Chapter 2954 — Zhao Qilei Is Deceived

"Not at the moment," Jiao Yazi said, shaking his head.

Wei Zhao did not press him further. Jiao Yazi had already said all there was to say; whatever else remained, the man himself did not know for the time being, so Wei Zhao had no choice but to set it aside.

As for his external injuries, Wei Zhao already had a treatment plan in mind. The bones of his four limbs had been broken badly enough—by that little wretch Zhao Qibing and his trampling feet—yet Wei Zhao remained confident he could recover.

Before he had become a cultivator, before he had ever known the benefits of the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art, Wei Zhao had already been a highly skilled physician. For an assassin like him, injury was everyday fare, and so his methods of healing were likewise of the highest order.

Thus all Wei Zhao needed was to work out a prescription and lay out a course of acupuncture treatment for Guan Xuewen to carry out. Given Guan Xuewen's level of medical skill, Wei Zhao trusted that healing would pose no problem at all once a plan was in place.

Sure enough, that evening Wei Zhao laid out his suggestions before Guan Xuewen, and Guan Xuewen agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Guan Xuewen had come to Wei Zhao's place in high spirits, intending to bring Guan Xin along as well. But once he learned of Wei Zhao's injuries, he naturally could not bring her—seeing him like this would only have made her worry.

"Xiao Yi, your injuries this time are severe. If you hadn't proposed a treatment plan, even I would not have been a hundred percent certain!" Guan Xuewen said.

"True enough—but that only covers these external wounds. As for the internal injuries, there is nothing I can do about them for now," Wei Zhao said with a sigh.

"The level of the foes you face now is beyond the scope of my abilities; there is no way for me to help you," Guan Xuewen said. "But you must hold on. If it truly comes to the worst, then hide yourself away. I don't want Xinxin to be heartbroken..."

Wei Zhao's heart stirred. He understood Guan Xuewen's meaning, yet he could not give Guan Xin much of a response just now. There were already enough women around Wei Zhao; it truly would not do to make any promises to Guan Xin. Such matters could only be left to take their natural course.

Still, Wei Zhao nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Grandpa Guan."

In truth, once he had run out of options, Wei Zhao had also considered hiding away—taking Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, Han Jingyi, and the others back to West Star Mountain Village. In the old man's words, even a peak late Heaven-rank expert who came there would be killed in an instant. So long as one did not leave the village, one was safe.

But if Pi Zhifeng, Han Xiaohu, Wu Chengtian, and the rest all stood at Wei Zhao's side, then his enemies on the hidden plane would still have some scruples. As for his enemies on the ancient plane, even if Wei Zhao were uninjured, should the Tomorrow After Tomorrow Sect send a few elders or the like to besiege him, he would still be doomed without a doubt.

The same went doubly for the Five Luminaries Sect's forces; Wei Zhao would have no room to fight back at all. So Wei Zhao planned to watch and wait for now—after all, the situation this time was different from before. Those lowly clowns would not dare act rashly anymore.

That evening, Wu Chengtian, Wu Gonggao, Han Xiaohu, Han Tianba (Old Master Han), Pi Zhifeng, Pi Zhitao, and Old Master Pi all arrived together at Wei Zhao's villa. Wei Zhao had not expected such a grand turnout—so many people, and with such force behind them!

Wei Zhao was moved, and at the same time breathed a sigh of relief. With Old Master Pi, a Heaven-rank expert, present, along with a whole company of Earth-rank experts, there was no need to worry about the crisis on the hidden plane. As for the ancient plane, Wei Zhao truly could not think of who would come to move against him.

In the Hidden Zhao Family, after Zhao Qibing and Zhao Qilei returned, they sat respectfully in the Zhao Family's conference room, waiting for Old Master Zhao to announce the next move.

Soon Old Master Zhao entered the conference room, glanced at Zhao Qibing and Zhao Qilei, and asked mildly, "Well? Everything go smoothly after you sent Wei Zhao back?"

"Don't even mention it. I meant to finish off that little wench Shen Yushu, but who could have guessed that Yu Yi of the Hidden Yu Family would step in and stop me from laying another finger on anyone close to Wei Zhao!" Zhao Qibing said bitterly.

"What?! The Yu Family actually interfered?" Old Master Zhao's brows knit at once at Zhao Qibing's words. What was going on here? Did the Yu Family in fact disapprove of killing Wei Zhao? Or was it... that Yu Ning of the Yu Family had swayed Old Master Yu's thinking?

"That I don't know. I rather regret not finishing Wei Zhao off right there on the road. If the Hidden Yu Family is going to interfere, then Wei Zhao's enemies really won't dare act rashly anymore—even the Hidden You Family would find it hard to make an enemy of the Hidden Yu Family!" Zhao Qibing said with some regret.

"If you'd killed him, fine, I'd be all for it. Once he's dead, Wei Zhao's ancient-plane underlings come looking for revenge—and just in time, I'm the family head," Zhao Qilei said with a curl of his lip, taunting.

"Qitan, that's enough!" Old Master Zhao suddenly waved a hand.

"Grandfather, what are you..." Zhao Qilei was slightly taken aback.

"Qitan, after much careful thought, I've decided the position of young family head still ought to go to Qibing. After all, I promised it to him first. As for you—you have a history of betraying the family, and now you've betrayed the leader as well. That is not enough to command respect. So if you keep your head down and behave, here in the Hidden Zhao Family, I can arrange for you a Cotton Elder's seat in the future." Old Master Zhao dumped a basin of cold water right over Zhao Qilei's head!

Zhao Qilei's expression changed. It was not that he cared about the position of young family head—he had been playing the double agent all along. What he had not expected was that his grandfather would be so heartless, that even the competition he had promised him was a sham!

Most likely this was no "careful thought" at all. Old Master Zhao had made up his mind long ago, intending to kill the donkey once the grinding was done after the Wei Zhao affair. He had never once considered making Zhao Qilei the young family head. It had all been a deception!

Sure enough, a man so frenzied and devoid of conscience no longer deserved to be counted among Zhao Qilei's kin. And now, at last, Zhao Qilei steeled his heart and cut all ties with the Hidden Zhao Family! In the past he had always harbored some illusions, but after this business—and recalling how Old Master Zhao had treated Leader Zhu and Zhu the Second—Zhao Qilei felt that he was nothing more than a pawn at Old Master Zhao's side, to be used.

When there was use for him, fine-sounding promises were made; when there was no more use, he was cast aside! Cotton Elder? Perhaps in the eyes of the Zhao Family's other disciples, a Cotton Elder was the very pinnacle of existence—but that was not a post for direct-line descendants of the Zhao Family. Zhao Qilei was a direct-line descendant. What glory was there in sinking to a position like Cotton Elder, waiting on others? (To be continued. For the wonderful novel [Net], remember our website: