Chapter 3377 — Puppet Clone

"No way? That impressive?" Kang Jingming was instantly overjoyed—three top-tier fighters! Yet he could not help but wonder: "If these people are so formidable, why not send them to kill Wei Zhao? Wouldn't that be easier?"

"Those three have only just mastered their arts; their experience is still thin, and they have yet to grow accustomed to their identity as peak late Heavenly Tier grand-completion masters. If I sent them after Wei Zhao, I fear they would come off the worse—Wei Zhao is a cunning man with more than a few hidden cards. Better to let Xiao'er and the Heavenly Silkworm, whose combat experience is richer, make the move!" Ancestor Xuanchen said. "Besides, these Zhao family people bear Wei Zhao a grudge, but at bottom they belong to Miss Lan's side. Since Miss Lan has not raised the matter, we cannot act on our own initiative."

"I see. Well, that works out nicely—it lets me enjoy myself a little!" Kang Jingming nodded, well pleased.

"As for the matter of Xiao Yi, look into it further. A grown living man, just gone? Are you certain Wei Zhao had no hand in it?" Ancestor Xuanchen still had Xiao Yi on his mind.

"It shouldn't be him. I left first, and Wei Zhao left after. When I departed, the body was loaded in the car. Besides, what use would a dead man be to Wei Zhao?" Kang Jingming shook his head.

"That may be so, but until Xiao Yi's corpse is found, I will never be at ease. Could there be someone else lurking in the shadows? I do not believe in ghosts and spirits," Ancestor Xuanchen said.

"Then I'll investigate again." Kang Jingming said the words, but he did not take them to heart. In his view, the man was dead—who cared where the corpse had gone?

"Good. But mind your safety." Ancestor Xuanchen's words warmed Kang Jingming's heart; it seemed the old ancestor did care for him after all.

Wei Zhao, taking Yu Dake and Yu Xiaoke with him, left the Hidden Yu family and returned to Donghai City.

Along the way, Wei Zhao was in low spirits, sitting with eyes closed in deep thought. Yu Dake could tell his mood was poor and did not dare press him with questions. Yu Xiaoke, however, was rather glum—clearly Wei Zhao and Yu Ning of the Hidden Yu family had something between them; it was plain enough from the look in her eyes when she saw them off. Yu Xiaoke said nothing, but the sudden appearance of yet another girl could hardly have pleased her.

Still, the sulking passed soon enough. Yu Xiaoke knew her own place, and she took comfort in this at least: the "Male Thief" loved only her. That was enough.

As for her love for Wei Zhao, it rested mostly on the memory of that gentle, considerate Male Thief in the ancient tomb.

"I'm going to cultivate for a while. Call me if anything comes up," Wei Zhao said at last. With so much happening lately, he had never settled down to proper cultivation, and had let it lie fallow far too long. Now the Inheritor's plan no longer seemed so distant, and Wei Zhao had to raise his strength another notch as quickly as possible—otherwise he truly would be ill-prepared for the unknown dangers ahead.

Yu Ning, Yu Shu, Gu Mengyao, Feng Xiaoxiao, Xiao Jiu—all of them needed Wei Zhao's protection, needed him to safeguard them. He had to possess strength that could look down upon the assembled mighty, so that within that plan he would hold absolute right to speak!

Entering the jade pendant space, Wei Zhao was about to sit down and cultivate, but all at once he caught sight of a corner of the space and was so startled he nearly cried out! Fortunately he was inside the jade pendant space—otherwise would he not have frightened Yu Xiaoke and Yu Dake out of their wits?

"What the hell, Elder Jiao, what have you done? What is this thing?" Wei Zhao pointed at the corner of the jade pendant space and exclaimed: "Isn't that Xiao Yi's corpse? How did it get into my space?"

Though Wei Zhao was not afraid of the dead, the corpse of an enemy appearing inexplicably in the jade pendant space was more than he could take calmly.

"Not me. That thing brought it in," Jiao Yazi said, pointing at the ghostly mass in the corner.

"Senior Ghost, you're awake?" Wei Zhao said, slightly taken aback, and then asked.

"Yes, awake. Not a bad corpse—a peak late Heavenly Tier grand-completion master, and a cut above the ordinary grand-completion masters at that. For now I'll refine it into a puppet clone of mine, just for fun. I've recovered a good deal of my primordial spirit power here lately—the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this place is truly abundant, haha!" The ghost thing suddenly burst into laughter: "Come to think of it, I ought to thank you for bringing me such a fine toy!"

"Puppet clone?" Wei Zhao was slightly stunned, not quite understanding what the ghost thing meant. "You brought this corpse in? How can you control the jade pendant space?"

"Haha, inside the jade pendant space I am in fact half its master. If you can bring things in, naturally I can too. Ask Jiao Yazi—he can as well!" The ghost thing laughed. "Of course, all of this is thanks to your refining the jade pendant space. Had you not refined it, I could not have brought the corpse in either."

"So that's how it is." What Wei Zhao heard sent a chill down his spine. Thank goodness he was not afraid of such things—otherwise the ghost thing would have frightened him to death! "Then is it done? What is this so-called puppet clone for?"

"It's not much use, really. I merely put a thread of my primordial spirit power into the corpse's body, making it my puppet clone, able to move freely in the outside world. Of course, its strength is a bit low for my purposes—I'll just treat it as a way to stretch my legs when I'm bored!" the ghost thing said. "It's like another me, one that can be directed by the me within the jade pendant space!"

"Oh? So once it leaves the jade pendant space, it's equivalent to a peak late Heavenly Tier grand-completion master, and it's controlled by you, Senior?" Wei Zhao was suddenly delighted—did this not amount to gaining an extra fighter?

But once the excitement passed, Wei Zhao calmed down again. This was a formidable fighter, true, but would the ghost thing be willing to work for him? The few times he had asked for help before, the ghost thing had barely deigned to respond. Now he would be sending its clone out in person to serve as a fighter—surely it would be even less willing?

"Quite right. You may understand it that way!" The ghost thing nodded and said with certainty. (To be continued)