Chapter 2826 — In High Spirits
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Seeing Li Ciba and Zhao Qilei obediently surrender their trial spirit herbs, Zhang Naipao did not press them further. True, he had the ability to wipe them out, but it would come at a cost. The Bee-Devouring Divine Art was formidable, but it could only drain cultivators below the earth tier; used on anyone at earth tier or above, it risked bursting his body and killing him. So Zhang Naipao no longer used the Bee-Devouring Divine Art lightly, especially after the one time he had been made to suffer at Wei Zhao's hands.
What he now relied on chiefly was another of his wondrous martial arts. That technique was domineering enough, but it was the sort that wounded the enemy a thousand while costing himself eight hundred; if there was any way to avoid it, Zhang Naipao would not use it lightly, and intimidation alone would suffice.
Besides, he had just been wounded; to be wounded again now would surely be hard to bear. As for that ultimate technique he kept hidden at the very bottom of his box, he had no intention of using it—it was his final trump card, and he would not use it unless he absolutely had to.
Setting aside that using it would expose his ultimate hidden technique, a single use alone would consume an enormous amount of physical strength and true qi. And so Zhang Naipao chose to spare Li Ciba and Zhao Qilei.
Still, a few mocking words were well within his rights. Zhang Naipao looked at Li Ciba and Zhao Qilei and said with faint derision: "Don't imagine that just because you've thrown in your lot with Wei Zhao, you're safe. I mean to destroy Wei Zhao as well. And don't delude yourselves that his coming here will let him avenge you—it's useless."
Li Ciba and Zhao Qilei exchanged a glance and offered no retort. At this moment, retorting would be useless. The proper course was to wait until Wei Zhao arrived and then push back; otherwise, no matter how eloquently they spoke now, it would avail them nothing.
Besides, their chief purpose now was to stay alive. A few retorts might bring momentary satisfaction, but to be killed for them would hardly be worth the price.
Seeing Li Ciba and Zhao Qilei fall silent, Zhang Naipao did not go on. He merely said to Mo Ba: "So we have four trial spirit herbs now?"
"Yes, Brother Pao," Mo Ba answered promptly and respectfully.
"Mm." Zhang Naipao nodded, took another trial spirit herb from his pack, and handed it to Mo Ba, saying: "Return this one to the Dark Night Palace disciples. They may have been that fellow Yang of Flame Mountain's lackeys before, but they have seen the error of their ways and reined in their horses at the cliff's edge, turning from darkness to the light in good time to become my, Zhang Naipao's, subordinates. I have always taken very good care of my subordinates—follow me, and the benefits are enormous!"
"Ah!?" The two Dark Night Palace disciples had thought Zhang Naipao was merely talking before, never expecting him to put it into action so soon. Overjoyed, Dark Night Palace Disciple A hastened to say gratefully: "Thank you, Brother Pao! It's so good to follow Brother Pao!"
"That's right, far better than following that Wei Zhao fellow. Just look at these two—how pitiful! Haha!" Dark Night Palace Disciple B chimed in with flattery.
In doing this, Zhang Naipao had actually meant it for Li Ciba and Zhao Qilei to see. He had not said so outright and had been on the point of hinting at it, when Dark Night Palace Disciple B beat him to it and said it for him—which put him in excellent spirits at once!
To Zhang Naipao's mind, if he could turn Wei Zhao's subordinates against their master and make them his own, what a splendid thing that would be! When Wei Zhao saw it, he would probably be so furious his nose would twist out of joint, wouldn't he? This was simply the finest means of striking at Wei Zhao! (To be continued)