Chapter 2241 — Preparing to Flee
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Wei Zhao had not expected the Grand Protector to abandon him and turn straight on the fleeing Sun Jingyan, and he could not help but frown. It seemed his calculations had been wrong; even in full fury, the Grand Protector had not lost his head, and still remembered his objective.
It looked as though the plan of letting Sun Jingyan slip away alone in the chaos would not work. The Grand Protector was utterly immune to Wei Zhao's tricks: what his eyes were fixed on was the box in Sun Jingyan's arms, and only second came the two spirit-beast essence cores on Wei Zhao's person.
The essence cores of spirit beasts were nothing but a trinket he had obtained to lend Tagan Long some prestige; whether he had them or not hardly mattered. So long as the box was in his hands and delivered to that place, asking for a few spirit-beast cores as a reward would surely be an easy matter.
Wei Zhao had no choice but to brace himself and step into the breach. Tapping the ground lightly with both feet, he left a trail of fierce, sharp energy, his body almost transforming into a lightning afterimage as he threw himself in front of Sun Jingyan.
Fortunately, Wei Zhao's past experience as an assassin served him well; with his exquisite footwork he was a match for the Grand Protector before him. But block it he did—and then, with two muffled thuds against his chest and belly, Wei Zhao was sent flying by the Grand Protector's blow, slamming heavily onto the ground.
"Boy, I have not even used a martial technique yet—and you are already this easily broken?" the Grand Protector said coldly, staring down at Wei Zhao on the ground.
"A novice Heaven-rank expert, and that is all the power you have?" Wei Zhao climbed to his feet. In truth, that one blow, delivered without any martial technique, surpassed even the eleventh form of the Fifth Protector from yesterday. But Wei Zhao had not resisted; he had used all his true qi to shield his body, and while flying through the air he had entered the jade pendant space to heal himself swiftly. Even so, he knew he could not last many more exchanges.
So Wei Zhao had to come up with a plan; otherwise, this day might well be his last.
He glanced at Sun Jingyan clutching the box, and roughly made his choice. From the way the Grand Protector had attacked Sun Jingyan the moment she tried to flee, it was clear his primary target was the box in her arms.
If Wei Zhao took the box from Sun Jingyan's hands and ran for all he was worth toward the Great Fire Lion's cave, what were his chances?
His exquisite footwork would help, but he had no absolute certainty of escape. And yet—if he gritted his teeth and spared no cost? If he turned his back to the Grand Protector, ignored his attacks entirely, held his breath, and kept healing himself with true qi from the jade pendant space, fleeing all the while without defending himself?
In that case his chances might well become even—fifty-fifty. So long as Wei Zhao did not fall, so long as he kept running and could hold out until he reached the Great Fire Lion's cave, the alarm could be lifted.
But if the Grand Protector could not catch Wei Zhao, might he not turn back and strike at Sun Jingyan instead?
That being so, Wei Zhao would have to persuade the Great Fire Lion's whole family to block the Grand Protector at the mouth of the cave—and that, he thought, should not be too difficult.