Chapter 3832 — Something Is Off
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Killing was common enough, but to have a death in the open street like this would hurt their business. Merchants put profit above all else, so no matter what the Enforcement Hall of the Threefold Pavilion might do, within the Inner Street they had to intervene—and here, their word was law.
A bucket of cold water seemed to be dumped over his head. Facing more than a dozen formidable experts all stronger than himself, even Nan Tianyong could not keep from trembling inside, to say nothing of Yu Jiang beside him, whose cultivation reached only the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
In that instant, enveloped by so many powerful auras, he felt as though the very next moment he would become a corpse, never to take another step out of the Inner Street alive.
"It seems you were right, disciple—this brat really is a sly one!" Only now did Nan Tianyong understand. This Wei Zhao dared to act so brazenly before master and disciple, not only refusing to flee but even boldly approaching them of his own accord—because he had backing all along!
In such a situation, no matter how bitterly Nan Tianyong gnashed his teeth in hatred, for the moment he did not dare strike at Wei Zhao rashly. Even if he succeeded in killing Wei Zhao, he himself would likely pay a grievous price. To deal with a mere ant at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage was clearly not worth it to him.
"Master, there's no great harm in letting him swagger about for a while. Once he steps out of the Inner Street, Master, you can slap him to death—same road to death either way!" Yu Jiang said from the side, trying to console him.
He knew well how explosive his cheap master's temper was. If the old man flew into a rage and struck, and he himself got caught in the crossfire, that would be disastrous.
Nan Tianyong might be thick in the head, but he had, after all, suffered a great loss at the Hong Merchant Guild last time. If he had not learned his lesson by now, he could never have clawed his way to his present standing.
So they really are following! Wei Zhao glanced back at the two figures not far behind him, and the corners of his mouth curled into a playful arc.
The reason he had deliberately approached them a moment ago was indeed just as master and disciple had guessed: with so many guest experts from the various merchant houses holding the fort all around, and with Hong Zhong's intentional guidance, Wei Zhao truly had backing to spare here.
Yet Wei Zhao was not so idle as to provoke for provocation's sake. His deliberate close-range goading of master and disciple—of Nan Tianyong especially—served a particular purpose.
He and Yu Jiang were already locked in a fight to the death, and Yu Jiang was exceedingly cunning. To try to confuse him or set a trap for him was simply impractical. But what Wei Zhao meant to do now was not to make an issue of Yu Jiang at all—his target was Nan Tianyong.
Yu Jiang might be a formidable mid-Foundation Establishment expert and no small threat to Wei Zhao, yet set against Nan Tianyong, a peak late-Foundation Establishment master, he could not be mentioned in the same breath.
To Wei Zhao, if he wished to resolve this sudden, deadly crisis, then unless he dealt with Nan Tianyong, that peak late-Foundation Establishment expert, it would be useless even if he found a chance to kill Yu Jiang. Unable to shake off Nan Tianyong, he would still end up dead in the end.
To simply run and run alone was surely unrealistic. However fast Wei Zhao might be, he was only swift compared with experts of his own level. Against a grand expert at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, to think of shaking off his opponent by sheer speed was a fool's dream.
And to cross realms and deal with an enemy so vastly above his level as Nan Tianyong was, under ordinary circumstances, utterly impossible. Even if by some stroke of luck he got a chance to strike, it would come at most once—there would be no second chance.