Chapter 2155 — The Medicine King's Scheme

When Wei Zhao heard that he still had to go to the council hall after dinner to complete the formalities before he could leave, his brows knitted at once. He had assumed that once the contest was over, he would pack his things and be on his way home; he had not expected so many rules to be observed.

Still, since such were the customs of the Hidden World Family Summit, Wei Zhao did not intend to flout them. Barging out on sheer force would only give Elder Zhao and the others a pretext to make trouble, so Wei Zhao had no choice but to endure it a while longer.

"Chief, what do we do now..." The contest was over, and though the thrill of victory was intoxicating, Han Xiaohu had not forgotten the question of safety. "We've won so many rounds in a row. Won't these people move against us..."

"Hard to say." Wei Zhao was not optimistic either, and he nodded candidly. "If I hadn't revealed my hidden strength, they would never dare lift a hand. But now..."

"Chief, didn't you say before that you felt you could wipe out an early heaven-rank expert in a single strike?" Han Xiaohu's heart tightened at Wei Zhao's words.

"I've never actually crossed blades with one. I said that offhandedly—do you think they would believe it?" Wei Zhao shook his head. "We'll have to take it one step at a time. I still have one trump card I haven't played. Let's see how they react. Besides, the Wind-Thunder Violet Lightning Beast isn't bad either—you could call it an ally of ours."

"Alas, without strength you're in a weak position!" Han Xiaohu said helplessly. "It's all because our Hidden Han Family is too weak."

"You can't put it that way. Nothing may come of it." Wei Zhao turned and shot a cold glance at Elder Zhao and the rest. These people did truly wish him ill; they simply dared not show it openly at the Hidden World Family Summit. But what Wei Zhao feared most was being ambushed by them halfway after leaving the Zhao estate.

And indeed, that was precisely what these people had in mind! Why had Elder Zhao decreed that everyone must go to the council hall after dinner to complete formalities before leaving? That was the scheme he was angling at! In truth, now that the Hidden World Family Summit was over, there was no need at all to go through such complicated procedures.

"It is three o'clock in the afternoon now. At half past four, a banquet will be held in the banquet hall on the dot. I shall feast you all and we shall discuss certain matters together!" Elder Zhao said to the family heads and sect masters present. Those who were absent and had already left would be notified by disciples he would send, though naturally that did not include the Hidden Han Family.

Everyone nodded, perfectly clear in their hearts about what Elder Zhao wished to discuss, yet no one said anything further. Each harbored different sentiments, and all needed to go back and calm themselves...

In a side hall of the Hidden Zhao Family estate, Zhao the Medicine King's expression was calm as he felt Pi Zhitao's pulse. Then he said mildly, "I have practiced medicine for half a lifetime, and I have seen a condition such as yours before..."

"Then do you have a way to cure it?" Elder Pi asked at once upon hearing this.

"I have no way... but..." Zhao the Medicine King paused there, deliberately leaving the matter hanging.

"So that means there is still a way?" Elder Pi brightened and asked.

"There is a way—which is as good as saying there is none!" Zhao the Medicine King shook his head. "This matter? No chance."

"What do you mean?" Elder Pi was taken aback. "Medicine King, pray enlighten me. If Zhihai can be cured, I will not haggle over however many rare treasures and however much gold it takes!"

"This is not a question of rare treasures or gold. The crux is that the only man who can cure him is your Pi family's enemy—he would sooner see your Pi Zhitao dead!" Zhao the Medicine King said coolly. "If you go begging to him, I expect you will get nothing but humiliation!"

"An enemy?" Elder Pi was startled and did not react for a moment. "Whom do our Hidden Pi family count as enemies? We seldom make enemies at all..."

"Heh heh, it is Wei Zhao!" Zhao the Medicine King said. "And Wei Zhao alone, I hear, can dissolve others' true qi. But mark you, I once fell foul of a similar technique myself—a far milder case than Pi Zhitao's—and Wei Zhao never helped dissolve mine... So you see, this matter has a way, which is the same as having none!"

What Zhao the Medicine King deliberately omitted was this: the true qi he had been struck by was in fact Wei Zhao's own! He had been instructed by Elder Zhao to deepen Elder Pi's hatred of Wei Zhao. Among all the heaven-rank experts, Elder Pi alone had never clearly stated his stance on dealing with Wei Zhao.

Every heaven-rank expert counted for hope in the campaign against Wei Zhao, so Elder Zhao wished to win Elder Pi over. In truth, Zhao the Medicine King had no idea whether Wei Zhao could actually heal the man; he was simply speaking at random.

"This..." Elder Pi's heart gave a jolt. Wei Zhao indeed bore no goodwill toward their Hidden Pi family, and to seek healing from him—Zhao the Medicine King was right—would likely meet with flat refusal. Otherwise, if Wei Zhao had been willing to treat him, why had he said not a word before?

No matter how many rare treasures had been demanded, Elder Pi would have agreed on the spot—yet Wei Zhao had remained unmoved, which indirectly confirmed Zhao the Medicine King's words.

At that thought, resentment did indeed rise in Elder Pi's heart, but it was as quick to fade as to arise. He was a clever man; how could he fail to hear that Zhao the Medicine King's words were meant to steer him into joining the campaign against Wei Zhao?

Yet what occupied Elder Pi's mind was something else entirely! The Hidden Pi family had indeed lost some experts at Wei Zhao's hands, but that did not matter; they were not direct blood descendants of the Hidden Pi family, and so the enmity between the Hidden Pi family and Wei Zhao was not beyond reconciliation!

If he lowered his own posture a little, found some way to gratify Wei Zhao's tastes, and went to plead with him, perhaps there really might be hope for Pi Zhitao! Killing Wei Zhao would gratify him for a time, but from a long-term view, making peace with Wei Zhao was the better bargain.

"Elder Pi, when all is said and done, it all comes back to Wei Zhao. The hatred between your Hidden Pi family and Wei Zhao cannot be dissolved—so many have died at his hands, and Wei Zhao has no fondness for your Hidden Pi family either. Do you think he would still lift a finger to help?" Zhao the Medicine King pressed on. "So the pressing task is to think of how to kill Wei Zhao and be avenged!"

"Mmm... what you say has some reason. I will go back and think it over..." Elder Pi nodded, gathered Pi Zhitao in his arms, and walked out of the Zhao family's side hall, while a cold smile flickered at the corner of Zhao the Medicine King's mouth, so faint it was all but imperceptible...