Chapter 2768 — A Strange Girl

The two emerged from the treasure vault and retraced their way back along the path, but they had gone only a few steps when the Supreme Elder's expression shifted sharply!

Not far ahead, Mother Tang was leading Tang Zhi toward them.

The Supreme Elder halted in her tracks, which puzzled Wei Zhao; he looked up and saw that the "Snow Valley patrolling overseer" who had helped him just now was heading their way, and at her side was a girl dressed all in white.

Her face was bare of powder or paint, yet that pure, luminous beauty made Wei Zhao's heart lurch for no reason at all—an inexplicable stirring he could not name.

Just as Wei Zhao looked at Tang Zhi, Tang Zhi happened to see him too. A flash of emotion crossed her exquisite features, a thin mist rose in her lovely eyes, and she quickly lowered her head, afraid that her strange behavior might rouse Wei Zhao's curiosity.

Tang Zhi had never imagined that the person her mother was bringing her to see would be Wei Zhao! How had he come to Snow Valley? What was he doing here? But from the look of things, he surely had not come looking for her—for in that instant Tang Zhi could sense that Wei Zhao did not recognize her.

What a strange girl! Seeing Tang Zhi lower her head, Wei Zhao wondered what was wrong with her and wanted a closer look, but the Supreme Elder seized his hand and said, "Mr. Lin, we must hurry!"

"Ah... oh..." Wei Zhao was hauled along by the Supreme Elder, dragged quite a distance in an instant. The Supreme Elder was a formidable expert at the peak of the late Heaven Rank, so Wei Zhao had not the slightest thought of resisting—and even if he had, he could not have stopped her.

Yet the image of that girl seemed carved into his heart, impossible to dispel. Wei Zhao wanted a clear look at her face, so he turned back—and just happened to see the girl lift her head and gaze at him as well.

At that ordinary meeting of four eyes, Wei Zhao's heart pounded. It was as if he knew her, as if in a past life he had glimpsed this beautiful girl.

Otherwise, Wei Zhao—who had seen no small number of beauties in his day—could not possibly have lost his composure over a single girl; indeed, he had still not even seen her face clearly, for in the moment Wei Zhao stood transfixed, the girl lowered her head once more.

Could this be what they called love at first sight? Wei Zhao was puzzled by this stirring felt at a very first meeting, the like of which he had never known before...

The girl grew smaller and smaller in Wei Zhao's eyes, gradually shrinking to a tiny dark speck until she could be seen no more—the Supreme Elder had dragged him far away.

"Supreme Elder, who is that girl beside the Snow Valley patrolling overseer?" Wei Zhao turned his head and asked curiously. He had even forgotten to check the girl's cultivation level.

The Supreme Elder's expression shifted slightly. In a cold, solemn tone she said, "Mr. Lin, do you not think your question is a trifle impertinent? Who she is is an internal matter of our sect. I am under no obligation to answer for Snow Valley's secrets. It is none of your concern. You came here only to make an exchange; now that you have your goods, you had best be on your way!"

"My apologies..." Wei Zhao shook his head, thinking that he had indeed been impertinent. Who this person was, Snow Valley was under no obligation to tell him; and even if he knew, it had little to do with him. Prying privately into another sect's affairs was rather taboo, so Wei Zhao had no choice but to let it drop.

Tang Zhi lifted her head. By now her face was streaked with tears. She stared blankly at Wei Zhao's receding figure and the direction he had gone, her fists clenched, her whole body trembling... "Yun'er, he's gone. Let us go back," Mother Tang sighed, unsure whether bringing Tang Zhi here had been right or wrong.

"Mm..." Tang Zhi nodded. "Thank you, Mother. One look at him, and knowing he is doing well—that is enough for me..."

"Ah, he came to Snow Valley this time to make an exchange..." With that, Mother Tang recounted to Tang Zhi the purpose of Wei Zhao's visit. When Tang Zhi heard that, at her mother's insistence, the Supreme Elder had agreed to give Wei Zhao four stalks of Orchid-Mustard Jade-Bell Grass, she could not help but smile despite herself...

"Mother, I want to go look at him one more time..." Tang Zhi was reluctant to let go. By now Wei Zhao should already have left Snow Valley—but Snow Valley was a naturally formed basin, and one need only stand atop the highest peak at its rim to see him.

"Then go." Mother Tang was wholly supportive. "If you want to go, go. I will hold the fort here—don't worry. If that old crone of a Supreme Elder comes looking for you, I will head her off!"

"Mm, thank you, Mother..." Tang Zhi was overjoyed. In the past she had felt her mother meddled in everything and gave her wild advice, and it had rather vexed her; but now Tang Zhi understood just how good her mother was to her.

"What need for such courtesy with your own mother?" Mother Tang laughed.

Tang Zhi leaped up and vanished from Mother Tang's sight, drifting toward the highest rim of Snow Valley. By now Tang Zhi was already an expert of the early Heaven Rank; having received the inheritance, her path of cultivation was smooth and unobstructed, with no barriers or hindrances, and she had advanced all the way to the Heaven Rank.

Tang Zhi had scarcely taken any pills at all before rising to the Heaven Rank—a boon that naturally came from the inheritance.

Of course, being in an ancient sect, Tang Zhi also knew more than most. Only by cultivating the Heartless Art to its highest realm could one attain the great perfection of peak late Heaven Rank strength. The Supreme Elder also cultivated the Heartless Art, but because she had not reached its highest realm, her strength was only at the peak of the late Heaven Rank—she had not achieved great perfection.

Yet to advance to the Heavenly Dao, legend held that only great perfection offered the greater chance; for an ordinary peak late Heaven Rank expert, the hope was not especially great.

And that was not even the most important thing. Most important of all, if the inheritor wished to accomplish that great undertaking, she must possess the strength of peak late Heaven Rank great perfection to have any ability to protect herself—otherwise grave danger was all too likely...

"Mr. Lin, I shall see you only this far. You may go," the Supreme Elder said, having escorted Wei Zhao to the entrance of Snow Valley. She gestured for him to proceed.

"Very well, Supreme Elder. Please go back—thank you for seeing me off!" Wei Zhao cupped his hands and said politely.

The Supreme Elder nodded and turned back into Snow Valley, but she murmured low to the Snow Valley disciples on watch at the gate: "Keep an eye on him. Do not let him come in again. If he returns, notify me at once!"

"Yes!" the patrolling disciple answered hastily.

The Supreme Elder feared Wei Zhao might go and come back, and so she had given that special instruction—but what she never expected was that Tang Zhi would take it upon herself to leave Snow Valley for one more glimpse of Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao stood at the entrance of Snow Valley, beside his carriage, and did not depart at once.