Chapter 3226 — What Did You Say? "Really? I've really been upgraded? I'm a peak late Earth-rank expert?" Though the old director had long felt her strength rise to the peak of the late Earth rank, hearing Wei Zhao say it aloud still left her feeling as though she were dreaming.

What had happened here had overturned everything she had believed for decades! Even among the ancient sects, could there possibly be anyone with Wei Zhao's abilities? Not only could he repair damaged meridians for others, but he could even elevate their strength?

And that was not even the half of it—the mere fact that Wei Zhao could annihilate a peak late Heaven-rank expert in an instant was a feat beyond the reach or hope of any other cultivator! At this thought, the old director could not help but sigh. Her disciple and her daughter truly had remarkable luck, to have encountered such a wondrous expert!

If not for Wei Zhao, the orphanage would likely have been destroyed long ago by Zhao Qibing, would it not? Yu Xiaoke might still have been forced into the dangerous profession of tomb raiding—and might even have perished among the traps of some ancient tomb!

And her daughter Xu Shilan was no different; she would surely have been killed by the Dongfang clan long ago. But with Wei Zhao here, everything had changed beyond recognition. Wei Zhao was like her savior, having rescued both her daughter and her disciple—the two people most important to the old director in all the world!

"Master, you really are a peak late Earth-rank expert now!" Yu Xiaoke said with a touch of envy.

"Xiaoke, didn't your brother say he was going to give you a family heirloom mental cultivation method and its mnemonic verses? So don't be anxious." Wei Zhao looked at Yu Xiaoke's expression and smiled. "Has he given it to you yet?"

"He's keeping it hidden from the You family, but it's not easy for him to resign outright, so he's looking for an opportunity..." Yu Xiaoke said.

"The You family, huh..." Wei Zhao had once been wary of them, but now the You family meant nothing to him. With his true strength, wiping them out would be a trifling matter—except that the You family had ties to the Xuandan Sect, and Wei Zhao did not want to make things too ugly.

After all, Tian Canbian had helped him many times, and Wei Zhao truly could not figure out whether Tian Canbian was friend or foe.

"Xiaoyi, thank you!" the old director said sincerely. "I thought I wouldn't live another two years. I never imagined that not only would my injuries heal, but my strength would rise as well."

"It was nothing," Wei Zhao said with a wave of his hand. "Old Director, you and Xiaohan have only just been reunited—you must have so much to say to each other. How about this: you two talk first, and I'll take Xiaoke to buy a couple of outfits."

"That works. Then take Xiaoke with you," the old director said with a nod. Her impression of Wei Zhao was exceedingly good, so she reminded Yu Xiaoke, "Xiaoke, don't wear that gloomy face all the time. Cheer up a little!"

"Yes... Master..." Yu Xiaoke might ignore what others said, but she still cared very much about the old director's words, so she nodded and said to Wei Zhao, "Then... let's go."

This was something she had agreed to earlier, so she could hardly refuse now. Wei Zhao glanced at Cheng Yiyi and asked, "Do you want to come along too, Yiyi?"

"I'll pass. I'll go take a look at the auditorium and the gymnasium myself," Cheng Yiyi said.

"All right, then. Call me if anything comes up." With that, Wei Zhao prepared to head out with Yu Xiaoke.

The look Xu Shilan gave Wei Zhao was somewhat complicated. This man who had helped her so many times filled her with gratitude! Before, her feelings for Wei Zhao had been nothing but gratitude; the shadow of her childhood had kept Xu Shilan from ever considering matters of love at all. But now that she had found her mother and the stone in her heart had been lifted, the feelings she had suppressed for years suddenly burst forth—and she realized, all at once, that her heart stirred for Wei Zhao...

Indeed, Xu Shilan was a normal girl. Wei Zhao had time and again played the hero to rescue her, and on top of that he had helped her find her mother. Though it had all come about through a tangle of coincidences, Wei Zhao had healed her mother's injuries and raised her mother's strength—Xu Shilan could not help but be grateful.

Except that Xu Shilan noticed Wei Zhao seemed somewhat special toward Yu Xiaoke. Could it be that Wei Zhao liked Yu Xiaoke? At this thought, Xu Shilan could not help but shrink back a little. Wei Zhao had other girlfriends, and she could overlook that—but Yu Xiaoke was her mother's disciple, and was she really to compete with her mother's disciple for a man?

Xu Shilan gave a slight shake of her head and temporarily pressed the feelings in her heart down, then began talking with the old director about everything that had happened in the years since they had been parted...

Wei Zhao led Yu Xiaoke out of the orphanage. On the way, Yu Xiaoke was rather silent. Wei Zhao knew what was on her mind and could not help finding it a little amusing. "Shall we drive there, or walk?"

"Either's fine..." Yu Xiaoke was somewhat distracted. As she saw it, her relationship with Wei Zhao would probably only grow more tangled from here on out, would it not? She had accepted more and more gifts from him, and as for the hint she had given Wei Zhao just now, she had no idea whether he had taken it seriously.

"Then let's walk. Treat it as a stroll," Wei Zhao said. It had been a long time since he had wandered the streets so leisurely as he did today.

As time passed, it had been nearly a year since he came to Songshan and Donghai. During that time, Wei Zhao had been busy with cultivation and company affairs, and it had been a long while since he had idled about the streets.

Returning to Songshan City once more, Wei Zhao felt a deep swell of emotion and could not help recalling the scenes of his first meetings with Wang Xinyan, Gu Mengyao, and Shen Yushu...

Wei Zhao walked in front, and Yu Xiaoke followed behind like a wronged child. After a while, Yu Xiaoke still did not hear Wei Zhao say anything, and she had no idea what he meant by it. Her mood had been uneasy to begin with, and now Wei Zhao had to go and fall silent, which left Yu Xiaoke truly unable to wait any longer.

"Hey... Wei Zhao, if you want me... to be your lover, just say it straight out, and I'll agree..." Yu Xiaoke hesitated for a long while before forcing out these words. "I know that in your eyes I might be a bad girl—I take so much money from you and never give you a clear answer, as if I treat you like some rich fool. But really... in my heart, I'm truly grateful to you. The reason I never agreed is that there's someone I like in my heart. But you saved my master, and you've done so much for the orphanage with all your heart. However bad I am, I can't keep dragging this out..."

It had taken great resolve for Yu Xiaoke to say these words. After all, she too felt her behavior toward Wei Zhao was truly unfair, so after much thought she had decided to accept her fate. As for her love with the male thief, it could only carry on in the next life. For the orphanage, for the old director, she could give up herself.

"What did you say?" Wei Zhao had been lost in thought and rather distracted, so he had not caught clearly what Yu Xiaoke said. He turned his head and asked.