Chapter 2881 — Tianchan's Lie

"He came to see me alone, but all he asked about was Zhang Naipao..." With that, Zhao Qitan gave Wei Zhao a rough account of Tiancan Bian's visit.

"The Xuandan Sect is taking an interest in Zhang Naipao?" Wei Zhao frowned. For a moment he did not connect any of this with Tianchan—after all, Tiancan Bian's questions had been discreet, and to Zhao Qitan's mind he had simply come to ask about Zhang Naipao. That subjective impression of his had colored Wei Zhao's thinking as well.

Yet after a brief start of surprise, Wei Zhao at once recalled what Tianchan had said: Zhang Naipao was the man her sect had sent her to find. Could there be some unspeakable connection between the Xuandan Sect and the Five Luminaries Sect?

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Tianchan was unquestionably one of the Five Luminaries Sect. And since the Xuandan Sect had come to question Zhao Qitan about Zhang Naipao, and Tianchan had afterward returned to the Five Baleful Wilds, the whole sequence fell neatly into place.

Only, in Wei Zhao's eyes, Tianchan's volunteering to go back to the Five Baleful Wilds must have been chiefly for his sake—and that moved him deeply, for it was only after she had found Wei Zhao that she began to concern herself with the matter of Zhang Naipao.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Zhao Qitan noticed the shift in Wei Zhao's expression and asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Nothing. By the way, have the rewards for the Xuandan Sect's trial been announced yet?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Not yet. The registration was done earlier. Chief, you have spirit herbs on you too, don't you? You'd better go register with the Xuandan Sect people soon—don't let yours get left out," Zhao Qitan reminded him.

"Mm, I'll ask the innkeeper downstairs about it in a bit," Wei Zhao said with a nod.

Zhang Naipao's safe return was good news for both the Xuandan Sect and the Five Luminaries Sect—but that Wei Zhao had also returned safe and sound was anything but good news.

"Tianchan, why did Wei Zhao come out together with Zhang Naipao?" Elder Ancestor Xuanchen had assumed Wei Zhao would die in the Five Baleful Wilds. That way, without lifting a finger himself, Tagan Long's death would be avenged, and even Chief Bai could not have found a single word to object to.

What he had never expected was that Wei Zhao and Zhang Naipao would return to the inn together. This was something he would have to ask Tianchan about.

"Uncle-Master Xuanchen, when I found Zhang Naipao, he was with Wei Zhao. They seemed to have reached some kind of agreement," Tianchan said. "I didn't ask any questions. I simply brought the two of them out together."

Tianchan's lie was artfully vague. Even if Zhang Naipao said something afterward, it would not matter—he had indeed struck an agreement with Wei Zhao.

"Wei Zhao's safe return is a good thing too. Otherwise, it would be rather awkward to explain to our senior brother," Elder Ancestor Xuanzhen said, genuinely pleased. If anything had really happened to Wei Zhao, he would have had no way to answer to Chief Bai.

"That's true enough." Elder Ancestor Xuanchen could hardly argue further. He waved a hand and said, "Tianchan, you've worked hard this time. You may go back—and send Kang Zhaoming to me. Tell him I'm asking for him!"

"Yes, sir!" Tianchan clasped his fists, rose, and withdrew from the room. That Elder Ancestor Xuanchen had not questioned him in detail came as a relief.

After Tianchan had gone, Elder Ancestor Xuanzhen also rose to take his leave. He did not much care for this Kang Zhaoming; Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's summoning of the man could only be about taking him on as a nominal disciple, and Xuanzhen had no wish to be part of it.

A while later, Kang Zhaoming, led by Xiaotaohong, walked respectfully into Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's room.

"Your disciple Kang Zhaoming pays his respects to the Venerable Master!" The moment he crossed the threshold, Kang Zhaoming dropped to his knees as though he stood before an emperor of old, bowing three times and kowtowing nine, deference itself.

"Mm, Zhaoming, rise," Elder Ancestor Xuanchen said, thoroughly pleased with Kang Zhaoming's conduct.

"Thank you, Venerable Master!" Only then did Kang Zhaoming get up and stand carefully at Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's side.

"Zhaoming, I've called you here to ask what sort of martial skill you wish to learn." In truth, Elder Ancestor Xuanchen did not think much of this nominal disciple, but Kang Zhaoming was unfailingly respectful, and he was an elder of the Xuandan Sect besides. So Xuanchen had decided to cultivate him a little—it would be no bad thing to make him his own spokesman within the sect.

"Whatever the Venerable Master wishes to teach, your disciple will learn. Your disciple would never presume to pick and choose!" Kang Zhaoming, wild with joy, said hurriedly.

He was indeed a mid-Heaven-Rank expert—but only an alchemist, with no fighting strength to speak of. Above all, standing before Wei Zhao as a Heaven-Rank figure and being threatened by him, forced to agree to certain unequal terms, had left Kang Zhaoming deeply stifled and helpless. That was why he craved power more than any other alchemist.

"Very good. Yet though you say so, I see thick desire in your eyes," Elder Ancestor Xuanchen said mildly.

"Uh... that..." Kang Zhaoming flushed at once.

"I dislike people lying to my face. Tell me the truth—what do you want to learn?" Elder Ancestor Xuanchen asked, his expression turning stern.

"I want to learn formidable martial skills—the more formidable the better!" Kang Zhaoming gritted his teeth and said.

"Good. At last you begin to speak the truth." Elder Ancestor Xuanchen nodded, then asked, "Why?"

"Because... I want to surpass Wei Zhao. I want revenge. I want to do away with Wei Zhao!" Now that he understood Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's temperament, Kang Zhaoming resolved to speak plainly. He was gambling—gambling that his honesty would make Xuanchen regard him in a new light and teach him formidable martial skills.

"Oh?" At the name Wei Zhao, Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's expression shifted slightly. He was rather surprised. "You have a grudge against this Wei Zhao fellow?"

"Indeed!" Kang Zhaoming nodded and said, "Last time, I went to trade dan recipes for the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Tempering Pill with Wei Zhao. I meant to humiliate him, but I hadn't counted on being no match for him—and he humiliated me instead..."

"Oh? You two were already at odds?" Elder Ancestor Xuanchen asked with keen interest.

"Yes, Venerable Master, it happened like this..." Kang Zhaoming had not expected Elder Ancestor Xuanchen to take an interest in his feud with Wei Zhao, so he held nothing back, recounting the whole history of their grievances in detail...

"I'd never have guessed, Kang Zhaoming—you're a nasty piece of work, a proper little villain!" Elder Ancestor Xuanchen looked at Kang Zhaoming and laughed heartily. "All these schemes of yours may not have succeeded, but they prove well enough that you're a man full of wicked ideas!"

"That..." Taken aback by Elder Ancestor Xuanchen's words, Kang Zhaoming flushed, his face turning somewhat ugly. He said weakly, "Venerable Master, these are only childish tricks..."

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