Chapter 4047 — True Intentions

No sooner had the two fugitives made their escape than Shangguan Tianxia and Wei Zhao descended from the sky. Had Kang Jingming and his companion tarried even half a moment longer, they would never have gotten away.

With his formidable powers of perception, Shangguan Tianxia had already pinpointed his precious granddaughter's location while still aloft. The two of them strode straight into the ruined training ground, and at the sight of them Shangguan Lan'er cried out joyfully, "Grandfather! Little Junior Brother! You've finally come to rescue me!"

Though she had been kidnapped, she had not suffered any real hardship from beginning to end, and she could tell that the abductors had some ulterior purpose and did not dare do her true harm. Even so, being caught in such peril—especially at the very start—had frightened her badly enough; otherwise Wei Zhao could never have sensed her position through the mother-and-child necklace.

Seeing that Shangguan Lan'er was unharmed, Shangguan Tianxia's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. He turned to Wei Zhao and asked in puzzlement, "How did you know where little Lan'er was?"

In all the Triple Stack Pavilion of the Northern Island, Shangguan Tianxia's strength was unmatched, and the reach of his spiritual sense was vast beyond measure—yet even he had been unable to pinpoint Shangguan Lan'er's location once she had been carried so far away.

Wei Zhao, meanwhile, was loosening the bonds of sea-beast sinew around Shangguan Lan'er as he smiled and said, "A few days ago, this disciple happened to forge two mother-and-child necklaces. I gave one of them to my young senior sister. In times of danger they resonate with each other's true qi, and that is how I knew."

Shangguan Tianxia clicked his tongue in wonder. "I had heard before that you were an alchemist, but I never imagined you were also an artificer. To wear so many hats as a newcomer—you must count as a rare prodigy of the Triple Stack Pavilion!"

"The Pavilion Master flatters me. This disciple has only a smattering of such arts," Wei Zhao said with a modest smile.

"Neither arrogant nor rash—truly rare. Still, artificers are scarce even in our Skyward Pavilion, and to forge such a wondrous necklace is rarer still!" Shangguan Tianxia nodded in approval, then suddenly asked with a glint of amusement, "Only, I have heard tell that such mother-and-child necklaces have always been gifts between lovers. What did you mean by giving one to little Lan'er?"

"That..." Wei Zhao was instantly at a loss, not knowing what to say.

To claim he harbored not a single thought for this young senior sister of his would plainly be self-deception—otherwise he would never have given her such a necklace. Yet to say he truly had designs on Shangguan Lan'er was not quite the truth either; he simply felt a certain fondness for her, and beyond that they were merely good friends.

At that moment Shangguan Lan'er stepped forward and, clinging to Shangguan Tianxia's arm, said, "Oh, Grandfather, Little Junior Brother and I share a bond as close as siblings—far closer than any lovers! We're comrades who have faced life and death together!"

Hearing this, Shangguan Tianxia burst into hearty laughter. "Haha, very good..."

Yet even as he laughed, he still cast Wei Zhao a look laden with meaning. Some things he simply left unsaid.

Wei Zhao responded with a bitter smile. From the Pavilion Master's expression, it seemed he had been mistaken for something after all.

But such matters could hardly be explained to his face. Any attempt at explanation would likely be taken for concealment and only muddy the waters further, so he could do nothing but hold his tongue.

"Little Lan'er, did you get a clear look at the faces of those kidnappers?" Shangguan Tianxia asked.

Shangguan Lan'er shook her head. "No. They were all in black with their faces masked, covered up so tightly you couldn't see what they looked like at all."

So she said—though from the strange way those men had behaved, she could more or less guess their identity. She simply did not care to tell Shangguan Tianxia, for that would spoil all the suspense and take away every bit of the fun.

"I see. Then the hunt for them will have to fall to the Enforcement Hall. But you must learn your lesson, little Lan'er—no more running about blindly from now on, understand? This time we were lucky Wei Zhao brought me here in time and nothing serious came of it. Next time you may not be so fortunate!" Shangguan Tianxia scolded with a stern face.

"I know, I know! If that little Bai hadn't slipped out to steal a drink, this young lady would never have been caught so easily!" Shangguan Lan'er pouted.

Just then, a thunderous snoring drifted from the corner—the little roly-poly bear. The three of them froze, then burst out laughing in unison.

After all that commotion, the little roly-poly bear—the very spark of the whole affair—was still dead drunk and sound asleep, having never known from first to last that a kidnapping had even taken place. By the time it woke, everything would already be over. Truly, fortune favors a foolish bear; faced with such a little creature, one hardly knew whether to be angry or amused!

Shangguan Tianxia shook his head, caught between tears and laughter. Seeing the place desolate and empty, with no point in lingering further, he beckoned Wei Zhao and Shangguan Lan'er onto his flying spirit beast and set out for the Triple Stack Pavilion.

The return of Shangguan Tianxia and his two companions caused a sensation in the Enforcement Hall. Now that Shangguan Lan'er had come back wholly unscathed and could testify that Wei Zhao was not the culprit behind her kidnapping, the suspicion hanging over Wei Zhao was naturally cleared away, and there was no need for him to return to that gloomy, lightless dungeon.

Instead, it was Murong Zhen, the one who had stepped forward to denounce him, who now found herself in **trouble**. Falsely accusing Wei Zhao could be counted a minor matter; supplying false intelligence to mislead the Enforcement Hall—that was the truly deadly charge.

If the matter were pursued to the end, Murong Zhen would be lucky to escape with only a layer of skin peeled off. She had gone out to steal a chicken and lost the rice instead; no matter how glibly she talked her way out of blame, this black pot was hers to carry.

Of course, pursuing Murong Zhen was the Enforcement Hall's business, not Wei Zhao's. If he wanted revenge, he could only take it privately—a purely personal grudge.

As for reporting her to the Enforcement Hall, he had no interest in that either. For one thing, there was no evidence; for another, Wei Zhao did not care to grow too close to the people of the Enforcement Hall.

He followed Shangguan Tianxia out of the Enforcement Hall, and just before they parted, Shangguan Tianxia suddenly halted and turned to Wei Zhao. "This business counts as another favor I owe you. In the future, if you have need of anything, come straight to the Skyward Pavilion and find me."

With that, Shangguan Tianxia led away a reluctant Shangguan Lan'er and the little roly-poly bear, and they soon vanished from sight, leaving Wei Zhao standing alone, dazed and astonished.

A favor from Shangguan Tianxia—here in the Triple Stack Pavilion of the Northern Island, that was a treasure beyond price, one that no amount of spirit jade could buy. Anyone else who heard such a promise would have been beside themselves with excitement.

Wei Zhao, though stirred as well, was more puzzled than anything. He could not quite fathom the true intent behind Shangguan Tianxia's sudden words. R1152