Chapter 3311 — A Thousand Words Left Unspoken

Wei Zhao knew Xuan Xu Laozu better than most. Those three were almost certainly brought in by Xuan Xu Laozu—otherwise, all that talk of founding a sect was pure nonsense. The Dark Night Palace was no place of abundant spiritual energy; without the Dark Phoenix bloodline, cultivating here was merely ordinary at best. A careful search of other remote mountains and old forests would turn up many places richer in spiritual energy than this. That these bandits were plundering cultivation resources, Wei Zhao could believe; that they were fighting over territory, he found somewhat harder to credit.

Still, did Xuan Xu Laozu and Kang Jingming truly only mean to make trouble for the Dark Night Palace? Or was there some other purpose behind it?

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Just as Wei Zhao stood before the mountain gate, lost in reflection, a gatekeeping disciple who had been hiding in the shadows finally came creeping out, trembling, and asked him in a quavering voice.

The disciple could hardly be blamed for his timidity—yesterday's events had frightened him out of his wits. And today Wei Zhao had arrived riding a spirit beast, looking every inch the picture of dominance. The disciple had hidden himself far away at first sight, and only dared to emerge and ask a single question once he saw that Wei Zhao was not making any threatening demands.

"Is Yao'er here?" Wei Zhao glanced at the gatekeeping disciple and frowned slightly. This one's courage was a little too small, wasn't it? A man like this guarding the gate—the Dark Night Palace really must be short of talent!

"Ah—Yao'er?" The disciple was briefly taken aback, then something seemed to occur to him. "You—you're looking for our Palace Master Chu?"

"Yes. Is she in?" Wei Zhao asked.

"You—you wouldn't happen to be the young master of the Xuandan Sect, Tian Can Bian?" The gatekeeping disciple jumped in fright. Kang Jingming had come to propose marriage before, and now a young man of such commanding presence stood at the gate—the disciple's mind leaped straight to Tian Can Bian.

"Tian Can Bian? What are you talking about?" Wei Zhao was startled, then found it both amusing and exasperating. How had this gatekeeping disciple become such a startled bird, taking every rumor for truth? Was he really so similar to that fair-faced pretty boy Tian Can Bian? "Go find your Palace Master. Tell her Wei Zhao is here!"

"You're Wei Zhao? All right, all right, wait a moment!" Though Wei Zhao's reputation had suffered somewhat of late, it did nothing to diminish the fearsome name he had built among these disciples. Seeing Wei Zhao appear in such imposing fashion, the disciple naturally did not dare underestimate him, and hurried off to report to Gu Mengyao.

Watching the direction in which the gatekeeping disciple had disappeared, Wei Zhao's eyes flashed with a faint, sharp light—for what he was really looking at was not the disciple at all, but an old acquaintance standing not far away. That person was Zhao Qibing!

Wei Zhao did not go over to call out to Zhao Qibing, however. He wanted to see just what this fellow was up to.

After all, the perception of a Heaven Rank expert was formidable; monitoring Zhao Qibing's every move was child's play for Wei Zhao. He watched as Zhao Qibing furtively pulled a phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

Wei Zhao did not know whom he was calling, but every word he said came through crystal clear.

"Elder Kang Changde? This is little Bing!" Zhao Qibing said in a hushed voice, apparently unaware that he was already under Wei Zhao's surveillance. He fancied his position well concealed, beyond Wei Zhao's ability to detect, and it never occurred to him that anyone in the Dark Night Palace might be passing information to the enemy.

"Oh? Qibing. What is it?" Kang Jingming asked after picking up. "Has Wei Zhao arrived?"

"That's right, Elder Kang Changde. Wei Zhao is here—right at the gate of the Dark Night Palace!" Zhao Qibing said.

"Good. I understand your situation. Rest assured, I will arrange everything," Kang Jingming said indifferently.

"Good, good—thank you, Elder Kang Changde! Then I'll wait to take up my post as an enforcer of the Xuandan Sect!" Zhao Qibing said hastily. With that, he hung up and hurried away.

Wei Zhao's face was expressionless, but inwardly he gave a cold laugh. It seemed his guess had been right on the mark—what had happened at the Dark Night Palace was indeed connected to Kang Jingming. That so-called bandit gang had plainly been sent by Kang Jingming; otherwise, why would Zhao Qibing be calling him?

The doubts that had lingered in Wei Zhao's mind gradually cleared. He had guessed some of Kang Jingming's intentions. Kang Jingming was so concerned about whether Wei Zhao had come to the Dark Night Palace—most likely his trouble-making there was not aimed at Gu Mengyao at all, but at Wei Zhao himself!

Between Wei Zhao and Kang Jingming and Xuan Xu Laozu lay a deep and bitter hatred. With Wei Zhao having revealed his strength abroad, it was impossible that Kang Jingming would not stir into action. Yet Wei Zhao had for a time not returned, leaving Kang Jingming no opportunity to make trouble for him. So, no doubt unable to contain himself any longer, he meant to use the affairs of the Dark Night Palace to draw Wei Zhao out!

For Kang Jingming knew that where Gu Mengyao was concerned, Wei Zhao could not possibly stand idly by. But how could he know that Wei Zhao had not been hiding abroad, but rather honing his strength and refining the jade pendant space?

And Wei Zhao had been fretting over the lack of a chance to display his new power—to become truly one who could slay experts at the peak of the late Heaven Rank in a single strike. Now Kang Jingming had delivered that chance right to his door!

So Wei Zhao had not made the slightest move to stop Zhao Qibing. Stop him—and who would carry the word back? Wei Zhao had not come here today fearing that some bandit gang would make trouble for him; his only fear was that they might not come!

If they did not come, would his trip not be in vain? He might even have to lodge here and wait for them—what a waste of time that would be. Wei Zhao had many things to do now. Once this matter was settled and these hostile forces suppressed, he planned to go find the Pangolin. The address of the poison-refining base was already in his hands; only the operation remained.

Not long after Zhao Qibing vanished, Gu Mengyao came drifting over. To Wei Zhao's surprise, in so short a time apart, Gu Mengyao had already become an expert at the early Earth Rank!

"Yao'er, I never imagined your strength would improve so quickly!" Looking at that familiar face before him, Wei Zhao revealed a faint smile.

"Wei Zhao..." Gu Mengyao had missed him dearly too. Only after they parted had she realized how important he was in her heart. In all this time without seeing him, a thousand words had welled up inside her—yet at this moment, they melted into those two soft syllables.

Yes, the young lady had always been like this—cold on the outside, warm within. To make her voice some sentimental confession of how she had missed Wei Zhao was beyond her, even if her heart ached with longing. (To be continued)