir? Then what are you even talking about? Would we dare touch someone like that? If she dies, the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect becomes an enemy of the entire ancient layer!" Ancestor Huangquan frowned at once. Even though the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect was one of the more unconventional entities in the ancient layer—one that others dared not lightly provoke—if it offended the interests of the entire ancient layer, the result would still be a dead end, and the only possible outcome at that! So Ancestor Huangquan was furious. "Can't you say something useful?"

"Uh... the useful part is that none of these women can be touched..." Flying Cat said with a bitter smile.

"None of them can be touched? What do you mean?" Ancestor Huangquan was slightly taken aback, thinking he must have misheard.

"Shen Yushu—if our investigation is correct, she should be a fire-element heir whom the Five Luminaries Sect has been secretly cultivating all along through the hidden Yu Family. Tang Zhi is the heir of Snow Valley and is now an elder there as well! Feng Xiaoxiao is the heir of the Ice Palace and now its vice-palace master! Han Jingyi is a student of the Five Luminaries Sect's... former Ancestor Xuantian—but not an ordinary student. She is one who can refine pills, and Ancestor Xuantian valued her greatly, so even Ancestor Xuanchen dared not touch her! As for Wang Xinyan, she is an elder of the Xuandan Sect and the fiancée of Kang Jinglong, the elder brother of Ancestor Xuanchen's son-in-law Kang Jingming. That one... is also not easy to touch..." Flying Cat explained.

"Damn it!" Ancestor Huangquan finally could not hold back and began to curse. "After all that, everyone around Wei Zhao is either an heir or connected to the Five Luminaries Sect—so how are we supposed to kill them? Whichever one we kill, the Blood-Robe Huangquan Sect is doomed! Even if we wiped out the people of the Tomorrow-upon-Tomorrow Sect, we still couldn't move against anyone connected to the Five Luminaries Sect!"

"This... Ancestor Huangquan, please hear me out!" Flying Cat said with a tearful expression, somewhat helplessly. "I was only reporting the results of the investigation to you. That doesn't mean the people I'm about to mention can't be touched..."

"Oh? Then go on—who else around Wei Zhao can be touched?" Ancestor Huangquan frowned and asked.

"The women around Wei Zhao can't be touched, but his kin can." Flying Cat said. "According to our investigation, Wei Zhao has returned several times to a place called West Star Mountain Village, where he has a grandfather. Of course, I couldn't find out his exact name—I only know his surname is Lin. An ordinary rustic villager of the secular world, not worth the trouble of investigating his name. I only know he is a traveling physician."

"Oh? You mean we should move against this man?" Ancestor Huangquan asked.RS