Chapter 2484 — Wait for Me

"This… well, it happened like this…" Under the gaze of so many cultivators who had witnessed the whole affair, the Yellow-rank disciple dared not let his tongue run loose; he could only speak the truth. To brazenly call a stag a horse before them all would leave the Cultivators' Trade Association with no credibility left to speak of.

After all, everyone knew that the Trade Association's earnings from invitation letters were only one part of its income; the bulk of its profits came from commodity auctions. And the reason those auctions were so sought after by the multitudes was precisely the Association's fairness and impartiality, its refusal to sell counterfeit goods, and its sterling reputation.

Otherwise, to whom would they sell their auction lots? It was true that these two disciples, while guarding the gate, extorted bribes from cultivators seeking entry, and that this Heaven-rank elder, as their master, had turned a blind eye and tacitly permitted it.

In truth, it was also because no real trouble or disturbance had ever come of it. The cultivators eager to enter the market had no choice but to accept it—who would dare push back the way Wei Zhao had? As a rule they feared the guards' strength and were unwilling to forfeit their chance to trade inside the market, so they swallowed their anger and endured.

As for high-rank cultivators, the two guards did not dare provoke them at will, and that was why things had remained peaceful all along. Who could have imagined that today they would run into Wei Zhao, a man with a burr in his hide, who, after the clash, struck and killed outright? Those two guards had kicked a steel plate.

Listening to the Yellow-rank disciple, the vice president—that Heaven-rank elder—wore a face of indescribable gloom. He had, in fact, already suspected that these two guards, having failed to extort a bribe, deliberately made things hard for Wei Zhao and provoked him into killing them. Yet he was not entirely certain, for in his impression his two disciple-guards had always known their limits, generally choosing Yellow-rank and Mystic-rank cultivators as their marks; they rarely troubled even cultivators above the late Mystic rank, let alone an expert of the Earth rank—and a peak mid-Earth-rank expert at that. That made it even less likely.

So he had previously clung to a shred of hope, telling himself his two disciple-guards could not be that foolish. If the conflict had arisen over something else—even if his own disciples had struck first—it would still be Wei Zhao who had killed them, and he would have had grounds to seek revenge. But now it appeared that they truly had tried to extort a bribe from Wei Zhao, and only then, driven to desperation, had he struck.

Although the vice president had already come to hate Wei Zhao in his heart, before so many witnesses he naturally could do nothing to him. He could only wait until the Cultivators' Trade Fair was over, and then find an opportunity to act.

"So that is how it was—then I have wronged this young brother." The Heaven-rank vice president regarded Wei Zhao with a mild countenance and nodded. "My apologies. On behalf of the Cultivators' Trade Association, I offer you my apology, young brother. This is a problem caused by our own lax management. Even if you had not acted, young brother, once we had investigated and confirmed the matter, we would have purged our own house of these two disciples."

"That is most reassuring." Wei Zhao nodded, wearing an outward look of great admiration, while inwardly he cursed the old man roundly. This old fellow can certainly play the good man—he probably hates me to death by now, doesn't he?

"Very well, since the matter is settled, please enter the market, young brother," the Heaven-rank vice president said, able to set aside his hatred for the moment. "However, if anything of the sort happens again, I hope you will not take matters into your own hands. Simply report it to us, the Cultivators' Association, and we will certainly not let these maggots and scum among our disciples go unpunished! After all, this is our territory. Outside the market we will not pursue the matter, but inside the market, please abide by our rules."

"Of course, of course." Wei Zhao sneered inwardly. Report it to you, you say? And where would I even find you? If that Yellow-rank disciple had not sounded the alarm and brought you out, could I have gone in and dragged you out myself? If I had not made an example of your two disciples, I could only have slunk away in disgrace.

"You will take over their former duties and check the invitation letters of those entering!" the Heaven-rank vice president ordered the Yellow-rank disciple from before.

"Yes, Vice President," the Yellow-rank disciple answered hurriedly and with great care.

The Heaven-rank vice president nodded and turned to leave, while the two disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall swiftly carried the two guards—their lives still in doubt—into the market.

Wei Zhao, Han Xiaopo, and Yang Qiqi followed close behind into the market, while the people around them all gave way, shrinking far back, terrified of provoking Wei Zhao into striking and killing again over a single wrong word.

Han Xiaopo looked at Wei Zhao with something like admiration. The leader really is something, he thought. Even a vice president at the peak of the early Heaven rank has come and gone without a word, meek as a lamb. The leader is not only formidable in skill but unmatched in cunning as well.

Now that it was over, Han Xiaopo thought it through carefully and understood why Wei Zhao had been so bold: here in the cultivators' market, the people of the Cultivators' Trade Association dared not openly tear off the mask. They were in the wrong, and if they tore it off and insisted on moving against Wei Zhao, they would only make themselves a laughingstock before the other cultivators and chill their hearts. Who would ever trust the Cultivators' Trade Association again? So no matter how bitterly the Heaven-rank vice president smarted, he could only make a show of punishing his own kin.

Yang Qiqi's heart, however, was in turmoil. Wei Zhao was terrifying—a veritable brute who killed at the slightest provocation. If she really took the blue crystal, would he kill her?

So Yang Qiqi shrank back a little. After all, the man before her was simply too powerful; she was no match for him at all. And Wei Zhao could fight above his rank, which made him seem all the more unattainably lofty to her.

But then she thought of Xiao Jiu's illness. If she did not trade for that precious treasure this time, Xiao Jiu's condition would only worsen, and his life might well be in danger. So she could only grit her teeth and bear it.

No matter how hard or how dangerous, she had to do it—had to get the blue crystal back. Otherwise, this trip would be for nothing! Was the trial of the Ice Palace not dangerous? She had gone all the same. So Yang Qiqi thought it over, steeled herself, and caught up with Wei Zhao: "Wait for me…"

Wei Zhao glanced at Yang Qiqi, did not stop her, and let her follow.

As for Yang Qiqi, Wei Zhao could not quite say what he felt. A pretty little thing, to be sure, but with far too little worldly experience, and she often repaid kindness with enmity. Had he not dealt with her so many times, he truly would not have bothered with her affairs.

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