Chapter 4163 — One Round a Day

Wei Shenjin might be one of his own, but he was now a cripple. If Situ Guangzong truly meant to make trouble, a single word from him would be enough to put Wei Shenjin in the ground, and Wei Feng would never pit himself against an elder with real power for the sake of a broken man. When that time came, Wei Shenjin would simply have to fend for himself.

"Many thanks for the warning, Uncle Feng, but I'll say it again: since it isn't my fault, why should I shoulder the blame?" Wei Shenjin smiled calmly. If he truly were a cripple, then perhaps he really would have scraped along in hiding—but the situation was different now.

"Suit yourself, then." Wei Feng patted his shoulder helplessly, shook his head with a sigh, and turned to go. Even as he walked, he began to wonder whether the time had come to give up on Wei Shenjin entirely.

Yet barely a few days had passed—before he had even made up his mind—when a stunning piece of news arrived: Wei Shenjin's meridians had been repaired!

And what was even more shocking than the news itself was the meaning behind it. Wei Shenjin's meridians had been restored by the man at the very top of his game these days—the Vice Island Master of Central Island, Di Xingdao, with his own hands!

That was a matter ripe for speculation. Once a man rose to Di Xingdao's level, his every move carried profound implications. Even if he intended nothing by it, with so many eyes upon him, those watching would take it upon themselves to read meaning into his actions.

In an instant, the way the entire Snow Sword Sect looked at Wei Shenjin changed beyond all recognition.

First his meridians had been crippled, then he had been cuckolded by Situ Qian—his life seemed to be sliding to its lowest ebb. And then all at once everything turned around: not only was he completely healed, he had even forged a connection with a figure of Di Xingdao's calibre. Wei Shenjin's experiences were positively a roller coaster, plunging and soaring by turns.

Leaving aside the rumors flying about in private, the reaction of the Snow Sword Sect's many high-ranking figures was, surprisingly enough, entirely unanimous: restore Wei Shenjin's status and privileges as a core disciple, and at the same time, drop the pursuit of the martial artist Ling Yi!

This resolution was decided on the spot by the Sect Master and unanimously endorsed by the elders. The tide had turned; even the resentful Situ Guangzong, for all his shock, could only remain silent, not daring to raise a word in opposition.

Wei Shenjin had been a core disciple all along, so restoring his standing now that he was healed was only proper; as for dropping the pursuit of Ling Yi, that was a gesture of goodwill toward Di Xingdao, the Vice Island Master of Central Island!

After all, for the Snow Sword Sect as a whole, now that Wei Shenjin had recovered, the business with Ling Yi was a triviality—at worst it would earn them a little gossip. But currying favour with Di Xingdao was a matter vital to the interests of the entire sect.

If they kept hounding Ling Yi and continued to defy the Heavenly Pill Pavilion and Di Xingdao behind it, that would be a genuine lapse of judgement.

"Shenjin, after all the inhuman trials you've endured, you've finally seen the clouds part and the moon shine through. It gladdens my heart deeply." Wei Feng patted Wei Shenjin's shoulder with a smile, and was the first to relay the high council's decision to him.

"Many thanks, Uncle Feng. Trials drive a man forward. Had I not gone through all this, I might still be smug and self-satisfied to this day, never knowing that there is always a heaven beyond heaven and a man above man. Looking back, it wasn't really such a bad thing at all." Wei Shenjin shook his head with a rueful sigh.

"True enough—so long as you can pull through, no trial is a bad thing. You've grown a great deal, Shenjin." Wei Feng regarded him with new eyes. His strength might be much the same as before, but the impression Wei Shenjin now gave was that of a man reborn, not to be underestimated.

Wei Shenjin smiled. Had none of this happened, he would never have been driven to submit himself to Wei Zhao. In the long view, to be connected to an aberrant genius like Wei Zhao—even as his underling—was something where the advantages far outweighed the drawbacks, a stroke of fortune to be sought after.

"Elder Situ probably won't dare to move against you for the time being. You only need to keep a little vigilance." Wei Feng offered a reminder, then suddenly lowered his voice: "By the way, the Sect Master gave a personal order just now—you're to visit the Heavenly Pill Pavilion often from now on. You understand what that means?"

"Rest easy, Uncle Feng. I understand." Wei Shenjin smiled knowingly. He had long since anticipated this. Having him visit the Heavenly Pill Pavilion often could only mean one thing: he was to serve as a bridge between the Snow Sword Sect's high-ranking figures and the great lord Di Xingdao.

Seen in that light, the impact of Di Xingdao's forceful return upon the power structure of Central Island had already begun to show. Even the Snow Sword Sect was taking the initiative to curry favour with him, and might draw even closer in the days to come. No doubt the other sects would each have their own response as well—this might well be the harbinger of a new round of reshuffling among the powers.

With the Sect Master's order as a shield, there was nothing the least bit improper about Wei Shenjin visiting the Heavenly Pill Pavilion again—no one could find fault with it.

Arriving at the Heavenly Pill Pavilion in impatient haste, Wei Shenjin reported the high council's decision to Wei Zhao, and at the end could not resist adding a sigh of admiration: "Everything is under control, just as you foresaw. You truly are a god among men, Chief Wei Zhao."

"Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is only human nature. At the level of a sect leader, face is merely a matter of price—before substantive interests, it can be cast aside at any moment." Wei Zhao laughed.

"That is because you see everything as though it were laid out before you, Chief. Had you not lent a hand, my situation would be unthinkable now—I would most likely be a corpse already, unable even to kill that cheap whore Situ Qian, let alone recover my strength and standing. For your great kindness, I shall be grateful beyond words as long as I live." With that, Wei Shenjin bowed three times to Wei Zhao with the utmost reverence, gratitude welling up from the bottom of his heart.

"There's no need for that. Now that your affairs here are settled, I intend to set out for the Northern Island in the next couple of days. In the future, you'll need to lend the Heavenly Pill Pavilion a hand as well. With Brother Di Xingdao holding the fort, trouble is unlikely in the ordinary course of things, but should some short-sighted minor character come stirring up trouble, we can hardly have the Vice Island Master of Central Island step forward to deal with it himself. Tian Chan and Xueli are women besides, and it isn't convenient for them to appear in public—so I'll need you to look after things with care." Wei Zhao instructed.

He could count his friends here on the fingers of one hand. Apart from Di Xingdao, there were only Cai Zhongxuan and Hou Guanqi, and both of those men were busy to the point of distraction—having them turn up at the Heavenly Pill Pavilion every day was plainly unrealistic. So the task could only fall to Wei Shenjin.

"Rest easy, Chief Wei Zhao. It so happens the Sect Master has instructed me to visit the Heavenly Pill Pavilion often. I promise to come by every day from now on, and whoever's short-sighted enough to make trouble here will find out I don't leave a man half-beaten!" Wei Shenjin declared, his voice full of murderous intent.