Chapter 4443 — This Is Madness

Four whole rounds had passed, and all they had to show for it was one hundred and ten points. Even if that score was not the very bottom among all thirty-two escort agencies, it was certainly near the bottom. And with a record like that, they still dreamed of joining the ranks of the Five Great Escort Agencies and displacing the Qingtian Escort Agency? Was that not the sort of ambition that would make people laugh their teeth out?

"Don't be so hasty. My technique, All Things Slain, cannot possibly go wrong. As long as the escorted item is hidden in there, it must inevitably be caught within its range. There is absolutely no chance of it being missed!" Wu Baoliang forced himself to calm down and spoke with conviction.

"Then... what do we say now?" Cheng Haonan and Long Kuiba could not help but exchange glances.

"There is one possibility: the dark iron used to forge this escorted-item chest was itself of inferior quality, and so it too was shattered during the All Things Slain just now," Wu Baoliang said, stroking his chin.

"Yes, yes. Dark iron is precious to begin with. This escorted item is nothing but a symbolic prop for the competition. The Sihai Escort Agency very likely used some inferior dark iron to pad out the supply, skimming the difference for profit." Long Kuiba immediately found this deeply convincing. The Sihai Escort Agency was the host of this year's gathering, and after receiving a great sum of funding, it supplied all the materials. Anyone in their position would have thought about skimming a little profit off the top.

"But if that is the case, what do we do?" Cheng Haonan said with a frown. The people outside did not care what methods you used. Only by bringing out the chest could they prove the escorted item had been found; otherwise, no matter what they said, it was all nonsense.

"Indeed. Strategist, do you have a plan?" Long Kuiba looked thoroughly headache-stricken.

"Heh heh. There is a way." Wu Baoliang rolled his eyes and gave a sinister laugh. "In any case, there is definitely no escorted-item chest in there now. Once we go out, all we have to do is turn it around and bite first, saying Ling Yi destroyed it himself. Presumably he will not be able to produce it either, and then the matter will be impossible to explain clearly."

"Yes, yes. I saw that Hai Wuliang took a heavy loss; he surely will not take it lying down. When the time comes, he will inevitably side with us against Ling Yi. We will be in an unassailable position from the start!" Cheng Haonan's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.

"A brilliant plan, Strategist. Let us do just that!" Long Kuiba was instantly overjoyed.

After the three finished their discussion, Wu Baoliang took the lead, with Long Kuiba and Cheng Haonan following close behind, and they immediately charged out in a menacing fashion.

"You!" Wu Baoliang strode swiftly up to Wei Zhao, pointed at his nose, and said in a fierce tone, "When you put the escorted item back just now, did you take the opportunity to destroy it?"

"Destroyed it just now?" Hearing this, Hai Wuliang beside them gave a sudden start and joined in the questioning: "Well now! I was wondering why even Master Lai could not find it. So it was you, brat, secretly playing tricks. Men, seize him for me!"

As soon as the words fell, a group of skilled hands from the Sihai Escort Agency immediately surrounded Wei Zhao on all sides. They had already found Wei Zhao an eyesore for one reason or another; now at last they had found a chance to vent their anger.

Seeing this, Cheng Haonan and Long Kuiba were secretly delighted. Just as expected, that creature Hai Wuliang was a ready-made thug!

"What do you think you are doing? Bullying us because the Qingtian Escort Agency has no one?" Qi Mingyuan roared at the sight, and Qi Wenmo hurriedly led the Qingtian Escort Agency's people charging over as well. The two sides faced off, each side's momentum surging, the atmosphere extremely tense. A bloody battle seemed imminent.

"Everyone, calm yourselves for a moment," Wei Zhao stepped forward at this point. After quieting the crowd, he looked askance at Wu Baoliang and said, "A word of advice: next time before you point a finger at me, write your will first. Also—what evidence do you have?"

"Hmph, evidence?" Wu Baoliang gave a sinister, cackling laugh. "I knew you would use that to stall. It is very simple: I dare say even you yourself cannot bring out the escorted-item chest from inside. That is the best evidence there is!"

"Good. I now command you in my capacity as judge of the gathering: go inside and bring out the escorted-item chest. If you cannot do it—hmph—then do not blame me for being unkind. Our Southern Continent Escort Gathering is not a place for an unknown brat like you to play petty tricks!" Hai Wuliang pressed.

"Chief Escort Hai, when some people love to fart, you need not lean in so close to sniff along with them, do you? Or is it that you simply cannot bear to lose, and so you are seizing the chance to find an excuse for settling a private grudge under public cover?" Qi Mingyuan stepped boldly forward, and Qi Wenmo and the others refused to show weakness either, each of them shielding Wei Zhao behind them.

Looking at the backs of the crowd, Wei Zhao could not help feeling a stir of emotion. To have come to know such a band of people—this trip to the Southern Continent had truly been worth it!

"Chief Escort, and everyone, do not be anxious." Wei Zhao patted everyone on the back and stepped to the front. "This matter is not so complicated. Since they want evidence, I will give them evidence. Is it not just bringing out the escorted-item chest? I will go fetch it for you right now. Open your dog eyes wide and look carefully."

With that, Wei Zhao parted the crowd and made straight for Area Thirty, but Wu Baoliang blocked his way: "Hold on. To be safe, I think we should search you before you go in. Otherwise, what if you secretly smuggle the escorted-item chest in, then announce that you brought it out from inside?"

"That makes sense. Search him!" Hai Wuliang agreed at once. The escorted-item chest was not exactly small, but neither was it truly large; an ordinary person could not smuggle it, but a Golden Core expert versed in illusion techniques might well be capable of just that.

"You are going too far!" Qi Wenmo could no longer hold back. The other side's intention was obvious now; this was plainly coming to pick a quarrel and stir up trouble.

Wei Zhao gave Wu Baoliang a deep look, killing intent flashing and vanishing in an instant. If he had not feared implicating the Qingtian Escort Agency, he probably would have already struck out and killed by now. But as for the present—well, it was not yet time for that.

"Fine. I will satisfy you. But for fairness's sake, I demand that unrelated witnesses conduct the search. As for you lot, I am afraid you would plant evidence on me!" Wei Zhao said with a note of mockery.

"Hmph. The representatives of the merchant guilds present can all serve as witnesses. You surely have no objection to letting them search you?" Hai Wuliang gave a cold snort and at once had the assembled guild representatives come over to search Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao cooperated readily enough, letting them search him several times over in full view of everyone. Only after it was confirmed beyond all doubt that he had nothing did Hai Wuliang, Wu Baoliang, and the others finally allow him through, staring fixedly as Wei Zhao walked into Area Thirty. Had the competition rules not forbidden it, they would even have wanted to follow him in and keep watch.