Chapter 2374 — Gravely Wounded
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Bang!" "Bang!"
Wei Zhao struck Piao Laoliu, and Piao Laoliu struck Wei Zhao! Though Piao Laoliu's martial art seemed the more powerful, the damage he took was in no way less than Wei Zhao's! The claw he had taken earlier, with no guard up at all, had dealt his body a heavy blow in particular.
What was more, Wei Zhao's last words had made Piao Laoliu subconsciously withhold part of the Heaven-Splitting Earth-Rending Claw's power, for he did not want Wei Zhao to learn any more of it. The man had already copied it so convincingly—if he learned more, would it not be the death of him?
The two flew apart. Wei Zhao sat down on the ground; Piao Laoliu once again slammed into the wall—and Piao Huotai's brow knit even tighter!
The look he turned on Wei Zhao had gone from initial contempt to grave solemnity! Where on earth had this man come from, and from what power? To think he could imitate another's martial art! Was that not utterly heaven-defying? He had never heard of any cultivator with such an ability.
At that moment Piao Laoliu's eyes were filled with dread. His former arrogance was gone entirely, replaced by nothing but alarm and uncertainty! He could not believe it—how was this possible?
In truth Wei Zhao had been battered badly too; he simply did not let the pain show on his face. This was the swaggering art of swallowing a broken tooth down into one's belly—but sometimes a show simply had to be put on. Confuse your enemy, and you win. That was the highest attainment of putting on airs.
Wei Zhao was recovering; Piao Laoliu was mired in alarm and doubt; and Piao Huotai was frowning as he weighed the gains and losses!
Piao Huotai had assumed the matter would be easily settled—that Wei Zhao would see the difficulty and withdraw was the most perfect solution of all. But now the situation was entirely different!
Anyone could see that Wei Zhao's two successive martial strikes had left Piao Laoliu badly hurt. If the fight went on, it was hard to say which of the two would win—very likely both would perish together! Yet for Piao Huotai to simply give up Chen Xi—that he would never be reconciled to!
Such a fine cauldron was not easy to find again once abandoned! Women of this superb constitution, raised and trained from childhood specifically to serve as cauldrons—they were simply too rare! Piao Huotai had seen many a girl of excellent aptitude, but all of them had passed the age at which they could still be trained into cultivation cauldrons. That was why he refused to give up Chen Xi, and why he had chosen to make an enemy of Wei Zhao.
"Piao Laoliu, finish this quickly! Trade blow for blow if you must, but kill him. That little wench is of great use to me!" Piao Huotai made his decision in an instant. "If you die, you die for the glory of the Right Miao Sect. Your tablet will be enshrined by the sect, and your son—I will beseech our master to take him as a disciple when he comes of age, with a standing no lower than my own!"
Piao Huotai had begun to paint Piao Laoliu a pie in the sky. Having made his promises, he had already written Piao Laoliu off.
Yet those words made Piao Laoliu's eyes light up. He could not deny that Piao Huotai's promises had moved him! He knew that if he and Piao Huotai did not hand over Chen Xi today, there was no chance Wei Zhao would let the matter rest. But Piao Laoliu also knew how much Chen Xi mattered to Piao Huotai. So he knew the only way was to fight with all his might!
"Boy, you heard him. If you know what's good for you, leave now and we part peaceably. But if you insist on thrusting your neck out, then even at the cost of my life, I'll drag someone down to hell with me!" Piao Laoliu drew a deep breath and spoke to Wei Zhao.
Of course, he still clung to a last shred of hope that Wei Zhao might give up and walk away, and then he would not have to throw his life away for nothing! Though for the sake of the sect he did not fear death—still, who would choose to die if he could live?