Chapter 4856 — He Flips Faster Than a Book's Pages

The crowd shook their heads in silent unison. What did shamelessness mean? This was shamelessness—brazen, out-in-the-open shamelessness, right to your face, leaving you without a scrap of temper to call your own.

The worst of it was that this old bastard was an Opening-Mountain-stage titan. Apart from the other titans of that same stage, no one present even qualified to step forward and speak with him. His fist was the biggest in the hall, so naturally his word was law.

Wang Xinyan and Huang Xiaotao exchanged a frowning glance. The same thought had struck them both at once: should they slip out quietly and fetch their master to salvage the situation?

The Divine Nun of the East Sea might have no real hold over this old bastard, but she was an Opening-Mountain-stage presence nonetheless—at least he would not dare carry on quite so recklessly in her face. As it stood, his tone was enough to vex a person to death and then some—the classic 'so what if I'm bullying you? You want to hit me, you pathetic weakling?'

Anyone else would most likely have swallowed their pride and backed down. But the two women knew the arrogance in Wei Zhao's bones; he would never lower his head so easily. If it stayed a war of words, fine—but if blows were exchanged, he would come off badly indeed.

Yet beneath the two women's worried gazes, Wei Zhao instead seemed pleased. He regarded Lu Dachang at his leisure and said, "Forgive me for asking, but if you do buy the Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass, who exactly do you plan to have refine the pill?"

"What a question—Qing Xuanzi, of course. Who else?" Lu Dachang answered without hesitation, his lip curling. The Nurturing Essence Pill was, after all, a seventh-grade pill; ordinary alchemists could not handle it. In Morning Star City, only Qing Xuanzi was reliable.

"Oh. That's my disciple. I'll have a word with him later and tell him not to take your job. You can stand there and stare, then," Wei Zhao said with a faint smile.

The crowd perked up at once. They had assumed, watching Lu Dachang bare his fangs, that Wei Zhao was about to meet his misfortune. But on second thought—the man's mere disciple already stood on equal footing with Lu Dachang. Who would have the last laugh in this clash was still very much in question.

"Huh?" Lu Dachang was dumbstruck. He froze, then looked Wei Zhao up and down all over again. These past days Wei Zhao had become a household name in Morning Star City; even if Lu Dachang had never laid eyes on him, he had surely heard the tales. He blurted, "You're that Wei Zhao?!"

"The very same. Still want to snatch it?" Wei Zhao watched him with a smile that was not quite a smile.

The Path of Titans was within sight. If the Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass were bought and then not refined into Nurturing Essence Pills as quickly as possible, its value would plummet. Especially since this Opening-Mountain-stage guest retainer had needed to resort to public shamelessness just to obtain it—this was a matter that called for careful weighing.

"This..." For the first time, Lu Dachang wore a look of hesitation and difficulty. He might be a crude fellow, but he was no true fool. Against someone of Wei Zhao's standing, Opening-Mountain-stage titan or not, he was utterly without recourse.

Shamelessness had its limits. Snatching the Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass, and nothing more, was one thing—but if he dared lay a hand on Wei Zhao, never mind the city lord's mansion's attitude, the Academy would certainly not take it kindly. Qing Xuanzi, the Divine Nun of the East Sea, and even Ling Yuanqing would all end up on the opposite side. That would be no fun at all.

Yet he had to obtain the Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass for his son. This was the critical window of Lu Xiaozhong's finest upward momentum; miss this chance, and it would be far harder later to mount a sustained charge at the Mystic Ascension stage. This was a matter that could not be delayed.

Lu Dachang was caught on the horns. He looked at the Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass on the presiding platform, then at Wei Zhao standing there so composed, and for a moment did not know what to do.

"How about this—I'll give up the Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass and yield it to you outright," Wei Zhao said suddenly.

It was not only Lu Dachang who was stunned; the whole hall was collectively dumbfounded. He had just gained the upper hand—how had he turned around and handed it over? Did this Wei Zhao fear the old bastard's retaliation afterward?

"Truly?" Lu Dachang gave Wei Zhao a suspicious look.

"Of course. Not only do I yield the Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass to you, I will agree to refine it myself. Just bring the plant to me and I guarantee you one Nurturing Essence Pill," Wei Zhao said mildly.

"Ah? Well, that's wonderful—thank you so much!" Lu Dachang's expression changed on the spot. Had his face not been so red, his speed at turning it would have rivaled a chameleon's. His manner swung a full hundred and eighty degrees: "Master Lin! You're a real good man, this little Lu salutes you, thank you so very much! Er, Master Lin, I'll come find you in a bit!"

He was genuinely no fool at all. Wei Zhao was the stuff of legend—absolute success in pill refinement. Going to him was far more reliable than going to Qing Xuanzi. Otherwise, why would Qing Xuanzi be his disciple?

This plant of Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass could theoretically yield five portions of material, but that was theory alone—in practice it simply did not hold. Go to Qing Xuanzi: with luck, perhaps two pills; without luck, not even one. Far too risky.

Wei Zhao was different. Absolute success meant that once the Nurturing Essence Magic Gold Grass was in his hands, five Nurturing Essence Pills would inevitably be produced. Wei Zhao would give him only one, true—but one was already enough. After all, his son was only a single step from Nascent Soul grand completion; more would be useless.

On one side, a likely total loss; on the other, a guaranteed single pill. Even a fool would know how to choose—and Lu Dachang was no fool.

Lu Dachang came trotting over to Wei Zhao's side to curry favor. Everyone present, Wei Zhao included, was utterly dumbfounded. A moment ago it had been 'Grandpa Lu' this and 'Grandpa Lu' that; the instant the man offered to refine a pill, he had become 'little Lu.' Could this fellow not preserve even a shred of Opening-Mountain-stage titan dignity?!

Bao Zuoliang and Su Kesheng hid in a corner, exchanging looks, too shocked to speak for a long while. They had laid such an exquisite trap—and that fellow Lin had undone it with a mere two carelessly tossed sentences?

As for Wei Zhao, he could not help but exchange a knowing smile with Wang Xinyan and Huang Xiaotao. Those who became Opening-Mountain-stage titans were indeed never lamplight to be wasted. Lu Dachang's intelligence was not low in the least; his coarseness and rascality were pure act. Put plainly, it was nothing but a skin he wore to scrounge petty advantages and grab a share of the spoils.

Okuda Qi was like this; Qing Xuanzi was like this; now Lu Dachang had cropped up the same way. Wei Zhao could not help but begin to suspect that every titan and big shot in the Eastern Continent was cut from this same cloth—flipping faces faster than a book's pages turn. Had they all trained their thick hides on purpose? (To be continued.)

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