Chapter 1769 — Cave Encounter, Part Two (I)
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Hearing Wei Zhao's words, Tang Zhi felt a stir in her heart, but she shook her head. "Better not. If Xiaoxiao found out, she'd be unhappy."
"You..." Wei Zhao did not know what to say. Tang Zhi was always like this, always thinking of others' interests—just as she had accepted Xiaoxiao back then...
"What about me? Can't I be a little conflicted?" Tang Zhi shot Wei Zhao a glare, then happily went off to carry the plates again.
With Ergoudan and Yu Yuanyuan's betrothal feast over, Wei Zhao now faced his second five-year appointment.
Today was the night of the full moon, and Old Man Wei had summoned Wei Zhao to his room first thing in the morning.
"Old man, you're not going to kick me down again this time, are you?" Wei Zhao joked the moment he stepped inside. In truth, he was excited and nervous. The day had finally come—he had long awaited it—yet now that it was truly here, he felt a little uneasy, afraid something might go wrong.
"You look rather nervous," Old Man Wei teased, watching him. "Kicking you down back then was out of necessity—merely honoring an agreement made years ago with your master and... with someone else."
"A little nervous, yes—after all, I've hoped for this for so many years." Wei Zhao did not conceal it. "I hope this time it succeeds."
"Heh." Old Man Wei chuckled. "By the way, about Tang Zhi and the others' cultivation methods—I asked for you."
"And what was the result?" Wei Zhao asked quickly.
"No result." Old Man Wei shook his head. "My old friend has none in his possession either. You will have to find them yourself. He asked me to pass along a message."
"A message? What message?" Wei Zhao asked, frowning.
"When the cart reaches the mountain, a road will appear; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally go straight," Old Man Wei said.
"What does that mean? Why does it feel like there's something hidden in those words—something a bit mystifying?" Wei Zhao did not quite grasp his meaning.
"Heh, isn't it clear enough? He is telling you not to rack your brains over this matter. Perhaps, by some stroke of chance, the oral formulas of the inner art meant for them will turn up," Old Man Wei explained.
"Really? Is this person a fortune-teller? Why does it feel a bit unreliable?" Wei Zhao frowned.
"He really is a fortune-teller, and his readings... are no ordinary accuracy." Old Man Wei gave a bitter smile. "At least in certain matters, they truly came to pass."
"What do you mean?" The more Wei Zhao heard, the stranger it seemed.
"Years ago, he cast a hexagram for Feng Tianlong," Old Man Wei said. "He once said that the chance to defy heaven and change fate lay with Feng Xiaoxiao. In the end, she truly turned danger into safety. Before you went to the Ice Palace, even I held out little hope."
"You can't be serious?" Wei Zhao was all the more astonished.
"Heh, perhaps so." Old Man Wei nodded.
"All right." Wei Zhao asked nothing more. If Old Man Wei would not speak of something, then the time had not yet come; asking again was useless. The old fellow kept his mouth shut like a sealed bottle—Wei Zhao had learned that well since childhood.
"Go on. I know you can't wait a moment longer. I will explain things to Tang Zhi for you," Old Man Wei said.
"All right!" Wei Zhao truly wanted to reach the cave a step early—even if it meant only waiting at its entrance.
Everything went as smoothly as a familiar road, and once again Wei Zhao came to stand before that cave.
Though night had not yet fallen, Wei Zhao could not resist stepping up to test it. The stone door would not open—just as he had expected—but he would have been restless had he not tried.
Since it was still early, Wei Zhao calmed himself, sat cross-legged at the cave's mouth, and began to cultivate, slowly waiting for the moment night descended...