Chapter 2699 — Yu Xiaoke Treats

"True, that is so. Or once I have advanced to a Heaven-rank expert, I could raise your strength to the peak of the late Earth rank," Wei Zhao said. "There is a drawback, though. If you do not accept it, then I will only heal your injuries, and you may cultivate on your own—that way you will be under no restriction at all."

"Cultivate on my own?" Hearing Wei Zhao's words, White Leader gave a bitter laugh. "You surely do not think I could cultivate faster on my own than with you raising my strength for me? By the time you advance to a Heaven-rank expert, I doubt my own cultivation would even get me into the Mystic rank! Compared with becoming an expert at the peak of the late Earth rank by then, it is naturally easier for you to raise me."

"But you were once an expert at the peak of the late Heaven rank, were you not?" Wei Zhao did not even need to ask; he could guess. White Leader must once have been an expert at the peak of the late Heaven rank—otherwise, how could he not be, when even those of his disciples' generation were at the peak of the late Heaven rank? White Leader had, after all, been the sect master of the Five Luminaries Sect!

"That is true enough, but you must also understand how I came by that peak late Heaven-rank strength. First, that place was rich in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, with countless rare treasures and every kind of elixir and cultivation resource at hand—the speed of advancing one's strength there simply cannot be spoken of in the same breath as now!" White Leader explained. "Back then my cultivation advanced a thousand li a day; nowadays, a li in a thousand days would be good enough. There is no comparison at all."

"That is so..." Wei Zhao nodded. He had overlooked this matter before. White Leader was now no different from a wandering cultivator; cultivating on his own, he could not possibly achieve anything.

And that place—when even Little One and Little Eleven disdained the energy stones in Sun Jingyan's hands, how abundant must the cultivation resources of their sect have been? The energy in those stones was nearly exhausted, true, but any other cultivator would not have let them slip by, would they?

Yet in the eyes of Little One and Little Eleven, they were mere trash!

"So if it is possible, raise both my strength and Xinxin's. If Xinxin cultivates alongside me, she will struggle to achieve much in this life, unless..." Here White Leader paused and did not go on.

"What is it?" Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback.

"Nothing." White Leader shook his head. "There are some matters you are better off not knowing for now."

Wei Zhao nodded and did not press him further. "True enough. That is my plan for Guan Xin as well—I intend to raise her strength all the way up, the same as Jingjing. But as for you, if you have thought it through, then naturally there is no problem. Tonight I will raise yours first."

"Many thanks!" Though White Leader had long guessed this outcome, hearing Wei Zhao agree in person still moved him deeply.

"No need for thanks. You and I are master and disciple; a disciple ought to do all he can for his master's injuries—and besides, you are even going to brave the ancient tomb for the sake of my constitution?" Wei Zhao said with a smile and a wave of his hand.

"Heh, then I will say no more of thanks. But as for the ancient tomb—apart from helping you, I want to go myself as well. It is, after all, the ancient tomb of our Five Luminaries Sect's founding patriarch," White Leader said.

As they spoke, the car had already reached the residential compound of Guan Xuemin's villa. Wei Zhao got out of the car along with White Leader and Guan Xin; he wanted to pay Guan Xuemin a visit first, and then go find Yu Xiaoke.

When Guan Xuemin learned that Wei Zhao, his granddaughter, and his old friend were all coming today, he was overjoyed. He had waited at the villa's gate since early on, and at the sight of White Leader's car he hurried forward at once.

"Old Bai, Xiaoyi, Xinxin—you are back!" Guan Xuemin said.

"Grandpa." Guan Xin had not seen her grandfather in a long while, and now that they met again, she missed him greatly.

"Xinxin, how have you been? Were you well-behaved at your Grandpa Bai's house?" Guan Xuemin asked with a smile.

Grandfather and granddaughter reunited, old friends reunited—a scene of warmth and harmony. Wei Zhao did not stay for dinner, for he had an appointment with Yu Xiaoke.

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Wei Zhao left the villa. He did not drive but walked toward the orphanage. On the way, he called Yu Xiaoke.

All day long, Yu Xiaoke had been in a state of restless agitation. She was a little afraid that Wei Zhao's call would come—and yet, in the end, it came.

"Hello?" Seeing Wei Zhao's caller ID, Yu Xiaoke sighed inwardly and picked up.

"Xiaoke, it is me," Wei Zhao said. "I am at the orphanage gate now. Where are you?"

"Ah... I... then I will come out." Yu Xiaoke answered somewhat helplessly, silently reciting in her heart: if it is a blessing, it is no misfortune; if it is a misfortune, it cannot be avoided!

"All right." Wei Zhao nodded with a smile.

After a short wait, Yu Xiaoke came out through the orphanage's main gate. Seeing Wei Zhao standing at the gate with his backpack, she found it a little strange—he had not come by car?

"Xiaoke, you look lovely," Wei Zhao said, glancing at her. Today Yu Xiaoke had clearly dressed up with care, but Wei Zhao knew very well that the effort was for his other identity, not for the Wei Zhao standing before her.

"Oh..." Yu Xiaoke answered faintly. Wei Zhao's guess had indeed been right—she had dressed up for the Phantom Thief. After dinner with Wei Zhao she would have no time to change, so she had had to dress early: "It is not for you!"

"Heh." Wei Zhao was not the least bit offended. Knowing the truth, he could hardly hold such things against Yu Xiaoke.

Only Yu Xiaoke did not know that. Seeing Wei Zhao smile even at her sarcasm, she thought: how thick must this man's skin be!

"The money!" Too impatient to bandy words with Wei Zhao, Yu Xiaoke simply held out her hand.

Wei Zhao smiled, took two stacks of banknotes from his pocket, and was about to count out twenty bills from one stack and give her the rest—when Yu Xiaoke snatched them away outright!

"What are you doing?" Wei Zhao asked.

"No need to count. Keep the change." Without waiting for Wei Zhao to speak, Yu Xiaoke went on, "Didn't you want to treat me to a meal? Come on, I will take you."

"Oh, all right..." Wei Zhao nodded and followed behind Yu Xiaoke.

The two of them wound this way and that until they came to a small alley—it turned out to be the snack street of Donghai City, where vendors sold every kind of tidbit, a lively bustle indeed!

Yu Xiaoke led Wei Zhao straight to a knife-shaved noodle stall, found a table, and sat down. "Here we are!"