Chapter 4452 — Rejoicing Instead of Worrying

Four rounds in, with a lead of a full four hundred points over the second-place agency, the Qingtian Escort Agency had all but settled into the top seat—but now, with this turn of events, the situation had once again become murky and impossible to read. The existence of this final extra challenge could make any impossibility possible in the end.

"Even my father can do nothing about it. This time we really are in trouble." Watching the scene unfold, Qi Wenmo's expression darkened further still; he scratched at his scalp and paced back and forth.

"Brother Qi, don't worry yourself over it. Things have come to this—there's no use saying more. When soldiers come, the general will meet them; when water rises, earth will dam it." Wei Zhao offered comfort from the side.

"That's easy to say, but watching the grand position you worked so hard to build, Brother Ling, be wiped out in such a shameless fashion—I simply can't accept it!" Qi Wenmo pounded his fist in a fit of pique.

Last time, scraping into fifth place among the five great agencies had already been an unexpected, top-tier delight for him and the Qingtian Escort Agency. But this time, thanks to Wei Zhao's presence, four rounds had gone by and they had somehow become the crowd's top pick—the dark horse most likely to seize the top seat. It felt like a dream.

Yet now, with one simple challenge rule from Hai Wuliang, that dream was to be smashed to pieces by force. Who could accept such a thing?

"Brother Qi, I rather think there's no need for such maidenly histrionics. Since they mean to target us, we need only fight them back one bout at a time. For us, this is equally a rare chance to score points—is it not?" Wei Zhao said with a smile.

"But what if they really are that shameless—openly wearing us down with a wheel fight?" Qi Wenmo remained indignant. After a moment of silence, he suddenly declared with resolve: "Brother Ling, I can see it plainly—this business is aimed straight at you. I'm truly sorry. You fight for our agency, and it only makes you the bird that flies out ahead. Here's what we'll do: if anyone challenges later, I'll step into the ring first!"

He was, after all, the young master who presided over the agency. Furious as he still was, Qi Wenmo's mental constitution was far beyond the common run; he swiftly pressed his anger down into his belly and recovered his reason and composure.

With matters having come this far, the rankings and scores he had once prized so highly no longer mattered much—neither to him nor to the Qingtian Escort Agency as a whole. Even if they were to lose this final contest today, it would be a defeat that still carried honor!

After all, so many sharp-eyed people present had already seen it: the Qingtian Escort Agency was being maliciously targeted, and that was why it was to be dragged down from the top seat. In the previous four rounds alone, the name Qingtian Escort Agency had already sunk deeply into people's minds.

The winner takes the crown, the loser the dust. True, if they did lose in the end, it would more or less affect the agency's business—perhaps even cut short the Qingtian Escort Agency's prospects of going further—but it would hardly be worse than their present circumstances. At worst they would remain developing in the Weihu Sea region; they would still have ground to stand on and would not lose their livelihood over it.

By contrast, what worried Qi Wenmo most right now was Wei Zhao's safety.

Wei Zhao had agreed to fight for them at this South Continent Escort Gathering only out of friendship, and only after Qi Wenmo had begged him several times, and in doing so had rendered them such monumental service. If that should cost Wei Zhao his life, then he and every soul in the Qingtian Escort Agency would be guilty of a crime no death could atone for.

"Brother Qi, you are the young master who holds the whole enterprise together—how could it ever make sense for you to step into the ring yourself?" Wei Zhao laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Since, as you say, it's aimed at me, then of course it has to be me who goes up. Otherwise, if I tuck my tail and stay out of it, these people will surely be disappointed—they might even beat you to death."

"This—" Qi Wenmo started at those words and for a moment could say nothing. What Wei Zhao described was not merely possible; it was very likely!

Under the challenge rules, a contestant could name a challenge as many times as he liked against any Golden Core–stage upper echelon of an agency. Even if he could not name Ling Yi directly, and Qi Wenmo went first instead, the other side could simply kill him outright, and then, if the challenges continued, Ling Yi would have no choice but to enter the ring.

"So in the end it still has to be me up there. Rather than take such a meaningless and wholly unnecessary risk, better that I go up directly," Wei Zhao said mildly.

"Ah…" Qi Wenmo could only heave a deep sigh and say nothing more; he did not know what there was to say.

Just as Wei Zhao had said, even if he, the young master of the agency, stepped into the ring to fight first, it would not change the situation in the slightest. What was to be done, then? Was there nothing for it but to resign themselves to fate?

Qi Wenmo's brows were knit tight with worry, yet Wei Zhao, standing at the very eye of the storm, seemed calm and at ease with the situation—entirely unconcerned.

In truth, when Wei Zhao heard Hai Wuliang's rule on challenges by an agency's helmsman, his first reaction had not been worry at all, but rather a certain delight!

By Wei Zhao's strength—though his stated cultivation was only mid Golden Core—he was a peerless Golden Core expert who had achieved a perfect breakthrough. Add to that his many formidable trump cards, and calling him invincible at the Golden Core stage was no exaggeration at all.

Moreover, unlike other experts, Wei Zhao had no fear of being worn down by a wheel fight. With the jade pendant's space endlessly replenishing his true qi, essentially no matter how many Golden Core opponents came at him, they would all meet the same end: cleanly cut down by Wei Zhao in an instant, while handing the Qingtian Escort Agency a batch of points. There was no second possibility.

More crucial still was this: Wu Baoliang's identity was that of strategist to the Dragon Boat Escort Agency—likewise belonging to the upper echelon of an agency—and he was also a Golden Core consummation expert, fully qualifying under the helmsman challenge rule. Since others could challenge Wei Zhao, Wei Zhao could naturally challenge Wu Baoliang as well!

This was a rare and precious opportunity. To come all this way to the South Continent Sea, to fight in the South Continent Escort Gathering on behalf of the Qingtian Escort Agency—was it not all for the sake of dealing with Wu Baoliang?

Just as Cheng Haonan and the others had been racking their brains over how to ensure a match against Wei Zhao, Wei Zhao had been worrying over the same problem—except that, unlike the other side, he had not resorted to crooked tricks but simply let nature take its course. It would be all the better if they met; if not, he would think of something afterward.

Even Wei Zhao had not expected that a matter which should have depended entirely on luck would suddenly produce such a turning point. This was a one-of-a-kind opportunity—and since the man had already delivered himself to his door, how could Wei Zhao possibly turn him away? (To be continued…)