Chapter 2948 — Crippling the Dantian
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
With that, Zhao Qilei stepped up before Wei Zhao and raised his fist to strike — yet the fist went up, and then came down again.
"Qitan, why have you stopped?" Old Master Zhao frowned and demanded.
"Grandfather, if Wei Zhao dies here in the Hidden Zhao family, it would put us at something of a disadvantage!" Zhao Qilei said suddenly.
"A disadvantage? Then what do you mean?" Old Master Zhao eyed Zhao Qilei coldly. "Could everything you said before have been a lie? Is your true aim to let Wei Zhao go?"
Zhao Qilei's heart lurched, but his face betrayed nothing. "How could it be? I only meant that Wei Zhao's position is rather sensitive just now. Even in the ancient circles he has his underlings — for instance, Feng Shihua of the Hidden Feng family and Li Ciba of the Ancient Divine Fist Hall. Both are Heaven-rank experts; if they truly came looking for trouble with the Hidden Zhao family, we could not withstand them! And there is another — Tu Bawang, the young sect leader of the Loess High Sect, who once received Wei Zhao's favor. That man is exactly as his name suggests: overbearing beyond measure, a regular little tyrant. If he learned that Wei Zhao died in the Hidden Zhao family and came seeking vengeance, we would be no match for him!"
"Oh?" Old Master Zhao's frosty calm returned as though a basin of cold water had been poured over his head. He was no fool: he did want to deal with Wei Zhao, but not at the cost of summoning enemies beyond his power to answer.
And there was no lack of sense in Zhao Qilei's words. For an ancient sect to wipe out a hidden family was a light and pleasant affair; Old Master Zhao had to take precautions. "Then what do you propose? Simply let Wei Zhao go?"
"Of course not let him go. I was once his underling and know him well. This poison may be called an ancient marvel, but no one can guarantee Wei Zhao will not find an antidote. So I say we should cripple Wei Zhao, and then release him!" Zhao Qilei said. "Wei Zhao has far too many enemies — not only our Hidden Zhao family. There are the Hidden You family, the Hidden Yu family, the Qianshan Sect, the Golden Bell Sect, and the Mingri Fu Mingri Sect — a single man from any of them could finish Wei Zhao off. Why should we play the villain and take the risk?"
"Cripple him?" Hearing this, the last trace of doubt in Old Master Zhao's heart melted away. He nodded and went on, "And how shall we cripple him?"
"We break his four limbs, then shatter every meridian in his body. That way, even if Wei Zhao finds a way past the poison's limits, he will have no way to circulate his cultivation formulae and train!" Zhao Qilei said.
"Mm, that is a workable plan. Once word spreads that Wei Zhao is crippled and poisoned, there will naturally be those who come to settle scores with him — we of the Hidden Zhao family need not step forward at all." Old Master Zhao nodded. "Good. Since that is so, go and do it!"
In truth, Old Master Zhao would have loved nothing more than to finish Wei Zhao on the spot, but too many people knew of this affair. If Wei Zhao's underlings truly came for vengeance, the Hidden Zhao family could not withstand them; he could only settle for the next best thing. Fortunately, Zhao Qilei's plan was a good one.
"Crippling the meridians alone is not enough — the dantian must go as well!" Zhao Qibing cut in. "Crippled meridians can still be partly repaired with a Great Return Pill. If they are repaired, Wei Zhao may have some uncanny trick for cultivating. Cripple his dantian too, and he will be unable to metabolize any pill at all. Even a Great Return Pill would be wasted on him — he could never recover!"