Chapter 4421 — Full Confidence

Forcing a selection was the worst possible strategy, yet someone had to go—the contest could not simply be left empty. Qi Wenmo's brows knitted tight. After a long stretch of agonizing, he abruptly clenched his teeth. To hell with it—perhaps he should just step up and compete himself!

It was no wonder such a thought occurred to Qi Wenmo. The Qingtian Escort Agency was, after all, his family's enterprise; when it came to a matter so plainly suicidal for the agency, if no one else dared to go, then only he, the young master, could take the field in person.

True enough—but therein lay an enormous hidden peril. Should Qi Wenmo go and never return, the Qingtian Escort Agency would lose its young master, and more critically, there would be no one to take his place in command. Once leaderless, the gains the agency had fought so hard to secure would all be washed away.

And besides, even if Qi Wenmo genuinely wished to go, his father Qi Mingyuan would never consent—after all, he had only this one son.

Neither this way nor that. For a time Qi Wenmo's head throbbed with anguish, and Steward Song, seeing the crux of the problem from the side, could not help but share his predicament.

Given the bond between Steward Song and the Qi father and son, at such a moment he would gladly have taken the field to ease Qi Wenmo's burden; for the Qingtian Escort Agency, he would have braved boiling water and trampled fire without a second thought. But the trouble was that he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, while the rules of the contest demanded Golden Core. What was to be done?

Everyone in the Qingtian Escort Agency simply looked at one another, no one knowing what to do, and the scene lapsed into deadlock.

"Brother Qi, let me go," Wei Zhao suddenly spoke up.

"Ah?" Qi Wenmo was startled at the words, then frightened. He hurried to stop him: "No, no. Brother Ling, I appreciate your kindness, but this time you absolutely must not go. I have already decided—I will take the field myself."

To the Qingtian Escort Agency, Wei Zhao was a treasure of national caliber. For a matter so plainly a march to death, how could they let him go? Even Qi Wenmo going himself would be better than letting Wei Zhao throw his life away for nothing.

Qi Wenmo was, after all, the young master of the Qingtian Escort Agency; to step forward at such a time was his inescapable duty. But Wei Zhao was an outside ally—simply coming to attend the Southern Continent Escort Gathering was already an immense favor; how could they let him enter so perilous a contest? Besides, was he not an old-hand escort rich in seafaring experience?

"Brother Qi, the whole agency depends on you to steer it. It is like a decisive battle on the field—what sense is there in the commander charging into the fray himself? If others saw that, they would think the Qingtian Escort Agency had no one to speak of!" Wei Zhao pressed a hand to Qi Wenmo's shoulder and said gravely: "I have a fair amount of seafaring experience, and I am confident enough in such matters. Just leave it to me with an easy mind."

"No, truly no! This is no joking matter. Even with the richest seafaring experience, one would find it hard to come back alive from such a contest, let alone you, Brother Ling. I absolutely will not let you go, and my father would not agree either!" Qi Wenmo shook his head firmly.

"Brother Qi, let me ask you a question—have I ever deceived you and yours?" Wei Zhao asked suddenly.

"No." Qi Wenmo could not help but start.

"Then have you ever seen me do anything I was not sure of?" Wei Zhao asked again.

"That... I suppose not..." Qi Wenmo scratched his head. The other man had time and again done astonishing things, but on close reflection, every one of them seemed to have lain within his grasp, without the slightest sense of rashness or strain.

"Then that settles it. Since I say I am confident, then confident I am. Do I look like a man who would trifle with his own life?" Wei Zhao laughed heartily, seized the registration form from Qi Wenmo's hand, and before the other could react, filled in the name Ling Yi with a few brisk strokes of iron and silver. ...

Qi Wenmo and Steward Song watched this scene, caught between laughter and tears, at a loss for what to do. By instinct they felt Wei Zhao must not go, yet he had already gone this far—how could they stop him? They could hardly tear all pretense of civility and forcibly bar him from entering.

As for the other escorts of the Qingtian Escort Agency, their gazes toward Wei Zhao grew ever more reverent. Before, they had revered only his standing and strength; now they revered his courage as well.

Anyone willing to stake his life is a dangerous figure not to be provoked; and one like Wei Zhao, who combined strength and standing with the daring to wager his own life, was a veritable god of war—fit only for bowing worship, not for the slightest disrespect.

"Ha ha, go submit the list," Wei Zhao said with a smile, handing the registration form back to Qi Wenmo. His reason for doing this was nothing more than to help the Qingtian Escort Agency out—and just as Wei Zhao himself had said, such a matter was exceedingly dangerous for others, but for him, a trifling thing.

To be sure, Wei Zhao's seafaring experience was not abundant; to say nothing of hidden perils like reefs and whirlpools, even steering a vessel through mere sea fog he might not manage with much skill. But that was enough. With his means, handling this contest would be easy, no trouble at all.

Qi Wenmo and Steward Song could only exchange a bitter smile. Neither taking the form nor refusing it seemed right, yet seeing that Wei Zhao's mind was made up, they knew that with his temperament persuasion was certainly hopeless, and they could hardly say more—they could only give silent thanks in their hearts.

On the Qingtian Escort Agency's side, Wei Zhao's stepping forward had relieved Qi Wenmo, and the question of who would compete was no longer a problem. But the other agencies were still struggling.

There was no help for it—no one was willing to go to such a thing, and no bounty, however large, was of any use. The fifty thousand spirit jades Qi Wenmo had offered were already generous, and even that had no effect; how much less would the offers of the other agencies?

As the saying goes, spirit jades are a thing one must be alive to earn—and alive to spend. This was plainly a march to death. People were not fools...

Before this second round of competition, the usual reliable maxim that behind a heavy reward there must be a brave man had unaccountably lost its power; no bounty could avail. And the other agencies did not have a Wei Zhao to step forward and relieve them as the Qingtian Escort Agency did. Their only option was the very last resort Qi Wenmo had considered moments before—forcing a selection.

Everyone knew this method crushed morale; had there been a choice, no one would willingly make it. If withdrawal had been permitted, many agencies would have wished to withdraw of their own accord. After all, from this method of conscription by force, they expected no great points anyway—better to be sensible and preserve their morale. (A heaven-sent event—cool phones await! Follow the Qi~Dian official account (WeChat: Add Contacts - Add Official Account - enter qdread) and join at once! Prizes for everyone—follow qdread right now!)