Chapter 3411 — Infiltrating the Base

"Yes, so if we let him out as a brain-dead bio-human, you certainly wouldn't be happy about that either. But if he recovers, all of Red Conch's secrets will be exposed!" Lou Qitian paused here, then continued: "Besides, this man was captured years ago and was given the first batch of the bio-human serum. There's no antidote, and he can't be restored. Please don't make things difficult for me... I'll admit I was in the wrong on this matter. How about we raise today's tribute by ten percent?"

Every year, the poison-refining base paid the Poli clan a substantial protection fee. Raising it by ten percent meant a great deal more, which showed that Lou Qitian truly was in a difficult position and could not afford to offend Tor Rijue—otherwise he would never have taken such a humble tone.

"I see..." Tor Rijue hesitated for a moment, then said: "This was also entrusted to me by someone else. Let me ask around again."

"Of course. Please understand, Clan Chief Tor," Lou Qitian said hastily.

After hanging up, Tor Rijue's expression was exceedingly grim, yet tinged with apology as he turned to look at Wei Zhao: "Young Hero Lin, you must have heard the reason over the phone. What do you say..."

"I'd like to ask—just how deep is the connection between this poison-refining base and your Poli clan?" Wei Zhao did not answer directly but posed a question of his own.

"That..." Tor Rijue hesitated slightly, then said: "In the vast Hakunamata Desert, we are the local power. Since he operates here, he must seek our protection. If we paid him no heed, there are many sects and clans that come raiding here every year! So he pays us a large protection fee annually. But that is all—our Poli clan does not involve itself in such affairs."

"Good. That being the case, if this poison-refining base were to disappear, what would you do?" Having said this, Wei Zhao fixed his gaze on Tor Rijue.

"This..." Tor Rijue had not expected Wei Zhao to be so ruthless as to suggest making the base vanish, and for a moment he was at a loss: "Young Hero Lin, isn't this a bit too much? Behind that poison-refining base stands Red Conch. If you set yourself against them..."

"I'm only asking you—if I want this poison-refining base gone, what do you say?" Wei Zhao asked, word by word.

"Ah, Young Hero Lin, you know as well as I do that this base pays us a considerable tribute each year. If it were to vanish overnight..." Tor Rijue was truly pained at the thought.

"Two lives!" Wei Zhao raised his hand and held up two fingers, saying calmly: "Anyone of your Poli clan, no matter how grievously wounded, so long as they cling to a single breath, I will restore them to perfect health!"

"When do we strike???" The bitter expression on Tor Rijue's face vanished instantly; he sprang to his feet in excitement and demanded.

"..." The sheer turnabout left Yu Dake, standing to one side, utterly speechless—moments ago he had said he did not want this source of income to disappear, and now he was ready to join Wei Zhao in battle!

Yet Tor Rijue was not the least bit abashed; on the contrary, he was greatly excited, and so were the other members of the Poli clan.

Wei Zhao's promise far outweighed any money Red Conch could offer. No amount of wealth could buy back a life—especially for these top-tier cultivators, who might preserve their lives with rare treasures, only to lose their strength forever.

Thus, for Wei Zhao's promise alone, Tor Rijue would not have been tempted even had Red Conch offered the entire poison-refining base to the Poli clan.

"No rush. I'll first go investigate the poison-refining base, find my friend, and only then move to destroy it," Wei Zhao said with a wave of his hand. "If we storm in right away, I fear they'll turn desperate and kill my friend—or move him elsewhere to use as a hostage."

"You're right. Young Hero Lin has thought it through thoroughly," Tor Rijue said with a nod. "Very well, Young Hero Lin, I'll await your signal. If you run into danger, we'll charge in at once!"

"Then I thank you, Old Clan Chief Tor!" Wei Zhao nodded.

"What kind of talk is that? It's only what I ought to do!" Tor Rijue shook his head with a smile.

"Mm. Then I'll make my preparations," Wei Zhao said with satisfaction.

"Mr. Lin, shall I come with you?" Yu Dake asked.

"Not for now. Wait for my signal; I'll be in touch with you all," Wei Zhao said, making a gesture of holding a phone.

"Very well, Mr. Lin. Do be careful," Tor Rijue said. Though he had no idea how Wei Zhao intended to investigate, he could hardly press him further—asking too much would make it seem as though he meant to tip off Lou Qitian. In truth, he had no such intention; he was simply concerned for Wei Zhao.

After dining with the Poli clan that evening, Wei Zhao asked for directions to the poison-refining base and set out alone.

The poison-refining base lay deep within the boundless desert. Without exact coordinates, it would truly be hard to find; relying on satellite positioning, Wei Zhao located it quickly.

It was a place resembling a prison: towering walls, grim iron gates, and no markers or buildings around it. Even viewed from a distance, one might have taken it for a mirage.

Wei Zhao parked the car behind a small sand dune some distance away, recorded the coordinates, and only then got out. He put on the Thousand-Silk Mask and walked toward the grim poison-refining base.

Wei Zhao appeared at the gate of the poison-refining base with utter brazenness. He reached out and pounded on the iron gate—clang, clang, clang...

In fact, even had Wei Zhao not knocked, the people inside had already seen his arrival at the gate through their surveillance.

Two burly men in denim jackets soon appeared inside the iron gate. They were clearly baffled by Wei Zhao's sudden appearance—what in the world was this fellow up to?

"I hear this is an illegal poison-refining base?" Wei Zhao said, slapping the iron gate carelessly.

"Who are you? Where did you come from? What's your business here?" The two men were wary of Wei Zhao's questions and neither confirmed nor denied them.

"Where I come from is none of your concern. People call me the Great Bandit. I've come here to make myself a bit of money," Wei Zhao said with a cold sneer, kicking at the iron gate in a stance of arrogant ease.

"The Great Bandit?" The two men were taken aback for a moment before it dawned on them! So this fellow had heard from somewhere that there was a poison-refining base here and had come to shake them down!