Chapter 2752 — A Pact of Three Terms

"Uh... I'm just the messenger here, Leader Wei Zhao. Don't take it out on me. I've said everything I was supposed to say—whether you agree or not is up to you." Kang Jingming spread his hands helplessly. "Much as I'd love to close this deal, the young sect master won't budge, so there's nothing I can do."

Kang Jingming was telling the truth. During his phone call with Tian Canbian, he had tried to negotiate a few more flexible items to trade, but apparently the other side had refused—and Wei Zhao had heard every word.

"Very well. I accept the Xuan Dan Sect's terms—but you must agree to one more thing," Wei Zhao said. He could tell Kang Jingming was desperate to see this deal go through, which was hardly surprising; having just joined the Xuan Dan Sect, the man naturally wanted to earn some merit.

Still, a map of the Xuan Dan Sect's trial grounds was a fine thing indeed. Wei Zhao had not expected Tian Canbian to offer such an item in exchange, but it suited him well—it would quietly reduce the danger he faced during the trial. He could enter it alongside Zhao Qilei with greater confidence, without worrying that something might happen to Zhao Qilei. One copy of the map would be enough.

"What condition?" Kang Jingming asked hurriedly.

"Have your brother call off his engagement to Wang Xinyan." Wei Zhao named the condition he had settled on long ago. Truth be told, everything else had been a smokescreen—a windfall he had never seriously expected.

"No! Wei Zhao, don't push your luck! This is the Xuan Dan Sect's business—leave our Kang family out of it!" Before Kang Jingming could speak, Kang Jinglong was already in a fury. He sprang forward, his voice hoarse with rage. "Calling off the engagement is out of the question! I will never agree!"

"This..." Kang Jingming had meant to talk his brother around. Women were fleeting things—once he had secured his footing in the Xuan Dan Sect and the Kang family had risen, what kind of woman would be out of reach? But he had not expected such a violent reaction from Kang Jinglong. There was no helping it. "Indeed, Leader Wei Zhao. I am here to trade with you on behalf of the Xuan Dan Sect. Asking me to make a personal sacrifice is hardly reasonable. You've seen my brother's attitude—my hands are tied..."

Wei Zhao was somewhat taken aback by Kang Jinglong's reaction. He had planned everything out: pressure Kang Jingming into persuading his brother to break the engagement. Who would have thought Kang Jinglong would leap out and ruin it? Still, Wei Zhao had underestimated the state of Kang Jinglong's mind over these past months.

Kang Jinglong had once regarded Wang Xinyan as dispensable, but ever since he had been placed in the same class as Wang Xinyan and Wei Zhao, his psyche had grown warped and resentful. Day after day, the two of them needled him, driving him into a dead end: if he could not have Wang Xinyan, his mind would collapse.

It was a fixation bordering on madness, incomprehensible to ordinary people. Only the man himself could understand such tangled feelings.

"Then how about this: before graduation, make sure your brother stops harassing Xinyan." Wei Zhao thought it over and settled for the next best thing.

"This..." Kang Jingming glanced at Kang Jinglong, but seeing that his brother still seemed unwilling, he had no choice but to pull him out of the room and into another one.

"Zhaoming, Wei Zhao is going too far! We cannot agree to this! If we do, where is the Kang family's face?" Kang Jinglong said furiously. "Aren't you the Eighth Elder of the Xuan Dan Sect? How can you be such a coward?"

"Brother, this isn't about being a coward. The point is, your little brother hasn't secured his footing in the Xuan Dan Sect yet! I'm counting on this mission to win the young sect master's favor—if it falls through, I could be marginalized!" Kang Jingming said helplessly. "And once I'm marginalized, Wei Zhao can squeeze our Kang family whenever he pleases. Forget a promise not to harass Wang Xinyan during university—he could demand you break off the engagement, and you'd have to grit your teeth and agree!"

Kang Jinglong was no fool. Once Kang Jingming explained the situation, he calmed down. He was a calculating man by nature, though anger sometimes clouded his mind—as it had just now. The thought of Wei Zhao and Wang Xinyan openly together had set his blood boiling. But now he understood Kang Jingming's predicament. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Fine. But I want a pact of three terms with Wei Zhao!"

"Good, as long as you agree!" Kang Jingming breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, brother. Once this mission is done and my position is secure—once I've latched onto the young sect master's coattails—I'll be somebody. Then you can do as you please. As for agreements—if you're strong enough, you can change them whenever you like!"

"That's true enough!" Kang Jinglong's heart eased considerably at his brother's last words, and he finally nodded his grudging consent.

"That's the spirit. We brothers endure for now so we can trample on others all the more freely later. Don't you understand that?" Kang Jingming said with satisfaction.

"I understand. I'm just a little unwilling, that's all..." Kang Jinglong said helplessly.

"All right, let's go out." Kang Jingming had made no effort to hide anything while speaking with his brother, and Wei Zhao had heard every word—yet he did not for a moment imagine that silence on their part meant he could not guess their thoughts of revenge.

The enmity between them was already set. If Kang Jingming one day gained real power and did not seek revenge on Wei Zhao, that would truly be the anomaly.

Back in Leader Bai's office, Kang Jingming said, "All right, Wei Zhao. My brother and I have talked it over. We can agree to your request—but by the same token, my brother wants a pact of three terms with you as well."

"A pact of three terms?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Simple. I won't harass Wang Xinyan—but Wang Xinyan absolutely must not get involved with you either. That is my bottom line. I won't have my wife putting horns on me!" Kang Jinglong said. "If you can do that, then I agree."

"Oh. Fine." Wei Zhao nodded. His goal was achieved. Through the intimidation he had applied earlier, he had gotten exactly what he wanted—a full harvest, so to speak.

As for that pill formula—while Kang Jingming had gone off to make his phone call, Wei Zhao had carefully reviewed it and discovered that the flaw Kang Jingming mentioned had been caused inadvertently when Wei Zhao himself had planted a second defect. In plain terms, it was a bug—not something Wei Zhao had done on purpose.

So Wei Zhao had easily repaired the bug and written out a new pill formula for Kang Jingming—though he had not handed it over directly.