Chapter 2995 — A Perfect Cauldron

"Dad, think about it. All these years—how has he treated you? How has he treated me? Even Zhao Qilei, how did he treat him? Is there any family feeling in that man's eyes? He picked you as the young clan head because you were his puppet. You have no mind of your own, so he could keep his grip on the Hidden Zhao family. And he picked me only because I made him level up, because I advanced him to Earth rank—while Zhao Qilei, simply because he himself detested Wei Zhao, he made things impossible for Zhao Qilei at every turn!" Zhao Qibing curled his lip and said dismissively, "If we're going to deal with Wei Zhao, we have to know how to borrow a knife to kill. Right now the opportunity is laid out right in front of us both. If we don't seize it, then we really would be fools!"

"Ah, I know it too. Even if I had told your grandfather back then, he wouldn't have believed me—and he might well have kept me there with him..." Zhao Guangyin knew the old man's temper well. If he had gone to Zhao the Elder and said that Wei Zhao might have recovered and come back for revenge, would the old man have believed a word of it?

If Zhao Qibing had not happened to come home on a visit just then, and heard the moment he arrived that Wei Zhao had come to settle scores, the fear of Wei Zhao in his heart would have sent him fleeing with Zhao Guangyin and Elder Mian without a second thought—and then none of them would have lived.

The reason Elder Mian had run too was that he was cleverer than Elder Bi. He knew exactly how Elder Bi had died—beaten to death by Wei Zhao—and he had no wish to follow in Elder Bi's footsteps.

"See? That's exactly why I wouldn't let you notify the old bastard!" Zhao Qibing said. "Dad, don't grieve too much. There will be plenty of chances for revenge. Once the two of us come back from our training, that will be the day Wei Zhao dies! Heh heh, no matter how formidable Wei Zhao is, how could he stand against an ancient sect? You didn't see it back then—how magnificent the black-robed elder of the Dark Night Palace was before Wei Zhao! He was only an Earth-rank expert, yet Elder Pi, an Earth-rank expert himself, simply did not dare make a move! If the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation hadn't interfered, Wei Zhao's family would already be broken and destroyed."

"That's true enough!" Zhao Guangyin nodded. Relative to the secular world, the hidden level was a formidable existence indeed—but before the ancient level, it counted for nothing! Still, he was a little worried. "By the way, doesn't the Dark Night Palace hold a grudge against the Mysterious Pill Sect? Won't there be trouble if we go calling on the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation so rashly?"

"Haha, haven't you heard the saying? Before profit, there are no permanent enemies. Once we set this fine cauldron before the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation, what grudge could possibly remain?" Zhao Qibing waved his hand. "Besides, I'm a core disciple of the Dark Night Palace now. They'll have to show some consideration for the ancient level's face."

"Let's hope so." Zhao Guangyin nodded. "But I truly never imagined that both Chief Zhu and Zhu the Second were Wei Zhao's people! At the critical moment they actually tried to snatch Chen Xi from our hands! Thank goodness the three of us are all Earth-rank experts and subdued the two brothers—otherwise this plan would have been hard to carry off!"

"Hmph, actually, when I grabbed Yu Ning last time and Wei Zhao came knocking, I felt something was off from the start. I began to suspect Zhu the Second then, but I had no proof. This time I took precautions—and sure enough, it was the two of them!" Zhao Qibing gave another cold snort. "If we hadn't been pressed for time, I'd have killed them both just to vent my anger!"

"This time, everyone here is one of us. Once we reach the Mysterious Pill Sect, there'll be no more spies of Wei Zhao at our side—we'll have shaken off his shadow for good," Elder Mian nodded and said.

……………………

At the Mysterious Pill Sect, Kang Jingming was sitting in the room of the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation—that is, Tian Chan—carefully wearing a smile, keeping her company. Ever since Patriarch Xuanchen had told him that, relations with Xuanchen or not, he absolutely must get on good terms with the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation, Kang Jingming had set about deliberately currying favor with her.

For he had seen it clearly too: if he wanted a say in this place, relying on Patriarch Xuanchen alone would not be enough. The Heavenly Silkworm Transformation might do Patriarch Xuanchen a favor, but she would not do one for Kang Jingming!

"Little Ming, is there something you want?" Tian Chan had naturally seen through Kang Jingming for the fickle, treacherous little man he was, but how shrewd was Tian Chan? Having sat in the position of young sect master all this time under the guise of the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation, she had long since learned to keep joy and anger from showing on her face.

"Young Sect Master Tian, I've heard that the cultivation method you practice requires young women of exceptional constitution to serve as cauldrons?" Kang Jingming had acted first and reported afterward, because in this matter he felt his success was all but certain.

"Oh? Who told you that?" Tian Chan asked, her face expressionless.

"Uh... the elders of some standing in the sect all know of it. That maid of yours before, Tian Die'er—wasn't she a fine cauldron?" Kang Jingming said cautiously.

"Oh, and what if she was?" Tian Chan nodded. For the sake of Patriarch Xuanchen's plan, she had indeed disguised herself as a ruthless, lustful young sect master, and Tian Die'er—Tian Chan had declared to the outside world that she had used her as a cauldron until she was cultivated to death.

"I've heard that for years now, Young Sect Master Tian has been searching for another fine cauldron to replace Tian Die'er?" Seeing that the Heavenly Silkworm Transformation showed no displeasure, but rather confirmed what he had said, Kang Jingming set his mind at ease and pressed on with his question.

"That's right. Cauldrons aren't so easily found. Why do you ask?" Tian Chan had never gone looking for any cauldron at all. Her declaration to the outside world that she sought one was mere cover—and whether one had been found or not was, after all, for Tian Chan herself to say.

"Heh heh, Young Sect Master, a perfect cauldron has now been delivered right to your door. What do you say..." Kang Jingming finally breathed a sigh of relief. It looked as though he had certainly done himself proud this time.

"What perfect cauldron? Are you saying you're the cauldron?" Tian Chan was taken aback and looked at Kang Jingming oddly. "Aren't you a man? Or are you actually 'Brother Kang'?"

"Uh... of course not..." Kang Jingming was instantly embarrassed by Tian Chan's words and hurried to explain. "It's like this—Zhao Qibing, a core disciple of the Dark Night Palace, has brought you a perfect cauldron for your cultivation, and it's already on its way!"

"Zhao Qibing of the Dark Night Palace?" Tian Chan was annoyed at heart by Kang Jingming's meddling, yet on the surface she could not refuse, so she had no choice but to feign delight. "Oh? Didn't I just teach him a lesson not long ago? Why is he sending me a cauldron now? Could there be some problem with this?"

"I guarantee you, there's absolutely no problem!" Kang Jingming shook his head and said with certainty.