Chapter 2196 — Stopped Again

A third-grade pill! The right to choose any single third-grade pill in the Xuandan Sect's possession! That reward was enough to drive every great clan mad—and yet, precisely because it was so dangerous, they could never send their formidable core disciples into the trial. If those disciples died, everything was lost, and the pill would never be obtained.

After all, trial-takers who actually won a pill were vanishingly few. So over the years, the disciples sent to the Xuandan Sect's trial were either sons born of concubines, whom the family feared might threaten the legitimate heirs' claim to the position of patriarch, or scions of outside surnames—if they died, they died, but if they succeeded, what they brought back was unparalleled glory and a colossal windfall.

"Since we have already settled on Zhao Qibing as the heir to the next patriarch, if Zhao Qitan is still around, he will remain a hidden danger forever!" Old Bi pressed his advantage while the iron was hot.

"Very well. I will find an opportunity to talk with Qitan..." Old Master Zhao sighed. Zhao Qitan was his grandson, after all. Though the boy was not favored, he still did not wish any harm to come to him. Had Zhao Qitan not tried to tip off Wei Zhao and leak word of the Hidden Family Summit, Old Master Zhao likely would never have made up his mind to send the boy away.

"In truth, you need not put yourself in such an awkward position, Old Master. Some time ago, when the family council raised the matter of this Xuandan Sect trial, Zhao Qitan was quite enthusiastic about it," Old Bi said mildly. "He is well aware of his standing in the family, and he knows that the only way to raise it is to keep piling up merit, one achievement after another. So sending him to the trial may be said to follow his own wishes."

"All right..." Old Master Zhao finally steeled his resolve.

Zhao Qitan was deeply depressed. He had never imagined that a single phone call to Wei Zhao would be caught red-handed by Zhao Qibing—the call log on his phone left him no way to argue, no way at all! What legitimate reason could he possibly have for calling Wei Zhao?

What Zhao Qitan did not realize was that even had he invented some excuse, Old Bi and Old Master Zhao would have seen through it just the same.

So Zhao Qitan considered himself very unlucky. To begin with, his position within the Hidden Zhao family had already been a hard climb; the higher-ups thought little of him. If he wanted to gain any real voice in the Zhao family, he had to blaze a new trail. At this Hidden Family Summit, he had secretly seen Wei Zhao competing on behalf of the Hidden Han family, and he had wanted to quietly warn Wei Zhao that Zhao Qibing's race car had been modified. But before he could pass the message along, Zhao Qibing had brought Old Bi and caught him in the act!

And so Zhao Qitan was placed under house arrest, anxious beyond measure yet utterly powerless. Every means of communication on him had been confiscated; even if he wanted to make contact, it was now impossible... Wei Zhao arrived at the school and spotted Wang Xinyan's Porsche Cayenne in the parking lot, the marks of the collision still on it—evidently Wang Xinyan had not yet found time to take it to the 4S dealership for repairs. Bai Weituo's Audi Q7, however, was not parked there; Wei Zhao guessed it might be down by the boxing club.

Walking toward the biology department's teaching building with Han Jingyi, just as before, they were stopped halfway there by the trio of You Panhu, Yellow Hair, and Purple Hair.

"You Panhu, playing this trick again? What is it this time?" Wei Zhao had a fair guess at what was on You Panhu's mind, but his face betrayed nothing.

"Ha, Wei Zhao, there's something I'd like to discuss with you—actually, I'd like to make a deal with you. You know what I mean. Some things are awkward to say in the classroom; if Old Bai overhears, it'll be bad for both of us!" You Panhu said.

"What things? Don't tell me you're after that data again?" Wei Zhao asked with a cold laugh. "There's no trading this time. Don't waste your thoughts on it."

"Come on... let's talk this over!" Seeing Wei Zhao's firmness, You Panhu became all the more convinced that this time it truly was something good—otherwise Wei Zhao could not be so resolute. He must be playing hard to get again.

"There's nothing to talk about between you and me," Wei Zhao said flatly.

"Wei Zhao, there's a saying that hits the mark: in this world, there is nothing that cannot be bought—it only depends on whether your chips are enough!" You Panhu said. "Don't refuse so hastily before you've even heard my offer."

"Not interested." With that, Wei Zhao pushed You Panhu aside and made to leave with Han Jingyi.

"Hey? Wait a moment!" You Panhu grew anxious. "Five second-grade pills—how about it? Are those chips enough?"

"No," Wei Zhao said.

"Wei Zhao, don't be so ungrateful. I already know you're not an alchemist at all—you must be desperate for pills. Five second-grade pills! Think about it, they're worth a fortune!" You Panhu said.

"Are you brain-dead? If I were short on pills, I had plenty of chances to trade for them at the Hidden Family Summit. Why would I pass that up?" Wei Zhao retorted.

"You... weren't you deliberately making me raise the stakes for the alchemy contest, to create the illusion that you were an alchemist?" You Panhu said.

"You're overthinking it," Wei Zhao said coolly. "I won that many matches already; one more or less makes no difference. Besides, I never won that one at all."

"Didn't you want the Small Qi-Gathering Pills rather badly? How about five Small Qi-Gathering Pills?" You Panhu said. "Enough to let those people around you break through to the Earth Rank. That's my bottom line!"

"Five Small Qi-Gathering Pills—is that any different from five second-grade pills?" Wei Zhao regarded You Panhu with mockery. "Enough. Stop playing word games. I don't have time; I'm going to class. Stay here and play by yourself."

With that, Wei Zhao left with Han Jingyi, leaving only You Panhu behind, grumbling furiously, "Damn it, even five second-grade pills won't do it?"

"Young Master You, this time Wei Zhao didn't hold back or put on any airs—I'd say the data in his hands is important. Otherwise he couldn't possibly be so unmoved. After all, all he'd have to do is let us take a look, and five Small Qi-Gathering Pills would be ours for free," Yellow Hair said.

"Exactly. I think Wei Zhao feels our chips are a bit too few," Purple Hair agreed.

"Let me discuss it with my uncle a bit more..." With no other choice, You Panhu took out his phone and dialed his uncle's number...

At the Hidden You family, after Kang Zhaoming had withdrawn, You Zhentian carefully carried an antique-looking medicinal cauldron into the secret chamber where Tian Canbian was staying.

"You Zhentian pays his respects to Young Sect Master Tian!" You Zhentian bowed respectfully to Tian Canbian, then said cautiously to Old Master You, "Father, I have brought that treasure..."

"Good. Please, Young Sect Master Tian and Fifth Elder, examine it and see just what this medicinal cauldron is..." Old Master You said with a nod.

"Yes! Please, Young Sect Master Tian, have a look..." You Zhentian hurriedly presented the cauldron in his hands to Tian Canbian at his side. (To be continued) RQ

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