Chapter 2593 — That's Just Too Cruel
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Ah... my respects, Mr. Lin..." Second Zhu had no choice but to screw up his courage and raise his head. "I gave offense in the past—I hope Mr. Lin won't take it to heart... won't hold it against me..."
"Second, what are you going on about!" Leader Zhu was half exasperated at his brother's failure to rise to the occasion. Why bring all that up now, of all times? If Wei Zhao had summoned him here to be healed, then Wei Zhao clearly did not mean to dwell on the past—and here he was, rambling on and on.
"Quite right. In the past we each served our own master. You were Zhao Qibing's men, acting on his behalf, and so we stood on opposite sides. But now your brother is my man, and if you serve me from here on as well, then you are one of us." Wei Zhao nodded as he spoke. "And since you are one of us, I can promise you this: no matter how grievous the injuries you suffer hereafter, so long as there is a breath left in you, I will do everything in my power to heal you and make you whole! And your future cultivation—leave that to me as well. Leader Zhu and I are for now both only Earth-rank experts; there is no way for me to help him, and I can only help him once I have advanced to the Heaven rank. But you—I can raise you to the strength of the early Earth rank!"
"Mr. Lin, you are truly a good man! I, Zhu the Second, am no good with words, but this I know: your words are no deception—you mean to do exactly as you say. I also know that for now you only mean to make use of us two brothers. But we will prove to you that we are no worse than any of your other followers!" Second Zhu said, utterly sincere.
"Mm." Wei Zhao waved a hand. "Enough of that for now. Let's see to your injuries first."
In truth, the promise Wei Zhao had just made to the Zhu brothers cost him nothing—no more than lifting a finger. Yet he had spoken it with great solemnity, and he had framed it in terms of use and trade. That was precisely Wei Zhao's cleverness. Had he done as Zhao Qibing did—unleashed a blast of kingly aura and won them over with sentiment—the Zhu brothers might not have believed him.
But Wei Zhao had laid out the benefits gravely and in detail, and the Zhu brothers could not help but be moved, for the terms were simply too generous. Even knowing that Wei Zhao meant to use them, they could not refuse—and indeed, his tactic of letting them go only to reel them back in made them all the more eager to become his followers.
In their eyes, a man who was merely using them offered such benefits—so how much more would there be if they truly became Wei Zhao's men? And just look at how comfortably Wu Chengtian, Han Xiaohu, and the rest were living!
Even now, the old master Zhao dared not lay a hand on Zhao Qilei. In the past he had simply been unwilling; but now that Elder Bi had fallen, he wanted to eliminate Zhao Qilei as quickly as possible to cut off future trouble—and yet he held back! Zhao Qilei was Wei Zhao's man. If he died at the Xuandan Sect's trial, that had nothing to do with the Hidden Zhao family. But if he died at the old master's hand, then the old master would be in trouble—real trouble!
It was the first time Second Zhu had ever encountered this manner of healing. Feeling the severed meridians within his body knit swiftly together and mend, he could not help clicking his tongue in wonder. Was this the legendary healing by true qi? Extraordinary—utterly formidable!