Chapter 1454 — The Trials of the Ice Palace, Part Two
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
But even Wu Chengtian was told by Wei Zhao not to breathe a word of his rise in strength to anyone, the Wu family included. Wei Zhao meant to make trouble for the Yu family at the Aristocratic Family Assembly, and he could not allow the Yu family any chance to prepare. If the Yu family learned that Wu Chengtian had broken through, they would surely grow wary; if they began to connect the dots, it would be trouble indeed.
Wu Chengtian had, after all, been beaten into grievous disability by Uncle Zhu, and the matter was no secret — word had long since reached every family. The old master of the Wu family wept day and night in his grief; Wu Chengtian was the hope of the entire Wu family, and Wu Gonggao had placed great expectations upon him, never imagining that he would be beaten so severely.
Yet once Wu Gonggao learned that Wu Chengtian was injured, he did not dare go and take revenge. The other party was the hidden Zhao family — unless the Wu family wished to end its own existence, going to the hidden Zhao family for vengeance was no different from courting death.
And after Wu Chengtian was injured, word of him stopped coming altogether. He simply cut off his phone and broke contact with Wu Gonggao, afraid that it would break the old man's heart. What Wu Chengtian did not know was that the news had long since leaked out.
The two Xiao brothers, his enemies — how could they ever have concealed such a thing for him?
Wu Gonggao thought his grandson a fool, to stand up for Wei Zhao's woman of all people and be beaten half to death for it. And now look: a chief acknowledged for nothing — and of what use was that? The moment trouble came, the man had vanished, alive or dead unknown. Had he not been preparing for the Aristocratic Family Assembly, Wu Gonggao would have come to Songshan City himself to search for Wu Chengtian.
Within the Wu family, of course, none was more delighted than Wu Chendi. Wu Chengtian was ruined, vanished alive or dead — and this was his chance to rise. He had long coveted the position of Wu family heir, and now at last his opportunity had come.
In his eyes, even if Wu Chengtian were not dead and were found and brought home, he would pose no threat whatsoever.
"Grandfather, please accept what has happened and find peace. The great matter now is the Aristocratic Family Assembly, and there our first concern must be holding our rank. As for everything else, let us speak of it once the Assembly is over!" Wu Chendi consoled Wu Gonggao. "The family still has me. I will train with all my might, and strive to avenge my eldest brother before long!"
Wu Gonggao nodded, his expression bleak. Though he did not care for Wu Chendi, he had no choice now but to pour his efforts into training him. Deep in his heart, though, a little hope remained: he hoped Wu Chengtian's injuries were not grave, that he might yet recover. For an out-of-clan cultivator, after all, the meridians were not so vital; so long as Wu Chengtian's hands were whole, he could still practice the Iron Hand Technique.
Still, what Wu Chendi said was right. The pressing matter was to hold the Wu family's rank at the Aristocratic Family Assembly; if the Wu family fell, it would truly be finished. Fortunately Wu Gonggao was now at the mid Mystic Tier, and an in-law of the Liu family besides, so for the moment he faced no great danger at the Assembly.
At the Gu family villa, hearing Wu Chengtian's words, Wei Zhao suddenly thought of Sun Jingyan. In truth he had not thought of her before; when all was said and done, his dealings with Sun Jingyan were not many — for the most part she had merely served as a shield. And after Wu Chengtian gave her up, Wei Zhao had even less to do with her.