Chapter 2208 — Ready to Set Out

"Many thanks, boss!" Wu Chengtian saw that Wei Zhao bore his grandfather Wu Gonggao no grudge, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"To tell the truth, I don't blame your grandfather either. Back then he was only looking after himself, and there was nothing wrong with that. A small secular family like his had no way to stand against a hidden family—that's only natural." Wei Zhao waved a hand. "You needn't fret over it. You're my underling, and your family is my concern. I'll look after them."

"Boss, you're really too good…" Wu Chengtian was so moved he did not know what to say.

"By the way, I'll give you Pi Zhishan's number. If you run into trouble you can't handle, get in touch with him for help." As he spoke, Wei Zhao sent Wu Chengtian Pi Zhishan's mobile number.

"All right." Wu Chengtian nodded.

"Get some rest. Everything on my end is arranged. I set out first thing tomorrow." With that, Wei Zhao rose to his feet; he had things to pack.

That morning Wei Zhao had called Bai Weituo and asked him to request leave from Boss Bai on his behalf.

Wu Chengtian once again became the young miss's temporary driver and bodyguard—though the car he drove now was Han Jingyi's BMW X5M. After seeing off the young miss, Xiaoshu, Han Jingyi and Han Xiaochao, Wei Zhao got into the Grand Cherokee with the Heavenly Thunder Pig and headed for the Xueshang Business Hotel.

He brought the Heavenly Thunder Pig along because its intelligence was high and it had a gift for finding treasure; it was also keenly sensitive to maps. On the road, it was the best choice to have with him.

Leaving it at home would serve no purpose anyway, while the Wind-Thunder Purple Lightning Beast and Mighty General could protect the young miss and Xiaoshu.

To be on the safe side whenever he traveled, Wei Zhao always brought a spirit beast along, lest his meridians be utterly ruined and impossible to repair—just as had happened during the trial in the Ice Palace.

Downstairs at the business hotel, Wei Zhao called Sun Jingyan. Before long she came out the hotel's front doors with a backpack over her shoulder.

"This is all your luggage?" Wei Zhao was rather surprised to see Sun Jingyan traveling so light. He had already opened the trunk for her and was about to load her things, only to find her backpack did not need to go in the trunk at all.

"How much more should there be?" Sun Jingyan laughed. "We're not going on holiday—why bring so much? Just a few changes of underwear and some daily necessities. I didn't bring anything else."

Wei Zhao nodded. His own things were even fewer than Sun Jingyan's, and that was how an adventurer ought to travel: he and Sun Jingyan were going to the Ulanhot Mountains to explore, not to sightsee. The more you brought, the more of a burden it became.

"Have you had breakfast? If you have, we'll set off now," Wei Zhao said.

"I've eaten. Let's go!" Sun Jingyan could barely wait. The map her parents had left behind surely held some important secret, and she wanted to see it as soon as possible.

Wei Zhao started the car and, following the navigation instructions, drove all the way toward the Ulanhot Mountains…

This time Wei Zhao's goal was clear, and his driving skill was outstanding besides. He kept the speed above two hundred kilometers an hour almost the whole way, giving Sun Jingyan the feeling that she was on an airplane.

"Why are you driving so fast?" Sun Jingyan discovered that Wei Zhao actually had his eyes closed while driving, which startled and alarmed her. "You… you're not watching the road?"

"I am watching." In truth Wei Zhao was cultivating—only he was cultivating inside the jade pendant's space, where his spiritual sense perceived the outside world more powerfully than his own eyes could observe the road. With his eyes, even a cultivator could see no more than a few hundred meters ahead; but within the jade pendant's space, his spiritual sense could reach farther, and more clearly and in finer detail besides.

"Then why are your eyes closed?" Sun Jingyan had noticed that Wei Zhao had already overtaken three or four cars with his eyes shut, and her amazement only grew.

"Cultivating," Wei Zhao said. "All right—if you're tired, sleep a while."

"Fine… just try not to crash, you highwayman." Sun Jingyan was speechless at Wei Zhao's driving. Was this not a little too masterly?

"A highwayman, am I? Without a bit of skill, how could I have won your heart?" Wei Zhao said with a laugh.

Hearing that, Sun Jingyan really did close her eyes, and soon fell asleep—for Wei Zhao's speed was so steady that, though he did not use cruise control, the ride was smoother than cruise control, and it left her feeling drowsy.

Besides, watching Wei Zhao drive was simply too hair-raising. If you did not look, it did not seem like much; but to watch was genuinely dangerous enough.

When Sun Jingyan woke, she found the sky already dark. She had not expected to sleep so well—to sleep a whole day in one stretch! Still, she had crammed her knowledge of the Ulanhot Mountains in the hotel the night before and had hardly closed her eyes all night, so sleeping a full day was no great surprise.

"Where are we?" Sun Jingyan opened her eyes and asked, staring at the darkness beyond the car window.

"No idea," Wei Zhao said. "But we're only a little over two thousand kilometers away."

Wei Zhao had taken the shortest route, mixing national roads and expressways, some of it winding through small mountain villages. By now, however, only a little over two thousand kilometers remained before they would reach the vicinity of the Ulanhot Mountains.

"So fast?" Sun Jingyan was somewhat surprised. She had assumed that if the two of them drove, it would take at least three or four days—but she had not expected Wei Zhao's speed to be so great, and that he would drive day and night besides.

"It's all right," Wei Zhao said. "When we passed through a few villages, the roads were bad and I slowed down. Otherwise we could have been even faster."

"Are you sleepy? Shall I drive for a while?" Sun Jingyan was well rested and now full of energy.

"Not sleepy. In fact I've been resting all along, replenishing my strength through cultivation," Wei Zhao said.

"Good grief, you're not serious? Driving in the dark, and you've still got your eyes closed?" Sun Jingyan was startled.

"Heh heh…" Wei Zhao kept his eyes closed; the night was like broad daylight, clearer than if he had opened them. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really. You? I've got biscuits, milk and chocolate in my backpack—all high-calorie food. Want some?" Sun Jingyan asked.

"I can do without. You eat," Wei Zhao said. "We're on a national road now—no service areas, and no village restaurants open at this hour—so if you're hungry, you'll have to fend for yourself."

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