Chapter 3891 — Is This How You Handle It?

Could Wei Zhao, a mere mortal-world brat, really possess such unfathomable strength?

As Meng Jueming looked at Wei Zhao again now, a faint trace of wariness finally crept into his eyes. True, Wei Zhao had been set against him from the moment he first set foot on Cloud Terrace Island, but this was the first time the two had crossed hands face to face—and the results of this probing exchange proved that Meng Zhou and the others had not been getting the worst of it at Wei Zhao's hands again and again for no reason.

The realization secretly startled him, but his objective had already been achieved.

"Fellow juniors, Wei Zhao defies the arrangements of the higher-ups—that makes him a rebel! Hurry up and seize this traitor! There will be rich rewards for all who answer the call!" Meng Jueming called out with a cold laugh.

In his eyes, Wei Zhao had dared to defy him so openly before the crowd even after that warning, which thoroughly confirmed the charge of rebellion—the man was as good as dead, and there was no need for Meng Jueming to waste any more effort.

That his sworn enemy of four long months should so easily take the bait and court his own destruction—the situation had unfolded so smoothly that even Meng Jueming himself had not expected it, and it all felt almost unreal.

No matter. Today, at last, a great thorn in his side could be plucked out. Even if this Wei Zhao creature had formidable strength, what of it? He was nothing but a brainless fool who, given the least little trap, would deliver himself obediently to his death!

As for the other newcomers of the Azure Cloud Pavilion, for them killing Wei Zhao, that number-one newcomer, not only came with the rich rewards Meng Jueming had promised, but also rid them of this misfit—at least it would keep them from looking quite so useless. Two birds with one stone.

Just as Meng Jueming was preening in his own triumph, the surrounding newcomers closing in loosely around Wei Zhao and his companions, and Li Zhengming and Zhong Yongliang, the two insiders, were on the verge of striking to help—suddenly, Wei Zhao smiled.

"A rebel? Senior Brother Meng, what sinister intentions you harbor. But I would like to ask one thing—what exactly is my crime?" Wei Zhao asked with a faint smile.

"Willfully destroying the precious resources of the Three-Tier Pavilion, defying the decision of the higher-ups, and striking out in resistance—does that not make you a traitor?" Meng Jueming snorted.

Hearing this, Wei Zhao's smile grew more meaningful. "Never mind the rest, let us take the first charge alone—the willful destruction of the Three-Tier Pavilion's precious resources. Where is your evidence?"

Meng Jueming gave a cold laugh and said nothing, extending a hand toward the Spirit Herb Steward in a gesture of invitation. For a matter like this, there was no need for him to waste his breath.

"Knowing full well you lacked the ability, yet insisting on signing up for forty spirit herb seeds despite being warned and dissuaded beforehand—and in the end not even one was cultivated. Is that not evidence enough?" the Spirit Herb Steward said with an unpleasant expression.

Wei Zhao shook his head with a light chuckle. "Steward, everything you have said is correct—except for one sentence."

"Which sentence?" the Spirit Herb Steward frowned.

"'Not even one was cultivated.' Who gave you that information? As far as I know, today is merely the deadline; nothing can be considered final until sunset," Wei Zhao said gravely.

Meng Jueming was delighted to hear this and sneered, "So what? As things stand today, do you mean to conjure up seeds that have already been cultivated into living spirit herbs? If you plan to scrape together one or two to fob us off, I advise you not to humiliate yourself further."

Since living spirit herb seeds could only be cultivated under the special conditions of the spirit herb garden, everyone present, Meng Jueming included, had long since concluded that Wei Zhao's forty seeds, if not wholly wiped out, were certainly more than half dead. There was absolutely no chance he could cultivate them all to viability at the last moment, on the final day—such a thing was beyond anyone's power.

Indeed, the latter Wei Zhao could not manage either. But the former was no trouble at all.

"Steward, and Senior Brother Meng, if the results I deliver can satisfy you, then what becomes of today's affair?" Wei Zhao asked with a faint, deeply suggestive smile.

"Satisfy us?" Meng Jueming looked at Wei Zhao's unruffled expression, and his heart could not help but quaver. He began to mutter to himself.

This brat—surely he hadn't been sitting on cultivated, living seeds all this time and only planned to hand them in today? Others might not have the nerve, but given Wei Zhao's habitual taste for grand displays, the possibility truly could not be ruled out!

Meng Jueming rolled his eyes, then said with a sinister smile, "That is simple enough. Your two underlings, Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai, each handed in six spirit herb seeds. As their leader, your results surely cannot be weaker than those of your own underlings, can they? My demand is hardly unreasonable."

"Senior Brother Meng means that so long as Junior Brother Lin also hands in six living spirit herb seeds, the fault today is not his—is that right?" the Long-Suffering Senior Brother said, his eyes lighting up.

He knew about Wei Zhao helping Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai cultivate their spirit herb seeds. In his view, even if Wei Zhao really had been playing with fire and left it all to the final day, producing six living spirit herb seeds should be no trouble for him.

"Hmph! Six? Long-Suffering Junior Brother, were you born with a pig's brain? Can you not understand plain speech?" Meng Jueming snorted.

Meng Zhou jumped in with a chuckle. "Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai each drew only ten seeds and managed to hand in six. By that ratio, Wei Zhao drew forty, so he has to hand in at least twenty-four. Now do you understand what my cousin means?"

When they had earlier learned that Xiao Che and Qiao Hongcai had each cultivated six living spirit herb seeds, he and Meng Jueming had suspected the two must be cheating—perhaps they had gone outside to buy seedlings—but with no evidence, they had held their tongues all this while. Now the opportunity had come to use it to bury their leader, this Wei Zhao!

Hisss! The Long-Suffering Senior Brother and the others drew a sharp breath. Cultivate twenty-four living seeds out of forty? Damn it, even the professional staff of the spirit herb garden could not manage such a feat!

But before they could retort, Meng Jueming had already spoken first, all smiles. "Steward, do you think this arrangement is acceptable?"

"Since they are Steward Meng's subordinates, then naturally Steward Meng's word is law. All anyone wants is an explanation they can account for, so that the forty spirit herb seeds our garden labored to cultivate are not wasted for nothing," the Spirit Herb Steward said, face like ice.

He was no fool. He had already seen that Meng Jueming was using this as a pretext to stir up trouble, apparently bent on purging his own ranks. But that had nothing to do with him. From where he stood, his sole purpose in coming today was to kill the chicken to frighten the monkey, and to set a rule for future newcomer assessments.

"You all heard that. This standard has the Steward's approval—strictly by the book. Wei Zhao, if you cannot meet it, do not blame me for showing no mercy." Killing intent flickered faintly across Meng Jueming's face. (To be continued...)

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