Chapter 4644 — Two Tasks
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"The higher-ups have assigned two tasks. The first is for us to find a way into one of West Island's trials and harvest from it a medicinal herb called 'Thunder Profound Vine.' That one is fairly ordinary—it shouldn't be too troublesome to carry out. But the second task is rather strange." Xu Lingchong pinched his chin thoughtfully.
"And the second task is?" Kang Jingming asked quickly.
"The higher-ups want us to do everything we can to keep Wei Zhao from growing close to the people of West Island—above all, to prevent him from befriending anyone of real power and standing. If such a tendency appears, we must use every means to sabotage it and absolutely must not let him succeed. Tell me, isn't that a strange task?" Xu Lingchong said, baffled.
The mysterious man had once warned him to his face not to move against Wei Zhao without authorization, or bear the consequences himself. And now this task had suddenly come down—plainly aimed at keeping West Island from becoming a source of support for Wei Zhao. What deeper consideration lay behind it, Xu Lingchong could not for the moment work out.
The crux was that he truly did not know how to go about this second task. As North Island's official envoy, Wei Zhao had every right to grow close to any West Island higher-up; no one could find fault with it. How was Xu Lingchong supposed to sabotage that?
He could hardly go around telling people that Wei Zhao was a cunning, treacherous sort, no good at heart. That would not only fail to work—if he truly did it, the first thing awaiting him upon his return to North Island would be an accounting from Shangguan Tianxia!
"That second task is right up my alley!" Kang Jingming's eyes lit up, and he spoke with sudden enthusiasm.
"Your alley? How so?" Xu Lingchong blinked.
"Heh, it's a little embarrassing to say, but with you here, Young Master Xu, I won't gild my own image. Have you forgotten, Young Master Xu, that what I do best is harm others without benefitting myself? Send me alone to accomplish some great deed and I might fail—but send me merely to ruin someone else's affair, and it's as easy as turning my hand!" Kang Jingming rubbed his hands excitedly. He had talked himself right to the brink of admitting he was good for nothing but mischief.
"Is that so?" Xu Lingchong's heart stirred, though he was still uncertain. "But you've crossed Wei Zhao plenty of times before, and I don't recall a single time you actually got the better of him."
"Uh..." Having his old failures laid bare to his face, Kang Jingming flushed crimson and scratched his head awkwardly. "That's mainly because the nature of it was different. Before, I always meant to take Wei Zhao on, and every time I underestimated his strength. This is different—we don't have to take him on at all, only stir up trouble and wreck his good fortune. That's much easier. When the time comes, I'll think of a way—I'm bound to trip him up!"
Seeing Kang Jingming so emphatic, and finding his reasoning somewhat sound, Xu Lingchong finally gained some confidence in him. He nodded. "Fine. You'll take charge of this affair. If you do well, I'll petition the higher-ups for merit on your behalf myself!"
"Thank you, Young Master Xu! I won't disappoint you this time!" Kang Jingming was overjoyed. R1152