Chapter 2186 — A Windfall

Since he was going to the movies that evening, Wei Zhao naturally had to give Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu a heads-up. He sent them a text explaining the reason; with the Fenglei Purple Lightning Beast inside the villa, he was not worried that anyone might do them harm.

The young lady glanced at the message on her phone, frowned slightly, and handed the phone to Xiaoshu beside her.

"Arrow Brand Brother is going on a date with Wang the Fox?" Shen Yushu said, looking at the text message in some surprise.

"Not Wang the Fox. Don't go making up nicknames for people. Wang Xinyan is a decent person." Gu Mengyao held no ill will toward her, at least; since she had no power to change things, she could only accept them. Gu Mengyao felt that Wang Xinyan being with Wei Zhao was far better than some woman eaten up with jealousy.

"So does that mean you support her move up the ranks, Yao Yao?" Shen Yushu asked.

"Support or not, it's not mine to decide." Gu Mengyao sighed softly, a small gloom settling in her heart. Wei Zhao... if he wanted to find a head wife, why couldn't he look for one at home? Then she thought again: if he had come to her, would she have said yes?

She and Wei Zhao had been through far too much together for her to easily let go of the reserve in her heart. She and Wei Zhao were more like good friends—the kind who, though not especially close, still cared deeply for one another...

Some things, once missed, are missed for good. Gu Mengyao did not even know how she would go about mending it. She felt that she and Wei Zhao were already too familiar with each other—so familiar that they could only ever go on being friends. But... could they really only be friends?

"Yao Yao, what's wrong?" Shen Yushu asked, seeing Gu Mengyao's slightly distracted look.

"Nothing," Gu Mengyao said mildly. "Xiaoshu, if you like Wei Zhao, then don't hesitate. Compared with Wang Xinyan, I support you more."

"Me..." A faint, barely perceptible loneliness flickered through Shen Yushu's eyes, but she said with a grin, "All my happiness rests on you, Yao Yao! Once you become Arrow Brand Brother's head wife, I'll be the little wife."

"But do you think it's possible for me to become the head wife?" Gu Mengyao countered. "Wei Zhao doesn't like me."

"Who says he doesn't? It's just that you're too passive, Yao Yao. Arrow Brand Brother doesn't know how you feel, so he doesn't dare overstep. Besides, he used to be your guard—what kind of guard steals his own young lady?" Shen Yushu said. "Now that Arrow Brand Brother isn't a guard anymore, I'd say you have a real chance, Yao Yao!"

"Never mind, I was only joking..." Gu Mengyao drew back again.

"All right then... let Arrow Brand Brother keep dating Wang the Fox. One more won't make much difference, as long as she's not the overbearing mistress type. Xiaoshu can accept that," Shen Yushu said.

Kang Zhaoming raced all the way to the Hidden You family, but the one who received him was not Elder You—it was You Zhentian, the family's current head.

"Greetings, Young Master You!" Kang Zhaoming said politely, making his bow.

"No need for such courtesy. Zhaoming, come with me!" You Zhentian seemed very anxious; the moment Kang Zhaoming arrived, he led him at a quick pace toward a secret chamber—the very chamber where Elder You had received Tian Canbian, young master of the Xuandan Sect.

Kang Zhaoming entered the room and saw Elder You, and also that cross-dressing young sect master who was impossibly beautiful, and the other man who looked utterly ordinary yet possessed the formidable strength of a peak late-stage Heaven-rank expert.

"Zhaoming pays his respects to Elder You..." Of those present, Kang Zhaoming knew only Elder You, so he saluted only him.

"Zhaoming, this is Young Master Tian of the Xuandan Sect, and this is the Fifth Elder of the Xuandan Sect," Elder You said, hurrying to make the introductions.

Kang Zhaoming's heart gave a jolt. He had not expected the people in this room to be of such stature; startled, he dropped to his knees. "Zhaoming pays his respects to Young Master Tian, and to the Fifth Elder..."

"Kang Zhaoming of the Kang family, is it? Don't be nervous. Get up and talk." Tian Canbian waved a hand and said mildly, "You are, after all, a great contributor to our Xuandan Sect—you brought us the formula for the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill..."

"That was merely a chance acquisition on my part, hardly worth mentioning..." Kang Zhaoming's thoughts raced. It looked as though this Young Master Tian bore him no ill will; if so, this visit should mean good news!

"Fifth Uncle, examine his constitution!" Tian Canbian instructed the Fifth Elder.

"Yes!" The Fifth Elder struck like lightning, seizing Kang Zhaoming's wrist and examining him carefully.

Kang Zhaoming had not seen just how the Fifth Elder got to his side, but he cooperated fully. In any case, there was nothing he could do here if they meant him harm; better to wait obediently and see what they actually wanted.

"His constitution is very pure and basically meets the requirements, though he is a little kidney-deficient. Within his body there is a wood-attribute, but no fire-attribute..." The Fifth Elder reported Kang Zhaoming's condition with a blank face.

"A wood-attribute as well?" That took Tian Canbian somewhat by surprise. He had already prepared himself for Kang Zhaoming to be a complete alchemy idiot, never expecting that the man would actually have a wood-attribute in his body. If so, a single Blazing Sun Flame Pill could remedy the defect.

As for the kidney deficiency and the like, in Tian Canbian's eyes that was no real ailment; a few pills from the Xuandan Sect to regulate him would set it right.

"Indeed, he has a wood-attribute!" the Fifth Elder said with a nod.

"Good, very good!" Tian Canbian was delighted. He had not expected this matter to be settled so easily; he had thought it would take some effort.

Kang Zhaoming did not understand what these people were talking about, but he dared not ask, and stood there in silence, waiting quietly.

"Kang Zhaoming, are you willing to become a core disciple of our Xuandan Sect—to have the Fifth Elder take you as his disciple, and my grandfather personally instruct you in alchemy?" Tian Canbian asked, looking at Kang Zhaoming.

"Huh?" Kang Zhaoming was somewhat dumbfounded. He had never imagined that a pie would fall from the sky—and an enormous pie at that! To join the Xuandan Sect and become a disciple? And a core disciple, no less? Most important of all, he would have an elder as his master, and on top of that, Tian Canbian's grandfather to instruct him!

Such treatment was far better than that of an ordinary disciple of an ancient sect. If Kang Zhaoming applied himself, a future elder's seat would surely be his—an elder of the Xuandan Sect! The very thought set his blood racing.

Still, Kang Zhaoming was not as foolish as he had once been; he had picked up a bit of cunning. Such a fine thing could not possibly come to him for no reason at all!

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