Chapter 2892 — Little Seven and Little Nine

In truth, Yang Qiqi had indeed ignored it. In her eyes, anyone who could help her save Little Nine was a good person beyond reproach, and if Tianchan could lend a hand, then naturally she too was a good person. As for everything else, compared with Little Nine's plight, it hardly mattered at all.

"Mm, I just have to wait in my room for the arrangements," Wei Zhao nodded.

"Then I'll head back to my room first. I won't disturb you and the people from the Huangtu Gao Sect while you talk—with me here, there must be some things they wouldn't feel comfortable saying, right?" Yang Qiqi said as she rose to her feet.

"That works. Go on back for now, and I'll tell you as soon as there's news!" Wei Zhao nodded.

After seeing Yang Qiqi off, Wei Zhao sat on the bed, closed his eyes, and entered the jade pendant's space, preparing to cultivate a little. He had gone several days without cultivating, busy as he was with the matter of leaving the Five Baleful Wastes safely. With Zhang Naipao at his side back then, Wei Zhao had never been able to cultivate with peace of mind.

"Hey, you ghost thing—thanks for what you did before!" Wei Zhao had not yet had the chance to thank that ghost thing. There had been no opportunity at the time, and after returning to the inn he had been catching up with Yang Qiqi the whole while.

"No need for that. If I hadn't saved you, you'd be dead, and where would I find such a fine place to cultivate?" the ghost thing said flatly. "You don't need to be grateful to me this time either, nor feel you owe me anything. This time is different from before."

"All right..." Wei Zhao was somewhat speechless. He had not expected the ghost thing to refuse to take credit, pushing the merit away—it was, after all, a fairly upright... ghost thing!

"Enough. I'm going to continue preparing for dormancy. Go about your business, and don't disturb me when there's nothing to do!" the ghost thing said.

"Oh, then go dormant." Wei Zhao really had no use for the ghost thing at the moment. After adjusting himself, he too began to cultivate.

……………………

Yang Qiqi returned to her own room still feeling as though she were dreaming. Her encounter with Wei Zhao had been like a fantasy, and now, looking back, it was full of sweetness. Every time, at her most desperate moment, Wei Zhao had appeared and lent her a helping hand.

Was all of this arranged by heaven? Wei Zhao was her Brother A'yi. Today was the happiest day of Yang Qiqi's life—not only had she been reunited with Wei Zhao, but she had also found a way to save Little Nine!

"Hey, Little Nine, it's your Seventh Sister!" Yang Qiqi dialed Little Nine's number.

"Ah, Seventh Sister, did you pass the Xuandan Sect trial?" The heart Little Nine had kept hanging finally came to rest after she received Yang Qiqi's call. She had been counting the days—this time Yang Qiqi had clearly gone well past the trial's duration, yet had not contacted her, which had left her frantic with worry. And try as she might, she could not reach Yang Qiqi either!

Yang Qiqi had left her phone at the inn when she went to the trial, and it was switched off besides. Little Nine could not get through, so all she could do was worry herself sick!

"Actually, I didn't pass the trial—the Xuandan Sect's trial reward is of no use to us anyway. But the most important thing is, I found the claw of the Five Baleful Dragon, and it's of the earth attribute!" Yang Qiqi said excitedly.

"You really found it?" Little Nine was rather shocked. She could not for the life of her figure out why the Five Baleful Dragon, such a powerful spirit beast, would give its claw to Yang Qiqi. "Seventh Sister, you didn't run into any danger, did you?"

"Danger—yes, I did run into some..." Yang Qiqi could not help but smile wryly. "But in the end I turned peril into safety, because... I ran into Wei Zhao again..."

"Ah, you ran into Wei Zhao again? Did he help you this time too?" Little Nine breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Yang Qiqi's escape from danger this time had a great deal to do with Wei Zhao!

"Yes. By the way, Little Nine, do you know who Wei Zhao is?" Yang Qiqi asked, agitated and excited.

"Who is he..." Little Nine's heart stirred, but she asked anyway.

"He's Brother A'yi! He's actually Brother A'yi! Little Nine, do you know? I used to foolishly want to kill him, but I never imagined he was Brother A'yi..." Yang Qiqi's voice had changed pitch.

"Ah, you know?" Little Nine asked instinctively.

"Yes... Hm? Little Nine, do you know something?" Hearing Little Nine's words, and recalling her tone earlier, Yang Qiqi realized that Little Nine seemed to have known all along that Wei Zhao was Brother A'yi?

"I..." Little Nine was at a loss for words, only then realizing she had let something slip.

"Little Nine, you knew all along, didn't you? You've been hiding it from me all this time?" Yang Qiqi's eyes went wide. She could not believe Little Nine had kept it from her. For Little Nine's sake she had crossed mountains and rivers, been willing to give up her very life—and yet Little Nine had deceived her?!

Yang Qiqi knew, of course, that Little Nine also held feelings for Brother A'yi in her heart, but Yang Qiqi had never been jealous. She had always treated Little Nine as her closest sister—and yet Little Nine had actually...

"Seventh Sister, I didn't mean to hide it..." Little Nine said weakly. "Before, I wasn't sure Wei Zhao was Brother A'yi either. I only learned his name was Wei Zhao after checking the name registered to Brother A'yi's phone number, but I didn't know whether the Wei Zhao you spoke of was this same Wei Zhao... Besides, Madam Zhou said that the information I'm in charge of must not be disclosed at will..."

"I see. All right then..." Hearing that it was Madam Zhou's requirement, Yang Qiqi naturally had no objection left. The information Little Nine handled was off-limits—members other than those on outside missions could not query it freely without authorization, Yang Qiqi herself included, so it was only reasonable that Little Nine would not speak of it.

Yang Qiqi had grown up in this clan of strict rules, so she did not think there was anything wrong with what Little Nine had done.

Although Madam Zhou was not Yang Qiqi's birth mother, she was another of her father's wives, and likewise one of the instructors for these assassins, responsible for training in computer hacking. Yang Qiqi thus held her in the utmost respect, and naturally would not complain about anything she had decreed.

"I'm sorry, Seventh Sister..." Little Nine was somewhat embarrassed too. She had already been fairly certain before that the Wei Zhao Yang Qiqi had met was Brother A'yi, since she and Wei Zhao still kept in touch from time to time, but bound by the organization's rules, she had no way to speak of it on her own initiative. Now that Yang Qiqi had asked, in theory she should not have answered either—but her bond with Yang Qiqi ran deep, and at this point she would sooner be scolded by Madam Zhou than keep hiding it any longer.