Chapter 4522 — An Unreasonable Demand
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
"Ah? N-no, I wouldn't dare... every word I've spoken is the truth..." Long Kuiba was startled on the spot. In his eagerness to borrow another's blade to do his killing, he had forgotten that the Xishan Old Sect was a man grown cunning with age—a petty scheme so crude as this could never be hidden from him.
"The truth? Is Qi Mingyuan a fool, such an idiot as to come courting trouble with this sect of his own accord?" The Xishan Old Sect eyed Long Kuiba askance and said contemptuously, "This sect bears no grudge against his Qingtian Escort Agency. To kill these people out of hand—do you take this sect's days for too easy, that you wish to draw the great heads of those famed orthodox sects down upon this sect's head?"
"Th-this... Senior, calm yourself. It was this junior's careless thinking." Long Kuiba dared not talk back to the Xishan Old Sect and could only honestly admit his fault—though inwardly he kept up a silent litany of curses: and this was supposed to be a mighty devil-cultivator titan of the Mountain-Opening stage? He didn't even dare wipe out a single Qingtian Escort Agency, so timid he was—if word of this got out, wouldn't people laugh their teeth loose?
"A cautious ship sails ten thousand years. This sect is a name on the rolls of every orthodox power on Cloud Terrace Island. Every move and every step must be taken with redoubled care—once a handle is found on this sect, the consequences are unthinkable." The Xishan Old Sect spoke in a low voice.
Having reached his level of strength, he had long since passed the stage of reckless swagger. The tall tree catches the wind: back in the Western Mountains he could act without restraint, but now that he had left the Western Mountains—even here in the lawless South Continent seas—he too must keep a low profile. After all, the saying that orthodoxy and heterodoxy cannot stand together was no mere idle talk.
Killing was unavoidable, but it must be done under a righteous name. The Xishan Old Sect's pursuit and killing of Wei Zhao was vengeance for his two disciples—a matter of natural justice. No one would find anything amiss in it; even the famed orthodox sects could not pick a fault.
But a wrong has its head and a debt its master. If the Xishan Old Sect were to slaughter the innocent and, beyond Wei Zhao himself, wipe out the whole of the Qingtian Escort Agency along with him, then the nature of the thing would be altogether different.
Even if he was a devil-cultivator titan of the Mountain-Opening stage and seemed an invincible presence, one must not forget that the famed orthodox sects had Mountain-Opening titans of their own—even if the South Continent seas had none locally, other places always would.
What was more, the Qingtian Escort Agency was now the acknowledged leader of the orthodox path throughout the South Continent seas. Should the Xishan Old Sect dare to destroy it, that would be tantamount to declaring challenge to the entire orthodox path of Cloud Terrace Island. When that day truly came, it might well be another "Six Great Sects Besiege Light Summit."
How could the crafty old Xishan Old Sect possibly do such a foolish thing as to invite trouble on himself? Not to mention that there was no grudge between the Qingtian Escort Agency and himself—even if there truly had been old scores, given the other's present standing he would not dare to rashly raise his hand.
"Yes, yes—Senior is indeed farsighted. Compared with you, this junior is still far too childish and impulsive." Long Kuiba could only smile obsequiously and curry favor, then, hope kindling in his heart, he probed, "Senior surely has no other business this time, I trust. You must stay a good while at our agency, and let this junior and the other juniors have the chance to show our filial devotion."