Chapter 4521 — The Old Sect Returns
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
When all was said and done, it came back to the Old Sect of the Western Hills. A mighty evil cultivator of the Mountain-Opening stage, and all he had gone out to do was hunt down a mere Ling Yi—yet he had vanished without a trace, a whole month gone by with not a word. Long Kuiba was thoroughly resentful now, privately cursing the old monster: surely he hadn't gone back on his word, had he? Killed Ling Yi and then decided he couldn't be bothered with the Dragon Boat Escort Agency?
It was entirely possible. After all, once Wu Baoliang and Cheng Haonan had died at Ling Yi's hands one after the other, there was no longer any connection between his Dragon Boat Escort Agency and the Old Sect of the Western Hills. The Old Sect truly had no reason to stoop to keeping watch over the Dragon Boat Escort Agency any longer. But if that were so, then Long Kuiba and the Dragon Boat Escort Agency were in a sorry state indeed—they were being roasted over an open fire, plain and simple!
To have earned the foul reputation of colluding with evil cultivators for nothing, to have gained not a single benefit from it, and to have watched business go from bad to worse—when Long Kuiba thought of all these miseries, he wanted to slap himself. He'd had a perfectly good easy life, so what madness had possessed him back then to ally with the Poison Eye Mercenary Corps?
If not for that, none of the troubles that followed would ever have come to pass. Even without the title of second-ranked escort agency, he could at least have preserved the business he once had, and would not have ended up as he had now, with not a customer in sight—a Dragon Boat Escort Agency vast in size, yet unable from dawn to dusk to take in a single escort contract, everyone from top to bottom left to stare helplessly at the northwest wind...
With nothing to do, Long Kuiba could only drown his sorrows alone in drink. The lively clang of gongs and drums outside grated on his nerves all the more, and suddenly he roared, "Where the hell has everyone gone? It's deafening out there—does no one know how to shut the door?"
"Shut the door? Sounds like this sect isn't especially welcome here?" A mass of black mist suddenly gathered in the center of the great hall, and from it emerged a bizarre old man with crimson hair and green brows—none other than the Old Sect of the Western Hills.
"Se-Senior, you've returned?" Long Kuiba gave a great start, then, caught between fright and joy, hurried to his feet and paid his respects, saying with the utmost deference, "Long Kuiba greets Senior of the Old Sect of the Western Hills. I was merely vexed by the noise outside just now—it was not aimed at you, Senior. Please, I beg you, do not take it to heart."
"I doubt you'd have the nerve." The Old Sect of the Western Hills gave a cackling laugh, then with a flicker of his form went straight to the master's seat in the great hall and sat down. Though at first glance he still seemed as unfathomable as ever, there was a weariness between his brows that he could scarcely conceal.
"Someone, quickly—prepare the finest banquet! Your Chief Escort is going to give the Senior a proper welcome." Long Kuiba issued his orders in a flurry, his face alight with wild joy. After hoping and praying so long, this time he had finally gotten the Old Sect of the Western Hills to come. Now let me see just how those snobbish, fickle wretches plan to answer for themselves!
The whole of the Dragon Boat Escort Agency turned out, and a banquet of the highest order was soon laid out. Long Kuiba took the humblest seat at the far end, endlessly toasting the Old Sect of the Western Hills, making no effort to hide his flattery. Even the agency's own people broke out in gooseflesh listening to it—yet it happened to be exactly what the Old Sect of the Western Hills relished, and his words toward Long Kuiba grew considerably more amiable.