Chapter 3504 — Repaying a Peach with a Plum
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
A glint of smug satisfaction flashed across Lou Taixie's eyes. He really was a man of high intelligence—just a few words, and he had set the great master of the Tomorrow-and-Tomorrow Sect against Wei Zhao, escalating it all the way to a formal duel.
Seeing Wei Zhao beaten was something he would relish. When that time came, he could trample Xiao Che underfoot once more! Damn it, you petty little upstart—this young master will show you that your patron Wei Zhao is a worthless piece of trash too!
Though Xiao Che had received a helping hand from Wei Zhao, he knew his own situation better than anyone. He and Wei Zhao had no ties whatsoever; that Wei Zhao would step in for him even once was already extraordinary. To expect Wei Zhao to keep helping him was hardly realistic! Most likely Wei Zhao had merely done it in passing, a small kindness.
So Xiao Che finished his food quickly, and when he saw Zhang Naihui and the others come in, he left the dining hall. He did not want to cause Wei Zhao any more trouble. Lou Taixie had clearly already thrown in his lot with Zhang Naihui—so if trouble came looking for him then, would Wei Zhao help or not?
But no sooner had Xiao Che stepped out of the dining hall than he heard people discussing Zhang Naihui. It was a few other trial participants, chatting with the Eight-Trigram-Robe proprietor!
The Eight-Trigram-Robe proprietor had just reported the Tomorrow-and-Tomorrow Sect's arrogance and bullying to Ancestor Xuanchen, but Ancestor Xuanchen said nothing. After all, the Five Luminaries Sect was not what it once was. In the past they could suppress the Tomorrow-and-Tomorrow Sect with absolute superiority, but now—how many capable hands did they have left?
Moreover, the plan to open Cloud-Tier Island truly required Zhang Naihui's help; they could not afford to offend him. So Ancestor Xuanchen kept silent and told the proprietor to leave them alone for now.
But though the Eight-Trigram-Robe proprietor knew he was no match for them, grumbling in private was still permissible. It happened that a few cultivators were present, and so they fell to talking.
They spoke of rumors about Zhang Naihui on the road—with the Divine Fist Hall and with Dongfang Badao—which left the Eight-Trigram-Robe proprietor clucking his tongue in amazement even as cold sweat ran down his back. He thought to himself that it was fortunate he had not provoked Zhang Naihui or clashed with him; otherwise, would he too have been brought under control?
Xiao Che had not expected Zhang Naihui to be so formidable—to have brought a top external-family expert of the Divine Fist Hall under his control just like that? Was he really that vicious? Wei Zhao must not be controlled by him! He did not know the difference between how Zhang Naihui's mental technique worked on internal-family versus external-family experts, and assumed it was the same for both. So he thought he had better warn Wei Zhao at once!
To repay kindness with gratitude—that is the virtue of cultivators like us. Seeing that Dongfang Badao, an internal-family expert, was also Zhang Naihui's follower, he assumed Dongfang Badao too had been brought under Zhang Naihui's control!
With that thought, Xiao Che turned back and returned to the dining hall. He bought another bottle of water, then sat down beside Wei Zhao as if nothing had happened—which left Wei Zhao rather puzzled. Why had Xiao Che come back?
"Brother Lin, listen to me," Xiao Che said in a lowered voice. "Do you know about Zhang Naihui?"
"Oh? Know what?" Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback.