Chapter 2988 — Back to the Zhao Family

So Wei Zhao rose, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the room.

"Wei Zhao, how are you?" What Wei Zhao had not expected was that the first to speak was none other than Miss Gu Mengyao herself—not even Xiaoshu had beaten her to it.

And on the young lady's face, though a faint blush still lingered, the deep concern in her eyes was beyond all substitute, warming Wei Zhao's heart on the instant.

"I'm fine!" Wei Zhao shook his head, gave Gu Mengyao a slight smile, then turned to look at Aunt Qing. "Aunt Qing, you came!"

"Wei Zhao, how are you? You didn't take the Intermediate Qi-Gathering Pill?" Aunt Qing regarded him with some puzzlement, but since Wei Zhao was not circulating his inner-energy formula, she could not gauge his present strength. When she had come earlier, he had already withdrawn into the jade pendant's space to circulate his formula, so naturally nothing could be sensed of him in the outer world.

"Aunt Qing, don't forget—after I took the Qi-Gathering Pill and broke through to the Earth Rank, I could keep **leveling up. So taking the Intermediate Qi-Gathering Pill would naturally cause no trouble either!" Wei Zhao said little about his peculiar circumstances; after all, the matter of the jade pendant's space was a secret.

Fortunately, at these words Aunt Qing recalled Wei Zhao's extraordinary nature and did not press further. "That's true—you are a marvel, not to be measured by ordinary rules! Then you are now..."

"That's right, I now have the strength of the early Heaven Rank." As he spoke, Wei Zhao lightly circulated his internal-energy formula and revealed the power of the early Heaven Rank.

A flicker of astonishment crossed Aunt Qing's face. Though she was deeply puzzled—why Wei Zhao's meridians and dantian had recovered, why taking the Intermediate Qi-Gathering Pill had left him entirely unharmed—she did not ask more. She only said, "Congratulations! It seems my coming here was a superfluous errand after all. I should be getting back to report to Palace Mistress Bing and Deputy Palace Mistress Feng."

"It was no superfluous errand. Wei Zhao thanks you for coming here to help. If ever you have need of me, Aunt Qing, just say the word—whatever I can do, I will never decline!" Wei Zhao held Aunt Qing in very high regard; on his first visit to the Ice Palace he had been shown her care, and he kept it ever in mind.

"Heh, then Aunt Qing will hold you to that. Should the day ever come when I need your help, don't put me off!" Aunt Qing smiled and rose, making ready to leave. She was not one to dawdle, and being an elder of an ancient sect, she ought not to linger too long in the mortal world.

Had Wei Zhao been injured, there would have been reason to stay; but now that he was unharmed, she naturally prepared to go.

"Aunt Qing, one thing—about my meridians and dantian recovering, and my using the Intermediate Qi-Gathering Pill to break through and level up, I must ask you to keep it secret," Wei Zhao said gravely.

"Rest easy on that. Neither I nor Palace Mistress Bing is one to gossip, and your Xiaoxiao would never betray you either," Aunt Qing said with a smile.

"Very well, Aunt Qing. Then I won't see you far on your way. As you know, I've only just recovered and broken through—it's best I don't show myself abroad," Wei Zhao said.

"I understand. No need to see me off—I'll go on my own!" With that, Aunt Qing turned and strode swiftly out of the villa, drifting away...

Only after Aunt Qing had gone did the villa's living room grow lively. None was happier than Zhao Qilei. "Boss, you've finally recovered! My heart's eased a good deal at last—otherwise I'd have carried the guilt my whole life!"

"By the way, Wei Zhao, what exactly was the problem Elder Qing spoke of?" Old Master Pi asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Nothing much, really—just the matter of the rank barrier. It can't be explained in a few words, but from now on, don't use the Intermediate Qi-Gathering Pill as a pill for breaking through rank barriers!" Wei Zhao said.

"With you around to help us level up, Boss, why would we need any pills?" Wu Chengtian and the others said with a laugh.

"Speaking of leveling up—Qitan, come with me. I'll first raise your strength to the peak of the late Earth Rank!" Wei Zhao said. Though this time the Hidden Zhao Family had set a trap for him, it had little to do with Zhao Qilei. Moreover, his own promotion to the Heaven Rank had been made possible in no small part by Zhao Qilei, and Wei Zhao had never found the chance to raise Zhao Qilei's strength. Now, naturally, there was an opportunity.

Besides, there was another reason: Wei Zhao had earlier been unclothed when Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu burst into the room, which had been rather awkward. Now he meant to excuse himself for a while.

"What? Peak of the late Earth Rank?" Zhao Qilei was dumbstruck. "Boss, did I hear that right?"

"You did. Now that I'm a Heaven Rank expert, I can raise all of you to the peak of the late Earth Rank at most. As for the Minor Qi-Gathering Pill, it's useless now; but if we have the Qi-Gathering Pill, we can mass-produce Heaven Rank experts!" Wei Zhao said.

"Heavens, Boss, does that mean we can break through to the peak of the late Earth Rank too?" Wu Chengtian said with a mix of envy and delight. He envied Zhao Qilei for being the first to level up, but what delighted him was that Wei Zhao surely would not leave the rest of them, his underlings, behind!

"That's right!" Wei Zhao nodded, drew a deep breath, and said gravely, "Tonight is the night everyone's strength soars. Tomorrow, come with me to settle accounts with the Hidden Zhao Family!"

At this, however, Wei Zhao turned to look at Zhao Qilei, wanting to see where he stood.

Sure enough, a trace of complication showed on Zhao Qilei's face, but it was followed by resolve and decisiveness. He said outright, "Boss, I'll go with you too!"

Wei Zhao nodded. It seemed Zhao Qilei truly was utterly disillusioned with the Hidden Zhao Family. "Let's go. You come with me to the room first; the rest of you wait outside and **!"

"Yes!" the others answered at once, while Zhao Qilei followed Wei Zhao into the room...

Looking at this roomful of underlings on the verge of the Heaven Rank, Wei Zhao's heart surged as never before. As a force, placed on the ancient stage, they would be an exceedingly formidable presence—only to stand among the ancients was still beyond them. After all, Wei Zhao had no top-tier experts here, their numbers were too few, and their foundations could not begin to compare with those of the ancient sects.

But gathered together, to trample a single Hidden Family flat would be the easiest thing in the world! (To be continued)