Chapter 2146 — Demanding Compensation
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"I'm fine." Wei Zhao nodded. "Woking Dao's fusion of man and beast is truly formidable. I have to admit, Qianshan Sect has some real tricks up its sleeve!"
"He's right, but you were still a cut above, chief. Standing on that arena, I was so scared I nearly lost my wits—I didn't dare move a hand or foot, didn't know what to do with myself." Han Xiaohu spoke with deep guilt. "Not only was I no help to you, chief—I was a burden."
"That's not your fault. You had only just broken through to the early Earth rank, and you couldn't even channel your martial techniques smoothly, let alone face an enemy." Wei Zhao waved a hand, without a word of blame for Han Xiaohu. He still remembered his own first clash with Blue Hair, back when he had just broken through to the Earth rank and his opponent could already channel martial techniques—that same helplessness and awkwardness.
"Chief, let's go back and have lunch. There's still the final supplementary match this afternoon—the highlight of every Hidden World Family Summit..." Han Xiaohu said.
"The supplementary match—what is it testing, exactly? Hasn't there been even a whisper?" Wei Zhao nodded and asked.
"Nothing." Han Xiaohu shook his head helplessly. "We've been doing our best to dig around, but when it comes to connections among the Hidden World Families, the Hidden Han Family stands alone. I'm afraid the other Hidden World Families and sects learned the format and content of the supplementary match long ago, while we have no news at all."
"Never mind. We'll take it one step at a time—if it comes to it, we forfeit." Wei Zhao said. "Two stakes—we can afford to lose them."
"True enough!" Han Xiaohu said. "That last match was harrowing enough as it was. Winning those stakes hardly seems worth it... Oh, right—while you were breaking through earlier, Tang Yuyi of the Hidden Tang Family came by, saying he wanted to stand guard for you... But he didn't try anything underhanded. I can't figure out what he meant by it...
"Mm, I know." Wei Zhao was also puzzled by Tang Yuyi's strange behavior, but he could not work out what purpose lay behind it. At this Hidden World Family Summit, Tang Yuyi had seemed friendly throughout—but since the matter could not be clarified for now, he had no choice but to set it aside.
Together with Han Xiaohu and Han Tianba, he returned to their temporary lodging. After lunch and a short rest, a disciple of the Hidden Zhao Family came to the courtyard and called out loudly: "Is the Old Master Han of the Hidden Han Family present? The final supplementary match of this Hidden World Family Summit is about to begin. The content of the match remains confidential for now. Old Master Han, please bring your participating disciples and your two stakes to the council hall..."
"Very well, I'll be right there!" Han Tianba nodded, though inwardly he was deeply unimpressed. Confidential for now? Doubtless it was confidential only from the Hidden Han Family—to everyone else, the content of this match was surely no secret at all.
But Han Tianba was under another's roof and had to bow his head. He could only keep a low profile and go with Wei Zhao and Han Xiaohu to the council hall of the Hidden Zhao Family.
In the council hall, the old masters of the other families and the sect masters had all arrived. After Han Tianba registered the stakes and Wei Zhao's name, he took his seat—and to his surprise, this time the head seat of the council hall was occupied not only by Old Master Zhao, but also by Sect Master Wo of Qianshan Sect!