Chapter 4954 — You Can't Guard Against a Thief Forever
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"I will not see you out." Zhuang Yifan's eyes did indeed carry a trace of regret; Chang Minghui had guessed a few threads of his thinking correctly. Of course, this was not the fruit of any deep-laid scheme—it was simply a matter of going with the flow. If the other man insisted on delivering such a hefty handle into his hands, he was hardly going to decline.
What a pity, though. Chang Minghui was no simple-minded brute, and in the end he chose restraint. That left Zhuang Yifan with no opening to make a move against him, and he could only let him go.
"Hmph!" Chang Minghui shot one last glare at Wei Zhao, the look of a starving wolf fixing on a lamb, chilling enough to make the heart crawl. No one needed to be told this man would never let Wei Zhao off; it was only that, held back by Zhuang Yifan's authority, he had to force down a defiance that burned ten thousand times over.
Watching Chang Minghui's receding back, Zhuang Yifan turned a meaning-laden look on Wei Zhao and offered a warning: "Forgive me—we have given Master Lin a fright. But this Town Master Chang is known as the Debt-Clearing Ghost, and if this round is settled there will only be a next. Master Lin would be wise to take care."
"I thank the Guild Master for the warning. I know where I stand." Wei Zhao inclined his head slightly.
"If Zhuang may speak his mind, Master Lin might consider staying on for a few days. At least here in the League branch, no one would dare act recklessly," Zhuang Yifan suggested smoothly.
"I appreciate the Guild Master's kindness, but it will not be necessary," Wei Zhao said without a moment's hesitation.
Had he been a more timid man, Chang Minghui might truly have frightened him. After all, there was nothing bad about spending some time in the League branch, especially with a top-tier expert of Zhuang Yifan's caliber—a late-stage Kaishan cultivator—guaranteeing his safety. But if he were so easily cowed, he would not be the Wei Zhao he was today.
"Is that so? Then Master Lin must be doubly careful. There is nothing Chang Minghui will not stoop to. If Master Lin has need of anything, he has only to send word to me. Zhuang will spare no effort." Zhuang Yifan spoke with a grave expression, and it was no empty courtesy—he genuinely feared for Wei Zhao's safety. After all, this was the near-Mystic-rank, second-grade alchemist on whom he had wagered, and if Wei Zhao died, everything would be for nothing.
"Then I thank the Guild Master once more." Wei Zhao smiled, then added, "It grows late. I think it is time we took our leave."
"Very well. I will see Master Lin out," Zhuang Yifan said, rising at once to follow.
"No need. Please stay, Guild Master—until we meet again." Wei Zhao waved a hand and, under the eyes of the whole assembly, led the way out of the banquet hall, as though the earlier business with Chang Minghui had not weighed on him in the slightest.
Though Wei Zhao declined several times, Zhuang Yifan ultimately escorted the whole party in person to the League branch's main gate, where he finally came to a stop. Had Wei Zhao not refused him again and again, he would certainly have seen them all the way to the Morning Star Treasure Ship.
"Master Lin, are we really safe just walking out like this?" Li Ren glanced back at the League branch swallowed in the night behind them, shaking inside, terrified that Chang Minghui might burst out at any moment.
Though they said nothing, Liu Ziqi, Wang Xinyan, and the others all looked at Wei Zhao with worry plain on their faces. Being marked by an expert of the late-stage Kaishan giant realm was truly no easy thing to bear; that sense of peril, like a thorn at one's back, was enough to crush a person's spirit. Never mind Wei Zhao, the target himself—even they were finding it hard to endure.
"If I told you there was nothing to worry about, would you believe me?" Wei Zhao answered the question with another.