Chapter 3456 — A Sudden Confession

"Good grief, Master, this is no time for jokes—I really do have something serious to deal with!" Wei Zhao said with a bitter smile. "Xinxin, don't read too much into it. It's Bai Weituo. Didn't he go traveling in Southeast Asia? Well, he's been taken captive!"

"What!" Guan Xin was startled. So it wasn't that Wei Zhao didn't care about her—he simply had something more important on his hands! In that instant her spirits lifted considerably, the disappointment of moments before melting away, and she asked anxiously, "What happened? How could he have been taken captive?"

Leader Bai was not as shaken as Guan Xin, but his brows knit slightly as he turned to Wei Zhao. "On what grounds? What did he do?"

"The other side is from the Right Miao Sect. Back then, one of their disciples was preying on people at a casino over here, and I killed him," Wei Zhao said. "Somehow, Bai Weituo and the others must have been found out by those people as friends of mine—close friends, perhaps. So they've imprisoned Bai Weituo to force me to come. But I imagine they're after me, so they shouldn't do anything to him."

"That fool boy—what did he have to go running his mouth off about? Doesn't he know disaster comes out of the mouth! If he'd kept quiet, who would have known you two were connected?" Leader Bai said in anger. "When that boy gets back, I'll deal with him! Of all times, he has to go making trouble!"

"Uh..." Wei Zhao had not expected Leader Bai to fly into a rage instead of worrying, and he smiled wryly. "It's not his fault. If anyone's to blame, it's me for offending the Right Miao Sect."

"This isn't a matter of whose fault it is. That Right Miao Sect disciple you mentioned—I remember him. You told me about him, didn't you? Pu Huotai, was that the name?" Leader Bai waved a hand. "Even I—if I knew a man was harming girls like that, and I had the power, I'd have killed him too. What does that have to do with you? What makes me angry is that brat Bai Weituo—he's no help to me at all, and all he knows is going out and getting into trouble!"

"Good grief, Master, don't be so hard on Bai Weituo. He's got himself a girlfriend now—there's no way he'd stay home instead of going out to have fun. Young people, after all!" Wei Zhao hurried to explain.

"Aren't you young too? Why don't you go out and have fun?" Leader Bai snorted. "And that He Meiyue—I don't have a good feeling about her either. Too many little schemes in that head of hers. Bai Weituo is an honest sort, and I'm afraid he'll come off the worse for it if they end up together."

Wei Zhao had not expected Leader Bai to have noticed that there was something sly about He Meiyue as well. But it was hardly his place to comment on such matters, so he could only say, "Never mind. Bai Weituo isn't a child anymore. He makes his own choices, and he knows right from wrong."

"That's precisely why I haven't interfered! I only hope the girl puts her cleverness to good use!" Leader Bai waved a hand. "By the way, you know about the Heaven-Rank Trial, don't you? Ancestor Xuanchen called about it earlier. Originally I meant for you to go, but he named the inheritor specifically—that is, Guan Xin. And by rights each sect gets only one place, and we don't even count as a sect. The only reason Guan Xin is allowed to go is out of respect for the inheritor... So you're in a tight spot. If you don't take part in the Heaven-Rank Trial, I'm afraid you won't even have a chance to get to Cloud-Rank Island..."

"So that's what this is about!" Wei Zhao said at once. "Master, you needn't worry. Even if we don't have a place, there are other ways to get there. I have... a fragmentary map of Cloud-Rank Island!"

"Oh? So you have that thing!" Leader Bai's face cleared, and hearing Wei Zhao say so set his mind at ease. If Wei Zhao had a fragmentary map of Cloud-Rank Island, then in theory he could take part in the Heaven-Rank Trial!

By the agreement made back then, if a wandering cultivator obtained a fragmentary map, he could join the Heaven-Rank Trial unconditionally. If it was obtained by a disciple of a sect or family, then so long as that family did not object or send another disciple in his place, that person too could take part in the Heaven-Rank Trial without hindrance!

As things stood, even if Wei Zhao didn't count as a wandering cultivator, he was still Leader Bai's disciple—and so long as Leader Bai did not object, Wei Zhao could still take part in the Heaven-Rank Trial!

"I got it a long time ago—I just didn't know what it was for. I never thought it would come in so handy now!" Wei Zhao nodded. "Well, let's leave it there. It's getting late, so I'll be going. First thing tomorrow morning I mean to head for Southeast Asia to rescue Bai Weituo!"

"Be careful. I've heard of that Right Miao Sect—it seems to be a remnant of something that fled from the Miao territory back in the day. I don't know how strong they are now, but they're not to be underestimated!" Leader Bai warned. "Do only what you can. Bai Weituo may be my grandson, but you are my disciple too! In my heart, a disciple and a son or grandson are one and the same. I don't want one hurt or killed on account of the other! If it can't be done, don't force it. This is trouble he brought on himself, so he should bear it himself. Who told him to run his mouth when he was out?"

"I understand. Don't worry—a mere Right Miao Sect is nothing I can't handle." Wei Zhao spoke lightly, but in his heart he was still somewhat uneasy. The Right Miao Sect was clearly no ordinary cultivation sect; it had built its name on black arts, and what they excelled at was nothing like normal cultivation. Wei Zhao had no idea whether he would have any advantage to speak of in a fight.

"Lin... Wei Zhao..." Seeing that Wei Zhao was about to leave, Guan Xin grew flustered. She stamped her foot and said to him, "Could you come here a moment? There's something I want to tell you..."

"Oh?" Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback, then nodded. "Of course, no problem!"

Leader Bai was curious too about what Guan Xin had to say to Wei Zhao, but he wasn't the gossiping sort when it came to private words, so he rose and said, "Talk among yourselves. I'm going to wash up and rest."

With that, Leader Bai left the living room and went to the washroom.

"Um... Wei Zhao... do you... do you like me?" Guan Xin suddenly spoke up, her eyes fixed straight on Wei Zhao. Gone was her usual shyness; this time she was bolder than anyone.

Wei Zhao was struck dumb by the sudden question! Why would Guan Xin, always so reserved, come out with such a thing? Puzzled as he was, he still nodded. "Well... yes, I like you!"

Hearing his certain answer, Guan Xin was overjoyed, and she said happily, "I like you too! Do you know? It was there in the bank, from the moment you took that bullet for me—that was when I started to like you! And then, when I saw you again in the hospital, I was so happy... Later, you came to our home and became such good friends with Grandpa... and after that, you saved me again..."