Chapter 2509 — You're Wei Zhao?

Wei Zhao emerged from the back room behind the auction hall and, from a distance, caught sight of the exchange between Yang Qiqi and that Heaven-rank cultivator. Seeing Yang Qiqi squatting on the ground, weeping, Wei Zhao was struck by a feeling that was half laughter, half tears.

This girl was supposed to be an assassin, so why was she so fragile inside? And this was what they sent out on missions?

Shaking his head, Wei Zhao nonetheless walked briskly toward Yang Qiqi.

Hearing footsteps approach, Yang Qiqi lifted her head and saw that it was Wei Zhao. Her little mouth puckered, and she lowered her head again, crying all the harder. This man was truly awful—had he come running over now just to enjoy the spectacle?

"You still have blue crystals?" Wei Zhao asked.

He had overheard Yang Qiqi's conversation with the Heaven-rank cultivator earlier, and the fact that she could still produce blue crystals intrigued him greatly.

"What business is that of yours? Surely you're not going to rob me of my blue crystals too?" Wei Zhao would have been better off keeping quiet. The moment he spoke, Yang Qiqi took it as a sign that he meant to snatch her things again, and she jerked her head up, glaring at him in fury: "Don't think that just because you're stronger you can push me around. When... when... when my father gets back, he definitely won't let you off..."

"Pfft..." Wei Zhao nearly choked on a laugh at her words. So they were resorting to comparing fathers now, were they?

"What are you laughing at? I'll have you know my father is formidable—even his disciples could beat you half to death!" Seeing Wei Zhao laugh, Yang Qiqi grew angrier still, and she warned him viciously.

"Nothing." Wei Zhao shook his head helplessly, fished the vial of earth-element Heaven-rank spirit-beast blood from his pocket, and placed it in Yang Qiqi's hand.

"Huh? This is..." Yang Qiqi stared in disbelief at the little bottle Wei Zhao had given her, her eyes wide. She raised her head in shock: "You..."

"From now on, stop repaying kindness with enmity." Wei Zhao patted Yang Qiqi on the head and said, "Seems the story of Mr. Dongguo was wasted on you. You just never learn—not everyone is as good-hearted as I am."

"Huh?" Yang Qiqi was momentarily stunned. She raised her head with a peculiar expression, a flicker of doubt passing through her lovely eyes: "What do you mean?"

"There was a fool who rescued an injured young girl on the road. The girl had lost so much blood she was nearly dead, and the fool saved her life. Yet the girl wanted to kill him instead, simply because he had seen her body! And there was another fool who, in Blue Town, saw a young girl whose mission had failed and gave her a helping hand—and the girl seemed to hold a grudge against him still. Then some time later, this fool went to take the Ice Palace trials and ran into that girl again. She had had her rare treasures stolen by someone. So the fool helped her find a great many rare treasures and complete her mission—but some time after that, was this girl now going to steal his blue crystals too?" Wei Zhao recounted their several encounters in brief.

"Ah... you you you you you... you're that Wei Zhao?" After hearing his words, Yang Qiqi's already astonished expression turned even more extraordinary. She stared at Wei Zhao, speechless for a moment. Her heart was a tangle of complicated feelings; never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that this person... was the one who had saved her life time and again!

"All right, head back early. Here's my phone number—if you hear anything more about blue crystals, give me a call." Wei Zhao pressed a slip of paper into Yang Qiqi's hand and then said, "Of course, you're welcome to come seek revenge too, but not today. Leave as soon as you can. Someone's looking to cause me trouble."

"Ah! Someone's causing you trouble? Is it serious? Do you need my help?" Yang Qiqi asked instinctively. The man before her was Wei Zhao, and this realization brought about a subtle shift in her heart.

Yang Qiqi's change of attitude left Wei Zhao even more at a loss for words. This girl was suddenly concerned about him? Wei Zhao shook his head and smiled. "It's nothing. Just look after yourself."

"Oh..." A sudden sense of unease came over Yang Qiqi, a feeling of gain and loss. For some reason, the hatred she had felt toward Wei Zhao a moment ago had vanished all at once... Could it be that she had feelings for him? Impossible, surely? She was steadfast in her love for Brother Xiao Yi—how could she give her heart to another? Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

That was it. It must be because he had given her the earth-element Heaven-rank spirit-beast blood. For the sake of saving Xiao Jiu, she had let him off and treated him a little better. That had to be it.

"I'm off." Wei Zhao stayed no longer, for he had noticed that Han Xiaohu seemed to have run into a bit of trouble over there as well.

That trouble came from You Pan'gao of the hidden You family. At that moment You Pan'gao was pointing at Han Xiaohu and Yu Xiaoke with a swaggering, arrogant air: "Who was that person sitting with you just now? Don't tell me you don't know him! Tell me, and I'll only go after him—I won't do anything to you."

"You guessed right, actually—we really don't know him." Han Xiaohu had followed Wei Zhao for some time now, and his bearing had long since been transformed. He was no longer the timid, cautious Han Xiaohu of the hidden Han family. Although the hidden Han family still could not be mentioned in the same breath as the hidden You family, so long as Wei Zhao stood by the hidden Han family, the hidden You family would not dare touch them.

"You—" You Pan'gao flew into a rage. He had not expected this fellow before him to be so tactless as to actually talk back to him: "Do you know who I am?"

"I know. Aren't you called You Pan'gao? Mr. Lu has said it plenty of times—you're from the hidden You family!" Han Xiaohu said flatly.

"If you know I'm from the hidden You family, then why do you oppose me?" You Pan'gao demanded furiously.

"So what if I oppose you? I don't mind telling you—you're really no match for me." To Han Xiaohu, You Pan'gao, who could do nothing but refine pills, was an easy opponent to handle.

"Who are you?" You Pan'gao was both alarmed and enraged.

"Enough. You're looking for me, aren't you? What are you shouting for? I haven't run off—I just went to collect the pure yellow jade." Wei Zhao clapped You Pan'gao on the shoulder and said mildly.

You Pan'gao had been fuming, and the sudden clap on the shoulder from behind gave him quite a start. The reason he had gone to Han Xiaohu and Yu Xiaoke in the first place was his fear that Wei Zhao would slip away, but now that Wei Zhao had returned, there was no need to trouble anyone else. He turned to face Wei Zhao directly: "Why did you hit me? Do you know who I am?"RQ