Chapter 3356 — Tuo'er Riyue's Thoughts

"Don't—whatever you do, don't go looking for him!" A careless word from one, a guilty start in the other—Kang Jingming truly was alarmed. If Tuo'er Riyue went and struck a deal with Wei Zhao, what would be left for him? He knew well enough that Wei Zhao might not be able to refine any top-grade Great Returning Pill, but Wei Zhao was a very peculiar sort of person!

Wei Zhao and his underlings had been crippled more than once or twice, hadn't they? Yet every time they came away whole, with not a trace of having been crippled at all—and that unnerved Kang Jingming greatly. So if by some chance Wei Zhao really did have a way to heal the injuries of Tuo'er Riyue and Tuo'er Tu, then Wei Zhao would become the benefactor of the Palan clan. They would be falling over themselves to protect him—kill him? Plainly impossible.

"Oh?" Tuo'er Riyue had only spoken offhandedly, but Kang Jingming's reply set something stirring in his heart. Still, he was old and wily, and his face betrayed nothing amiss; he merely regarded Kang Jingming with a faint, ambiguous smile. "So then, Mr. Kang agrees to my proposal?"

"Well… it's not as though it can't be considered." Kang Jingming said hastily. "It's just that I fear you'll go to Wei Zhao, Elder Patriarch, and get yourself killed by him. You know you have no real strength at present. If something were to happen to you, whom would I have left to trade with?"

Kang Jingming realized he had been a little too eager, but eager he had to be. If he did not stop Tuo'er Riyue now, then by the time the old man went to Wei Zhao, it would be too late for everything.

"Then Mr. Kang agrees?" Tuo'er Riyue's form of address had shifted to "Mr. Kang" as well—though it was nothing but a pretense. How could he have failed to hear the wrongness in those words?

Afraid he would die? Was Kang Jingming truly so kind-hearted? If he were so kind-hearted, he should have tirelessly urged Tuo'er Tu from the very start not to meet the enemy alone.

"There shouldn't be any problem. I'll go speak with my father-in-law…" Kang Jingming could not have agreed before, but now, to keep Tuo'er Riyue from seeking out Wei Zhao, he had no choice but to agree. He trusted that when the Xuanyuan Ancestor learned of it, he would not fault him.

"Very well, then I shall be going. If Mr. Kang has news, have the disciples patrolling outside my door inform me at once!" Tuo'er Riyue said.

"Certainly. I'll telephone my father-in-law right away!" Kang Jingming said hurriedly.

After Tuo'er Riyue had left, Xiao Yi knit his brows slightly. "Junior Brother Kang, the old thing is insatiably greedy. You agreed to him so readily—what about Master's side…?"

"If I don't agree to him, and he goes to Wei Zhao instead, that's even worse!" Kang Jingming spread his hands helplessly. "Best to call my father-in-law."

"Ah, I suppose you're right." Xiao Yi nodded.

Kang Jingming picked up his phone and dialed the Xuanyuan Ancestor directly. He had not yet reported the progress of matters to the Xuanyuan Ancestor when Tuo'er Riyue came calling.

"Zhaoming, how goes it? Is the matter settled?" the Xuanyuan Ancestor asked once he picked up.

"Father-in-law, things have gone fairly smoothly, but there's been a bit of trouble…" And with that, Kang Jingming recounted to the Xuanyuan Ancestor how Tuo'er Tu had been wounded and how Tuo'er Riyue had come knocking at his door.

"Your intentions were good…" The Xuanyuan Ancestor pondered a moment after hearing him out. "Having Tuo'er Tu wounded, and thereby heightening the hatred between the Palan clan and Wei Zhao—there's no problem in that. It is a most vicious move. But that old devil Tuo'er Riyue is no good sort either; he actually seized upon this to raise his price. Still, your agreeing to him is excusable. If he truly did go to Wei Zhao, matters would become troublesome…"

The Xuanyuan Ancestor did not think so simply as Kang Jingming. He did not merely assume that if Tuo'er Riyue went to Wei Zhao, he would refuse to cooperate with Kang Jingming. What he considered was this: if Tuo'er Riyue truly did go to Wei Zhao, not only would he refuse to cooperate—what if he turned his blade and struck back at them?

"So I should agree to Tuo'er Riyue's terms?" Kang Jingming asked.

"Yes, you may agree to him on this!" The Xuanyuan Ancestor sighed. "In the end, incurring these two debts—though they need not be repaid for the time being—will in the future remain debts owed by our Five Luminaries Sect… But to deal with Wei Zhao, it is worth it!"

"Good. Then I'll give him my reply now!" Kang Jingming nodded, hung up, and opened his door. He called over a Palan clansman patrolling not far off and had him convey his reply to Tuo'er Riyue.

Tuo'er Riyue had only just returned to his room when he received Kang Jingming's reply from the disciple. It did not strengthen his confidence in cooperating with Kang Jingming—it only deepened his suspicions!

Kang Jingming could well have put on a little airs and graces. Can something obtained too easily be any good? Yet Kang Jingming had rushed him a reply with utmost urgency, not even waiting for the dinner hour. What did that mean? It meant Kang Jingming was afraid he would go seek cooperation with Wei Zhao!

Could it be that on Wei Zhao's side, there was something to delight him? At this thought, Tuo'er Riyue felt he should not be in such haste to do away with Wei Zhao, but rather should investigate this matter more thoroughly.

With that thought, Tuo'er Riyue waved a hand, and a man who looked like an old steward immediately stepped before him. "Clan Chief, what are your orders?"

"Who is in charge of intelligence from the Central Plains?" Tuo'er Riyue asked.

"It is handled by the eldest young master's people," the old steward said hastily.

"Oh? Summon Tuo'er Long to see me," Tuo'er Riyue said.

"Yes, Clan Chief!" The old steward nodded hurriedly and withdrew from the room.

After a while, a man in the prime of life who bore a striking resemblance to Tuo'er Tu entered the room and said respectfully, "Father, you sent for me…"

"I want you to look into intelligence from the Central Plains at once—information on a man named Wei Zhao. Gather every scrap of data on him, and better still, everything related to him. Bring it all to me. I need it urgently!" Tuo'er Riyue said.

Tuo'er Long started in surprise. "Father, isn't this the man who wounded Third Brother? Why investigate him? Unless the man has some powerful backing—could we not simply cut him down?"

"I have my reasons for investigating him! Also, pass the order down: tell everyone in our Palan clan that until I give the command, no one is to touch that Wei Zhao!" Tuo'er Riyue's expression turned stern as he gave the solemn instruction. "Very well, Tuo'er Long, go and investigate. Bring me results quickly!"

"This… yes… Father, I understand. I'll go at once!" Though Tuo'er Long was thoroughly puzzled by his father's reaction, he obediently went to carry out the task.